of buildings How then is it that our dwelling houses doe yet stand and flourish Our sinnes and iniquities are exceeding impudent and sawcie they are ascended into the presence of God and doe stand like Sathan among his children before his face Yet for all this impudencie and sawcinesse of our sinnes and iniquities God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safetie The consideration of this point may stirre vs vp to a gratefull agnition and acknowledgment of Gods singular bountie and longanimitie It is out of the bountie of the Lord that the earth since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man doth to this day yeeld fâ—uit in abundance for the vse of man That our possessions habitations dwelling houses and Churches are not laid waste and made desolate it is to be ascribed to Gods long sufferance and long animitie Of which I shall God willing anon speake more fully when I shall haue considered the words of the second sequel or consequent of Gods speech which are The top of Carmel shall wither The top of Carmel There were two hils of this name as St Hierome teacheth both in Iudea the one in the southerne climate of that country where on Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwell 1 Sam. 25.2 the other neere vnto Ptolemais towards the sea coast vpon which Elias prayed for raine 1 Kings 8.42 St Hierome seemeth to doubt which of these two Carmels our prophet here intendeth But Ribera resolueth for that Carmel which was neere vnto Ptolemais because it did appertaine to the lot of the ten tribes against whom Amos in this booke prophecieth This Carmel was a hill of much fatnesse and fertilitie whervpon it may as proverbially be taken for any such place St Hierome writing vpon Esay 16. saith it is the Scriptures idiome and proper forme of speech euermore to compare the rich hill Carmel to fertilitie and abundance One of the Hebrew d R. Dâ—uid apud Draâ—uâ—â— Doctors saith that Carmel is a generall name for all fruitfull arable fields and vineyards A great e Pagnin Hebrician saith that because the hill Carmel had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulnesse therefore Carmel is appellatiuely taken for any place set with corne trees or vines and specially withstanding corne with new fat wheat while it is in eare though another f Marinus in Arca Noe. Hebrician of like note affirmeth that because Carmel collectiuely signifieth standing corne or new wheat yet in the eare therfore a certaine region in the prouince of Canaan of extraordinary fertility as also a hill city there was called after this name Carmel Whatsoeuer Carmel be in this place whether a proper name or an appellatiue out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulnes Following the streame of expositors I am of opinion that Carmel in my text is that same fruitfull mountaine of Iudea by Ptolemais The top of Carmel A place fit by reason of the woodes there to lurke and lie hid in as is plaine by Amos 9.3 Though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence The top of Carmel In the Hebrew it is the head of Carmel The head or top of Carmel is the Scripture phrase to expresse whatsoeuer is best in Carmel By the like phrase we say Caput vnguenti the head or the top of the ointment to signifie the best of the ointment The top of Carmel Pagnine thus translateth it vertex loci fertilis the top of the fruitfull place And Iunius thus prostantissimum aruorum the best of the fields Both Pagnine and Iunius doe take Carmel here for an appellatiue and not for a propper name The top of Carmel shall wither shall wax dry or be dried vp That is where most fruitfull fields and pastures are there shall be a defect and want of necessaries for mans life Thus haue you the exposition of this last clause Now bee patient I pray you while from hence I commend one lesson vnto you It is this For the sinnes of a people God will make the top of their Carmel to wither I speake it more plainly For the sinnes of a people God will make their best grounds to yeeld them little or no profit For proofe of this point you will bee pleased to heare the euidence of the holy Spirit giuen in the word of life Deut. 28.20 Thus saith the Lord because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken mee the Lord shall smite thee with blasting and with mildew the Heauen which is ouer thy head shall bee brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shall bee iron in stead of raine the Lord shall giue thee dust and ashes euen from heauen shall it come downe vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed In the 2 chapter of Hosea and the 5 verse because Israel had plaid the harlot and done shamefully departing from the Lord thus saith the Lord I will take away from Israel my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof wil recouer my wooll my flax which I lent her to couer her shame Marke I beseech you the manner of the Lords speech my corne my wine my wooll my flax they are none of ours they are all the Lords The Lord hath lent them vs to serue our turnes and necessitâ—es if we abuse them to idolatrie or prophanes he will take them from vs recouer them againe vnto himselfe In the 4. Chapter of Hosea and the 3. verse because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but euery on breaketh out by swearing by lying by killing by stealing by whoring and blood toucheth blood thus saith the Lord the land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heauen and also the fishes of the sea shal be taken away If so what good then comes to you from Carmel from your best most fruitfull grounds In the 8. chapter of Hosea and the 7. verse because Israel transgressing the couenant of the Lord and trespassing against his law had sowen the wind thus saith the Lord they shall reape the whirlewind it hath no stalke the bud shall bring forth no meale if so be it bring forth the strangers shal deuoure it If so what profit then can we matching Israel in their most grieuous transgressions trespasses expect from Carmel our most fruitfull and pleasant fields The wisest King that euer sacred writ made mention of hath this saying Prou. 13.25 The belly of the wicked shall want True great Solomon The belly of the wicked man shall be emptie His Carmel the very best of his possessions shal yeeld him little profit To make an end of this discourse I would I could write it in your harts what the sweetest singer Psa 107.34 deliuereth vnto you touching this point it is worthy your best remembrance A
except they be agreed Hitherto you haue had the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proposition of this first similitude now followeth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reddition of it Hitherto hath beene rei extrariae consideratio now followeth rei praesentis accommodatio hitherto the explication of the former part now the application of the latter Thus As it cannot be that two should walke together except they be agreed so it cannot be that the Prophets of the Lord should forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them This is the second of those fiue expositions wherof you heard in the beginning of this exercise It was the exposition of Lyra Hugo and Dionysius and is embraced by later Expositors by Paulus de Palatio Marthurinus Quadratus and Christophorus à Castro by Brentius and Winckleman by Caluin and Mercer The obseruation is The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them This truth Saint Peter expresly deliuereth Ep. 2. Chap. 1. vers 20 21. No prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Prophets of the Lord spake not of their owne heads God spake in them Prophets They are criers and criers speake nothing but what is put into their mouthes Esay is a cryer He makes a noise after the manner of a cryer Esay 55.1 Hoe euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters The Lord bids him cry Esay 40.6 and he saith What shall I cry Then are the words put into his mouth All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field Iohn Baptist is a cryer So he stiles himselfe Ioh. 1.23 I am the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse And how crieth he Euen as the words are put into his mouth Prepare yee the way of the Lord make his pathes strait Prophets They are Trumpetors Their voice is like a Trumpet Esay 58.1 Crie aloud spare not Lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes They must set the trumpet to their mouthes Hos 8.1 They must blow the trumpet Ioel 2.1 But they must blow it with the breath of the Lord Otherwise it giueth but an vncertaine sound and a false alarum Prophets They are Watch-men Their office is to heare the Word at the Lords mouth and then to warne the people The charge is giuen them Ezech. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel therefore heare the Word at my mouth and giue them warning from me This their charge is reiterated Ezech. 33.7 O sonne of man I haue set thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt heare the Word at my mouth and warne them from me You see they are not to speake a word but they haue it from the Lord and accordingly must they warne the people Ieremie a Prophet He eats the words of the Lord Chap. 15.16 and is thereby fitted to his function Ezechiel a Prophet A hand is sent vnto him and loe a roule of a booke therein The roule is spread before him and is written within and without Within is written Lamentations and mournings and woe This roule he is commanded to eat He eats it So he goes and speakes vnto the house of Israel Ezech. 3.3 Saint Iohn the Diuine a Prophet too He sees an Angell with a little booke in his hand and begs the booke The Angell giues it him and bids him eat it He takes it and eats it Then is he fit to prophesie before many peoples and nations and Kings and tongues Reuel 10 11. The Prophets professe of themselues that they speake nothing besides the pure word of God Ioshua he saith to the children of Israel Come hither and heare the Word of the Lord your God Chap. 3.9 The words which I shall deliuer vnto you concerning what shall come to passe hereafter they are not my words they are the words of the Lord your God Esay calls vpon Heauen and Earth to heare Chap. 1.2 Heare O Heauens and giue eare O Earth for the Lord hath spoken The words which I now speake vnto you they are not my words they are the words of the Lord. Amos our Prophet he likewise calleth vpon the children of Israel in the beginning of this Chapter Heare this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel Heare it It is not my word it is the word of the Lord the Lord hath spoken it What more familiar in the writings of the Prophets than these formes of speech Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord the burthen of the Word of the Lord the Word of the Lord came vnto me They all make for the authority of the Prophets of old and their prophesies From hence as also from that they are Eaters of the Word of God and are Watchmen and are Trumpeters and are Cryers its euident their prophesies were not of their owne wils they spake not of their owne heads God spake in them Thus the truth of my Doctrine stands inuiolable The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them Here first is a lesson for vs who succeed the Prophets in the Ministery of the Church We may not deliuer any thing vnto you but what wee haue gathered out of the Word of God Euery Minister of the New Testament should bee as Moses was of the Old Moses his charge was not to conceale any thing but to speake all Exod. 7.2 Thou shalt speake all that I command thee It is our part to doe the like It is our part to speake in the Name of God and in his Name alone to feed the flocke of Christ with his pure word and with his word alone and to doe it as learnedly as faithfully as sincerely as constantly as we may leauing the successe of all to him that hath sent vs and disposeth of all mens hearts at his pleasure So running our race we shall one day be at rest in eternall comfort fully deliuered from this vile world from wicked men from euill natures from such who are euer ready to take our best endeuours in the worst sense and to require our honest affections with their foule disgraces Here secondly is a lesson for you For you Beloued for all such as are the Auditors and hearers of the Word of God This duty of hearing is to be put in practice not dully but with diligence not heauily but with chearefulnesse as to the Lord. There is a generation of hearers that would seeme desirous to heare the Word preached but they would haue it of free
the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeaâ—â— before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmeâ— 3 The place of his vsuall abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deaths of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esayes father To which opinion a learned and late Diuine l Prolog in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But S. Hierome is against it and so are most Interpreters so also is Drusius in his sacred obseruations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of Esayes father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our Prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran. auulsus one that is separated from others These diuers interpretations of these two names the name of Esayes father and this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterâ—r stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my Text. We finde not any such surname giuen Esayes father Therefore our Amos is not Amoâ— the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come tâ—â—s condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words Who was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as doe vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepherds In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2 King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepherd and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepe cattle to see to their feeding and safetie such we properly call heardmen or shepherds and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnesse himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepherd You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa This towne Å¿ Lib. dâ—vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulon t Apud Mercerum R. Dauid to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but S. Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I chuse to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iuda six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrichom in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6 rehearsed among all those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as Saint Hierome obserueth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke Here Amos for a time led a shepherds life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the Preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. Which he saw this adiection sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Arias Montanus obserueth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls seruant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the old time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reueale vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10. tribes Rehoboam Salomons sonne could keepe with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange diuision Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of Dauid are in holy Scripture called sometimes u Amos 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem. 6.1 Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of Dauid The other ten tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diuers appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethauen c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.1 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. reuolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10.
