LORDS annointed 2. Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezer king of Soba against David Their successe is recorded in the same place David slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them al likewise perish who make heâ—d 〈◊〉 themseluâ—s togâ—ther against the LORDS annointed 1. Chron. 〈…〉 which is by in◠〈…〉 lying betweene the 〈…〉 commonly knowne by the name of b Bertram Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praefat. Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against David and were partakers in their overthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriach Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choise of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 do make this Padan-Aram to be a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolemee Ancobaâ—â— Thus doth the holy Spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the couÌ„try of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehâ—b Aram Ishâ—â—b Aram Maacah Aram of Damascuâ— Arâ—m Nâ—â—araiâ— and Padan Aram. Here Aram put without any adiuncâ— to 〈…〉 oâ—e region may 〈…〉 all Syria devided by our Prâ—phet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three 〈◊〉 of Damascus â—ikâ—â—th 〈◊〉 and â—â—th 〈◊〉 as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstaÌ„ding by Damascâ—â— the couÌ„try adioining the whole coast of Dâ—â—â—polis by Râ—kâ—â—th-Aneâ— the couÌ„try called Châ—â—â—â—thâ— which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Dâ—sâ—râ— by Beth-edâ—n the whole couÌ„try of Coelesyria wherein stood the citie Eden The people that is 〈◊〉 of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the â—â—ble also 〈◊〉 word is generall and conteineth all Shall go into captivity They shal be carryed away from their natiue couÌ„try into a strange lâ—nd in slâ—very and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrâ—â—â— c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pâ—â—â—apoliâ— the â—â—tiue couÌ„try of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eâ—â—â—â—st hâ—â—es the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan Syâ—â—â—châ—â— and S. Hierome do seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman do expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes best approued expositors doe avouch Tremellius Iunius vpon the 2. Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captivitie was called Syromedia it was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hill Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captivitie of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fiftie yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and carried a way captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly delivered 2. King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captivitie shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the LORD true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shal goe into captivitie vnto Kir saith the LORD Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the LORD by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captivitie This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captivitie bondage and slaverie was to be in an vnknown strange and farre countrey Kir in MEDIA From the first 〈…〉 of the punisher the LORD of hoasts imploying in his 〈◊〉 the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Arâ—â—iâ—â—â— or Syriâ—â—s into captivitie wee are put in mind of a well knowne truth in divinitie Almighty God in his government of the world worketh ordinarily by mâ—anes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily hee worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily hee worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessitie produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or nor to doe In this rancke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Israelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessitie they might haue done otherwise In this rancke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King David 2. Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and rayling vpon him was not of necessitie hee might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captivitie this people of Aram not of necessitie hee might haue left vnto them their natiue countrie lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessarie or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his governement of the world worketh ordinarily God laid wast Sodom Gomorah and their sisâ—er cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed every thing that was vpoÌ„ the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the foule of the heaven only was Noah saved and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water Gen. 7.23 God sent Ioseph into Egypt to preserue his fathers posteritie and to saue them aliue by a great deliverance as Ioseph himselfe confesseth Gen. 45.7 This was Gods doing but hee did it by Iosephs owne brethren who you knowe sold him to the Ismaelites God sent an affliction vpon David for his good by cursed speaking throwing of stones where in David acknowledgeth Gods speciall singer 2. Sam. 16.11 The thing was Gods doing He did it by Shimei the sonne of Iemini God spake the word concerning the people of Aram that they should goe into captivitie as appeareth in my text God spake the word it was done God therefore sent the people of Aram into captivitie but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria All these though I said it before I say it againe All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or
for truth in dispite of al the powers of darkenes which is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture every parcell therof is given 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 position followeth herevpon The authoritie of holy Scripture is greater then the authoritie of the Church Our observation 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 authoritie then the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to read it with reverence obsequie and docilitie This worth dignitie and excellencie of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to every 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 written word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel Defence of the Apologie par 4. cap. 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 blind doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reverend fathers no better then Aesops fables Now lest Brentius may be thought to charge them wrongfully be patient I beseech you while I shew you out of themselues how they harpe vpon this g This poynt see touched in my SermoÌ„ vpon Psal 21 6. pag. 12. c. blasphemous string A Cardinall of great name in his time Hosius the Popes Legat and President of the Councill of Trent in his booke De expresso verbo Dei saith h Vanus est labor qui scripturis impenditur Scriptura eniâ— est creatura egenum quoddaÌ„ elementum It is but lost labour that is spent in the Scriptures he giues this reason for the Scripture is a creature and a poore kind of outward element i Citatur ab Illyrico in norma coÌ„cilii Ludovicus Maioranus a Canon of the Church of Lateran in Rome in an k Printed at Dilinga Ann 1563. Vide H. 2. b. where also hee calleth the Scripturs in disgrace literarum monumenta scriptiones chartulâ—s macrocolla membranulas oration of his pronounced at Trent said l Scriptura est quasi mortuum atramentum the Scripture is as it were m And Mart. Peresius praef ad libr. de traditionibus â—3 b. Vnus hic in primis est fons origâ—â—mniâ—â— errorum quod nihil sit pro certo indubitato in iis quae ad Christianum attinent pietatem à quoquam fideâ—â— reciplendum nisi ATRAMENTO MORTVO in sacris codicibus expressum invâ—niatur DEAD INKE The Bishop of n Apud Sleidanum comment lib. 23. Poitiers in a speech of his at the same Trent spake to like purpose The Scripture is o Res inanimis muta a dead and a dumbe thing And thinke ye was p Apud Chemnitium exam Conc. Trid. part 1. de sacra Scriptura Eckius more modestly conceited when he called the Scriptures q Evangelium nigruÌ„ Theologiam Atramentarium the blacke gospell inken divinitie or r Controv. 