The punishment of iniquite shall not befall the iust but the wicked are full of euill AFflictions and corrections may come vpon the righteous but no reuenging curse tending to destruction as if they were abiects But the wicked are full of euill both of guiltines and continuall practise according to the corruption of their hearts which the righteous are purged from and therefore also of those punishments which the righteous escape Doct. Though the Lord afflict the godly as well as the godlesse yet it is done in farre different manner He commeth as a father in mercie and mildnes to the one and dealeth as a Iudge or rather an enemie in wrath and seueritie with the other He commeth with his pruning knife to cut off the superfluous sprigges and braunches of the one and with a keene axe in his hand to hew downe by the rootes the stockes and bodies of the other And this difference is spoken of in the foureteenth chapter of this booke vers 32. The wicked shall be cast away for his naughtines but the righteous hath hope in his death And this difference is spoken of in the seuen and twentith of Isaiah verse 7. Hath he smitten him as hee smote those that smote him or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that were slaine by him That is hath the Lord plagued Israel his Church and people in such a grieuous manner as he hath destroyed their enemies it is manifest he hath not And this difference is spoken of in the eight chapter to the Romans verse 1. that there is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walke after the spirit as there is to them that walke after the flesh The foure reasons wherewith the last doctrine of the former Chap. 11. 31. chapter was proued doe euidently confirme this point and therfore to auoide prolixitie and vnnecessarie repetitions wee referre the reader to that place Vse 1 Instruction to labour to be vnlike to sinfull men in behauiour as we are desirous to haue a better condition Let vs set our selues as enemies against the dominion and kingdome of iniquitie as they doe yeeld themselues to be subiects and slaues vnto it let vs seeke to cleanse our selues from all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit and be filled with the graces of the holy Ghost and the fruites of the same as they are full of sinnes and vnrighteousnesse For the wicked not to conceiue the better of their owne case nor the godly to like the worse of theirs because externally all things seeme to happen alike to both sides for there cannot bee so great a disparitie betweene any earthly things though neuer so contrarie one to another as there is betweene their estates notwithstanding that in shew and appearance they are alike Verse 22. The lying lippes are abomination to the Lord but they that deale truely are his delight THe sense is plaine enough of it selfe if the supplie bee made of that which is vnderstood in both the clauses The Lord abhorreth lying lips that is those persons that abuse their lippes to lying which will also bee false in their deedes and hee is well pleased with them that deale faithfully which will likewise bee true in their words Doct. Euery lyer is a loathsome person God doth neuer hate any thing that is not hatefull and that must needes bee odible which hee abhorreth and especially when it is abomination which is in hie degree abominable vnto him And that hee is so affected towards lyers his owne word in other places doth testifie As when he saith in this booke These sixe things doth the Lord hate Prou. 6. 17 yea his soule abhorreth seuen the hautie eyes and a lying tongue and the hands that shed innocent bloud c. Yee may know by their companions among whom they are marshalled what account he maketh of them And so in the reuelation of S. Iohn he declareth his detestation of them by reckoning vp their fellowes and describing their grieuous punishment The fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers Reuel 21. 8. and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Reasons 1 First nothing is more contrarie to the nature of God who is infinitely true and trueth it selfe then guile and falsehood is And nothing maketh men more like to sathan and workers of his will then lying So our Sauiour told the wicked vnbeleeuing Iewes Yee are of your father the diuell and the lustes of your father ye will doe He abode not in the trueth because there is no trueth in Iohn 8. 44. him When he speaketh a lie then he speaketh of his owne for hee is a lier and the father thereof It is his mother tongue and natiue language to lie when he vttereth any true sentence it is but borrowed and that also he cannot truely deliuer without grosse deceit and dissimulation Secondly lying is a worke of the old man and that which misbecommeth the children of God and lyers such as giue themselues Col. 3. 