Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Phil. 3.19 Many doe walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloued you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs and how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabas and Paul to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the liuing God Thus farre of my second Doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my Text Melchom shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together Now followeth the third generall part of this prophecy against the children of Ammâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the Lord. This is the conclusion of this Prophecie and it redoubleth its authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the Lord. It is here redoubled Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heauen and earth shal passe before one iot or one tittle of Gods Word shall scape vnfulfilled Iehouah the Lord saith whatsoeuer our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the Lord that saith it Amos is but the Lords Minister the Words are the Lords Whence we may take this Doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any otber creature how excellent soeuer but only the liuing and immortall God This truth may likewise be grounded vpon the Preface to the ensuing Prophecy And therefore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention well nigh tired I put off the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath beene deliuered vnto you Non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first Chapter 1 Tim. 1.17 Vnto the King eternall immortall inuisible the only wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE SECOND Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS Deliuered In XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocesse of GLOCESTER BY Sebastian Benefield Doctor of Diuinitie and Professor for the Lady MARGARET in the Uniuersitie of OXFORD IAMES 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for IOHN PARKER and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1629. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God and my very good Lord IOHN by the diuine prouidence L. Bishop of London Right Reuerend Honourable ONce more I make bold to present vnto your HONOR a testimonie of my most humble observance It is an Exposition of the second Chapter of the Prophecie of Amos. My labours vpon the first it pleased your Lordship heretofore fauourably to accept and patronize If these vpon the second may find the like entertainement they haue their end The beames of that splendour of goodnesse in you which long since haue shined vpon many in this Vniuersitie and me among the rest methinkes J still behold How can J then but in memorie thereof offer vp to your Honourable Name some Sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is the best I haue at this time Receiue it my good Lord such as it is the sincere token of a thankefull heart God Almightie who hath made you an eminent and an honourable pillar here in his Church militant for the comfort of his people giue you herein many dayes full of honour and comfort and reward you with a Crowne of neuer-fading glory in his Church triumphant From my studie in Christ Church in Oxford Februarie 14. 1619. Your Lordships in all dutie and seruice SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD A COMMENTARIE VPON THE SECOND Chapter of AMOS deliuered in XXI Lectures THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime 2. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 3. And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. HOw grieuous a burden sinne is you may well perceiue by the heauy punishments which God layeth vpon the committers of sinne Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecie hath yeelded vnto you The Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites and the Ammonites haue for their sinnes bin seuerally repayed with vengeance from Heauen the fire of the wrath of God hath seized vpon them and deuoured them their Cities are become desolate their memorie is perished from off the earth As it is befallen them so it befalleth the Moabites also against whom Amos in the beginning of this second chapter directeth his prophecie and to the same purpose whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed The a See my sixth Lecture vpon Amos 1. reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians the Philistins the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all forreine nations are three 1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici Some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemie in distresse likewise 2. That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that he would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbor countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other Nations afflâ—cted and tormented according to the heinousnes of their iniqâ—ities Here might the Israelites
also in particular I speake not now of the prouidence of God as it is potentialis immanens but as it is actualis transiens not as it is the internall action of God but as it is externall not as it is his decree of gouerning the world but as it is the execution of that decree This prouidence of God this his actuall and transient prouidence this his externall action and the execution of his inward and eternall decree is nothing else than a perpetuall and vnchangeable disposition and administration of all things or to speake with Aquinas it is nothing else than ratio ordinis rerum ad finem it is nothing else than the course which God perpetually holdeth for the ordering of the things of the world to some certaine end Such is the prouidence of God whereof I am now to speake which is by some diuided into a generall and a speciall prouidence by others into an vniuersall a special a particular prouidence Gods vniuersall or generall prouidence I call that by which he doth not only direct al creatures according to that secret instinct or inward vertue which he hath giuen to euery one of them at the time of their creation but doth also preserue them in their ordinary course of nature Of this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus in his first Sermon concerning this argument discourseth copiously and elegantly You that say in your hearts there is no prouidence of God consider the things that are visible and are obuious to your eies consider their nature their site their order their state their motion their agreement their harmony their comlinesse their beautie their magnitude their vse their delight their variety their alteration their continuance and then if you can deny God's prouidence Gods prouidence is manifest in euery worke of creation you may behold it in the Heauen and in the lights thereof the Sunne the Moone and the Starres You may behold it in the aire in the clouds in the earth in the sea in plants in hearbs in seeds You may behold it in euery other creature euery liuing creature reasonable or vnreasonable man or beast and in euery beast whether it goeth or flieth or swimmeth or creepeth There is not any thing but it may serue to magnifie the prouidence of God But why runne I to the Fathers for the illustration of a point wherein the holy Scriptures are so plentifull so eloquent The 104. Psalme containeth an egregious description hereof a faire and goodly picture and a liuely portraiture of this prouidence of God drawne with the pencill of the holy Ghost I see therein the aire and clouds and winds and water and the earth and the like so ruled and ordered by the immediate hand of God that should he remoue his hand but for a moment this whole vniuerse would totter and fall and come to nothing I goe on to the 147. Psalme There I see God numbering the starres and calling them by name I see him couering the Heauens with clouds preparing raine for the earth giuing snow like wooll scattering the hoare frost like ashes casting forth his ice like morsells making grasse to grow vpon the mountaines giuing food to beasts to Rauens all this I see and cannot but acknowledge his vniuersall prouidence I looke backe to the booke of Iob and Chap. 9. I finde God remouing mountaines and ouer-turning them I finde him shaking the earth out of her place and commanding the Sunne to stand still I finde him alone spreading out the heauens and treading vpon the waues of the sea I finde him making Arcturus Oâ—ion Pleiades and the chambers of the South I finde him doing great things past finding out yea and wonders without number All this I finde and cannot but admire his vniuersall prouidence Infinite are the testimonies which I might produce out of the old Testament for this point but I passe them ouer contenting my selfe with only two out of the new That of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I worke is fit to my purpose The words are an answer to the Iewes who persecuted our Sauiour and sought to slay him for doing a cure on the Sabbath day vpon one that had beene diseased 38. yeares They held it to be vnlawfull to doe any worke vpon the Sabbath day Christ affirmes it to be lawfull The ground of their opinion was God the Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes This Christ denieth not but explicates the meaning of it It s true My Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes yet true also it is Pater meus vsque modò operatur My Father worketh hitherto He rested the seuenth day from all his workes and yet he worketh how can this be so It is thus according to Aquinas He rested the seuenth day à nouis creaturis condendis from making any new creatures yet notwithstanding hee euer worketh creaturas in esse conseruando preseruing his creatures in their being It may be thus enlarged Requieuit die septimo God rested the seuenth day from creating any new world or from making any new kinds of creatures but nor then rested he nor at any time since hath he rested from prouiding for and caring for and ruling and gouerning and sustaining the world Neuer resteth he but causeth his creatures to breed and bring forth after their kinds and restoreth things decaying and preserueth things subsisting to his good pleasure This is that saying of our Sauiours Pater meus vsque modò operatur my Father worketh hitherto My Father worketh hitherto Hom. 37. in Ioan. 5. Saint Chrysostome well discourseth thereupon If saith he thou shouldest aske How is it that the Father yet worketh sith he rested the seuenth day from all his workes I tell thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prouideth for and vpholdeth all things that he hath made Behold the Sunne rising and the Moone running and pooles of water and springs and riuers and raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the course of nature in seeds and in the bodies of man and beast behold and consider these and all other things whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this vniuerse consisteth and thou wilt not deny the perpetuall operation of the Father but wilt breake forth into the praises of his vniuersall prouidence That branch of Saint Pauls Sermon to the Athenians Act. 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being is also fit to the point we haue in hand In him that was to the Athenians the vnknowne God but is indeed the only true and euer-liuing God we liue we moue we haue our being Saint Ambrose in his booke De bono moutis cap. 12. thus descants vpon the words In Deo mouemur quasi in vià sumus quasi in veritate vinimus quasi in vitâ aeternâ In him we moue as in the way we haue our being as in the truth we liue as in the life eternall S. Cyprian or whosoeuer
exprimitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graetis vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Arabibus Alla. Sic Zanch. de natura Dei lib. 1. c. 13. Apud Graecos post Hebraâ—s nomen Dei nempe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quatuor conflat literis Sic apud Latinos Deut vnde Hispani dicunt Dios Itali Idio Galli Dieu Germanis quoque Anglic quatuor est liâ—erarum GOTE Sic Chaldaeiâ— Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aethiâ—pibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegytiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis est Orsâ— Dalmatis scu Illyricis Bogi Maometanis Abâ—d Gentibus in mundo noâ—o repertis Zimi name of foure letters in all tongues and languages and that these foure letters in Hebrew are all d Lit. rae quiâ—scentes letters of Rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillity of all the creatures in the world is in God alone that it is a e Zanch. vbi supra powerfull name for the working of miracles and that Christ and Moses had by it done great wonders But my tongue shall neuer enlarge that which my soule abhorreth such brain-sick superstitious and blasphemous inuentions Yet this I dare auouch before you that there is some secret in this name It is plaine Exod. 6.3 There the Lord speaking vnto Moses saith I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and all-sufficient God but by nay name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them I vnfold this secret This great name Iehouah first it importeth the eternity of Gods essence in himselfe that he is f Heb. 13.8 yesterday and to day and the same for euer g Apoc. 1.8 which was which is and which is to come Againe it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their h Act. 17.28 life motion and being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because of i Rom. 11.36 him and in him and by him are all things And last of all it is the Memâ—riall of God vnto all ages as himselfe cals it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth his constancy 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 addes vnto it his name Iehouah In stead of this Hebrew name Iehouah the most proper name of God the 70. Interpreters of the old Testament doe euery where vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Greeke name a name of power well â—â—iting with the liuing true and only God For he hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power and authority which hee hath ouer all things is soueraigne and without controlement Hee that made the heauens and spread them out like a k Psal 104.2 curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment hee can againe l Esai 50 3. cloath the heauen with darknesse and make a sacke their couering He that made the sea to m Psal 104.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein and n Ierem. 5.22 placed the sand for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree not to be passed ouer howsoeuer the waues therof shall rage and roare he can with a word o Iob 16.12 smite the pride thereof At his rebuke the flouds shall be turned p Esai 50.2 into a wildernesse the Sea shall be dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst Hee that made the drie land and so set it vpon q Psal 104.5 foundations that it should neuer moue he can couer her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that she shall r Psal 107.27 reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man So powerfull a God may well bee named from power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute Lord ruler and commander of all things This name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly put for the Hebrew name Iehouah commonly rendred in our English tongue Lord is in the writings of the Apostles simply and absolutely if the learned haue made a Å¿ Zarch de Attrib lib. 1. c. 17. iust calculation ascribed vnto Christ a thousand times and may serue for sufficient proofe of the deitie of Christ t Heb. 1.3 For it imports thus much that Christ the engraued forme of his Father sitting at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places is together with the Father and the Holy Ghost the author and gouernour of all things and in a very speciall manner he is the heire of the house of God the mighty protector of the Church Christ the only begotten Sonne of God hee is the Lord yet so that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded from dominion The Father is Lord the Holy Ghost is Lord too For in all the works of God ad extra so we speake in the schooles but to speake more vnderstandingly to your capacities in all externall works each person of the Trinitie hath his operation Yet so that a common distinction â—re obserued For these externall workes of God doe admit a double consideration u Zanch. de Incarn lib. 2. c. 3. q. 1. Thes 2. either they are begunne x Extra diuinas personas without the Diuine persons and ended y In aliqua personarum in some one of them or they are both begunne and ended without the Diuine persons The workes of God begunne externally and ended in some one of the persons what are they They are such as was the Voice of the Father concerning Christ z Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued sonne a voice formed by all three persons yet vttered only by the Father They are such as was that a Matth. 3.16 Doue descending vpon Christ at his baptisme a Doue framed by all three persons yet appropriate only to the Holy Ghost They are such as were the body and soule of Christ a body and soule created by all three persons yet assumed only by the sonne of God This is that obuious and much vsed distinction in schoole diuinity Iâ—châ—â—tiâ—è terminâ—â—â—è I thus expound â—t In these now named workes of God the voice that was spoken vnto Christ the Doue that descended vpon Christ the body and soule of Christ wee are to consider two things their beginning and their end If wee respect their beginning they are the workes of the whole Trinitie common vnto all but â—â—spect â—â— their perfection and 〈◊〉 they are â—â— I 〈◊〉 common but hypostaticall and personall for so the voice is the Fathers â—one the Doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes alone
Besides these there are other workes of God as begun so ended also extra personas externally and they are of two sorâ—s either supernaturall such I call the â—â—raculous workes of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preseruation of the same and the gouernment of it All these workes of which kinde soeuer whether miraculous or workes of nature are common to the whole Trinity The Father worketh the Sonâ—â— worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preseruing all things in gouerning all things Whereupon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is Lord so the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost iâ— Lord also So the Lord whom I commend vnto you foâ— the speaker in my text is the Vnity in Trinity one God in three persons God Almighty the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I goe on to shew you how he speaketh I must make bold vpon your patience to tell you of some duties necessarie duties to be performed by vs towards him as Lord. God is the Lord we are his seruants The duties wee owâ— him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedience vnto God his word laws and commandements This duty whosoeuer performeth shall easily performe the second duty to wit faithfull seruice with all care and diligence to doe whatsoeuer worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the third duty but shall doe good and be profitable vnto the Lord. All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam As long as he was inuested with his robe of innocency he was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. Now if it will be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answer That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his aduantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainly deliuered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giueth vs his graces to this end that wee should vse and increase them for his aduantage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a couetous vsurer â—o greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scattered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob vers 2 3. seemeth in word to thwart and crosse this doctrine For saith he may a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou are righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vpright I answer that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnesse yea hee can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnesse and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp man to holinesse it pleaseth God in mercy to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his seruants And therefore I say againe that Adam in the state of his innocency was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. But alas man once beautified with innocency with holinesse and with the grace of God is now spoiled of his robes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle worke wrought about with divers colours is now strâ—pt of her iewels and the soule of man once full of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotlâ—sse and without blame before the lambe is now fallen from that grace The Preacher Eccl. 7.20 doth assure vs that there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not So much doth Solomons question import Prou. 20.9 Who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sin O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob cap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquity like water When the Lord looked downe from heauen to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Ps 14.2 could he finde any one framed according to the rule of that perfection which he requireth He could not This hee found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good no not one So sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in euery deed word and thought wholly sinfull The actions of his hands the words of his lips the motions of his heart when they seeme to be most pure and sanctified yet then are they as vncleane things and filthy â—â—uts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applied to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is now become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I will not prosecute this point of mans nakednesse any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainly how vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his Lord God For his first dutie in stead of obedience hee continually breaketh the commandements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty in stead of waiting vpon God to doe him seruice he serueth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty in stead of bringing any aduantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene now the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs seruants when they had sinned against their Lord Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe Butler was restored to his former dignity when as the Baker was hanged These two seruants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of men exiled from paradise and from the presence of God because of their sinne to liue vpon the face of the earth as it were in a dungeon full of miserie namely the reprobate and the elect For the reprobate as they liue so they die in this dungeon and doe die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by Christ their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their Lord their duties of obedience of faithfull seruice and of profitablenesse to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoeuer seruice is enioyned them and to procure aduantage of glory to their Lord. Beloued I doubt not but that all we who are now
wrongs done vnto vs we must wait vpon the Lord who in his good time will right all our iniuries For he hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense Let vs proceed and see what doctrine may be gathered from the two next circumstances the circumstance of the punishment and the circumstance of the punished The punishment I noted in the breaking of barres and the punished in the word Damascus You haue already heard the meaning of these words I will breaks the barre of Damascus I the Lord will with my mighty power breake lay waste and consume the barre barre for barres euen all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiefest city of Syria and the countrey adioyning Must Damascus the strongest Citie of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee bee laid waste and spoyled Here fixing the eyes of our mindes vpon the power of the Lord learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creatuâ—e able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of iron these hee breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mighty than a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kings witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mighty Kings Psal 135.10 and 136.18 My text auoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threâ—â—heth to the mighty King of Syria a cutting off I cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden These few now alleaged instances doe sufficiently though briefly confirme my propounded doctrine There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose The reason hereof is because God only is omnipotent and whatsoeuer else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotency we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almighty In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotency For God the Father who imparteth his Godhead vnto the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost doth communicate the proprieties of his Godhead to them also And therefore our beleefe is that as the Father is Almighty Symbolo Atharas so the Sonne is Almighty and the Holy Ghost is Almighty too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almighty in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Secondly because he is able to doe more than he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelity dares deny This truth being expresly deliuered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer he will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth he in heauen in earth in the sea in all the depths For the second that God is able to doe more than he will doe euery Christian acquainted with the Euangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadduces Matth. 3.9 Thinke not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giuen him more than twelue legions of Angels to haue deliuered him He could but would not The like may bee said of many other things The Father was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worlds Was able but would not You see for Gods omnipotency that he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe yea that he is able to doe more than he will doe God only is omnipotent whatsoeuer else is in the world its weake and vnable to resist which is the very summe of my doctrine already propounded and confirmed There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose For as Iob saith chap. 9.13 The most mighty helps doe stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. confesseth In comparison of the most high who liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power whose kingdome is from generation to generation all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou This is it whereat S. Paul aimeth in his question demanded Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted the will of God And this is it which Iob intendeth chap. 9.4 demanding a like question who hath beene fierce against God and hath prospered I will not further amplifie this point it must stand good against all the might and strength of this world There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Now let vs consider some duties whereunto we are moued by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie 1 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence true humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1 epist 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloued but by nature in our selues most wretched conceiued and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednesse and dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to doe whatsoeuer he will able to doe more than he will able to cast both body and soule into hell fire Let the consideration of this our wretched estate worke in vs the fruits of true humiliation This true humiliation standeth in our practice of three things Perkins Cas Coâ— â— lib. 1. ca. 5. §. 2. pag. 57. 1. The sorrow of our heart whereby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sins 2 Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1 Wee must acknowledge all our maine sins originall and actuall 2 We must acknowledge our guiltinesse before God 3 We must acknowledge our iust damnation for sin The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnesse as in a matter of life and death A patterne whereof I present vnto you Dan. 9.17 18 19. O our God heare the praiers of vs thy seruants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God incline thine eare to vs and heare vs open thine eies and behold our miseries we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare vs O Lord forgiue vs O Lord consider and doe it deferre not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloued if we humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will
