sacrifice ceased and all good hearts were thereby sadded See vers 9 with the Note Verse 17 The seed is rotten under their clods It lieth buried or drowned with excessive rain and moisture corrupting the seed soon after it was sown and that which was not so marred was afterwards when it came to be corn dried up with excessive heat The corn is withered So that the garners were desolated the barnes broken down for want of stuffing and for that there was no use of them sith they sowed but reaped not Mic. 6.15 The husbandman was called to mourning Amos 5.16 for a three-fold calamity that lay upon his tillage First Immoderate rain in or about seeding Secondly Locusts and other vermine at spring Thirdly extreme drought after all verse 19 20. Thus God followeth sinners with one plague in the neck of another as he did Pharaoh that sturdy rebell till he have made his foes his footstools To multiply sin is to multiply sorrow Psal 16.4 to heap up wickednesse is to heap up wrath Rom 2.5 I will heap mischiefs upon them Si quoties peccent homines sua fulmina mittat Jupiter exiguo tempora inermis erâ—â— Ovid. saith God I will spend mine arrows upon them Deut. 32.23 which yet cannot be all spent up as the Poet feared of his Jupiter that if he should punish men for every offence his store of thunder-bolts would be soon spent and exhausted Verse 18. How do the beasts groun The wilde beasts groan in their kinde The herds of cattell home and tame beasts as oxen c. are perplexed as not knowing what to do 't is the same word with that Esth 3.15 God had hid his face withdrawn his hand and they were troubled he taketh away their breath for lack of pasture they die and return to their dust as David telleth us in his Physicks Psal 104.29 Epiphaxius his Physiologer reporteth of the bird called Charadius that being brought where a sick man lieth if he look upon the sick with a fixed and unremoved eye there is hopes of recovery but if he look another way the disease is deadly Sure it is that if God look in mercy upon man and beast they are cared and catered for Psal 36.7 and 104.27 and 145.15 16 c. and the contrary yea the flocks of sheep c. which yet can bite upon the bare live with a little and get pasture where the bigger creatures cannot come Verse 19. O Lord to thee will I cry I will though others will not I have called upon others to cry mightily unto thee and to meet thee by repentance but they ranquam monstra marina as so many Sea-monsters passe by my words with a deaff ear they refuse to return thy hand is lifted up in threatning and will fall down in punishing but they will not see Esay 26.11 they will not search they will not have their eyes like the windowes in Solomons Temple broad inward the eyes of their mindes are as ill set for this matter as the eyes of their bodies they see not what 's within But whatever they do 1 King 6.4 my soul shall weep in secret for their pride and mine eyes shall weep sore c. Jer. 13.17 for their insensiblenesse of their misery For the fire hath devoured the pastures that is the immoderate scorching heat of the season See Psal 83.14 Jer. 17.6 Or the blasting winde as Lyra expounds it or the locusts as Drusius or God who is a consuming fire by any or all these instruments of his wrath as Tarnouius And the flame hath burnt all the arees of the field This was dreadfull but yet nothing to that conflagratio mundi spoken of by St. Peter 2 Epist 3.12 when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements melt with fervent heat on the heads of the wicked who shall give a terrible account with the world all on alight fire about their ears Verse 20. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee Glocitant a term taken from Deer they cry as they can they cry by implication imploring thine help each for himself See Psal 149.9 Job 39.3 Psal 104.27 And should men be silent For the rivers of the waters are dried up This maketh the Hart bray after the water-brooks yea shed tears as hunters say the Hart will when hot and hard-bestead for water Hereto David seems to allude Psal 42.5 My tears have been my meat c. And the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wildernesse This had been said before verse 19. The reason of such repetitions see above in the Notes on verses 11 12. Neither let this last exaggeration of the common calamity by that which befell the bruit beasts seem superfluous For whereas the security and obstinacy of most men is such that they take little notice of present pressures but promise themselves peace and safety whatsoever God by his servants shall say to the contrary it is but needfull surely that their danger should be inculcated and their calamity set out and set on with utmost importunity and vehemency CHAP. II. Verse 1. BLow ye the trumpet in Zion Idem aliis verbis repetit saith Mercer here The Prophet repeateth the same as in the former Chapter onely in other words more at large and after another manner pressing the people further to the practise of repentance by many sweet promises of the blessings of this and a better life Our Prophet may seem to bee of the same mind with Tertullian who said that he was nulli rei natus nisi poenitentiae born for no other end but to repent and to call upon others so to do Tot autem verbis figuris ntitur saith Luther he useth so many words figures because he had to do with a people that were harder then rocks Jer. 5.3 as also because there is an absolute necessity of repentance Aut poenitendum aut pereundum as our Saviour tells his Disciples twice in a breath Luke 13.2 5. The Prophet had urged them hereunto from the evils they felt or feared chap. 1. Pain and penitency are words of one derivation God plagueth men that he may make them cry Peccavi not Perij onely I am undone as Cain but peccavi I have done very foolishly as David The seventeen first verses of this Chapter are Hortatory the rest Consolatory The day of the Lord cometh therefore Repent This is the summe of the exhortation It cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod and that instantly Give warning therefore God loveth to foresignifie saith the Heathen Historian and to premonish before he punish He dealt so with Cain to whom he read the first lecture of Repentance Gen. 4. as he had done of Faith to his father Adam in the Chapter before He dealt so with the old world with the Sodomites Ninevites c. Sound an alarm in my holy Mountain Ring the bels backwards as amongst us they do the house is on fire the enemy is at hand Let all
Sext. Ruf. Sueton. in vit Caesa cap. 47. drew Caesars affection for the conquest of Britain and as Nineveh's fish-pool did the Chaldean fishermen The greater wealth the greater spoil awaiteth a people or person Prov. 1.19 As if a tree hath thick and large boughes every man desires to be lopping of it Nineveh's antiquity is here also noted Of old or of a long time she hath been Empresse of the East She was the seat of the first Monarchy which she also held longest of any even above thirteen hundred yeers Howbeit this shall be now no protection to her but an article or an argument against her that she is an old sinner and hath been long time heaping up and hoarding the mammon of unrighteousnesse yet they shall flee away as waters do when the banks of a pond are broken down and as fish do when the water is drawn out or dried up then they friggle any way So shall the Ninevites flee away when their city is once broken pugnae obliti pristinaeque virtutis Stand stand shall they cry Their own Commanders desirous to rally them or their enemies desirous to ransack them and make prize of them Sed surdo fabulam but none shall look back Or cause them to turn Nemo potest eos resupinare their hearts are fallen into their heels and they have much more mind to save themselves by flight then by fight Vers 9. Take ye the spoil of silver take ye the spoil of gold This is the voice of God to the Caldeans incouraging them to fall on sith they are sure of good booty plenty of plunder which he here freely bestoweth upon them In like sort Mahomet the great Turk the better to encourage his souldiers to storm Constantinople caused proclamation to be made thorow his Camp the day before that hee would freely give all the spoil of the city for three dayes unto them Turk hist 345. if they could win it And for confirmation thereof he solemnly swore the Turks great oath c. Now the love of money is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith a Father daring and desperate For there is none end of the store Fat plunder as was at Constantinople the wealth whereof the Turks themselves wondered at and were therewith so enriched that 't is a proverb amongst them at this day if any grow suddenly rich Ibid. 347. to say He hath been at the sacking of Constantinople Neither did they more wonder at their wealth then derided their folly for that possessing so much they would part with so little to their Emperour Ibid. 345. for the defence of themselves and their Countrey And the like is reported of Heidelberg and glory out of all the pleasant furniture Heb. vessels or utensils of desire which are said to yeeld glory because with men one hath so much glory and respect as he hath wealth and rich houshold-stuff See Gen. 31.1 with the Note 1 King 10.23 2 Chron. 32.27 See here also the just judgement of God upon such as set their affections upon that costly vanity rich furniture Hezechiah smarted for it Esay 39.2 6. 2 Chron. 32.27 or rich attire which is superbiae nidus the nest of pride saith One. The worst apparell is natures garment the best but follies garnish saith Another Verse 10. She is empty and void and waste An elegant Agnomination in the Originall Bukab umebukah umbylla kah beyond Englishing whereby the utter destruction and consternation of the City and Monarchy is graphically depainted and set forth to the life See a like elegancy Jer. 16.15 The last word rendred waste signifieth burst up or void of all verdure a place where nothing green groweth Such an horrible devastation followeth upon Gods word of command to the Caldees verse 9. like as when Christ cursed the barren fig-tree Matth. 21.20 it withered away immediately though it be the most succulent of any tree and beareth the brunt of winter-blasts unwithered Gods words however slighted are not wind but fire Jer. 5.13 14. and the heart melteth The heart in quo fortitudo stabulum habet the seat of courage fell asunder in their bosomes like drops of water Crocius they were cowed out See Jos 2.11 5.1 7.5 Esay 13.7 Ezek. 21.12 and the knees smite together Genua labant as is usuall in extreme fear the blood retreating to the heart Virg. to releeve it See Dan. 5.6 Job 4.4 Esay 35.3 and much pain is in all loins Such pain as befalleth women in travell Esay 21.3 and 13.8 Joel 2.6 Mic. 4.9 10. the doubled form of the Hebrew word implieth the extremity of it The loins are the seat of strength whence the Latines call weak men Elumbes Loinlesse men and the faces of them all gather blacknesse Heb. â— pot i.e. such blacknesse as is on the sides of a pot Olla lebes cacabus See Joel 2.6 Ioy and sorrow will shew themselves in the face as in a glasse Now if for a temporall mischief there is so great a consternation in wicked men what shall we think there is in hell Verse 11. Where is the dwelling of the Lious c. Where is Nineveh once so terrible now so despicable Leoni mortuo vel mus insultat Once none durst look at it or mute against it now each passenger can insult over it enquire where it stood and not be afraid to take this Lion by the beard God powreth contempt upon princes and weakeneth the strength of the mighty Job 12.21 when once they turn tyrants and exercise regiment without righteousnesse as Mic. 3.2 3. Such a mighty hunter or devourer of men and nations was Nimrod the first founder of this Assyrian Monarchy and became a proverb against all tyrants and persecutours Gen. 10.9 Such a Lion was Nero 2 Tim. 4.17 Such a Tiger Tiberius of whom One saith that he laid hold with his teeth on all the excellent spirits of his time Domitian who not content with the blood of Christians commanded all Jews that were of the stock of David to be sought out and put to death Dioclesian and the rest of the Primitive persecutours As also that man of sinne the whole pack of Popes successours to Boniface the eighth who came in like a fox reigned like a lion died like a dog and to Benedict the twelfth who when he died had this Epitaph made of him Hic situs est Nero laicis leo vipera clero Devius à vero turba repleta mero â—â—ei Medulla hist Eâ—cles 321. and the feeding place of the young lions Where the old ones provided prey fro them till they could skill to do it for themselves that which they would soon learn and practise when once grown up The Assyrian young-princes were accustomed to rapine and cruelty from the first being no better then young Tiberims whom his Tutour Theodorus Gadareus rightly characterized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he said he was Dirt kned with blood Or then Nero the lion of
usually a conflux of vices like as there is of waters into the Sea witnesse Tyre and Sydon Corinth Carthage Capernaum c. Hence that proverb maritimi mores and that censure of such people littorales duri horridi immanes latrociniis dedicit omnium denique pessimi Those that dwell by the Sea-side are usually ill-conditioned fierce cruell theevish and the worst of men These Philistines were no better and are therefore here put under a woe and threatened with utter destruction The nation of the Cherethites i. e. Destroyers so the Philistines had stiled themselves as glorying to have conquered and cut off many people The old Latine translation rendreth it Gens perditorum The nation of Destroyers so doth Aquila Theodotion and Symmachus Now it comes to their turn to be destroyed according to Esay 33.1 That these Cherethites were a sort of Philistines See 1 Sam. 30.14 16. Ezek. 25.16 That they were valiant men appears by that legion of them that guarded David 2 Sam. 9.4 and 15.18 and were highly esteemed by him because they stuck to him in his affliction at Gath and also when Absolom was up in arms 2 Sam. 15.18 the word of the Lord is against you And not onely against Israel This was spoken as for the terrour of those Philistines who thought themselves out of the reach of Gods rod and slighted his word so for the comfort of the people of God who thought much that themselves should be so severely dealt with and the uncircumcised Philistines scape scot-free O Canaan the land of the Philistines Indeed of the Israelites Josh 13.3 but held by force by the Philistienes who were of the stock of the Canaanites but not subdued and had detained part of the land from the right owners for 800. years and upwards and now they come to be reckoned with Subitò tollitur qui diu toleratur I will even destroy thee that there shall be no inhabitant No setled inhabitant that shall fix there as the word signifieth Thus Poena venit gravior quo mage sera venit the longer God stayes the heavier he strikes Verse 6. And the sea-coasts shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds It shall be wast and untilled and therefore unfrequented by any but shepherds who pitch their tents up and down where they may best feed their flocks in desert places and folds for flocks God may do thus in his just judgement upon his enemies that live in his good land and not by his good lawes but wo be to our Depopulatours that drive out men and put in cattle that betray townes as Rome did Carthage with a distinction We will save the city but destroy the towne How dangerous it is to prove Abaddons appeareth by Gods punishing hand upon William the Conquerours issue in New-forrest wherein 36. Parish Churches had been demolished by him with the removing of all the inhabitants to make room for beasts or dogs-game There his second sonne Richard was gored in hunting by a Deer Speed Rufus his other sonne mistaken for a Deer was by chance shot thorow with an arrow Henry likewise his Nephew whilest he hotly pursued the chase was struck by a bough into the jawes and as Absalom left hanging untill he died Verse 7. