this is signified when as it is said that his children should be called in Isaac who was not borne vnto Abraham according to the course of nature for Abraham was almost an hundred yeares old and Sara was likewise stricken in yeares and barren Rom. 4. 19 20. but his birth was rather to be ascribed to the free promise of God apprehended by the faith of Abraham and not to naturall strength and ordinary generation And hence it is that he is called the child of the promise and not the child of the flesh as Ismael was who was borne according to the ordinary course of nature and likewise according to his example those are reputed the true childrē of Abraham who are the children of the promise begotten not according to nature but Gods free grace indued with the faith of Abraham and not like Ismael his children onely according to the flesh And this may further appeare by plaine testimonies of Scripture Rom. 4. 11 12. the Apostle saith that Abraham Rom. 4. 11 12. was the father not onely of the circumcised but also of the vncircumcised who beleeue and walke in the steps of his faith The which argument he more fully handleth verse 13 14 15 16 Gal. 3. 7. 17 18. Gal. 3. 7. They which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham Lastly the Apostle Paul who was indued with the same spirit of God that our Prophet was and therefore most fit to interpret his meaning expoundeth this prophecy of all the faithfull both Israelites and Gentiles as appeareth Rom. 9. 24 25 26. so Pet. 1. Epist 2. 10. Rom. 9. 24 25. And thus it appeareth whom we are to vnderstand by the children of Israel In the next place we are to consider the number of the Church which is expressed comparatiuely as the sand in the sea which cannot be numbred nor told In which words he alludeth vnto the promise of God made to Abraham Gen. 22. 17. Therefore I will surely blesse thee and Gen. 22. 17. will greatly multiply thy seede as the starres of the heauen and as the sand which is by the sea shore c. so Gen. 15. 5. and withall Gen. 15. 5. expoundeth that promise shewing of whom it was meant namely of the whole Church of God Israelites and Gentiles who being indued with the faith of Abraham were alone to be esteemed his seed as the Apostle likewise interpreteth it Rom. 4. 18. The like place vnto this we haue Ier. 33. 22. Rom. 4. 18. Jer. 33. 2. By all which is signified that the Church of God after the comming of Christ gathered together by the preaching of the Gospell should be in numbers numberlesse euen like vnto the sands by the sea side which howsoeuer God infinit in knowledge can number yet vnto man they are innumerable And not onely so but that also it should not as in former times be contained within the narrow limits of Canaan but extend it selfe very spatiously ouer the face of the earth For here he vseth two words the first is referred to a continued quantity of place which cannot be measured the other to a discrete quantity that is to the number or multitude which cannot be told By both which ioyned together he sheweth that the Church of God and Kingdome of Christ should be so spatious that it should be contained in no limits and so many in multitude that it should be defined with no number But here it may be demanded how this can stand with the saying of our Sauiour Christ who calleth his Church a little flocke I answer that Christ speaketh of it being compared with infidels worldlings which are not of the church in respect of whose huge multitude the true church of Christ is but a little flock but yet being considered in it selfe the number thereof is great euen like the starres of heauen and sands by the sea shore which cannot be measured nor told And thus much for the number of the Church In the next place is set downe the time in which this increase of Gods people should be not in the time present but in the time to come euen after the comming of Christ when by the preaching of the Gospell the Gentiles should be called and ioyned to the Church of the Iewes So that first the children of Israel who were the children of Abraham according to the flesh onely must be cast off before his children according to the spirit should be receiued into the couenant first the naturall branches of the Oliue must be broken off because they were vnfruitfull and then the wilde branches must be grafted in and therefore their reiection should be so farre from bringing Gods Church to ruine that God after their casting off would exceedingly multiply and inlarge it And thus haue I shewed the meaning of the first point The Do ∣ ctrines The doctrines which from hence arise are these First we may learne what is the disposition and behauiour of hypocrites The disposition of hypocrites to boast themselues in outward titles who boast themselues of their outward titles shewes and ceremonies whereas they are destitute of al correspondency in substance sincerity and truth and together how we may beate downe their pride and answer their vaine brags The Israelites resting in the outward titles of the posteritie of Abraham the Church and people of God and in performing some externall worship consisting rather in ceremonies then in substance in vaine shewes and shadowes and not in spirit and truth were hereby so puffed vp in pride and lulled asleepe in such deepe security that they imagined God could not be true of his word vnlesse they were preserued and that there was no way but the Church must needes vtterly perish if they were ouerthrowne and reiected and therefore against all the threatnings of the true Prophets they opposed these titles and shadowes that they were the posterity of Abraham the Church of God his chosen people who were in the couenant and such as had the Temple Arke and Law amongst them and with these bucklers they fenced and bore off all threatnings of their ruine and destruction and kept them from wounding their consciences with vnfained sorrow for their sinnes and withall were moued hereby to condemne the Prophets to be liars who spake not frō the Lord but according to their own melancholie phantasies and discontented conceits To these our Prophet by a Prolepsis answereth that though they were the posteritie of Abraham and Iacob yet they were not true Israelites but degenerated Iizreelites such as had onely outward titles shewes ceremonies and external prerogatiues but that they were not the children of Abraham according to the spirit not in the couenant of grace which they had often broken not the true Church and people of God seeing they had forsaken him and in stead of his true worship which ought to be performed in spirit and truth they offered vnto him a false worship according to
their owne inuentions and in the hypocrisie of their hearts And therefore though the Lord should reiect them yet this should bee no impeachment to his truth in his promises nor bring any damage to the Church for as much as he would in their stead who were hypocrites rotten members and the sonnes of Abraham only according to the flesh make choice of sincere professours true beleeuers and the sonnes of Abraham according to the spirit vnto whom hee would make good his couenant and promise and multiplie them in innumerable numbers The like obiection at this day is made by the Papists in The Papists like the idolatrous Israelites 1. Tim. 3. 15. their pride and securitie against those who charge them with their errours and apostasie For say they the Church of Christ cannot erre seeing it is the pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. nor fall away in life or doctrine seeing Christ hath promised to leade it in all truth and to continue with it ruling and guiding it by his word and spirit vnto the end of Math. 23. 20. the world but we say they are the Church of Christ as may appeare by our vnitie vniuersalitie antiquitie and succession of Bishops and therefore if we fall away the Church falles away and consequently Christ cannot bee true of his promise But vnto them we may answere as the Prophet to the Israelites that they are the Church onely in name and not in deede seeing they haue forsaken the pure worship of God described in his word and in stead thereof haue imbraced their owne wil-worship superstition and idolatrie and therefore they are not now the spouse of Christ but adulterous harlots which are for their whoredomes diuorced from him they are not the true Church of God notwithstanding those outward titles and notes thy bragge of seeing they want the chiefe and onely vnfallible notes of the true Church Gods word sincerely preached and his Sacraments purely administred And though they bee reiected yet this will not infringe the truth of Gods promises made to his Church neither will God want a Church though they be cast off seeing in their places hee hath and will multiplie his faithfull children the true posteritie of Abraham as the sands by the sea shore vnto whom he will accomplish his promises of his presence protection and direction in all truth The like obiection also is made by carnall gospellers and secure hypocrites who professing religion doe in their liues denie the power thereof and drawing neere vnto God with their lips whilest with their hearts they goe farre from him and therefore we may fit vnto them the like answere c. The second thing which wee are to obserue is that the The execution of Gods iudgements no hinderance to the performance of his promises execution of Gods threatnings is at no time any hinderance to the performance of his promises nay rather he vseth the one as an occasion of the accomplishing of the other as in this place the reiectiō of the idolatrous Israelites for the fulfilling of his gratious promise concerning the multiplying of his Church the true posteritie of Abraham according to the spirit And therefore when Gods faithfull children heare his fearefull denunciation of iudgements denounced against the wicked let not them doubt that this will be an impediment to stay the performance of the gracious promises which are made vnto them for although they bee not accomplished in that maner and by those meanes which they expected yet the Lord will not faile to performe them so as in his infinite wisedome hee knoweth most fit for his owne The multitude of Gods people in the time of the Gospell glorie and their saluation The third thing to be obserued is the great multitude of Gods people and children vnder the kingdome of Iesus Christ in the time of the Gospel for it is here said that God would multiplie them as the sands and starres The Israelites supposed that if they should be reiected God would want a Church and people to worship and serue him but they were wholly deceiued for vpon the occasion of their reiection who were but hypocrites he multiplied the number of his faithfull seruants And as the riuer when the course thereof is stopped in his owne channell breaketh ouer the bankes and ouerfloweth the whole countrie making it fruitfull which in it selfe was drie and baren So the streames of Gods sauing mercies which in former times plentifully flowed in the land of Canaan as in their proper current being stopped and as it were dammed vp with the huge heape of their grieuous sinnes and traiterous rebellions ran ouer the bankes and borders of Iurie and ouerflowed the whole earth making the Gentiles who formerly had been barren in all goodnes fruitefull in his sanctifying graces and holy obedience And this our Sauiour signified in the parable of the great Supper to which the Iewes who were the inuited guests refusing to come vpon the occasion of their refusall the seruants are sent into the streets hedges highwaies to inuite the poore maimed halt and blind Gentiles that they might supplie their roomes as appeareth Luk. 14. Luk. 14. The pride of hypocrits reprooued and beaten down The consideration whereof may serue to beate downe the pride of hypocrites who thinke God beholding to them for their profession and seruice imagining that he will neuer reiect them for his owne honours sake seeing if they were cast off he should want seruants to worship and glorifie him But let such know that God who is in himselfe absolute and infinit in all perfections standeth in neede of no man and though it were supposed that he did yet not of them who by their seruing him doe dishonour him for he is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham Matth. 3. 9. He can destroy Matth. 3. 9. Iob. 34. 24. the mightie and set vp others in their stead as it is Iob 34. 24. When the Iewes forsake him he can make the Gentiles seruiceable when the ancient by their praises doe not glorifie him hee can giue strength to babes and sucklings to performe this dutie which they neglect Psalm 8. 2. and though Psalm 8. 2. they likewise should say nothing yet the heauens with their dumbe eloquence would declare the glory of God Psal 19. 1. Psalm 19. 1. Yea and if all these should hold their peace yet the stones themselues would become the heraulds of Gods praises Luk. 19. 40. And therefore let not hypocrites securely goe Luk. 19. 40. on in their sinnes thinking that for their outward seruice and professions sake God will not reiect them for as the Lord spake of Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim Ier. 22. 24 Ier. 22. 24. though they were the signet of his right hand yet he wil plucke them off Secondly whereas it is said that the Church of Christ The dotage of the Brownists confuted should be multiplied like the sands by the sea side
LECTVRES VPON THE FOVRE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE PROPHECIE OF HOSEA WHEREIN THE TEXT IS EXPOVNded and cleered and such profitable instructions obserued and applied as naturally arise out of this holie Scripture and are fit for these times By IOHN DOVVNAME Bacheler in Diuinitie and Preacher of Gods word 1. TIMOTH 4. 16. Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto learning continue therein for in doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for William Welby and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Greyhound 1608. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IAMES BY GODS PROVIdence Lord Bishop of Bathe and Welles I. D. wisheth all grace prosperitie and true comfort in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come THe booke of holy Scriptures Right reuerēd father in God is as the princely Prophet Dauid calleth it Alanterne to our Psal 119. feete and a light vnto our pathes and as the Apostle Peter termeth it it is As a candle shining 2. Pet. 1. 19. in an obscure place which so illuminateth the eyes of our mindes through the inward operation of Gods Spirit that we are thereby enabled in this vale of darkenesse to make choice of the narrow path of righteousnes which conducteth vs to Gods kingdome and to decline from the by-waies of sinne and error which leade to destruction yea it is a glorious and bright shining sunne which as it is said of Christ the author of this word doth giue light vnto them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow Matth. 4. 2. Luk. 1. 79. of death guiding their feete into the way of peace But withall it is a certaine truth that this heauenly light is in some places more resplendent in others more obscure this candle sometimes shineth so clearely that it giueth light to the whole houshold and sometimes it burneth so dimly that those only discerne it who haue better insight approch neerer vnto it by diligent studie and meditation This glorious sun in some places shineth clearely and euidently sheweth it selfe by his owne light but otherwhiles it is shadowed with the clouds of obscuritie and the foggie 2. Pet. 3. 16. mistes of our ignorance interposing betweene it and vs doe hide it from our sight The which no doubt the holy Ghost hath purposely affected that neither the great easinesse of holy writ might cause in any idle neglect nor yet the inextricable difficultie might discourage any from reading of it that neither the simple plainnesse thereof might work in the wise and learned cause of comtempt seeing in many places they might haue a fit subiect whereupon they might exercise their greatest learning and deepest iudgement nor the obscure profoundnes of it might make the simple despaire of receiuing any fruit by their studies and labours seeing a great part therof is so plaine and easie that it is within the compasse of a childs capacitie And finally as hee hath prouided milke for babes so also stronger meate for those who are of riper age that none who are inuited to this heauenly banquet might go away with emptie stomackes for want of conuenient food whereby they should be nourished Neuerthelesse the Popish crew who because their works are euill loue the darknes of ignorance better then the light of Gods truth take occasion hereupon to declaime against the obscuritie of the Scriptures and to disswade all the common people from reading of them and lest the sight of this heauenly food should sharpen their hungrie appetite work in them a desire to feed vpō it they carefully locke it frō thē ouer whom they haue any authoritie in the darke closet of an vnknowne tongue that so being out of sight it may also be out of mind and in stead hereof they feede them with their lying Legends and with the poysonous hemlocke of their owne traditions pretending that out of their great care they keepe the Scriptures from them lest they should peruert them to their destruction and abuse them in their ignorance vnto heresies and errors Wherein what do they else but like cruell nurses keepe from Gods children the milke of his word whereby they should bee nourished for feare lest any thereof should droppe vpon their clothes What doe they else but like hard hearted stewards depriue Gods familie of their allowance and so starue them to auoide surfeting And what doe they by this their either foolish or malicious course but quite extinguish the light of Gods truth because it doth not shine in all places with like clearenesse But wee who professe our selues children of the light and true disciples of the schoole of Christ must be otherwise affected continually praying that though there be nothing but palpable darknesse in all the dominions of the Romish Pharaoh yet this light may still shine in our Goshen as long as the Sunne is in the firmament and neuer be extinguished And seeing our heauenly school-master in his abundant mercie giueth vnto vs this booke of diuine knowledge which alone is sufficient to make vs wise vnto saluation let vs with the Prophet Dauid take our chiefe delight in this holy learning meditating therein day and night and when wee finde our lesson cleare to our vnderstandings let vs labour to imprint it in our memories by the holy vse and practise which we make of it in our liues and conuersations where it is obscure and difficult let vs endeuour to informe our iudgements in the true meaning thereof by diligent studie and meditation comparing one Scripture with another and clearing those places which are hard and darke by others which are more easie and perspicuous Neither doth this heauenly sunne when it is couered with clouds of obscuritie need any earthly meanes to cleare restore it to his brightnes seeing his owne heate and light is sufficient to dispell these foggie mists and the winde of Gods Spirit so driueth these darke clouds of ignorance from before the eie of our vnderstanding that we shal need no other helpe for our enlightning But 1. Ioh. 2. 20. 27. as all those who are schollers in Christs schoole ought to spend their time in these holy exercises so especially the Ministers of the Gospell who being placed as it were in the highest forme are enioyned by God not only to learne themselues the lesson of his holy and hidden mysteries but also to reade a lecture Matth. 2. 7. of them to those who are in inferiour places that they likewise may bee inlightned in the knowledge of Gods truth The consideration wherof hath moued me whom the Lord hath called to this function though far vnworthie I ingenuously confesse of such high aduancement to vndertake in conscience of my calling the expounding of a part of these holy Scriptures namely the Prophesie of Hosea which as it giueth place to none of the writings of the other Prophets in worth and excellencie so in regard