thus haue argued Will not God spare the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Then out of doubt he will not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet shall they be so seuerely punished How then shall we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it You see now why Amos sent with a message to the Ten Tribes of Israel doth first prophecie against foreine Nations In the last place are the Moabites This prophecie against the Moabites Tremellius and Iunius in their translation of the Bible do add to the first Chapter as a part of it But sith the Hebrew text so diuides it not I will not follow them but will expound it as belonging to the second Chapter The words then which I haue read vnto you are the burden of Moab a heauy prophecie against Moab And doe conteine three generall parts 1. A preface vers the 1. Thus saith the Lord. 2. A prophecie vers the 1. For three transgressions of Moab c. 3. A conclusion vers the 5. Saith the Lord. The preface and conclusion doe giue authoritie to the prophecie whereby we learne that the words here spoken by Amos are not the words of Amos but the words of the euerliuing GOD. The prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1. The generall accusation of Moab For three transgressions of Moab and for foure 2. The Lords protestation against them I will not turne to it 3. The declaration of that grieuous sinne whereby they so highly offended God Because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime vers 1. 4. A commination or denuntiation of such punishment as should be laid vpon them for their sins vers 2. 3. This punishment is set downe 1. In a generalitie Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Kirioth 2. More especially Where I obserue 1. The manner of the punishment as that it should come vpon them with feare trouble and astonishment And Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 2. The extent of it None might escape it neither Prince nor King For thus saith the Lord vers the 3. I will cut off the Iudge the King out of the middest thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him Thus haue you the Analysis resolution or diuision of my Text. Returne we now to the Preface Thus saith the Lord whose name in my Text is Iehovah Sundry are the Names of God in holy Scripture by which albeit the substance of God cannot aptly and clearely be defined yet they serue vs thus farre to bring vs to some further knowledge of God then otherwise we should haue These Names of God are obserued by ancient Diuines to be of two sorts Negatiue and Affirmatiue The negatiue Names of God are Vncreated Incorporeall Invisible Incorruptible Infinite and such like and these describe not what God is but what he is not and doe euidently declare vnto vs that he is bonum quoddam excellentissimum some most excellent Good free from all imperfection of any creature The affirmatiue Names of God are ascribed vnto him either essentially or by way of relation or by a Metaphor The Names of God ascribed vnto him essentially are either proper to him alone or common to others also Among the essentiall Names of God proper to him alone is Iehovah the Name of God in my Text. His other essentiall Names communicable vnto others as to men doe yet belong vnto God either modo excellentiae by an excellencie or modo causa independentis as he is the primarie cause of all things By an excellencie God is said to bee Good Iust Wise Mighty Holy Mercifull and as he is the primarie cause of all things so is he called a Creator a Redeemer and hath other like appellations Now the affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by way of relation are the Names of the Trinitie in which there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no coÌ„meation no vnion each person hath his proper name Father Son Holy Ghost The other affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by a metaphor are affirmed of him either per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery man may vnderstand what they meane as when God is said to be Angrie or per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by analogie or similitude as when God is called a Lyon a Stone a Riuer Of these many Names of God now repeated vnto you his most proper Name is his Name in my Text his Name Iehouah a Name that cannot be attributed to any creature in the world no not by an analogie or similitude It is the honourablest Name belonging to the great God of Heauen I might spend much time about it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of the b See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. Cabalists and Rabbins They say it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to be pronounced not to be taken within polluted lips they call it nomen tetragrammaton a name of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellency for as much as the Name of God * Abrah Broviê° in festo Circumc Dom. Conc. 3 Dei nomen significat quaternarius ea ratione quia fere omnibus nomen Dei QuadriliteruÌ„ Latinis Deus Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Italis Idio Germanis Goth Polonis Illyrijs Bogh Gallis Dieu Hispanis Dios Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. Garhard lor. Theol. Tom. 1. de Natura Dei §. 26. Obseruant nonnulli appellationem Dei esse omnibus fere populis quadriliterum Sic Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs Adad Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegyptis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus Alla Illyricis Bogi Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turcis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hetruscis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinis Deus Hispanis Dios Italis Idio Gallis Dieu Germanis Gott Polulis novi orbis Zimi Vide P. Gregor lib. 6. Synt. art mirab c. 2. in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters and they obserue these foure letters in Hebrew to bee letters of rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the Creatures in the world is in God alone they teach that it is a powerfull name for the working of miracles and that by it Christ and Moses haue done great wonders But these their braine-sicke superstitious and blasphemous inventions my tongue shall not enlarge Yet thus much I say of this Name that there is a secret in it It is plaine Exod. 6.3 There thus saith the Lord vnto Moses I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and all-sufficient God but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them This secret I haue heretofore vnfolded vnto you after this manner This great name
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
are spoke◠〈◊〉 their place and are recorded Gen. 13.8 where Abraham thus speaketh vnto Lot Let there bee no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heard-men and my heard-men for we be brethren We be brethren He might haue sayd wee bee cosens or thou art my nephew my brothers sonne but hee vseth rather apellation of equality and cals him brother to manifest his desire of peace and concord You see the strength of the bond of bloud how forcible it is betweene man and man as men I told you of a stronger bond betweene man and man as Christians and that was the bond of one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in vs all So there is a two-fold kinred or brotherhood The one by nature the other by grace the one by generation the other by regeneration In respect of both we are tyed with bonds of loue First in respect of the former After Noahs floud there was a diuision of countreyes made to the remainder of Adams posterity some dwelt heere some there some in one place some in another as they best liked yet one bloud remained amongst them as a knot euer to ioyne them in amity and loue what distance of place soeuer seuered them Is it not so still though longer time and larger encrease haue spred it further Yes Beloued it is so And therefore this bond of bloud stocke house linage and kinred in the root should continue among vs regard one of another and make vs loue one another more then we doe But this kinred by nature and generation so many degrees remooued from the root our great grand-father Adam the first of men little mooueth vs wee disdaine to take notice of it Let then the other kinred that of grace and regeneration by its stronger bonds of loue tye ioyne vs together The iust and wise man knoweth saith y Diuin Jnstit lib. 5. c. 23. Lactantius cunctos ab eodem Deo eadem conditione generatos iure fraternitatis esse coniunctos that all who are borne of one God and vpon the same condition are ioyned together by the right of brother-hood To which purpose a great z Caluin Comment in Genes 13.8 Diuine saith Hac lege adoptati sumus omnes in Dei sâ—lios vt alij alijs mutuo fratres simus Wee are all adopted or chosen to be the sonnes of God vpon this condition that we mutually be brethren one vnto another Dearely Beloued sith wee are become the sonnes of God vpon a condition let vs fulfill the condition let vs bee brethren one to another That is let vs not bee cruell one towards another let vs doe no iniury one to another let vs be mercifull one to another let vs loue one another Let good Abraham be the patterne of our imitation If there be any variance or iarring among vs let vs goe one to another and kindely entreat one another I pray thee let there bee no variance no iarring betweene mee and thee nor betweene my men and thy men for we are brethren But proud and rebellious flesh and bloud will not suffer vs to become Abrahams so wise so meeke such louers of concord and vnity Not suffer vs Then is our condition fearefull and we may well expect that the God of Abraham at his great day of visitation shall reiect vs and cast vs from out his sight into the euer-burning lake There is no entrance into the Heauenly Canaan for the cruell injurious malicious and despitefull man It s onely Loue that opens the gates of Heauen without Loue whatsoeuer you doe it s no aduantage to you S. Paul tels you 1 Cor. 13. that though you speake with the tongues of men and Angels and haue not Loue you are but as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymball and though you haue the gift of prophesie and know all secrets yea if you haue all faith so that yee can remooue mountains and haue not Loue you are nothing and though you feede the poore with all your goods and giue your bodies to bee burnt and haue not Loue it profiteth you nothing To bee short almes without Loue prophesie without Loue knowledge without Loue miracles without 〈◊〉 martyrdome without Loue prayer without Loue and 〈◊〉 like very commendable and good workes all are nothing Loue is the fire that purifieth it is the incense that perfumeth it is the oyntment or box of Spikenard that sweetneth it is the salt that seasoneth all our good thoughts words and deedes I conclude with S. Iohns words in his 1 Epist cap. 4. vers 7. Beloued let vs loue one another for Loue commeth of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God For God is Loue if therefore wee dwell in Loue we dwell in God and God dwells in vs. Now O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world take from vs all bitternesse and anger and wrath and crying and euill speaking with all maliciousnesse Raise vp in vs a desire of brotherly Loue that wee may euery one haue a care to helpe another that our Loue be not fained false hypocriticall wayward tedious disdainefull nor hunting after profit but that it be vnfained and perfect euen towards our enemies Grant good Lord that thus retaining the study of concord and louing one another we may all meet together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of thee the Sonne of God till we become perfect in thee our onely Sauiour and Redeemer To thee O Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee ascribed all prayse and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE III. LECTVRE AMOS 2.2 3. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the palaces of Kerioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him WE are now to consider the fourth part of this burden of the Moabites namely the commination or denuntiation of such punishments as God would bring vpon the Moabites for their sinnes The punishments are described first generally and then more specially The general description is Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the palaces of Kerioth In the former chapter wee met with this forme of commination a Verse 4.7.10.12.14 fiue times Wee now finde nothing new but new names Moab and Kerioth Of Moab you heard somewhat in my last Sermon that Moab was Lots sonne and that from him lineally descended the Moabites a people inhabiting that part of the East which is commonly knowne by the name of Caelesyria and was in former times the possession of the Amorites I now adde that from the same Moab the sonne of Lot a city in Arabia afterward called Areopolis was named Moab and thence the whole prouince
liued in Aegypt They fashioned vnto themselues the semblance and counterfeit of the Aegyptian Oxe they adored Beelphegor they worshipped Astaroth and Baalim Beelphegor Astaroth Baalim these were the Idols as S. Hierome commenteth by which the inhabitants of Iudah were deceiued Deceperunt eos idola eorum their Idols deceiued them For Idols our English translation readeth Lyes the Hebrew fountaine is our warrant the word there signifieth Lyes Their Lyes caused them to erre Lyes are of two sorts some are in commercijs some in cultu divino some in commerce with me some in the seruice or worship of God Lyes in commerce with men are coÌ„mitted 3. manner of wayes in words in manners in things A Lye in words is when we speake one thing thinke another and this is either iocosum or officiosum or perniciosum it is either a lye in iest or an officious lye or a pernicious lye not one of these can be excused no not the lye in iest though S. Austin call it otiosum an idle lye and exempteth it from blame as also some do officiosum the officious lye A Lye in manners you may call simulation dissimulation counterfeiting dissembling This is seene in false-Christs false-Prophets false-Apostles false-Teachers such as make a faire shew of honestie or for a i Luc. 23.14 pretence make long prayer or k Math. 7.15 weare sheeps clothing but are hypocrites deuourers wolues These lye in their manners of these it is said frons oculi vultus persaepe mentiuntur the forehead the eyes the countenance do often lye The lye in things is when one thing is substituted or put in the place of another a counterfeit for a true thing as when a cosener sells opium for apium or broome twigs for balmewood or alchimie for siluer or copper for gold But these lyes obuious and frequent in commerce with man I must passe ouer They are not intended in my text The lyes intended in my text are lyes in cultu divino lyes in the seruice and worship of God Their lyes caused them to erre These lyes in the seruice and worship of God what are they Lyranus will tell you Quaecunque fiunt aut cogitantur sine Dei verbo Whatsoeuer things in diuine worship are done or deuised without the warrant of Gods word they are lyes So saith that learned Professor of Paris Mercer Omnia humana figmenta qua contra Dei verbum in Dei cultu excogitantur All humane inventions in diuine worship deuised contrary to the word of God they are lyes Summarily thus I say By lyes in this place we are to vnderstand fictitios cultus whatsoeuer worship of God is forged or counterfeited l Coloss 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all will-worship all superstitious and blinde worship These are the lyes that caused Iudah to erre Their lyes caused them to erre First they betooke themselues to the Idolatrie of the Gentiles they made their sons to passe through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen 2. Kings 16.3 Secondly they forsooke the seruice of the Lords house his holy Temple at Ierusalem and sacrificed and burnt incense in high places on hills vnder euery greene tree 2. King 16.4 Thirdly they m Hos 10.1 8.11 increased their Altars multiplied their sacrifices and augmented their ceremonies supposing thereby ex opere operato euen for such their superstition sake to demeâ—it vnto themselues the fauor of God though they were vtterly voide of faith and repentance These were the lyes that deceiued Iudah these their lyes caused them to erre Commenta falsi cultus their new-deuised feigned and forged worships of God were the lyes that caused them to erre This appellation of lyes is also giuen to false worship Rom. 1.25 where S. Paul chargeth the Gentiles with changing the truth of God into a lye They changed the truth of God into a lye that is the true worship of God they peruerted and changed into false worship The reason why false worship there is called a lye is because it s opposed to truth n Drusius Quicquid veritati contrarium est mendacium est Whatsoeuer is contrary to truth that is a lye And therefore our Prophet here in this text opposeth lyes to the law of God because Lex Dei veritas Psal 119 142. the law of God is truth This antithesis betweene the law of God and a Lye we finde Psal 119.163 Mendacium odâ— immo detestatus sum legem tuam diligo I hate a Lye yea I abhorre it but thy Law do I loue We see now what these lyes were which caused Iudah to erre they were humane deuises and inuentions in the worship of God defiling and infecting the sinceritie of that worship which God onely approueth And yet is the Holy Spirit here pleased further to notifie vnto vs these Lyes of Iudah in these words After the which their fathers walked Their Lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked What fathers meaneth he Those which o Psal 106.19 made them a calfe in Horeb and worshipped the molten image and turned their glory euen their God into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth grasse of whom we read Exod. 32.4 Or meaneth he those which serued strange Gods in Vr of the Chaldees of whom we read Iosuah 24.2 Whatsoeuer the Fathers were here meant by our Prophet they were to these inhabitants of Iudah their ancestors they were their forefathers such as tooke delight in the seruice of false Gods Their Lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers walked It is no new thing no strange thing for children to striue to imitate their fathers that they may be like vnto them This doth S. Stephen Act. 7.51 obiect to the successors of these Iewes Yee stiffe-necked and vncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee Your Fathers were a stiffe-necked people so are yee Your Fathers were of vncircumcised hearts and eares so are yee Your Fathers resisted the Holy Ghost so do yee Yee stiffe-necked and vncircumcised in heart and eares ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye By Fathers in this place the Protomartyr S. Stephen meaneth maiores their predecessors their ancestors their fore-fathers What Are these words of S. Stephen extended to all the ancestors of the Iewes Were they all a stiffe-necked people Were they all of vncircumcised hearts and eares Did they all resist the Holy Ghost This may not be imagined The many and glorious titles and appellations bestowed vpon that people in Sacred Writ do euidently make good the contrary We must therefore distinguish of those ancestors and forefathers Some of them were excellent men and sincere worshippers of the true God such were Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the faithfull that issued out of their loynes these are not the Fathers whom S. Stephen meaneth Other some there were notoriously infamous for their
fornication and in the former not once to name it Thirdly it is malum lubricum a sinne full of great danger So meaneth Salomon Prou. 23.27 where he sayth A whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow d Prou. 22.14 pitt The comparison is plaine A Harlot to a deepe ditch and to a narrow pit The meaning of the holy Ghost is As a man that falleth into a deepe ditch or into a narrow pit breaketh either an arme or a legge and with much adoe getteth out againe so is it with them that are ouertaken with this vile sinne of fornication the woman e Eccles 26.7 whose heart is as snares and nets and her hands as bands will bee to them more bitter then death with much adoe shall they escape from her Fourthly it stoppeth the passage into Heauen S. Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 6.9 Fornicators shall not inherite the kingdome of God and againe Ephes 5.5 No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ S. Iohn Reuel 21.18 sayth as plainely Whoremongers shall haue their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you of many foure reasons why wee may not commit fornication 1. It is vnlawfull by the law of Nature 2. It is forbidden by the law of God 3. It is full of great danger 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heauen Now see the validitie of my former inference We may not commit fornication for the reasons now specified much lesse may we commit adulterie much lesse incest much lesse other sinnes of vncleannesse sinnes against Nature monstrous and prodigious sinnes All these S. Paul 1. Cor. 6. hath euen chayned together to cast them into Hell And that you may take notice of it he hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not deceiued Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate nor abusers of themselues with mankinde shall inherit the kingdome of God Thus farre hath the first vse of my doctrine led mee The second followeth My doctrine was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God This in the second place serueth for the reproofe of such as suffer themselues to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes or carnall lusts And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned f Caietan in Aquin 2. 2. qu. 154 Art 9. §. Respondeo Emanuell King of Portugall married his wiues sister g Caietan ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicilie married his fathers h Joannam sister Philip the second King of Spaine married his sisters i Annam daughter Henry the eight King of England married his brothers k Catharinam wife All these were incestuous marriages and are by this doctrine condemned But some may say these marriages were not concluded but by the Popes dispensation Why then say I they are condemned I say so because they are precisely against the law of God written Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law What! Dispense against the law of God! We are not ignorant that the chiefe patrons of the Pontificiall law howsoeuer they grant l In cap. MennaÌ„ 2. q. 5. Annotat. marg Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like doe notwithstanding expresly affirme m Gloss in Cap. Post translationem Extra de Renuntiatione 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle n Rainold Thes 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant vnto the Pope this power of dispensing only in causes perteining to the positiue law of man with which colour they now paint ouer that same flagitious glosse of dispensing against the Apostle but also in matters ratified by the law of God I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations that haue bin granted by the Pope as that o Cap. ad Apostolicae in Sexto de Sentent re iudicat Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae subiects may be discharged of their oath and fealtie and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince yea to take armes against him yea to lay violent hands on him that p Concil Constans Sess 19. Cap. Quòd non obstantibus Câ—luis conductibus promise may be broken with God and man that most horrible q Rainold Thes 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations may be committed that all things diuine and humane may be peruerted right and wrong Heauen and earth lawfull and vnlawfull may be confounded togither But I may not so far digresse from my present purpose Let it suffice for this time that you see the impietie of the Popes dispensations or rather dissipations as r De Consid ad â—ugâ—n lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them in his allowing of incestuous mariages that a man may marry his wiues sister or his fathers sister or his sisters daughter or his brothers wife all precisely against the law of God Here might we stand amased and wonder that such irregular and shamelesse dispensations should passe with the approbation of the Pope who beares a face as if he were most holy yea Holinesse it selfe Speake we to him or write to him our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime most holy Father and Sanctitas Tua your Holinesse But knowing him to be that Å¿ 2. Thess 2 3. man of sinne that sonne of perdition that grand Antichrist who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures was to be reuealed in these latter times we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties that may be Can we t Matth. 7.16 gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Can we expect that the Pope who u 2. Thess 2.4 opposeth himselfe against God and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God should either himselfe liue or cause others to liue according to the holy law of God For the Popes themselues would the time and your patience permit I could rip vp their liues and shew vnto you how they haue bin stained and defiled with all manner of fearefull notorious and abhominable sinnes But my text will not suffer me so farre â—o range The sinnes of vncleanenesse wherein those holy fathers haue to the astonishment of the world wallowed are the sinnes in my present text and doctrine smitten at What shall I tell â—ou of the incest committed by many of them by Iohn the 13. with Stephana his fathers concubine by Iohn the x Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brothers wife by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces by Pius the 5. with his owne sister by y Joan. Iovian Pontan Alexander the 6. with his owne daughter I could make true report vnto you of many of
