but our men in doing as they doe doe sin against their conscience Vnhappy Parents which destroy your children in Popish and Atheisticall houses What are you inferiour to them that sacrificed their children vnto Deuils If your selues be righteous and Christians cast not away your seed your children the price of the precious bloud of Christ You haue made them in their Baptisme when they were young to confesse Christ will you make them now growne to yeeres to deny Christ O let the words of wise Ecclesiasticus chap. 13.1 bee precious in your memories He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith and doubtlesse your children placed in Atheisticall or Popish houses will themselues become Atheisticall or Popish Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation in your childrens behalfe Binde them to none but to Christ put them to none but to Christians sell them to nothing but to the Gospell commit not your young ones into the hands and custody of Gods enemies A third vse Is it not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of infidels for the reason aboue specified that they be not withdrawne from the true seruice of God Then neither is it lawfull for you of your selues to keepe away your seruants from the seruice of God It is reputed for a tyranny in Pharaoh Exod. 5.3 4. That he would not suffer the children of Israel to goe three dayes iourny into the desart to sacrifice to the Lord their God and how can you free your selues from the impeachment of tyranny if you deny your seruants to goe but one houres iourney to this place to serue their God Thinke it not enough that your selues come hither to performe some duty to Christ your Lord and Master how can you performe your duty to him if you deny him your seruants You know what charge is giuen you in the fourth commandement not your selues only but also your sonnes and your daughters and your seruants men and maidens and the stranger that soiourneth with you are to hallow and Sanctifie the Sabbath day with the Lords seruice In this holy worke and seruice of God vpon the Sabbath day regard not what the multitude and greater sort of men doe Suppose all the world besides your selues would bee carelesse to performe this duty yet let your holy resolution be the same with Ioshua's chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Thus farre of my first doctrine grounded vpon Gods dislike with the Philistines for selling away the Israelites his faithfull people into the hands of the Edomites an vnbeeleeuing nation To ground a second doctrine hereon we are to note that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans at such time as they were their captiues and so did adde affliction to the afflicted The doctrine is It is a very grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted Witnesse the complaint made by the captiue Iewes against the insolency of the Chaldeans Psal 137.3 They that led vs away captiue required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion They the Chaldeans the Babylonians and Assyrians in whose country wee were prisoners required of vs scornfully and disdainfully thereby to adde to our griefes they required of vs songs such songs as we were wont to sing in Sion Ierusalem and our owne country before the destruction of the Temple and our captiuity They required of vs not songs only but mirth also they scoffingly desired vs to be merry when they saw vs so heauy hearted as nothing could make vs glad They required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion sing for vs or in our hearing some one or other of those Songs which you were wont to sing in Sion when you were at home in your owne country Intolerable is the hard heartednesse cruelty and scoffing nature of the wicked when they haue gotten Gods children into their nets God cannot away with such vnmercifulnesse and want of pity He reproueth it in the Babylonians Esa 47.6 where thus saith the Lord I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient therefore now heare destruction shall come vpon thee Magna abominatio eoram Deo est afflicto addere afflictionem clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis The words are the obseruation of Oecolampadius vpon the now cited place of Esay It is a great abomination before God to adde affliction to the afflicted the voice of bloud cryeth vp to Heauen for vengeance Yea we are assured by Psal 102.19 that the Lord looketh downe from the height of his sanctuary and out of heauen beholdeth the earth that he may heare and so take pity of the sighings groanings and lamentable cries of such his people as are in affliction The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more Texts of Scripture let the now alleaged be sufficient to confirme my propounded doctrine that it is a grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to reproue the Nimrods and tyrants of this world which haue no pity no compassion vpon the poore and distressed Such in the end shall know by their owne lamentable experience that to be true which Salomon hath vttered Prou. 21.13 Hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard A second vse is to stirre vs vp to the performance of this our Christian duty euen to take pity vpon all that are in any kind of misery if our neighbours be destitute of aid and help we may not like wilde beasts lift vp our selues against them and so tread them vnder foot No. How dare we molest and trouble them whom by Gods appointment we are to releeue and succour We are commanded Deut. 15.11 to open our hands to the needy and poore that are in our land to open our hands to them for their helpe and succour It is not enough for vs to abstaine from all iniury and harme-doing but withall must we endeuour to releeue the oppressed This seruice of ours will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs for the time of our being here and when the day of our dissolution shall be that we must leaue this earthly tabernacle then will the Son of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome vs with a Venite benedicti Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me in as much as you haue