our heads to the trickling of Å¿ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto me by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to deuoure Ionas may seeme to haue arriued in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to his streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eyes yet the Prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diuersity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way wee may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall and only agreed vpon by reason of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to doe yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a traueller that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue deliuered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may thinke it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man hauing bent his bow and let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1 King 22 34. strooke the King but here we finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise than in respect of vs for that the shootâ—â— did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas froâ— Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun 1 King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the prouidence of God disposeth them Prou. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good prouidence it is that this day we are here met together I to preach the word of God you to heare it and some of vs to bee made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before God for his blessing You are now inuited to the marriage supper of the lambe euery one that will approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft clothing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and booke of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithfull but a garment something like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters 2 King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing â—lse but Christ put on who diuideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enemies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40. yeares together they wandered in the desart and yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shooes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnesse lasteth for euer and his mercies cannot be worne out Hauing put on this your wedding garment doubt not of your welcome to this great feast-maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to doe it let him following S Paâ—â— his counsell Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lift vp ye euerlasting doores that a guest so richly apparelled may come in and sup with the King of glory And the King of glory vouchsafe so to clothe vs all that those gates and euerlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shall haue free and easie passage into the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it blessed Father for thy welbeloued son Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy spirit bee all praise and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE Second Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloued in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the Prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esaies father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is he was a heardman or shepherd 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a little village in the confines of the Kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the dayes of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquakâ— After my exposition giuen vpon those fiue parts of that text I recald to
I produce whatsoeuer the Prophets of the Lord haue spoken to the vilifying debasing of Idols This which I haue already deliuered out of Esay and Ieremy and from out the second booke of Kings doth make good the former part of my propounded Doctrine namely that neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity Can they not saue themselues in the day of captiuity Much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them which was the second part of my Doctrine And it is pregnantly confirmed out of the 46. Chapter of the Prophecy of Esay vers 7. where the Prophet out of his zeale for the Lord of Hosts against Idols and Images assureth all people that though they cry vnto Idols and Images yet can they not answer them nor deliuer them out of their tribulations Ieremy likewise Chap. 11.12 le ts the Cities of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to vnderstand that though they cry vnto their Idols and Images yet they shall not be able to helpe them in time of their trouble Adde hereto what S. Austine saith in his soliloquies or heauenly meditations Chap. 5. An Idoll or an Image its m 1 Cor. 8.4 nothing it hath n Psal 135.16 17. Psal 115.5 6 7. eares and heareth not a nose and smelleth not eyes and seeth not a mouth and speaketh not hands and feeleth not feet and walketh not and all the proportion of members and yet liueth not and what helpe can be expected from such an Idoll such a Nothing My Doctrine stands firme Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Now let vs see what vse we may make hereof for our further instruction and benefit First this doctrine serueth to reproue all Papists for their blind superstition in worshipping their Idolls and Images For what doe they make of their Images but meere Idols while they fall downe before them and doe them reuerence with capping with kneeling with knocking with creeping with crossing with kissing with lighting of candles and with other like beggarly trash and trumpery as is yet this day in vse in the Church of Rome with great obseruation The time was when this Church of England subiected it selfe to that of Rome and was drunken with the wine of her fornication Then were the people of this land defiled with Idols No Parish Church but was polluted with Images Then was Gods prouidence and due honour neglected For the cure of diseases not God but Saints were inuocated and sought vnto For the plague o Rainold Idol 1. 6. 