opinions As in the first temptation he told the woman ye shall not surely dye for God doth know that when ye eate thereof ye shall be as gods Bringing the woman into divers dishonourable thoughts of God as concerning his truth his justice his love to man For in tempting her to eate against the presse and precise commandment of God 1. She must think that God would not bring death upon her for her fault as he had threatned which toucheth the truth of God 2. She must suppose that the offence of eating taken at the worst is a small offence and so not likely to be avenged and mulcted with any such punishment which toucheth the justice of God 3. She must suppose that God who shewed so much favour to man to give him all the fruit for his meate but that had he loved man as he made shew would not have left that fruit for a snare to catch him and bring him to ruine or if he did so he was too loving to man to work upon the advantage Yet in this very suggestion wherein he infuseth so many dishonourable thoughts into the heart of the woman to dim the brightnesse of Gods excellent glory observe how he doth secretly confesse that God is jealous of his glory for faith Gen. 3.5 he doth know that in the day that you eate thereof you shall be as gods That is to say as well as he loves you he would not admit you into the society of his glory for man was created in the likeness of Gods holinesse and righteousnesse but not in the similitude of his glory That Satan knew well and therefore suggested that ambition which he knew would ruine mankind for that had cast him out of heaven Here by the way let me shew you the sting of the first sinne God had said to Adam Thou shalt not eate 2. Qua die comederis morte morieris what day thou eatest thou shalt die 1. In the eating the forbidden fruit the Commandment of God was broken therein man rebelled 2. In the eating being threatned with death for punishment of their eating there must either be 1. Presumption upon the goodnesse of God which should make him merciful against his truth and justice or 2. Unbeleife of his power to inflict that punishment or 3. Contempt of his power or 4. A carelesnesse I will taste come of it what will And in all these the glory of God is much defaced 3. In the eating to be as gods that most nearly touched the glory of God for it was a base opinion of God in the heart of the woman to conceive him such as she might come to be as wise as he this layd home upon the crown of Gods glory In which passage let me commend one observation of mine own upon the Text to your judgments Sâ—than tempted the woman only not the man and he sugard his temptation with these two arguments only 1. Non moriemini ye shall not dye 2. Eritis sicut dii ye shall be as gods There was aculeus in cauda a sting in the tayl for that last stung her to the quick When she came after to tempt her husband it seemeth that her inducements were three 1. It was good for food 2. Pleasant to the eye 3. To be desired to make one wise Here is no mention of this temptation to be like God Which makes me think that Adams sin did not violate the glory of God so much as the womans did and that the refore the Apostle faith I Tim. 2 â—4 Adam was not deceived but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression For though I cannot clear Adam from doing injury that ways yet as the school faith he that cannot be excused a toto may be excused a tanto But the point which I wish terrible in your remembrance is that suggestions to sin do lay their foundation in some unworthy opinion of God which trespasseth his glory here spoken of God himself declares as much to the ungodly When thou sawest a theif thou consentedst with him c. These things thou hast done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Ps 50.21 The fool saith in his heart Psal 14.1 Non est Deus there is no God that he may sin the more securely David stirreth up God the avenger against the ungodly that boast themselves in evil that break in pieces Gods people Psal 94.5 and afflict his heritage That slay the widow and the stranger Vers 6. that murther the fatherlesse How dare they do all this Yet they say the Lord shall not see Vers 7. neither shall the God of of Jacob regard it Augustine to such In foelix homo ut esses curavit Deus non curat ut bene esses Is not this a great trespasse against the honour of God to deny his providence There be presumptuous sinners that go on in very great sins sins which Gods word detecteth and reproveth and threatneth yet as the Prophet saith They will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us no evil shall come upon us Thus they dishonour God that make him the patrone of their persons and their sins Mich. 3.11 But they that have true knowledge of the glory of God they behold him in Majesty and that not only opening his hand and giving and filling but stretching out his arme and striking and so in that one sight they behold both Ecce quantam charitatem and scientes terrorem Domini behold how great love and knowing the terrour of the Lord. In the due consideration of his justice and mercy both governed with