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
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
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
your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mighty That doctrine proued I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither Empire nor kingdome nor place in them of dignitie priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industry wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power God almighty The second was to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against the God of Heauen to affirme that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your hearts might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and neuer sleeping care ouer vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the least moments tittles in the world that you can imagine to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of the Sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of Hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reuerence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth vers 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 this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lord shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking Hee shall râ—are and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence hee speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepherds The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardman or shepherd whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Euen the words which he saw vpon Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reuealed to him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloued we may learne whence the holy Scriptures haue their soueraigne authority Their authority is from aboue euen from the Lord whose name is Iehouah whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heauen of heauens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man and possesseth his secret reines and diuides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great Iehouah God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1 ch ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion Marke his reason ver 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto mee The Lord God hath spoken Thus saith the Lord and the like This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent his Son to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand for truth in despight of al the powers of darknesse which is recorded 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Hence ariseth this true position Scriptura est authentica regula tum fidei tum vitae nostrae The word of God which by an excellencie we call the Scripture is an infallible rule both of our faith and also of our life And another posiâ—ion followeth herevpon The authority of holy Scripture is greater than the authority of the Church Our obseruation here may be Since such is the worth of holy Scripture by reason of the author of it as that it is the perfect rule for our faith and life and is of greater authority than the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility This worth dignity and excellency of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery Popishly affected eare and may serue to condemne the Romish Church of impiety and sinne for her neglect and contempt of so inestimable a treasure How little they esteeme of Gods wriâ—ten word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel defence of the Apologie par 4. chap 19. 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface vpon Iacobus Andreas against Hosius makes it plaine vnto vs while he tels of the crying out against the holy Scriptures as if they were blinde and doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reuerend fathers no better than Aesops fables Now lest
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
light in great measure readily to conceiue what God would haue reuealed and faithfully to publish it according to the will of God S. p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. cap. 33. Austen enquiring how God spake with Adam and Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Jntrinsecus infabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giuing light to their minds and vnderstandings or it may be he talked with them by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen. 18. and with Lot Gen. 19. S. r Expos Moral lib. 28. incap â—8 â—â— Iob cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of wayes 1. By himselfe as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense we must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neare and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we finde Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoeuer we are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our priuate requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the Holy Spirit God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diuers manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediately there came a voice from heauen I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 1 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is obiected to the senses S. Gregory for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirlewind come out of the North with a great cloud and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenesse of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word and deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblance obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall Hee heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descend from heauen Act. 10.11 So Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 6 By shapes presented to our bodily eyes So Abraham saw the three men that stood by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christs baptisme a Å¿ Matth. 3.17 voice was heard out of a cloud as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloued son c. By Celestiall substances I doe here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the workes therein but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire next vnto it togeher with the winds and Clouds 7. By Terrestriall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speak Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestriall substances as when God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times and in diuers manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures and by his creatures many wayes sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometime by Terrestriall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestriall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speke vnto vs as of old he did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoeuer by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moueth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when he throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heat sometime by drouth sometime by noysome worms Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few months he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren and sometime by enemies when he impouerisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoeuer other like these are Gods voices and doe call vs to tepentance But as when there came a voice from heauen to Christ Ioh. 12.28 the people that stood by and heard would not be perswaded that it was Gods voice some of them saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoeuer God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by war or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we will rather attribute these things to nature to the heauens to starres and planets to the malice of enemies to chance and the like As peruerse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to be directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The Gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that cloud by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This Gospell of Christ and voice of God cals vs now to obedience O the crookednesse of our vile natures Our stiffe necks will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answer like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but we answer like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good Lord vnto thee and wee shall bee
and stagger like a drunken man Thus saith the Lord This powerfull Iehouah whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the sea his floare to walk in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shakest his inmost powers Psal 29.8 as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iote or any one tittle of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of all other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecies of old is destitute of diuine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old i me to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 and 2 Peter 1.20 Know this that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any priuate motion He giueth the reason hereof ver 21. for the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me the Lord God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what ye shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the Lord How then dare we potters claâ— lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreuerently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point hauing heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his vowe from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull seruice of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a taste of the sweetnesse of the word of the Lord conueyed vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Euangelists Apostles It is the Lords most royall and celestiall testament the oracles of his heauenly sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue euidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre the preface proeme or entrance making for the authority of this prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherein I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The generall accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them verse the 3. I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God verse the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sin set downe generally and specially Generally verse 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan In â—â—t lib. 36. Stephan Adrichom Hâ—erâ—n Hâ—â— qu â—â—t in Gen. some coniecture by Eliezâ—r the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Aâ—ud H c. ibid Io eph aâ—â—â—q Iuâ—â—â— Lib 1 caâ— 7 â—â—llâ—t in Gâ—n cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient than Abraham doe attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Whereupon Damaâ—cus was called also Aram as c In Esay 17. S. Hierome witnesseth Whatsoeuer were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel the place where the bodie of the Prophet Zacharie lay the tower wherein S. Paul was committed to prison and the like that would be beside my purpose For the present know yee that Damascus was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria whence by a figure the figure Synecdoche it is here in my text put for the whole country of Syria By this figure Synecdoche in the name
