shall be an harlot in the city and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land c. ch 7. 16 17. Preparation before medling with God's Ordinances Such as neglect it may justly feare severe punishment For thus it was said under the Old Testament and doubtlesse there is as much need of preparation for Gospell services as there was for those of the Law Let the Priests also which come neere to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord breake footh upon them Exod 19 22. The Septuagint say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest the Lord depart away from them as being a holy God and therefore not enduring any unholy thing to come neere him which I take to be a worse punishment then the former Especially after the commission of some fowle sinne whereby we are defiled For then we had need to wash our selves first with teares of humiliation and repentance The man that shall be uncleane and shall not purifie himselfe that soule shall be cut off from among the congregation c Num 19. 20. See the practise of Job ch 1. 5. The Priests before they went into the Tabernacle were to wash their hands their feet upon paine of death Exod 30. 20. What a charge did God give of preparing the people to hear him when he intended to speak upon mount Sinai even two daies before Exod 19. 10 11. See Gen 35. 2 concerning the practise of Jacob. And Job 11. 13 I wish we were as strict in preparing for all manner of duty as the Jewes were and yet are in externall preparations for the keeping of the Sabbath or that we were as punctuall to wash our hearts before we go to sit down at the Lords table as they were to wash their feet and the Pharisees their hands before they would sit downe at their own tables Presumptuous Sins See Sins Presumption of Perseverance punished Both with Sinne and Sorrow Peter told our Saviour Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Mâ—tth 26. 33. but our Saviour presently threatned him Verily I say unto thee that this night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice vers 34. Shalt not wi lt so that if it be a prophecie it is a threatning one Marke how these words of our Saviour answer to Peter's in every expression of his praefidence as were of purpose to make him see his exceeding great weaknesse Whereas he was so confident of the continuance of his fidelity that all should be offended in Christ rather then he he tells him none but him most peremptorily to the contrary VERILY I SAY unto thee c. Whereas he was confident that hee should not be so much as offended in Christ which notwithstanding Christ had said should be the lot of all of them vers 31. He tells him that he should not onely be offended in him but even quite deny him Whereas hee was confident that he should never deny Christ not once so much and not once for ever not only that night he tells him cleane contrary This night and BEFORE the Cok crow thou shalt deny me THRICE Now you may see this threat fulfilled vers 70. 72. 74. and in the next verse after Peters sin you may read his sorrow For there it is said that upon the crowing of the Cocke being put in mind of Christs words he went out and WEPT BITTERLY Professours in Hypocrisie punished 1 With Deceiving of themselves Non-acceptance of their religion Trust yee not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer 7. 4. Lying words Because they call'd it the Temple of the Lord when it was not for the Lord would no longer dwel in it nor owne it So it seems to be interpreted if we translate with the Latin v. 7 Then I will dwell with you in this place But I rather take lying words for words that would deceive them vaine and unprofitable words as it is interpreted and as the Latine it selfe also translates ver 8. thus yee trust in lying words which will not profit you You will deceive your selves exceedingly if you think you are a jot the better for going to the house of God hearing the word of God living with the people of God and having the name of God upon you if your lives be not answerable 2 Being given over to death in Sin especially if they pretend to more then others and take the name of figtrees upon them which is the greatest fruit bearing tree of any our Saviour When he saw a figtree in the way hee came to it found nothing thereon but leaves onely and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat 21 19. 3 Being given over to death in Hell Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Divells and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Matt 7. 22 23. Work iniquity What doe all these great things and yet work iniquity Yea prophecy cast out Divells preach well pray well even to admiration and yet work iniquity There is too often experience even of such hypocrisie Such as are not professours will rise up in judgement against such men and condemne them Shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law judge thee who by or in the letter and circumcision doest transgresse the Law Rom 2. 27. Prosperity Such as abuse it to Sinne through wantonnesse confidence security Threatened 1 With Not-being pardoned How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forsaken mee and sworn by them that are no gods when I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troopes in harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. Froward children will be most froward when their parents are most loving But nothing will anger a parent more When I fed them to the full As full-feeding on meat disposes the body to corporall adultery so doth being full fed with prosperity dispose the soule to spirituall adultery But withall it is as certaine that as diseases are the fruits of the former so punishments are the reward of the latter 2 Removall of those things which they abused and wherein they put their confidence As they were encreased so they sinned against me or according to the Chald. par As I multiplyed their fruits so they multiplyed to sinne Therefore will I change their glory into shame Hos 4. 7. So in Jeremy The complaint is I spake unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidest I will not heare c. 22. 2. even in Adversitie we doe not heare but in
these ensuing instances 1 When Daniel told Belshazzar the King of Babylon of the taking away of his Kingdome the first sinne that he mentioned after he had related the heavy judgements of God upon his father Nebuchadnezzar was this And thou his Sonne O Belshazzar hast not humbled thy selfe though thou knewest all this Dan. 5. 22. The Septuagint render it Didst thou not know all these things as if it were such a strange thing or such a shame or such a crime to know of so many fearfull judgements of God inflicted by reason of sinne upon his owne father and yet not to lay it to heart or be any whit moved for it Knewest If a man doe but know or be but told of God's judgements upon another God expects hee should Humble himselfe thereupon 2 Had not Jeroboam and the Princes of Judah Humbled themselves when Shishak King of Egypt had taken their fenced cities and was come to Jerusalem instead of being onely plundered by him and made his servants doubtlesse they had been destroyed altogether for God himselfe mentioneth it as a reason why he did not permit their destruction and there is no other reason mentioned 2 Chron 12. 6 7 12. 3 It is likely Manasseh had he not Humbled himselfe and that greatly having greatly sinned during his imprisonment in Babylon though he had prayed never so much had never beene brought againe to Jerusalem 2 Chr. 33 12 13. It is that which the Spirit of God commendeth in him afterward when he speakes of his son Amon whom he discommends for the contrary saying that he Humbled not himselfe before the Lord as Manasse his father had Humbled himselfe v. 23. which perhaps is added to shew that the punishment intended by God against him and mentioned presently after in these words And his servants conspired against him and slew him in his owne house v. 24 was therefore executed because he used not those meanes to prevent it which his father had used to remove his 2 It is not unlikely that Josiah himselfe though he did that which was rigâ—ht in the sight of the Lord had not his heaâ—t beene tender and had he not Humbled himselfe before the Lord when he heard what he spake against Jerusalem and the Inhabitants thereof he had suffered those miseries himselfe which his successours afterward suffered by the King of Egypt and the King of Assyria For this reason God himselfe mentions and none else why he deferred his punishments 2 King 22. 19 20. Doubtlesse Not-being Humbled by Judgements either our owne or of others is a sin wherewith God is exceedingly provoked And it may be gathered by this that he is so well pleased with being Humbled though in an Hypocrite as you may see in the example of Ahab 1 King 21 29. See complaints of not being Humbled concerning Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36 12. and concerning the Jewes Jer. 44. 10. But especially if the Judgements be our owne and whilst they are yet upon us or for a while after before God be gone out of sight as it were if we are not Humbled this is a most confronting sinne and therefore in other places in the Scriptures where mention is made of not Humbling ones selfe it is aggravated with these words Before the Lord 2 Chron. 33. 23. c. as if he must needs be a most desperately and maliciously hardhearted impudent wretch who is not Humbled Before the Lord or while he is under such a mighty hand as God's 1 Pet. 5. 6. but is ready to laugh in his face Our Humiliation is one of Gods maine ends in punishing and it angers him to misse of it as much as it will a master to misse his blow by a boyes running away from him when he is going to strike him Humiliation and Afflicting of our soules by our selves and the Humiliation and Affliction of our bodies by God must goe together The same word in Hebrew viz. Hanah is used for both and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke Jam. 4. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be afflicted or behave your selves like men afflicted like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subject 1 Pet. 2. 13. that is behave your selves like those that are subject Being afflicted in prosperity pleases God as much as any thing and Not being afflicted in adversity displeases him as much as any thing for it is possible to be not afflicted in the midst of affliction not to receive correction though a man have it Likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thus used Jam. 4. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6. Luk. 1. 48. I will conclude with a Promise and a Threat together And the afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon the haughty that thou mayest bring them downe 2 Sam. 22. 28. Hypocrisie Hypocrisie is in generall threatned with Woe In the Old Testament thus Woe unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto them because they have transgressed against me though I have redeemed them yet they have spoken lyes against me And they have not cried unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds Hos 7. 13. 14. They have spoken lyes against me or to me for the Hebrew preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare it being many times thus used but so as that withall it signifie against Now I conceive the Prophet as in other places of this chapter so likewise in those wordes now mentioned to have especially reproved the Israelites of Hypocrisy which may very well be thus described by speaking lyes or lying to God and I believe is usually so described in the Scriptures as likewise by flattering as you may see Ps 78. 36 see Rev 2. 2 ch 3. 9. The reason is because Hypocrites speak to God or promise him one thing and not only doe afterward but meane another all the while They draw neere unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lips but remove their heart farre from him this is God's complaint concerning the Jewes by Isaiah chap 29. 1 and therefore you may see in the next chapter v. 9 he cals them Lying Children In like manner Hypocrisy towards men is thus expressed by lying as Ps 62. 4. They delight in Lies For I suppose David in that place complaines not so much of his enemies telling Saul what he never did as of their telling him what they never meant and the words immediatly following are a good ground for my supposition viz. They blesse with their mouth but they curse inwardly Now the proper worke of Lying is to deceive and therefore Idols which deceive those that trust in them are called Lyes Isa 44. 20 and as I think Lying vanities Ps 31. 6. Jon 2. 8. And so likewise any child of man in whom we put confidence Ps 62. 9. The Hypocrite towards God also does what he can to deceive him and therefore in the sixteenth verse of this chapter of Hosea the Ephraimites are compared
of thy hands 2 Chr. 16. 7. 'T is true he overcame the K. of Israel But it seems he might have overcome the king of Syria too who was as great an enemy to Judah as he was to Israel had it not been for this sinne 2 Being overcome Sometimes by treachery of those in whom they trust as the Jews were overcome by the Assyrians being promised help and encouraged to stand it out by the Egyptians For upon them they leaned as upon a staff but it proved a hollow-hearted reed and brake under them Ezek. 29. 6. Isa 36. 5. And some times without treachery as the same people were by the same people when they fled into Egypt where they and the Egyptians both were overthrowne by Nebuchadnezzar The Egyptians are men and not God and their horses are flesh and not Spirit c. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall downe and they all shall faile together Isa 31. 3. Perhaps Benhadad King of Syria might have prospered against Ahab being a wicked king had he not put so much confidence in the strength of his Army For the Scripture relates his boasting expressions 1 Kings 20. 10. But you may reade of his overthrow v. 20. See Hos 10. 13 14 15. 3 Shame for their folly Woe to the rebellious house c. Isa 30. 1. where the Latine translates desertores forsakers because they forsooke God and betooke themselves to men And it followes vers 3. The strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion The trust Not their being overthrowne by the enemie For it had been no shame to be overcome by so potent an enemie as the Assyrian But that they should occasion their owne overthrow by trusting in vain men when they might have trusted in the Lord of Hoasts how could they chuse but be exceedingly ashamed and confounded for their folly and madnesse One of the sins for which God threatens to give Jerusalem bloud in fury and jealousie Ezek. 16. 38 was trusting in her owne beauty vers 15. An Idol especially is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing of nought or that which is not a thing And the Prophet Amos complaines of rejoycing in it chap. 6. 13. But any creature to trust in is as good as nothing meere vanity and cannot satisfy his expectation Men find it so by daily experience and yet 't is all one But what saith Job Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence chap. 15. 31. 4 A Curse Cursed be the man being Geber that trusteth in man Adam a whom he knoweth to be an earthen vessell and maketh flesh his arme For he shall be like the heath in the desart and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Jer. 17. 5 6. Trust in God The want of it especially if it be distrust and doubting of his faithfulnesse punished 1 With Want of assurance and establishment When Ahaz K. of Judah being invaded by Rezin K. of Syria and Pekah K. of Israel distrusting God's providence intended to betake himselfe for help to the Assyrians the Prophet Isaiah told him If yee will not believe yee shall not be established Isa 7. 9. Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words used for believe and for established are the same only in a different forme And indeed beliefe or trust in God is the only thing that can establish both our hearts and our conditions According to the Hebrew we might render thus If yee will not be assur'd yee shall not bee assured The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies faith both ours in beliefe God's in faithfulnes is used as if it did signifie also riches And therefore some derive the word Mammon Riches from Amun trust If it signifie riches it may well be used also for trust because men usually trust in riches and if it signifie trust it may bee used also for riches because God who only is to be trusted in is riches enough to them that trust in him and rich unto all that call upon him In the 37. Psal vers 3. where we translate Trust in the Lord and doe good and dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed the Sept. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be fed with the riches of it The Hebrew for these words is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vatablus renders nourish thy selfe with faith that which Habakkuk saies the just shall live by Ch. 2. 4. 2 God's fiery indignation severe punishment Yea they spake against God they said can God furnish a table in the wildernesse c. Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth so a fire was kindled against Jacob c. Psal 78 19 20 21. and afterward in the same Ps vers 32 33. For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wonderous works Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their yeares in trouble It is strange all the while the Israelites were in the Wildernesse though they were so often punished for distrust in God's providence yet upon every occasion they distrusted it He was never so often tempted and provoked through distrust of it and yet there were never so many cleare testimonies given of it Vnbeliefe as to promises punished 1 With not enjoying those promises when they are fulfilled Thus the Noble man at Samaria was punished Who because hee would not believe Elisha's Prophecy of a plenty to bee the next day in that towne although there were then a strait siege and the want of provision was so great that women did eate their children so that one would think hee had good cause to doubt of the truth of it yet notwithstanding had this punishment threatned him by the Prophet Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof 2 Kings 7. 2. which came to passe accordingly See Ministers not believed In like manner were the Israelites punished viz with dying before they came to the promised land And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see they could not enter in because of unbeliefe Heb. 3. 18 19. See Jude verse 5. 2 With Dumbnesse Thus Zachary was punished for not believing the promise sent him by the Angell that his wife Elizabeth should have a Son although as one might think he had good reason to doubt of it because he she too were both old Luk 1. 20. Dumbnesse I said I may adde Deafnesse too if the opinion of Theophylact others be true who would have the Angel's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be translated not thou shalt be dumb but thou shalt be deafe and not able to speak They have some reasons for it as 1 Because
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. 4 God forsaking of them which is but retaliation for their forsaking of him God said to Moses concerning the Israelites When thou art dead this people will forsake me break the covenant which I have made with them Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them and they shall be devoured c. Deut. 31. 16 17. The spirit of God in Azariah thus spake to King Asa The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him hee will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you 2. Chron. 15. 2. See chap. 12. 5. 5 Conquest and Captivitie In the book of Judges in most places where there is mention made of any Conquest had over the Israelites you shall find this mentioned for a reason viz. that the people forsooke or forgat the Lord their God See chap. 3. 7. and chap. 10. 6 7. 9 10. 11. c. When Rehoboam had establishd the kingdome and had strengthned himselfe he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israel with him it came to passe that in the fift yeare of Rehoboam Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. 2. Chr. 12. 1. 2. See vers 5. So the spirit of God in Zachariah told King Ioash and his Princes Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you 2. Chron. 24. 20. and according to his word the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers So they executed judgement against Israel vers 24. 6 Destruction Thou hast forsaken mee saith the Lord thou art gone backward therfore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee I am weary with repenting Jeremiah 15. 6. T is spoken to the Jews so chap. 16. 11. the Prophet is bid to answer the people if they asked him the reason of Gods judgements upon them thus Because your Fathers have forsaken me saith the Lord and have walked after other Gods and have served them and have worshipped them and have forsaken me and have not kept my law Forsaken me is repeated as if it went very neere Gods heart to be forsaken by a people whom he had chosen or as if going to other Gods did not anger him so much as going from him or forsaking him Under the old Testament when God made the Law that if any one enticed another to worship Idols he should be stoned to death hee added this for a reason of the punishment or at least for an aggravation of the sin viz because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage Deut. 13. 10. See the words of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. 6 7 8. Psal 13. 27. Particular persons as Kings and others have been punished or threatned 1 With being murdered And he forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in the way of the Lord. And the servants of Amon conspired against him and slew the King in his own house 2. King 21 22 23. Speaking of Amon King of Israel After the time that Amaziah did turne away from following the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but tbey sent to Lachisb after him and slew him there 2 Chron 25 27. 2 Being left to ruine themselves in their owne wayes The backe slider in heart shall be filled with his owne wayes Proverbs 14 14. 3 Impenitency and incurablenes It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and and were made pertakers of the holy ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come who have gon so farre and received so many good things If they shall fall to renew thē unto repentance Hebr 6 4 5 6. If they shall fall c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fall forward viz remaining still in the right way but fall aside into another way fall off or fall away viz by a totall defection and revolting from the Faith for otherwise if it should be ment of only sinning againe as the Syriack translation renders unlesse it mean that great sin whereof we speake called in Hebrew Maal a Sin and usually renderd by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Apostacy it were a very hard saying and who could heare it 4 Rejection if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt bee cut of Rom. 11 22. 5 Noe pardon if they sin wilfully and against knowledge For if wee sin wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Heb 10. 26. and so verse 38 If any man draw back my Soule shall have no pleasure in him David in his charge to his Sonne Solomon told him If thou seek him hee will be found of thee But if thou forsake him hee will cast thee of for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. 6 Distruction temporall and eternall Consider this yee that forget God least I tea◠you in peices and there be none to deliver Ps 50 22. Wee are not of them that draw back to perdition Heb 10. 39. Those wandring starres to whom is reserved the blacknesse◠of darknesse for ever Jude 13. are by the glosse interpreted Apostates and it 〈◊〉 thought to be meant of the Corpocratian◠who denie the Divinity of Christ No◠only if a man doe returne back but if h◠doe but looke back it may bee as much a◠his life is worth as it was with Lots wife Remember Lot's wife Luke 17. 32. Noe man having put his hand to the Plow and looking back if fit for the Kingdome of God Luke the 9. 62. How grevious a thing Apostatizing or back sliding is in the sight of God may be gathered by his angry expressions concerning it especially such as we find in the Prophets directed to the Jewes calling them grievous revolters Jerem 6 28 Trecherous Judah four times in one chapter viz chap 3. v. 7. 8. 10. 11. verse 20. He compares them to a wife that leaves her husband And therefore his anger against this sin being exceeding great is usually called by the name of Jealousy which is the greatest anger that can be and the hardest to be appeased as you may see in an hundred places Deut. 32. 16. c. The very heathen their constancy to their Idols will rise up in judgement against them that forsake God Hath a Nation changed their Gods which
are no Gods But my People have changed their glory for that which doth doth not profit Jer. 2. 11. I will punish all such as are clothed in strange apparell Zeph. 1. 8. Se Isa 3. 18 to the end Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast makes these words to have been spoken of Idolatry sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated qui perstrepunt ad cultum Idolorum that make a noyse at the worsbip of Idols I believe hee meanes shouting and clapping of hands and such like expressions of exultation and joy in use not only amongst the Gentiles but among the Jewes themselves when they went about Divineworship Psalme 55. verse 14 where wee translate wee walked into the house of God in Company the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with consent the Vulgar in terrore infeare the anonymous Paraphrast in hast the word in the Original is of the same roote with the word which this Paraphrast here useth viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also noise it is not unlikely that the Prophet meant it of no other noise then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shouting clapping of hands that which he so often speakes of make a joyfull noise unto the Lord c. Ps 66. 1. Ps 95 1 2. Ps 98 4 6. Ps 100 1. Ps 47 15. I beleive we may doe well if we joine the exposition of this Paraphrast for such his Paraphrase is many times being nothing neer so bare a translation as that of Onkelos with our translation and thence gather a reproofe both of Idolatry and and wearing strange apparell together In regard it is not unlike that the Jewes had learnt of the Gentiles to worship the Moone whom they both called the Queene of Heaven the men in womens and the Woman in Men's apparell the reason whereof was because they tooke the Moone whom they made the same with Venus to have been both a man and a woman for she is as well one as the other and you shall finde in old Authors Lunus as well as Luna Ashamed of Christ and religion Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation then we ought to be lest asham'd when we are apt to think we have most cause of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels Mark 8 38. Luke hath almost the same words cap 9 26. This sinne is in part very often committed by many godly men in conversing with the men of the world they are ashamâ— to set them upon praying or hearing oâ— reading fearing or thinking it absurd 〈◊〉 word that occasions many a sinne and hinders many a good duty to interrupt theiâ— filthy coÌ„munication with godly discourse They are as much ashamed to talke oâ— God and Christ as they would be to goâ— into company that have gaudy clothes with a torn suit But take heed of doinâ— worse then he who said he knew not tâ— man by thus disowning Christ as if he weâ—â— a contemptible man now he has made it appeare that he is a powerfull God nay thâ—â— can'st not sinne lesse to be ashamed of Chriâ—â— notwithstanding his greatnesse and after 〈◊〉 exaltation then the Jewes did to scorâ— him for his meannesse in the time of his â—â—miliation Thou never loved'st thy freâ—â— truly if thou art ashamd to owne himâ—â— any company whatsoever Beloved Sins see Sins Blasphemers against God not pardoned in this world but punisht with Death for God made it a law that they should be ston'd to death upon occasioâ— of the blasphemy spoken by the sonne of the Israelitesse woman Lev. 24. He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely bee put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him vers 16. He that blasphemeth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that doth expresly name say some according to the use of the word Num. 1. 17. and Gen. 30. 28 and the translation of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that nameth the name of the Lord the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast goes further and saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that shall any way expresse which yet me thinks does not so wel agree with what the Jewes commonly speak of the Schem Hamphorash whereby they meane the name Jehovah as if it were a thing allowable Pherosch to imparle or expresse the name Jehovah in other words but not Nekoâ— to pierce it thorow and thorow as I may say or speak it downe right As for them perhaps they gather something though I have not read so much for this distinction of Pherosch and Nekob from those words of this chapter vers 12. where the word Pherosch is used for the text saies they put him in ward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they may render according to their Rabbinisme that it might be expounded to them according to the word of God c. expounded I say for even the witnesses against such 〈◊〉 Blasphemer when they testified what hee said were not to speak the name as he spake it but only to explaine it or expound it some other way Now they explain'd it or paraphras'd it Sometimes by his other names as Adonai or Elohim which are names deriv'd from his power and strength and not from his very essence and therefore allow'd to be used and applied likewise to Angells Men. Sometimes by a certaine number of Letters made into one or more namesâ— and sometimes by severall words wherein the letters of the name were contain'd which were used only by some certain men of the wiser sort and by them privately convey'd by mouth to their own posterity Such receipts of words and letters the moderne Jewes say their Fathers made use of as charmes and spells for the defence of themselves and annoyance of their enemies you may call their practise the naming over a man the name of Jehovah or the schem Hamphorash as it is said the Jewish exorcists named the name of the Lord Jesus over these that had evill spirits Act. 19. 13. With such a charme they say Moses slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 11. whose son they report this blasphemer above mentioned to have been and they ground their opinion up-these words in the 14 vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render intendest thou but the words signifie speakest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian and whereas it is said vers 12. that Moses looked this way and that way and when he saw there was no man hee slew the Egyptian they say he feared if there had been some body present hearing what he said he might speake the same to him kill him in the like manner Now as I told you before how that sometimes they used a certaine number of Letters so they say Moses at that time made use of two and fortie which they have no other ground for but because the letters of the word
