to his word which witnesseth the contrary every where that they shall be happy and have all things necessary that feare him Psa 1. and 34.9.10 with infinite other places and many examples in the Scriptures Reason 2 Because by this they make God unfaithfull and so no God who hath promised such fruit to them who sow in righteousnesse Reason 3 Because by this they deny the bounty and liberality of God and is a great prejudice to his honour and glory that hee should dimisse such as serve him and belong to him empty handed Vse 1 Then have we many who must answer at Gods judgement seate for blasphemy and proud speaking against him with whom nothing is so common as upon any even the slightest occasion to condemne piety and the feare of God for the most fruitlesse and the unprofitablest profession in the world If they see any man who professeth Gods feare and seemes carefull of his wayes if he any way miscarry in his state and decay in that the world deemed him to have had or if he increase not as other men doe by a lawfull and honest profession as they by all their by waies and indirect courses What doe they will they enquire the just cause of it and search what may be a let he prospers no better of which many just causes may be given of severall men and well found out yet they never search further then this their piety and profession and the service of God though they will not directly speake as these because that were palpable yet they spare not these speeches you may see what comes of this professing of all their piety and godlinesse And this they whisper every where like the ten spies of the holy and promised Land and bring up an evill report of it Num. 13.33 and a slande rupon it Num. 14.37 But let them know that upon those ten spies upon all who beleeved them the judgements of God befell and they fell in the wildernesse and never came to set foote in the Land of Canaan Such recompence let these expect from the Lord not to come into the promised Land when as those they said should bee a prey If we may allude to Numb 17.31 they shall not lose their recompence Vse 2 To teach men when they see those who professe the feare of God and piety not to grow in the world or to decay not to be in so prosperous estate as others are not to accuse their profession and piety lest they be found upon the returne of their triall guilty of blasphemy against God denying his faithfulnesse dishonouring him as suffering his followers to be without reward and recompence for their service And of two evills it is lesse and the better to accuse man of hypocrisie in his service and of some secret sinne which lying hid hinders his encreasing as Iron in a wound hinders the curing of it Or safer it is to apprehend here the wisedome of God who dealing like a wise Physitian and seeing a full dyet hinders the health of his Patient he for the time forbids him many things as possessed with a fever forbids him strong wines and drinkes and hard meates of digestion and such like So God Or were it not safer and the best course to impute it to his particular profession that it is not so gainefull or his want of skill he cannot make it or his want of providence in disposing of businesse or to imagine the truth that the prosperous estate of Gods stands not so much in riches as in graces not so much in that they must leave behinde them as that they must carry with them as the wealth of pilgrimes and strangers standeth more in their Jewells and gold things light of carriage and well portable then in house and land Vse 3 To instruct men who do professe the feare and service of God to walke carefully and prudently in their callings that they may increase in an outward estate to prevent the blasphemies and slanders of the wicked who will sooner blaspheme God for their poverty then glorifie him for their piety which exhortation is necessary for some who thinke it enough to professe and excuse their poverty by the condition of Gods Saints when the neglected lawfull meanes by which they might have encreased and beene able to give rather then receive which is a more blessed thing and whereby they might have more honoured God and therein the more culpable that they make this a cover of their idlenesse and happily injustice for which God curseth them adding this sinne to the other that they dishonour God But if any man shall upon this or the like pretence neglect the best things the onely thing necessary and growing in spirituall graces when God and his owne heart can tell him it is but upon a covetous and ambitious humour that man shall beare his iniquity But if for conscience as to be able to discharge the necessity of nature person or place so the rather to glorifie God and to stop the mouthes of such as would reproach their profession he first seeking Gods Kingdome shall have these things cast to him here and so in all things he seeking the glory of God in the kingdome of grace shall find glory and happinesse in the kingdome of glory Doctr. 1 What profit is it that we have kept his commandments These wicked men doe chalenge unto themselves righteousnesse and obedience and upon that accuse God of injustice for their want and affliction whence we may observe That hypocrites and wicked men chalenge to themselves righteousnesse and obedience in the pride of their heart when they have no such thing verse 7. Wherein shall we returne Doctr. 2 It is the property of Hypocrites and wicked men when they are in Gods judgements in misery and affliction to justifie themselves as not having deserved any such thing to accuse God of injustice as an angry God that hath causlesly afflicted them So did these and those Isaiah 58.2.3 And Iehoram 2. Kings 3.13 And Elisha said unto the King of Israel What have I to do with thee Get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother And the King of Israel said unto him nay for the Lord hath called these three Kings to give them into the hand of Moab i. it is but your spleene against me to upbraide me with any such things because I favour them more then you but if it were a finne yet is not that the cause seeing these two Kings are in the like misery with me So far were they Jer. 44.17.18 from acknowledging their sinnes the cause of any misery either present or falling upon them that they thought it came because they had not gone forwards in them This is the cause why the Prophets when the people were in any judgement did still put them in minde of their sins and cleared the Lord and put the people often to accuse God if they could Mich.
yeares before Christ But especially for our owne ancestors the old Saxons it is an observable testimony which Corn. Tacitus Descr Germ. gives of their severity against this sinne upon which place Andr. Althamer and Jodocus Vuillichius in their commentaries upon Tacitus doe take occasion and justly too in my opinion to condemne the Remissenes of this age in punishing more sharpely what those times of ignorance did abhorre But I would rather in this point commend unto the Reader that zealous and effectuall Epistle of our country man Boniface Arch Bishop of Mentz unto Aethelbald King of the Mercians here in England where he relates that severity of the Saxons and urgeth much against this sinne The Epistle is in the Magdenburg Centur. Cent. 8. cap. 9. and from them in Mr. Fox Martyrol And it seemes there was much need of sharpe writing at that time when the people generally by the Kings example were given unto this sinne and like fed Horses neighing after their neighbours wives as appeares by another Epistle from the said Boniface to Heresfrid a godly Priest who as it seemes was sometimes called to preach in the Court of Aethelbald and might worke upon him Thirdly And against false Swearers Lxx that sweare by my Name upon a lye Pagnâ—n that sweare lyingly Vulg. perjurers What the sinne is and how great see the Casuists and others on the third Commandement And how God hath punished it if there were no other example the lamentable issue of the battell at Varna where Vladislaus the King of Hungary and Iulian the Cardinall were miserably defeated by the Turke will bee a sufficient monument to all succeeding times We have also two pregnant instances in Eadmerus his Historia Novorum published by the learned Selden lib. 1. pag. 5 6 lib. 5. page 124 125. But the sinne here is not onely Perjury when an oath taken is not kept but the very taking of a false oath So Piscator according to the Hebr. That sweare unto a false thing It may bee rendred ad verbially That sweare falsely and to that sense our translation A sinne it is of an high nature for first there is a lie and then an oth made upon a lye Fourthly And against those that oppresse or defraud the hireling in his wages The Geneva That wrongfully keepe back the heirelings wages The Vulg. Who make cavills to detaine wages The Chald. and Lxx Who take away wages by violence and so Pagn The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare all these It is to defraud by calumny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by guile or by force This was Labans sinne Iacob complaines of him that he dealt hardly with him and deceived him and changed his wages ten times Genes 31.7.41 He changed his wages ten times that is often as the phrase is taken Numb 14.22 Iob. 19.3 Or it may bee he did indeed ten times in Iacobs sixe yeares service change his wages which by agreement was to arise from the Lambes that were yeaned which in Mesopotamia which was the Country where Iacob kept Labans flock yeaned twice a yeere but Laban partly thorough covetousnesse and partly through envy at Iacobs thriving might haply every half yeare be altering the agreement which was S. Augustines conjecture and is followed by Iunius and Pareus though they followed not his mistake occasioned by the Septuagint in reading the place Thou hast deceived me of my wages in ten lambs Of which see Sixt. Amama in his Antibarb Biblic pag. 427 428 who censures both the reading and the interpretation But to mee what ever becomes of the Reading yet it seemes the interpretation may stand good This sinne cryes in the eares of God Iam. 5.4 and hath a woe against it Ierem. 22.13 and was specially provided against in the law under Moses Deut. 24.14 15. The wages of the labourer must be payed as soon as hee hath done his worke because hee setteth his heart upon or lifteth his soule unto it that is he hath no other liveliehood nothing else whereby to maintaine his life or to trust unto Fifthly And against those that oppresse the widow the fatherles So I reade it with this supply though the verb bee not againe repeated but is to be repeated from the former member to make the sense cleare The Lxx Against them who oppresse widdowes by their power and strike or beate the fatherlesse The Widow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The solitary or silent or forsaken as Ierem. 51.5 Israel hath not been Hebr. widdowed forsaken and Esa 13.22 Desolate houses are called in Heb. Widowes See the metaphor Lament 1.1 which is like unto that of Virgil Aeneid 8. tam multis viduasset civibus urbem See Genes 38.11.14.2 Sam. 20.3 Esay 47.8 or the Widow in the Hebr. is called Silent because her husband being dead shee cannot so well speake in her owne cause or for her owne defence Therefore Gods care of Widowes was alwayes great Exod. 22.22 Deut. 10.18 and 24 17. Psal 49.9 and 68.5 Ierom. 49.11 And in the Christian Church the Apostles tooke care of them and specially for their sakes ordained Deacons who might see that they should not bee neglected Acts. 6.1 A place pertinently observed and used by the Widow of Iohn Knobbarus the Printer in her Epistle Dedicatory to the Bishop of Antwerp before the late Iesuite Bresserus his booke De Concscientia This care was continued by S. Paul 1. Tim. 5.3 and after by many Bishops a T is a Testimony of great honour and a character fit for a Bishop which Mathew of Westminster gives to Gilbert Bishop of Chichester in K. Edward the firsts time that he was the Father of Orphans and the comforter of Widowes Yet at the last the Pontifician law grew streight and hard towards them wherein as Greg. Tholosan hath it Syntag. Iuris lib. 9. cap. 26. s 14. It was provided that the mony bequeathed for pious uses to the endowing and marrying of poore Women might in no case be bestowed upon Widowes marrying again though they were poore The fatherlesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Orphan a Pupill destitute of father or helpe See it clearely Lament 5.3 Wee are Iethomim Orphans and without father The Lxx here and constantly translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in one place namely Psal 82.3 they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poore The fatherlesse and the widow's are frequently joyned together in the same Texts and so they are in Gods care The ancient Church was tender of them thence it was that Brephotrophi as they were called were appointed for the charge of exposed infants whose fathers were not knowne and Orphanotrophi to see to the bringing up of other infants A practise worthily followed and imitated by the rare zeale and charity of our blessed King Edward the Sixth who upon occasion of the Bishop of Londons Sermon besides Bridewell and S. Thomas Hospitall disposed to other charitable uses was the glorious founder of Christs Hospitall for the reliefe
and all the Cities and habitations of them are destroyed Which thing as it is true and wee doubt not in part the meaning of this place yet not the whole because the Lord aimes not so much to set out his hatred to Esau and his posterity as his love to Jacob and his therefore there must needs be somewhat more in it that is the dissimilitude or dislike effect to shew his love to them which riseth thus Those whom I love I keepe them in their countrey and suffer them not to be led captive yet if for correction I suffer the enemy so farre to prevaile I doe againe reduce them into their owne countrey and give them their owne land and the comforts of it On the contrary those whom I hate those for their sinnes I cast into banishment and never bring home againe but let their land to be a dwelling for beasts Dragons and such like Now the former I have done to you who are Jacobs posterity and the latter to Esaus now contrary effects have contrary causes So then as they may see in them my hatred so in your selves ye may apprehend my love who are now at home in your owne Land and Countrey and enjoy your comforts in your Countrey This then apparently shews his hatred to Esaus posterity as in spirituall things the Apostle being interpreter Rom. 9. so here in temporall things and closely and by comparison his love to Jacobs seed and to this people The first onely to the children of promise but this to all even the whole seed and not they onely which were blessed in Isaac Doctrine Exile and banishment when it falls to a man or multitude to a family or a whole nation it is a signe and a proofe of the wrath and displeasure of the anger and hatred of God So is it here made and proved because God threatneth by his Prophet usually that which men threaten and menace when they are angry that proves their anger when it is effected Deut. 28.41 64 68. Thou shalt beget sonnes and daughters but thou shalt not enjoy them for they shall goe into captivity And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people from the one end of the earth even to the other and there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have knowne even wood and stone And the Lord shall bring thee into Aegypt againe with ships by the way whereof I spake unto thee thou shalt see it no more againe and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women and no man shal buy you Going into captivity scattering and serving the enemy are threatned as tokens of wrath Mic. 1.15 and 2.4 2 Chro. 36.16 17. Reas 1 Because it is a judgment of God upon whomsoever now the judgment of God shews his wrath and displeasure Reas 2 Because it is a blessing and so a token of the favour of God to have houses or lands and so to enjoy them Object Many are banished and cast into exile for Christ and the profession of his truth Ergo. Sol. It is true that as among the Grecians they had an Ostracismus a Law to banish every one that excelled other in riches or in honour or favour or eloquence and wisedome yea in their outward justice As Aristides was banished Athens by the voyces of all even a rustick who knew him not by face but because they called him just so falls it out in the world and in the kingdomes of it that they doe expell those who professe Christ and piety but that is nothing against this First for that which Justine Martyr saith Epist ad Diognetum de Christianis Omnis peregrina regio patria est eorum omnis patria est peregrina Every forreigne Countrey is their home and at home they are strangers and so they not banished wheresoever Againe because this comes onely from the malice and displeasure of men and is a favour of God that they are enabled to part with all for his sake as Act. 5.41 so wee may rejoyce if we be counted worthy to be exiles for his name but this here spoken of comes both from the wrath and displeasure of God and man Further as Causa non poena the cause not the punishment makes a Martyr Salvian Ex duobus lethalibus malis levius ut reor est captivitatem corporis Christiani quà m captivitatem animae sustinere So Salvian speaketh of a double captivity or of two sorts of captives one who are extrinsecus carne captives outwardly in the body others intus mente captivi inwardly in their mindes and affirmeth Of two great evills I suppose 't is more easie for a Christian to sustaine the captivity of his body than the bondage of the soule Now they which are captives in body for this are freed in their minds and è contr they who hold them captive are most captive for they are in their minds so as 2 Pet. 2.19 Vse 1 This may teach all such as may fall into captivity and exile that when it betides them If any should not we may then use the words of Salvian An credimus forte quod captivus animo populus ille non fuerit qui laetus tunc in suorum captivitatibus fuit captivus corde sensu non erat qui inter suorum supplicia ridebat qui jugulari se in suorum jugâ—lis non intelligebat qui mori se in suorum mortibus non putabat Quo ante they should learne to groane under it as under the manifest signe yea and the thing that is the wrath of God for if they may and ought to apprehend Gods displeasure when their land brings not forth abundance to them and their use what when it beares not them any longer But this lesson you may teach those that are in captivity we neither are neither are we in feare of it I answer that men carefull of themselves will learne and regard medicines or prescriptions before they have need of them especially if there be any likelyhood they may fall into a disease lest the remedy not ready the danger may be and prove the greater and the knowledge of any thing is no burden So in this But have we no feare of this that we have no need to learne it What then meant this late and most horrible treason or practice that every Nation Christian or barbarous whether Turkes Tariars or whosoever heard of If our Papists the greatest enemies of Christ this day the world hath if our Pseudo-catholicks the most despightfull enemies to the King and his posterity to the State and the prosperity of it to the Church and the peace of it had prevailed in their designes what would have beene our condition but this Questionlesse either must it have come to cutting of throats and the spilling of our blood after which the Scarlet-whore and her whorish brood hath a long time thirsted or else this captivity and exile if not carryed out of