for thy truths sake God you see is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies So is he all in all in the vpholding of his children Of his children that is of such as liue by faith in Christ and doe serue the Lord their God in spirit and in truth Such if they be oppressed if they be in need if in trouble haue God for their refuge Psal 9.9 God will be the same God to them as he was to Dauid Psal 18.2 He will bee their Rocke their Fortresse their Deliuerer their God their Strength their Buckler the horne of their saluation and their high Tower Here are they to be admonished who neglecting the strong God of their saluation put their confidence in the transitorie things of this world They who trust in their wealth and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches they are here reprooueable How can their wealth how can their riches profit them in the euill day Will they serue for a ransome vnto God for thee Looke to the 49th Psalme and the 8. verse and you shall find that the redemption of a soule is much more precious And they who relie vpon great men thinking themselues safe in the shadow of their wings are here reprooueable They haue their warning Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man And why not There is no helpe in them and why no helpe Their breath goeth forth they returne to their earth and their verie thoughts doe perish They also who make any other creature their confidence are here reproueable They for their instruction may haue recourse to the 33. Psalme at the 16. verse thereof they may thus read There is no King saued by the multitude of an host a mightie man is not deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine thing for saftie neither shall he deliuer any by his great strength What Is a horse a vaine thing to saue a man Is much strength vaine Is there no saftie for a King in the multitude of an hâ—st Is there no trust to be put in Princes Nor in any man Nor in wealth Nor in the multitude of riches Nor in any of the transitorie things of this world Quid nos What shall we then doe beloued Let vs say with the confidence that the Church hath in Gods succour Psal 20.7 Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses some in Princes some in other men some in their strength some in their riches some in something else that is vaine and transitorie but we will remember the name of the Lord our God The Lord our God who was all in all in destroying the Amorites before his people Israell is now all in all in vpholding vs his Children by adoption and grace against the furie of all our enemies that haue had euill will at our prosperitie I conclude with the words of the Psal 146.5 Happie is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God which made Heauen and earth the sea and all that therein is To this Lord our God Father Sonne and holy Ghost one true and euerliuing God sing we an Hallelujah Hallelujah saluation and glory and honour and power be vnto the Lord our God for euermore THE XIIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them whose height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes yet I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath OF the benefits here mentioned to haue beene bestowed by God vpon his people the people of Israel in the first place we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites It is deliuered vers 9. Therein I propounded to your religious attentions three principall parts In the first we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them In the second the Amorites are described Their description is taken from their stature and from their valour each is set forth vnto vs by way of Comparison their stature or height by the Cedars their valour or strength by the Oke Their height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes. The third hath an explication or an amplification of the ouerthrow of the Amorites It was not any gentle stripe that they receiued not any light incision not any small wound but it was their extermination their contrition their vniuersall ouerthrow their vtter ruine Fruit and roote Prince and people Parents and children old yong were all brought to nought Yet destroyed I their fruit from aboue and their roote from beneath The first of these three principall parts deliuering in a generalitie the ouerthrow of the Amorites was the subiect of my last discourse out of this place Now followeth the second the description of that people the people of the Amorites They are for their height or stature compared to the Cedars and for their strength and valour to the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars he was strong as the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars IN Syria and especially in mount Lebanon the Cedar trees grew very high Sennacherib King of Assyria by his message to Hezekiah King of Iudah giueth testimonie hereunto His message is 2. King 19.23 With the multitude of my chariots I am come vp to the height of the mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and will cut downe the tall Cedars thereof Succidam altitudinem Cedrorum eius so he speaketh in the Hebrew I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The words are repeated Esa 37.24 I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The tallnesse of the Cedars out of doubt they are very high The Cedars of Lebanon Esa 2.13 are sayd to be sublimes elevatae high and lifted vp In Tremellius his translation they are celsissimae elatissimae most tall and towring Out of doubt they are very high If humane authoritie may be added to diuine Theophrastus in his fift Booke of his historie of Plants chap. 9. sayth that the Cedar for its length or height is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its worthie admiration Rovillius in his Historie of Plants lib. 1. cap. 11. affirmeth that the Cedar of Phoenicia or Syria beareth a bodie streight and very tall mounting aboue all other trees Arias Montanus sayth as much Cedrus vbicumque fuerit the Cedar wheresoeuer it groweth it ouertoppeth all other trees and is aboue all pre-eminent and conspicuous To proue it he bringeth those words of the spouse concerning her Beloued Cant. 5.15 His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars that is his Heroicall proceritie and the maiestie of his countenance is like vnto the Cedars of Lebanon The Spouse thus comparing the countenance of her beloued to mount Lebanon and the Cedars there intimateth that the encrease of the knowledge of God and his worship shall be so great as that the open profession of
the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Forget not All Nay Forget not any of his benefits Remember them all either first or last Now from the non-obseruance of the order of the Historie in this enumeration of Gods benefits vpon Israel we are particularly to speake of the benefit mentioned in the second place It is their deliuerance out of Egypt The words are Also I brought you vp from the land of Egypt I Iehovah It is his name ver 6. 11. I Iehovah the onely true euerlasting and Almighty God I a Trinitie in Vnitie and the Vnitie in Trinitie Father Sonne and Holy Ghost I who destroyed the Amorites before you and for your sakes I also brought you vp from the land of Egypt I brought you vp It well expresseth the originall which word for word is ascendere vos feci I made you to ascend Nam ex Aegypto ascenditur Iudaeam versus sayth Drusius from Egypt to Iudaea you must ascend and it is a tradition of the Hebrews Iudaea est altior Egypto Iudaea stands higher then Egypt It s affirmed Deut. 10.22 It s there sayd that Iacob with threescore and ten persons went downe into Egypt Iacob with his familie went from Canaan from Iudaea and went dâ—â—ne into Egypt Canaan therefore and Iudaea stood higher then Egypt I brought you vp or I made you to ascend from the land of Egypt From the land of Egypt a Maginus in descrip Aegypti pag. 203. a Egypt is a most noble region and famous much spoken of by writers sacred and prophane Some would haue it to be one of the parts of the world a diuerse part from Asia and Africa and to be betweene them both Others supposing the riuer Nilus the great riuer of Egypt to be the fittest bound to part Asia from Africa doe make Egypt to pertake of both Asia and Africa One part of Egypt they place in Asia the other in Africa The Iesuite Lorinus Comment in Act. Apost cap. 2. 10. makes it a part of Asia Maior He sayth it is a well knowne region of Asia the greater neere vnto Africa But b Lib. 4. Geogr. cap. 5. Tab. 3. Aphricae pag. 98. Ptolomee and the greatest part of Geographers and other writers holding the gulfe of Arabia or the Red Sea to be the fittest bound to sever Asia from Africa haue placed Egypt in Africa This is the most receiued opinion and worthiest to be embraced The land of Egypt is in Africa and is by an c Georg. Abbot the description of the world I. 4. b. Isthmos or a narrow streit of ground ioyned to the Holy land It was of old a land very fruitfull as fruitfull as any almost in the world though in these dayes it doth not answere to the fertilitie of former times From the land of Egypt The Hebrew cals it the land of Mizraim It s so called in my text and else-where generally in the holy Scriptures and hath its name from Mitzraim one of the sonnes of Ham of whom we read Gen. 10.6 He first inhabited that part of Africa which was afterward called Egypt When it first began to be called Egypt it s not easily defined Some say it was first called Egypt in Moses his time when Ramesses surnamed Egyptus sonne of Belus and brother of Danaus was King of the land Ramesses otherwise called Aegyptus began his raigne in the 29 yeare from the going of Israel out of Egypt Of this opinion is d Ad annum Mundi 2482. Funccius in his Chronologie S. e Willet vpon Gen. c 10. p. 120 Perâ—t in Gen. Tom. 2. lib 15. Disp 1. p. 412. Augustine lib. 18. de civ Dei cap. 11. following f Ad annum Mundi 3720. Eusebius in his Chronicle sayth this happened in Iosuahs time more then eight hundred yeares after the floud According to the computation of Manethon an Egyptian Chronographer cited by Iosephus in his g Pag. 451. b first book against Apion It was three hundred ninetie and three yeares after Moses leading Israel out of Egypt Whensoeuer it was first called Egypt it s not much materiall Were it first so called in Moses his time or after in Iosuahs time or yet after 393. yeares from Israels going vp from thence it was many a yeare so called before our Prophet Amos wrote this his Prophecie And yet our Prophet here retaineth the old Hebrew name Mizraim Also I brought you vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the land of Mizraim it is in our Language from the land of Egypt But what benefit was it for Israel to be brought vp from the land of Egypt Had they not there a sweete habitation Were they not planted in the best of the land in the land of h Gen. 47.11 Ramesses in the land of i Vers 6. Goshen It may not be denyed but that Egypt of it selfe was a very goodly fruitfull and commodious countrey yet was it very beneficiall to the Israelites that they were thence deliuered and that in two respects one was because the people of the land were superstitious the other because they were full of crueltie First the Egyptians were a superstitious people They had as the Greeks and Romans had their Gods maiorum gentium and their Gods minorum gentium Gods of greater authoritie and Gods of lesse They had for their Gods manie a beast Athenagoras a Christian Philosopher in his embassage or apologie for the Christians to the Emperours Antoninus and Commodus witnesseth that they bestowed diuine honors vpon Cats and Crocodils and Serpents and Aspes and Dogs Arnobius in his first Booke against the Gentiles sayth they built stately Temples felibus scarabaeis buculis to Cats to Beetles to Heyfers Cassiodore in his tripartite historie lib. 9. cap. 27. tels of the Image of an Ape which they adored and cap. 28. hee sayth that a nest of Rats was their God Many other k Accipitres Noctuas Hircos Asinos Hieronym in Esai 11. Tom. 5. p. 51. a Cironius Hieron in Ioel. 3. Tom. 6 pag. 67. d. beasts did they adore Here their superstition rested not it proceeded to the plants of the earth to base plants to leekes and onyons Leekes and onyons were to them for Gods Porrum l Hieron in Esai 46. Tom. 5. pag. 172. a caepe nefas violare Iuvenal Sat. 15. could note it O it was a wicked and detestable act to doe any hurt to a leeke or onyon At such their ridiculous superstition he by and by scoffeth O sanctas gentes quibus haec nascantur in hortis Numina Surely they are holy Nations that haue such Gods growing in their gardens Mad Egypt So the Poet stiles it in the beginning of his Satyre And could it be lesse then mad when it was besotted and bewitched with such foule and monstrous adoration Well might Minutius Felix in his Octavius call those Gods of the Egyptians non numina sed portenta Gods they were not they were monsters Well might
was the Author of that Treatise de Baptismâ— Christi thus In Patre sumus in Filio vinimus in Spiritu Sancto mouemur proficimus We haue our being in the Father we liue in the Son we moue in the Holy Ghost S. Hilary in his Eâ—arrat vpon Psal 13. seemeth to assigne all these to the holy Ghost S. Cyril lib. 2. in Iohan. cap. 74. ascribes them all to the Sonne S. Augustine lib. 14. de Trinit cap. 12. refers them to the whole Trinity Of the whole Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost he will haue it to be true that in him we liue and moue and haue our being and he giues for a reason hereof that Rom. 11.36 because of him and through him and in him are all things All things are of him and through him and in him and therefore in him we liue and moue and haue our being Homil. 38 in â—â—l Apol. See saith S. Chrysostome how all things are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and preseruation is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our being is from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our actiuity is from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from him it is that we perish not In him we haue whatsoeuer we haue in him we liue in him we moue in him we haue our being Who heares this and stands not in admiration of the vniuersall prouidence of God From this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God I descend to his speciall prouidence The speciall prouidence of God is that by which he ruleth euery part of the world and all things in euery part euen the things that seeme most vile and abiect all their actions all their euents Euery part of Heauen he ruleth Not so much as a little cloud ariseth or moueth or changeth or vanisheth but nutu Dei by the pleasure and appointment of God Eu ry part of the earth he ruleth There is not the man that either is conceiued or is borne or liueth or is preserued or moueth or doth any thing or dieth nisi ex nutu voluntate Dei but by the will pleasure and appointment of God There is not so much as animalculum not any the least liuing creature nor beast nor flie nor worme that is ingendred or fed or susteined nisi à Deo but by God There is not so much as herbula not any the least flower or grasse that either springeth or blossometh or withereth sine manu Dei but by the hand of God Gods speciall prouidence is ouer all his workes but more peculiarly is it ouer his Church His peculiar prouidence ouer his Church appeareth in the wonderfull preseruation thereof from its first beginning but more euidently from the time that Noahs Arke floated vpon the waters vntill these our dayes But of all most famous and to be admired was that his preseruation his protection of the Church among the people of Israel when they a Gen. 15.13 Act. 7.6 sciourning in a strange land in the Land of Aegypt were for foure hundred and thirty yeares held in slauery and bondage and were very ill intreated Then then at the time appointed God sent b Act. 7.35 Moses to be their ruler and deliuerer who led them from out of Aegypt into the wildernesse In the wildernesse a place of desolation could their necessities be supplied They could be and were supplied When they needed guide God went before them He went before them c Exod. 13.21 in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night So day and night was God their guide When they wanted bread flesh or drinke mercy and miracle did concurre for their supply d Psal 78.24 Heauen gaue them bread the e Ve s 26. wind quailes the f Vers â—5 rocke waters Of apparell they felt no want for g Deut. 29.5 forty years together neither the cloaths vpon their backes nor the shooes on their feet were waxen old For the direction of their consciences h Exo. 20.2 c. a Law was giuen them from mount Sinai and for the resolution of their doubts they had the oracles of God from betweene the i Exod. 25.22 Cherubins They needed not to feare the force and fury of their enemies for they found by experience that the k Ios 10.13 Sun and Moone and l Exod. 9.23 Psal 105.32 fire from Heauen and vapours from the clouds and m Exod. 2.20 water and n Exod. 8 6. Psal 105.30 frogs and o Psal 105. â—1 lice and flies and p Vers 34. locusts and caterpillers tooke their parts Yea the Lord himselfe q Exod. 14.14.25 fought for them Very speciall was the prouidence of God for his Church in Israel As speciall is his prouidence for his Church among vs. Here should I set the mercies of our Land to run along with Israels we should win ground of them we should out-run them Be iâ— that in Gods actuall and outward mercies they might outstrip vâ—â— yet in his spirituall and sauing health they come short of vs. For as one well saith they had the shadow we the substaâ—ce they the candle-light we the noone-day they the breakfast of the Law fit for the morning of the world we the dinner of the Gospel fit for the high-noone thereof They had a glimpse of the Sunne we haue him in the full strength they saw per fenestram we sine medio They had the Paschall lambe to expiate sins ceremonially we haue the Lambe of God to satisfie for vs really Vnthankfull we thrise vnthankfull are we if we acknowledge not the prouidence of God ouer his Church among vs to be very speciall Now followeth the particular or singular prouidence of God It is that by which he prouideth for euery particular creature That there was r Ionah 1 4. sent out a great wind into the sea to raise a tempest against a ship that was going to Tarshish that there was a preparation of a great fish Å¿ Vers 17. to swallow vp Ionah and of a Gourd t Ionah 4.6 to be a shadow ouer his head against the Sun-beames and of a worme u Vers 7. to smite that Gourd it was wholly from the particular prouidence of God From the same prouidence it is that the Sunne riseth on the euill and the good and that the raine falleth on the iust and on the vniust Mat. 5.45 From the same it is that the Lilies of the field are so arayed as Solomon in all his glory was not so Mat. 6.28 From the same it is that the haires of our head are all numbred Mat. 10.30 What Are the haires of our head numbred Serm. de Martyr Are they all numbred Quid timebo saith Saint Augustine quid timebo damna membrorum quando securitatem accipio capillorum Surely I that haue security for the haires of my head will not feare the losse of any
member I haue Yet if it shall please God to smite me in any member I haue in arme or in legge Psal 22.14 or in all so that I be as if all my bones were out of ioynt I shall euer acknowledge the hand of God and his particular prouidence without which not so much as a little sparrow falleth on the ground as it is testified by our Sauiour Christ Mat. 10.30 So true is my propounded doctrine Nihil accidere nisi à Deo prouisum that nothing falleth out in this life no calamity no misery nothing good or euill but by the prouidence of God The obiections that are by the ignorant cast out against this holy and comfortable doctrine I cannot now stand to refute they may if God will be the ground-worke of some other meditation For the present that I be not ouer-troublesome vnto you I will adde but a word of vse and application The first vse may be to stirre vs vp to glorifie God for all his mercies For sith we know that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life it is by the prouidence of God what should come out of our mouthes and hearts but that of holy Iob Blessed Blessed be the name of the Lord for it In the time of our prosperity when the face of the Lord shineth most cheerefully vpon vs what should pierce the inward parts of a childe of God but these or the like motions O Lord Lord that the hearts of these men my righteous friends or others are turned vnto me it is of thee alone Of thee alone it is that I haue their loue their fauour their benefits thou alone art the fountaine they are but the instruments Thy instruments they are such as next after thee I will thankfully regard but neuer before thee nor without thee Also what any other creature yeeldeth me of comfort profit or good any way the power the strength and the means thereof is from thee alone from thee my God my strength my hope and my stay for euer A second vse may be to worke patience in vs euen through our whole life and in our greatest afflictions For sith wee know that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life be it to the flesh neuer so sowre it commeth to passe by the prouidence of God why should any one that is the childe of God murmure or repine when he is fed with the bread of teares Psal 80.5 O then when wee are pinched with aduersity let vs not imagine that God is our enemy beleeue we rather that of his good and fatherly purpose he chasteneth vs for the remnant of sin abiding in this corrupted nature of ours thereby to stirre vs vp to the exercise of true Christian patience Vpon this beleefe I am resolued neuer to looke so much at any ill that shall betide me as at the blessed hand that shall be the guide thereof A third vse which for this time shall be my last vse of the doctrine now deliuered is to driue vs to our knees early and late to begge and desire at this our good Gods hand the continuance of his euer sweet prouidence ouer vs and for vs that by his good guidance wee may quietly saile ouer the sea of this wicked world and when his blessed will shall be we may arriue in the hauen of eternall comfort euen his blessed and glorious and euerlasting Kingdome to which the Lord grant vs a happie comming for his dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father in the vnitie of the holy Spirit be all praise and power Amen THE Sixth Lecture AMOS 3.5 Shall one take vp a snare from the earth and haue taken nothing at all YOu may at the first blush thinke it a needlesse labor for me to stand vpon the exposition of this second branch of this fift verse because it seemeth to be coincident with the former It is true that as well in this branch as in that the similitude is taken from the manner of a fowler yet I doubt not euen from hence to gather some good and profitable fruit for our instruction in the way of piety and godly liuing My custome hitherto requireth that first I cleare the reading and then proceed to some wholsome obseruation If the Hebrew be rendred word for word it will sound thus Nunquid aescendet laqueus è terrâ capiendo non capiet Shall a snare ascend from the earth and in taking shall it not take So are the words translated by Mercerus and by Vatablus and by Drusius Shall a snare ascend from the earth To ascend in the Hebrew tongue signifieth to be taken away to be remoued Laqueus ascendit quum tollitur a snare ascendeth from the earth when it is taken thence For this same ascendet the Septuagint haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall a snare be loosed from the earth shall it be broken vpon the earth Herewith agreeth the Chaldee Paraphrast The Vulgar Latine hath Auferetur Shall a snare be taken from the earth Shall it be taken By whom By whom but by a fowler The fowler is expressed by Tremelius and Iunius and by Caluin the rest that expresse him not must of necessity vnderstand him Shall a fowler remoue his snare from the earth Et capiendo non câ—piet and in taking shall he not take It is an Hebraisme for which the Greekes haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without taking somewhat the old Latine hath antequam quid ceperit before he haue taken somewhat Caluin and Brentius priusquam capturam ceperit before he hath taken a prey Gualter si omnino nihil ceâ—e it It he hath taken nothing at all Those hit the sense of our Prophet though they leaue his Hebraisme and herein I reprehend them not For I dissent not from S. Hierome Comment in c. 1. ad Gal. who there saith Non in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed in mâ—dulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis His saying is that the Gospell is not in the words of the Scriptures but in the sense not in the outside but in the marr w not â—n the leaues of the booke but in the root of reason Well then haue the Greekes and the Vulgar Latine and Caluin and Brentius and Gualter left the word to giue the sense So hath our countrymâ—n Tauerner whose reading is Takâ—th a man his snare vp from the ground afore he catch somewhat The meaning he well expresseth So doe our newest Translators but the better by how much the neerer they cleaue vnto the words Shall one take vp a snare from the earth and haue takâ—n nothing at all Shall be To this interrogation as to the former the answer should be negatiue No he shall not Shall hee not How so A fowler may be deceiued hee may misse of his prey and so may be driuen to take vp his snares his ginnes his nets though he haue taken nothing Luther for the remouing
vrge this dutie First from the honour of him that speaketh Secondly from the danger of him that heareth negligently Thirdly from the profit of him that heareth with diligence First the preaching of the word of God is to be harkened vnto with all reuerence for the honours sake of him that speaketh For the honours sake of him that speaketh Why Who is he Is he not some Prophet some Apostle some Priest or Minister one whom wee know to be of meane descent some a Amos 1.1 Heard-man some b Matth. 4.18 Fisher-man some c 1 Thess 2.9 Act. 18 3. Tent-maker some d Matth. 13.55 Carpenters sonne Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren Iames and Ioses and Simon and Iudas And his sisters are they not all with vs How then is it that you vrge vs to giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the Word for the honours sake of him that speaketh Our blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus vntieth this knot for me He to comfort his Apostles against the time of persecution thus saith vnto them Matth. 10.19 20. Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you in the same houre what yee shall speake For it is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you In the thirteenth of Marke Verse 11. thus It is not yee that speake but the holy Ghost In the twelfth of Luke verse 12. thus The holy Ghost shall teach you in the same houre what yee ought to say Now see It is the Spirit of your Father the Spirit of God the holy Ghost that speaketh in his Ministers Why then yee are with reuerence to giue eare to them when they preach vnto you for the honours sake of him that speaketh Qui vos audit me audit saith Christ vnto his Disciples Luke 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me He that heareth you heareth mee It is an admirable and gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the voice of his thunders and lightnings Exod. 20.18 or with the exceeding loud sound of a trumpet but by Prophets by Apostles by Disciples by Ministers by men of our owne nature flesh of our flesh and bones of our bones by men of our owne shape and language Iames 5.17 by men subiect to the same passions whereto wee are subiect God is hee that speaketh from aboue that blesseth and curseth that bindeth and looseth that exhorteth and disswadeth by the mouth of man For this respect and relations sake betweene God and his Ministers whom it hath pleased of his mercy in some sort to dignifie with the representation of his owne person here vpon the earth the world hath euer held them in very reuerent estimation Remember the Galatians Though Saint Paul preached the Gospell vnto them through infirmitie of the flesh Galat. 4.13 without the honour without the ostentation without the pompe of this world rather as one that studied to bring his person into contempt than otherwise yet were they so farre off from despising or reiecting him that they rather receiued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus And he bare them record that if it had beene possible they would haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to him If it had beene possible that is if Nature and the Law of God had not forbidden it or if it had beene possible that is if they might haue done it sine suo dispendio as Haymo and Remigius doe interpret it if they might haue done it without their owne vtter vndoing or if it had beene possible that is if it might haue beene ad Ecclesiae vtilitatem so speake Aquinas and Gorran if it might haue beene for the good of the Church they would haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to Paul Would they haue plucked out their owne eyes Nihil habet quisquam charius oculis suis There is nothing more deare vnto a man than are his eyes And yet if it had beene possible would the Galatians haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to Paul When the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron Moses said vnto them Exod. 16.8 The Lord heareth your murmurings which yee murmure against him and what are wee Your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. What are we but Serui Ministri the Seruants and Ministers of the Lord Your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. This is that which the Lord saith concerning his Prophet Deut. 18.19 Whosoeuer will not harken to the words which hee shall speake in my name Ego vltor existam I will require it of him I will bee his auenger Whereupon Didacus Stella Hominem non debes aspicere sed Deum Enarrat in cap. 10. Lucae qui in eo loquitur Looke not vpon man set not thy thoughts vpon him but vpon God that speaketh in him For the words which hee speaketh hee speaketh in the name of God But say the Preacher bee a naughtie a wicked man what shall I then doe Deum qui per ipsum loquitur debes respicere Thou must haue regard to God that speaketh by him God diuinâ admirabili suâ virtute God of his diuine and maruellous power is able to bring to passe excellent and diuine workes by euill instruments God fed Elias by the ministery of Rauens Rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the euening 1 King 17.6 Did Rauens bring him food Cur ita Why so Lord Couldest thou not command Doues and other cleane birds to feed thy Prophet but thou must prouide for him by Rauens Note here the mystery God vseth many times to giue vnto his people the spirituall food of their soules sound and wholesome doctrine by euill and wicked men as he gaue good bread and flesh to Elias by Rauens tu vero comede onely eat thou and receiue thou from the hand of God what he sendeth and be not curious to know whether hee that brings thee thy soules meat be a Rauen or a doue a wicked or a good man so the food hee bringeth thee be sound and come from God By this time you see you are to giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the word of God for the honours sake of him that speaketh You are now in the second place to be vrged to the performance of this dutie from the danger of him that heareth negligently The danger is great Saint Augustine discouers it by comparing the word of God for the estimation that is to be held of it to the Body of Christ in the Eucharist His words are in the six and twentieth of his fifty Homilies Non minus reus erit qui verbum Dei negligenter audierit quà m qui Corpus Christi in terram cadere suâ negligentiâ permiserit Whosoeuer shall heare the word
