LONDONS VVARNING BY JERVSALEM A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE ON MID-Lent Sunday last By Francis White Mr. of Arts and sometime of Magdalene Colledge in OXFORD Devt 32.29 Oh that they were wise then they would understand this they would consider their latter end LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Richard Flemming and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the three Flower-de-Lâ—â—â—s in Saint Pauls Alley neere Saint Gregories Church 1619. Vox index animi Vox index esto libelli Vox clamans titulum Signat amans animum TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RELIGIOVS Lady MARY Lady HVNSDEN as also to her truely Noble and most vertuous Sonne Henry Lord Hunsden the blessing of Heauen and earth be multiplyed Right Honorable PResuming on your fauours I am emboldned to present you with the firstlings of my endeuours who may best chalenge them beeing the first who gaue life and breath in your incouragements to these my intendements For neuer had I engaged my selfe so farre in these more publique imployments but had contented my selfe in an obscure retire on my rurall Charge but that the experiments of your fauour did for a while dictate another course vnto me which since good considerations haue altered it being aswell your religious desire as my care to feede mine owne flocke at home though but a very little one beeing in a place altogether dispeopled rather then to intend anothers Charge abroad I had sometime thought the desolatenes of the place had been sufficient priuiledge for absence but I finde it otherwise many being ready to find fault as Eliab did with Dauid for leauing 1. Sam. 17.28 though but a few Sheepe in the Wildernesse And therefore to giue offence to none I will seeke no farther excuses for my absence but returne vnto mine owne and sith my absence can no longer suffer mee to performe that seruice to your Honors which I could wish I shall leaue this small Present with you as a pledge of that duty seruice which I owe making vp in my dayly prayers to God for your Honors what shal bee wanting in the performances of my seruice to you desiring the God of Heauen to blesse your Honors with the blessings of this life and blessednes of a better Your Honors most deuoted Chaplaine FRANCIS WHITE TO THE WORTHY SOCIETIES OF CITIZENS in this famous Citie of LONDON in especiall to his louing friends of the Parish of St. Sepulchres WHat was sometime preached to the eare is now presented to the eye and the rather this because the more may take notice of it if any thing there be which any wayes may concerne the Peace of our Hierusalem Nothing there is at all which may deserue the Printing but if any thing there be which any wayes may auaile the soules good the Lord Print that in the Heart which is all I ayme at or can desire I hope it will be offence to none but to such onely who put the gaine of Deceit into a broken Bagge for whom I passe not that our Prophets Inuectiue against the scant measure wicked Balances and the bagge of deceitfull weights is renued in these times and some of the Citie corners not exempted from it which Discipline in time no doubt will redresse and purge That glorious things may euer bee spoken of thee Psal 87. thou Citie of God and the Lord may still loue the habitations of Iacob where his Name is called vpon and his will obserued Thus seeke wee still the peace of our Hierusalem breaking off our sinnes by repentance being at peace with God that the God of peace and loue may establish for euer peace within our Walles and set plenty within our Palaces to his glory and the comfort of vs all in Christ Iesus Yours in all Christian Offices and seruices of loue FRANCIS WHITE LONDONS WARNING MICAH 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie and the man of wisedome shall see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it MAiestie in this Chapter seemes to parly euen with misery God parlies with man and that the quarrell of a gracious God with an vnthankfull people may appeare most iust Heauen and earth the dumbe creatures of God which in the nineteeneth Psalme are stiled the silent Preachers of Gods glory mercy vnto man are heere cited to be eare-witnesses of mans vnthankfulnes vnto God For in the second verse Heare ye O Mountaines and yee mightie foundations of the earth the Lords quarrell against his people The witnesses thus produc't Rockes and Mountaines to conuince the hardnesse of mans heart and height of rebellion against his God God he begins his plea and shewes the ancient euidences of his loue Verse 5 O my people Verse 4 saith God what haue I done vnto thee or wherin haue I grieued thee testifie against me Is it because I brought thee out of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants and led thee like a flocke Verse 5 by the hand of Moses and Aaron Is it because I turned Balaams curse into a blessing vnto you Is it because from Shittim vnto Gilgal nay from Egypt vnto Canaan I made knowne to you my mercy my power to your enemies Is it this that ye lift vp the heele against mee Is it this my kindnes which makes you thus vnkind vnto me Remember O my people these great mercies of your Sauiour and so acknowledge the righteousnes of the Lord. This is Gods gracious plea with his vnthankefull people which did so wound and abash their guiltie conscience that they cry out in the sixt verse Verse 7 In quo occurram wherewith shall I come before the Lord And now God he shall haue burnt offerings hee shall haue thousands of Rammes nay ten thousand Riuers of Oyle nay their first-borne child the fruit of their body for the sinne of their soule And all this now if the Lord he will be but pleased But this God well he knowes to be but crusted obedience much like vnto a wound which deceitfull skill gathers to a skin while within 't is putred and rankles to the bone For so this seeming obedience it doth often palliate the rancour and malice of an euill heart and therefore indicauit tibi O homo God he shews thee O man in the 8. Verse what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God which is the full summe of the Decalogue and the whole dutie of Man And all burnt-offerings thousands of Riuers of Oyle the fruit of the body for the sinne of the soule they are all but splendida peccata they are but glittering sinnes if this be wanting to doe iustly man with man which is the one halse dutie of man and to walke humbly with thy God which is the other This therefore being the very life and soule of our obedience without which our obedience like a dead carkase stinkes in the nostrils of