Mareshah Vse 2 If our bloudy Romanists had prevailed in their barbarous and cruell plot to the supplanting and overthrow of our Kingdome Church the burning of our Cities the raizing of our Townes the sacking of our houses and our utter ruine we ought to have looked unto the Lord who destroyes and puls up and they but onely the instruments of his wrath Object Then you justifie their act and intent if it were the will of God and they but his instruments for it Answ I justify them as much as Luke did Judas and Herod and Pilate the Rulers and the Jewes because in the Crucifying of Christ they did the secret Counsell of God Act. 4.28 who were condemned to Hell for resisting his revealed will and committing murther and so must these without speedy repentance Besides Gods and their ends were indifferent God had done it to purge the Land of us and of our sinnes and that in just justice they of malice and for our principall good the profession of Piety and the Gospell and the hatred of their more then heathenish Idolatry Vse 3 To teach us if we would not bee destroyed and rooted out if we would be established and confirmed in despight of all Papists and Atheists to seek to have the Lord on our side If he be on our side who can bee against us or if they side against us they shall not prevaile to destroy us for if hee onely destroy then no other can Then though they provide their great armies though they have their secret plots though they straw our wayes with Gunpowder yet iniquity shall be upon the wicked and we shall escape and as we have so shall we still have occasion to praise God singing Psal 12 4 and 12.9 For he onely destroyes and saves when he will save nothing can destroy è contrà Men and Munition wise counsellors grave Senators valorous Captaines resolute Souldiers are some helpes and meanes It may be good to have peace with other Nations and Kingdoms about them But to establish a State to keepe it from falling nothing can be sure but to have peace and be at one with God that we may have him our protector then shall we not onely not fall and perish Quis ei de saeculo metus est cui in saeculo Deus tutorest Cypr. de Orat. Do. but bee without feare What need he feare the world who hath God to be his guardian And they shall call them the second thing that God theatens is shame to their destruction reproach and disgrace from other nations and people scorn and contempt expressing how great their misery should be when as for it they should become a by word to other people and nations They shall call them that is other nations that live about them or passe by them or heare of them shall take as it were this parable against them And say this mountaine of Seir is a border of wickednesse a region whom God hath cursed for their sinnes and layd wast for their iniquity this destruction is not come unto them by chance or naturall and humane revolutions and courses of things but for their wickednesse and impious manners hath God cursed and destroyed them for ever Doct. God makes men odious and contemptible among men a parable and by word for their sinnes and iniquities The border of Wickednesse the people from their judgement and utter destruction they gather their sinne and Gods wrath as the cause of their ruine and desolation Doctr. From the generall judgments of God upon a Country or Nation men may gather their sinnes and Gods wrath their deserts and Gods displeasure So here and threatned beforehand Deut. 29.21 22. and 1 King 9.8 9. and Jer. 2◠8 9. And many Nations shall passe by this Citty and they shall say every man to his neighbour wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great City Then they shall answer because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other gods and served them Reas Because though it is read that he afflicteth particular men for some other respects as for the tryall of their faith the manifestation of their graces the glorifying of himselfe sometimes for preventing of sin and shewing they are but men though great things be done by them as he did Job the blind man and the Apostles yet was it never read that he afflicted a generall Land but for sinne and iniquity or a State generally And the reason of this and the whole is because generall judgments come upon the multitude who are ever wicked who have been a long time spared for the good who now being either taken away or intangled with their sinnes that is removed which hindered and so the wrath comes upon them then by these judgments may the sinnes be noted Vse 1 Then have the ministers of God done us no wrong when for the generall judgment that hath been upon our City and Land the spreading and devouring Plague they gather and affirme that we are marvellously defiled and polluted even the border of wickednesse Some wrong might haply have beene done to particular men so to judge of them when men either have not committed these sins which deserve it but for some other cause it is befallen them or they have humbled and reconciled themselves unto God which another cannot so discern But to the generall there can be none seeing God useth not to bring generall Plagues but where the sinnes of men are generall and full whereas then the whole head hath been sicke and the whole heart heavy c. Isa 1.5 6. It must needs follow that such hath been the state and time covered with iniquity for wise Physitians doe not administer Physick for the whole when one part only is ill affected nor just magistrates doe not shake or smite all with the sword when a few have offended much lesse will God onely wise and the most righteous judge destroy the righteous with the wicked send a generall judgment when but a few have deserved it one mans sinnes may bee an occasion of it but the merit is generall as in David and his people 2 Sam. 24.1 Vse 2 If others passingers lookers on may thus gather what may those who suffer themselves how may they gather their sins and his wrath That their sinnes are many and their fallings away generall because their judgments are thus The one the cause the other the proofe as did Daniel 9. a 5. ad 15. So may wee from our generall judgements argue our generall Apostacy and Impiety They shall call them the borders of wickednesse The first of Gods witnesses of such as give testimony to his judgments and the uprightnesse and justice of them is the heathen and other nations who know him not aright Doctr. God will have witnesse and testimony of his judgments from wicked and prophane nations and men the wicked shal be witnesses of his judgments upon others so here so Deut. 29.22 Dan. 5.22
Revel 18.8 9. Psal 58.7 10. Dan. 3.22 and 6.24 Reas 1 Because God will not only as is said of wisedome be justified of his children but of the wicked and prophane for that may have some exception against it lest it should be partiall this none in that kinde but God wresting this from them making them as Balaams asse to speake against nature so they against their mindes Reas 2 Because they might be without excuse when the judgments of God come upon them they have not humbled themselves when they were made eye witnesses or such as had certaine notice of Gods judgments so Daniel inferres Dan. 5.22 and without doubt that is it which doth amplifie the sinnes of men to make them riper for judgment as of Cain and Lots daughters Vse 1 This may teach us when wee heare of wicked and prophane men speaking of the judgements of God upon others not upon Gods people onely which they may doe in hatred of them because they like Israel sacrifice that to God which they as Aegyptians worship as God their lusts and affections and such like Nor upon such whose persons for some private respects they hate but others whose persons and sinnes they liked well enough before the judgement yet now they speake of them and give testimony to the judgment of God as just For say they he was an adulterer an usurer an oppresser or a grievous blasphemer when they live not in the same judgments nor in the same sinnes but in as great sinnes of another kinde living voyd of the feare of God being wicked and prophane therein observe the wisdome and providence of God which makes even the wicked to witnesse for him who by his powerfull providence makes the wicked whether in truth or hypocrisie it skils not give testimony unto him if the good will be silent as these hold their peace the stones shall speake one instance we have worth the noting agreeable to the times our Papists for their late more then hellish plot are taken and nye to their deserved ruine and confusion they who are out of the snare cry It is just with them whether they speake out of ignorance and humane piety or out of cunning and dissembling policy very tolerable in their superstition for the Churches good it skils not much as Philip. 1.15 16. If such comparisons be nor odious howsoever God is justified and hee hath testimony of his justice from the wicked while they say These are the border of wickednesse these are but a few desperate Papists and this is just upon them Vse 2 To teach men though wicked yet by the company encouragment example or applause of other wicked not to commit that which may bring the judgment of God upon them for come when it will they shall be as ready as other to justifie God and condemne them whether in hypocrisy and sinister respect it is not to the purpose or in truth when the other did not so strengthen their hands to sinne as that will presse them and make their hearts to sink in them But let them learne to look to those judgements of which God hath made them eye witnesses and given them as certaine intelligence of them and humble themselves to God and avoyd such and the like lest as they give now testimony to the justice of God in seeing his punishments upon others so others may give of them yea and by such things their sinnes be made the greater and their judgements be the heavier The border of wickednesse That is a Nation or Country where the people are marvellous wicked who have this recompence for their wickednesse insinuating in them the cause of their destruction the mooving and deserving cause their sinnes Doctr. Mens sins are the causers procurers of their own destruction what ever it be Isa 3.11 woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him And a people of whom the Lord is angry for ever Here two things are intimated unto us the one the cause in God which moves him to punish the wicked his anger and displeasure as sinne the cause in themselves Another the perpetuity of their punishment their destruction is for ever first for the cause then the continuance Doct. When the Lord bringeth vengeance and punishment upon the wicked it is in indignation and wrath whether temporall or eternall upon few or many Isa 27.4 God sayth in his care of his Vineyard fury is not in mee by the opposition and comparison we see his fury against the wicked hee corrects his owne in love not in anger but he is as fire which hath no pitty against wicked men Rom. 2.6 8. who will render to every man according to is workes but unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath and Rom. 9.22 Jer. 10.25 Reas 1 Because when he commeth to judge them he comes as a Judge who intends not the mending of malefactors arraigned before him but the ending of them and the cutting of them off so he with these minds only their destruction Reas 2 Because the Lord accompts them as enemies and adversaries such as he hates and abhorres Psal 5.6 now when men come against their enemies it is in indignation and wrath as Isa 1.24 Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge mee of mine enemyes mourning that to them hee must come in wrath as to enemies Vse 1 This proves that there is a manifest difference betwixt the afflictions and corrections of the godly the punishments of the wicked those from love these from hatred those from a friend these from an enemy those from a Physitian who seeks to cure and mend them these from a judge to end them one in wrath the other in love Vse 2 To admonish wicked men to carry themselves very warily and to take heed how they procure punishment by their sinnes not onely for the thing it selfe but for the affection wherewith God will lay it upon them The thing of it selfe is heavy enough intolerable to be borne which the children of God with all the helpes and stayes they have have enough to undergoe and not to faint under how is it to them who are voyd of such things But how when they onely want not it but this is added his indignation and wrath grievous to a patient is the lancing cutting searing and corcives of the Chirurgeon though he do it with all the love and care he can possibly and expresse his fervent desire to cure them how grievous would it be if he should come raging and seek to fill himselfe with wrath and indignation when he comes to it so in this As the prayers and sacrifices of the wicked are abominable how much more when they are offered with a wicked minde so in this if they be heavy in themselves what when they are
of the vally shall picke it out and the young Eagles shall eate it And if the King must be well thought of Eccle. 10.20 how the parent to whom our affection naturally is more Chams curse came in part for his unreverent thought towards his Father Gen. 19. Reas 1 Because God hath made them reverent in that he hath communicated unto them part of his excellency and dignity now then as a man cannot endure to see so much as his picture or image lightly regarded and not set by but cast at the heels of those who ought to reverence it so God who regardeth the heart and inward affection as much or much more then the outward action cannot abide to see any sparke of his own image despised or any unreverent thought conceived of those whom he hath graced with extraordinarie dignitie of excellency or authoritie Reas 2 Because they ought to love them and if they doe love them they cannot disdaine them nor despise them For 1 Cor 13.5 Love disdaineth not Reas 3 Because else outward reverence is unsound fained counterfeite when the inward is wanting as the inward is lame maymed and unperfect without the outward Vse 1 To teach every child to see his sinne even every one of us for who can say that his heart is cleane that hath had naturall parents living when he had use of reason to whom though he have given outward respect reverence for some sinister respect for feare or shame or gaine of the rod the world or hope of some better portion yet he hath had many disdainefull and despising thoughts of his parents which if they were disliked and resisted were the lesse sinne but not checked in them they have proved the seed and spawn of many outward corruptions unreverences toward them yea of much disobedience and dishonouring of them for as the mouth speaketh of the abundance of the heart so the eye looketh scornefully or the tongue speaketh disdainfully or the whole outward cariage is disloyall when the heart is so corrupted for Chams dishonouring his father to his bretheren rose from the disdaining of him in his heart in secret But if it hath not broken out to this but either grace hath subdued it or worldly respect hath made us smother it yet must it be put upon the account among our sinnes when we humble our selves before the Lord for them to get a discharge of these as well as others Vse 2 To teach every childe to whom God hath given that comfort that he hath parents both or one to labour for all good and reverent affection towards them to honor them in his heart and inwardly to have all honourable estimation of them for the Lord he lookes into the heart and this he requires as the other and by all meanes labours against the contrary and that which is condemned of God which will make them contemne the counsells and advice of their Parents whose persons they disdaine in their hearts and take every thing from them in the worse part and so make their whole government unprofitable unto them Besides the feare of Gods curse threatned Prov. 30. as he well said he was a sinner with a witnesse whom the Holy Ghost gave witnesse against so he is accursed with a witnesse whom the Holy Ghost so accurseth for it saith Tremel God will condemne and bring that person to some evill end or other who shall scorne and disdaine his Parents for his curses are not threatnings alone but inflictions not denouncings but performance This were a good caveat to be written upon the doores of young mens and womens hearts to banish and keepe out unreverent and scornefull thoughts of their Parents and a fitter Posie to be written upon the walls of Parents than the vaine inventions of Poets and Painters The second is outward reverence both in word and carriage towards them Doctr. Children sonnes and daughters must outwardly reverence their Parents that is in behaviour and speech give them all reverent respect in gesture and such titles as are due unto them For if inward more outward seeing the contrary is more offence to them who take notice of it more griefe to their Parents that see and heare them Here to belongs that Prov. 30.11 There is a generation that curseth their father and hath not blessed their mother and that he speaketh of the eye verse 17. shewes that in the whole outward man is required reverence Hence was the blessing of Shem and Japhet Gen. 9.23 26 27. Hence was the excuse of Rachel Gen. 31.35 and the practice of Solomon 1 King 2.19 20. Reason Besides those in the former point this may confirme it because they have their bodies whole and parts from them made of their seed framed in her wombe nursed and nourished up by them then ought they by the whole and parts to doe them all the reverence they possibly can Vse 1 To teach every one to see his sins past or present when they have beene in this marvellous defective nay doing the contrary little reverence in gesture and speech to their Parents short of that it should have beene nay often carrying disdainfull eyes disloyall and despightfull tongues the sinnes of our youth in this respect to be repented of The cause with many why they are despised and want this outward reverence of theirs God using this retribution because they have done so yea and when they have children of yeares to discerne such things who see them unreverently use their Parents both in gesture and speech both with looks and words who teach them how to use theirs while they let them see how they use theirs Yea divers Parents my selfe have beene an eye-witnes of some who teach their children when they are young not onely to disdaine others but themselves the father teaching the child to scoffe or miscall his mother and delight in it which falls out justly that they keepe the sent of this liquor and when they are elder so despise and contemne them But if now when they finde such things from theirs it is good to call to mind their owne sinnes and to think that they thus use me for I have used mine the like and yet never repented of it Vse 2 To perswade every child as before to labour to give them all reverence both in his word and carriage to thinke it little enough to reverence them with the whole and every part which they received from him Let none thinke this is needlesse or too much curiosity to stand upon such things they acknowledge them their Parents and respect them somewhat what need all this for this must be done and not greater things neglected Nonnunquā in parvâ deterius quà m in majori culpâ peccatur major enim culpa quo citiùs agnoscitur eò etiam celeriùs emendatur minor verò dum quasi nulla creditur eò pejor est quo securiùs in usu retinetur Greg. and the sinnes of children in this kind are in
