I thought it needlesse because they were so many and so easie to bee found Hence it is possible that I may have overslipt some but being confident they are very few I here give you a catalogue of those which I tooke which I have put in figures only both because they might perhaps seem too many to bee written out in a greater volume and especially because I feared the book would bee of two great a bulk for the volume More notable places of threats and punishments for wicked men Gen. 38. 7. Exod 23. 7. 1 Sam 2. 9. 2 Sam 23. 6 7. 1 Kings 8. 32. 2 Kings 17. 20 Job 4 8 9. cap 5. 3. 6. 16. c. 8. 20 22. c. 10. 14 15. c. 11. 20. c. 15. 20. to the end c. 11. 15. to the end c. 20. 5. to the end c. 21. 17. to 20. c. 22 16. v. 30. c. 24. 20 24. c. 27. 13. c. c. 31. 3. c. 34. 22. 26 27. c. 36 6. c. 38. 13. 15. c. 40. 12. Psal 1. 4. 5 6. Ps 5. 5. Ps 9. 19. Ps 11. 5 6. Ps 20. 8 10 12. ps 32. 10. Ps 34. 16. 21. ps 36. 12. Ps 37. 2. 9 10 13 15 20 22 28 36. 38. Ps 50. 17. to 21. Ps 5. 2. to 5. Ps 64. 1. to 7 8. Ps 68 21. 23. Ps 73. 18 to 21. 27. Ps 75 8. 10. ps 92. 7. 9. ps 94. 23. ps 101. 4. 8. ps 104. 35. psal 109. 78. ps 112 3. 10. ps 129 4. ps 141. 10. ps 146. 9. ps 147. 6. Prov 6. 15. c. 10. 7. 9. 24 25. 27. 28. 29 30. c. 11. 7. 21. c. 12. 7. 21. c. 13. 5 9. 21. c. 14. 11. 19. 32. c. 16. 4. c. 21. 18. c. 22 8. c. 29. 16. Eccles 2. 26. c 8 12 Isa 1. 28. c. 3. 8. 11 c. 5. 18. c. 9. 18. c. 13. 9. 11. c. 57. 20 21. c. 59. 2. c. 64 6. Jer 7. 20. c. 9 10 11 15. 16. Par. 22. c 13 24 25. c 14 16. c 15 1. to 8. c 16 4. c 18. 16. c 20 5. 10 12. c 22. 24. 25 c 23. 40. c 24 9. 15 c 44 27 c 48 38 39. c 49 17 c 50 25 Lament 2 4 c 3 1 3 5 8 10. 12 15 43 44. Ezek 4 17. c 5 11 13 15 c 7 3 4 8 27 c 12 19 c. 14 8 c 22 31 c 24 13 Hos 1 9 6 c 5 10 12 14 15 c 13 3 Nah 3 5 6 Zeph 6 17 18 Mal 1 4 c 3 5 c 4 4 Mat 13 41 42. 50 Joh 5 29 c 17 9 Rom 1 18 1 Cor 6 9 10 11 Gal 5 19 to 22 Eph 5 5 6 Col. 3 5 6 1 Pet 4 18. Will worship And Nadab and Abihu tooke each of them his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded not And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the the Lord Lev 10 1. 2. Wisedome Such as neglect it 1 They are certainly punished one way or other A rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding Prov. 10. 13. This rod usually growes in their own mouth In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride chap 14. 3 For by their own rash and foolish speeches actions they worke themselves abundance of misery chap 10. 14. 2 For the most part they are spiritually starv'd to death The lips of the righteous feed many but fooles dye for want of wisdome which is the food of the soule Prov 10. 21 By death I meane that which is everlasting For the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remaine in the congregation of the dead Prov 21 16. Shall remaine He shall not obtaine the resurrection from the dead as it is said Luk 20 35 that is a resurrection to happinesse which is only worthy the name of resurrection and is called a resurrection to life * life in misery being not worthy the name of life Wisedome i e. carnall wisedome punished 1 With Infatuation and Ignorance in spirituall things For it is written I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisedome of this world 1 Cor. 1. 19 20. See Isa 29. 14. Rom 1. 22. 2 Deniall of grace For yee see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called 1. Cor 1 26. See Mat 11. 25. 3 Confusion and Shame when they see children and fooles get to Heaven before them that they with all their wisedome cannot understand the things of God so wel as others who have lesse knowledge God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound or shame the wise God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty 1 Cor 1. 27. I may adde heereunto how men many times ruine themselves either by the practise or by the over eager pursuit of human wisdom learning Be not righteous overmuch neither make thy selfe over wise why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe Ecles 7. 16. We see what ends many Politicians and hard Students make Either they take such courses as are destructive or growing mad they destroy themselves Destroy thy selfe Lat. Tran. ne obstupescas lest thou be astonished shall I say or stupified For so many times those who have attained to most humane knowledge are more then those who have attained but to a little so that though they have more understanding they have lesse sense The wisedome that is from above hath none of these evils attending it You never knew a man the worse with studying that Witnessing falsly It shall be certainely punished one way or other For Solomon hath said it twice in one chapter A false witnesse shall not be unpunished Prov. 19. 5 9. The manner of punishing it among the Jewes is thus prescribed Deut 19 from the 16 vers to the end If a false witnesse rise up against any man to testifie against him that which is wrong then both the men between whom the controversy is shall stand before the Lord before the Priests and the Judges which shall be in those dayes And the Judges shall make diligent inquisition and behold if the witnesse be a false witnesse and doth testifie falsly against his brother Then shall ye doe unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother so shalt thou put away evill from among you And those that remaine shall heare and feare and shall henceforth commit no more such evill among you And thy eye shall not pitty but life shall goe for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot The hand of God appeares notably against False witnesse in this that many times their speech bewraieth them So saith