wisdom to moderate exuberancie consisteth the knowledge of Gods glory This point serveth to good use For first it assureth us I. Vse that the God whom we serve is the true God because he is so jealous of his glory that he will have none to share with him therein For the gods of the Heathen were such good-fellows as they would admit society Baal and Melchom and Moloch and Rempham the god of Eckron Dagon the Devil and all I do not hear of any great jealousie between them but the true God is impatient of corrivall in glory 2. Because God claimeth glory in such extent all the earth over which none of the god of the heathen did but were content with their territories and knowing him to be the true God We are taught Vse 2 that there ought nothing be so dear to us as the glory of God Do but observe what remembrancers we have to put us in mind of this The law begins I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt That implyes who brought thee into the land of Egypt The Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heaven and the first Petition Sanctificetur nomen tuum then adveniat regnum then fiat voluntas all glory The Creed Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem
A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecie of Habakkuk Together with many usefull and very seasonable OBSERVATIONS Delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-hith LONDON many yeeres since By EDWARD MARBURY the then Rector of the said Church Psal 101. v. 1. I will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee O Lord will I sing Isa 8. v. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Isa 26. v. 9. When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Verse 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Rose in Pauls Church-yard 1650. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD Dr. Henry King L. BISHOP OF CHICHESTER TO THE MUCH HONOURED Sr. Rich Hubbard OF LANGLEY IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX KNIGHT JOHN DVTTON OF SHERBOURNE IN THE COUNTY OF GLOSTER Esq JOHN MILLINGTON of LANGLEY aforesaid Esq TOGETHER With their worthy Consorts three gracious Sisters and Branches of that Noble Family of Dr. KING late L. BISHOP of LONDON And to the Religious and Vertuous Gentlewoman M rs MARY KING the late Wife of Dr. JOHN KING EDWARD MARBVRY their poor Kinsman and Servant doth by many relations and engagements being thereunto obliged Together with his best wishes humbly Present Devote and Dedicate this his COMMENTARY Presuming upon their favourable acceptance and protection thereof An Alphabetical TABLE of the principal heads contained in this precedent Commentary The Contents thereof in the first and second Chapters A. ADam's sin did not violate God's glory so much as the womans page 298 Adrian the sixth his allegory 35. applied page 36 A good conscience declares a mans faith to himself 225. and a godly conversation to others page 226 All evill actions are justly judged by the intentions of their agents but good actions are not so page 75 All injuries we do to our brethren are done with God's privity 76. and so are all treasons and conspiracies page 120 All Churches wherein Christians meet to call upon God are Temples of Gods presence page 341 All excesse in drinking is drunkennesse page 306 Alexander excused by his flatterers for killing of Clitus page 324 Ambition is an inordinate desire of honour page 271 Ambition came in with sin and cannot be without sin page 273 Ambition puts us out of the way of life page 275 Ambition is painful page 286 Ancientnesse of writing page 151 As personal sins have personal chastisements so epidemical sins have popular punishments page 64 B. BAbylon taken by storme on a day of feasting page 249 Better apta then alta sapere page 157 Beholding without regarding is but a kinde of gazing page 53 Behold a word to move attention page 184 Benefits of the righteousnesse of Faith page 198 Blood-guiltinesse consists not in blood-shedding only page 278 Boldnesse in sinning page 24 C. CAlvin's judgment of Habakkuk page 117 Cautions to order and regulate our judgment and life concerning righteousnesse page 200 Charity is the bond of peace only to the children of peace page 129 Christ took the burthen of our sins upon him page 5 Christ took upon him our infirmities but not our sinful ones page 48 Christian charity coÌ„mon justice great props of a Common-wealth page 37 Committers of sin are of two sorts page 283 Complaint is a part of prayer 31. the reasons thereof page 32 Confession threefold page 193 Contempt of the Law brings in licentiousnesse custome of sinning page 28 Contempt is a provocation which moveth God to severe judgments page 72 Contempt is most grievous to mans generous nature Corruption of justice a dangerous signe of a drooping Common-wealth 45. Reasons for it page 43 Covetousnesse is an inordinate desire of the wealth of this world page 275 Covetousnesse is Ambitions hand-maid page 275 Covetousnesse a fruitful sin Vsury Rapine Fraud Bribes and Cimony are its daughters page 276 Crie of blood page 12 Crie of a Prophet is a loud cry page 