commendation of this famous Citie There is no Nation vnder heauen more respects these Voices if they be the Lords Voices indeed then the more graue and discreeter Citizens And as for the rest they loue them too but not with so good discretion for they loue them in a manner as the Ape doth her yong ones they loue them so importunately that they kill them And therefore it were to be wisht they would loue them a little more in louing them a little lesse while they giue the Voices a breathing time to follow the Apostles rule to his beloued Timothy 1. Tim 4.13 To giue attendance to reading and to exhortation and to doctrine that there may be a breathing while for the Voices to giue attendance to reading as well as all to exhortation and to doctrine For the Voices they will be so much the better able to teach others by their doctrine when they haue first taught themselues by their reading Now as wee are bound to loue the Lords Voices so can we not better expresse our loue vnto them then in cherishing them For farre bee it that the Lords Voices should be fedde like meere voyces indeed onely with ayre and that their maintenance should bee the peoples courtesie and beneuolence for this it were a dishonour vnto God and a great abasing to the Ministerie The very Heathens tell vs as much Ptut Mor. For Plutarch tels vs of a Laconian who seeing a Collector going about and gathering the peoples deuotions for the gods O saith he I will now make no more reckoning of the gods so long as I see them goe a begging and to bee poorer then my selfe And would not thinke you many a churlish Nabal and repining Laban of these dayes bee ready to fall into the same disdaine of God and of his Voices if the Offals onely of their reuenues and cruell mercies of their purse were the stay and maintenance of the Ministers life This it were great pitie it should be so and hope suggests the best that it wil neuer be For were it so as in the same Plutarch we reade Plut. Mor. of one Philippus a Priest amongst the Heathen so poore that hee beg'd for his liuing and yet hee would goe about and tell how happy he should be When quoth one will this be When I am dead saith he Why then poore fellow quoth the other thou art too blame thou diest not quickly that thou mayst be happy Euen thus should the Lords poore Voices bee flouted of the world The Lord is our portion say the Voices and wee shall bee happy but when saith the world shall you haue this portion that ye may be happy When we dye say the Voices Why then sayes the world yee are too blame ye dye not quickly to be happy in Heauen whom the world hath tooke an order with neuer to bee happy on earth But this it is the voice of the sonnes of Belial who haue euill will at Sion and had rather put a Church into their purse then empty their purse vpon the Church For you beloued the Lords Voices are perswaded better things of you how regardfull of them you haue alwayes beene and how carefull you be 2. Reg. 4. not onely with the good Shunamite to prouide them a Chāber a Table a Stoole when they turne in vnto you but to send them away as Ioseph did his Brethren Gen. 42. with their Sacks full of Corne and euery man his money in his Sacks mouth meat for the belly and money for the back For which care of yours in cherishing the Lords Voices the blessing of Heauen and the farnesse of the earth be your great reward And may they euer liue registred in the Kalendar of Saints who already haue or hereafter shall more like the Primitiues of old then the hold-fast Possessiues of these times thus bring in part of their Possessions and lay it downe at the Apostles feet bringing an offering to the worke of the Tabernacle to this so worthy a Worke. Now as wee are to loue and cherish so are wee also to obey the Lords Voices And this is it the Apostle exhorts you vnto Heb. 13. Verse 17 Obey them which haue the ouer sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue account for them vnto God that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you You are then to obey Gods Minister because God hath set him as a watchmā ouer your soules he must giue an account to God for your soules Now if ye doe what hee commands you from God his shall be the ioy and yours the crowne But if yet will be stiffenecked and not obey though his bee the griefe to see his Ministerie take no better effect amongst you yours shall be the perill For if hee giue vp his account of your soules with griefe of heart for your disobedience to the Gospell of Christ this it is vnprofitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you and not for him And therefore as you tender your soules obey the Lords Voices which watch ouer your soules Giue an obedient eare to the Lords Voices to heare them and an obedient heart to the Lord himselfe to feare him that yee may be blessed For in the 30. of Deuteronomie Verse 20 there be three wayes set downe the three rodes by which we come to blessednes the first is by louing the Lord thy God the second by obeying his Voice and the third by cleauing vnto him so that if thou loue the Lord because he is thy Father if thou cleaue vnto him because he is thy Saniour if thou obey his Voice because hee is thy Lord thou and thy Seed shall liue and bee blessed vpon earth For if thou obey diligently the Voice of the Lord the Lord in the 28. of Deut. pronourices thee Blessed in the Citie Verse 3 and blessed in the field Verse 4 blessed in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of the ground Verse 6 blessed in thy comming in and in thy going out Verse 8 blessed in thy storehouses blessed in all thou set'st thine hand vnto Thus shall the man bee blessed that obeyes the Voice of the Lord. And therefore all ye who desire blessednes heare and obey that yee may eate the good things of the Land And thus now you see how for the Lords sake whose Spouse the Church is you are to loue to cherish and to obey the Lords Voices Now let euery faithfull Christian which is a member of the true Church the Spouse of Christ plight faith to Christ the Husband of this Spouse for the performance of this Christian dutie which God so requires at our hands And so from the Voice come we to see the nature of the Voice It is a crying Voice The Lords Voice Cryoth and neede had the Voice be a Crying Voice for it hath a Citie to Cry in and a whispering still Voice