19. and Esa 36. and 37. And secondly when as being led captiue into Babylon he moued Cyrus and Darius to haue compassion on them and to returne them againe into their owne Country And this is that which is meant by these benefits promised Doctrines Now the things which hence are to be obserued are All Gods benefits included vnder his mercy these First that he includeth all his benefits promised vnder the name of his mercy to note vnto vs that they doe not come vnto any by merit and desert but of free grace and Gods vndeserued goodnes for mercy doth not presuppose merit but rather misery both in regard of sinne and the punishment due vnto it And further to assure vs that if we haue Gods mercy and be in his fauour we shall neede no benefit either for our maintenance or else our defence and preseruation whereas on the otherside without this mercy we can haue no assurance of either Secondly we may obserue that he knitteth these two together Mercy the cause of saluation mercy and saluation and setteth mercy in the first place because it is the cause of saluation and the fountaine from which this streame of our deliuerance floweth Whence we learne that when the Lord saueth and deliuereth vs out of the hands of our enemies we doe not ascribe our deliuerance to our goodnesse workes or worthinesse but to Gods free mercy and vndeserued grace The third thing to be considered is the meanes whereby Exposition the Lord would saue them which are described first affirmatiuely by the Lord their God and after negatiuely where the false and insufficient meanes are remoued And will not saue them by bow c. Concerning the first by the Lord their God we are to vnderstand the true Messias Iesus Christ the eternall Iehoua Gen. 19. 24. with his Father and holy Spirit who onely saueth and deliuereth his Church out of the hands of their enemies and procureth for them eternall saluation and happinesse first as the meritorious cause for his sake and merits we haue saluation and all other benefits deriued vnto vs from God the Father who if he should behold vs out of his Sonne in our sinnes and corruptions would in stead of benefits heape vpon vs plagues and punishments and in stead of saluation would plunge vs into euerlasting death and destruction And secondly as the efficient cause of our saluation for the Father saueth vs but by his Son who is his strong power whereby he not onely created vs but also hath redeemed and saued vs. Moreouer he saith that he would saue them by the Lord their God rather then that he would saue them by himselfe to the end that he might hereby signifie not onely that the house of Iuda did make choyce of him the true God whom they worshipped and serued but also that he was not the God of the Israelites seeing they had forsaken him and betaken themselues to the worship of idols But here it may be demanded how this can be true that he was not the God of the Israelites but of the Iewes onely seeing he professeth himselfe to be the God of all the seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and also seeing the Israelites at this time professed that they serued him in their idols I answere that God accounteth himselfe to be no God vnto them who had refused him and that they had in truth refused him whatsoeuer shew and profession they made to the contrary when as they did not worship him after the prescript forme of his word but in hypocrisie and in idols not in his temple vnto which place hee had limited and restrained his publike worshippe but in groues and high places And this was the true meanes whereby he would saue them In the next place hee expresseth and remooueth the false and insufficient meanes of their saluation And will not saue them by bow nor by sword nor by battell by horses nor by horsemen As though hee should say Although they bee so weake poore and impotent as that they may appeare vnto themselues and others to lie open for a pray to their enemies yet this shall bee no meanes to hinder their saluation and deliuerance seeing my purpose is not to saue them by any power riches or meanes of their owne but by mine owne might which without all humane helpe is in it selfe omnipotent and omnisufficient Whereas then he saith that hee will not saue them by bow nor by sword c. his meaning is that hee would not saue them by their owne power and strength or by any humane and worldly meanes but that their deliuerāce should whollie come from and by himselfe the which accordingly was effected first in the reigne of Ezekias when as being inuaded with the mightie host of Senacharib hee caused his Angell to slay 185000. of their enemies and so without their owne bow sword or battell deliuered them And after that they were led captiue into Babylon he gaue thē grace in the eies of Cyrus and Darius and when otherwise they were altogether vnable by force to relieue themselues he caused their enemies in pitie and compassion to free them out of captiuitie and to restore them againe into their owne countrie Now the reason why the Lord excludeth all their owne strength and meanes was first to beate downe the pride and insolencie of the Israelites who thought it impossible that the house of Iuda in regard of their weakenesse pouertie and small number should bee deliuered out of their hands especially hauing combined themselues with the Syrians to worke their ouerthrow and secondly to strengthen the Iewes in the assurance of their deliuerance notwithstanding they saw no possible meanes in regard of humane power which was exceeding needfull considering that through our naturally corruptions we are readie to doubt of our deliuerance when as we are abandoned of outward helpes And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which The doctrines from hence arise are these First wee may obserue that the 1. That we haue all benefits from God in and for Iesus Christ saluation of Gods Church and elect children and all other benefits which they receiue either spiritual or temporal is in and for Iesus Christ alone and not from their owne meanes nor for their own merits And this appeareth in this place where the Lord promiseth to saue the Iewes out of the hands of the enemies but not by their own means but in the Lord their God the promised Messiah And as this is true concerning our temporall deliuerances so especially concerning our eternall saluation for there is not saluation in any other c. Act. 4. 12. And he is able perfectly to saue all those who Acts 4. 12. Heb. 7. 25. come vnto God by him Heb. 7. 25. The vse hereof is that wee doe not with the Papists looke for saluation elsewhere not in our owne merits nor in the merits and intercession of Saints nor ascribe the
glorie hereof in part or whole to any other sauing our onely Sauiour Christ c. The second thing which we obserue is that the onely true 2. Iehouah wil be their God alone who worship him according to his word Iehouah is the God of those alone who worship and serue him after his will reuealed in his word as for those that in stead of Gods reuealed truth imbrace their owne wil-worships though they make neuer so glorious a profession of their seruice to the true Ged yet he esteemeth it not as done vnto him neither will he acknowledge them his seruants nor himselfe their God who in stead of his wil do their own wills and in stead of his pure seruice offer vnto him their owne inuentions Whereas contrariwise hee vouchsafeth to bee called the God of them who worship him after his reuealed will though otherwise their obedience be mingled with many corruptions and imperfections as appeareth in the example of the Israelites and the Iewes in this place Thirdly we here learne whence we are to expect deliuerance 3. Saluation is onely from the Lord. and saluation out of the hands of our enemies not from our own strength munitiō number riches friends seeing our saluation commeth not from our selues or from our own meanes but from the Lord alone And therfore when we abound in these things we must not trust in them and so grow proud in our owne strength but in Gods helpe and promised assistance and when these things are wanting let vs not despaire of deliuerance seeing the Lord without aboue or contrarie to these meanes can saue and preserue vs by his owne omnipotent power as appeareth in the example of the Israelites deliuered out of the captiuitie of Egypt out of the hands of the Madianites by Gedeon and his 300. men Iudg. 7. from the power of Sanacherib by his Judg. 7. 2. King 19. owne Angell and in the example of the slaughter of the Philistims by Ionathan his Armourbearer 1. Sam. 14. 6. And so 1. Sam. 14 6. in our greatest weakenes and want of meanes we may comfort our selues in the Lords assistance which is al-sufficient and say with Ionathan It is not hard to the Lord to saue with many or with few 1. Sam. 14. 6. and with Asa 2. Chron. 1. Sam. 14. 6. 2. Chron. 14. 11. 14. 11. O Lord it is nothing vnto thee to helpe with many or with no power Whereas on the other side all worldly helpes are insufficient to deliuer without Gods assistance for though the horse be prepared against the day of battaile yet our saluation commeth of the Lord Prou. 21. 31. And if the Lord doe not Prou. 21. 31. blesse this meanes A horse is but a vaine helpe and shall not deliuer any by his great strength Psalm 33. 17. And therefore Psalm 33. 17. when we abound in these meanes although wee may lawfully vse them and thanke God for them yet let vs put no affiance in them but say with Dauid Psalm 44. 6. I doe Psalm 44. 6. not trust in my bow neither can my sword saue me c. ANd so much concerning the second degree of the Israelites punishment The third followeth which is their vtter and finall reiection vers 8. Now when shee had weaned Vers 8. 9. Lo-ruchamah she conceiued and bare a sonne Vers 9. Then God said Cal his name Lo-ammi for ye are not my people therefore I will not be yours In which words the third punishment is first typically shadowed vnder the childs name and afterwards plainely expressed in the reason rendred thereof But before this third punishment is denounced there is a certaine space interposed betweene it and the former which is signified vers 8. Now whē she had weaned Loru-chamah c. By the weaning of Loru-chamah the Prophet typically sheweth that because the people were not reclaimed with the former punishments the Lord would be so far from repealing his sentence of those iudgements before denounced that he would now ratifie and confirme it yea and because their diseases were growne so desperate that they were past all cure and seeing neither mercies nor iudgements would reclaime them he would now inflict vpon thē a third iudgement more heauie then all the rest namely he would reiect them frō being his people But yet he would not do this sodenly but as the child is first weaned before it be taken from his nurse so they should be weaned and restrained from their nurses the Prophets and frō the food of their soules the milk 1. Pet. 2. 2. of Gods word of which the Apostle speaketh 1. Pet. 2. 2. and consequently should bee depriued of al the graces of Gods spirit which are both begotten by this spiritual seed of Gods word and nourished and increased with this heauenly food But howsoeuer the Lord goeth forward in the denunciation of iudgements yet it is not altogether without mercy for before he vtterly reiecteth them he interposeth a conuenient distance of time between this and the former iudgement that in the meane while they might repent and so escape this last punishment And this also is signified by the weaning of Loru-chamah before Lo-ammi is conceiued For though he had condemned them to perpetual captiuitie yet he doth not presently exclude them out of that couenant which he had made with their fathers wherby they became his people but for a time hee patiently waited for their conuersion that so they might still retaine the name of Gods people and attaine vnto the saluation of their soules though their bodies were inthralled in a perpetuall seruitude But when as they made no vse neither of Gods former iudgements nor yet of his patience long suffering but obstinately and desperately went on in their sins they increasing in wickednesse the Lord increaseth his punishments and finally casts them off from being his people The which finall reiection is signified and shadowed vnder the name Lo-ammi the signification wherof is Not my people as it is expounded by God himselfe in this place and after it is plainely expressed in the reason for ye are not my people therefore I will not be yours The Lord had in former times made choice of the children of Israel amongst all the nations of the world to be his Church and people according to that Deut. 32. 9. For the Deut. 32. 9. Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance with them hee made his couenant and vpon them as being his owne peculiar people and proper familie he multiplied his benefits with a more liberall hand then vpon any other nation But when Israel obserued not the condition of the couenant but renounced the seruice of God went a whoring after idols and when neither Gods mercies would moue them to loue him nor his iudgements to feare him nor both ioyned together could reclaime them from their wicked waies and bring them to repentance the Lord casteth them