3. de Eccles Pighius when hee called the Scriptures Å¿ Mutos iudices dumbe and speechlesse iudges t Sunt scripturae velut nasuâ— cereâ—s quise horsum illorsum in quamcunque volueris partem trahi retrahi fingique facilè permittit Pigli Hierarch Eccles l. 3. c. 3. like vnto a nose of wax that is easily moulded and fashioned what way soever you will or u In his answer to Iewels defense Artic. 15. Divis 9. The dangers and hurts which the common peoples reading of their Scripture in their owne language bringeth be great sundry and many Harding or x De sacrorun Bibliorum in vulg idiom translatione pag 492 In propatulo est quantum perniciem in totum orbem Christianum ea res invexerit adhuc invectura sit si Laicis illiteratis liberum sit pro ipsorum arbitrio curiositate sacras literas rimari ac perscrataâ—i Staphylus who spake of the Scriptures as of mischevous and poysonfull bookes if so they bee committed to the view of the common people in a vulgar and knowne language But all these blasphemers are long since dead and gone Is their blasphemy dead and gone with them No that stickes fast by their posteritie as a leaprousie that will not be cleansed In the Colloquie held at Ratisbone of late Anno 1602. betweene the Ministers of the Augustane confession and Papists when it was alleaged Scripturam esse normam fides that Scripture is the rule of faith it was answered by a Iesuite hoc esse foÌ„tem omnium haereseâ—n that this was the fountaine of all heresie as M. Willet makes relation in his y F o A 3. b. answere to the libellers Introduction It may be hee meanes the Iesuite Tannerus whose foule reproachfull and dishonourable speech against the holy Spirit the author of holy Scripture is set downe by Hunnius in his z Pag. 26. historicall narration of that Colloquie at Ratisbone Nulla nulla nulla vnquam fuit haeresis quae ex sola Scriptura sufficienter refutari potuit A speech vehement enough Never never never was there any heresie sufficiently refuted only out of Scripture Hee requires their imagined infallible authority of their Church to be ioined There was another Iesuite at the same Colloquie by name Gretserus of no lesse impudencie egregiously blasphemous For when it was alleaged that the holy Scripture or the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture is the highest and the infallible iudge of controversies of religion this GRETSERVS as one possessed with the spirit of contradiction vtters this proposition a Colloq Ratisb per David Rungium K. 1. b. Neque Scriptura sola vt est verbuÌ„ Spiritus Sancti neque ipse Spiritus Sanctus vt loquitur per Scripturam est index supremus infallibilis controversiarum religionis Neither the holy Scripture as it is the word of the holy Ghost nor the holy Ghost himselfe as he speaketh by the Scripture is the supreme and infallible iudge of controversies of religion This hee vndertooke to proue by experience b Ecce flamus in conspectu huius iudicis haec dicens assurgebat codicem biblicum alterâ manu tenebat alterâ
the flowds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who made the dry land so f Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never mâ—â—e and can g Psal 104.6 cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Esai 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man Thus saith the LORD This powerfull IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floare to walke in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and fitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernes of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not do it hath he spoken shal he not accomplish it BalaaÌ„ 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 repeÌ„t for he is not as maÌ„ that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or any one title 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 al other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecie of old is destitute of divine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered 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 time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 2. Peter 1.20 Know this that no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion He giveth the reasoÌ„ 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 moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The 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 Evangelists 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 given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand ever true what is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and every parcell thereof is given 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 Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man whersoever were the place whatsoever were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the LORD Howe then dare wee potters clay 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 irreverently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his voice from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull service of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a tast of the sweetnesse of the worde of the LORD conveied vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Evangelists Apostles It is the Lords most roial and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuarie the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsels milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour 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 evidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre of the preface proeme or enterance making for the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the LORD Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherin I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians verse 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 vers the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sinne set downe generally and specially Generally vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan Iustin lib 36 Stephan Adrichom Hieron Heb. quaest in GeÌ„ some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Apud Hier. ibid Ioseph antiq Iudaic lib. 1. cap. 7. Willet in GeÌ„ cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Where vpon Damascus was called also Aram as c In Esai 17. St Hierome witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquitie 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
country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A third vse of this doctrine is for the terrour of such as lie wallowing in the filthinesse of their sinnes Many there are wicked wretches who if God shall for a time deferre the punishments due vnto their sinnes are ready to thinke that God takes no notice of their sinnes These say in their heart there is no God Against these is made that challenge Psal 50.21 I held my tongue and thou thoughtest me like thy selfe I the LORD who see the secrets of all hearts I held my tongue I did not by my iudgements punish thee for the wickednesse of thy steps I held my tongue thou thoughtest me like thy selfe thou thoughtest I took pleasure in wickednes as thou doest but thou shalt find and feele the contrary Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies and long suffering of God thereby they grow worse and worse obdurate and hardned in their sinnes Yet let them bee advised for the day will come and it comes apace wherein they shal feele the heavinesse of that hand which here was turned against Ekron I will turne my hand to Ekron It followeth And the 〈◊〉 of the Philistines shall perish The Philistines had their beginning froÌ„ Castuchim a grandchild of Châ—â—â— the accursed issue of Noah as appeareth Genes 10.14 They were seated in a part of the land of Canaan the west part that which bordereth vpon the great Sea the Sea coÌ„monly called the Mediterranean Their country was called by