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
asts at Ephesus For in the iudgement of Theophylaâ—â— of old of Beza Baronius and some b â—ainold Idol 2.6.6 other very learned of this age he spake it figuratiuely to designe and note the disordered assembly gathered together against him at Ephesus vpon the complaint of the siluer-smith Demetrius for defense of great Diana I am assured it is an errour of all the Papists to take it after the letter which Christ spake Matth. 26.26 This is my body There is a figure in the speech For in all sacraments there is a great difference betweene the signes and the things signified The signes are visible the things inuisible the signes earthly the things heauenly the signes corruptible the things immortall the signes corporall the things spirituall and as a reuerend c D. Bason B. of Winchester of Chrâ—stian Subiection par 4. pag. 577. edit Lond. in 8. 1586. Father speaketh in the person of Theophilus the signes are one thing the truth is not the same but another thing and euen by plaine Arithmeticke they be two things and not one This is my body There is a figure in the speech He cals the bread his body by way of signification by way of similitude by way of representation after the manner of Sacraments in a signe not according to the letter but in a spirituall and mysticall vnderstanding and if you respect the precise speech improperly figuratiuely I will not hold you with other like instances These few already spoken of may serue to make it plaine that the not admitting of a Trope or Figure there where in great reason it ought to be admitted is a cause of errour I haue giuen this note in this place beloued because the phrase here vsed in the person of the euerliuing God I will turne my hand to Ekron being spirit and life hath beene by some mistaken and applied to a carnall sense From hence as from other places of holy Scripture in which other the members of mans body are ascribed vnto God as the d Psal 27.8 face the e Deut. 8.3 mouth the f 2 King 19.16 eares g Jbid. Zach 4.10 eies h 1 King 8.42 armes i Matth. 5.35 22.44 feet and some other Tertullian liuing neare vnto the Apostles time was bold to conclude that God is a body This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him It was on foot many a yeare after him in the time of Arius patronized by those Heretikes which by Epiphanius are called Audiani and by Augustine k Augustin de haeres cap. 50. Vadiani after whom also it was eagerly maintained by certaine Monkes of Egypt who were thereupon called Anthropomorphitae But all these are dead and gone their monstrous errour lies buried with them There is no man of any knowledge now a dayes so blinded as to fall into errour with them It is an axiome in diuinity Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuntur dicta sunt symbolicè whatsoeuer is spoken of God bodily that same must be vnderstood figuratiuely Bellarmine saith as much li. 2. de imag sanct c. 8. Membra quae tribuantur Deo in Scriptura metaphoricè esse accipienda that those members which the Scripture assigneth vnto God are to be taken in a Metaphor Thus farre we are yours Bellarmine We maintaine with you that the members attributed vnto God in holy Scripture are to be taken figuratiuely But you build hereupon chaffe and stubble Should we doe the like it could neuer abide the triall of the fire To proue a non licet to be your licet Licere pingere imaginem Dei patris in formâ hominis senis to proue it to be lawfull to represent God the Father by the image of an old man you draw an argument from those places of Scripture which doe attribute vnto God bodily members Your conclusion is by way of question The Scripture in words attributeth vnto God all mans members while it saith that he stands he fits he walkes and nameth his head his feet his armes and giueth to him a seat a throne a footstoole therefore why cannot a picture bee made to represent God Why not an image in the shape of man Why It is easily answered Because euery such picture or image or stocke call it as you will is censured by Ieremie to be a doctrine of vanity chap. 10.8 by Zacharie to be a speaker of vanity ch 10.2 by Habakkuk to be a teacher of lies chap. 2.18 and Gods expresse commandement is against it Deut. 4.16 You shall not make you a grauen image or representation of any figure A reason of this prohibition is adioyned verse 12. and 15. by which it is manifest that God simply and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to be made of himselfe For yee saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire yee saw no similitude only ye heard a voice The Prophet Esai is plentifull in this demonstration to shew how vnseemly and absurd it is to l Rom. 1.25 turne the truth of God into a lie as they doe who forsake the blessed Creator to worship the creature to turne the Maiestie of God inuisible into a picture of visible man to m Vâ—rse 23. turne the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. chap. of his Prophecie and the 18. verse To whom will yee liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him the workman melteth an image the goldsmith beats it out in gold or siluer plates the poore see now the rage fury and madnesse of idolaters though they haue not wherewith to suffice their owne necessities they will defraud themselues to serue their idols the poore chuseth out a tree that will not rot for an oblation and puts it to a cunning workman to prepare an image that cannot be moued The like expostulation the same Prophet ascribeth to God himselfe chap. 46.5 To whom will ye make me like or make me equall or compare me that I should be like him they draw gold out of the bagge and weigh siluer in the ballance and hire a goldsmith to make a God of it and they bow downe and worship it they beare it vpon their shoulders they carry him and set him in his place so doth he stand and cannot remoue from his place Remember this and be ashamed O ye Idolaters n Esai 40.21 Know ye nothing haue ye not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue ye not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth God sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and beholdeth the inhabiters therof as grashoppers he stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in He o Esai 40.12 measures the waters in his fist counts heauen with his span comprehends the
earth euermore a remnant that shall be saued as it 's intimated by the Prophet Esay Chap. 1.9 Except the Lord of hosts had reserued vnto vs euen a small remnant we shouâ—d haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorah You see a remnant reserued though a small one Yea sometimes there is a reseruation of so small a remnant as is scarcely visible As in the daies of Eliah who knew of none but himselfe I only am left saith he 1 King 19.14 Yet God tells him in the 18. verse of seuen thousand in Israel which neuer bowed their knees to Baal Hitherto belongeth that Ioel 2.32 In mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call t Ierem. 25.34 Howle yee wicked and cry and wallow your selues in the ashes for your dayes of dispersion and slaughter are accomplished and yee shall fall like the Philistines euery mothers childe of you the u Ierem. 46.10 sword shall deuoure you it shall be satiate and made drunke with your bloud there shall not be a remnant of you left But you the elect and chosen children of God your Father take vnto you x Esay 61.3 beauty for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse reioyce yee and be glad together Let the prince of darknesse and all the powers of hell assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals vpon the earth ioyne together to worke your ouerthrow they shall not effect it For God euen your God will reserue vnto himselfe a remnant This remnant is the chaste Spouse of Christ the Holy Catholike Church enriched from aboue with all manner of benedictions Extra eam nulla est salus whosoeuer hath not her for his Mother shall neuer haue God for his Father Of this remnant and Catholike Church notwithstanding the challenge of Romish Idolaters we beloued are sound and liuely members Happy are the eyes which see that we see and enioy the presence of him whom we adore happy are the eares that heare what we heare and the hearts which are partakers of our instructions No Nation vnder Heauen hath a God so potent so louing so neere to them which worship him as we of this Iland haue The many and bloudy practices of that great Antichrist of Rome so often set on foot against vs and still defeated are so many euidences that our soules are most precious in the sight of God He he alone hath deliuered vs out of the Lions iaw to be a holy remnant vnto himselfe Now what shall wee render vnto the Lord for so great a blessing We will take vp the cup of saluation and call vpon his Name THE Fifteenth Lecture AMOS 1.9 10. Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure I will not turne to it because they shut the whole captiuity in Edom and haue not remembred the brotherly couenant Therefore will I send a fire vpon the walls of Tyrus and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof THis blessed Prophet Amos sent from God in Embassage to the ten reuolted Tribes doth first thunder out Gods iudgements against neighbour countries the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Which he doth for certaine reasons giuen in my Sixt Lecture that he might be the more patiently heard of his country-men the Israelites that they might haue no cause to thinke much if God should at any time lay his rod vpon them and that they might the more stand in awe of the words of this prophecie When they should heare of such heauy iudgements to light vpon their neighbours they could not but enter into a consideration of their owne estate and thus reason within themselues Is it true which this Amos saith Will the Lord bring such heauy iudgements vpon the Syrians Philistines Tyrians and other of our neighbours In what a fearefull estate are we then They seely people neuer knew the will of God and yet must they be so seuerely punished How then shall wee escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it Of the iudgements denounced against the Syrians and Philistines you haue heard at large in former Lectures Now in the third place doe follow the Tyrians vers 9 and 10. For three transgressions of Tyrus c. These words containing a burdensome prophecie against Tyrus I diuide into two parts 1 A preface Thus saith the Lord. 2 A prophecies For three transgressions of Tyrus c. In the prophecie I obserue foure parts 1 A generall accusation of the Tyrians For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them I will not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grieuous sinne by which they so highly offended This sinne was the sin of vnmercifulnesse and crueltie expressed in two branches 1 They shut the whole captiuitie in Edom. 2 They remembred not the brotherly couenant 4 The description of the punishment to befall them for their sinne in the tenth verse Therefore will I send a fire vpon the walls of Tyrus and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof The preface giues credit vnto the prophecie and is a warrant for the truth of it Thus saith the Lord The Lord Iehouah whose Throne is the Heauen of heauens and the Sea his floore to walke in and the Earth his foot-stoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man and possesseth his most secret reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh and the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This Lord Iehouah so mighty so powerfull shall he say a thing and shall he not doe it Shall hee speake it and shall hee not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that hee should lye 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 shall perish before one iot or one tittle of his Word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Out of doubt then must it come to passe And because it is the Lord that speaketh it is required of vs that we hearken to him with reuerence Thus briefly of the Preface whereof I haue more largely spoken in two former Lectures my sixth and twelfth Lectures vpon the third and sixt verses of this Chapter In which these very words are prefixed for a Preface to two prophecies the one against the Syrians the other against the Philistines I proceed to the present prophecie against the Tyrians It is much like the two former both for words and matter In regard whereof I shall be short in many of my notes For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure Here is nothing new but the name of Tyrus This Tyrus is called in the Hebrew text * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tzor whence came the name
remoue a neighbours land-markeâ— In which respect the old Romans worshipped Terminus for a God Terminus which signifieth a bound limit meere buttle or land-marke was in their account a God God of their bounds limits or markes of their seuerall fields meddowes and pastures and such a God as should not giue place to Iupiter himselfe To this Terminus they held a feast in Februarie and called it Terminalia as Austine witnesseth in his bookes De Ciuitate Dei Lib. 5. c. 21. lib. 7. c. 7. Now if the heathenish blinde and superstitious Romans trained vp in Natures schoole did so highly esteem of the preseruation and maintenance of bounds and limits how are we trained vp in the schoole of Grace to esteeme thereof In the schoole of Grace a law is giuen Deut. 19.14 Thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke To obey this law we are charged vpon a curse Deut. 27.17 Cursed bee hee that remoueth his neighbors marke It is Gods owne ordinance that bounds and limits and marks are appointed to euerie mans possessions This may be gathered out of Deut. 32.8 The most high God diuided to the nations their inheritances hee separated the sons of men hee did set the bounds of nations The meaning is the Lord pitched the bounds oâ— Kingdomes at such time as it pleased him that the nations should be diuided asunder Yet wee see how the couetous ambition and vnsatiable desire of some Princes in the world haue put all out of order how there is nothing so holy that can stay them from incroaching vpon the bounds of their neighbours and next borderers Sennacherib King of Assyria was a stout offended in this kinde Hee boasted of his inuasions and victories vpon his neighbour countries But that other Princes may take example by him he was made a peculiar example of diuine iudgement For as he trangressed the bounds of his neighbor Princes to their ouerthrow so did his owne sons transgresse the bounds of nature to the losse of his their fathers life As it appeareth by Esai 37.38 As Sennacherib was in the temple worshipping Nisroch his God Adramelech and Sharezer his sons slue him with the sword And by my Text you see what iudgements God threatneth to the Ammonites for their vnlawfull practices to enlarge their borders So my doctrin is established The nation that is not content with her owne borders but inuadeth her neighbour countries sinneth grieuously The vse of this Doctrine may concerne vs here assembled As Princes ought to hold themselues contented with their owne bounds so ought euerie priuate man also God hath also separated their possessions one from another to the end that all might liue and communicate one with another and that there might be no confused disorder But beloued in the Lord how do we stand to this order set by Almightie God Do we not seek daily to peruert it God would haue it kept most holy but we care not for it Our couetousnesse carrieth vs away we would still be greater Wee ioyne house to house and field to field as it is in Esai 5 8 that we may be placed by our selues in the middest of the earth Were our Fathers so ambitious They were content with such bounds as their ancestors left them but we must haue them altered if not enlarged The diuinely-inspired Dauid tels vs Psal 37.3 that if we dwell in the land where God hath placed vs we shall verily be fed We should learne of S. Paul Philip. 4 11. in whatsoeuer state we are therewith to be content Knowing it to bee true which the same Apostle auoweth vnto Timothy Ep. 1. chap. 6. vers 6. that Godlinesse is great gaine if wee will be content with that we haue Thus much of the 13. verse THE Twentieth Lecture AMOS 1.14 15. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde And their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together saith the Lord. HEre wee haue the denunciation of the iudgements of God against the children of Ammon for their sinnes This iudgement is in the 14. verse set downe 1. In a generalitie 2. With some circumstances First in a generalitie Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy and of lâ—rge extent Full of terrour with shouting in the day of battell Speedy with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Of large extent For it was to fall vpon not only the meaner sort of the people but vpon the Nobilitie also yea and vpon the King himselfe which is plaine by the 15. verse Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together First let vs weigh this iudgement of God as it is set downe in a generalitie I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof This iudgement for substance is no other than that which you haue heretofore heard out of this Chapter to haue beene denounced from Almightie God against the Syrians Philistines Tyrians and Edomites Against the Syrians vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Against the Philistines vers 7. I will send a fire vpon the wals of Azzah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof Against the Tyrians vers 10. I will send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof Against the Edomites vers 12. I will send a fire vpon Teman and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah Betweene those denunciations and this you see no great difference In those Thus saith the Lord I will send a fire in this thus I will kindle a fire I will send a fire and I will kindle a fire the substance in both is the same And therefore as in those I haue done so doe I in this I commend to your Christian and religious considerations certaine circumstances 1 Of the punisher the Lord I will kindle 2 Of the punishment by fire A fire 3 Of the punished The wals of Rabbah and the palaces thereof These circumstances are in this iudgement of God as it is set downe in a generalitie The first circumstance concerneth the punisher the Lord for thus saith the Lord I will kindle a fire The note yeeldeth this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This truth hath beene often confirmed vnto you Diuers â—e the vses of it 1 It may lesson vs to looke heedfully vnto our feet that wee walke not in the way of sinners to partake with them in their sinnes Sinnes are not tongue-tied they cry aloud vnto the Lord for vengeance 2 It may admonish vs not to intermeddle in the Lords office It is his office to execute
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
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
to his neighbour For as much as the Lord will destroy all such as speake lies This you know by the fift Psalme ver the 6. But how will he destroy them It is answered Reuel 21.8 All lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you the third vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The third vse is our holy imitation of God in truth There is yet a fourth vse of this doctrine of the truth of God It serues for a redargution or reproofe of such as deny God and his truth Deny God and his truth Can there be any endued with a reasonable soule so voyd of vnderstanding Yes There is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule who spare not to break the cords of Religion asunder and to cast her yoke from them They dare auouch with those in Tullie Totam de Dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipub causâ vt quos ratio non posset eos ad officium religio duceret judging the seruice of God to be a meere deuise of man for the better gouernment of the Common-wealth wherein inferiors sith they will not be ruled by reason must be ordered by religion Tell such of the Scriptures you may as well vrge them with Lucians narrations tell them of repentance they cast it behind them tell them of faith they regard it not Speake to them of baptisme they hold it of no greater price then the washing of their hands Let them heare of the Resurrection this feeds them with many a merry conceit They thinke pleasantly with themselues what manner of bodies they shall haue at that day of what proportion and stature their bodies shall be whether their nayles and haire shall rise againe Impious wretches thus they make a scoffe at God and religion whom were they vsed according to their deserts the Preachers should pronounce and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers that euer yet sore ranne vpon very worthy to bee excluded the hoast and to haue their habitation alone yea to be exiled the land and to bee expelled from nature it selfe which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught I say no more against them but leaue them to the God of truth whom they haue denied that he in due time may repay them home with vengeance Thus farre am I guided by my first doctrine grounded vpon this essentiall name