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Iudah Who had not onely their owne countrey kept empty for them all the 70. yeers of captivity and not any displaced to make room at their return see the Note on Zach. 7.14 but liberty to make use of the Philistines countrey which was also further subdued by the Maccabees but especially by the Apostles who preached the Gospel and planted Churches in those parts as we read in the Acts chap. 8.26 40. and chap. 9.32 35 36. they shall feed thereupon They shall go in and out and find pasture under the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls who shall feed them daily Joh. 10. 1 Pet. 4. and daintily among the lillies by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel among them In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening Vbi temporis circumstantia securitatem notat saith Gualther The circumstance of time noteth their spirituall security evenings are oft dark and dangerous They shall lie down as cattle do that take no care they know whom they have trusted and are fearlesse for the Lord their God shall visit them Visit and redeem his people raising up an horn of salvation for them Luke 1.68 69. His visits are not empty visits Psal 8.5 his favours are not like the winter-Sun that lighteth but heateth not c. and turn away their captivity to their unexpressible comfort Psal 126.1 but especially when Christ ascending up on high leadeth captivity captive c. Col. 2.14 15. Ephes 4.8 Verse 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab How can he but hear who is all ear who is both above us and within us in whom we subsist Col. 1.17 And what will he sooner be sensible of then the reproachings of his people See Esay 37.23 and 57.3 4. But draw near hither ye sonnes of the sorceresse the seed of the adulterer and the whore See how he becalls them Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not children of transgression a seed of falshood The Moabites and Ammonites were great jearers of the Jews and revilers of their religion These reproaches leniter volant non leniter violant cruell mockings the Apostle calleth them Heb. 11.36 David felt them as a murthering weapon in his bones Psal 42.10 God will call such men to an heavie reckoning one day as deride the power of godlinesse and the professours thereof Bede saith that this was the great sinne of the ancient Britanes immediately before their destruction by the Saxons and it is at this day both a presage and desert of our ruine that as the Turks count all fools to be saints so men with us account all saints to be fools and the revilings of the children of Ammon How good they were at it we may see in those words of Sanballat and his copesmate Tobiah the Ammonite Neh. 4.2 3. words as full of pride and scorne as profane wit or rancoured malice could make them and they lay so heavy upon Nehemiahs spirit that hee could not ease himself but by breathing heavenward verse 4. Hear O our God for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey in the land of captivity c. Hear saith Nehemiah I have heard it saith God Thou hast seen it saith the Psalmist for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thine hand Psal 10.14 and magnified themselves by speaking big and blustring words bubbles of words great swelling words full of wind 2 Pet. 2.18 these shall finde that such words are not winde but will be required in fire Jude 15. God is an utter enemy to boasting and threatning
up and down when the deadly arrow sticks in their ribbes but not so easily shake it off Verse 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers Overtake and catch them as Huntsmen their prey or as one enemy doth another in flight 1 King 18.27 2 King 25.5 to drag them down to the bottome of hell A godly man as he hath peace with God with himselfe and with the creatures so he hath also with the Ordinances and may say as Hezekiah Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken Are not my words alwaies good saith God to them that walk uprightly Mic. 2.7 Excellently Augustine Adversarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Dei Gods word is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves Neither doth it condemn any but such as shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord Cor anima Dei Greg. in 3. Reg. for what is the Word but the heart and soul of God as Gregory saith And what saith the Essential Word of God who came out of the bosome of his father and knew all his counsell He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the some shall judge him in the last day Iohn 12.48 Oh consider this ye that forget God that slight his word as if it were but wind that bely the Lord and say It is not he neither shall the cvill foretold come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine And the Prophets shall become wind and the word is not in them thus shall it bee done unto them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts because ye speak this word and is there not such language of many mens hearts now-adayes Behold I will make my words not wind but fire and this people wood and it shall devour them Ier. 5.12 13 14. The Word of God in the mouths of his Ministers may well be likened to Moses his rod which whiles he held it in his hand it flourished and brought forth almonds but being cast upon the ground it became a serpent Semblably Gods words and statutes if laid to heart they yeeld fruit and comfort but if slighted or snuffed at as Mal. 1.13 serpent-like they will sting the soul and become a savour of death c. This contempt will also call for a sword to revenge the quarrel of the Covenant as it did upon these mens fathers for their instance and admonition It is reckoned by Daniel as a great aggravation of Belshazzars sinne Dan. 5.22 that hee was not sensible of his father Nebuchadnezzars pride and fall And thou his sâ—nne Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this The sinne of these Jewes in the Text was the greater because their Fathers and Elders either out of sound conversion or at least out of clear conviction of conscience had confessed and remonstrated the truth and justice of God in threatening and executing his judgements upon themselves saying as Lam. 1.18 The Lord is righteous for we have rebelled against his commandements and as chap. 2.17 The Lord hath done that which he had devised he hath fulfilled his word he hath thrown down and hath not pittied c. Hear them in their own words here like as the Lord of hosts whose power is irresistible thought devised determined with himselfe Zamam and accordingly denounced by his Prophets to doe unto us who did not the words which he commanded us Ier. 11.8 according to our wayes which were alwaies grievous Psal 10.5 and according to our doings that were not good Ezek. 36.31 so hath he dealt with us for he loves to retaliate and to render to every transgression and disobedience a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 Verse 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month The third month after the former prophecy when the Jewes probably had practised the doctrine of Repentance so earnestly pressed upon them and had humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God who was now ready to lift them up by this and the seven following most comfortable Visions touching the restauration and reformation of the Church and State The Devill and his impes love to bring men into the briars and there to leave them as familiars forsake their witches when they have brought them once into fetters as the Priests left Judas the traytour to look to himself Mat. 27.4 and as the Papists cast off Cranmer after that by subscribing their Articles he had cast himself into such a wretched condition that there was neither hope of a better nor place for a worse Melch. Ad. in vita ut jam nec honestè mori nec vivere inhonestè liceret But such is not Gods manner of dealing with those that tremble at his word and humble at his feet Deijcit ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet He comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 commandeth others to comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thes 5.14 and noteth those that do not with a black-coal Nigro carbone notar Job 6.14 See the workings of his bowels the rowlings of his compassions kindled into repentance toward his penitentiaries Jer. 31.20 Hos 11.8 Esay 40.1 2. See how he comforts them with cordials according to the time wherein he had afflicted them Psal 90.15 and in the very thing wherein he had abased them as he once dealt with their Head Philip. 2.7 8. Kerse 8. I saw by night The usuall time for such revelations It may note moreover the obscurity of the Prophecy whence also the mention of myrtle-trees low and shady and that in a bottom as Calvin conceiveth and all this that he might give a taste of good hope to the Jews by little and little and behold a man riding upon a red horse Not Alexander the Great riding upon his horse Bucephalus and translating the Empire from the Persians to the Grecians as Arias Montanus conceited it But the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 the Captain of the Lords Host Josh 4.14 and of our salvation Heb. 2.10 riding upon a red horse In the same sense saith One that this colour is given to his garments Esay 63.1 2 3. and to the Angels horse Rev. 6.4 The wild Bull saith Another of all things cannot abide any red colour Therefore the hunter for the nonce standing before a tree puts on a red garment whom when the Bull seeth he runneth at him as hard as he can drive But the hunter stepping aside the bulls horns stick fast in the tree as when David slipped aside Sauls spear stuck fast in the wall Such an hunter is Christ He lifted up upon the tree of his crosse had his garment dipt and died in his own blood as one that cometh with red garments from Bozra Therefore the Devil and his Angels like wild bulls of Bashan ran at him with all their force in that
simple means Spec. Erop yea by casual and crosse means this saith one is that miracle which we are in these times to look for For they shall rejoyce Or But they shall rejoyce or Nay they shall rejoyce nay they shall see viz. that which they despaired of ever seeing and were therefore much cast down about the perfection of the work and its glorious accomplishment And this shall be surely effected by Gods powerful and watchful providence called here those seven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro thorow the whole earth called elsewhere the seven spirits of God Rev. 5.6 and 1.4 and Gods spirit here Verse 6. so guiding and managing all affaires and occurrences that all the rayes and beames of providence issuing from those eyes might be seen to meet in the accomplishment of this as their ultimate ayme and scope See the Note on Chap. 3.9 Verse 11. Then answered I and said unto him No mean measure of understanding would content the prophet but he is still enquiring and incroaching upon the Angel so doth Moses upon God Exod. 33. He had not been long out of the Mount but he is asking God to shew him his glory which when he had seen yet he resteth not satisfied but must have more and yet more So David though deep-learned is ever and anon at it teach me thy statutes Spiritual learning is infused by degrees our hearts are as narrow-mouth'd vessels and God delights oft to hear of us Whither I go thou canst not come now but thou shalt afterwards Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know provided that ye beg and dig Prov. 2.3 4 5 and beat as the foul doth the shell to get out the fish and be discontentedly contented till ye come to see as ye are seen a spe ad speciem c. What are these â—w olives c. And. Verse 12. Joh. 13. Hos 6.3 What be these two olive-branches c. See the Notes on verse 3. and verse 7. Verse 13. Knowest thou not what c. See the Note on ver 5. Vers 14. These are the two anointed ones Heb. sonnes of oyl See the Note on verse 7. that stand by the Lord of the whole earth because by the candlestick and utensils of the Temple and Type of the Church which is at Christs right hand Psal 45. as he at his Fathers right hand Rom. 8. He is with all his to the end of the world and it is a part of his joy that we shall be one day where he is This Lord of the whole earth soveraigne over all but takes delight onely in such as Esther like he purifies and perfumes for royall use and these he loveth so affectionately as never any Lord did his subjects Zech. 3.17 He loves the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacoh Psal 87.2 CHAP. V. Verse 1. THen I turned me and lifted up mine eyes i.e. I prepared me to the receiving of a new vision nothing so comfortable as the former but no lesse necessary that the people by sense of sinne and fear of wrath might be taken off their wicked practises redeem their own sorrows and be accounted worthy to escape all those things that should otherwise come to passe as verse 11. and to stand before the Son of man at that dreadfull day This seemeth to bee the mind of the Holy Ghost Luke 21.36 in these two visions here recorded which while some Interpreters attend not in toto vaticinio neque coelum neque terram attingunt saith Calvin they are utterly out and behold a flying roll Or volume as Psal 40.10 or scroll of paper or parchment usually rolled up like the web upon the pin mi convolvuntur nostrae Mappae Geographicae as our Mappes are rolled up saith A Lapide and as in the publike Library at Oxford the Book or Roll of Esther an Hebrew Manuscript is at this day to bee seen D. Prid. Orat. 4. Amem Antibarb lib. 3. Volans velocissimum astionâ—s incursum significat Chrysost but here flying Not onely because spread wide open as Rabshakeh's letter 2 King 19.14 and as that Book of the Prophet Esaias Luke 4.17 but also as fleeting along swiftly like a bird ready to seiz on her prey Nemo scelus gerit in Pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo The Heathens thens named Nemesis their Goddesse of Revenge to take punishment of offend ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly escape her They tell us also that their Jupiter writeth down all the sinnes of all men in a book or scroll made of a goatspelt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word whereby Aquila and Theodotion two Greek Translatours do render the Hebrew of this Text. See Dan 7.18 Rev. 20.12 Symmachus turnes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Chapter or Abstract of a larger Book full of sinnes and Woes and yet it is of an unheard of hugenesse verse 2. and of very sad contents like that book of Ezechiel chap. 2.9 10. lamentation and mourning and woe or the first leaf of Bishop Babingtons book which he turned over every morning all black to inmind him of hell and Gods judgements due unto him for his sinnes Vers 2. What seest thou q. d. Mark it well and let thine eye affect thine heart let these things be oculis commissa fidelibus I see a flying book See the Note on verse 1. Some read it A double book according to the Chaldaick signification of the word as containing double that is manifold menaces and punishments of sinne But the Chaldee Paraphrast Septuagint and others render it flying as hasting and hovering over the heads of wicked persons the length thereof is twenty cubits c. Ten yards long and five broad Neither let men say that words are but wind as they did Jer. 5.13 For 1. Even wind when gotten into the bowels of the earth may cause an earth-quake as when into the bowels of the body an heart-quake 2. God threateneth those scoffers verse 14. that he will make that word which they tearmed wind to become fire and themselves fuel to feed it And as fire flyeth upon fuell fully dried Nah. 1.10 and consumeth it in an instant so Gods flying roll will lick up the evil-doers no otherwise then the fire from heaven after it had consumed the sacrifice the wood the stones and the dust licked up also the water that was in the trench 1 King 18.38 The threatnings of Gods Law the same with this Roll are as Erasmus saith of Ezek. 3.18 fulmina non verba lightbolts rather then words or if words yet they are as One saith Verba non legenda sed vivenda Words not to be read onely but lived at least not to be read as men do the old stories of forraigne warres wherein they are nothing concerned but as threatening themselves in every threat cursing themselves in every curse c. nor as