Lebaddo Alone spoken of the name Jehovah Ps 148. 13. his name alone is excellent will stand for that number in Arithmetick In like manner they say that Elisha made use of two and forty letters when he cursed the children 2. King 2. 24 because there were so many children kild a child for every letter and more then so they say that generally in the Scriptures where it is said that an Angel smote such or such it is not meant of the smiting of the hand or the like but of smiting by the vertue of the name Jehovah or that Schem Hamphorasch Some of the Jewes say that our Saviour Christ did his miracles by using this name which mee thinks might be retorted as an argument against them that he came from God for otherwise though hee might have used the name yet he would not have been able to doe any thing with it but rather on the contrary those in whom the evill spirits were which he endeavoured to cast out would have fallen upon him and overcome him prevail'd against him as they did against those Conjurers Act. 19. 16. At least they must confesse thus much that if hee had not Moses or Elisha's spirit yet hee was a man of no ordinary spirit because they say that only such men as were not of an ordinary spirit had the priviledge of using this name and doing miracles with it Now because they thought there was a vertue or power in the name Jehovah so used as likewise out of a superstitious conceit common to them with other nations of the vertue and power of other names also viz. of Prophets Apostles and Martyres both true and false when any one did any strange thing they imagin'd it was by the vertue and power of some name and hence perhaps was it that they asked Peter and John when they had cured the lame man Act. 4. 7 By what power or by what name have ye done this For although the Apostles when they did or said they did such a thing in the name of Christ or God had no conceipt of any vertue or power in the name it selfe and though I know that by doing a thing in the name of Christ is meant the doing of it either by the power or in the steed or in the behalfe or upon the account of Christ and for his sake yet thus much me thinks I fancy that both the Jewes for the most part did nse those words superstitiously and that the Apostles many times alluded to this superstition of theirs when they used this expression He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord c. or say the Jewes he that nameth the Tetragrammaton i. e. the name which in Hebrew consisteth of foure letters viz. Jehovah For this name of God they forbare to expres with as much superstition as the Heathen did the names of the Tutelar Gods of their Citties and Countrys for feare their enimies might by sacrifices and enchantments call them out and so conquer the place Whence it is that many times without adding any thing els unlesse it be Ithbareck blessed be it or as we say blessed be his name they expresse it by saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name by way of excllency without adding any more for so in this chapter though in the sixteenth verse where God speakes who might name his owne name the word Jehovah be expressed yet where Moses speakes viz. verse 11. that which we render the Name of the Lord in the Hebrew is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name The Jewes make the naming of this name to have beene a worse sinne then cursing And so they might if by the word Nokeb only naming were meant but the contrary appeares clearely in that when Moses gave order to have this blasphemer put to death vid. v. 23 he called him not hanakeb which they render him that nameth but hamkallel which they can render no otherwise then him that cursed And therefore methinkes for shame though the word Nakab should signifie blaspheme or curse no where else for Ekkob in Job cap. 5. 3. they say comes from the radix kabab yet however in this place they should have expounded that which is not plaine which they acknowledge by their owne different translations to have more senses then one by the sense of that which is plaine and which they cannot render otherwise then they doe However so it hath been with them insomuch that by their superstitious tradition or traditionary superstition touching this name according to their practise in other things and according to the complaint of our Saviour Matt. 15. 6. they came at length to make the Commandment of God of none effect for they held it that if a man cursed his father or mother unlesse he named this name he was not to suffer Death as the Law prescribed Levit. 20. 9. but only to be whipt To say a little more yet now that I have gone thus farre and because that I have said that allready which necessarily requires I should say a little more They called the name Jehovah Shem hamphorash from its being separated apart from common use as well as for being to be separated in parts in any use as if it came from paros to separate or lay apart as well as from parosh to explaine or lay abroad Hence is it that they never speake of it without some Epithete of reverence such as Hannibdal the separated Hamiiuchad the proper Hannickbod the glorious and the like Nekob to peirce this name thorow as I might say or to pronounce it downe right was permitted to none but the high Priest and that but once in a yeare viz. at the feast of expiation when he pronounced the solemne Benediction in every member whereof the name Jehovah was plainly exprest as you may see Num 6 24 25 26. and therefore they say it is added v 27 they shall put my name upon the childeren of Israel my name that is my proper name or that which may not be applyed to others besides my selfe as the rest of my names are that which is my name for ever and which denotes my everlasting Essence Exod 2 15. And as it was pronounced only by one man and but once a yeare so likewise but in one place viz in the Temple at Jerusalem and therefore ever since the destruction of the Temple and City by Vespatian the Jewes have not knowne the pronunciation of this Name Simeon Justus being the last that was High Priest was the last Jew that pronounced it But to returne to the Son of the Israelite woman for that is all the name he has here Some think the Spirit of God purposedly because he had dishonour'd God so much by expressing his name refused to honour him so farre as to name his And you may observe how the Scripture in severall places make it an expression of Gods exceeding great anger against a man to threaten to blott out his name
considering that God's booke still is and their bones also may be to use Job's expression ch 20 11. Full of the sinnes of their youth before they die In vaine doth the Adulterous woman wipe her mouth and the murtherer wash his hands and the Drunkard sweep away his vomit looking the world in the face with boldnesse as if they had done nothing and presuming of impunity because sentence is not presently executed They shall one day find that Sinne has too wide a mouth to be stopt with the narrow hand of a man and that it is of too deep a die to be gotten out only with wiping and washing Yea they shall find that not only the sinne of the Blasphemer is but even the lest of theirs let it seem never so venial without true repentance will 〈…〉 eternal sinne 〈…〉 Blesings turned into curses If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart Mal. 2. 2. these words are spoken to the Piests and so perhaps the meaning may be rather of actions then things though in that sense also it will serve for my purpose viz. that the Priests for not giving glory to God's name perhaps it is meant by Confession of sinnes which is usually expressed by giving glory to God Josh 7 19. 1 Sam. 6 5. should lose that priviledge of Benediction which good Priests and Prophets were wont to have viz that those whom they blessed should be blessed and those whom they cursed should be cursed As Balak told Balaam Num. 22 6. The prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov. 1 32 of fooles c. it is an ordinary thing with fooles i. e. wicked men to have that which David either prayes for or prophecies of fulfilled upon thē Let their table become a snare before them and that which should have beene for their welfare let it become a trap Ps 69 22. evē spiritual blessings shall become thus unto them for to such has Paul applyed those words in the epist to the Rom. c. 11. v. 9. as appeareth by the words before and after that verse Indeed Grotius who perhaps sometimes makes too much use of that excellent vaine which he had of finding out the literall sense as in exponding that place of Isaiah A Virgin shall conceive c. of Hezekiah's wife who was once a virgin for which Rivet hath sufficiently taxed him and likewise in expounding many other places sayes that David speaking of those familiar friends of whom he complained before Ps 41. 9. who being entertained at his table like true parasites and psycophants made his freedome of entertainment a snare to entrap him and carry tales to Saul doth in those words wish the like usage to them againe viz. that their table also might become a snare and a trap to them as his was to him and this by way of punishment or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a just reward to them for their ill rewarding him but under correction he interprets neither David's nor Paul's words nor does he set them downe for he leaves out the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and and reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let their table c. be made a stumbling blocke for a recompence and so it is easie enough for any one to interpret for it is not indifferent whether And be there or not seeing the removall thereof both changes the use of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be rewarded and also the relation of the word recompence which whereas before it was related to table only now is related to the whole prayer But Beza methinks expounds this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or recompence otherwise For interpreting Table of the Law and saying that David in those words prophecy'd rather then prayed as he does no doubt many times in such expressions where the word Lett is us'd that As the birds are allur'd unto death by that in which they seek their life so the Jewes seeking life in the Law and rejecting the Gospel should by that meanes be ensnar'd and destroy'd he may seeme to have made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie as much as a bait layd before a snare or as a baited snare layd in the way before a creature to take it But to give you in a few words my owne conceit by way of comparison That peice of flesh wherewith the Faulconer couzens his hawk and takes him off from the bird that he may not eat it me thinkes may well be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such a hawke So may any thing which we put before a mans eyes to keep him from seeing another thing which we would not have him see If a man should give his child or his servant his choice either to take such a certaine portion or so much wages in hand or else to trust to his courtesie with an intention hereafter to give him a great deale more then such a portion or wages comes to if he refuse it but to give him no more if he take it If a friend or a servant having done such a courtesie or such a service and being given to his belly accept of a dainty dinner given perhaps of purpose to gull him for satisfaction If a child take a glittering piece of brasse to part with a piece of silver Either of these things which I have named may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a recompence or reward to the party that takes it And indeed it is a very great punishment for a man to have any thing from Gods hands now as a reward as it is the greatest punishment of all to have his reward or his portion in this life for so the wicked have Ps 17 14. Who have their portion in this life Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure The wicked filled with the things of this world are like one that hath filled his bellyupon courser meat set before him first it may be for that purpose so that he has no stomach either of strength or desire to eat of finer Seeing they are for this worlds goods they shall have their belly full but it is their reward and they must looke for noe more God seemes to have spoken to the Israelites when they murmurd for want of flesh after this manner Seeing you are so much for flesh and loath my Manna you shall have enough of it even till it come out of your nostrills But you shall have it for a reward you shall have it instead of Canaan and die as soone as you have eaten it Num. 11 20. This having a mans reward now our Saviour used as a scar-crow to affright men from shewing
a gift which they say the crier was to proclaime as the Judge was going up when he came to the second step and so the rest when he came to the rest The very taking of a gift though it be not a reward though thou dost not promise or resolve to give him the cause who gave thee the gift is as likely to hurt thee afterward by punishment from God as it is hurtfull to thee at the present by punishing thee it selfe I meane with blindnesse of judgement which it will doe though thou hadst never so good a sight Thou shalt take no gift for a gift blindeth the wise or the seeing and perverteth the words of the righteous Exo. 23. 8. The Thebans painted Justice without hands or eyes 1 To shew that a Judge should accept neither gifts nor persons 2. To shew how hardly justice can consist with receiving gifts 3. To shew the danger of taking gifts for if shee had been painted with hands though they had painted her with an hundred eyes she would have put them all out with her hands Carnall men punished 1 With not pleasing God They that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom 8 8. 2 Corruption and death He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption Gal 6 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom 8 13. See verse 6. Ceremonies and commandments of men He that observes them more then the Commandements of God that mans religion is vaine In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the command'ments of men For laying aside the Commandements of God ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots cups and many other such like things ye doe Mark 7 7 8. Christ Such as reject Christ When the Lord of the Vineyard cometh what will he doe unto those husbandmen our Saviour asked this question of the Priests and Elders concerning those husbandmen in his Parable that killed the Heire when he was sent to receive the fruit Mat 21 40. And they answered him v. 41. He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen Those mine enimies which would not I should raign over them bring hither slay thē before me our Saviour thus spake of the people in the Parable who rejected the noble man that came to reign over thē Luk 19 14 27. Such as forsake Christ punished 1 With excommunication in the highest degree If any one love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16 22. It is spoken I suppose of such who once loved Christ but now had left their first love for what had Paul to doe to judge those who were without c. 5 12 and some conceive it meant of such who had not only left the love of Christ themselves but would teach men so It seems to be as much as if he had said Let him be accursed to the utmost till the Lord himself come For we have done with him For other things so long as a man kept the faith the Church did but deliver him to Satan c or exclude him from the publique enjoyment of God's ordinances trying and hoping by humiliation and prayer to restore him and they ought to do no other neither ought they to count him an enemie But if once he denied the Faith they even delivered him to Maran not to Satan but to the Lord for so the word Maran signifies and were at libertie to pray or not to pray for him as one whom they had discharged their hands of giving him over for desperate The practise of the Christians toward him who apostatiz'd from the Gospel Was like to the practice of the Jewes toward him who apostatiz'd from the Law if the Jewes were not more severe for whereas if a heathen man desired to be sacrificed for they would do it if he were an apostate which is the reason why they hate a Samaritane worse then a Gentile they esteem'd them selves not only not bound to do it but bound not to do it The Christians excluded such a one from their society not only in the Church but in any other place refusing not only in publique meetings to pray for him which they used to do for him who was excommunicated for lesser sins but when they met him in private to salute him or to bid him God speed Much more might have been spoken upon occasion of these words Anathema Maranatha but perhaps I have diverted too long already see a little in the chapter of Covetousnes 2 Not bearing of fruit As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe I meane except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me John 15 4. Without me ye can do nothing John 15 5. 3 Withering away and being fit for nothing but the fire If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withred and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burn'd John 15 6. Those that deny Christ are threatned With being denyed by him againe Whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Matt. 10 33. I will deny him not only when I come in Judgment but now while I am before my Father and while I am an Advocate with him when he prayes I will not owne him nor mediate for him but leave him to my Father and let my Father alone to doe what he will with him See 2 Tim 2 12 Peter aggravates this sinne shall I call it methinks the name is too little or rather abominable and capitall crime as having that in it then which nothing aggravates any fault more viz Ingratitude by calling it denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet 2 1. for what a base detestable act should we our selves account it for one whom we have any way free'd out of captivity or prison though he were to continue in it but a few yeares and taken into our service to run a way from us But especially if we bought him if we were at cost to free him at great cost at the cost of a great deale of gold or silver only But Christ hath redeem'd us from an everlasting captivitie and was at an unspeakable greater cost For we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ says the same Apostle 1 Ep c. 1 18 which words he uses as an argument to perswade Christians to be holy as he that hath called them having also dearely bought them is holy verse 15. And therefore in the place first cited as he aggravated the sinne so he aggravated the punishment in these words and shall bring upon them selves swift destruction They are in a worse condition then those that never knew Christ For it had been better for them not to have knowne the way of
righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them 2 Pet 2 21. Those who are Christ's enimies are thus threatn'd He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh The Lord shall have them in derision Ps 2 4. Oh fearfull threat how sad is the conditon of those men at whose calamitie God rejoyceth or at whose wickednesse he laughes suffering them to run on in their sinnes because he seeth that their day of punishment is coming Ps 37 13. Give me any anger rather then a laughing anger whether of God or man See the threats Ps 59 8. Prov 1 26. Those to whom Christ is a scandal Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken Mat. 21 44. In Luke you have the same words cap. 20. 18. The like threat you have in Isaiah cap. 8. 15. Many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken Blessed is he saith Christ himselfe whosoever shall not be offended in me Mat. 11 6. If a man shall be blessed only for not being offended at or not disliking him whom he is bound to like and whom it is for his owne good to like and whom he hath no cause to dislike how can his condition be better then cursed who notwithstanding all this is offended at him and disallow's him and rejects him as unsit to build upon Those who have no Vnion or Commumunion with Christ Verily verily I say unto you except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you Joh 5 3. Ye have according to Beza's translation and not ye shall have according to Erasmus and the Vulgar because saith Beza otherwise it may be thought that Christ did not give life to us but only keep it for us I apply not this to those who do not imitate Christ especially in his passion as Grotius does for as upon most other places he endevor'd to be as little mysticall and spirituall as he could be so I think upon this he was more Socinian then he should be for thus he speakes Hoc ergo est edere bibere Christi uti exemplo Christi perfestisimum est exemplum tum virtutum aliarum tum praecipuè dilectionis quam imitari Compendium est praeceptorum Nam sicut cibus potus in corpus admissi hominem nutriâ—nt ita bona exempla in animum admissa eum mirabiliter confirmant But whereas he sayes Christ was a most perfect example of love and makes imitation of him to be the highest thing intended in the Gospel for doubtlesse eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood was expressed as the highest and most principle of christianity let me aske wherin this love which he ackowledges did appeare I believe I shall not be answer'd by those of his mind in his dying a Sacrifice for us for then certainely example and imitation cannot be the thing hee came for And yet that in this chiefly both his love the love of the Father did consist appears by the words of John Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ep 4 10. To conclude If eating Christs flesh and drinking Christs bloud be imitating his example how did our Fathers imitate him who were before him and yet did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall rock that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1 Cor 10 3 4. Church not heard If he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Saith our Saviour to his Disciples concerning one Christian offending another Mat 18. 17. Clothes of men and Women promiscuously worne The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God Deut. 22 5. Some do make this prohition to belong to the second Commandement and for these two reasons First because the word which we translate abomination is usually spoken of Idolatry but this is no reason for it is as usually spoken of other things both in the Proverbes and elsewhere Secondly Because Maimonides saith it was the custome of Idolatrous Jewes if they were men to stand with the â—mbrodered garments of women before the starre Venus and if they were women with mens armour before Mars another of the Planets in imitation of the Heathen That there was such a custome is very likely and there seemes to be somewhat spoken in â—avour of this report in Deuteronomy ch 17. because in the second verse both sexes are mention'd If there be found c. man or woman c. and in the verse immediately following there is mention made of worshiping the Sun or Moone or any of the host of heaven as if it had been said or any of the Planets such as Mars and Venus and the rest but however if they make the prohibition to relate to this custome onely because they thinke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated here that which pertaineth to a man to signifie nothing but armour I shall not take this for a reason neither for they cannot deny that this word hath of it selfe a more generall signification even as generall almost as when we say a man's or woman's things as may appear by twenty places which being so methinkes it is farre better to make the more speciall word used for the woman viz. garments to expound this rather then this which is a more generall word to exclude that at least let it be that which containes armour and clothes too viz. the Habit of a man Communicating or partaking of Christs body in the Sacrament unworthily It is threatned with being held guilty of the body and blood of Christ as if he who does not care to remember him in the best manner he can now he is dead if he had lived when he did would have been little troubled to have seen him put to death Whosoever shall eat this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty or shall be held guilty for he is guilty already of himselfe of the body and blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 27. It hath been punished with sicknesse and death For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11 30. Chrysostome speakes of some possessed with the divell after it and Cyprian hath recorded divers examples of men thus punished one way or another for the most part they were sure to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some judgement or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be judged or punished and it was well for the Saints they were for it may be otherwise they might have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quite and cleane condemned or damned as the men
wisedome thought that Cadmus intending to make himselfe King of Boeotia could not take a wiser course to destroy his enimies then to sow this seed among them which the Poet Ovid describes by the sowing of vipers teeth in the ground which accordingly had its effect A viperous and poysonous seed indeed it is as destructive in the body of a coÌ„mon-wealth as any poyson can bee in the body of a man Id unum venenum eam labem civitatibus opulentis repertam ut magna imperia mortalia essent t is the only mortall dissease that a Kingdome can be sick of 4 Exclusion out of the kingdome of God Hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings c. what a company of names this sin hath or what a compound of sinnes it is of the which I told you before as I have also told you in times past he could never tell them too much of it that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Gal 5 20 21. Follow peace therefore with all men if not the peace of freindship the peace of good will Even the most wicked men although thou doest not seek peace with them yet if they seek it with thee let them be sure to find it Though the Israelites might not seek the peace of the Ammonites Deut 23 6. yet might they not distresse theÌ„ c. 2 9. Though they might not seek the peace of the Ammonites with themselves that is make a mutuall league of amity and association yet they must seek their owne peace with the Ammonites that is not begin to contend with them in battell Follow your own peace love and good will with all men though not their peace with your selves because it must not be gotten with enmity with God and it cannot be had without it Discouraging of men in Godly enterprises It is like to be Severely punished For The men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land Even those men that did bring up the evill report upon the land the sin is repeated to shew how great it was esteemed died by the plague before the Lord Num 14 36. Before the Lord. as if the Lord was so earnest to have this sinne punished that he would stand by and see it done himselfe Disobedience to God either meerly Disobedience without any other sinne or as being the maine provoking part of other sinnes threatned and punished 1 With God's Anger The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses Exod 4 14. and it is likely it had burnt him if he had still stood it out not obeyed at last for denying to goe to Pharoah three severall times when God bid him ver 1 10 13. Even Artaxerxes himselfe was sensible how it provoked God to be Disobeyed and therefore when he gave commission to Ezra to build the Temple he gave this charge Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for why should there be wrath against the realme of the King and his Sons Ezra 7 23. and his Sons he feared it would not be forgotten but that God would visit such an iniquity of the Fathers even upon their Children after them 2 God's Curse I sett before you this day a blessing and a curse a blessing if ye obey c. and a curse if ye will not obey the commandements of the Lord your God saith Moses Deu. 11 27 28. See Jer 11 8. Thus were Adam and Eve punished cheifely if not meerly for Disobedience at least in the act it selfe was nothing sinfull but Disobedience for what sinne could there be in in eating of a little fruit unlesse God had commanded them to the contrary And therefore when God pronounced judgment against them all that he laid to their charge was that they had eaten of the Tree of which he commanded them that they should not eate Gen 3 See what he sayes to the woman v. 11. and likewiâ—e to the man vers 17. almost the same words When Paul would shew how we were made sinners in Adam he sayes not by the Vnholynesse or by the Intemperance or by the pride or the like but by the Disobedience of one man many were made sinners Rom 5 19. so on the other side he sayes not we were made righteous by Christs holinesse or by his patience or by his meeknesse nay nor by his sufferings for he might have suffered without command and then he had merited nothing at his Fathers hand but by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous in the same place Adam's Disobedience was as pure disobedience as could be and Christ's Obedience What Christ did or suffered was neither duty in it selfe nor desert but meerely as he said to doe the will of God or to perform what the father had imposed upoÌ„ him 3 God's Setting himselfe against them If ye will not OBEY the voice of the Lord but rebell against the commandement of the Lord then shall the hand of the Lord be against you saith Samuel to the Israelites 1 Sam 12 15. voyce and commandement or as it is in the originall mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebell against or provoke the Mouth of the Lord the aggravation is in the word mouth for if they should doe things not according to his mind it were not so much but when they shall do them against his mouth when he hath given them a charge with his owne mouth to the contrary this is unanswerable as our Saviour sayes If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not * had sinne but now have they no cloake for their sinne John 15 22. In Jeremy yon may see the sinne of Disobedience often aggravated by these expressions I spake unto you rising early and speaking but ye heard not c 7. 13. and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not harkâ—ned chap 25 3. and so chap 35 14. you have the same words Oh lit must needs anger God exceedingly as it would any earthly Father to speak and speak and speak and no body regard to hearken to him Then shall the hand of the Lord be against you His power shall be employed only against you to hurt you and not at all for you to protect you O heavy Judgment 4 In Kings in their Heires with the Losse of their Kingdomes Samuel told Saul Thy Kingdome shall not continue c. Because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee 1 Sam 13 14. Yee read of no other fault reproov'd but meere Disobedience to one command onely of the Prophet's viz To tarry seven dayes for him at Gilgal chap 10 8. This perhaps he thought was a matter indifferent or he thought that he would not come or that he had obeyed his command having tarried till seven dayes were fully come which is
