vs e Vers 28. turne away from all the transgressions that we haue committed so shall we surely liue we shall not die And this we will the sooner endeuour to doe if we imprint in our hearts my propounded doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Thus much of the first vse which was to lesson vs to looke heedfully to our feet that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with them in their sinnes I proceed Is it true Is it proper to God to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the second place we are admonished not to intermeddle in the Lords office It is his office to execute vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues If a brother a neighbour or a stranger hath done vs any wrong we must forgiue him and must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth We must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth and forgiue our enemies What Forgiue our enemies How can flesh and bloud endure it Well it should be endured and many reasons there are to induce vs to so Christian an office The first is The forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes Whereof thus saith our Sauiour Luk. 6.37 Forgiue and you shall be forgiuen f Pet. de Palu serm aestiu en nr in Dom. 22. Trin. Ideo libenter debemus dimittere paruum vt Deus dimittat nobis magnum we ought willingly to forgiue vnto our neighbour a small matter that God may forgiue vs our great offences Looke what grace and indulgence we shew vnto our neighbours the like will God shew vnto vs. What else is said Luk. 6.38 With what measure you mete with the same shall it be measured to you againe Whereof I cannot giue a plainer exposition than in our Sauiours words Matth. 6.14 15. If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your Father forgiue you your trespasses A second reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that when we make our prayers vnto God we our selues may be heard For God heareth not the prayers of such as doe abide in rancour and will not forgiue their enemies It is well said of an g Augustin Ancient Qui non vult dimittere fratri suo non speret orationis effectum Whosoeuer he be that will not forgiue his brother let him not hope for any good successe in his prayer h Ambros Another saith Si iniuriam non dimittis quae tibi facta est orationem pro te non facis sed maledictionem super te inducis If thou forgiue not the iniury which thy neighbour hath done thee when thou prayest thou makest not any prayer for thy selfe but doest bring a malediction or curse vpon thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that euer was made and is by the maker thereof our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our daily vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fifth petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eyes of grace and mercy from heauen without any fraud or hollownesse or dissimulation in the Lord so are we taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truly so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiuing euer as we may boldly say So Lord doe thou to mee as I to others Now if these hearts of ours be so sturdy and strong in their corruption as that they will not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our prayers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man euery day doe as many good workes as there are Stars in Heauen yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enemie God will not accept any one of them Munus non acceptatur nisi antè discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregory thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumuent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i August serm 5. de S. Stephino Whosoeuer hateth but one man in the whole world whaâ—soeuer he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God wee must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ so aduiseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our soules may liue for by hatred and rancour wee slay our soules Saint Iohn Epist 1. Chap. 3. vers 15. auoweth it that he whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer Homicida est scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore he that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. Chap. 3. vers 14. Hee that loueth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule than of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proued by our Sauiours question Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enemies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enemies is an infallible signe of our conuersion Now wee know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heauen for one sinner that conuerteth and vers the 10. That there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Thus whether we respect the reioycing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good workes or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sins wee must loue our enemies after S. Stephen his example Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge after S. Paul his example 1 Cor. 4.12 13. We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer it we are euill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Adde hereto Christs Commandement Mat. 5.44 Loue your enemies
Though Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and done to death the Lord of life our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage and bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the Lord Iesus they had regard vnto the hand of God Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the Iewes they knew were but instruments For thus make they their confession before the Lord of heauen and earth verse the 28. Doubtlesse both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against thine holy Son Iesus to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined to be done To good purpose then is that question propounded by Amos chap. 3.6 Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it It may serue for an anchor to keepe vs that we be not carried away with the waues of tribulation and affliction It assureth vs that God who bad Shimei curse Dauid who sent the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse to spoile and make an end of Iobs substance and his children who determined that Herod Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the Israelites should put to death the Lord of life that the same God hath his finger yea and his whole hand too in all our crosses and tribulations Is there any euill in the city and the Lord hath not done it Here beloued in the Lord must we be taxed for a vanity at least I had almost said a blasphemie deeply rooted too well setled among vs. Vpon the accesse of any calamity we cry out bad lucke bad fortue If the strong man come into our house and take from vs the flower of our riches our siluer and gold then we cry What lucke What fortune If our sheepe and cattell faile vs then also we cry What lucke What fortune Whatsoeuer crosse befalleth vs lucke and fortune is still in our mouths Quasi Deus otium coloret in coelo non curaret res humanas as if we were to hold it for an article of our beleefe that God liueth idly in heauen and hath no regard of mans affaires Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this question shall there be any euill in the city and tâ—â— Lord hath not done it and the holy Apostles in acknowledging Gods hand in the death of Christ and holy Iob in blessing the name of the Lord for all his losses and holy Dauid in patiently taking Shimeis curses as an affliction sent him from the Lord doe all plainly shew this that the empire of this world is administred by Almighty God that nothing happeneth vnto vs but by Gods hand and appointment Learne we then more patience towards the instruments of our calamities miseries crosses and afflictions let vs not belike the dogge that snatcheth at a stone cast at him without regard vnto the thrower Here we learne a better propertie euen to turne our eies from the instrumentes to the hand that smiteth by them Thus farre of my second circumstance How God punisheth My third was whom he punisheth Hazael and Benhadad the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad If you will know who this Hazael was you must haue recourse to the sacret storie 2. Kings 8. There shall you find him sent by Benhadad King of Syria with a present vnto Elizeus to know concerning his sicknesse whether he should recouer of it and after his returne from Elizeus with a thicke wet cloath to haue strangled and murdered his Lord and Master King Benhadad This was he whom Elizeus foretold of his hard vsage of the Israelites that he should set on fire their strong cities should slay their young men with the sword should dash their infants against the stones and should rent in peeces their women great with child This was he who 2. Kings 13.7 so destroyed the children of Israel that hee made them like dust beaten to powder This was he of whose death we read verse the 24. The house of Hazael either the familie stocke and posterity of Hazael as Arias Montanus Mercer Drusius expound or some materiall house which Hazael had proudly and stately built for himselfe and his posteritie This later exposition is added to the former by Mercer and Drusius because of that which followeth the palaces of Benhadad Benhadad In writing this name I find three errours One of the Greeks who write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were in the Hebrew Benader The second of the Latines who write it Benhadad The third of Ionathan the Chaldee paraphrast who writes it Barhadad whereas the right name is Benhadad Benhadad saith Mercer vpon this place was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria as was first Pharaoh and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt and Caesar to the Roman Emperours From this opinion of Mercer Drusius in obseruat sacr 11.14 varieth affirming that albeit diuerse Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad yet doth it not thereupon follow that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syriae In holy Scripture we reade of three Benhadads Of the first 1. Kings 15.18 who was King of Syria at what time Asa raigned in Iudah and Baasha in Israel Of the second 2 King 8.7 who in his sicknesse sent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God to counsaile Of the third 2 Kings 13.3 who was Hazaels sonne and his successour in the throne Now the Benhadad in my text is either Benhadad Hazaels predecessour slaine by Hazael or Benhadad Hazaels son and successour The Palaces of Benhadad to bee deuoured by fire from the Lord. These palaces of Benhadad are the goodly sumptuous proud and stately edifices made or enlarged by either of the Benhadads or by both Hazaels predecessour and successour Thus haue you the exposition of my third circumstance which was concerning the parties punished no meane parties parties of no lower ranke then Kings Hazael and Benhadad The Lord punisheth hee punisheth by fire hee punisheth by fire Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced I can but point at them 1 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into tho house of Hazael against his family and posterity we are put in minde of a truth expressed in the second commandement this God will visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation Dearely beloued sore is that anger the flame of whose punishment casteth out smoake so farre yet the meaning thereof is as Ezechiel sheweth chap. 18. If the children doe follow the fathers wickednesse and not otherwise To visit then is not to punish the children for the fathers offences but to take notice and apprehend them in the same faults by reason they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers transgressions that
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