speake for mercy vnto God for man for in the second of Ioel the Priests these crying Voyces of the Lord Verse 17 they weepe betweene the porch and the Altar and cry to God Spare thy people O Lord and giue not thine heritage ouer to reproch and God in the 18. and 19. verses to shew how much hee accepts the cry of his Voyces the cryes and prayers of his Ministers which they powre before him for his people himselfe vouchsafes a gracious reply and makes the answer how that at the cry of his Ministers he cannot but be iealous ouer his Land and spare his people and giue them their hearts desire corne wine and oyle and freedome from their enemies such is the force of prayer for the people in the Lords Ministers mouth if it be feruent from the heart Now then ye people of the Lord if ye haue any care or regard at all of your soules learne to distinguish betweene the cry of voyces that knowing which cry against your soules good and which cry for the good of your soules you may be able to discerne which you are to heare and obey which to shut your eares against and to auoyd You see heere there bee three crying voyces abroad in the world The first is the crying nay the roaring voyce of the Deuill and this voyce cries vnto you to breathe defiance against Heauen and to write your names in the earth with the red inke of bloud or the blacke inke of hellish villany This voyce cries vnto you with wicked Kain to murther a righteous Abel it cries vnto you to play the traitor with Iudas it cries vnto you to take away another mans possession with Ahab it cries vnto you to steale a wedge of gold with Achan it cries vnto you to play the drunken Sot with Nabal it cries vnto you to play the vncharitable Miser with Diues it cries vnto you to dye your soules of the Deuils hue in the blacke deeds of darknesse and of wickednesse Now the second crying voyce which is abroad in the world is the crying voyce of sinne and this cries to heauen for a punishment for sinners it cries vnto the clowds to deny the sinner raine it cries vnto the sunne to deny the sinner light it cries vnto the earth to deny the sinner food it cries to Mercy not to regard the sinner it cries to Iustice to renounce the sinner it cries to hell to receiue the sinner and it cries for tortures to torment the sinner this is the crying voyce of sinne which is neuer with vs but is still against vs. Now the third and last crying voyce which is Gods crying Voyce of Mercy this cries vnto you not to play Kains part and to kill but to loue thy brother as thy selfe not to play Iudas part and betray but to obey from the heart those which are set ouer you not to play Ahabs part and oppresse but to giue to euery man his owne not to play Achans part and to steale but to worke euery man with his own hands to eat his bread in the sweat of his browes not to play Nabals part and be drunke but to be sober to watch and to play not to play Diues part and to be miserable but to doe good to distribute to bee to all men charitable and then againe it cries vnto you as you would haue the clowds drop raine so let your eyes drop teares for your sinnes as you would haue the earth be fruitful so to be fruitfull in good works as you would haue the sunne giue light so to walke as children of light as you would haue heauen escape hell so to haue your conuersation in heauen while ye liue on earth This is the Voyce of mercy which is euer with vs and neuer is against vs. Now chuse you which of these three voyces will you heare the Deuils voyce you see how it comes vnto you with a word cloathed with death and playes the Orator for hell to gaine right to your soule through vnrighteous practices and will you heare this voyce to obey and follow it Why follow it you may but know where it leades it leads to the paths of death high-way to damnation The crying voyce of sinne this you heare how it cries to heauen against you and still in the end proues a backward friend to those her vassals who obey sinne in the lust thereof though at first the better to serue her turn she fawne vpon them and will you now bee wonne by the entising voyce of sinne to follow and obey it in the lust thereof why follow it you may but it threatens your destructiō for sinne will one day pay her seruants their wages home and will requite their euill life which was spent in her seruice with euerlasting death which is their wages for their seruice Rom. 6. for the wages of sinne is death and therefore as you tender your soules redeemed by Christs precious bloud from the power of sinne and Satan captiuate not your soules againe by listning to the entisements of sin and prouocations of the Deuill but lend your eares onely to the Lords crying Voyce of mercy attend only this blessed Voyce which cryes abroad in the world to bring sinners home againe to God by repentance and if you shut your eares the dores of your soule against all other entising voyces of sinne and Satan and open them onely to the Lords crying Voyce to prepare a way for the King of glory to enter in assure your selues such shall be the peace and ioy of your soules that you shall haue heauen in your soules in this life and your soules shall haue heauen in another life And so much for the first reason why the Voyce it is a crying Voyce Now secondly the Voyce it is a crying Voyce to rouze and awake the dead secure City dead asleepe in sin which no voyce but a crying Voyce could rouze and this collection fitly arises from some variety of interpretation of the word in the Originall which is here rendred a City for as Cal uin hath obserued it some read it Vox Iebouae ad ciuit atem some againe Ad exper gefaciendum clamat Some read it The Voyce of the Lord crieth to the City Some againe read it The Voyce of the Lord crieth to rouze to awake which implies the great deadness security of the Citie which could not be awaked without a crying Voyce for as our blessed Sauior being to raise dead Lazarus from death to life is said to cry with a loud voyce Clamauit voce magna saith the text he cryed with a loud voyce Iohn 11. Lazarus come forth so our blessed Sauior being to raise the dead sinner dead in sins trespasses as it is Ephes 2. he makes his Voyces crying Voyces vers 1 to cry vnto the sinner to come forth of the graue of sin Surge qui dormis Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand vp