Lord care for the preoccupation or preuention of so little time as if it were a matter of it selfe to be regarded No it was the obseruance of his commandement and the obedience thereunto that he required So for my text I say The giuing the Nazirites wine to drinke was not of it selfe a matter that the Lord much regarded but it was the obseruance of his commaundement and the obedience thereunto that he required The commandement I euen now repeated vnto you out of Num. 6. The summe of it is The Nazarite shall absteine from wine and strong drinke Contrary to this commandement did the Israelites here giue vnto the Nazarites wine to drink which is the thing wherewith they are here twyted to this sense Ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke in so doing you made proofe of your contempt of my Law and your disobedience thereunto I looked you should haue beene thankefull vnto mee for bestowing so great a benefit vpon you as is the order and calling of the Nazarites for the trayning vp of your yong men in pietie and religion but you vnthankfull you haue repaid me with contempt and disobedience you haue sollicited the Nazarites to breake their vow and contrary to my Law yee gaue them wine to drinke The doctrine we are to gather from hence is Disobedience against Gods holy lawes and commaundements is a sinne carefully to be eschewed by euery child of God As by the knowledge of light we may know what darkenesse is and by the knowledge of good what euill is so by the knowledge of obedience towards God we may know what disobedience against him is Of obedience towards God I entreated in my fift Lecture vpon this Chapter I then handled this conclusion Obedience to the commandements of the Lord is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by euery child of his Whence by the Law of contraries followeth my now-conclusion Disobedience against the commandements of the Lord is a sinne which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by euery child of his For the illustration of this conclusion we are to note in man a twofold disobedience one in the state of corruption the other in the state of regeneration Disobedience in man in the state of corruption is an euill qualitie inbred in him by nature whereby he is made of himselfe altogether vnable and vnwilling to liue in subiection vnto God to heare his voice to obey his will or to doe what he commandeth By this disobedience man is not able to doe any thing but hate God his word his will and whatsoeuer is pleasing to him He euer rebels against God he euer resisteth the will of God he euer despiseth the commandements of God and embraceth with all his might what God forbiddeth How great this disobedience is the holy Scripture doth euidently demonstrate when it describeth the nature of man his thoughts his counsailes his affections his desires his actions in the state of corruption and before his regeneration So it calls vs k Num. 20.10 rebels Ezech. 2.3 impudent children and stiffe-hearted vers 4. Gods aduersaries and his enemies Esay 1.24 Children of l Ephes 5.6 Câ—lâ—s 3.6 diffidence and incredulitie Ephes 2.2 Children of wrath ver 3. Children of darknesse Ephes 5.8 Children of the m 1. Ioh. 3.8 Ioh. 8.49 Deuill 1. Iohn 3.10 It sayth of vs Gen. 6.5 that euery imagination of the thoughts of our hearts is onely euill continually It saith of vs Iob 15.25 that we stretch out our hands against God and strengthen our selues against the Almightie It saith of vs Ephes 4 17. that we walke in the varitie of our mindes that hauing our vnderstanding darkned we are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in vs b cause of the blindnesse of our hearts that as men past feeling we haue giuen our selues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse Such is the disobedience that is in man while he is in the state of corruption before he is regenerate There is another kind of disobedience in man when he is in the state of Regeneration This disobedience is common to euery child of God while he liueth in this world albeit in some it be greater in some lâ—sse as regeneration is perfecter in some then in others This I thus describe disobedience in man in the state of regeneration is an euil qualitie inbred in him by nature wherby he is made vnable to yeeld due subiection vnto God wholy on euery part with all his heart and all his might or so to obey his holy will simply in all things and alwayes without tergiuersation as neuer to decline from the rule of true obedience By this disobedience we are all made guiltie of the wrath of God of damnation and of eternall death The consideration hereof made Dauid Psal 130.3 to crie out vnto the Lord If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand It drew from him that humble supplication Psal 143.2 O Lord Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified It wrested from him that same confession Psal 32.6 namely that the very godly haue need to pray for the remission of their sinnes There speaking of the remission of sinnes he saith For this shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee For this for the remission of sinnes shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee O Lord. From hence is it that our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ taught his Apostles the most perfect Christians that euer were and therefore the most godly to pray for remission of their sinnes This disobedience which as yet resideth in vs in the best of vs S. Paul elegantly describeth Rom. 7.14 where thus he speaketh in his owne person as a man regenerate we know that the law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sin n Râ—m 17.15 For that which I doe I allow not for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. o Vers 16. If then I doe that which I would not I consent vnto the law that it is good p Vers 17. Now then it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me q Vers 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I find not r Vers 19. For the good that I would I doe not but the euill that I would not that I doe c. I am not ignorant that the Pelagians of old and diuerse of late as Erasmus Ochinus Castellio Faustus Socinus the Samosatenian Iacobus Arminius and their adherents doe affirme that S. Paul speaketh these words not of himselfe as a man regenerate but doth in them describe a man that is a prophane incontinent sensuall vnregenerate or doth describe the nature of man after his fall what and how