and tender mercies insomuch as Moses stands amazed at it and cries out Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved of the Lord c. Deut. 33.29 Verse 6. According to their pasture so were they filled Saturity bred security fulnesse forgetfulnesse This was a foul fault and is much complained of Deut. 32.13 14 c. Psal 78.10 11 c. Acts 14.17 God had brought them out of a place of great drought into large and fat pastures a land flowing with milk and honey where he filled their hearts with food and gladnesse where he fed them among the â—iâ—â—ies daily and daintily But they as if God had hired them to be wicked basely abused his bounty to luxury and having fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse grew proud as Sodom and out of measure sinfull forgetting God and his will Ezech. 16.49 themselves and their duties and running out into all excesse of riot though they had been fairly warned and commanded to the contrary Deut. 8.10 c. Their heart grew fat as grease and became as a foul stomach which the more you fill it the more you spill it or like fed horses they grew fierce and filthy Jer. 5.7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippoc. there was no hoe with them See Ezek. 34 16 18 20. Whiles they were in the wildernesse God knew them yea he knew their souls in adversity They both knew God and were known of him But now God neither knew them so much nor they him they lived not upon him now as once in the wildernesse Gal. 3. but being filled yea filled you have the word here twice together to note how they fell upon those allowed delights and even glutted themselves gorg'd themselves they flew upon them as those in Sauls time did upon the spoil of the Philistines they fed without fear as those Pseudo-Christians in Jude vers 12. they gormandized as those flesh-mongers afore the floud more like beasts then men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek word signifieth Luke 17.27 And hereupon their hearts were exalted Pâ—osperity and plenty will easily blow up such a blab as pride in the best hearts if care be not taken to the contrary as Agur knew and therefore prayed Give me a mediocrity lest I be full and deny and proudly ask Wâ—â— is the Lord and as Solomon felt whose wealth did him more hurt then his wisdome did him good Eccles 2. Prov. 30.9 and as Hezekiâ—h experimented to his cost Esay 3â— â—ndeed of Iehosaphat it is noted 2 Chron. 17.3 that he walked in the sâ—st wayes of David his father for the truth is Davids first wayes were his best wayes neither was he ever so good and tender as when he was hunted as a Partridge in the mountains and of Vespasian it is storied Verspasianus unus accepto imperio melior factus that he was made the better man by being made Emperour but he was a rare bird and had scarce his fellow again It is the property of prosperity to tumour the heart and ubi uber ibi tuber See Psal 73.3 6. 1 Tim. 6.17 they eat and are swelled as being poysoned with pride they are are fatted but it is for the slaughter therefore have they forgotten me Non tam theoreticè quà m practicè they remember there is a God but they honour him not as God they forget their ingagements to him and through the pride of their countenance they seek not after him Psal 10.4 they consider not their distance their dependance c. Now of all things God cannot abide to be forgotten Esay 1.2 3. it is a sin that he can hardly pardon Ier. 5.7 c. See the Note on chap. 8.14 Verse 7. Therefore will I be unto them as a lion as a leopard c. Thus still God proceedeth to use similitudes by the ministery of his Prophets as he did before verse 3. Exod. 19.4 Dent. 32.10 11. Mat. 23.37 He here compareth himself who otherwhere is compared to an Eagle bearing her young upon her wings to a Hen hovering over chickens to a father cherishing his children c to a lion yea to an old lion which taketh the prey but seldom and therefore is more ravenous of it when taken See chap. 5.14 to a leopard or panther that diligently observeth by the way and lieth in wait for his prey and useth subtilty as not being so swift of foot confer Ier. 5.6 To a Bear robbed of her whelps Plin. lib. 10. cap. 57. Scal. exere 208. which are very dear to her To any other cruell creature verse 8. as the Tiger that flieth upon the very picture of a man and teareth it or if he cannot come at it teareth himself for anger Neither is it for nothing saith Rivet that God compareth himself here to all these together but to shew that there was no hope of escape neither could he that had avoided one danger be safe from another So dreadfull a thing is it to fall into the punishing hands of the living God Oh consider this ye that forget God least he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Verse 8. I will meet them as a Bear bereaved of her whelps Surgit hic oratio The Bear is more cruell then the Lion for the Lion is said to spare the prostrate but the Bear falleth foul upon all yea upon dead carcasses See Amos 5.9 and confer 2 Sam. 17.8 Prov. 17.12 See also what work the two Bears made upon the two and fourty children 2 King 2. and will rent the caul of their heart The pericardium that fat heart of theirs verse 6. that hoof upon their hearts which the word could not pierce thorow that filthy fore-skin that grew to their uncircumcised hearts there will I devour them like a lion Once more like a lion ut immanis Ieo for the word is not the same as before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a lion that is in heart and that loves to suck the blood and the fat that is about the heart There will I devour them that is in their cities and houses where they hold themselves safest as the lions dealt by those mongrell-Colonies that made a mixture of religions 2 King 17.25 the wild beast shall tear them when they but stirre any where abroad so that there shall be no safety no peace to him that goes out or to him that commeth in 2 Chron. 15.5 but crudelis ubique Luctus ubique pavor plurima mortis imago Let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godly fear for even our God and not the God of the Jews onely is a consuming fire is a devouring Lion is a furious Leopard a raging Bear yea put all the dreadfulnesse of all the creatures in the world together Heb. 12.28 29 it is all to be found in the wrath of God even the quintessence of all hence that of the Psalmist Who
Him see to it where my soul shall rest who took so much care for it as that he laid down his life for it Verse 28. And it shall come to passe afterwards sc In the dayes of the Messiah which is called the world to come Heb. 2.5 but especially after his Ascension see Ioh. 7.37 Act. 2 where this prophesie was fulfilled and this place taken for the first text preached on by the Apostles verse 17. to the conversion of three thousand soules at one sermon For together with the word there went forth a power Luk. 7. 2 Tim. 1.7 even that Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind here promised to be powred out not distilled only see the Note on Zech. 12.10 and that upon all flesh Spirit upon flesh the best thing upon the basest yea upon all flesh without respect of persons or difference made of sex age or condition provided that they know and acknowledg themselves to be but flesh Gen 6.3 corrupt and carnal animas etiam incarnavimus Bern. as an Ancient complaineth and that whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3.6 for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean that whole Man is in evill and whole evill in Man neither can it be gotten out in any measure till the heart be mollified and made tender as flesh Ezeh 11.19 and 36.26 27. which cannot be done till men be taught of God and drawn out of darknesse into his marvelous light till they be spiritualized 2 Cor. 3.18 and transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie This was fulfilled Act. 2. as St. Peter sheweth For the new Testament is but the old unfolded and fulfilled as was also typified in the two Cherubims of the sanctuary looking intently into the Propitiatory Christ Rom. 3.25 but with their faces turn'd one towards another Exod. 25.20 See Act. 26.22 It was fulfilled I say in that visible descension of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles and the rest Act. 2. Act. 8.15 17. and 10.44 So that this makes nothing at all for the Enthusiasts raptures and dotages the true offpring they are Funcc Chronol of those ancient Euchites or Messalanii who leaving their trades gave themselves to much sleep and called their dreams and phantasies prophesies Anno Dom. 371. your old men shall dream c. your yong men shall see visions i. e. God will no less open his will unto them then he did of old to the Prophets by dreams and visions for by the conduct of the Spirit they shall be led into all truth and holinesse they shall be all a royall Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 1.6 full of all goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another Rom. 15.14 Verse 29. And also upon the servants they shall be the free-men and women of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 7.22 by as full a measure of Gods free and noble Spirit bestowed upon them as upon their Masters and Mistresses The Trent Translation hath it upon my servants and my handmaids But there is no such pronoun in the Original though it is true that all that have the spirit are his and the contrary Rom. 8 9. Eph 1.13 The scope of the text is as Mercer well noteth to shew that ut gratuitum commune Christi beneficium sic spiritus as the benefits of Christ are free and common to all his people so is the Spirit And surely next to the love of Christ in dwelling in our nature we may well wonder at the love of the holy Ghost that will dwell in our defiled soules and act in them as he doth For there are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 11.4 as the divers smels of flowers come from the same influence and the diverse sounds in the organ froin the same breath Verse 30. And I will shew wonders in the heavens Prodigia beneficia credentibus a Lapid malefica horrifica incredulis saith Cornelius a Lapide who interpreteth the text of those signes and wonders that shall precede the day of judgment and for confirmation here of alleageth chap. 3.2 together with Mat. 24.29 Luk. 21.25 And had he looked a little higher into those chapters and taken in all the troubles that befell the Church from our Saviours ascension to his second comming together with those horrible calamities and confusions that shall befall the wicked for contempt of the Gospell and persecution of the professors thereof he had done right in mine opinion It is ordinary with the Prophets to set forth horrible commotions by such figurative expressions See Ier. 4.23 c. Isay 13.10 Rev. 6.12 Those that have received the Spirit of Adoption must not dream of a delicacy but expect persecution Christ came to send fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 Neither may Persecutors hope to escape unpunished but look to be pursued by divine justice See the Note on Rev 6.15 How heavie was the hand of God upon Jerusalem that slaughter-house of the Saints and afterwards upon the Ten Persecutors of Rome 1 Nero whom Tertullian rightly calleth Dedicatorem damnationis Christianorum quippe qui orientem fidem primus Rema cruentavit the first bloody Persecutor of the Christian religion lost thirty thousand of his subjects by the pestilence had his army utterly routed and cut off in Britanny both the Armenia's revolted from him the Senators rose up against him and compelled him to be his own deaths-man 2 Demitian was butchered by his souldiers 3 Trajan dyed of a dropsie 4 Severus dyed miserably here at York 5. Maximinus with his sonn was cut in peeces 6. Decius dyed in a farr country 7. Valerian was flea'd by Sapores king of Persia who took him prisoner 8. Aurelian was slain by his own men 9. Dioclesian poisoned himself 10 Maximian hang'd himself What should I speak of Julian Anastasius Heraclius c. The French persecutors Francis the second Charles the ninth Henry the third the Guises c. Philip the second of Spain who returning out of the Low countries fell into a storm and suffered shipwrack to the great danger of his life Hist of Gennc of Trent 417. He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranisme which he presently began to do with all his might He afterwards died miserably of the lousie disease Q. Mary died of a tympany or else of grief of heart for K. Philip's unkind departure Speed forraine losses Callice surrendred hurt done by thunders from heaven and by fire in the royal navie extream dearths raging her conceptions fayling c. What heavy judgments befell divers particular persecutors of those times Poole Gardiner Bonner Morgan Story Burton see Acts and Mon. 1902. 1904. c. 1915. George Eagles alias Trudge-over the world having hid himself in a cornfeild was Mr. Leigh his Saints Encouragement Ep. to Read for mony descried
send a fire as before verse 10.12 as Charles 5. Emperour of Germany Parei medul 1. hist prof pag. 907. when it was told him how that Farnesius the Popes Generall had ravished certain Ladies brake out into these hot words If I had the villaine here I would kill him with mine own hands neither was he ever heard to speak any thing with so great anger in all his dayes with shooting in the day of battle Cum clangore velululatu with noise of trumpets and souldiers so terrible haply as that in the bloody fight betwixt the great Turk Amurath 3. and Lazarus Despot of Servia where the noise was so great Turk hist 300. that the wild beasts in the mountains stood astonied and the birds fell to the earth amazed thereat with a tempest i. e. with incredible swiftnesse and all on the sudden and so the more terrible because impetuous Verse 15. And their king shall go into captivity Where he may find as little favour as Zedekiab did with Nebuchadnezzar Valerian with Sapores the Persian Baiazet with Tamerlan the Scythian and not so much as Gilimer king of Vandals with Bellizarius of whom he requested and obtained these three things a loafe a spunge and an harp a loafe to relieve him a spunge to wipe his weeping eyes and an harpe to cheer him up in his captivity He and his Princes together Lords and losels shall fare alike the sword spares neither And in hell Potentes potenter torquebuntur Mighty men shall be mightily tormented CHAP. II. Verse 1. FOr three transgressions c. Or Malicious wickednesses with an high hand committed and heaped up to that height See chap. 1.3 because he burnt the bones of the king if Edom A wicked man but yet a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God who is a lover of mankind shewes himself sensible of the injuries and indignities done but to his dead body such an enemy he is to cruelty to his creatures That Mesa king of Moab bore a speciall edge against the king of Edom sought to break thorough the army to him but could not and afterwards sacrificed his son and heir whom he had taken in that sally made upon the king of Edoms quarters we read 2 King 3.26 27. There are some that think that at another time overcomming the Edomites he dig'd up the bones of that king out of his sepulcher he burnt them to lime that is prorsus perfectissimè absolutissimè as some sense it to ashes and cinders as Esay 33.12 or for greater revenge and contempt Targnm be whitelimed the walles of his pallace therewith as Gen. 11.3 Psal 69.23 Esay 22.21 Thus in that horrid massacre of Paris they cut of the Admirall's head whom before they had murthered and presented it to the Q. mother Speed 1161. who balming it sent it for a present to the Pope who thereupon caused the Massacre to be pictured in the Vatican hall under one side is Colignij sociorum caedes On the other Rex Colignij caedem probat Il Mercuriâ— Italico 92. The king himself viz Charles 9. beholding the bloody bodyes of those then massacred and feeding his eye on so wofull a spectacle breathed out this bloody speech Quam bonus est odor hostis mortui How sweet is the smell of a slain enemy Spec belli sacri another hel-hag said upon a like occasion that she never beheld so goodly