yet may the world soone be brought to confesse this truth by the euidence of her owne iudgement in worldly matters For the world deemes him the onely wise man who is prouident for after-times and who with Ioseph can lay vp in time of plenty Gen. 41.33 for the time of dearth now who more prouident in this kind then this man of wisdom of whom we speak who more laies vp for after-times then he for he is stil conuersant in Gods book which is a rich store-house for the soule to furnish it with the Panoplie of a Christian Ephes 6. and therefore hee still hath recourse to this rich treasurie to furnish his soule with all things needfull at all assayes for after-times and in time of prosperitie hee stores vp patience to help him in aduersitie in time of health he stores vp Gods mercies to refresh him in his sicknesse in time of peace and quietnesse he stores vp constancie and Christian resolution to back him out in time of persecution And as he is thus prouident for the good of his soule in this life so is hee most of all prouident for his soules good after this life For hee like a good Pilgrime-Traueller because hee would not cumber his soule too much with the trash of this world which might hinder his expedition in his iourney to Heauen hee wisely sends his treasures to Heauen before him some on poore mens backs cloathing them some in poore mens bellies feeding them and some in poore mens hands liberally relieuing them to meete him in Heauen when himselfe comes thither where his soule is sure to finde them and a reward with them Now let the world speake truth whether this so prouident a man bee not the onely man of wisedome in the world And I would to God all that haue soules to saue would bee thus wise vnto saluation and would bee as prouident for their soules as they are carefull for their bodies that wisedome might imbrace vs all for her children Now the second propertie of true wisedome is it serues to regulate and rule out our actions making them goe in a straight and right line for all our wayes are crooked wayes till such time as wisedome make straight steps vnto our feete and therefore Wisedome may well bee called the soules Controuler and happy is the soule where wisedome is controuler For Wisedome or Folly is the Mistresse of all our actions and folly is to our actions as the Varlet Baud is to the Strumpet to entise vs vnto sinne but wisedome is to our actions as the naturall Mother to her child to winne vs vnto goodnesse Folly saith to the yong heyre Be prodigall now thou hast it and let it flie in vanitie but saith Wisedome vnto him Liue honestly now thou hast it and vse it to sobrietie Saith Folly to the old Man Bee couetous now thou hast it and let it lye by thee But saith Wisedome vnto him Doe good while thou hast it for therefore was it giuen thee Folly bids the angry man giue a stab for a wrong but Wisedome is for patience Folly bids the ryotous man exceed in his Dyet but Wisedome is for Temperance Folly bids vs get it no matter how but Wisedome is for conscience And thus doe Wisedome and Folly striue for our actions and one while we yeeld to folly and another while to wisedome but happy hee who when hee sees Wisedome and Folly thus plead pro and con for his actions iudges wisely of the matter and giues Wisedome but her due For such a man hee is a man of wisedome a man in whom Wisedome delights For the obedient eare is wisedomes delight And therefore this man hee is the onely fit man to heare Gods Voice because wisedome makes him to see Gods Name while hee still beholds God in an holy contemplation and still drawes neerer and neerer vnto God in an heauenly conuersation For the man of wisedome shall see thy Name Videbit nomen Shall see thy name One would take it at first blush to bee more naturall in proprietie of speech for the Prophet to haue said Shall heare thy name rather then Shall see thy name But it is most significant as it is The man of wisedome shall see thy name For wee often heare Gods name and we feare it not For some who heare it blaspheme it and most who heare it regard it not with that reuerence as beseemes the high Maiestie of so great and glorious a name Whereas did wee propose to our selues to see Gods name did we see and behold with the eye of Faith the holy Angels of Heauen still praising this name Did wee see and behold the Diuels in hell trembling at this name Did wee see and behold the Saints on earth adoring this name Did wee see and behold all the creatures of God obeying this name our hearts would tremble within vs to take this holy name into our mouth but with feare and reuerence we would feare vainely to sweare by and blaspheme as wee doe this holy name which the Angels in Heauen with continuall Halle-lu-iahs praise magnifie and the Saints on earth with all the deuotions of an humbled foule reuerence and adore and wee would euen quake and tremble sleightly as too too commonly wee doe vpon euery small occasion to vse this holy name at which euen the Diuels themselues doe tremble and all the creatures of God stoope and obey And therefore he that is a man of wisedome amongst vs he will endeuour to see further then ordinarie he will see Gods name When he heares Gods name to be a name of Power he will withall in the rare workmanship and exquisite fabricke of Heauen and earth see and acknowledge the Maiestie of this name when he heares Gods name to be a name of glory and great renowne he will withall in the continuall praises of Saints and Angels who dayly sing Te Deums vnto God see and acknowledge the glory of this name To be briefe hee that is a man of wisedome amongst vs when hee heares Gods Name proclaimed in his Word if this mooue him not hee will ioyne his eyes vvith his eares and see Gods name glorious in his works which will strike him with astonishment For wee are all of vs like the Queene of Saba 1. King 10. readier to beleeue our eyes then our eares She heares of Salomons wisedome but shee credits not the report till shee comes to be an eye-witnesse of Salomons glory when shee is greatly astonied to see his wisedome and the glory of his house So wee hearing of Gods wisedome his glory and his power preached vnto vs in his Word though our tongues confesse not so much to the world yet our hearts such is the imagination of the heart onely euill and that continually oftentimes fondly call in question the truth of what we heare and doubts arise whether all bee true But when once with our eyes wee see Gods wisedome in the order and gouernance of
his creatures and his glory and power in their excellency we then beginne to stand astonied at the lustre of so high a Maiesty And this is it which holy Iob confesseth I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare Iob 42.5 6. but now mine eye seeth thee I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust ashes And therefore againe and againe let mee vrge it to you as you desire to approue your selues men of wisedome haue this property of a wise man in you to haue your eyes still in your head ready vpon all assaies to see Gods name And in your prosperity see Gods gracious name to praise him for his bounty in your aduersity see Gods powerfull name to call vpon him for his helpe and mercy see his name a tower to defend you in danger see his name a sweet oyntment to refresh you in sicknesse see his name a Sauiour to saue you frō your sins that ye despaire not of mercy and see his name a Iudge to question you for you sinnes that you presume not of mercy To be briefe set God alwaies before your eyes and in all your actions see Gods name