was wroth Isa 57 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse the iniquity of covetousnesse is much and commonly there is much iniquity also goes with it especially in men that exercize trades or are in places of power and trust I will stretch out mine hand upon the Inhabitants of the land saith the Lord for from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse Jerem 6 13. In the eighth chapter vers 10. he shewes how he would punish their coveting to have more with the losse of what they had and their wronging others with being wronged themselves which is an usuall punishment of covetous men I will give their wives unto others their fields to them that shall inherit theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall disinherit them may seem a better translation for so the Hebrew word is used sometimes with the accusative case of the person as Zachâ— 9 4. and elsewhere so that them shall relate to the men not to the fields unlesse you had rather say to their heires that is to the heires of those that marry their wives so the vulgar and the Chald Paraphrast 3. Exclusion out of the company of the Saints in this world or excommunication for so Paul would have them punished I have written unto you not to keep company If any man that is cal'd a brother be a fornicator or covetous c. With such a one no not to eat 1 Cor. 5 11. 4. Exclusion from their company in the world to come Nor theeves nor covetous men nor drunkards c. shall inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor 6 10. The very rust of their mony which they have greedily gathered and niggardly kept if their owne consciences would not confesse their covetousnesse will come in judgment against them and testify it to their faces Your gold and silver is canker'd and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasures together for the last dayes Jam 5 3. Covetousnesse must needes be severely punished if it be Idolatry as the Apostle sayes it is Col 3 5. Indeed it may well be counted so rather then other sins yet not so much because covetous men love their wealth more then God for so the gluttons love their belly and voluptuous men their pleasures and other sinners other things as because usually they put their hope and confidence in it which are acts to be exercised upon nothing but God and because they think their life consists in the abundance of things which they possesse for somuch our Saviour intimated in affirming the contrary when he charged the people so earnestly to beware of covetousnesse doubling the caveat Take heede and beware of covetousnesse for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth Luk. 12 15. doubtlesse those who are guilty of this sinne have cause to feare God's severe punishment for else our Saviour had never spoken in this manner I might produce many instances of severe punishments of other sinnes of which this sinne was the occasion as Samuel's sons 1 Sam. 8. Saul chap. 15. Nabal chap. 25. and Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. But of these in their places Cruell men are threatned and punished 1 With hurting themselves The mercifull man doth good to his owne soule but he that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh Prov. 11 17. 2 A Curse or the prayers of godly men against them Jacob a little before he died thus cursed Simeon and Levi for being brethren not only in bloud but in blouds or bloudy-mindednesse and cruelty towards the Shechemites Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49 7. for thus joyning in sinne division and scattering shall be their punishment 3 Like Cruelty from others Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off gathered their meat under my table as I have done so God hath requited mee Thus Adonibezek himselfe a heathen confessed when the Israelites of the tribes of Judah and Simeon tooke him prisoner and cut off his thumbs toes Judg. 1 6 7. 4 Gods anger Heare me therefore and deliver the captives againe which yee have taken captive of your brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you thus spake Oded the Prophet to the Israelites for keeping the Jewes whom they had taken in warre in slavery 2 Chron. 28 11. and so vers 9. he tels them that in the battell also they had exercised such cruelty as called to heaven for vengeance Ye have slaine them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven 5 Certaine punishment without remedy though the cruelty be exercised upon wicked men Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pity and his anger did teare perpetually and he kept his wrath for ever Amos 1 11. and thus the Moabites ch 2 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgrâ—ssions of Moab and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom in Lime Some say that that Son whom the King of Moab kill'd and offered for an offering upon the wall 2 Kings 3 27. was the King of Edoms Son whom he had taken prisoner when he endevourd to break thorough his army and apply this threat to him adding to this act of his cruelty here express'd that he burnt his bones into lime one more viz that he made use of this lime to plaister his