Corruption it selfe as a father made Iob fit for his graue and death which of him was more wished then life as Origen and Olympiodor haue well obserued And hence it is that blessed Paul liuing in this world and vsing it as if he vsed it not for he had his conuersation in heauen and had a true and liuely taste of the ioyes of the world to come desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ and this hee was well assured was best of all for him Phil. 1.23 Thus farre beloued haue I ledde you by occasion of these words Moab shall dye vpon which I grounded this generall doctrine All must once dye In the illustration whereof I signified that of euils death was the most terrible To arme your Christian soules against the terrour or feare of death I told you that death is to be considered in a double respect either as it is in its owne nature or as it is changed qualified by the death of Christ in the first respect it is very fearefull to the naturall man in the latter it is very welcome to the resolued Christian I further added that there are two sorts of men obnoxious vnto death the one sort doe liue in sinne and dye without repentance the other with vnfained repentance and true faith in Christ doe leaue this world to the first sort death is very terrible to the latter it is a very welcome guest Now proceed we to examine the manner of Moabs death Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet In tumultu with a tumult so some do reade Vatablus Caluin Mercer Gualter in strepitu with a noyse so Iunius and Drusius in sonitu with a sound so Brentius and the author of the vulgar Latine The 70. haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moab shall dye through imbecillity or weakenes The word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth a sound a tumult an inundation or multitude of waters which ouerrunne their bankes with violence and roaring The meaning of the world is that Moab should die a death strange and extraordinary which is more specified in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With shouting This very word we met with within the 14. verse of the first Chapter where it is brought to set forth the terrour of that iudgement which God would bring vpon the Ammonites The word I expounded in my 20. Sermon on the first Chapter and shewed out of diuers Authorss that it signifieth a sound a cry a great cry a vociferation a shoute such as Souldiers doe make when on a suddaine they surprize a City To make good this exposition it is added With the sound of a trumpet The vse of trumpets in warre hath beene very ancient The vse of them is commanded to the children of Israel Num. 10.9 When ye goe to warre against the enemie yee shall blow a larme with the trumpets After they were vsed in the battle against Iericho Iosh 6.5 Ioshua saith to the people When yee heare the sound of the trumpet ye shall all shout with a great shout and the wall of Iericho shall fall downe flat To this vse Ezechiel alludeth Chap. 7.14 They haue blowne the trumpet and prepared all but none goeth to the battell And S. Paul speaks of it 1. Corinth 14.8 If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battle The Prophet Zephanie also hath respect vnto it Chap. 2.16 where he calls the great day of the Lord a day of the trumpet and a larme against the strong Cities and against the high towers From this ancient vse of trumpets we may gather the meaning of our Prophet in this place Moab shall dye with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet Moab that is the Moabites the people of Moab shall dye shall depart this life and leaue this world not quietly and peaceably in their beds but with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet euen in warre or as the phrase is in the 14. verse of the 1. chapter in the day of battaile The doctrine arising hence is this Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people That warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance its plaine in Ezech. 14.21 There God himself makes it one of his foure sore iudgements The foure are the sword famine the noysome beast and the pestilence the first is the sword an instrument for warre for warre it selfe These foure are likewise couched togither in Ezech. 5.17 where thus saith the Lord against Ierusalem I will send vpon you famine and euill beasts and they shall spoyle thee and pestilence and bloud shall through thee and I will bring thee sword vpon thee I the Lord haue spoken it I will bring the sword vpon thee the sword that is warre an instrument of warre for warre it selfe as in the former place These two places of Ezechiel to omit many other as pregnant here and there dispersed throughout the sacred Volumes of Gods eternall word these two doe speake plainely that warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance That it is sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people I made it plaine vnto you by like euidence of holy Writ in my 20. Sermon vpon the former chapter My proofes were taken from Levit. 26.25 Deut. 28.49 Ierem. 5.15 Whence I inferred that warre and all the euills of warre are from the Lord that warre is one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements that warre is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people So goeth my doctrine Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people The Vse of this Doctrine is to raise vs vp to the admiration of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God We grieue the Holy Spirit of that sacred Maiestie with our manifold and daily sinnes our sinnes of omission our sins of infirmitie and our sinnes of presumption our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our strife variance and debate our vsurie oppression and cruelty our vncleannesse wantonnes and drunkennes our sins multiply as the sands of the Sea they haue pressed into Gods presence to fetch downe his vengeance vpon vs. Behold looke about you and admire his exceeding great patience The loud crying of our sinnes hath not yet vrged the Lord so farre as to make him come against vs with his sorest iudgement of warre He hath out of his fatherly loue ouer vs mildely chastized vs. Not long since hee brake the staffe of our bread and sent among vs a dearth and scarcitie yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not long since he commanded his armies of waters to issue from out their channell and to ouer runne man and beast for many miles within this land yet haue we not returned vnto him Not long since he
32.41 that hee will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sinne His soule hateth and abhorreth sinne his law curseth and condemneth sinne his hand smiteth and scourgeth sinne Sinne was his motiue to cast Angels out of Heauen to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne Cities into ashes to ruinate Nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Sinne made him heretofore to drowne the olde world and sinne will make him hereafter to burne this So true is my doctrine Many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs. Let vs now make some vse of this doctrine Doe many sinnes cause Almighty God to punish vs First we are hence taught at what time soeuer God shall lay his rod vpon vs to seeke the true cause thereof in our selues Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est saith S. Austin Serm. 139. de Tempore The cause of all euill is within vs it is sinne within vs. It is impiety to imagine that God will punish vs without a cause Non pateremur nisi mereremur saith that good Father We should not vndergoe any crosse or disturbance vnlesse wee deserued it Wherefore let vs euery one of vs in particular when God commeth neere to vs in iudgement to touch either our estates with want or our callings with disgrace or our bodies with sicknes or our soules with heauines let vs haue recourse to the sinnes within vs which haue deserued this and turne we to the Lord our God Water teares sorrow repentance will better satisfie him pacifie him mooue him alter him then whatsoeuer vengeance or plagues or bloud or death Let vs enter into a due consideration of our corruptions our transgressions our sinnes wherewith as with a heauy burden wee are laden and returne wee to the Lord our God adulterers murtherers idolaters the sacrilegious the ambitious the couetous drunkards railers lyars the blasphemous swearers forswearers all who by any their euill wayes prouoke God to the execution of his iustice must take part in this conuersion Let no man draw backe let not the heinousnesse of our fore-passed sinnes deterre vs or keepe vs from so holy a course I dare affirme with S. Austin Serm. 181. de Tempore Non nocent peccata praeterita si non placent praesentia Sinnes past hurt not if sins present please not Let vs euen now at this present in detestation of sinne resolue to sinne willingly no more and our sinnes past shall neuer hurt vs. O let not this vse slip out of our minds When God his heauy hand is vpon vs in any crosse or tribulation seeke wee out the cause of it in our selues in our sinnes A second vse followeth and it is to stirre vs vp to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare those inhabitants of Iudah till by their three transgressions and by their foure they had prouoked God vnto displeasure The holy Scriptures are frequent in proclaiming God to be mercifull and gracious and long-suffering and of great goodnesse Hee cryeth to the foolish Prou. 1.22 O ye foolish how long will ye loue foolishnesse He cryeth to the faithlesse Math. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth to Ierusalem Matth. 