who rashly vnaduisedly and lauishly becomes suertie vnto thee for the man he knoweth not And what is this to the poore man that borroweth of thee Of him if thou take any such pledge thou maiest bee strained with the abomination of Vsurie I put thee a case Thou lendest tenne pounds vpon a pawne of bedding or linnen and thou lendest it freely but as the borrower vseth thy money so thou vsest his pawne This is Vsury in thee For the bedding or linnen which thou hast in pawne is the worse for the wearing so is not thy money in the borrowers hand I know the very name of Vsury is detested of thee and thou hatest to be called an Vsurer Take heed then that by thy taking of pawnes thou become not one of that damned crew If therefore you haue taken any pawne of a poore man any such pawne as by the Law thou oughtest not to haue taken of him restore it vnto him according to the Law euen before the Sunne goe downe So shall the poore man to whom thou hast shewed mercy in lending thy money blesse thee and it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee before the Lord thy God Hereof art thou assured Deut. 24.13 Yea Viuendo vives thou shalt surely liue The Lord God hath sayd it Ezechiel 18.9 Hitherto Beloued you haue heard of the crueltie of the Israelites towards the poore their crueltie in deteining the pledges of the poore they layd themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge And this they did vnseasonablie euen before their Altars which argueth their Idolatrie the next thing to be considered By euery Altar Multa erant altaria Idolorum altare autem Domini non nisi vnum It is a Bishops note the note of Albertus Magnus vpon my text Many were the Altars that were erected for the seruice of Idols but for the worship of God there was but one Altar but one Altar whereon to offer sacrifice This one Altar at first was to be made of earth or of stone rough and vnhewen as appeareth Exod. 20.24.25 Such an Altar was fittest for the then-estate of the children of Israel They were then in the desert iourneying toward the holy Land and were to remoue from place to place An Altar of earth would soone be made so would an Altar of stone rough and vnhewen They might make their Altar of earth that when they should change their station they might with ease destroy it Ne aut abusui aut superstitioni esset that it might not be superstitiously abused Or they might make it of rough and vnhewen stone tumultuarily Ne sollicitaret quemquam ad conservationem religionemque constantem illius altaris that it might not allure any one to a constant reuerence and dread of the holinesse of that Altar In the 27. of Exod. ver 1. there is a prescription of an Altar of better fashion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Altar of Holocaustes of burnt offerings of sacrifices is there described according to the matter the measure the forme the instruments and vessels thereof Thou shalt make an Altar of wood of the choisest Cedar An Altar not Altars It was but one Altar And why would God haue but one Altar He would haue but one quod vnum atque eundem cultum inter omnes esse vellet Because he would haue but one the same worship among all therefore would he haue but one Altar so sayth k See Willet vpon Exod. 20.24 Galasius He would haue but one Altar to note vnto vs l Babington vpon Exod. 20.24 one truth one religion But one Altar m Marlorat in Esa 1.29 Vt vinculum esset sacrae vnitatis that it might be vnto the rude people a bond of sacred vnity That one and the same religion might remaine among them inviolable God would haue but one Altar It was therefore sinne in Ieroboam to set vp two other Altars one in Bethel the other in Dan 1. King 12.29 It was sinne in Vrijah the high Priest when to please the idolatrous King Ahaz he caused a new Altar to be set vp after the patterne of the Altar of Damascus 2. King 16.11 It must needs be a sinne in the children of Israel to multiplie their Altars according to the multitude of their fruit Hos 10.1 And I may not excuse the Israelites whom my text concerneth they laid themselues vpon clothes laid to pledge by euery Altar They had there many Altars too But Altare Domini non nisi vnum For the worship of God there was but one Altar And that one Altar was a type of our blessed Sauiour a liuely figure or representation of Christ crucified In regard whereof Heb. 13.10 Christ is called an Altar yea our Altar We haue an Altar We haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate that serue at the tabernacle Christ is this Altar he is our Altar Christ with all his benefits Which his benefits are nothing auaileable nothing profitable for them which are vnder the Law who yet are in bondage vnder the rudiments vnder the ceremonies of Moses Law Those benefits of Christ are spirituall Regeneration fayth remission of sinnes iustification the fauour of God securitie against our enemies the world the Deuill death and hell life and eternall glory these are the benefits which Christ through his most glorious death and passion hath purchased for his elect This purchase he wrought not by the bloud of Goats and Calues but by his owne bloud whereby he entred in once into the holy place and so obtained for vs eternall redemption as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.12 Thus hath Christ the sacrificer the sacrifice and the Altar made full satisfaction to God for all our sinnes Now aâ—e we not to relie vpon our owne good workes vpon the merits of Saints or vpon their mediation For this were nothing else quà m aliud novum Altare praeter Christum instituere It were to appoint another new Altar beside Christ And that Christians may not doe May not Christians doe it How then is it that in Poperie there are so many Altars It is Beloued in the Lord one of the blemishes one of the shames of that religion They haue their many Altars some of n De consecrat Dist 1. C. Altaria stone sumptuously built and dedicated with the vnction of oyle and the o Altaria placuit Priests benediction as appeareth by the decrees of two Councells the one called Apaunense the other Agathense Stone-Altars they make for steddinesse and continuance and why so But Quia Petra erat Christus because the Rocke was Christ It is the deuise of Durandus A profound reason sure The witt of fore-ages could not reach vnto it The Primitiue times of the Church knew no such Altars of stone no nor of wood Then there were no Altars at all Origen may witnesse it He flourished in the yeare of Christ 230. Then it was obiected vnto him by p Lib. 6. contra Celsum lib. 8. Celsus that the Christians
a man of bloud Vers 7. and a man of Belial a murderer and a wicked man At so high a straine of insolencie Vers 9. how beares the King himselfe Doth he suffer the railers head to be cut off or makes he any shew of impatiencie No His eye is to him that is agens principalis or Primus motor euen to the Lord the Principall agent and first mouer in all this businesse Shimei he knowes is but the instrument to worke the will of the Lord. And therefore he saith to Abishai 2 Sam. 16.10 Let him curse because the Lord hath said vnto him Curse Dauid Who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Not vnlike was the carriage of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn and the rest Act. 4.27 Though Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and put to death the Lord of life our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage or bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the Lord Iesus there was vpon the hand of God They knew that Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the Iews were but instruments So their acknowledgement before the Lord vers 28. Of a truth both Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles the People of Israel were gathered together against thine holy Childe Iesus for to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done Thus according to the examples of holy Iob King Dauid and the blessed Apostles we are in the miseries and calamities that doe befall vs in this life to looke not so much to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them And why so The reason is because all instruments are second causes Angels men or other creatures haue no power at all against vs but what is giuen them of God So Iesus told Pilat who had proudly said vnto him Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to release thee No saith Iesus thou couldst haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 froÌ„ aboue Io. 19.11 I will but touch the vses One is for the reproofe of such who are of opinion that God doth only suffer many things to be done If he be agens principalis the principall Agent in all actions and all other agents are but his instruments then is he not only a sufferer but also an orderer guider and gouernour of all actions The second is for the confutation of such as in their vaine thoughts imagine that the miseries and calamities which befall men in this life are but their mis-fortunes If God be agens principalis if he be the principall agent in all that is done vpon the earth then wretched man bleare not thine own eies to ascribe that to haphazzard wherein the strokes of Gods hand appeare The third is for the admonishing of vs all that in our miseries or calamities we behaue our selues with patience toward the instruments wherewith God smiteth vs. It will very ill beseeme a man to be like vnto the dogge that snatcheth at the stone throwne at him without regard vnto the thrower The fourth is for consolation It will be a comfort to vs in misery and distresse to remember that God is agens principalis that he hath a chiefe hand in all our troubles and that others of what ranke soeuer are but his instruments and therefore they can no further preuaile against vs than the hand and counsell of God giues them leaue This our comfort may rest vpon that of S. Paul 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will euen giue an issue with the temptation that we may be able to beare it Qui enim dat tentanti Diabolo licentiaÌ„ ipse dat tentatis misericordiaÌ„ Pet. Lomb. vpon the place For God who giues the deuill leaue to smite giues also his mercy to them that are smitten And thus from the Action the smiting which is the Lords we are come to the obiect of the Action to the thing to be smitten which doe belong to the Israelites The things to be smitten were their houses which are here described from their vse and precious matter whereof they were and state For vse they had their winter houses and summer houses For precious matter they had their houses of Iuory For state they had their great houses We will first take a view of their houses for vse their winter houses and their summer houses Of them it is here said in the first branch of this fifteenth verse Percutiam domum hyemalem cum domo aestiuâ I will smite the winter house with the summer house Princes and great Lords of the East of old time had their change of houses a house for winter and a house for summer The winter house was turned toward the South Hieron Rupeâ—t Cyrill and open to the heat of the Sunne for warmth The summer house was turned toward the North from the Sunne and lay open to the coole aire So for the variety of seasons they would be prouided either for cold or heat Iehoiakim King of Iudah had his winter house For so we reade Ier. 36.22 The King sate in the winter house in the ninth month and there was a fire on the hearth before him And it is likely he had his summer house Else why is this called his winter house His summer house may be that Ier. 22.14 where the King saith Aedificabo mihi domum latam coenacula spatiosa I will build me a wide house large chambers Those chaÌ„bers R. Dauid cals coenacula ventosa Iunius P scator windy chambers others perflabilia chambers with thorow aire chambers with windowes made of purpose to let in the aire Look the place and you will finde them sieled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion And this might wel be his summer house But if you will haue a summer house in precise termes turne yee to the booke of Iudges Chap. 3.20 There shall you finde Eglon King of Moah sitting alone in a summer Parlour Our English Bible in the margent calleth it a Parlour of cooling iust as Iunius doth coenaculum refrigerationis a chamber or parlour of refrigeration The old Latine calls it aestiuum coenaculum a summer chamber or parlour the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summer garret in the highest part of the house Our Prophet here speaketh of both houses together the winter house and the summer house and threatneth the demolition or ruine of them both Tossarius thus deliuers it in his Paraphrase Demolibor domum hyemalem simul aestiuam in quibus rex cum suis lasciuire consueuit I will demolish both winter-house and summer house in which the King was wont with his minions to play the wanton I will ouerthrow them both It is not