in the beginning to begin in the feare of his name and see Gods name in the ending to conclude to the glory of his name that your actions being begun continued and ended in him they may be crowned and accepted of him Thus would we still but see Gods name for the direction of our actions wee should not neede to feare Gods rodde wherewith he punishes the obliquity of our actions but because wee often more for fashions sake then any true deuotion presse to this and such like places onely to heare Gods name and yet prooue little better because withall wee doe not propose vnto our selues to see Gods name to feare Gods name we who will not vse our eyes to see Gods name for this contempt are heere summoned by the Prophet to vse our eares and to heare Gods rod Heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it of which but in a word It is not beare ye the rodde but onely audite heare ye the rod so that if ye heare the rodde and preuent the stroke with penitence and teares with fastings and with prayers and all the true deuotions of an humbled soule it is in your owne choice whether or no ye feele the rod For Niniueh that great City when shee no sooner heard the rodde Yet forty daies and Niniueh shall be destroyed but from the highest to the lowest Ionah 3. they humbled themselues in sackcloth and in ashes This humiliation of theirs their fasting their sackcloth and their ashes were as so many Orators to pleade for mercy for them in the eares of God and God spared the City and heard their cry because they first heard the cry of his Voyce Yet forty daies and Niniuch shall be destroyed and straight vpon it humbled themselues in dust and ashes Now God he cries the same in the eares of this City as hee did to Niniueh audite heare ye the rod and if ye now heare the rod as Niniueh did humble your selues with fastings and with prayers nor onely so but which is most memorable in Niniuchs humiliation as it is recorded in the 3. of Ionah v. 8. If euery man turne from the euill of his way some from their swearing some from their carowsing some from their oppressing all from their euill dealing thou beloued City of God vpon this thy humiliation the rod shall much rather depart from thee then it did from Niniueh onely audite heare ye only ye men of Israel and wash thee O Ierusalem Ierem. 4. v. 14. from thy wickednesse that thou maist be saued Now as the comfort is the rod it comes not sodainly and vnawares vpon vs but with an audite first heare yee it which is as the word of peace offered to a Nation before the sword be once vnsheathed for the battell So the comfort also is that it is but virga it is but a rod it is not the axe in the 3. of Math. laid to the root of the tree quite to cut downe euery tree that bringeth not forth good fruit It is not virga ferrea Gods iron rod in the 2. Psalm to crush and breake in pieces these bodies of earth like a Potters vessel but it is onely virga it is onely but a rod and as the comfort is that it is onely but a rod so the comfort also is that it is a Deo it is from God God hath appointed it who is our Father to be a gentle correction for his children But let not now these comforts make vs carelesse of the iudgement and because God is slow to anger and doth not straight punish but often first call vpon vs for repentance Heare ye the rod so amend Let vs not wilfully mistake Gods mercy and vpon this bee slow in our conuersion vnto God because the punishment when it comes it is but a rod let not vs slight the punishment and seem carelesse of the iudgement because the rod when it is vpon vs it is in a Fathers hand who is most tender in his punishments let not this encourage vs in our sins for though the rod be from God a Father yet is it also from God a most seuere Iudge though the rod come with an Audite Heare yee it and make delay Why the more delayes bee in the stroke the more heauy is the stroke and payes the homer when it comes though the rod when it comes be but a rod yet a rod it is and such a rod which makes the whole world our enemy for the whole world it is Gods rod wherwith he scourges the rebellious nation The fire it was Gods rod to consume the two Captaines of the King of Samaria and their followers who came violently to surprize the Lords Prophet 2. Reg. 1. The earth Numb 16. it was Gods rod to swallow vp Korah Dathan and Abiram for their rebellion The water it was Gods rod to drowne the old world and to ouerthrow the host of Pharaoh And for a long while the infected aire hath beene a rod vnto this City Warre it is Gods rod to punish the vnthankfull abuse of peace Famin it is Gods rod to punish the vnthankfull abuse of his creatures Pestilence it is Gods rod wherewith for a long time God hath punished this City and now hee doth but strike a stroke or two with this rod take away some one or two with his heauy plague and that not often neither but now and then to see if this his gentle correction will make vs wise now at last men of wisdome to see his name heare his rod and feare his Maiesty that the euill come not vpon vs for our sinnes And thus now you see though it be but a rod which is heere menaced against vs yet in that it is a rod it is enough to set heauen and earth against vs and therefore sith it is so that euery creature of God at the great Makers command is a rod ready at hand to scourge the rebellious nation this should teach vs to liue in an awfull feare of this rod and when Satan tempts vs to sinne to looke about vs and thinke euery creature we see an enemy to vs if wee sinne for this will make vs enemies vnto sinne Haue we then if we be wise still an eye to this rod and so learne we to feare God in whose hand it is that while we liue in feare of God and of his rod God may not feare vs with his rod For as for vs Beloued wee feare what our sinnes deserue there is some rod some iudgement or other houering ouer our heads but let vs in time preuent the Iudgement and heare the Lords Voyce from Heauen Now hee doth premonish vs that hee may take his rod from vs and not punish vs let vs come before God with tears in our eies with Peccaui in our mouthes with deuotion in our hearts and with almes in our hands that God seeing our penitence may remoue his punishments It is an vsuall saying amongst vs Euery good childe he will go vnto his father and keep his Mid-lent with his father And let vs heerein approue our selues good children indeed of God our heauenly Father in going this day vnto him our Father euery one of vs who are so many Prodigals of Gods graces and mercies towards vs following the good resolution of the Prodigall Luke 15.18 goe we vnto our Father and say vnto Him Father wee haue sinned against Heauen and against Thee and are no more worthy to bee called thy sonnes Accept vs Holy Father we beseech thee and imbrace vs with the armes of thy mercy now we come vnto thee spare thy people who turne vnto thee with fastings and with prayers and all the true deuotions of an humbled and sanctified soule and take thy rod from vs for we will heare thy Voyce to obey it and see thy name to feare it and to praise it Onely open our eyes that we may see and our eares that wee may heare and withall Open thou our mouthes that our lips may speake thy praises and so will we daily confesse to the honour of thy Name vnto him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloud and hath made vs Kings and Priests to God his Father euen to Iesus Christ Reuel 1. that faithfull Witnesse the first Begotten of the dead and prince of the Kings of the earth vnto Him and vnto Him alone for the riches of his mercy vnto vs be all glory and praise from this time forth and for euer Amen FINIS