palace withall 6 Severe punishment without mercy to cry him quits He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy James 2 13. Where it is added For mercy rejoyceth over judgment as mercy rejoyceth over judgmentâ— and love covereth a multitude of sinnes so judgment shall rejoyce over cruelty and where hatred is not one sin of a multitude but shall be discovered Cruelty even towards malefactors how odious it was among the Jews appears both by what they required in those that were to be Judges and by what they allowed to them it was required among other conditiâ—ions that those who were Judges should neither be Eunuchs nor such as had never any children because such were more likely to be cruel and it was allowed the malefactor even after he was sent to execution if he had any thing more to say then what he had said already to come back againe foure or five times Curiosity especially in Divine things Threatned The Lord said unto Moses Goe down charge the people lest they break thorow unto the Lord to gaze many of them perish Exod 19 21. Charge the people in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testify to
be are but an interpretation of thē that those Prophets who bare the people in hand there would be no captivity should suffer most by it and never returne into the Land of Israel If there had been nothing threatned in Scriptures against such men yet you may guesse their end and punishment to be bad enough by the names which they have given them in the Scriptures as of Theeves and Robbers Joh 10. 8. for of such Austin and Chrysostome thinke those words to be spoken Nay of Wolves Matt. 7. 15 and Foxes Cant 2. 15. These names they very well deserve in regard of their manner of hunting after soules as those creatures doe after sheep to make a prey of them for this speech is used concerning the False Prophetesses in Ezekiel chap 13. 18. Now we know how such beasts are used if they are taken and therefore many of these are sure to be destroyed because they are sure to be taken Saint Peter saith they are as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroied 2 Pet 2. 12. It is but talio like for like that they should be so punished because they destroy others for if he who takes away the life of the body be punished in the same manner why not also he who takes away the life of the Soule In like manner we might guesse by the name that is given to their doctrine being called a Gangrene 2 Tim 2. 17. Now where a Gangrene is that part of the body must be cut off and so Paul wished they were who with false doctrine had troubled the Galatians chap. 5. 12. THREATS Of False-Teachers Peter saith that under the Old Testament there were false Prophets among the people 2 Pet 2. 1. John saith that under the New Testament even in his time many false Prophets were gone out into the world 1 Epist 4. 1. gone out like Foxes out of their holes to make a prey of the Soules of men and therefore he bids them not believe every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God as it is in the same verse Every spirit For a spirit they will all pretend and a spirit is all they do pretend A spirit it is that moves thē but it is an uncleane spirit and therefore let thē take heed how they miscall it and so blaspheme against the Holy Ghost It was presently after our Saviour had reproved the Pharisees for saying he did cast out divells by the prince of the divells wheras he doth it by the Spirit of God that he added these wordes Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sinne and blasphemy it shall be forgiven unto men but the sinne and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Mat 12. 13. If it be not The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost I am sure it is a blasphemy against it as well to say that the spirit of the divell is the Spirit of God as to say the Spirit of God is the spirit of the divell or to say that what is done by one is done by the other Nay methink it brings more disgrace or blasphemy upon the Spirit because all those wicked actions which such men commit will be said to proceed from that spirit which they pretended I am sure if the Spirit of truth be not the word of truth is very much evill spoken off or blasphemed by reason of such men 2 Pet 2. 2. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles instances in some that taught circumcision at Jerusalem chap 15. 5 and some that came from Judea taught it in Antioch vers 1. Threats and prophesies that there shall be false teachers The Apostles have more then one There shall be false teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet 2. 1. Privily bring in or bring in by the by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together with some truths as one would make bad mony passe with good as it is said in Isaiah The Lord hath mingled a perverse Spirit chap 19. 14. They doe their worke slily not breaking open houses or going into them openly but creeping and slipping in with others that are honest 2 Tim 3. 6. Insomuch that it is a very hard thing not to be couzend by them and therefore the times when such men shall abound may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difficult for so they are verse 1. though I say not for this reason From our Saviour's owne mouth we are threatned twice in one chapter Matt. 24 And many false Prophets shall arise vers 11 and so againe verse 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Shall arise or shall be raised for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies viz by the power of the divell and God's permission like so many spirits for by this name they are called 1 Tim 4. 