of God his name Iehouah importing his truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Thus saith Iehouah Thus saith the Lord Is not this the prophesie of Amos Are not all the words of this prophesie chap. 1.1 called the words of Amos the heardsman What then meaneth this phrase Thus saith the Lord As Almighty God in olde time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod 4.12 So did hee in succeeding ages speake vnto them by the mouth of other his Prophets Luke 1.70 Heereto S. Peter beareth record 2. Epist 1.20 Know this saith he that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion and he giues the reason heereof verse 21. For the prophesie in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiaâ— speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me The Lord God hath spoken and this in my Text Thus sayth the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God The whole Scripture and euery parcell of it haâ—h inward witnesse from the Spirit which is the author of all truth Sweet then is the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last Not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Hence ariseth this doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer but onely the liuing and immortall God This truth is euident by this which I haue but now delired For if God in old time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses if God spake by other his Prophets if God spake by the Euangelists and Apostles if all Scripture be inspired of God then it well followeth that God is the author of Scripture and therefore not man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer I can but point at the vses of this doctrine The first vse is redargution Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere are all they to bee reprooued who doe vilifie and debase the sacred Scriptures and esteeme not of them as of the word of God Such are they who bearing in their fore-heads the stampe of Christians haue notwithstanding giuen their names to that Antichrist of Rome and the now-false Church there They shame not to affirme that setting aside the authority of that Church and her head the Pope the Scripture is no better then a l Collâ—q Wâ—rmâ—t doubtfull vncertaine and leaden rule then a m Colloq Râ—tâ—bon matter of debate then n Ludouic Matoranus dead inke then o Eskins inken diuinity then a p Pighius nose of wax then a r Colloq Worm booke of discord then a Å¿ Pighius dumbe Iudge then t Hosius Gretser Heereof see my second Lecture vpon Amos 1. Aesops fables Impious wretches had they not wip'd all shame from their faces they would neuer haue layd such load of disgraces vpon Gods holy word Their Cardinall Hosius stayes not heere he proceedes a degree further He coynes a distinction of Scripture as it s vsed by themselues whom he calleth Catholikes and as by vs whom hee calleth Heretikes His words are in the end of his third book against Brentius his Prolegomena The Scripture quomodo profertur à Catholicis verbuÌ„ est Dei quomodo profertur ab Haereticis verbum est Diaboli as it is alledged by vs so must it bee forsooth the word of the Deuill but as by them so onely shall it be the word of God Blasphemous Cardinall hee marcheth not alone u
corporall death there is a spirituall death and there is an eternall death Which of these deaths were the Moabites to dye The letter of my text is for the corporall death This corporall death is a separation of the soule from the bodie it is called corporall in respect of the spirituall it is also called a temporarie death in respect of the eternall This death corporall or temporarie is twofold either naturall or accidentall if accidentall it is subdiuided into a violent or a voluntarie death and is common as well to the godly as to the wicked inflicted vpon them by Gods iust iudgment for the sinne of Adam This is the wages of sin and this is the way of all sinfull flesh All must once dye We may a long time wrastle with the dangers of this world both by Land and Sea thousands may fall on our right hand and ten thousands on our left while we stande we may haue so good store of friends that we may well say with the Shunamite 2. King 4.13 I neede no speaking for me either to the King or to the Captaine of the Hoste I dwell among mine owne people where I can command we may walke in the light of the sunne that is our prosperitie may be waxen so great that we want nothing we may haue sailes and oares at pleasure as Antiochus seemed to haue who thought in his pride to make men saile vpon the dry land and to walke vpon the Sea 2. Mac. 5.21 we may thinke our selues to be in league with death and in couenant with the graue and so promise to our selues many a prosperous and pleasant day as many as are the sands of the Ocean yet a time shall come when all these things shall proue but vanitie and Moab shall dye All must once dye A great d Dr. King B. of London Lect. 20 vpon Ionas pag. 264. Prelate of this Land for this point hath well fitted this comparison As one that shooteth at a marke sometimes is gone and sometimes is short sometimes lighteth on the right hand sometimes on the left at length hitteth the marke so Death shootes at Noble men beyond vs at meane men short of vs at our friends on the right hand at our enemies on the left at length hitteth our selues The longer her hand is in practise the more certainely she striketh Looke into the fift of Genesis there shall you finde that Death was ayming at e vers 11. Enosh 905. yeares and at last smote him at f vers 14. Kenan 910. yeares at g vers 5. Adam 930. yeares at h vers 20. Iered 962. yeares at i vers 27. Methushelah 969. yeares but in the end ouerthrew them all Now shee strikes sooner within the compasse of fewer yeares within 60. yeares or 70. she seldome stayes 80. yeares And sometimes shee strikes vs in our youthfull dayes yea in the day of our natiuitie All must once dye Moab shall dye All must once dye Death It is of all miseries the last and the most terrible A holy k Apud Lud. Granatensem Exercit de Orat. Medit. Father hath made against it this exclamation O Death how bitter is the remembance of thee How quickly and suddainely stealest thou vpon vs How secret are thy paths and wayes How doubtfull is thy houre How vniuersall is thy signiorie and deminion The mighty cannot escape thee the wise cannot hide themselues from thee the strong loose their strength before thee the rich with their money shall not corrupt thee Thou art the hammer that alwayes striketh Thou art the sword that neuer blunteth thou art the snare wherein all must be taken thou art the prison wherein all must lye thou art the Sea wherein all must perish thou art the paine that all must suffer thou art the tribute that all must pay In a word thou art such a one as Almighty God washeth his hands of thee and cleareth himselfe in plaine words by the mouth of the Wiseman saying Wisd 1.13 that he neuer made thee Surely thou hast thine entry into the world by the very enuie and craft of the Deuill This exclamation against Death is very iust in some sense for Death may be considered in a double respect one way as it is in its owne nature another way as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in its owne nature is a punishment of sin a plague a curse or fore-runner of condemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe and in this respect the forecited exclamation hath due place But on the other side death being changed and qualified by Christ his death it is no more such it is no more a punishment of sinne it is no more a plague it is no more a curse For it is become a blessing it brings an end to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance from all dangers it is made vnto vs a passage a way an entrance into euerlasting life it is like a portall or litle gate by which we passe from out this litle prison of our bodies into the kingdome of Heauen The graue meane while is but a resting chamber sweetly perfumed by the Death of Christ for our bodies from whence at the sound of the last trumpet our bodies shall awake and rise and be receiued into the paradise of heauen to enioy the most comfortable presence of Almighty God there If death now changed and qualified by Christ his death be a blessing if it be but a passage from this wretched life to that happiest estate in heauen why should death be feared This is a Case of Conscience and may be resolued There are two sorts of men in the world the one of them who liue in their sinnes and dye without repentance the other of them who with vnfeigned repentance and faith in Christ doe leaue this world The first haue great reason to feare Death Death being vnto them the very gate and introduction into the Hell of the damned of whom we may well say as Christ said of Iudas Math. 26.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had bin good for them had they neuer bin borne The second haue no reason to feare Death Death being vnto them as the gate of Heauen To such Optimum est nasci its best that they are borne and the next best for them is mature mori to dye in a good houre Their birth is to them a preparation to eternall happinesse whereof their Death giues them full possession The consideration whereof made King Salomon the wisest of Kings or men praferre diem mortis diei ortûs it made him preferre the day of death before the day of birth his words are Eccles. 7.3 Better is the day of death then the day that one is borne Hence is it that most righteous Iob chap. 17.14 calls Corruption his father for as chilren haue fathers for their comfort so had Iob death and rottennesse