Ptolemee and others Palaestina and by the Greekes Phoenicia It was a part of that couÌ„try which once was called Terra promissionis the land of promise but now Terra sancta the Holy land The inhabitants in our Prophets time were professed enemies to Almightie God and his beloued Israel They thought themselues safe from ruine through the strength of their fiue dukedomes Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon Gath and Ekron But vaine and foolish are the thoughts which possesse the wicked When the God of all truth shall giue his word for a matter shal man presume to doubt of the event Here God sets his word vpon it that there shall be an vtter overthrowe not only of Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon and Ekron but of Gath also and all the villages belonging therevnto for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the LORD God Ait Dominus Iehovah saith the LORD God This is the conclusion of this prophecie and it redoubleth its authoritie and credite Authoritie and credite sufficient it hath from its very front verse the 6. Thus saith the LORD it 's here redoubled saith the LORD God Saith the LORD God hath the LORD God said it and r Num. 23.19 shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that hee should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea and Amen Å¿ Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iot or one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Dominus IEHOVIH the LORD hath said it that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish Out of doubt then must it come to passe And so is it The first blow which the Philistines receaued towards their overthrow after this prophecie was giuen them aboue three-score yeares after by Ezechias that good King of Iudah of whoÌ„ the Prophet Esai chap. 14.29 foretelleth the Philistines that he should be vnto them as a cockatrice and a fiery flying serpent This Ezechias smote the Philistines vnto Azzah and the coasts thereof from the watch tower vnto the defensed city This is plaine 2. King 18.8 A second blow was given by Tartan one of the captaines of Sennacherib or Sargon King of Assyria who came vp against Ashdod and tooke it This is plaine Esai 20.1 A third blow was giuen them by Pharaoh Neco he smote Azzah Ashkelon and other places This is it which the Prophet Ieremie saith chap. 47.5 Baldnesse is come vpon Azzah Ashkelon is cut vp with the rest of their valleys In a word God hath from time to time raised vp his men of warre in due time to extirpate and rase out the Philistines from the face of the earth that according to the tenour of this prophecie there might be no remnant of them The remnant of the Philistines shall perish Here may wee obserue a difference in Gods punishments he punisheth the reprobate and he punisheth his elect but differently the reprobate to their vtter excision extirpatioÌ„ not so the elect For of them there is vpon the earth evermore a remnant that shall be saved as it 's intimated by the Prophet Esai cha 1.9 Except the LORD of hoasts had reserved vnto vs even a small remnant wee shoulde haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorah You see a remnant reserved though a small one Yea sometimes there is a reservation of so small a remnant as is scarsly 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 tels him in the 18. verse of seaven thousand in Israel which never bowed their knees to Baal Hitherto belongeth that Ioel. 2.32 In mount Sion in Ierusalem shall be deliverance 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 daies of dispersion and slaughter are accomplished and yee shall fall like the Philistines every mothers childe of you the u Ierem. 46.10 sword shal devoure you it shal be satiate made drunke with your bloud there shall not be a reÌ„nant of you left But you the elect and chosen children of God your Father take vnto you x Esai 61.3 beauty for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heavines reioice yee bee glad together Let the prince of darknes and all the powers of hell assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals vpon the earth ioine together to worke your overthrow they shall not effect it For God even your God will reserue vnto himselfe a remnant This remnaÌ„t is the chaste Spouse of Christ the holy Catholicke Church enriched from aboue with all manner of benedictions Extra cum nulla est salus whosoever hath not her for his Mother shall never haue God for his Father Of this remnant and Catholicke Church notwithstanding the challenge of Romish Idolaters we beloved are sound and liuely members Happie are the eies which see that we see and enioy the presence of him whom we adore happy are the eares that heare what wee heare and the hearts which are partakers of our instructions No nation vnder heaven hath a God so potent so loving so neere to them which worship him as we of this Iland haue The many
in the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life Even so be it blessed father for thy welbeloved sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whoÌ„ with thee in the vnitie of the holy spirit be all praise and power might and Maiestie dignity and dominion for evermore Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the â—op of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloved in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esâ—â—â— father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is hee was a heardman or shepheard 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a litle village in the confines of the kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2. Chr. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepheards walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implyed in these worder The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. revolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the daies of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquake After my exposition given vpoÌ„ those fiue parts of that text I recald to your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepheard became a blessed prophet to carry a terrible word and fearefull message from the living God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Therevpon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mightie That doctrine proved I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good providence Poore shepheards and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignitie in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither empire nor kingdome nor place in theÌ„ of dignity priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industrie wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie The second was to stop blasphemous mouthes such as are ever more open against the God of Heaven to affirme that all things belowe the moone are ruled by their blinde Goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your heartes might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet never sleeping care over 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 lest moments titles in the world that you can imagine to a handful of meal to a cruse of oile in a poore widdowes house to the falling of the Sparrows to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of Hindes to the cloathing 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 reverence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth ver 2. And hee said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice froÌ„ Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards 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 Lorde shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking He shall roare and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence he speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepheards The dwelling places of the shepheards 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 heardmaÌ„ or shepheard whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Even the words which he saw vpoÌ„ 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 reveiled vnto him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloved wee may learne whence the holy scriptures haue their soveraigne authoritie Their authoritie is froÌ„ aboue eveÌ„ from the LORD whose name is IEHOVAH whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heaven of heavens 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 possesseth his secret reines and divides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great IEHOVAH God almightie spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Hebr. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1. chap. ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any private motion Marke his reason vers 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holie men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the LORD came vnto me 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 fulnes of time when he sent his Sonne to coÌ„summate perfect the work of mans redeÌ„ption speak by his blessed Evangelists 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 given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites 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 immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem 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 evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident 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 mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 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 Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie 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 conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō 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 expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth 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 Beloved remēber 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 be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution 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 heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee 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 never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards 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 whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes 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 bee 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 and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 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 Lect. antiq lib. â—2 cap. 9. Quem nos DEVM nuÌ„cupamâ— Aegyptij THEVT Persae dicunt SYRE Magorum disciplina ORSI vnde profluxit Oromasis Iam apud Hebraerum geÌ„tem celebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrum nomeÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde TetragraÌ„maton dicunt alia voce ex primitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Arabibus ALLA Sic ZaÌ„c de natura Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. Apud Graecos post Hebraeos nomen Dei neÌ„pe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quatuor constat literis Sic apud Latinos DEVS vnde Hisponi dicunt DIOS Itali IDIO Galli DIEV Germanis quoque Anglis quatuor est literarum GOTT Sic Chaldaeis Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegyptijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis est Oâ—SI Dalmatis seu Illyriâ—â— BOGI Maometanis Aâ—GD Gentibus in mundo novo repertis ZIMI naâ—â— of foure letters in all tongues and languages and that these foure letters in Hebrew are all d Literae quiescentes letters of Rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the creatures in the world is in God alone that it is a e Zanch. vbi suprà powerful name for the working of miracles and that Christ and Moses had by it done great wonders But my tongue shall never enlarge that which my soule abhorreth such brainsick superstitious and blasphemous inventions Yet this I dare avouch 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 al sufficient God but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne vnto them I vnfold this secret This great name IEHOVAH first it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is f Heb. 23.8 yesterday and today and the same for ever 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 whome 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 al it is the Memoriall of God vnto al ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine event of such his promise or threatning he addes vnto it his name IEHOVAH In steed of this Hebrew name IEHOVAH the most proper name of God the 70. interpreters of the old Testament doe every where vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greeke name a name of power wel suiting with the living true and only God For hee hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power and authority which he hath over all things is soveraigne without controlement He that made the heavens and spread them out like a k Psal 104.2 curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment he can againe l Esai 50.3 cloath the heaven with darknesse and make a sacke their covering 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 over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare he can with a worde o Iob. 26.12 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 He that made the drie land and so set it vpon q Psal 104.5 fouÌ„dations that it should never moue hee can cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that shee shall r Psal 107.27 reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man So powerfull a God may wel be named from power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute LORD ruler and commander of all things This name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly put for the Hebrew name IEHOVAH coÌ„monly rendred in our English tongue LORD is in the writings of the Apostles simply and absolutely if the learned haue made a Å¿ Zanch. de Attrib lib. 1. c. 17. iust calculation ascribed vnto CHRIST 1000 times and may serue for sufficient proofe of the deitie of CHRIST For it imports thus much that CHRIST the t Heb. 1.3 engraved 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 governour of al things and in a very speciall manner he is the heire of the house of God the mightie protector of the Church CHRIST the only begotten SoÌ„ne of God he 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 workes of God ad extra so we speak in the schooles but to speake more vnderstandingly to your capacities in al externall works each person of the TRINITIE hath his operation Yet so that a common distinction be observed For these externall workes of God do admit a double consideratioÌ„ u Zanch. de Incarn lib 2. c. 3. q. 1. Thes 2. either they are begâ—n 〈◊〉 the Divine persons and ended x extra divivinas personas in some one of them or they are both begun and ended 〈◊〉 the Divine persons The works of God begunne externally and ended in some one of the persons what are they They are such as was the Voice of the Fâ—â—her concerning CHRIST z Matt. 3.17 This is my beloved sonne a voice formed by all three persons y In aliqua personarum yet vttered only by the Father They are such as was that a Matt. 3 16. Doue descending vpon CHRIST at his baptisme a Doue framed by al 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 obvious and much vsed distinction in schoole divinity Inchoativè terminative I thus expound it 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 We are to consider two things their beginning and their end If we respect their beginning they are the workes of the whole Trinity common vnto all but respect we their perfectioÌ„ and end they are no more common but hypostaticall personall for so the voice is the Fathers alone the Doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes alone Besides these there are other workes of God as begunne so ended also EXTRA PERSONAS externally and they are of two sorts either supernatural such I cal the miraculous works