7. S. Sebastian for the Pox p Homilies Tom. 2. Serm. 3. against perill of Idolatry F. 8. b. S. Roch for the falling euill S. Cornelius for sore eyes S. Raphael for the toothach S. Apolonia for other crosses and afflictions S. Hippolitus S. Christopher S. Catherine Euery artificer and profession had a speciall Saint as a peculiar God Schollers had S. Nicholas yea and S. Gregory Painters S. Luke Shipmen S. Mary Souldiers wanted not their Mars nor Louers their Venus euen among vs Christians Yea our beasts and cattell had their Gods too S. Loy was the horseleech and S. Anthony the swineheard If sometimes we remembred God yet as if we doubted of his ability and will to helpe we vsed to ioyne to him another helper The young Scholler was wont to begin his learning with God and S. Nicholas be my speed For such as neezed the prayer was God helpe and S. Iohn And for the stumbling horse God and S. Loy saue thee May not now a godly man iustly for zealous indignation cry out O heauen O earth O seas what madnesse and wickednesse against God were our fore-fathers fallen into They tooke delight in the seruice of stocks and stones the workes of their owne hands they worshipped and serued the creature aboue the Creator which is blessed for euer But what profit had they of such their worship Found they any helpe in the day of visitation No Those Images themselues could not helpe themselues and how then could they helpe their worshippers Themselues were broken downe and remoued from out our Churches and their worshippers are remoued with them In their stead the light of the glorious Gospell of God now shineth in our Churches now is superstition exiled and the true seruice of God is come in place and Christ for his mercies sake touch vs and giue vs feeling and make vs thankfull for this so great a blessing Thus haue you the first vse A second followeth It serueth for a reproofe to vs also For though we haue cast off the yoke of Romish superstition and haue kept our selues vnspotted of the adoration and worship of Images yet are wee not free from Idolatry but are many waies stained therewith Whatsoeuer this world hath visible or inuisible outward or inward if it displace God of his right by carrying our heart and hope after it it is our Idoll Thus is gold siluer or our money an Idoll if we make it our hope or say to the wedge thou art my confidence Iob 31.24 In this sense S. Paul Coloss 3.5 calleth couetousnesse Idolatry and Eph. 5.5 he calleth the couetous person an Idolater Thus is our substance an Idoll if as Iob speaketh Chap. 31.25 We reioyce because it is great or because our hand hath gotten much Like those Habak 1.16 Who did sacrifice to their nets and burne Incense to their flues where all they are taxed for Idolaters who because their portion is increased and their meale plenteous by such instruments and helps as they vse in their trades of life doe forget the right author of their wealth and arrogate all to themselues and their seruiceable meanes Thus is our wit and vnderstanding an Idoll when we ascribe vnto them our getting of riches of gold and siluer into our treasures like the Prince of Tyrus Ezech. 28.2 who with this conceit exalted in heart brake out into that most blasphemous challenge I am a God and I sit in the seat of God in the middest of the Sea Such is the Idoll of the Polititians shall I call them or Atheists of this age who take themselues to be wiser than Daniel as the Prince of Tyrus did and are perswaded that Moses and the Prophets are not so able to instruct them as they themselues Thus is our strength an Idoll if we boast of it as Sennacherib did Esay 37.24 who bragged what great matters hee had done by the multitude of his chariots but touching the true Lord of Hosts as if he were lesse than nothing he vaunteth to Hezekiah King of Iudah vers 10. Let not thy God deceiue thee Thus is our belly our God when walking after the lusts of our flesh we serue not the Lord Iesus
f Rom. 11.36 of him and in him and by him are all things Thirdly it is the memoriall of God vnto all ages so God himselfe cals it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth and his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoeuer in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine euent thereof he adds vnto it his name Iehovah So here in my text Thus sayth Iehovah Thus sayth the Lord not Thus sayth Amos but Thus saith the Lord. The Lord then is the author of this Scripture and not of this onely but also of the whole bodie of Scripture The doctrine The author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any other creature how eminent or excellent soeuer but onely the liuing and immortall God This doctrine I haue heretofore commended vnto you in my first lecture vpon this Chapter The vses of it were three The first concerned vs whom God hath set apart to be the Preachers and expounders of the Scriptures We must handle them as the holy word of God As my Prophet here comes to Iudah so must we to you with thus saith the Lord we may not speake either the imagination of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our owne hearts we must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without corrupting or deprauing it A second vse concerneth you who are auditors and hearers of the word preached It is your parts to giue eare vnto it with attetion and reuerence and like the Thessalonians commended by St Paul 1 Thess 2.13 to receiue it not as the word of vs men but as it is indeed the word of God A third vse concerned the aduersaries of the truth the Papists who doe vilifie and debase the sacred Scriptures and esteeme not of them as of the word of God How shamfully they haue loaded this holy word of God with disgracefull termes calling it a doubtful vncertaine and a leaden rule a poore kinde of element a booke of discord a matter of debate dead inke inken divinitie a dumbe iudge a nose of waxe Aesops fables I haue g Lect. 2. in Amos 1. pag. 18. c. heretofore deliuered vnto you But who are they out of whose mouths and pens such bitternesse against Gods holy word hath beene vented Are they our Countrymen Are they not rather strangers to vs Papists of other Nations Pighius Hosius Gretser Canon Lewis of Lateran the collocutors at Wormes and Ratisbon What are these to vs It may be our English Papists doe esteeme of the Scriptures more reuerently More reuerently Let one speake for all Dr. h Fox Martyrel vol. 2. l. 7. An. 1513. pag. 735. Bennet a Lawyer Chauncellour and Vicar generall to Richard Fitz-Iames Bishop of London called before him one Richard Butler for being of that Religion which we this day through Gods goodnesse doe maintaine and professe This Butler vsed much to read the Bible for which an article was thus framed against him We obiect to you that diuerse times and especially vpon a certaine night you erroniously and damnably read in a great Booke of heresie certaine Chapters of the Euangelists in English conteining in them diuerse erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresie What Christian eare can endure such blasphemie that the Booke of God should be called a great booke of heresie that some Chapters of the Euangelists should be said to conteine in them diuers erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresie What Christian care can endure this Must that Booke to which we are so often sent by i Deut. 17.11 Moses by the k Esa 8.20 Mâ—lac 2.7 Psal 1.1 and 119.2 Prophets by l Joh. 5.39 Christ himselfe by his holy m Luk. 16.29 Euangelists and n Act 17. â—1 2. Tim. 3 1â— Apostles must that Booke be noted for erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresies St Paul thought much otherwise He in the 2. Tim. 3.15 speaking of the holy Scriptures sayth that they are able to make men wise vnto saluation Hee addeth further ver 16. that the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes Magnificum testimonium A most sufficient testimonie for the authoritie dignitie and worth of