23.37 O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often What could the Lord haue done more vnto his vineyard then he had done vnto it He dressed it with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could inuent as appeareth Esa 5.2 Such carefull dressing could not but deserue fruit This fruit he required not at the first houre but tarried for it the full time euen till the autumne and time of vintage if then it failed did it not deserue to be eaten vp Looke into the 13. of Luke vers 6. There shall you see the Lord wayting three yeeres for the fruit of his fig-tree yea and content that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeere may bee bestowed vpon it Doubtlesse God is mercifull and gracious and long suffering and of great goodnesse Heereof Beloued we haue great experience We haue our three transgressions and our foure too as Iudah had Our manifold sinnes our sins of omission and our sinnes of commission our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our sinnes of infirmity and our sinnes of presumption doe they not day by day impudently and sawcily presse into the presence of Gods Maiesty to procure his vengeance against vs And yet wee must needes confesse it God is good and patient towards vs. Beloued let vs not abuse so great goodnes and patience of our God Though some fall seauen times a day and rise againe though to some sinners it pleaseth God to iterate his sufferance as vpon vs hither to he hath done yet should not we herevpon presume to iterate our misdoings For we well know that Almighty God punished his p Ioh. 8.44 Iâ—d 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 Angels in heauen for one breach q Gen. 3.17 Adam for one morsell r Num. 12.10 Miriam for one slander Å¿ Deut. 32.52 Moses for one angry word t Iosh 7.24 25. Achan for one sacrilege u Esai 35.2 Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel x 2. ChroÌ„ 35.22 Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and y Act. 5.5 c. Ananias and Saphira for once lying to the Holy Ghost God is now as able as euer he was euen for one transgression to cut vs of but if he patiently forbeare vs till by three and foure transgressions by our many sinnes we grieue the Holy Spirit of that Sacred Maiestie shall we thinke as some impiously doe that God takes no notice of the sinnes which we commit or cares not for them Far let all such conceit be from any Christian heart Let vs rather confesse the truth that God by such his forbearance doth lead vs to repentance for as much as it is impossible that God should be and not see should see and not regard should regard and not punish should punish and not proportion his punishments to our sinnes I grant that the iustice of God goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slowly and in order but for the most part it recompenseth the slacknes of iudgement with the heauinesse thereof It keepes the rule full well to render for ripe sinnes ripe plagues for great sinnes great plagues for grieuous sins grieuous plagues The rule in the Scholes is thus deliuered Culpam poena sequitur euery sinne hath a due punishment attending it God is without exception iust and therefore Grauitas supplicij grauitatem peccati denotat grieuous punishments wheresoeuer God shall lay them doe argue grieuous sins of those places and persons Let no man then that groaneth vnder any crosse affliction or tribulation complaine of his hard hap or ill fortune all such visitations are from God and for our
I deliuer in this position The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value I neede not be long in the proofe of this truth you already giue your assent vnto it The word of God it s a Iewell then which nothing is more precious vnto which any thing else compared is but drosse by which any thing else tryed is found lighter then vanitie it s a trumpet wherby we are called from the slippery paths of sinne into the way of Godlinesse It s a lampe vnto our feete it s a light vnto our paths Psal 119.105 It s the g Matth. 4.4 Luk. 4.4 Ierem. 15.16 Ezech. 3.3 Revel 10.9 Ezech. 2.8 Wisd 16.26 foode of our soules by it our soules do liue Deut. 8.3 It s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seede Seede committed to the earth taketh roote groweth vp blossometh and beareth fruit So is it with the word of God If it be sowen in your hearts and there take roote it will grow vp blossome and beare fruit vnto eternall life In which respect S. Iames chap. 1.21 calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an engrafted word engrafted in your hearts able to saue your soules Sith the word of God is such doth it not follow of necessitie that the ministerie of it freely exercised in any Nation will be to that Nation a blessing of an inestimable value Can it be denyed The Prophet Esay chap. 52.7 with admiration auoucheth it How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the h Nahum 1.15 feete of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth saluation that saith vnto Zion Thy God reigneth S. Paul is so resolued vpon the certainty of this truth that Rom. 10.15 he resumeth the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Conferre we these two places one with the other that of Esay with this of Paul and we shall behold a heape of blessings showring downe vpon them to whom God sendeth the ministers of his Gospell for they bring with them the word of saluation the doctrine of peace the doctrine of good things and the doctrine of the kingdome Such is the Gospell of Christ First it is the word of saluation The Gospell of Christ is called the word of saluation first because it is the power of God vnto saluation as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God vnto saluation that is it is the instrument of the power of God or it is the powerfull instrument of God which he vseth to bring men vnto saluation And secondly because it teacheth vs concerning the author of our Saluation euen Christ Iesus An Angell of the Lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame and saith vnto him Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name i Luk 1.31 Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 He shall saue his people that is he shall be their Sauiour Iesus he is the Sauiour of his people merito efficacia by merit and by efficacie By merit because he hath by his death purchased for his people for all the elect the remission of their sinnes and the donation of the holy Spirit and life eternall And by efficacie because by the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the Gospell he worketh in the elect true faith by which they doe not onely lay hold on the merit of Christ in the promise of the Gospell but also they studie to serue God according to his holy commandements An Angell of the Lord relating the natiuitie of Christ vnto the Shepheards Luk 2.10 11. saith vnto them Feare not For I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people For vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Vnto you is borne a Sauiour where you haue what you are to beleeue of the Natiuitie of Christ He is borne a Sauiour vnto you Vnto you not onely to those shepheards to whom this Angell of the Lord speakes the words but vnto you Vnto you not only to Peter and Paul and some other of Christs Apostles and Disciples of old but vnto you vnto you vnto euery one of you in particular and vnto me When I heare the Angels words Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto you I apply them vnto my selfe and say Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me In this perswasion and confidence I rest and say with S. Paul Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me and that life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me Peter filled with the Holy Ghost seales this truth Act. 4.12 There is no Saluation in any other then in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth There is no other name vnder Heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Againe Act. 15.11 he professeth it We beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saued It must be our beleefe too if we will be saued We we in particular must beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus we shall be saued We shall be saued What 's that It is in S. Pauls phrase we shall be made aliue 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made aliue St Austine Ep. 157. which is to Optatus doth thus illustrate it Sicut in regno mortis nemo sine Adam ita in regno vitae nemo sine Christo As in the kingdome of death there is no man without Adam so in the kingdome of life there is no man without Christ as by Adam all men were made vnrighteous so by Christ are all men made righteous sicut per Adam omnes mortales in poenâ facti sunt filij seculi ita per Christum omnes immortales in gratiâ fiunt filij Dei As by Adam all men mortall in punishment were made the sonnes of this world so by Christ all men immortall in grace are made the sonnes of God Thus haue I prooued vnto you that the Gospell of Christ is the word of Saluation as well because it is the power of God vnto Saluation as also because it teacheth vs of the author of our Saluation Secondly it is the doctrine of Peace The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of peace because the ministers of the Gospell do publish and preach Peace This Peace which they publish and preach is threefold Betweene God and man Man and man Man and himselfe First they preach Peace
as the manner of men is to speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Athanasius Disput contra Ariam in Niceno concilio for our imbecillitie God thus speaketh he descends to our capacities and that men may in some measure know him he will bee knowne as man by passions or affections by complaining by repenting by grieuing by fainting By these he signifies not what he is indeed but what is needfull for vs to know of him For we well acquainted with the vse of these naturall passions in our selues may the better guesse at the knowledge of that God to whom we heare them ascribed by translation By translation not properly or as one well sayth per figuram non naturam by a figure not by nature or as the Schooles speake quoad effectum non quoad affectum in the effect not in the affection So Aquinas Par. 1a. qu. 21. art 3. C. But hauing intreated else where of this question Whether there be any affection or passion in God in my 17. Sermon vpon Hoseah chap. 10. I now say no more of it Onely I conclude it affirming with Gregorie Moral lib. 20. cap. 23. that God is Sine Zelo Zâ—lans sine irâ irascens sine dolore poenitentiâ poenitens sine misero corde misericors sine praevisionibus praesciâ—ns that God is zealous without zeale angry without anger grieuing without sorrow repenting without penitencie pitifull without pitie foreknowing without foresight There is no passion at all in God Thus haue you my answere to the question euen now propounded The question was How God may be sayd to complaine of our sinnes to be burdened with them or to be grieued at them sith in himselfe he hath all pleasure and content My answere is He cannot be said so to doe in a proper sense and vnderstanding because God is not obnoxious to any passion but improperly in a figure abusiuely metaphorically by an Anthropopathic and metonymically he may well be sayd so to doe he may well be sayd to complaine of our sinnes to be burdened with them and to be grieued at them So he complaineth against Israel here in my text I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Hitherto haue I stood vpon the first Interpretation of these words depending vpon the intransitiue or newtrall signification of the Hebrew verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am pressed The other Interpretation growing vpon the transitiue signification of the same verbe is put in the Margent of our newest English translation and thus it is I will presse your place as a Cart full of sheaues presseth It is the very reading of Tremellius and Iunius Ionathan doth not much varie from it nor