much he is able to doe without the grace of God This their opinion is erroneous The truth is that S. Paul in the place alledged speaketh not of any other but of himselfe not as he was in Pharisaisme vnder the law but as he was now when he wrote this Epistle in the state of grace a man regenerate This great combate in S. Paul now regenerate betweene the Å¿ â—â—m 7.23 law of his minde and the law of his members betweene the t Vers 22.25 law of God and the law of sinne betweene the u Vers 22. inward man and the outward betweene the x Vers 18. flesh and spirit doth clearely shew that the holiest man liuing hath a tincture of disobedience against the Lord his God This is the second kind of disobedience which I noted to be in man as he is in the state of regeneration and serueth for the illustration of my propounded doctrine which was Disobedience against Gods holy lawes and commaundements is a sinne which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by euery child of his Disobedience not onely that which is in euery man that is yet in the state of corruption but that other too which is incident to the truely regenerate is a sinne carefully to be eschewed by euery child of God Euery child of God should be vnwilling to displease God and what can more displease him then disobedience Disobedience Gods curse is vpon it The curse is Psal 119 21. Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements Maledicti a Deo scilicet Cursed of God are all they of what estate or condition soeuer they are that doe erre in their life and conuersation from his commaundements which he hath prescribed as footsteps and paths for men to tread in Cursed are they that doe erre he saith not they that haue erred for they that haue erred may haue repented but cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements And here by erring we vnderstand not euery offence indifferently but an vnbridled licence to offend we vnderstand not euery slip but a falling away from God We vnderstand not euery disobedience of ignorance or infirmity but the disobedience of pride and presumption Maledicti Cursed are they that doe erre from thy commandements The like Curse is Deut. 27.26 Maledictus qui non permanet in sermonibus legis huius nec eos opere perficit Cursed be he that continueth not in the words of this law to doe them It is cited by S. Paul Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the law to doe them In both places the end of the Law is poynted at It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much contemplation as action for the Law was giuen not onely to be knowne but also to be performed and therefore Rom. 2.13 it is auouched that not the hearers of the Law are righteous before God but the doers of the Law shall be iustified The couenant of the Law requireth from vs absolute obedience In this obedience these things must concurre according to the tenor of the Law 1. It must be performed by our selues for the law reueales not the Mediator 2. It must be inward as well as outward 3. It must be perfect in parts and degrees 4. It must be constant and continuall from the first moment of our conception without the least interruption through the whole course of our liues The least thought dissonant to the law inuolues vs in disobedience and layes vs open to the Curse Maledictus Cursed be he that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Vae vobis is no better then a Curse and that shall you find denounced to the disobedient Ecclus. 41.8 Vae vobis impij Viri qui dereliquistis legem Altissimi scilicet per inobedientiam sayth Antoninus Sum. part 2. Tit. 4. cap. 2. Woe be vnto you vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Vae vobis woe be vnto you And why so The reason is added For if you increase it shall be to your destruction And if you be borne you shall be borne to a curse and if you die a curse shall be your portion Vae vobis woe be vnto you ye vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Is disobedience thus cursed Then must it be punished For as Dicere Dei is facere so Maledicere Dei is malum poenae facere If God saith a thing he doth it and if he curseth he punisheth He curseth disobedience and therefore he punisheth disobedience He punisheth it sayth Antoninus three manner of wayes First per afflictionem corporis by afflicting man in his bodie Secondly per impugnationem orbis by setting the whole world against man and Thirdly per privationem numinis by depriuing him of the vision of God First God punisheth disobedience by laying affliction vpon man in his bodie For the disobedience of Adam he sayth vnto Adam Gen. 3.17 Maledicta terra in opere tuo Cursed be the earth for thy worke for the worke of thy transgression for thy sinne for thy sake Cursed be the earth of thy bodie for thy bodie is but earth cursed shall it be and many waies afflicted Thornes and Thistles diuerse passions and infirmities shall it bring forth vnto thee All the euils of punishment whereto these weake bodies of ours are subiect hunger and thirst and heate and cold and trauaile and trouble and misery and calamitie and weakenesse and diseases yea and death too together with that neuer-ceasing rebellion of the flesh against the Spirit called in Scripture the Concupiscence of the flesh whâ—ch cleaueth fast vnto vs all our life long and is the fountaine and root of all our euill deeds all these are vpon vs for disobedience Secondly God punisheth disobedience by setting the whole world against man For as it is Wisd 5.21 Pugnabit cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos The world shall fight with him against the vnwise the world shall take part with God against the disobedient The world that is all the creatures in the world whereof we read vers 18. Armabit creaturam ad vltionem inimicorum The Lord he shall take to him his iealousie for compleat Armour and make the y Wisd 5.17 creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies Where by the creature I vnderstand z Lorinus vniuersitatem creaturarum the vniuersitie of Creatures all the Creatures in the world orbem terrarum euen the whole world of Creatures God shall make the creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies and the world shall fight with him against the vnwise The thunderbolt is his weapon against the disobedient vers 21. Then shall the right ayming thunder-bolts goe abroad and from the clouds
