vnderstandings may be enlightned our hearts purified our conscience spacified our sinfull liues reformed and our soules saved yea the whole man at length glorified in the land of the living And that in and through thy deare soone our onely Saviour Iesus Christ in whose name and words we pray Our Father c. IEREMIE 7.12 But go yee now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did unto it for the wickednesse of my people Jsrael SVCH is the lenity and long animitie of Almighty God that before he proceedes to the punishment of sinners hee gives them many warnings before he sends the storme shall not now profit you that are wicked but you and your temple shall be destroyed The temple is not more excellent than another place but for the Arke and the Alter indeed it is somewhat more adorned but all the excellency and sanctity lie in them And were not these as well in Shiloh yet notwithstanding it was ruinated So that it is but a folly in you to wax proud of these things as if their sanctity without your sanctity could save you from the wrath to come Therefore for the abating of your pride and the rectifying of of your confidence Go ye to my place c. Which text though at first sight seemes not shoot Yea he doth often shew us his bow but takes neither string nor shaft into his hand Thou hast shewed the people hard things Psal 60.3 Shewed not imposed he shewes his bow before hee shootes and his rod before he layes it on So true is that speech of the Church Lam. 3.33 The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Search the rolles of holy writ and there yee shall observe him sometimes grieving for sinne sometimes complaining of it somtimes threatning of it sometime proposing to us the execution of his iudgements upon others for such and such sinnes as here to Ierusalem that shee might see her miserable condition fall to speedy deprecation to her and her inhabitants he propoundeth Shiloh as a spectacle of his justice and that for those sinnes of which Ierusalem was as deepely guilty as ever Shiloh was Ite ad locum meum in Silo c. The chuse but set a sudden stop and period to their prosperity yet did they trust for safety in the outward badges of their religion and especially in their Temple saying The Temple of the Lord c. The temple of the Lord is holy glorious reverenced of all how is it possible that any should destroy the temple of the Lord or vanquish the citty in which that temple is Oh saith Ieremie trust yee not in such lying words for the holines of the place doth little availe a people if they themselves be not holy in their lives For proofe of which goe but unto Shiloh the holinesse of the place in Shiloh where at first the holy Tabernacle staid for a long time the Ark before which the name of God was invocated and the worship of sacrifices administred did nothing profit the people of Israel when they gave themselves to wickednesse but together with them that place was reiected of the Lord so the temple of Salomon shall not now profit you that are wicked but you and your temple shall be destroyed The temple is not more excellent than another place but for the Arke and the Alter indeed it is somewhat more adorned but all the excellency and sanctity lie in them And were not these as well in Shiloh yet notwithstanding it was ruinated So that it is but a folly in you to wax proud of these things as if their sanctity without your sanctity could save you from the wrath to come Therefore for the abating of your pride and the rectifying of of your confidence Go ye to my place c. Which text though at first sight seemes not to meddle with matters present now of neere home but past and farre off matters of another Meridian aloofe from us as farre as Shiloh or Ierusalem concerning not Christians but Iewes mentioning not our wickednesse but theirs the wickednesse of the People Israel Yet as the Sunne though it rise in the East sets in the West by that time the Text hath gone its circuit it may come to set farre from where it rose as Nathan though he began with a parrable of two men and a sheep yet brought it about in the end to Thou art the man In our Text there is a journey prescribed yea a double journey the one corporall Go that respects the body the other spirituall see that respects the minde Or if you like it better here is a direction to a double action Go and see 1. Ite go yee and that is amplified by two circumstances the time and the place besides which yee may adde the consideration of the persons Yee Go yee And 1. the persons are the inhabitants of Ierusalem 2. the time is now go presently for delay breeds danger And 3. for the place it hath a double description 1. Nominall it is Shiloh 2. Reall it is the place where God did set his name at the first 1 What that place was possessively In which latter are diverse particulars to bee observed 1. proprietary or owner of it God my place saith the Lord which shewes the glory of it for that must needs be glorious which is the place of God 1 King 8.11 the King of glory But the whole world is Gods as well as Shiloh was true but this is his in speciall respects set down in the next passage expressing the reason why Shiloh was so glorious it was a priveledged place for 1. God did set his name there and not onely so but 2. 