enough in Scripture-account to make it so many dayes but yet because he did not that which doubtles he knew was the Prophet's meaning viz tarry out the full seven dayes it argues he cared little to obey his command or follow his councell and therefore he must suffer accordinly So againe chap 15 23 he tels him thus Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity * and Idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee frō being King Rejected or Slighted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said thus Thou wouldest be thought to hate Witchraft and Idolatry as most abominable crimes But I tell thee in Disobeying God's expresse command thou doest Slight and Reject God as much as he that doth worship an Idol or goe to a witch and therfore God hath also Slighted thee thought thee unworthy to be King any longer Here we read of no other fault but Disobedience neither viz in sparing Agag the King of the Amalekites and the best of the spoile vers 9 whereas he was cōmanded to destroy every thing without exception v. 3. Yet perhaps he thought to do God better service in reserving some for sacrifice therefore some observeupon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished Idolatry verse 23. but signifying Images which they used to divine and know things by and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished stubbornesse but as they say signifying to sinne by adding to God's command and serving him another way then he commands that in the verse before mentioned Saul was told thus much viz That by serving God one way wben he commanded another as if he knew better himselfe what way was best to serve him he was as bad as they that neglecting to seek to God sought to their Images or Teraphim But his serving of God in his owne way when God commanded another was but will-worship and I may say of obedience as God himselfe saies of mercy Hos 6. 6 God desireth obedience and not sacrifice even knowledge only as it is in the same place he desireth MORE then burnt offerings but he desireth obedience and mercy and NOT sacrifice If you have no knowledge I shall accept your offerings the worse but if you doe not performe obedience to me I will not accept of your sacrifices or your prayers at all And therefore as Solomon sayes Eccles 5 1 Be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles you will but play the foole and loose your labour in offering sacrifices so long as you refuse to heare and obey 5 In whole nations Conquest and Captivity The King of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria 2 Kings 18 11 and it followes v. the 12. Because they OBEYED not the voice of the Lord their God They were DISOBEDIENT and rebelled against thee c. Therefore thou deliveredst thē into the hand of their enimies c. thus said the Levites in their praier at the time of the fast after the returne to Jerusalem Neh 9. 26 speaking concerning the old Israelites 6 Cutting off from the congregation by the Leviticall Law Whosoever eateth that which is leavened even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of the Israel Ex 12 19. surely it must be only for Disobedience to a strict command for otherwise doubtlesse such an action was in it selfe indifferent 7 Destruction and death God told the Israelites by Moses before they went into Canaan As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face so shall yee perish because you would not be obedient to voyce of the Lord your God Deut 8 20. and he told the same people by Jeremy after their returne from captivity If they will not OBEY I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation Jer 12 17. Saul's one Disobedience in sparing Agag and the spoile is mentioned for the chiefe cause of his death So Saul died for his trangression as if it were said that his grand transgression of Disobedience which he committed against the Lord even against the word of Lord which he kept not 1 Chr 10 13. against the Lord even against the word of the Lord. for if it had not been against the word of the Lord that is if the Lord had not commanded him to doe what he did not it had not been against the Lord. What fault was there but Disobedience in the Prophet of Judah in eating and drinking with the old prophet of Bethel 1 Kin 13 21. and yet it is there said that while they sate at table the word of the Lord came to the man of God that came from Judah saying For as much as thou hast DISOBEYED the mouth of the Lord c. thy carcasse shall not come unto the Sepulchres of thy Fathers verse 20 21 22. and accordingly a Lion met him and killed him v 24. but he was not suffered to eate him v. 28. belike lest such an example of Gods anger against Disobedience might be too soone forgotten What other fault could there be in him who refused to smite the Prophet when the Prophet himselfe bad him 1 King 20 35 and yet that Prophet because he bad him in the name of the Lord told him Because thou hast not OBEYED the voyce of the Lord behold as soon as thou art departed from me a Lion shall teare thee which accordingly came to passe vers 36. Even of the righteous when God hath made use of affliction to open their eares to discipline Job saies If they OBEY NOT they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge Job 36 12. without knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because being instructed they would not learne or were Disobedient Lot's wife was to blame indeed for her curiosity but there is no fault of hers mentioned besides Disobedience to the Angel's command of not looking backe Gen. 19 17. and yet shee was turned into a pillar of salt verse 26. Jonah for refusing to goe to Nineveh when God commanded him was made to lie for it no lesse then three daies in the belly of hell Jon. 2 2. Lastly Those who were destroyed by the Flood it seemes Disobedience had a great part of the cause of their punishment for the terme that S. Peter gives them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes were Disobedient 1 Epist 3 20. Disobedience to God's command in some cases is threatned worse then in others according to the quality of the person by whom it was delivered c. If the command were delivered by the mouth of a Priest it is threatned with Death The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest c. evē that man shall die Deut. 17 12. If it were delivered but by the letter of an Apostle with Excommunioation If any man OBEY NOT our word by this Epistle note that man and have no fellowship
with him that he may be ashamed 2 Thes 3 14. How tenderly God takes it to be Disobeyed may be gathered by his upbraiding the Jewes with the Obedience of the sons of Rechab who because their father commanded them not to drinke wine though he spake but once and were now dead obeyed his his command for ever whereas the Jewes though they had beene spoken to so often and that by the Lord of Hosts * and the God of Israel to leave their Idols yet would never obey See Jerem. 35 14 15 16 17. Nothing in the Scripture is spoken so often and with so much emphasis in the praise or dispraise of a man as doing and doing not as the Lord commanded or according to the commandement of the Lord. as might be shewed in an hundred places Distrust threatned When the Israelites would have stoned Joshua and Caleb for perswading them to goe into Canaan against the advise of the rest of the spies the Lord said unto Moses How long will this people provoke mee how long will it be ere they believe mee for all the signes that I have shewed amongst them I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them Num. 14 11 12. Provoke mee or slight or despise me so the Hebrew word also signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' No greater Slighting of a man then to thinke him not worthy to be believed The Latine Translation renders it detrahet mihi detract from mee or bring a slander upon mee and indeed nothing does more detract from the honour and reputation of God or man then not to believe him or to refuse to trust him as we say without ready payment For all the signes or In all the signes so it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they might be ashamed in the midst as it were of so many signes of his fidâ—lity and being compassed about as it were with so great a cloud of witnesses of his truth yet notwithstanding not to trust him Disinherit them Destroy or consume them So say the vulgar Septuag and Chald par Divination Diviners are usually punished With Infatuation and madnesse and being made lyars for it is said to be one of Gods proper workes so to punish them I am the Lord that frustrateth the tokens of the lyars and maketh diviners mad and turneth wise men backward and maketh their wisdome foolish Isa 44 24 25. Their sinne appeares to be very greivous to God in that Samuel when he would aggravate the sinfulnesse of Disobedience said it was as baâ— as Divination rebellion is as the sin of Divination 1 Sam 15 23. for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well as Witchraft Such as seek to them are threatn'd or punish'd 1 With Cutting off The soule that turnetâ— after such as have familiar spirits and after wisards to goe a whoring after them I will even set my face against that soule and will cut him off from amongst his people Levit 20 6. Wisard's the Hebrew word is Jiddehonim which signifies knowing and therefore no doubt the threat is of large extent insomuch that unlesse Astrology shrink it selfe into a narrower compasse then usually it doeth I doe not see well how it can avoide it Indeed Jonathan the Later in his translation and the Jew 's in their Talmudicall fables make this word to signifie only such as inquir'd at the mouth of the creature called Jiddoah whose head they put into their mouthes and after that they say it spake But however to me the word seems in its genuine signification to import all such as are over earnest and curious to know either such as seek to know things which Divine wisedome hath reserv'd for it selfe to know which later sort perhaps are more especially called Diviners 2 Death So Saul died for his transgression c. and also for asking councell of one that had a familiar spirit to enquire of it well might rebellion be said to be as the sin of Divination for after Saul had committed that it was not long ere he committed this and he that makes no conscience of one wili make little scruple of the other and inquired not of the Lord wherefore he slew him 1 Chr 10 13 14. And also for asking 't is not said he died for his transgression and for asking as if he should not have been thus punish't if he had committed but one of these sins but he died for his transgression and also for asking or he died also for asking c. as if it had beene said Hee was justly thus punished for his Disobedience nay he had been justly thus punished without that sin or if it had bin onely for his asking councell of one that had a familiar Spirit Nay perhaps there may be thus much intimated in these words viz that he was punished with the losse of his life rather for this sinne then for the former for for that he was more peculiarly punished with the losse of the Kingly goverment which was a fit punishment for his rebellion against the King of Heaven for these reasons First because the sinne is aggravated with variety of expressions such as asking to enquire of it and inquired not of the Lord. Secondly because the punishment is repeated presently after the mention of it for it was said v. 13 he died c. and it is said againe v. 14. wherefore he slew him He that is God slew him which accords with the words of the threat before mentioned I will cut him off I my selfe not onely the people shall cut him off from among the Congregation by Excommunication but I my selfe will cutt him quite off from amongst his people by some extraordinary judgement Ahaziah King of Israel seeking to Baalzebub to know whether he should recover of his sicknesse received it both for his punishment his answer Not to recover 2 King 1 6. Not Doing what we heare Every one saith our Saviour that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand And the raine descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and great was the fall of it Matth. 7. 26 27. Doubting in Prayer He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with wind and tossed Let not that man thinke that he shall obtaine any thing of the Lord James 1 6 7. He that wavereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that sometimes believeth and sometimes believeth not we may not looke to have God's blessings descend right upon us unlesse we stand steady to receive them Drunkennesse Drunken men and Drunkards are punished or threatned 1 By the sinne it selfe 2 By men 3 By God hat is more immediately or more notoriously by him They are punished By the Sinne it selfe 1 With Committing of sinnes when they are drunke which at other times they abhorred Lot when his daughters had made him
Secondly from the hypocrisy and cunning for usually they goe together of the Seducers as the Apostle saith speaking lies in hypocrisy 1 Tim 4. 2. I say cunning For as it is said of Antichrist that he shall come So it may be said of most false teachers that they doe come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 2. 10 that is not only with all deceivablenesse as we render it meaning thereby deceitfullnesse for so they come even to the Elect who are not deceivable but with actuall deceit as those words litterally signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that are to perish Had not the Elect the Spirit to lead them and the word to light them they would never be able to avoid their snares for our Saviour saith of some of them And shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect Matt 24. 24. Thirdly from God justice upon those who are seduced for their hypocricy Because they received not the love of the truth c. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 2 Thess 2. 10 11. Strong delusion or the efficacy of delusion for so the words in the Originall signifie i. e. Delusion that shall prevaile with them Them that is those that perish or those that shall perish for with the Elect sincere Christian it shall not prevaile I might name a great many more causes or occasions of mens being seduced but that I am loath to goe beyond my bounds There is one which I cannot forbeare to name because there hath been so frequent experience of it in these times and that is Covetousnesse according to the words of Paul For the love of mony is the root of all evill which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith c. 1 Tim 6. 10. The End for which God permits men to be thus seduced is said to be That they which are approved and are not hypocrites as they are but sincere may be made manifest 1 Cor 11. 19. which it seemes is so resolutely intended to be effected by this meanes that it is there said not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there shall be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be heresies among you That those which are approved c. They who are thus seduced by them Shall have this punishment if they have no other viz To be befooled and decieved by them and receive no good at all of them as they expected God saith of the false prophets They make you vaine or they deceive you so Hierom and the Chald par Jer. 23. 16. and so verse 32 They shall not profit this people at all FEARE Threatned and inflicted upon the wicked 1 Of God It is said that when Jehosaphat fell to teaching the people the Law of God The feare of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdomes of the lands that were round about Judah so that they made no more war against Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 10. Because though they did not acknowledge him themselves yet this they knew that whoever he was if he were able he would protect those that did acknowledge him when they were obedient to him see Chron. 20. 29. 2 Of The Godly Egypt was glad when they departed for the feare of them fell upon them Ps 105. 38. So that the favour which they had in the sight of the Egyptians to borrow their Jewels Exod 11. 3. seemes to have had more feare in it then love which made them to lend not so much to furnish them for their journey as that they might be the sooner rid of them For what love is so great as to make a man lend another a great deale of money just as he is running away Observe therefore God's wonderfull manner of making the enemies of his Children serviceable to them 3 Of Such as themselves are Behold I will bring a feare upon thee saith the Lord of Hoasts from all those that be about thee Jerem 49. 5. to the Ammonites and so of the Elamites verse 37. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies I will indeed this worke is very proper to God and very much to be observed especially when we see it in such men as were otherwise bold and fearlesse 4 Of Any thing and for nothing With this fear God threatned the Israelites themselves if they persisted to walke contrary to him And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintnesse into their hearts in the lands of their enemies and the sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them and they shall fly as flying from a sword and they shall fall when none persueth Levit 26. 36. So Deut 28. 65 66 67. The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart fayling of eyes and sorrow of mind c. Certainly this fearefulnes was a greater punishment to them then their captivity and is as great a punishment almost as can be inflicted as may be guessed by the Emphasis and estimate which seemes to be set upon the blessing that is contrary to it viz when none shall make us afraid For this blessing was promised to the Israelites if they would be obedient in the Chapter of Leviticus above quoted verse 6. It was promised by Job to the godly man chap. 11. 19. And it was promised and prophecyed by the Prophets to believers in the time of the Gospel Ezek 34. 28. Jer 30. 10. c. Neither hath the punishment of fearefulnesse been only threatned to the wicked or the blessing of boldnesse only promised to the godly but constant experience hath made it good that the wicked are seldome free of their punishment or the godly to seek of their blessing Bona conscientia prodire vult conspici ipsas nequitia tenebras timet which I cannot render in better english then this The wicked fly when noe man purfueth but the righteous is bold as a Lion Prov. 28. 1. Feare of men and Fearefulnesse out of distrust of God's goodnesse The feare of man bringeth a snare Prov 29. 25. A snare to make men fall into mischife and misery for it follows Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe as well as or because it is a snare to make them fall into mischeife and sinne even as it was to Saul when he was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites according to his owne words I have sinned for I have trangressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voyce 1 Sam 15. 24. I say according to his words because by these words it may be gathered that this feare was the cause of his sin but otherwise that which is immediatly intended in them seemes to be a Confession of that feare as a sin it selfe for the same word is prefixed to transgressed and to feared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because I transgressed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
greedinesse violently tooke what they pleased of the flesh of the offerings while it was raw to roast it were punished not onely in themselves by dying both and shortly after and in one day 1 Sam. 2 34. but in their posterity also For thus saith God to Eli There shall not be an old man in thine house v. 31. which threat is repeated v. 33. with this augmentation for ever as if God himselfe tooke this for a great punishment would have him take notice how greatly he had offended by the greatnesse of his punishment A short life hath beene alwayes counted among the Jewes for a very great punishment from God and therefore it is that to this day they have a custome when they come to 60 yeares of age to hold a Feast because at that time they say old age begins the number of 60 being contained in the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Job ch 5 26. where it is reckoned for a peculiar blessing of the godly to come to his grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a full age like as a shock of corne cometh in his season 7 Vntimely death Job's sons and daughters thus suffered While he was yet speaking there came also another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house And behold there came a whirlewind from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead Job 1. 18 19. If they were not gluttons then they who are gluttons have the more cause to feare the like punishment No sooner had the rich man said to his soule Eate drinke and be merry Luk. 12. 19 but God said to him Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee v. 20. It is said of the Israelites before mentioned Numb 11. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great slaughter Whether they died of a disease contracted by eating too much of the flesh or whether it were by a more immediate hand of God it is not expressed but the former seemes to be more likely from those words before mentioned vers 19 20. That gluttonous lust of the Israelites was so odious to God that as if there were no other or as if it were the worst lust of all his spirit hath set it downe under the generall name onely of lust They lusted a lust v. 4. And so to make the sin the more odious to men also the place where they buried the men that were punished with death for this lusting was called Kebroth-hattavah i. e. the graves of lust because saith the text there they buried the people that lusted v. 34. Among the Jewes the Son that was to be stoned to death upon the complaint of his parents the only vices to be mētioned in the complaint besides stubbornesse were gluttony and drunkennesse which is a kind of gluttony or as they call it intemperantia circa humidum Deut 21. 20 21. 8 Surprisall by the day of judgment or The worse usage when they are surprised Take heed to your selves least at any time your heart be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34 see Mat 24. 39. But especially have Gluttons cause to fear God's wrath if they are such in times of mourning and publique calamities for then they are sure to be punished without hope of pardon In that day did the Lord God of hoasts and yet they were not afraid to disregard him call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eate and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of hoasts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of hoasts Isa 22. 12 13 14. God Speaking ungodly for him Shall have no thankes but anger and punishment also unlesse the anger be appeased For thus God spake to Eliphaz one of Job's friends who unjustly accused him in the defence of God's justice My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the tbing that is right as my servant Job hath Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and goe to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right as my Servant Job hath Job 42. 7 8. Seven Bullocks and seven Rams A great offering and therfore doubtlesse they had Sinned greatly Folly There is much of this foolish hypocriticall Zeal amongst professours both doing and speaking more then they should in defence of religion In that ye have not God repeats the fault and therefore certainly he was much offended with it Observe how sharply Job took up his freinds for their uncharitable Zeal c 13. Will ye speake wickedly for God and talke deceitfully for him verse 7. Gospel Such as oppose it They are in the same condition with Selfemuderers For Paul said to the Jewes that opposed him at Corinth Your blood be upon your heads I am clean c. Act 18. 6. Nay with fighters against God who are sure not only to have the worst but to be beaten also for fighting Gamaliel told the councell of the Jewes when he disswaded them from medling with the Apostles If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest happily yee be found to fight against God Act 5. 39. They are punished 1. With corporall blindnesse Elymas Barjesus the sorcerer resisting Paul and Barnabas and disswading Sergius Paulus the Deputy of Paphos from hearkning to them was imediatly stricken with blindnesse Act 13. 11. What fearfull expressions did Paul use when he denounced this judgment against them O full of all subtilty and all mischeife thou child of the Divell thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord vers 10. He that would keep the light from another was justly punisht not to see the light himselfe Spirituall darkenesse both by the removall of the light of the Gospel as in the place afore quoted From hence forth I will goe unto the Gentiles Act 18. 6 and by utter rejection of the men themselves for so much seemes to be implyed in Paul's shaking his raiment to the Jewes of Corinth that opposed him in the same place As if he had said with all So God shake off you and every one that withstand the truth even thus let him be shaken out and emptied For such words Nehemiah used
when he shook his lap in the same manner in indignation against the Jewish Usurers that detained the morgaged lands Neh 5. 13. 'T is likely shaking off the dust of the feet had the like signification It was used by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch where they were persecuted by the Jewes Act 13. 51 and prescribed or at least permitted to the Apostls by our Saivour not only in case of resisting but in case of not receiving them Mat. 10. 14. 4. Indignation and wrath But unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom 2. 8. Governours Such as resist them They will certainly rue it one way or other for that is the least that can be meant by the words of the Apostle They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom 13 2. The word which we translate damnation is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies judgment See 1 Cor 11. 29. 1 Tim 5. 12. They have been punished 1. With Conquest Thus the five Kings were punished that rebelled against Chedorlaomer Gen 14. The Moabites who paid tribute to King Ahab but rebelled against Jehoram 2 King 3. 5 and 25. Yea though the Governers were heathen and the Subjects the people of God for so was Hosea King of Israel punished and the Israelites carried away captive viz. because he made himselfe servant and triburary to Shalmaneser the King of Assyria and yet afterward denyed him tribute and sent to the King of Egypt to joyne with him against him 2 Kings 17. In like manner Zedekiah King of Judah was punished as yon may see 2 Kings 25. 1 c It is said of him Through the anger of the Lord it came to passe in Jerusalem Judah untill he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon 2 Kings 24. 20. Nabuchadnezzar against home he rebelled tooke his Citty and led him away captive and put out his eyes chap 25. 2 Vntimely death Sheba who rebelled against David and drew all the ten tribes after him was besieged by him in Abel and had his head cut off by the advice of a woman and throwne out to him 2 Sam. 20 22. Amasa who was Generall to Absalom in his rebellion against his father was treacherously slaine by Joab pretending to kisse him vers 10. The Amalekite that said he had slaine Saul though he had not slaine him and though he said that Saul bid him and though Saul were no righteous person as David saith of Ishbosheth in opposition to Saul 2 Sam 4. 11. and though he were David's mortall enemy was notwithstanding presently put to death at the command of David saying thus unto him How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord 's Anointed 2 Sam. 1 14. And here I cannot but adde also David's words in his Epicedium upon Saul's death because Ambrose and others thinke it to be a curse and that those hils of Gilboe where Saul was slaine were accordingly barren ever after Yee mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither let there be raine upon you nor fields of offerings For there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away the shield of Saul as though he had not beene anointed with oyle chap. 1. 21. See in the Title of Murder examples of such as seeke their places by murdering them murdered themselves for it cannot be safe when our spirit riseth against them to take their places if when their spirit riseth up against us we may not forsake our owne places but of this by and by Eccles 10 4. If the spirit of a Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place c. Jeroboam indeed prospered against Rehoboam and got away ten of the Tribes to be subject to him 1 Kings 12. but God had revealed thus much to him before by the Prophet Ahijah 1 King 11 31. otherwise perhaps he would hardly have ventured for notwithstanding this his successe against the son we have these words of the father still upon record which we owne for Scripture viz. My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and medle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both Prov. 24 21 22 Such as resist Powers and the Ordinances of God though in appearance they resist but men yet indeed they resist God and shall be accordingly punished The murmurings of the Israelites against Moses are both spoken of and punished as murmurings against God and Moses tels them they were accounted no other Ex. 16. 8. So Num. 20 13 it is said The people chode with Moses for water and yet v. 13 it is said that the water was called the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the LORD Hananiah perswaded the Jewes to revolt from the King of Babylon onely and yet it is said that he taught rebellion against the LORD Jer. 28. 16. You may not speake wickedly though it be for God Job 13 7. and I would wish you beware of striking rulers especially or although it be for equity Prov. 17 26. Such as speake against them Have cause to feare severe punishment for Miriam was punished with Leprosie for speaking against Moses Num. 12. 10. At first indeed she spake against him for that which might seeme to be justly blamed as usually in such things the first pretences are the best viz. his marriage with an Ethiopian woman vers 1. But afterward for appropriating that to himselfe which she said was common also to her and Aaron viz to be the mouth of God vers 2. But marke how quickly God was moved herewith And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses c. vers 4. Suddenly as it was said before their calamity shall rise suddenly Prov. 24. And marke how much he detested it so that he could not endure to tarry in the place with them The anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed and the cloud departed from off the Tabernacle vers 10. This Leprosie as it was no ordinary disease so it is conceived it was no ordinary Leprosie such as others now have but peculiarly inflicted by God upon the Jewes when they had committed some notorious crime and especially disobedience to the Priests and Levites as it seemes by what is said in Deut. ch 24 8. Take heed of the plague of Leprosie that thou observe diligently doe according to all that the Priests and Levites shall teach thee OF Leprosie not In as we translate so the vulgar and the Chaldee Paraphrase and perhaps better for these two reasons First because the charge is to the people viz. to doe as the Priests shall teach them in other things whereas for those things that are to be done in the businesse of the Leprosie the charge is directed altogether to the Priests Lev. 13. 2 Because it follows in the next verse