that ye might send them far from their border that is Gods inheritance his owne seed and seruants the children of Iudah and Ierusalem the cruell and hard hearted Philistines did mancipate and sell away for bondslaues to the Grecians dwelling farre off that with them they might liue in perpetuall seruitude and slauery without all hope of liberty or redemption Now in this that the Lord calleth the Philistines to a reckoning because they had sold away his people though they were their captiues vnto Infidels we may learne this lesson It is not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of Infidels The vnlawfulnes herof appeareth by the charge which Moses giueth the Israelites Deut. 7.3 His charge is concerning the Hittites the Gergasites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hiuits and the Iebusites that they should not at all make any couenant with them nor giue them their children in mariage And why so Because by such couenants mariages they might be withdrawn from the true seruice of God to the prophane worship of Idols For so it 's said verse the 4. They will cause thy son to turne away from me and to serue other gods The danger of such couenants and mariages S. Paul knew to be very great and therefore from such he dehorteth the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked with the infidels He vseth the similitude of Oxen coupled together The yoke holdeth them so together that looke which way the one draweth the other must needs follow In like case it is with men They that fall into familiarity with the wicked doe couple themselues with them and so are led out of the way and made to worke wickednesse before the Lord. From this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this vnequall yoke with Infidels from conuersing with the wicked the Apostle disswadeth the Corinthians and in them vs by sundry arguments drawne ab absurdo In each argument there is an Antithesis two things opposed the one to the other In the first righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse in the second light and darknesse in the third Christ and Belial in the fourth the Beleeuer and the Infidell in the fifth Gods Temple and Idols Euery argument is set downe by way of question The first what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse The answer is negatiue none The answer may be illustrated by a similitude Eccl. 13.18 How can the wolfe agree with the lambe no more can the vngodly with the righteous The second what communion hath light with darknesse The answer is negatiue none No more than truth hath with a lie as Drusius well expoundeth the place Prou. Class 1. lib. 3.78 Light hath no communion with darknes therefore the beleeuer ought not to conuerse with an vnbeleeuer This consequence is made good by Eph. 5.8 where the Apostle telleth the Ephesians that they were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord. Tenebras vocat infideles saith Musculus vpon the Text S. Paul calleth vnbeleeuers darknesse for their ignorance of God and the blindnesse of their hearts but he calleth the beleeuers light for their knowledge of God by which their hearts are through the holy Ghost illuminated Light hath no communion with darknesse therefore beleeuers are not to haue familiarity with vnbeleeuers The third what concord hath Christ with Belial The answer is negatiue none The opposition betweene these two Christ and Belial is most hostile Christ is the Author of our saluation Belial of our perdition Christ is the restorer of all things Belial the destroier Christ is the Prince of light Belial the prince of darknesse In such hostile opposition there can be no concord no concord between the Author of our saluation and the author of our perdition no concord between the restorer of all things and the destroyer of all things no concord betweene the Prince of light the prince of darknes therefore they that beleeue in Christ are not to haue familiarity with vnbeleeuers The fourth what part hath the beleeuer with the infidell The answer is negatiue none The beleeuer hath no portion with the vnbeleeuer and therefore he is not to haue any familiarity with him The fift what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols The answer is negatiue none There is none indeed Sacrilega est profanatio saith a Comment in 2 Cor. 16.6 Caluin it is a sacrilegious prophaning of Gods Temple to place in it an Idoll or to vse any idolatrous worship therein We are the Temple of God wherefore to infect our selues with any contagion of Idols in vs it must be sacrilegious There is no agreement betweene the Temple of God and Idols therefore we are not to haue any familiarity with the Idolatrous Remember I beseech you righteousnesse hath no fellowship with vnrighteousnesse light hath no communion with darknesse Christ is not at concord with Belial the beleeuer hath no part with the infidell there is no agreement betweene the Temple of God and Idols therefore may we not enter into familiarity with the wicked prophane and idolatrous we may not make any couenant with them we may not giue them our children in mariage Thus is my doctrine confirmed It is n t lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of Infidels Now to the vses The first serueth for our instruction and teacheth vs so to loue the soules of the righteous seed that we leaue them not resident among Infidels or Atheists or Papists or any prophane wretches but rather that to our labour and cost we redeeme them out of the Dâ—uils tyranny We must haue a singular care for the children which are borne among vs that they be godly and vertuously brought vp and so prouided for that they may doe Christ some seruice in the Church and Common-wealth Our Sauiour his words Mat. 18.6 are true without exception Whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones which beleeue in me it were better for him that a milstone were changed about his necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea What measure then are we to looke for if we bequeath our children to the seruice of men of corrupt consciences and wicked affections such as will compasse Heauen and Earth to make any one the childe of damnation A second vse may be for the reproofe of such as do bind and put their children the fruit of their bodies which they ought to consecrate vnto the Lord into the education of open enemies to the Gospel of Christ most blasphemous and abominable Atheists or most blind and superstitious Papists Are not these as much to be complained of as those whom the Lord here condemneth for selling of Israels seed into the hands of the Edomites Yes and much more For those sold their enemies but our men sell their children those did it by the law of war but our men doe it contrary to the law of God those in doing as they did did not sin against their knowledge