holy Scripture First it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuinely inspired of God giuen immediately from God to men Secondly it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitable Profitable many wayes for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction Doctrine is of things to be beleeued Reproofe of things to be refuted Correction concerneth vices Instruction vertues Euery way the whole Scripture is profitable and is able to make men wise vnto saluation And yet must this holy Scripture be noted for a great Booke of Heresie for conteining erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresie 2. Pet. 1.19 St Peter thought much otherwise He in his 2. Epist and 1. Chapter hauing proued the certaintie of Euangelicall doctrine by two arguments one drawne from his owne experience the other from the testimonie of Almightie God in a voice from Heauen vers 16 17 18. addeth vers 19. a third argument drawne from the consent of the Prophets We haue also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that ye take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day star arise in your hearts So that yee first know this that no prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion For the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the Holy-Ghost Where first the blessed Apostle calls the writings of the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word Secondly he aduiseth vs to be diligently conuersant in those writings yee shall doe well to take heed vnto them Thirdly he shewes the necessitie and vse of them by a comparison they are as a light that shineth in a darke place Fourthly he prescribeth the time of our diligence we must take heed vnto them vntill the day dawne and the day starre arise in our hearts Fiftly he noteth their difficultie Difficultas stimulus debet esse diligentiae the more hard they are to be vnderstood the greater must our diligence be No prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion It is not in mans power rightly to vnderstand the Prophets The Treasurer to the Queene of Ethiopia confesseth as much Act. 8.31 Sixtly he poynteth at the author of Holy Scripture not mans will but the Holy-Ghost For the prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the Holy-Ghost What St Peter in this place affirmeth of the
chap. 5.18 Be yee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse It is as if he had said Take heed of wine be not ouercome of it In vino luxus Consider the man that is giuen ouer to drunkennesse His life its profuse its dissolute its vncleane its luxurious its vnworthy a Christian Take heed of wine Salomon Prouerb 20.1 saith Wine is a mocker It is so wine taken immoderately deceiues him that takes it He takes it to be sweet and pleasant but will finde it in the effect exceeding bitter What more bitter then drunkennes and what causeth drunkennesse more then wine Aufert memoriam dissipat sensum confundit intellectum incitat libidinem omnia membra debilitat vitamque exterminat It is b Drusius Prou. Class 2. li. 1. 257. said to be S. Austines Drunkennesse it takes away the memorie it consumes the senses it confounds the vnderstanding it prouoketh lust it weakneth the bodie it driues life away The drunkard is notably deciphered by the same Father in his booke de poenitentiâ Quùm absorbet vinum absorbetur à vino the drunkard while he deuoureth his wine is deuoured of his wine abominatur à Deo despicitur ab Angelis deridetur ab hominibus destituitur virtutibus confunditur à daemonibus conculcatur ab omnibus God detesteth him the Angels despise him men deride him virtues forsake him the Diuels doe confound him all doe spurne him The ancient Fathers generally are eloquent in beating downe this sinne of drunkennesse c Hom. 14. in ebrietatem Basil calls it a voluntarie Diuell the mother of naughtinesse the enemie of vertue Chrysostome Homil. 57. ad populum Antiochenum saith where drunkennesse is there is the Deuill Drunkennesse it s a disease remedilesse a ruine without excuse the common reproch of mankinde The drunken man he is a voluntarie Diuell a dead-liuing man d Chrys st Hom. 58. in Math. worse then an Asse worse then a dogge worse then any brute beast The brute beast cannot be compelled to drinke when he hath no thirst but this drunkard is so intemperate that when he is replete euen to the mouth yet will he powre in more He will verifie the saying of the Prophet Esay 28.8 Your tables are full of filthy vomitings no place is cleane S. Ambrose in his booke de Elia Ieiunio cap. 17. to worke in vs a detestation of this sinne saith Ebrietas fomentum libidinis ebrietas incentivum insaniae ebrietas venenum insipientiae Drunkennesse it s a cherisher of lust a prouoker of madnesse the poyson of folly Hereby are men strangely affected Vocem amittunt colore variantur oculis ignescunt ore anhelant fremunt naribus in furore ardescunt sensu excidunt They loose their voyce their colour is changed their eyes are fiery at the mouth they fetch breath a pace in the nosthrils they snore aloud they are fierce in their furie they are depriued of their sense They haue for their attendants dangerous frensies grieuous paines of the stone deadly crudities frequent castings Mentior saith Ambrose I lye if the Lord hath not said as much by his Prophet Ieremie chap. 25.27 Drinke yee and be drunken and spew and fall and rise no more I may not passe by S. Hierome He in an Epistle of his which he wrote to that noble virgin Eustochium to perswade her still to continue a Virgin warneth and exhorteth her to flie from wine as from poyson He tels her the Diuels haue not a better weapon wherewith to conquer or corrupt youth Youth Couetousnesse may shake it pride may puffe it vp ambition may delight it but drunkennesse will ouerthrow it Other vices we may in time forsake hic hostis nobis inclusus est If this enemie once get possession of vs it will along with vs whither soeuer we goe Wine and youth ech of them is incendium voluptatis fit to set lust on fire yong men and yong women flie from wine Quid oleum flammae why cast we oyle vpon the flame Quid ardenti corpusculo fomenta ignium why bring we tinder why touchwood to a fire already kindled So discourseth that good Father to perswade the Virgin Eustachium to hate wine as poyson The discommodities of wine he briefly toucheth in his Comment vpon Galat. 5. Vino hominis sensus evertitur pedes corruunt mens vacillat libido succenditur by wine a mans sense and feeling is impaired his feete doe faile him his vnderstanding is abolished his lust is inflamed It were infinite to relate how e Super Genesin Homil. 6. cap. 19. super Levit. hom 7. cap. 0. Origen how f Pet. Rauennus in Serm. quodam Chrysologus how g De modo bene viuendi Ser 25. Bernard how h Hilarius in Psal 125. Hugo de S. Victore Clemens Alex. Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. others haue painted out this vice with the mischiefes which it bringeth But what neede any such relation Why heare we the Fathers speake when the Scripture is plaine Salomon Prou. 23. propoundeth a question It is verse 29. Who hath wee who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without a cause who hath rednesse of eyes His answer is vers 30. They that tarry long at the wine You see a troupe of mischiefes at the heeles of a drunkard Salomon well weighing this in the next verse in the 31. he prescribeth a remedie against drunkennesse Looke not thou vpon the wine when it is red when it giueth his colour in the cup when it moueth it selfe aright Let not the pleasant colour of the wine glorious and faire to thine eye let it not deceiue thee If it do what then Then as it is vers 32. it will bite thee like a serpent it will sting thee like an adder like a cockatrice like a viper And as it is vers 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women thou wilt become shamelesse and vnchast or Thine eyes shall behold strange visions Bina pro singulis putabis te videre Euery thing will seeme double to thee Thou wilt thinke thou seest two candles when there is but one in the roome And thine heart shall vtter peruerse things Out of the abundance of thine heart openly in the presence of others thou shalt speake things filthy and vnseemly out will thy greatest secrets Yea saith he vers 34. Thou shalt be as he that lyeth downe in the middest of the Sea or as he that lyeth vpon the top of a mast carelesse and secure in greatest danger It followeth vers 35. Though thou be striken though beaten grieuously yet wilt thou not feele it so dead thou art in the sleepe of thy drunkennesse and which is to be admired when thou awakest thou wilt to thy wine againe So excellently doth Salomon giue the picture of a Drunkard Beloued in the Lord I hope there is none of you that heareth me this day giuen ouer to this vile sinne If any one hath at any time through infirmitie bin ouertaken
properly signifieth to forbid as vpon this place the learned Parisian Professor of the Hebrew tongue Mercer hath obserued So shall the words sound thus You vnthankfull Iâ—raelites you to whom I haue raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets you haue taken vpon you authoritie ouer my Prophets to forbid them to prophesie in my name and to threaten them if they obey you not that it shall fare the worse with them With this exposition agreeth that of Calvin whose note is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in my text signifieth Praecipere vel iubere to giue in charge to will or to command vel statuere quùm intercedit publica autoritas to appoint or to ordaine by publike autoritie Hereto assenteth Petrus Lusitanus By the word mandabatis or praecipiebatis which in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee vnderstandeth edicta publica publike edicts or proclamations against such as should dare to preach true doctrine vnto the people So shall the words sound thus You vnthankfull Israelites you to whom I haue raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets you haue not onely in secret corners in your priuate conventicles murmured against repined at or cryed out vpon my Prophets but also by publike order and proclamation you haue enioyned them silence Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not The Prophets What Prophets We are to distinguish betwixt the Priests of the Sanctuarie and Ieroboams priests betweene Starres in the right hand of Christ fixed in their stations and planets of an vncertaine motion betweene shepheards and hirelings There was an Aaron and there was an Abiram there was a Simon Peter and there was a Simon Magus there was a Iude and there was a Iudas Not euery one that calls himselfe a Prophet is by and by a Prophet for euen the woman Iezebel calleth herselfe a Prophetessâ— Revel 2.20 Baal had his foure hundred and fiftie Prophets not one of them a true Prophet all of them against Elias the Prophet of the Lord 1. Kin. 18.22 Ahab had his foure hundred Prophets not one of them a true Prophet all of them against Micaiah the Prophet of the Lord 1. King 22 6. Against such intruders seducers and lying Prophets we are armed with an admonition from the Lord Ierem. 23.16 There thus saith the Lord of Hosts Hearken not vnto the words of the Prophets that prophesie vnto you they make you vaine they speake a vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. In this ranke of seducers and lying Prophets I place those vpholders of the man of sinne Priests Iesuites who from the Seminaries beyond the Seas come ouer hither into this our Country here to sowe the seeds of disloyaltie and blinde superstition in the hearts of the people God hath not sent them yet they runne God hath not spoken to them yet they prophecie as Ieremie speaketh of the false Prophets in his dayes chap. 23.21 They prophecie lyes in the Lords name and cry I haue dreamed I haue dreamed vers 25. Dreames they haue but what truth what true vision I answer in the words of Ieremie chap. 14.14 They prophecie vnto you a false vision a divination a thing of naught and the deceit of their owne hearts Their sweet tongues vtter vnto you as deadly poyson as is a Deut. 32.33 the poyson of Dragons or the venome of Aspes They will allure you with plausible notes of Peace Peace But take heede you can expect no peace from them No peace either to the weale publicke or to the priuate conscience of any man Not to the weale publicke for their conspiracies are nefarious and bloody Not to the priuate conscience of any man for to be reconciled to that vnsound Church of theirs the Church of Rome to partake of their formall and counterfeit absolution of sinnes to heare and see their histrionicall Masses to visit the shrines reliques of the dead to say a number of Pater-Nosters or Ave-Maries vpon beads to invocate Saints to adore Images can these or any such forgeries yeeld any peace to a distressed conscience No they cannot Yet care not these false teachers and seducers so they may with such their vntempered morter of vnwritten traditions dawbe vp the walls of their Antichristian synagogue Now will you know what shall be the portion of such intruders seducers and lying Prophets Ieremie will tell you chap. 23. that the Lord is b Ierem. 23.30 31 32. against them that the c v rs 19. whirlewinde of the Lord is gone forth against them in a furie euen a grieuous whiâ—lewinde which shall fall vpon them grieuously that the d vers 20. anger of the Lord shall not returne vntill it haue executed his will vpon them that the Lord will bring vpon them an e vers 40. euerlasting reproch and a perpetuall shame Their cup is tempered with no lesse gall and bitternesse by the Prophet Ezechiel chap. 13. There for following f Ezech. 