euident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue and would haue the societie fellowship and company of your sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Know this you cannot be right worshippers of God in priuate if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assembly the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoeuer doe for none or for small occasions absent your selues from this plâ—ce this house of God at appointed times where and when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouncing of all sects and society with idolatry and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare auouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing S. Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these dayes finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will be ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this sore I know somewhat and you know more than I how backward many of you haue been from doing God due seruice in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreuerence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you inuite your neighbour to sup with you but once and he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almighty the mighty creator of Heauen of Earth and of all you that heare me this day inuite you many times to come and sup at the table of his blessed Son and you refuse it Beleeue it he cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoeuer therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grieuously as a learned b Butanus Iâ—c 48. Diuine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a diuine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloued lay vp these things in your hearts let this day be the beginning of your reformation resolue from henceforth to performe your due obedience to God in this place to powre forth your prayers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table where by faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenesse of your sins your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of Sion and Ierusalem the place from whence God will speake vnto you exhorted euery one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Seruants For old and young should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel 2.15 16. Call a solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children and seruants to your neighbours and also strangers if they come in your way This we may learn out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zachary First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and wee will walke in his paths for the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of thâ— Lâ—rd to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachaâ—y chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall goe vnto another saying vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord and seeke thâ— Lord of hosts I will goe also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE Fifth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither OF the speaker and place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spoken Now proceed wee to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time be the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall and Hebrew copy we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepherds haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepherds did vse in the wildernesse neare vnto such fields and pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might be at hand to defend their harmlesse sheep from sauage and rauenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places The dwelling places of the shepherds In my first lecture vpon this prophecy I told you there were two sorts of shepherds In the first ranke I placed sheepmasters in the second their seruants Among the first sort of shepherds was Mesa King of Moab who 2 King 3.4 is called a shepherd and there registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambes and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The
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
to wisdom It should moue vs b Hereof I spake in a Sermon vpon Hebr. 10.30 to beware of those crying sinnes vsually committed against the first table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by Idolatrie in worshiping the creature aboue the creator blessed for euer by tempting God in making triall whether his word be true or not by murmuring against God in laying iniustice to his charge quod bonis male fit malis bene for afflicting the godly when the wicked liue at ease by rebellion and contumacie in taking counsell together against the Lord against his Christ by blasphemy in doing despite to the Spirit of grace It may moue vs also to beware of those other sins crying sins too vsually committed against the second table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by dishonouring our parents and such as God hath put in place of gouernment aboue vs by grieuing our children and such as are by vs to be gouerned by oppressing the fatherlesse and the poore by giuing our selues ouer vnto filthy lusts Beloued in the Lord let vs not forget this though God bee good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is hee also a iust God God the auenger and punisher Here we see he resolueth to send a fire into the house of Hazael which is the second thing to be considered How God punisheth By fire I will send a fire c. Albeit sometime God himselfe doth by himselfe immediately execute his vengeance vpon the wicked as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt Exod. 12.29 and Nabal 1. Sam. 25.38 and Vzzah 2. Sam 6.7 yet many times he doth it by his instruments c Wigand Syntagm Vet. Test Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei All the creatures of God are ready at his command to be the executioners of his vengeance Among the rest and in the first ranke is fire God sent a fire to lay wast Sodom and Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 to eate vp Nadab and Abihu Leuit 10.2 to cut of the two hundred and fifty men that were in the rebellion of Korah Num. 16.35 to deuoure two captaines twise fifty men 2. King 1.10 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this point My text telleth you that fire Gods creature becommeth Gods instrument executioner of his vengeance I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus Drusius Ar. Montanus Mercer Caluin Gualter expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quod libet genus consumptionis euery kind of consumptiō euery scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked and disobedient be it haile or thunder or sicknes or any other of Gods messengers So farre is the signification of fire though not in the naturall yet in the Metaphorical vnderstanding extended The doctrine which from hence I gather is As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked This truth well appeareth by that which I euen now repeated out of Eccles 39. whence you heard that some spirits are created for vengeance as also are fire and haile and famine and death and the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword yea that the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile cloathing are all for euill vnto the wicked If that proofe because the booke whence it is taken is Apocryphall like you not giue care I pray you while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture The doctrine to be proued is Fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the punishment of the wicked I proue it by the seruice of Angels and other creatures 2 King 19.35 we read of an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand in the camp of Ashur slaine by an Angell of the Lord. The thing is related also Esay 37.36 This ministerie of Gods Angels Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 35.5 6. where his prayer against his enemies is that the Angell of the Lord might scatter and persecute them 1. Sam. 7.10 we read that the Lord did thunder a great thunder vpon the Philistines Ezech. 14. wee read how the Lord punisheth a sinfull land with his e Ezech. 14.21 foure sore iudgements the sword pestilence famine and noysome beasts The story of Gods visitation vpon Pharaoh and the Egyptians in Exod. chap. 8 9. and 10. is fit for my purpose You shall there find that frogs lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botches sores did instrumentally auenge God vpon man and beast in Egypt Adde hereto what you read Psal 148.8 fire and haile and snow and vapours and stormy winds doe execute Gods commandement Thus is my doctrine proued As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them Here set we before our eyes holy King Dauid His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation When Shimei a man of the family of the house of Saul came out against him cast stones at him and railed vpon him calling him to his face a man of blood and a man of Belial a murtherer and a wicked man the good King did not as he was wished to doe he took not away the murtherers life but had respect to the primus motor euen Almighty God the first mouer of this his affliction Shimei he knew was but the instrument And therefore thus saith he to Abischai 2. Sam. 16.10 He curseth because the Lord had bidden him curse Dauid and who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Here also set we before our eies holy Iob. His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation The losse of all his substance his children by the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eies from the God of heauen to those second causes They he knew were but the instruments And therefore possessing his soule in patience he said Iob. 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. To these instances of Dauid and Iob adde one more that of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn the rest Act. 4.27
proposition The whole world with all things therein is wholly and alone subiect to the soueraigntie dominion and rule of Almightie God by whose prouidence all things are preserued all things are ruled and things are ordered These were the three degrees by which I told you you might discerne and take notice of the act of diuine prouidence The first was gradus conseruationis the second gradus gubernationis the third was gradus ordinationis the first degree was the degree of maintenance or preseruation the second degree was the degree of rule or gouernment the third degree was the degree of ordination or direction The first implieth thus much that All things in generall and euery thing in particular are by Almightie God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created The second thus much that Almightie God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth all to his chiefly intended end all doe make for his glory In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing Secondly he disposeth the meanes vnto the end Thirdly he directeth the meanes so disposed From these points thus summarily rehearsed I inferre my propounded doctrine No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neuer be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamitie or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazzard by chance by fortune The Epicure in Iob Chap. 22.13 was in a grosse and soule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot thorow the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Farre be it from vs beloued so to be conceited We may not thinke our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God vpon the Mountaines and not in the Valleyes a God in the greater and noâ— in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke beloued We haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ier. 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him 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 secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God The least moments and tittles in the world that you can imagine God his care and prouidence reacheth vnto to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the â—â—ing of sparrowes to the ground to the cloathing of the grasse of the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of â—indes to the numbring of the haires of our heads and of the teares that trickle downe our cheekes Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde fortune but looke we rather to the hand that striketh vs. He who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon he it is that for our sinnes bringeth vpon vs calamiti s and miseries Whatsoeuer calamities or miseries doe molest or trouble vs be wee assured that they are Gods visitatio vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues What remaineth then but that in time of misery and heauinesse wee louingly embrace Gods hand and kisse the rod wherewith he smiteth vs If hee smite vs with any kinde of crosse or tribulation our best way is to turne vnto him as with a spirit of contentment and gladnesse because so louing a Father doth chastise vs so with a sorrowfull and contrite heart because we haue offended so gracious a Father and thus shall wee finde comfort to our soules THE Fourteenth Lecture AMOS 1.8 And turne mine hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God THe last time I began to expound the 8. verse then I passed ouer two branches thereof And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon whence considering the cutting off of king and subiect from Ashdod and Ashkelon to be the proper worke of the Lord I tooke this lesson No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture Now let vs proceed to the remainder of that verse And turne my hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord. Is not God a spirit How then hath he hands The letter killeth but the spirit giueth life saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 An ancient a Augustin de Doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 5. Father vpon those words aduiseth vs to beware that we take not a figuratiue speech according to the letter for saith he Anshel in 2 Cor. 3. Echard Compend Theol patrum 〈◊〉 1 ap 6. pag. 157. when we take that which is spoken in a figure as if it were spoken properly it is a carnall sense Neque vlla mors anima congruentius â—ppeâ—â—atur neither is there any thing more rightly called the death of the soule If a figuratiue speech be properly taken or if the letter be vrged against the spirituall meaning that which was spoken to giue life to the inward man may subuert the faith and endanger the soule A trope vpon good reason to be admitted not admitted is a cause of errour It caused the Iewes to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching his owne body Iob. 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe It caused Nicodemus to erre Hee tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching mans regeneration Iob. 3.3 Except a man bee borne againâ— he cannot see the Kingdome of God It caused the Dis ples of Christ to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching the execution of his Fathers will Ioh. 4.32 I haue meat to eat that ye know not of I hold it to be an errour of Nicephorus and others to take it after the letter as if Paul had indeed fought vpon a theatre with Lions at Ephesius because he saith 1 Cor. 15.32 that he fought with b