humour for their owne fancy and pleasure only without good ground or manner may not this be seen by that of Isaac submitting himselfe to his father to cut him at his pleasure Gen. 22. yea of Israel to be circumcised and of Christ to his mother Luke 2.48 49 Reas 1 Because by this they shew wisdome Prov. 13.1 A wise sonne heareth his fathers instruction but a scorner heareth not rebuke and they get and increase wisdome Prov. 29.15 The rod and reproofe give wisedome but a child left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame for they learne to avoid the like sinnes and to escape greater stroaks from their father Reas 2 That which gets wisdome must be submitted to because by it they prevent greater destruction and bring to salvation They are called The way of life Prov. 6.23 wholesome things though bitter To prevent greater evill and bring health we easily submit our selves to the Physitians hand to receive Reas 3 Because they come from love Prov. 13.24 For those men love not or they hate in effect under affection those they correct not Vse 1 To reprove the stubborne and stiffe-necked children of our age who repine at their fathers reproofe their hearts ready to swell against them if they check them for their carriage specially when they are of some few yeares they will frowne as long as their Parents can doe They imagine they know how to carry themselves well enough yea better than their Parents and often give them word for word or mutter and murmure marvellously against them the cause being not onely want of grace in their owne hearts but the omission of correction and the rod when they were younger because they did not correct them betime Many Parents like Eli neglecting the rod when they were young cockering of them that they get such heads when they are growne that they will not beare the rod and better nothing at all by their reproofes but they live often to see their perishing as Eli did his sonnes Whereas if they be duely and maturely used to the rod and correction they will be nothing so audacious and in the end a word shall doe more with them than many stripes Vse 2 To teach children to give honour unto their Parents in submitting themselves to their reproofes and correction Wisdome will make them take them from others who are farre off when it may be doubtfull with what minde they doe it how much more from Parents of whose love they cannot doubt It is profitable saith Chrysostome Ho. 27. ad pop A. to have many admonishers and keepers many reprovers is profitable because as a beast that is hunted and set on of all sides cannot escape so shall not a sinne or vice but when such as are so nigh us who see in secret and open it is farre better But we could beare it if there were cause and we had deserved it but when they doe it without cause as we thinke unjustly that is it which makes us repine First know that the Physitian sees often more than the Patient so doth the Parent But if yet there be no cause the Apostle shews yet we should submit And we should consider as Hierome would have Salvina to judge of his reproofe that it was ex abundantia amoris and it is his cujus votum est te nescire quae metuit Besides it is more thanke worthy when a man can in such cases suppresse the rising and swelling of his impatient and corrupt nature onely for conscience of the commandement for here being some conflict betwixt his word and our will he taketh tryall of our obedience who hath simply commanded subjection in this kind to children which is to bee obeyed as that thou shalt not steale Therefore should every one endeavour to it and thinke it is the part of a good childe to kisse the rod that beates as the hand that gives The second thing wherein their subjection is required and submission is for their calling and education Doctrine Children must submit themselves unto their Parents to what calling they shall thinke fit to bring them up in and to So did Samuel to his Mother he yeelded to her to be set apart for the service of God and to be brought up to it 1 Sam. 1.28 For that which she gave he performed So David submitted himself to his father to be a shepherd and some of his brethren souldiers So Christ was disposed of by his Parents when he was fit to teach others and for another manner of worke Luke 2.46 yet he went and was subject to them and in the same trade verse 51. and Marke 6.3 Justin Martyr thinkes so 't was likely the wisedome of God to blind the wicked and hide him from their eyes Then as 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as hee walked so for this particular Reas 1 Because they in all reason are far better able to judge of them and their parts and gifts what they are fit for and wherein they are most like to give them most comfort and glorifie God and profit themselves then they can of themselves That same borrowed speech Psal 127.4 5. As arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are Children of the youth happie is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speake with the enemies in the gate seemes to insinuate somewhat they are as arrowes of divers heads some fit for one marke some for another he hath them in his hand and knows best which is fit for which Reas 2 Because they are not in their owne power but his while they live in his house and government but part of his substance therefore the Devill smote not Jobs wife as part of himselfe but his children as part of his substance and temporall goods 't is equall then he should have the disposition of his children not themselves or others Reas 3 It shall appeare that he may dispose of them in Marriages and not any other nor themselves which is then when they are of more yeares and grown of greater discretion in the world more when they are younger and without experience Vse 1 To reprove the sinnes of many Children who sometime without asking consent if denyed doe dispose of themselves ar their owne pleasure in what calling they like as if their parents had no power over them as if they onely knew what was fit for themselves and their parents wanted the wit and experience they have to dispose of them for the best the cause of many miscarrying of them and not prospering in their profession because they went not to it the right way only led by their affection without judgement not knowing what God had fitted them for nor regarding their parents whom God had set over them for that purpose whence often the curse of God is upon them that they prosper not in such courses or if by the indulgence
strait as the Lepers were 2 King 7.3 4. without the walls of Samaria if they enter the City there is death if they sit still there is death also So we if we doe not we displease if we doe and not as we ought we displease also They had a third way to goe out to the enemies wherein their difficulty was the greatest but we have a third wherein our comfort is the most to doe them as he requireth of us Object But some will object who is sufficient for these things And this is but a cold comfort in a thing that no body can doe and therefore we were as good to doe nothing at all for who can doe things as he requireth Answ I answer we have a mercifull God to deale with who in Jesus Christ accepteth our affections for actions our beginnings for perfections 2 Cor. 8.12 And upon this ground we must doe our endeavours to doe it in the perfectest manner that we may that we may be accepted and not abstaine It is a rule indeed in matters indifferent which are left to our choise to refraine from them because our weaknesse will bring forth some sinne in the doing of them As in exercises and recreations when they cause us to sweare curse fret and lose our time But in other things for which there is a commandement and our own experience teacheth that we cannot doe them without defects and infirmities As we cannot heare the word with that faith we ought but wandring thoughts and sometime envious covetous ambitious desires creep into our hearts yet must we doe and not abstaine our imperfections hinder them from being perfectly good but not from being accepted while we condemne our imperfections and desire to doe better And as the high Priest Exod. 28.38 did beare the iniquity of the holy things so though our holiest offerings and works of righteousnesse have defects wants blemishes and stains of our corruptions our high Priest Christ Jesus will acquit us of them and procure us favour and acceptation in the sight of God I have no pleasure in you The reason of his wish why he could desire they rather should not doe him service then doe it and this carrieth the contrary I dislike you I am angry and displeased with you remaining in your sinnes and corruptions Doctr. The Lord hath no pleasure in ungodly men such as commit and continue in sinne and transgression of his law but he is angry and displeased with them so is it here Psal 5.4 for thou art a God that lovest not wickednesse neither shall evill dwell with thee and Hebr. 10.38 2 Sam. 15.26 hence it is that he is compared to a consuming fire even to his owne Deut. 4.24 Therefore to shew his anger towards those who should transgresse how great it is when he gave the law he descended with fire and the whole mountaine burned about him Reas 1 Because the Lord hates iniquity Psal 45.7 now then as Men who hate any liquor doe dislike the vessell that it is in for it yea sometimes grow to hates and abhorre it so the Lord hating sinne dislikes the sinner yeâ— sometimes growes to hate him Psal 5.5 not the nature he mâ—de not the man but the wicked man because sinne cleaves so fast to him as they cannot be parted As when the sent will not out of the vessell he hates both Deus odit iniquitatem itaque in aliis eam perimit per duâ—inationem ut in reprobis in aliis adimit per justificationem ut in electis August ad Simplicianum lib. 7. quaest 2. Col. 630. Tum 4. as Saint Augustine saith God hates iniquity therefore in some he destroyes it by damnation as in reprobates in others he takes it away by justification as in the elect Reas 2 Because as every one delights and takes pleasure in his like which makes the Angels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner And men rejoyce and account it a glorious thing to have children like themselves and take the more pleasure in them when the succession is like to prove like so God in those that are most like him because saith Cyprian then the divine gentry by their actions and practices may become more famous Then must he be displeased with these because they grow more unlike him and like to Satan his Enemy Vse 1 Anger then simply in it selfe is not a sinne but as it is mixed with other perturbations and vices seeing God is angry As Christ was often and very vehemently John 2.13 14 17. and whensoever he corrected and reproved sinne he shewed himself in his words very angry Mat. 23.13 so hath Moses the Prophets Apostles and all the Saints Therefore Lactan. saith sine irâ peccata corrigi non posse sinne cannot be corrected without anger for the sight of sinne is so horrible in it selfe that he that is a good man cannot but be offended moved and angry with the sight of it And he that is not moved at it either allowes it or doth not much detest it or is willing to avoid trouble in correcting of it hence the repressing of anger is a sinne being a great sinne not to represse and that irefully the sinnes which are under our charge Quasi gladio aciem sic menti nostrae irae acumen imposuit ut eo cuÌ„ oportet utamur Chry. ho. 6. de laudab Paul as old Ely for God hath given anger to the spirit of man as an edge to a weapon that when 't is needfull we may use it saith Saint Chrysostome This then we ought to doe imitate these examples and be angry with sinnes and correct them to our power but Ephe. 4.26 this place doth not simply forbid anger but corrupt anger by which we offend God Now anger is vicious and corrupt First if a man be angry rashly for no cause or for small cause Math. 5.22 Secondly if a man be angry for private injuries not for them as they are sins offensive to God but injuries to himselfe Thirdly when the anger that should be against the sinne is against the person and turned to his brother and this is that there forbidden and it is thus understood be angry but not without just cause be angry not for private injuries but vices as they are against the law of God Finally be angry not with your brethren but with their corruptions and this is hence warrantable Vse 2 Seeing God will be angry with all both elect and reprobate for their sinnes and most dispeased with them This should perswade us not to be secure but to passe our lives in the feare of the anger of God To this one thing bend wee all our endeavours and powers that we sinne not and so provoke the anger and displeasure of God for of this wee may be sure that Gods word shall be fulfilled Psal 89.31 32. If they break my statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with
abide it specially an upright and plain dealing man Prov. 29.27 much lesse God that is righteousnes it selfe Ezek. 14.7.8 Isaiah 58.2 3. Psal 5.6 Acts 5. Reas 1 Because it is grosse hypocrisie and so abominable unto the Lord who as he is a most simple essence most holy and pure cannot endure such doubling Reas 2 Because offences which are done openly and committed apparently doe nor so much offend a generous and valiant minde and man as when they are done by craft and dissembling the reasons because the former argues the audaciousnesse and impudence of the actor the latter the great contempt and irrision of him which is so provoked Vse 1 This will convince many of grosse sinne before God who make such shew of great service of God and yet doe nothing lesse To say little of Papists as of Monks who commend their manner of worship or services who brag that they are continually in prayer that they rise in the night season with the hazard of their health to keep watch for the salvation of others and waste their bodies with watchings fastings and other exercises yet they think it skils not much what manner of prayers how without affection being but as Basil speaketh like the lowing of so many oxen though they be never so barbarous yet God will accept As the Pope provided for his idle and unlearned Priests by his Canon Quod verba Dei non debeut esse subject a regulis Donati To say nothing I say of their shew of service nor of the lay Papists who make great shew of great service by the account of their prayers upon their beads when few of them undestand what they say To say nothing of these who are without and so what have I to doe to judge them how many have we within who are here convinced of sinne because they make great shew and yet doe nothing lesse Many make great shew of serving God in prayer others in hearing of the word and therefore come panting and blowing and sweating about such things but doe nothing lesse because it cannot be they can make account of Preaching who regard not Prayer nor they of Prayer who reverence not Preaching because he can not delight to hear God speak that delights not to speak to God and so è contrà And as Bernard said betwixt prayer and fasting so say I of this prayer obtaineth the power of fasting Oratio virtutem impetrat jejunandi jejunium gratiam orandi hoc illam corroborat illa hoc sanctificat Bernardus and fasting the grace of prayer this strengthens that and that sanctifieth this Finally they who come to the service of God as Ezek. speaketh shall be answered as he saith for they make shew and doe not Vse 2 To teach every man to take heed of hypocrisie and making shew of diligence and devotion in the service of God when there is no such thing in the heart for that will not go currant with God but wil be severely both censured and sentenced by him as amongst other things it was in this people one principall cause of removing the worship of from them so of the Gospell from us for in shews and colours and pretences may hee deceive men but he cannot God That which St. Hierome saith ad Rusticanum Epist 4. Honor nominis Christiani fraudem facit magis quam patitur quodque pudet dicere sed necesse est ut saltem sic ad nostrum erubescamus dedecus So is it true in in respect of men but it cannot be so of God who sees the inward parts Hebr. 14.13 but such deceit shall verily suffer from him who cannot endure hypocrisie for such sonnes and servants he cannot endure who will say and make great shew but doe nothing Therefore ought every one if not to be as the windows of the Temple were wider within then without yet to be no more in shew then they are in truth and to labour to doe every thing they make shew of And yee offered that which was torne Their practice and here the first fault of their sacrifice that they brought none of their own but such as was gotten by unlawfull meanes Doctr. Things taken from others by deceit violence oppression and wrong are not fit matter for sacrifice to God to be given to the poore to good religious or charitable uses this is reproved in these hereto tends the commandement Deuter. 23.17 18. there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel Thou shalt neither bring the hyre of a whore nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow for even both these are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Isaiah 61.8 I hate robbery for burnt offering Luke 11.41 Ephe. 4.28 Reas 1 Because every man ought to offer unto the Lord of his owne not others now only all that is a mans own which is gotten and had by lawfull means that which is gotten by unlawfull means is anothers not his Reas 2 Because this were to make God partaker of the sinne as much as in them lyes and whereunto he should be accessary if he should accept any such thing as receivers of stoln wares Object Luke 16.9 And I say unto you make you friends with the riches of iniquity that when yee shall want they may receive you into everlasting habitations Then is it lawfull thus to dispose of a mans goods though gotten by iniquity Answ Christ indeed cals them riches of iniquity which he shews not only of riches unjustly gotten but of those which are lawfully gotten seeing the Doctine we have taught is true They are called thus as some thinke because they are inaequalitatis unequally divided or because they were gotten by the sins of the grandfathers or great great fathers or because they are matter of sinne and iniquity not that they are either such of themselves nor by Gods ordinance who hath made them remedia humanae miseriae non instrumenta voluptatis superbiae but they are such by the corruption and infirmity of man as wine good and neat put into a musty caske will in time smell mustily like the vessell so that as often as a man drinks of it he saith it is musty So riches good of themselves yet possessed by a corrupt heart grow evill that thou mayest call them wicked riches because they are causes of wickednesse as the Apostle speaketh of evill times and so Christ calleth them here not perswading them of the riches they have gotten by iniquity to offer sacrifices unto God on the Altar of the poore or any otherwise to procure favour from God but perswades them that those riches which men commonly so use to pride or voluptuousnesse and other sinnes that they would use well to procure favor and good will unto themselves both of God and man Vse 1 This serveth to shew that many mens sacrifices and liberality is unlawfull and no waies