miserable seruitude into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God he mooueth them to perswade others to participate of their freedome and being conuerted to the faith and added to the Church themselues he stirreth them vp to labour for the conuersion of others and consequently for the propagation of the Gospell and kingdome of Iesus Christ So that as I take it this verse is as it were an appendix or consectarie vnto the two former containing in it a dutie which those that were conuerted added vnto the Church ought to performe to their neighbours and brethren both according to the spirit and also according to the flesh namely that being themselues ascended out of the vallie of darkenesse into the mountaine of God they should by their exhortations and incouragements congratulate these benefits one with another vpon whom they were bestowed and mooue others to ascend with them The which dutie the Prophets Esay and Micha foretell should be performed of the faithfull in the time of the Gospell as appeareth Esa 2. 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1. 2. And therefore seeing this verse dependeth Esa 2. 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1. 2. vpon the former containing in it a consequent dutie of those gratious benefits which through Christ God bestoweth vpon the faithfull I thinke it may well bee referred and adioyned to the former chapter But let vs come to the words themselues wherein two things are to be considered first the parties to whom this dutie is inioyned secondly the dutie which by them is to bee performed The parties who must speake to their brethren are those of whom he had spoken in the former verse namely such as were gathered into the Church vnited vnto Christ and had ascended out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome of grace they being ascended themselues must perswade their brethren to ascend with them For before our selues are called vnited vnto Christ iustified and sanctified we neither can nor wil exhort others to participate of these benefits because wee haue had no tast nor feeling of them nay rather wee are readie to draw others from ascending to the mountaine of God into the land of darkenesse that together with vs they may haue the fruition of the pleasures of sin and wallow in the filthie puddle of worldly delightes which we deeme the greatest happinesse because we haue had no sense nor rellish of better things But when once our minds are inlightned and wee discerne that the pleasures of sinne are in themselues base and vaine and also in the end bring death and vtter destruction and withall perceiue the excellencie of Gods spirituall benefits which hee bestoweth vpon the faithful and haue our selues attained vnto some assurance of them then doe wee not onely for our owne part contemne those things which wee so highlie prised in former times but also perswade others to scorne and loath them then doe we not onely our selues inioy our heauenly happinesse but exhort others to congratulate our ioy who alreadie are partakers of it and to perswade those who haue not as yet tasted of it that they will labour to attaine vnto it The dutie which by these is to be performed is that they speake vnto their brethren that is that they would exhort and stirre them vp either to begin to ascend into the kingdome if they haue not yet ascended or if they haue to congratulate with them in this great happinesse and so with mutuall incouragements to moue one another with all care alacritie and diligence more and more to ascend out of the land of darkenesse and to adioyne themselues more firmelie and neerely vnto the kingdome of Christ In which dutie of exhortation and incouragement we are to consider two things first the persons to whom it is directed and secondly the matter of the speech it selfe The persons are their brethren and sisters that is all that belong to Gods election whether they bee called alreadie or to bee called for these are to be exhorted that they ascend the other to be incouraged in their course that with alacritie they may more and more ascend And because none preciselie knoweth who amōgst those who are not yet called belong to the election of God therefore all our neighbors acquaintance are to bee exhorted and inuited that they would ascend with vs. And to this dutie we are bound by the law of charitie whether wee respect our loue towards God or towards our neighbours for our loue towards God bindeth vs to seeke the aduancement of his glory by the inlarging of his kingdome the which we doe when as by our exhortations and holy example we gaine men to Christ Againe we ought to loue our brethren as our selues which if wee doe then being escaped out of the kingdome of Satan and ascended into the Kingdome of God we will vse all our care and indeuour that they likewise may bee deliuered and ascend with vs. And this is done either when one priuate man doth exhort perswade and incourage an other both by word and holy example of life to become a true member of the Kingdome of Christ or when Gods Ministers by their publike preaching performe this duty which is of all other meanes most effectuall as being Gods owne ordinance instituted for the gathering together of the Saints and Ephes 4. 11. 22 Rom. 1. 16. his strong power vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth But howsoeuer all men are to be inuited and exhorted to ascend into the Kingdom of Christ yet this is effectuall onely to those who are indeed brethren and sisters that is such as belong to Gods election whether they be called or not called Neither doth it hence follow that because others are called in the ministery of the word Ammi and Ruchamah that is the people of God who haue obtained mercy that the word of God should be false or they deluded seeing there is no cause in the word why indeed they should not be the people of God and partakers of his mercy but in themselues namely their owne infidelity for if they would beleeue this speech of the Gospell they should in truth be Gods people whereas not beleeuing they lose this title and dignity and so as much as in them giue God the lie as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 5. 10. But God is true of his word 1. Iohn 5. 10. for the voyce of the Gospell is generall and indefinite and neuer particularly applied but by the faith of the hearer and therefore being deliuered to a multitude though many reiect it yet of some amongst them it may be said that they are the people of God namely those who receiue it by a liuely faith And so much for the persons who are to be exhorted The matter of the speech which containeth in it the maine arguments whereby the exhortation is enforced is in these two words Ammi Ruchamah that is ye are my people ye haue obtained mercy or O ye my people O thou who hast
the Prophets to their seueral peoples to whom they were sent And this duty is to be performed of all faithfull Ministers for they are Gods stewards and therefore they are not to suffer euery one to rush into the storehouse of Gods word and to take what pleaseth them but they must giue euery man his owne portion in season as it is Luke 12. 42. Luke 12. 42. They are the Churches Surgeons to cure their spirituall wounds and sores of sinne and therefore they must not onely make good plaisters but also they must apply them to their sores and wounds for otherwise many are so senselesse that they feele no paine and therefore desire no helpe many so wayward and impatient that they will rather let their spirituall wounds putrifie through securitie and presumption then abide the cure fearing the plaister more then the wound Secondly wee may obserue that the idolatry and other grieuous sinnes of the whole Church especially of the gouernours God punisheth the sins of gouernours in the people both ecclesiasticall and ciuill being not repented of do moue the Lord not onely to punish the whole body but also the particular members that is subiects and inferiours if not with spirituall as when they are not partakers with them in their sinnes yet at least with temporall punishments because being one body the sinne of superiours is not onely punished when the punishment is inflicted on themselues but also vpon the inferiours as being parts of them and members of the whole body But besides corporall afflictions they make them also obnoxious vnto Gods wrath and eternall punishments when as by their false doctrine authoritie and euill example they mooue and allure them to imbrace their idolatrie and other sinnes An example wherof we haue in the papacie where because the whole Church is idolatrous especially their Magistrates and Cleargie therefore priuate men being by their false doctrine authoritie and example nuzled and instructed in idolatrie are together with them diuorced from God and ouerwhelmed in the common destruction So that the first and more remote cause of this their punishment is in the whole Church and gouernours thereof the next and immediate cause is the idolatrie of euery particular man which himselfe committed being seduced by the false doctrine and euill example of their adulterous mother The consideration whereof should make superiours most carefull to acquaint themselues with Gods truth and to imbrace and professe his true religion to forsake and detest all manner of false worship and idolatrie and to auoid all other grieuous and open sinnes or if they haue fallen into them speedily to repent of them seeing hereby they do not only draw vpon themselues the heauiest measure of punishment for the mighty shal be mightily tormented but also by their sins not repented of do make their VVisd 6 7. subiects and inferiours which they should loue as their children and parts of their owne bodie guiltie of their sinnes and obnoxious to their punishments 2. Sam. 24. 17. 2. Sam 24. 17. That it is not sufficient to conforme our religion to the religion of superiours Thirdly subiects inferiors priuate men may here learne that in respect of their religion it is not sufficient to conforme themselues to the religion of their gouernours nor in respect of their faith to beleeue as the Church beleeueth nor in respect of their manners to liue according to the example of their superiours but euery one ought to informe himselfe of Gods true religion and to be assured out of Gods word that he worshippeth the true God after his reuealed will and to leade his life not according to the example of others but according to Gods precepts with which he is throughly to be acquainted for it will not excuse vs to say that we haue bin seduced by false teachers mislead by ill gouernours allured by the wicked example of superiours seeing euery man is to liue by their owne faith to bee directed by his owne knowledge and to be approoued or condemned by his owne life and actions And therfore the only priuiledge which he shall haue by the false religion idolatrie and wicked examples of his superiors is that hauing sinned with them for company they shall haue their company also in suffering punishment Lastly we may here obserue that the Lord will not reiect That former idolatrie repented of doth not cause God to reiect vs. vs because we haue bin the children of an adulterous mother in time past so that we hate and forsake her fornications and leauing her as an adulterous harlot do cleaue vnto our heauenly father for it is not said here that the Lord would exclude them from his mercie because they had been but also presently were the children of fornications that is not onelie borne of an adulterous harlot but also approouing and following her spirituall whoredomes The consideration whereof serueth for the comfort of those who hauing been borne and brought vp in poperie and idolatrie are conuerted vnto the truth for howsoeuer if they had continued with thir mother the great whore of Babylon and committed Apoc. 18. 4. with her spirituall whoredome they should haue been forsaken and so perished together with her yet being now come out from Babylon they shall not be partakers with her in her sinnes and punishments but being regenerate and borne anew vnto their heauenly father by the immortall seede of his word and Gospell they shall be exempted from her plagues admitted as legitimate and made capable of that heauenly inheritance which God rescrueth in store for all his children ANd so much concerning the diuorce between the Lord and the Church of Israel In the next place is the cause thereof expressed to wit the sinne of the people especiallie their idolatrie and vnthankfulnnsse and afterwards the punishments due vnto their sinnes are threatned The first is contained in these words Vers 5. For their mother hath Vers 5 plaied the harlot she that conceiued them hath done shamefully for she said I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water my wooll and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke In which words are contained first their idolatrie and spirituall Exposition whoredomes and secondly their ingratitude Their idolatrie is first plainely expressed and afterwards aggrauated It is expressed in these words For their mother hath plaied the harlot Where still he continueth the allegorie of marriage adulterie and diuorce shewing and proouing that there was iust cause why the mother was diuorced and the children reiected because the mother had plaied the harlot and so her children were an adulterous issue Neither had she only before or after committed whoredome but euen in the generation of these her children shee had conceiued them of the seede of fornication for otherwise howsoeuer shee was a harlot yet her children should haue been legitimate and therefore vnlawfully disinherited but they were not onelie borne of an harlot but also in
confidence and carnall affiance whereby we trust and rest vpon rather the creature then vpon him our Creator and withall doth beate vs from those worldly hopes that we might flee vnto him for succour and rest vpon his promises and prouidence for our deliuerance And these are the doctrines which arise out of the former God doth not suffer his to remaine alwaies in their sinne and idolatrie part of this verse containing the first effect of the peoples afflictions Now out of the latter part wherein is shewed the second effect namely their forsaking their Idols and turning vnto the Lord these instructiōs are further to be obserued First we learne that howsoeuer those that belong to Gods election may for a time leaue Gods pure worship and follow Idols yea and be so blinded in their superstitions that when they are afflicted for their sinne they doe with more earnestnes embrace idolatrie yet the Lord will not so leaue them but at length he will open their eyes that they shal see their sinnes and sensiblie discerne that they are the causes of their punishments though for a time in their ignorance and superstition they preferre idolatrie before his true worship yet at last he illuminateth their iudgemēts so as they may see how much better it is to follow him then to follow idols to embrace his true religion reuealed in his word then to follow their owne inuention Examples hereof we haue in Abraham in the Israelites comming out of Egypt and in the time of the Iudges and in many at this day who haue forsaken the idolatries of the whore of Babylon and haue embraced Gods true religion Secondly we may obserue that as soone as they spie their As soone as the faithfull see their errors and sins they reforme and forsake them errors they do not go on further in them but they returne into the way of truth as soone as they see their sins they forsake them as being the causes of their miserie when they see the vainenes of their idols then they returne vnto the Lord their true husband neitheir is it enough to see our sins if wee continue in them nay rather this will redouble our punishment it is not sufficient to know truth and error vnlesse we Luk. 12. 47. embrace the one and forsake the other it will not profit vs to see our former grossenesse in following idols vnlesse Matth. 11. 21. hereby we be moued not only to forsake them but also to returne vnto our husband the Lord our God worshipping him according to his will So that here we learne what is the practise of true repentance it consisteth not in the knowledge only or acknowledgment of our sins for thus far did Pharaoh and Saul proceed thus did Iudas and thus do many worldlings repent but we must so see our sinnes as that with the sight of them wee bee exceedingly displeased with our selues we must so acknowledge them as that withall we vnfainedly bewaile them we must when we behold them also hate and detest them and not only forsake our sins but also returne vnto the Lord with full purpose of heart resoluing and endeuouring to serue and please him in holinesse and newnes of life Thirdly we may obserue the profit of afflictions when as The profit of afflictions they are sanctified vnto vs by Gods Spirit for whereas prosperitie maketh vs blind through pride selfe-loue and securitie so as we can neither see our sinnes nor Gods approaching iudgements aduersitie openeth our eyes and rectifieth the iudgement so as then we not only see our sins but are readie also to condemne our selues iustly to haue deserued those euils which we suffer yea and far greater if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs for when as the light of nature our owne conscience and the written Word of God teach and conuict vs of this that God is the chiefe goodnes most gratious most mercifull and in his owne nature not apt and readie to hurt and punish any of his creatures but rather to extend his bountie multiply his benefits vpō all when we fall into miseries and calamities we must needs iustifie God in his iudgements and condemne our selues whō Lam. 3. 22. we know to be full of all corruption and wickednes An example whereof we haue in Iosephes brethren Gen. 42. 21. in Gen. 42. 21. the Israelites vnder the Iudges in Dauid Psal 51. 4. yea in Psal 51. 4. Exod. 10. 16. 17 Pharaoh himselfe Exod. 10. 16. 17. Where as prosperitie maketh vs dissolute and licentious in our waies affliction serueth in stead of a thornie hedge to stay vs from running on in the course of sinne to our perdition Whereas prosperitie maketh vs negligent in performing the duties of Gods worship and seruice miserie and affliction maketh men zealous forward and deuout according to that Esa 26. 16. O Lord in Esa 26. 16. trouble they haue visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them And because men at such times are most fit and readie to performe such duties therefore then the Lord especially requires them Psal 50. 15. Lastly whereas Psal 50. 15. prosperitie makes vs to forget God and to flee away from him affliction maketh vs to remember him and by true repentance to turne vnto him An example wee haue in this 2. Chron 33. 12. 13. place in the Israelites in the time of the Iudges in Manasses and the prodigall sonne Luke 15. Lastly wee may obserue the motiues perswading the The motiues which perswade the Church to turne vnto God Church to returne vnto God the first whereof is contained in the word husband for therein she gathereth vnto her selfe some assurance of his loue for although for her sinnes she was diuorced yet vpon her true repentance she might gather certaine hope that she should be pardoned and receiued into former grace seeing she had not to deale with an enemie or stranger and an ordinarie friend but with a most louing and gratious husband who was as readie to forgiue as she to aske forgiuenes Ierem. 3. 1. 12. 22. The second motiue Iere. 3 1. 12. 22 is the assurance of the bettering of her estate for she could speake by experience that her estate whilest she serued the Lord was much better then when she followed Idols and by the assurance of faith and hope she was assertained that repenting she should be receiued to grace and restored to her former state condition The like example we haue in the prodigall sonne who returned vnto God because hee knew him to be his gratious father and was assured that being reconciled vnto him hee should be deliuered out of his present miserie into a state of happinesse Where we may learne that true faith is the cause of vnfained repentance for vntill we haue some assurance of Gods loue and mercie in Christ wee flee from him as from a seuere Iudge but when
