the high God Though Plinius Secundus be an enemie to Christians and a persecutor of them yet their holy and godly conuersation shall make him to certifie the Emperour his Master Traian that they are harmelesse persons Thus let thy life bee holy and innocent and then thou maist fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very enemie And as Dauid said sometimes to Micol obiecting vnto him that euen his owne seruants contemned him for his dancing before the Arke p 2 Sam. 6.22 Of the seruants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So say I euen those wicked ones that outwardly traduce thee and reuile thee cannot but inwardly they must acquit thee and commend thee their heart and conscience shall speake for thee euen then when their tongue and lips doe speake against thee And when euer it shall please the Lord to set their consciences on the racke or to compasse them about with the snares of death then shall their tongue be constrained will they nill they to discouer what now lies hidden for the iustification of thy righteousnesse Then they crie out oh send for such a man or such a woman they will pray for me and doe me good and giue me comfort and doe we not see daily that they sooner trust for all their talke such as they terme Hypocrites Dissemblers and Precisians with their goods and with their children and with their portions yea and with their soules also before any other The last thing propounded to our consideration in this Appeale is the Parties betweene whom the variance is and they are the Lord and Israel God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and the whole body of the people euen all Israel and Iudah the Defendants As vnequally matched as euer were Earth and Heauen Strength and Weaknesse or the great Beemoth and the silliest worme that creepes in the chinkes and crannies of the earth God contends with man he that is excellent with them that are but dust who then is like to haue the day Text. Betweene mee and my Vineyard And is it possible that there should be a controuersie betweene God and his Vine which he planted with his owne right hand Betweene him and that people whom he had so highly honoured Then it will follow that Doct. Sin is a make-bate betweene God and man Sinne will make bate and stirre vp strife betweene God and his dearest people There is no Citie no not Ierusalem no people no not Israel nor Iudah be they graced with neuer so many priuileges crowned with neuer so many blessings but sinne will set the Lord and them at variance The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land saith Hoseah q Hosea 4.1 2. because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land c. Sinne was the breeder of it Babylon r Isay 13.19 the glory of the Kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie yet her pride set her and God at variance so that her Palaces were made dens of Dragons wilde beasts of the field did lie there their houses were cages for vncleane birds Owles did dwell there Satyres did dance there with dolefull creatures were they filled And thus Sodome Å¿ Gen. 19.24 sometimes as faire and beautifull as Paradise it selfe was set at variance with the Lord by reason of her sinnes t Ezek. 16.49 Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of bread c. bred the quarrell and was the cause that shee was made u Zeph. 2.9 a perpetuall desolation And will not those seuen famous Churches of Asia * Reuel 1. 2. 3. Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis in the midst whereof God is said to haue his walke witnesse as much Did not their sinnes cause the Lord to contend with them a long time and in the end make him to giue vp their Land to be inhabited by Zijm and Ochim Turkes and Infidels What shall I need to say more Such a variance it made betweene God and the Angels x Iude 6. as that they were turned out of Heauen Betweene God and our great Grand-father as y Gen. 3.22 that he was droue out of Paradise Betweene the Lord and Moses z Deut. 32.51 52. as that it kept him from Canaan And such a contention daily it breeds betweene God and men as that infinite thousands are thereby kept a 1 Cor. 6.9 Reuel 21. out of the Kingdome of Heauen Let all wicked ones hence take notice of their estates Vse 1 which by this Doctrine they may as clearely see as in a glasse For doth sinne set God and man at oddes and is it a make-bate betweene them Then certainly such as liue in it and harbour it cannot be at peace with God What peace saith Iehu to Ioram b 2 King 9.22 so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many So say I What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured in thy brest Nay c Isay 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God For what d 2 Cor. 6.14 fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is thy enemie and e Matth. 5.25 hath against thee and therefore see thou agree quickly with thy aduersarie We say in a prouerbe He is poore that God hates true none so poore as the wicked are for what though they haue riches honours friends c. when there is a controuersie betweene God and them f 1 Sam. 2.25 If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge for him said old Ely to his sonnes but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him Seeke therefore reconciliation cast that make-bate our of thy bosome which stirs vp all this strife Sinne is thy owne creature destroy that and God must needs loue thee who art his creature but if thou wilt not then expect no peace but contention and destruction If the Pot will needs contend with the Potter it cannot be but it must be broken Thou art but an earthen Pitcher in the hand of thy Maker and he can full easily dash thee against the wall and stampe thee into powder It is good counsell that the Wise-man giues thee g Eccles 6.10 Contend not with him who is mightier than thy selfe and if thou beest not a foole I aduise thee to follow it lest Woe and Alas come too late Vse 2 And secondly See here the reason why the Lord doth so often bend his browes and turne away his face from his owne people in displeasure Sinne is it that bred the quarrell that was it which causeth it The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to crie out of euill tongues that haue forspoken them and surely say they we are bewitched but if we looke well about vs we shall finde the grand-witch to lie