of God this name Iehovah first it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is yesterday and to day and the same for euer which was which is and which is to come Secondly it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their life motion and being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because of him and in him and by him are all things Thirdly it is the Memoriall of God vnto all ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 The Memoriall of his faithfulnes his truth and his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoeuer in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine euent of such his promise or threatning he adds vnto it his name Iehovah as here in my text Thus saith Iehovah Iehovah The strength of Israel who is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Wicked Balaam is driuen to confesse as much Num. 23.19 and there proceedeth by way of question Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Samuel with boldnes tells Saul 1. Sam. 15.29 that the Lord who is the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent and he giues this reason of it For he is not a man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen so firmely ratified that they cannot be altered so standing immutable that they cannot be changed Our Sauiour Christ giues record herevnto Matth. 24.35 Coelum terra praeteribunt Heauen and Earth shall passe away but Gods words they shall not passe away The grasse withereth saith the Prophet Esay cap. 40.8 The grasse withereth and the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand for euer Thus are we by this name Iehovah led to the consideration of the truth of God Gods truth is his essentiall proprietie whereby he is most free from all shew or shadow of falshood This his truth is eminent in himselfe in his workes and in his words In himselfe two manner of wayes 1. In respect of his essence whereby he truly is 2. Forasmuch as he is the Idea type and patterne of all the truth that is in any creature Now concerning the workes of God they all are Truth whether they be Internall or Externall His Internall workes are either personall or essentiall and both nothing but truth For his personall workes the Father doth truly beget the Sonne the Sonne is truly begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost doth truly proceed from the Father and the Sonne the like must we say of his essentiall workes Whatsoeuer God hath decreed he hath truly decreed it and doth truly execute it Besides these Internall workes of God some workes of his are called in the Schooles Externall Such are the creation of the world the conseruation of the same the gouernment of the Church the couenant with the faithfull and the like in all which most constant is the truth of God As the truth of God is eminent in himselfe and in his workes so also is it eminent in his words This hath but now bin prooued vnto you by the confession of Balaam by the asseueration of Samuel by the record of the Prophet Esay and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ I shut vp this doctrine of the truth of God with the words of the blessed Apostle S. Paul Rom. 3.3 Let God be true and euery man a lyar Now let vs see what vses may be made of this doctrine Is it true Is God truth in himselfe in his works and in his words Hereby may euery childe of God among vs be well assured that our faith in God the Father in Christ his Sonne and in the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne is most true and most certaine and cannot by any meanes be deceiued it selfe or deceiue vs For it is grounded and supported vpon and by the words of him who onely is the true God yea truth it selfe who hath truly sayd concerning vs and all other who beleeue in Christ that he hath c Rom. 8.37 loued vs * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world hath chosen vs to eternall life for our better atteining whereof he hath d Rom. 8.3 sent into the world his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh e Galat. 4.4 made of a woman and made vnder the Law that by his f 1. Iohn 1.7 bloud we might be clensed from all sinne and g Rom. 5.9 iustifyed in the sight of God that by his holy spirit we might be h 1. Pet. 1.3 regenerated gouerned defended from our enemies and at that great day the day of the resurrection of all flesh we may both bodie and soule be brought into the full possession of eternall life Which being so what remaineth on our parts but that we abide constantly in our holy faith and perseuere therein euen vnto the end Without perseuerance our faith will not auaile vs. For not euery one but such onely as are marked in their foreheads with the letter Tau with the note of perfection and perseuerance shall enter the inheritance of the blessed Ezech. 9 4. And not euery one but he onely that endureth to the end shall be saued Matth. 10.22 And not euery one but he onely which is faithfull vnto death shall receiue the crowne of life Reuel 2.10 Let the dog returne to his vomit and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire as the Prouerbs are 2. Pet. 2.22 But let vs hold fast our holy faith till it shall please God to call vs to make our finall account how we haue spent the dayes of our Pilgrimage in this present world So shall he that is holy and true who hath i Reuel 3.7 the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth open vnto vs the gates of Ierusalem which is aboue and giue vs full fruition of euerlasting happinesse Thus haue you the first vse of my first doctrine touching the truth of God My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The first vse concerneth our faith in Christ and our perseuerance therein A second followeth It appertaineth to thankesgiuing For if our saluation and eternall life doe depend vpon the knowledge of the heauenly truth and God brings none to the knowledge of this truth but his elect and chosen people how great thankes ought we to giue vnto God not onely for choosing vs but also for making it knowne vnto vs by the reuelation of his truth that we are his chosen people For he hath not onely imprinted in the vs image of that truth which is eternall in himselfe but also daily bringeth vs to such a measure
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
is Gods triumph What doe I In time of peace exhort to Martyrdome Why not Though through Gods goodnesse blessed be his name for it there is not now among vs any occasion of persecution habet tamen pax nostra Martyrium suum as Gregorie the Great spake of his time Homil. 3. in Euangelia yet hath our peace her Martyrdome Albeit we doe not yeeld carnis colla ferro our neckes to the yron or our bodies to the stake yet doe we gladio spirituali with the spirituall sword slay the carnall desires within vs. You haue seene what it is to offer vp vnto the Lord the goods of our bodie patiendo by suffering by dying for the Lord. Now let vs see what it is to offer them vp faciendo by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. It is that whereto S. Paul exhorteth vs Rom. 12.1 euen our reasonable seruice of God I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God Our Bodies a sacrifice How may that be S. Chrysostome Hom. 20. in Ep. ad Rom. doth elegantly expresse it Let the eye behold no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eye is a sacrifice let the tongue speake no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the tongue is an oblation let the hand doe no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the hand is a burnt offering So that sweete Father We may enlarge the meditation let the eare heare no euil and the eare is a sacrifice let the arme embrace no euill and the arme is a sacrifice let the foote follow no euill and the foote is a sacrifice In a word let all other parts of the bodie be preserued from euill and they are all sacrifices The eye that is b 2. Pet. 2.14 full of adulterie is no fit offering the tongue that is c Psal 120.3 deceitfull is no fit offering the hand that is euer shut against the poore is no fit offering the vncircumcised eare the wanton arme the cruell foote they are no fit offerings neither is any part of our bodie that is vnsanctified a fit offering for the Lord. Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord let it be the care of euery one of vs to present our bodies vnto the Lord a liuing and a holy sacrifice for that onely will be acceptable vnto him Now that our sacrifice may be liuing and holy and so acceptable to the Lord it is not enough for vs to d Psal 34.15 And 37.27 abstaine from doing of euill but we must willingly and chearefully betake our selues to the doing of good and this must wee doe betimes You deceiue your selues if you thinke to offer your youthfull yeares vnto the Deuill and to lay your old bones vpon Gods Altar Gods sacrifice must be the fattest it must bee the fairest He must haue both head and hinder parts to teach you that your dutie is to remember your Creator as well in the dayes of your nonage as in the dayes of your dotage as well while you are yong as when you shall be old For if you deferre your offerings till the last houre till sicknesse deaths-Bailiffe shall arest you your offering may proue sicke it may proue dead it may proue an vnholy sacrifice Receiue therefore S. Pauls word of exhortation I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing and an holy sacrifice vnto God You haue heard that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our externall goods and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goods of our bodies are to be offered vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the same I am now in briefe to shew concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goods of our minde The goods of our minde I called vertues and vertuous actions functions and operations together with all the faculties and powers of the soule all these we must offer vp vnto the Lord. But how shall we offer them vp devotione contritione by deuotion and contrition For as it is Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart is such a sacrifice as God will not despise Whosoeuer by diuine meditation and deuout prayer beateth downe the proud conceits of his rebellious heart he killeth and offereth vp as it were his sonne Isaac that which is most nere vnto him that which is most deare vnto him he offereth vp a broken spirit and that is Sacrificia Dei the sacrifices of God The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit Sacrifices in the Plurall number because this one sacrifice of a broken spirit is instar omnium in steed of all its worth all other sacrifices in the world And well may it be so for it is the sacrifices of God of God that is accepta Deo acceptable and well pleasing vnto God But what is this broken spirit I speake off It is animus contritus commutâ—â—â— abjectus propriae infirmitatis ac indignitatis conscientiâ It is a mind contrite beaten as it were to dust or powder broken in peeces and cast downe with the conscience of its owne infirmitie and vnworthinesse It is a minde that is voyd of any conceite of its owne worth that thinketh it selfe worthy of any punishment that esteemeth all its owne goods most base that followeth the word of God vpon any occasion that is comforted at the least signe of Gods fauour that is cast downe at any token of his displeasure that is easily mooued with affections of loue feare ioy and hope that is alwayes full of pitty to others that maketh conscience of the smallest transgression The man that is of such a broken spirit and so contrite a minde he may well be said to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the goods of his mind Thus you see that we are and how we are to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the goods of this world the goods of the bodie and the goods of the mind But whereon shall we offer them where is our Altar Our Altar is within vs euen our heart that is our Altar Durandus in his e Lib. 1. cap. 7. N. 18. Rationall of Diuine offices deduceth it out of the first to the Corinthians Chap. 3.17 The Temple of God is holy which yee are Yee are the Temple of GOD. Si Templum Dei sumus Altare habemus Altare nostrum est cor nostrum Hoc enim est cor in homine quod Altare in Templo If we are the Temple of God wee haue an Altar Our Altar is our Heart For the Heart is that in man as the Altar is in the Temple Our Heart then is our Altar no Legall Altar but an Evangelicall Altar Answereable to our Altar must our sacrifices be Evangelicall too Now sayth Lactantius Divin institut lib. 6. cap. 24. Now the Lord requireth not of vs any sacrifice of a dumbe beast of death and bloudshed but Victimam hominis vitae the sacrifice of man and his life