a peece of tapesstry as the faces of those butchered Saints This insulting over the dead is that peece of cruelty which the church complaineth of Psal 79.2 Cornelius a Lapide upon this text cryes out of it as an inhumane and shamefull thing both because the honour of sepulture is the last dues of the dead and also because this is to fight with dead carcasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justa de functorum Yet this hath been practised by one Pope against another and by many of the Popes Champions here in England who unburied and burnt the bodies of Paulus Phagius Peter Martyrs wife and many others Cardinal Wolsey had a purpose had he not been prevented by death to have taken up King Henries body at Windsor Act. Mon. 1905. and to have burnt it How much better Charles the fifth yet no friend to the Reformation but a prudent Prince who entring Wittenberg as a Conquerour and being importuned to dig up the dead bodies of Luther and other Reformers refused to violate their graves and sent away Melancthon Pomeran and some other eminent Preachers unhurt not so much as once forbidding them to publish openly the doctrine that they professed Act. Mon. 1784. Cambyses heareth ill among all men for his digging up the dead body of Amasis King of Egypt and causing it to be whipt and brickt and Sylla for the like cruelty to C. Marius Of all fowl we most hate and detest the Crowes Herodot lib. 3. Plin. l. 7. c. 50. and of all beasts the Jackal's a kinde of â—oxes in Barbarie because the one digs up the graves and devours the flesh and the other picks out the eyes of the dead Hinc moraliter disce saith a Lapide Learn hence also what a basenesse it is to tear and deface the good names of those that are dead to fly-blow their names is worse then to burn their bones to lime And yet among many other men of mark that might bee instanced Melancthon mortuus tantùm non ut blasphemus in Deum cruci aâ—â—igitur saith Zanchius not Papists but Lutherans laid blasphemy to his charge after his death whom all Christendome worthily honoured for his learning and piety Zanch. Miscell Verse 2. But I will send a fire See Chap. 1.4 and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth A city so fair and large that it hath a plural name which signifieth cities by way of excellencie as Athens was called the Greece of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rome the Epitome of the world c. and Moab shall die with tumult with all these together on an huddle as it were they are here set down by an elegant Asyndeton to set forth the suddennesse and terrour of the judgement threatned They shall be stormed and have no quarter given them Here Osiander noteth that it is one of the many punishments of sin for a man not to die in his bed but in battel It was promised to Iosiah 2 Chro. 34.28 he should die in peace True it is he died in battel but he died before that generall desolation that followed shortly after for indeed with him died all the prosperity of that people And besides his weeping and humiliation had altered the very nature of the trouble and made warre to be peace to him Verse 3. And I will cut off the Iudge i. e. the king who sometimes sits himself in Judgement Acts Mon. as K. Hen. 8. did here at the condemnation of Lambert Martyr as the King of Persia doth
but is justly angry that they remained so irreformable That dearth in Elias his dayes lasted above three yeers and might likely be as extreme as that here in England about the yeer 700. of three yeers continuance and so violent it was that not onely many died daily for hunger but great numbers joyning hand in hand fourty or fifty in a company Godw. Catal. p. 465. threw themselves headlong into the Sea A like three-yeers famine also wee read to have been in Bohemia and Polonia Anno 1312. so great that children devoured their parents and parents their children some fed upon the dead carcasses that hang'd in gibbets Balth. Exner. Val. Max. 135 c. Wolves also were so famished that they fell upon all they met and fed upon them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Ye have lost the fruit of your afflictions and all mine hammers hitherto have but beat cold iron Perdidistis sructum afflictionis Aug. The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucke away sc from their wickednesse his drosse is yet with him his great scum still in him Ezek. 24.6 12 13. it is woven into the very texture of his heart and cannot be separated Reprobate silver shall men call him because he returneth not to God that smiteth him Jer. 6.29 30. Esay 9.12 13. Verse 7. And also I have with-holden the rain from you c. And so have punished you with thirst and drought as well as with dearth and famine and because I have found you wells without the water of piety 2 Pet. 2.17 therefore I have refused to rain upon you as I threatned Deut. 28.23 24. En quia jam vobis sunt ferrea pectora Bill Anthol lib. 2. reddit Coelum etiam vobis durius aere Deus When there were yet three moneths c. When you could worst of all want it see Joel 2.23 with the Note for the watering of the seed and opening of the earth And I caused it to rain upon one city It rains not then by hap-hazard neither are the seasons of the yeer whether barren or fruitfull ruled by the course of nature or influence of the stars but by God Act. 14.17 It is he that giveth rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons He covereth the heaven with clouds he prepareth rain for the earth he maketh grasse to grow upon the mountains and standing corn in the fields Psal 147.8 He weighes these waters by measure so that not a drop falls in vain or in a wrong place but by Divine decree Job 28.26 for the fatning of the earth allaying the heat nourishing the herb and tree Deut. 32.2 Esay 44 14. producing unto us the appointed weeks of harvest Jer. 5.24 that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater Esay 55.10 This the poor Pagans ascribed to their god Jupiter whom they therefore stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Him they confessed the greatest of all calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Overseer of their trading hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the keeper of their houses hence Jupiter Herceus c. Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wall or hedge this they did to the great shame of many Atheists amongst us who hold that all things come either by benigne nature or blinde adventure One peece sc of the same field was rained upon and fructified this was neer to a miracle as when Gideons fleece was wet and no place else and again every place else and not Gideons fleece Judg. 6.37 and the peece whereupon it rained not It that is the cloud but by Gods appointment for He it is that filleth those bottles of the skie and emptieth them again where and when he pleaseth either in mercy as Joel 2.23 Zach. 10.1 Lev. 26.4 or for a judgement as Joel 1.17 Gen. 17.11 12. 1 Sam. 12.18 19. In the yeer of grace 1551. a great multitude of men and cattle in Germany were drowned and destroyed decidentibus subitò nubibus ac effusis certatim aquis saith Bartholinus by excessive showres and immoderate waters pouring down upon people as by spoutes This was the very finger of God who will one day rain upon the wicked snares fire and brimstone Barthol lib. 2. de Meteor c. 2. Psal 11.6 and an horrible tempest Heb. a burning tempest like as now out of those very clouds where-hence he raineth he doth oftsoons scatter sudden fires unto all parts of the earth astonishing the world with the fearfull noyse of that eruption withered It must needs do so and so must Gods own Vineyard the Church when he shall command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Esay 5.6 that is his ministers that they drop no doctrine upon it Deut. 32.2 Ezek. 21.2 Am. 7.16 fitly resembled to raine in regard 1. of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. clensing the ayre 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardened earth 6. causing all things to grow and fructify This raine of righteousnesse goes sometimes by coasts as here God tying up the tongues of his faithfullest labourers and witholding their showres though they be clouds thick and full and likely enough to drop down in abundance See Ezek. 3.26 27. Hos 9.7 Prov. 16.1 Pray therefore oh pray earnestly both ministers for ability and liberty to drop their word toward the holy places and prophesie Ezek. 21.2 and People that he would fill their ministers as full of good matter as ever Elihu was Iob. 32.18 and then be with their mouths Exod. 4.12 yea stretch out his holy hand and touch them Ier. 1.9 performing that peece of midwifery Prov. 16.1 that they may freely utter their conceptions and come to their hearts in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospel of peace Rom 15.29 In the Island of St. Thomas on the back-side of Africa in the middest of it is an hill and over that Abbots Geog 251. a continuall cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered This is our happynesse for present Oh that we knew but this gift of God and were answerably thankfull and fruitfull Joh. 4. Oh how cursed a generation are those that repine at it saying Never was merry world since so much preaching c. How shall such miscreants one day wish to have but one drop fall from these full clouds to coole the heat and horrours of their consciences but shall not obtaine it Verse 8. So two or three cities wandred Necessity is an hard weapon and want of water will make men wander far and part with any thing for it as Lysimachus did with his kingdome sacrificing his estate to the service of his life Oh that we were as solicitous for our soules c. Those good soules Psal 84.7 went from strength to strength travelled many a mile to see Gods face though but in that dark glasse of the ceremonies The good Sunamite went every sabbath and new-moon to
the Prophet Our forefathers were unweariable in making out after the meanes which we vilipend and make no reckoning of c. to drink water raine-water for in those countries as Hierome testifieth who lived there many yeares and therefore knew the scituation and nature thereof they have but few springs Mercer in verse 7. and no considerable rivers but only lordan and are therefore glad to keep raine-water in cisterns for all uses being much afflicted with thirst and drought if it raine not but they were not satisfied either because there was not enough to be had or by a singular curse of unsatisfiablenesse See Hag. 1.6 with the Note yet have ye not returned unto me usque ad me so far as me You have made some faint overtures and essayes of returning but they have not reacht out unto me they have not amounted to the full measure of a sound conversion Plectimur may you well say Salvian nec tamen flectimur corripimur sed non corrigimur c. God rained not upon us that we might return unto him and learn righteousnesse Esay 26.10 that we might powre out a prayer when his chastening was upon us verse 16.18 But we alasse have done nothing lesse we have turned every one to his own way and done what in us lies to defeat God and undo our selves by our incorrigiblenesse and uncureablenesse Verse 9. I have smitten you with blasting and mildews c. This by immoderate raine that by drought caused by an East-wind that ventus vrens exsiccans God cannot possibly want a weapon to tame a rebell when your gardens and your vineyards increased Or were trimmed and tricked up Taxat nimium eorum studium saith Mercer The Prophet here taxeth their overmuch paines taken and cost cast away in multiplying and dressing their hort-yards and Vineyards when in the meane while they neglected the sincere service of God and suffered their own hearts to lie like the sluggards field that was all grown over with thornes and briars Prov. 24.31 that is with lusts and sins under which lurketh that old serpent the palmer-worme which is worse then the locust as Hierom noteth for the locust feeds only on the tops of the eares of corne as he flies and thence hath his name in Greek but palmer-wormes stick close to the fruits or flowers they light on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will not off till all be consumed It is the last and worst of evils saith He and leaves nothing behind it omnia corradit converrit makes cleane work See Ioel. 1.3 10 11 12. c. with the Notes yet have ye not returned unto me No not yet but have rejected the remedy of your recovery see verse 8. Verse 10. I have sent among you the pestilence that evill angell Psal 78.49 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminent hand of God as Hippocrates calleth it that destruction that walketh in darknesse and wasteth at noon day as the Psalmist stileth it In prognost Psal 91.6 This God sent for it is a messenger of his sending an arrow of his shooting 2 Sam. 24.15 and may better be called morbus sacer then the falling sicknesse as being an extraordinary hand of God such as was that Sudor Anglicus in the dayes of Edward the sixth Sennert de febrib l. 4. c. 15. the sweating sicknesse that raged very violently for forty yeares together here in England as Sennertus testifieth and slew so many that strangers wondred how this Island could be so populous as to beare and bury such incredible multitudes No stranger in England was touched with this disease and yet the English were chased therewith not only here but in other countries abroad Life of Ed. by Sr. Io. Heyw. pag. 126. which made them like tyrants both feared and avoyded where ever they came So long as the ferventnesse of this plague lasted there was crying Peccavi Peccavi and some pretences of turning to the Lord. The Ministers were sought for in every corner saith Mr. Bradford oh you must come to my Lord you must come to my Lady c. Thus when he slew them then they sought him Psal 78.34.36 and they returned and enquired earely after God Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and lied unto him with their tongues As the fox when taken in a snare lookes pittifully but 't is only that he may get out as Ice melts in the day and hardeneth againe in the night or as Iron is very soft and malleable whiles in the fire but soon after returneth to its former hardnesse after the manner of Egypt In the way to Egypt so some reade it as you were trudging down to Egypt for help against enemies or for corn in time of famine for Egypt was the worlds granary I have stretcht my net over you Egypt hath gathered you up Memphis hath buried you Hos 9.6 But taking the words as we translate them After the manner of Egypt i. e. so as I plagued the Egyptians when you were amongst them See Exod. 12.29 Exod. 9.15 with mortality of men and murraine of cattel The plague of Athens is graphically described by Thucydides Lib. 2. bell Pelopon Metam l. 7. Georg. l. 3. whence Ovid and Virgil are thought to have borrowed their descriptions of the pestilence The plague of Italy is set forth in lively colours by Dionys Halycarnass lib. 11. Antiq. That of Constantinople by Nicephorus and Sigebertus your young men have I slaine with the sword Juvenes à juvando saith Varro because they are able and apt by armes to defend the commonwealth and to help it at a dead lift In Hebrew they have their name à delectu because they are chosen to fight and do businesse as fittest for the purpose Exod. 17.9 2 Sam. 6.1 These God had slaine with the sword which cutteth its way thorough a wood of men and heweth down the youngest and strongest spareth neither Lord nor loscll as they say is dispatched with confused noise and garments rolled in blood Esay 9.5 and I have made the stink of your campes by meanes of the slaine both men and horses that lye unburied and poyson the ayre See Ioel. 2.20 Esay 34.3 and yet have ye not returned Nec sic tamen Vide contumaciam saith Mercer here Obstinate men will sooner break then bend Monoceros interimi potest non capi Verse 11. I have overthrown some of you Some and not all thus in the midst of judgement he remembred mercy he did not stir up all his wrath Psal 78.38 he let fall some drops but would not shed the whole showre of it for he remembred that they were but flesh c. Some he hang'd up in gibbets as it were for example to the rest as St. Jude saith he dealt by Sodome and Gomorrah and the cities about them thrown forth for an instance of divine vengeance to all succeeding ages Jude 7. and as Herodotus telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of a gracious deliverance in due time See the Note on ver 9. It is no lesse a fault to despise the chastening of the Lord then to faint when thou art rebuked Heb. 12.5 The hypocrite in heart heapeth up wrath saith Elihu and why he crieth not when God bindeth him Iob. 3â— 11 The wicked saith Hannah are silent in darknesse and shall therefore lie down in sorrow This is not patience but pertinacy 1 Sam. 2.9 Esay 50.10 the strength of stones and flesh of brasse Iob 6.12 It is not vasour but apathie stupidity and indolency much complained of in scripture and threatened with a succession of sorrowes Lev. 26.18 28. seven more and seven more and seven to that Three times in that chapter God raiseth his note of threatening and he raiseth it by sevens and those are discords in musick Such sayings will be heavy songs and their execution heavy pangs worse then those of a woman in travel for now shalt thou go forth out of the city This Now fell not out of an hundred yeares after Foule weather seldome rotteth in the ayre Time weareth not out Gods threatenings Nullum tempus occurrit Regi nedum Deo Time can be no prejudice to the Ancient of dayes sooner or later his word shall be accomplished When the sins of the Amorites are full they shall be sure of their payment The bottle of wickednesse when once filled with those bitter waters will sink to the bottom and thou shalt dwell in the field Sub dio having no canopie over thee but the azured skie so little account is made of poore captives If they may have the open ayre to breath in though they lie without dores ' it s better then a stinking dungeon or to be shut up close under hatches among the excrements of nature as Barbarussa Christian prisoners taken in Greece were Turk hist 750. so that all the way as he went home with them to Constantinople every houre almost some of them were cast dead over-board and thou shalt go even to Babylon there to dwell among plants and hedges making flower-pots for a forreine prince There they dwelt with the King for his work 1 Chron. 