R. Abraham and other Hebrew Doctors nor the wise men of Spaine as Pagnine hath obserued Our new expositors for the most part doe mention it Calvin and Danaeus Brentius and Winclelman Mercerus and Quadratus Christopherus à Castro and Petrus à Figuiero I will presse you In an old English Bible It may be Taverners translation I find this place thus Interpreted I will crashe you in sunder like as a wayne crasheth that is full of sheaues I will crash you or I will presse you the meaning is the same and thus I paraphrase it I the Lord Iehovah your Lord God will presse your place wheresoeuer it shall be But how Either as a cart full loaden with sheaues presseth the earth and whatsoeuer else it passeth ouer or as a cart full loaden presseth the sheaues in the threshing floare or as a cart full loaden with sheaues is it selfe pressed I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed By this second Interpretation of my text my text is Comminatorie The Lord threatneth to punish Israel for their sinnes to punish them non levi manu aut viribus languidis not with a light hand or languishing force sed magno nisu acrobore but with great endeuour and strength I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed God euer iust and immutable assigneth to like sinnes like punishments We for sinning come not short of the Israelites May we not then well expect their punishments Yes doubtlesse we may and this Commination may be aswell to vs as to them I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed From this Commination we may take this lesson God will neuer suffer sinne to escape altogether vnpunished He will not His commination of punishment giuen in Paradise to the transgressor of his law iâ— a proofe of this truth The Commination is Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt dye the death Adam transgressed the Law it was his sinne the punishment of it in him and his whole posteritie is death Hitherto belongeth that malediction Deut. 27.26 which is repeated 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 Now God is euer true in his sayings and he euer performeth what he saith If thou then faile in the performance gf any one Commandement of his Law or of any braunch thereof the Curse layeth hold on thee and obligeth thee to punishment In the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Rom. vers 32. we know it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of God his righteous and iust Law his Law of Nature that they which doe such things as are there rehearsed are worthie of death Art thou filled with vnrighteousnesse with fornication with wickednesse with couetousnesse with maliciousnesse Thou art worthie of death Art thou full of enuie of murther of debate of deceit of malignitie Thou art worthie of death Art thou a whisperer a backbiter a hater of God Thou art worthy of death Art thou despiteful or proud or a boaster or an inuentor of euil or disobedient to thy parents thou art worthy of death Art thou without vnderstanding or without naturall affection Art thou a couenant breaker or implacable or vnmercifull Thou art worthie of death It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of God his righteous and iust Law his Law of Nature that they which commit such things are worthie of death They are worthie of death and death must be their wages It must be so So true is my Doctrine God will neuer suffer sinne to escape altogether vnpunished For the further illustration of this truth I might produce the suffrages of the auncient of Austine and of Gregorie But hauing elsewhere done that in my 18. Sermon vpon the 10. of Hoseah I will not now againe doe it and what need I draw from the Riuers when I am full of the fountaine Yet may I not end without making some vse hereof My first vse shall be to reprooue such as teach otherwise as Socinus Osterodius Gittichius and other the enemies of Christs satisfaction They will thus argue if God will neuer
saith another by true faith by sincere affection by godly and deuout prayers Such are the feete such the paces of our hearts by which if we are contrite broken and sorrowfull in spirit for our sinnes already past and are carefull to preuent all occasion of sinne hereafter we draw nigh to God yea we haue accesse vnto him To haue accesse to God we are invited Psal 34.5 Accedite ad cum illuminamini facies vestrae non confundentur Let your accesse be to God and be lightned and your faces shall not be confounded And this accesse to God according to S. Austine vpon Psal 145.16 is to be animo non vehiculo affectibus non pedibus with the minde not with a chariot with our affections not with our feete So the same Father vpon the 59 Psalme Our accesse to God must be non gressu pedum non subvectione vehiculorum non celeritate animalium non elevatione pennarum not by running with our feete not by hurrying in a coach not by riding vpon the swiftest of horses not by mounting vp with feathered wings sed puritate affectuum probitate sanctorum morum but with puritie of affections and sanctitie of behauiour This our accesse vnto God is nothing else then our comming vnto God The invitation to come vnto him is generall Matth. 11.28 It is there made by our Lord Å¿ Rom. 1.3 7. Iesus Christ our t Matth. 1.21 Sauiour and u Galat. 3.13 Redeemer the x Revel 17.14 Lord of Lords and King of Kings the head of all principalitie and power the ioy and crowne of all Saints the assured trust and certaine y Colâ—ss 1.27 hope of all the faithfull and it s made vnto all Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauy laden and I will giue you rest Come Come vnto me Quibus gressibus ad semetipsam nos veritas vocat Christ the Truth calls vs but how shall we come vnto him Quibus gressibus by what steps or paces Gregorie frames the question Moral lib. 21. cap. 4. and there giues this answer Ad se quippe venire nos Dominus praecipit nimirùm non gressibus corporis sed profectibus cordis its true the Lord commands vs to come vnto him not with the motion of our bodies but with the proceedings of our hearts Thus I haue made plaine vnto you what it is Ad Deum fugere to flee to God It s nothing else then Deo appropinquare ad Deum accedere ad Deum venire to draw nigh to God to approch vnto him to come vnto him but whether we flee or draw nigh or approch or come vnto him the vnderstanding of all must be spirituall Our wings our charriots our coaches our feete wherewith we are to flie to draw nigh to approch to come to God are all spirituall And what are they They are contrition faith and obedience With these we approch we draw nigh we flie we come to God Vt miseri ad misericordiam vt nudi ad divitem vt famelici ad panem vt infirmi ad medicum vt serui ad dominum vt discipuli ad magistrum vt caeci ad lumen vt frigidi ad ignem as the wretched to the mercifull as the naked to the rich as the hunger-staruen to bread as the sicke to the Physition as the seruant to his Lord as the scholar to his Master as the blinde to the light as the cold to the fire so Hugo Cardinalis vpon the 4th of S. Iames. Now with these three Contrition Faith and Obedience the inseparable companions of true and vnfeigned Repentance let vs make haste to God and flie we with all speede from the wolfe to the shepheard from death to life from our sinnes to our Sauiour from the paths of Hell full of all darknesse and horror to the way of Heauen full of all true ioy and pleasure So will God draw nigh to vs Liberando ab angustijs gratiam dando de virtute ad virtutem promovendo saith the same Hugo he will free vs from distresse will giue vs of his grace and will promote vs from vertue to vertue Thus shall it be with vs if with the affection of the spouse in the Canticles we call vpon the Lord. Her affection is seene Chap. 1.4 Draw me saith she and we will runne after thee Say we with like affection Lord draw vs and we will runne after thee Draw vs and we will runne That we may begin zealously to runne after God we haue neede to be drawne and that with great force For vnlesse he draw vs we cannot z Joh. 6.44 come to him we cannot follow him But if he once draw Lo then we hasten then we runne then we wax hot Wherefore let the Lord draw vs let him pull vs out from the bondage of our sinnes let him deliuer vs from this wicked world let him powerfully incline our wills and affections towards him let him giue vs strength to cleaue vnto him and then we and all the faithfull will at once with speed and earnestnesse flie vnto him draw nigh vnto him haue our accesse vnto him and come vnto him Hitherto of the first branch of this fourteenth verse expressing the first of the seauen miseries here foretold to betide the Israelites that the flight should perish from the swift Now followeth the second and it concerneth their strong men And the strong shall not strengthen his force THE strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whom is strength strength not of minde but of bodie he shall not strengthen his force though he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very strong and Iustie yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not reteine his force so daunted shall he be in heart and his courage so abated that he shall not dare for his owne defence to vse the strength he hath He shall be as if he had no strength at all The lesson to be taken hence is When God meanes to punish a mans strength will not helpe him It will not For as it is in the song of Hannah the mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2.9 By strength shall no man preuaile No man against God For God is Almightie He remoueth the mountaines and they know not He ouercommeth them in his anger He shaketh the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble He commands the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth vp the Starres He alone spreadeth out the Heauens and treadeth vpon the waues of the Sea He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleâ—ades and the chambers of the South He doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number He is the Almightie Who euer hath hardned himselfe against him and hath prospered So deuout Iob chap. 9 4. It is as if he had thus briâ—fly argued God is Almighty and therefore there is no contending against him no withstanding him by any strength of man Here may the strong be admonished that they glory not in their strength