Propheticall Bookes is true also of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall what he affirmeth of the old testament is true also of the new The new and the old differ not in substance In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris So saith St Austin lib. de Catechizandis rudibus cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is trid and in the new the olde is manifested The like the same good Father hath Qu. 37. super Exodum In vetere novum latet in novo vetus patet in the old the new is couered and in the new the old is opened Old and new both doe agree in substance Now make we our collection The whole Scripture conteining both Testaments olde and new is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word to it we must take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and this we must know that no Scripture in eyther of the Testaments old or new is of any priuate motion and that neither old nor new Testament came to vs by the will of man but that holy men of God haue conueyed them vnto vs as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And yet must this holy Scripture be noted for a great Booke of Heresie for conteining erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of Heresie The first pillars of the Primitiue Church the auncient Fathers thought much otherwise Because I cannot stand long vpon this poynt one shall serue for all Sweete Saint Chrysostome in his ninth Sermon vpon the Epistle to the Colossians thus speaketh to his hearers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee my secular and lay auditors heare me I beseech you Get you Bibles your soules physicke if you be vnwilling to be at charge for the whole yet at least buy the new Testament the Euangelists and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers If any griefe befall you make your repaire hither as to an Apothecaries shop here shall you haue varietie of medicines fit to cure you If any damage if losse of friends if death come here may you finde comfort In a word the cause of all euill is not to know the Scripture You see how far this good Father is from calling the Bible a Booke of heresies as some late Papists haue done He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath and thinkes it for you very expedient to haue one of them in your houses that at euery opportunitie you may be reading in it If any shall here obiect I am towards the Law I am employed about publike affaires I am a tradesman I am a marryed man I haue children to maintaine I haue a Familie to care for I haue worldly businesses to looke vnto it is not my part to read the Scriptures this office belongs to them rather who haue bidden the world farewell to such St Chrysostome shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro Quid aâ— homo What sayst thou man Is it not a part of thy businesse to turne ouer the Scriptures because thou art distracted with many cares Immo tuum est magis quam illâ—rum Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee rather then to them who haue bidden the world farewell because they need not so much the helpe of Scripture as you doe who are as it were tossed in the waues of troubles To conclude this poynt Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures let them debase vilifie and disgrace them to their owne vtter confusion and perdition wee through Gods goodnesse haue learned a better lesson that the word of God which we call Scripture is o Chrysost hom 7. de poenitentia a hauen free from raging surges a well fortified bulwarke a toâ—re not staggering an aduancement not to bee taken from vs by violence no not any way to bee diminished a stable blissefulnesse at no time languishing a neuer-failing pleasure whatsoeuer good a man can speake of Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ he shall finde it in the Holy Scripture So saith sweet Chrysostome Homil. 7. De poenitentia In my first Sermon before you vpon this chapter I deliuered vnto you the same effect thus The word of God which we call Scripture it is his most royall and Celestiall Testament it is the Oracle of his heauenly Sanctuary it is the onely Key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is Milke from his sacred brests the Earnest and Pledge of his fauour to the Church the Light of our feet the Ioy of our hearts the Breath of our nostrils the Pillar of our faith the Anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the Euidence of our future blessednesse Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome frequent this place to heare it read and expounded vnto you and at home teach and admonish your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs My exhortation is the same that S. Paul made vnto the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Thus much of the preface The prophesie followeth The first part thereof is a generall accusation of Iudah For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused in the name Iudah Secondly whereof they are accused For three trasgressions and for foure First of the accused The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah The Kingdome of Iudah is taken sometimes latè sometimes strictè sometimes in a large sometimes in a strict sense In the large it betokeneth all the twelue tribes of Israel in the strict sense it betokeneth onely two tribes Iudah and Beniamin Iudah and Israel at first were but one kingdome which afteward was diuided into two the Kingdome of Iudah and the kingdome of Israel When and how this was done it is expressely deliuered in 1 Kings 12. in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Salomon and thus Rehoboam King Salomons sonne censured by Ecclesiasticus chap. 47 23. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foolishnesse of the people and one that had no vnderstanding succeeding in his fathers throne did vpon aduise giuen him by his young counsellours promise sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people My least part my little finger shall be bigger then my fathers loynes whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke I will make it heauier my father hath chastized you with rods but I will correct you with scourges This his vnkinde and euill entreating of a people which of late in King Salomons time saw good and peaceable daies did cause a rebellion and reuolt Ten of the twelue tribes much discontented brake forth into speeches of impatiency What portion haue we in Dauid We haue no inheritance in the sonne of Ischai to your tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord and set vp
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
seemeth good to vs as we haue done we and our Fathers our Kings and Princes before vs sâ— will we doe We will perseuere in the Religion professed by our Fathers and reviued in Queene Maries dayes For so long as that religion was on foote we had plentie of victuals we were well we saw no euill Wâ—etched men and women as many of you as are thus wilfully addicted to the superstition of popery take you heed that the words of the Lord Esa 6.10 giuen in charge to the Prophet to be conueyed to the Iewes be not in euerie poynt appliable vnto you Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heauy shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares vnderstand with their heart and convert and be healed Will the u Ierem. 13.23 Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then will our countrymen of the popish sect change from the religion of their forefathers Their firme resolution to liue and dye in the religion of their fathers is made apparant by their x An. D. 1603. supplication to the most puissant Prince and orient Monarch our gracious Lord King IAMES one branch whereof is this We request no more fauour at your Graces hands then that we may securely professe that Catholike religion which all your happy predecessors professed from Donaldus the first converted vnto your Maiesties peerelesse mother To this purpose doth y Preface to the King before his Survey Dr Kellison recite vnto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors to moue him if possible to embrace their Religion But God his holy name be blessed for it all in vaine When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Romane Empire and Count Palatine of the Rhene was by a certaine Prince aduised for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis his z Polan com in Ezech. 20. answer was In religions non parentum non maiorum exempla sequenda sed tantum voluntas Dei In religion we are to follow not the examples of our Parents or our ancestors but onely the will of God And for this resolution he alleaged the fore-cited testimonie of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke yee in my statutes I doubt not but that our gracious Soueraigne King IAMES hath euer had and will haue a like answer in readinesse to stop the mouths of Kellison and all others who haue dared or shall attempt to moue his royall Maiestie for his religion to be like his predecessors God giue our King the heart of a Iosh 24.15 Ioshua a heart stedfast and vnmoueable in the true seruice of the Lord our God Though some of his Predecessors haue bin deceiued to fall downe before the beast in the Apocalyps and to worship his image yet good God so guide our King and blesse him with a religious people that He and we and his people may now and euermore feare thee and serue thee in sinceritie and truth to the glory of thy great name and the saluation of our owne soules through Iesus Christ our Lord. THE VII LECTVRE AMOS 2.5 But I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem THree former Sermons haue caried me past the preface and the three first parts of this prophecie against Iudah the fourth which is the Commination or Denuntiation of the iudgements of the Lord against Iudah and Ierusalem remaineth to be the subiect of this my present discourse But I will send a fire c. These words are no strangers to you You haue met with them fiue times in the first Chapter and once before in this Their exposition their diuision the Doctrines issuing from them the Vses and applications of the Doctrines haue diuers times from out this place sounded in your eares Yet now the order obserued by the Holy Spirit in deliuering this prophecie so requiring it they are once more to be commended to your religious attentions May it please you therefore to obserue with me three circumstances Quis Quomodo Qui. 1. Quis comminatur Who it is that threatneth to punish It is the Lord. For Thus saith the Lord I will send 2. Quomodo puniet How and by what meanes hee will punish The letter of my text is for fire I will send a fire 3. Qui puniendi Who are to be punished And they are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah and the chiefe Citie thereof Ierusalem I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem In the precedent prophecies the comminations were against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all Gentiles and strangers to God but this commination against the Iewes Gods owne friends and children I will send a fire vpon Iudah I Who a Amos 4.13 forme the mountaines and create the winde and declare to man what is his thought and make the morning darknes and tread vpon the high places of the earth I will send I who b Iob 12.14 breake downe and it cannot be built againe who shuts vp a man and there can be no opening I will send I who c Psal 33.9 speakes and it is done who commands and it standeth fast I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem This fire which the Lord sendeth vpon Iudah is not so much a fire properly taken as a fire in a figuratiue vnderstanding It betokeneth that desolation which was to betide the kingdome of Iudah and the chiefest Citie thereof Ierusalem from hostile invasion I will send a fire This commination began to be fulfilled in the dayes of Zedechias King of Iudah The historie is very memorable and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and Ierem. 39. 52. In those places you may read how d 2. King 25.1 Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against Ierusalem pitched against it besieged it tooke it You may read how he e vers 6. tooke King Zedechiah prisoner slew his sonnes before his face put out the Kings owne eyes bound him with brasen fetters and carried him away to Babylon you may read how f vers 8. Nebuzaradan Captaine of the guard and chiefe Marshall to the King of Babylon dealt with Ierusalem He g 2. Chro. 36.19 2. Reg. 25.9 brake downe the wall thereof and burnt with fire the house of the Lord the Kings house euery great mans house all the houses and palaces there Say now did it not fall out to Iudah and Ierusalem according to this commination I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Ierusalem This desolation being thus wrought vpon Iudah and Ierusalem by the Chaldees the Iewes such as