Daughters unto their Sons nor take their Daughters unto your Sons or for your selves chap 13. 3. 25 You see he forbids marriage with their Daughters more punctually and with larger caution adding or for your selves for feare they should take that libertie which otherwise they might think they had And if any one say Nehemiah did thus upon his owne discretion only viz. because he saw they had been by this means tempted to Idolatry before and to prevent it for the future as may be conjectured by what he saith of Solomon v. 26. That his wives had caused him to sin not that there was any such thing intended in God's prohibition at first it may be answered that the contrary is a great deale plainer from the 27 v. where it is said Shall we then hearken unto you and doe all this evill to trangresse against our God in marrying strange wives To transgresse c. In marrying not to be made to transgresse or to transgresse because of our wives but in or by the very act of marrying But to returne It was said above An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the Congregation that is to marry or enjoy their priveledges as the Israelites are forbid to come among the Nations Josh 23. 7. Even to the tenth generation Wherein they were esteem'd seven times worse then Egyptians for their children might enter in the third generation v. 8. Even to the tenth generation for ever it might be interpreted This prohibition of not being admitted till the tenth generation shall be in force against them for ever But because in Nehemiah c. 13. 1 where this law is recited the words for ever only are mentioned it seems rather to be interpreted This prohibition viz. simply of entering into the Congregation shall be for ever So that these words shall be either exegeticall to expound those next before according to the opinion of those who expound that of a bastard's not entering till the tenth generation v. 2 of not entering for ever or else auxeticall as an accession to the former wherein God's anger against the Moabites for their unkindnes to his people appeares the greater in that he could not forbeare after he had named how he would punish them as I may say in the same breath to encrease the punishment As if we would say such a one shall not come againe to my house for this twelve month no never With this interpetation agrees the proverb in use among the Jewes in their ordinary commerce Beware of a Proselyte i. e. a Gentile turned Jew even to the tenth generation which puts me in mind of adding another argument of the greatnesse of God's anger for this sin of the Moabites viz That the punishment was without exception even of turning Proselyte and embracing the Jewish religion Because In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that thing or as one would say for that same odious thing of the Ammonites and Moabites their not comming forth to helpe the Israelites with provision for that word which is put here to signifie because is often so used and yet seldome but then when the thing spoken of is a maine cause or the cause is a maine thing as Ps 79. 9. c. Because They. Though this pronoune benot in the Hebrew yet may I put an Emphasis on it in the English to denote the Ingratitude of these people in regard they were they alone whom God had given a strict charge to the Israelites not to fight with Deut 2. 19 who in obedience to that command passed by them without medling with them although they conquered Sihon who conquered the Moabites Because they met you not with bread and with water when you came forth out of Egypt one would have thought they had been sufficiently excluded by the prohibition of Bastards in the verse immediatly going before as being the children of those who were incestuously begotten viz by Lot upō his Daughters Gen 19. 36 but as if God accounted that no exception at all in cōparison of this all the reasō urged for their exclusion frō the Congregatiō of the Israelites is Because they met thē not with bread c. Shall not enter into the Congregation c. Because they mett you not as if he had said because they came not to you to help you in your necessity they shall not come among you to be holpen by you in your prosperity I have often observed in this booke how God makes the punishment to have a resemblance with the sinne Mett you not or prevented you not not because they denied it you when you asked them but because they brought it not out first of their owne accord With bread and with water when you came forth out of Egypt viz to congratulate so great a deliverance as that was when you were delivered from Egyptian bondage even as the King of Sodome came forth to meet Abraham and the King of Salem came forth to meet him with bread and wine to congratulate his successe when he had conquered the Kings Gen 14. 17 18. Deiodate thinks this complaint is only of some of the Moabites because in the second chap of this booke v. 28 29 it is said that those Moabites who dwelt in Ar which God gave to the Children of Lot did give the Israelites meate and water but I may answere it was for money v. 28. which was no preventing such as is here expressed Because they mett you not c. And because they hired against thee Balaam c. 'T is not said Because they met you not and they hired against thee as if only both faults together were counted sufficient reason of this their excommunication and not either of them singly but Because they mett you not And because they hired against thee Balaam the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because is repeated There is in this chapter besides this yet more punishment for these Ammonites and Moabites for the Israelites are forbidden not only to seek their affinity by marriage but to seeke their peace or their good any other way v. 6. Thou shalt not seeke their peace nor their prosperity all thy daies for ever 2 A Second thing wherewith we find not-Helping God's people threatened in the Scripture is a Curse Curse ye Meros said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants therof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5. 23. If you will you may read the latter part of this verse thus Because they came not to help The Lord was our help even the Lord in those that fought for us for so the Septuagint render it agreeably enough with the Hebrew which we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the chapter of the Enemies of God's children in the Section concerning Angels These words are in the Song of Deborah Barak which they made after they had conquered Jabin and Sisera 3
A third punishment that the Scripture reports to have befallen men for this sinne is Death The Israelites after their fight with the Benjamites according to the oath which they had made that whosoever came not up to Mispeh to joyne with them in revenging the abuse of the Levite's Concubine Judg. 19. should be put to death Judg. 21. 5. when they found none of the city of Jabesh-Gilead there they presently sent thither twelve thousand men and put them all to the sword men women and children vers 10. onely fourehundred virgins were suffered to live whom they gave for wives to the Benjamites upon their comming in to them v. 14. because they themselves had every one sworn before not to give his daughter to a Benjamite v. 18. Nabal that churle denying to help David's army with provision was threatened with the slaughter both of himselfe and all his familie 1 Sam. 25 10 22. And although David were restrained by the entreaty and liberality of Abigail his wife from avenging him with his owne hand v. 33. yet in a very little while after the hand of God found him out and stroke him to death And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died v. 38. Certainly Not-joyning with the Godly in their godly designes and especially those which they undertake upon God's command God cannot take it well and it is a thousand to one but hee punisheth it in whomsoever it be Methinkes I heare Moses angrily expostulating with the Reubenites and Gadites for desiring leave to take up their abode on this side Jordan and not goe over the river with the rest of their brethren Shall your brethren goe to warre and shall yee sit here And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land Num. 32 6 7. How angrily doth God by the Prophet Ezekiel threaten and in his threat aggravate by expressions the Egyptians their not helping Israel according to their promise And all the inhabitants shall know shall know viz. by sad experience That I am the Lord and therefore have power and authority to revenge because they have beene a staffe of reed to the house of Israel when they tooke hold of thee by the hand thou didst break he changes the person for anger and rend all their shoulders and when they leaned upon thee thou brakest and madest all their loynes to be at a stand cap. 29. 6 7. Though he punished the Israelites for trusting in the Egyptians Isa 30. 3. yet will he punish the Egyptians for not being trustie to the Israelites Another man's wickednesse is no excuse for mine Paul prayed for those that forsooke him when he came to his answer before Nero that it might not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16. and therefore surely he feared that it would The words in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to import as much as if it had been said I would or Oh if it might not or I should be glad it might not be laid to their charge but I feare it will I have beene the longer upon this subject because I perceived what an odious sin the Scripture made it in the Ammonites and Moabites and because I see how the best of us make it a very little or no sinne at all not to help God's people so long as we doe not hurt them Helping of the VVicked Helpers of the Wicked are punished or threatned 1 With God's anger Jehu the Seer told Jehoshaphat for helping of Ahab Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chr. 19. 2. That hate the Lord. The Septuagint translate whom the Lord hates If we may not hate I am sure we must not love those whom the Lord hates I meane we must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as their word is associate with them in friendship We usually take it unkindly to see our friends loving to them that hate us Do not I hate them that hate thee saith David Ps 139. 21. Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred v. 22. 2 Non-successe in other designes Then Eliezer the sonne of Dodonah of Mareschah prophecied against Jehoshaphat saying Because thou hast joyned thy selfe with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy workes and the ships were broken that they were not able to goe to Tarshish 2 Chr. 10. 37. Heresie See False Teachers Hinderers of the good workes of others Are as sure to be punished as they that doe those workes are to have their prayers heard and surer too Nehemiah prayed that God would thinke upon Tobias and Sanballat onely for endeavouring to affright him from building the wall of Jerusalem with reports that his enemies conspired to kill him Neh. 6. 14. And as they are sure to be punished for their sinne so for the most part they have no successe in their endeavours That Baal-zephon spoken of Exod. 14. 2. is thought by the Jewes to have beene an Idol made by the Egyptian witches and placed in the wildernesse to hinder the Israelites in their departure from Egypt But it seems it could do nothing upon them for all it 's looking * and staring for the name comes from Tsapha to looke or watch but the Israelites out lookt him and had a speciall command from God to encamp just over against him as it were on purpose to shew they cared not for him Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel or any other of God's people especially when they are going to the land of Canaan or are doing that for which they have God's commission and command to warrant them Read the history of God's severe punishing the Philistins for detaining the Arke 1 Sam. 5. Hindering Conversion Hinderers of the Conversion of others Threatned With Woe Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men for ye neither goe in yourselves neither suffer them that are entring to goe in Mat. 23. 13. Ye affright them from being my Disciples by your censures of Excommunication and yee keep them from the knowledge of the Messiah by not permitting the reading of the Prophesies to any but your selves for this was the practise of the Scribes and Pharisees Beza thought that Christ in these words alluded to that sort of traditions amongst them which the Talmudists call Sig Lethorah that is sepimentum legis the hedge or fence of the Law because forsooth by the use of them they kept men from transgressing the Law whereas it was rather a Blind to keep them from the knowledge of the Law And indeed there seemes to be the more ground for this conceit of his because our Saviour calls them Hypocrites as if he had reproved their Hypocrisie in carrying the keyes pretending to keep the Law for the people when they kept it from them Just as the dog that
and the Hireling making the oppressing of such people as great a sinne as we count it little or as great as we count drunkennesse and swearing for we hardly count ony other sinnes great See the Chapter of oppression and Poore And setteth his heart upon it The Chaldee paraphrast renders ventures his life for it as if it had beene said he puts his body and soule and all his strength to it to earne it and therefore doe not detaine it from him seeing he payes so deare for it The Hebrew indeed signifies He carrieth his life or soule to or for it and so it may have the same signification with that phrase shum nephesh be Chaph to put a man's life in his hands used in Judg. 12. 3. and 1 Sam. 28. 21. That for which a man ventures life or that wherewith he sustaines life any thing that concernes life take heed of medling with it That for which a man ventures life because it were an argumēt of an Hard heart David though he longed so earnestly for some of the water of the well of Bethlehem where the Philistines had a garrison yet when it was brought by the three mighty men who brake thorow the Philistines army to fetch it he refused to drinke it because it was the bloud of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives 2 Sam 23. 17. That with which a man sustaines life because it would be an argument of a Cruell heart In this chapter of Deuteronomic v. 6 where a man is forbidden to take a milstone for a pledge the reason added is Because he taketh life to pledge we render it man's life but in the Originall it is only life which doth more emphatically set forth what account God makes of life and how carefull he is to have it preserved whosoever the man be The Septuagint seeme to fetch the force of the reason from this last sort of things translating the words above quoted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he hath his hope in it it is all he hath to trust to or it is that which he depends upon for his maintenance But methinkes however they had done better if they had gone as neere the originall as they could at lest as to the preposition and translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to or of it which would have suited wel with the litterall signification of the other word he lifteth his soule or as our translation very well paraphrases it setteth his heart upon it And it is a very good argument to be used to a man to make him pay the hireling his hire viz. because it is that which he agreed for first and it is that which his mind and his hopes ran upon all the while he was working And therefore be not so hard-hearted and cruell to let him lose his hope and expectation than which there can be no greater cause of griefe and vexation As the desire of the slothfull killeth him Prov. 21. 25. viz. because he cannot enjoy it and as hope deferred maketh the heart sicke ch 13. 12 so it must needs be a grievous heart-breaking to a poore man and consequently cruelty in his master whose fault it is to have laboured hard and long perhaps cheerfully in hopes of a little reward and to be deceived at last surely if God heare not such a man's prayer to avenge him yet doubtlesse he will see his master's oppression to punish him accordingly for it followes Lest he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be sinne unto thee Cry against thee And so the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as the Scriptures as I told you before have very high and tender expressions of the Poore the Fatherlesse the Widow the Stranger and the Hireling so it may be gathered out of them that God hath a speciall eye to their conditions to pitty them and a speciall eare to their prayers to heare them and grant their desire I cannot wish mine enemy a worse thing then to have any one of these pray against him Their praying to God when they are oppressed is usually expressed in Scripture by Crying because it is so loud and their crying because of oppression is in God's eares like so much praying every cry of the oppressed is a powerfull prayer and every prayer a loud cry This defrauding the poore hireling of his livelihood is a murderous bloody sinne and therefore sure to be puished As God said to Cain The voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4. 10 So James saith to the rich oppressours Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which have reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabaoth James 5. 4. as if he had said The Lord will surely heare them and punish you The Lord of Sabaoth or the Lord of Hoasts he names him by the same name that Malachy doth when he speakes of the same sinne Mal 3. 5. to shew that God will come as a God of power and in a terrible manner against such as are oppressours And it be sinne to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or there be punishment against thee for besides that the same preposition is used to signifie against as well as in or unto as Gen. 16. 12. Exod. 14. 25. the same word is used both for sinne and punishment see the chap. of Sinne and it comes all to one to render it either way For as long as a thing is sinne to a man or as long as it is not pardoned for when it is pardoned it is taken away so long it is certaine there shall be punishment you have the like expression ch 15. 9. joyned also with the other expression here used viz. and he cry unto the Lord against thee and upon the like occasion viz. of covetousnesse and hardheartednesse in refusing to lend to a brother in want so ch 23. 21. 2 As the punishment of such men is certaine so it is likely to be speedy And I will come neere to you in judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against False-swearers and against those that oppresse the Hireling in his wages the Widdow and the Fatherlesse and that turne aside the stranger from his right and feare not me saith the Lord of Hoasts Malac. 3. 5. The reason why I have beene so long in this chapter is because I love to speake most of those sinnes of which the world speakes least and thinke most slight of Holinesse There is no getting into heaven without it Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Not being Humbled by Iudgements Such as are not Humbled by God's Judgements upon themselves or others Have cause to feare The inflicting of more punishments as may be gathered by
of sinnes that border very close upon Idolatry is exceeding great and therefore I thought I might doe well If it were for nothing but because of them to produce the punishments concerning Idolatry that so fearing to commit this sinne you may the more be afraid likewise to commit them being so neer it for feareof committing this before you are a ware As to the other reason I shall give this satisfaction that my purpose is to produce only the more noted places of Scripture and where it is more plainly expressed that Idolatry and not any other sinne was the maine cause of such a punishment Now the threats and punishments which concerne Idolatry are expressed either in Generall termes or in particular In Generall thus Woe unto him that saith unto the wood awake c. Hab 2. 19. If thou serve their Gods it will surely be a snare unto the Exod 23. 33. The particular punishments are 1 Sorrowes Their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another God Ps 16. 4. 2 Deprivation of temporall blessings Take heed to your selves it is for your owne good and you shall hurt no body but your selves if you doe not that your heart be not deceived and ye turne aside and serve other Gods and worship them And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you and he shut up the heaven that there be no raine and that the land yeeld not her fruit c. Deut. 11. 16 17. 3 God's refusing to speak to them in his word or to heare them speak to him in prayer Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquity before their faces should I be enquired of at all by them Ezek 14. 3. Should I be enquired of the interrogation seems to imply that they did enquire of God as is to be seen likewise in the following verse Men may be Idolaters I speak this to the Papists even when they pray to God if they retaine their Idols In Hosea c. 4. 15 The Jews are forbid to goe up to Bethaven though they sweare the Lord liveth In Zephany c. 1. 5. there is mention made of some that sweare by the Lord and by Malcam or according to the Original to the Lord and IN Malcham as the Papists say they direct their worship to God only IN or THROUGH their Images But in the second and third verses there is almost as heavy a threat pronounced against such as against any Idolaters in any place I will utterly consume all things from off the land c. Take some examples of this Idoll-godlynesse Popish linsey woolsey-worship which perhaps is worse then pure Idolatry as adultery is worse then whoredome 1 Micah's Mother who said she had dedicated that silver to the Lord forsooth whereof as she said she intended to make a graven Image and a molten Image Jud 17. 3. 2 The Israelites in the reigne of Ahab who halted between the worship of God and the worship of Baal 1 Kings 18. 21. 3 The Jewes in the reigne of Manasseh who did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God only 2 Chr 33. 17. 4 The people which were sent by Shalmaneser to inhabit the country of the ten Tribes of whom it is said They feared the Lord and served their owne Gods 2 Kings 17. 33. But you may see such worship and such feare was counted as none at all by God for in the very next verse it followes Vnto this day they doe after their former manners they FEARE NOT the Lord though it were said before even in relation of those manners that they feared him 4 Excommunication and Banishment Thou shalt make no Covenant with them nor with their Gods They shall not dwell in thy land c. Exod. 23. 32 33. The Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not sit with them 5 Spirituall Blindnesse Exekiel relating the Jewes their manner of making an Idol and worshipping it after they had made it thus speaks He hath shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they connot understand Isa 44. 18. And well might he say so for had they had any sense or understanding left in them it was impossible they could have been so mad as to worship a thing that they made with their owne hands see Rom. 1. 21. 6 Delusion Every one c. Which setteth up his Idoles in his heart c and cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me If the Prophet be decived when he hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet Ezek 14. 9. 7 Giving up to sinne Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse c. Rom. 1. 24 mention is made of Idolatry in the next verses both before and after 8 Conquest by enemies as is to be seen especially in Judges c. 2. 13 14 15. Where it is said that when the Israelites served Baal and Ashtaroth they could not stand before their enemies but whither soever they went out the hand of the Lord was against thēfor evill as the Lord had said as the Lord hath sworne He had said it and sworne it Thus were conquered The Jewes in the reigne of Rehoboam by Shishak King of Egypt 1 King 14. 23 compared with 25. The Israelites in the reigne of Jehoahas by Hazael King of Syria 2 Kings 13 3 and in the reigne of Menahem by Pul King of Assyria 2 Kings 15. 19. The Jewes againe in the reigne of Jehoiakim by Nebucadnezar 2 King 23. 37 compared with chap 24. 1. Let Rome take heed of Idolatry That which they themselves will confesse to be Idolatry continued amongst them till Honorius his time and Austin saies it was the maine cause of the conquest of that City by the Barbarians 9 Captivity and Losse of liberty to worship the true God if they would Thus were punished Once The Ten Tribes in the reigne of Hoshea by Shalmaneser King of Assyria 2 King 17. 16. 18. 20. The Jewes twice viz. in the reigne of Jehoiachim ch 24. 9 12. and in the reigne of Zedekiah vers 19. comp with ch 25. 1. and both times by Nebuchadnezar which punishment was no more then what they were told of should be inflicted if they followed Idols before ever they went into the land of Canaan For thus spake Moses unto them in the last yeare of their journey when they were in the wildernesse on this side Jordan When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt have remained long in the land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven image or the likenesse of any thing and shall doe evill in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you this day that yee shall soone utterly perish from off the Land whereunto you goe over Jordan to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes upon it but shall utterly be