1. 1 Joh 4. 1. conjured up to trouble the world but this I speak not as if I were ignorant that the word raising is applyed also to good Prophets both in the new Testament Matt 11. 11. And in the Old Deut 18. 18. As likewise to Priests and Kings 1 Sam 2. 35. 1 Kings 14. 14. THREATS or PROPHESIES Of Being seduced by False-prophets or False-teachers Paul sayes Some shall be seduced Now the spirit speaketh expresly That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith 1 Tim 4. 1. And this they shall doe with a Love to errour we see daily how greedily men drink in any thing that is erroneous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving heed to seducing spirits as it is in the same verse The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render taking heed expresses as great Diligence as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth Constancy in adhering to any one it is used of those that followed Simon Magus Act 8. 10. Nay they shall doe it with a Loathing of the truth such as a diseased body hath of wholsome food For the time shall come when they will not endure sound or wholsome Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after their owne lusts shall they heape to themselves teachers having itching eares and they shall turne away their eares from the truth and shall be turned unto Fables 2 Tim 4. 3. Peter sayes Many And many shall follow their pernicious waies 2 Pet 2. 2 And so our Saviourhad said before him even of such as should believe an other Christ many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Matt 24. 5. There have been divers false Prophets who have not only taken upon them to come in Christs name but have taken Christ's name upon them as Dositheus Simon Theudas Manes who had his twelve Apostles The Anabaptists of Munster David George c. Now their being seduced proceeds First from their owne Hypocrisy viz Because they never loved the truth truly or because they received not the love of the truth when they received the truth 2 Thess 2. 10.
lay in the manger kept the horse's oates for him and just such key-keepers are the Papists You have the like threat in Luke Woe unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the key of knowledge c. c. 11. 52. They took the key that was all for they made no use of the key at lest not to open the door but to shut it There is no sin more Devilish or wherein in men shew themselves more like the Devill then this of Hindering goodnesse Neither is there any thing wherein the Devill shewes himselfe more truly Satan that is an enemy Then is the Devill truly Satan when hee resists Joshua Zac 3 1 and when hee taketh away the word that is sowen in mens hearts Mark 4. 15. And then are men little better then Divells when they are a hindrance to others from that which may be for the good of their Soules When Peter would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a block in Christ's way to Jerusalem whether he went to doe the will of his Father which if he had not done wee had perished to all eternity he calls him Satan Mat. 16. 23. Get thee behind me Satan When Paul was stopt in his intention to come to the Thessalonians by the Epicureans and others at Athens he said that Satan hindered him 1 Thess 2. 18. and when Bariesus sought to turne away the Deputy-Governour of Paphos from the faith he called him the Child of the Divell and enemy of all unrighteousnesse Acts 13. 10. But is this all that we have to say to such men to call them enemies Noe for as for that Jew which I mentioned you may read how he was stricken with blindnes v. 11 and for the rest of the Jewes who forbade the Apostles to speak to the Gentiles 1 Thess 2. 16 it is said of them in the same place The wrath is come upon them to the utmost I could wish we were all of us so wise as to count all them for no better then our enemies who either hinder us from goodnesse or entice us to wickednesse Hire Those that detaine it 1 Their punishment is certaine Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant that is poore and needy whether he be of thy Brethren or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates At his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the Sun goe downe upon it for he is poore and setteth his heart upon it least he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be sinne in thee Deut 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant or one that workes for wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Malachi chap. 3. 5. a participle of the same verb hashak to oppresse is joyned also with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that oppresse the hire The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to to keep back that which another should have is after the same manner joyned sometimes with the thing as by the Septuagint in their translation of those places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and sometimes with the person as by Paul 1 Cor 6. 8. and c. 7. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But perhaps by oppressing the hire may be meant an oppressing of the hireling not so much by keeping his hire altogether as by diminishing his hire or not giving him it so soone as the master ought or as he agreed therefore it is said v 15. At his day using tricks evasions to deceive him Accordingly some say that the word Hashak properly signifies oppression by cunning and fraud as Gasal doth oppression by violence which if it doe it is very well expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies and our translation very well renders it so to defraud Hashak or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a sinne in paying another too little as Batsah or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in making another pay too much that not by violence but by cunning and deceit It is a sin as frequently committed and as lightly esteemed of by us now as it was by the Jewes of old who as in this so in other sins which were not point blank contrary to the letter of the Law cared not how much they offended If they were never so outragious with their brother calling him foole Raca all the bad names of the world so long as they did not kill him Mat. 5. 21. If they lusted never so much so long as they did not cōmit adultery v. 27. and so if they defrauded never so much by keeping backe so long as they did not steale by taking away they thought or would have others to thinke that they did not break the commandements But our Saviour sufficiently told thē that the meaning of God the Cōmandements was larger then so as you may see Mat. 5. And as for this sin whereof we speak when he shewed the young man the cōmandements he did not only tel him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not steal but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not defraud for so Marke hath it c. 10. 19. though Matthew Luke mention it not Whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers Though he might make a stranger pay him more thē a brother for usury yet he himself might not pay to a strāger lesse then to a brother for wages However I believe if he so defrauded a brother it was a worse sin thē if he defrauded a strāger according to the words of the Apostle You do wrong defraud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that your brethren Neither shall the Sun goe down upon it There are two things which the Scripture forbids us to let the Sun goe down upō A grudge that we owe to our neighbour the wages that we owe to a hireling For a man to go to bed either with a grudge in his stomacke or the wages of a hireling in his pocket is as dangerous to his soule as it is hurtfull to his body to sleep before his meat is concocted He that doth either of these is as one that lyeth all night with his doores open upon him And 't is to be attributed to nothing but God's forbearance if such a sinne or the punishment thereof which lies at the doore as much as any doe not come in and surprize him ere he see the light of another day He that sleeps with dues unpaid and sinnes unrepented of is like him that sleeps upon the top of a mast or in the sides of a ship when it is like to be cast * away To conclude he is like one that angers his enemie and casts away his weapon or a garrison that makes a sally presently throwes downe the workes For he is poore c. the Scripture hath every where very high and tender expressions of five sorts of people especially viz the Poore the Fatherlesse the Widow the Stranger
given by divers to those words of God in Genesis Ch. 6. 3. thus translated by us My spirit shal not alwaies strive with man for that he also is flesh Which I know no reason but we may very well doe especially if insteed of following Arias and Symmachus and translating My spirit shall not alwaies strive c. we follow either Pagnin or the Septuagint Chald Par and the Vulgar and translate thus My spirit shall no longer remaine in man because they are flesh For so it will very well beare this paraphrase viz because I see they are altogether for their bodies to pleasure their flesh by gluttony and lasâ—iviousnesse and care not for their soules I am resolved to resume againe that breath which I put into them and not to suffer my spirit any longer to lodge in such filthy carcasses Our Saviour himselfe may seeme to have seconded this interpretation when he spake of this punishment and the security of the people in sinning before it was inflicted in this manner For as in the daies that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage c. Mat. 24. 38. not as if eating and drinking were a sin but either intemperance in eating and drinking or doing that nothing else So speaking of the destruction of Sodom and the security of the people in sinning before the inflicting of it he saies in the first place they did eat they dranke c. Luk. 17. 28. And in the like security he told the Jewes that many should be surprized by the day of judgement either Generall that which shall be to all or particular that which hath beene to them take it how you will Even thus shall it be in the day when the sonne of man is revealed Luk. 17. 30. See chap. 12. 45. Mat. 24. 49. And therefore Paul speaking to the Thessalonians to prepare for the day of the Lord bids them in especiall manner to be sober and temperate Epist 1. 5. 6. The intemperate man both his danger his hurt must needs be great especially from the Divell â— for men usually spare him out of pity or scorne and therefore the Apostle saith Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Divell as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. 