13 Cruelty manifold page 278 Cruelty is a companion of Ambition and Covetousnesse page 278 D. DEsire is the whetstone of prayer page 178 Despisers punished with scorne and contempt page 78 Devill author of Idolatry temptor to it and promoter of it page 93 Distrust in God the mother sin of all evill wayes page 267 Diâ—ers wayes to spend the time well page 180 Doctrine of faith most necessary to salvation page 205 Drunkards the pictures of proud men page 242 Drunkennesse a horrible sin confessed by all men to be a sin page 305 Drunken men mentioned in Scripture page 305 Drunken men cannot pray as they ought page 310 Drunkennesse a disease of former ages but now grown epidemical page 313 Duties to be performed in the Church page 345 E. EAstern winds most unwholsome in Judea page 58 Every mans mind is himself 77 Eternity of God page 103 Every sin is a trespasse against God page 103 Expostulations and contestations with God in our prayers are lawfull 46. Objection against it and solution of the objection 47. Reasons for confirmation thereof page 51 F. FAith defined page 206 Faith's greatnesse and its effects page 20â— Faith how it may be gotten 208. How proved 225. How preserved 228. How used page 229 Faith usefull in the naturall life 230 In the spiritual life 234. And in the eternall life ibid. Faith useful both in prosperity and adversity page 233 Faith not rightly grounded is presumption page 109 Fear mingled with faith is no sin page 48 49 Few seeke the true use of riches page 261 G. GIving of almes doth not purifie ill gotten goods page 292 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to him and so is his word threatning judgment page 8 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the Prophet that utters them in respest of his fidelity to him that sends him 9. And in respect of his zeale ibid. And in respect of his compassion page 10 God's wrath and judgments are a burthen to the people to whom they are sent both to the penitent 10. and to the impenitent page 11 God's servants fight against sin by prayer page 14 God s Ministers may by their prayers awake God's judgments against unrepenting sinners page 15 God sometimes suspends the successe of his servants prayers page 20 God doth himself take notice of the peoples sins and acquainteth his Prophets and Ministers therewith page 21 God doth hear the complaints of such as have just cause to complaine of violence to execute his judgments upon them that offend 59. Reasons thereof page 60 61 62 God's justice doth not spare his own people if they do provoke him page 63 God's promises made to Israel were all limited with condition of their
revealed to Abraham Gen. 15.13 Know that thy seed of a surety shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred Years And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judg Vers 14. and afterward shall they come out with great substance This as St. Augustine vvell understandeth doth include all the time that passed between the birth of Isaac and the entring of the people of Israel into the land of promise during vvhich time they had no land of their ovvn and in a dis-junct reading they vvere either strangers as during their first abode in Canaan and after in Aegypt or they served as after Josephs death and vvere afflicted Four hundred years are a long time yet they savv an end of their travails and afflictions and they knevv that their posterity should have rest at last and they knevv that God vvould judg their oppressours this made them able to bear the affliction Here is a picture dravvn to the life of a christian mans life here on earth for he must be a stranger and pilgrime here and must serve and suffer before he can come to Jerusalem which is visio pacis the vision of peace before he can come to rest from his labours This captivity in Babylon was a great punishment to this people but God made his vvill known to them as the Prophet here teacheth them to pray for he gave them vvarning of it long before 2 Reg. 20.17 but somwhat obscurely he came to a more cleer discovery of his purpose to Hezechiah All shall be carried into Babylon nothing shall be left The Lord also by Jeremie his Prophet gave them warning of it Jer. 16.13 I will cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not He threateneth to send Fishers to fish them compare that with Habakkuks prophecy Thou makest them as the fishes of the Sea Hab. 1.14 there you heard of their angle net and dragge Jeremy is yet more plain in this prediction Jer. 20.6 I will deliver all the strength of the city and all the labours thereof and all the pretious things thereof Jer. 25.11 c. to be carried into Babylon But most fully begin at the 9 verse And this whole Land shall bee a Desolation Vers 12. and an Astonishment and these Nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years And it shall come to passe when 70 years are accomplished that I will punish the King of Babylon Jer. 30.2 and that nation saith the Lord. There is some better news sic dicit Dominus The days come faith the Lord that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah saith