the people they might say they were bare with their long journey and cost of building and they were growne old and if they were not tolerated thus to do they would bring nothing at all and his worship would fall to the ground The Prophet answereth That God hath commanded and therefore they are to doe it whatsoever come of it Doctrine Whatsoever God commandeth men or calleth them to that they must obey and do whatsoever inconvenience may follow of it they must shut their eyes against them all and put their hand into Gods hand to be led by him whither soever he will So with these Abraham obeyed God to go out of his owne countrey when God called him not objecting the inconveniences Gen. 12.4 And when to offer up Isaac not objecting as he might if he had consulted with flesh and blood infinite things against it Gen. 22. Hereto is that Exod. 34.23.24 Levit. 25.20 Galat 1.16 Reason 1 Because all inconveniences in the world will not excuse the fact mans disobedience it may sometime lessen it in mans reason but not defend it in Gods judgement Reason 2 Because God is able either to take away those inconveniences or to make them turne to his owne glory and the advantage of man who in a sincere conscience doth obey him And he will do so as in Daniel and the three Children Vse 1 To reprove all those who refuse to obey those things they are taught and shewed that God hath commanded because of some inconveniences they foresee will follow They shall happily be debarred of their pleasure or deprived of their profit or be discountenanced of great ones or derided of inferiours therefore they will not be religious nor professors nor reforme their manners nor be carefull of their lives and seek to make conscience of their wayes as if God cannot bring these upon them for evill as well and more then man for good Or as if these had not befallen men in their disobedience as well as those who have obeyed him As if these can excuse a man when he shal come before the Judge or he shall not be stript naked of them all and be left alone to answer for his disobedience Men are taught they ought to deale plainly and truly with others in weight and measure to speake truth and not to lie and such like They see then they shall not grow rich as others and be esteemed of as others as they think and therefore they chuse rather by such meanes to grow rich then to obey God as if their comming into the world was onely to get riches and not to honour and obey God Teach them to be liberall unto the poore for good causes and to make them friends with the riches of iniquity Luk. 10.9 and that God will give them use for it They will answer or thinke as the widow of Sarepta did 1 Kings 17. they have little enough for themselves and theirs and they feare to want before they die or not to leave enough for theirs As if that they left behinde them were theirs and not rather that they sent before As Princes have more use of that they send by their Harbingers then of that they leave in their standing houses so should they have more profit by that they give before then that they leave behinde Perswade them to make restitution of that they have wrongfully taken from men or else God will not justifie them but condemne them Micha 6.10.11 They see they shall call their names in question they pretend slandering of the Gospel To these I say Saul disobeyed God as he pretended to sacrifice to God or to have that he might and not for private use but it excused him not he lost his kingdome for it let them take heed they lose not the kingdome they say they hope and look for Vse 2 To teach every man when he hath a commandment of God to obey and not to cast at the inconveniences to hinder himselfe from obeying for he that will looke at such things shall be like him Eccles 11.4 He that observeth the winde shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap he shall neither sow any obedience nor reap any reward If he see no inconvenience imminent and obey it is not much worth for he pleaseth himselfe rather then God but if there be it is the more acceptable As disobedience in small things is more offensive because the obedience was easie so obedience in great things and when there are great inconveniences is more acceptable because it is harder Therefore if God command we must shew our selves the children of Abraham and of the faithfull What though inconveniences will follow what though the world shall condemne us and the wicked flout us and the Divell and our owne flesh set themselves against us Deny thy selfe as Abraham did and thine owne reason dispute not of the commandment of God but obey and commit the event to God Worthy is that saying of * Qui habet certum Dei verbum in quacunque vocatione credat tantū audeat dabit Deus haud dubia secundos exitus Luth. Luther to be written in the tables of our hearts He that hath Gods word for what he doth in any calling let him beleeve and go boldly on and no doubt God will give a good issue If God command them and they see great inconvenience passe and mount over them all by thy faith as Abraham did and beleeve Gen. 22.8 God will give an evasion and thou shalt have occasion to say vers 14. In the mount the Lord will provide And as Philo when he pleaded the cause of his Nation being brought to a great exigent before Caligula said It cannot be but that Gods aid is neer when all mens help faileth us This commandment is for you The care of Gods service to see it be done as it ought to direct the people to reprove their corruption to refine their corrupt offerings belongeth to the Minister of which I have spoken in the former Chapter VERS II. If ye will not heare it nor consider it in your heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of hosts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not consider it in your heart IF ye will not heare it In the matter of this curse we consider first the exception which is treble to heare and apply and give glory to God The summe is repentance unlesse they will consider things well and enter into their hearts and returne to do things worthy their place and fitting their calling these things must come upon them so that without this these must come nothing can hinder it Doctrine 1 There is no means to keep away or turn away Gods judgements but repentance Revel 2.5 Except thou repent In the particulars the first is to hear they were the Ministers of the Assemblies such as were able to teach
An evill man may be a good Citizen we may say Good men are evill Citizens Masters c. which blemisheth much their private graces in the sight of God and good men And upon many hath and doth and will bring particular and temporall judgements from their families and servants c. For this is a grand cause why good men fathers of families have such gracelesse children and corrupt servants Ministers such untoward flockes Magistrates such people Vse 2 This may admonish and instruct all that have the faith and feare of God to joyne with it this care of the duties of their place whatsoever it is that they must have because these duties though they be profitable for the common good yet are they not acceptable from him As he saith Cypriansec de zela livore that performeth holy things and is not a consecrated Priest doth things in respect of himselfe childish and unprofitable though they may be good to others So he that doth things without faith and the feare of God they are unprofitable yea wicked and damnable sinnes howsoever they may benefit others so may I say of these but yet this had will not beare out nor excuse the negligence and not doing the duties of his place It may make the infirmities of them passed over but not defend the omitting of them Therefore to be accepted of God men must also be carefull of that Masters c. The excuses that commonly are pretended will not goe for currant servants will not abide with me if I instruct correct and restraine them as duty and reason requireth First see whether thou art not the cause why they are so untractable either not seeking by prayer a blessing upon thy government or dealing hardly and passionately in thy government as if thou hated them rather then loved good things or thy servants see thee doe contrary to that thou directs them for if none of these God will perswade them to be tractable and bend their hearts or else know that he would have thee purge thy house of them as David said and did his of his said lewd servants lest us God prospers a bad houshold for a good servant so he curse a good houshold for a bad servant Ministers excuses of the untractablenesse and unwillingnesse of their people which may happily come from their former negligence or indiscretion or if God doe not blesse his labours to them his reward shall be never a whit the lesse nor he lesse acceptable so he doe his duty Magistrates and Officers that they shall be accounted busie officious and pragmaticall and it may be when they are out of their office they shall have actions against them for this and that usage they may happily be justly so accounted because they follow and doe things in humour not in conscience If they doe not they neede not doubt of Gods protection and of good successe and should rather feare an action from God then men besides the losse of the good they may have by doing it But to all I say as she said to the Heathen King doe me justice or else cease to be my King So let them either doe the duties of their places or else never take them or speedily give them over and leave to be masters c. Or else they must know that if God will not justifie he will condemne The law of truth was in his mouth He taught the truth and word of God and nothing but that and that wholly Doctrine The Minister of God must deliver to his people the law of truth and it onely onely the word of God and nothing else Rev. 2.7 heare what the spirit saith The law of truth was in his mouth He taught the truth and nothing else but the truth and the whole truth all the truth not keeping any thing from them Doctrine The Minister must deliver to his people the whole truth of God all his will and counsell whatsoever he hath commanded and revealed Levit. 10.11 Deut. 5.27 Mat. 28.20 Acts 10.33 and 20.27.35 Reason 1 Because else he cannot be free from the blood of his flocke that is the perishing or slaughtering of them sanguinis i. caedis saith Chrysostome upon Acts 20.26 For if Paul be free from their blood and from their murther because as he said Acts 20.26.27 I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men For I have kept nothing backe but have shewed you all the counsell of God Then will this by the contrary follow Reason 2 Because else they should not be faithfull neither to him that sent them nor to them over whom they are set for what fidelity can there be when for their owne pleasures or respects they shall not deliver the whole he commanded and might be profitable to them 1 Cor. 4.2 And as for the rest it is required of the disposers that every one be found faithfull Vse 1 This will crosse their opinion who affirme many things in the word are unfit to be delivered and taught to the people and are ready to scandall and stumble at it when at any time they are But if the Minister must deliver the whole truth If Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things are written aforetime are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope If Deuter. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law Why should they nor be taught It is certaine that many things ought to be spoken wisely discreetely in their fit and due times but yet all things must be delivered That which Hierom counselled Laeta for her daughter that the booke of Canticles she should read last of all the Scriptures when without danger she might lest in reading it in the first place she should be wounded when she was not able to discerne spirituall things and spirituall love under carnall words It may be a rule for all things of the like kind for as Hilar. Psa 134. As an unskilfull man comming into a field abounding with wholsome hearbs passes by all as of no more use then the grasse but a skilfull one otherwise So of the Scriptures * Vt imperitus in agrum salubribus herbis divitem venerit omnia inutilia promiscue genita existimans praeteribit peritus contra Ita de Scripturis Hilar Psal 134. And as Bernard Why may I not draw a sweet and wholesome repast of the Spirit out of the sterile and insipide letter as grain from out the huskes as the nut from out the shell as the marrow from out the bone And as Basil * Quid ni dulce eruam ac salutare epulum spiritus de sterili insipidâ literâ tanquam granum de palea de testa nucleum de osse medullam Bernard in Cant. serm 73. All bread affoords nourishment for health but of no use oft-times
according to all his commandments And thus was Iob just and perfect Noah Zachary and Elizabeth c. He walked with me in peace and equity Therefore in peace because in equity being upright in his conversation he had peace with God and peace with himselfe Doctrine They who walke uprightly and walke with God in equity and righteousnesse they and they onely walk in peace shall have true inward peace with God and themselves To this purpose is that of Isaiah 54.13 Psal 119.165 Joh. 14.27 and 10.33 Phil. 4.5.6.7 è contra Isai 57.20.21 Reason 1 Because he is justified that his uprightnesse and sanctification sheweth for it proceedeth from justification Bona opera sequuntur justificatum as fruit from the life of a tree Now he that is justified and he onely hath true inward peace Rom. 5.1 Reason 2 He that walkes not uprightly can have no assurance of his justification and so remission of his sinnes and so no peace and quietnesse A sinner is as a debter sued to judgement And did turn many away from iniquity The fourth thing commended in him that he laboured so diligently and so effectually and walked so carefully that many who were borne and bred in sinne and iniquity and continued in it as slaves of Satan were turned from it to God and godlinesse Doctrine The Minister of God must and ought to turne many from sinne and Satan to God godlinesse that is he ought so to teach so to labour and so to walke that by the blessing of God upon his endeavours many may be gained to God out of the bondage of sin and Satan be called and converted unto God This is given unto the Word Psal 19.7 in the Ministers preaching of it Rom. 10.14 Isai 49.5 Ezek. 3 17 c. and 33.7 c. Matth. 28.19 Acts 18.9.10 2 Tim. 2.24.25.26 Reason 1 Because he shall be free from their bloud and perishing not onely if he convert but if he so labour as they may be converted though they never be for it not being in his power to work upon the heart and to alter it if he do what he can by all meanes to the outward man he is free else he must be culpable and guilty of his perishing If in Ezekiels parable Chap. 33. a watchman set up of themselves shall answer for their bodies if they perish for want of warning what shall he do that is set up of God Reason 2 Because if God do make his labour effectuall his honour shall be the more I cannot say as Chrysost Non minus praemii if hee come without them he shall not lose his labour but lesse sure because of that Dan. 12.3 And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for ever and ever Vse 1 This reproveth and condemneth all Preachers and Ministers who do not labour so in doctrine and live so in practise that men may be converted to God from iniquity but by negligence and corruption suffer men to remaine still in their sinnes yea harden them in their iniquities They are farre from their dutie and farre unlike to these Priests who were thus approved and commended of God Vse 2 To teach all Ministers so to preach and so to live that they may convert men to God and turne them from iniquity They must exhort improve and rebuke with all meeknesse long-suffering constancie and courage that there may be nothing wanting in them why they should not be turned This is his dutie and he that is a Priest and rebukes not delinquents he forsakes the office of a Priest In the doing of it faithfully he may well expect a blessing from God because of that Isaiah 55.10.11 Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it might give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shal my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it And if he doe waste himselfe hazard his life and spend his strength and gain but one or few it will be the recompence of his labour The Captaine that redeems and recovers but one captive whose freedome is desired by his Prince shall not lose his reward though he shall have greater that recovers more So in this Dan. 12.3 And if God do not blesse his labours yet if he be not wanting in his dutie care and endeavour but be found wise and faithfull he shall be rewarded Isai 49.5 And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant that I may bring Iacob again to him though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength Vse 3 This may teach us why the Ministery of the Word and the Ministers of it are so harsh and so unacceptable unto most men if they be faithfull and will seeke by all means to convert men to God because they must turne them from their sin separate them and their iniquities which they love so dearly as Micha 6.7 Sin is either naturall or by custome or both naturall diseases are almost incurable and no lesse diseases that grow into a custome which is another nature And the Physitian that should go about to cure these against a mans will should have little thanke for his paines and be not greatly welcome when such things cannot be removed without most sharp and bitter medicines great paine and griefe So in this And here is the cause why many a mans ministery at the first comming to a place is very acceptable for a while because he speakes things good and wholesome but somewhat generally because he knowes not the state of his flocke and people but after he hath lived some yeares and sees their sinnes and begins to speake home unto them then is he unacceptable because he would part them and their sins As that Minister that should perswade a divorce betwixt a man his wife which he loves most dearly should never be welcome to his house or company so in this It may be it is but the same he hath often spoke of before but then it was borne because they probably conjectured he meant not them but when he hath been a while with them that it is like he may know them to be guilty of that sinne though happily and ten to one he did not then is it tolerable because they thinke he would separate them and their beloved sinne their profitable and delightfull sinne All the while he will preach peace and comfortable things to them and bring the word of reconciliation and tell them of Gods love and Gods mercie and that he is sent to wooe them to be married to God all that while he
made you to be despised It was others malice and corruption but Gods judgement Reason As other judgements which befall men so this of hatred and contempt and reproach it comes from God though man be the instrument of it therefore saith God I have made you vile Jerem. 23.40 Psal 44.13.14 and 107.40 2 Sam. 16.10 Because all evill as in the City so in every place comes from the Lord Amos 3.6 the evill of punishment Now such is this Quest A question may be made whether this be a sinne or no If it be how should God be free from sinne when he hath his hand in that which man doing sinneth Answ It is not simply a sinne to despise the wicked for it is a marke of the child of God Psal 15.4 To hate the wicked for his wickednesse so it be done simply and onely for that he set at naught all wicked persons as well as one and not this and that onely from whom perhaps he hath received some wrong or whose outward state is contemptible in the world But if man sinne in it and hate the person rather then his wickednesse and doe it in the malice and corruption of his heart yet is God free from sin because as Augustine speaketh of that of Shemei Deus non est tam Author quam ordinator The disposer of his corruption not the Author of it for they having this venome by nature to hate and contempt God leaving them as he justly may to their owne corruption and they will be hating and despising Now he doth order and dispose of this at his good pleasure and makes it fall where he thinkes best where he would punish and for what end he purposeth not for what they intended As Salomon Prov. 16.1 The preparations of the heart are in man but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. Meaning in the generall that God disposeth of all so in this not unfitly Vse 1 This may shew the folly of those who despise and set naught by the despising and reproaches because they come from inferiours from bule and meane and weake men But these should consider that it is not from them but God and by them and are the signe of his displeasure It is not to be braved of bragged out Men may not think to acquit themselves by answering one reproach with another one contempt with another for this is but to fight against God who hath made them to despise them who if he can not make to returne with such blasts and small windes hath verily sharpe Arrowes and keene Swords hath mighty armies and great store of men of armes to subdue them Vse 2 To teach men when they are in such judgements the way how to have them removed first to have Davids thoughts they cursed because God bids them curse they reproach and contemne them because he hath so made them and then to imagine and consider that he who set them on must snap them check them He must onely charme these Adders that they sting not or he onely must cure their biting therefore must they by prayer seeke unto him for the removing of them who must take these from them so David prayed Psal 119.39 Take away my rebuke that I feare for thy judgements are good And if he a King of that magnificence and greatnesse of that power and authority could not have them removed but by seeking to God if he could not cure the biting of a dead dogge as Abishai calleth Shimei but God must doe it how then shall any other inferiour man be able to helpe himself and remove it without him Thirdly he must humble himselfe and remove his sinne which is the cause of it for if he remove no judgement unlesse man remove the cause if he give not favour in the eyes of men unlesse they have favour in his owne eyes first If Prov. 16.7 When the waies of a man please the Lord he will make also his enemies at peace with him Then must they turne unto him and forsake that which is displeasing and doe that which is acceptable And if a reproach be as they say of words irrevocable yet will God doe him good for the others evill 2 Sam. 16.12 But yee have beene partiall in the law Their particular sinne why he would lay this judgement upon them their accepting of persons in the worke of their Ministery Doctrine As it is in a Magistrate and in him that executes judgement a great corruption to accept persons so is it in a Minister and him that must dispose of Gods mysteries As the Magistrate in distributing of justice may not respect poore or rich friend or foe high or low or any thing besides justice and equity so must not the Minister in dividing the word Therefore are they here reproved as offendors for doing so It is proved by the command to Ieremy Chap. 1.17.18 Hence is the commandement indefinite and generall to preach to all and to reprove all Ezek. 3.18 It is that Paul teacheth 2 Tim. 2.15 And that which he seemeth to reprove in Peter and Barnabas Gal. 2.14 The examples of evill and good Prophets and Ministers shew this Reason 1 Because as Iehosaphat sayd of judgement that it was the Lords and not mans and therefore perswaded the Judges to doe it without respect seeing God himselfe would doe so therefore ought they 2 Chron. 19.6 7. so of this the word is the Lords therefore must they speake it as he would have them Reason 2 Because they ought to be faithfull disposers of Gods mysteries fidelity consisteth in delivering the whole and in delivering the parts to them for whom God hath appointed them Vse 1 To reprove all Ministers who are partiall in the law and dividing of Gods word and mysteries respecting persons and accepting faces they are all guilty of very grievous sin before God Amongst others the whole Cleargy of Rome are guilty of this sinne having fitted the word and disposition of those mysteries to every mans humour as not long since was shewed when as the word is contrary to every mans humour as contrary as light is to darkenesse yet with them they have fitted it making it as they speake of it a shipmans hose a nose of waxe a leaden rule So Pighius and Nicolas Cusanus a Cardinall of Rome writeth to the Bohemians Epist 2. Epist 7. This understand that the Scriptures are fitted to the time and diversly to be understood so that at one time they may be expounded according to the cōmon and customable course but change that and the sense is changed So that it is no marvaile if the custome of the Church at one time interpret the Scriptures after this manner and another time after that and according to this they so deale for time and persons and so prove partiall in the the whole One thing amongst other argues the partiallity of the high Priest of Rome which they would perswade us is part of the Law and Word of