4.23 there shalt thou be delivered there the Lord shall redeem thee This There is as Emphaticall as that Yet so oft repeated Zech. 1.17 See the Note there It seemed improbable to many and to some impossible that ever they should return out of Babylon But God effected it to the great astonishment of his poore people who were like them that dream Psal 126.1 and could scarce beleeve their own eyes God loves to deliver those that are forsaken of their hopes Ad nos ergo transferamus promissionemistam saith Gualther upon the text Let us apply this promise to our selves and as oft as we are pincht with poverty or tormented with diseases or cast out into banishment or are in any great danger by water or land or under terrours of conscience let us think we heare God thus speaking to us There shalt thou be delivered there I will redeem thee c. Verse 11. Now also many nations are gathered c. that is they shall be once gathered when the Babylonians who are Lords of the world shall muster many nations against thee Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wildernesse compassed about with hungry lions wolves bores and beares and with all manner of cruel and hurtfull beasts Loc. com de persee ver Eccles and in the middest of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute for this is her condition in the world that say Let her be defiled sc with blood and slaughter Or Let her be condemned as an hypocrite Let her be stoned as an adulteresse so the Trent translation Thus they pretend as Rabshakeh did that they were sent by God against an hypocriticall nation that had broken their faith with God and men The like craft and cruelty was used in the Parisian massacre and Gunpowder-plot God and man said they in that blind letter that brought all to light have agreed to punish the wickednesse of this age Those that would kill a dog give out that he was mad first saith the French Proverb Whom no man looketh after Jer. 30.17 and let our eyes look upon Zion Let us feed our eyes with such a delightfull spectacle and say as that cruel Charles the 9. of France did when he saw the streetes strawed with the bodies of the massacred Protestants and the rivers dyed with their blood O pulchrum spectaculum O brave sight Or as the Q. Mother of Scotland when she beheld the dead carcasses of her Lutheran subjects said that she never saw a goodlier peece of Arraz in all her dayes See the accomplishment of this prophecy in the Lamentations Psalm 137. and in the book of Nehemiah Verse 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord Nothing like their thoughts Es 55.8 Confer Es 10.7 8. Zach. 11.15 16. c. His thoughts are fatherly whiles theirs are butcherly the Physitian in setting leeches to his patient seekes his good he aymes not at filling the leeches gorges neither will he set more on him then will make for his health God by his wisdome and according to his eternall counsell which the wicked understand not ordereth and draweth the blind and bruit motions of the worst creatures to his own honour and his churches good D. Reyn. as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleasure or the marriner the blowing of the wind to his voyage or the Artist the heate of the fire to his work or the Physitian the blood-thirstinesse of the leech to a cure Surely saith the Psalmist speaking of Senacheribs cruelty in the siege of Jerusalem the wrath of man shall praise thee eventually though not intentionally the remainder of wrath shalt thou restraine Psal 76.10 Let the enemies think and project as they please Ier. 29.11 2 Thes 1.6 7. let them rage and resolve upon your utter ruine I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest c. For thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel In returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength Esay 30.15 And I will strengthen the house of Iudah and I will save the house of Ioseph and I will bring them again to place them for I have mercy upon them and they shall be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and I will heare them Zech. 10.6 Surely as it was said of old Neither shall Rome fall while Scipio standeth neither shall Scipio live when Rome falleth so may it more truely be affirmed of Christ that he and
10.4 5. and bringing in not the heads but hearts of those whom they had subdued as Paul did of Sergius Paulus the Proconsul Acts 13.9 where also he is first called Paul in memory belike of those first spoils hee brought into the Church By shepherds here are meant saith Gualther the Ministers and Preachers of the word who feed defend and watch over the flock By principal men Magistrates endued with that free or as the Chaldee hath it kingly spirit Psal 51.12 to decree and act for the good of the Church Such shepherds in the time of the Assyrian warre were Esay Micha Joel c. such principall men were Hezekias and Eliakim Isa 22. c. Such after the captivity were Ezra Haggee Zachariah Malachi Zorobabel Nehemiah Judas Macchabeus c. Qui nutantem remp Ecclesiam suis consilijs fortibus gestis fulserunt who under-propped and kept up the tottering Church and Common-wealth by their prayers counsels and valiant atchievements both before and since the dayes of Christ upon earth Verse 6. And they shall wast the land of Assyria Heb. They shall eat it down as shepherds do pastures with their flocks Pascere is put for perdere saith Calvin they shall leave nothing there safe or sound but either bend or break the Churches enemies bring them to Christ by the sword of Gods word or utterly ruine them by temporall slaughters Aut poenitendum aut pereundum Thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian It is Christ that delivereth his what instruments soever he please to make use of Luke 1.71 1 Cor. 15.24 anâ— he must have the praise of it The Grecians thankfully acknowledged to Jupiter their deliverance from the Persians wrought by Themistocles and therehence called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Romans for like cause Sospâ—tator presenting a Palme to him and sacrificing a white Ox Liv. lib. 6. d. 3. â—o acknowledging it was his power whereby the conquest was atchieved Our Edw. 3. after his victory at Poâ—â—â—ers where hee took the French king Anno 1356. took speedy order by Sâ—mon Archbishop of Canterbury that eight dayes together should be spent in giving God the thanks and glory How much more should wee praise him for spiritual deliverances Polyd. Virg. lib. 19. from sinne Satan the world c. and consecrate our selves wholly to his service sith Servati simus ut serviamus Luke 1.74 deliverance commands obedience Ezra 9.14 Verse 7. And the remnant of Jacob The remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 these are but a few in comparison as a remnant to the whole peece or an hand-full to an house-full but they shall increase and multiply by Gods blessing upon them as is here set forth by two similitudes First for their propagation and multiplication the Prophet compareth them to the dew which is ingendred and distilled from heaven immediatly Therefore also Psal 110.3 new converts are compared to dew and Gods begetting them to the womb of the morning See M. Tho. Goodw. fastserm Apr. 27. 1642. when over-night the earth was dry Secondly for their growth and increase he compareth it to the sprouting up of herbs and grasse in the wildernesses where man cometh not and so their springing tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sonnes of men for them to come with their watering-pots to nourish them as herbs in gardens do but these have showers from heaven that give the increase I the Lord do keep my vineyard I will water it every moment Esay 27.3 There is an honour due to Gods Ministers 1 Thess 5 13. but the word onely must be â—â—â—â—fied Act. 13.48 and Christ earnestly intreated that as of old the Manna â—â—me down with the dew which covered the Manna whence that expression hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 so He himself who is the bread of life would descend into us by the word of his grace and fill us with the fruits of righteousnesse that he would rigare recreare refresh and cherish our hearts as the dew from heaven doth the dry and fady fields Vers 8. And the remnant of Jacob as a Lion among the beasts of the forrest The saints shall prosper and do great exploits as being indued with an invincible force of the spirit making them as so many Cuer-de-lions or as Chrysostom saith of Peter that he was like a man made all of fire walking among stubble What Lion-like men were all the Apostles those white horses upon which the Lord Christ rode about the world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 That lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 had put upon them of his own spirit Ioh. 1.16 and of his fulnesse bestowed upon them grace for grace hence their transcendent zeale and courage for the truth Steven was amongst his country-men the Jewes as a Lion among the beasts of the forrest So were in their severall generations Athanasius Basil Ambrose Luther Latimer Farel c. that noble army of Martyrs One of them told the Persecutours that they might pluck the heart out of his body but never pluck the truth out of his heart Another Act. Mon. 1430. 1438. that the heavens should sooner fall then he would turn A third that if every haire of his head were a man he would suffer death in the opinion and faith that he was now in A fourth said Can I die but once for Christ And generally the valour of the patient and the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and beleefe bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers and in some effectual conversion as in Justin Martyr in Calberius in those 400. said to be converted at the Martyrdome of Cecilia and lastly in Silvester the executioner at the martyrdome of Simon Laloe at Dyion in France where seeing the great faith and constancy of that heavenly Martyr he was so compuncted with repentance Act. Mon. fol. 829. and fell into such despair of himself that after much adoe being comforted and converted he removed with all his family to the church of Geneva But what a silly conceit is that of the â—ewes at this day that when Messias comes they shall be these Lions among the Gentiles in the middest of all other people to tread them down and to teare in peeces without rescue and what a true character hath a late writer given of them that they are a light aeriall S. H. Blount and fanaticall-brain'd people and easily apt to work themselves into the fooles paradise of a sublime dotage Verse 9. Thine hand shall be lift up upon thine adversaries q. d. Adversaries thou shalt be sure of O my Church but thou shalt have the better of them Thou shalt keep footing still under the stanâ—ard of the crosse and prevaile Sub militia crucis Calv. The mountaine of the house of the Lord shall overtop all other mountaines of worldly power chap. 4.1 It shall be as that mountain not far from Arbela
beaten with 300. stripes and cast a pair of fetters into it to make it his prisoner But to how small purpose all this together with his digging through Isthmus his drinking up rivers with his army and the like it well appeared when he was forced to fly back out of Greece in a poor fishers boat which being overburdened had sunk all if the Persians by the casting away themselves had not saved the life of their king The story of Canutus the Dane somtimes king of England is well known He was told by a Court-Parasite that all things in his dominions were at his beck and command Canutus to confute him caused a chair to be set on the sea-shore wherein being set he said to the sea flowing fast toward him Thou belongest to me and the land upon which I now sit is mine own neither is there any whosoever that obeyes me not shall escape unpunished I command thee therefore thou sea that thou come up no higher into my land nor presumest once to wet thy masters legs or garments But the Sea keeping his ordinary course without duty or reverence washed both his legs and gown He then leaping back said Let alâ— the inhabitants of the world know â—en Huntington that the power of kings is frivolous and vaine neither is there any mortall man worthy the name of a king but he to whose beck heaven earth and sea by his lawes eternally are obedient Neither did Canutus after this time weare a crown but set it upon the Crucifix according to the superstition of those times thereby acknowledging it to be a royalty proper to Christ alone to rebuke the surges of the sea and to say unto them Peace and be still Luk. 4.24 Mar. 4.39 and drieth up all the rivers As he did Jordan Ios 4 2 King 2. Chereth 1 King 17.7 the great river Euphrates Rev. 16.12 See the Note there See also Plin. nat hist l. 2. cap. 85. and 103. Bashan languisheth and Carmel and the flower of Lebanon languisheth all the beauty of those fertile and pleasant places fadeth When the earth beareth fruit and flowers she is said to yeeld her strength to bring forth her increase as when through drought or otherwise she doth not she is said to languish and hang the head See Ioe 1.10.12 If the Eclipse of the Sun cause a drooping in the whole frame of nature how much more the wrath and vengeance of God Ver. 5. The mountaines quake at him and the hills melt Though vallies and low places are also liable to earthquakes as Antioch often Ferrara in Italy An. Dom. 1514. and 1573. yet hill-countreys much more because there are more holes and cavernes Alsâ—ed Chronol See Psal 29.6 and 144.4 Zach. 14.4 5. In the yeere 1618. Aug. 25. Pleurs a town in Rhetia was overwhelmed by a hill which with a most swift motion opprest 1500. men So that village aforementioned in the country of Bern that was over-covered by a hill in an earthquake to the destruction of 50. Polan synt families All this and that which followeth is alledged here to shew how easily God can overturn the Assyrian greatnesse and the earth is burnt at his presence Viz. by his fire from heaven as Sodom and by other