Ioshua and the elders of Israel to testifie their griefe for the ouerthrow giuen them by the men of Ai rent their clothes fell to the earth vpon their faces and put dust vpon their heads They put dust vpon their heads So 1. Sam. 4.12 the Beniamite that brought the heauy newes of the Arke of the Lord taken by the Philistines and of the death of Hophni Phinehas the two sons of Eli in tokeÌ„ of his griefe came to Shiloh with his clothes rent and with earth vpon his head He came with earth vpon his head The like we read 2. Sam. 13.19 Tamar the sister of Absolon because she was hated of Amnon by whom shee had bin rauished to signifie her griefe she rent her garment and put ashes vpon her head Shee put ashes on her head Other like c Iob 2.12 Ezech. 27.30 Apoc. 18.19 places of holy writ I might produce yet further to shew that the aspersion or sprinkling of earth dust or ashes vpon the head was a ceremonie in vse with such as had in themselues iust cause of griefe heauinesse mourning or lamentation But this is by the places already alleaged sufficiently declared vnto you If to this ceremonie of besmering the head with earth dust or ashes our Prophet here alludeth then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them here taxed for their hard-heartednesse towards the poore for their couetousnes and cruelty whereby they oppressed the poore to this sense They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore They the rulers of Israel and the rich men there They pant after the dust of the earth they greedily desire to see the dust of the earth sprinckled on the head of the poore they make it their pleasure to giue the honest poore man iust cause of griefe and mourning They pant after the dust of the earth The dust sometime it betokeneth a low and base estate 1. Sam. 2.8 Hannah in her song of thankfulnes praising the Lord for his beneficence towards the humble despised saith He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill So in so many words saith the Psalmist Ps 113.7 He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill In both places the latter phrase is a repetition or exposition of the former The Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dust that is the Lord lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill The meaning is The Lord through his Almighty power and of his goodnes exalteth the poore and abiect amongst men from their vile contemptible estate to some degree of honour Hitherto may we adde that of Dauid Psal 7.5 Let him lay mine honor in the dust Let him lay mine honor in the dust What 's that If saith Dauid I haue rewarded euill to him that was at peace with me let the enemie lay mine honor in the dust that is let mine honor be so put out that there may be no more remembrance of it in the posteritie to come let me euer be held for a base vile and contemptible wretch If to this signification of Dust our Prophet here alludeth then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them here censured for their cruell and vnsatiable desire to grind the faces of the poore Thus They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore That is though the poore doe already sit vpon the dust of the earth and are thereby in the eyes of the world base vile and contemptible yet do the rulers of Israel and the rich among them still pant after the dust of the earth vpon their heads their delight is to behold them euer wallowing in the dust of the earth to see them yet more base more vile more contemptible Yea they can bee contented that the dust whereof Dauid speaketh Psal 22.15 The dust of death be vpon their heads that the d Psal 49.15 graue haue power ouer them that the e Psal 69.15 pit shut her mouth vpon them Hitherto dearely beloued you haue had variety of interpretations Which will you admit You cannot chuse amisse They are all agreable to the analogie of faith They all checke Israel the heads of Israel the Magistrates Rulers and Gouernors of Israel the rich of Israel for their cruelty their couetousnes and their oppression of the poore of Israel and they yeeld vnto vs this lesson God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressors By the poore in this proposition I vnderstand all that be in any need necessitie or want widdowes also fatherlesse children that haue lost their head strangers likewise and exiles out of their country for religion and good causes All these if they behaue themselues meekly and seeke to liue peaceably with all men and put themselues wholy into the hands of God God receiueth into his protection and pleadeth their cause Concerning strangers the commandement is Exod. 2â— 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppresse him It is repeated Levit. 19.33 If a stranger sâ—iourne with thee ye shall not vexe him he shall be as one borne amongst you and thou shalt loue him as thy selfe Such is the commandement Doe men regard it Doe they not rather with their churlish and vnkinde words and deeds torment the a king heart of the stranger If they doe so the Lord is ready to auenge the strangers cause and to execute vengeance vpon his oppressors For so much the Lord vndertaketh Exod. 22.23 If thou afflict the stranger in any wise and he cry at all vnto me I will surely heare his cry and my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword You see God pleadeth the strangers cause Againe God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and fatherlâ—sse children The commandement concerning them is Exod. 22.22 Yee shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse childe It is repeated Zach. 7.10 Oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse Such is the commandment Do men regard it Doe they not rather adde affliction to the afflicted fatherlâ—sse and widow Doe they not oppresse wrong vexe and grieue them If they doe so God is ready to right their cause and to lay vengeance vpon their oppressors For so much God vndertaketh Exod. 22.23 If you afflict the widow or fatherlesse childe in any wise and they cry at all vnto me I will surely heare their cry my wrath shall waxe hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse This protection ouer the fatherlesse and widowes is also ascribed vnto the Lord Deut. 10 18. The Lord doth execute the iudgement of the fatherlesse and widow It is very comfortably deliuered Psal 68.5 God in his holy habitation is a father of the fatherlesse and a iudge of the widowes You see God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and the fatherlesse So also he pleadeth the cause of
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
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
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
betweene God and man that Peace which Christ hath procured vs by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 In which respect he is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 For in him hath God reconciled vs vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.18 Secondly they preach Peace betweene man and man They exhort you with the Apostle Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you haue peace with all men and 2. Cor. 13.11 Be of one minde liue in Peace Liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you Thirdly they preach peace betweene man and himselfe betweene man and his owne conscience It is that Peace whereof we read Psal 119.165 Great Peace haue they which loue thy Law O Lord and nothing shall offend them they shall haue no stumbling blocke laid in their wayes though outwardly they be assaulted by aduersitie crosses and troubles yet within they are quiet they haue the Peace of conscience they are at Peace with themselues From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospell of Christ the Gospell of Christ may well be called the doctrine of Peace Thirdly it is the doctrine of good things The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of good things Of good things The name of Gospell in the Greeke tongue imports as much The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth a good message that is a happy and a ioyfull message of good things What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you call the Gospell but a celestiall doctrine which God first reuealed in Paradice afterward published by the Patriarches and Prophets shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Sonne God who is onely good yea is goodnes it selfe is the author of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell must needs bring with it a message of good things The message it bringeth is this that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Christ the only begotten Sonne of God our Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised and preached to all that truly beleeue in him perfect deliuerance from sinne death and the euerlasting curse Could there be any more happy or welcom tidings to mankinde then this was Out of doubt the Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of good things Fourthly it is the doctrine of the Kingdome The Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdome It s so called Luk. 4.43 where Christ saith of himselfe I must preach the kingdome of God to other Cities also So is it Mark 1.14 there the Euangelist saith of Christ that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee This Kingdome is twofold of Grace and of Glory of Grace here on earth and of glory hereafter in Heauen Of grace here here Christ reigneth in the soules of the faithfull by his word and holy Spirit Of glory hereafter when Christ shall haue deliuered vp the Kingdome to God the Father as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 15.24 If so it be if the Gospell of Christ be the word of Saluation if it be the doctrine of Peace of Peace betweene God and man betweene man and man betweene man and himselfe if it be the doctrine of good things of our deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law if it be the doctrine of the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the Kingdome of glory then must it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospell do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value And such is my doctrine The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value The vse hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospell and their auditors First the Ministers