the Lord and I will cause them to returne to the land that I gave to their Fathers and they shall possess it The miseries that smart upon afflicted men do make them forget the comforts that should heal their wounded spirits David expresseth his vexation so My soul refused comfort therefore O Lord make it known Make thy people sensible of that comfort which thou hast gratiously reserved for them And indeed the people were not quite out of heart all the time that they lived in that captivity they stil remembred Jerusalem and thought upon Sion and expected their deliverance But the dispersion of the Jews that hath now continued almost 1600 years that hath lasted long and the time of their restitution is not perticularly revealed this maketh them hang the head God in justice for the cruelty which they did execute upon his Son would not let them know the time of their deliverance as in their former afflictions he did which no doubt is a great signe of Gods heavy indignation Seeing then that the knowledge of the will of God and his purpose revealed in his Word 1 Vse is so great a comfort in afflictions we are taught to study and search the Book of Gods Will and therein to exercise our selves for he is the same God that he was and his wil is the same the just have the same promises that they had the unjust shall have the same judgments hear read the Book of God and apply it as thou goest for there thou shalt have thy portion Labour for newnesse of life and that shall bring thee to the proof and tryal to the discerning and experience of the will of God as the Apostle saith And be not conformed to the World but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind Rom. 12.2 that you may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God For God will not reveale himself to the ungodly but the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant We must rest in this wil of God with a fiat voluntas tua thy will be done we must not resist it we must not murmure at it we must not make haste but we must live by faith and tarry the Lords leasure and in the mean time gather strength from his promise to establish our hearts that they faint not and fail us in our tribulations 3 Petition In wrath remember mercy The plea of the true Church in afflictions is mercy Doct. 1 Reas God taught us this himself for when our first Parents had sinned they were afraid and ashamed and hid themselves from God there was no mercy yet revealed Hovv vvould they solicite God Jesus Christ vvas not yet known to them therefore they fled from God for there is no drawing neer to God for sinners without Christ then God came and sought out Adam he arraigned the offenders and finding the Serpent guilty of the temptation he cursed him and there he promised Christ When mercy was revealed to man then he called the man first and then the woman And ever since that mercy was made known to the Church the true Church hath had no other plea but mercy There is misericordia condonans a pardoning mercy he forgiveth all our iniquities an article of faith remissio peccatorum remission of sins there is misericordia donans a giving mercy he giveth medicine to heal all our infirmities The Church knoweth that they have given God cause to be angry 2 Reas they know that if his wrath be kindled but a little he is a consuming fire and it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands they know that in his favour is life and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore We have nothing to keep us from the anger to come but mercy Lam. 3.22 Psal 51.1 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not all consumed for his compassions fail not Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse c. We have nothing to bring us again in favour with God whom we provoke every day but his mercy But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy
but in the fields and amidst their military preparations when their tents were pitcht as it were in readinesse to give battail which is a Rhethoricall amplification of the greatnesse of their terrour My observation from this place in this The power of God shewed in the terror of the wicked doth prove that there is a God Doctr. and therefore no people on earth can be altogether ignorant of the God-head Why should the tents of Cushan be in affliction Why should the curtains of Midian tremble but that the fear of the Lord is upon them God daunteth and dismayeth them It was one of Gods promises to his people Ye are to pass through the coasts of your brethren the children of Esau which dwell in Sen and they shall be afraid of you Deu. 2.4 This deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a most memorable act of Gods power and made his name great in all the earth it followeth He i.e. Esau knoweth thy walkings through the great wilderness these forty years Vâ—r. 7. the Lord thy God hath been with thee thou hast lacked nothing Rahab that entertained the Spies whom Joshua sent to view the Land of Canaan saved them from the dangerous pursuite of the messengers of the King of Jericho and she said to them I know the