euen then when he feasted his Princes and captaines and chiefe estates of Galilee A dead mans head besmered with bloud was very vnseasonable and vnfit sawce for such a banquet Yet then was Iohn Baptists head brought before Herodias in a platter What did she to it Doubtlesse all the disgrace she could One thing St Hierome in his second booke of his Apollogie against Ruffinus specifieth that * Veriloquam linquam discriminalâ— acu confodit she thrust his tongue through with a needle In the 19. of Iohn ver 34. it is recorded to the memoriall of all ensuing ages that when Iesus had by his sufferings vpon the Crosse and paiment of the price of our redemption giuen vp the ghost then a Iew a souldier of the Iewes with a speere pierced his side whereout forthwith issued bloud and water Vpon that cruell souldiers fact Å¿ Salmeron comment in Euangel Tom. 10. Tract 48. one asketh this question Quid est quod filius Dei tormentis in vitae toleratis non contentus voluit etiam post mortem vulnera accipere What is it that the sonne of God not content with such torments as in his life time he endured would also after his death be wounded Among many and they great causes he giues this for one Vt innotesceret nostra immanitas saeuitia qui etiam in mortuum saeuimus that notice may be taken of our immanitie crueltie for as much as we spare not the dead It is the propertie of a Lyon to spare a man not onely that is dead but also that lyeth prostrate and flat vpon the ground What fauour a man receiues from a Lyon Christ Iesus the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah the sweete Sauiour of mankind could not receiue from man A souldier with a speare pierceth his side though he be dead To exaggerate this St Chrysostome homil 48. vpon Iohn sayth Illudere mortuo quà m ipsum crucis supplicium longe peius est It is farre worse to offer any contumely or disgrace to one that is dead then is the punishment of the crosse In the 79. Psalme ver 2. the Prophet in Israels behalfe complaineth vnto God against the surprisers of Ierusalem that they gaue the dead bodies of Gods seruants to be meat vnto the fowles of heauen and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the Earth So he aggrauateth their crueltie and inhumanitie Monstrous was their crueltie barbarous their inhumanitie to cast the dead bodies and flesh of Gods seruants and Saints here and there to the end they might be a prey to dogs to wolues to rauens to vultures or other beasts or birds that liue by carion You see partly by prophane examples partly by instances out of the sacred Scriptures how crueltie against the dead hath vsually beene censured But what is this to you who vse towards the dead all ciuilitie All ciuilitie I grant you giue the dead religious and solemne buriall And so doing you doe well You doe well not to suffer t Lanctantius Jnstitut lib. 6. figuram figmentum Dei the workmanship of God Gods image to be exposed and cast out for a prey to wild beasts and birds To bury the dead it is u Ambros â—ib de Tobia quotidianum opus magnum it is euery dayes worke and a great worke and you doe well so to account of it For if the law commands you to couer the naked while they are liuing how much more ought yee to couer them when they are dead If your friend vndertake any long iourney you will take the paines to bring him part of his way how much more ought ye to affoord him your company when he is going in illam aeternam domum to his long and euerlasting home whence he shall returne no more vnto you You will say Cadaueribus nullus sensus dead bodies haue no sense What need then is there of such care of committing them to the earth I reply in St x Lib 1. de Ciuâ—tate Dei cap. 13. Austins words Deo placent etiam talia pietatis officia such offices of pietie humanitie and ciuilitie doe please God The bodies of the dead belong to Gods prouidence He hath appointed the buriall of the dead to confirme our faith in the Resurrection of the dead Thus farre by occasion of the first part of my proposition which was All kind of crueltie committed against a man highly displeaseth God You remember the reason of it the reason is Because it is against the sixt Commandement The vse of it was a reproofe of such as delight in crueltie whether against the liuing or the dead Now followeth the other part of my proposition this That crueltie which violateth or extinguisheth the rites of consanguinitie and naturall affection specially displeaseth God For God the God of nature cannot in any wise like that natures lawes be violated By natures lawes it s enacted that there should be that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much spoken of in the Schooles a peculiar affection of loue from the parent to the childe and from the childe to the parent from a brother to a brother from a kinsman to a kinsman Now if crueltie shall be exercised from a parent towards his childe or from a child towards his parent or from a brother towards his brother or from a kinsman towards his kinsman that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I spak of is laid aside the rites of consanguinity and naturall affection are violated are extinguished This doctrine may teach vs to carry our selues peaceably and louingly towards our parents our children our brethren our kinsmen all that are of our bloud There cannot be a greater bond betweene man and man as men then is this bond of bloud I say precisely betweene man and man as men there cannot be a greater bond then is this bond of bloud For betweene man and man as Christians there is a greater bond the bond of one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all as St Paul speaketh Ephes 4.5.6 The strength of the former bond of bloud sheweth it selfe in the Patriarch Abraham when there was a debate betweene his seruants and the seruants of Lot All the tales his men could tell him could not worke in him any dislike of Lot To end that debate Abraham goeth to Lot Abraham Lots elder and vnckle his better in euery respect yet he stands not vpon that he looks not when Lot should come and stoope to him but as in yeeres so in wisdome in mildnesse in humility in temperance of affections heâ— passeth him Ouer-ruled by such sweet vertues hee goes to Lot tels him of their kinred and mooues him there by as by a strong reason or a mighty bond that loue and peâ—â—â— might remaine betwixt them and theirs His words arâ—â—â— the words whereof Salomon speaketh Prou. 25.11 they are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer they