2 What that place was positively he set it there at the first Ther 's the glory of the place the sanctity and previledge of the place and the antiquity of each Go yee now c. ther 's the first act The second followeth Videte See not onely Go Ioh. 1.46 but Go and see as Philip to Nathaniell Come and see When yee are come to Shiloh bee not idle there but open your eyes and see imploy your mindes and consider What I did unto it for the wickednesse c. 1. Observe what was done unto it the calamity that befell it 2. Who was the Authour of that calamity I saith the Lord 3. What was the impulsive cause that provoked the Lord to inflict that calamity Wickednesse 4. Whose wickednesse it was that could so farre provoke him as to reiect his owne place Shiloh the wickednesse of his owne people Israel Where wickednesse raigneth God will not spare that place though it be Shiloh nor that people though it be Israel Go yee now c. I will handle the text two wayes First Exegetically or Paraphrastically by way of explicatiō then Diadactically or Doctrinally by way of instruction And I begin with the first act
LONDONS LOOKING BACKE TO IERVSALEM OR GODS IVDGEMENTS VPON OTHERS ARE TO BE OBSERVED BY VS Jeremiah 44.2.3 vers 1. Thus saith the Lord of Hostes the God of Israël Yee have seene all the evill that I have brought upon Ierusalem and upon all the Cities of Iudah and behold this day they are desolate and no man dwelleth therein 2. Because of the wickednes which they have committed to provoke me to anger c. August 7. 1630. Preached at Pauls Crosse by IOHN IONES Mr. of Arts Curate and Lecturer at S. Michaels Basenshaw LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Red-crosse-streete 1633. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR NICOLAS RAYNTON KNIGHT LORD MAIOR of the Citie of LONDON Together with the Right Worshipfull his brethren the Sheriffes and Aldermen of the same Citty W. I. desireth all blessings spirituall and temporall to be powred upon you in this life and eternall blessednesse in the life to come RIGHT Honorable And Right worshipfull I am bould to present unto you this Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse because the Authour had so intended after that the importunity of some Christian friends had prevailed with him to have it published which Sermon is intituled Londons looking back to Ierusalem according as God send Ierusalē to looke to Shilo what he did unto it for the wickednes that was in it which was his text handled And what the sinnes of Ierusalem were this sermon doth plainely discover as pride fulnes of bread idlnes contempt of Gods Ordinances and ministery And hereby we may be admonished of that generall outward formality in Religion but where is the life and power in a holy walking with God where is the earnest contending for the faith once given unto the Saints God hath advanced your Honour to this place of dignity stand fast to that charge which God and his Maiestie hath put into your hands to cut off the cords of all prophanesses and Sabbath breaking c. And the Lord make you zealous for his glory to stand fast in that liberty wherein Christ hath sett you free Receive this Right Honorable and Right Worshipfull as a testimony of his for your loues to Gods Church in maintaining so many Preachers at home and abroad which drawes the great blessing of God upon you and the Cittie for the same as it was his speech on his death bed receive it Right Honorable and Right worshipfull Company of Haberdashers from whom he received some yearely stipend while he lived his Lectureship being but smale Reade it Right Honorable and Right worshipfull and the Lord writ it in the tables of every one of your hearts that you may avoid the iudgements of the wicked and inioy the blessings prepared for the righteous that for the Lord Iesus Christ his sake to whom be given all honor and glory now and for evermore Amen Your Honours and Worships daily Orator WILL. IONES This Psalme CXiX The sixt part he gave to be sung before his Sermon 41 THy mercyes great and manifolde let me obtaine O Lord Thy saving health let me enioy according to thy word So shall I stop the slanderous mouthes of lewd men and uniust For in thy faithfull promises standes my comfort and trust The word of truth within my mouth let ever still be prest For in thy judgementes wonderfull my hope doth stand and rest And whilst that breath within my breast doth naturall life preserue Yea till this world shall be dessolude thy lawes will I obserue So walke will I as set at large and made free from all dread Because I sought how for to keepe thy preceptes and thy reede Thy noble acts I will describe as things of most great fame Even before Kings I will them blase and shrinke no whit for shame I will reioyce then to obey thy worthy hestes and will Which evermore I have loved best and so will love them still My hands will I lift to thy lawes which I have dearely sought And practise thy commandements in will in deed and thought Master Iones his Prayer before his Sermon MOst great and glorious Lord God who by thy Almighty power hast created the Heaven and the Earth and by thy unsearchable wisdome governest and guidest the same we vile and base wretches that have defiled the Heavens by our sinnes and cursed the earth by our transgressions doe prostrate our selves in all humility before the throne of thy Divine Majesty beseeching thee to looke upon us not in justice but in mercy not as we are in our selves but in the face