9. vnto it are vnregenerate and as yet the children of wrath and subiect to damnation Thirdly they are iniurious to them whom they mis-informe making them to beleeue errors and many times many euill consequents in sue vpon it And therefore the Apostle exhorteth all that are effectuallie regenerate to cast off lying and to speake euery man trueth vnto his neighbour because we are members one of another Eph 4. 25. Vse 1 Instruction to worke vpon our owne hearts so as that we comming also to hate lying God may loue vs for trueth and not haue vs in detestation for falsehood If we cause him to abhorre our lippes for our vntrueths to men he will abhorre our prayers and thankesgiuing and whatsoeuer shall proceede out of our lippes to him And it is not enough to leaue lying in respect of hereafter but to lothe the sinne of it that hath been committed by vs heretofore When Iob knew that his words were displeasing to the Lord though they were few and onely rash and vnaduised Iob 42. 6. and he himselfe by error was deceiued in them he abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes how much more then ought wee to doe it which haue more prouoked God with innumerable false speeches and that knowingly and with purpose of deceiuing and hee doth professe that they haue been and are abominable to him And what though wee haue sometimes kept our selues from blame by telling of lies What though wee haue delighted others and obtained fauour to our selues thereby What though we haue made our gaine and commoditie of it Will all this if this were the winning of all the world be able to counteruaile the high displeasure of God and the losse of his fauour together with the forfaiting of our owne saluation And hereby shall we know that we bee soundlie purged from lying
striueth earnestly herein may truely be said to worke for life For life is proposed and life he seeketh and life he shall finde If great wages were vncertaine or certaine wages were but small it would be but a small incouragemēt to take great paines but seeing now it is so sure and so large and so good what is too much to be performed and what is too grieuous to bee indured for the same True it is that righteousnesse will call for trauell and raise vp trouble but it is as true that all the trauels and afflictions of this present life are not worthie of the glorie which shall be shewed vnto vs. Rom. 18. 2. Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory If nothing but bare life were bestowed vpon vs euen meere deliuerance from the danger of death it were a benefit not lightly to be esteemed It was said of Lot that he was preserued from destruction of Sodome the Lord being mercifull vnto him and yet his goods money and cattell which hee had in great abundance Gen. 19. 16. were all destroyed And the diuell spake the truth though in craft and malice concerning Iob skinne for skinne and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life But when life is full of liuely comforts when it is adorned with endles glory when it is inriched with infinit treasures what crosses what pouertie what temptations what reproaches what persecutions and sufferings should diminish our desire of it or make vs remisse in seeking for it Reproofe of them that care not whose seruice they come into nor what worke they doe so that they may haue nothing to doe with God and his seruices They thinke no prison more streight then the Church no drudgery more grieuous then prayer and hearing of sermons singing of Psalmes and sanctifying of the Sabbath no bondage so burdenous as restraint from sinfull delightes and fleshly pleasures no miserie so bitter as sound Christianitie They distaste with great detestation all persons and actions and gestures and words that sauour of godlinesse or haue any stampe and print of pietie in them and as themselues abhorre all his worship so they labour to discourage all others from doing him any seruice These are they which are continually censuring of professours and deriding their precisenes and insulting ouer their pouertie and meane estate As though the Lord were not able to maintaine them that serue him or else did grudge to bestow good things vpon them as though he were a niggardly hard maister vnwilling to allow his people sufficiencie of food and wages That were a great dissoyaltie so to traduce a liberall Lord and free harted Prince who is readie to promote his seruants to liuing though it bee but for a time but it is an execrable impietie so to blaspheme the most bountifull God who giueth to euery one of his both liuing and life and all blessednes for euermore But many of them say that they speake by experience themselues haue been professors and as forward as the best and they neuer got any good by it And such Malachy bringeth in quarrelling against God Your words saith he haue been stout against mee yet yee say what haue wee spoken against thee Yee haue said it is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandement and walked humblie before the Lord of hosts Mal. 3. 13. 