13.3 their own spirit for resembling g vers 4. the foxes in the deserts for neglecting h vers 5. to goe vp into the gap to make vp the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battel in the day of the Lord for seeing i vers 6 7. vaine visions for speaking lying diuinations for building and k vers 10. dawbing vp walls with vntempered morter they are accursed Their curse what for the head thereof and for the foote is full of vnhappinesse It entreth with a Vae prophâ—tis insipientibus woe vnto the foolish Prophets vers 3. and it bids farewell with an Anathema with a cursed excommunication vers 8 9. I am against you saith the Lord God Mine hand shall be vpon you yee shall not be in the assembly of my people yee shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel ye shall not enter into the land of Israel A heauy sentence Will you haue the plaine meaning of it It s thus The Lord is against all false Prophets He will come vnto battell and will fight against the wicked crue euen with that sharpe two edged sword which proceedeth out of his mouth His hand shall be vpon them for their destruction and ruine They shall not be of the number of Gods elect They shall l Psal 69.28 be blotted out of the booke of the liuing and not be written with the righteous They shall neuer enter into that Celestiall Hierusalem which is aboue and is the habitation of the blessed You haue heard in generall of Prophets true and false I should now speake somewhat more distinctly There are two sorts of false Prophets Some haue no calling at all some haue a calling but without efficacie Of the first sort were these Priests in Iudah who were neither chosen by man nor called of God of whom the Lord complaineth Ierem. 14 14. m Ierem. 14.15 27.15 29.8 9. I sent them not neither haue I commanded them neither
spake I vnto them yet they prophecie and chap. 23.21 I sent them not yet they ranne I spake not to them yet they prophecied Of the second sort were those Prophets in Israel whom men chose but God called not Of such some would haue these words Hos 9.8 to be vnderstood The Prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his wayes and hatred in the house of his God In opposition to these there are of true Prophets two sorts also Both of them are lawfully called to their holy function some by God alone some by God and man The holy Prophets in the Old Testament and the blessed Apostles in the New had their calling from God alone but Timothie Titus and the seauen Deacons and the residue of religious and godly Doctors and Pastors of the Church had and haue their calling both from God and man This distinction thus giuen it is now easie to define who the Prophets are that are meant in my text They are true Prophets such as had their calling immediatly from God and from him alone euen those holy men of God who liued in the time of the old Testament some of which had the honour to be the blessed pen-men thereof Such were the Prophets whom the Israelites commanded saying Prophecie not Prophecie not Speake not any more vnto vs in the name of the Lord. What No more Can there be any one so execrably audacious as vtterly to forbid the passage of the word of God any forhead so brasen as simply and precisely to reiect it It s not to be imagined The most wicked dare not doe it Yet would they by their wills haue lesse libertie of speach permitted to Gods Prophets Ministers and seruants they would haue their tongues somewhat tied that they might not by their crying out against sins vex and gall their seared consciences Hitherto we haue taken a view of the words It followeth that we examine the matter conteined in them Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophecie not Hoc nimirum erat saith Rupertus non solum loqui sed etiam agere contra Spiritum Sanctum qui loquebatur per os Prophetarum This indeed were not onely to speake against but also to doe against the holy Ghost who spake by the mouth of the Prophets He noteth the disordered and franticke humour that was in the people of Israel to vilitie and neglect those Prophets and teachers which the Lord out of the abundance of his mercie had sent vnto them to be their guides and directors in the way of true pietie and religion The lesson we are to take from hence I giue in this proposition The wicked are euermore in a readinesse to doe all the disgrace and despite they can to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers This truth grounded vpon my text and thereby sufficiently warranted may further be illustrated by other places of this volume of the Booke of God In the seauenth Chapter of this Prophecie we see what course entertainment our Prophet Amos receiueth from Amaziah a Priest of Bethel He there forbids Amos to prophecie any more in the kingdome of the tenne Tribes and aduiseth him to get him away by flight to the kingdome of Iudah where the Lords prophets were better welcome and more regarded and tells him that in Israel they needed no such Prophets nor cared for them nor would suffer them to preach so plainely to their King Ieroboam Will you haue Amaziahâ— owne words vnto Amos They are in the twelfth and thirteenth verses O thou Seer for he that is now n 1. Sam 9 9. called a Prophet was before time called a Seer O thou Seer goe flee thee away into the land of Iudah and there eate bread and Prophecie there But Prophecie not againe any more at Bethel For it is the Kings Chappell and it is the kings Court Was the entertainement of the Prophet Ieremie found in Ierusalem any whit better Not a whit In the 18. chapter of his Prophecie vers 18 I find the men of Iudah plotting against him Come say they let vs deuise deuises against Ieremiah Come and let vs smite him with the tongue and let vs not giue heed to any of his words In the 30. Chapter ver 2. I find him smitten and put in the stockes by Pashur the chiefe gouernor of the Lords house In the 26. Chapter vers 8. I see him againe apprehended threatned with death and arraigned In the 33. chapter vers 1. I see him shut vp in the Court of the prison In the 38. Chapter vers 6. I find him let downe with cords into a miry and dirtie dungeon And all this befell him because he prophecied in the name of the Lord. The vsage of Micaiah the Prophet is likewise memorable King Ahab K. of Israell o 2. Chro. 18.7 hateth him 1. King 22.8 Zedekiah p Vers 23. smiteth him on the cheeke vers 24. and Amon the gouernour of the Citie is commanded to put him q Vers 26. in prison and to feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vers 27. There was a Seer a Prophet called r 2. Chro. 16.7 Anani He had a message from the Lord to Asa King of Iudah and did faithfully deliuer it But for so doing the King was in a rage with him and put him in a prison-house 2. Chron. 16.10 As ill affected to the Prophets of the Lord were the people of Iudah for the most part of them And therefore is Esay chapter 30.8 commanded to write it in a table and to note it in a Booke that it might be for the time to come for euer and euer an euidence against that people that they were a rebellious people lying children children that would not heare the Law of the Lord such as blushed not to say to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecie not vnto vs right things but if you will needs be Seeing or Prophecying or Preaching or speaking vnto vs then speake vnto vs smooth things Prophecie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out of the path cause the Holy one of Israel to cease from before vs. Strange that there should be in the people of the Lord such contempt such a detestation of the Prophets of the Lord But you see the lot of Gods Prophets vnder the old Testament Were they more regarded in the time of the New It seemes not For it could not but fall out with them according to that prediction of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 23.34 Behold saith he I send vnto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yee shall kill and Crucifie and some of them shall yee scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from citie to citie According to this prediction it came to passe Some they killed They killed Å¿ Euseb Histor Eccles lib. 2. ca. 9 Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Act. 12.2 Some they crucified They crucified Christ himselfe the Lord of