riches wherin they trusted cannot yeeld vnto them any comfort c. Thirdly we may obserue that howsoeuer our sins in mans Sinne maketh vs vgly in Gods sight carnall iudgement do exceedingly grace and adorne vs as beautifull ornaments yet in truth they defile both our bodies and soules and make them filthie and vgly in Gods sight yea and in our owne too when as we come to a true view and sensible feeling of them As for example ruffinlie oathes scurrilous iests which are but the scumme and excrements of the wit pride gorgeous attire vnfitting our callings painting the face and discouering the breasts luxurious nicenesse and excesse in diet furious thirsting after reuenge vpon the least shew of a disgrace offered and such like sinnes which are vsed of worldlings as ornaments to commend them but in Gods sight they make them to appeare deformed filthie and abominable Fourthly we may obserue how prone we are to trust in Our pronenes to trust in worldly meanes worldly meanes and in regard of our vaine confidence how apt we are to shrowde our selues vnder these vaine shields imaging that by them we shall be secured from Gods iudgements threatned against vs so the Israelites here trusted for deliuerance from all euils which were denounced against them by the helpe of their Idols And therefore the Lord to beate them from this vaine confidence telleth them that he will inflict his iudgements vpon them though their louers looked on neither should they be able to deliuer them out of his hands Thus the Israelites trusted to the outward presence of the visible Arke 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. to the helpe of the Egyptians 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. Esay 31. 1. 3. Hos 10. 13. Ierem. 49. 16. Esai 31. 1. 3. to the visible Temple Ier. 7. 5. to their multitude of strong men Hos 10. 13. Thus the Idomeans trusted to the strength of their seat Ier. 49. 16. And thus in our times men in dearth trust to their owne prouision in warre to their strength in sicknesse to their flight preseruations and medicines and when the thundering threatnings of Gods iudgements sound in their eares they hide themselues from them vnder the shadow of those outward titles the Gospell the Church and profession of Gods true religion But the Lord will inflict his iudgements euen in the sight of our louers and those things wherein wee trusted shall not be able to deliuer vs in the day of his visitation ANd so much concerning the second punishment The Vers 11 third followeth Vers 11. And I will also cause all her mirth to cease her feast daies her new moones and her Sabbaths and all her solemne feasts Although the people of Israel worshipped The exposition God not according to his word but according to their owne inuentions not in spirit and truth but after an idolatrous manner in their idols not in the place which hee had appointed to wit his Temple but in Dan and Bethel yet they exceedingly pleased themselues in their outward worship and externall shew of their new deuised religion as though they had done vnto God that seruice which he required imagining it could not go ill with them so long as they obserued some outward ceremonies of the law notwithstāding they declined in substance frō Gods true religion reuealed in his word And therfore the Lord here threatneth that he would plucke away from thē the visard of their outward profession stop the current of their superstitious deuotions by taking from them their corrupted ceremoniall worship wherein now they so much delighted and gloried that so they might the better see their miserable estate when as there remained vnto them not so much as an outward shew of religion nor an externall manner of worshipping God and hauing nothing to rest vpon might at length bee moued to forsake all their superstitions and to worship the Lord according to his reuealed will But let vs come to the words themselues And I will also cause all her mirth to cease Where the Lord threatneth that he would take away all ioy and recioycing which they took in their ceremoniall worship and the outward pompe of their religion especially in their feasts and solemne assemblies Yea but this mirth reioycing in their solemne feasts was commanded by God Deut. 16. 14. Thou shalt reioyce in thy feast c. And therefore the day of their feasting was called Deut. 16. 14. Num. 10. 10. a day of gladnesse Numb 10. 10. why therefore doth the Lord threaten to take this mirth from them which himselfe enioyned I answere because they did not reioyce in him but in their Idols neither did they reioyce with a spirituall ioy with thankfull hearts lauding and praising God which the Lord vnder the type of their externall mirth especially required and therefore their outward worship which was also idolatrous being seuered from the inward worship of the Spirit was odious in Gods sight as appeareth by the like places Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. Her feast daies As Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. the feast of blowing Trumpets which was celebrated in the first day of the seuenth moneth as appeareth Leuit. 23. 24. The feast of Expiation in the 10. day of the seuenth moneth as we may see Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Her new Moones Leuit. 23. 24. Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. 25. 4. Which were in the first day of euery moneth Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. Her Sabbaths Which were either the seuenth day from the creation or euery seuenth yeere Leuit. 25. 4. And all her solemne feasts Which were principally three 1. The feast of the Passeouer or of vnleauened bread Leuit. 23. 5. The feast of Pentecost or of weekes Leuit. 23. 15. 16. Leuit. 23. 5. 34. 35. The feast of Tabernacles of which reade verse 34 35. c. Now by these particulars he vnderstandeth all their ceremoniall worship and externall seruice in which they gloried and reioyced of all which together with the ioy which they tooke thérein the Lord depriued them when as hee caused them to be led captiue by the Assyrians And so much for the meaning of the words Out of which Hypocrites may reioyce in the outward seruice of God we may obserue that men not truly religious may in the hypocrisie of their hearts or the ignorance of their mindes reioyce and delight themselues in some external seruice which they performe vnto God seuered from his pure worship in spirit and truth as appeareth in the example of the Israelites in this place who reioyced with great mirth in their Sabbaths new Moones and solemne feasts appointed by God as also in the parable of the seede falling into the stonie ground Luk. 8. 13. In the Papists who exceedingly delight Luke 8. 13. in their outward and pompous religion in their sweete musicke odoriferous perfumes and masking showes and
pleasure in their idolatrie and with these pompous shewes intice others to ioyne with them in committing this spirituall whoredome And here we are further to obserue that hee calleth them her iewels and her earings to note vnto them that they had not receiued this whorish and idolatrous maner of worship from the Lord but that it was their owne not enioyned by God but hammered out in the forge of their owne inuentions and cast in the mould of their owne braine Thirdly he saith that she followed her louers whereby is signified their obstinate persistance in this their sin for they did not once or twice fall into this sin through errour or infirmitie but they followed their idols and went on in the course of their superstitions walking in their idolatries as in their vsual path and common high way So vers 6. Fourthly he saith that their hearts were so wholly set vpon their idols and that they followed them with such great earnestnes and intention of minde that they forgate the Lord like vnto harlots who are so bewitched and wholly transported with a furie of blind loue or rather lust towards their louers that they altogether forget their lawfull husbands and all the benefits which they haue receiued from them So that heere he aggrauateth the impious folly and more then brutish blockishnes of this people who were so blinded and euen drunken in their idolatrous superstitions that neither Gods word nor his works neither his blessings and benefits nor his iudgements and punishments would put them in minde of God and of those duties which they owed vnto him But how could the Israelites be said to haue forgotten God seeing still they professed themselues his people and performed some kind of seruice vnto him I answere they are said to forget him because they did not remēber him to be such a God as he had reuealed himselfe in his word namely that he was a Spirit most holy most pure and infinite in all perfections but figured and represented him in a little image whom heauen and the heauen of heauens cannot containe and because they forgat to performe vnto him that pure worship which he had enioyned vnto them in his word and in stead thereof offered vnto him their owne wil-worship and the idolatrous inuentions of their owne braine and thus one is said to forget another when they forget to performe those things which the one required and the other promised And these are the degrees of their sinne of idolatrie Now in the last place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehensions of their sins denunciations of punishmēts by telling them that all he had spoken was not of or from himselfe but the word of Iehouah and this hee doth to gaine authoritie vnto the former prophecie to confirme the vndoubted certaintie thereof and to moue the people to receiue it with reuerence and to lay it more neerely to their hearts that thereby they might be moued to turne vnto God by true repentance And so much concerning the meaning of these words The Do ∣ ctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First wee may obserue that the Lord in the ministrie of the word causeth The Lord causeth his messengers to repeate the same reprehensions his messengers and Ministers to repeate againe againe the same reprehensions of sin the same punishmēts which are due vnto them and this he doth partly in respect of our incredulitie whereby at first wee giue no credit to his word and therefore to confirme the truth thereof the better in our hearts he causeth the same things to be againe repeated and the same speeches to bee as it were with greater vehemencie redoubled and partly in regard of our negligence securitie and forgetfulnesse whereby wee either doe not attentiuely marke or conscionably applie or fruitfully remember his word at the first hearing And therefore when wee heare the same reprehensions and threatnings deliuered oftē by Gods ambassadours let not these repetitions cloy vs with sacietie but rather sharpen our attention perswading our selues that the Lord causeth vs to heare the same things repeated either because through our negligence wee haue not learned or through our securitie and forgetfulnesse haue not applied nor made profitable vse of them at the first hearing or finally that hee meeteth with our incredulitie by confirming his word with a second repetition Secondly we may obserue that the same things which the The estate of the Church of Rome like the Church of Israel Prophet heere condemneth in the Israelites are at this day practised by the Church of Rome For first they haue their Baalims their pettie gods and patrons whom they religiously serue worship they offer vnto them incense vowes oblations they decke and adorne not onely their Idols but also themselues when they solemnize their feasts and approch into their presence placing a great part of their holinesse and deuotion in their outward pompe and brauerie which are not prescribed by God but inuented by themselues and therefore may fitly be called their own All which decking and adorning of themselues and their Idols they like impudent harlots vse that with these baites of outward pompe and beautie they may allure others to goe a whoring with them after their Idols they haue also a long time liued in their spirituall adulteries with great impudencie and obstinacie boasting and glorying in their sinne and finally they haue so set their hearts vpon their louers and are so intent earnest in their seruice that they may be truly said to haue forgotten the Lord because they do not so remember him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word because they haue forgotten to worship him in spirit and truth and in stead thereof offer vnto him their owne inuentions and also because they vse much more care and diligence and spend much more time and labour in the seruice of the Virgin Mary Saints Angels Images and other Idols then in the seruice of the true and euerliuing God From whence wee may assuredly gather that the Lord will visite vpon them the daies of Baalim though for a time to shew his own patience and to make them the more vnexcusable hee deferre their iustly deserued punishments And therefore let al those come out of Babylon who would not be partakers of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. Apoc. 18. 4. We must not place our religion in outward pompe Thirdly we may hence learne to auoid the foolish superstition of idolaters who place their religion in outward pompe and sumptuous shewes and to worship the Lord in spirit truth according to the prescript forme of his word Wherein many amongst our selues may iustly be reproued who thinke they haue done God good seruice if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their best apparell outwardly decked and adorned when in the meane time they come with their workaday soules full of worldly distractions and cogitations and altogether vnprepared and
vngarnished without all care or conscience zeale or deuotion But such are to know that the Lord will not be pleased with the worship of an Idoll for little regardeth he the outward habite if the heart and soule bee defiled beggarly and naked Fourthly we may out of the order which the Prophet here The idolaters progresse obserueth in setting down their idolatrie note the progresse which idolaters make in their sinne ascending from one degree to another till they come to the highest First hee saith that through the naturall inclination which is in euery man they are drawne to worship and serue their Idols Secondly more and more doting in their fond loue toward them they decke and adorne both their statues and images and themselues being to performe worship vnto them with gold siluer iewels and pretious ornaments that hereby they may themselues performe seruice vnto them with greater pleasure and also allure others to ioyne with them in their idolatrie Thirdly hauing thus bewitched themselues with their owne sorceries they goe forward in their idolatrie with great pertinacie and wilfull obstinacie And lastly they so inebriate themselues with drinking in this golden cup of fornications and are so wholly intent and deuoted vnto their blinde superstitions that they quite forget the Lord and his true worship All which are noted in this place in the idolatrous Israelites by the Prophet and may be obserued in the practise of the Papists in our owne daies The consideration whereof should moue vs to flee the first allurements vnto idolatrie and the beginnings and first degrees of this sinne for one steppe will bring vs to another till we come to the highest namely forgetfulnesse of God and vtter neglect and contempt of his pure religion Fiftly we may obserue that the worship of the true God The worship of God and idols will not stād together and the seruice of Idols will not possibly stand together for assoone as we begin to offer incense vnto Baal we forget Iehouah when we loue Idols we cease to loue the Lord when we depend vpon them we distrust God and this is that our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 6. 24. No man can serue two masters c. and the Apostle telleth vs that we cannot drinke of Matth. 6. 24. the cup of the Lord and the cup of diuels c. 1. Cor. 10. 21. That 1. Cor. 10. 21. there is no concord betweene Christ and Belial and no agreement betweene the temple of God and idols 2. Cor. 6. 15. 16. The 2. Cor. 6. 15. 16. 1. Sam. 5. 2. ark of God Dagon cannot stand together 1. Sa. 5. 2. There is no halting betweene God and Baal but if God be God serue him if Baal be god serue him 1. King 18. 21. And therefore 1. King 18. 21. let vs not hearken vnto those who would reconcile together Christ and Antichrist Michael the Archangell and the Dragon the whore of Babylon and the spouse of Christ Gods true religion and popish superstition and so make a hotch potch of religion like vnto the religion of the Samaritanes condemned by God 2. King 17. 33. 41. Let vs take heed that 2. King 17. 33. 41. we doe not to make peace on earth proclaime warre against heauen and ioyne in league with men to fight against God and his truth assuring our selues that light and darknesse righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse God and Belial may as well be reconciled together as Christs true religion with the superstitious idolatries of the Romish Babylon Sixtly wee here learne that not to remember the Lord to They forget the Lord who doe not remember him according to his word be such an one as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word is altogether to forget him as appeareth in the example of the Israelites of whom the Lord complaineth that they had forgotten him notwithstanding they still outwardly professed that hee was their God and they his people because they remembred and worshipped him in their Idols So they who forget any of Gods attributes whereby in his word he hath made himselfe knowne vnto vs forget God himselfe for his attributes are his essence as the wisedome of God is the wise God the infinitenes of God is the infinite God the loue of God is the louing God c. And therefore that God which they remember is not the true Iehouah but an idoll of their owne making If then we only remember that God is mercifull and doe not remember that hee is also iust as it is the custome of carnall secure men wee make an idoll vnto our selues but forget the true God and so in like manner wee forget the Lord if with desperate sinners wee remember his iustice and forget his mercie And the like may be said of his omnipotence omnipresence al-sufficiencie prouidence and the rest of his attributes Lastly we may here obserue that the Prophet concludeth The authority of Gods word countenāceth his Ministers in their embassage all his reprehensions of their sins and threatning of punishment by telling them that whatsoeuer he had deliuered was not his owne but the word of the Lord whereby he confirmeth his former denunciations of iudgements and certainly assureth them that how vnlikely soeuer they thought them yet they should most vndoubtedly come to passe seeing it was the word which truth it self had spoken and therfore if they would escape them there was no dallying nor delaying of the time but speedily they must preuent them by turning vnto God by true repentance And secondly hereby hee auerteth all their malice and displeasure from himselfe seeing these heauie tidings were not the deuices of his owne braine but the word of the Lord of which onely he was the Embassadour and therefore if they would without taking any exceptions patiently heare an Embassadour sent from an earthly King denouncing warre against them because iniury or violence offered to an Embassadour is condemned by the law of nations how much more should they heare him without all malice or preiudice seeing he only deliuered the embassage which the Lord of hosts had put into his mouth From which example Gods Ministers may learne to deliuer nothing to the people but the pure word of the Lord which they are boldly to vtter though it seeme neuer so improbable to flesh and blood for as much as hee who hath spoken it will most surely accomplish it otherwise they shall commit the sinne of Ionas who when the word of the Lord was put into his mouth durst not deliuer it but being sent to Niniue fled to Tarshish and in this respect make lesse conscience of their calling then Balaam as appeareth Numb 24. 13. Numb 24. 13. And so likewise the people may here learne with patience to heare Gods Ministers though they denounce Gods heauie iudgements against their sinnes if they deliuer nothing but that which they haue warrant for out of Gods written word seeing they are bound in conscience of