14. Who is so busie to complaine for want of wages as they which neuer performed any good worke let not the exceptions of murmuring apostataes preuaile in the eares or harts of any that haue vnderstanding They were neuer of the family of God though they crept into his house they neuer did one good chare in obedience and for what then should they haue their recompence They were alwaies proud hypocrites though they boast of humilitie and why should they be vsed as humble persons But be it that they pleade for others who haue faithfully kept the commandements of God and truely been humbled in his sight and yet labour in a low estate and meane condition Is there no profit in seruing of the Lord vnles there be present preferment and earthly promotion Our principall pay will bee in life whereof wee haue part in hand by grace in our soules in this world and the rest is behind vntill the pay day in the world to come So that a sinner cannot discerne of the happinesse of a Christian nor conceiue how God dealeth with him For the comfort of the heart is a thing vnknowne to him and the glorious life is hid with Christ in God and shall Col. 3. 3. 4. not fully be seene before we appeare with him in glory Doct. 2 But he that followeth The more violent wicked men are in their sinnes the more neere they draw to destruction When they course euill as the grayhound doth the Hare and hunt for it as the hungry lion or other wild beast doth after his pray for thence is the similitude taken then they will ouertake their death anon and come speedily to damnation As the miserie of the Aegyptians approached neere vnto them so their crueltie increased towards the Israelites And they were neuer more fiercely disposed to kill and to slay than when the waters were presently to doe execution vpon them Warre was concluded without any great consultation a mightie hoste was gathered without any busines of mustering they were all in a readines to fight without any further training So stood the case with the Sodomites they were all set on mischiefe and madnes immediatly before they were destroyed And so it fared with Ahab who tooke his farewell toward his voyage and death with contempt of the word of God and persecution of his Prophet And so we might note Belshazzer and Haman and many others for this purpose whom the Lord cut off in the very practise of some notable mischiefe Reasons 1 First this carnest pursuite of sinne with loue and liking of sin proceedeth from an heart hardened with custome of sinning being past remorse and feeling and this will bring men to worke all Ephes 4. 19. kinde of wickednesse euen with greedinesse And this is a forerunner of Gods iudgements Secondly this following of euill is also accompanied with impudencie and shamelesnesse as their hearts cannot feare before God so their faces cannot blush before men And what state these men stand in the Prophet Ieremy sheweth Were they Ierem. 8. 12. ashamed when they had committed abomination nay they were not ashamed neither could they haue any shame therefore shall they fall among the slaine when I shall visite them they shall be cast down saith the Lord. Thirdly this manner of sinning crieth in the eares of the Lord as it is said of the Sodomites and prouoketh him to anger and therefore will draw downe a speedie punishment vpon them Vse 1 Instruction
of the man is the mouth of the mans treasure that which he speaketh he best loueth that which is most in the lippes hath greatest place in the heart If therefore the trueth be deere vnto him he will assuredly shew it forth when hee shall stand for that purpose before God and his substitute and doe so good a seruice of loue and pietie but if hee haue any fellowship with falsehood he will now take part with it beeing voide of the feare of God and affraide to displease man and hauing so fit opportunity to gratifie his fleshly friends and to procure thanks and recompence to himselfe Secondly no man exerciseth the truth at any time conscionably but by the spirit of trueth and that directing mens hearts at other times in matters of lesse weight will not faile them at their greatest neede when they are to performe a duetie of so great importance and so on the other side Sathan hath the disposing of their tongues that giue themselues to lying he is their father he teacheth them their trade and tasketh them in their worke and they be wholy at his commaundement and who doubteth but that he will commaund them to be on his side and to take against the truth so farre as the knowledge of the truth shall make against his practises Vse Instruction for them that would not fall to falsewitnesse bearing that would not incurre the displeasure of God and hazard the losse of their owne credit that they acquainte themselues with true speaking in all their words so as it may bee familiar with them when they are in any cause to bee disposed that they deale soundly in the company of few lest they shew their falsehoode in presence of many that they hate all lying among the meanest and thereby auoide