the Lord that you may all of you take notice of it and not content your selues with imperfect Comma's of obedience to doe some part of that which God commandeth nor yet with imperfect Colons of obedience to doe the one halfe of that which God commandeth but that you may still endeuour to conclude all your actions with full Points of obedience to doe all which God commandeth not mans but the Lords voice cryeth this in your eares For the Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie and the man of wisedome shall see thy name Heare ye the Rod and who hath happainted it Which Text of holy Scripture seemes to haue in it the composure of a Syllogisme The Maior Proposition in these words The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie The Minor in these words The man of wise dowe shall see thy name that is shall see and consider the glory of Gods name his Maiestie and his power and so with reuerence attend vnto his voice The illation or Conclusion by way of exhortation in these words Heare ye therefore the Rod He that is a man of wisedome amongst you let him lend his eares and heart to heare of a Rod which the voice denounceth vnlesse ye turne from the euill of your waies which God hath appointed most certainely to bring vpon you vnlesse you preuent his punishments with your penitence In the Maior consider we 1. Cuius hac vox whose voice this is it is the Lords voice 2. Qualis what manner of voice it is It is a crying voice The Lords voice cryeth 3. The vbi the place where it cryeth and that is the Citie The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie In the Minor consider we 1. Quibus to whom this voice is directed to men of wisedome The man of wisedome shall see thy name 2. The reason why the voice is directed onely vnto such and that is because they see Gods name they haue an awefull feare and reuerence of the great Maiestie of God which tunes their eares and hearts and makes them tuneable to this voice to attend with reuernce vnto the voice of so high a Maiestie In the Conclusion consider we Quid clamat What the voice cryeth It tels vs louingly of a Rod from God Heare yee the Rod and who hath appointed it These be the parts of this Text and you haue the Lords voice in the front of it and the Lords Rodde in the conclusion or shutting vp of it to shew how that they who will not heare the Lords Voice at the first shall be sure to feele his Rod at the last Let vs therefore in the first place attend vnto that which is first proposed which is Psal 29. Vox Iehouae the Lords voice The Lords voice saith the Prophet Dauid is a mighty voice it makes Heauen and earth to shake And so terrible is this voice to flesh and bloud that in the 20. of Exodus Verse 19 the children of Israel cry out vnto Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die Adam before his fall could well enough endure to heare the voice of God but no sooner had hee transgrest but as you reade Genesis 3. when hee heares the voice of God he is afraid Verse 10 I heard thy voice in the Garden and was afraid And this is the condition of vs all since the fall of our first Parents we are so afraid to heare the voice of God that we cry out with the Israelites Let man speake with vs and wee will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die And therefore though in my Text mention be made of the Lords voice this voice it is not the Lords voice which ye are afraid to heare lest ye dye But the Lords Prophet is the Lords voice in this place which if ye heare not ye die this it is no new thing for the Lords Prophet to bee stiled the Lords voice For in the first Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice Christ he is the Word Saint Iohn the Baptist Christs Herauld hee is the voice to publish and proclaime this word So that Saint Iohn he was the Lords voice to proclaime vnto the Iewes verbū Dominum the Word which is God And our Prophet Micah in this place he is the Lords voice to publish vnto the Iewes verbum Domini the Word of God the Word of the Lord. Now it is not said to be the Prophets voice which publishes the message but the Lords voice because the people should attend with reuerence to the Prophets Gods Ministers voice euen as they would to the Lords owne voice sith Gods Messenger he is no other but vox Iehouae the Lords voice Man indeed is the voice because wee are confounded when God himselfe doth speake but not mans but the Lords is the voice because though man vtter them yet wee should take the words as spoken from God who else would speake the words vnto vs himselfe but that our infirmitie cannot away with the Maiesty of the Speaker who therefore makes man the voice because man may well away to heare what man doth speake and therefore though he make man the voice yet will not haue the voice acknowledged to bee mans voice but the Lords voice because wee should attend to what is spoken as spoken from God and not from man who is onely the Lords voice And thus now you see who is the Lords voice in this place See we withall what instructions we haue by this why first we haue Gods mercy commended to vs who vouchsafes to send a voice before a rodde a voice to premonish before a rod to punish Secondly wee haue Gods Ministers dutie set before vs in that he is vox in that he must be a voice Thirdly and lastly we see Gods Ministers dignitie in that hee is vox Iehouae the Lords voice For the first Gods mercy in that he sends a voice to premonish before a rodde to punish And this mercy of God it is euery where commended vnto vs in holy Writ from the Alpha to the Omega from the beginning to the end The first man Adam no sooner had hee lost himselfe straying in forbidden pathes from his Gods command but the voice of mercy seekes him out in the third of Genesis Vbies Adam where art thou Wicked Cain he murthers a righteous Abel and the voice of mercy straight vpon the murther cals vpon him to strike him with remorse for his sinne Vbi est VVhere is thy Brother Abel Alas Gen. 4. what hast thou done that thy Brothers bloud cryes in mine eares for vengeance The old world 1. Pet. 3.19 20. though now euen drowned with the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse yet it perished not by the floud but it had first a voice to admonish it righteous Noah was sent vnto it a preacher of righteousnes Nineueh that great Citie God he had purposed