m Geverharl Elmenhorst com ad Minutium Felicem pag. 41. Salisberiensis in his first Booke de nugis cvrial cap. 10. call Egypt Matrem superstitionis the mother of superstition For as n Tom. 5. pag. 170. c. S. Hierome in his Comment vpon Esay 45. witnesseth Neuer was there any Nation so giuen to Idolatrie or worshipped such a number of monsters as Egypt did This notorious superstition and Idolatrie of the Egyptians so much spoken of by Christian writers and others is also in the sacred volumes of Holy writ censured and controlled In Exod. 12.12 the meanacing of the Lord is against them Against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute iudgment I the Lord. The gods of Egypt that is the Images and the Idoles which the Egyptians adored and worshipped Concerning which o De quadraginta duabus mansionibus Mans 2 Tom. 3. pag. 42. S. Hierome in an Epistle of his to Fabiola reporteth out of the Hebrew writers that in very same night the Children of Israel departed out of Egypt all the Temples of Egypt were ouerthrowne siue terrae motu siue iactu fulminum either with earth quakes or thunderbolts These Hebrew writers say further eâdem nocte lignea idola putrefacta fuisse metallica resoluta fusa lapidea comminuta that in the same night all the wooden Images were rotten all the mettall Images were dissolued and moulten all the stone Images were broken If so it were it was doubtlesse a great worke a great iudgement of God vpon those Egyptian monsters In Esay 19.1 their confusion is againe foretold Behold saith the Prophet the Lord rideth vpon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idoles of Egypt shall moue at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it Where the Idoles of Egypt are the heart of Egypt They are called the heart of Egypt because the heart of the Egyptians did wholy depend vpon them for reliefe and succour The Lord rideth vpon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idoles of Egypt shall moue at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it The Idols of Egypt shall moue and melt at the presence of the Lord. In Ierem. 43.13 their desolation is likewise denounced There the Lord threatneth to send Nabuchadnezzar the K. of Babylon his seruant into Egypt What shall he doe there He shall breake the Images of Bethshemesh that is in the land of Egypt and the houses of the Gods of the Egyptians shall be burnt with fire Thus you see it confirmed not onely by Christian writers and others but also by the sacred volumes of holy Scripture that the Egyptians were a superstitious and an Idolatrous people Superstitious were they and Idolatrous Happie then wast thou O Israell that the Lord brought thee vp from the land of Egypt Liue in Egypt thou couldst not with a good conscience nor would the Egyptians willingly suffer thee to worship God otherwise then themselues did To haue worshipped as they did must needs haue beene a Hell vnto thy soule and to haue done otherwise must needs haue brought certaine daunger to thine outward estate Acknowledge it therefore for a great benefit and blessing of God vpon thee that he brought thee vp from the land of Egypt God in reckoning vp this fauour of his his bringing vp Israel out of the land of Egypt teacheth vs what an intollerable thing it is to liue among Idolaters and what a speciall fauour it is to be deliuered from amongst them And this should stir vs vp to a thankfull recognition of Gods goodnesse towards vs who hath deliuered the Church wherein we liue from the Babylonish and Romish Idolatrie wherein our auncestors were nus-led and trained vp to worship and adore not the true and liuing God but Angels and Saints damned â—â—â—les it may be silver and gold stocks and stones Images and Idoles and what not From such grosse and palpable Idolatry we are by Gods goodnesse deliuered and now doe as a long time we haue done enioy the bright Sunne-shine of the p 1. Tim. 1 11. glorious Gospell of the blessed God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Being now deliuered from the q Colos 1.13 power of darknesse vnder Antichrist and translated into the light of Christs Gospell Let it be our daily care for it is our dutie to walke worthy the light h Ephes 5.8 as children of light to walke in truth Ep. 3. Ioh. ver 3. to walke in loue Colos 5.2 to walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 If we walke after the flesh we shall mind the things of the flesh we shall be carnally minded and our end shall be death but if we walke after the spirit we shall mind the things of the spirit we shall be spiritually minded and our end shall be life and peace The choise is not difficult Life is better then death If you chuse life you must abandon and forsake the i Gal. 5.19 workes of the flesh which cause death Adulterie fornication vncleannesse lasciuiousnesse k Vers 20. hatred variance emulations wrath strife l Vers 21. envyings murthers drunkennesse revellings vsurie extortion oppression and such like are workes of the flesh and doe shut you out from life Yet may life be yours if you will be m Vers 18. led by the spirit n Vers 22. Loue ioy peace long suffering gentlâ—nesse goodnesse fayth meeknesse temperance are the fruit of the spirit Let these dwell among you and life shall be yours The God of life shall giue it you Hitherto you haue the first respect why it was beneficiall good for the people of Israel that they were brought vp from the land of Egypt It was good for them because the people of the land were superstitious and idolatrous and among such there is no good liuing The other respect now followeth It was beneficiall and good for the people of Israel that they were brought vp from the land of Egypt because the people of the land were full of crueltie and held Israel in subiection and seruitude Egypt was long a harbour to the Israelites but at length it prooued a Gaole vnto them The posteritie of Iacob finds too late what it was for their forefathers to sell Iacob a slaue into Egypt There arose vp a new Pharaoh a new king ouer Egypt he knew not Ioseph Then then were the Israelites contemned as drudges o Exod. 1.11 Task masters must be set ouer them to afflict them with their burdens Why so How had they offended They prospered too fast For thus sayth Pharaoh to his people Exod. 1.9 Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Come on let vs deale wisely with them lest they multiplie and it come to passe that when there falleth out any warre they ioyne also v to our enemies and fight
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
Lord care for the preoccupation or preuention of so little time as if it were a matter of it selfe to be regarded No it was the obseruance of his commandement and the obedience thereunto that he required So for my text I say The giuing the Nazirites wine to drinke was not of it selfe a matter that the Lord much regarded but it was the obseruance of his commaundement and the obedience thereunto that he required The commandement I euen now repeated vnto you out of Num. 6. The summe of it is The Nazarite shall absteine from wine and strong drinke Contrary to this commandement did the Israelites here giue vnto the Nazarites wine to drink which is the thing wherewith they are here twyted to this sense Ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke in so doing you made proofe of your contempt of my Law and your disobedience thereunto I looked you should haue beene thankefull vnto mee for bestowing so great a benefit vpon you as is the order and calling of the Nazarites for the trayning vp of your yong men in pietie and religion but you vnthankfull you haue repaid me with contempt and disobedience you haue sollicited the Nazarites to breake their vow and contrary to my Law yee gaue them wine to drinke The doctrine we are to gather from hence is Disobedience against Gods holy lawes and commaundements is a sinne carefully to be eschewed by euery child of God As by the knowledge of light we may know what darkenesse is and by the knowledge of good what euill is so by the knowledge of obedience towards God we may know what disobedience against him is Of obedience towards God I entreated in my fift Lecture vpon this Chapter I then handled this conclusion Obedience to the commandements of the Lord is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by euery child of his Whence by the Law of contraries followeth my now-conclusion Disobedience against the commandements of the Lord is a sinne which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by euery child of his For the illustration of this conclusion we are to note in man a twofold disobedience one in the state of corruption the other in the state of regeneration Disobedience in man in the state of corruption is an euill qualitie inbred in him by nature whereby he is made of himselfe altogether vnable and vnwilling to liue in subiection vnto God to heare his voice to obey his will or to doe what he commandeth By this disobedience man is not able to doe any thing but hate God his word his will and whatsoeuer is pleasing to him He euer rebels against God he euer resisteth the will of God he euer despiseth the commandements of God and embraceth with all his might what God forbiddeth How great this disobedience is the holy Scripture doth euidently demonstrate when it describeth the nature of man his thoughts his counsailes his affections his desires his actions in the state of corruption and before his regeneration So it calls vs k Num. 20.10 rebels Ezech. 2.3 impudent children and stiffe-hearted vers 4. Gods aduersaries and his enemies Esay 1.24 Children of l Ephes 5.6 Câ—lâ—s 3.6 diffidence and incredulitie Ephes 2.2 Children of wrath ver 3. Children of darknesse Ephes 5.8 Children of the m 1. Ioh. 3.8 Ioh. 8.49 Deuill 1. Iohn 3.10 It sayth of vs Gen. 6.5 that euery imagination of the thoughts of our hearts is onely euill continually It saith of vs Iob 15.25 that we stretch out our hands against God and strengthen our selues against the Almightie It saith of vs Ephes 4 17. that we walke in the varitie of our mindes that hauing our vnderstanding darkned we are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in vs b cause of the blindnesse of our hearts that as men past feeling we haue giuen our selues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse Such is the disobedience that is in man while he is in the state of corruption before he is regenerate There is another kind of disobedience in man when he is in the state of Regeneration This disobedience is common to euery child of God while he liueth in this world albeit in some it be greater in some lâ—sse as regeneration is perfecter in some then in others This I thus describe disobedience in man in the state of regeneration is an euil qualitie inbred in him by nature wherby he is made vnable to yeeld due subiection vnto God wholy on euery part with all his heart and all his might or so to obey his holy will simply in all things and alwayes without tergiuersation as neuer to decline from the rule of true obedience By this disobedience we are all made guiltie of the wrath of God of damnation and of eternall death The consideration hereof made Dauid Psal 130.3 to crie out vnto the Lord If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand It drew from him that humble supplication Psal 143.2 O Lord Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified It wrested from him that same confession Psal 32.6 namely that the very godly haue need to pray for the remission of their sinnes There speaking of the remission of sinnes he saith For this shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee For this for the remission of sinnes shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee O Lord. From hence is it that our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ taught his Apostles the most perfect Christians that euer were and therefore the most godly to pray for remission of their sinnes This disobedience which as yet resideth in vs in the best of vs S. Paul elegantly describeth Rom. 7.14 where thus he speaketh in his owne person as a man regenerate we know that the law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sin n Râ—m 17.15 For that which I doe I allow not for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. o Vers 16. If then I doe that which I would not I consent vnto the law that it is good p Vers 17. Now then it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me q Vers 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I find not r Vers 19. For the good that I would I doe not but the euill that I would not that I doe c. I am not ignorant that the Pelagians of old and diuerse of late as Erasmus Ochinus Castellio Faustus Socinus the Samosatenian Iacobus Arminius and their adherents doe affirme that S. Paul speaketh these words not of himselfe as a man regenerate but doth in them describe a man that is a prophane incontinent sensuall vnregenerate or doth describe the nature of man after his fall what and how