it among the greatest 2. To iudges and magistrates and all ministers of iustice that they be very circumspect so farre as in them is what manner of persons they admit for Iurours and Quest-men to deliuer vp verdicts or to be accusers or witnesses for giuing in of euidence and well to sift the testimonie of thē that are wont to faile of fidedelitie lest as they vse to fill mens eares with vntruths so they also defile the place of iudgement with periurie and vniustice How many righteous men may a few such deceiuers turne out of the right way what wrong may they offer what hurt may they doe what mischiefe may they worke both in oppressing them that are innocent and clearing of the wicked Doct. 2 Will shew righteousnesse vseth deceite c. The speaking of true words is no note of a faithfull man vnlesse it bee in due manner and plaine meaning False witnesses doe not alwaies vtter flat lies and palpable vntrueths for then they would be soone espied and quicklie conuinced and easily confuted they would bee censured of euery man and credited of no man but their fraude is couered with a faire shew of veritie as slips of copper appeare to be good coine when they are gilded ouer The promise of euerlasting life is not giuen to all that speake the trueth but onely to them that speake Psal 15. 2. the trueth in their hearts that is in sinceritie and vprightnesse The diuell himselfe did speake that which was true and euen the words of holy trueth to Iesus Christ when he said that God had giuen a charge to his Angels to hold his people in their hands Matth. 4. 6. that they should not dash their foote against a stone but it was guilefully deliuered a materiall part being suppressed and the rest peruerted to draw him to sinfull presumption It was a true information that was giuen to Saul by Doeg that Ahimelech the 1. Sam. 22. 10. 23. 19. Priest had ministred both foode and weapon to Dauid and by the Ziphims that Dauid hid himselfe in the wood by them It was a true informatiō that was giuen to Nebuchadnezzar by the Chaldeans that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego would not serue his Gods Dan. 3. 12. nor worship the image that he had set vp and it was a true information that was giuen to Darius by his princes that Daniel regarded not the decree that he had sealed but made his petition three times a day but all these true informations were made by false men of Dan. 6. 13. deceitfull lipes and malitious hearts for wicked purposes Reasons 1 First God heareth our words beholdeth all our proceedings he looketh to the heart especially and obserueth likewise the manner of our testimonies not onely what is vttered but how much whether all that ought to be or more then should bee or the iust measure that is required and onely they that can approue themselues to him for sinceritie and vprightnesse are to be reputed faithfull and the rest are but craftie dissemblers Secondly if true words alone would passe for currant without further respect of drift and manner those things would be many times separated which God would haue alwaies ioyned together and those things would be made opposite which hee appointeth to be subordinate one to another trueth is oftentimes spoken without loue that will peruert iustice and true dealing and stirre vp oppression and violence as is to be seene in the former examples But so it must not be a breach must not be made among those that are euer to be knit together with an vnseparable bond of vnion Thou shalt sweare saith the Prophet the Lord liueth Ierem. 4. 2. in truth in iudgement and in righteousnesse that is thou shalt truly rightly and righteouslie professe him and take an oath by him when thou hast a cause and calling to sweare and accordingly dispose of all the rest of thy speeches Vse 1 Instruction so to order and guide our lippes in all that we say that men may finde nothing but veritie in the matter which wee declare and God may see nothing but sinceritie in the end which we propose And so though we be sifted yet we shall not bee shamed and though there bee accusations as the trueth must looke to be quarrelled withall yet there will bee no conuictions so long as an vpright heart doth cleere vs. Reproofe of guilefull persons whose trade is to be painters of bad causes If any man haue ragged torne and rotten matters in hand which euery honest man reiecteth let him come to them and they will set such colours and pictures thereupon as shall make them appeare very beautifull But let them know that they shall make themselues to be base and God will bring such cunning deceiuers as hee hath alreadie dealt with diuers aequiuocant sophisters to shame and contempt Verse 18. There is that speaketh words like the pricking of a sword but the tongue of wise men is health THere is a brood and companie of sinfull fooles which speake words like the prickings of a sword that is dangerous and pernicious which pierce deeper to the hurt of mens names and states then the