Lord God putteth into his mouth euen Balaam in the 22. of Numbers tels him as much where hee tels vs no not for a house full of gold and siluer he can speake a word good or bad but onely the Word which GOD putteth into his mouth to speake that and no other can he speake So that euery Minister of God he must in humilitie acknowledge and confesse what Iohn the Baptist before him stood not vpon to vtter Iohn 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am but the voice of him that cryeth of God that speaketh by mee For that which was matter of pride in Herod to heare the acclamation of the people The Voice of God and not of Man must be matter of humilitie in the Ministers of God when they heare The Voice of God and not of Man sith they be but Gods Voices Acts 12.22 the Word God puts it into their mouth what they shall say And therefore in the second place in that Gods Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods Word and hee is but the Voice to publish it This condemnes the great folly of the world which is so ready to taxe the Minister And if his Doctrine like the Arrow shot at peraduenture which smote wicked Ahab betweene the ioynts light vpon some Ahab 1. Reg. 22.34 some vngodly man entring thorow as the Word of GOD is liuely and mighty in operation Heb. 4.12 to the diuiding asunder of the soule the Spirit the ioynts and marrow This wicked Ahab 1. Reg. 22.8 this vngodly man he will hate the Lords Michaiah for this hee will hate the Lords Voice for this because he prophecies he preaches not good but as he conceitsit euil vnto him whereas sond man he considers not with himself how that the word it is Gods Word and the Minister he is but the Lords Voice to publish it and the Voice neither can it vtter good or bad but what the Lord God putteth into the mouth to say as Micaiah told the Messenger of Ahab who entised him to accord with the false prophets and to bring in his omnia bene with the rest Surely saith Micaiah as the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me be it good or be it bad 2. Reg. 22.14 that and no other can I speake And therefore as we blame not the Bow if the Arrow hit vs but rather the hand which directed toward vs so let not men storme against the Voice which carries but the word vnto our eares But what then shall we storme against the hand of God which aymes the Word directly vnto vs Why storme we if we will but Dauid tels vs in his second Psalme wee rage and murmure but in vaine if our rage be not the sooner ouer God shal vex vs in his displeasure and breake these vessels of Clay these bodies of ours like a Potters Vessell be we wise therefore and be we learned in Gods feare and take we heed henceforward how wee storme against Gods Voices as wee doe Verse 39 lest as Gamaliel tels vs Acts 3. we be found fighters against God And take we heede withall how we censure Gods Voices as we doe bringing with vs cutious eares which heare more to descant on the Minister then to profit by his ministerie For in that we censure the Minister of God we seeme to censure God himselfe such the Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods owne Word and the Minister he is but the voice to publish it And therefore as Dauid tooke the indignities done to his Embassadours by the Princes of the children of Ammon 2. Sam. 10. as done vnto himselfe and so reuenged them so though euen Princes neuer so great ones of the world wrong and abuse the Embassadours of the Lord these Voices of the Lord God he will take the abuse as done vnto himselfe and will one day repay it home Henceforth then let the people take heed how they heare sith it is Gods Word they heare deliuered onely by mans voice And let the Minister also take heed how hee speake since it is Gods Word and not his owne which hee is to speake that so there being this sweet harmony betweene the Hearer of Gods Word and the Speaker there may be more true deuotion in the heart and lesse censuring prattle with the tongue And so frō the Ministers dutie proceed we onward to the Peoples It is so you see that the Minister he is the Lords Voice and therefore as it is all our duties to reuerence the Lord so is it also our duties to beare respect vnto his Voices For the Church it is Christs Spouse and the Congregation of the faithfull the Church of God cannot better expresse her loue to Christ her Husband who is in Heauen then by a due respect vnto his Voices who are heere on earth Now the due respect of a louing Wife vnto her Husband consists in three maine duties First to loue him Secondly to cherish him Thirdly to obey him All which the Church of God and Congregation of the faithfull because she is the Spouse of Christ is bound to impart vnto his Voices for they are Christs receiuers heere ouearth to receiue for him these pledges of our loue And so also saith our Sauiour he that receiueth you receiueth me Math. 10.40 Now we are first to loue Christs Voices and this is the thing the Apostle beseecheth at our hands to haue them all in singular loue 1. Thes 5.12 13. who labour amongst vs who are ouer vs in the Lord who admonish vs to loue such with a more then ordinarie with a singular loue for their workes sake and we are bound to loue them in two respects First because they are Christs his Embassadours sent vnto vs with an Ambassie of Peace beseeching vs in Christs stead 2. Cor. 5.20 to bee reconciled vnto God Now if we loue the Prince of Peace needs must we loue these Embassadors of Peace and if we loue CHRIST IESVS who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word needs must we loue them who are the Voices to publish and proclaime this Word Secondly we are bound to loue them because they loue vs they watch ouer our soules nay they loue many a man better then hee loues himselfe for these Voices Hier. 9.1 they oftentimes with Ieremy carry about with them whole fountains of teares in their head and in their heart draw from these Wels with the two Buckets of their eyes such abundance of teares that their eyes shead teares day and night for their sinnes who seldome or neuer shead a teare for their owne sinnes And therefore good reason haue we to loue these Voices or at leastwise not to hate them as too too many doe who little better esteeme of them Gen. 16.12 then of Ishmael their hand against euery man and euery mans band against them I will say thus much to the honour and