long before with holy premonitions he prouideth for them by his Prophets and either by promises he keepeth them in good courses or by threats he recalleth them from bad Be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exposition or a reason of what was said before it is all one for the matter But if we respect the forme of the sentence as it standeth in our now English translation Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets it may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Asseueration For such it is and is of a reuelation concerning which three things are to be obserued 1. Who is the Reuealer 2. What is Reuealed 3. To whom The Reuealer is the Lord God His secret is the thing reuealed They to whom the reuelation is made are his seruants the Prophets Of those in their order The Reuealer is first and is here set forth by two names of his Adonai Iehouih Lord God The first place of Scripture wherein these two names are ioyned together is Gen. 15.2 in the complaint made by Abraham for want of an heire Lord God what wilt thou giue me if I goe childlesse Lord God Lord in Hebrew is Adonai which signifieth My Lords or my stayes or pillars implying in it a mystery of the holy Trinity Matth. 11.25 It is one of the proper names of God the Lord of Heauen and earth who as a base sustaineth his faithfull children in all their infirmities It is written here with kametz or long A in the end and so is proper to God hauing the vowels of Iehouah when it is written with Patach or short A it is applied to creatures In the forme singular Adon Lord or sustainer is also ascribed vnto God the Lord of all the earth Psal 97 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth The Lord of the whole earth he is Adon Adonim in the forme plurall is likewise ascribed vnto God Malac. 1.6 If I be Adonim If I be a Lord where is my feare The other name of God in this place is Iehouih Iehouih It is vsually so written when it is ioyned with Adonai and it hath the consonant letters of Iehouah and the vowels of Elohim And where one Prophet writeth Adonai Iehouih as in the prayer of Dauid set downe 2 Sam. 7.18 another writing of the same prayer saith Iehouah Elohim 1 Chron. 17.16 Say Iehouih or Iehouah the signification is the same But Iehouih as Tremelius and Iunius haue noted vpon the 15. of Genesis is the more patheticall the fitter to moue affection and is therefore vsed in passionate speeches and prayers that are very earnest by a Gen. 15.2 8. Abraham by b Deut. 3.24.9.26 Moses by c Cap. 4.14 c. Ezechiel and others as if they were sighing and sobbing So writeth Amandus Polanus in his Commentary vpon Ezechiel chap. 4.14 But Alsted in his Theologicall Lexicon is of another minde and thinks there is no more passion shewed in saying Iehouih than in saying Iehouah Yet may it be otherwise Adonai Iehouih the Lord God The first of these two names betokeneth his Maiestie his sustentation of all things and his dominion ouer all the second his Essence his existing or being The first Adonai Grammarians deriue from Eden which is as much as Basis or Stylobates the base or foot-stoole of a pillar the foundation thereof giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the Lord our God is the sustainer the maintainer the vpholder of all things that he is most properly primarily and of himselfe Lord that he is the only true prime and supreme Lord of all things yea the Lord of Lords that he alone hath absolute full free and eternall right ouer all things that are contained within the circuit of Heauen and Earth The second Iehouih they deriue as they doe Iehouah from Hauah which signifieth He was The force of this name is opened in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn chap. 1.4 in that his sâ—lutation to the seuen Churches of Asia Grace be vnto you and peace from Him which is and which was and which is to come that is from God the Father Iehouah from him that is eternall immortall and vnchangeable from him who hath his being of himselfe and giueth being to all creatures In the same chap. vers 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty The words are the conclusion or shutting vp of the fore-mentioned salutation and are a confirmation of that grace and peace that was to come vnto the seuen Churches from Iehouah God alone from him who is the first and the last our Redeemer the Lord of Hosts besides whom there is no God Who was who was before all and gaue to euery creature the being Who is to come who is to come continueth for euer and supporteth all euen the Almightie who exerciseth his power and prouidence ouer all This same who is who was and who is to come as before in the distinguishing of the Persons of the Trinitie it was vsed to expresse God the Father so here it is vsed to declare the vnion of substance in the whole three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost It is likewise vsed Reu. 11.17 where those foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seats fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thankes O Lord Almightie which art and which wa st and which art to come So is it by the Angell of the waters Reuel 16.5 where he saith Thou art righteous O Lord which art and which wa st and which shalt be Thus in the Holy Reuelation of Saint Iohn is the force of the name Iehouah opened foure seuerall times and implieth thus much 1. That God hath his being or existence of himselfe before the world was Esay 44.6 2. That He giues being vnto all things For as much as in him all things are and doe consist Act. 17.25 Exod. 6.3 Esay 45.2 Ezech. 5.17 3. That Hee giueth being to his Word effecting whatsoeuer Hee speaketh We met with this name of God Iehouah in the first Chapter of this Booke nine times in the second seuen times and twice before in this Now by the change of a vowell it is Iehouih This change of a vowell changeth not the name Iehouah or Iehouih the name is the same the most proper name of God of God whose true Latitude is his Immensitie whose true Longitude is his Eternitie whose true Altitude is the Sublimitie of his Nature whose true Profunditie being sine fundo without bottome is his incomprehensibility Bernard in his fifth booke de Consideratione cap. 13. hath a discourse to this very purpose but with some variety The question there propounded is Quid est Deus What is God The answer is Longitudo Latitudo
example of Vzziah King of Iudah 2 Chron. 26.16 He for inuading the Priâ—sts office for burning Incense vpon the Altar of Incense in the Temple of the Lord Carthus in Num. 1. was stricken with a leprosie And Gedeon that valiant man who iudged Israel for forty yeeres intermedled too farre with the Priests office when he made the golden Ephod Iudg. 8.27 All Israel went a whoring after it and it became a snare to Gedeon himselfe and to his house Now from the danger of intrusion thus laid open we may inferre the vnlawfulnesse of medling with ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God The same may be inferred vpon the blame which God layeth vpon false Prophets Ierem. 14.14 I sent them not neither haue I commanded them neither spake I vnto them yet they prophesie And Chap. 23.21 Ierem. 29.9 I haue not sent these Prophets yet they runne I haue not spoken to them yet they prophesied They haue prophesied What but lies though in my name they haue prophesied false visions and diuinations things of naught and the deceit of their owne heart Thus haue they done but I sent them not nor commanded them nor spake vnto them This blame thus laid by the Lord vpon wicked and false Teachers for running before they are sent and preaching before they are called enforceth the acknowledgement of the point hitherto deliuered that It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God This calling the assurance whereof we are to haue is either immediate and â—xtraordinary or mediate and ordinary The first is where God calleth immediatly without the ministery of man so were the Prophets and Apostles called The other is wherein God vseth the ministery of man as at this day in the designment of euery Minister vnto his function Both these callings as well the mediate as the immediate the ordinary as the extraordinary are of God that of God alone this of God by man and of this especially is the doctrine hitherto proued to be vnderstood we cannot expect a blessing vpon our labours except Gâ—d hath called vs so necessary is Gods calling to the ministery of the Church The point hitherto handled serueth for the confutation of the Anabaptist and other fanaticall spirits who runne without calling and preach though they be not sent contrary to that of Saint Paul Rom. 10.5 How shall they preach except they bee sent And yet will these men if they meet with a Minister that is lawfully and orderly called demand of him Quis te elegit Sir Who hath chosen you though themselues haue no calling at all no not from their blind Church as Gastius hath obserued in his first booke of the errors of the Catabaptists Yea their assertion is that if a man vnderstand the doctrine of the Gospell be he either Cobler or Botcher or Carpenter or what else he is bound to teach and preach This is obserued of them by Chemnitius in his Treatise of the Church Chap. 4. With these Anabaptists I may ioyne the Photinians who deny the nec ssity of vocation in the Ministers of the Church Socinus in his Treatise of the Church Theophilus Nicâ—laides in his defence of that Treatise a Institut â—ap 42 Osterodius b â—n Notis ad lib. Sâ—â—gâ—â—â—â—ip 3. Radeccius c In â—â—â—ut Thes D. Frantz p. 2. Diâ—p 4. Shemalizius and the d â—it de Eccleâ— caâ— 2. Catechist of Racow all these are against a necessity of calling in the Ministery and doe here stand conuicted of that their error So doe all those lay people men or women who in the case of â—uppâ—sed necessity doe aduenture to administer the Sacrament of Baptisme which together with the preaching of the word the Lord hath inuested in the persons of Ministers duly called Mat. 28.19 Goe ye and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Goe ye teach and baptize Goe ye It is our Sauiours precept to his Apostles and in them to their successors Ministers duly called None of the Laity nor man nor woman hath part in this function And how can it bee imagined that women whom Saint Paul hath excluded from preaching 1 Cor. 14 34. should be permitted to administer any Sacrament They may not so much as Baptize It s obiected women may teach their families therefore they may also baptize Our answer is that the Consequent holds not Women may teach as they are priuate Christians but not as Ministers Baptize they cannot but as Ministers this being euery way in euery respect and manner proper to a Minister It is further obiected from the example of Zipporah Exod. 4.25 Zipporah Moses wife circumcised her sonne In the place of Circumcision Baptisme hath succeeded why then may not women now adaies Baptize I answer Circumcision was not of old so appropriated to the Leuites as Baptisme is now to the Ministers of the Gospell And therefore it s no good Consequence Some that were not Leuites did Circumcise therefore some that are not Ministers may Baptise Againe what if Zipporah sinned in Circumcising her child Must she be a patterne to other women to Baptize Caluin is not afraid to proue she sinned and his proofe is sound in the fourth of his Institutions chap. 15. § 22. Lib. 1. de Sacr. Baptismi c. 7. §. 11. though Bellarmine labour to refute him It was doubtlesse an vnexcusable temerity â—â—her to circumcise her childe in the presence of her Husband Moses not a priuate man but a prime Prophet of the Lord than whom there arose not a greater in Israel which was no more lawfull for her to doe than it is at this day for a woman to Baptise in the presence of a Bishop And how can she bee excused from sinne in that her act sith she murmured against the ordinance of the Lord and reuiled her husband weigh but the bitternesse of her speech Surely a bloudy husband art thou to me because of the Circumcision Thirdly say she sinned not in circumcising her childe which yet I may not grant then I say the fact might be extraordinary and therefore not to be imitated without like dispensation Fourthly some thinke she was onely the hand of her husband in his weaknesse and so the fact shall be not hers but her husbands For these reasons the example of Zipporah doth not aduantage the a Bellarm. vbi supra Salmeron in Mat. 28. Papist or b Eckhard fascit contr c. 19. qu. 4. Gerhard Loc. Theol. 23. n. 24 c. Lutheran in their errour about Gyâ—aecobaptismus or womens Baptisme But may they not Baptise in case of extreme necessity No not then Why then the childe may die vnbaptized and so be in certaine danger of damnation We make a great difference betweene want of baptisme and the contempt thereof The contempt euer damneth so doth not the want By
our heads to the trickling of Å¿ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto me by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to deuoure Ionas may seeme to haue arriued in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to his streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eyes yet the Prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diuersity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way wee may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall and only agreed vpon by reason of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to doe yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a traueller that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue deliuered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may thinke it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man hauing bent his bow and let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1 King 22 34. strooke the King but here we finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise than in respect of vs for that the shootâ—â— did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas froâ— Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun 1 King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the prouidence of God disposeth them Prou. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good prouidence it is that this day we are here met together I to preach the word of God you to heare it and some of vs to bee made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before God for his blessing You are now inuited to the marriage supper of the lambe euery one that will approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft clothing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and booke of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithfull but a garment something like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters 2 King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing â—lse but Christ put on who diuideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enemies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40. yeares together they wandered in the desart and yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shooes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnesse lasteth for euer and his mercies cannot be worne out Hauing put on this your wedding garment doubt not of your welcome to this great feast-maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to doe it let him following S Paâ—â— his counsell Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lift vp ye euerlasting doores that a guest so richly apparelled may come in and sup with the King of glory And the King of glory vouchsafe so to clothe vs all that those gates and euerlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shall haue free and easie passage into the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it blessed Father for thy welbeloued son Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy spirit bee all praise and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE Second 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 IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloued in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the Prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esaies father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is he was a heardman or shepherd 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a little village in the confines of the Kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the dayes of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquakâ— After my exposition giuen vpon those fiue parts of that text I recald to
all they may and must be dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Jbid. §. Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposâ—erun Neronem Dâ—ocletianum Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia dâ—erant vires temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. §. At non At non tenentur Christiani immâ— nec dâ—bent cum euidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regem infideleÌ„ Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum euidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an euident danger to their religion 4 x Ibid. §. At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King This last position is formerly auowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with opposition and disgrace to the soueraigntie of the Lord of hosts y §. Quod ad primum D minium non descendit ex iure diuino sed ex iure genâ—ium K ngdomes and dominion are not by the law of God but by the law of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessary inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists would most willingly depriue our most gracious Soueraigne of his royall throne and regality if they were of force and power so to doe 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiesty in his excellent speech the 5. of Nouember z Ann. Dâ—m 1605. last The a C. 2. a. Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion doe maintaine that it is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrell of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impiety in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceiued in the wombe of that religion with a full resolution to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expresly requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authority But the Popish religion maintaineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloued remeÌ„ber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will bee perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessors to whom by deuolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D. King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his 〈◊〉 â—â—nly 〈…〉 â—led counsailes milke from his sacred 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our 〈◊〉 c Ierem. 15 1â— â—oy of our hearts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils 〈…〉 of our hope groâ—nd of out loue 〈…〉 future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence and best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now leâ— vs pâ—wre out our soules in thankâ—ulnâ—sse before the Lord for that he hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to be hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the neuer perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this vally of teares to the city of ioy Ierusalem wich is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life So be it THE Third Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion â—nd vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoeuer Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeuoured to shew forth the worth dignity and excellency of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine out of popish mouths and practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to be recommended at this time vnto you is the Lord speaking The Lord shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh how he speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh He is in the Hebrew text called Iehouah which is the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King B. of London vpon Jonas Lect. 11. pag. 152. honourablest name belonging to the great God of Heauen Much might be spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a name b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. de nat Dei lib. 1 c. 13. not to be pronounced or taken within polluted lips that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lâ—ct antiq lib 2. cap. 9. Quem nos Deum nun cupamus Aegyptii Thâ—â—t Persae dicunt Syre Magorum disciplina Orsi vnde profluxit Oromasis Tam apud Hebraeorum gentem ellebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrâ—Ì„ nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde Tetragrammaton dicunt alia voce
The people of Aram Aram registred Gen. 10.22 to be one of the sons of Sem was the father author or founder of the Aramites or Syrians a Tremellius Willet in Genes 10.22 whereof it is that the Scythians after their returne out of Asia and Syria were called Aramei Aramites Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram or Syria was diuided into sundry regions 2 Sam. 10.8 You may read of Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob and Aram Maacah from which prouinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites in their warre against King Dauid The successe of their expedition is recorded vers the 18. Dauid destroyed seuen hundred chariots of the Aramites and forty thousand horsemen So let them all perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords annointed 2 Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezar King of Soba against Dauid Their successe is recorded in the same place Dauid slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them all likewise perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords anoynted 1 Chron. 19.6 You may read of Aram Naharaim which is by interpretation Aram of the riuers that is Aram lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris commonly knowne by the name of b Bâ—rtrâ—m Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praesat Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against Dauid and were partakers in their ouerthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriarch Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choice of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 doe make this Padan-Aram to bee a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolomee Ancobaritis Thus doth the holy spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the country of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob Aram Maacah Aram of Damascus Aram Naharaim and Padan Aram. Hâ—re Aram put without any adiunct to limit it to any one region may betoken all Syria diuided by our Prophet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three names of Damascus Bikeath-Auen and Beth-eden as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstanding by Damascus the country adioyning the whole coast of Decapolis by Bikeath-Auen the country called Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart by Beth-eden the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The people that is persons of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the noble also the word is generall and containeth all Shall goe into captiuity They shall be carried away from their natiue country into a strange land in slauery and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrene c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pentapolis the natiue country of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eratosthenes the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan and Symmachus and S. Hierome doe seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman doe expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes and best approued expositors doe auouch Tremellius and Iunius vpon the 2 Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captiuity was called Syromedia It was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hil Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captiuity of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fifty yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and curried away captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly deliuered 2 King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captiuity shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the Lord true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the Lord by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captiuity This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captiuity bondage and slauery was to be in an vnknowne strange and farre country Kir in Media From the first circumstance of the punisher the Lord of hosts imploying in his seruice the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Aramites or Syrians into captiuity we are put in minde of a well knowne truth in diuinity Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily he worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily he worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessity produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or not to doe In this ranke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessity they might haue done otherwise In this ranke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King Dauid 2 Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and railing vpon him was not of necessitie he might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captiuitie this people of Aram not of necessity hee might haue left vnto them their natiue country lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily God laid waste Sodome Gomorrah and their sister Cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the fowle of the heauen onely was Noah saued and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water