much he is able to doe without the grace of God This their opinion is erroneous The truth is that S. Paul in the place alledged speaketh not of any other but of himselfe not as he was in Pharisaisme vnder the law but as he was now when he wrote this Epistle in the state of grace a man regenerate This great combate in S. Paul now regenerate betweene the Å¿ â—â—m 7.23 law of his minde and the law of his members betweene the t Vers 22.25 law of God and the law of sinne betweene the u Vers 22. inward man and the outward betweene the x Vers 18. flesh and spirit doth clearely shew that the holiest man liuing hath a tincture of disobedience against the Lord his God This is the second kind of disobedience which I noted to be in man as he is in the state of regeneration and serueth for the illustration of my propounded doctrine which was Disobedience against Gods holy lawes and commaundements is a sinne which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by euery child of his Disobedience not onely that which is in euery man that is yet in the state of corruption but that other too which is incident to the truely regenerate is a sinne carefully to be eschewed by euery child of God Euery child of God should be vnwilling to displease God and what can more displease him then disobedience Disobedience Gods curse is vpon it The curse is Psal 119 21. Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements Maledicti a Deo scilicet Cursed of God are all they of what estate or condition soeuer they are that doe erre in their life and conuersation from his commaundements which he hath prescribed as footsteps and paths for men to tread in Cursed are they that doe erre he saith not they that haue erred for they that haue erred may haue repented but cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements And here by erring we vnderstand not euery offence indifferently but an vnbridled licence to offend we vnderstand not euery slip but a falling away from God We vnderstand not euery disobedience of ignorance or infirmity but the disobedience of pride and presumption Maledicti Cursed are they that doe erre from thy commandements The like Curse is Deut. 27.26 Maledictus qui non permanet in sermonibus legis huius nec eos opere perficit Cursed be he that continueth not in the words of this law to doe them It is cited by S. Paul Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the law to doe them In both places the end of the Law is poynted at It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much contemplation as action for the Law was giuen not onely to be knowne but also to be performed and therefore Rom. 2.13 it is auouched that not the hearers of the Law are righteous before God but the doers of the Law shall be iustified The couenant of the Law requireth from vs absolute obedience In this obedience these things must concurre according to the tenor of the Law 1. It must be performed by our selues for the law reueales not the Mediator 2. It must be inward as well as outward 3. It must be perfect in parts and degrees 4. It must be constant and continuall from the first moment of our conception without the least interruption through the whole course of our liues The least thought dissonant to the law inuolues vs in disobedience and layes vs open to the Curse Maledictus Cursed be he that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Vae vobis is no better then a Curse and that shall you find denounced to the disobedient Ecclus. 41.8 Vae vobis impij Viri qui dereliquistis legem Altissimi scilicet per inobedientiam sayth Antoninus Sum. part 2. Tit. 4. cap. 2. Woe be vnto you vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Vae vobis woe be vnto you And why so The reason is added For if you increase it shall be to your destruction And if you be borne you shall be borne to a curse and if you die a curse shall be your portion Vae vobis woe be vnto you ye vngodly men which haue forsaken the law of the most high God through your disobedience Is disobedience thus cursed Then must it be punished For as Dicere Dei is facere so Maledicere Dei is malum poenae facere If God saith a thing he doth it and if he curseth he punisheth He curseth disobedience and therefore he punisheth disobedience He punisheth it sayth Antoninus three manner of wayes First per afflictionem corporis by afflicting man in his bodie Secondly per impugnationem orbis by setting the whole world against man and Thirdly per privationem numinis by depriuing him of the vision of God First God punisheth disobedience by laying affliction vpon man in his bodie For the disobedience of Adam he sayth vnto Adam Gen. 3.17 Maledicta terra in opere tuo Cursed be the earth for thy worke for the worke of thy transgression for thy sinne for thy sake Cursed be the earth of thy bodie for thy bodie is but earth cursed shall it be and many waies afflicted Thornes and Thistles diuerse passions and infirmities shall it bring forth vnto thee All the euils of punishment whereto these weake bodies of ours are subiect hunger and thirst and heate and cold and trauaile and trouble and misery and calamitie and weakenesse and diseases yea and death too together with that neuer-ceasing rebellion of the flesh against the Spirit called in Scripture the Concupiscence of the flesh whâ—ch cleaueth fast vnto vs all our life long and is the fountaine and root of all our euill deeds all these are vpon vs for disobedience Secondly God punisheth disobedience by setting the whole world against man For as it is Wisd 5.21 Pugnabit cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos The world shall fight with him against the vnwise the world shall take part with God against the disobedient The world that is all the creatures in the world whereof we read vers 18. Armabit creaturam ad vltionem inimicorum The Lord he shall take to him his iealousie for compleat Armour and make the y Wisd 5.17 creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies Where by the creature I vnderstand z Lorinus vniuersitatem creaturarum the vniuersitie of Creatures all the Creatures in the world orbem terrarum euen the whole world of Creatures God shall make the creature his weapon for the reuenge of his enemies and the world shall fight with him against the vnwise The thunderbolt is his weapon against the disobedient vers 21. Then shall the right ayming thunder-bolts goe abroad and from the clouds
righteous cut off Who euer perished being innocent Or where were the righteous cut off It was Eliphaz his error to collect because Iob was afflicted and that most grieuously that therefore he was to perish or to be cut off vtterly God suffereth not his elect children such as Iob was vtterly to perish or to be cut off He afflicteth them but with a purpose to deliuer them his hand is sometimes vpon them but it is for their good not for their ruine For albeit they may seeme to vs to perish when in the fire of their calamities and trials they are surprised by death yet they perish not the Lord he receiues them into his glory and to a more happy life Wherefore to Eliphaz his question Who euer perished being innocent Or where were the righteous cut off I answer If Eliphaz take the words of perishing and cutting off in the strict sense and properly I answer neuer did the innocent perish neuer was any righteous man cut off But if he take the words in a larger sense for wallowing in miserie or lying in affliction my answer then is the same that S. Gregorie hath lib. 5. Moral cap. 14. Saepè quippe hîc innocentes pereunt recti funditùs delentur Surely here in this world the innocent doe oftentimes perish and the righteous are vtterly cut off sed tamen ad aeternam gloriam pereundo seruantur yet in perishing and in being cut off they are reserued to eternall glory Si nullus innocens periret if no man should perish that is innocent why should the Prophet Esai say chap. 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart Si rectos Deus providendo non raperet if God in his prouidence should not take away any righteous man why should the wise man chap. 4.11 say The righteous was speedily taken away lest that wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his soule Si iustos animadversio nulla percuteret if no punishment should smite the iust why should S. Peter say 1. Ep. 4 17. The time is that iudgement must begin at the house of God Now dearely beloued sith it may in some sense bee truely said of the man that is innocent that he perisheth and of the righteous man that he is punished is taken away is cut off and of the faithfull of Gods house that iudgement must begin with them let it euer bee our care to esteeme aright of the afflictions of our neighbours and to iudge of them with a righteous iudgment Though they be iudged be plagued be smitten of God it is not for vs slightly to regard them to despise them or to hide our faces from them it is our parts rather to haue a fellow-feeling and a tender compassion of their tryals It were an vnchristian an vncharitable yea a hellish conceit thus to inferre My neighbour such a man or such a man is exercised vnder the Crosse and is sensible of the scourge of God vpon him therefore he is in Gods disfauour and a very grieuous sinner No such inference is allowable in Christs schole In his schole these Maximes passe for good Where God purposeth to heale he spareth not to launce He ministreth bitter sirupes to purge corrupt humors he sends embassies of death and reuenge where he meaneth to bestow eternall life I conclude with that blessing which S. Iames chap. 1.12 bestoweth vpon the afflicted Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him THE XIX LECTVRE AMOS 2.13 14 15 16. Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mightie deliuer himselfe Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow and he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the Horse deliuer himselfe And he that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. VVE are now come to the fourth part of this first Sermon of Amos concerning the kingdome of the tenne tribes of Israel I heretofore called it a Commination So I call it still For here are the Israelites threatned with punishment for the enormitie of their sinnes expressed vers 6 7 8. and for the foulenesse of their ingratitude layd to their charge vers 12. In this Commination we may obserue two things First how the Lord in respect of the sinnes of Israel and of their vnthankfulnesse for benefits bestowed on them esteemeth of them vers 13. Behold I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The other is a menacing or threatning of punishment to befall them I may terme it A sending of defiance vnto them a denouncing of warre against them vers 14 15 16. Wherein we may note three things The first is impotentia fugiendi their vnablenesse to escape the flight in the day of battell thus set downe in the 14. vers The flight shall perish from the swift And vers 15. thus He that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the horse deliuer himselfe The second is Debilitas in resistendo their weakenesse in resisting the enemie thus set downe vers 14. The strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mightie deliuer himselfe and vers 15. thus Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow The third is Fugae fortium the flight of the valiant and stout of heart set downe in the last verse and there amplified by the adiunct of nakednesse He that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day Then followeth the confirmation of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord the Lord who is the truth and is omnipotent He is the Lord of Hosts if he a Esa 14.27 2. Chro. 20.6 Iâ—b 9.12 Pro 21.30 Dan. 4.32 purpose to doe a thing who shall disanull it if his hand be stretched out who shall turne it backe My meditations for this time will be confined within the limits of the 13. vers Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheanes In the handling whereof my order shall be first to runne ouer the words then to draw from them some profitable note of doctrine Behold THis particle set in the front of this verse is as it were a watchword to stirre vp our attentions for as much as we are to heare of some important matter A learned Diuine in his exposition vpon the fift of Nehemiah hath alike note This word Ecce Loe Marke or Behold euer betokeneth throughout the Scripture some notable thing very good or very ill that is spoken of immediately afterward and such a one as commonly falleth not out among men and the holy Ghost of purpose vseth to marke such notable things with this