Lord loved which is spoken of this people and land And hath married the daughter of a strange God In the originall it is Hath the daughter but the meaning is Hath married the daughter that is such as professe and worship a strange God not that they were Gods or thus acknowledged by him and the Word but it is an usuall thing in the Scripture to call things not as they are or as the Scripture judgeth of them but after the affection of those of whom he speaks as 2 Cor. 4.4 Phil. 3.19 So these were not true Gods nor no Gods indeed but so accounted of And this name is communicated to them Origen hom 14. in Numeros hath this rule That wheresoever the name Iehovah is there is meant the true God the creator of the world but the other names of God are attributed both to the true God and to false Gods Iudah hath transgressed an abomination is committed Thus the Prophet speaketh not for the particular onely but the generall that transgressions even all are an abomination to the Lord those things he abhorreth And so that is the point Doctrine Transgression and sinne all and every one is an abomination to the Lord that which his soule loathes hates and abhorres Hence he speaketh so often of sinne and gives it this name of abomination as in very many places in the bookes of Moses as Levit 18.26.27.28 Deut. 20.18 Hence he speaketh of particular sinnes as Prov. 11.1 and 12.22 Rev. 2. Hence he is said to abhorre the man that is wicked not that he doth his person as he is his creature which he loves but as hee hath made himselfe such Psal 5.6 Reason 1 Because he is righteous and holy himselfe Now the more righteous the Judge is the more he hates iniquity and sinne He is righteousnesse and holinesse it selfe Now as the Sunne is the greatest enemy to darknesse because it hath light of it selfe and is as it were light it selfe So in this Reason 2 Because he loves his creature and sinne is that which destroieth it Now no man can indeed love any man but he will hate that which is the cause of the ruine and destruction of him Vse 1 This may let us see and give wicked men themselves to understand in what state they stand Vera calamitas Deum offenderet eorum quae ipsi non placent aliquid facere Chrysost by reason of their sinne God hates their sinne and abhorreth it and them for it How fearfull then is their condition for he cannot hate but unreconciled his face and hand shall be against them for their sinnes Revel 2.6 Object Then is every one in a fearful case for all sin even the best Ans The first is true yet followes not the second because though they sinne and have it yet they hate it Now God onely hates men for their sinne when they love it not when they hate it and he will onely then judge them when they will not judge themselves 1 Cor. 11.31 As in a land and state when the Magistrates will not punish then God will goe the circuit and hold an Assize and bring his plagues and judgements upon them but when they doe it is an explication of his wrath so in a particular man which is a little world a little countrey Vse 2 To teach us that it is dangerous to have societie with men who embrace their sin and love it Vse 3 For imitation if God hate sin and it is abomination to him it should be so to his they should hate it first and principally in themselves and their dearest friends for if it be not first that hee hate the same sinne in himselfe and friends he hates it not though he oppose it in others But if he be Gods he hates the evill in himselfe which he doth then hates he it in others and must doe it for that God commends in the Church of Ephesus and so commands in others Rev. 2.6 In Israel and in Ierusalem The people and place which he enriched with such benefites honored with such priviledges made it the place of his worship and the Kings seat therfore them to do it it is more heynous Doctrine Their sin is the greater and more heynous who have received the most blessings from God or the greatest priviledges Vide cap. 2.12 Doct. 1. For Iudah hath defiled the Holinesse of the Lord. This is a further amplification of their sin because it did pollute the people and place dedicated to the Lord and so made holy to him Doctrine Sinne is a filthy and polluted thing that which polluteth and defileth both places and persons where and by whom it is committed So here and Zachar. 13.1 sinne is called Vncleannesse Hierom translated it as the word will carry it Menstruata menstruous then which saith he Nihil eras in lege immundius qua quicquid tangebat immundum faciebat Rev. 3.18 Thy filthy nakednesse And Micha 2.10 Because it is polluted Vse To teach every man to be willing to receive a reproofe and to indure to be told of his offences and corruptions from this reason because they are they which pollute and defile him In a garment saith Chrysost ho. 17. ad popul Antioch Put on auquerly or unhandsomely if a boy tell thee of it thou wilt not much blush because it is no great shame the greater shame were to goe with it so out of order And if durt be upon the garment or face and one tell thee of it thou wilt thanke him and take it kindely how ought thou in this for by this reformation may be had and thou mayest be made cleane and kept clean for though it is somewhat difficult and hard for a man to part with his sinnes and overcome them himselfe yet if he have many admonitors or be often admonished at length he may be rid of them The holinesse of the Lord. So is the Church called either because of Gods presence which makes it holy or else because they were dedicated to God and made his proper and peculiar people for a sanctified in Scripture so signifies to be set a part to a holy use and a sanctified end as is said of the Sabboth Doctrine The Church and children of God must be holy unto the Lord separated from the world and corruption and dedicated to him and his service sanctified and set apart for holy things and holy worship as the instruments of the Temple the sacrifices and other holy things once dedicated to God might not be taken and applyed to prophane uses or common uses no more may men once dedicated to God give themselves to corruption and sin nay much lesse for those things were but the shadowes men are the substance those but the types they the truth Therefore must they be continued to holy things by his service as they are dedicated James 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God even the father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowes in their
such meanes then will the Lord take his rod in hand to punish and gird his sword unto him to cut off every one so sinning and so spared So here So when Adam the Prince of the earth and Magistrate of his sonnes let passe the murther of Abel because Cain was his first borne and his possession yet the Lord did lay to his hand and did punish him Gen. 4.11.12 c. So of the sonnes of Eli 1 Sam. 2.23.24 and 4.11 not simply a judgement to fall in battell but because it was prophesied of them Chap. 2.34 This is manifest further out of the story of Achan while by ignorance of the fact Ioshua did not punish it the Lord did it in the whole people but after the knowledge of it when Iosua had punished it the Lord put up his sword and his wrath ceased Josh 7. To these we may adde that of Numb 25.3.4 c. the cause of the great famine 2 Sam. 21. was the Kings not punishing of a sinne committed by Sauls house which done the famine ended Reason 1 Because as Iehosaphat told the Judges their judgements were his which if they executed he will not because he will not punish one fact twice but if not they then will he because he is just and else should be unjust as well as they for if it be injustice in them to spare the wicked it would be in him Reason 2 Because impunity from the Magistrate makes impenitencie in the offenders and brings them on to hardnesse of heart and security so that they never judge themselves and so neither judged by authority nor by themselves they are judged of the Lord as the contrary proves 1 Cor. 11. For I take it it will hold not onely of those sinnes a man is guilty in foro conscientiae but in foro civili Vse 1 This sheweth the folly of those men who as they make conscience of no sinne and onely care to avoid those sinnes the lawes of men and state will punish them for so when they are fallen into any such offences care onely how to escape the punishment of the law and the hands of the Magistrate which if they can by favour or friendship by bribes or the countenance of others or by dissembling or covering of the fault or howsoever the care is taken and they never feare more Their folly appeareth because then the Lord will take them into his owne hands and that saith the Apostle is a fearfull thing And more cause of feare as Christ speaketh Matth. 10.28 What will it profit them then to escape the one and fall into the hands of the other As much as if a murderer should by means and money either get his fact passed over at the Sessions and fall into the hands of the Judges at the Assizes or scape their hands either by corrupting the Judge or the Sheriffe to pack a Jury for his purpose or the fore-man to lead the rest when the next of kindred is ready to enter an appeale to the Kings Bench where there shall be no such packing All he hath got by it is his repriving for a while but to his greater shame and punishment So with these Many a great man lives in oppressing and injuring others his tenants and inferiours and either there is no civill law against him or if there be either his greatnesse or purse will carry it out well enough that no punishment shall come upon him or take hold of him and then hee sleepeth without feare when he is as a man that hath escaped the rage of a foole and is fallen into the power of a Bear robbed of her whelps As Masters if they live in oppression or usury or deceit or drunkennesse or adultery or some such like and can escape the Magistrates hands by the meanes they make feare nothing That is their folly there is more cause of feare God will take them into his hand Many servants when they have injured and dealt deceitfully with their Masters stealing from them or serving them with eye-service mis-spending their goods and not furthering by their endevours their profites if they can escape their masters hands by lying or shifting or dissembling or by his negligence lenity or remisnesse they never feare this is their folly there is now more cause of feare God will take them into his hand to cut them off by the plague or some other judgement Finally let these and all the like see their folly that thinke there is no feare if they can escape the hand and sword of man by such meanes yet there will be no escaping of the hand of God who will as he saith send serpents that will not be charmed Jerem. 8.17 O consider this yee that forget God! as if hee would not judge the earth when men neglect it least hee teare you in pieces Vse 2 The cause why God sendeth generall judgements upon such a City or Land as ours is why he drawes forth his sword or sends famine pestilence plague or such like It is because the Magistrates of that country or towne are remisse and carelesse suffer sinne unpunished and uncensured for some respect or other making either munera oris or manus or officii For if these did not let them but they would purge the land from the bloud and the adulteries whoredomes thefts oppressions blasphemies and such things wherewith it is defiled there would never come any such generall judgements For if the Justices at the Sessions should reforme throughly and deliver the goale every one to his severall punishment the Judges should have little cause to ride circuit or if they did but to make short ones So if Magistrates God would not punish or if he did yet not so long as three yeares famine and three yeares pestilence So that of all the enemies of a Common-wealth none is so great as remisse carelesse and corrupt Magistrates for they are a cause of Gods generall judgements when as their severity would prevent And none such a fore-runner of some generall judgement as they and their remisnesse and in a Magistrate it is better for the generall good that he be too severe punishing some he ought and might spare then remisse passing by others that deserve it As a Surgeon better too deepe or too nigh then too little in tenting or cutting To teach every inferiour not to seeke and labour to escape the hand and punishing of the Magistrate or his superior who is as a Magistrate unto him his master or parent if he have offended and deserved it specially remaining by that immunity impenitent in his sin for besides that it is sinne to him so to avoyde it it will be but a further meanes to bring him to the hands of God who will punish him more severely and fearefully cut him off from the tents of Iaakob If any say this falls but out seldome here and there one and so no such feare of it I answer with Cyprian l. de laps Plectuntur interim
the mouthes of those who should give evidence against him To informe the Judge and the Jury when the Judge himselfe was a witnesse of the fact and is ready both to informe the Jury and to give sentence according to his owne knowledge A witnesse i. As a guilty person is condemned by testimony of witnesse the crime proved and manifest so will I give sentence against the wicked of those things which I know they have done Doctrine The Lord proceeds not to judgement to condemne or punish any but upon knowne and manifest causes upon the knowne deserts and merits of men sometimes secret to others sometimes knowne to them This is proved Numb 20.12 Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. Infinite are the examples of knowne sinners as the old world Sodom and Gomorrah Nadab and Abihu Core and Dathan c. Matth. 25. Reason 1 Because he is most just and therefore must proceed upon known cause for it is as well injustice to punish for an unknowne cause upon jealousie and suspition as for no cause for an unknown cause is no cause De non existentibus non apparentibus eadem ratio Reason 2 Because he would manifest his justice to men therefore he usually proceedeth upon knowne causes to them as sometime upon knowne causes knowne to them onely knowne to himselfe to manifest he is not bound to give a reason of his judgements to men Vse 1 If we see one afflicted punished we accounted upright to know Gods proceedings are upright and upon knowne cause And hence may we learne how to free our selves from such doubts when we see what befell Chorah and all their company Achan his when some sinned onely in the known sin yet others were punished We must conclude that it is most just from this ground that he proceedes never but justly though it be secret from us Vse 2 For imitation first for the Magistrates Gods upon the earth they ought not to proceed against malefactours but upon knowne and manifest proved causes not upon slender conjectures or suspitions for so will God himselfe doe and they executing his judgement ought to proceede no otherwise lest they fall into injustice They ought to not to proceede for any hatred to their person or their profession or for any other sinister respect upon accusations halfe had and slender or no proofes The Lawyers say that it is unjust not to weigh and consider the whole Law but to give sentence from some part of it * Veritatem inauditam si damnent leges praeter invidiam iniquitatis etiam suspitionem merebuntur alicujus conscientiae nolentes audire quod auditum damnare non possunt Tertull. Apolog. adversus gentes Cap. 1.10 If the lawes condemne truth unheard besides the note of injustice they will cause a suspition that they are conscious of some unwillingnesse to heare lest after they had heard they could not condemne As Tertull. speakes So of Magistrates Therefore in things not manifest not proved or by such witnesses whose persons are infamous their credit suspitious such as may be suborned or doe things of spleene and malice which may happily appeare to them they ought to take heede how they judge and as they have power rather reprove then condemne Againe in the second place every man ought to judge righteous judgement when he judgeth and censureth the actions of other men but secundum alligata probata not out of his owne humour out of the dislike of their person justifying some because they have affection to them condemning others and their actions because they dislike them or condemning some mens doings onely for the name they have Like unto those who being sick of a feavour or frensie being deceived by the similitude of right lines drawne upon the wall thought they saw some deformed and ill shaped creatures ut Aristot So they out of sicke diseased and corrupt mindes doe not onely deprave the right lines that is the famous and good actions of others but account them as vices and turne them to their reproaches and infamy If that for mens words be true which Luther used to say * Sceleratū est cū noveris esse pium sanū alicujus sensū ex verbis incommodè dictis statuere errorem Luther T is a wicked practise when you know a mans minde and meaning to be good sound yet to catch at his words it may be not so fitly delivered to accuse him of error So for mens actions out of some infirmities or upon some suspitions when they know nothing but good in them and yet beleeve every report against them As Tertullian said it was with him and other Christians in his time Credunt de nobis quae non probentur nolent inquirere ne probentur non esse They beleeve things of us without tryall or proofe and will not examine whether they be so lest they should be proved to be otherwise Against the sooth-sayers He numbers up the particular offendors he would deale with not that he would deale with men no but alledging these as a taste of others or as the sinnes which then ruled and raigned amongst them but we may observe that here are numbered not sinnes of one kind not against the second Table onely or first onely but against both Doctrine The Lord will judge punish and destroy men for irreligion aswell as dishonesty for the neglect or the breach of the first table aswell as the second and è contra and for both manifested here for they are joyned together as it were in one condemnation proved further from the threatnings and executions laid downe in the word where we shall finde the Idolater the Sabboth breaker the swearer c. threatned and punished as well as the Adulterer murtherer and other dishonest and unjust persons In Deuter. 28. All the curses repeated respect the whole law and all the commandements as well as any one or of either of the tables Ezek. 22.6.7.8 Hosea 4.1.2 1. Cor. 6.9.10 1. Tim. 1.9.10 Galat. 5.19.20.21 Revel 21.8 Every where offendors against both Tables are joyned together Reason 1 Because as Jam. 2.11 He that said thou shalt not commit adultery said also thou shalt not kill now though thou doest none adultery yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the law So he that commanded obedience to the one and forbad disobedience did so to the other and so he is disobeyed and provoked in the one as well as the other Reason 2 Because the curse was not an appendant to one Table but to both and every precept and every branch of every precept Deut. 27.26 Vse 1 Then under the Gospel there is use of the law morall for this is spoken of Christ which thing would he not neither could he in justice doe if the law were not to them under the Gospel Vse 2 This may teach many in the Church to expect Christ a terrible Judge and swift witnesse against them seeing if they seem to make care of