1 Because even while he is well he is not carefull to prevent it only sober men will be carefull to gird up the Loynes of their mind 1. Pet. 1. 13. or put on the brestplate of faith and love 1 Thess 5. 6. or watch unto prayer * 1. Pet. 4. 7. Sober in the Epistles may be meant also of being Sober-minded as we render it in Tit. 2. 6. or Grave Humble quiet serious circumspect as it is in Rom. 12. 3. 1. Tim. 3. 11. Tit. 2. 2. 4. But yet in these places the word in the original is different viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in those which I have quoted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the place first quoted v. 12. 1. Thess 5. 6. seemes cleerly to be meant of Temperance properly so called because in the following verse there is mention made of sleeping and being drunken as of things opposed to watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the night they that are drunk are drunk in the night 2. Because when he hath â—urfeited he is not able to avoid it or receive it Receive it he cannot for want of strength of which he hath as litle in minde as he hath in Body avoid it he cannot because he is seldome so much as awake to foresee it Only the sober man can be watchfull and therefore the Apostle in the place above quoted viz Thes 5 6. knowing that a man caÌ„not be watchfull unlesse he be sober assoone as he had nam'd the former presently added the latter Let us watch and be sober Peter in the place above quoted puts them as neere together though not in the same order He must needs be taken napping that cannot keep himselfe waking But the greatest of these causes as being the cause of the latter I take to be the former viz Security All sinnes wherein men are secure must needs be dangerous and therefore there is no sin so dangerous as Intemperance because there is none wherein men are so secure You have had three notable examples hereof But of all the three the first is the most notable in regard that the people of the old world if they had not that time told them which God had limited for their continuance viz of a hundred and twenty yeares yet had they all that time given them after notice of the flood wherein the Arke was in preparing which could be no small time as Peter seemes to intimate When once the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Arke was a preparing 1. Pet. 3. 20. Besides the time wherein the creatures were a gathering which were to be put into the Arke If the time allotted them had been never so short unlesse they had been worse then beasts they must needs have bethought themselves a litle and not have still continued in that manner as our Saviour saies they did eating and devouring till the very Day that Noah went into the Arke for then they believed certainly he was not in jest Nay he saies They knew not till the flood came and tooke them all away Beza observes how the word in that place used for eating is by the GraÌ„marians said to be properly used of beasts adding Vt etiam videatur magnae esse hujus verbi emphasis quo significatur homines brutorum instar fore ventri deditos There is one thing more that aggravates the security of those gluttons before the flood viz that although for those hundred and twenty yeares as it is probable they had had Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter calls him 2. Pet. 2. 5. a preacher of righteousnesse or a publisher of that righteous judgement of God intended by him in the destruction of the world so that by knew not must be meant as Beza translates acknowledged not or did not consider yet notwithstanding all this they repented not but remained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostl's word is i. e. disobedient or not perswaded to believe what Noah told them If you observe it you shall finde that the Intemperate man his pleasure is so bewitching and seemingly harmelesse is the hardest to be perswaded and the worst to be made either to believe a threat or feare a punishment or to leave his sinne of any in the world You may see more of this sin in the Chapters of Gluttony Whoredome Drunkennesse Adultery Iudging others threatned 1. With Judgement Judge not and yee shall not be judged Luk. 6. 37. For if that which is lesse likely be true that which is more likely is not likely
applies this place to Governours See Kings and Governours Mirth i. e. worldly Mirth punished 1 With Non satisfaction I said in my heart goe to now I will prove thee with Mirth therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this is also vanity Eccles 2 1. 2 Sorrow AFTER it Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe Luk. 6. 25. Hell hath enlarged her selfe c. and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it Isa 5. 14. I believe worldly men may say almost of all their sorrow being the attendant either of sinfull Acts or of vain enjoyments wherewith they made themselves merry Gaudia Principium nostri sunt Phoce doloris that joyes were the begining of it As it is said that worldly sorrow worketh death and it proveth true many times of the death of the body so I have read of Joy too that being too violent it hath caused death Pliny saith Sophocles the Tragedian died so and Plutarch speakes of a woman that died so Nay 3 Sorrow IN it Even IN laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heavinesse Prov. 14. 