Propheticall Bookes is true also of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall what he affirmeth of the old testament is true also of the new The new and the old differ not in substance In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris So saith St Austin lib. de Catechizandis rudibus cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is trid and in the new the olde is manifested The like the same good Father hath Qu. 37. super Exodum In vetere novum latet in novo vetus patet in the old the new is couered and in the new the old is opened Old and new both doe agree in substance Now make we our collection The whole Scripture conteining both Testaments olde and new is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word to it we must take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and this we must know that no Scripture in eyther of the Testaments old or new is of any priuate motion and that neither old nor new Testament came to vs by the will of man but that holy men of God haue conueyed them vnto vs as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And yet must this holy Scripture be noted for a great Booke of Heresie for conteining erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of Heresie The first pillars of the Primitiue Church the auncient Fathers thought much otherwise Because I cannot stand long vpon this poynt one shall serue for all Sweete Saint Chrysostome in his ninth Sermon vpon the Epistle to the Colossians thus speaketh to his hearers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee my secular and lay auditors heare me I beseech you Get you Bibles your soules physicke if you be vnwilling to be at charge for the whole yet at least buy the new Testament the Euangelists and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers If any griefe befall you make your repaire hither as to an Apothecaries shop here shall you haue varietie of medicines fit to cure you If any damage if losse of friends if death come here may you finde comfort In a word the cause of all euill is not to know the Scripture You see how far this good Father is from calling the Bible a Booke of heresies as some late Papists haue done He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath and thinkes it for you very expedient to haue one of them in your houses that at euery opportunitie you may be reading in it If any shall here obiect I am towards the Law I am employed about publike affaires I am a tradesman I am a marryed man I haue children to maintaine I haue a Familie to care for I haue worldly businesses to looke vnto it is not my part to read the Scriptures this office belongs to them rather who haue bidden the world farewell to such St Chrysostome shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro Quid aâ— homo What sayst thou man Is it not a part of thy businesse to turne ouer the Scriptures because thou art distracted with many cares Immo tuum est magis quam illâ—rum Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee rather then to them who haue bidden the world farewell because they need not so much the helpe of Scripture as you doe who are as it were tossed in the waues of troubles To conclude this poynt Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures let them debase vilifie and disgrace them to their owne vtter confusion and perdition wee through Gods goodnesse haue learned a better lesson that the word of God which we call Scripture is o Chrysost hom 7. de poenitentia a hauen free from raging surges a well fortified bulwarke a toâ—re not staggering an aduancement not to bee taken from vs by violence no not any way to bee diminished a stable blissefulnesse at no time languishing a neuer-failing pleasure whatsoeuer good a man can speake of Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ he shall finde it in the Holy Scripture So saith sweet Chrysostome Homil. 7. De poenitentia In my first Sermon before you vpon this chapter I deliuered vnto you the same effect thus The word of God which we call Scripture it is his most royall and Celestiall Testament it is the Oracle of his heauenly Sanctuary it is the onely Key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is Milke from his sacred brests the Earnest and Pledge of his fauour to the Church the Light of our feet the Ioy of our hearts the Breath of our nostrils the Pillar of our faith the Anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the Euidence of our future blessednesse Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome frequent this place to heare it read and expounded vnto you and at home teach and admonish your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs My exhortation is the same that S. Paul made vnto the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Thus much of the preface The prophesie followeth The first part thereof is a generall accusation of Iudah For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused in the name Iudah Secondly whereof they are accused For three trasgressions and for foure First of the accused The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah The Kingdome of Iudah is taken sometimes latè sometimes strictè sometimes in a large sometimes in a strict sense In the large it betokeneth all the twelue tribes of Israel in the strict sense it betokeneth onely two tribes Iudah and Beniamin Iudah and Israel at first were but one kingdome which afteward was diuided into two the Kingdome of Iudah and the kingdome of Israel When and how this was done it is expressely deliuered in 1 Kings 12. in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Salomon and thus Rehoboam King Salomons sonne censured by Ecclesiasticus chap. 47 23. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foolishnesse of the people and one that had no vnderstanding succeeding in his fathers throne did vpon aduise giuen him by his young counsellours promise sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people My least part my little finger shall be bigger then my fathers loynes whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke I will make it heauier my father hath chastized you with rods but I will correct you with scourges This his vnkinde and euill entreating of a people which of late in King Salomons time saw good and peaceable daies did cause a rebellion and reuolt Ten of the twelue tribes much discontented brake forth into speeches of impatiency What portion haue we in Dauid We haue no inheritance in the sonne of Ischai to your tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord and set vp