Gen. 7.23 God sent Ioseph into Aegypt to preserue his fathers posterity and to saue them aliue by a great deliuerance as Ioseph himselfe confesseth Gen. 45.7 This was Gods doing but he did it by Iosephs owne brethren who you know sold him to the Ismaelites God sent an affliction vpon Dauid for his good by cursed speaking and throwing of stones wherein Dauid acknowledgeth Gods speciall finger 2 Sam. 16.11 The thing was Gods doing He did it by Shimei the sonne of Iemini God spake the word concerning the people of Aram that they should go into captiuity as appeareth in my text God spake the word and it was done God therefore sent the people of Aram into captiuity but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria All these though I said it before I say it againe All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his gouernment of the world ordinarily worketh This doctrine of Almightie God working ordinarily by meanes may serue to our vse sundry wayes 1 It may moue vs to a due consideration of that absolute right and power which God holdeth ouer all his creatures This truth I haue heretofore deliuered vnto you in my eighth Lecture vpon this Prophecie in this proposition At is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked 2 It may teach vs that God hath a louing regard and respect to our infirmities as well knowing for he knoweth all things that in doubtfull matters we vse often to looke backe and to haue recourse to meanes or second causes 3 It may moue vs to obedience and thankfulnesse that we contemne not the meanes or second causes by which God worketh for this were to tempt God but that we thankfully embrace them and commit their issue euent and successe to God that worketh by them 4 It meeteth with a peruerse opinion of such as doe hold that all second causes are needlesse and vnprofitable because God by his particular prouidence directeth and bringeth to passe all things in the world Thus will these men reason If it be determined by Gods prouidence that I shall recouer my health there is no need that I vse Physick and if it be otherwise determined that I shall not recouer in vaine also shall I vse the helpe of Physick Againe if it be determined that theeues shall haue no power ouer me I shall escape from out the middest of many but if it be otherwise determined that I shall be spoiled by them I shall not escape them no though I be in mine owne house Great is the iniury which these disputers doe offer vnto God For answer to them I must grant that God hath a very speciall care ouer vs to defend vs and that we are no time safe but by his prouidence but meane while to make vs well assured of his good will towards vs he hath ordained second causes and meanes for vs at all opportunities and times conuenient to vse in which and by which it pleaseth his heauenly Maiestie to worke effectually The rule in diuinity is good Posit â prouidentiâ particulari non tolluntur de medio omnes causae secundae It is not necessarie that the first and principall cause being put the second and instrumentall cause should be remoued and taken away The Sun doth not in vaine daily rise and set though God createth light and darknesse the fields are not in vaine sowed and watred with raine though God bringeth forth the corne out of the earth our bodies are not in vaine with food refreshed though God be the life and length of our dayes Neither are we in vaine taught to beleeue in Christ to heare the preaching of the Gospell to detest sinne to loue righteousnesse to conforme our liues vnto sound doctrine though our saluation and life eternall be the free gift of God For God hath from euerlasting decreed as the ends so the meanes also which he hath prescribed vnto vs by them to bring vs to the ends This the great Father of this age Pag. 480. Zanchius de attributis Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. qu. 5. expresly auoweth His Thesis is concerning life eternall Whosoeuer are predestinated to the end they are also predestinated to the meanes without which the end cannot possibly be obtained For example whosoeuer are predestinated to eternall life as all we this day assembled hope we are they are also predestinated to the meanes by which life eternall may be obtained These meanes vnto eternall life are of two sorts 1. Some are necessary vnto all of whatsoeuer age or sex and they are Christ as our Mediatour and high Priest his obedience and righteousnesse our effectuall vocation vnto Christ by the holy Ghost our iustification our glorification These are so necessary vnto all that without them none can be saued And therefore all elect infants are inwardly and after a secret manner by the holy Ghost called and iustified that they may be glorified 2. Some annexed vnto these are necessary too but not to all Not to Infants because they are not capable of them yet to all that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding and these are Actuall faith the hearing of the Word a hatred of sinne the loue of righteousnesse patience in aduersitie a desire of doing good workes All these meanes we that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding must embrace and take hold of euery one according to our capacities or else we shall neuer enter into euerlasting life but our portion shall be in that lake which is prouided for the Dâ—uill and his Angells from which God Almighty keepe vs all Thus farre occasioned by my first circumstance the circumstance of the punisher God by the King of Assyria sent into captiuitie the people of Aram. My doctrine was Almightie God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes The second circumstance is of the punished the Aramites of all sorts the ruder the noble The people of Aram. To ground some doctrine hereon you must note with me the quality and condition of these Aramites They were professed enemies to the people of God This appeareth before in the third verse where they are noted to haue exercised most barbarous crueltie against the Gileadites a parcell of Israel to haue threshed them with threshing instruments of Iron These Aramites or Syrians for so highly offending God sendeth into captiuity The doctrine is Though the Lord doe vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne seruants and children yet will he in his due time ouerthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements Gods holy practice in this kinde specially registred in sundry places of his eternall Word most euidently declareth this truth The Israelites were kept in thraldome and bondage many yeares by
My propounded doctrine stands good It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Now let vs see what vses doe offer themselues to our considerations out of this Doctrine First it may serue for a iust reproofe of these our last and worst daies wherein by experience wee finde true that same m Dr. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lect. 15. paradox in common reason hardly to be proued namely that not friends only or kinsmen but brethren also when they fall to enmity their hatred is greater than that betwixt mortall foes It is come to passe according to Christ his prophecie Matth. 10.36 A mans enemies shall be they of his owne house A mans enemies indeed and his enemies to purpose to worke him most harme shall be they of his owne house May not many now adaies complaine yea cry out with Dauid Psal 55.12 If mine enemy had done me this dishonour I could haue borne it If mine aduersary had exalted himselfe against me I would haue hid my selfe from him but it was thou O man my companion my guide my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together we walked in the house of God as friends Yet hast thou done me this dishonour yea thou hast exalted thy selfe against me Of all the Vials of the wrath of God powred down vpon sinners it is one of the sorest when a man is fed with his own flesh and made drunke with his owne bloud as with sweet wine So the Prophet Esay speaketh Chap. 49.26 The meaning is as a chiefe n B. King Ibid. pillar of our Church expoundeth it when a man taketh pleasure in nothing more than in the ouerthrow and extirpation of his owne seed when he thirsteth not for any bloud but that which is drawne from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen Neuer was there more eager and bitter contention betweene Turke and Christian than now adaies there is betweene Christian and Christian a brother and a brother All we who haue giuen our names to Iesus Christ and vowed him seruice in our baptisme we are all brethren we are fratres vterini brethren from the womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee haue one father and one mother one father in heauen and one mother the holy Catholike Church militant vpon the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Leui Gen 49.5 We are brethren in euill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what doe we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloued you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speech was vnto Christians and in Christianisme diuersity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therefore this reprofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Psal 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are giuen to vex them of your owne house or shall back-bite or slander any know that Edom-like you doe pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby euery good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2 Epist 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence Dauid Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnity Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his heard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of vnity That sweet perfume and ointment that holy o le powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweet smelling sauour to all that were about him So is it with vnity It is not onely pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the mountaines of Sion where the Lord appointed the blessing and life foreuermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heauen vpon H rmon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit If makes them among whom it is sincerely obserued it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men and one of them towards another This vnity concord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it bee vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnesse in this life and of eternall ioyes in the life to come One of the notes by which we may be assured of God his speciall loue and fauour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iohn Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth Chap. 5.1 Euery one that loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father he loueth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus and his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christian brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giueth vs Chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not onely in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule hee giueth vers the 17. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloued be your direction Loue ye euery one that is called a Christian
of knowledge of that his heauenly truth wherein consisteth our saluation that we may be saued What greater benefit can there be vnto vs then this What more ample testimonie of his eternall good will to vs For this benefit that is for the knowledge of Gods heauenly truth the blessed Apostle St Paul neuer ceased to giue thanks vnto God I thanke God saith he 1. Tim. 1.12 I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice When before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy From this his thankefull heart proceeded those his words Phil. 3.8 Doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen dung that I might winne Christ St Pauls charitie was not confined within the Temple of his owne bodie others had a tast thereof As the Corinthians to whom in his first Epistle cap. 1. ver 4. he thus manifesteth his affection I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ that in all things ye are made rich in him in all kind of speech And in all knowledge I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe not for your riches for your honors for your large possessions for your flourishing cittie but for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ for your free vocation for your faith for your reconciliation for your iustification for your regeneration for your hope of eternall saluation for the preaching of the word of God among you and for your knowledge of the truth thereof The knowledge of this truth of God farre surpasseth all the treasures of this corruptible world Shall not we then poure out our soules in thankfulnes before almightie God for bestowing vpon vs so gracious a blessing as is this knowledge of the truth of God Let vs with the spirit of blessed Paul account all things which haue beene or are gainefull to vs in this present world to be but losse and dung in respect of this knowledge of Gods holy truth forasmuch as hereby we may winne Christ Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The second vse concerneth our thankesgiuing for the knowledge of Gods truth The third tendeth to our imitation Is it true Is God truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Why striue we not with all the faculties and powers of our soules to represent our God in truth He in the beginning in the first man in our forefather Adam created and made vs in his owne image after his owne likenesse Gen. 1.26 Then was man inuested with glorious roabes with immortalitie with vnderstanding with freedome of will then was he perfectly good and chast and pure and iust and true Whatsoeuer might appertaine to happines or holinesse he then had it For God created him so like vnto himselfe in perfect happines and holinesse that he might in some sort beare about with him the image of the great and glorious God of Heauen But alas our first Parent continued not long in that his first estate of puritie innocencie and integritie by his fall he lost vs that his precious Iewell which had he stood fast would haue beene vnto vs a chaine of gold about our neckes yea as it is called Psal 8.5 A crowne of honor and glorie But by his fall we are become miserable and vnholy and wicked and vncleane and false as vnlike to God as darkenesse is to light and Hell is to Heauen In this estate of sinne and death we all lay wallowing till God of his owne vnspeakeable mercy and goodnesse raised vs vp by his grace to a better state a state of regeneration and saluation wherein all we whose names are written in the Register of the elect and chosen children of God must spend the remainder and residue of the dayes of our pilgrimage in this world In this state wee must not stand at one stay but must alwayes be growing vpward We must day by day endeuour to encrease our spirituall strength and change our Christian infancie with a ripe and constant age and adde grace to grace till we become perfect men in Christ To vs now in the state of regeneration belongeth the exhortation of God vnto the children of Israell Leuit. 11.44 Be ye holy for I am holy And that of Christ to his auditors vpon the Mount Matth. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect or as it is in St Luke Chap. 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your Father also is merciful By which places we are not exhorted to a perfection of supererogation as Monkes would haue it nor to a perfect and absolute fulfilling of the Law for that is impossible so long as wee carry about vs these vessels of corruption witnesse St Paul Rom. 8.3 But all that we are exhorted to is that we would do our best endeuours to resemble our God and to be like vnto him in holinesse in perfection in mercifulnesse Be holy as God is holy be perfect as God is perfect be mercifull as God is mercifull non absoluta aequalitate sed similitudine not absolutely and equally holy perfect and mercifull as God is but by a similitude God is our Father and will not we his children like good children striue to be accomodated and fitted to our Fathers vertues Beloued let vs apply our selues to this imitation of our heauenly Father to be holy as he is holy to be perfect as he is perfect to be mercifull as he is mercifull and for my present purpose to be true as he is true To this last we may thus be led God is our Creator and he is the God of truth Psal 31.5 Christ is our Redeemer and he is Truth Ioh. 14.6 We are renued by the holy Ghost and he is the spirit of Truth Ioh. 16.13 We liue in the bosome of the Church and she is the pillar and ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Thus liuing we are taught by the word of truth Colos 1.5 And are brought to the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2.4 And are sanctified by Truth Ioh. 17.17 Adde hereto that we are commaunded euery one to speake the Truth Ephes 4.25 And shall we doe our best to resemble God in Truth To be true as he is true Dearely beloued sith we are the children of Truth for God is Truth and his children we are let vs walke as it becometh the children of Truth let Truth be in our thoughts in our words in our workes in all our wayes What shall I more say to this poynt but exhort you in St Paules words Ephes 4.25 That ye would cast off lying and speake euery man the truth
This was not the practise of olde Of old time in the primitiue times of the Church the Holy Scriptures had their free passage All sorts of people might read them might search into them might iudge of them The vnlearned as the learned the laitie as the clergie women as men base as noble yong as old all had their shares in reading in hearing in meditating in practising the sacred doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures There can be no iust reason to the contrary For as S. Chrysostome in his first Homilie vpon S. Mathew saith The Scriptures are easie to the slaue and to the husbandman to the widdow and to the slaue and to him that may seeme to be very simple of vnderstanding To which purpose S. Austine Epi. 3. ad volusian affirmeth that Almightie God in the Scriptures speaketh as a familiar friend without dissimulation vnto the hearts both of the learned and also of the vnlearned The like S. Basil avoucheth vpon the 1. Psal The Scripture of God is like an Apothecaries shop full of medicines of sundry sorts that euery man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Vpon this ground S. Chrysostome Hom. 2. in Iohan would perswade his auditors not onely in the Church to bee attentiue to the word of God but that at home also the husband with the wife and the father with the childe would talke together thereof and would to and fro inquire and giue their iudgments and would to God sayth he they would once beginne this most approued and most excellent custome Theodoret in his fift Booke de curatione Graecarum affectionum seemeth much to reioyce at the knowledge which the Christians generally had in the sacred Scriptures Our doctrine saith he is knowne not onely of them who are the doctors of the Church and Masters of the people but also euen of Taylers and Smiths and Weauers and all Artificers of women too not such onely as were learned but also of labouring women and Sewsters and seruants and hand-maides Neither onely Cittizens but Country folkes also doe very well vnderstand the same Ditchers deluers Cowheards Gardiners can dispute of the Trinitie and the creation of all things Thus was it of old and why should it not be so now in our daies The Holy Scriptures are the same now that then they were Now as in the dayes of q Sermon de Confessorib sive Dispensat p. 610. Fulgentius In Sacris Scripturis abundat quod rebustus comedat quod parvulus sugat There is in the Scriptures plentie whereof the strong may eate and the little ones may sucke Now as in the dayes of r Epist ad leandrum Gregorie Scripturae flumen sunt in quo agnus ambulet Elephas natet the Scriptures are as a great Riuer wherein a Lambe may walke and an Elephant may swim Now as in the dayes of Å¿ De Lazarâ— Theophylact Scripturae sunt Lucerna quo fur deprehenditur The Scriptures are as a lanterne whereby you may descry and discouer that great theefe the Deuill who is euer readie to steale away your hearts from God Let vs deaâ—ely beloued follow this lanterne Let this Lampe of Gods word direct your footsteps So shall we bee safe from errour But if we will not follow it if we will decline if we will swerue from it we shall be suddainly involued and inwrapped in deceit and cannot choose but erre This was my first doctrine I can but touch the second Their lies caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked You haue vnderstood by my precedent exposition of these words that the Inhabitants of Iudah are here blamed for adhering to the blind superstitions of their forfathers The doctrine arising hence is this In matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers This truth is plainely deriued from my text for if we will make it our rule in Religion to follow our forefathers their lyes that is their blind superstitions and idolatrous worship of God may deceiue vs and cause vs to erre Were not the elders of Israel thus deceiued and brought into errour The twentie Chapter of the prophecie of Ezechiel makes it plaine that they were so there shall you finde it obiected to them that they were polluted after the manner of their fathers and committed whoredome after the abomination of their fathers ver 30. And to draw them from adhering to the ill courses of their fathers the Lord himselfe is pleased ver 18. 19. thus to speake vnto them Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile yourselues with their Idoles I am the Lord your God Walke in my statutes keepe my iudgements and doe them What will you more for the confirmation of my propouÌ„ded doctrine You haue alreadie the warrant of Almightie God from heauen for it that in matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers It is backed with another text Zach. 1.4 Be not as your Fathers your Fathers they heard me not they hearkened not vnto me saith the Lord. Be not you therefore as your fathers Your father 's tempted me in the desert Psal 95.9 Will you also tempt me Be not as your Fathers Your Fathers were a stubborne and rebellious generation Psal 78.8 Will you also be stubborne and rebellious Be not as your Fathers It is out of doubt Our fathers must not be followed in euill Yea in matters of Religion we are not bound to follow our Fathers If our fathers in their religion were blinded with superstition and worshipped God otherwise then they were directed by Gods holy word we are not to follow them yea we are plainely charged not to be as they were Thus briefly of my Doctrine In matters of religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers This truth serueth for a reproofe of Iesuits Priests Recusants and all other popishly affected within this our country who are so strangely devoted to the Religion whereof their fathers were that they purposely shut their eyes against the light of Gods word will not suffer it to shine vpon them To whom shall I liken them They are like to certaine Iewes that dwell in Pathros in the land of Egypt who when Ieremie in the name of the Lord dehorted them from their Idolatrie did as it were defying the Prophet thus protest Ierem. 44 17. We will not hearken vnto thee We will doe what seemeth good to vs as we haue done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes so will we doe We will burne incense to the Queene of Heauen we will powre out drinke offerings vnto her For so long had we plentie of victuals we were well we saw no euill Doe not our popelings in England now sing the same song Call them t Esa 8.20 ad lâ—gem ad testimonium call them to the word of God Their answere is readie at their tongues end we will not hearken to it we will doe what
a flaming fire that will burne the whole house it s like a wild Horse that will cast his rider into hell it s like a wild gourd that will poyson the whole pott it s like a plague that will destroy the whole cittie it s like a p Ecclus. 21.3 two edged sword the wounds thereof cannot be healed Flie therefore from sinne as from the face of a Serpent And euer remember what befell Iudah and Ierusalem for their sinnes They despised the Law of the Lord they kept not his commaundements their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers walked therefore hath the Lord sent a fire vpon Iudah which hath deuoured the palaces of Ierusalem Thus farre of my first doctrine A second followeth I take it from the condition of Ierusalem She had faire appellations She was called the Virgin and the daughter of Iudah Lament 1.15 The daughter of Sion ver 6. the cittie that was great among the nations and a Princes among the Prouinces ver 1. The holy Cittie Mat. 4.5 The Cittie of the great King Mat. 5.35 The Lord he chose it he desired it for his habitation he said of it This is my rest for euer here will I dwell for I haue a delight therein Psal 132.14 And yet notwithstanding Ierusalem is rased from the foundation shee is vtterly destroyed It is befallen her according to this commination in my text I will send a fire vpon Iudah which shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem My doctrine is God will seuerely punish sinne euen in his dearest children This S. Peter avoweth 1. Epistle 4.17 saying Iudgement must begin at the house of God Hiâ— meaning is that the punishment and chastisement of sinnes beginneth with the Saints and seruants of God in whom as it were in a house or Temple God dwelleth If they who are most familiar with vs do sinne against vs we fret and grow discontented The most familiar with God are his faithfull ones who fill the house of God which is his Church If these sinne against God can God take it well He cannot He will punish euen his faithfull ones So sayth St Austine Epist 122. Ad victorianum Propter peccata sua etiam sancti flagellantur the verie Saints of God are scourged for their sinnes You see my doctrine confirmed God will seuerely punish sinne euen in his dearest children The reason is giuen by S. Austine in his Booke of fiftie Homilies Homil. 21. because Iustitia est vt puniat peccatum it is a part of Gods iustice to punish sinne a part of his Actiue iustice So doe the Schooles call the Iustice of God by which he iudgeth and punisheth offenders Of this Iustice of God it is said in our English Liturgie It belongeth to God iustly to punish sinnes Yea so doth it belong to God that God is not iust vnlesse he punish sinne The vse of this doctrine is vrged to vs by S. Pet. 1. Epist Chap. 4. vers 17.18 If God will seuerely punish his owne children for their sinnes If iudgement must begin at the house of God what shall become of strange children children of Belial What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare To this purpose is that of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ Luk. 23.31 If they doe these things to a greene tree what shall be done to the dry It is as if he had said more plainly thus If God my Father suffer me who am innocent and without sinne who am like a greene and a fruitfull tree so grieuously to be afflicted and to be hewen downe as if I were a dry tree how much more will he suffer you who are sinfull and rightly compared to dry and barren trees to be afflicted and to be hewen downe The like argument doth the Lord bring against Edom. Ierem. 49.12 Behold they whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup haue assuredly drunken and shalt thou altogether goe vnpunished Thou shalt goe vnpunished but thou shalt surely drinke of it What shall I more say Let vs diligently weigh what hath alreadie beene sayd Lay we it to our soules and consciences We haue seene that the infinite Iustice of God repayeth vengeance for sinne euen vpon the heads of his dearest children The inhabitants of Iudah Gods inheritance great Ierusalem the cittie of God the glorious temple there the house of God for sinnes pollution haue beene brought to destruction Christ himselfe the onely begotten sonne of God the well-beloued sonne of God he in whom alone God is well pleased because he q 2. Cor. 5.21 serued with our sinnes and was r Esai 53.5 made sinne for vs he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities his backe was loaden with stripes his head with thornes his bodie with crossing his soule with cursing Thus sweete Sauiour hast thou suffered for our rebellions for our transgressions for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon thee and with thy stripes we are healed It fell out happily for vs beloued that Christ who knew no sinne should be made sinne for vs that we who bore about with vs a Å¿ Rom. 6.6 bodie of sin might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Being thus by Christ reconciled to God and washed and clensed from our sinnes through his precious bloud take we heed that it happen not to vs t 2. Pet. 2.22 according to the true Prouerbe The dog is turned to his owne vomit againe and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Let vs not henceforth be u Rom. 6.6 seruants vnto sinne let vs not yeeld our members as x Ver. 13. instruments of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne Why should we y Heb. 6.6 crucifie to our selues the sonne of God afresh and put him to an open shame Let vs rather yeeld our selues our soules and our bodies seruants vnto God for so shall our z Rom. 6.22 fruit be in holinesse and our end euerlasting life So be it THE VIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.6 7 8. Thus sayth the Lord For three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they sould the righteous for siluer and the poore for a paire of shooes That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore and turne aside the way of the meeke and a man and his father will goe in vnto the same maid to prophane my holy Name And they lay themselues downe vpon clothes layd to pledge by euery altar and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God FOr Israels sake Amos the peculiar Prophet of Israel hath hitherto made knowne vnto Israel what God his pleasure was concerning their neighbour-Nations The iudgements of God against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites were first manifested then followed his iudgments