whether they should Sacrifice to and mourne for Leucothea as others did made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be so well rendered in English If they thought she were God they should not mourne for her and if they thought she were but a woman they should not sacrifice to her 3 Against the Idolatry of the Roman-Christians painting and worshiping God in the likenesse of man Tacitus a says of the old Germans neque deos in ullam humani oris speciem assimilare ex magnitudine coelestium arbitrantur that they thought it not agreable with the nature of Gods to resemble them in any human countenance Plutarch in the Life of Numa says that following Pythagoras who said that God was invisible c he forbade the Romans to represent God in any Image whether of man or beast and that for one hundered and seventy yeares they had not any such Image amongst theÌ„ but only Temples As if it were not fitting sayes he to liken better things to worse as if it were not possible to comprehend God otherwise then by the understanding Ignorance Ignorance or Blindnesse threatened and Inflicted The Jewes are the most notable examples of this punishment that can be produced For Before the comming of Christ You may see it threatened to them in Micah even upon their Prophets themselves thus Therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that yee shall not divine and the Sun shall not goe downe over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them ch 3. 6. You may see it inflicted in Isaiah upon all sorts For the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes the Prophets and your Rulers the Seers hath he covered and the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a booke that is sealed c. ch 29. 10. See ch 6. 10. After the comming of Christ You may see it threatened in Luke thus Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but unto others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand ch 8. 10. See ch 19. 42. In John thus For Judgement I am come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde ch 9. 39. For though Grotius would have these last words to be an Hebraisme for Be made to appeare blinde and I acknowledge the Hebraisme yet I rather chuse to follow Beza whose words upon the place are these Illos in densissimas ignorantiae tenebras demergam Grotius himselfe upon Matt 15. 14. produces a saying of the Jews out of the Midrash Tehillim Psal 146. that when God should have his Tabernacle among them their teachers shall be blinde See ch 19. 42. ch 12. 4. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. You may see it inflicted in Paul 1 Cor. 3. 15. Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart and threatened to continue Vntill the fulnesse of the Genâ—â—es come in by the same Apostle Rom. â— 25. Now this punishment is executed both â—on Jew and Gentile 1 By not destroyingâ—e â—e vaile that is spread over them but leaâ—ng them in the darke Esay 25. 7. 2 By â—elivering the word in languages which they â—annot understand Wherefore tongues are â—or a signe not to them that believe but to â—hem that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Grotiusâ—â—deed â—â—deed upon the same principle as before â—nterprets it Tongues are for the converting â—f those who as yet believe not But I rather â—gree with Beza who would have this beâ—ng a signe here to be meant of a punishment and those words of Esay ch 28. 11. cited in the verse going before this to be meant as a threat and whereas it is said And yet for all that they will not heare mee that the meaning in the Prophet is as if he had said thus Notwithstanding this grievous punishment of living dispersed captives among people whom they cannot understand yet for all that this perverse people will not be brought to hearken to my word Indeed besides that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred them that believe not is seldome applyed to any but those that never believed at all I cannot be perswaded but that delivering the Gospell to a people in no other languages then such as they cannot understand is a signe that God will leave them to themselves for by this meanes it is hid and it is hid to none but to them that are lost or those that shall perishâ— In whom the God of this world the God who is the maker and is the owner of this world and therefore may doe with any creature thereof what he will hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor 4. 3 4. I will conlude with Beza's wish utinam vero istius horrendae maledictinis dei domestica exempla nobis non suppeditarent eae gentes quae solae hodiè Christi nomine gloriantur That there were no such examples of this punishment in this manner executed as are in the Popish Churches where the people are not suffered to have the use of the Bible in their mother-tongue Ignorance threatned and punished It is threatned in generall termes thus That the Soule be without knowledge it is not good Prov 19. 2 that is it is very bad as it is said c. 17. 26. To punish the just is not good that is it is very bad for such is the use of the Scripture and especially in the Proverbs viz by joyning a negative to a verbe to signifie not barely the not being of that which is expressed but the cleane contrary Solomon seemes to me as if he had spoken thus and what he said either concerning knowledge or ignorance you may beleeve him for his wisedome How bad it is for a Soule to be without knowledge I cannot presently tell you or how many and what evills will befall it but this I am sure it can never be good The evills which an ignorant man is subject to must needs be many both of Sinne and punishment even as many of both sorts as a drunken man whom every man knowes to be subject to infinite many I use this comparison because the Prophet Esay hath used it before me They are drunke but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drinke for the Lord hath powred upon them the spirit of deep sleepe and hath closed their eyes Isa 29. 9. I say of Sinne and therefore those words of Solomon translated by us in that manner as you have read are by the Septuagint and the Chald Par rendered thus Without knowledge the soule is not good and though I believe they meane in
shall eat Yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes neither twenty dayes But even a whole month till it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that he have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Egypt Num 11 18. 19 20. Because yee have despised the Lord which is among you c. as if he had said because yee have so undervalued me and my being among you chusing even to goe back againe into Egypt so you may eat flesh rather then goe along with me into Canaan without it Impatience under the want of temporall blessings God takes as a dâ—spising or thinking slight of him as if he were not a sufficient portion without them So distrusting of Gods providence at such a time is a polluting of his name making it common and vile as if hee were no more to be trusted then a creature and therefore those that believe him are said to sanctify him in the eyes of others Num 20 12. The Chald par at those words above cited sayes because the word of the Lord was loathsome to you or because you were weary of it to intimate the neere resemblance of their punishment to their sinne as if because they had loathed or were weary of the word of God or rather the Manna which he sent theÌ„ v. 6. they should be brought to loath even that which they so earnestly desired as it is said and as the Chaldee also renders as if he thought it to be thus meant till it be loathsome to you 2. Death and that first by fire from God as in the Israelites for complaining as 't is thought of their toylesome travelling And when the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the Campe Num 11 1. Secondly by a fearefull judgement not specified for the murmuring formerly spoken of And while the flesh was yet in their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague vers 33. I know some * interpret this plague to be the fire spoken of vers 1. and the murmuring to have beene the same and the rather because of what is said Ps 78. 20. 21. But why then is it said The children of Israel wept againe v. 4. And why should the same place be called Taberah in the beginning of the chapter and Kibroth Hattaavah before you come to the end Mark how earnest hasty God was to punish this sinne He had promised they should eat flesh for a moneth v. 20. and therefore to be as good as his word would not doe it sooner but let them have a full moneth of daies as it is in the Hebrew v. 20. but as soone as ever the moneth was out he did it presently so that though they tooke the meat into their mouthes they had no time to chew it While the flesh was yet in their teeth the fire of the Lord was kindled c. Thirdly by fiery serpents for tempting God as the Apostle's expression is 1 Cor. 10 9. to send other bread and not being contented with but loathing the Manna which he provided for them And the people spake against God against Moses Wherefore have yee brought us up out of the land of Egypt to die in the wildernesse for there is no bread neither is there any water and our soule loatheth this light bread And the Lord sent fiery serpents and they bit the people and much people dyed Num. 21. 5 6. Lastly by Severall wayes for murmuring at the journey into Canaan upon the report of the cowardly spies who were themselves stricken with sudden death Num. 14. 37. For because of this sin their entrance into Canaan was prorogued for 40 yeares during that time they wandered up down in the wildernesse so long till all that were numbred at the time of the murmuring and were above 20. yeares old were dead according to the threat v. 29. 30 All that were numbred of you according to your whole number from 20 yeares old and upward which have murmured against mee Doubtlesse ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein In the New Testament you shall find it threatened 1 With Not being owned by Christ Whosoever doth not beare his crosse come after mee cannot be my disciple Luk. 14. 27. 2 Not having a crowne or reward for not striving Lawfully And if a man strive for masteries he is not crowned except he strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2. 5. The Apostle had before exhorted Timothy to patience v. 3. Strive lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse he fight a good fight 1 Tim. 6. 12. unlesse he strive justum legitimum certamen doing every thing as he should You may pati suffer yet you may not be patiens patient in persecution You must be sure that you suffer justly as well as suffer unjustly as you must suffer well and take it patiently or else your suffering for doing well will not be acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2. 20. In James we have impatience threaten'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation though it be but Impatience of what we suffer from men though it be never so wrongfully What is there then for impatience under what we suffer from God who alwayes punisheth us lesse then we deserve Grudge not one against another lest yee be condemned Jam. 5. 9. Not only if ye wrong first but if you returne wrong for wrong you may be condemned in the opinion of all good men who would else justifie you and commend you The law gives an action against him that strikes again as well as against him that struck first And here in this place even for grudging we have a Judge ready to punish Behold the Judge standeth at the doore The word in the Originall for grudge not is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is meant of impatience may be gathered by the verses immediately before and after Be yee also patient stablish your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh vers 8. Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience vers 10. Impenitence is threatened in generall termes 1 With Certaine punishment for God will whet his sword so that it shall be sure to cut If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready Ps 7. 12. 2 With Severe punishment where there hath been extraordinary meanes used to reclaime Then began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty workes weere done because they repented not Woe unto
thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida Mat 11. 20 21. The Punishments more particularly mentioned are 1 Shortning of life For whereas God had promised the old world to spare them a hundred and twenty yeares Gen 6. 3 yet when he saw they would not repent he cut their time shorter by twenty yeares For Noah was but 600 yeares old when the floud of waters was upon the earth 7. 6 and yet he was 500 at the time when God made the promise c. 5. 32. Thus some of the * Fathers 2 Removall of the light of the Gospel Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly I will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev 2 5 it is spoken to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus 3 Destruction temporall at the least And I will fanne them with a fanne in the gates of of the Land I will bereave them of children I will destroy my people sith they returne not from their waies Jer 15. 7. So in the Gospel Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay but except yerepent ye shall all likewise perish Luk 13. 3 you have this threat repeated v. 5 in the samewords 4 Destruction eternall as is easily gathered not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet 3. 9. The rich man in hell supposed it for a certainty that his brethren would come to his place of torment unlesse they did repent Luk 16 28 compared with verse 30. 5 Greater condemnation since Christ's time then before for thus our Saviour thratened those Cities above mentioned It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you Mat 11. 25. The greatnesse of Gods displeasure at not repenting and the sad condition of those that doe not repent may be farther gathered out of the Scriptures First by God's extending mercy upon the sight of repentance though it were only in outward shew as he did to Pharaoh in ceasing the thunder Exod 9. 27 33 and in removing the locusts c. 10. 16 and 19. To Ahab in not bringing the evill which he had threatned in his dayes 1 Kings 21. 27. To Cain if those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to be rendered mine iniquity is greater then can be pardoned Gen 4. 13. in giving him a marke or letter of protection Ge 4. 15. 2 By the Joy which the Saints have at the repentance of sinners as a man would when his friend hath escaped death or as if either condition must needs have been exceeding miserable if they had not repented Luk 15. 7. 3 By those speeches of Paul of being Humbled for and Bewailing the Corinthians not those that had sinned already but those that had sinned already and had not Repented 2 Cor 12 21 as if the condition of those that doe not Repent were most deplorable and the condition of those that sinne were cheifly made deplorable by not Repenting 4 By the greatnesse of the reward which such shall have who cause others to repent as having saved their Soules from death * which otherwise they could not have escaped They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for ever and ever Dan 12. 3. To conclude we may gather from our selves that God must needs be much displeased at Not repenting seeing we are so excedingly displeased with it our selves if a man be not sorry forwhat he hath done against us if he have but troden on our foot yea against his will there is nothing vexes us more especially if he is ready to doe it againe Impudence threatened They shall not prophecy to them that they shall not take shame Mic 2 6 Impudence punished Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among them that fall at the time that I visit them they shall be cast downe saith the Lord Jer 6. 15. It is spoken of the Jewes and you have the same threat in the very same words to the same people c. 8. 12. See how God sets forth their impudence in Ezekiel c. 16 23 to the 37 verse where he threatens to punish it with very grievous punishments nay in the very beginning of his complaint as if his anger were so hot that he could not keep it in before he came to the sinnes which he intended to speak of when the sense was yet imperfect he cries out twice Woe Woe And it came to passe after all thy wickednesse Woe Woe unto thee saith the Lord v. 23. The shew of the countenance doth witnesse against them and they declare their sinne as Sodom they hide it not woe unto their soule for they have rewarded evill unto themselves Isa 3. 9. The shew of the countenance which cannot be meant of bewraying by the countenance for that would argue shame which I believe Sodome was never guilty of but rather of putting a good face upon sin or committing it openly and without blushing which he that does the Rabbines say he reveales his face against the law Doubtlesse Impudent sinners will not be forgotten for how can we think but God must be exceedingly provoked with impudence in his creatures seeing Fathers Masters are so much provoked with it in their children and servants who if they laugh when they have done a fault and are told of it or if they commit a fault before their face nothing is more intolerable Impudence is prosperous in nothing but in prayer according to the saying of the Talmudist * calling importunity Impudence 3. He that Hardens his face Jer 5. 3. is worse then he that hardens his heart for he that doth this doth the other two but not on the contrary The Talmudists say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardnesse of heart may be taken in a good sence but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardnesse of face is alwaies taken in a bad sense Impudence must needs provoke to anger very much for it hath more contempt in it then any thing and if there were never so little esteeme in a man of the party against whom it is committed it would never be The Philosopher sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is onely before those whom we much contemne we are not ashamed An impudent sinner vexes God as bad as the stone did Sisyphus which turned back upon him as fast as he rolled him up Homer gives that stone the Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impudent See Arist Rhet. l. 3. c. 2. Incorrigiblenes under punishments threatned and punished 1. With Not removing the punishments For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For the people turneth not unto him that
The daughter of a strange god that is a woman that worships a strange god for what a man counts his God that he loves honours as a father so he may be called the son or daughter of it Se Je 2. 27. Is 43. 6. Ex. 4. 22. The odiousnesse and hurtfulnesse of marrying with Idolaters may be further gathered out of the Scriptures thus 1 By the passionate actions and expressions of godly men against it Of Ezra chap. 9. 3. And when I heard this thing I rent my garment and my mantle and pluckt of the haire of my head and of my beard and sate downe astonied And of Nehemiah chap 13 25. I contended with them and cursed them and smote certaine of them Nay vers 29. you have him praying against some Remember them O my God because they have defiled the priesthood c. 2 By what Ezra speakes of God's fierce anger by reason of it Vntill the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us ch 10 14. which he thought could not be till they had every one turned away their strange wives and made their peace with an offering vers 19. In the end of his prayer ch 9. his words are We cannot stand before thee because of this 3 By what Paul speakes as it is thought chiefly concerning it 2 Cor. 6. vers 14. to the end Where First he cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be unequally yoaked as if say some he alluded to plowing with an oxe and an asse together a cleane beast and an uncleane which was forbidden in the Law Deut. 22. 10. Now from this similitude or expression onely may be gathered how hurtfull it is viz. because of the many inconveniences of trouble and strife and discontent which must necessarily follow For in that word but now mentioned if there be not there may be signified not onely a being yoaked with a beast as I may say of another kind which may be so sorted as they may draw together without trouble but after another way as if one's face stood East and the other's West whereby the paine and difficulty in drawing each one his way must needs be the more For when one drawes forward the other must either draw backward with a great deale of paine or yeeld to be drawne the same way with a great deale of danger if the way be naught Now how much a man must needs be hindred from good duties that is yoked in this manner by marrying a wicked person especially an Idolater every one may guesse and it hath beene partly shewn in this chapter And so likewise what strife and contention he is like to meet with an example whereof you may see in Zipporah and Moses about the Circumcision of their child Exod. 4. 26. See the consequents of Sampson's marriage with a Philistin Jud. 15. Secondly from those words vers 16. of this chapter For yee are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them c. may be gathered what danger there is of God's departure from us For he will not dwell in a Temple that is polluted and it is a thousand to one but it be polluted this way You may remember in that place of Malachi formerly quoted it was said that Judah profaned the holinesse of the Lord which he loved c. and it is not unlikely to be meant of the holinesse often mentioned in the Old Testament of being a consecrated or peculiar people to God by reason whereof the Jewes are forbid to profane or defile or make themselves common viz with the Nations either by entertaining communion with them especially by marriage or imitating them in their practises especially those of Idolatry See Deut 7 3. 4 5 6 7. ch 14 2. and Ezek. 20. 18. and Dan. 1. 8. Lastly by those words vers 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the uncleane thing and I will receive you may be gathered what danger there is even of God's Rejecting of us if we thus defile our selves in regard that being separated seems to be required as a condition of his receiving of us Meanes of Grace continued in Anger 1 Though men have rejected them Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the Prophets daily rising up early and sending them yet they hearkened not unto mee nor inclined their eare but hardened their neck they did worse then their fathers Therefore thou shalt speake all these words unto them but they will not hearken unto thee thou shalt also call unto them but they will not answer thee Jerem. 7. 25 26 27. 2 Though they have mocked at them The Jewes though they slighted the importunity of the Prophets in speaking to them so often and laying Line upon line and precept upon precept here a little and there a little Isa 28. 10 insomuch that at length they tooke up these words for a Proverb to sport with even as they did The burden of the Lord. Jer. 23. 38. yet notwithstanding this importunity it was continued to them to the ensnaring of them and for an occasion of falling But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept Line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little that they might goe and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken vers 13. 3 Though it be certaine they will not hearken to them You shall say unto him saith God to Moses when he sent him to Pharaoh Let us goe we beseech thee three daies journey c. Exod 3. 18. yet he addes v. 19. I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you goe c. See Ezek. 3. 11. But that they will kill the messenger Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie c. That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth Mat. 23 34 Luk 11. 49. 50. 4 Though it be certaine they cannot be the better for them Vnto them that are without all these things are done in parables that seeing they may see and not perceive c. Mark 4. 11 12. 5 Though God himselfe harden their hearts against them And the Lord said unto Moses when thou goest to returne into Egypt see that thou doe all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand but I will harden his heart that he shall not let the people goe Exod 4. 21. See Ch. 7 4. Ch. 9. 12. See Isa 6. 9 10. Continuing the meanes of grace to such as profit not by them heaps up wrath coales and aggravates condemnation more then any thing and therefore their case is exceeding miserable to whom they are thus continued Meanes of grace if extraordinary such as profit not by
them are threatned 1 In generall with Woe For thus our Saviour threatned Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting notwithstanding he had done most of his mightie workes in them Mat. 11. 20. 21. 2 Removall of those meanes For thus our Saviour threatned the Priests Elders of the Jewes after he had told them a parable of husbandmen who returned their master no fruit of his Vineyard notwithstanding he had sent so many servants nay and his own Son and heire to receive them The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Mat. 21. 43. Now the justice of this punishment they themselves had before in the parable unwittingly acknowledged eveÌ„ as David did the justice of his in the parable of Nathan 2. Sam 12. 5. For being asked what they thought the Master would doe to those husbandmen when he came himselfe they made answer with indignation He will miserably destroy those wicked men will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their season vers 40. 41. 3 Condemnation by others who profited by lesse shall rise up in judgement against them as witnesses to testifie that lesse means then they have had are sufficient meanes for coÌ„version For thus our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees they should be condemned by the Ninevites and the Queen of the South viz because they repented not at his preaching and refused to heare him whereas the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas for so litle while and the Queen of the South came so farre even from the utmost parts of the earth and only to heare the wisdome of Solomon who were both farre inferiour to him Mat. 12 41. 42. 4 Greater condemnation then others Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shal be much required c. Luk 12. 48. They shall have many stripes vers 47. This is the condition of all men to whoÌ„ the Gospell is preached because they have no excuse at all to plead If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sinne but now they have no cloak for their sinne Joh. 15. 22. at least no cloak that is great enough to cover it Men-pleasers threatned 1 With Being disowned by Christ For if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. 2 God's hatred Yee are they which justify your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteem'd amongst men is Abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. Christ thus spake to the Pharisees who were altogether Men-pleasers in every thing that they did it was their maine fault and it was all they car'd for Paul was one of them and therefore in the place before quoted he saies if I YET please Mercies Not being bettered by them SeeVnthankefulnesse Security and Prosperity Ministers their Duty Ministers if naught have cause to feare these ensuing punishments Such as are Scandalous and Corrupters of the word Contempt For thus were the Priests among the Jewes threatned But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partiall in the law Mal. 2. 8. 9. In Samuel it is said even of the servant of the Priests of Belial Wherefore the sinne of the young man was very great before the Lord viz because it was scandalous for by this means men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 1. Sam. 2. 17. See Ezek. 22. 26. Such as Teach false doctrine whereby they cause the wicked to presume and the godly to despaire a practise very much to be lamented amongst us Being by some severe punishment or other made to leave their function Wiâ— yee pollute mee among my people for handfulls of barley and for peeces of bread to slay the soules that should not die and to save the soules alive that should not live by your lying to my people that heare your lies Ezek. 13. 19. so ver 22. you have the same complaint but it followes vers 23. Therefore yee shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations for I will deliver my people out of your hand and yee shall know that I am the Lord. For handfuls of barly for pieces of bread Hierom saies this is most properly applied to Teachers of hereticall doctrines who as we have frequent experience in these dayes doe not take whole places of Scripture but broken pieces here there for the confirmation of their errors His words are these Non propter chorum hemichoruÌ„ hordei ut in Hosea legimus c. 5. sed propter pugillum hordei quo bruta vescuntur animantia fragmentum panis non panem integrum nec solida testimonia scripturarum sed quae haereticâ pravitate fracta decurtata atque imminuta sunt sanctos quosque decipiant ad mortem trahant peccatores vanis promissionibus vivificare contendant See the chapter of False-teachers Such as are covetous daubers and Men-pleasers 1 Ignorance and Shame Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my pâ—ople to erre that bite with their teeeh cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare warre against hjm. therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not divine and the Sun shall goe down over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them then shall the Seers be ashamed and the diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Mic. 3. 5 6 7. That bite with their teeth and cry peace Chald. Par. He that offereth them a feast of flesh to him they prophecy peace I am ashamed to remember how much it hath been the practise of many to preach for entertainment and preferment They even prepare warre the Hebrew word will import sanctifie warre and though I know it be usuall in this sense yet it puts me in minde of the Popish pretended holinesse in denouncing warres and excommunications against such as doe not stop their mouthes by feeding them with gifts They shall all cover their lips The Sept. translate they shall all of them curse for so I chuse to translate their translation rather then as others do all shal curse them because of the Hebrew word for all with an affixe after it signifying all of them reciprocally because of that which follows viz insteed of because there is no answer because there is none to heare them Which puts me in minde of what we have known of later daies especially both by false teachers amongst themselves and by Papists from abroad who having endeavour'd to seduce the people with their false doctrines when they see it is in vaine how doe they bite their lips for vexation If you