marke of a naughty a wicked a froward man to be the Author of contentions and strife Thirdly this kinde of sinner is a proud man For as it is Prou. 13.10 Onely by pride commeth contention Onely by pride The meaning is not that pride is the onely cause of contention but one of the chiefest So is that place by some expounded But well may it without glosse or exposition passe for a truth that onely by pride commeth contention if Saint Augustine in his booke de Nat. Grat. against the Pelagians bee not deceiued Out of the 26. Chapter of that booke I thus frame his argument Euery contempt of God is pride but euery sinne is a contempt of God Therefore euery sinne is pride according to that of Ecclesiasticus chap. 10.15 Initium omnis peccati est superâ—â—a The beginning of euery sinne is pride Now if euery sinne if the beginning of euery sinne be pride then certaine it is that contention variance strife debate and the like are all from pride Fourthly the sinner in this kinde is a foole For a foole he is taken Prou. 18.6 Where it is said Labia stulti miscent se rixis A fooles lips are euer brawling The words which a foole vttereth with his lips haue alwaies strife annexed vnto them as an inseparable companion Thus you see the account wherein the Spirit of God holdeth brawlers make-bates and sowers of discord in that it stileth them carnall and froward and proud and foolish It was the third way I propounded to finde out the foulnesse and leprosie of this sinne There is yet a fourth way and that is by the effects thereof as Busaeus the Iesuite in his Panary hath obserued One effect thereof is to increase our sinnes Well then doth Ecclesiasticus exhort vs to abstaine from strife His exhortation is Chap. 28.8 Abstaine from strife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou shalt diminish thy sinnes If by abstaining from strife we diminish our sinnes then surely by liuing in strife we increase our sinnes A second effect of strife he maketh to be the subuersion of the hearers according to that charge which Paul giueth to Timothy 2 Epist 2.14 Charge them before the Lord that they striue not about words to no profit but to the subuerting of the hearers A third effect is that it disturbeth the quietnesse euen of a wise man saith Salomon Prou. 29.9 A wise man if he contend with a foolish man there is no quietnesse for him A fourth effect is that it bringeth ruine destruction and desolation not onely to houses or families but to Cities also yea to Countries yea to Kingdomes This our Sauiour Christ sheweth by a prouerbiall saying Mat. 12.25 The saying is Euery Kingdom diuided against it selfe is brought to desolation and euery City or house diuided against it selfe shall not stand Such Beloued are the effects of this sinne of discord and may well discouer vnto you the foulnesse and leprosie of it For if it increase our sinnes if it be the subuersion of those that heare vs if it disturbe our quietnesse if it bring ruine destruction and desolation to all estates then surely it is a soule and a leprous sinne And thus haue I led you in foure seuerall pathes to finde out the foulnesse and leprosie of this sinne The first was by Gods detestation of it His soule abhorreth it The second was by the gates of Heauen fast shut against it They that sinne this sinne shall not inherit the Kingdome of God The third was by the titles giuen to those sinners they are carnall and froward and proud and foolish The fourth was by the effects which this sinne produceth it increaseth our faults it subuerteth our hearers it disturbeth our quietnesse it brings desolation vpon all vpon family vpon nation vpon Kingdome You now see the foulnesse you see the leprosie of this sin and will yeeld your assents to the truth of my propounded doctrine which was The man that liueth in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities out of which there is no escaping for him as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare Is it thus Beloued Must the man that liues in discord and variance fall into calamities out of which there is no escaping for him Must he Our best way then will be euer to beare about with vs that same Antidote or preseruatiue which Saint Ambrose hath prescribed Offic. lib. 1. cap. 21. Caueatur iracundia aut si pracaueri non potest cohibeatur Take heed of wrath beware of discord or if thou canst not before hand prouide against it keepe it short bridle it But first Caueatur Beware or take heed of it This is the counsell which Paul giueth in his first booke concerning the remedy of loue Principijs obsta serò medicina paratur Cum mala per longas inualuere moras Withstand beginnings thy medicines may come too late if thy disease be grown strong And this is the third remedy prescribed by Busaeus against this malady Resiste contentionum principijs Resist the beginnings of discord If thou bee to talke with any man keepe vnder the first motions of thy minde that they breake not forth into indignation and so thou giue the occasion of discord Discord is a Serpent This serpent like Goliah must bee smote dead in the a 1 Sam. 17.49 forehead he must be crushed in the head lest if he get in the head as he did into b 2 Cor. 11.3 Eue he bring in the whole body and when sinne is finished hee leaue from his taile the c 1 Cor. 15.55 sting of death in our soules Discord is a Cockatrice This Cockatrice must be crushed in the d Esay 59.5 Egge If we suffer it to be hatched and to grow a Basiliske it will be our poyson Discord is a Fox We must take this Fox e Cant. 2.15 this little Fox before he doe any hurt If we let him grow till he be great then like f Luk. 13.32 Herod the Fox he will become bloud-thirsty and rauenous or like Samsons g Iudg. 15.4 Foxes he will set all on fire Discord is as Leauen whereof it is said h 1 Cor. 5.6 Gal. 5.9 Paullulò fermenti tota massa fermentatur If we purge not out this little leauen it will sowre the whole lumpe Discord is i Num. 3.18 19 Aqua amaritudinis We must giue this water of bitternesse no passage k Eccles 25.25 no not a little lest like that in l Cap. 47.3 4 c. Ezechiel it grow from the anckles to the knees and from the knees to the loines and proue a riuer that cannot bee passed ouer without drowning Discord is Paruulus Babylonis Wee must betimes take this youngling of Babylon and m Psal 137.9 dash him against the stones lest after growth he should cry against vs downe with them downe with them euen vnto the ground Thus and thus are we to deale with this youngling
spared none of them no not their young children but cruelly destroyed them and all theirs But what was their reward You may see it by the propheticall denuntiation of the ruine of Babel Psal 137.8 9. O daughter of Babel worthy to be destroyed blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs blessed shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones This reward of Babel is enlarged Esay 13.16 Their children shall be broken in peeces before their eyes their houses shall be spoiled and their wiues rauished Thus not to trouble you with many examples we see by the reward of cruelty in the examples of Adonibezek Agag and the Babylonians that God abhorreth it God abhorreth cruelty howsoeuer he doth punish it with another cruelty God repaieth cruelty with cruelty according to the well knowne prouerbe Matth. 7.2 With what measure you mete with the same shall men measure to you againe The vse of the doctrine now confirmed is to work in vs the loue of clemency and mercifulnesse When we are well assured that the cruel themselues shall taste of cruelty by way of punishment we will be afraid to behaue our selues towards any cruelly All cruelty is checked by the law of God by the sixt commandement Thou shalt doe no murther or Thou shalt not kill The law that is written Deut. 25 3. touching forty stripes and not aboue to be giuen to an offender should draw our cruel rage and fierce affections to pity and compassion The tenour of the law is If a wicked man be condemned to be beaten the Iudge shall cause him to lie downe and to be beaten before his face according to his trespasse vnto a certaine number fortie stripes shall he cause him to haue and not past lest if he should exceed beat him aboue that with many stripes thy brother should appeare despised in thy fight We may be many waies guiltie of crueltie First if we exercise tyrannous cruelty in inflicting punishmēts This we know by the aboue cited place out of Deut. 25. Secondly if we fight with or beat our neighbour or maime his body This is a cruelty a breach of the sixt commandement but specially checkt Leuit. 24.19 20. If a man cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it be done to him Breach for breach eie for eie tooth for tooth such a blemish as he hath made in any euen such shall be repaied to him Thirdly if we procure any way the death of our neighbour whether it be by the sword by famine by poison by false accusation or otherwise This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt commandement The offender in this behalfe may bee rankt with Cain Gen. 4 8. where it is said Cain rose against his brother and slew him Fourthly if wee vse any of Gods creatures hardly This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt commandement but speciallie controlled Deut 22.6 If thou find a birds nest in the way in any tree or on the ground whether they be young or egs the damme sitting vpō the young or vpō the egs thou shalt not take the damme with the young but shalt in any wise let the dāme goe and take the young to thee that thou maiest prosper and prolong thy daies This speciall cruelty is taxed Prou. 12.10 where we are told That the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Fiftly if because of our neighbours infirmities we vse him discourteously and make him our laughing stock or taunting recreation This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt commandement but specially checked Leuit. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blinde Sixtly if we iniurie a stranger This is a cruelty and specially controlled Exod. 22.21 Thou shalt not doe iniury to a stranger neither oppresse him Seuenthly if we molest any widow or fatherlesse childe This is a cruelty and specially checkt Exod. 22.22 Ye shal not trouble any widow or fatherlesse child Eightly if we wrong the poore This is a cruelty a breach of the sixt commandement This cruelty we are guilty of many wayes First if we lend mony to the poore vpon vsury This cruelty is taxed Exod. 22.25 If thou lend mony to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an vsurer vnto him ye shall not oppresse him with vsury Secondly if we pay not the poore labourer his hire This cruelty is taxed Deut. 24.14 Thou shalt not oppresse a needy and poore hired seruant thou shalt giue him his hire for his day the Sun shall not go downe vpon it for he is poore and therwith sustaineth his life lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sin vnto thee Thirdly if we restore not the pledge of the poore This cruelty is taxed Exod. 22.26 If thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sun go downe For it is his only couering and garment for his skin Fourthly if we withdraw our corne from the poore This cruelty is taxed Prou. 11.26 He that withdraweth corne the people will curse him Whosoeuer he be that withdraweth his corne from the market where it should be sold keeping it against a deare time the people will curse him they will speake as they haue iust occasion all manner of euill of him as that he is a couetous and miserable wretch Now dearely beloued you haue beene taught out of the eternall word of truth that many wayes you may be guilty of cruelty and so breake the sixt commandement of Almightie God If you fight with or beat your neighbour or maime his body if by any meanes you procure the death of your neighbour if you vse your neighbour discourteously or make him your laughing stock or taūting recreatiō if you vse any of Gods creatures hardly if you iniury strangers if you molest fatherlesse children widowes if you be too seuere in punishing your seruants or children if you wrong the poore either by lending him your mony vpon vsury or by not paying him his hire or by not restoring him his pledge or by withdrawing your corne from him if you offend but in the least of these you are guilty of cruelty and transgressors of Gods most holy commandement The consideration whereof if it worke in you the loue of clemencie and mercifulnesse happy are you if not I haue discharged my duty Thus farre haue I beene carried by my first doctrine grounded vpon these words They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron My doctrine was God is neuer well pleased with too much cruelty Now be patient I beseech you while vpon the same words I ground a second doctrine They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron They that is the Syrians Gods enemies haue threshed Gilead that is some of the Israelites Gods owne people with threshing instruments of iron The lesson we learne from hence is God often humbleth his
acknowledgeth It is expresly deliuered 1 Chron. 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressions they were carried away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy Commandements Captiuitie is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places seruing to this point my Text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three transgressions and for foure for their many sinnes for their sinne of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of Iron were to goe into Captiuity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a Land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuitie Into Captiuitie Into what kinde of captiuitie For there is a spirituall captiuitie and a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the minde and a captiuitie of the body Both are very grieuous but the first more The first which I call the spirituall captiuity and a captiuitie of the minde is a captiuity vnder the Deuill vnder the power of Hell vnder death vnder sin vnder the eternall malediction or curse of the Law propounded to euery one that doth not in all points and absolutely obey the Law This Captiuity is a heauie yoake to all mankinde considered without Christ Euery one male and female that hath no part in Christ euery vnbeleeuing and reprobate person is in this construction euen to this day a captiue And such also were we by the corruption of our nature vpon our first Father Adams default but now are we by the sacrifice of the immaculate Lambe the Lord Iesus ransomed and freed For to this purpose was he sent into the world as it is euident Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.18 In both places hee professeth himselfe to bee sent into the world for this end euen to publish liberty and freedome to captiues and the imprisoned which his office he hath graciously performed By his Word of grace he hath so freed our consciences formerly oppressed with and captiue vnder sin that now there is no condemnation to vs to vs I say who are in Christ and doe walke after the spirit as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 8.1 This is it which our Sauiour foretold the Iewes Iohn 8.36 If the Sonne shall make you free you shall be free indeed Be it repeated againe to our eternall comforts If the Sonne shall make vs free we shall be free indeed But he hath made vs free for therefore was he sent to publish libertie and freedome to captiues he hath paid our ransome his innocent and most precious bloud by it are we throughly washed and cleansed from our sinnes Now there is no condemnation to vs. Thus freed from our spirituall captiuity bondage and slauery vnder Hell death and sin let vs with boldnesse looking vp to the throne of Grace whereon sitteth the Author and Finisher of our faith say with the blessed Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Captiuity in my text is of the other kind a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the body which vsually is accompanied with two great miseries pointed at Psal 107.10 The first they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death the second they are bound in anguish and Iron First they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death that is they are put into deep dungeons void of light whereby they are as it were at deaths doore Secondly they are bound in anguish and iron that is day and night they are loaden with fetters gyues or shackles of iron so loaden that they finde no rest vnto their bones Thus must it be with them who by sinfull liuing prouoke the Lord to high displeasure Thus is my doctrine confirmed For the sin of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuity Is it true beloued Doth God oftentimes for the sin of a land send away the inhabitants into captiuity Let vs make this Christian vse of it euen to powre out our selues in thankfulnesse before Almighty God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. The sins of such Nations as haue beene punished with captiuity were they more grieuous in Gods eyes than ours are It is not be imagined Our sins are as crimson-like and as scarlet-like as euer were theirs the sins of our land crying sins Atheisme Irreligion Oppression Extortion Couetousnesse Vsury Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Drunkennesse and many like abominations of the old man in vs all our works of darknes they haue made head together and haue impudently and shamelesly pressed into the presence of Almighty God to vrge him to powre forth the vials of his wrath and indignation vpon vs. Yet our God good gracious mercifull long suffering and of great kindnes withholdeth and stayeth his reuengefull hand from laying vpon vs his great punishment of Captiuity and suffereth vs to possesse our habitations in peace and to eat the good things of the earth O let vs therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and declare before the sonnes of men the good things that he hath done for vs. Here dearely beloued let vs not presume vpon God his patience to lead our liues as we list We cannot but see that God is highly offended with vs already though yet he be not pleased to execute his sorest iudgements vpon vs. Gods high displeasure against vs appeareth in those many visitations by which he hath come neere vnto vs within our memories I may not stand to amplifie the Spanish sword shaken ouer vs and the great famine brought vpon vs in our late Queenes daies Our now gracious Soueraigne hath not long sate at the sterne of this kingdome But few yeares are passed and yet those few haue afforded manifest tokens of Gods sore displeasure at vs. Haue not many thousands of our brethren haply not so grieuous sinners as we beene taken away by the destroying Angell and yet the plague is not ceased Vnlesse we repent and amend our liues we may likewise perish Haue not many of our brethren too many if it might haue seemed otherwise to Almighty God haue they not partly perished themselues partly lost their cattell and substance in n An. Dom. 1607 this yeeres waters such waters as our fore-fathers haue scarcely obserued the like If we will not wash our selues from our euill doings we see God is able to wash vs extraordinarily The vnseasonable weather giuen vs from Heauen to the rotting of our sheepe is but Gods warning to vs of a greater misery to befall vs vnlesse we will returne from our euill waies Wherefore beloued let vs with one heart and mind resolue for hereafter to cast away all workes of darknesse and to put on the armour of light take we no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Walke we from henceforth honestly as in the day
dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God! incorporeall inuisible spirituall passing all measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It s very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seat a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the euerliuing God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hâ—nds are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in euery place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It s noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare diuers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vâ—â— God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things 〈◊〉 Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all liuing things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to bee auenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being may easily be proued In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for euill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It is made plaine out of Neh. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof may be proued as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the Lord was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the Lord was hot against them he deliuered them into the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to the enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon them 1 Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was heauy vpon them * Psal 78.64 â—â— The Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a Giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and fauour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shepherd shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recouer with my hand and preserue them for euer I will gather them together I will comfort them I will defend them rursus ad pastorem praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepherd and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it s otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for euill This is auerred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephany chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall be rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries euen desolation and astonishment a hissing and a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall finde in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1 Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a Princes seat able at one time to giue entertainment to fiue Princes Against both city and dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I wi l turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to flie vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecy any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets Dauid and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my Doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoeuer afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I call whatsoeuer is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed
and by Gualter Non conuertam eum I will not turne the Ammonite that is I will not recall the children of Ammon to the right way they shall runne on to their owne perdition By Caluin Non ero ei propitius I will not be fauourable to the Ammonites By Mercer Non parcam et I will not spare the Ammonites According to their deserts so shall it be vnto them By Iunius Non auertam istud I will not turne away the punishment wherewith I haue resolued to punish them I am the Lord I am not changed The summe is if the Ammonites had offended but once or a second time I would haue beene fauourable to them and would haue recald them into the right way that so they might be conuerted and escâ—pe my punishments but now whereas they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgrâ—ssion and make no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to be conuerted but indurate obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it Here are you to bee remembred of a doctrine sundry times heretofore commended to your Christian considerations Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners God is of pure eies and beholdeth not iniquity Hee hath laid righteousnesse to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontrolable euen as long as the Sun and Moone Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doeth euill The soule that sinneth it shall be punished God makes it good by an oath Deut. 3.2.41 That he will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sin His soule hateth and abhorreth sin his law curseth and condemneth sin his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin Sinne was his motiue to cast downe Angels into Hell to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne cities into ashes to ruinate nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne hee drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sinnes plucke c. One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in all our wayes that we doe not by our many sinnes prouoke Almighty God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare these children of Ammon till by three and foure transgressions by their many sins they prouoked him to indignation These things I haue heretofore laboured to lay vnto your hearts Now therefore I proceed to the third part of this Prophecie wherein you haue the declaration of that grieuous sinne by which the children of Ammon so highly offended This their sinne was the sinne of cruelty expressed in these words Because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead and amplified by the end of so foule a fact That they might enlarge their border They haue ript vp women with childe of Gilead that c. Women with childe the word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is i Pagnin in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercer Caluin rendred by some mountaines by some cities fortified and high as mountaines as if the meaning were either that the Ammonites had made for themselues a passage into the territories of the Gileadites through the mountaines that lay betweene them a thing not impossible for we read of Annibal that k Liuius lib. 21. he with fire and vinegar made way through a great rocke vpon the Alpes for his army and carriage or that the Ammonites had vanquished and subdued the fortified cities of the Gileadâ—â—â— to the enlarging of their borders But I retaine our English translation women with childe as very agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They haue ript vp women with childe Immane facinus surely this was an outragious cruelty yet such as hath its parallel we read of the like in 2 King 8.12 Elizaus telling Hazael King of Syria of the euill that he should doe the children of Israel saith Their young men thou shalt slay with the sword and shalt dash their infants against the stones and rent in peeces their women with childe The like cruelty did Menahem King of Israel exercise against the inhabitants of the citie Tiphsah her borderers euen vnto Thirtzâ— as appeareth 2 King 15.16 He ript vp all their women with childe Hoseah also chap. 14.1 thus prophesieth against Samaria Samaria shall be desolate for she hath rebelled against her God they shall fall by the sword their infants shall be dashed in peeces and their women with child shall be ript You see dearely beloued that this outragious cruelty of ripping vp women with childe mentioned in my text was not altogether vnusuall The women vpon whom this cruelty was practised are here said to haue beene of Gilead Of this land of Gilead I haue heretofore largely spoken in my seuenth Lecture vpon this prophecie occasioned by the 3. ver of this chapter where it is obiected to the Syrians of Damascus that they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron Then I shewed that the land of Gilead was possessed by the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh Num. 32.33 Whereby it is plaine that the Gileadites were Israelites Here then these women with whom the Ammonites dealt so barbarously as to rip them vp when they were great with childe were of Iacobs posterity they were Jsraelites the lot and portion of Gods owne inheritance For so prodigious a cruelty we see Almighty God is here resolued to be auenged on the children of Ammon The doctrine arising hence is this Cruelty is a sinne very hatefull vnto God This doctrine I haue heretofore out of this place confirmed vnto you it is also plainly grounded vpon my text and therefore I passe it ouer The vse of it is to worke in vs the loue of clemency and mercifulnesse You may be many waies guilty of cruelty If you fight with or beat your neighbour or maime his body Leuit. 24.19 20. If by any meanes you procure the death of your neighbour Gen. 4.8 If you vse your neighbour discourteously or make him your laughing stocke or taunting recreation Leuit. 19.14 If you vse any of Gods creatures hardly Deut. 22.6 If you doe wrong to strangers Exod. 22.21 If you molest fatherlesse children and widowes Exod. 22.22 If you be too seuere in punishing your seruants or children Deut. 25.3 If you wrong the poore either by lending him your money vpon Vsury Exod. 22.25 or by not paying him his hire Deut. 24.14 or by not restoring his pledge Exod. 22.26 or by withdrawing your corne from him Pro. 11.26 If you offend but in the least of these your are guilty of cruelty and doe transgresse Gods holy commandements
corporall death there is a spirituall death and there is an eternall death Which of these deaths were the Moabites to dye The letter of my text is for the corporall death This corporall death is a separation of the soule from the bodie it is called corporall in respect of the spirituall it is also called a temporarie death in respect of the eternall This death corporall or temporarie is twofold either naturall or accidentall if accidentall it is subdiuided into a violent or a voluntarie death and is common as well to the godly as to the wicked inflicted vpon them by Gods iust iudgment for the sinne of Adam This is the wages of sin and this is the way of all sinfull flesh All must once dye We may a long time wrastle with the dangers of this world both by Land and Sea thousands may fall on our right hand and ten thousands on our left while we stande we may haue so good store of friends that we may well say with the Shunamite 2. King 4.13 I neede no speaking for me either to the King or to the Captaine of the Hoste I dwell among mine owne people where I can command we may walke in the light of the sunne that is our prosperitie may be waxen so great that we want nothing we may haue sailes and oares at pleasure as Antiochus seemed to haue who thought in his pride to make men saile vpon the dry land and to walke vpon the Sea 2. Mac. 5.21 we may thinke our selues to be in league with death and in couenant with the graue and so promise to our selues many a prosperous and pleasant day as many as are the sands of the Ocean yet a time shall come when all these things shall proue but vanitie and Moab shall dye All must once dye A great d Dr. King B. of London Lect. 20 vpon Ionas pag. 264. Prelate of this Land for this point hath well fitted this comparison As one that shooteth at a marke sometimes is gone and sometimes is short sometimes lighteth on the right hand sometimes on the left at length hitteth the marke so Death shootes at Noble men beyond vs at meane men short of vs at our friends on the right hand at our enemies on the left at length hitteth our selues The longer her hand is in practise the more certainely she striketh Looke into the fift of Genesis there shall you finde that Death was ayming at e vers 11. Enosh 905. yeares and at last smote him at f vers 14. Kenan 910. yeares at g vers 5. Adam 930. yeares at h vers 20. Iered 962. yeares at i vers 27. Methushelah 969. yeares but in the end ouerthrew them all Now shee strikes sooner within the compasse of fewer yeares within 60. yeares or 70. she seldome stayes 80. yeares And sometimes shee strikes vs in our youthfull dayes yea in the day of our natiuitie All must once dye Moab shall dye All must once dye Death It is of all miseries the last and the most terrible A holy k Apud Lud. Granatensem Exercit de Orat. Medit. Father hath made against it this exclamation O Death how bitter is the remembance of thee How quickly and suddainely stealest thou vpon vs How secret are thy paths and wayes How doubtfull is thy houre How vniuersall is thy signiorie and deminion The mighty cannot escape thee the wise cannot hide themselues from thee the strong loose their strength before thee the rich with their money shall not corrupt thee Thou art the hammer that alwayes striketh Thou art the sword that neuer blunteth thou art the snare wherein all must be taken thou art the prison wherein all must lye thou art the Sea wherein all must perish thou art the paine that all must suffer thou art the tribute that all must pay In a word thou art such a one as Almighty God washeth his hands of thee and cleareth himselfe in plaine words by the mouth of the Wiseman saying Wisd 1.13 that he neuer made thee Surely thou hast thine entry into the world by the very enuie and craft of the Deuill This exclamation against Death is very iust in some sense for Death may be considered in a double