of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preservation of the same and the government of it All these workes of which kinde soever whether miraculous or works of nature are common to the whole TRINITIE The Father worketh the Sonne worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preserving all things in governing all things Wherevpon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is LORD so the Son is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD also So the LORD whom I commended vnto you for the speaker in my text is the Vnitie in Trinitie one God in three persons God Almightie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I go 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 servants The duties we owe him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedieÌ„ce vnto God his word lawes commandements This duty whosoever performeth shall easilie performe the second duty to wit faithfull service with all care and diligence to do whatsoever worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the thirde dutie 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 invested with his roabe of innocencie he was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD Now if it wil be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answere That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his advantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainely delivered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giveth vs his graces to this end that we should vse and increase them for his advaÌ„tage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a covetous vsurer so greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scatered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob ver 2.3 seemeth in worde 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 art righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vp right I answere that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnes yea he can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnes and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp mâ—n to holynesse it pleaseth God in mercie to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his servants And therefore I saie againe that Adam in the state of his innocencie was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD But alas maÌ„ once beautified with innoceÌ„cie with holynes with the grace of God is now spoyled of his roabes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle works wrought about with divers colours is now stript of her iewels the soule of maÌ„ once ful of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotles 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 Prov. 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 heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquitie like water When the LORD looked down from heaven to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Psa 14.2 could hee finde any one framed according to the rule of perfection which he requireth He could not This he found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good noâ— not one Soe sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in every deed word and thought wholy 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 clouts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applyed to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is nowe become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I wil not prosecute this point of mans nakednes any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainely howe vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his LORD God For his first duty insteed of obedience he continually breaketh the commaÌ„dements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty insteede of waiting vpon God to do him service he serveth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty insteed of bringing any advantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene nowe the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs servants when they had sinned against their Lord. Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe butler was restored to his former dignitie when as the baker was hanged These two servants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of meÌ„ exiled from paradise and froÌ„ 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 do
Iacob with Moses the Prophets with CHRIST and the Apostles But how hee spake that is disputed of by the ancient and learned Fathers St o In cap. 7. Esai Basil is of opinion that the Prophets did not at all with their outward eares heare God speaking to them but that the word of the LORD is said to haue come vnto them because their mindes were illuminated and their vnderstanding enlightned by the shining of the true light in great measure readily to conceaue what God would haue revealed faithfully to publish it according to the will of God St p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. c. 33. Austine enquiring how God spake with Adam Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Intrinsecus inessabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giving light to their minds vnderstandings or it may be he talked with thē 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. with Lot Gen. 19. St r Expos Moral lib 28. in cap. 38. B. Iob. cap. 2. Gregorie most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of waies 1 By himselfe as when hee speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense wee must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip goe neere ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neere and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we find 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 his companie Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoever we are inwardly moved and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our private 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 diverse 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 immediatly there came a voice from heaven I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 2 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is objected to the senses S. Gregorie for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirle winde come out of the North with a great clowd and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenes 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 deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblāce obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall He heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eies of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach frō earth to heaven Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descende from heaven Act. 10.11 So Paule in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 5 By shapes presented to our bodily eies So Abraham saw the three men that stoode 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 Christes baptisme a ſ Mat. 3.17 voice was heard out of a clowd as also at his t Mat. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloved sonne c. By Celestiall substances I do here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the works therin but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire nexte vnto it togither with the Windes and Clowds 7 By Terrestiall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speake Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestiall substances as whē 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 in diverse manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures by his creatures many waies sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometimes by Terrestiall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestiall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speake vnto vs as of old hee did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoever by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moveth 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 hee throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heate sometime by drouth sometime by noysome wormes Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few monthes he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren sometime by enemies when he impoverisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoever other like these are Gods voices and do call vs to repentance But as when there came a voice from heaven to CHRIST Ioh. 12 2◠the people that stood by and heard would not bee perswaded that it was Gods voice some of thē saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoever God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by warre or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we wil rather attribute these things to nature to the heavens to starres and planets to the malice of enimies to chance and the like As perverse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to bee directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last daies 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 clowd by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This gospell of CHRIST and voice of God