he will turne vnto vs his gratious countenance and whilest wee are in the confines of Gods kingdome the Church militant let vs patiently beare our crosse remembring that ere long wee shall haue full possession of our heauenly Canaan where we shall enioy a perpetuall rest from all troubles and be fully replenished with all ioy and happinesse Thirdly we here learne that the Lord bestoweth his temporall Gods temporall benefits are to the faithful earnest penies of those which are eternall benefits corporall and spiritual vpon the faithfull not only for their present vse and comfort but also for the confirming and increasing of their faith and hope in the assurance of farre more excellent gifts euen the vnualuable treasures of his eternall kingdome for hee giueth the valley of Achor for the doore of hope that is the benefits of this life that they may be pledges and earnest penies to assure vs of all his benefits belonging to the life to come The which as it may be vnderstood of all Gods gifts bestowed vpon the faithfull so especially of the inward graces of Gods sanctifying Spirit namely charitie zeale patience humilitie loue to the Gospell sanctification of life and the rest so that whosoeuer finde themselues indued therewith they may be assured that they haue so many pledges and earnest penies of their eternall happinesse and that it is not possible that their hope should become void and frustrate which the Lord hath confirmed with so many seales The consideration whereof should make vs to labour aboue all things for these spiritual gifts and graces whereby this doore of hope may be opened vnto vs and wee confirmed in the assurance of our election and saluation vnto which dutie the Apostle exhorteth vs 2. Pet. 1. 10. especially let vs by all meanes seeke to obtaine 2. Pet. 1. 10. the gift of Gods Spirit which giueth vnto vs an assured testimonie that wee are his children and heires of eternall life Rom. 8. 16. 17. sealeth vp this assurance in our harts and consciences Rom. 8. 16. 17. Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 13. and also is the pledge and earnest penie of our heauenly inheritance 2. Cor. 1. 22. 2. Cor. 1. 22. We must meditate vpon Gods blessings new and old to increase our thankfulnes Fourthly whereas the Lord making new promises doth shadow them out vnder the allegorie of ancient benefits to the end that our assurance of future blessings by experience of his former goodnesse and truth may be ratified and confirmed and that in remembrance of pasted benefits in the fruition of his present blessings and in assured hope of his future goodnesse wee may be stirred vp to true thankfulnesse and obedience let vs learne hereby seeing we stand in need of all these helpes to make this profitable vse of them that is first let vs call to minde Gods mercies of old of which our selues haue had experience as also his goodnesse truth and power which he hath shewed towards others in preseruing sustaining and defending them and so shall we with greater affiance and confidence depend vpon his neuer failing promises and all ruling prouidence in the middest of all extremities And secondly let vs not only thinke vpon those benefits which we presently enioy but let them serue also to call to our remembrance Gods former goodnes towards vs as also those more excellent blessings and rich treasures of his heauenly kingdome wherof all these are but pledges and earnest penies that so this threefold cable of Gods gratious benefits being as it were twisted together in our memories may more strongly draw vs to true thankfulnes and obedience and that this infinite flame of his loue towards vs may at least kindle in our hearts some sparks of loue towards him againe And these are the doctrines to be obserued out of the benefits Whosoeuer haue part in spirituall blessings are filled also with ioy gladnesse and thankfulnesse here promised Now out of the Churches dutie wee may further obserue that whosoeuer are made partakers of the former benefits they are also hereby filled with ioy and gladnes the which they expresse by singing Gods praises not only with the voice but also with the heart and by glorifying Gods name not only with verball thankfulnes but also with the fruits of holy obedience in the whole course of their liues for as certainly as God promiseth our reconciliation conuersion and all other his benefits so doth hee likewise promise that those that are possessed of them shall laud and magnifie his name And therefore whosoeuer haue not this inward ioy gladnes in their harts nor expresse the same by lauding and magnifying Gods name it is certaine they haue no true taste of Gods spirituall benefits For this inward fire of ioy and thankfulnes will not be smothered in the heart but the flame thereof wil burst out into praises and thanksgiuing Now because euery one may say that he is filled with inward ioy and may faine and straine out a verball thankfulnes therefore we must labour to approue them by our outward actions and a continuall course of holy obedience to be true and sincere and so they will giue vs assurance that we haue indeed our part in al the former benefits which otherwise we cannot haue seeing the Lord giueth the one as well as the other and to this end bestoweth his benefits that we may glorifie his name by thankfulnes and obedience as appeareth 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 20. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 20. We must not deferre our thankfulnesse Secondly we may obserue that this our thankfulnesse is not to be deferred but presently to be expressed euen whilest we are in the vineyards that is whilest our hearts are replenished with ioy in regard of the comfortable vse of Gods present benefits and our assured hope of those greater mercies in the time to come for negligent delaies cause forgetfulnes which is also the mother of the grossest kinde of vnthankfulnes But contrariwise then will our praises and thanksgiuings be most zealous and feruent when they issue from a hart presently inflamed with the ioyful sense of Gods benefits An example hereof we haue in Dauid 2. Sam. 7. 18. 2 Sam. 7. 8. Exod. 15. 1. Luk. 1. 46. in the Israelites Exod. 15. 1. in the Virgin Marie Luk. 1. 46. Thirdly we may here obserue that as the ioy so the praises The praises of the faithfull must not be slight but great and feruent Esay 9. 3. and thanksgiuings of Gods people are not slight and ordinarie but exceeding great and feruent not only like vnto the ioy in haruest that is in the fruition of Gods common benefits but like the ioy wherewith men reioyce after some famous victory obtained against their enemies yea and such enemies as haue in former times held them in most seruile and slauish seruitude for this was the ioy of the Israelites vnto which the Prophet compareth here the ioy and
thankfulnesse of the faithfull Yea in truth so much our ioy and thankfulnesse should exceed theirs as the greatnes of the benefit of our spirituall deliuerance out of the miserable captiuitie of sin and Satan exceedeth the deliuerance of the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt We must then reioyce and be as thankfull as those ought to bee who haue passed from death to life from the greatest miserie to the highest happines and are exalted from being the firebrands of hell to be the sonnes of God and heires of heauen ANd so much cōcerning the second benefit In the third place the Lord promiseth that he will giue grace to his Church and people that they shall embrace his pure worship and seruice and abolish all idolatrie and superstition in these words Vers 16. And at that day saith the Lord you Vers 16. 17. shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their names In which words the Lord The exposition promiseth two things first that hee will restore his sincere worship secondly that he will roote out all idolatrie The former in these words And at that day saith the Lord shall you call me Ishi Where is set downe first the time when the Church should performe this dutie and secondly the dutie it selfe The time in these words And at that day that is when the Lord hath effectually called her spoken comfortablie vnto her and multiplied his benefits vpon her then should she in loue and thankfulnes shew her selfe zealous in offering vnto God his pure worship and in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie The dutie which the Lord promiseth she shall performe is that she shall call him Ishi that is my husband where the Lord alludeth to the couenant which is made betweene him and his Church wherein the Lord promiseth that she shall be his spouse and she promiseth that she will acknowledge the Lord alone to be her husband and performe all duties of a wife vnto him As though he should say Howsoeuer in former times thou hast run after thy louers yet when I haue called and conuerted thee thou shalt remember the couenant of mariage betweene vs made and so forsaking thy idols thou shalt acknowledge and professe that I alone am thy husband Now whereas he saith that she shall call him Ishi we are first hereby to vnderstand that the Church mindfull of her couenant shall embrace him as her only husband not verbally alone or with an idle shew but in deed and truth behauing her selfe towards him as it becommeth the Lords spouse that is first in generall she shall worship and serue him purely and sincerely according to his will more specially that she shall obserue coniugall fidelitie loue him aboue all depend vpon him alone with a true affiance for all blessings and call vpon his name the which dutie is implied in the text for it is not said she shall call me husband but Ishi O my husband namely inuocating his name by prayer Secondly he sheweth here that the Church shall not only internally worship the Lord as her only husband in Spirit and truth but also that she shall outwardly make profession hereof which is implied in that he saith shee shall call him husband and not onely acknowledge him so to bee in her heart and mind And this is the first dutie which the Lord promiseth that the Church shall performe The other is that as she should be carefull to aduance his pure worship so she should shew the like zeale in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie signified in these words And thou shalt call me no more Baali or O my Baal that is As I would not haue thee to ioine idols with me in my worship so I would not haue thee to worship and call vpon me in an idol or after an idolatrous maner but in spirit and truth purely sincerely Where the Lord sheweth first that the Church shall not only worship him but also that she should worship him alone and renounce all her idols and false gods Secondly that she shall not worship him after an idolatrous manner in images and idols as it was the manner of the Israelites who worshipped God in the idoll Baal as appeareth in this place but shall come vnto him immediatly and not by a substitute or inferiour patron and call vpon him who is a Spirit spiritually and not in an image But the image of Baal being abolished why would not the Lord be called vpon by the name of Baal seeing it signifieth a god lord or patron and sometime also a husband as well as Ish I answere the Lord would be called Ish rather then Baal first because Baal being a name of empire and dominion brought with it some seruile feare the other name Ish signifying properly a husband offereth nothing to our consideration but loue fidelitie grace and protection and therefore the Lord refuseth the former name in the time of the Gospell as being too austere sauouring only of authoritie and Lordship and will be called by the amiable name of Ish or husband to shew that he hath renewed his couenant is reconciled to his Church and is now become most louing and gratious vnto her The second cause which I take to be the more principall is that he might hereby shew his detestation of idolatrie in that hee would not endure to bee called by the name of an idoll though otherwise good in it owne signification And this his detestation he further sheweth when as he saith that they should bee so farre from worshipping idols or him in them that they should not so much as name them Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth c. Vers 17. Where is set downe who it is that thus purgeth the Church from all the relikes of idolatrie namely the Lord himselfe I will take away Secondly the manner or degree how it must be purged to wit from all the relikes of idolatrie and superstition so that it shall not be lawfull for the people of God so much as to name an idoll vnlesse it bee as they name the diuell with hatred and detestation The like places vnto this we haue Exod. 23. 13. Ye shall make no mention of the name of Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Deut. 12. 3. Ye shall vtterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possesse serued their gods vpon the high mountaines c. 3. Ye shall hew downe the grauen images of their gods and abolish their names out of that place An example whereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 16. 4. 5. Their offerings of blood will I not offer nor make mention of their names with my lips Psal 16. 4. 5. Thirdly hee expresseth the end why hee would not haue them so much