the Lord and Iosias 2. Kings 23.24 And this as well such as hurt as helpe and though they do neither yet if they have familiarity with a spirit as both the law of God and our Land requires And slender it is which is objected to say now there are none when this place speaketh of the time of the Gospell and never would the Apostle have threatned any if there had not beene such sinnes and such offendors to have thus fought with a shadow Vse 2 To perswade men to avoide this sin and not to fal into it to become sooth-sayers wizards wisemen c. upon hope of gaine for desire of revenge affecting vaine-glory to know and reveale things to come or for any such cause knowing that though they can escape the law and punishment of man either hurting not or covering their sorcery and witch-craft by medicines and hearbes or deny they consult with any spirit yet shall they not the judgement of Christ who is the witnesse and sees the secret of their compact with Satan beholds their invocation and worshipping of him either in secret place or in secret maner and howsoever it is and will judge them and doth judge them in this life with blindenesse hardnesse of heart oftentimes poverty and such like but sure he shall judge them in the life to come and give them their portion with him who have sought to better their portion by him Vse 3 To disswade men from seeking to sooth-sayers and sorcerers c. or having any commerce or fellowship with them in their art to seeke from them the knowledge of things to come the finding of things lost the helping of creatures ill affected and such like for besides that it is absolutely forbidden in the word God and threatned Levit. 20.6 Manifested in the example of Saul 1 Sam. 28. This may disswade because they shall be partakers of their sinne and consequently of their punishment and be judged by Christ for judging these he will judge them who communicate with them in the same sinne yet is it lamentable and fearefull to see what flocking there is of men but more of women to men and women who cannot chuse but be witches and have familiarity or commerce openly or closely with the Divell sometimes for things lost sometimes for barrennesse sometimes for long and extreame diseases of their children not fearing this that Christ will judge them then those who communicate with them and are the causes of their practises for as no receivers no theeves so no frequenter to those no such specially such as are called white and good witches or sorcerers but they will say they are bewitched Ergò they may seeke to be helpt Answer As if there were not a God in Israel that ye goe to enquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron 2 Kings 1.3 Or that God were not able to dissolve the workes of the Divell Did Iob this when no doubt he discerned as well as these that he was bewitched But ease and deliverance often followeth after this In possessions Divells depart in other extremities thing◠are appeased Answer This is nothing for first Divells know how to agree among themselves to deceive men and none of us would trust or commit his businesse to one that is deceitfull and perfidious Now the Divell is not onely a lyer but the father of a lye Secondly if health and ease follow it may be it is the effect of the lawfull meanes which was used before and God seeing how corrupt and impatient thy heart was to abide his leasure and make use of them gave thee over to thy corruption and let thee have thine owne will even then to use such an unlawfull meanes when health and ease was at hand as if it had been an effect of that to confirme thee in thy blindenesse and infidelity or lastly it may be like that Deut. 13.3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or unto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule And therefore for thee to take heede how thou hearkenst to these lest thou bewray thou lovest not the Lord. But they use nothing but good words and lawfull meanes prayers and hearbs and simples and such like I answer first with Saint Chrysost * Christianae mulier est haec excantaus nihil aliud loquitur quam Christi nomen Chrysost ho. 21. ad popul Antioch Proptere à namque magis odi aversar◠quod Dei nomine ad contumelium utitur quod se dicens esse Christianam gentilium opera facit Etenim Daemones Dei nomen fatebantur tamen erunt Daemones Chryso she is a Christian woman that useth the spell and nothing but the name of Christ They spake these words before going when they excused themselves for the like He answereth For that cause hate and detest her the more because she vilely abuses the name of God professing her selfe a Christian she doth the workes of an heathen for so the Divells confesse the name of God and yet were Divells still For they said Luke 4.4.1 Thou art Christ the son of God yet he rebuked them and cast them out Therefore I would intreate you to beware of this deceit for as they who are tempering bitter cups for children first rub the mouth with hony that that headlesse age when it shall perceive the sweetnesse shall not feele and feare the bitternesse and they who give poysonfull hearbes give them the titles of medicines that no man then reading the superscription of a remedy should suspect poison So deal these Besides in their hearbes the Divell is but Gods Ape who seeing him not doe things but by meanes useth the like that no man might suspect him as he appeared in like habit to Samuel But to conclude what colour and covert soever is made Christ is the witnesse and knowes all and he wil be the Judge to reward all who shall thus pollute and defile themselves And against the adulterers The second particular adultery in the Etymology of it is a going up to another mans bed As Gen. 49.4 Thou wast light as water thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest up to thy fathers bed then didst thou defile my bed thy dignity is gone In the nature of it it is the carnall knowledge of a woman who is bound to another man but no doubt in this place not onely this but under it fornication and wantonnesse and all uncleanenesse is contained as in the commandement Doctrine The Lord as he will judge condemne and destroy all wicked men so adulterers whoremongers fornicators buggerers and other uncleane persons here and Gal. 5.19.21 Ephes 5.5 Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled but whore-mongers and adulterers God will judge Revelat 21.8 Vse This ought to make every one flye adultery though he can escape the punishment of men yet for Gods
cause of mens flying and avoyding of sinne The later is manifest Prov. 8.13 The feare of the Lord is to hate evill Deu. 5.29 Deut. 42.18 39.9 Then the contrary where it is not for take away the cause take away the effect And so the latter is proved and by that Gen. 20.10.11 Then Abimelech said unto Abraham what sawest thou that thou hast done this thing Then Abraham answered because I thought thus surely the feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wives sake Exod. 1.17 Psal 36.1 Amos 6.3 Rom. 3.18 Reason Because as August in Psal 79. * Omnia peccata duae res faciunt cupiditas timor proponitur praemium ut pecces facis propter quod cupis terreris minis facis propter quod times August in Psalm 79. Two things cause all sinnes desire and feare there is a reward proposed that thou maiest sinne thou dost it because thou desirest the reward thou art terrified with threatnings thou dost it for feare of smart Now where the feare of Gods power is it will expell all such desire of pleasure or profit for feare is the strongest affection and stoppeth the passage of desires as in a coward and one condemned And the lesse feare will be overcome of a greater as a strong and great naile drives out a small one Luke 12.4.5 And I say unto you my friends be not affrayd of them that kill the body and after that are not able to doe any more but I will forewarne you whom you sha l feare feare him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you him fear Now where this feare is wanting no marvaile if they fall either for desire or pleasure into many and strange sinnes Vse 1 This may teach us what to expect from men who want the feare of the Lord They will sinne for a peece of bread a small matter of pleasure or profit a little feare if they have the occasion and opportunity will draw them to any thing for take away the bankes from the sea and the bridle from the horse whither will not that flow and whereinto will not he breake such and so unruly is the corruption of man if it have not this banke and this bridle to keepe it from outrage murther adultery perjury oppression and injustice or any sinne will be nothing in their hands What will they not dare to doe If Kings command they will murther innocents not as the Midwives If Queenes enjoine they will accuse judge condemne and execute the guiltlesse as those wicked Judges 1 Kings 21. did innocent Naboath upon Iezebels letters Vse 2 We learne what to judge of men whom we see living either in these sinnes or any other the like they are men destitute of the feare of God even a servile feare for this will prove it vide Cap. 1.6 first effect of feare Vse 3 That we may be free from these sins let us labour for this feare vide ibid. Saith the Lord of hoasts This is added for confirmation that none should promise to themselves safety for any outward respects as if he could not punish them vide Cap. 1.4 VERS VI. For J am the Lord I change not and ye sons of Iaakob are not consumed FOR I am the Lord I change not This some take as a reason to confirme the former judgement threatned that as he was the Lord of hoasts able to doe all what he would so is he in himselfe and in his decrees immutable as he cannot change no more can they be changed Quod est 9. Be ye well assured of this that as I am Lord and Jehovah eternall and without change so are all my judgements and whatsoever I have spoken that know you they shal come to passe in their time and not one thing shal come to the ground howsoever they are not so speedily as you thinke executed yet they shall for they cannot but be accomplished And ye sonnes of Iaakob And that you are not consumed and destroyed already for these sinnes doe not thinke me mutable or your selves without merit that you should be spared but this is meerely from my mercy and love and long suffering I have not dealt with you according to your sinnes Doctrine 1 God is immutable and without change both in himselfe and his nature Jam. 1.17 Doctrine 2 He is immutable in his will and his decrees And ye sonnes of Iaakob are not consumed I change not therefore are you not consumed for being in my selfe mercifull and long suffering yea mercy and patience it selfe I have spared you when you deserved long since to have beene confounded and destroyed by my judgements and this by resemblance may we interpret out of Lam. 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Doctrine That men escape destruction and are not consumed with Gods judgements for their sinnes it is onely the mercy and goodnesse of God So much is here And that Lam. 3.22 Gen. 19.19 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Chron. 30.9 Therefore is that Isaiah 30.19 and 54.7.8 and Matth. 15.22 and 20.30 God hath two feet whereby he walketh towards men so hath he two hands whereby he handleth or dealeth with men mercy and justice and these are both infinite What City upheld when an infinite hand will cast downe nothing but an infinite hand and power Reason 1 Because sinne deserving Gods anger which anger is as God himselfe infinite cannot be satisfied nor appeased by any that is no more then a finite creature or a finite thing for this cannot ballance with that but onely his infinite mercy with his infinite wrath And this Lam. 3.22 his great mercies are infinite for measure and continuance i. Such are our sinnes that if he should deale righteously with us we miserable wretches had beene ten thousand times utterly undone but we are preserved in the middest of our distresses Ergo Not from us but his infinite mercy Isaiah 1.9 Except the Lord of hoastes had restored unto us a small remnant we should have beene as Sodom and should have beene like unto Gomorrah Reason 2 Because without the pardon of those sinnes the wrath cannot be avoided nor destruction escaped seeing God will not justifie the wicked Now pardon of sinne is onely from the mercy of God Luk. 1.77.78 Ps 32.1 Al sin is against God Ps 51.4 Tibi soli cui soli reddenda est ratio de peccato qui solus es sine peccato Ruff. He onely can pardon sinne against whom onely it is Now he pardoneth sinnes in mercy and so David prayeth there for mercy Gratiae tuae deputo misericordiae quod peccata mea tanquaem glaciem solvisti gratiae tuae deputo quaecunque non feci mala August confess 7.2 cap. 7. Vse 1 This will confute the doctrine of Popery who hold by their workes and satisfactions to have if not remission of great sinnes yet of veniall or if not
of sinne yet deliverance from the punishment wherein they are the flat enemies of the mercy of God and rob him of his honour to give it to themselves as if finite workes and satisfactions could deliver from infinite wrath But when they see this will not hold water then they flye to this that it is onely from temporall punishments and the fire of purgatory but first for this that it is but a new coyned shift I manifest from their prayers for the dead whereby they thought to bring them remission of sinne Breviar secund usum Sarum in vigil mortuorum O God of the faithfull the maker and redeemer of all men give to the soules of all the faithfull deceased remission of all their sins that by godly prayers they may obtaine the pardon which they alwaies desired through Christ our Lord. And againe Lord we beseech thee let the prayers of thy humble servants be helpfull to the soules of al the faithful deceased that thou mayest both relieve them from all their sinnes and make them partakers of thy redemption who livest c. Now hence I reason that if by their prayers they would helpe the faithfull whom they presumed to be free from purgatory to bring them remission of sinne can they make us believe that they intend onely deliverance from the paines of purgatory for such as are there and not from the guilt of sinne by their sacrifices and masses Againe it is manifestly false that the sinne pardoned yet the punishment should remaine yea it is against the justice of God and so cannot be unlesse he can cease to be God for the instance of David 2 Sam. 12.13.14 and some other of Gods children whose sinne remitted the affliction remained is not against this because in him it was not a punishment but a clearing of the justice of God before the wicked as the place sheweth and in others they are but purgers or preventers Vse 2 To teach the Church and every particular to acknowledge it to be the mercy of God that they live and are not consumed when they see many others are and know themselves to have deserved the like The Church wherein we live and we our selves here present have beene delivered from many and strange dangers and confusions whom shall we ascribe this unto shall we sacrifice to the wisedome of our state to the valor of Marshall men to the power of armes to the multitude of our people to our owne workes and worthinesse to our profession of his truth or practise of piety our justice and equity and such like so may we provoke the Lords anger indeed to consume us Whither else must we ascribe it but to this being taught every where it is the mercy of God that we are not consumed whose compassions failed not and so as the Church begunne her prayer we may our prayses Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the glory for thy loving mercy and for thy truthes sake For considering the height of our sinnes the greatnesse of our iniquities and rebellions whereto else can it be ascribed And his mercy hath drawne him to spare us partly for our selves and partly for posterity and those who shall come of us As Saint Chrysostome hom 80. ad popul Antioch for our selves that his mercy might draw us to repentance and to fear him for posterity * Parcit frequenter radici ut fructus conservet qualiter audi Terah pater Abrahae fuit Idolorum cultor sed in hoc mundo impietatis poenas non dedit merito Nam si Deus praeveniens cadicem praecidisset unde tantus fidei fructus exortus fuisset Sic Esau fornicator fuit immundus matricida patricida fratricida quantum in ipsius fuit proposito Deo exosus Mal. 1.2 Quarè non perditur quarè non exciditur Bonum est verâ dilectissimi causâ dicere si succisus fuisset maximam elcemosynae fructum justitiae mundus amisisset qualem audi Esau genuit Raguel hic Zara hic Iob. Vides quantus tolerantiae fructus esset perditus si praeveniens Deus à radice poenas exigisset Chrysost hom 8. ad popul Antioch He spares oftimes the roote that he may preserve the fruit And heare how Terah Abrahams father was a worshipper of Idolls yet in this life God punisht not his impiety for if God had cut downe the roote then whence had we had such great fruit of faith as in his sonne So Esau was a fornicator and uncleane and as much as in him lay a murtherer of father mother and brother and of God hated Mal. 1.2 Why is he not destroyed why is he not cut downe Truely beloved to tell you the cause t was good to be so Esau begat Raguel he Zara and he Iob you see what plentifull fruit of patience had been lost if God preventing had stricken the roote So of us that we might leave the seede of the Church and piety behinde us This is mercy but the former the greater else we have as little profit of it as Terah and Esau And it is to be acknowledged the speciall mercy of God when others perish and their workes like that they escape As Saint August de Nat grat 8. c. 5. of the great salvation Vniversa massa poenas debet Qui ergò inde per gratiam liberantur non vasa meritorum suorum sed vasa misericordiae nominantur Vse 3 To teach men when destruction and calamity is at hand and Gods judgements are threatned the way how they may escape and not be confounded is they have Gods mercy towards them and upon them therefore for this must they pray and labour their flying truely to this will be like the City of refuge where the avenger of blood could not slay a man-slayer Then shall they be sure either to be kept from them or delivered from them kept in them or taken out of them for when as Gods mercy doth bring remission of sinne it must needs bring the removall or change of the punishment either it will be good or if it abide the nature will be changed for sinne taken away that cannot continue or not in the former nature and a man shall be safer and more comfortable with this in divers afflictions then without it though he be never so free * Veâ—ius ac jucundius gaude bis de bona conscientia inter molestias quam de mala inter delicias August you shal rejoyce more cheerefully and more truely with a good conscience in the midst of troubles then with an evill in the midst of many pleasures Now thus it is from the feeling of the mercy of God and remission of sinne * Si Deum benevoluÌ„ habeas licet in furnacem cadas ne desperes sicut si succenseat licet in paradiso sis ne confidas Adae peccanti nihiâ— profuit paradisus pueris benè agentibus nihil obfuiâ— fornax Chry.