the children of Israel be taken out of the hands of Salmanassar The things compared are First a Lion and Salmanassar King of Assyria Secondly a Sheepe and the Children of Israel Thirdly some fragments of a deuoured sheepe two legs or a peece of an eare and the small number of the Israelites that should escape These Israelites are here described ab ipsorum securitate from their security or lacke of care They liue nicely aâ—d delicately in all pleasure and delight full of confidence that no euill shall at any time touch them They dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Samaria and Damascus Cities of strength and fortification were vnto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest They thought themselues safe and out of danger by the aid and succour of Ciâ—ies so well fenced but were deceiued For thus saith the Lord As the Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Such is the diuision of this Text. I now descend to a speciall handling of the parts The first is the Introduction to the Similitude Thus saith the Lord. This Introduction I heretofore copiously handled I met with it in the first Chapter of this booke fiue times Vers 3 6 9 11 13. Vers 1 4 6. in the second thrice and once before in this and therefore the lesse need is there that now I insist vpon it Yet may I not leaue it vnsaluted sith our Prophet here repeateth it And he repeateth it to iustifie his calling to shew that albeit he formerly liued the life of a Shepheard yet now he haâ—h his calling to be a Prophet from the Lord Iehouah Whence my obseruation is It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God This truth is by the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 thus deliuered No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was Now that Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated to the Priests office by the authority and appointment of God it is plaine by the eighth Chapter of Leuiticus wherein are set downe the sacrifices and ceremonies vsed at the Consecration together with the place and time thereof Thereby it appeareth that the office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but God Almighty did first institute and ordaine it by his owne expresse commandement Then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great miracle of the budding of Aarons rod Num. 17.8 The rod of Aaron for the house of Leui brought forth buds and bloomed blossomes and yeelded Almonds Thus was the institution of holy Priesthood from God alone This honour the holy men of God of old time tooke not to themselues Nor Esay nor Ieremy nor Ezechiel nor any of the residue tooke this honour to themselues but were all called of God and in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his words which is intimated by those passages very obuious in the writings of the Prophets as a â—say 1.1 the vision of Esaiah b Cap. 1.1 the vision of Obadiah the burden of Nineueh in the booke of the vision of c Cap. 1.1 Nahum the burden which Habakkuk the Prophet did see the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachy the word of the Lord which came to Hosea to Ioel to Ionah to Micah to Zephaniah to Haggai to Zachariah d Esay 1.2 The Lord hath spoken e Ierem. 10.1 Heare yee the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord. By these and the like passages they shew their calling to haue beene from God Not one of them tooke this honour to himselfe Nor did Christ himselfe take this honour to himselfe but with warrant of his Fathers calling For so I reade Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee He euen God the Father gaue him this honour And hereunto doth Christ himselfe beare witnesse in all those places of the holy Euangelists wherein he acknowledged himselfe to be * Matth. 10.40 Mark 9.37 Luk. 4.18 43. Ioh. 3.17 34 c. sent of God The holy Apostles of Christ whence had they their calling were they not all openly ordained by Christ himselfe Neuer did any of them execute that office but with protestation that they had their calling from God and therefore their writings beginne Rom. 1.1 Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Iames a seruant of God Gal. 1.1 and of the Lord Iesus Christ Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ Cap. 1.1 Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ the reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his seruant Iohn Thus had Christs Apostles the assurance of their calling from God So had the blessed Euangelists So all those whom Christ gaue vnto his Church for the instruction thereof Ephes 4.11 He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is true that Christ himselfe is the chiefe builder for so he saith Matth. 16.18 Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam vpon this rocke will I build my Church and he builds it through his holy Spirit yet he doth vse Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers as vnderwork men for this building euen vnto the end of the world And all these haue the assurance of their calling from God Who so hath it not he is not to be vouchsafed the name of Prophet or Apostle or Euangelist or Pastor or Teacher for he is an Intruder And great is the danger of Intrusion Euery Intruder was to be put to death The Law for it is Num. 1.51 Euery stranger that commeth nigh vnto the Tabernacle shall be put to death The stranger any one that is not of the tribe and family of Leui that breaketh into the Leuites function and medleth with holy things beyond his calling he is to bee put to death An example hereof we haue in the Beth-shemites 1 Sam. 6.19 who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord contrary to the Law were smitten with a great slaughter to the number of fifty thousand and threescore and ten men The like we haue in Vzzah sonne of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6.6 who because he touched the Arke of God contrary to the Law was punished with sudden death and stricken with the immediate hand of God that fell vpon him to the terrour of others and to worke reuerence in the hearts of all men toward the sacred things of his seruice Adde hereto the