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
house it is a houshold consisting of persons of diuers sexes ages statures strengths and abilities But this narrow signification of a family will not serue for this place For it was not onely a houshold that the Lord brought out of Aegypt it was more than so The Author of the Vulgar Latine giues here a larger scope Familia contents him not Cognatio is his word Not a family but a kindred must serue his turne His reading is Super omnem cognationem It pleaseth Luther and Mercer and Vatablus Against all the kindred A kindred wee know may containe many families and many were the families which the Lord brought vp from the Land of Aegypt yet is not this word kindred of extent sufficient to comprehend the great multitude that was brought vp from the land of Aegypt Nation is a fitter word with Castalio Heare this word that the Lord pronounceth to you to the whole Nation which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt It was indeed a Nation that the Lord brought vp A Nation and therefore many kindreds and more families Yet need wee not refuse either the word kindred or family as vnfit for this place for each of them may well bee vsed to signifie a Nation The reason whereof Kimhi giueth quia ab initio gentes singulae ab vno aliquo viro defluxerunt because at first Nations had their beginning from some one man that was head of a family or kindred A Family for a Nation you haue Mic. 2.3 Behold saith the Lord behold against this family doe I deuise an euill Against this family that is against this Nation of the Israelites So haue you Ierem. 8.3 Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remaine of this euill family This euill family is the nation of the Iewes I read of the family of Aegypt Zach. 14.18 and there the family of Aegypt is the nation of the Aegyptians Such is the signification of the word family in my Text against the whole family that is against the whole nation of the Israelites By this whole family of the children of Israel some doe vnderstand all the people which the Lord brought vp from Aegypt which afterward was rent into two Kingdomes the Kingdome of Iudah and the Kingdome of Israel So Saint Hierome and Remigius and Hugo and Lyra and Dionysius Some by the children of Israel doe vnderstand the Kingdome of Israel the Kingdome of the ten Tribes and in the whole family brought vp from the land of Aegypt they will haue included the Kingdome of Iudah the other two Tribes the Tribes of Benjamin and Iudah So Theodoret and Albertus and Montanus Quadratus and Christophorus à Castro Petrus à Figueiro takes this whole family to be here vsed Appositoriè by Apposition to expresse what is meant by the children of Israel The children of Israel that is the whole family kindred or nation of the Israelites which the Lord brought vp from the land of Aegypt The like doth Tauerner in his English Bible his Translation runnes thus Heare what the Lord speaketh vnto you O ye children of Israel namely vnto all the Tribes whom I brought out of Aegypt I take them to be in the right who by the children of Israel doe vnderstand the Kingdome of the ten Tribes and by the whole family brought vp from Aegypt the other two Tribes the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin to this sense Heare this word this sentence that the Lord pronounceth against you O children of Israel and not against you alone but euen against all those whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt All that are in the same fault doe well deserue the same punishment If Iudah sinne as well as Israel Iudah shall bee punished as well as Israel Heare therefore this word not only you of Israel but you of Iudah too all you whom I brought vp from the land of Aegypt All which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt How can this bee Of those which the Lord brought vp out of Aegypt all that were of i Numb 14.30 32.11 12. twenty yeeres old and vpward all saue two Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh and Ioshua the sonne of Nun died in the Wildernesse They died there and therefore they came not into the Holy Land Againe the deliuerance of Israel out of Aegypt was about k An. M. 2454. seuen hundred yeeres before the l Which was An. M. 3158. time that this Prophesie came by the ministery of Amos vnto Israel What Seuen hundred yeeres before this time It s then to be presumed that all which so long before were brought vp from Aegypt were long ere this time dead And so out of doubt they were How then is it that here so long after it is said to the children of Israel from the Lord Eduxi I brought you your whole family vp from the Land of Aegypt The Israelites to whom this speech is had for the place of their natiuity and habitation the land of Iudaea Neuer had they beene in the land of Aegypt and yet may there be a good construction of what is here said vnto them Eduxi I brought you your whole family vp from the land of Aegypt Albertus makes the construction I brought you vp vos in patribus you in your Fathers So doth Petrus Lusitanus I brought you vp vos vtique in parentibus you in your parents And so Piscator I brought you vp vos in maioribus you in your Ancestours You in your Fathers in your Parents in your Ancestours I brought you vp from the land of Aegypt I brought vp from the land of Aegypt The words we met with before Chap. 2.10 There they were by me expounded and haply you will not thinke it fit I should say the same againe vnto you Wherefore for a full exposition of these words and the profit to be taken by them I referre you to my fifteenth Lecture vpon the second Chapter of this Prophesie of Amos. Hitherto haue I dwelt vpon the opening of the words of my present Text. I gather vp all in briefe Heare not only with the outward eare but also with the assent of minde heare and vnderstand this word this thing this sentence this decree that the Lord Iehouah the onely true euerlasting and Almighty God hath spoken hath pronounced ouer you vpon you to you against you against you O children of Israel yee the sonnes the posterity of Iacob and not against you onely but also against the whole family the whole Nation of you them of Iudah too against you all whose Fathers Parents and Ancestours I brought vp and deliuered with a mighty hand and out-stretched arme from the land of Aegypt that land wherein they liued in great slauery and bondage saying after this manner as it followeth vers 2. You only haue I knowne c. The words you see are expounded It remaineth now that we gather from hence such obseruations as are here naturally offered vnto vs
Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine The threatnings of God they are not vana dunt axat puerorum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula as Quadratus hath well noted they are not onely as scar-crowes or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne Neuer are they in vaine Of two sorts they are for either they concerne a spirituall and eternall punishment or a punishment that is temporary and corporall Of the first sort is that commination Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them The punishment there threatned is spirituall it is eternall Saint Paul so expounds it Gal. 3.10 where he saith As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them The curse there spoken of is no temporall no corporall matter it is spirituall it is eternall The reason is because the curse is opposed to the blessing Now to bee blessed with faithfull Abraham is to be iustified to bee absolued from sinne and death to be in fauour with God to obtaine eternall saluation and therefore to be accursed is to be condemned for sinne to be cast out from God to be adiudged to euerlasting death and Hell The blessing is spirituall and eternall and therefore must the curse also be spirituall and eternall Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obuious If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to doe his Commandements but will despight his statutes and abhorre his iudgements then will the Lord doe thus and thus vnto you In the 26. of Leuit. vers 16. he will visit you with vexations consumptions and burning agues that shall consume your eyes and cause you sorrow of heart Vers 17. he will set his face against you and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you Vers 19. Hee will breake the pride of your power and will make your Heauen as iron and your Earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine for neither shall your land yeeld her encrease nor your trees their fruits Vers 22. Hee will send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattell and make you few in number These and other like threatnings against the wilfull contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleaged 26. Chapter of Leuiticus and 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy and other places of holy Scripture than I can at this time stand vpon to relate them They are many they are fearefull Many and fearefull are the punishments though but temporary and corporall which the Lord threatneth to the wilfull contemners of his holy Will Thus you see Gods threatnings are of two sorts either of spirituall and eternall punishments or punishments that are temporary and corporall These threatnings of punishments corporall or spirituall temporary or eternall are by the Lord himselfe accomplished at times certaine and vnchangeable When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impiety and wickednesse the Lord appointed a certaine space the space of 120. yeeres for their repentance and conuersion Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he also is flesh yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres Though he saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was euill was onely euill was euill continually so that with great iustice he might forthwith haue swallowed them vp with a floud yet would hee not but would yet forbeare longer and looke for their amendment A hundred and twenty yeeres yet would he giue them to see if they would returne and auoid his wrath But they would not returne and therefore at the very end and terme of those hundred and twenty yeeres he brought the floud vpon them Then then and not before he brought the floud vpon them For compare we the particular circumstances of time noted Gen. 7.3 6 11. with that which Saint Peter writeth in his first Epistle chap. 3.20 we shall finde that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the Iewes Ierem. 25.11 Because you haue not heard my voice behold I will take from you the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the candle you shall be a desolation and an astonishment shall serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres The summe of the Commination is that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as those yeeres those seuenty yeeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophesie of Ieremie exactly setteth it downe Chap. 5.30 saying The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine the same night the very night wherein those seuenty yeeres came to their full period was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine To these fearefull examples of Noahs floud and the carrying away of the Iewes into Babylon may be added the burning of Sodome by fire and brimstone the destruction of the ten Tribes the ruine of Ierusalem and the Kingdome of Iudah the desolation of the seuen Churches of Asia all which besides many other calamities vpon many other places and persons accomplished and come to passe according to the threatnings of the Lord may well assure vs that whatsoeuer he hath threatned will certainly take effect And certainly if we by serious and true repentance doe not preuent the execution of his threats he will not faile to preuent vs and take vs away suddenly Thus is my obseruation made good If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine No it will not If God threaten and no repentance followeth then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe Hee threatens not in vaine hee terrifies not without cause no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey or the Lions whelpe cryeth out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing Is it thus Beloued Shall we finde that Gods threatnings will be effectuall and powerfull against vs if we by our sinnes goe on still to prouoke him to displeasure It seemes then that if we repent vs of our sinnes and cease any further to grieue Gods holy Spirit his threatnings will bee vaine and without
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