his land-desolating judgments such as Judea that once fertile now barren country Greece Asia once so flourishing Germany Ireland c. do at this day grone under God turneth a fruitful land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107.34 yea the world and all that dwell therein Quae quidem sunt mira sed tamen vera divinae potentiae effecta Wicked men besides what they here suffer Tarnou shall one day give an account of what they have done in the body with the world all on a light fire about their eares The triall of their workes shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 the tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 the Judge a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 His attendants Seraphins flaming creatures Isai 6.2 his pleading with sinners in flames of fire 2 Thess 1.7 the place of punishment a lake of fire fed with tormenting temper Isai 30.33 Sodoms fire and brimstone was but a toy to it And shall the Ninivites think to mott up themselves against this formidable fire which the most solid parts of the world cannot avoid or abide Ver. 6. What can stand before his indignation A glasse bottle may as well stand before a cannon-shot There 's no standing before a lion much lesse before a devouring fire least of all before an angry God When our Saviour did but put forth a beame of his Deity and said I am he the stout souldiers fell to the ground Ioh. 18.6 and there they had lame if he had not licensed them to rise againe Augustin Quid autem judicaturus faciet qui judicandus hoc fecit The wicked shall not stand in judgment saith David Psal 1.7 who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger Heb Collectumque premeus volviâ— sub naribus ignem in the inflammation of his nostrils Thus the Prophet describeth Gods terrible executions of justice on the Churches enemies pulcherrimis metaphoris hypotypôsi evidentissima distributionis artisicio insignissimo by most elegant Metaphors evident demonstrations and artificiall distributions Crocius in loc his fury is powred out like fire A metaphor either from metalls melted or from showâ—es of raine such as God powred down upon Sodom whereunto probably the Prophet here alludeth as verse 8. to Noahs flood flaming showers Jer. 7.20 and 44.6 and the rocks are thrown down by him that is by his fierce wrath when it is at the full height as the fire which at first burns a little within upon a few boards and rasters but when it prevaileth bursteth out in a most terrible flame as thunder which we heare at first a little roaâ—ing noise afarr off but stay awhile and it is a dreadfull crack cleaving the very rocks See Ier. 4.23 24. Mat. 27.51 Verse 7. The Lord is good To Israel though terrible to the Assyrians as hath been plainly and plentifully set forth to the pure in heart Psal 73.1 and he doth good Psal 119.68 to those that are good that are upright in their hearts Psal 125.4 These shall tast and see that the Lord is good these shall feelingly fay ' Oh blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psal 34.8 Oh praise the Lord for he is good c. a strong hold in the day of trouble Praesidium aut fortalitium A strong fort or fortification better then aâ—â—wer of brasse or town of warr the righteous run thereunto and are safe Prov. 18.10 Hezekiah for whose sake this is spoken had the experience of it He had a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy the children were come to the birth and there was not strength to bring forth Esai 37.3 To God therefore he runs in this dolefull day of his and had present help
up and for thine own private family and posterity it is not all thy care paines plotting and practising that can preserve it from ignominy and utter ruine God will turn thy glory into shame and make thy name to rot and stink as putrified flesh Prov. 10.7 and ver 9. He that perverteth his wayes shall be known And when such a man is raked up in the dust his evill courses shall be cast as dung in the faces of those whom he leaveth behind him What fooles then are Extortioners Muckwormes and Cormorants that live miserably and deale unjustly opening the mouthes of all to cry out upon their crâ—â—tinesse covetousnesse and cruelty and yet think to raise up their houses and advance their names and adorne their children with glory and estimation by cutting off many people A poore glory it was to Sylla to have made such a mercilesse massacre at Athens and after that to have proscribed and slaine 4700. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 citizens of Rome as he caused it to be publikely recorded videlicet ne memoria tam praeclarae rei dilueretur saith mine Authour Johnst de Nat. Const So for Julius Caesar to have been the death of a million of men Mahomet the great Turk of 800000. So for Stokesly bishop of London to boast upon his death-bed that he had in his time brought to the fire fifty heretikes as he called them or for the bloody Spaniards that they have murthered fifty millions of Indians in 42. yeers as Acosta the Jesuite testifieth and hast sinned against thy soule The worth whereof is incomparable the losse irreparable as Christ who only went to the price of soules telleth us Mat. 16.26 It was therefore no ill counfell that Francis Xaverius gave Iohn 3. King of Portugall to meditate every day a quarter of an houre on that divine sentence What shall it profit a man to win the world and lose his soule Neither was it any evill answer that Maximilian King of Bohemia afterwards Emperour gave the Pope who perswaded him to be a good Catholike with many promises of profits and preferments the king answered I thank your holinesse but my soules health is dearer to me then all the things in the world Hist of Counc of Trent 429. Speed 496. This pleased not the Pope who said that it was a Lutheran form of speech and yet that of Lewis king of France about the yeer 1152. pleased him much worse who cast his Bulles whereby he required the fruites of vacancies of all Cathedrall Churches of France into the fire saying I had rather the Popes bulles should roast in the fire then that my soule should fry in hell Verse 11. For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Here are wofull Antiphonies screech-owles of woe cry aloud from the beames of the oppressours chambers and make most hideous noises in the eares of their consciences So that although none other should dare to mute against them or accuse them of wrong-dealing yet their very houses built by rapine and blood shall testifie against them so shall other creatures that grone under their abuses Rom. 8.19 20 22. They seeme all to say unto us those 3. Lib. 2. de Arcap 3. words saith Hugo Accipe Redde Fuge Accipe beneficium Redde Officium Fuge Supplicium Now if we harken not to them but do the contrary they shall be one day as so many swift witnesses against us and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Tignum è ligno respondet ei An allusion to responsores as in Quires and musick And perhaps the Prophet here tacitely taxeth the Babylonian luxury in keeping Quiristers and Musicians for their sinfull delight God saith he will fit you with other singsters shortly that shall twit you by turns with your murthers and ravages for the stone shall cry out of the wall Woe to him that buildeth a town with bloods and the beame out of the timber shall answer it And wo to him that stablisheth a city by iniquity Verse 12. Wo to him that buildeth a town with blood This seemeth to be the senselesse creatures black Cantus as they call it chaunted out against the wrong-doer by Gods own appoinrment cui obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur saith an Ancient cui servi ut taceant jumenta loquentur Juvenal The very beasts have a verdict to passe upon oppressours as the dumb Asse did upon Balaam yea the lifelesse creatures shall ring a dolefull knell of Woe and alasse in their eares and cry them guilty as the earth did Cain and the heaven did Phocas and as the tignum è ligno doth here Nehuchadnezzar His town of Babylon was built in blood by Seminamis who slew her husband so was Rome by Romulus so was Alexandria in Egypt by Alexander that great man-slayer the founder of populous No of whose Woe reade Nah. 3.8 10. with the Note And for Alexander himself Speed he lay unburied thirty dayes together neither did his bloody conquest above ground purchase him any title for an habitation under ground The like befell our Conquerour William who laid his foundation here upon fire-works and was punished in his posterity for his depopulations at Newforrest and elsewhere and stablisheth a city by iniquity That thinketh so to stablish it but it proveth otherwise Josephus telleth us that Nebuchadnezzar set three severall walles of brick about his Babylon Joseph lib. 10. chp. 11. one within another but all would not do when once God took it to do Oppression is a bony sin Am. 5.12 13. Verse 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the fire Labour in vaine to quench the fire wherewith Babylon shall be burnt Jer. 51.58 Or have laboured to no purpose in building that city and enlarging that Empire which now God will have down Is it not evident that they have lost oleum operam yea hazarded their own lives as those do that stâ—ive against a flame What profit hath he that laboureth for the wind Eccles 5.16 much lesse he that laboureth in the fire that devouring element See Esay 33.14 Possibly he may besaved himself yet so as by fire but his work shall be burnt that losse he shall suffer 1 Cor. 3.15 As they that seek after the Philosophers stone labour in the very fire to as little purpose as may be for they must use so much gold and spend so much gold and then perhaps they can turn as much into gold by it as they have spent in making of it Hence One calles Alchymy A multiplying of something by nothing Another an Omne Aliquid Nihil Another an art without art never taught by Moses and Miriam as some have doted and delivered that this was a peece of their Egyptian learning But it is certain that those holy soules never either learned or taught any such laborious losse of time and
they read the predictions of an Almanack for wind and weather which they think may come to passe and it may be not but be confident of this very thing that God who hath denounced it will surely do it and that he will execute the judgement written in this roll Psal 149.9 yea every sicknesse and every plague which is not written in the book of this Law them will the Lord cause to descend upon the disobedient untill they be destroyed Deut. 28.61 Verse 3. This is the curse Or oath with execration and cursing Num. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Aâ— Graecè juramentum et execrationem significat Mercer Cursing men are cursed men and God hath sworn that swearers shall not enter into his rest that goeth forth yea flyeth verse 2. more swift then an eagle an arrow a flash of lightening Or if not yet Poena venit gravior quo magè sera venit over the face of the whole earth Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil but of the Jew sirst Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia who is therefore the worse because he ought 'to have been better and then Rom. 2.9 of the Gentile also Theodoret Lyra and Vatablus think that Iudaea is hinted in the measure of the book twenty cubites long and ten broad as being twice so long and somewhat more as it is broad witnesse Hierom in his Epistle to Dardanus Epist 129. But let the whole earth here be taken in its utmost latitude sith the Gentiles that sinne without the Law are yet liable to the punishments of the Law And some of them by the light of Nature saw the evil of swearing but all generally of stealing but especially of perjury and sacriledge here principally meant Confer Mal. 3.8 Neh. 13.10 for every one that stealeth shall be cut off By stealing understand all sins against the second Table as by swearing all against the first and so the sense is the same with that of the Apostle Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 Howbeit because these two sins were more frequently and more impudently committed in those dayes therefore are they by a specialty instanced The Jewes comming poor out of Babylon held it no great sin to steal for supply of their necessities and then to forswear themselves for the better hiding of their theft Give me not poverty said holy Agur lest being poore I steale and as one sin drawes on another I take the name of my God in vaine Prov. 30.9 See the Note there Hunger is an evill counsellour necessity an hard weapon a sore temptation when it comes to this Either I must steale or starve But then to this must be opposed that of the law Thou shalt in no case steals Thou must rather dye then do wickedly Aut faciendum aut patiendum Either obey the law or suffer the curse as on this side according to it i. e. According to the curse described in the rowle the thees shall be cut off as well as the swearer they shall speed alike The tares shall be bound up in bundles theeves with theeves and swearers with swearers and burnt in the fire Mat. 13.30 40. According to the prediction shall be the execution Whether on this side that is in Judea so some sense it or on that side in other parts of the world such persons appeare they shall have their payment and every one that sweareth Not only falsely as verse 4. but lightly vainely causelesly in jest and not in judgement whether by God or by creatures and qualities Judaeis Pharisaeis vulgare vitium saith Paraeus on Iam. 5.12 a common fault among the Jewes and Pharisees Mat. 5.34 35. and 23.16.18 See the Notes there Among the Christians in Chrysostomes time as appeares by his many sermons against it at Antioch And in these dayes if ever because of oaths the land mourneth God hath a controversie Hos 4.1 2. We have lived to see iniquity in the fulnesse of oaths and blasphemies unparaleled darted with hellish mouths against God and our Saviour so ordinarily and openly that some of them are become very interjections of speech to the vulgar and other some meer phrases of gallantry to the braver I knew a great swearer saith a great Divine who comming to his death-bed Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greedinesse after that most gainelesse Bolâ—on and pleasurelesse sin that though himself swore as fast and as furiously as he could yet as though he had bin already among the bannings and blasphemies of hell he desperatly desired the standers by to help him with oaths and to swear for him Verse 4. I will bring it forth sc out of my treasuries or store-houses of plagues and punishments Deut. 32.34 Or That which thou hast seen in vision I will put in action I will produce it into the open light into the theatre of the world their faults shall be written in their foreheads their sins shall go before to judgement my visible vengeance shall overtake them and it shall enter into the house of the theef which he calleth his castle and where he thinks himself most secure as out of the reach of Gods rod as iâ— he could mot up himself against Gods fire But what faith Bildad His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the king of terrours It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation Iob 18.14 15. so that if the fire of Gods wrath do but touch it all 's on a light flame A. Gell. He will unkennel these foxes and drag acus out of his denn to his deserved punishment Dioclesian the Persecutour one of those Latrones publici Eusub de vit Const lib. 5. as Cato called them giving over his Empire after that he had sufficiently feathered his nest decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he escaped not so for after that his house was wholy consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven he hiding himself for fear of the lightening died within a while after and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name Hence Ribera gathereth that by the whole earth in the former verse is meant Judaea only because none but Jewes swore by the name of the true God who is indeed the proper object of an oath Esay 65.16 Ier. 12.6 Howbeit in lawfull contracts with an Infidel or Idolater oaths by false gods may be admitted and are binding As for perjury it is a provoking sin as containing three great evils 1. The uttering or upholding of a lie 2. The calling upon God to testifie and justifie a lie 3. The praying for a curse upon a mans self and beseeching God