I will breake the barre of Damascus I the LORD will with my mightie power breake Lay wast coÌ„sume the barre barre for barres even all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiâ—â—â—st city of Syria the country adioyning Must Damascus the strongest city of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee be laid wast and spoiled Here fixing the eies of our minds vpon the power of the LORD learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of yron these he breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mightie then a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kingâ— witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mightie Kings Psal 135.10 136.18 My text avoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threatneth to the mightie King of Syria a cutting off I will cut of 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 whatsoever else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotencie we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almightie In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotencie 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 Almightie so the Sonne is Almightie and the Holy Ghost is Almightie too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almightie in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoever he will Secondly because hee is able to doe more then he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoever he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelitie dares deny This truth being expresly delivered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heaven doth whatsoever hee will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoever pleaseth the LORD that doth he in heaven in earth in the sea in all the depthes For the second that God is able to doe more then hee will doe every Christian acquainted with the Evangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadducees 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 childreÌ„ vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giveÌ„ him more then twelue legions of Angels to haue delivered him Hee could but would not The like may be 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 omnipotencie that he is able to do whatsoever he will do yea that he is able to do more then he will do God only is omnipotent whatsoever els is in the world it 's weake 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 do stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. coÌ„fesseth In comparison of the most high who liveth for ever whose power is an everlasting power whose kingdome is froÌ„ generatioÌ„ to generatioÌ„ all the inhabitaÌ„ts of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heaven 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 wherevnto we are moved 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 froÌ„ hence crue humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1. ep 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloved but by nature in our selues most wretched conceived and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednes dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to do whatsoever he will able to do more then 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 humiliatioÌ„ This true humiliation standeth in our practise of three things 1. The sorrow of our heart wherby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sinnes 2. Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1. We 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 sinne The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnes 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 servants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God encline 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 teÌ„der mercies O LORD heare vs O LORD forgiue vs O LORD consider and do it differ not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloved if wee humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will lift vs vp 2 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence to treÌ„ble at Gods iudgements to feare them to stand in awe of them to quake quiver at them For as God is so are his iudgements God is terrible and his iudgements are terrible God is terrible in the assembly of his Saints Psal 88.8 terrible in his workes Psal 66.3 terrible in his doings toward the sonnes of men Psal 66.5 terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm 76.13 To passe over
no fellowship with thē Must we reproue thē rather What saith old Adam What saith flesh and blood to this Our Gallants of this age can entertaine no such advise that it may be fulfilled which our Saviour Christ foretold of the ende of the world Luk. 21.10 16. Nation shall rise against nation kingdome against kingdome a father against his sonne a brother against his brother a kinsman against his kinsman and a friend against his friend A fitter remedie for this maladie I find none then to imitate blessed Abraham There grew a debate betweene his servants and the servants of Lot their heardmen could not agree What doth Abraham in this case As the manner of Masters is now adaies No he breaketh not out into choler he saith not my servants are abused my cosin LOT his servants doe seeke to crow over them and to rule the rost as they list This is an iniurie to mee their master and a shame to suffer it So a man may be made a foole indeed and counted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation Never will any man care to serue me if I sticke not better to my men then so Such language as the world now goeth is very rife among vs. But Abraham spake not so Grace was in his face mildnesse in his words For thus spake he vnto his nephew Lot Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there be no strife betweene thee and me neither hetweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethrē We are brethren I pray let there be no strife between vs. Let vs be mindfull of the covenant wherein nature hath vnited our affections we are brethren the bond of brotherhood and consanguinitie let it moderate our passions why shall we iarre and be at odds betweene our selues Are we not brethren An excellent patterne of imitation for all estates high and low rich poore one with another Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all whosoever may say they are brethren either in nature or in Christ and religion haue in Abraham a patterne for their imitation We must abstaine not only from raising strife and debate our selues but also from fostering and cherishing it in others Such was Abrahams choice Hee would not maintaine his servants against Lots servants hee tooke it to be farre more credit for him to haue vnitie and good loue then the bitter effects of the contrarie Among the beatitudes Matth. 