offered vnto others Our Sauiour Christ in his Sermon vpon the Mount thus deliuers it With what measure yee mete Luke 6.38 it shall be measured to you againe Matth. 7.2 Whereupon one saith after this manner He that rashly and vniustly censureth others feeleth at one time or other the smart of it in the like kinde For God doth iustly raise vp others to censure him that thereby he may be recompensed According to this law of equitie it is said Reu. 3.10 He that leadeth into captiuity shall be led into captiuity And Esay 33.1 They that deale treacherously with others shall haue others to deale treacherously with them and they that spoile others shall themselues be spoiled This last is the very measure that is in this my text threatned to the ten Tribes They spoiled the poore treasuring vp in their palaces the goods taken from them by violence and robbery and therefore shall their palaces be spoiled Thus farre is the confirmation of my doctrine which was Punishments are most vsually in the like proper and proportionable to the offences Are punishments proportionable to the offences One reason hereof may be because the iustice of God is hereby cleared and the mouth of iniquitie stopped When God retaileth vs according to the sinne that we haue committed what can we alleage or answer for our selues Surely we cannot haue any excuse pretence or allegation for our selues but must confesse with our owne mouth and against our selues that God is righteous and that our selues are wicked A second reason may be taken from the equity of this kinde of proceeding It is meet that malefactors haue their deserts nor can they complaine of iniustice so long as they receiue their owne God will giue to euery man according to his workes he will giue them wages according to their deseruings Vpon this equity is grounded the Law of retaliation by which God requireth of the hands of Magistrates that they recompence life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe Exod. 21.23 The Law is repeated Leuit. 24.19 20. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as hee hath done so shall it be done vnto him Breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth as he hath caused a blemish in a man so shall it be done to him againe Now if God hath made a law for Magistrates to recompence the sinner according to the manner of his sinne we may not doubt but that God himselfe will measure his punishments according to the rule of iustice and equitie Vpon the ground of these reasons my doctrine standeth Punishments are most vsually in the like proper and proportionable to the offences Now one vse of this doctrine is to teach vs to set a watch ouer our selues to keepe out the practise of sinne that carrieth such a taile and traine after it The sinner shall euer finde a punishment answerable to his sinne This is a notable bridle to induce vs to abstaine from all kinde of sinne to abstaine from whoredome and drunkennesse the sinnes that rage among carnall men Because Magistrates are slacke and carelesse in punishing of these sinnes God bringeth vpon such as continue in them very loathsome and noysome diseases meet punishments for such filthy sinnes And if we be wise to commit new sinnes God only wise will catch vs in our wisdom he will be wise enough to finde out punishments that shall be proportioned to our transgressions Pro mensurâ peccati erit plagarum modus Deut. 25.3 Vulg. as our sinne is so shall be our punishment Againe from hence we learne to be patient vnder the punishments that doe befall vs. Sith God doth punish vs in that wherein we haue offended when we feele that God hath found vs out and that neither our selues nor our sins can any longer be hidden from his eyes let vs humble our selues vnder his mighty hand and hold our peace because he hath done it Psal 39.9 Thirdly this may serue to checke all cruell and mercilesse oppressours such as grinde the faces of the poore Esâ—y 3.15 and spoile the needie by their couetous and corrupt dealing pulling from them that which is their owne without conscience of sinne or feeling of iudgement to come God suffereth such to haue their time while he holdeth his peace and letteth them alone to fill vp the measure of their sinnes Yet hath God his seasons too and hath determined what to doe and how to deale with such offenders the spoiler shall be spoiled the robber shall be robbed the oppressour shall be oppressed and they that deale violently with others shall haue others to deale violently with them Wherefore whatsoeuer you would that men should doe vnto you euen so doe vnto them for this is the Law of equitie THE Fourteenth Lecture AMOS 3.12 Thus saith the Lord As the shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch THis verse belongeth to the Commination that went before The Commination was a denunciation or a menacing of the iudgement of God against the Kingdome of the ten Tribes the people of Israel The iudgement was a conquest by warre and that was described by three circumstances the siege the victory and the spoile all which were handled in my lâ—st Sermon Now is the conquest amplified from the sad and fearefull euent thereof which our Prophet here deliuereth by a Similitude taken from the experience of a Shepheard Such shall be the conquest of the Assyrians against the Israelites that the Israelites shall be no more able to resist the Assyrians than a silly Sheepe is able to resist a Lion The Israelites trusted in the multitude of their people in the valour of their souldiers in their fenced Cities among which the chiefe were Samaria and Damascus for they had enlarged their territories euen vnto Damascus Therefore it seemed to them impossible that any forreine power should preuaile against them To beat downe this vaine confidence of theirs Amos here bringeth this rurall and pastorall Similitude assuring them that those things whereupon they rely for safety shall be so farre from doing them any good that few very few of them shall escape the hand of the enemie For our more easie proceeding at this time let it please you to obserue with me two things 1 An introduction to a similitude Thus saith the Lord. 2 The similitude it selfe As the Shepheard taketh out c. The Introduction giues credit and authority to the Similitude The Similitude hath two parts the two vsuall parts of a Simile 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Proposition 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reddition The Proposition A Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of a Lion two legs or a peece of an eare The Reddition So shall