of the Gospell They may here be put in minde of their dutie which is willingly and cheerefully to preach the Gospell This their dutie may be called a debt S. Paul calls it so Rom. 1.14 15. I am debtor both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome S. Paul you see acknowledgeth a debt and makes a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby he was made a debter was his Apostolicall calling his debt was to preach the Gospell the persons to whom he was indebted were Greekes and Barbarians the wise and the vnwise His good conscience to discharge his debt appeareth in his readinesse to doe it I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell S. Paul may be vnto vs a patterne of imitation We also must acknowledge a debt and must make a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby we are made debtors is our ministeriall calling Our debt is to preach the Gospell The persons to whom we are indebted are our owne flocke our owne people the people ouer whom the Lord hath made vs ouer-seers Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appeare in our readinesse to doe it I and euery other minister of the Gospell must say as S. Paul doth I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell to you So farre forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge I am ready to preach the Gospell to you Nothing hath hitherto or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt but onely the impediments which the Lord obiecteth Secondly the vse of my doctrine concerneth you who are the hearers of the word You also may here be put in minde of your dutie which is patiently and attentiuely to heare the word preached Of your readinesse in this behalfe I should not doubt if you would but remember what an vnvaluable treasure it is which we bring vnto you Is it not the word of Saluation the Saluation of your soules Is it not your peace inward and outward your peace with God your peace with man your peace with your owne consciences Is it not the doctrine of good things your deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law Is it not the publication of the Kingdome of God his kingdome of graâ—e wherein you now may liue tha hereafter you may liue in the Kingdome of glory Is it not euen thus Can it be denyed Beloued in the Lord the Lord who raised vp vnto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazarites he raiseth vp vnto you of your sonnes Ministers Prophets and Teachers and of your yong men such as may be trayned vp and fitted in the Scholes of the Prophets in our Naioths in our Vniuersities for a present supply when God shall be pleased to remoue from you those which haue laboured among you and are ouer you in the Lord. It s an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the
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
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
what God hath done for them God hath tried them as gold and made them worthy for himselfe It s ignorance that makes you heauy because you know not what is become of the dead Be ye not ignorant concerning them and your heauinesse will be turned into ioy And let this suffice to haue beene spoken to shew that in respect of the Commandement Ignorance of God and his holy Will is damnable and to be auoided So is it in regard that God hath expresly reproued it There is a sharpe reproofe of it Esay 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters Crib but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood Quid stolidius boue quid stupidius asino What is more foolish than the Oxe what more stupid than the Asse Yet those bruit beasts doe know them by whom they are fed and nourished but Israel the Lords owne people know not the Lord their God Not much vnlike is that Ierem. 8.7 The Storke in the aire knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lord. My people Israel is more ignorant of my iudgements than those birds are of their appointed seasons Both these reproofes are comparatiue In the first is Israel compared vnto beasts in the second to birds Beasts and birds haue more knowledge than Israel But the reproofe is absolute Ierem. 4.22 My people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge As absolute is that Ierem. 9.3 They proceed from euill to worse and haue not knowne me saith the Lord. They haue no vnderstanding they haue no knowledge they haue not knowne me saith the Lord. These and the like reproofes of the ignorance of God from Gods owne mouth may serue for my second proofe that the ignorance of God is damnable and to be auoided My third proofe I take from the foulenesse of this ignorance The foulenesse thereof I discouer in one position The position is The ignorance of God and of the things reuealed in his holy Word is a punishment of sinne a cause of sinne and sinne in it selfe The position hath three branches I shall endeuour to speake of each in their order The first branch is Our ignorance of God and of things reuealed in his holy Word is a punishment of sinne It is a punishment of that sinne which by the default of our first Father Adam was from him deriued downe to vs and that is originall sinne by reason whereof we are all borne blind blind in our vnderstanding blind in our will and blind in our affections There is no faculty of our soule which is not disabled by this sinne The chiefest faculties of our soule are three Mens Voluntas Affectiones the Vnderstanding the Will and the Affections Mens Our vnderstanding is by this sinne disabled For it labours with a defect or want of light or knowledge and with a want of sanctitie or holinesse that quality by which light or knowledge in the vnderstanding should be seasoned as indeed it was at mans first creation That in the often repetition of the names of light and knowledge I seeme not tedious may it please you to take what I shal speak of the one as spokē of the other also For between light knowledge in the vnderstanding I put no essentiall difference Now I note in the vnderstanding a twofold light the one naturall the other Spirituall The Naturall is defectiue and wanting not vniuersally but in part only For notwithstanding our first fathers fall there doe yet remaine in the vnregenerate man certaine generall notions of good and euill things commanded or forbidden in the Law of God And these notions are such that they make man vnexcusable sith they are both maimed and corrupted The defect or want of this Naturall light is proued Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God They knew God there is the light of their vnderstanding they glorified him not as God there is the defect and want of that light the maime the corruption of it The spirituall light of the vnderstanding that is likewise defectiue and wanting not as the naturall light in part only but vniuersally This is proued 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The natural man man of himselfe in his pure naturals ruled only by nature reason and sense without grace without the Spirit of God man vnregenerate is altogether destitute of the spirituall light of the vnderstanding Besides this want of light in the vnderstanding whether naturall or spirituall there is also carentia sanctitatis a want of holinesse wherewith the forenamed light ought now to be as once it was seasoned The want of this holinesse is manifested Rom. 8.7 where you shall find that whatsoeuer light or knowledge is in man it is all vncleane impure and prophane the Apostles words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be Not subiect to the Law of God nor can be subiect to it What! Can man exempt himselfe from subiection vnto God No be he neuer so rebellious he must abide vnder Gods dominion But the meaning of the Apostle is to note such a rebellion of mans corrupt nature as is not subiect according vnto order as giues not orderly subiection vnto God Thus there is in man a want of that holinesse wherewith the light of his vnderstanding should bee seasoned What I haue now deliuered de mente concerning the minde or vnderstanding which is a speculatiue facultie of the soule the same may be spoken De voluntate affectionibus of the will and affections which are practicall faculties of the same And therefore as in the vnderstanding there is a defect of light and sanctitie so is there in the will and affections euen the absence of created holinesse Nor is there in these faculties of the soule only an absence of light knowledge and sanctitie but also the presence of their contrary qualities as darknesse ignorance and sinfulnesse If the light be put out darknesse comes in place if knowledge be departed ignorance succeeds if holinesse be lost sinfulnesse will domineere Proofes hereof there are many in holy Scripture But in this sunshine I need not light a candle I haue said enough to shew that ignorance of God and his will is in all the powers and faculties of the soule of man a punishment of sinne of originall sinne But this punishment of sinne is generall its common to all men for as much as all men haue sinned in Adam I adde further that Ignorance is also a punishment
the valour of their souldiers their fenced Cities the strength of Samaria and the succour of Damascus Thus haue you the reasons of my Doctrine why there is not any confidence to be put in creatures either in the strength of man or the munition of 〈◊〉 â—s The vse is to admonish vs that we depend not vpon the vaine and transitory things of this life but vpon God alone who onely is vnchangeable and vnmoueable that we resigne our selues wholly into his hands and confesse before him in the words of the Psalme 91.9 Tu es Domine spes mea Thou art O Lord my hope Serm. 9. in Psal Qui habitat Sweet is the meditation of Saint Bernard vpon the place Let others pretend merit let them bragge that they haue borne the burden and heat of the day let them tell of their fasting twice a weeke let them glory that they are not as other men Mihi autem adhaerere Deo Psal 73.28 bonum est ponere in Domino Deo spem meam but its good for me to cleaue fast vnto God to put my hope in the Lord God Sperent in aliâ—s alii Let others trust in other things one in his learning another in his nobility a third in his worth a fourth in any other vanity Mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum est but its good for me to cleaue fast vnto God to put my trust in the Lord God Dearely beloued if we shall sacrifice to our owne nets Habak 1.15 16. burne incense to our owne yarne put our trust in outward meanes either riches or policie or Princes or men or mountaines forsaking God God will blow vpon these meanes and turne them to our ouerthrow Wherefore though we haue all helpes in our owne hands to defend our selues and offend our enemies as that we are fenced by Sea fortified by ships blessed by Princes backed with friends stored with munitions aided with confederates and armed with multitudes of men yet may we not put our trust herein for nobis etiam adhaerere Deo