and sincere worshippe and seruice namely the Lord himselfe I will take away So that it is not in the will and purpose nor in the power and policie of man to worke this great alteration and reformation first and principally for man in his owne nature is prone to idolatrie and superstition and when he is once entred into it in stead of returning out of this puddle he is readie being ouer the shooes to plunge himselfe ouer head and eares but it is the Lord himselfe who illuminateth our eyes with the knowledge of his truth and inableth vs to discerne the sottishnes of superstition and the filthines of our spirituall whoredomes and moueth our harts to loath and detest them to embrace his true religion and sincere worship And therfore when as we would haue the house of God clearely purged from all reliques of superstitiō we must not only euery man in his place and calling further as much as in vs lieth this good worke but principally wee are all in generall to ioyne together in prayer vnto God desiring his assistance for the effecting of it for he is the chiefe cause thereof and the greatest Potentates of the earth are in this worke but his instruments and deputies whom he can easilie incline to effect it when so it pleaseth him Prou. 21. 1. Prou. 21. 1. Secondly we may obserue that there cannot too great There cannot too great diligence be vsed in purging the Church from idolatrie precisenesse care and diligence bee vsed in purging the Church from all reliques of idolatrie and superstition and in restoring the puritie of religion and Gods true worship according to the prescript rule of his Word as appeareth in this place where the Lord refuseth to be called by the name of Baal though good in it owne signification because it had been abused to idolatrie and enioyneth his people not so much as to mention the name of an idoll The like places are those before quoted Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. Psal 16. 4. 5. to which we may adde Zach. 13. 2. I wil cut off the names Zach. 13. 2. of the Idols out of the land and they shall no more be remembred and Esay 30. 22. Yee shall pollute the couering of the images of Esay 30. 22. siluer and the rich ornament of the images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous cloth and you shall say vnto it get thee hence This rule then is to be obserued of all who reforme the Idolatrie must be rooted out both head and taile Church that they root out idolatrie and superstition both head and taile in substance and ceremonie and not suffer an idolatrous or superstitious name to remaine yea they are not only to remoue things out of the Church which are idolatrous and superstitious in their owne nature but also such indifferent things as being lawfull in themselues are abused to idolatrie because through the corruption of our nature all meanes and occasions to put vs in mind of idolatrie are so many traps to catch vs and so many baites to allure vs to fall into this sin againe So heere the Lord will not haue his people to name Baalims because he would not haue them so much as remembred But lest it might be obiected that these idolatrous names are originally euill wee shall also finde Ier. 23. 36. that the Lord forbiddeth to call his Word Jerem. 23. 36. the burthen of the Lord notwithstanding that it was his owne phrase by the mouth of his Prophets because it was now growne amongst the people into obloquie and contempt And Ezechias is commended for breaking the brasen serpent which was made by Gods appointment because the people abused it to idolatrie 2. King 18. 4. Yea but 2. King 18. 4. Princes and supreme Magistrates must reforme the Church who hath this authoritie to purge the Church from all reliques of idolatrie I answere chiefe Gouernours Princes and supreme Magistrates who are appointed by God to be the nursing fathers of the Church neither may priuate men intermeddle with publike reformation but only the Gouernours of the Church as we may see it confirmed by innumerable presidents in Gods word And they as I said are to root out idolatrie and all reliques thereof for this is a singular dutie belonging vnto them which is so much commended in those godly Magistrates and Kings Moses Dauid Ezechias Iosias and the rest the neglect whereof wee shall find condemned in other Kings though vertuous and religious who restoring Gods true religion yet suffered the groues and high places to remaine But if this dutie be neglected by Magistrates how are priuate Priuate men must not intermeddle with publike reformation men to behaue themselues I answere they must containe their courses within the compasse of their calling and in the first place they must seeke to reforme themselues and those vnder their priuate charge purging preseruing them as from all other sinnes so especially from all manner of idolatrie and superstition and for the publike reformation they are to further it as priuate men by petition the helpe of their friends and best meanes especially they are to commend Gods cause into his owne hands by feruent and continuall praier who is able to bring it to passe by iust and lawfull courses But may they ioyne themselues to such Churches as are Ceremoniall imperfections of the Church must not cause a separation spotted with imperfections I answere there are some corruptions which are substantiall and vndermine the foundation of religion and these may iustly cause a separation but there are others in ceremonies and circumstances onely the substance and parts of religion and Gods worship remaining sound and vnshaken and these are not causes sufficient to make a rent from the Church seeing there was neuer any Church without her wants and imperfections and seeing where the foundation remaineth sure as it doth where the Word is purely and sincerely taught and the Sacraments administred according to Christs institution there we may bee built vp in Christ and attaine vnto eternall saluation And as the people are not for these wants and imperfections to leaue the publike seruice of God so neither as I take it are Gods Ministers to forsake their ministrie without the helpe whereof the people cannot publikely worship God nor be built vp in Christ and edified in their holy faith rather then they will vndergoe some rites and ceremonies though very inconuenient if it cannot be proued that they are in their vse simplie euill and vnlawfull Neither do I thinke any inconuenience so great as the neglect of preaching Christ crucified c. 1. Cor. 9. 16. 1. Cor. 9. 16. The prophane practise of Poets condemned Thirdly whereas God saith that his people shall not so much as name idols vnlesse it be with hatred and detestation here is condemned the prophane practise of our Poets who thinke their poems are not artificiall
sinnes I see no reason why in our exposition we may not comprehend them both Yea but this people transgressed the first table in many other respects as namely by their grose Idolatry false worship contempt of Gods word and profanation of his Sabbaths why then doth he onely here accuse them of this sin of swearing I answere hee doth vnder this one particular comprehend all the rest eyther because this sinne most notoriously raigned amongst them or els because this prophane and false swearing is vsually accompanied with all impietie for he that maketh no conscience of vaine vsuall and false swearing maketh conscience of no impietie But let vs consider what kinde of swearing is here condemned neither must we vnderstand this of all manner and kindes of swearing seeing a lawfull Oath is in Gods word commaunded as a notable part of his worship and seruice So Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue Deut. 6. 13. and 10. 20. him and shalt sweare by his name Chap. 10. 20. Yea and sometimes it signifieth the whole seruice of God as Psal 63. Psal 63. 11. 11. All that sweare by him shall reioyce in him But here onely vnlawfull swearing is condemned which sinne is diuersly committed as first in regard of the object Esay 65. 16. when men sweare by any thing besides the Lord alone Secondly in respect of the manner when as they doe not sweare in truth justice and judgement Thirdly in respect Ier. 4. 2. of the end when as in their oathes they do not chiefly ayme at Gods glory or their owne or their neighbors good which sinne they commit who sweare rashly ordinarily and in their rage and fury But of this argument I purpose to speake more largely else where therefore I will here passe it ouer The other sinne signified by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is cursing and direfull imprecations which is vsed against our selues Of Cursing or against our neighbours against our selues when as rashly vainely and vnnecessarily we inuocate Gods feareful Iudgements against our state person body or soule for the needlesse confirmation of some truth eyther in our asseuerations or promises or for the binding of our selues to the performāce of some vnprofitable or euil action An example wherof we haue in Iesabel 1 King 19. 2. Against our neighbours when in malice or rage we desire God to poure vpon them 1 King 19. 2. some grieuous punishment The which is an horrible abuse of Gods name power and justice when as we goe about to make him our instrument of vnjust reuenge and the executioner of our malicious and wicked outrages and likewise a haynous sinne against our neighbours when as our malice exceeding our power vve wish vnto them those euils which we are not able to inflict And this our Sauiour condemneth though it be vsed against those vvho curse and persecute vs. Math. 5. 44. So Rom. 12. 14. Mat. 5. 44. The second sinne of which the people of Israell are accused Rom. 12. 14. and conuicted is Lying for the better vnderstanding Of Lying whereof that knowing it we may auoyde it vve will consider the nature and kindes thereof A Lye is when by any meanes a man vttereth an vntruth or the truth vntruely and with a purpose to deceiue So that What a Lye is there are two sorts of Lyes the first vvhen as a man speaketh not as the thing is the second vvhen hee speaketh the 2. Sorts of lies truth but deceitfully with a desire to be otherwise vnderstood then the truth is The first which is a logicall or a reall Lye is of two sorts first when as a man speaketh an vntruth against his minde and knowledge and this is the chiefe kind of Lying from whence in the Latine it hath his name for mentiri est contra mentemire Secondly when a man inconsiderately and through errour vttereth an vntruth thinking that hee speaketh true Which howsoeuer it bee a lie in the generall signification yet he that vttereth it cannot bee called a lyar because howsoeuer his words agree not with the thing yet they agree with his minde Onely hee offendeth through inconsiderate rashnes in that hee affirmeth that as certaine truth of which hee hath no certaine knowledge and thereby giueth offence to those that heare him who discerne the vntruth but doe not know the minde of him that vttereth it Secondly hee lyeth who speaketh the truth with a purpose to deceiue not knowing that to bee true which hee auoucheth or thinking it to be otherwise or knowing it to That he lyeth who speaketh the truth to deceiue bee truth desireth to be vnderstood otherwise then he speaketh it and this is as great a sinne as a plaine lie for as it is a lesser fault in regard it hath more shew of truth so it is greater because it is ioyned with more deceipt As therefore a man may pronounce an vntruth and yet be no lyer so hee may be a lyar in vttering the truth when as hee doth not speake it with a simple heart And these are the diuers kindes of lying which are here condemned the which howsoeuer they seeme small sinnes That lying is a great sinne in gods sight in the sight of men as appeareth by their common practise yet they are great in Gods sight and therefore carefully to be auoyded by all christians which that we may the rather doe let these motiues perswade vs. First because the Lord in the scriptures hath straightly forbidden it Leu. 19. 11. Ye shall not lye one to another Eph Leu. 19. 11. 4. 25. Cast of lying and speake the truth euery man to his neighbour Ephe. 4. 25. for wee are members one of another Col. 3. 9. Lye not one to another seeing ye haue put off the old man and his workes Col. 3. 1. Secondly because it is condemned as a greuous sinne namely as an abhomination to the Lord Pro 12. 22. as a sin which God abhoreth Pro. 6. 17. As being the cursed off-spring Pro. 12. 22. of that wicked father the diuell Ioh. 8. 44. The which is to bee vnderstood not onely of pernicious lyes but also Ioh. 8. 44. merry lyes for God condemneth it as a sinne to make Princes merry with lyes Hos 7. 3. Yea of officious profitable lyes For truth must not be sould at any price Pro. 23. 23. Hos 7. 3. Pro. 23. 23. And it is vnlawfull to lye for Gods cause Iob. 13. 7. 9. and Iob. 13. 7. 9. therefore much lesse for any worldly benefit Thirdly as truth maketh vs to resemble our heauenly father Lying maketh men resemble the Diuell who is the authour and fountaine of truth so Lying maketh men to resemble the Diuell who is the father of Lyes and as truth is the badge or cognisance of a Christian in earth and Heire of heauen so Lying is a note and Psal 15. 2. token of
one who is the sonne of perdition for Lyers haue their childes-part in the Lake which burneth with fire and Apoc. 21. 8. brimstone Fourthly because by Lying men loose their credit so as no man will beleeue them when they speake the truth Fiftly because it taketh away the true vse of speach which Lying ouerthrovveth the vse of speach is to expresse the meaning of the heart and ouerturneth all humaine societie contracts and commercements betweene man and man c. Lastly it maketh the Lord to proclaime a controuersie with vs and to contend with vs by his heauie Iudgements For a false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh Lyes shall not escape Prou. 19. 5. But he shall perish Verse 9. Prou. 19. 5. 9. Psal 5. 6. And be destroyed Psal 5. 6. As appeareth in the example of Ananias and Saphira Act. 5. And after this life he shall Act. 5. be shut out of Gods kingdome Apoc. 22. 15. And be cast into Apoc. 22. 15. and 21. 8. hell fire Apoc. 21. 8. The third sinne whereof they are conuicted and condemned Of Killing is killing whereby wee are not onely to vnderstand the taking away of the life of man which is murther in the highest degree but also all hurts wrongs and injuries offred against the person of their neighbour for as in the former verse by the want of mercy was vnderstood the want of loue compassion and all christian beneficence so by this sinne of commission opposed thereunto we are to vnderstand the contrary vices cruelties injuries and oppression committed against the person and life of our brother Againe it seemeth that it was the Prophets purpose in setting downe this short Epitome of the peoples sinnes to bring them to an examatition of themselues by the Law of God that so the obstinate might bee conuinced of their manifold transgressions as though he should say if you who vpon euery occasion are ready to justifie your selues would examine your hearts and consciences your liues and conuersations according to Gods Law you should finde that you haue broken all and euery part therof as namely by swearing lying killing stealing c. Seeing then the Prophet in this place hath relation vnto the Law of God violated by them it followeth that as these sinnes are condemned in the Law so also here But in the Law is condemned not onely the capitall sinne which is specified but all other of the same kinde with the meanes and occasions thereof and therefore whereas the Prophet doth accuse them of Killing hee doth vnder this one word include all other their sinnes of this kinde and nature As first the killing and murther of the heart to which is to be referred all vnjust anger inueterate malice repining enuie purpose of taking priuate reuenge disdaine rejoycing at other mens harmes crueltie discord and such like Secondly the murther of the tongue to which is referred chiding railing cursing scoffing backbiting and slaundering Thirdly the murther of the hands vnder which is comprised all manner of violence against the person of our neighbour as quarrelling fighting wounding and killing eyther of his body or soule The fourth sinne is Stealing whereby as in the former Of Stealing we are not onely to vnderstand Theft in the grosest kind as that open and violent Theft which is called Rapina Latrocinium Rapine and Robberie or that secret and deceitfull Theft which we call Furtum that is pilfering and stealing but also all manner of vnlawfull meanes whereby our neighbour is defrauded and depriued of his goods whether they be condemned by humaine Lawes or allowed and tolle rated And this is a Tree which sendeth forth many branches The diuers kindes of theft For eyther this theft is committed out of contract or in contract to the first we are to referre all violent and forcible courses taken for the spoyling our neighbour of his goods As first oppression wherby those who excel others in power Oppression authoritie and riches are ready to deuoure swallow vp the poore to grinde their faces feed vpon their sweat and euen drink their bloud of such we read Esay 3. 14. 15. Micah 3. Esay 3. 14. 15. 2. 3. And in this respect those oppressors are called roaring Micah 3. 2. 3. Lyons and deuouring Wolues Zeph. 3. 3. And this oppression Zeph. 3. 3. is committed eyther through meere violence and without coulour of Law which is the vsuall Theft of Tyrants and cruell Land-lords or else when some shew of Law is pretended which is called extortion and is the sinne eyther of Magistrates who make Lawes for the oppression of the common wealth who take bribes to betray the cause of the innocent who presse the extreamitie of the Law and strictly stand vpon the outward letter though in respect of circumstances it be without all equitie Or else of officers who inhaunce their fees grate vpon the poore delaying the dispach of his businesse vnlesse for expedition their dueties be doubled and trebled Or else of Lawyers who taking vpon them to bee the patrons of poore mens causes become latrones of their goods robbing and spoyling whole common wealths vnder coulour of righting the wronged and maintaining equitie and Iustice Or else of Ministers who fleece the sheepe eate the milk and cloth themselues with the wool but doe not feede the flock being eyther vtterly vnfurnished of sufficient gifts or being sufficient neglect their duety through idlenesse or for ambition Or else this theft is committed by the people who receiuing spirituall things from their Ministers will not communicate vnto them their carnall things but by fraudulent or violent courses with-hold from them that necessary and sufficient maintenance which both by the lawes of God man is allotted and allowed vnto them The which howsoeuer it is esteemed a small fault or none at all yet it is not onely theft but Sacriledge in Gods sight as appeareth Mal. 3. 8. Mal. 3. 8. The second kinde of theft is cloaked and disguised vnder the habite of lawfull contracts vnto which we may referre all manner of deceipt and fraud vsed in buying and selling vsurie selling time vnder shew of giuing credit and such like All which kindes of theft are grieuous sinnes in Gods sight forbidden and condemned in gods Law Exod. 20. 25. Exod. 20. 25. And punished in this life with gods curse Zach. 5. 3. 4. and in the life to come with banishment out of gods kingdome Zach. 5. 3. 4. 1. Cor. 6. 10. 1. Cor. 6. 10. The last sinne whereof they are accused and conuicted Of whoredom and the diuerse kinds of vncleannesse is whoring by which wee are to vnderstand all manner of vncleannes eyther internall in the minde or externall in the body the internall are the vncleane lusts of the flesh which are eyther suddainely intertayned condemned by Christ Math. 5. 28. or nourished and retained which the Apostle calleth burning 1.