taxed for Crueltie and Couetousnesse for Cruelty because they sold the righteous and the poore for Couetousnes because they sold them for siluer and for a paire of shoes The lesson which we may take from hence is this Cruelty and Couetousnes in Iudges and Magistrates are two of the sinnes for which God bringeth States to ruine You see it plaine in my text God would not turne away his punishments from Israel because of the Cruelty and Couetousnes in the Iudges of Israel These sins are most eminent in Iudges and Magistrates but are reproveable in all sorts of men The Cruell and the Couetous be they of whatsoeuer rancke in a Common wealth they are very burdensome to God himselfe God himselfe in this chapter vers 13. cryes out against them Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The time will not suffer me to inlarge my meditations vpon the discouerie of these two sinnes Cruelty and Couetousnes I shall haue occasion to meete with them againe in the beginning of the next verse where they are amplified and may hope for the benefit of your new attention For the present let vs be admonished that we suffer not our selues to be ouercome of these or any other sins Sinne It produceth very sad and dolefull effects It blindeth our vnderstanding while it taketh from vs the supernaturall light of diuine grace it staineth and defileth our consciences with its filthinesse it accuseth vs before the Lord of grieuous iniuries done against his Maiestie it impouerisheth vs when it spoiles vs of all spirituall good it dishonoreth vs when it diffameth vs in the sight of the Angels and the whole Court of Heauen it holdeth vs captiue and depriueth vs of all liberty of well-doing it bindeth vs with the chaines of euill custome and brings vs within the danger of falling daily from bad to worse vulnerat nos in bonis naturalibus occidit in gratuitis saith Cornelius Mussus B. of Bitonto it woundeth vs in all the good faculties of our nature and slayeth vs in the free graces wherewith God hath beautified our soules You see dearely beloued in the Lord you see what a tyrant Sinne is It stoppeth vp the fountaines of Grace and hindereth the streames of heauenly comfort from comming to vs. Yet yet our life is nothing but a trade of sinning In vs in our flesh there dwelleth no good Day by day yea many times a day we transgresse Gods holy Commandements we heape sinne vpon sinne and repent not What remaineth but that we powre forth our prayers to Almightie God that he will be pleased to giue vs true repentance for the wickednes of our fore-passed liues and in his good time to loose vs from this bodie of sinne and to couple vs to himselfe in Heauen where we may with the whole multitude of Saints sing vnto him an Halleluiah Blessing saluation honor glory and power be vnto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lambe for euer and euer Euen so be it THE IX LECTVRE AMOS 2.7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore and turne aside the way of the meeke and a man and his father will goe in to the same maide to profane my holy Name And they lay themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge by euery Altar and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God OF those grieuous sinnes with which the people of Israel are in this Chapter charged two were touched in the former verse their Crueltie and their Couetousnesse They sold the righteous and the poore this was Crueltie they sold them for siluer and for a paire of shoes this was Couetousnesse Now in the beginning of this 7. verse are those two sinnes amplified Their Couetousnesse thus They were neuer satisfied till they had cast downe the righteous and the poore to the dust of the earth Their Crueltie thus They were not content thus to haue exhausted and spoyled them but did also conspire against and gape after their liues for They panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore Before we take a further view of these sinnes Crueltie and Couetousnesse let vs for a while examine the words themselues They may seeme to be very intricate and perplexed by the diuersitie of the readings The word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagint do render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tread vnder foote vpon the dust of the earth the heads of the poore The Vulgar Latin hath Qui conterunt that breake or bruise vpon the dust of the earth the heads of the poore The Chaldee Paraphrast hath Qui contemnunt who despise as it were the dust of the earth the heads of the poore But these expresse the sense they render not the word For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth to fetch winde to draw breath and by a metaphor to swallow downe to sup vp to deuoure or earnestly feruently and with pleasure to desire to doe any thing By this phrase then our Prophet giueth vs to vnderstand that the Israelites the rich and the mighty among them did with delight behold the dust of the earth vpon the heads of the poore that to them it was a pleasure to see the poore by vniust exactors oppressed throwne to the ground trodden vnder foote Which sense our English Bibles seeme to point at The Geneva Bible hath They gape ouer the head of the poore in the dust of the earth The late Church Bible They gape for breath ouer the head of the poore in the dust of the earth or They presse vpon the head or They tread vpon the head of the poore in the dust of the earth The new translation That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore This varietie varieth not the sense Howsoeuer for the the first word we read They gape or gape for breath or presse or tread or pant ouer on or vpon the head of the poore yet is not the sense varied The mention of the dust of the earth keepeth that entire The dust of the earth Old a Drusius Obseruat lib. 15. cap. 5. Samaeus in b Cap. 44. Ioseph Ben-Gorion tells vs of an ancient custome among the Hebrewes concerning such as were impleaded or arraigned before their Iudges They were to stand at the barre in mourning attire with dust vpon their heads If â—â— that custome our Prophet here alludeth as Drusius thinketh then are the Magisâ—â—ates of Israel here nipped and checked for selling the cause of the poore to their rich aduersaries thereby making to themselues vnlawfull and excessiue gaine and lucre The dust of the earth on the head of the poore The casting of dust or earth vpon the head was of old and long time a ceremonie whereby men in sad and dolefull plight were wont to expresse their griefe Mention is made of it Iosh 7.6 There it is said that
to keepe out of their sight But if the way here be figuratiuely taken as well it may by a metaphor for their cause their right their businesse their trade or course of life then are we here to vnderstand that the richer sort of the Israelites did peruert the right of the poore did hinder their purposes did disturbe their courses and did so confound them that they were not able to make any prouision for themselues This metaphoricall signification of a way we meet with Exod. 18.20 There Moses is counselled by Iethro to shew his people the way wherein they were to walke We meet with it also in the Booke of Iob Chap. 17.9 There Iob sayth the righteous shall hold on his way We meete with it in many other places of holy writ which I must now let passe in all which as in this place the way betokeneth the cause of a man his right his busines his trade or course of life Aâ—ter this figuratiue signification some doe thus expound these words They turne aside the way of the meeke or They peruert the way of the poore that is the Israelites their rulers and gouernours the rich among them doe take in ill part what so euer the poore say or doe All their words all their deeds are found fault with Some malicious inuention or surmise is euer at hand to lay the blame vpon them This I take to be the fittest exposition for this place Here then we haue the fourth sinne wherewith the Israelites are here charged It is Caluninia their false accusing of the poore a sinne that euermore attendeth vpon Oppression For the cruell and couetous wretch who is perswaded that his greatnesse chiefly consisteth in the oppression of the poore will be sure so to prouide to keepe the poore vnder that they shall neuer be able to reuenge the wrongs done vnto them Let the poore man slip but vnaduisedly or ignorantly the lawes must by and by take hold on him whereas the Rich man the lawes are but as Cobwebs he breakes throw them all Hence is that common saying the poore man doth nothing well the rich man nothing ill Yea let the poore man doe all things well yet will some rich calumniator euer be ready to giue an ill construction of his best wayes or as the phrase in my text is to turne aside the way of the meeke or to peruert the way of the poore The lesson which we are to take from hence for our instruction is this The poore man which vseth any honest trade or course of life is not to be turned out of his way his words and actions are not to be mis-interpreted The reason of this doctrine is plaine in the sixth verse of this Chapter The Lord will not turne away his punishments from the offenders in this kind from such as turne aside or peruert the way of the meeke and the poore The vse of this doctrine concerneth all those whom God hath blessed with the wealth of this world It is their dutie not to be carelesse of the poore not to grieue them not to hinder them in their honest courses not to turne them aside out of their lawfull wayes You that haue wherewith to maintaine your selues abundantly you may not exempt your selues from doing seruice vnto God with your abundance Yea you must straine yourselues to the vttermost of your powers to relieue and succour such as are in scarcitie and in want This is a sacrifice that God requireth at your hands Offer it willingly and you shall haue a reward Your reward it shall not be a corruptible Crowne It shall be a Crowne of eternitie It shall be the possession of Heauen it selfe The poore shall carry you thither There is to this purpose a sweete meditation of S. Austin Serm. 245. de Tempore There hee bâ—ingeth in God thus speaking to the rich man Te diuitem feci tibi quod dares dedi laturarios tibi pauperes feci I haue made thee rich I haue giuen to thee that thou mightest giue to others I haue made the poore to be thy porters to be the Cariers of thine almes and thee into Heauen To this sense doth the same S. Austine Serm. 25. de verbis Domini call the poore man viam Coeli the way to Heauen Via Coeli est pauper per quam venitur ad Patrem The poore man is the way to heauen by which we come vnto the Father Incipe ergo erogare si non vis errare Begin therefore to errogate to distribute to lay out vpon the poore if thou wilt not wander or stray from the way to Heauen Loose thou the fetters of thy patrimony in this life that hereafter thou mayest haue free accesse into Heauen Cast away the burthen of thy riches cast away thy voluntarie bonds cast away thy anxieties thy irkesomnesse wherewith for many yeares thou hast beene disquieted Da pâ—tenti vt possis ipse accipere Giue to him that asketh of thee an almes that thou maist thy selfe receiue mercy Tribue pauperi si non vis flammis exuri Giue vnto the poore if thou wilt not be burnt in the flames of Hell fire Da in terrâ Christo quae tibi reddat in Coelo Giue to Christ on earth and Christ will repay thee in Heauen The like hath the same good father Serm. 227. de Tempore Si aperueris pauperibus manus tuas Christus tibi aperiet januas suas vt Paradisi possessor introeas If thou wilt open thy hand vnto the poore Christ will open his gates vnto thee that thou maist enter the possession of Paradise the Paradise of Heauen It is a Paradise for pleasure but a Citie for beautie and a Kingdome for state There is God in his fulnesse of glorie and raignes in iustice The companie there are all triumphant they are all invested with glorie crowned in maiestie clothed in sinceritie Their faces shine with beautie their hearts are filled with pietie their tongues extoll the Lord with spirituall alacritie in their hands they beare palmes in token of victorie No tongue can vtter no heart can conceiue the boundlesse and endlesse happinesse that shal be enioyed there This we know that our corruption shall there put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE X. LECTVRE AMOS 2.7 And a man and his father will goe in vnto the same maid to prophane my holy name THey who haue begun to goe beyond the lines and the limits prefined vnto them in the word of God doe by little and little proceed from euill to worse from one wickednesse to another This you haue seene verified in these Israelites You haue seene their crueltie their couetousnesse their oppressions their calumnies They were cruell they sold the righteous they sold the poore ver 6. They were couetous they sold the righteous for siluer they sold the poore for a paire of shoes in the same verse They were oppressours they panted after the dust of the earth
on the head of the poore vers 7. They were calumniators false accusers of their needie brethren they turned aside they peruerted the way of the meeke in the same verse Now are the barres and bounds of all shame broken now are the raines of all modestie let loose giuen vp to their vile affections they feare not to commit detestable Incâ—st For A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide to prophane my holy name Before we enter into a particular discourse of that abhominable sinne wherewith the people of Israell are in this text charged it will not be amisse to take a briefe view of the words as here they lie A man and his Father that is A sonne and his Father The originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a man for it the Septuagint read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the vulgar Latin Filius A sonne A sonne and his Father will goe in The vulgar Interpreter hath Iêrunt haue gone the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did goe in The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will goe It is very familiar with the Hebrewes to put one tense for another the future for the present the time to come for the time that is instant An instance hereof we haue Psal 1.2 There it s spoken of the blessed man He a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall meditate in the law of the Lord day and night He shall meditate so goeth the text the meaning is he doth meditate Blessed is the man that doth meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night In Psal 2.1 it is spoken of Christs enemies they b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall imagine a vaine thing They shall imagine so goeth the text the meaning is they doe imagine Why doe the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing In Psal 5.3 The Prophet Dauid earnest and vehement in Prayer thus speaketh of himselfe In the morning will I pray vnto thee c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will pray vnto thee so goeth the text the meaning is I doe pray vnto thee My voyce shalt thou heare in the morning O Lord in the morning doe I direct my prayer vnto thee It is the very Hebraisme that we haue in my text A man and his father d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will goe in vnto a maid to prophane my holy name They will goe in it is the letter of my text the meaning is that resolutely without shame without feare They goe in or they vse to goe in Doe they vse to go in Then may each reading be admitted they haue gone in they did goe in they doe goe in they will goe in A man and his father will goe in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto a maide What maid any maide No. But a knowne maid a certaine maide So much is implyed by the Hebrew Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which here is connotatiue or discretiue The Greekes say distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the same maide Our now English so readeth it and well For so the sense of this place requireth A man and his Father will goe in vnto the same maide By this maide S. Hierome vnderstandeth the sonnes wife or the fathers wife so doe others also as Ribera obserueth Mercer of late the Kings professour of the Hebrew tongue in the Vniuersitie of Paris by this maide vnderstandeth one that is affianced or betrothed to either the sonne or the father Of like minde is Arias Montanus By this maide saith he we vnderstand non meretricem not a common strumpet one that makes gaine by the prostitution and abuse of her bodie sed viro sponsam but one that is betrothed to a man aut certè nubilem or at lest one that is marriageable and is in her fathers house appointed for wedlocke Some are of opinion that by this maide you may vnderstand any maide the daughter of any other man to whom yet this man and his father vse to resort to satisfie their lusts Now if we will collect as Montanus doth the Father knew his owne daughter his sonne knew the same though she were to him his sister or the father knew his sonnes wife his daughter in law or the sonne knew his fathers wife his mother in law or both the father and the sonne were naught with some other mans daughter or all these wickednesses were in that corrupt state of Israell vsually acted Of that state we may say with Brentius Qualis pater talis filius pater fornicatur filius scortatur pater adulterium committit filius incestum pater libidinem exercet prohibitam filius turpem sequitur luxum It is a fathers part by his example of chast liuing to invite his sonne to chastitie With these Israelites there was no rule so good obserued Here was like father like sonne the father a fornicator the sonne a drabber the father an adulterer the sonne incestuous the father delighting in vnlawfull lust the sonne wallowing in sensualitie yea the father and the sonne did oftentimes fasten their impure and vnchast loue vpon the same maide which is the very thing avowed in my text A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide It followeth To profane my holy Name What Did this man and his father goe in vnto the same maide with a minde to prophane Gods holy Name was this their end No doubtlesse it was not their end Their end was to enioy their carnall pleasures And yet it s here expressely said they did it to profane Gods holy Name For the remoouing of this scruple that old Canon of an auncient e Chrysostom Father will serue It is proper to the Scripture to put that for a cause which indeed belongeth to the event Ribera thus explicats it It is the manner of the Scripture sometime so to speake as if it considered onely what a man doth and not at all with what mind he doth it as if it onely considered what men doe vulgarly and vsually collect and iudge of any action by the event therof For the Scripture many times speaketh as the custome of the common people is This rule the Iesuite f Tom. 4. p. 654. Pererius in his Comment vpon Genes chap. 43.6 thus plainely deliuereth When vpon the deed of any one any thing falleth out besides the purpose and will of the doer it is commonly beleeued and said to be done as if the doer had of purpose willed it Will you haue this rule made plaine by examples Then thus A man sinneth His sinne draweth vpon him the losse destruction of his owne soule Now he that sinneth doth not intend any such matter hee intends not the losse or destruction of his owne soule Yet because he doth that from whence followeth the losse and destruction of his soule he is said to will and seeke the perdition of his owne soule This Canon rightly vnderstood much helpeth for the explanation of diuers Scripture places In g Hebr.
Psal 11. Psal 10.6 according to the vulgar Latin we read Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam he that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule Did euer man hate his owne soule We may not imagine it Yet because he that loueth iniquitie liueth for the most part as if he little cared for his soules health it is there absolutely said Hee that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule In Genes 43.6 the vulgar Interpreter makes Israel thus to speake to Iudah and other his sonnes In meam hoc fecistis miseriam vt indicaretis ei alium vos habere fratrem you haue done it to my miserie that ye told the man that you had another brother It s true Iacobs ten sonnes when they were in Egypt to buy corne told Ioseph whom then they knew not to be Ioseph that their yongest brother was liuing But did they doe it with a mind to bring misery vpon their aged father Iacob Iacob himselfe could not thinke so and the storie cleares them from that imputation Yet because by that their deed miserie might haue fallen vpon their father Iacob Iacob saith vnto them after a vulgar custome of speech In meam hoc fecistis miseriam you haue done this to make me miserable In 2. King 4.16 the good woman of Shunem that was by Elisha promised a sonne notwithstanding her selfe was by nature barren and her husband also old said vnto Elisha Nay my Lord thou man of God doe not lie vnto thine handmaide Doe not lie What! Elisha a Prophet a man of God could he or would he lye No it beseemed him not Yet because he promised what was not in mans power to performe a sonne to a woman that was naturally barren and her husband also old some might thinke that he went about to deceiue the woman The woman therefore after the common kinde of speech saith vnto him Nay my Lord thou man of God doe not lye vnto thine handmaide Other like instances I might alledge for the further explanation of the Canon or rule which euen now I proposed But I need not The kind of speech is familiar in our English tongue If you see a sicke man intemperate or refusing to follow the aduise of his learned Physitian you wil straight way say this man seekes his owne death hee will kill himselfe When your meaning is not that he hath a purpose to seeke his owne death or to kill himselfe but that if he continue intemperate and will not follow his Physitians wholesome counsaile death will soone lay him in the pit Now let this rule be laid vnto my text and the scruple whereof I but now spake is gone A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide to profane my holy name they are the words of my text and the Lord in the mouth of his Prophet Amos hath spoken them But he speaketh after our manner as we vse to speake His meaning is that with the Israelites it was an ordinarie matter for a man and his father to commit filthinesse with the same maide and that by their so doing though themselues had no such purpose in so doing the holy name of God was prophaned This prophanation of Gods holy name was not the finall cause it was not the end why such filthinesse was committed in Israell It was rather the event or consequent of it Filthinesse was acted in Israel and thereof followed the prophanation of the holy name of God A man and his father c. To prophane my holy name My holy name The Hebrew hath the name of my holinesse where the substantiue is put for the adiectiue the Abstract for the Concrete which in that holy tongue is very vsuall In the 3. of Exod. ver 5. The Lord sayth to Moses Put of thy shoes from of thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is ground of Holinesse It s ground of Holinesse that is its holy ground In the 12. of Exod. vers 16. Moses and Aaron are charged to say vnto the people of Israel In the seauenth day there shall be a conuocation of holinesse vnto you A conuocation of holinesse that is a holy conuocation In the 22. of Exod. ver 31. The Lord sayth vnto the same people of Israel Yee shall be men of Holinesse vnto me Men of Holinesse that is Holy men Were it needfull I could shew vnto you that the a Esai 63 11. Spirit of Gods holinesse the b Esai 52.10 arme of his holinesse the c Psal 3.5 mountaine of his holinesse the d Psal 11.4 temple of his holinesse the e Deut 26.15 habitation of his holinesse are put for his holy Spirit his holy arme his holy mountaine his holy temple his holy habitation I could yet shew vnto you that f Exod 24.4 garments of holinesse g Num. 3.51 vessels of holinesse h Lamen 4.1 stones of holinesse i 1. Sam. 21.4 bread of holinesse k Ierem. 11.15 flesh of holinesse and l Num. 35.25 oyle of holinesse are in the holy Bible put for holy garments holy vessels holy stones holy bread holy flesh holy oyle But I haue said enough to shew what I intended namely that vsually in the Holy tongue the Abstract is put for the Concrete as holinesse for holy as in this my text A man and his father will goe in to the same maide to profane the name of my holinesse that is to prophane my holy name Can Gods holy name be prophaned by men Why not sith it may be sanctified by men That the name of God may be sanctified by men it s out of doubt Caput votorum the very first petition which wee are taught to poure forth vnto God is that his name may be sanctified Hallowed be thy name The name of God is holy in it selfe it needs not to be hallowed by vs its impossible for vs to adde vnto it any purity or holinesse which it had not before Yet m Scala coeli Serm. 9. Caput votorum the first petition of our prayer is Hallowed bee thy name Our desire therein is that Gods name which is holy of it selfe may bee so accounted off by vs may bee holily vsed by vs and may by our holy vsage of it bee manifested to the world that it is holy Now then as the name of God is Hallowed when for our holy and vnstained liues men blesse the name of God and praise him so when for our impure and spotted liues men blaspheme the name of God and dishonour him the name of God is prophaned Well then doth our Prophet Amos heere charge the people of Israel with prophanation of Gods holy name for asmuch as their liues were very impure and much spotted It was with them no strange matter for a man and his father to commit filthinesse with the same Mayde Thus haue you the words of my text expounded A man and his father A sonne and his father will goe in vnto the same mayde do