translate it the other way there is experience enough of that too and I doubt not there will be more when those who have been seduced with false doctrines shall fret themselves curse their seducers and Look upward 2 Destruction For thus God spake to Ieremiah when he sent him to prophecy to the Jewes Be not dismaid at their faces lest I confound thee before them Ier. 1 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said Be not confounded with feare at their faces lest I confound thee with destruction before their faces so that both thou and they shall see what a folly it is to feare men rather theÌ„ God and how unable they are to protect those that please them when God who is displeased is resolved to punish them The word for dismayd and confound in the Hebrew is the same and so likewise the word for their faces before theÌ„ which I thought good to intimate because I have observed in divers places in the prophecies especially the like manner of expressing a threat viz by the same word that was mentioned in the sin perhaps the more to make the persons reflect upon and keep in memory their sin to repent of it and be humbled for it or to acknowledge God's justice So Jer. 28. vers 17. It is said to Hananiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord hath not SENT thee and vers 18 he is threatened thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 behold I will SEND thee or I will cast thee from off the face of the earth So ch 23. 26. for abusing and mocking at those words of the Prophets which they used when they delivered their messages The Burden of the Lord the people are threatned that Every man's word shall be his burden so vers 39 it is said if we read according to the Sept. and the Vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will BEARE you quite away meaning by captivity as if he alluded to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Burden I confesse the Vulgar translation in this verse pleases mee well viz In carrying I will carry you Portabo vos portans c. agreeing with the Septuagint their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering to their word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they use for burthen but not so well in the 33 verse where they translate for what burden I will forsake you vos estis onus projiciam quippe vos yee are the burden I will fling you off because I know not how to bring the Hebrew to it unlesse instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we read as it is likely the author of that translation did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the same letters differently pâ—aced The words both of the Latin and Greeke translation may be thus paraphrased If the people aske what is the burden of the Lord tell them You are my greatest burden and so you have beene a long time but now I will fling you off saith the Lord. or thus I have let you lye still for a long time but now I have taken you up as a man will take up a potters vessell and I will dash you to pieces for so the Septuagint seeme to have conceived of the meaning of this place translating for I will forsake you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. allidam vos I will dash you in pieces which is not unsuitable especially if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I thinke properly signifies breaking one thing with another whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is breaking one thing upon another with what is said vers 29. of God's word which he sends by his Prophets viz. that it is like a hammer which breaketh the Rocke in pieces This their translation suites very well with their word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word which they use for burden comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take which expression is usually applyed to Prophecies especially such as were bad for the Prophets were bid to take up such or such a message to such or such a people i. e. either as a burden to lay upon them or as a stone to fling at them But it is likely that they did read the Hebrew not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we read which signifies I will forsake but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as they translate I will dash You may see the like in severall other places as Hos 4. 6. c. Those words of Micah above quoted the diviners confounded they shall all cover their lips ch 3. 7. some expound them not of confusion by shame viz. to see the prophecy of the captivity fulfilled which they had contradicted but of this confusion as we usually call it by destruction making it a proverbiall speech taken from the custome of covering the faces of such men as were condemned to die in use as I thinke both with Jewes and Gentiles See Esth 7. 9. Ezek. 12. 6. Nehemiah prayed that God would think upon those Prophets who were hir'd by Tobiah and Sanballat to discourage him from his worke chap. 6. 14. And Jude pronounces Woe to them that ranne greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward ver 11. And therefore certainly such men have cause to feare severe punishment Such as are Idle and neglect their duty 1 Woe Necessity is laid upon mee yea woe is unto mee if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 16. 2 God's requiring mens soules at their hands For thus God told Ezekiel whom he made the peoples watchman When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warne the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his bloud will I require at thine hand Eze. 3. 18. The same wicked man shall die c. Though it were not so but such a wicked man might be suffered to live yet such a watchman deserved to die because his fault is alike though the other's successe be better If a Sentinell suffer the enemy to come on give no warning though the enemy doe not prevaile the Sentinell shall lose his life His bloud will I require c. that is the spilling of his bloud or the losse of his life Idle Ministers are soule murderers He that forbids not to sinne when he may is as bad as he that bids So much more he that saves not a soule when he may and when he must too is as bad as he that destroyes it His blood And therefore Paul where he seemes to mee to rejoyce like a man that hath narrowly escaped danger of death when he was going from Miletus sent for the Elders of Ephesus and told them he was pure from the bloud of all men because he had not shunned to declare unto them all the counsell of God Act. 20. 26 27. as if otherwise he could not have been so and therefore strictly charged them to imitate him and to approve
and would have also slaine Elijah 1 Kings 19. 14 was throwne out at window by her servants and troden under foot by her enemies and eaten up by the dogs 2 King 9. 36. according to Elijahs prophecy 1 King 21. 13. 2. Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist Mat. 14. 10 was banished into France and there murdered as he was a hunting You may marke the end also of Herod Agrippa who imprison'd Peter and James although his death be by Luke attributed to another cause Act 12. 33. The Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the ghost 3 Nero who caus'd Paul to be put to death he call's him the Lyon 2 Tim. 4. 17 had been drawn through the city and whipped to death according to the sentence of the Senate but that he cut his own throat before Lastly Domitian called also Nero by the people who banished John the Evangelist into the Island Patmos was conspired against and murdered by his own wife and some of his friends and after his death both his name and all his Acts were eras'd and abolished by the decree of the Senate But what doe I talke of persecuting by offering violence when as Such as Mocke at them are punished 1 With Wrath unappeaseable But they mocked the messengers of God and dispised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2 Chron 36. 17. Against his people c. whom he was loath to be so angry with bâ—t being thus provoked he could not forbeare 2 Severe punishment both on them and theirs The Jewes because the Prophets had told them so many prophecies of God's judgements for their sinnes and of nothing else and because they saw none of those prophecies yet fulfilled at length began to mock at them when they met them and to aske them in derision because with those words usually they began their prophecie especially of Gods judgements What is the burden of the Lord and their false Prophets and Priests would doe the like But they are thus threatened by Jeremy And as for the Prophet and the Priests and the people that shall say the burden of the Lord I will even punish that man and his house Jer. 23. 34. So v. 36. Every man's word shall be his burden viz. either because God would burden them with heavie judgements for thus speaking or because it should lye as a burden upon their consciences hereafter when those prophecies should be fulfilled to have thus derided them 3 Reproach for their reproach And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon them and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten Jer. 23. 40. We all know the proofe of this The very name of a Jew is to use the Scripture language a reproach a by-word and a curse to this day though I believe these words are rather meant of their unhappinesse then of their wickednesse 4 Violent death by wild beasts As Elisha was going up to Bethel There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him Goe up thou bald head Goe up thou bald head And he turned backe and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two shee beares out of the wood and tare forty and two children of them 2 Kings 2. 23 24. Children what must the elder sort expect then Some make this Allegory which I mention because what is said is not impertinent to the subject in hand Christ a Crucifying was Elisha the Jewes mocking him and saying If thou be that Christ the Sonne of God come down from the Crosse were the children and Titus and Vespasian who shortly after destroyed both them and their City the two bears though in the masculinâ— gender because they were so fierce that they had better have met with a beare robbed * of her whelps then them Such as Despise them or sleight them Shall be punished as despisers of Christ himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Just as Moses told the Israelites Exod. 17. 2. Why chide you with me wherefore doe ye tempt the Lord. And ch 16. 7. he heareth your murmurings against the Lord. For what are wee that you murmure against us Let them put it off how they will viz that they despise not God but the men their distinction will not serve For he that truly respects me will respect any one that comes from mee for my sake Further Such as Believe them not have been punished and threatned 1 With violent death That Lord that would not believe Elisha who when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians even in the extremity of the famine prophecied that the next day a measure of fine flowre should be sold for a shekle c. was by him threatned that he should see it indeed with his own eyes to his conviction but he should but see it to his griefe for he should not eat of it which fell out accordingly for the next day hee was troden to death by the hungry greedy people as they pressed out at the gate to take the spoile of their enemies camp to satisfie their hunger 2 Kings 7. 2. 17. 2 Being worse dealt with at the day of Judgement then Sodome and Gomorrah and how bad is that like to be Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words when yee depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for that city Mat. 10 14 15. Further Such as will not suffer them to reap their carnall things One may conjecture their Condition is not safe by the strictnesse of the charge given to the Israelites concerning the Levites Take heed to thy selfe for thou wilt hurt thy selfe most that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upoÌ„ the earth Deu. 12. 19 as long as thou livest upon the earth Come what will poverty or any condition yet be sure to remember him and that as long aâ— thou art upon the earth though thou art led captive out of thine own countrey See the charge repeated Deut. 14. 27. after which it is added vers 29. That the Lord may blesse themin all the worke of thine hand which thou doest Which seemes to be spoken as if otherwise hee would not in this manner blesse them Nay further yet Such as doe not stand by them in persecution Have cause to to feare as may be gathered by what Paul saies of those who deserted him At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16 See the ch of Not-helping the godly at the end Ministery Such
slightly accounted of by God and he wâ— severely punish it In the Epistle to thâ— Hebrews ch 11. mockings are put in the Catalogue of the Saints persecutions joynâ— with scourgings vers 36. and justly aggravâ—ted by our translation for it is not in the originall with the epithete Cruell Otheâ— had triall of cruell mockings and scourges In the Epistle to the Galatians it is said that Ishmael persecuted Isaack and therefore wâ— cast out ch 4. 29. and yet in Genesis we reaâ— of nothing but mocking chap. 21. 9. I wiâ— conclude with one punishment more anâ— that no small one which though I have 〈◊〉 â—ut of the Apocrypha yet I believe for truth â—nd that is the vexation and sorrow which â—ey shall have hereafter when they shall â—e those whom they despised in honour with God And they repenting and groaning for â—â—nguish of spirit shall say within themselves This was he whom we had sometime in derision â—nd a proverb of reproach Wee fooles accounâ—ed his life madnesse and his end to be without â—onour c. Wisd 5. 3 4 5 6. Mockers at those that denounce God's Judgements threatned With the aggravating of those judgements Now therefore be yee not mockers lest your bands be made strong Isa 28. 22. Mockers at those that suffer them With Being mocked in the same manner Moab also shall wallow in his vomit and hee shall also be in derision For was not Israel a derision unto thee Jer. 48. 26 27. And not onely the Moabites but the rest of the Heathen for mocking at the Jewes in their calamity Ezek. 36. 3. were thus threatened Because yee have borne the shame of the Heathen therefore thus saith the Lord God I have lifted up mine hand surely the Heathen that are about you they shall beare their shame vers 6. 7. Beare their SHAME better so then ignominy which will signifie both actively and passively whereas shame will not Fâ— though these words may seeme to signifiâ— according to the use of the word beaâ—â— in other places as when it is said beare thâ— iniquity c. and likewise the use of the Hebrew word for shame in the verse next before that the heathen should certainly râ— it for reproaching God's people luerent coâ—tumeliam suam yet I rather thinke thaâ— which is mainly intimated in this place to be retaliation in God's punishing of them that is giving them like for like or the samâ— that they gave others For in the first sence they might beare their ignominy that is that wherewith they reproached others by another way as well as by suffering ignominâ— againe for he that is punished for a sinne may be said to beare it though his punishment have no resemblance with his sinne Anâ— this I say the rather because the word for Shame or Reproach with the pronounâ— affixed is seldome or never used actively as it is passively ch 15. 54. Psal 44. 15 Ps 69. 20 c. and especially because there is a separate pronoune also put on purpose for they as if it were thus spoken THEY who have reproached others eveâ— THEY for all their confidence and pridâ— shall be reproached THEMSELVES and shall beare THEIR shame also as the Israelites have borne THEIRS To say nothing how affixed possessive pronounes are many times superfluously added in such expressions according to the manner of other languages We say in English he shall have or he shall beare HIS punishment and that with a kind of Elegancie as in Galat. 5. 6. where it is in the Greeke onely he shall beare judgement we translate he shall beare his Judgement Murderers shall be certainly punished For thus God threatens him that should kill Cain though he had murdered his brother and was therefore cursed by God Whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold Gen. 4. 15. If you translate with Symmachus Omnis qui occiderit Cain Septimus ulsciscetur and interpret with Hierom Whosoever shall kill Cain the seventh i. e. a man of the seventh generation shall execute vengeance for his murder it will make more for our purpose for he saith it was the opinion of the ancient that Cain for an example was suffered to live till the seventh generation and then slaine by Lamech But I suppose taking vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven times or sevenfold is only an expression to set forth abundance of severity in revenging as to forgive a man till he hath sinned against him seventy times seven is only to expresse endlesnesse of mercy in forgiving viz. without any curious respect to a certaine number of times The barbarous people of Malta and such they were indeed not for inhumanity but ignorance when they saw a viper leap out of the fire upon Pauls hand as if they thought no sin could have drawne such a punishment upon him sooner then murder presently said Noâ— doubt this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Act. 28. 4. Suffereth not or hath not suffered so the Originall and so Beza renders as if they made it sure he would presently die for it and as it is said they did vers 6. They are punished in their Persons First with a Curse executed as it were by the Earth it selfe in revenge for defiling it with blood thus Cain was punished And now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yeeld unto thee her strength A fugitive and a Vagabond shalt thou be in the earth Gen. 4. 11. 12. Alexander when hee return'd from the Indians sent letters through Greece to give liberty to all banished men to returne to their homes excepting only such as had been so punished for murder 2 God's hatred The Lord will abhorre the bloudy and deceitfull man Ps 5. 6 the bloudy Chald. pa the shedder of innocent bloud according to the Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man of blouds For when the word in Hebrew for bloud is in the plurall number it is usually meant of unlawfull putting to death And the reason may be if my judgement faile not because the bloud of any one man cannot be unlawfully shed but the bloud of another also must and will bee shed for it sooner or later so that every murderer is a shedder of blouds Whereas if a Magistrate cause a man to be put to death according to law only one mans bloud and scarce that I meane in the Scripture language for the most part is shed and wee heare no more of it 3 God 's not hearing their prayers And when yee spred forth your hands your bloudy hands I will hide mine eyes yea though yee make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of bloud Isa 1. 15. Of bloud for though I confesse by this word are usually expressed other sinnes besides Murder yet
meant of doing or not doing after an oath to the contrary whereby a man does as I may say unsweare himselfe or make his swearing null and void and not of doing or speaking first then adding an oath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon it or for it adding But shalt performe unto the the Lord thine oathes But as for the words of our Saviour I conceive he relates the cōmandement as the Scribes Pharisees related it according to their glosse not that he knew no such wordes as those which I first produced or that he thought the meaning of them extended no further then is expressed in these And as for these words which I have quoted in the originall one might think they sound cleane contrary viz rather for an assertory falsity then a promissory both because of the word translated in vaine signifying more properly FOR or TO vaine as it is in Leviticus 19. 12. He shall not sweare by my name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Lye as if it were said thou shalt not use the name of the Lord thy God to or for the confirmation of a falsehood and because of the word Taking For in promissory perjury men may usually do take God's name not in vaine i. e. they have a resolution when they take it to keep their oathes though they break them afterwards hold him guiltlesse or let him goe unpunished for so much the Hebrew will signifie and so it is used and translated Jer. 30. 11 and c. 46. 28. And me thinks both in this and other threats against this sinne there seemes to be insinuated that God may and many times doth let such men alone for a while Et St quis primo perjuria celat sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus but that notwithstanding he doth not hold them guiltlesse but will certainely punish them one time or other Nay I may adde I will not hold him guiltlesse that is I will most severely punish him for that is a common Hebraisme in the Scriptures by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extenuation in the negative to intend the positive in the highest degree Oathes and Covenants Such as doe not Keep them Threatened With Certaine and unavoidable punishment And thus I speake because in most of the threats against this sinne there is an expression of the certainty and of Gods resolution also not to change his mind As first in that concerning Zedekiah for breaking his Oath of subjection even to the King of Babylon Shall he breake the covenant and be delivered It cannot be Ezek. 17. 15. the Septuagint translate without an Interrogation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. IF he shall escape or be delivered after the manner of swearing used in Scripture as if God had sworne that he should not and so indeed he did afterward and you have his oath twice related viz. v. 16. vers 19. and in vers 16. with notable aggravations both of his sin and his punishment As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him king whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die The Chal. P. in those verses for breaking the Covenant translates changing the Covenant and so Zedekiah did in revolting from the Assyrian to the Egyptian Now a man hath the greater cause to feare God's punishment when hee doth not onely not doe what he promised but doe and promise to doe the contrary 2 In that threat to the people of Tyre for breaking the Oath of friendship which Hiram their King had made with Solomon in selling the Jewes for bond-slaves to the Edomites who were their inveterate enemies and would use them cruelly Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom and remembred not the brotherly Covenant Amos 1. 9. This punishment was the destruction of that city by Nebuchadnezar which accordingly came to passe after a siege of 30 yeares so that as I said in the former chapter their punishment for breaking Covenant was long a comming yet came at last 3 Severe punishment and many judgements They have spoken words swearing falsly in making a Covenant thus or therefore judgment springeth up as hemlocke in the furrowes of the field Hos 10. 4. The Chaldee Paraphrase runnes thus They sweare falsly and they make a Covenant in vaine Now will I bring against them the heads of noysome serpents as a judgement for their lies upon the borders of their Countrey And they that thus take this place interpret those words Springeth up as hemlocke c. of the great number of God's judgements which should come as thick as hemlock in a furrowed or tilled field which me thinkes seems better then to interpret judgement of judgment among men i. e. justice making it not a threat but a complaint viz that judgement was so corrupted that it became as hatefull to the people when they had occasion to use it as hemlock is to the palat 3 The like hurt as they intended or must necessarily doe to others by their perjury Thus Zedekiah is threatned in the place above cited As I live surely what expressions here are to make it certaine mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that hee hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head Ezek 17. 19. But especially those that promise a man help in his misery if they break their oaths must look to bee punished because they doe most hurt and men depend upon them they are like a rotten weak staffe which when a man leanes upon it breaks and runs into his body The Egyptians for dealing thus with the Israelites are thus threatned When they tooke hold of thee thou didst break rent all their shoulder and when they leaned upon thee thou brakest and madest all their loynes to be at a stand therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will bring a sword upon thee and cut off man and beast out of thee Ezek 29. 7 8. Certainly God is as angry and therefore men are likely to be as severely punished for this sinne as for any Even among men creatures exceeding contemptible in comparison nothing will provoke to anger more then contempt and slighting especially if men are slighted as if they wanted that which they have viz power or autority or knowledge or the like Now he that breakes an oath despises God as if he had not power or knowledge or justice enough to execute that vengeance which he himselfe submitted himselfe unto in case of breach and therefore in that chapter of Ezekiel before quote◠God complaines twice of DESPISING the oath and vers 20. where we translate trespassed against me Hierom renders despised mee Now as men in such a case will doe something to shew that which they have which
comes to them from themselves But yet in a more speciall manner doth God delight to make the devices and coâ—ncels of those that proudly presume confidently use their wisedome and strength against him his to prove destructive to themselves scattering them even by the imagination of their owne hearts Luk. 1. 51. Me thinkes I heare him speaking to such as he did once to the Assyrians Yee shall conceive chaffe yee shall bring forth stuble your own breath as fire shall devoure you Isa 33. 11. Prayer not heard For these causes among many other viz. 1 Not-hearing God He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov. 28. 9. See ch 1. 24. vers 28. 2 Not-hearing the Poore Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe and shall not be heard Prov. 21. 13. 3 Apostacy from the true worship of God to Idolatry They are turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to heare my words and they went after other Gods to serve them c. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will bring evill upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry unto mee I will not hearken unto them Jer. 11. 10 11. See Ezek. 20. 31. ch 8. 17. 18. 4 Contempt of the worship of God and worshipping him negligeÌ„tly Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar and yee say wherein have we polluted thee In that yee say the table of the Lord is contemptible And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evill c. I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hoasts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Mal. 1. 7 8 10. 5 Blood guiltinesse and injustice in judgement When yee spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of blood Isay 1. 15. See c. 59. 2. 6 Oppression Who eat the flesh of my people c. Then shall they cry unto the Lord but he will not heare Mic 3. 3 4. 7 Hypocrisie Will hee heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him Job 27. 9. 8 Sinning with delight and without remorse They have loved to wander they have not refrained their feet therefore the Lord doth not accept them c. Jer 14. 10. It followes v 11. Then the Lord said unto me pray not for this people and vers 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry c. God heareth not sinners that sin in such a manner Joh 9 31. 9 Resolving to continue in sin when we pray If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me Ps 66. 18. 10 Intending to make ill use of what wee pray for Yee aske and receive not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it upon your lusts Jam 4. 3. 11 Having sinfully occasioned those evills from which we pray to be delivered And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which you shall have chosen you and the Lord will not heare you in that day They are the words of Samuel to the Israelites when they desired a King 1 Sam 8. 18. You may see an experience of Gods refusing to heare prayer for this reason likewise in those Israelites who fighting with the Amorites against the command of God being overthrowne in the words of Moses returned wept before the Lord but the Lord would not hearken unto them Deut 1. 45. 12 Doubting in prayer But let him aske in faith nothing wavering for hee that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed For let not that man thinke that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord. Jam 1. 6 7. Praying amisse punished 1 With Not-obtaining the request Ye aske and have not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it upon your lusts James 4. 3. which is a notable argument of the greatnesse of Gods love and that which wee have experience of oftner then we take notice It is more love to deny us a Scorpion when we aske for a Scorpion then not to give us a Scorpion when wee aske for a fish as it is a greater signe of love to doe good when there is greater excuse for doing hurt then where there is lesse 2 Obtaining with Anger God tells Israel I gave thee a King in mine anger and tooke him away in my wrath Hos 13. 11. 3 Obtaining with a vengeance as we say He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule Psalm 106. 15. the Septuagint translate for leannesse fulnesse or saciety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether they by fulnes meant fulnesse to loathing spoken of Num 11. 20. and so made it a cause of leannesse And so whether we by leannes be to be understood of an atrophy usually occasioned by too full feeding Againe whether they read the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whether they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is in Numbers and whether this place and that in Numbers in ch 11. 20 be to be understood of a different punishment at a different time I cannot determine But only thus much I can determine from these words viz that the Israelites lusting sinfully after flesh when they should have been contented with what God had else provided for them had their desire in that indeed but were met with another way And perhaps all that the Prophet meant by calling it leannes was onely to allude to their fulnesse with flesh which they so eagerly desired and obtained and to shew that for a litle good they had a great deale of bad of what kinde soever the punishment were Not-Praying punished With Temptation For thus Jesus Christ told his Disciples when he found them asleep Arise or according to Marke Watch and pray lest you enter into tentation Luk. 22. 46. Lest So we translate the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which yet may be rendered THAT yee may not enter As if because Christs enemies then were so eager in persecution he would have his Disciples to pray to God for his according as he had taught them to pray before Mat. 6. 9. that they might not be tented to forsake him through feare This is certaine for I have had experience of it to my great griefe not only if a man doe not forbear to pray now then but if he forbeare to pray often he will presently lye open to the assault of all manner of tentations Besides he will be in danger of utter falling away from goodnesse and not without abundance of difficulty bâ— brought to renew his wonted course of praying againe And here I had once concluded this Chapter but since I though good to adde two or three words in favour of the aforesaid interpretation to the end that