3. know God his sonne and true Religion so it bringeth eternall death to be ignorant of them And thus their sinne and punishment hath beene joyntly shewed now more particularly he expresseth both the sinne and punishment of the Priests The sins of the Priests are foure vnto euery one of which he annexeth a proportionable punishment the two first are expressed in this Verse Because thou hast refused knowledge I will also refuse thee c. In which words he turneth his speach and maketh an Apostrophe to the Priests accusing them of a two-fold sinne and denouncing against them a two-fold punishment Their first sinne was that they had refused or contemned knowledge the which as it was a great sinne in the people so most grieuous in the Priests seeing in regard of their publike Ignorance a great sinne in the Priests calling and function they were bound by the Law of God not onely to haue an extraordinary measure of knowledge themselues but also to instruct others So Deut. 33. 8. Deut. 33. 8. 10. And of Leuie he said let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy holy one c. And Verse 10. They shalt teach Iaacob thy Iudgements and Israell thy Law c. So Mal. 2. 7. For the Mal. 2. 7. Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for hee is the Messenger of the Lord of Hoasts The knowledge therefore which was required in the Priests and which in this place they refused was such a knowledge as was proper to their calling and function that is not onely a speculatiue knowledge in the braine but a practicall knowledge whereby they communicated that they knew to the people not alone in the vnderstanding but in the lips that is in speach publishing and preaching Gods truth that the people may seeke it from their mouth not an idle knowledge whereby they know to know and make no vse of it but an operatiue knowledge whereby they teach informe Gods people in his true religion The sin therefore which is here condemned in the priests is that they vsurped the office of the Priesthood and chalenged the honour and seazed vpon the profits due vnto it but neglected their duety for thinking it sufficient to weare the habite and offer the Sacrifices and administer the other Ceremonies they refused the chiefe duety which God required of them that is to teach the people for they vtterly neglected and dispised the knowledge of God and his trueth themselues or at least such a knowledge as their calling required for though they had some knowledge in the braine yet they had none in the lips though they had some in speculation yet through idlenesse or carelesnesse or couetousnesse or ambition they made no vse of it for the instruction of the people for they were destroyed for want of knowledge And this was their sinne The punishment which the Lord doth proportionate vnto it is that because they had refused knowledge he would refuse them that they should be no Priests vnto him where we are to obserue that hee speaketh vnto them as vnto one man in the singular number for the greater Emphasis shewing that seeing they had joyned together as one man in their sinne so they should bee joyned as one in the punishment and not one of them escape The punishment it selfe is that God would refuse them and not suffer them to be his Priests They could be content to beare the title and haue the honour and receiue the benefit of Gods Priests and serue God with a messe of ceremonies and sacrifices because these things required small labour and brought great profit so they might neglect the maine duety of all namely the informing themselues in the knowledge of God and his truth and the teaching and instructing of the people But the Lord telleth them that by no meanes hee would suffer these to be seuered and therefore seeing they had refused the maine and essentiall duety of the Priesthood he would refuse them for being any longer his Priests if they would not take the paines hee would restraine them of the gaines if they would not beare the burthen hee would pull from them the honour and reward So that no knowledge no Priests to him Where we are further to obserue a singular Emphasis in the words for first the Verbe here vsed which is translated I will refuse thee is in an vnvsuall forme hauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extrordinarily added before the affixe by which increase of the word the Lord would intend the signification namely that hee would not after an vsuall manner refuse them but with great contempt and reproach Secondly whereas he saith I will refuse thee and thou shalt be no Priest to mee he implyeth that howsoeuer they were allowed as Priests by men namely by the Prince state people yet wanting knowledge he would disavow them howsoeuer they suffered them to performe outward seruice in the Church in the Ceremonies and Sacrifices yet they should not execute the office of the Priesthood vnto him neyther would he respect any thing they did seeing they were ignorant and neglected the maine duety of teaching the people Though therfore they were the princes Priests yet they should be none of his though they serued the peoples turne and were fit Priests for their deuotions yet he would make no account of their seruice which was joyned with ignorance and consequently not performed in spirit and truth The second sinne is that they had forgotten the Law of their God these words some vnderstand as spoken of the people but howsoeuer these by consequence may be judged culpable of this sinne for if the Priests who should haue continually put the people in minde of Gods Law and Couenant made with them had themselues forgotten it then much more the ignorant people yet as I take it first and principally this sinne is condemned in the Priests because both the wordes going before and the wordes following are to be vnderstood of them The sinne is forgetfulnesse of Gods Law which is a fruite of their former sinne namely their neglect and contempt of it for etiam senes quae curant meminerunt those things are retained in minde euen of those who haue sliperie memories which they regard and care for Whereas therefore he saith that they did not so much as remember Gods Law hereby hee intimateth that their neglect and contempt of it was most notorious Now whereas he saith further not simply that they had forgotten the law of God but of thy God this also hath his emphasis and aggrauats their sinne in that euery people is principally to remember the lawes of their owne soueraigne but God was their King and they had bound themselues by couenant that they would heare remember obey his law the which couenant they shamefully broke for so farre were they from obeying Gods law that they would not so much as take any notice of it or vouchsafe it a
they the adjuncts as the vices the subject of the Soule And further this proannesse is called a spirit Metonimically to point out vnto vs the chiefe authour and fountaine from whence it is diriued euen Sathan the spirit of all wickednesse Moreouer it is called the spirit of fornications rather then the spirit of idolatrie not onely because he would persist in the former allegorie of marriage but also that hereby he might point out as it were in liuely colours the disposition of idolaters As though he would say it fareth with these filthy idolaters as with vncleane adulterers who are so blinded and inflamed with their lust and so besotted and hardned by their vice that without either shame or wit like brute beasts they runne headlong into their sinne and into all those mischeifes which doe accompany it as though they were vtterly depriued of all judgement and vnderstanding And for this cause also he vseth the plurall number fornications rather then the singular to note both their furious earnestnesse and their accustomed practise in committing this sinne Whereby he plainly sheweth that howsoeuer their Priests vtterly neglected their duty yet were not the people hereby excused of their sinnes both because they gaue themselues to voluptuous pleasures and thereby were depriued of their vnderstandings and became proane vnto all wickednes and also because they were not onely outwardly mislead by their false teachers but also had inwardly in themselues a spirit of fornications that is a vehement pronesse vnto idolatry wherwith they were wholy besotted Finally he addeth And they haue gone a Whoring from vnder their God that is they haue quite shaken off the marriage yoke and with-drawing themselues from vnder the gouernment and subjection of God their lawfull husband haue wholy giuen themselues ouer to spirituall vncleannes and to commit whordome with their impure Idols The which words may be vnderstood as a cause of the former that they therefore forsooke the Lord and gaue themselues ouer to be ruled by their Idols because they were possessed with a spirit of fornications which caused them to fall into these grosse and absurde errours or as an effect that therefore they were mislead by the spirit of fornications because hauing forsaken the Lord and his truth he had giuen them ouer to a reprobate sense suffred them to be deluded by a spirit of errour with strong delusions because they would not imbrace nor loue the truth For these are mutual and reciprocall causes to imbrace false worship idolatrie to forsake God for when the idolater beginneth to worship his idols hee renounceth the worship of God and when he will not loue nor delight himselfe in Gods true worship and seruice then the Lord giueth vp him to a reprobate sense and to be deluded with strong delusions as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 1. 23. 24. 2 Thes 2. 11. Rom. 1. 23. 24. 2. Thes 2. 11. And so much concerning the meaning of the words the The doctrines doctrines which arise out of them are diuers First we may obserue that it is no true honour to grace vs nor any sound The title of Gods people doth not grace or profit vs vnlesie we liue like the people of God benefit to profit and comfort vs that wee beare the title of Gods people and abound in his temporall gifts and blessings if our life be not conformable to our titles and priuiledges and if wee doe not thankfully imploy Gods benefits bestowed vpon vs to the aduancement of his glory the good of his Church and the furthering of our owne saluation yea contrariwise if wee vse them as incouragements to harten vs in our sinnes and vngratefully abuse them to Gods dishonour and the disgrace of our profession making them serue as vayles vnder which we may more cunningly hide our leprous sores of sinne and close acted wickednesse then are they so farre from gracing vs that they wholy tend to our discredit and so farre from being truely profitable that they serue as so many arguments to aggrauate our sinnes and to approue the justice of Gods righteous judgements when as hee taketh the most rigourous course in inflicting punishments It was an high priuiledge of honour to the people of Israell to be intitled the people of God but when they contemned his true worship forsooke the Lord and consulted with Idols all this tended to their vtter disgrace and to make their idolatrie much more abhominable then the idolatrie of the Gentils So it was a great dignitie to the wicked Angels that they were created the most excellent of the creatures and were made the immediate Ministers of God and as it were courtiars to the great King of heauen and earth but when as they most vngratfully sinned against such as gratious creator their excellencie did not benefit them but aggrauated their sinne and plunged them into the deepest bottome of just condemnation It was a great mercie of God vouchsafed to the Sodomites that they were placed in Gen. 13. 8. the garden of the world where they abounded in all Gods temporall blessings but when they abused Gods goodnesse and by his benefits became more rebellious they were not hereby priuiledged from punishment but inflamed Gods Gen. 19. more fearefull wrath against themselues which caused fire and brimstone to raine downe from heauen and consume them It was a great priuiledge to the Israelites to be the vineyard of the Lord which he had hedged in from the rest of the world for his owne vse and delight but when they answered not to Gods mercy in their obedience but in stead of the sweet grapes of righteousnes brought forth the sowre Esay 5. grapes of sinne the Lord did not onely forsake it but also pull downe the hedge and layde it open to the common spoyle It was a singular prerogatiue vnto them that they had amongst them the profession of Religion and the Temple of God the place of Gods worship but when they abused it as a visard of hypocrisie to countenance their sinne and as a shield to fence off all Gods threatnings of punishment God sendeth them to Shilo to see a patterne of his fearefull Ier. 7. 4. 12. vengeance which should also ouer-take them vnlesse they repented Finally it was a great dignitie and royall priuiledge to the people of the Iewes that they injoyed all earthly benefits in the land of Canaan that they were Gods peculiar people with whom he had made his couenant his chosen nation his royall Priest-hood the treasurers of his word the keepers of his seales and that they had the first offer of eternall saluation by Christ and of the joyfull tidings of the Gospell but when they abused this rich mercy by continuing in their rebellion by stopping their eares to Christs heauenly Sermons by crucifying the Lord of Life and by continuing in finall impenitencie after they were long called there vnto by the preaching of the Apostles all Gods patience long-suffering
the Lord condemneth That it is an haynous sinne to worship Images it as a haynous sinne to worship Images and to aske counsaile of stocks stones And in truth what groser Idolatry can be imagined then to giue that honour and worship which is proper the vnto Lord to the works of mens hands as to fall downe before a base Idoll to creep vnto it to invocate it and to offer vnto it vowes and oblations neuerthelesse how sottishly absurd soeuer this Idolatry be yet hath it many patrones amongst those who make profession of Christianitie namely the whole Church of Rome who allow by their doctrine and practise both the making and worshipping of Images not onely of God himselfe and the three persons in Trinitie but also of Angels and Saints But we are to abhorre this grose Idolatry as being in the word of God condemned as impious and derided as sottish and ridiculous It is expresly condemned in the second commandement Thou shalt not make vnto thy selfe any grauen Image c. So Deut. 4. 15. Take therefore good heede vnto your selues Deut. 4. 15. for yee saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire 16. That you corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen Image or representation of any figure whether it be male or female c. So Leu. 19. 4. Leuit. 19. 4. 26. 1. Esay 40. 18. and 26. 1. Esa 40. 18. And least we should thinke that this was onely a legall ordinance which is abrogated by the Gospell as one of the Papists doth impudently affirme it is no Catharinus lesse strictly vrged in the new Testament and the neglect thereof condemned as appeareth Rom. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 20 Rom. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 20. 1 Iohn 5. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 21. And as the Lord hath strictly forbidden and condemned this sinne so also hath he seuerely punished it as we may see in the example of the Israelits Exod. 32. In the time of the Exodus 32. Iudges and of the Kings of Ieroboam Ahab and the rest Deut. 27. 15. Psal 97. 7. according to his word Deut. 27. 15. Psal 97. 7. But as the Lord hath condemned the making and worshipping of Images as wicked so also as sottish and ridiculous as may appeare Psal 115. 4. 5. c. And 135. 16. Psal 115. 4. 5. 17. c. Esay 40. 20. 21. c. And 44. Ver. 9. to 21. But it is objected by the Papists that Images are Lay The Papists confuted who say that images are Lay mens bookes mens books I answer that if Lay men haue no better books the greater is the Cleargies sinne for the Lord hath giuen the bookes of holy Scriptures not onely vnto them but to the Laytie also that by studying therein they may be led into all truth but they vse them like little children or fooles for taking away from them the rich treasure of Gods word in stead thereof they giue vnto them babies and pictures to play withall to keep them as it were from crying and complayning They take away from them the profitable schoolmaister which would throughly instruct them in the will of God because hereby all their jugling and deceipt would be discouered and giue them Images to be their play-fellowes Yea in truth they deale farre worse with Gods people for childish babies and play-fellowes are vnto children harmelesse delights whereas these Images are pernitious vnto their soules by seducing them out of the way of truth into the way of errour and falshood as the Scriptures plainely teach vs. Ier. 10. 15. They are called vanitie and the work of errour Ier. 10. 15. not onely because they grosly erre that make but they also that serue them They teach men indeed but what is their doctrine euen the doctrine of vanitie as it is Verse 8. They vse a kinde of dumbe eloquence to perswade simple men but what is it they speake The Prophet Zacharie telleth vs Zach. 10. 2. Surely the Idols haue spoken vanitie They Zach. 10. 2. teach Ideots but what is their lesson the Prophet Habakkuk Hab. 2. 18. telleth vs Chap. 2. ver 18. They are teachers of Lyes But they reply that in these places the Images of the heathens Not only Images of the heathen Gods forbidden are condemned but they make and worship onely jmages of the true God and saints I answere that as in the commandement all manner of similitudes are forbidden so principally Images of the true Iehouah as the Law-giuer doth Deut. 4. 12. Esay 40. 18. Act. 17. 29. Rom. 1. 23. expound himselfe in many places Deut. 4. 12. 15. Esay 40 18 to 26. Act. 17. 29. Rom. 1. 23. For what greater dishonor can be offered vnto God then to represent him who is an invisible Majestie by a base visible Creature and to circumscribe him in a little Image who is infinite and incomprehensible Secondly they object the Cherubins which couered the The Cherubins brasen serpent no excuse for Popish Images Mercy seate and the brasen Serpent To which I answere that both the one and the other make against them for they were both made by Gods expresse Commaundement but they make Images which in his Law are expresly forbidden and condemned The Cherubins were made not to be worshipped but to couer the mercy seate that when the glory of God appeared men might be kept from curious prying into his secrets and that seeing no manner of similitude they might make no resemblance of him And the brasen Serpent was not erected that the people should worship it but that it should be a figure and type of Christ a Sacrament of their curing and healing not onely in respect of the wounds which the fiery Serpents made in their bodies but of those spirituall wounds which the old Serpent Sathan had made both in body and soule by the sting of sin And when the people did alter the end and vse thereof and abused it vnto Idolatry Ezekias in zeale to Gods glory did breake it in peeces 1 King 18. 4. King 18. 4. And thus they object for their making of Images now The popish excuse for worshipping images answered for their worshipping of them which is the grosest kinde of Idolatry and so extreamely repugnant to the word of God they alledge in their excuse that they doe not worship the Images themselues but onely so far forth as they haue relation with the things wherof they are Images To which I answere that this excuse is both false and vaine the falshood of their doctrine appeareth by their practise for if they did not worship the images themselues to what purpose did they by their deuices giue vnto them a seeming life and motion as the turning of the eies the mouing of the hands and the bending of the head and body and why was one Image had in great esteeme another image