be ' two or three berries in the top of a trce four or five in the outmost branches Gods Elect are so very few that the world shall wonder Esay 8.18 and even hoot to see Christs flock so very little little 1 Kin. 20.27 as our Saviour speakes Luke 12.22 as Israel stood like two little flocks of kids when the Syrians filled the countrey There were but a few names in Sardis and many bad in the best Churches as at Philippi Chap. 3.18 Christ wondered at one good Nath. nacl as rara avis in terris and when he comes shall he find faith How many think you shall be saved in this City saith Chrysostom in his fourth sermon to the people at Antioch It will be a hard speech to you but I will speak it Though there be so many thousands yet there cannot be sound an hundred that shall be saved And I doubt of them too c. And again in his third Sermon upon the Acts he breaks out into this speech Non arbitror inter sacerdores multos esse qui sà lvi siant I do not think that there are many no not among the Ministery that can be saved sith many are called but few are chosen like as all the people were called together by Samuel but Saul only was chosen king Only the called according to purpose are elected and shall be glorisied Rom. 8.28 29. Christ at last day will do as Joshuah did to find out who had stolen the Babylonish garment there were many brought together and all to finde out one So all shall then appeare out of them a small number deducted that have heard of Christ Josh 7. Out of them those that have professed him and out of them those that have professed him in sincerity and these will be Mithe mispar a small few indeed They are as a fold in a wide field as a garden in a wild wast Juvenal P. de exculp Hence they are called pearls which are but few to the number of pibbles Jewels which are but little to the lumber strangers that are nothing so many as home-dwellers sons of God and of the bloud royal and of such there are but a few to common subjects Rari quippe boui saith the Poet. And Pauci sunt qui Philosophantur saith UIpian the Lawyer c. Verse 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire Few they were but not faultlesse they must therefore thorow the fire that there they may leave their dreggs and drosse behind them For Quod ignis cst auro lima ferro ventilabrum truico lixivium paâ—no sal carni hoc tribulatio est viro usto saith Corn. a Lapide upon this Text that is what the fire is to the gold the file to iron the fanne to wheat the sope to clothes the salt to flesh that is tribulation sanctified to a righteous man God is said to have his fire in Zion and his surnace in Jerusalem Esay 31.9 to carry his thorow fire and thorow water Psal 66.12 from above to send fire into their bones Lam. 1.13 to put them to the fiery tryall 1 Pet. 4.12 yea he himself is a Refiners fire unto them and Fullers sope Mal. 3.2 see the Note there He knowes them to be right gold which will endure the seventh fire Alchymy gold will not so and therefore he puts them to 't that the tryall of their faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though tryed in the fire may be found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 himself mean-while goeth with them into the fire and pulleth them out as a brand Zech. 3. Non sic impij Psal 1. not so the ungodly True it is the tryall of their works also shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 Deut. 32.3 and they shall give an account one day with all the world on a light flame about their ears 2 Pet. 3.12 Then shall they find that the law they are judged by is a fiery law the tribunall is of fire Ezek. 1.27 the Judge a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his attendants Seraphims that is flaming creatures Heb. 1.7 his pleading with sinners in fire of flame 2 Thess 1.7 the place of punishment a lakeof fire fed with a river of brimstone Isa 30.33 a formidable fire it is fed with tormenting temper and kindled by Gods own breath instead of bellows Bellarmine is of opinion that one glimpse of this fearfull fire were enough to make a man not only turn Christian and sober but Anchoret and Monk and to live after the strictest order that can be Pope Clement the fifth upon the death of a Nephew of his and one of his Catamites sent his Chaplaine to a Conjurer Jac. Ren. de vit Pont. 159. to enquire how it fared with him in the other world The Conjurer shewed him to the Chaplaine lying in a bed of fire in hell This news so affected the wretched Pope that he never held up his head but Nabal-like died within a few dayes after it But oh what a dreadfull shreek gave his guilty soul to see it self lanching into an infinite Ocean of scalding lead and to think that it must swim naked therein for ever and will refine them as silver is resined This is all the hurt he doth them by the fire he hides pride from them Job 33.19 c. and divides betwixt the sinne which he hates and the sonne whom he loves For by this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of their sinne which they may very well spare Esay 27.9 and never hurt themselves Surely as one poison is antidotary to another so is affliction to sinne when sanctified it is no more penall but medicinall not a curse but a cure As oil of scorpions is good against the biting of scorpions As the wine wherein a viper hath been drowned cureth a leprosie As the juyce of hemlock a deadly plant heals hot corroding ulcers and asswageth the inflammation of the eyes Or as Rhubarb though full of choler doth mightily purge choler Moses neglected to circumcise his child as we do our hearts it is such a bloody work till God met him and would have killed him David could never see the benesit of affliction till God by those sharp waters had cleared up his eye-sight Geheza's leprosie cured him his white forehead made him have a whiter soul Surely as the fining-pot is for silver and the furnace for gold so is affliction to the soul Corrections of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 But he that refuseth correction despiseth his own soul Pro. 15 32. Winds and thunder clear the air whereof they are the beesoms saith Ruperius so do crosses the soul â—f the outward man decay the inward is thereby renewed and the winter of the one 2 Cor. 4.16 is the spring of the other As the viper when he is lashed casteth
up his poyson so doth the good soul when afflicted purge it self from all filth of flesh and spirit striving to perfect holinesse in the fear of God These Jews after they had been in the Babylonish furnace for idolatry hated and feared that sinne as much as the burnt child dreads the fire They would die any death rather then admit an idoll Josephus tells how stoutly they opposed Pilate and Petronius that would would have set up Cesars statue in their Temples offering their throats to the swords of the souldiers rather then they would endure that idoll in Gods house What God is now doing with them and for them in this long time of their sad desolation and dispersion who can tell There are that think that after much purging and proving as here God will gather a Church of them to himself according to that which followeth They shall call upon my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people c. And that upon their profession of Christ shall come the sorest time of affliction that ever was chap. 14.1 2. when Gog and Magog with all his troops and armies shall compasse the beloved city Rev. 20.8 9. But the Jews shall get a glorious Conquest for God himself from heaven will miraculously fight for them verse 3 4 5. together with all the holy Angels the ministers of his judgements verse 5. Sure it is that the Turks fear some such thing as this and therefore they cannot abide that any Jew amongst them should turne Christian In the yeer 1528. a certain Jew dwelling in Constantinople became a good Christian and was baptized which the Turks understanding were vehemently exasperated against him for it fearing lest his conversion should prove prejudiciall to their Mahometan religion and therefore they apprehended and cruelly murthered him and try them as gold is tried viz. that when I have tried them they may come forth as gold Job 33.10 Hence Gods people fall into manifold temptations Jam. 1.2 they fall they go not into them step by step but are precipitated plunged into them and not into one of them or a few but into manifold temptations or trials yea fiery trials so afflictions are called because thereby God proves what is in his people Deut. 8.16 Rev. 2.10 Not to better his own knowledge of them neither for he knows all things and is intimo nostro intimior nobis Job 2.25 Act. 1.24 Heb. 4.12 Artificers perfectly know the nature and properties of their own works and shall not God see Psal 94.9 10. But tentat ut sciat hoc est ut scire nos facâ—at August he trieth us 1. That he may make discoveries of himself unto us especially of his power and goodnesse and so get him a name as Esay 63.11 12 13. 2 Cor. 12.9 Elias would have water poured upon the sacrifices yea the Altar covered therewith that Gods power might the more appear in consuming it with fire from heaven and the people thereupon might cry Iehovah he is God 1 King 18.39 Iehovah he is God think the same here 2. That he may make discoveries of us to our selves and to others who are apt to misjudge and undervalue us as not onely Satan did Iob chap. 1.9 but even Elihu also though otherwise a good man and the best of his friends chap. 34.36 But when they see our holy carriage under the crosse they can say of us as that Centurion did of our Saviour Luke 23. Verily this was the Son of God and as one Culocerius in the Church-history when he saw the piety and constancy of the Martyrs he cryed out Verè magnus est Deus Christïanorum The Christians God is a great God indeed But as by afflictions we are made known to others so to our selves much more We are apt either to over-value or else to under-value our selves till put to the triall as is to be seen in the history of Saunders and Pendleton Hard weather tries what health wind and stormes what sap withered leaves soon fall off Rotten boughes with heavy weights quickly break Woodden vessells set empty to the fire soon break and leak not so vessells of gold and silver The best divination what men are is at the parting-way as Ezek. 21.21 When the fire comes to green wood it will appear what 's within when the pond is empty what 's in the bottom It is not known what corn will yeeld till it come to the flail nor what grapes till it come to the presse Grace is like the stone Chrysolampis quem lux celat prodit obscurum which shine brightest in the dark The skill of a Pilot is unknown but in a tempest Solinus the valour of a Captain but in a battle the faithfulnesse of a wife but in an assault The wicked tried are found to be but reprobate silver or at best but Alchymy-gold that endureth not the seventh fire They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Crocodiles Chameleons Bats Spunges c. They murmure when tried as Psal 78.40 41. Or curse as Micah's mother Iudg. 17. Or fret and howl upward as Wolves when hunge-rbit Esay 8.21 Or faint in the day of affliction as Saul who lay upon the ground like a beast 1 Sam. 28.20 Or Nabal who lay in his bed like a block Or desert God and his cause as those Renegado's Dan. 11.32 and those in the Palatinate who fell to Popery as fast as leaves fall off the trees in Autumne Many titular Christians amongst us were in times of peace but as wolves in a cage but as lions tamed by art they wanted nothing but liberty and opportunity to shew their wolvish and worrying natures which now these late shedding and discriminating times have sufficiently discovered Have all these workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up Gods people as they eat bread and call not upon God They shall call upon my name and I will hear them Psal 14.4 No time for hearing of prayers and obtaining of suits like that of affliction Those are mollissima fandi Tempora the time of affliction is the very time of supplication then our hearts are largest then Gods ear is openest Then the saints may have any thing for asking Psal 50.15 and 91.15 Thus Lot had Zoar at his request Deut. 29.23 Paul had all the souls in the ship given him Act. 27. Jacob greatly fearing to be bereft of his Benjamin prayed God give you bowels of mercy before the man Gen. 43.14 He prayed it and he had it ver 30. For Ioseph made hast for his bowels did yern upon his brother c. God reserves his best comforts for the worst times as the feast-maker kept his best wine till the last Ioh. 2. as the mother brings forth her conserves and cordials when the child sis at sickest Israel was never so royally provided for as in the wildernesse I will bring her into the wildernesse and speak to her heart Hos 2.13 As a bone once broken is stronger
beloved soul as the Septuagint and Vulgar render it c. See my Righteous mans Recompense Part 2. Chap. 2. and I will spare them Or indulge them as David did Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 21.7 Vide ubi supra Chap. 4. 5. Verse 18. Then shall ye return and discern See The Righteous mens Recompense ad calcem CHAP. IIII. Verse 1. FOR behold the day cometh This Chapter should not be divided from the former for here Gods different dealing with the righteous and the wicked proposed in the former verse is further amplified by diverse effects of Christs coming in the flesh And if any ask saith an Interpreter how this was verisied of that his first coming we answer It was inchoative and by way of preparation then and shall be consummate in the day of the last judgement This day comprehendeth all that time that is called by the Apostle the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 and the world to come Heb. 2.5 all the administrations of Christs kingdome from his Incarnation to the end of all things which also is at hand and as it were under view already Behold The day that notable day so long-looked for by the Jews who boasted of a Redeemer and promised themselves all possible comforts then Tune â—nâ—m Deus nos dignabitur clarissima visione saith Jachiades on Dan. 12.4 tunc intelligemus res ipsas prout sunt Then shall we have a most clear vision of things as they are c. Lo that day cometh not such a day as you imagined but like that in Amos A day of darknesse and not light even very dark Am. 5.20 Dan. 3. Ezek 7.6 and no brightnesse in it A day that shall burn like an oven Nebuchadnezzars oven seven times more heated then it was wont This day is come the end is come it watcheth for thee behold it is come It was fulfilled in part upon this people at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and their miserable exile ever since for their unbelief Howbeit all these are but the beginning of sorrows their present sorrows but a typicall hell the pile whereof is sire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of fire doth kindle it Isa 30 33. It is said to be prepared for the devil and his angels Mat. 25.41 as if the All-powerfull wisdome did deliberate and as it were sit down and devise most tormenting temper for that most formidable fire The fire of the last day shall surely be very terrible when all the world shall be on a light fire and wicked men shall give account with flames about their ears with the elements melting and falling like scalding lead or burning bell-mettall on their heads But all this will be but a shadow or spark of that fire of hell the smoke whereof ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 19.3 Some have held the fie of hell to be no true materiall and corporeall fire but metaphoricall qualem novit Deus The most conspire in the contrary Tenent because bodyes are to be punisht by it De civ Dei lib. 21. c. 10. How spu its are also thus tormented as the rich gluttons Luk. 16. Austin sits down and admires he mystery He tells us that for vehemency of heat it exceeds our sire as far as ours doth fire that 's painted on a wall I would we had not cause to complain that preaching of hell is but as the painting