5. the seaventh is Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who loue concord regard peace seeke it and insue after it Blessed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish maintaine peace and concord betweene others Blessed are they who doe their best to revnite in loue such as are fallen out to make an end of quarrels and dissentions Blessed are the peacemakers the reason is annexed for they shall be called the children of God that is they will by their loue of vnitie and concord make it appeare vnto the world that they are the sonnes of God From whence it followeth by an argument from the place of contraries Accursed are makebates for they shall be called the children of the Divell Cursed are they who are of themselues quarrelsome and contentious Cursed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish and maintaine strife debate in others Cursed are they who doe their best to set at variance such as haue long lived in peace and vnitie Cursed are makebates I annexe the reason for they shall be called the sonnes of the Devill that is They will by their loue of strife and debate make it appeare to the world that they are the sonnes of the Devill Now dearely beloued in the LORD I beseech you to remoue farre from you all cogitation and thought of strife variance and debate to remember your brotherly covenant Know yee that the bond of one body one spirit one hope one God one faith one baptisme is as farre aboue the bond of one father one mother one village one house and the like as the spirit is aboue the flesh spirituall things aboue carnall and God aboue man I will shut vp this point with the exhortation of S. Peter 1. ep chap. 3.8 Be yee all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous render not evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrarywise blesse yee blesse I say and knowe that you are therevnto called that yee should be heires of blessing Thus farre of the thirde part of this Prophecie Now followeth the fourth Vers 10. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof This is a particular denunciation of a conquest and desolation against the city Tyrus for her sins According to this prediction it came to passe saith Drusius either in the warre of Salmanassar against the Tyrians or in the warre of Nabuchodonosor Yet this he affirmeth not Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus three yeares and three moneths then tooke it so saith Winckleman out of Iosephus lib. 1. contra Appionem the Latine copies of Iosephus which I haue seene make mention of the continuance of this siege for thirteene yeares The Greeke copy hath nothing of the continuance of it For therein I read only that when Thobalus was king Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus This was about the yeare of the world 3345. Tyrus after this was reedified and did flourish But shee was in her pride againe besieged and taken by Alexander the great in the yeare of the world 3632. And lōg since A.C. 1290 she was sacked and levelled with the ground by Alphix then Sultan of Egypt Thus hath Gods hand beene strong prevailing against Tyrus according to the tenour of this prophecie The very words whereof you haue heard before expounded in the fourth and seaventh verses of this chapter Now I pray you only recount with me such heads of doctrine as heretofore haue beene observed out of these words Therefore will I send a fire c. Wherein three circumstances are to be observed 1. The punisher 2. The punishment 3. The punished The first circumstance is the punisher the LORD For thus saith the LORD I will send The doctrine is It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins The second circumstance is the punishment and that is by fire I will send a fire The doctrine is The fire and all other creatures are at the Lordes commaundement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked The third circumstance is the punished the wals and palaces of Tyrus I will send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof First must the glorious city Tyrus be destroied The doctrine is No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed Secondly must the Wals of Tyrus bee devoured with the fire of Gods displeasure The doctrine is It is the good blessing of God vpon a kingdome to haue wals strong holds munitions fortresses and bullwarkes for
I will but point at thē Is it true beloued Doth God often humble his chosen children vnder the rod of the wicked It may first shew vs how great Gods anger is for sinne that he punisheth it so severely even in his dearest children and thereby may worke in vs a loathing hatred and detestation of sinne Never more need then now to smite our breasts pray with the publicane O God be mercifull vnto vs sinners Secondly it may teach vs not to measure the favour of God towards our selues or others by the adversities or crosses of this life Here we see that the women of Gilead of the race of Israel Gods owne lot and inheritance were most barbarously cruelly ript vp by the Ammonites Yet are we not to doubt but that Gods favour was great towards them even in this severe punishment Thirdly it may make vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before Almightie God for our present estate and condition It is not with vs as in the daies of Gilead we are not threshed with threshing instruments of yron our women with child are not ript vp Our daies are the daies of peace our King is a king of peace Peace is in our ports peace in all our borders and peace within our wals l Psal 144.12 Our sonnes doe grow vp as young plants our daughters are as the polished corners of the temple Our garners are full and plenteous with al maner of store Our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands Our oxen are strong to labour Here is no invasion no leading into captivitie no complaining in our streets Are not the people happy that are in such a case Yes saith the Psalmist Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that are in such a case The case you see is ours The God of peace which maketh an m Psal 46.10 end of warre in all the world and breaketh the bow and knappeth the speares asunder and burneth the chariots with fire hee doth now protect vs from warre and slaughter Quid rependemus What shall we render vnto the LORD for all his benefits towards vs We will take the cup of salvation and praise his holy name O our soules praise the LORD for hee onely maketh vs to dwell in safetie Thus farre of the cruell fact of the Ammonites in ripping vp the women with child of Gilead This their fact is amplified by the end wherefore they did it They haue ript vp the women with child of Gilead that they might enlarge their border That they might enlarge their border What could such crueltie against innocent and harmelesse women further them to the attaining of such an end Very much For hereby it might come to passe that there should not be any ofspring of the Gileadites to inherit and possesse the land so might the land without any resistance become the possession of the Ammonites This is by a propheticall contestation touched Ierem. 