1 Sam. 15. 11. and 1 King 11. 33 Because 1. Sam. 15. 11. 1. King 11. 33. they haue forsaken me c. and haue not walked in my wayes Againe the Lord is our true husband and the couenant of marriage on our part is that we will obserue marriage fidelitie and keepe our faith which we haue plighted vnto him inviolable which wee performe when as wee worship him alone in spirit and truth according to his reuealed will when as therefore we either goe a whoring after Idols or in stead of Gods true worship offer vnto him our owne will-worship and humane inventions wee violate our faith break the bond of marriage betweene vs and so renounce the Lord from being our husband The vse hereof is that we most carefully avoide all manner of Idolatry Superstition and will-worship and not flatter our selues with a conceipt that the Lord will be content with our devotion and good meaning though it dissent from his word that we may prostrate our bodie vnto an image and reserue our hearts for God and that his will our owne wils his Law and humane inventions may well stand together in his worship and seruice for God and Idols the Ark and Dagon light and darknesse righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse true religion and sottish superstition will neuer agree together but as soone as we receiue the one we doe ipso facto exclude and forsake the other and therefore wee are put to our choise whether wee will forsake the true Iehouah or the Idoll Baal Gods true religion or our owne Superstions HEtherto we haue spoken of their first kind of Idolatry that is to say their consulting with Idols The second followeth which is their worshipping of them by offring vnto them sacrifices and oblations Vnto which is annexed the punishment which is inflicted vpon them for both the one and the other Verse 13. They sacrifice vpon the tops of Verse 13 the mountaines and burne incense vpon the hils vnder the Oake and the Poplar tree and the Elme because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall be harlots and your spouses shall be Whores c. The which words containe two parts The expositiō the first is an accusation of sinne the second is a denunciation of punishment Their sinne was their Idolatrous worship which also was performed in places prohibited by Gods expresse commaundement They sacrifice vpon the tops of the mountaines Where hee more plainely sheweth what he meant by the spirit of fornications in the former Verse namely that they had forsaken the Lord and his true worship together with the place vnto which it was appropriated and committed spirituall whoredome with their idols which they erected to themselues vpon euery hill and mountaine So that here he accuseth and condemneth them of a double sinne the first was their Idolatrie wherby they worshipped God in Idols and Images of wood and stone contrary to the expresse Word of God both in the second commandement and else where the second was that they worshipped in prohibited places for the Lord had expresly charged them that they should offer their sacrifices in no place but in his Tabernacle and Temple and that they should erect no other Alters but the Alter for the burnt offrings and for the incense which himselfe had caused to be made and placed first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple as appeareth Deut. 12. 11. 13. 14. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 12. 11. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 27. 5. 6. Ios 22. 10. 16. Deut. 27. 5. 6. 7. Ios 22. 10. 16. 19. Both that hee might hereby restraine them from will-worship and also that hee might typically teach them that as they had but one Temple to serue in so they had but one God to serue as they had but one Alter for their sacrifices and one for their incense so there was but one Mediator which sanctified all their oblations and perfumed all their prayers whereby they became like sweet odours in Gods nosthrils But they neglected the commaundements of God and erected altars and offred sacrifices vpon the hils and mountaines imitating therein the heathenish Gentiles who erected their Temples in woods and groues vpon the tops of hils according to that Lucus in vrbe fuit media laetissimus vmbra c. Vir. Aeneid lib. 1. Hic Templum Iunoni ingens Sidonia Dido Condebat Whereof also their Temples were called Phana because in respect of their high situation they were eminent and conspicuous to which they were moued by these considerations because being more stately majesticall they thought them more fit for diuine worship and also because they thought these places in regard of their eminencie nearer vnto heauen which is the place of Gods chiefe residence wherin they preferred heathenish wil-worship and their owne naturall reason before the expresse word of God And this was that idolatrous superstition which is so often condemned in the bookes of the Kings Chronicles namely that they did worship in the groues and high places yea kings otherwise godly religious are blemished with this note of disgrace that they suffred such kinde of worship and did not cut downe the groues and vtterly demolish these idolatrous places Thus Salomon sinned in erecting an high place for Chemosh the abhomination of Moab in the mountaine c. as appeareth 1 King 11. 7. And thus the Israelites 1. King 11. 7. Esay 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezech. 6. 13. daily prouoked Gods anger against them as we see both in this place in diuers others Esa 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezec. 6. 13. It is further added by way of more particular description that they burned incense vpon the hils vnder the Oakes the Poplar tree and the Elme and the reason mouing them therevnto is adjoyned because the shadow therof was good the meaning is that they sacrificed and burnt incense in their groues and made choyse for this purpose of such trees as were most pleasant and by reason of their broad and thick leaues most fit to cast a delightful shadow which would not onely shelter them from the schorching heat of the Sun but also stirre vp in them a kind of superstitious deuotion The which also was increased by a conceit which they had of the trees themselues for as they put more holynesse in the hils then in the vallies so also in one tree more then in another in respect of the diuers idols vnto which they were consecrated according to that Populus Alcidae gratissima vitis Iaccho formosae myrtus veneri sua laurea Phoebo Virg. eglog 7. That is the Poplar tree is most acceptable to Hercules the Vine to Bacchus the Myrrhe tree to Venus and the Bay tree to Apollo Whereby the Prophet sheweth that they were vtterly fallen away from the true religion to Paganisme and Heathenish superstition and idolatry for which sinnes they were much more vnexcusable both because for
did I approue it and when yee did eate and drinke did yee not eate and drincke for your selues should ye not heare the words which the Lord hath cryed by the ministery of the former Prophets c. The reason hereof is plaine for as the Lord hath appointed vs to trauaile so also he hath appointed our way out of vvhich whosoeuer turneth aside the faster hee goeth the further hee is from the end of his iourney and so spendeth his labour not onely in vaine but to losse This is the way walke in it If vve vvould offer our bodyes a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God vve must not follovv our ovvne inuentions nor humane traditions but labour to finde out what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect as it is Rom. 12. 1. 2. And if vve would doe good Rom. 12. 1. 2. vvorks indeed vve must not follovv our owne phantasie but Gods commandements for vve are created vnto good works in Christ Iesus which God hath ordayned that wee should walke in them as it is Eph. 2. 10. Lastly this may restraine vs from Wil-worship and Ephe. 2. 10. superstition in that whatsoeuer our good meaning deuotion Wil-worship is the seruice of sathan not of God is yet in truth whilst vve offer vnto God superstitious idolatrous seruice we doe not worship the Lord but sathan the vncleane spirit chiefe author of this spirituall whoredome So when the Israelites vvorshipped idols and offred sacrifices vnto then howsoeuer they pretended that they vvorshipped the true Iehouah in them yet the Lord plainely saith that they did not offer vnto God but vnto diuels Deut. 32. 17. So Psal 106. 37 They offred their sonnes and daughters vnto Diuels And the Lord plainely saith that Deut. 32. 17. Psal 106. 37. whilest they worshipped their images in the wildernesse they did not offer vnto him whatsoeuer they pretended as it is Amos. 5. 25. The reason hereof is plaine for whose will Amos. 5. 25. vve obserue them vve obey and their seruants vve are to whom we yeeld obedience as the Apostle sheweth Ro. 6. 16 Rom. 6. 16. But the vvill of God is that we should vvorship him in spirit and truth according to the prescript rule of his Word turning aside neither to the right hand nor to the left the vvill of Sathan is that either vve doe not vvorship God at all or that we worship him vvith our owne wil-vvorship superstitious deuotions and therefore they vvho leaue the sincere and pure vvorship of God and vvill not obey his reuealed vvill but serue him vvith their owne inuentions humaine traditions they may be truely said notwithstanding their good intentions to vvorship the diuell rather then the true God The fourth thing to be obserued is that the Lord doth God punisheth one sinne with another not onely punish sinne vvith punishments properly so called but also doth punish one sinne vvith another not by infusing vvickednesse or by tempting that is alluring or prouoking men vnto sin for God thus tempteth no man as it is Iam. 1. 13. Iames 1. 13. But by withdrawing his grace and giuing them ouer to bee misled by their owne corruption Thus hee punished Pharaoh with hardnes of hart not by making it hard but by denying the oyle of his grace whereby it should haue beene softened Thus hee tempted Dauid to number the people 2 Sam. 24. 1. because his wrath was kindled against Israell 2. Sam. 24. 1. for their sinnes Thus he punished the Gentiles Idolatry by giuing them vp to their own vile affections to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. And thus in these latter dayes because men Rom. 1. will not loue and imbrace his truth he sendeth amongest them strong delusions that they should beleeue lyes 2 Thes 2. 11. And 2. Thes 2. 11. this is the most grieuous punishment which can be inflicted in this life for other punishments through the blessing of God are vsuall meanes to bring vs vnto him by true repentance but when vve are punished by adding sinne vnto sin we doe more and more flye from him Other punishments are sharp eye salues to make vs see our misery that vvee may be moued to sue for Gods mercy and do make vs loath sin when as we feele the smart and see the cursed fruite vvhich it bringeth forth but by this punishment mens vnderstandings are darkned and their hearts hardened and their consciences seared and so multiply their sinnes and increase in fearfull manner the measure of their condemnation More particularly vve here learne that the Lord punisheth God punisheth spiritual whordome with corporall vncleannesse Num. 25. 1. 2. spirituall whoredome with corporall vncleanesse euen as contrariwise he punisheth carnall adultery vvith spirituall fornication Of the former vve haue an Example in this place and in the Israelites who joyned with the Moabites first in their Idolatry and then in filthy whoredome Yea and in our owne times the Lord punisheth the spirituall fornication of the Whore of Babilon the Church of Rome by giuing them vp to vile affections and to all kindes of abhominable filthinesse which maketh them infamous throughout the world Of the latter wee haue an example in Salomon who being vnmeasurably addicted to the sin of vncleanesse and therefore giuen ouer of God to his owne lusts was seduced by his strange wiues to commit also with them spirituall whoredome with their Idols The vse of the generall doctrine is that we carefully take That it is a most dangerous punishment when God punisheth one sinne with another heede least vvee securely lie vnder that heauie punishment whereby God punisheth one sinne with another otherwise we may easily deceiue our selues and think our state happy when it is most miserable When the Lord layeth vpon vs corporall punishments our very sense and feeling putteth vs in minde of our sinnes and with a kinde of vrgent necessitie forceth vs to sue for Gods fauour by vnfayned repentance but for the most part we are insensible of this heauy punishment through the pleasing sweetnesse of sinne and the blindnesse of our vnderstanding in spirituall things But the more difficulty there is in the matter the more circumspection let vs vse in watching ouer our selues and when Gods word teacheth vs that God is just in punishing of sin and our owne consciences tell vs that we haue grieuously offended if we haue no sensible punishments layed vpon vs for our sinnes in vvhich we lye vvithout repentance let vs obserue if the Lord doe not punish vs by this other way namely by giuing vs ouer to security and hardnes of hart and to commit sinne vpon sin without any remorse or touch of conscience Now the best meanes to prevent this iudgement is to make a holy vse of Gods more gentle chastisements to be moued thereby vnto true repentance for vsually the Lord doth not inflict vpon his Church
people of Israel were to enter into the land of Canaan where they should be compassed about with idolatrous Gentiles how often and earnestly doth the Lord admonish them to beware of being seduced from his worship and seruice by their wicked example and alluring inticements And not without good cause are all good meanes carefully vsed in this case seeing on the one side sinne in it own nature is no lesse infectious then the plague or leprosie apt to spread from man to man familie to familie citie to citie and countrie to countrie and seeing on the other side we are full of the grosse humours of corruption whereby we are exceeding apt to receiue the infection and therfore if the wholesome preseruatiues of admonition instruction and reprehension be not often and carefully applied we are daily exposed to certaine danger of approching destruction The vse hereof serueth to teach vs that as at all times wee We must patiently heare our selues admonished and reprooued be ready with all meeknesse and patience to heare our selues admonished and our sinnes reproued so especially when we are exposed to these tentations and are in danger to be infected through the neighbourhood of wicked men seeing they are stiffe in euill we weak in good they earnest in drawing vs into sinne and wee weake in making resistance they apt to infect vs and we as apt to receiue infection And for as much as we liue in dangerous times wherein faith pietie and iustice exceedingly faile amongst men and contrariwise all manner of sinne and wickednesse aboundeth vpon the face of the earth let vs not only carefully watch ouer our owne hearts and waies that we may escape these dangers but also let vs be content to suffer the Lords watchmen to ouersee vs and whē they obseruing out declining from good things coldnesse in holy duties and pronenesse vnto the sinnes of these sinfull times doe out of Gods word admonish vs either publikely or priuately of our defection and corruption and exhort vs to amendment let vs patiently hearken to their admonitions and exhortations seeing wee shall finde all little enough to keep vs from being carried away with the streame of common corruptions and to preserue vs from being infected with the contagion of these sinfull times Yea and not only let vs hearken to the admonitions of Gods Ministers in the ministerie of the word but also let priuate men in the feare of God both performe the dutie of admonition when they see their neighbour readie to fall into sinne or alreadie fallen and also when themselues need be as readie to be admonished of their faults as being an excellent meanes sanctified by God both for the restraining of men from sinne before it is committed and to restore them by true repentance when they haue committed it And this mutuall dutie of admonition is commended vnto vs Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke Leuit. 19. 17. thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne Hebr. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily whilest it is called to day lest any of you be Heb. 3. 13. Matth. 18. 15. Prou. 27. 5. 6. 10. 17. 15 32. hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin So Mat. 18. 15. Pro. 27. 5. 6. And so for hearkening vnto admonition it is likewise commended vnto vs Pro. 10. 17. Hee that regardeth instruction is in the way of life c. And contrariwise He that refuseth instruction despiseth his owne soule but hee that obeyeth correction getteth vnderstanding Pro. 15. 32. Fourthly whereas the Lord by his Prophet doth first admonish They who would auoid sin must also auoid the wicked companie of sinners the people of Iuda to auoide the sinnes of the Israelites and then in the next place doth dehort them from going to Gilgal that is from hauing any neere familiaritie or societie with the superstitious Israelites especially in their idolatrous seruice hence wee learne first in generall that whosoeuer will auoid sin must also auoid the meanes wherby he might be induced to fall into it and then more especially that he auoid the societie and neere familiaritie of sinners as being a singular inducement to draw men into communion of wickednes This Dauid knew well and therefore being resolued to obserue Gods law and seeing some kind of impossibilitie that he should so do if the wicked did frequent his companie in the first place hee banisheth them and then resolueth to go forward in his course Psal 119. 115. Away from me yee wicked for I will keep the Commandements Psal 119. 115. of my God Sinne is the canker of the soule and therefore as the canker hauing infected one part of the bodie goeth vnto the next till all be wholly corrupted so sin hauing infected one person of a family or one familie of a citie stayeth not here but infecteth the next and so spreadeth by degrees till it haue corrupted the whole body this the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 5. 6. where exhorting them to excommunicate 1. Cor. 5. 6. the iucestuous person he vseth this as his argument that A little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe noting thereby the infectious nature of sin which through the corruption of one member tainteth the whole bodie as therefore men carefully auoid the companie of such as are infected with contagious diseases to preserue their bodies in health so should we much more carefully flee the societie of those who are grieuously infected with the diseases of sinne both because our soules are more apt to receiue this spirituall contagion then our bodies the other and also because this infection is much more dangerous and pernitious Yet more especially we here learne carefully to auoide the company of idolaters because such is our inclinablenes We must carefully auoid the company of idolaters thereunto that by their example and perswasions we may easily bee corrupted And this moued the Prophet heere to perswade the people of Iuda not to go to Gilgal and Bethauen lest intertaining neere familiaritie and friendship with the superstitious Israelites they should bee infected with their idolatrie So that here we learne that the companie of idolaters is to be auoided in two respects 1. that we are not to haue any neere familiaritie and friendship with them in ciuill societie Secondly that we must not ioyne with them in their idolatrous seruice In the former respect we are to obserue this generall rule not to haue any entercourse of dealing with them further then humane necessitie requireth as for example when we sell our or buy their commodities which onely then is lawfull or at least expedient when we cannot conueniently vse the like merchandize in such places where Gods truth is professed and maintained More especially here is condemned the neere contract of mariage betweene professors of true religion idolaters the which was the sinne of the faithful before the floud which brought that vniuersall deluge first of sin and