ordinarily without feare or shame commit filthinesse with the same young woman and so doing doe prophane my holy name they cause my name to bee blasphemed and ill spoken of Two things are heerein remarkable One is the sinne heere obiected to the Israelites the other is the consequent of this sinne The sinne is poynted at in these words A man and his father will goe in vnto the same mayde the consequent in these to prophane my holy name The sinne is vnlawfull pleasure taken either in incest or in adultery or in fornication or in any other vncleannesse the consequent is the prophaning of the holy name of God The doctrine arising from both I deliuer in this one position Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators otherwise shamelesse sinners are oftentimes the cause of prophaning the holy name of God Incestuous persons adulterers and fornicators all are starke naught but the first are the worst Incest adultery and fornication each of them is a sinne that throweth the sinner into the euer-burning lake yet the most greeuous of them is incest Incest It is one of the grossest vices of lust Euery mixture of man and woman of the same kinred within the degrees forbidden by the law of God is Incest It is forbidden in the seuenth Commandement wherein although adulterie be onely mentioned yet vnder that kinde of vncleannesse are comprehended and noted Sodomitrie incest rape simple fornication all the rest together with their causes occasions effects antecedents and consequents But more precisely is incest forbidden in the eighteenth of Leuiticus from the sixth verse to the eighteenth In the sixth verse the inhibition is generall None of you shall approach to any that is neere of kinne to him to vncouer their nakednesse I am the Lord. It is then the Lord that speaketh to you None of you shall come neere to any of your kinne to vncouer their shame But what kinred meaneth hee There is a kinred by society of bloud it is called consanguinity there is also a kinred by marriage it is called Affinitie And to both these kinreds will the Lord haue his inhibition to extend You shall not approch to any that is neere of kinne to you to vncouer their nakednesse that is you may not marry with or otherwise lustfully abuse any of your kinred be they of your kinred either by Consanguinity or by Affinity Now to treat of all these degrees that are in the eighteenth of Leuiticus forbidden were needlesse at this time One aboue the rest will fit my text It s that in the eighth verse The nakednesse of thy fathers wife thou shalt not vncouer Thy fathers wife that is thy step-mother not thine owne mother Her nakednesse though shee bee but thy mothâ—r in law thou shalt not vncouer This might haue beene the sin of these Israelites in my text Heere you see A sonne and his father went in vnto the same maide If this maide were wife vnto the father then was shee stepmother to the sonne and the sonne was incestuous This vncleannesse the very Heathen haue detested S. Paul acknowledgeth as much 1. Cor. 5.1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife Not so much as named amongst the Gentiles What doe not Heathen histories yeeld examples of this vncleannesse They doe They giue vs to vnderstand of n Plutarch in Demetrio Antiochus sonne of Seleucus how he burning with the incestuous loue of his mother in law Stratonice got her by his Fathers assent to be his wife They tell vs of o Plutarch in Artaxerxes Darius sonne of Artaxerxes how he obtained of his father by request that he might take to wife his mother in law Aspasia They relate vnto vs how p Aelius Spartianus in Antonino Caracalla Peretius in Mellificio historico parte 2. pag. 202. Antoninus Caracalla Emperour tooke to wife his mother in law Iulia. Antoninus bewitched with her beautie and desiring to marrie her with sighes said vnto her Vellem si liceret Mother if it were lawfull I would make you my wife Shee monster as she was shamefully replyed Si libet licet An nescis te Imperatorem esse leges dare non accipere Sonne you haue called me mother if you list to make me your wife you may Know you not that you are Emperour you giue lawes you take none With this her answere Antoninus inflamed matrem duxit vxorem he married his mother Other examples of this vncleannesse Heathen histories haue affoorded vs. How then is it that S. Paul in the but now-alledged place saith that this vncleannesse is such as is not so much as named among the Gentiles We need not fly to an Hyperbole to excuse the Apostles assertion His meaning is that though such vncleannesse were sometime practised among the Gentiles yet that among the very Gentiles lawes were made against it and that the better sort of the Gentiles did detest it as a filthie strange and monstrous villanie Was this vncleannesse held in such detestation by the Gentiles who were guided onely by natures light No maruaile then is it if the Lord here in my text do so sharply reproue Israel for this vncleannesse among them Israel They were the people of the Lord they were his inheritance they had the lampe of the word of God to be their guide Yet Israel rebellious and disobedient Israel hath played the harlot A man and his father went in vnto the same maide Vnder this one kinde of incest are comprehended all the rest And not incest onely but adulterie also yea and fornication too So that indeed the Israelites are here reproued in generall for their filthie lusts They were so inordinately vicious and so disolute that they blushed not once to pollute themselues with fornication with adulterie with incest with all manner of filthinesse and hereby was the holy name of God prophaned It is true Peccatorum turpitudine violatur nomen Dei sanctum such is the filthinesse of sinne that through it the holy name of God is often violated It was violated by Dauids sinne Dauid the man after Gods owne heart yet conuicted of murther and adultery Of murther for q 2. Sam. 12.9 killing Vriah the Hittite with the sword and of adulterie for taking to wife the wife of Vriah is by the Prophet Nathan reprooued for prophaning the name of the Lord. In 2. Sam. 12.14 they are the expresse words of Nathan vnto Dauid By this deed thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Dauid you see was the sinner others thereby tooke occasion to blaspheme the name of God The name of God was likewise blasphemed for the sinnes of the Israelites The Israelites r Ezech. 37.23 defiling themselues with the Idols of the Heathen with their abhominations with their iniquities are in the Bookes of the Prophets reprooued for prophaning the name of
them very infamous for their beastly Sodomie for their filthy adulterie for other their vncleane lust So holy were those holy Fathers Neither were they themselues alone giuen ouer to such filthinesse but they also tooke order to haue others like vnto them They could not alone be wicked z SZeged Spec. Pontif. Alexander the sixt gaue leaue to Cardinall Mendoza to abuse his owne bastard sonne in incestuous Sodomie a Downam de Antich lib. 1. cap. 6. Ormâ—rod Pict Pap. SZâ—ged spec Pont. Vescel Kroning Tractat. de Indulgentijs Sixtus the fourth gaue licence to the Cardinall of S. Lucie and to all his familie that they might in the three hot moneths of the yeare freely vse Sodomie Iohannes a Casa a Florentine Archbishop of Beneventum Legat for Iulius 3. at Venice set forth a booke in Italian Metre in commendation of this Diana of the Papists this abominable sinne of Sodomie Will you heare more of Sixtus the fourth He to incite and incourage others to be as filthy as himselfe built in Rome a famous stewes not onely of women but also of males The femall stewes how aduantagious it hath bin to the Pope and gainefull to his coffers may from hence appeare that the Pope hath receiued from them a yearely pension amounting sometimes to three thousand sometimes to foure thousand Ducates It is said of Paulus the third that in his tables he had the names of 45000 Curtizans which paid vnto him a monethly tribute Now that the Pope neede not to loose so great a reuenew some haue bestirred themselues to patronize his stewes by argument and by autoritie Their chiefe reason is that common Curtizans in hot countries are a necessarie euill Harding Confut. Apol. Iewelli par 4. cap. 1. thus speaketh of it It is common in all great Cities in hot countries not to banish from among them the filthy generation of harlots for the auoyding of a greater mischiefe Dr Bishop in his second part of the Reformation of a Catholicke deformed in the treatise of repentance saith The stewes in some hot Countries are tolerated to auoyd a greater mischiefe The cheife autoritie they bring is S. Austines out of his second booke de ordine cap. 4. Aufer meretrices de rebus humanis turbaveris omnia libidinibus Take harlots from among men yee shall disturbe all things with leacherous lusts To their reason that Curtezans in hot Countries are a necessarie euill we say that the heat of a countrey is no sufficient warrant for the popish stewes The land of Israel is a hotter climate then that of Italie yet saith God vnto the Iewes Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel For S. Austines autoritie wee acknowledge it to bee great and reuerend But withall we say that S. Austine when he wrote those words was not S. Austine When he wrote that tract of Order himselfe then liued in disorder a yong gallant a novice in the faith not well instructed not yet baptised in the name of Christ himselfe then kept a concubine and liued in whoredome But the same Saint Austine afterward fully instructed and baptised said thus Istam in vsu scortatorum terrena civiâ—as licitam fecit turpitudinem The words are De Ciuit. Dei lib. 14 cap. 18. The citie of the world not the Church of God hath made this filthinesse of harlots to bee lawfull So doth not Saint Austines autoritie hold vp the stewes Saint Paul beates them downe flat Rom. 3.8 they who say Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof their damnation is iust In a word the toleration of the stewes is an occasion of vncleanenesse to many a yong man and woman that otherwise would absteine from all such kinde of filthinesse What an abomination is it for a brother and his brother a father and his sonne a nephew and his vncle to come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Is it not the very abomination which the Lord reproueth in my text A man and his father will goe in to the same maide to profane my holy name I haue held you too long May it please you to remember my doctrine It was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God A twofold Vse I made of it One was to stirre vp our selues to a holy conversation The other to reproue such as are giuen ouer to vncleanenesse I conclude with that exhortation of Saint Peter 1. Epist. chap. 2.11 Dearely beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims absteine from fleshly lusts They may seeme vnto you a Paradise to your desires but they will proue a Purgatorie to your purses and a Hell to your soules Doe you loue your bodies Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they are rottennesse to your bones Doe you loue your soules Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they warre against your soules Doe you loue your credits Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they are dishonourable The heate of carnall lusts what is it but an infernall fire whose fuell is fullnesse of bread and aboundance of idlenesse whose sparkes are euill communication whose smoake is infamie whose ashes are pollution whose end is Hell Dearely beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts haue your conuersation honest among all men that they beholding your good works may glorifie God in the day of visitation Now gracious Father so worke in vs thou and thy power thou and thy mercy so bring it to passe that we may so spend the remainder of our dayes here in all holy conversation that after this life ended we may haue our inheritance in thy kingdome Grant this for thy sonne Christ Iesus sake To whom with thee c. THE XI LECTVRE AMOS 2.8 And they lay themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge by euery Altar and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God IT is a great height of impietie whereto men are growne when by vnlawfull meanes or pretences or allurements they adde sinne to sinne A man may sinne once and a second time and may doe it through infirmitie but if he go on with a third transgression and with a fourth if he be obstinate in heaping sinne vpon sinne lamentable is his estate A woe must be his portion It s denounced by the Prophet Esay cap. 5.18 Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Was there euer a people so far giuen ouer to worke impietie Behold such were the people of Israel they to whom this prophecie of Amos was directed Their cruelty their couetousnes their oppressions their calumnies their filthy lusts reproued in the two precedent verses do proclaim as much And yet they haue not done sinning They would I grant make faire weather they would make a faire shew as if their desire
In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Vervim nor the inwards of beasts nor turffs of earth but such things onely as proceed from the inner man righteousnesse patience faith innocencie chastitie abstinence such are the sacrifices to be offered vp vpon Gods holy Altar placed in our hearts In the Chapter following Chap. 25. his obseruation is that there are two things to be offered vp vnto God donum sacrificium a gift and a sacrifice the one perpetuall the other temporall According to some the gift is whatsoeuer is made of gold siluer purple or silke and the sacrifice is a beast slaine or whatsoeuer is burnt vpon the Altar But God hath no vse of these These are subiect to corruption but God is incorrupt Wee must therefore offer both gift and sacrifice in a spirituall manner so shall God haue vse of both Our gift must be integritas animi the vprightnesse of our minde our sacrifice laus hymnus prayse and thankesgiuing That I may conclude Beloued brethren let me sum vp together the Euangelicall sacrifices which the giuer of the new law requireth of vs. A broken spirit obedience to the will of God loue towards God and man iudgement iustice mercie prayer thankesgiuing almes-deedes our bodies and our soules these are the Euangelicall sacrifices the sacrifices of Christianitie to be offered vp vnto the Lord vpon the Altar of a faithfull heart A faithfull heart I say For if the heart be vnfaithfull the sacrifices will not be acceptable they will not be esteemed aboue the sorceries of Simon Magus Call them not sacrifices they are sacriledges if the heart be vnfaithfull But let the heart be faithfull and the sacrifices which it offereth vp will be as the beneficence was Phil. 4.18 which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus vnto Paul they will be odours of a sweete smell acceptable sacrifices and well pleasing vnto God Neither did that precious oyntment that ranne downe Aarons beard Psal 133.2 nor that that the woman powred vpon Christs head Mat. 26.7 nor that sweete incense Exod. 25.6 nor that wine of Lebanon Hos 14.7 yeeld so pleasant a sauour as doe the sacrifices of Christianitie that ascend from a faithfull heart O! the sweete sauour of a good life that springs and sprouts from a true beliefe farre surpasseth all other sweets in the world O! Let our sacrifices be such Let them spring from a true beliefe let them proceede from a faithfull heart so shall our minds when we thinke on God and our wils when we obey God and our soules when we loue God our tongues when we prayse God and our feete when wee walke with God and whatsoeuer else we haue when we vse it for the glory of God be an odour of a sweet smell an acceptable sacrifice and well pleasing vnto God I end Vouchsafe we beseech thee most mercifull Father so throughly to sanctifie vs with thine holy Spirit that all our sacrifices our preaching our hearing our prayers our prayses our thankesgiuings our deeds of mercie and pittie and charitie may euer be acceptable in thy sight Graunt this deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnitie of the holy Spirit be all prayse and power might and maiestie dignitie and dominion for euermore Amen THE XII LECTVRE AMOS 2.8 And they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God THis is the last branch in the enumeration of the sinnes of the Israelites It concerneth the Iudges of Israel and the Rulers of that state them principally It is appliable to others also to the richer sort The words are a reproofe of the grosse superstition of that people They thought their dutie touching the seruice of God well discharged so they repaired to their temples Such holy places they thought were of themselues sufficient to clense them albeit they should euen there betake themselues to inordinate eating to vnmeasurable drinking to infamous luxurie yea to euery kinde of villanie For my more plaine proceeding in the handling of the words of this text will you be pleased to note in them First the action for which the Israelites are here reproued it is a drinking of wine They drinke wine Secondly whose wine it is they drinke It s not their owne its vinum damnatorum it 's the wine of the condemned They drinke the wine of the condemned Thirdly where they drinke it They drinke it not at home which were more tolerable but in domo deorum suorum in the house of their Gods They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods The first convinceth them of riot and excesse They drinke wine immoderately They are so giuen to it that they absteine not euen then when they are in their temples and would seeme most religious For they drinke it in the house of their Gods The second convinceth them of oppression The wine they drinke is vinum damnatorum it is the wine of the condemned it is vinum mulctatorum the wine of such as they haue fined or mulcted wine bought with the money of them whom they haue in their vnrighteous iudgments spoyled of their goods The third conuinceth them of idolatry They drinke their wine in the house of their Gods not in the Temple at Ierusalem that once glorious Temple of the true and liuing God but in the temple of their gods in Dan and Bethel and other places before their golden calues and other their Idols They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods First They drinke wine Wine Why might they not Is it not one of the good a 1. Tim. 4.4 creatures of God that may well be vsed with thanksgiuing God himselfe giues it to the obedient to them that loue and serue him Deut. 11.14 I will giue you the raine of your land in due season the first raine and the latter raine that thou maist gather in thy corne and thy wine and thine oyle That thou maist gather in thy wine Christ his miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee Ioh. 2.11 is euidence enough that he allowed the drinking of wine Yea himselfe dranke wine Else the people would neuer haue called him a wine-bibber as it appeareth they did Matth. 11.19 S Paul 1. Tim. 5.23 wisheth Timothie no longer to drinke water but to vse a little wine for his stomackes sake Wine hath its praises in the Scripture It makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 It cheareth God and man Iudg. 9.13 How then is it that the Israelites are here reproued for drinking wine I answer not for drinking wine but for the abuse in drinking are the Israelites here reproued It is with wine as it is with euery other good creature of God It may he abused Wine is abused when men are drunken with it This abuse of wine S. Paul desirous either to preuent or to reforme in the Ephesians thus speaketh to the Ephesians
non debetis ye ought not to be ignorant of this that the amitie of the world is enmitie with God and that whosoeuer is a friend of the world he is the enemie of God I may adde yea and of the Godly too Hereto agreeth that demaund of S. Paul 2. Cor. 6.14.15 What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is righteous the world is wicked and g 1. John 5.19 lieth altogether in sinne therefore there can be no fellowship betweene God and the world God is h 1. I haâ— 1.5 light he is the i Iam. 1.17 Father of lights in him there is no darkenesse at all The world what is it but k Ephe. 5.8 darknesse what but a receptacle of the vnfruitfull l Vers 11. workes of darkenesse therefore there can bee no communion betweene God and the world Christ is holy altogether holy and immaculate Belial is wicked he is the Prince of wickednesse therefore there can be no concord betweene Christ and Belial Now if there can be no fellowship if no communion betweene God and the world can we looke there should be any fellowship any communion betweene Saints worldlings betweene the godly and the wicked betweene such as loue God and such as loue the wâ—rld If there be no concord betweene Christ and Belial can we expect there should be any concord betweene true Christians and Belialists betweene the followers of Christ and the sonnes of Belial It cannot be expected These whom I call Belialists or the sonnes of Beliall worldlings and the wicked are such as loue the world the other whom I call true Christians or followers of Christ Saints the godly are such as loue God The repugnancie that is betweene the qualities of these two is elegantly deliuered in holy writ The louers of God are m Rom. 8.14 Galat. 5.18 led by the Spirit of God they n Galat. 5.16 walke in the Spirit and bring forth the o Vers 22.23 fruits thereof as loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance and such like but they that loue the world are invested with p Ver. 19.20.21 adulterie fornication vncleannesse lasciuiousnesse Idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse revellings and such like What greater repugnancie can there be then this Againe they that loue God are q 2. Tim. 2.22 of pure hearts and of r 1. Tim. 1.5 good consciences they Å¿ Coloss 1.22 present themselues holy vnblameable and vnreproueable in the sight of God they serue the Lord t Johan 4.23 in Spirit and in truth but they that loue the world are of u Psal 14.1 And 53.1 corrupt hearts of x Tit. 1.15 defiled minds and consciences their works are y Psal 14.1 abominable they are z Psal 58.3 deceitfull from the wombe they are altogether a Psal 14.3 become filthy their seruice of God is but a flattering of him for they b Psal 78.36 lye vnto him with their double tongue What greater repugnancie can there be then this Once more They that loue God cast all their c 1. Pet. 5.7 care vpon him they are d Vers 8. sober and vigilant for they know that their aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuour but they that loue the world like the foole in the Psalme e Psal 14.1 53.1 10.4 say in their heart there is no God Sobrietie they care not for vigilancie they will none of it f Philip. 3.19 Minding earthly things glutted with the pleasure thereof their sole care is g Rom. 16.18 to serue their owne belly h Philip. 3.19 their God is their belly their glory is their shame their end is damnation What greater repugnancie can there be then this Will it now please you to collect with me the qualities of the wicked the sonnes of Belial worldlings such as loue the world are wholy repugnant and contrary to the qualities of the Godly the followers of Christ Saints such as loue God and therefore there can be no agreement betweene them No better then was betweene Cain and Abel And that you know was bad enough For Cain slew Abel And wherefore slew he him S. Iohn giues you the reason 1. Epist 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers righteous Thus farre of the hatred of the wicked against the Godly the true reason of my doctrine which was The wicked are euermore in a readinesse to doe all the disgrace and despite they can not onely to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers but also to the true seruants of God of what vocation estate or condition soeuer they be Let vs now make some vse of that which hath beene hitherto deliuered for the bettering and the amendment of our sinfull liues First the Ministers of Gods word may from hence learne not to take it vnto heart if such as are bound by the Law of God and nature and by all good order to yeeld them due loue and reuerence shall in pride and contempt insult ouer them to disgrace and to despite them They may well remember that it s neither great nor new nor rare thing that they meete with such course entertainement in the world forasmuch as they cannot be ignorant that the world hateth them And what if the world hate them Shall they therefore be altogether dejected They need not For Christ giues them encouragement and comfort Iohn 15.18 If the world hate you yee know that it hated me before it hated you The argument is drawen ab exemplo from Christs owne example The world hateth mee you know it to be so you see it It needes not then to be any disparagement to you if it hate you it hated me before it hated you Cur ergo se membrum supra verticem extollit S. Austine propounds the question Tract 88. in Iohannem Why doth a member extoll it selfe aboue the head Recusas esse in corpore si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite thou refusest to be in the bodie if thou wilt not with the head susteine the hatred of the world A second argument of encouragement and comfort to vs against the hatred of the world is drawne from the nature of the world vers 19. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you This argument is euident euen to the common sense of men who cannot but know that betweene contraries there is no agreement and betweene men of vnlike qualities no full consent of minds It is then as if Christ had thus said The world loues none but his owne none but those that are addicted deuoted and wholy giuen ouer to it but
are likewise vanished But may he not be accounted of for somewhat that is about him for his riches for his munition and weapons of defence for his honour and the reputation he holdeth in the state wherein thou liuest No no. For what cares the Almightie for these The Psalmist was not ill aduised Psal 146.3 Where he thus aduiseth vs Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man in whom there is no helpe his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish See man here pictured and drawne forth in liuely colours Put not your trust in Princes not in Princes Why Is not their authoritie and pre-eminence here exceeding great Yes But they are sonnes of men Well Be it so The sonnes of men are creatures not farre inferiour to the Angels True But there is no helpe in them no helpe in them Why so Their breath goeth forth They dye What if they dye Is there no place for them in Heauen among the starres No they returne to their earth there to participate with rottennesse and corruption What if corruption be in their flesh may not their intendments and deuises be canonized and kept for eternitie No they may not For in that very day their thoughts perish their thoughts are as transitorie as their bodies and come to nought And therefore put not your trust in them not in Princes nor in any son of man Wherein then shall we put our trust Euen in the Lord our God To this trust in the Lord we are inuited Psal 118.8 9. It is botter to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in Princes Is one better then the other Why then both may be good and it may be good to put confidence in man Not so You may not take the word better in this place to be so spoken For if you put any confidence in man you rob God of his glory which to doe can neuer be good I therefore thus expound the words It is better by infinite degrees absolutely and simply better to trust in the Lord to trust stedfastly in him alone then to put any confidence any manner of trust or confidence in man of what estate or dignity soeuer he be though he be of the rancke of Princes who haue all the power and authoritie in the world It s euery way better to trust in the Lord then to trust in such euer good to trust in the Lord but neuer good to trust in man Trust we in the Lord and blessed shall we be but cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme the Lord himselfe hath said it Ierem. 17.5 Now therefore O Lord since thou hast from hence taught vs that from the ayd of man there is no safetie to be expected neither from him that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor from the strong man nor from the mightie man nor from the bow-man nor from the swift of foote nor from the horseman nor from the couragious among the mightie nor from any thing else that is in man or about him giue vs grace we beseech thee that in thee alone wee may place all our hope and confidence In thee alone our God and Father of mercies doe we trust and doe thou according to the multitude of thy compassions looke vpon vs. Heare the supplications of vs thy poore seruants liuing far as banished men in a sauage Countrey Protect wee beseech thee and keepe our soules among the many dangers of this mortall life and bring vs by the conduct of thy gracious fauour into that thy sacred habitation and seate of eternall glory Grant this vnto vs most deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake FINIS A Table of such particulars as are contained in this Commentarie A Abraham his mild speech to Lot 29 Accesse to God 347 No accident in God 114 Adam 287. 360 Adulterie 148 Adulterers 148 Naturall Affection 28 Affliction 254 Alexander the sixth 157 An Altar of earth 169 of stone of Holocausts ibid. There was but one Altar 169 The Altar a tipe of Christ 170 Popish Altars 171 none such in the Primitiue Church ibid. Our Altar now not materiall 172 It is our heart 177 The Ammonites enemies to the people of God 18 Excluded from that Church 18 The Amorite 214 Destroied ibid. Amorites they were tale and strong 226 They were destroied 236 Amos. 307 Amos why he first prophecied against Forreine nations 2. 47 Antaeus 226 Antiochus 149 Antonius Caracalla ibid. Arias 344 Asaphel 343 Aspasia 149 Assurance of our faith 7. Atalanta 343 Atheists denying God and his truth 12 B Men of Base estate comforted 45 Beast worshipped for Gods 247 Beautie 229 Behold 322 Benefits the order of Gods Benefits Not obserued 242 We must remember Gods Benefits 252 The Bible the greatest treasure 54 The Bible must be had ibid. The Bible to be read ibid. Men Blaspheme God 152 Gods name Blasphemed 150 Our Bodies a sacrifice 174 The goods of our Bodies must be offered ibid. The Bond of bloud 28 of christianity ibid The greatest Bond betweene men ibid A Broken spirit 176 D. Bucknham 89 The Buriall of the dead 27 C Cain 360. 361 Camilla 343 A Calumniator 138 A Calumnie ibid. Carioth 33 Cedars 223 They grow high ibid. Cerijoth 33 We haue beene Chastised of God 42 Christ our altar 170 His benefits towards vs. ibid His death and passion ibid A Christian in name 106 A Christian who ibid The Church of God 253 A Citie not safe against God by munition c. 35 Consanguinitie 27 Contempt 64 Contempt of the law of the Lord. 67 Contempt may be a sinne and not 65 Couetousnesse 133 The causes of our Crosses is sinne 60 Crueltie 23. 133 Crueltie against the dead 25 Crueltie displeaseth God 23. 37 D Darius 98. 149 The naturall man in Darknesse 86 Dauid chosen king 230 Dauid George 89 The Day of the Lord. 134. 371 Crueltie towards the Dead 25 Buriall of the Dead 27 Death of 4. sorts 36 Death terrible 37 Death considered in a double respect 38 Death to be feared of whom 39 Death welcome to the penitent 38. 40 Of three things no Definition 112 The Denying of a contrary is somtime an affirmation 70 All must once Die 36. 37 Disobedience 74. 77. 289. 292 Dispensations Popish 155 Doggs thankfull 207 Draw nigh to God 347 A Drunkard 182. 286 described 182 Drunkennes the effects of it ibid c. Our Dwelling houses a blessing vnto vs. 35 E Eagle swifter then Eagles 224 The Edomites descended from Abraham 22 Egypt 345. 250 Where situate 245. The Egyptians superstitious 246 Their Gods ibid. Their crueltie 251 The Israelites brought vp from the land of Egypt 244. 245 Eliab Iesse his eldest sonne 228 liked by Samuell 229. 230 faire of countenance and of goodly stature 229 refused 230 No Escaping from God 342 Etham 255