of fire which men can look on and handle without hurt or affrightment Esse aliquos Manes Nec pueri credunt nisi qui nondum are lavantur Juven Surely he that observes the impiety of this age may say to us as Cato did to Caesar Credo quae de info is dicuntur falsa existimas I beleeve you think hell to be a very fable and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly c. Those proud whom you pronounced happy chap. 3.15 because jolly and full of worldly prosperity rich and renowned those workers of wickednesse whom you looked upon as set up built upon a firm basis God shall abase every one that is lifted up he shall repay the wicked-doer to his face Deut. 7.10 and into his bosom Esay 65.6 What ever arrowes are in the bow-string will one day sly and hit and strike deep They shall be as stubble saith the text as stubble that is fully dryed Nah. 1.18 even when they be folden together as thorns Who would set these briers and thorns against me in battle saith the Lord I would go thorough them I would burn them together Esay 27.4 Did he not deal so by Pharaoh Senacherib Herod the Primitive persecutours c Those mighty Magnifico's that here seemed fortes ferrei aenei strong and made up as it were of brasse and iron shall appear to be but as stubble that cannot stand before Gods fire the day that cometh shall burn them up Heb. shall so burn them ut flamma ex ipsis excitetur as to set them aflame Here Ghrist burneth up his enemies with invisible judgements inward terrours and torments pangs and plunges a very hell in their consciences a fore-tast of eternall torment as was to be seen in Belshazzar and our Rich. 3. But what willthey do at the last day when the law they shall be judged by is a fiery law Deut. 33.2 the tribunall of fire Ezak 1.27 the Judge a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 his attendants flaming Seraphims his pleaing with sinners in flames of fire 2 Thess 1.7 the place of punishment a lake of fire fed with a river of brimstone Isa 30.33 what can be the fruit of such a fiery proceeding but utter excision Surely this fiâ—e will leave them neither root nor branch Verse 2. But unto you that fear my name What shall be the condition of graâ—â—esse persons hath been said already Now for the righteous that they have not served God in vain it shall well appear by the many benefits they shall reap and receive by Christ five whereof are heâ—e recited 1 Imputation of Christs righteousnesse which is compared to the illightening of this lower world by the beames of the Sun 2. Remission of sins which is compared to the healing or diseases 3. Regeneration which is likened to a sick mans walking forth when he is somewhat recovered 4. Spirunall grouth as calves of the stall 5. Victory over all enemies corporall and spiritual which shall be trodden under foot as ashes of the furnace ver 3. shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise So Christ is called as by other Prophets Isa Psal 84.11 60.1 2 19. Luks 1.78 Ioh. 8.12 to signific the joy of Gods elect at the sight of him as those that have long layne in darknesse count it a Pleasant thing to see the light A Sun of righteousnesse he is said to be 1. As afferting and vindicaing the righteousnesse of God called in question by those Blasphemers 2. As bestowing upon his people a double righteousnesse Imputed and Imparted as the Sun
of the Apostle By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise and so any other spirituall service that shall finde acceptance to God continually h Heb. 13.15 And by him we have accesse by one spirit unto the father i Eph. 2.18 This was shadowed out of old by the door of the tabernacle which as it never was or any hard or debarring matter but of a veile easily penetrable so at the passion of our â—avâ—our it did of its own accord rend in sunder to shew our easie accosse unto and high acceptance with God in any holy duty through Christ the peace-maker k Eph. 2.14 This also was not obscurely typified by the high Priest's plate wherein was fairly engraven Holinesse to the Lord which was to be upon his forehead the forefront of his miter that he might beare the iniquitie of the offerings which the children of Israel should offer in all their holy offerings and it should be alway on his forehead to make them acceptable before the Lord l Exo. 28.36 38. But thirdly as it is by the mercy of the father and the me it of the son so is it also by the hand of the holy ghost upon them that God is so greatly pleased with the suite and services of his people the Apâ—stie instancet in â—ne religious duty we may safely extend it to all the rest Likewise saith he the spirit helpeth our infirmities m Rom 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sets his shoulder to the work together with us as th word there imports For we silly soules know not what we should pray for as we ought we neither know what for the matter nor as we ought for the manner But the spirit it self against all the roarings and repinings of the flesh maketh loud and shâ—ill intercessions for us in this case with groanings which cannot be uttered * Excitat vehemens desiderium liberationis accendit quoque alios affectus ammi ut gaudium et amorem adeò ut ardeant supra modum eâ— naturam communem longè exaperent Rolloc and that thus 1. He lets us see our want of God which nature studiously covereth 2. He sets before us the excellency and worth of finding favour with God the thought whereof never entereth the naturall mans heart n 1 Cor. 2 9. 3. He stirreth up and kindleth in us strong affections in prayer dictating words and expressions answerable to those affections In short he workes all our workes in us o Esa 26.12 Quoties video te susphâ—rtem non dubito spiritum aspirantem â—yprian as the prophet saith for we cannot so much a suspirare unlesse he do first inspirare breath out a sigh for sin except the spirit do first breath it into us Much lesse can we make an effectuall and comfortable prayer or do any thing else that 's truely good without him Sith prayer think the same still of any other holy duty is the breath of the spirit the pulse of the spirit without whom what is prayer else but an empty ring a tinkling Cymball Pray saith St. Iude in the holy ghost p Iede 20. set 1 Cer 14.15 Eph 5 18. And then he that searech the heart will easily know the minde of the spirit that he intercedeth for us according to God q Bom. 8.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worthy of God and to his greatest liking Such another phrase the Apostle hath of Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. where he calleth it A sorrow according to God r 2 Cor. 7.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Luke 6.12 he continued all night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the prayer of God that is a spirituall god-like sorrow and such as issueth from the spirit of God For the wind must blow ere the waters flow Å¿ Psa 147.18 Dike saith the Prophet And it is the fire of the spirit saith a Divine in our hearts as in a still that sendeth up those dews of repenting tears into our heads that drop forth of our eyes Think the like of christian watchfulnesse Even Peter James and John those pillars t Gal 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be ready to sleep and buckle yea and that in the houre of remptation u Mat 26.41 too if the spirit do not quicken them and as it were hold up with forks their heavy eye-lids And for reading of the Scriptures look how the Philistines could never understand Sampsons riddle till they plow'd with Sampsons heifer x Judg 14.18 so neither can we conceive or relish the deep things of God without the ayde and assistance of the spirit of God y 1 Cor 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As on the other side With his holy spirit and by it we are sanctified unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus z 1 Pet. 1.2 purified in obeying the truth unto unfained love of the brethren a 1 Pet. 1.22 quickened unto all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth b Eph. 5.9 caused to keep Gods commandements c Ezek. 36.27 himself setting us to work * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working all our works for us d Esay 26.12 sanctifying all the works of our hands yea sanctifying the offering up both of our selves and our services to God as the Altar sanctifies the gift e Rom. 15 16. and opening us a welcome accesse to to God in all our performances f Eph. 2.18 who as he knowes the meaning and minde of his spirit g Rom. 8.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he cannot but accept that sacrifice that is kindled by the fire of his own spirit upon the true Altar Christ his own son This is the first Reason taken from the three persons in the Godhead SECT III. The Doctrine further confirmed by reasons from the Saints THe next respecteth the saints themselves whose persons first are elect holy and beloved Colos 3.12 whose performances in the second place have a true and reall goodnesse in them and are therefore dearly accepted and highly accounted of in the sight of God For the first It cannot be denied but that by nature all are alike hatefull to the Almighty Reas 2 Neither is it for any goodnesse he discerns in one more then another that he puts any difference He loves his people merely because he loves them h Deut. 7.7 the ground of his love being only in himself He adopts them according to the good-pleasure of his will i Eph. 1.4 without the least defect in himself or desert in the creature It is otherwise with us then it was with those maids in Ahâ—shueâ—osh his time they were first perfumed and purified afore he chose one for himself k Esth 2.10 God found us in our blood when he said unto us live l Ezek. 16.6 and Christ gave himself for his people that he might sanctifie and present them to himself a glorious church m Eph. 5 26 What was
the walls of Jericho But what matter is it how unlikely the means are if in the hands of Omnipotency An Ox-goad in the hand of a Shamgar an Asse-bone in the hand of a Sampson may do much so here The Devil must needs down if God once send forth his Pauls to open mens eyes to turn them from darknesse to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in Christ Oh Obj but the Devil tells me I shall never inherit for I am not sanctified by faith Settle that first be sure by sound and infallible evidences Sol. See that thy faith and other graces be of the right stamp effectuall faith laborious love patient hope c. 1 Thes 1.3 and then sing a Requiem to thy self as Luther once did after a grievous conflict the Psalm De profundis Joh Manly loc com in contemptum Diaboli in defiance to the Devil Onely be advised not to pore over-much upon thy sanctification which in the best is unperfect but to take comfort of thy Justification which is compleat and absolute In confident consideration whereof St. Paul triumphantly cries out Rom. 8.33 34 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen so long as it is God that justifieth Or as Austin reads it Shall God that justifies us Who is he that condemneth Do Angels No they rejoyce in our conversion and call us their fellow-servants But who then Do the insensible or unreasonable creatures They in their kind are in covenant with us Hos 2.18 and in earnest expectation groan nay travell together with us waiting and as it were lying bed-ridden the while for our full manifestation â—â—en the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.19 c. But who is it then Do our own hearts condemn us No neither if not bemisted and abused by Satan for being justified by faith we have so farre peace with God that we glory in tribulation by the confident intergatory of a good conscience toward God Rom. 5.1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Joh. 3.20 But say our own hearts do wrongfully accuse us yet God is greater then our hearts as well for good as for evil to do us right notwithstanding a misgiving or misguided heart of our own But say then who is he that condemneth us Is it the Devil and his wicked imps Let them do their worst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 12. He is indeed the accuser of the brethren but Christ our Advocate is ever ready to non-suit and cast out all his accusations The Spirit also is in direct and full opposition to this Accuser called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comforter or Pleader for us Yea what apology or clearing of your selves Rev. 12.10 pleading our evidences to our spirits and helping us upon true repentance to make apology for our selves 2 Cor. 7.11 such as God admits of and accepts As for that old Serpent the Accuser of the brethren he is cast down already and all his limbs shall bee cast after him ere long into the burning lake In the mean while what cares the prisoner at the barre though the gaoler and his fellow-prisoners passe sentence of death upon him in the gaole so long as the Judge acquits him from the bench And as little need any servant of the Lord of Hosts stand upon the censurs of earth and hell so long as God thinks well of him and all the Hosts of God combine for his comfort Oh Obj but I have hosts within me that do me all the despite and displeasure The flesh lusteth against the spirit and other-whiles gets the better of it Besides there be bands of fleshly lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 which like armed souldiers lie billetted in my bosome and ever and anon fight against my soul Yet bee of good comfort the spirit also lusteth against the flesh so that thou canst not do what thou naturally wouldest Sol. Gal. 5.17 thy new nature will not suffer thee as Paul would have gone to a certain place but the Spirit forbade him As for thy lusts be they never so lordly God can easily cut the combes nay the throats of them and let out their life-blood My Father is stronger then all and None can take you out of his hands The weak brother shall be holden up amidst a world of scandals without Joh. 10 Rom. 14.4 and staggerings within for God is able to make him stand He can preserve a fire alive upon the face of the Ocean a spark of the spirit amidst a world of wickednesse within He can cause weak and worthlesse grashoppers to become a great nation Ioel 1.6 a mighty people chap. 2.2 a huge army ib. Esay 30.22 Psal 19.5 He can make the house of Israel pollute the idols which they had once perfumed with incense and to say to their familiar devils get thee hence He can stop or strike back the course of the Sun though it rejoyce as a strong man to run his race Naturally and freely it giveth light but he can turn it into darknesse and blood The mountains of themselves are ponderous and pressing yet at Gods command they skip like lambs Think the same of our dull and undutiful hearts God can quickly oyl them and nimble them drawing us by his free spirit so as we shall run after him as a baldder of it self is a heavy substance and unapt for motion but being filled with winde it will scarce ' bide in a place So we being filled with the holy Ghost shall finde our feet as hinds feet upon the everlasting mountains no longer shackled by corruption Psal 119. but at very good liberty to run the wayes of Gods commandments It s most sure we are not strained at all in God but in our own bowels He is both able and ready both to cover and cure our sins and sicknesses In the dayes of his flesh he offered himself to his patients and was found of them that sought him not He heal'd them also of diseases hereditary and such as all the Physitians in the countrey might have cast their caps at Now he hath lost nothing by heaven you may be sure neither of his will nor skill to do the same cures upon mens souls as once he did upon their bodies nay he cured their bodies onely in reference to their souls and still hangs out his table of cures Math. 8.17.18 to draw custome Rev. 3.18 Lo thus we have searched and so it is Hear it and know it for thy good Iob. 5.27 CHAP. II. The Lord will finde a fit time to make up his jewels from the worlds misusages And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels Doct GOd is the Lord of hosts This is a point hath been hitherto proved and improved Followes now a second Observation Confirmat