and coūtenance of thy Sonne Iesus Christ In our selves we are altogether unworthy to come into thy holy presence to tread upon holy ground or to meddle with holy things This day is holy set apart by thine owne selfe for thine owne holy worship this place is holy it is thy owne sanctuary thy ordinances are holy the service in which we are imployed is a holy service But we are most vnholy impure in our very beginnings impure in our proceedings all over polluted with sinne in all the faculties of our soules in all the members of our bodies in the notions imaginations of our minds in the motions inclinations of our wils in the affectiōs and desires of our hearts in the words of our mouthes in the workes of our handes wee are poore and wretched and blinde and naked high-minded vaine-minded worldly-minded false-hearted full of hypocrisie full of security full of infidelity wanting in charity wanting in knowledge in zeale intemperance in patience deficient in all grace abundant in all sinne wee have sinned against all the meanes of grace thy word thy Sacraments thy Sabbaths thy Christ thy Spirit we have sinned against all the times of grace we have sinned in the times of our childhood in the times of our youth and our riper yeares not onely in the times of ignorance but since wee have knowne thy will not onely through infirmity but presumptuously we have sinned against all thy attributes we have abused thy patience provoked thy anger we have sinned against thy Iudgements which should have enforced us to obedience against thy mercies which should haue allured us and led us to repentance wee haue sinned against all thy creatures against heaven and against earth against all thy workes against the worke of creation by defacing thy Image against the worke of thy preseruation by distrusting thy prouidence against the worke of redemption by our infidelity against thy law which is the rule of righteousnes against the Gospell of grace and saluation against our vow made unto thee in our baptisme we haue broken the first vow that ever we made and never since haue beene faithfull in our promises unto thee against our owne purposes and promises made unto thee in our prayers and that before our calling and since our calling in our generall calling and in our particuler callings we haue failed and sinned since it hath pleased thee of thy free mercy to translate us out of
be holinesse in the persons who inhabit that place 3. It is God who inflicts iudgement upon a place or people See saith he what I did 4. It is the wickednesse of a people which provokes him to judgement I did it saith he for the wickednesse of my people 5. The judgements of God inflicted upon others are to be observed by us especially if they be such as light upon his owne place and people And this is the maine point which the text drives at For to this end doth the Lord send them of Ierusalem to schoole as it were unto Shiloh Go ye now c. Observa 8.1 1. Where God doth set his name or place his worship and ordinances that 's the peculier place of God My place saith the Lord here and My house Ier. 11.15 thy house saith the Saints * Psal 84.5 42.4 his banqueting * Cant. 2.4 Psal 11.4 74.7 26.8 2 Chron. 6.41 house saith the Spouse his holy Temple saith * Cant. 2.4 Psal 11.4 74.7 26.8 2 Chron. 6.41 David the dwelling place of his name the place where his honour dwelleth Reason For God that is present in every place is more especially present in that place and God that doth protect us in every place doth more especially protect us in that place and God that gives blessings in every place gives a more especial blessing in that place First I say God who is present in every place is more especially present in that place where he doth set his name 2 Chron. 6 4 1. or settle his worship and ordinances that 's his dwelling place and his resting place He is in every place but doth not dwell or rest in every place The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lords throne is in heaven Psal 11.4 Hee is so in his Temple as he is in heaven that which heauen is above is his Temple beneath in heauen so in his Temple he is present after a speciall manner in heauen is his glorious presence in his Temple on earth his gracious presence his * Psal 27.4 beauty and * Exod. 40.34 his glory too in some sort his face and countenance When shall I come appeare before God Psal 42.2 Hebr. Before the face of God for the face countenance and speciall presence of God is in his holy Temple When Caine departed from the family of Adam which was then the onely place where God was worshipped it is said he went out from the presence of the Lord. Gen. 4.16 because where he is worshipped ther 's his speciall presence where Christ promiseth in those words Where two or three are gathered together in my name I will bee there in the midst among them There how not onely so as I am every where but in a more singular manner I will be there by the presence of my grace and assistance of my spirit In the time of the Law God was worshiped before the Arke and the Ark was called by the name of the Lord 2 Sam. 6.2 and when the Arke removed they spake to it as to the Lord Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered Num 10.34 The reason was because the Arke was a signe to the people of Gods presence among them So now are our Churches wherein God is worshipped 2. As there