is not for the Citie for this none could heare Nay an ordinarie speaking voice is not for the Citie for this few could heare And therefore the Voice being sent vnto the Citie it is a Crying Voice that all might heare it And thus doth God by sending a Crying Voice vnto them take away all colourable pretences and excuses from the City For had a still voice or an ordinarie speaking voice come vnto them their plea had been non audiuimus the Voice it was so still that what for the clamours of the Citie wee heard it not And therefore the Voice it is a Crying Voice that all might heare it and none might haue excuse wherewith to cloke his finne Now then the Voice it is a Crying Voice in three respects First it is a crying Voice to make an out-cry against crying sins Secondly it is a crying Voice to rouze and awake the Citie dead asleepe in sinne which no Voice but a crying Voice could rouze Thirdly it is a crying Voice to leaue the Citie without excuse to take away all excuse from the Citie For the first the Voice it is a crying Voice to make an out cry against crying sinnes Sinne it hath got a voice in the world yea and that a lowd crying Voice in the eares of GOD. Cains sinne of murther it had a crying Voice for Abels bloud in the fourth of Genesis cryes in Gods eares for vengeance The sinne of Sodome it had a crying Voice For in the 18. of Genesis the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is said to be great in the eares of the Lord. And in these last and worse dayes of the world sinne hath more lift vp her voice then euer for sinne hath got a roring voice now sin which before did but cry to heauen for vengeance it now roares for vengeance Now that there be many roarers abroad in the world who because their father the Diuell is stiled by Saint Peter Verse 8 in the last Chapter of his first Epistle a roaring Lyon blush not to stile themselues his roaring Whelpes his roaring Boyes And these roaring Boyes send roaring out of their Pot-guns in their drunken fits nothing else but fearefull blasphemies against the God of Heauen Now then since sinne hath not onely got a crying but euen a roaring voice in the world high time it is God should haue at leastwise a crying Voice in the world to make an out-cry against these crying and these roaring sinnes and that for two respects The one in respect of God the other in respect of man First in respect of God it is most necessarie God should haue a crying Voice abroad in the world For should sinne still goe about in the world thus vncontrouled with a crying and a roaring voice it would carry the whole world to hell with most voices For the voice of blasphemie would quite drowne the voice of Pietie and the voice of Prayer it would bee turned into the voice of cursing and where no voice were heard but the crying voice of sinne all men would learne to speake no language but the language of the Diuell all men would bee of one tongue but that tongue dipt in boyling Brimstone to speake nothing but Blasphemie the language of the damned that tongue dipt in gall to speake of nothing but cursednesse and bitternesse that tongue dipt in bloud to speake of nothing but bloud and slaughter so aduancing it selfe euen to the Throne of God if it were possible to pull God out of his Throne one while crying out Vbi est Deus Where is God another while crying out Non respicit Deus God regardeth not yet another while flatly roaring out Non est Deus There is no GOD. This and farre more worse then this would bee the language of the world were there no voyce heard in the world but the crying voyce of sinne God therefore to stop the mouth of the Diuell who thus goes about to deface his glory scoming at his power with Vbi est Deus Where is God deriding his prouidence with Non respicit Deus God regardeth not Nay more then this seeking to pull God out of his Throne with Non est Deus There is no God God hee also sends a crying Voyce into the world to make an outcry against this Cry of sinne and to drowne and confound this cursed language of the world inuented in hell learned of the Deuil which being of a far higher reach then euer Babel could possibly haue been would towre vp higher then to Heauen euen to the Throne of God if it were possible to dethrone that great Monarch of the world with Non est Deus There is no God And now that Gods crying voyce is heard in the world the better part of the world hath learned the holy tongue and words of piety are now more often heard then words of blasphemy and the Voyce of prayer is now more frequent then the Voyce of cursing So that now no longer Where is God for Iehoua in coelis Our God he is in heauen no longer now God regardeth not for our God as he is in heauen so beholds hee all things that are done both in heauen and earth and his prouidence gouernes all things Wisd 14. No longer now Non est Deus There is no God for our God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reu. 1.4 He who is who was and is to come our God hee is from all eternity Now as God thus sends a crying Voyce into the world to vindicate his glory from the vnrighteousnesse of men Rom. 1.18 who else would withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse So doth hee also in great compassion vnto man send his crying Voyce into the world to outcry crying sinnes lest crying sinnes still crying in Gods eares for vengeance should pull downe the vials of Gods wrath to consume man from off the face of the earth for the crying voyce of sinne is still importuning the hand of Iustice with one plague or other to cut off the sinner And one while it cals for a second Deluge to drowne the world for the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse which are in the world yet another while it calls for a famine to punish the want and scarsity of good men yet another while it calls for pestilence and the sword to punish our abuse of health and happinesse And thus is the voyce of sinne still vrging the hand of Iustice to write bitter things against the sinner but the crying Voyce of mercy which God for the good of man sends into the world speakes better things both from God to man and for man to God And it first speakes from God to man that man would preuent punishment by penitence that man would preuent a second floud to drowne the world for sinne by first drowning his sinne in a floud of leares leauing his crying sinnes and falling a crying for his sins Now as this crying Voyce speaks mercy from God to man so doth it also