I may make you more seriously then usually we do to think of these two things one as great an evill as we can be delivered from viz. Temptation and the other as necessary a duty as we can practise viz prayer against it which I never heard practised since the disuse of the Lord's Prayer 1 In the 40. v. of this ch it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be otherwise translated then it is viz. without a point after Pray Pray that yee enter not into temptation 2 In the 31. v. our Saviour saith that Satan had desired yea and obtained liberty to tempt them 3 In the 32 v. he saith that hee had prayed for Peter that in that temptation his faith might not faile 4 He had told them all the day before what danger they should be in that night of being offended at him through temptation and he had absolutely told Peter being confident to the contrary that he should deny him 5 He himselfe had prayed for the same in effect viz. That the cup might passe from him v. 39. And I must confesse I doe not think that by the preposition in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant as some say their being delivered up to temptation but only their coming into that temptation in which our Saviour already was viz. of being put to it either to depart from God or to part with life 6. There was not any thing which they had so much need to pray against at such a time as that was viz. when the shepheard himselfe should be smitten then that the sheep might not scattered from him and forsake him 7. It was that which the shepheard had long before prescribed to them especially to pray for viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would not LEAD or BRING them into temptation Matth. 6. 13. an expression to which this answers that ye may not enter into temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas it is there presently added And deliver us from evill so in this chapter it is said that Satan that evill one had begged them to winnow them therefore now if ever they had cause to pray to be delivered from him 8 The words added immediately after these Mat 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake seeme to make much for it For I doe not thinke as some doe that they are spoken in a favourable manner to excuse their drowzinesse because the contrary appeares by the verse next before where there is a reason mentioned why they were not to bee excused viz because Christ had as yet watched but one houre which was urged by our Saviour very sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What or is it possible could yee not watch with mee one houre But rather in a friendly monitory manner to minde them of their weaknesse especially because hee saw how confident they were of their strength to hold out in temptation as if hee had spoken the whole thus Doe yee sleep as if you were secure against and as if you would expose your selves to temptation you had more need watch and pray that you may not be tempted and all litle enough I deny not but according to your profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will may be present with you and you may be resolv'd in the spirit to hold it out with me even to die with mee But know this your flesh is weak So that unlesse my father doe extraordinarily strengthen you when it comes to you will not tell how to finde in your heart to perform what you would therfore by all means pray that ye may not be brought to temptation So that If to be free from Temptation it be needfull not only to pray but to pray against it you have no cause to wonder if They who doe not pray do meet with it Preaching of the VVord threatened to be removed Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Am 8. 11 12. A famine of bread or A hunger for bread So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the threat is not only of a want or scarcity but of an hunger earnest desire proceeding from that want as is plaine by the 12 verse by the word for of hearing which signifies literally To heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which aggravates the punishment very much for they shall have paine and griefe whiles they hunger and in the end shal be starv'd to death for want of what they would have And yet as we render it famine it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull because it implies a necessity of this food for the life of the Soule For we doe not call it a famine although other things be never so scarce and deare unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne or bread which we cannot be without Such as Hinder it have cause to feare 1 Removall of good preachers and havinâ— bad in their stead which is a worse punishment then if they had none Prophecy yâ— not say they to them that prophecie They shâ— not prophecie to them that they shall not taâ—â— shame Mic 2. 6. And it follows vers 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lyâ— saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine 〈◊〉 of strong drinke he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉 this people If you translate this verse witâ— the vulgar thus I could wish I were not man that had the spirit that which I speak were not true but yet I will prophecy to you 〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with winâ— even a full cup of judgments which I shall denounce unto you it will amount to thus much viz that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word from preaching the truth God will punish them with fearefull judgements and make even those very Ministers in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy In the originall it is drop in both verses And it is not unlike the people did indeed use this very word in a jeere because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek 20. 46. ch 21 2. Even as they did the words Line upoâ— Line Isa 28 10. The burden â—f the Lord Jer 23 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word c. 2 Death and ruine of their families That Amaziah but now mentioned who was a Priest of Bethel in Jeroboam's time is thus threatened by Amos Thou sayest Prophesie not and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack Therefore thus saith the Lord thy wife
2 If they are our enemies God's turning away his wrath from them and perhaps to us Rejoyce not when thine enemie falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him he turn away his wrath from him Prov. 24. 17 18. Job puts it among those sinnes which if hee were guilty of he wisht or would be contented that any misery might fall upon him If I rejoyced at the destruction or misery of him that hated me or lift up my selfe when evil found him Job 31. 29. as if he had added I would have been contented God should have done to me what he would Lift up my selfe The Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if my heart onely did say 't is good enough for him a speech too often used At the destruction in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IN the destruction as if he would not rejoice so much as at such a time when his enemie was destroyed Which is more then Solomon's at or for in the place above quoted And indeed they are no ordinary acts of piety which Job commends himselfe for in that Chapter But not more then David practised to the purpose not only not rejoycing but mourning at such times WHEN they were sicke my clothing was sackcloth Psal 35. 13. But if the men are godly it is threatned With God's exceeding great anger and the like miseries as they suffered For now it is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At the miseries of wicked men wee may The Philosopher saies wee must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be without sorrow but at these we may not There are severall instances for this as 1. the Ammonites who rejoyced at the captivity of the Jewes Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despite against the Land of Israel Behold therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee and will deliver thee for a spoyle to the heathen and I will cut thee off from the people and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries I will destroy thee thou shall know that I am the Lord Ezek 25. 6 7. 2 The Tyrians though they rejoyced because it would be for their owne good Because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem Aha she is broken that was the gates of the people she is turned unto me I shall be replenished now she is laid wast Therefore thus saith the Lord I am against thee O Tyrus c. 2 6. 2 3. 3 The people of Seir. As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate so will I do unto thee Thou shall be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it they shall know that I am the Lord. c 35. 15. Such insulting wordes at the affliction of the godly though for shame of the world men will not cōfesse they intend it so yet do indeede strike at God for I am sure he would not complaine without cause and yet in the chapter last quoted vers 13 you finde him thus complaining Thus with your mouth yee have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me I have heard them Relapsing into sinne * Punished With a worse condition For the Vncleane Spirit when he comes again to a house which he hath left will bring seven more spirits along with him keep it so strongly that he will hardly be cast out When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thorow dry places seeking rest or habitation and findeth none Then he saith I will return unto my house from whence I came and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished then goeth he and taketh with himselfe Seven or as many as can be gotten other Spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwell therein before he did but lodge there but now he will dwell and the last state of that man is worse then the first Mat 12. 43 44 45. Our Saviour saies thus to the Jewes and his saying hath been verified in them according to his prophecy in the same place Even thus shall it be also unto this wicked generation This Parable-like speech of his you have delivered by Peter in plainer termes as if hee had it in his minde to interpret it For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world pollution unclean spirit answer very well through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are entangled again therin and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. The clean spirit if I may so call the Holy Ghost when it hath left a man for a while as many times in a manner it doth when it returnes againe it comes with a great deale more efficacy for it finds a man humbled for the want of it and empty Souldiers that have kept a Castle and lost it if they take it againe will goe neere to make it impregnable If you consider it you will finde it hold in Spirituall Civill and Naturall things that Returnes to former conditions or actions for the most part improve them Threatned With a worse punishment Our Saviour said to the man whom he had cured of an infirmity of 38 yeares Sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Joh 5. 14. Religion and religious actions used for a cloak Threatned 1 With Not-being accepted Though they be of the best sort even free-will offerings nay the best of that sort I meane the fairest and best to look to Thus was threatned Saul's sparing forsooth the best of the Oxen and Sheep to sacrifice to the Lord 1 Sam 15. 21. which was but a pretext to cover his covetousnesse his disobedience for Samuel told him To obey is better then sacrifice verse 22. Thus the Israelites their fasting for strife Isa 58. 3 4 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen v. 5. So in Jeremy saies God What hath my beloved to doe in my house seeing shee hath wrought lewdnesse with many ch 11. 15. Our Saviour speaking of those who denied to profit or help their decaied parents upon pretence that they had given their goods to the Korban for the use of the Church the poore applies the complaint of the Prophet Isay In vaine doe they worship me Mark 7. 7. See what an Epiphonema John puts upon Judas his charity forsooth to the poore when he would have had the ointment spent upon our Saviour's feet to have beene spent upon them Joh. 12. 6. This he said not that he cared for the poore but because he was a thiefe and had the bag and bare what was put therein 2 God 's not rewarding or satisfying them such as Trust Reliance The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for mony yet will they leane upon the Lord
say is not the Lord among us None evill can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sake bee plowed as a field Mic 3. 11 12. 3 God's abhorring of them I the Lord love judgement I hate robbery for burnt offerings Isa 61. 8. Such robberies the Scribes and Pharisees to whom Christ spake those wordes before mentioned were guilty of who pretending they tooke it for pious uses as for offerings and the like by this means rooked the poore widows and orphanes of their livelyhood God abhorres such pretended religion as much as he did the hire of an whore or the price of a dog brought into his house though it were for a vow which he saith were an abomination to him Deut 23. 18. It was the saying of an Heathen that the Gods could not be made propitious with offering sacrifices to commit wickednesse 4 God's being against them Behold I am against the Prophets that use their tongues say HE SAITH Jer. 23. 31. 5 God's severe punishing them For thus he complaines Whose possessours slay them and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord for I am rich Zach. 11. 5. Religion only in Shew Threatned 1 With Having no reward Take heed that yee doe not your almes before men to bee seen of them otherwise yee have no reward of your father which is in heaven Mat. 6. 1. No reward of your father All the reward you have is that which you do it for how can you expect any other viz. The praise of men They disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6. 16. They have their reward they are paid and let them look for nothing in heaven hereafter Hitherto may you referre that in Timothy if you expound it of fasting with Beza Bodily exercise profiteth nothing 1 Ep. 4 8. 2 Woe Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees for yee make cleane the outside of the cup and the platter but within they are full of extortion and excesse Mat. 23. 25. Repenting late Strive to enter in at the strait gate For many I say unto you will seek which doe not strive to enter in and shall not be able When once the master of the house is risen up hath shut to the doores and yee begin to stand without and to knock at the doore saying Lord Lord open unto us and he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are c. Luk. 13. 24 25. Reported well of by all Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Reproaching Threatned 1 With certaine punishment because God takes speciall notice of it Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me Lam 3. 61. Ps 69. 19. Whosoever shall say to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the councell but whosoever shall say thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire Mat. 5. 22. 2 With sad and heavy judgments denounced in very angry expressions I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border Therefore as I live saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall be as Sodom the children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of nettles and salt pits and a perpetuall desolation The residue of my people shall spoile thē the remnant of my people shall possesse them Zeph 2. 8 9. See Eze 21. 28. concerning the same people 3 Exclusion out of heaven Nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor 6. 10. Certainly a reviler is as much out of charity in his heart as a man can be and God lookes not so much to uncharitablenesse what it is either in our speech or our actions for that is according to our power as what it is in our hearts There is an example or two of reproachers severely punished 1 Nahash the Ammonite when he besieged Jabash Gilead would not yeeld to the desire of the inhabitants to enter into covenant with them although they profered to serve him but with this condition viz that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel 1 Sam 11. 2. But the inhabitants sent immediatly to Saul who came with his army upon the Ammonites in the morning watch slew them untill the heat of the day And it came to passe that they which remained were scattered so that two of them were not left together vers 11. 2 Nabal the Carmelite when David sent his servants to him for victualls for his men gave them this reproachfull answer Who is David and who is the son of Jesse There be many servants now adaies that break away every man from his master 1 Sam 25. 10. Now which sin it was that was punished whether his not giving David provision or his giving this reproachfull answer I knowe not But it is said in the same Chapter v 38. And it came to passe about ten daies after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died Had not his wife Abigail pacified David with a present he had been kil'd by him before ver 33. but the punishment was more notorious this way viz by the hand of God Reproofe Such as doe not Give it If Parents they are sometimes punished by God of which see in the Chapter of Parents Sometimes by their children themselves Thus was David punished by his son Adonijah of whō is it said that his father had not displeased him at any time in saying why hast thou done so 1 Kings 1. 6. But he took a course to work him trouble enough to reward him for his gentlenesse for hee sought to make himselfe King ver 5. If they are God's Ministers I know not what they may expect Their case is bad enough doubtlesse as you may gather by the Prophet Isai's words if the Latine translation be right Woe unto me because I have held my peace ch 6. 5. Those who follow this translation some of them interpret it of the Prophet's not reproving King Vzziah so boldly as he should for medling with the Priests office 2 Chr. 26. 16. Others because he did not see him putt out of the City according to the Law for the Lepers Lev. 13. 46. But this last we have the lesse cause to suspect for what is said in that chapter but now quoted v. 21 viz. That he dwelt in a severall house Such as doe not Take it punished 1 With Errour He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction bnt he that refuseth reproofe erreth Prov 10. 17. 2 Destruction Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way and he that hateth reproofe shall die Prov. 15. 10. The way againe as it was before For there is no other way to come to life
The horse that will not follow the reines and the traveller that will not hearken to him that tels him when he is Out especially where there are so many turnings how is it likely they can be in the right Shall die and that shamefullly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a shamefull end so the Sept translate And this is often seen stubborne and self-willed men how are they ashamed to shew their faces when they miscarry having nothing to say for and nobody to speake against but themselves They miscarry shamefully and they miscarry suddenly for they must of necessity if they will not take warning He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck for he keeps going notwithstanding and every step brings him neerer to the pit shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. Basil being asked With what mind a man should take reproofe answered with the same that a man should take a medicine being in a dangerous disease Cyprian's punishment for such men is Excommunication Revenging God threatens to punish it severely 1 In the Edomites Thus saith the Lord God because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and hath greatly offended and revenged or hath greatly offended in revenging himselfe upon them Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast c. And I will lay vengeance upon Edom c. Ezek. 25. 12 13 14. 2 In the Philistins Because the Philistins have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despitefull heart to destroy it for the old hatred Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will stretch out my hand upon the Philistines c. and I will execute great vengeance c. Dealt by vengeance as if their dealing with the Israelites as they did had not been so bad if it had not bin in way of revenge Great Vengeance or vengeances so it is in the originall great and vengeances too Vengeance viz for vengeance after the usuall way in most of the threats in the Prophets of punishing like with like Riches Such as gaine them wrongfully threatned 1 With Not-being the better for them which is no small punishment considering what paines they are at in gathering them Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from Death Prov. 10. 2. At least in the end they will be so punished An inheritance may be gotten hastily in the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed ch 20 21. See ch 21. 6. 2 The diminishing of those riches thus gotten as it is commonly seen that they moulder away they know not how Wealth gotten by vanity shal be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall encrease Prov. 13. 11. 3 Poverty He that hasteth to be rich hath an evill eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him ch 28 22. wealth hastily gotten is like a child borne before his time which cannot be long-lived And indeed there are few rare-ripes but are soon rotten whether in wealth wisdome or learning He that hasteth There is little difference betweene him that hasteth to be rich and him that getteth riches wrongfully For he that is hasty and greedy if hee cānot do it by right yea though he can if that way be long about as usually it is will do it by wrong Poverty shall come upon him one way or other Either he shal be taken frō his riches by captivity or such like punishment as the Jewes were As the partrich sitteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and in the end shall be a foole Jer 17 11. Or else his riches shall be taken from him the same way that hee got them for so the Israelites are threatned Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces Therefore thus saith the Lord God an adversary there shall be round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoyled Amos 3 11. Store up violence and robbery The Scripture in diverse places calleth things that men have wrongfully gotten by the names of the sinnes indeed t is they that will stick longest with them See almost the like threat against the Chaldeans Hab. 2. 6 7 8. In the end shall bee a foole or shall appear to be so or be so accounted For the present he is only counted wise that hath worldly cunning to gett wealth and the simple-dealing man is counted a foole insomuch that honest simple are come to be used for the same with foolish But in the end it shall appeare who was indeede most wise and who tooke the wisest course 4 In his poverty in temporall things poverty likewise in spirituall things the onely thing that makes that poverty intolerable The Lord will not suffer the soule of the righteous to famish but he casteth away the substance of the wicked Prov 10 3. for though the Hebrew word for soule be most commonly meant otherwise then in a spirituall sense yet by the words * in the former verse it seems to be so meant here and so Jerom expounds it Casteth away He doth but gently take away a godly man's substance and put spirituall things in the roome for a supply But the wicked man's substance he casts away in anger lookes no more after him 5 The disposall of his wealth first or last 〈◊〉 the mercifull whom he never imitated and the poore whom he never reliev'd He that by usury and unjust gaine increaseth his substance hee shall gather it for him that will pity the poore Prov. 28. 8. These which I have nam'd are very usuall waies of punishing Such men I meane in the riches themselves which they have wrongfully gotten And although perhaps for the most part punishments of this sort are slowe of coming viz after the death of the parties Yet many times you may see them Speedily executed so that the parties themselves shall plainly perceive a curse attending their dishonest gain Such is that by the hād of God in not prospering those things in and about which their wrongs were practised such as Job speaks of If my Land cry against me or that the furrowes likewise thereof cōplain If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money or have caused the owners thereof to loose their life Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockle instead of barley They are his last words ch 31. 38 39. 40. After all this you may say that you often see the contrary and that such men come in no misfortune at all And I grant they may be punish'd either so invisibly as few or with such manner of punishments as none but discerning Spirits may take nocice of as inflicted for such a sinne But that hereafter and even now one way or other corporally or spiritually they shall be punish'd I may undertake
shall not be quenched Jer 17. 27. Even entring in Though the things were carried into the ciâ—y for which there might bee more use and necessitie pleaded Yea and though they were carried by strangers whom they ought to have hindered Ezekiel in ch 20. relating to the Jewes the story of their fathers carriage in the wildernesse how they walked not in God's statutes but despised his judgements for which they had severer judgements threatned them then those which were inflicted which were some of them very dreadfull ones mentions no sin but this as you may see vers 13 16 21. Only vers 24 Idolatry is mentioned along with it Nay in the Priests only negligence in seeing it strictly kept and conniving at the breach of it or hiding their eyes from the sabbaths as the expression is Ezek 22. 26. is reckoned for one of the causes of that severe punishment mentioned ver 31. Therefore have I powred out mine indignation upon them I have conâ—umed them with the fire of my wrath In the 23 Chap. of that prophecy where severall punishments are threatned and their causes declared Sabbath breaking is made an aggravation after adultery murder and idolatry for complaint being made of them ver 37. it is added ver 38. MOREOVER this they have done unto me they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day and have profaned my sabbaths Sacriledge It is threatned with a Curse Will a man rob God Yet yee have robbed mee But yee say wherein have we robbed thee In tithes and offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation Mal. 3. 8 9. It hath been punished 1 With Shortnesse of life As in the family of Eli whose sonnes Hophni Phinehas used to take away the flesh which the people brought for offerings to rost it for themselves But what said Eli of this sinne 1 Sam 2. 25. If one man sinne against another the judge shall judge him But if a man sinne against the Lord who shall entreat for him notwithstanding they hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay theÌ„ See the punishment denounced from v. 31 to the end of the Chapter 2 The death of the party Achan who at the taking of Jericho stole some of the gold and silver which was before consecrated for the Lords treasury Josh 6. 19. was by God's speciall sentence condemned to bee burnt ch 7. 15. and accordingly the people stoned him first and burnt him afterwards vers 25. 3 The conquest of the people to which hee belonged Josh 7. 5. Hitherto may you reduce the example of Belshazzar King of Babylon who upon a time in his jollity commanded to be brought forth to drink in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem But it is said that before one hour passed the hand came forth and wrote in the wall those words that told him his kingdome was divided and given to the Medes Persians Dan 5. 2 5 28. If I would follow others I might give you for examples Asa and Jehoash Kings of Judah Shishak King of Egypt and Ananias and Sapphira But because I take the sin of the two last to be no proper sacriledge that it was not so much the detaining of the mony that was punished And because I meet with no particular relation of Shishakâ—s punishment as inflicted for this sinne And lastly because of the two first it is not onely not mentioned that they were punished for this sin but said that they were punished for other causes Asa for relying on the King of Syria 2 Cor. 16 7 and Jehoash for the blood of the sonnes of Jehoida the Priest 2 Chron. 24 25 I think it is not best to make this use of them I might also present to you for your use examples out of the Maccabees As I Alcimus a Commander under Demetrius who as he began to pull downe the wall of the inner Court and the works of the Prophets Haggai and Zachary by whose perswasions the walls were built was stricken dumb and died suddenly 1 Mac. 9. 54. 2 Heliodorus who when hee came to the treasury of the temple to take it away saw a strange apparition and was stricken to the ground 2. Mac. 3. 25. and 27. 3 Menelaus one who had committed much sacriledge first last Against him it is said the King of Kings moved the mind of Antiochus who caused him to be put to death after the manner as sacrilegioâ—s persons were wont to be at Berea 2 Mac. 13. 4. But because the faith of these relations is suspected I doe but name them Whether these and other examples that might be brought bee truly related or not of this you may be confident that hee who takes a thing sacrilegiously is most taken himselfe For It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy Prov. 20. 25 Being Scandalized 1 At the waies of God Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walke in them But the transgressours shall fall therein Hos 14. 9. 2 At the word of God Peter saies that our Saviour becomes a stone of stumbling to them which stumble at the word 1 Pet. 2. 8. 3 At God himselfe He shall be for a sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel Isa 8 14. See the Chapter of Christ Scandalizing dangerous For 1 It makes God punish a sinne which otherwise he had not punished David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David The Lord hath also put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne to thee shall surely die 2 Sam. 12 13 14. 2 It makes him to resolve immutably to punish when perhaps otherwise hee would repent especially if it be in his ministers For thus he speaks of the Priests of Bethel in Jeroboam's time Because they ministred unto them before their Idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity therefore have I lift up my hand against them saith the Lord God and they shall beare their iniquitie Ezek 44 12. In Malachy mention is made how God punished such ministers in his time viz. with the contempt of the people Yee have caused many to stumhle at the law yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Therefore I also have made you contemptible as you have made my ordinances contemptible and base before all the people according as yee have not kept my waies but have been partiall in the law Malach. 2. 8 9. How justly the Ministers of England by their scandalous life and doctrine have suffered doe still suffer this punishment I wish