respect one way as it is in its owne nature another way as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in its owne nature is a punishment of sin a plague a curse or fore-runner of condemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe and in this respect the forecited exclamation hath due place But on the other side death being changed and qualified by Christ his death it is no more such it is no more a punishment of sinne it is no more a plague it is no more a curse For it is become a blessing it brings an end to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance from all dangers it is made vnto vs a passage a way an entrance into euerlasting life it is like a portall or litle gate by which we passe from out this litle prison of our bodies into the kingdome of Heauen The graue meane while is but a resting chamber sweetly perfumed by the Death of Christ for our bodies from whence at the sound of the last trumpet our bodies shall awake and rise and be receiued into the paradise of heauen to enioy the most comfortable presence of Almighty God there If death now changed and qualified by Christ his death be a blessing if it be but a passage from this wretched life to that happiest estate in heauen why should death be feared This is a Case of Conscience and may be resolued There are two sorts of men in the world the one of them who liue in their sinnes and dye without repentance the other of them who with vnfeigned repentance and faith in Christ doe leaue this world The first haue great reason to feare Death Death being vnto them the very gate and introduction into the Hell of the damned of whom we may well say as Christ said of Iudas Math. 26.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had bin good for them had they neuer bin borne The second haue no reason to feare Death Death being vnto them as the gate of Heauen To such Optimum est nasci its best that they are borne and the next best for them is mature mori to dye in a good houre Their birth is to them a preparation to eternall happinesse whereof their Death giues them full possession The consideration whereof made King Salomon the wisest of Kings or men praferre diem mortis diei ortûs it made him preferre the day of death before the day of birth his words are Eccles. 7.3 Better is the day of death then the day that one is borne Hence is it that most righteous Iob chap. 17.14 calls Corruption his father for as chilren haue fathers for their comfort so had Iob death and rottennesse
with it let him be warie for the time to come that he fall so no more This sinne it is morbus regius as i Dist. salutis â— Bonaventure calls it It s a costly sinne Costly indeed For he that draweth his patrimonie through his throat eating and drinking more in a day then he is able to earne in a whole weeke his end must needs be beggery according to that of the wise man Prov. 23.21 The duunkard and the glutton shall come to pouertie You haue heard of many other inconveniences that doe accompanie this sinne They may moue the meere naturall man the man whose Heauen is here on earth to take good heed that this sinne haue no dominion ouer him Much more should the true Christian he who hath his Heauen aboue withstand the rage and furie of this sinne It is a worke of the flesh So it s called Galat. 5.21 and there the Apostle hath past his doome vpon it They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Parallel to which is that of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 6.9 Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceiued no drunkard shall inherit the kingdome of God I shut vp this point with a word of exhortation I borrow it from Luk. 21.34 The words are the words of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to his Disciples Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts be ouer-charged with surfetting and drunkennesse and so the last day come vpon you vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the sonne of man Thus farre of the first generall part the action of these Israelites their drinking of wine Now in the second place we are to consider whose wine it was It was not their owne it was vinum damnatorum the wine of the condemned They drinke the wine of the condemned By this wine of the condemned some vnderstand the wine that was of custome giuen to condemned persons to refresh and comfort them when they were to suffer execution for their offences Of this custome a certaine Hebrew in a booke of his entituled k See Nichol. de Lyra in Math. 27.34 Liber iudicum ordinariorum maketh mention after this manner It is the aduise of Lemuel the King Prov. 31.6 Giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish and wine vnto those that be of heauy heart Let him drinke and forget his pouertie and remember his miserie no more Vpon occasion of these words the Seniours of the Iewes made this constitution vt condemnatis ad mortem daretur vinum aromaticum ad bibenduÌ„ vt faciliùs tolerarent passionem that sweet and odoriferous wine should be prouided for such as were condemned to death which they might drinke and so the more easily endure their suffering This constitution was put in practise by the Iewes At the time of Christs suffering there were in Ierusalem certaine devout Matrons full of compassion who did out of their devotion bestow this wine This wine so prouided for Christ and those that suffered with him some cruell Iewes tooke vnto themselues according to these words of Amos They drinke the wine of the condemned This wine they tooke vnto themselues and in the place thereof they did put vinegar mixt with gall as S. Matthew saith chap. 27.34 If vinegar mixt with gall might serue Christs turne so it was the Iewes would haue the wine They would drinke the wine of the condemned This custome of giuing wine to such as were condemned to dye you see was very ancient The learned l Musâ—ulus Aretius Hunnius Muthesius expositors of the Gospell in their Commentaries vpon the 27. of S. Matthew doe generally remember it Lucas Brugensis very precisely Moris erat qui hodie apud nos in vsu est It was a custome and is this day in vse with vs that to malefactors brought to the place of execution wine should be giuen them and that of the best partly to refresh their thirstie and wearied bodies and partly to exhilarate and cheare vp their hearts that they might the lesse thinke of death and with more ease endure it If to this custome our Prophet here alludeth then are the Israelites here reproued for their cruelty for taking to themselues to their owne priuate vse what was of custome belonging to poore condemned prisoners But I take it more agreable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place if we vnderstand by the wine of the condemned wine bought with the money of such as the Iudges of Israel had in their vnrighteous iudgements put to the worse This wine the Septuagint doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum de calumnijs wine gotten by deceitfull dealing by malitious surmises by false accusations The Chaldee Paraphrast tearmes it vinum rapinae the wine of oppression of pillage of robberie Luther stiles it vinum mulctatorum and Castalio vinum mulctatitiuÌ„ wine issuing from mulctes from fines In our now English translation it is the wine of the condemned cast your eye but to the margent and you will finde it to bee the wine of such as were fined or mulcted Here then by the wine of the condemned we are to vnderstand that the Iudges of Israel laid vpon the poore men vniust penalties by which they might be prouided of wine and other delicates and so spend their dayes in iollity You see now what sinne it is whereat this second generall part doth aime It is an oppressing sinne the sinne of oppression when Iudges rulers of states and men in autoritie make hauocke of the poore Of this sinne I spake at large in my Ninth Lecture vpon this second chapter of Amos at what time I deliuered this doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against their oppressors The lesse neede haue I now to spend my time vpon it Yet a word of it My now-doctrine I deliuer in this positioÌ„ It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another Oppression I call euery iniustice vsed of the mightier either by violence or by colour of law or by any other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstand them This description of oppression I gather from Levit. 25.14 from Micah 2.1 2. and from 1. Thess 4.6 In ech place the vnlawfulnesse of oppression is manifested The first place is Levit. 25.14 The commandement there is If thou sell ought vnto thy neighbour or buyest ought of thy neighbors hand yee shall not oppresse one another Whether you sell or buy you may not oppresse the very forbidding of oppression is a sufficient argument that oppression is vnlawfull The second place is Micah 2.1 2. Woe to them that deuise iniquitie and worke euill vpon their beds when the morning is
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
vpon vs. All and euery of these true Christians will patiently vndergoe For they with their sharp-sighted eie of faith doe clearely see the Hand of God in euery of their molestations and in great contentment they take vp the words of patient Iob Chap. 2.10 Shall wee receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Here let euery afflicted soule examine it selfe how it is affected with the affliction vnder which it groaneth If you esteeme of your afflictions as of God his fatherly chastisements and so endure them blessed are ye Of this blessednesse Saint Iames Chap. 1.12 doth assure you Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Againe is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A second vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that we labour aboue all things to obtaine Gods fauour and to abide in it so shall we be safe from the feare of euill Now for the obtaining of Gods fauour we must doe foure things We must 1. Humble our selues before God 2. Beleeue in Christ 3. Repent of our sinnes 4. Performe new obedience vnto God The time will not suffer me to enlarge these points Humiliation faith in Christ repentance and a new life these foure will be vnto you as Iacobs ladder was vnto the Angels Of that ladder you may reade Gen. 28.12 that it stood vpon the earth the top of it did reach to heauen and the Angells of God went vp it So may you by these foure Humiliation Faith Repentance and Newnesse of life as it were by so many steps and rounds of a ladder climbe vp to heauen Here you haue no continuing Citie you are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth your countrey is aboue the Celestiall Ierusalem there let your hearts be As for the afflictions vexations tribulation miseries and crosses wherewith this mortall life of yours is seasoned let them be your ioy They are sure