Saint Hierome See their many madnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint many miraculous and strange demeanours Oecolampadius saith Stupenda multa many prodigious deportments Drusius Strages multas many slaughters Caluin Concussiones multas many concussions violent and publike extortions Vatablus and Mercer Contritiones multas many Contritions brusings or cursings of the afflicted Iunius and Piscator Vexationes plurimas very many vexations Gualter Tumultus multos many tumults Brentius Tumultus magnos great tumults Great tumults It s our translation See See then many madnesses strange and prodigious behauiours slaughters concussions contritions very many vexations many and great tumults All these see In medio ejus in the middest of Samaria Yet is not this all you are there to see For see also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaschukim the oppressed in the middest thereof For the oppressed Caluin hath Oppressiones the oppressions it is the marginall reading in our now-Bible Brentius hath Calumnias so hath Oecolampadius Saint Hierome and the Vulgar Latine Calumniam patientes Their meaning is that in Samaria in the middest thereof in penetralibus eius in the in most parts thereof there were many that were calumniated were accused falsly were appeached wrongfully were charged maliciously were reproached vniustly were reuiled iniuriously Such doing was there in Samaria not onely in the country abroad but also within the walls thereof Euery where did cruelty aduance it selfe and so did Couetousnesse And thus haue I expounded the Proclamation the words thereof in which the Philistines and Aegyptians Gentes extra Oeconomiam Dei prophane Nations are cited to be witnesses yea and Iudges too of the impurity and vncleannesse that was in the Lords owne people the people of Israel My obseruation is God â—ometimes conuinceth his owne people of impiety by comparing them with forreine Nations Such a comparison is that Ierem. 2.10 Passe ouer the Iles of Chittim and see and send vnto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be any such thing Hath any Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods But my people haue changed their glory for that which doth not profit It is a vehement expostulation and in the paraphrase may be thus You my people of the Iewish Nation passe ye ouer vnto Chittim to the Macedonians and Cyprians see of what Religion and constancy they are and send ye vnto Kedar to the Hagarâ—ns obserue them marke them diligently Can you finde thinke you any Nations so like your selues so inconstant so mutâ—ble Is there any Nation in the whole world that so rashly changeth her Gods Gods Gods of the Nations They are no Gods but Idols the froth and skumme of mans braine And yet are the Nations constant in the worship of these their false Gods their no Gods But you you of the Iewish Nation mine owne people you haue changed your Glory Me the true faithfull and euerliuing God in whom alone you should haue gloried Mee haue you changed for a thing of nought Be astonished O ye Heauens at this be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. A like comparison is that brought by our Sauiour in the Gospell Matth. 12.41 Where from the example of the Niniuites he inferreth the condemnation of the Iewes The men of Niniueh shall rise vp in iudgement with this generation Luk. 11.33 and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here The Niniuites were Gentiles and Barbarians the Iewes were Gods owne people the Preacher to the Niniuites was Ionas a meere man and a stranger but Christ God and man of the line and race of Dauid was the Preacher to the Iewes Ionas his preaching continued bur for three daies and the Niniuites repented Christ preached for three yeeres together and the Iewes blasphemed Therefore shall the men of Niniueh rise vp in iudgement with the Iewes and shall condemne them Saint Paul likewise presseth the example of the Gentiles the more to accuse the Corinthians of grieuous sinne among them 1 Cor. 5.1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles The Gentiles who know not God nor haue heard of the faith of Christ will not commit so foule a sinne and will you Christians you who hope for saluation by faith in Christ will you defile your selues with such abomination For the loue of God for the loue of your owne soules flye from fornication And thus haue you the confirmation of my second obseruation which was God sometimes conuinceth his owne people of impiety by comparing them with forreine Nations The vse of this obseruation may be to teach vs who professe the faith of Christ that the glorious name of Christianity is but vaine and idle if a mans life through his corrupt and dissolute behauiour be not answerable Saint Augustine in his time propounded this question to an Auditory of his in his second Sermon vpon the thirtieth Psalme Quam multos putatis fratres mei velle esse Christianos sed offendi malos moribus Christianorum My brethren how many thinke ye there are that would willingly become Christians but that they take exception at the euill liues of the Christians Long after him great Gregory Moral lib. 25. cap. 10. complained Nonnulli fidem medullitèr tenent sed viuere fideliter nullatenùs curant Many there are that make profession of the faith of a Christian but they take no care at any hand to liue the life of a Christian The life of a Christian if you take it in its full perfection is not such a kinde of life as the Christians vse to liue at this day in the world but such a life as our Sauiour Christ liued such as his Disciples liued such as the holy Martyrs vnder the Primitiue Church did liue a life that is a continuall crosse and death of the whole man whereby man thus mortified and annihilated is fit to be transformed into the similitude and likenesse of God But where is the Christian that now adayes liueth such a life Hath not dissimulation and hypocrisie in a manner couered the face of the Earth Christi nomen auditis you heare the name of Christ but where shall you see the man that liueth the life of Christ Crepamus Euangelium we cry the Gospell the Gospell but where is he that yeeldeth obedience to the Gospell Doctrinam fidei ebuccinamus we trumpet out the Doctrine of faith but the discipline of a Christian life we exterminate we banish Multa passim fides absque operibus euery where there is much speech of the efficacie of faith without workes but where is the man that sheweth me his faith by his workes Beloued what shall I say more If we haue a delight to be called the people of God if wee take any ioy in the name of a Christian let it be our care to liue as it becommeth the people
the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end Thus much bee spoken for the exposition of the words Now let vs see what point of obseruation may from hence arise for our further profit In that our Prophet here seemeth to reproue and tax the rich men Princes and others in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes for their variety cost and state in their buildings by threatning destruction to their winter houses and summer houses to their houses of iuory and to their great houses this question is propounded Whether it be lawfull for Kings Princes and other men of state to build such houses Petrus Lusitanus thus resolues it If Kings Princes and other men of state be otherwise godly and faithfull and studious of Gods worship and mindfull of the poore they may without sinne build such sumptuous and magnificent houses and palaces according to their owne reuenues and estate Such houses King Salomon built and is not reproued He was building of his owne house thirteene yeeres He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon 1 King 7.1 and he made a house for Pharaohs daughter All these houses were of precious stones according to the measures of hewed stones sawed with Sawes within and without euen from the foundation vnto the coping 1 King 7.9 These doubtlesse were costly and magnificent houses yet is Salomon commended for building them And yet neuerthelesse is all such building blame-worthy and to be reproued if it exceed the measure of the ability and dignity of the builder For then there is a necessity of oppressing the poore Against such builders there is a wo gone forth Ier. 22.13 Woe vnto him that buildeth by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers by wrong Againe though a builder exceed not the measure of his ability and dignity yet may his building bee reproueable through the vanity of his intention if his intendment be not Gods honour but his owne praise for haughtinesse and pride of minde makes the best action faulty So much for the question proceed we to the obseruation From the demolition and ouerthrow here threatned and after in due time brought to passe vpon the winter house with the summer house vpon the houses of iuory and vpon the great houses in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes we may make this obseruation that All the aid and succour a man hath from his buildings whatsoeuer is vaine if once the wrath of God break forth against him If once the wrath of God breake forth against vs alas what shall faire rich and great buildings auaile vs If these might haue yeelded any succour in the day of the Lords visitation the Israelites might haue found it But they together with their buildings thoughfull of state and pompe are perished and come to nought And is it not in like sort fallen out with other most flourishing common wealths and most mighty Kingdomes The daily change of things doth abundantly euict that there is nothing in this world perpetuall Here then may Filii huius seculi this worlds darlings some rich men be reproued for a vanity of theirs They see that death comes alike to all to the rich as to the poore and yet they dreame of nothing else than of a perpetuity of life here For so they order all their waies as if they were to liue here for euer They build them houses great and goodly houses and spare no cost to adorne and deck them gorgeously supposing hereby to continue a perpetuity of their name This vanity of theirs the Psalmist of old hath very well discouered Psal 49.10 11. They see that wise men also die and perish together as well as the ignorant and foolish and leaue their riches for other And yet they thinke that their houses shall continue for euer and that their dwelling places shall endure from generation to generation and call their lands after their owne names By which their vanity they seeme to acknowledge no other life but this Whatsoeuer we preach vnto them of that better life that heauenly and eternall life they beleeue it not but rather they deride it as fabulous But if at any time they are conuinced in conscience that there remaineth after this a better life yet they desire it not Their onely desire and wish is to dwell here for euer Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations and for this purpose they call their lands after their owne names They will no other Paradise but this As vaine were they that built the Tower of Babel Gen. 11.4 Goe to say they Let vs build vs a City and a Tower whose top may reach vnto Heauen and let vs make vs a name lest we bee scattered abroad vpon the face of the whole earth Let vs build vs a City and a Tower One reason is a desire of dominion Hugo saith Gen. 10.10 Factum esse cupiditate regnandi that Nimrod set forward the worke that it might be the beginning and chiefe of his Kingdome Another reason is Ne diuidaemur lest we be scattered They built them a City and a Tower to maintaine society that they might dwell together and not be scattered vpon the face of the whole earth Antiq. Iud. lib. 1. cap. 5. Iosephus thinks they did it of purpose to oppose themselues against the ordinance and commandement of God who would haue them dispersed into diuers parts that the world might be replenished A third reason is Vt celebremus nomen nostrum to get vs a name They built them a City and a Tower to grow famous thereby De confus ling. 468. Philo saith they did write their names in this Tower to reuiue their memory with posterity In this their proud enterprise they sinned grieuously They sinned through their impiety towards God Erigebant turrim contra Dominum saith S. Augustine De Ciuit Dei l. 16. c. 4. they erected a Tower in despight of God The Prophet Esay according to this patterne bringeth in the King of Babel thus vaunting himselfe I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds I will be like the most high Chap. 14.14 Secondly they sinned through vanity For what more vaine than to neglect Heauen where onely immortality is to be found and to seeke to be famous on earth where there is nothing that is not vaine and transitory See saith Chrysostome the root of euill they seeke to be famous aedificiis non cleemosynis by buildings not by almes Thirdly they sinned through disobedience For knowing that it was Gods ordinance that the earth by them should be replenished they did wilfully oppose themselues against it They would liue together and would not be dispersed as euen now I told you out of Iosephus Fourthly they sinned through impudency Philo cries out vpon it O insignem impudentiam O notorious impudency whereas they should rather haue couered their sinnes they proclaime their pride their tyranny their