49.1 Vnto the children of Ammō thus saith the LORD Hath Israel no sonnes or hath he no heires Why then hath their King possessed Gad and his people dwelt in his cities So might this our Prophet Amos here contest and make complaint Hath Gilead no sonnes Hath Gilead no heires Why then haue the Ammonites possessed Gilead why haue they dwelt in the cities of Gilead The answer is plaine out of my text the Ammonites haue ript vp the women with child of Gilead they haue left them no sonnes no heires And so they possessed the land of Gilead so haue they enlarged their borders Wee see now the meaning of our Prophet Hee obiecteth to the Ammonites not only that they did cruelly rip vp the womē with child in Gilead but also that they did it for this end that they might enlarge their borders The doctrine is That nation which is not content with her owne borders but invadeth her neighbour countries sinneth grievously The Ethnickes of old taught but in Natures schoole did hold it for a wicked act detestable and inexpiable to remoue a neighbours land-markes In which respect the old Romans worshipped Terminus for a God Terminus which signifieth a bound limite meere buttle or land-marke was in their account a God God of their bounds limites or markes of their severall fields meadowes and pastures and such a God as should not giue place to Iupiter himselfe To this Terminus they held a feast in Februarie called it Terminalia as Austine witnesseth in his books de Civitate Dei Lib. 5.21 lib. 7. c. 7. Now if the heathenish blind superstitious Romans trained vp in natures schoole did so highly esteeme of the preservatiō maintenāce of bounds limits how are we trained vp in the schoole of Grace to esteeme thereof In the schoole of Grace a law is givē Deut. 19.14 Thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke To obey this law we are charged vpon a curse Deu. 27.17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours marke It is Gods own ordinance that bounds and limits and marks are appointed to every mans possessions This may be gathered out of Deut. 32.8 The most high GOD divided to the nations their inheritances he separated the sonnes of mē he did set the boūds of nations The meaning is the LORD pitched the boūds of kingdomes at such time as it pleased him that the nations should be divided asunder Yet we see how the covetous ambition vnsatiable desire of some Princes in the world haue put al out of order how there is nothing so holy that can stay them from incroaching vpon the bounds of their neighbours and next borderers Sēnacherib King of Assyria was a stout offender in this kind He boasted of his invasions and victories vpon his neighbour countries But that other princes may take example by him he was made a peculiar example of divine iudgement For as he transgressed the bounds of his neighbour princes to their overthrow so did his owne sonnes 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 Sharezer his sons slew him with the sword And by my text you see what iudgements God threatneth to the Ammonites for their vnlawful practises to enlarge their borders So my doctrine is established The nation that is not content with her owne borders but invadeth her neighbour countries sinneth grievously The vse of this doctrine may concerne vs here assembled As princes ought to hold themselues contented with their owne bounds so ought every private man also God hath also separated their possessions one frō another to the ende that al might liue and communicate one with another and that there might be no confused disorder But beloved in the Lord how do we stand to this order set by Almighty God Do we not seeke dayly to pervert it God would haue it kept most holy but we care not for it Our couetousnes carrieth vs away we would still be
greater Wee ioine 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 cōtent with such bounds as their ancestors left them but we must haue them altered if not enlarged The divinely-inspired David tels vs Psal 37.3 that if wee dwell in the land where God hath placed vs we shall verily bee fed We should learne of S. Paule Philip. 4.11 in whatsoever state we are therewith to be content Knowing it to be true which the same Apostle avoweth vnto Timothy Ep. 1. chap. 6. ver 6. that Godlinesse is great gaine if we will be content with that we haue Thus much of the 13. verse THE TWENTIETH LECTVRE AMOS 1.14 15. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battle and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde And their king shall goe into captivity he and his Princes together saith the LORD HEre wee haue the denuntiation of the iudgements of God against the childrē of Ammon for their sinnes This iudgement is in the 14. verse set downe 1. In a generality 2. with some circumstances First in a generality Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy of large extent Full of terrour with shouting in the day of battle 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 nobility also yea and vpon the king himselfe which is plaine by the 15. verse Their king shal goe into captivity he and his princes together First let vs weigh this iudgement of God as it is set downe in a generality I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah it shall devoure the palaces thereof This iudgement for substance is no other then that which you haue heretofore heard out of this chapter to haue beene denounced from Almighty 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 devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Against the Philistines ver 7. I will send a fire vpon the wals of Azzah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Against the Tyrians ver 10. I will send a fire vpō the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Against the Edomites vers 12. I will send a fire vpon Ternan and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Betweene those denunciations 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 I will kindle a fire the substance in both is the same And therefore as in those I haue done so do 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 generality 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 Divers are the vses of it 1 It may lesson vs to looke heedfully vnto our feete that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with thē in their sinnes Sinnes are not tongue-tied they cry alowd vnto the LORD for vengeance 2 It may admonish vs not to intermedle in the LORDS office It 's his office to execute vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues 3 It may serue for a comfort to the Godly against whom the wicked haue behaved themselues prowdly and dispiteously God in due time 〈◊〉 such their behaviour will render vengeance vnto them 〈◊〉 them with everlasting perdition The second circumstance cōcerneth the punishment which is by fire I will kindle a fire By fire here we are to vnderstand not so much a true and naturall fire as a figuratiue and metaphoricall fire The sword pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumption quaelibet species excidij every kinde of destruction haile water thunder sicknes or any other of the executioners of God his wrath for the sinnes of men may be signified by this name Fire The doctrine The fire whether naturall or figuratiue that is the fire all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked Of this doctrine heretofore The vse of it is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to cary our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the meanes as to the LORD that worketh by them If the fire or water or any other of Gods creatures shall at any time rage and prevaile against vs we must know that God by them worketh his holy will vpō vs. Here we see he resolueth to kindle a fire vpon the wall of Rabbah for thus saith the LORD I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shal devoure the palaces thereof There was a city of this name Rabbah in the country of Moab called Rabbath-Moab So saith Drusius But the Rabbah in my text was a city in the country of the Ammonites called 2. Sam. 12.26 Rabbah of the children of Ammon where it is named the city of the kingdome For it was their metropolitical chiefe city In the verse following it 's called the city of waters because it was situate neere vnto the river Ieboc The destruction here threatned to this city is likewise denounced by two other Prophets Ieremy and Ezechiel In Ieremie chap. 49.2 Thus saith the LORD I will cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire Cry yee daughters of Rabbah gird you with sackecloath mourne and runne to fro by the hedges for their king shall goe into captivity and his priests his princes likewise And Ezechiel chap. 25.5 I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for Camels and the Ammonites a sheepcoate By which two places of Ieremy Ezechiel the meaning of my Prophet is opened Here in the person of God he saith I wil kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof It is as if he had said The a Ierem. 7.34 voice of mirth and the voice of gladnes shall cease to be