pledges of Gods loue vnto you Euen so saith the Spirit Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth Thirdly is it true Is there no safe being in citie or countrie from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A third vse of this doctrine is for the terrour of such as lie wallowing in the filthinesse of their sins Many there are wicked wretches who if God shall for a time deferre the punishments due vnto their sinnes are ready to thinke that God takes no notice of their sinnes These say in their heart there is no God Against these is made that challenge Psal 50.21 I hold my tongue and thâ—u thoughtest me like thy selfe I the Lord who see the secrets of all hearts I hold my tongue I did not by my iudgements punish thee for the wickednesse of thy steps I hold my tongue and thou thoughtest me like thy selfe thou thoughtest I tooke pleasure in wickednesse as thou doest but thou shalt finde and feele the contrary Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies and long suffering of God thereby they grow worse and worse obdurate and hardned in their sinnes Yet let them be aduised for they day will come and it comes apace wherein they shall feele the heauinesse of that hand which here was turned against Ekron I will turne my hand to Ekron It followeth And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish The Philistines had their beginning from Casluchim a grand-childe of Chane the accursed issue of Noah as appeareth Gen. 10.14 They were seated in a part of the Land of Canaan the west part that which bordereth vpon the great Sea the Sea commonly called the Mediterranean Their Country was called by Ptolemee and others Palaestina and by the Greeks Phoenicia It was a part of that countrey which once was called Terra promissionis the Land of promise but now Terra Sancta the Holy Land The inhabitants in our Prophets time were professed enemies to Almighty God and his beloued Israel They thought themselues safe from ruine through the strength of their fiue Dukedomes Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon Gath and Ekron But vaine and foolish are the thoughts which possesse the wicked When the God of all truth shall giue his word for a matter shal man presume to doubt of the euent Here God sets his word vpon it that there shall be an vtter ouerthrow not onely of Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon and Ekron but of Gath also and all the villages belonging thereunto for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God Ait Dominus Iehouth saith the Lord God This is the conclusion of this prophecie and it redoubleth its authoritie and credit Authoritie and credit sufficient it hath from its very front verse 6. Thus saith the Lord it is here redoubled saith the Lord God Saith the Lord God hath the Lord God said it and r 〈◊〉 23 19. shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouâ—h the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lye not as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea and Amen Å¿ Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Dominus Iehouth the Lord hath said it that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish Out of doubt then must it come to passe And so is it The first blow which the Philistines receiued towards their ouerthrow after this prophecie was giuen them aboue three-score yeares after by Ezechius that good King of Iudah of whom the Prophet Esay Chap. 14.29 foretelleth the Philistines that he should be vnto them as a Cockatrice and a fiery â—â—ring Serpent This Ezechius smote the Philistines vnto Azzah and the coasts thereof from the watch-tower vnto the defensed Citie This is plaine 2 King 18.8 A second blow was giuen by Tartan one of the Captaines of Sennacherib or Sargon King of Assyria who came vp against Ashdod and tooke it This is plaine Esay 20.1 A third blow was giuen them by Pharaoh Neco and hee smote Azzah Ashkelon and other places This is it which the Prophet Ieremy saith Chap. 47.5 Baldnesse is come vpon Azzah Ashkelon is cut vp with the rest of their valleys In a word God hath from time to time raised vp his men of war in due time to extirpate and raze out the Philistines from the face of the earth that according to the tenour of this Prophecy there might be no remnant of them The remnant of the Philistines shall perish Here may we obserue a difference in Gods punishments he punisheth the reprobate and he punisheth his elect but differently the reprobate to their vtter excision and extirpation not so the elect For of them there is vpon the
punishment or affliction But why euill Surely euery reuengement euery paine euery punishment euery affliction that befalleth vs in this life is good It is good First because it is laid vpon vs by God who is of himselfe and absolutely good Secondly because it is iust and whatsoeuer is iust must needs be good Thirdly because it hath a good end the glory of God and the saluation of the elect For these reasons it cannot be denied but that euery reuengement paine punishment and affliction is good Why then is it in my Text and elsewhere called euill I answer according to my second distinction Reuengements paines punishments and afflictions are called euils not because they are euills indeed and of their owne nature but only in regard of our sense estimation and apprehension The very torments of Hell eternall fire and outer darknesse are not indeed and of their nature euill Mala sunt his qui incidunt in ea saith Irenaeus aduersus haereses lib. 4. cap. 77. they are euill to such as fall into them but Bona ex justitia Dei good they are as they are from Gods iustice What Irenaeus saith concerning Hell-torments the same is true of the aduersities the crosses the scourges the afflictions that befall men in this life Euils they are called and God is said to doe them But how euils Saint Hierome lib. 4. Com. in Ierem. will tell vs how they are called euills non quòd per se mala sint not because they are of themselues euill sed quod patientibus mala esse videantur but because they seeme euill to vs who suffer them With these two Irenaeus and Saint Ierome doe agree c Contr. Adâ—mantum Manich cap. 27. contr Epist Manich c. 38. lib. 1. contr aduers legis Prophet c. 23. Saint Augustine d Serm. 16. in Psal 118. Saint Ambrose e Lib. 3. Moral cap. 7. Gregory the Great f Lib. 1. in Gen. cap. 7. Eucherius Bishop of Lions g Cap. 4. de Diuinis nominibus Dionysius the Areopagite h Lib. 1. 10. Recognit Clemens the Romane i In Dialogo lib. de Monarchia Iustin Martyr k Homil. Quod Deus non sit autor malorum Great Basil and l Lib. 4. in Esaiam cap. 45. Cyril of Alexandria euen all the ancient and Orthodoxall Fathers All these with one consent doe teach that the aduersities the crosses the scourges the afflictions which befall men in this life though in the Scripture they are called Mala Euils yet indeed they are not Mala they are not euils suá naturâ simply of their owne nature but only are mala nobis euill in respect of vs euill in regard of our sense estimation and apprehension And such is the euill in my Text improperly euill but indeed good good in its owne nature but euill only as wee call euill whatsoeuer liketh vs not or is not for our ease I haue long stood vpon the second circumstance the Quid the Action which was a doing of euill I must be the shorter in the third the Vbi the place where this Action is performed In my Text its called a City Shall there be euill in a City In a Citie In ciuitatibus in Cities So Nicolaus de Lyrâ expoundeth it In ciuitate aliquâ in any City So Mercerus In habitatoribus ciuitatis among the inhabitants of a City So Petrus à Figueiro In populi communitate among the people of the world So Albertus Magnus I haue expounded it In ciuitate huius mundi in the City of this world This vniuerse and admirable frame of nature wherein Iehouah the Lord our God the m 1 Tim. 6.15 King of Kings n Psal 97.1 Psal 99. reigneth consisteth of two Cities the one is o Augustin Retract lib. 2. c. 43. Ciuitas Dei the City of God the other is p Idem de Temp. Serm. 106. Ciuitas hujus mundi the City of this world The one is q Idem de Ciuitate Dei lib. 14. cap. 28. celestiall the other is terrene The one is of r Idem de Catech Rud. lib. 1. cap. 19. Saints the other is of the wicked The one is Å¿ Idem in Psal 61. Ierusalem the other is Babylon In the first that most glorious City the City of God and his Saints the celestiall Ierusalem all teares are wiped away from the eyes of the inhabitants there they neither weepe nor lament there is neither death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine there is no euill there no not the euill of affliction So saith the Spirit Reuel 21.4 And therefore that City cannot be the City in my Text. In the other City the City of this world the terrene City the City of the wicked Babylon great Babylon the City of confusion there is no sure repose for the godly there There may they become a reproach to their t Psal 44.13 Psal 79.4 neighbours there may they bee a scorne and derision to them that are round about them They may bee a by-word u Psal 44.14 among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people There they may x Hebr. 11.37 be tempted they may bee stoned they may bee slaine with the sword they may bee sawne asunder There may they daily y Psal 88.9 mourne by reason of affliction For euen the godly who are z August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 1. by grace Ciues sursum Citizens aboue Citizens of the supernall and celestiall City of God they are also by grace peregrini deorsum pilgrims or strangers here below in this terrene City the City of this world Here they must bee cut 1 Pet. 2.5 hewne and squared with sundry tribulations sicknesses and diseases before they can be made fit and as liuely stones for the Heauenly Ierusalem And this is the City in my Text my third circumstance the Vbi the circumstance of the place where the Agent Iehouah performeth his Action a doing of euill Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Thus is my Text for the vnderstanding thereof made easie as thus Shall there be euill any euill of reuengement paine punishment or affliction In a City in the terrene City in the City of this world Shall there bee any such euill any where and the Lord hath not done it or as the Marginall reading is Shall not the Lord doe somewhat The point of obseruation is There is no affliction any where in the world but it s from the Lord and either he doth it or doth somewhat in it By affliction in this my Thesis I vnderstand the suffering of any thing the sense or cogitation whereof our nature shunneth Whatsoeuer is any way grieuous or offensiue to our humane nature I call affliction The temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body a froward husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but