13. especially when men are merry in sinfull things and in a way which onely seemes right unto them vers 12. Quid quod gaudia eorum trepidà sunt For why Their joyes are fearefull and full of feare As the Poët said of her that went to commit incest with her brother Non toto pectore sentit Loetitiam virgo praesagaque pectora moerent So their owne hearts tell them that they have no cause to be merry now and that they shall have cause to be sad hereafter I may hereunto adde that which is commonly observed of this mirth that it is many times attended with sad and unhappy accidents And the rather because of two examples which I remember related in the Sâ—ripture one is of Amnon David's sonne who in the midst of his mirth at the Sheepshearing-feast to which his brother Absolom had invited him when his heart was merry with wine was by his brother Absalom's servants at their master s command most treacherously murdered 2 Sam. 13. 28. The other is Job's children who in the midst of their jollity as they were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house were all miserably killed by the fall of the house Job 1. 18 19. Mockers of the Godly punished and threatened 1 With Being conquered by them Thus the Ephraimites were conquered by the Gileadites because as the text saith they said in derision Yee Gileadites are fugitives to Ephraim among the Ephraemites and among the Manassites Jud. 12. 4. this jeere cost them the lives of two and forty thousand men vers 6. And the Ammonites by David for Hanun their King having abused his Embassadours whom he sent in a friendly way to comfort him after the death of his father by cutting their beards halfe way off and their garments up to their buttocks and so turning them along 2 Sam. 10. 4. when Abishai was sent to fight with them they fled before him vers 14. and were afterward upon the taking of their royall city Rabbah chap. 12 29 for cutting other mens beards and clothes made to suffer the cutting of their owne bodies with sawes and harrowes and axes of iron and to passe thorough the brick kilne v. 31. By Mocking their enemies then which nothing is more provoking men doe but whet their courage with anger and so make them fight more desperately not regarding their lives so they may be revenged You have an example hereof in the Jebusites For as the more received interpretation of that place will have it in contempt of David's weakenesse when he besieged them at Jerusalem they placed blind men and lame men in the fort to defend i and in a mockery told him Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither 2 Sam. 5. 6. But David herewith was so enraged and his souldiers made so desperate that they presently fell on tooke the fort the same day vers 7. 8. Another example you have in the Philistins who having gotten Sampson into the temple of Dagon to make sport of him were kill'd thousands of them by the fall of the house when Sampson had pulled away the pillers Judg. 16. 25. 30. 2. Barrennesse of womb Thus was Michal Davids wise punish'd for jeering at her husband when she saw him dancing before the Ark with a linnen Ephod about him as if he had done a thing unbeseeming the state of a King as indeeâ— most godly virtuous actions seem either absurd or ridiculous or disgracefull to ungodly men Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death 2 Sam. 6. 23. The daughter of Saul as if she were no longer worthy to bee called the wife of King David and accordingly some say that David never after that time us'd her as his wife Had no child For those five sons spoken of ch 21. 8. which ouâ— Hebrew saies shee brought forth she only brought up and adopted them for her own And therefore our English renders brought up And the Chaldee Paraphrase me thinks very well thus saies upon that place the five sonnes viz of Merob which Michal the daughter of Saul brought up 3 God's Hearing the prayer of the godly against them I am as one mocked of his neighbour who called upon God and hee answered him Job 12 4. 4. God 's not pardoning them at least as to this worlds punishment if not also that which is to come For when Sanballat and Tobiah jeered the Jewes as they were building the new wall at Jerusalem Sanballat thus What doe these feeble Jewes Will they fortifie themselves Will they sacrifice Will they make an end in a day Wâ—ll they revive the stones out of the heapes of rubbish which are burnt Neh. 4. 2. Tobiah thus Even that which they build if a fox goe up he shall even breake downe their stone wall vers 3 Nehemiah praied to this purpose against them If his prayer were not propheticall as most such mens prayers in Scripture are yet it was the fervent prayer of a righteous man that we know availeth much especially at such a time as he is mocked for then as 〈◊〉 said in the former punishment he calleth on God and he answereth him Nehemiâ— words were these Heare O our God forâ— are despised and turn their reproach upon thâ— own head and give them for a prey in the 〈◊〉 of captivity and cover not their iniquity 〈◊〉 let not their sin be blotted out from before 〈◊〉 for they have provoked thee to anger befâ—â— the builders Neh. 4. 4. The men of the world who so often commit this sinne and make use of it to maâ— themselves and others merry thinke bâ— slightly of it because it steales no goods 〈◊〉 makes no scarre in the flesh and does a 〈◊〉 no visible hurt But doubtlesse it is not