before Christ as appeares 1 By what is threatned God told Cain If thou dost not well sin lyeth at the dore Gen 4. 7. And Moses told the Reubenites and Cadites when he would have them go over Jordan with the rest of the Iâ—raelites to help them into their possessions having their own already on this side the river But if yee will not doe so behold yee have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will finde you out Num 32. 23. 2 By what we read of to have been inflicted Which as men knew before it was inflicted that it would be as appeares by Samuels speech to the people 1 Sam 12. 25. and Solomons prayer 1 Kings 8. 33. 35 so they acknowledged after it was inflicted that it was meerely the fruit of sin As among other places you may see in 2 Chron 30. 7. where it is said that the Messengers sent about by Hezekiah with proclamatioÌ„ for keeping of a passeover in their exhortation used these words Be yee not like to your fathers and like your brethren which trespassed against the Lord God of your fathers who therefore gave them up to desolation as yee see In the book of Judges there is seldome mention made of a victory had over the Israelites but with this preface The children of Israel did evill in the sight of the Lord c and such or such an enemy came against them c. See ch 3. 12. ch 4 3 6. 1. 10. 6. 13. 1. The same word in the Scripture is used for sin and for punishment and the same word in a different forme for to sin and to expiate sin for sin will be either expiated or punished that is câ—rtaine It is so since Christ as both the threats of the Gospel and in part experience testifie For In this world sinners are punished in the worst manner that they can be hat is with Spirituall punishments which are farre the worst and such as make way for more In speaking of these I might be very large if I would descend to Particulars But because that is a worke of a volume and not a chapter I will onely mention three more generall evils that render the condition of a sinner in this life both miserable and exceeding dangerous 1 Darkenesse 1 Joh. 2. 11. c. so that he knoweth not whither he goeth and therefore must needs fall 2 Slavery to which he is sold and hath sold himselfe wherein he continues Ro 7. 14. See Joh. 8. 34. Acts 8. 23. 3 Death Coâ— 2. 13. Perhaps he knows it not But his condition is never the better for that for of those eviâ—s that are evils indeed ignorance is alwaies an aggravation In the world to come they shall be punished with most bitter punishments Tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill Rom. 2. 9. And that for ever These shall goe away into everlasting punishment Matth. 25. 46. This is all the wages which the servants of sinne have Rom. 6. 23. and this they are sure to have unlesse by Christ they are made free from sinne and become the servants of righteousnesse so that what ever their beginning be yet their end may be everlasting life Sinning deliberately and with delight Woe unto them that devise iniquity and worke evill upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands Mic. 2. 1. See Isa 5. 18. You that sinne thus take heed lest God take up a resolution against you that he will not forget you as he did against the Jewes Thus saith the Lord unto this people thus have they loved to wander they have not refrained their feet therefore the Lord doth not accept them he will now remember their iniquity and visit their sinnes Jer 14. 10. Sinning with a high hand By Sinning with a high hand I meane Sinning as the word is in our translation presumptuously â—iz when men doe not only resolve but professe to Sinne out of pride and in Contempt of authority This manner of Sinning is very frequent so that you shall see many commit Sinnes meerly because they would not seeme to be controlled and to anger and vexe those under whose command they are But what is the danger of such Sinning doubtlesse great enough For even doing ought presumptuously God threatneth with cutting off one way or other But the Soule that doth ought presumptuously whether he be borne in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord and that Soule shall be cut off from among his people Num 15. 30 See Dent 29. 19. But if they Sinne thus against the sentence of the Priests and Judges also he prescribeth to have the parties put to death And the man that will doe presumtously and will not hearken to the Priests c. even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel Deut 17. 12. The Israelites going presumptuously up to the hill towards Canaan when Moses had expressely forbidden them were overcome by the Amorites Deut 1 43 44. The word for presumptuously in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you were PROUD And so chap 17 where we translate the man that will doe presumtuously the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that will doe in PRIDE and the Sept. translate both this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place of Numbers above quoted which we translate presumtuously after the same manner viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a hand of PRIDE And indeed PRIDE hath the greatest hand in such Sinnes whereby they either despise the word of the Lord as it is said in the place before quoted Num 15. 31. or scorne to do after the command of another Sinning against Knowledge It occasions 1 The aggravation of God's anger And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice 1 Kings 11. 9. Which had appeared unto him twice viz in adreame by night chap 3. 5 and chap. 9. 2. And that which still makes for the aggravation of Solomonâ—s Sinne The first of those times God bestowed upon him a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like him before him neither after him should any arise like him chap. 3. 12. 2 Inexcusablenesse So that they are without excuseâ— because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God c. Rom 1. 20 21. Without excuse so we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though in the 2. chap. v. 1 we render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inexcusable And very well for such Sinners as they cannot be excused by others so they have nothing to say for themselves Glorified him not c. Even omission against knowledge is dangerous 3 Not being pardoned Especially if it be also with a high hand professedly so that they stick not to say we see not only we heare and yet will not believe or
obey Our Saviour told the Pharisees If ye were blind ye should have no sinne you were in such a condition as that if you sinned perhaps through Godâ—s mercy you might have had noe sinne but it might have been taken away but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth John 9. 41. Now certainely it remaineth and will remaine still at your doore and will not be taken away Seeing Jesusâ— Christ lived amonst them and did such miracles before their eyes if yet they would deny him to be the Christ I doe not see how they could be excused such willfull lying for Jesus his being the Christ is so plain a truth that I may say Who is a Lyar if he be not that denieth that Jesus is the Christ John 2. 22. For such a translation the Greeke will beare as well as BUT he especially if we render A Lyar and not The Lyar. 4 Temporall Destruction by enemies As it did in the Jewes perhaps the Scribes and Pharisees such as I mentioned but now I will get me unto the great men and will speak unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord and the Judgment of their God But these have altogether broken the yoake and burst the bonds wherefore a Lyon out of the forrest shall slay them c. Jer 5. 5. 6. See v. 4. 5 Damnation Especially if it be against the knowledge of the truth that is the true religion by Apostacy the men are also adversaries to the truth For if we sinne wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth noe more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb 10. 26 27. 6 Greater damnation then others That Servant who knew his Lord's will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Luk 12. 47. Those six men which Ezekiel saw in his vision who had a commission from God to goe thorow Jerusalem and to kill both old and young had this order from him viz to begin at the Sanctuary Ezek. 9. 6. Where it is also said that they began at the ancient men which were before the house See James 4. 17. Enticing or causing others to sinne Doubtlesse it shall be severely punished Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that putteth thy bottle to him the Prophet changes the person for anger and makest him drunken also that thou maist look on his nakednesse Hab. 2 15 That putteth thy bottle to him or offerest the cup to him to tempt him How often is this sinne committed by us I meane our importunit with our freinds to eate and drink which we take no notice of as a sinne but practise it our selves and expect it from others as an act of civility and complement Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte and when he is made you make him twofold more the child of hell then your selves Matt. 23. 15. The Lord in the prophecy of Amos being about to threaten the Israelites with most severe punishments and beginning to reckon up the mercies which he shewed them seemes to have had an intent after that of complaining of more sinnes then one as may be gathered by the expression afterward used of a cart load of sheaves But yet as soone as ever he had mentioned this ye gave the Nazarites wine to drinke and commanded the Prophets saying prophecy not as if the weight of it had forced him to speake he goes no further but presently breakes out Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift c. Am 2. 12 13 14. Such as are guilty of this Sin their condition is wofull their persons are cursed They are exceedingly detested by God as those are by men who endevour to set others against them Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way Deut 27. 18. They shall be called the least methinkes there is much detestation anger in this expression in the Kingdome of Heaven though it be but in the breach of the least Commandement Mat. 5. 19. Leaving of men in Sinne Threatened 1 For Not-seeking to God in difficulties And therefore Elisha said to Jehoram King of Israel What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother 2 Kings 3. 13. But especially 2 For leaving God to serve Idols For for this are they left to serve idols longer 10 Judges 13. 14. Yet yee have forsaken me and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more Goe and cry unto the Gods which yee have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation And so Hosea 8. 11 Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin altars shall be unto him to sin See Amos 4. 4. Jer 16 13. 2 After serving one or some Idols to serving of others As the Israelites for making worshipping the golden calfe were left to worship the hoast of heaven Act. 7. 42. God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven Nay 3 They are left and giuen up to other sinnes Rom 1. 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse The Apostle hed mentioned the committing of Idolatry v. â— 3. and so he doth again in verse 25. and brings in this as by a parenthesis As if he were in hast to shew how this leaving them to those sinnes was the certaine effect of their Idolatry and as if that cause and this effect were inseparable See such another Parenthesis Ezek. 16. 23. Amaziah King of Judah for bringing home and worshipping the Gods of the Edomites after he had conquered them was left to pride uncharitablenesse and obstinacy so that he would not be diswaded by Joash King of Israel from the challenge which he made to fight with him But Amaziah would not heare it for it came of God that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies because they sought after the Gods of Edom. c. 2 Chr. 25. 20. So it is said of Zedekiah King of Judah for Idolatry especially among other sinnes Through the anger of the Lord it came to passe in Jerusalem and Judah untill hee had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon 2 Kings 24. 20. 3 For despising his word Because they had not executed my judgements but had despised my statutes and had polluted my Sabbath and their eyes were after their idols Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgements whereby they should not live Ezek. 20. 24 25. Hierom and Maldonate expound it in my sense And so doth the Chaldee Paraphrast But they expound Statutes of the Idolatrous lawes and rites of the Assyrians among whom the Jewes lived captive
He of wicked decrees which they made themselves Whereby they should not live God's statutes only are such Which if a man doe he shall even live by them vers 11. 13. 21. 4 For Stubbornnesse in obeying his word refusing to heare Thou shalt say unto them thus saith the Lord God he that heareth let him heare and he that forbeareth let him forbeare For they are a rebellious house Ezek 3. 27. He that forbeareth let him forbeare Aquila translates He that leaveth shall be left And so saith Hierom who parallels these words with those in Luke ch 8. 18 and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel I would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsells Ps 81. 11. 1. See Mat 23. 32. Rev 22. 11. Slanderers or False Accusers Doubtlesse shall suffer many punishment For David hath many prayer-like Prophecies and Propheticall praiers in the Psalmes against them◠usually describing them under the name of Flatterers and lyars deceitfull persons Among the rest there is one dreadfull one against Doeg the Edomite in the 52 Psalme Where without speaking any thing of his killing the Priests at the command of Saul 1 Sam 22. 18. but only of his wicked tongue after complaint made of his lying v. 3. as well as his deceitfullnesse vers 4. whereby it appeares he did more then tel◠Saul of Abimelech's entertaining David which is all that is mentioned in Samuel ◠Sam. 22. 10. and was true enough as you may see ch 21. 2. 9. in the 5 verse thus hee speaks God shall likewise destroy thee for ever c. But give me leave to shew after my wonted manner the severall punishments which I meet with in these and other Scriptures according to their different quality Now they are 1 Shame that 's the least by not having their wills upon those whom they slander Those who slandered the Prophet Jeremy to Zedekiah in saying that hee sought not the welfare of the people but the hurt Jer 38. 4 because he disheartned them by his prophecies from standing out against the Assyrians see what he saith of them ch 20. v. 10. I heard the defaming of many Report say they and we will report or accuse him to the King as the Scribes sent forth their Spies to observe our Saviour that they might accuse him to the Governour Luk 20. 20. All my familiars watched for my halting a complaint which David often makes saying peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevaile against him c. But he addes immediatly v. 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one therefore my persecutours shall stumble and they shall not prevaile they shall be greatly ashamed For they shall not prosper their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten 2 The evill which they intended by slandering to bring upon others So Haman who slandered the Jewes to the King of Babylon that they kept not his lawes Esth 3. 8 intending to have them all massacred verse 9 was put to death himselfe and hanged upon the gallowes which he made for Mordecai Esth 7. 10. If men doe not execute this punishment as it is not often that they doe because the hearer usually is pleased with such newes and the other is ignorant of it yet God will For having shot their arrowes secretly when men knew it not so that they hurted them suddenly before they thought of it Psal 64. 4. God also shall shoot at them with his arrowes and suddenly shall they be wounded v. 7. 3 Being excluded the houses of men even of those to whom they bring their slanders this is the least For thus David speakes where he is telling what he would doe when he came to be King Who so privily slandereth his neigbour him will I cut off Psal 101 5. It could not be meant of such as were Slanderers in Saul's time for such he would never admit at all 4 Being excluded the house of God as we may well conjecture for David Psal 15. having asked vers 1. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle afterwards makes answere to himself that such and such among the rest he that backbiteth not with his tongue vers 3. 5 A Curse Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly Deut 27. 24. Smiteth there is little difference betweene him who hurts a man first with his tongue and him who afterwards upon his false accusation hurts him with his sword smite they doe both only secretly publickly is all the oddes and what is that with God David calls the tongue of Slanderers a sword Ps 64. 3. See the hurtfullnesse of a slanderous tongue notably described by the Sonne of Sirach Ecclus. 28. 14. to the end 6 Vtter destruction of them and their families Amaziah a Priest of Bethel accusing the Prophet Amos to Jeroboam the King of Israel of conspiring against him Amos 7. v. 10 in the 17 verse is thus threatened Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city and thy Sonnes and thy Daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt dye in a polluted land And thus is that of Doeg's being rooted out of the land c in the place above quoted Ps 52. 5 interpreted because say the Hebrewes the children are the root when the tree is cut down or a man is dead from whence spring new branches that is Nephewes Ezekiel chap 22. being about to threaten Jerusalem with captivity first makes complaint of some notorious sinnes and among the rest this was one In thee are men that carry tales to shed bloud v. 9. To shed bloud There are but few such men but are bloudy-minded If they doe not speake to that end that another man's bloud may be shed yet they would be glad if that were the end and it is not seldome that it proves so Thus you have seen what evills a slanderous tongue may occasion to the slanderers themselves And good reason they should have some hurt among so much as it does The Hebrews call a slanderous tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Evill tongue The Chaldee Paraphrase almost every where expresseth the sinne by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Treble tongue And so in that chapter of Ecclesiasticus which before I referred you to vers 15 it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Third tongue And the reason they give is because it doeth hurt to three persons viz the hearer the accused and the speaker himselfe It may be so likewise called from speaking three manner of waies For 1 The Slanderer flatters the party whom he will slander to make him the more ready to trust him 2 He slanders that party to whom he means to slāder him that so he may speak his mind the more freely against him 3 He tells againe
Which puts me in mind of a saying among the Jewes The doore that is not opened to the poore shall be opened to the Physicians Vnfruitfullnesse God punisheth men for it 1 With leaving them to the wide world What could I have done more to my vinyard that I have not done in it wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes and now goe to I will tell you what I will doe to my vinyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe Isa 5. 4 5. 2 Taking away the means of making them fruitfull It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briars and thornes I will also command the cloudes that they raine no raine upon it ib. v. 6. 3 Taking away the power and meanes of being fruitfull gifts and talents Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him that hath ten talents Mat. 25. 28. So that for unfruitfullnesse the sinne they have unfruitfullnesse the punishment When he saw a fig-tree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat. 21 19. 4 Cutting downe as trees that have left bearing It was John the Baptist's doctrine every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Mat. 3. 10. And it was our Saviours too in in the same wordes chap. 7. 19. Luk 13. 7. He that had hid his talent in the ground had his doome to be cast into outer darknesse Mat. 25. 30. Vnthankfull sinning I meane sinning against more then ordinary mercy For otherwise all sinning hath Vnthankefulnes in it It hath been threatned 1 With God's anger although the party were one that God loved exceeding well Hezekiah rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. 2 God 's not pardoning them or forbearing to punish them How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forâ—aken me sworne by them that are no Gods When I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses Jer 5. 7. 3 God's punishing them severely You only have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Am. 3. 2. How tenderly does God take it to have hatred thus returned him for his good will even as a father does to be hated by his children whom he hath not onely begotten but bred up with a great deale of love and paines and care One may plainly see it in the manner of his expressions Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons of his daughters Deu 32. 18 19. Because of the provoking of his sons and his daughters If they had been strangers their Provoking had not been so odious nor their Sins so provoking Deu 32. 18 19. Heare O heavens and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Isa 1. 2 3. Heare O Heavens As if creatures onely naturall would be sensible of such an unnaturall thing viz for children to forget him that nourished and fed them In that place of Deuteron last quoted where we translate formed the Sept. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nourished thee So in Hos 11. 3. in the Latine translation the words are I as Ephraim's nursing father bare them in my armes And indeed these expressions viz of nourishing and a nursing father doe aggravate ingratitude much more then making or begetting or being a father For many fathers doe hate their children and many cause them to be made away as soone as they are borne Being a father is not so much a matter of love At least there is no love in so being but only from unlesse it be by adoption so as God is a father in Jesus Christ For they to whom he is so may well say Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 Joh 3. 1. He did not love us as fathers love their naturall children which is usually by force of nature so that they cannot help it But he bestowed his love upon us freely To have been indeed the sons of God had not been matter of love but being not the sons of God but the children if wrath yet to be called the sons of God here was love It may be seen likewise viz how tenderly God takes sinning against his love in another comparison which God often useth viz of a wife forsaking her husband Among other places I refer you especially to Ezek. 16. 32. For in that Chapt. the Prophet seems to have made it his businesse to set forth the greatnesse of the peoples ingratitude recounting first Gods mercies from vers 4. to 14. and after that their sins notwithstanding those mercies See the complaint concerning Ephraim Hos 7. 13. 15. and the threat pronounced against them vers 16 See also Ch. 11. 3. 4 Deniall of mercy under punishment which is a very sad thing When the Israelites cried ro the Lord for help being invaded by the Ammonites his answer was this Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and yee cryed unto mee and I delivered you out of their hand Yet yee have forsaken mee and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more Judg 10 11 12 13. It hath been punished and threatned 1 With many sorts of judgements Such as the Jewes at severall times met with before theiâ— captivity The Levites in their confession at the time of the fast after the peoples returne to Jerusalem relating the manner of God's dealing with their ancestors by mercies and punishments and their behaviour towards him still made the cause of their punishments to be their sinnes after the receit of mercies as you may see in Nehemiah c. 9. Not once nor twice nor twenty times in the Old Testament when there is either an exhortation to the Jewes to remember or a reproofe for forgetting the Lord their God their deliverance out of the land of Egypt is presently mentioned in these words Which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt See 2 King 17. 6 7. Deut. 13. 5 10. c. The mention of this mercy alone God knew
Augustine theirs did who when our Saviour was risen out of the grave said His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept Matt. 28. 13. For saith he if they were asleepe how came they to know so much And in like manner the speech of those whom the same men viz the chief Priests suborned to witnesse against him to put him to death For that which is strange to observe considering what cunning men they had to teach them their tale though there were many of them and though they brought divers accusations yet were they not able to make any two testimonies agree together Mark 14. 56 59. Word of God Such as obey it not 1 They have no title to God's Covenant nor to any thing contained in the word But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50. 16 17. 2 They are sure to be punished especially if it be the word of the Gospel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb 12. 25. 3 Their punishments have been great and without remedy Because they rebelled against the word of God and contemned the Counsell of the most high Therefore he brought downe their heart with labour◠they fell downe and there was none to help Psalm 107. 11 12. See Jer 26. 4 5. 6. Let such heare the word never somuch nay declare it and preach it never somuch yet if they build upon this only and presume thereupon that the promises contained in the word are theirs and that Christ is their Saviour they are in no better condition then he that without a foundation built his house upon the sand for that is our Saviruo's comparison Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand Those that believe it not 1 They will not be profited by it nor be partakers of what it promiseth For unto us was the Gospel preached as it was unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. 2 They will without question be condemned For the word which they have sleighted shall judge them He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day John 12. 48 and all the Ministers whom they have heard and their writings which they have read shall accuse them Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to the Father there is no need of that though I have cause enough There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust chap. 5. 45 46. Mark how angrily God threatens the Jews for not believing the Prophet Jeremy They have belied the Lord and said it is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine and the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them thus shall it be done unto them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hoasts because yee speake this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devoure them Jer 5. 12. 13 14. Such as will not heare it 1 God is exceeding angry with them They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hoasts had sent by the former Prophets Therfore came a great wrath from the Lord of hoasts Zach 7. 12 13. So in Jeremy To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare Their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot harken behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord I am weary with holding in c. Ch 6. 10 11 See also vers 19. and ch 7. 13 14 15. 2 They shall be certainly punished God told Moses concerning the Prophet whom he would raise up in his roome And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18 19. The punishments which the Scripture mentions are 1 God's not hearing their prayers in their misery as in that place of Zachary last quoted Therefore it is come to passe that as hee cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hoasts v. 13. Nay insteed of hearing them abhorring of them He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov 28 9. 2 Giving up to their lusts But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells Ps 81. 11 12 3 Greater condemnation then those have who never had the word to heare Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words When yee depart out of the house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of judgement then for that city Mat 10 14 15. Our Saviour thus spake to the twelve Apostles when hee first sent them and he said the like to the seventy disciples Luk. 10 11 12. Such as despise it Their end shall be destruction Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall bee rewarded Prov 13. 13. Words idly spoken Our Saviour told the Jewes I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account thereof Matt. 12. 36. Idle word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that which we usually meane by idle talke viz wicked and profane only but uselesse and needlesse and of which there comes or is intended no good Workes neglected No Salvation What doth it profit my brethren if a man say he hath faith and have no workes Can faith save him Jam. 2. 14. Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse saith David and put thy trust in the Lord Psalm 4. 5 or else thy trust is vaine That they might set their hope in God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements saith the same Prophet Psalm 87. 7 otherwise they might be one day ashamed of their hope faith without the observation of the Commandements being but a dead faith and not a lively ashamed The Jewes were told that unlesse they did thorowly amend their waies and their