Lord hath given you the Land and that your terror is fallen upon us Josh 2.9 and that all the Inhabitants of the Land melt because of it For we heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea for you when he came out of Egypt and what you did to the two Kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan Sihon and Og whom ye destroyed utterly And assoon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God he is God above in Heaven and in Earth beneath And this is the right way to make God known to the wicked and ungodly of the earth From thence came that prayer of David Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men Psa 9.20 The fear of God vvill smite them vvith such terrour that they shall not have hear to stirre against him So it is said that God is known by executing his judgments Reason Rom. 2.5 For as the Apostle saith the very naturall man hath the work of the law written in his heart The lavv vvritten in the heart of every man is a generall principle both of truth in the understanding vvhich affirmeth a divine nature and of avve in the affections to make him feared And this lavv is not idle but it vvorketh for there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vvork of the lavv And this is the true cause vvhy there is no peace at all to the vvicked man because he hath the lavv of nature vvorking vvithin him vvhich is against him and he hath not the lavv of grace to lay the storms vvhich the law of nature raiseth From hence it commeth that the wicked flyeth when no man pursueth as Solomon saith and he feareth where no fear is and Tully could say that all the poeticall fictions of the furies which disquieted men so much were but the pinchings and convulsions of mens guilty consciences who when they had done evill knew that they had broken the law written in their hearts and then feared the power which they saw above them armed with vengeance against evill doers St. Paul teacheth us the use of this point Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power Vse Rom. 31.3 do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Where doing that which is good hath a double reward for it quiteth fear and it crowneth us with praise Me thinks that this consideration of the reward should stirre us up to say What shall we do that we may work the works of God John 6.28 29. Then will Christ tell us This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Faith in Christ taketh away this terrour of the Lord as the Aoostle saith we knowing the terrour of the Lord do perswade men and what is the thing to which the Apostles doe perswade but to reconciliation with God through Christ so that when we preach faith to you wee preach peace even as the Apostle saith peace to them that are neer peace to them are far off and the God of peace sendeth his Son the peace of his Church with the Gospell of peace Wee are taught here that the welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies 2 Doct. Cushan and Midian are afflicted and in a cold fit when they hear what God doth for Israel So did the Aegyptians repine at the prosperity of Israel in Aegypt they said Behold the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Exod. 1.10 Come let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply c. You see vvhat the vvorld thinks of their plots against the Church of God they think they do vvisely vvhen they vex the Church this is that wisedome which the Apostle doth call carnall sensuall and divelish And these be the wifemen of which it is said ubi sapiens where is the wiseman and God hath made the wisedome of the world foolishnesse The reason of this opposition is given by our Saviour the world hateth you because you are not of the world Reas 1 and I have chosen you out of the world and for this they weep at the joy of the Church they joy at their weeping the Prophets complaint Truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey Isa 59.15 So David But mine enemies they are lively they are strong Psal 38.19 and they that hate wrong fully are multiplyed They also that render evill for good are mine adversaries Verse 20. because I follow the thing that good is They began betimes for Cain slue his brother 1 Joh. 3.12 Ratio rationis and wherefore slue he him because his own works were evil his brothers righteous I can easily bring you to the head of these bitter waters so soon as Adam had fallen from grace when God kept his first assise upon earth and convented and arraigned the transgressours the man the woman and the serpent he revealed his eternall counsell of election and reprobation and put a difference between the seed and seed the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent Which is not onely to be understood of the unreconciliable enmity that is between Christ and the Devill For Christ was the seed of the woman quia solus ita semen mulieris non etiam vâ—ri semen sit But hee meant therein that enmity vvhich should be betvvixt the elect vvho are the seed of the vvoman by naturall generation and the holy seed by spirituall regeneration so called Semen sanctum and the seed of the