is Gods gracious presence so there is his gracious Protection and therefore the place where he is worshipped is his peculiar place It is like those Cities of refuge which God appointed among the Israelites whither he that had offended might fly for safety The walls of Salomons Temple were carved round about with figures of Cherubims 1 King 6.29 and palme trees and open flowers within and without The palme trees and flowers did type out the Saints that grow up like palme-trees in the house of God together with the variety of their gifts the Cherubims signified the Angels by whose Ministery God protects his people and that in a speciall manner when they are in his house Psal 27.5 91.1 That is Gods pavilion wherin he hideth his children the secret place and the shadow of the Almighty that is the defense or as it is in the Greeke translation The protection of the Almighty when the incestuous person was cast out of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.5 1 Tim. 1 20. it is laid he was delivered up to Satan * Calvin P. Matyr in 1 Cor. 5.5 the like is spoken of Hymeneus and Alexander * Calvin P. Matyr in 1 Cor. 5.5 to Satan that is to the tyrannie of Satan * Calvin P. Matyr in 1 Cor. 5.5 to the power of the evill er of the evill Angells they wanted the protection of God and his good Angells and so doe all those that are excluded the Church The first Adam was placed in Paradise that hee might dresse and keepe it so saith Bernard * Bern. In dedicatione Eccles Ier. 6. is the second Adam in his Church which is a Paradise or garden of delight to defend and keepe it 3. Where God is worshipped ther 's his speciall blessing that attends his ordinances Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they goe from strength to strength So Psal 65.4 the Lord will give them grace and glory grace by the meanes of grace here and glory hereafter Psal 84.4 c. When God promiseth to give speciall blessings he promiseth to give them in his house and within his walls Isay 56.5 7. Contrariwise when God threatens to withdraw his blessings from a people he excludes them his house * Hos 9.4.15 Now if Gods speciall presence and speciall protection and speciall blessing be there where hee is worshipped then that must needes bee the peculiar place of God What terror should this strike to the hearts of those that offer any violence to this place Vse the peculiar place of God Will a Prince suffer his pallace to be demolished or battered no more will God suffer any without speciall punishment to wrong his Church which is his pallace his pavilion his dwelling place and his resting place If any man destroy the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3.17 But who are they that be culpable in this kind Not onely open enemies that by devastation lay it wast but also secret enemies that undermine it by Schismes and Sacriledge 1. Schismaticks Such as as make rents in the Church dividing themselues from the vnitie of it and scorning the authoritie of it doe offer great violence to the peculiar place of God Nam proditores quidem siunt quicunque in hoc Domini castrum inâ—micos eius introducere moliuntur quales sunt vtique detractores Deo odibiles qui discordias seminant nutriunt scandala inter fratres Sicut enim in pace factus est locus Domini sic in discordia locu diabolo fieri manifestum est c Bern. in de dicatione Eccles Ier. 3.
Lord in Shiloh In this respect Shiloh was the place of God my place saith the Lord the place where I did set my name that is * Calvin in loc Vbi volui arcam residere where I made my Ark to dwell for * 2 Sam. 6.2 the Arke is called by the name of God and the Hebrew word imports a fixed residence my place the place where I appointed my worship and the use of my ordinances by which I am made knowne unto you as a man is made knowne by his name And which is yet more I did not onely set my name there but did set it there at the first In principio before your Temple was built nay before it was known that mount Sion should be the place where I would have a Temple built then was Shiloh my place consecrated to my service All this considered First the propinquity of the place it is Shiloh and that 's but six miles distant from your Citty Secondly the glory of the place together with the sanctity of it that it is my place that which I made choice of above all other places in the world there to set my name to settle my Ark Tabernacle divine worship Thirdly the antiquity of the place and priviledges of it that I did set my name there at the first long before the Temple of Ierusalem was thought on I say all this considered it will bee worth your labour to follow my councell in this Goe yee now c. But to goe thither is not all that were soone done to an Ite you must adde a Videte Go and see as the King of Israel said to his servants 2 Kings 7.14 Your feete your ankles your locomotive faculty were given you to goe the spheares of your eyes these lights this sharpnes of sight were given you to see you are neither lame nor blinde therefore Ite videte Goe and see The Philosopher * Arist lib. de sensu et sensato c. 2. concludes against the Platonists that the fight drawes most after the Element of water for * Arist de Gener Corrupt l. 2. c. 2. as water is hardly kept within his owne or without the limits of his neighbour Elements so the sight denied by nature to see it selfe is never satisfied * Prov. 27.20 with gazing upon other creatures The eye is not satisfied with seeing Eccles 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a volubitatè Scapula And there is not more volubillity * Prov. 27.20 in the eye then curiosity in the minde of man to behold strange and uncouth sights If such obiects be neere no lockes can hold us we must out to see Then what needs such a precept as this in our Text Ite videte Goe and see Yes for it is not barely to see to cast their eyes where they list themselves but to fixe them upon that obiect to which God directs them See saith he what I did unto Shiloh for c. Marke the calamity which befell that place which is in situation so neere you in antiquity beyond you in glory and sanctity sometimes equall to that Temple wherein yee trust The calamity of it is recorded 1 Sam. 4. Where yee shall reade that the Israelites being smitten by the Philistims and in great distresse they sent for the Arke out of Shiloh trusting that the Arke being a pledge of Gods presence and assistance might then save them out of the hands of their enemies as if their sinnes were not of force to sever the power of God from the Arke and to make a divorce between the truth and the figure Well the Arke is brought and in it the Law written in tables but it had beene better if they had had the Law written in their hearts when the Arke came into the campe all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth rang againe Her 's great joy but to little purpose they triumph before the victory and without the victory for they triumph without God Calvin Hom. 17. in lib 1. Sam. nay against God do they erect their trophees of triumph not being reconciled unto him by faith and repentance The vanity of their triumph may appeare by the issue of the battell for at the presence of the Arke they received a greater overthrow then before The slaughter was very great for there fell of Israel 3 0000. footemen Their young men were consumed and their Priests slaine yea the Arke it selfe the pledge of Gods favour and succour the strength and glory of Israel was taken by the enemies And as S. Ierome * apud Sanctiū in Ier. 7 1◠Sic etiam Pellican ibid. observes the place where Shiloh was is utterly ruinated and made desolate Howsoever Shiloh forfeited her Charter and lost her former priviledges * Christophor a Castro ibid. 1 Sam. 7.1 the residence of the Arke For after the Philistimes had brought it to Bethshemesh it was fetcht to Kiriath-jearim and so carried from place to place but never more to Shiloh where it had continued from the dayes of Ioshuah to the death of Eli 369. yeares Ghisler in Ier. 7 12. according to the Chronologie of the Hebrewes or 351. according to the Computation of other Authors This was the calamity which befell Shiloh it ceased for ever to be the place of Gods worship which came not to passe by chance but by the Divine providence See saith the Lord what I did unto it The Philistims were but my instruments in this worke I the chiefe Agent Non vires ferri Anson Epigr. 5. sed ferientis agunt I did it And yet I did it not out of any hatred but in my iustice not because I desired their woe but because I was provoked by their sinne even the Wickednesse of my people Israel My people for so were they in Shiloh as well as you in Ierusalem My people not onely as all by right of possession but as you by the right of confederation and the grace of acceptation But such is the righteousnes of my nature such the purity of mine eyes that I cannot with approbation behold sinne no Amos 3.2 not in mine owne people If they whome I have so much honored as to be my people will so dishoner me as to commit wickednes against me I cannot but glorifie my selfe by doing iustice upon thē Thē consider this ye that now professe your selves to be my people and glory so much in the beautie of your temple Goe yee now c. Hitherto be it spoken of the words exegetically I now come to handle them Doctrinally And now taske your wits and your memories and keepe pace with me for within the compasse of the time I shall runne over these five observations all of them naturally deduced not tyranously inforced from the words 1. Where God doth set his name that 's the peculier place of God 2. The holinesse of the place cannot protect a people except there
one Lydia Act. 16.14 to attend to the things which are spoken Consider then the danger of this sinne Prou. 20.25 It is a snare to a man to devoure holy things As the feathers of an Eagle laid with the feathers of other birds are said to consume them so holy things the goods of the Church mingled with private mens patrimonies do devoure them Male parta male dilabuntur which may be observed by the Crane in Embleme that having swallowed a wrongfull prey Auâ—â—us Gelius Nâ—tt Alloc l. 3. c. 9. could not digest it When Scipio robbed the Temple of Tholossa there was not a man that carried away any of the gold who ever prospered after it That gold was not more fatall to the followers of Scipio than the stollen goods of the Church have beene unfortunate to the Gentrie of our land They have proved gangreenes to their whole estate and as knot-grasse to dogges which being eaten keepes them from thriving so that in the end these robbers or their posterity prove beggers Aug. ad Macedon Epist 54. Dum. alienum rapis a diabolo raperis et quamd in id detines a diabolo detineris