bonum est it s also good for vs to cleaue fast vnto God to put our trust in the Lord God who alone giues the blessing to make all good meanes effectuall There is not much remaining The small number of the Israelites that were to be deliuered from the fury of the Assyrian resembled by the two legs or the tip of the eare taken by the shepheard out of the Lions mouth yeelds vs this obseruation that In publike calamities God euermore reserueth a remnant to himselfe When God punished the old world the world of the vngodly 1 Pet. 2.5 bringing the floud vpon them he saued Noah the eighth person the preacher of righteousnesse When God condemned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with an ouerthrow turning them into ashes making them an ensample vnto those that after should liue wickedly he deliuered iust Lot from among them There is a remnant left Esay 1.9 Except the Lord of hosts had left vnto vs a very small remnant we should haue beene as Sodome and we should haue beene like vnto Gomorrah You see a remnant reserued though it be very small Yea sometimes there is a reseruation of so small a remnant as is hardly visible as in the daies of Eliah who knew of none but himselfe I only am left saith he 1 King 19.14 Yet God tells him vers 18. of seuen thousand in Israel which neuer bowed their knees to Baal I finde Ioel 2.32 deliuerance in mount Sion deliuerance in Ierusalem and deliuerance in the remnant when the Lord shall call There is then a remnant to be called euen in greatest extremity Wherefore you the Elect and chosen children of God the Father be ye full of comfort take vnto you beauty for ashes Esay 61.3 the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse reioyce ye be glad together and be ye comforted Let the Prince of darknesse and all the powers of Hell assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals vpon the Earth ioyne together to worke your ouerthrow they shall not be able to effect it For God euen your God will reserue vnto himselfe a remnant And what is this remnant but pusillus grex It s a little flock the chaste Spouse of Christ the holy Catholike Church Extra cam nulla est salus Out of it there is no Saluation for hee that hath not the Church for his Mother shall neuer haue God for his Father So much for the explanation of this twelfth verse And Gods blessing be vpon it THE Fifteenth Lecture AMOS 3.13 14 15. Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob saith the Lord God the God of hosts That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. THe words of the Lord are iust by whom soeuer they are vttered and the authority of the holy Spirit is wonderfull by whom soeuer he speaketh Non minùs de ore pastoris quam de ore Imperatoris pertonat he thundereth or he speaketh with as much Maiestie from the mouth of a shepherd as from the mouth of an Emperour Amos our Prophet is this shepherd from whom the holy Spirit here thundereth Before he came with a proclamation to the palaces of Ashdod and to the palaces of the Land of Aegypt Now he comes with a Contestation to the house of Iacob Hereafter you may heare his message to the King of Bashan that are in the mountaines of Samaria Chap. 4.1 If Amos had from a shepherd beene aduanced to the Maiestie of a King as Dauid was what could we wish should haue beene added to the greater maiestie of his elocution The contestation is the thing whereupon I shall at this time principally insist The words are a Prosopopaeia the Almighty is brought in calling vpon his Priests and Prophets to giue eare vnto him and to beare witnesse of the calamities which he was purposed to lay vpon the house of Iacob that when he should punish them for their euill deeds he would visit their Temple and proudest buildings with desolation The parts are two One is a mandate for a Contestation or Testification The other is the matter to be testified That vers 13. This vers 14 15. For the first these particulars may be obserued 1. Who it is that giues the mandate It is he that best may doe it Euen the Lord. The Lord God the God of Hosts 2. To whom he giues it Sacerdotibus Prophetis to his Priests and Prophets for to them is this by an Apostrophe directed 3. How he giues it thus Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 4. The place where this testification is to be
Hos 4.19 c. and say to the moulten images Ye are our gods Other places I might produce to warrant this confusion and shame of the Idolater but the time forbids me Yet an example hereof you haue in Baals Priests 1 King 18.29 who were confounded with shame when they were in the sight of the people abandoned of his helpe when they most needed and implored it Thus is my doctrine confirmed Will you now see how vsefull it is Here then see condemned all such as doe religiously worship for God that which is not God such are Infidels who worship deuils men and other creatures erecting to their honour grauen and carued images pictures and statues From this Idolatry we may not exempt the now-Church of Rome for that she yeeldeth religious worship to creatures Angels and men and to men not such onely as haue beene held for Saints in respect of their faith and holy life but also such as haue beene noted for their wicked conuersation as their Saint George Saint Francis Saint Dominick Ignatius Loiola and the like yea such as neuer had any being in the world as their Saint Hippolytus Saint Christopher Saint Catharine fictitious and counterfeited Saints to such they haue set vp pictures images and statues and those forsooth must be worshipped and that with religious worship And doe they not thinke you deserue it sith they are so wonderously decked and adorned Garlands and Coronets are set on their heads precious pearles hang about their necks their fingers shine with rings beset with precious stones their bodies are clothed with garments stiffe with gold And are not these worthy to be adored If you should see the images of their men Saints you would beleeue they were some Princes of Persia by their proud apparell and the idols of their women-saints you would take to be some nice and well trimmed harlots tempting their Paramours to wantonnesse The Churches and Chappels that are thus bedeckt and trimmed are they not as this Bethel with her golden calfe Yes And if there be no reformation a time will come when the lot of Bethel shall be theirs euen to those Idoll-houses desolation and confusion to the Idolaters Secondly shall idolatrous places and persons be punished they with desolation these with confusion Let the consideration hereof inflame our hearts to be more zealously thankfull to the Lord for that hauing freed vs from Heathenish and Antichristian darknesse from idolatry and the seruice of grauen images he hath giuen vs the cleare light of his gracious Gospell through the illumination whereof wee may bee brought to the right knowledge of the true worship of him the onely liuing God For so by his sole goodnesse are wee deliuered from all feare of the punishment allotted to Bethel and the worshippers of the Idoll there Thirdly from this consideration we are to be admonished that abhorring and renouncing idols and all manner of idolatrous superstition which will leaue vs without helpe and hope in our greatest extremities we doe cleaue fast vnto the true Iehouah performing vnto him such faithfull and sincere seruice as he requireth in his Word without the mixture of humane inuentions so shall we in the day of visitation bee preserued from all euill But say that the Lord for his glory and our triall will bring vs to the touchstone of aduersity and suffer vs to taste of some calamity and misery yet will he giue vs such a comfortable feeling of his fauour and will so arme vs with power and patience to beare our troubles that we shall not need to feare confusion There is no feare of confusion or shame where true religion is No there is none True religion cleansed from all dregs of Idolatry maketh not ashamed So saith the kingly Prophet Psal 34.5 They shall looke vnto him and run vnto him and their faces shall not not be ashamed They the truly religious the humble and faithfull shall looke vnto the Lord shall diligently and carefully attend for aid and succour from him they shall runne vnto him with haste in their troubles in assurance of finding ease and their faces shall not be ashamed They shall not hang downe their heads and countenances for shame as they were wont to doe but shall lift vp their heads shall looke on high and shall goe with confidence to the God of their saluation That promise of the Lord Ioel 2.26 My people shall neuer be ashamed repeated in the verse following My people shall neuer be ashamed is a promise to the religious for the religious only are his people My people saith he shall neuer be ashamed O what a maruellous benefit a man hath by religion which he cannot haue by any other thing in the world There is nothing in all our life whereof we haue not need to repent except it be our religion the feare of God Our words our workes our gettings our spendings our wandrings vp and downe our negligence in our vocations our sleeping our eating our drinking out of measure of all these we haue need to repent Our thoughts our toyes our trifles our wantonnes our lust our hatred our wrath our malice our many other enormities of all these we may well be ashamed but of true religion and the feare of the Lord we neither need to repent nor to be ashamed If thou forsakest the world and hatest Idols and beleeuest in the Lord and mournest for thy sins and studiest the Scriptures and hearest the Preachers and obeyest the Gospell and prayest and watchest and fastest and endurest many troubles and art ready to die if need be and all for loue of the Lord Iesus thou needest not to repent or to be ashamed hereof For happy art thou Thou hast fought a good fight Goe on with courage finish thy course keepe the faith Henceforth there is laid vp for thee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue thee in that greaâ— day of his visitation and not vnto thee onely but to them also that loue his appearing euen to vs all holy Father let that Crowne be giuen for thy sweet Sonne Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Seuenteenth Lecture AMOS 3.15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. WHen God punisheth the sinnes of a Nation he vseth such seuerity that hee spaâ—eth not the very places wherein the sinnes were acted Hereof this Scripture yeelds a demonstration It presents vnto vs a resolution of God to punish the sinnes of Israel The places where they sinned were either religious or prophane Religious were the places of their publike assembly for the worship of their Gods Prophane places were all other of ordinary and common vse as their edifices and houses of habitation of all sorts Both places religious and prophane had their parts in the punishment here resolued vpon The resolution for the punishment is in the beginning of the fourteenth