If the Lord should give raine in abundance and by it should rise weeds that should either choake the corne or other creatures which commonly arise of wet or by any other meanes and so devoure their fruit and their hopes be cut off they should but have little profit or benefit that what was given one way was taken away another therefore the Lord promiseth to take away such devourers such creatures as might destroy the fruit of the earth when it was sprung up Doctrine Every creature is at Gods command at his becke to be restrained or set on to helpe or hurt to punish or preserve those who are his Vide Cap. 1.4 Lord of Hoasts And they shall not destroy the fruit of your ground For their sins and iniquities they had destroied it but now that they are received into favour and mercy they shall not but receiving them to mercy will withdraw his judgements from these things he smote for them Doctrine As God often punisheth men punisheth them not onely in themselves but in things that belong unto them so when he withdraweth his hand and sheweth mercy towards them it is not only in themselves but in things which belong unto them Isaiah 38.6 Mich. 7.11 Reason 1 Because that as his hand was against them for mans cause only seeing they in themselves deserved no such thing as being not subject to nor capable of sin which only falleth into a reasonable creature so he receiving them to mercy for whose sake they were afflicted reason that they also should be received and afflicted no more that as the former might humble them so this might joy them the more in the mercy of God Reason 2 Because as by smiting and cursing of them he testified his anger the more and displeasure against them for their sinnes for as in policy when justice reacheth further then the person of the offendor to his goods and possessions it argues the greater displeasure of the Lawyer against such an offence and offendor So in this So he might now shew his love more in blessing of them for when men have their possessions and lands restored besides their pardon it is a greater favour of the Prince Vse 1 Then hath the Popish Purgatory but an uncertaine ground to stand upon and is builded upon no sure rocke but upon the sand seeing it is onely for a temporall punishment in their doctrine upon those who have their sinnes forgiven them already but may we suppose in any reason that God will take from their goods and lands and cattell his judgements for their sakes and not from them their owne persons specially their soules such as are only punished in Purgatory their punishments But they will say that God doth often continue punishments to men and upon their persons whom he hath received to mercy As they will tell us of David who had the punishment continued when his sinne was pardoned But we deny that or any other to be a punishment for that hath ever reference to sinne for all afflictions are not punishments but may for many other causes be laid upon men Chrysost ho 1 ad popul Antioch hath numbred to us eight causes yet are they not all * 1. Quod cum facile in arrogantiam propter meritorum magnitudinem miraculorum tollantur ipsos sinit affligi 2. Ne caeteri majorem habeant de ipsis opinionem quam humana patitur natura ipsos deos non autem homines esse arbitrentur 3. Vt Dei virtus apparet per aegrotantes compeditos exuperans prodicationem augens 4. Vt illorum patientia manifesta fiat 5. Vt de resurrectione cogitemus cum enim virum justum multa plenum virtute innumera passum mala sic hinc digressum videris oportet ex hoc omnino aliquid de illo judicio cogitare si enim homo pro se laborantes sine praemiis retributione abire non permittit Multo magis eos qui tantum laboraverunt nunquam in coronatos remanere Deus decerneret 6. Vt omnes in gravia incidentes sufficientem consolationem mitigationem habeat in eos respicientes malorum quae ipsis accidere recordantes 7. Ne quando exhortamus eos ad illorum virtutem cuique dicimus imitare Paulum imitare Petrum propter gestorum excessum alterius ipsos naeturae participes fuisse cogitantes ad imitationem torpeatis 8. Vt quando beatos vel miseros censere oportet discamus quos quidem beatos quos quidem miseros aerumnosos putare debeamus Chrysost ho. 1. ad popul Antioch First God suffers holy men to be afflicted because otherwise they soone grow proud of the greatnesse of their merits and miracles Secondly Lest others might have a greater opinion of them then is fit and count them Gods rather then men Thirdly That Gods power may appeare more abundantly and beyond words through the weake and unable Fourthly That their patience also may be manifest Fiftly That we may be put in mind of the resurrection for when we see a righteous and vertuous man suffer many evils and so die this must offer us some thoughts of the day of judement for if a man suffer not any that have taken pains for him to go away without recompence and reward much lesse wil God suffer such as have indured so much for him to remaine uncrowned Sixtly That all that fall into calamities may have sufficient consolation and mitigation looking on them and remembring what they indured Seventhly That when we exhort you to their vertues and say to you imitate Paul imitate Peter you may not be slothfull to imitate them thinking because of their great actions they were partakers of some other nature then you are of Eightly That we may be able to judge aright who are indeed happy and who truly calamitous and miserable To these may be added Ninthly for clearing of his own justice as in David Tenthly For purging yet corruption from them the rod of correction Eleventhly To draw them from the world the nurses teate as the prodigall sonne was Twelfly To prevent sinne like Hoseahs hedge Hoseah 2.6 Thirteenthly To make them fly to God and to love him as the child to his mother when feared of passengers And many other such causes any one whereof if they can shew in Purgatory to be incident to the soules departed it were something to strengthen their exception but nothing to prove the thing when as the paines of Purgatory are satisfactory And if God in shewing mercy and pardoning sinne doth remove the punishment from the creatures he smote for their sinne he will much more from themselves their bodies but especially from their soules Neither shall their vine be barren in the field This is added as some thinke to amplifie the goodnesse of God to his people when they had returned and he had received them to mercy because the year which was commodious for the field and the corne was
here out of their observation as a truth though it be evilly applied and used against God as Iobs friends wrested many generall things against him which were true in the generall but corrupted in the application Doctrine Oftentimes it falls out that wicked men do increase and grow great in the world by their wicked means and impious crafts which is not true onely because these have said it but that it is so shewed us by others Psal 73.12 Loe these are the wicked yet prosper they alway and increase in riches Job 21.7 Wherefore do the wicked wax old and grow in wealth Jer. 12.1.2 O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let me talke with thee of thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they have taken roote they grow and bring forth fruit Thou art neer in their mouth and far from their reines Psal 17.14 Men of this world who have their portion in this life whose bellies thou fillest with thine hid treasure their children have enough and leave the rest of their substance for their children Reason 1 Because God doth use them to punish and correct his * Vtitur in salutem suorum irrationali insensibili c. Bern. de gr lib. arbit for the good safety of his people he useth the irrationall and insensible creature as a labouring beast or an instrument which when the worke is done is of no further use he useth the reasonable creature but ill affected as his rod of correction which when his son is beaten he throwes into the fire as an unprofitable twig and he useth good Angels and men as coadjutors and fellow souldiers whom when the victory is had he liberally rewards Now for this every one must have their proportionable strength and power and so the wicked therefore they grow Reason 2 Because by it many are and may be tried who live in the Church who not prospering by their piety and profession because of their hypocrisie in it when they see the prosperity of the wicked and see the afflictions and poverty of the Church will leave and forsake the society of it and joining themselves to the other accounting it to be the better Psal 73.10 And so they shew themselves and hereto I apply that Prov. 28.12 When the wicked come the man is tried Reason 3 Because his judgements and justice might be more eminent and perspicuous when he shall cast them downe that are aloft and were in the eies of men for their greatnesse and riches and glory For as in States though a thousand petty theeves be hanged yet nothing such notice is taken of the justice of the State as when one great offendor of some great note and eminence is executed and hath the censure of the law executed against him Vse 1 Do they not then deceive us or go about to doe it when they would perswade us there is the truth and there is piety in that company and society where is plenty and abundance and for that perswade us to turne in thither because waters in a full cup are wrung out unto us and separated from them many afflictions and many miseries and calamities as the Champions of the Church of Rome do with as good reason the people withstood Ieremie or would have perswaded him that the worship of the Queen of Heaven was rather the better then the worship of the King of Heaven and earth because they prospered for a while in outward things more in the one then the other Jer. 44.16.17 And so may any Idolaters perswade us Vse 2 To teach us not to wonder or be offended with the growing or increasing of the wicked specially if it come by wicked arts and impieties for it is no new thing nor strange to be wondered at nor much disadvantage to be offended with It is no new thing for all ages and places have their examples of it many Atheists Idolaters oppressors persecutors have grown to exceeding height of glory and outward eminency now as that which is hath been so that which hath been is no wonder to see it againe that men by flattery injustice oppression Idolatry and such like should be built up and build up their houses and families neither is there cause we should be offended for they build but to their destruction all shall be but a Babel As they say the Phenix builds her nest with hot spices neither is it our disadvantage that we should grieve though they be our rods for that were too childish to grieve to see willowes birch trees grow because rods are made of them when as it is not in them they hurt us but in our selves for if it were not our own sins they should not be our scourges as rods should never hurt children nor they find the smart of them that rebell not against their father and governours lesse should we so be offended that we should turne into them for that were as if a travailer should joine himselfe with a rout of theeves upon hope to keepe that he hath and incurre by that means the common justice of the land to lose all and life with it Vide August in Psal 91. Nullum mare tam profundum quam est Dei cogitatio ut mali floreant c. Consider that they must be scourges remember these are to trie forget not that they shall make his justice more eminent That as the state carries some to execution by posternes and by-gates and others through the market place So God some to hel and destruction by poverty others by plenty some by basenesse others by honour in the meane time they know they stand but upon slippery places And they that tempt God yea they are delivered Such as live wickedly and contemptuously against him escape his judgements and often are delivered when others fall in them Doctrine It oftentimes fals out with wicked men such as live in the contempt of God and provoke him every day not to be of a long punished and to escape when others are smitten so with these and Job 21.9 Hos 4.14 Psal 81.12 Jer. 10.25 He praieth as thinking it too too long that they escaped So Ioab and Shimei escaped in the plague Reason 1 Because the Lord is very slow to wrath both to execute and to exercise his displeasure the reason that Ionah gave why he went not to Nineveh fearing God would spare when he had spoken and so call his word into question Jonah 4.2 Reason 2 Because their iniquities are not yet full nor they grown ripe for the harvest that God might thrust in the sickle of his wrath Gen. 15.16 Vse 1 Not to thinke it strange if we see wicked men prophane men contemners of God his word and worship go on and enjoy prosperity and peace and no evill happen to them like as to other men but they escape when they fall but thinke then
I have cursed them every one The Chald. and Vulg. make it but a repetition of the same thing I will curse your blessings and I will curse or execrate them But Vatablus and Pagnine read it as we doe 3. By the cause briefely and anticipately inserted Because yee doe not lay it to heart of which see before in the condition 2. The things that are threatned are set downe in particular vers 3 4 5 6 7 9. 1. Famine vers 3. 2. Shame vers 3. 3. Gods breaking covenant with them vers 4 5 6 7 8. Verse 3 1. Famine vers 3. Behold I will corrupt or reprove your seed Goer Lachem eth hazzerah The uncertaine interpretation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have caused variety of exposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is To Reprove or Reprehend with sharpe words and much noyse especially when it is in construction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 37.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His father rebuked him But when it is in construction with an accusative it is To curse or Corrupt or Destroy as Psal 9.5 gaarta gojim Thou hast rebuked the heathen or as the meaning there is Thou hast destroyed them as the next words doe plainely shew And so that word is taken here The other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it bee written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is Seed if it bee written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is An arme of a man So it is seemes the Lxx reade it And hence the ancient fragment of Aquila I will reprove you with mine arme As a Souldier or in resemblance to whom an orator casts on stretches forth his arme when hee is vehement as Cicero speakes Brachium proâ—erius projectum est quasi quoddam â—alum orationis S. Hier. and Lyran. and Menochius much â—â—herwise I will throw away the right arme or shoulder of the offering which was the Priests due Levit. 7.32 That is I will deprive you of your maintenance and strength Montanas and De Castno take it as a threatning of rejection both of Priest and sacrifice I will cast away both the arme by which yee offer and the seed the Mineha the offering also Most of these and the Vulg. follow the Lxx. who mistaking Noer for Goer by reason of the likenesse of 2 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for such as reade the other word zera Seed some understand it of their Seed that is Their posterity That God threatens to destroy them and their issue Some understand it of the seed cast into the ground And that sense I have given That they should sow but not reape plentifully which is a threatning of Famine The next is Secondly shame and ignominie And I will spread or scatter dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemne feasts and one shall take you away with it Or It shall take you away to it So our last together with the marginall reading The French and yee shall heare it Ofiander And it shall stick unto you The Vulg. Lat. and the Geneva English and the Commentary following which used it are here darke The Chalde first offers us light to this place I will reveale the confusion or shame of your sinnes to your owne faces The Lxx though mistaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and reading it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The belly in which the excrement or dung lies which belly was part of the Priests due have given us also another hint of interpreting Because yee despise me and offer yee care not what yee shall also bee despised The people shall throw you the belly which is your due in the time of your solemne feasts but with the dung or excrement in it so that in the throwing of it the dung shall fly in your faces that being so sprinkled yee shall bee laught at by all and you shall bee so like dung your faces being fouled with it that he that comes to cleave to cleanse the place shall offer as if he would throw you out with it or take you also upon his dung forke or as Deodate you shall bee vile as dung which is removed away into a place remote from the temple So this is the threatning of shame and confusion to them even in their sollemne their rejoycing feasts Hhaggechen of Hhagag Or else Hhag is taken here Synechdochically for the sacrifice it selfe offered in the feast as it is sometimes taken Exod. 23.18 Amos. 5.21 Esay 29.1 The dung of the sacrifices See Ioh. Tarnovius Exercit. Biblic pag. 127. parag 4. edit 2â— Howsoever the same sense stands good The next is Verse 4 Thirdly Gods breaking covenant with them which is implyed vers 4. And yee shall know that I have sent this Commandement unto you that my Covenant might bee with Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Wherein wee have three points 1. I intended it should have stood 2. But it doth not or shall not stand 3. And that because yee are unanswerable to it Upon this hee takes occasion to remember them of the Covenant with Aaron or Phinehas and the tribe of Levi and now their falling from it and therefore Gods justice in forsaking them So we have here 1. The parts of the Covenant ver 5. 2. The answering the conditions of the Covenant by the former Priests ver 6 7. 3. The degenerating of these Priests ver 8. I. Verse 5 The parts of the Covenant betweene God and Levi. verse 5. First On Gods part A gracious promise and performance of life and peace My Covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them to him God promised prosperity and performed a long prosperous and happy life to some of them as to Aaron who lived 103 yeares and to Phinehas mentioned by Vatablus in his notes who lived 300 yeares as it is thought and as some Chronologers doe observe yea it is the conceit of Pet. Damian From some Iewish triflers that hee lives still taking him for Elias And to Iosue or Iesus the sonne of Iosedech who according to Helvicus lived 110 yeares in the office of the high-priest-hood To these and others was expressely fulfilled a covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vitarum as it is in the originall of lives that is of long life and of peace and would have beene ready to have performed it to these to whom Malachy prophecies had they kept Covenant with him Secondly on Levies partâ— for feare humility For the feare wherewith hee feared me and was afraid before my Name Feare and humility were the two conditions for which God did this for them Their feare of God which was to bee seene in Aaron Phinehas Onias and other good Priests And their being troubled and affrighted and grieved when they saw Gods name to be contemned and abused See Exod. 32.26 Num. 25.7 8. The Vulg. Lat. and the Geneva reade it in another sense And I gave him feare