retines aurum prodis coelum iniuste detines rem alienam iuste amittis haereditatem tu am iniustum lucrum sed iustum damnum lucrum in arca sed damnum in coscicutia percat mundi lucrum per quod fit animae damnum But that 's not the worst remember that of S. Augustine Multi in hac vita manducant quod postea apud in feros digerunt Many devoure that in this life which they shall digest in hell And againe Si in ignem mittitur qui non dedit rem propriam vbi mittendus qui in vasit alienam c. If hee bee decreed to the fire which gave not his owne whither is he to be sent that hath robd another whilst thou snatchest from another the Devill snatcheth away thee and so long as thou withholdest it the Devill withholdeth thee thou retainest gold loseth thine inheritance an unjust gaine but a Iust losse Lucre in thy coffer but condemnation in thy conscience a mischeife on that money that brings destruction to the soule If this bee to ingrosse the portion and possession of the Lord if this be to rob the house of God who dares lay sacrilegious hands upon it Oh meddle not with that which is consecrated to God as Pilates wife sent her husband word haue thou nothing to doe with that just man Matth. 27.17 so have thou nothing to doe with Gods portion doe not forage his Church defraud his Ministers this is to rob God himselfe Mal. 3.10 Will a man rob God yet ye have robbed me But yee say wherein have wee robbed thee yee make your selves ignorant as if yee knew not that yee had robbed me in my tythes and offerings Yee are cursed with a curse for yee haue robbed me even this whole nation yee haue joined your selues in one to rob mee of my portion thinking the commonnesse of the offence to bee every mans particular justification therefore yee are heavily accursed Enough to terrifie those sacrilegious pioners of Gods house that say with them Psal 83.12 Let us take to our selues the houses of God in possession But I have spoken sufficiently touching this kinde of violence offered to the peculiar place of God I passe now to another Further they are here to bee taxed who carry themselves irreverently in the place of Gods worship which is the peculiar place of God not a Barbers shop nor an Apothecaries house nor a common court but the place of Angells and Archangels the Kingdome of God yea heaven it selfe * Chrysost in 1 Cor. Hom. 36. Many by their indecent behaviour doe so vilifie this place as if it were the worst of all others worse then their owne houses as S. Chrysostome * Ibid. complained in his time for ther 's order observed but in the Church saith he is such disorder such confusion such laughing and sleering and nodding and whispering such a stirre and noise that there is little or no difference made betweene the Church and an alehouse nay betweene the Church and a Play-house nay betweene the Church and a brothelhouse no difference made at all I would to God this our irreverence were not a just occasion to the Romanists to scandalize our religion S. Paul 1 Cor. 14. 24. exhorts us so to carrie our selves in the Church that if an unbeleever come in he may say God is there and God is in us and may be drawne to joyne with us in the worship of God But if such a one should come into some of our Congregations and observe the carriage of many he will well say what Lord do this people serve that are so irreverent Mal. 1.10 The Lord said to the Iewes in the like case I have no pleasure in you neither will I accept an offering at your hand and v. 6. he tells them that they despised his name and made his table contemptible It is our sinne at this day Wee make his table contemptible his throne contemptible his house contemptible his word contemptible and all contemptible by our indecent behaviour in the place of his worship Therefore I say in this case as the Prophet did to them in the like Mal. 1.9 I pray you beseech God that he will be gracious unto us Beseech him with broken and bleeding hearts to be gracious unto us in the pardoning of this sinne Mac. 1.9 Mac. 2.3 Mac. 2.15 Remember how Antiochus was punished for prophaning the house of God so Heliodorus Nicanor Belshazzar Dan. 5. when Christ was in his humiliation he whipt out such shewing by that base punishment that they are not sonns but slaves and will hee not then punish these now being so highly exalted When King Ahashuerosh conceived that Haman would have forced Queene Ester hee tooke it the worse because it was in his house Est 7.8 Will he force the Queene before mee in the house A man of the poorest condition cannot abide to see his house abused and shall God indure to see his abused He cannot he wil not therfore beware of that Let it ever be our care when we enter in to the house of God where Father Sonne and Holy Ghost behold us to doe nothing any way unbeseeming that place To conclude this point If the place where God is worshipt be his peculiar place let us think upon the glory of this place this land I meane this Kingdome wherein we live Here is the place where God doth set his name settle his worship and ordinances as once he did in Shiloh and afterward at Ierusalem Israel and England though they lye in a divers climate may bee said right Parallels not in Cosmographicall but in Theologicall respects Nay we doe herein farre transcend them they had onely a drop to refresh themselves we have the whole streames of Gods mercies poured upon us they