vttered by the Prophets is nothing else but the word of God conueyed vnto vs by ministery of his Prophets That so it is wee are assured by the Protestation that God himselfe maketh Hos 12.10 I that am the Lord thy God I haue spoken by the Prophets and I haue multiplied visions and vsed similitudes by hand or by the ministery of the Prophets The like phrase is vsed by Haggai Chap. 1.1 to shew that his prophecie was the very word of God In the second yeare of the reigne of King Darius came the Word of the Lord by the hand or by the ministery of Haggai the Prophet vnto Zerubbabel Haggai was but a conduit to conuey the Word the Word was the Lords This is that we reade Hebr. 1.1 that God at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in time past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets Hence appeareth the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets euen from the first vnto the last Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses Dauid Esay and the rest not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministery but only the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues it was God that spake in them Whensoeuer was the time whosoeuer was the man wheresoeuer was the place whatsoeuer was the people the words were Gods God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets And for this cause when we preach vnto you we say not you are to beleeue vs in what wee say quia nos dicimus because we say it but quia dicit Dominus because the Lord saith it And if it be demanded whence it may be knowne that our sayings are the Lords sayings we answer it is knowne ex Scripturis by this or that place of Scripture To the Scriptures we are tyed as the Leuites were to the Law Deut. 17.11 From the Law they might not decline either to the right hand or to the left nor may wee from the Scriptures They were to teach according to the Law and we according to the Scriptures The voice of the Law was their rule the voice of the Scriptures must be ours The voice of the Scriptures must be our rule But saith the Romanizing Papist the Scripture hath no voice at all but is res muta Sleid. Com. l. 23. a dumbe thing The Bishop of Poitiers in the infamous conuenticle of Trent was of this minde Scripturam esse rem inanimem atque mutam that the Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thing Controu 3. de Eccles as are all other Politicke Lawes Albertus Pighius before that time had discouered his opinion of the point Esse Scripturas mutos iudices that the Scriptures are dumbe iudges and therefore vnfit to haue matters of controuersie put ouer to their iudgement Petrus à Soto saith as much in effect Schol. de Euchar. Defens 3. calling the Scripture Literam mutam non respondentem a dumb letter that giues no answer This is but one of the many blasphemies which Papists haue vttered to the disgrace of holy Scripture against whom to the honour thereof wee maintaine this assertion Scripturam non esse mutam ac vocis expertem the Scripture is not dumb and speechlesse but hath a voice a cleare voice easie to be heard except we be deafe For the confirmation of this our assertion I produce that of Saint Paul Rom. 3.19 Whatsoeuer things the Scripture saith it saith to them that are vnder the Law the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh to them that are vnder the Law It speaketh therefore it is not dumbe Moses ascribeth to the Law a mouth Deut. 17.11 and Pagnines translation there is ex ore Legis the Priests were to teach according to the mouth of the Law And why I pray you hath the Law a mouth if it cannot speake If exhortations of holy writ doe speake why may not precepts prohibitions expostulations and other passages speake as well There is an exhortation that speaketh vnto you as children Hebr. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh and thus it speaketh My sonne despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Scripture euery where speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase often iterated in the New Testament is a sure euidence that the Scripture is not dumbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.3 What saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse That Scripture is Gen. 15 6. and therefore the Scripture in Genesis speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.17 The Scripture saith vnto Pharaoh What Euen for this same purpose haue I raised thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that Scripture is Exod. 9.16 and therefore the Scripture in Exodus speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.11 The Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him in Iesus Christ shall not be ashamed that Scripture is Esay 28.16 and therefore the Scripture in Esay speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scripture from this phrase so often reiterated in the New Couenant I may conclude for the whole Scripture that it hath a voice and speaketh and therefore that it is neither dead nor dumbe as the aboue alleaged Popish Authors haue imagined It hath a voice and speaketh This voice is the voice of God For God in the Scriptures speaketh with vs familiarly as a friend speaketh with a friend Quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad cor loquitur indoctorum atque doctorum Augustine to Volusian Epist 3. God in Scriptures daily speaketh to vs and hee speaketh plainly to the heart as well of the vnlearned as of the learned to the heart of euery one of vs. Now as God in the Scriptures speaketh to vs so we cannot but acknowledge that he speaketh vnlesse we be without his holy Spirit Sic enim loquitur nobiscum vt nos eius sermonem intelligamus Ambrose to Irenaeus Epist 5. So God speaketh with vs that we may vnderstand his speech And this that which aboue I vndertooke to proue that God now adayes speaketh that he may be heard of his Ministers And sith he so speaketh my doctrine will thereupon follow The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people He is to heare what God speaketh before he make his contestation to the house of Iacob It is the order prescribed in my text Heare first then testifie Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob The vse of the point now deliuered is two-fold one concerneth the Preachers of the Gospell the other the Hearers The Preachers are to heare what God speaketh and then to testifie and beare witnesse thereof to the house of Iacob to the people of God They must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.20 Ambassadors of God in Christs stead and that to them is committed the ministery of reconciliation and therefore they may