marriages See Canones Aelfrici can 9. apud Spelman Cone p. 574. but whether it bee agreeable to the Canon of Concil Neocaesar quoted by Gratian. caus 31. qu. 1. De his qui frequenter let the Reader compare the places with the glosse at the letters m and o and judge and 2. That they put Bigamie even successive Bigamie among Irregularities as it to be seene in their Casuists and Canonists See excerptiones Egberti ad An. Dom. 750. excerp 32. and 89. apud D. H. Spelm. in Conc. Pambrit p. 261. The reason such as it is we have in Pet. Damian a devout Author in a most corrupt time lib. cui titulus Dominus Nobiscum cap. 12. apud Ioh. Cochlaei Speculum p. 156. who yet speakes of it with a Quis non miretur that Bigamy successive Bigamie he speaks of allowed by the ancient Ecclesiasticall Canons should bee a greater Irregularitie and sinne then Fornication expressely condemned in holy writ But of this also enough being only obiter And thus much of the reproofe of the sin we have next 2. A dehortation from this sin in the latter part of the 15. verse and vers 16. which is 1. Propounded 2. Repeated First the dehortation is propounded verse 15. Therefore take heed unto your spirit and lot none deale treacherously against the Wife of his youth Verse 16 Vers 16. For the Lord the God of Israel saith That hee hates putting away for one covereth violence with his garment sayth the Lord of hosts Take heede to your spirits The Geneva keepe your selves in your spirit Remigius and Lyra keepe your spirit your Wife is the residue of your spirit keepe and cherish her The Tigurine keepe and preserve and tender your Wives as dearely as you doe your owne soules Corn. a lap Take heede to your breath your breath on one another breath not on a stranger keep thy self solely to thy Wife Conceited interpretations Arias Montanus came nearer the sense Be wary and not rash I like best that of our Commentary Be sober and containe your selves keep a watch upon your spirits and affections to content your selves with your lawfull Wives And let none deale treacherously Or unfaithfully That is In taking other Wives and when you are convinced of the sinfulnesse of keeping two Wives deale not treacherously to put away your old pretending law for divorces and that you may safely doe it for the Lord hates this treachery in making needlesse divorces and thereby cloaking your sin And this I take to be the meaning of these and the next words For the Lord the God of Israel saith That hee hates putting away for one covereth violence with his garment saith the Lord Deale not treacherously with your Wives after your vexing them by taking other Wives unto them then to put them away and pretend that the law allowes you to give them Bills of divorce for this is but the covering of your violence and injury with that garment or cloake but the Lord is so farre from allowing divorces in such cases that he hates them The Lord hateth putting away Or To put away The younger Tarnovius gives here the same sense with us The Lord hates your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dimitte the imperative in Piel you have Dimitte Dimitte much in your mouthes Put her away Put her away but the Lord hates your Dimitte So it is an ironicall repetition of their owne usuall word which the Lord rejects with indignation Or else he takes it for the Infinitive in Piel put for a Noune Hee hates to put away that is putting away And so is our text-reading Our margin indeed is If he hate her put her away Pagnin otherwise If shee that is thy Wife hate thee that is be perverse Put her away The Geneva and our old English If thou hatest her put her away And so doth Zanchy reade it in that discourse of divorces which he wrote upon occasion of Andreas Pizzardus his divorce as indeed agreeing best with the matter hee undertooke to defend And so reade The Vulg. Vatabl and among others Michael Walther a Lutheran in his Harmonia Scripturae lib. 2. sect 185. Followes this reading of the Vulg. and therefore takes a needlesse paines in reconciling this place to that of Christ Mat. 19.11 for reading it aright according to our last and approved translation there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at all between them And Montanus tells us that Rab. Hananus a Jewish interpreter interprets it also as we doe God hates him who puts away his wife For one covereth violence with his garments The Vulg. Latine But iniquitie will cover his garment Corn. a Lap. who is bound to follow it labours much to make good sense of it First he tells us we must take His for Thine Put her away but iniquity will or shall cover thy garment But how is that meant 1. Iniquity that is the punishment of thy iniquity shall cover thy garment that is shall be upon thy body in regard of diseases c. 2. Upon thy garment that is thou shalt be punished in thy cloathing naked ragged c. 3. punishment shall be upon thee the garment taken for the man Thou shalt be openly punished Thus he from others for the Vulg. of which translation Steph. Menochius a latter Iesuite gives another sense The Iewes excuse themselves Why doe you reprehend us seeing the law permits us to put away our Wives If thou hate her put her away But which he makes the Prophets answer your iniquity shall thereby so abound and swell that no garment will be able to cover it The Law permitting it onely for the hardnesse of your hearts but not freeing you from sinne if rashly and without cause you put them away A better sense then that of A lapide but for which he is faine to take his farewell of the authorized Vulgar translation If thou put her away give her some part of thy garments to cover her something to live on So Luther occasionally expounds it which sense Osiander followes give her a good dowry that if she be put away shee may marry another Let him put her away for while hee keepes her he covers his injury and makes as if he loved her so the Geneva and Winkleman Much like to the Chalde paraphrase Put her away and cover not thy hatred with a pretense that thou lovest her and keepest her and makest her a drudge Vatablus is singular as if their fault were that they put away their Wives and covered their iniquity under a garment that is discovered not their fault as the Law required they should and so wanting a formall bill of divorce they were made uncapable of a second marriage and so they added to the injury Some take it for an Ironie Put her away doe so but thy sinne shall overtake thee All these mistake the sense I rest in that above The Lord hates needlesse divorces and the more when the Law is pretended for one that is the man
is alleaged as it is also in the Constitutions of Odo Archbishop of Canterbury An. 943. cap. 10. Hee may see also K. Offa's gift An. 793. pag. 308. K. Ethelwulphs gift in the Councell at Winchester An. 855. pag. 348. K. Alureds Eccles lawes cap 9. pag 377. K. Edwards the elder cap. 6. pag. 392. K. Aethelstans cap. 1. pag. 402. K. Edmunds cap. 2. pag. 420. K. Edgars cap. 3. pag. 444. and the Canons of his time Can. 54. pag. 454. Tythes they are Gods portion hence when the Jewes tythed their flocks as the young passed thorow the doore of the fold the Levite stood with a rod in his hand and marking the Tenth that came out said This tenth is the Lords According to that Levit. 27.32 Whatsoever passeth under the rod the tenth shall bee the Lords And so they have ever been accounted although the Church have sometimes taken libertie to assigne them to other uses as those Decimae Saladinides which the Councell of Paris granted to Philip of France for his warre against Saladine the Mahumedan An. 1189. which as Matth. Paris Monk of St. Albans writeth Richard 1. the King of England obtained also for the same purpose the next yeare and others since though the pretence were altered But see the liberty of the antienter Church concerning Tythes in Gratian Caus 1. qu. 3. pervenit ad caus 13. qu. 1. 2. caus 16. qu. 1. Si quis Laicus and Ecclesiae antiquitus and In canonibus in Gangrensi and quaest 7. Decimas quas And for ours for the times he writ of and collected see Wilhelm Lyndewood Constitut lib. 1. pag. 13. z. pag. 14. f. pag. 15. 0. c. and largely De Decimis lib. 3. pag. 101. c. Concerning the Question Quo Jure besides the skirmishes of our men about it and which you shall finde in the reverend and godly Author of the following Commentary pertinent and full I doe referre to Bellarm. Tom. 2. De clericis lib. 1. cap. 25. Against whom in that place Guil. Amesius sayes nothing and Joh. Alsted in his Supplement of a Fifth Tome to Dan. Chamier Panstrat lib. 4. cap. 10. Paragr 2. Confesses in a manner that to object against him in this is to seek a knot in a bulrush See Dr. Thomas Ridley his learned Discourse of Tythes In his View of the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law pag. 124. c. And in Offerings Terumah The Oblation Elevation Offering or First fruit did also belong to God The Terumah gdolah The Great Oblation and the Bikkurim The severall sorts and other matters worth knowing concerning as well Tythes as these Oblations See in Ioh. Weemse Christian Synag lib. 1. cap. 6. sect 4. paragr 2. 3. And more fully in our owne Goodwyn Mos and Ar. lib. 6. cap. 2.3 And thus having argued against their sinne 2. He expostulates with them their unreasonablnes in this thing and that it were better for them to deale righteously in the maintenance of Gods Priests both 1. For the avoyding of evill ver 9. and 2. For the procuring of good ver 10 11 12. Vers 9 I. In defrauding God of tythes they brought themselves under the curse Yee are cursed with a curse for yee have robbed mee even this whole Nation Not one or few but all dealt ill with God in the matter of tythes and therefore God brought a curse upon the whole Nation The Vulg. and others take it for a curse of penury and scarcity of victualls a great curse in that land Meerah of Arar signifies penury want or barrennes Winkleman derives the word of Maar To gnaw or Pill but not so soundly The Lxx here take the word to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and upon that mistake render the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Anomalie in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text see Sixt. Amam in Anom Spec. ad locum II. In bringing of tythes justly they should finde 1. Their estates blessed verse 10.11 2. Their reputation cleared ver 12. So there are here two promises Vers 10 11. First a blessing on their estates ver 10.11 Bring yee all the Tythes into the storehouse that there may be meate in mine house and prove mee now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open unto you the windowes of Heaven and poure you out a blessing that there shall not bee roome enough to receive it And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and hee shall not destroy the fruites of your ground neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of hosts A place often and pertinently applyed and pressed by such as have had occasion to declame on this subject and surely of great force to such as have faith in the promises of God A place which had well deserved more then a bare marginall note from the late author of the profitable Treatise of Divine promises lib. 3. p. 231. Bring yee all the tythes Our old authorised English Bring yee every tythe Men have made distinctions of tythes and some of their owne coyning to save something from God but ranke them under what heads you will all must bee brought and of every kinde Into the storehouse Vulg. Into the barne The tyth-barne So the word is Ioel. 1.17 The Garners are layd desolate the barnes are broken down But it is usually rendred Treasury Beth haozar The house of treasure or store It seemes they had a standing place for tythes as it is called Nehem. 13.11.12 13. see the place and 1. Chron. 26.20 That there may be meate in my house Vulg. That there may bee spoyle and the Hebr. Tereph signifies so much It is a Synechdoche and the affection of the Trope is a Catachresis Spoyle that is meate there 's the Catachresis the spoyle which the beast makes to get food being put for meate and then the Synechdoche meate put for all necessary provision Meate in my house that is in the storehouse for the use and necessity of my house that is of my Priests and Levites that serve in my house my temple And prove mee now herewith saith the Lord of hosts Menasseh Ben-Israel Quaest 3. in Deut. makes the doubt how these words may be reconciled to those in Deut. 6.16 Yee shall not tempt the Lord your God and answers well that Malachies words are not to bee understood Causaliter but Consecutivè namely that they should indeed finde by experience that if they offered their tythes they should finde the Lord gracious and bountifull See him more fully in the place cited in his Conciliator So that here the promise of good things followes In which let us observe the artifice used in persuading Prove me c. If I will not open you the windowes of Heaven whether I will not Piscat and our Comment make this forme If I will not an oath Which cannot bee cleare without some supply to the text to make up the sense which needs not
heare from God Mat. 15.3 why doe you also transgresse the commandements of God by your tradition for ever his command is above them and theirs else this were to make them gods and God man and were a deed of Idolatry performed unto them Martin Luther sayd well that in keeping of the first precept was shewed obedience of all the rest for hereby we acknowledge God to be our God in preferring his will before the will of any other And so whose will we preferre before Gods we take them to be our god The Apostle makes the Devill to be the Prince of this World because men obey his will before Gods so in this Therefore if the question be of these two God must first be obeyed a Honora patrem tuum sed si te à vero patre non separat tamdiu scito sanguinis copulam quamdiu ille suum noverit creatorem alioquin Psal 45.10 Hieron Ep. 8. ad Furiam Honour thy father but so as he draw thee not from thy true father so long acknowledge the bond of blood as he acknowledgeth his Creator otherwise as it is Psal 45. hearken O daughter forget thine owne people and thy fathers house saith St. Hierome to Furia And his reason is b Non es ejus cui nata es sed cui renata qui te grandi pretio redemit sanguine suo thou art not his of whom thou wert borne but new borne who hath redeemed thee with a great price even his blood And Clemens Rom. Epistola 4. to the sayd purpose c Authores non sunt vitae nostrae parentes sed ministri non enim vitam praebent sed ingrediendi in vitam exhibent ministerium solus deus vitae author fons est S. Clem. Rom. Ep. 4. Our parents are not the authors but the instruments of our life they give not life but are the meanes of entring it only God is the author and fountaine of life he is then to be preferred and his commandement and not as many who have excuse for things they doe our fathers did so or they commanded us In things wherein God hath neither commanded nor forbidden it is sufficient but where either there must they take notice of it and obey him But yet he must doe it with due respect and reverence manifesting no contempt of their authority Some will demand The magistrate commands me one thing and my parents a contrary what must I doe whom must I obey It is answered that the magistrate must be obeyed 〈◊〉 God hath given him a larger Commission then to them for they themselves are subject as their children who neither may doe nor command contrary to their authority but doing so he sinneth and the sonne sinneth in obeying Againe Princes commands commonly respect common good and the good that is more common is more excellent a common good must not be neglected for a private nor this preferred before it A mans countrey is to be preferâ—â—â— before his parents and the goods of it And to obey them were not a good thing for d Bonum non suo loco non est bonum a good thing out of its place is not good blood out of the veines in other vessels is hurtfull though in his place the life consist in it A good thing not done in his place were better undone yea it cannot be well done Moreover we must distinguish betwixt the affection and action A man may love his parents better then the magistrate but he must obey him rather as he may love a good man better then a great man yet in many cases he is not bound to doe so much for him The first because God hath shewed his speciall love more to him then them The second because God hath given him a great authority of command So 't is in this inward affection and outward obedience because the bond of nature is stronger in the one and the force of authority is greater in the other Finally if the things prejudice the State they must not be obeyed but if it doe not prejudice the publique good and be much benefit to a private parent so the ends of the two be regarded no contempt of authority shewed a man be content to abide the penalty A man may disobey and prefer Parents before Magistrates without sinne to God As in the case of Hester and Mordecah and the Jewes and the Kings commandement Vse 3 What if my Father commands me one thing and my master the contrary I am a servant or an apprentice What must I doe Answ As before obey thy master for thy father hath given over his authority to him over whom he hath no power for his power is not subordinate to thy fathers as a Steward or Tutor wherein there is reservation but absolute And thou art now of another regiment and corporation But yet as before thy affection may be more to thy Father but thy labour and service to thy master thou mayst wish his good more but thou must work for and procure the others good for for that end thou wast placed under his power But if without neglect of thy masters affaires thou may be helpfull to thy parents standing in need of thy helpe or by leave and consent thou art no more free to refuse now then before Vse 4 I am the Daughter of my Father he hath bestowed me in marriage if the commands of husband and father crosse one another whom must I obey undoubtedly thy husband for the father hath given over his authority to him And more then in the former both thy affection and action must be more to thy husband love him better and obey him rather For Gen. 2.24 is spoken comparatively when the one must be forsaken or in cases that so fall out that both be in question For he ceaseth not to be a father still but reserveth to him as reverence so obedience while it is not crosse yea in some things he may challenge it that are crosse if it be not to the prejudice of thy husbands good and greatly for his helpe yea and thou must obey him with some hazard of thy selfe so there be no contempt of the authority of thy husband As in the case of Hester which serves both for a subject and a wife Hitherto of their obedience now of their subjection and submission and this may consist in these things First for correction Doctr. Children must submit themselves to their Parents to be rebuked and corrected by them It is that which we have Pro. 15.5 A foole despiseth his fathers instruction but he that regardeth reproofe is prudent When the Apostle maketh it a reason for subjection to God Hebr. 12.9 10. it must needs hold in this yea the Apostles will carry it not only when they doe it justly and from sufficient matter but for a wrong cause which the tenth verse sheweth implying thereby that this submission is required when they shall correct of a spleene or a