the children of Israel be taken out of the hands of Salmanassar The things compared are First a Lion and Salmanassar King of Assyria Secondly a Sheepe and the Children of Israel Thirdly some fragments of a deuoured sheepe two legs or a peece of an eare and the small number of the Israelites that should escape These Israelites are here described ab ipsorum securitate from their security or lacke of care They liue nicely aâ—d delicately in all pleasure and delight full of confidence that no euill shall at any time touch them They dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Samaria and Damascus Cities of strength and fortification were vnto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest They thought themselues safe and out of danger by the aid and succour of Ciâ—ies so well fenced but were deceiued For thus saith the Lord As the Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Such is the diuision of this Text. I now descend to a speciall handling of the parts The first is the Introduction to the Similitude Thus saith the Lord. This Introduction I heretofore copiously handled I met with it in the first Chapter of this booke fiue times Vers 3 6 9 11 13. Vers 1 4 6. in the second thrice and once before in this and therefore the lesse need is there that now I insist vpon it Yet may I not leaue it vnsaluted sith our Prophet here repeateth it And he repeateth it to iustifie his calling to shew that albeit he formerly liued the life of a Shepheard yet now he haâ—h his calling to be a Prophet from the Lord Iehouah Whence my obseruation is It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God This truth is by the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 thus deliuered No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was Now that Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated to the Priests office by the authority and appointment of God it is plaine by the eighth Chapter of Leuiticus wherein are set downe the sacrifices and ceremonies vsed at the Consecration together with the place and time thereof Thereby it appeareth that the office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but God Almighty did first institute and ordaine it by his owne expresse commandement Then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great miracle of the budding of Aarons rod Num. 17.8 The rod of Aaron for the house of Leui brought forth buds and bloomed blossomes and yeelded Almonds Thus was the institution of holy Priesthood from God alone This honour the holy men of God of old time tooke not to themselues Nor Esay nor Ieremy nor Ezechiel nor any of the residue tooke this honour to themselues but were all called of God and in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his words which is intimated by those passages very obuious in the writings of the Prophets as a â—say 1.1 the vision of Esaiah b Cap. 1.1 the vision of Obadiah the burden of Nineueh in the booke of the vision of c Cap. 1.1 Nahum the burden which Habakkuk the Prophet did see the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachy the word of the Lord which came to Hosea to Ioel to Ionah to Micah to Zephaniah to Haggai to Zachariah d Esay 1.2 The Lord hath spoken e Ierem. 10.1 Heare yee the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord. By these and the like passages they shew their calling to haue beene from God Not one of them tooke this honour to himselfe Nor did Christ himselfe take this honour to himselfe but with warrant of his Fathers calling For so I reade Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee He euen God the Father gaue him this honour And hereunto doth Christ himselfe beare witnesse in all those places of the holy Euangelists wherein he acknowledged himselfe to be * Matth. 10.40 Mark 9.37 Luk. 4.18 43. Ioh. 3.17 34 c. sent of God The holy Apostles of Christ whence had they their calling were they not all openly ordained by Christ himselfe Neuer did any of them execute that office but with protestation that they had their calling from God and therefore their writings beginne Rom. 1.1 Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Iames a seruant of God Gal. 1.1 and of the Lord Iesus Christ Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ Cap. 1.1 Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ the reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his seruant Iohn Thus had Christs Apostles the assurance of their calling from God So had the blessed Euangelists So all those whom Christ gaue vnto his Church for the instruction thereof Ephes 4.11 He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is true that Christ himselfe is the chiefe builder for so he saith Matth. 16.18 Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam vpon this rocke will I build my Church and he builds it through his holy Spirit yet he doth vse Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers as vnderwork men for this building euen vnto the end of the world And all these haue the assurance of their calling from God Who so hath it not he is not to be vouchsafed the name of Prophet or Apostle or Euangelist or Pastor or Teacher for he is an Intruder And great is the danger of Intrusion Euery Intruder was to be put to death The Law for it is Num. 1.51 Euery stranger that commeth nigh vnto the Tabernacle shall be put to death The stranger any one that is not of the tribe and family of Leui that breaketh into the Leuites function and medleth with holy things beyond his calling he is to bee put to death An example hereof we haue in the Beth-shemites 1 Sam. 6.19 who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord contrary to the Law were smitten with a great slaughter to the number of fifty thousand and threescore and ten men The like we haue in Vzzah sonne of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6.6 who because he touched the Arke of God contrary to the Law was punished with sudden death and stricken with the immediate hand of God that fell vpon him to the terrour of others and to worke reuerence in the hearts of all men toward the sacred things of his seruice Adde hereto the
euill deeds Another reason hereof may be because all power is of God and from him alone There is no creature in the world deuill man or other that hath power any way to hurt or molest vs but from the Lord. All power is his Hee alone makes the earth to open her mouth and a Exod. 15.12 Numb 16.32 swallow vp his aduersaries He alone b Iob 9.5 remoueth mountaines and ouerturneth them He it is that saith to the North c Esa 43.6 Giue vp and to the South Keepe not backe and to the Deepe d 44.27 Be dry He diuideth the e 51.15 roaring Sea measureth the f Iob 28.25 winds and waters g Dan. 4.25 ruleth in the kingdomes of men Whatsoeuer he is pleased to doe h Psal 135.6 that doth He in Heauen and in Earth in the Seas and all deepe places There is no power but from him And therefore for this reason also it is true that Whatsoeuer visitation or punishment befalleth vs in this life it is laid vpon vs by the hand of God by his good will and pleasure From the reasons of this obseruation proceed we to see what profit we may reape from hence for the bettering and amendment of our sinfull liues First from hence we learne in all our troubles and calamities to looke vp to God as the chiefe and principall Author of them from whom they come and vpon our selues and our sinnes the sole procurers of them and for whose sake they are sent Eliphar among his aduertisements giuen vnto Iob hath this for one Misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Iob 5.6 Warning Iob thereby to haue an eye to God as the Author of his affliction It s very true affliction comes not vpon vs at all aduentures it proceedeth not from the Earth or the Aire or the Heauen it is the hand of God that is heauy vpon vs for our sinnes Great is our folly that we gaze about here and there wandring vp and downe in our owne imaginations and searching all the corners of our wits to finde out the causes of our calamities without vs whereas indeed the true and right cause of them is within vs. Wee are euermore accusing either heat or cold or drought or moisture or the aire or the ground one thing or other to be the cause of our miseries but we will not be brought to acknowledge their true and proper cause euen the sinne that reigneth in vs. I deny not but the Lord hath secret causes whereof wee know not either the manifestation of his owne workes or the triall of our faith yet the reuealed and originall cause of all our miseries hath his beginning and spring-head from within vs from our iniquities The Prophet Ieremy Lament 3.39 makes this enquiry Wherefore should a liuing man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinne wherefore should he complaine Whereunto he fits this answer man suffereth for his sinnes implying thus much that it is meere folly for a man to vex his soule in mis-iudging of his estate and seeking by-paths to winde himselfe out of miseries sith miseries befall no man but for his sinnes Whereupon sweetly Pellican Non murmuret afflictus contra Dominum Let not the man that is in affliction murmure against the Lord for the Lord doth all things well Sed si quid patitur imputet peccatis suis quae Deus impunita non sinit But if he suffer any thing let him lay the blame thereof vpon his sinnes which God leaueth not vnpunished Our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hauing cured the man that had beene diseased eight and thirty yeeres and finding him in the Temple aduised him to consider the cause of his so long and lamentable a visitation saying vnto him Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee Ioh. 5.14 intimating that his disease of so long continuance was laid vpon him for his sinnes Out of doubt this diseased man thought himselfe happy when hee was restored to health yet lest he should rest therein our Sauiour telleth him he must change his heart and sinne no more lest a worse thing should befall him Sciebat Dominus ei quem salvum fecerat meritis peccatorum illum etiam carnis accidisse languorem Augustine de fide operibus cap. 20. The Lord knew that that same infirmity of body vpon the man whom he had healed befell him for his sinnes sake I need not presse other instances of holy Writ for the further illustration of the point in hand sith my Text is plaine for it By my Text its plaine that the visitation which the Lord was resolued to lay vpon the house of Iacob was for the preuarications thereof it was for their reuoltings and transgressions and wickednesse it was for the sinnes of Israel The sinnes of Israel were the cause of Gods visitation vpon them Wherefore Beloued let euery visitation of God vpon vs be vnto vs a Sermon of repentance to put vs in remembrance of our sinnes and to admonish vs not to sow any more vpon the furrowes of vnrighteousnesse lest we reape a more plentifull haruest of affliction and whensoeuer any visitation shall be vpon vs let vs desire God to sanctifie the crosse vnto vs that it may consume sinne in vs and prouoke vs to a more holy conuersation Thus haue you your first vse Now in the second place the consideration of this truth that whatsoeuer visitation or punishment befalleth any of vs in this life it is laid vpon vs by the hand of God may teach vs to haue patience in our troubles not to repine or grudge when we are vnder the rod of affliction Sith it is the hand of God that doth visit vs we are to take it patiently as a dutifull child beareth the chastisements of his louing father This was the practise of holy Dauid Psal 39.9 where he saith Obmutui non aperui os meum quoniam tu fecisti Lord I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Quoniam tu fecisti because thou didst it this was the fountaine whence he drew his patience To the reuilings of the wicked to their reproaches to their malicious detractions to their scoffings to their iniurious speeches Obmutuit he answered not a word but was as the man that is dumbe as he that hath no tongue as he whose mouth is shut he excused not himselfe he returned no euill language but he held his peace and bore it patiently The fountaine of this his patience was Quoniam tu fecisti because thou didst it Lord thou didst it But thou art a Father I am thy sonne therefore what thou didst thou didst it for my good and therefore I hold my peace Out of this fountaine Iob drew his patience When he had lost his children and was depriued of all his goods he murmured not nor charged he God foolishly All he said was Dominus
with any Nation Vpon this first part of my Text this Commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon Israel I grounded my first obseruation It is this It is an excellent priuilege to bee knowne of God by the knowledge of his approbation to be chosen of him to be his people to be in his loue and fauour to be vnder his care and prouidence The excellency of this priuilege appeareth in this that the Lord here calls Israel to the remembrance of it saying You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth This excellent priuilege the true seruice of the liuing God thorow the free vse of his holy Word and Sacraments wheresoeuer it is found among any people is a sure pledge that the Lord knoweth that people with the knowledge of his approbation that he hath chosen them to be his peculiar people that they are in his loue and fauour and that he careth and prouideth for them How much then Beloued how much are we indebted to the Maiesty and bounty of Almighty God who hath graced vs with so excellent a blessing as is the Ministery of his holy Word His holy Word It is a Iewell than which nothing is more precious to which any thing compared is but drosse by which whatsoeuer is tried will bee found lighter than vanity The true estimate of this Iewell may be had out of the 19. Psalme At the 7. vers it is Perfect nothing may be added to it without marring of it it conuerteth the soule and turneth it from euill to good It is sure you may build vpon the truth of it as well for the promises of mercy as for the threatnings of iudgement It giueth wisdome the wisdome of the spirit euen vnto the simple to the humble and lowly of minde At the eighth verse It is right without any iniustice or corruption It reioyceth the heart with true and sound ioy It is pure pure in all points and giueth light to the eyes the eyes of the minde that we may securely trace the way to Heauen At the ninth verse It is cleane without spot or shew of euill and endureth for euer without alteration or change It is truth without falshood and is righteous all together there is no error in it Is your desire for profit or for pleasure This Iewell yeelds you both At the tenth verse for profit it is compared to Gold for pleasure to Honey For profit it is more to bee desired than gold yea than much fine gold for pleasure it is sweeter than honey or the hony combe Moreouer at the tenth verse It will make you circumspect it will shew you the danger of sinne and will teach you how to auoid it and may encourage you to obedience for as much as in the keeping of it there is great reward Great reward yet through Gods mercy and not of your merit Now dearely beloued is the holy Word of God a Iewell so precious of such an estimate Then giue eare to the exhortation of wisdome Prou. 23.23 Buy it and sell it not Buy it what ere it cost you seeke by all meanes to obtaine it and when you haue gotten it sell it not at any hand depart not from it for any price for any cause But let it according to the exhortation that Saint Paul made to the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Let it dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome It is as one wittily speaketh Gods best friend and the Kings best friend and the Courts best friend and the Cities best friend and the Countries best friend and euery mans best friend Giue it therefore entertainment not as to a forreiner or stranger but as to your familiar as to your best friend let it dwell in you And sith it comes not empty but brings with it as well pleasure as profit as you haue already heard Let it dwell in you plenteously Plenteously Yet in all wisdome Let vs heare it in all wisdome reade it in all wisdome meditate vpon it in all wisdome speake of it in all wisdome and preach it in all wisdome not only in wisdome but in all wisdome that the words of our mouthes and the meditations of our hearts may euer be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our strength and our Redeemer Thus farre of my first obseruation grounded vpon the Commemoration of Gods blessings vpon Israel You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth You only My second obseruation is that this great blâ—ssing of the true seruice of God and the free vse of his holy Word was in the daies before Christ appropriate to the people of the Iewes This appeareth by some of those places before alleaged Deut. 4.7 8. and Psal 147.19 20. for the further illustration of the point that of the 76. Psalme vers 1 2. may well serue In Iudah is God knowne his name is great in Israel in Salem is his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion In which words the Psalmist giueth vnto the land of Iudah and Israel this prerogatiue aboue the rest of the Nations of the whole earth that there God was knowne and his name was great but especially in Salem that is in Hierusalem and in Mount Sion the place which he desired for his habitation Psal 132.13 There was God knowne his name was great there Elsewhere it was not so It was not so among the Nations For as Barnabas and Paul told the men of Lystra Acts 14.16 in times past God suffered all Nations to walke in their owne waies The way of God they then knew not The then state of the Nations Saint Paul Ephes 2.12 elegantly decyphereth in fiue circumstances Hee bids them remember what they were in time past as that first they were without Christ secondly they were aliens from the common weâ—lth of Israel thirdly they were strangers from the couenants of promise fourthly they were without hope fiftly they were without God in the world Enough is said for the confirmation of my second obseruation which was that in time of old in time past in the daies before Christ his comming in the flesh the true seruice of God and the exercise of his holy word was appropriate to the people of the Iewes to the children of Israel Now the reasons of this appropriation are two One is Gods vndeserued and speciall loue the other is the truth of his promise Both are expressed Deut. 7. At the seuenth verse the false cause is remoued at the eighth the true is put The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people There the false cause is remoued The true cause is put in the words following But because the Lord loued you and because he would keepe the oath which hee swore vnto your fathers therefore hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh King of Aegypt and
hath giuen you the rich treasure of his true seruice and holy Word To you onely hath he beene so gracious not for any dignity or worth of yours but for his owne loues sake and for his promise sake One vse of this obseruation may be to shew that heretofore Grace was not so vniuersall as Papists now would haue it to be The knowledge of the meanes of saluation was denied to the Nations A second vse may be to admonish vs that we hold it for a singular blessing that the Lord hath reserued vs for these last daies wherein the word of God of old time limited to the coasts of Iudaea and Palaestina is now published vnto vs of the Gentiles Ephes 2.13 Now in Christ Iesus wee who were sometimes farre off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Now therefore we are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow-heires with the Saints Psal 107.8 and of the houshold of God O that we would therefore praise the Lord for this his goodnesse and declare this wonder that he hath done for vs. It is time that from the Commemoration wee descend to the Commination The Commination is in these words Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Therefore Why Because the Lord hath knowne Israel aboue all the families of the earth will he therefore punish them for all their iniquities Is not the sequell absurd You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Were it not better thus You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will spare you I will pardon you I will not punish you for all your iniquities For remouing of this scruple wee must haue recourse to that Couenant which the Lord made with Israel in Horeb. Deut. 5.2 The forme of the Couenant is extant Exod. 19.5 If you will obey my voice indeed and keepe my Couenant then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure vnto me aboue all people This Couenant is more at large described in Deut. 7. and 28. The summe of it is If thou wilt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God to obserue and to doe all his Commandements which hee commandeth thee then blessed shalt thou be but if thou wilt not accursed shalt thou be The Couenant you see is vpon a condition If the condition be broken on Israels part God is no longer on his part tied to any performance This sequell then may be good I haue chosen you by Couenant aboue all the nations of the earth that ye should keepe my Law but you haue failed in the condition you haue not kept my Law Therefore I will punish you and will punish you for all your iniquities Therefore because you hauing beene graciously receiued by me into fauour doe runne headlong into all iniquity I will punish you therefore I will punish you In the Hebrew it is Visitabo super vos or contra vos I will visit vpon you or against you The Vulgar Latine hath Visitabo super vos I will visit vpon you all your iniquities I will visit To visit is sometimes in the holy Scripture taken in the euill part for to visit in anger or dispeasure whence by a Synecdoche of the Genus for the Species it betokeneth to punish So is God said to visit when with some sudden and vnlooked for scourge or calamity hee taketh vengeance vpon men for those sinnes which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of In that part of Dauids Prayer Psal 59.5 O Lord God of hosts the God of Israel awake thou to visit the heathen to visit is to visit in anger it is to corroct it is to punish In the 89. Psal vers 32. to such as depart from the Law of the Lord and from that rule of righteousnesse which it prescribeth them to walke in the Lord threatneth that hee will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes And there to visit must needs be to visit in anger for as much as it brings a rod and stripes with it It is to correct it is to punish In the thirteetnh of Esay vers 11. the Lord saith I will visit the world for their euill and the wicked for their iniquity And there also to visit is to visit in anger it is to correct it is to punish Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleaged places so doth it in my Text I will visit you I will visit you in mine anger it is to correct it is to punish Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleaged places so doth it in my Text I will visit you I will visit you in mine anger I will correct you I will punish you But for what It followeth For all your iniquities For all either vniuersall or indefinitely For all vniuersally so the glosse takes it so Albertus the Bishop of Ratisbone so Rupertus the Abbot of Tuitium I will punish you for all Vt sit nihil impunitum that nothing be vnpunished I will punish you for all Instante judicio remot â misericordiâ summâ cum seueritate with instant iudgement without mercy with greatest seuerity I will punish you for all For it is a iust thing euen with men that he that makes a Law should punish according to the Law Or All may here be taken indefinitely for some of all It is Drusius his obseruation Omnes dixit pro omne genus vel plerasque All he hath said for all sorts or for the most part I will punish you for all your iniquities that is for the sorts of your iniquities or for the most part of them For the Lord of his clemency and mercy remitteth vnto his some of their iniquities Or these two expositions for this place I preferre the former So shall this second branch of my Text beare with it this vnderstanding Therefore I will visit vpon you all your iniquities Therefore because you hauing beene respected by me and receiued into my fauour aboue all the Nations of the earth haue notwithstanding forsaken my Lawes and corrupted my seruice I will visit vpon you all your iniquities I will punish you for all for all vniuersally for all your iniquities not one of them shall escape vnpunished I will punish you for all your iniquities I there is the Agent Will punish there is the Action You there is the Patient For all your iniquities there is the Cause I wil punish you for all your iniquities From the Agent and his Action ariseth this obseruation Whatsoeuer punishment befalleth any one in this life it is from the Lord. The Lord He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is efficiens primarum he is the primary and principall actor in all punishments He is a sure reuenger of all impiety as he is the maintainer of his holy Law This office of punishing the Lord assumeth to himselfe Esay 45.7 I am the Lord and there is none else