All creatures in their kinde glorifie their Maker Motiues to seeke after Gods glory and employ themselues in the setting forth of his praise h Psal 19.1 The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke by their admirable structure motions and influence they preach his praise and that 1. All the night and all the day without intermission for i vers 2. one day telleth another and one night certifieth another 2. In euery kinde of language for k vers 3. there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard and 3. In euery part of the world in euery Country Citie Towne Village Parish for l vers 4. Their sound is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Thus m Bellarm. in Psal 19. saith one they be diligent Pastors preaching at all times And learned Pastors as preaching in all tongues And Catholike Pastors preaching in all Townes And the subiect of all their preaching is no other than the glory of God And as the Heauens so doe the Fowles of the Heauens as the n Ier. 8.7 Storke Crane Turtle Swallow And so also the beasts of the field for o Isay 1.3 the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib as I say sheweth Remember againe how little glory God getteth at the hands of most in the world which I thus make euident Put case the whole world should be diuided into foure parts three of the foure we shall finde to be ouerspread with Turcisme Paganisme c. they not so much as professing the true God in Christ and therefore amongst them God can get no glory but is continually dishonoured by their liues and actions so that there is but a fourth part of the world if that which doth professe him in his Sonne and amongst those though all professe him in word how many are there which denie him by their workes Should we make a subdiuision and againe diuide that fourth and least part into foure parts more we shall finde the least part truly to seeke his honour One part we shall finde are Hereticks who rob him of his glory by their superstition and Idolatrie A second part are Atheists and notorious euill liuers who are so farre from honouring him as that they daily belch out blasphemies against him A third part are Hypocrites and carnall Protestants backsliders and luke-warme Christians who p Isay 29.13 honour him with their lips but haue their hearts farre from him Now there is but a fourth part and hardly that who are sincere and faithfull and if they should not bend themselues with all their might to maintaine and aduance Gods glory it would be trodden vnder foot of all Should not this consideration be a spurre in our sides to make vs forward in this dutie Call to minde the practices of Gods Saints Moses that man of God q Exod. 32.32 preferred it before his own saluation no maruell then if he preferred it before r Heb. 11.24 the honours and treasures of Egypt the like did blessed Paul Å¿ Rom. 9.2 who professeth that for Gods glory in the saluation of the Iewes he could wish himselfe accursed or separated from Christ Remarkable also is the Apostles care in the cure of the Creeple t Acts 14.11 that the least part of Gods praise might not cleaue to their fingers but all might be ascribed to the Lord. The 24. Elders u Reuel 4.10 cast their Crownes before the Throne they emptie themselues of all glory merit and worthinesse whatsoeuer that they may giue all praise vnto the Lord. And lastly haue we not our Sauiours owne example for our imitation who both by praier and practice sought his Fathers glory and only it * Iohn 12.28 Father saith he glorifie thy name and againe x 8. 49 50. I honour my Father and seeke not my owne glorie And in that sweet praier of his y Iohn 17.4 I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which that gauest me to doe Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses and haue so many examples before vs for our encouragement let vs lay aside all pride of heart selfe-loue vaine-glorie and euery such like weight and sinne which doth so easily beset vs and in simplicitie of heart aime at our masters praise in all we vndertake Euery dull iade will follow though he will not leade the way we are but iades in Christianitie and godlinesse if we continue carelesse when so many haue gone before vs in this dutie Remember further how we pray Doe we not desire daily the hallowing of Gods name now to say it with our mouthes and not seeke it in our liues is damnable hypocrisie a sinne that God abhorres Doe we not likewise pray that Gods will may be done in earth as it is in heauen Now tell me how doe the Angels spend their time doe not they cry continually one vnto another z Isay 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory Oh take heed lest thou multipliest lies as thou multipliest praiers see that thy heart and tongue be not at variance what thou praiest for with thy lips see thou practisest in thy life Let not your workes giue your tongues the lye Againe for our further encouragement hereto consider we the benefit that comes hereby For by glorifying God we bring glory to our selues the greatest fruit thereof redounds to vs His glory is as himselfe eternall infinite and so abides in it selfe not capable of our addition to it or detraction from it As the Sunne which would shine in its owne brightnesse and glory though all the world were blinde and did wilfully shut their eies against it so God will euer be most glorious let men be neuer so obstinate or rebellious Yea God will haue glory by Reprobates though it be nothing to their ease and though he be not glorified of them yet he will glorifie himselfe in them Yet notwithstanding this he will trie how we prize his glory and how industrious we are to magnifie and exalt it wherein if he finde vs painfull he will plentifully reward it and returne glory for glory according to his promise a 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me will I honour Lastly if all that hath beene said worke not vpon vs yet let the danger that followes vpon the neglect of this dutie moue vs. How many examples are recorded in Scripture of Gods iudgements vpon such as did either derogate from God or arrogate to themselues any part of that praise which was due vnto his name Moses and Aaron yet his owne deare seruants b Numb 20.12 were debarred out of the Land of Promise because they glorified him not at the waters of strife The high-Priesthood c 1 Sam. 2.29 31. 3.13 was remoued from the house of
consonantia voluntatū quà m vocum Bernard Dauid before thou speakest For when the mouth singeth man hath musicke but when the heart sings we make God melodie that is the best Organ tune that and all is well God heares not words without it Non vox sed votum non Chordula Musica sed cor Non cantans sed amans cantat in aure Dei Not voice but will he brings no Harp but Heart prepares No songs but Loue he sings whom the Almighty heares As it must be with the heart so secondly with grace in the heart i. we must exercise the graces of Gods holy spirit in singing as well as in praying or in performing any other of Gods ordinances The disposition of the heart must be suited to the nature and qualitie of the song If it be a Psalme of praise then are our affections to be sutable our spirits must be cheerefull If of promises then must we stirre vp our faith and trust in Gods mercies If of threatnings then must our hearts be strucke with an awe and feare of Gods greatnesse If of petition then must our affections be feruent If of confession then the Soule must be humbled And this doth the Apostle meane by Grace in the heart Thus for the Manner The End is now to be considered which is 1. Gods glory 2. The edification of our selues and others First we must direct our Songs to God for singing Psalmes is a part of his worship and his glory he will not giue vnto another The Papists then are much to blame who rob God of this his right and giue it to the Virgin Mary in singing songs of praise to her And as much to blame are they who sing to their owne glory delighting most in sweet voyce cleare throat c. This is singing to our owne selues and senses not to our Makers praise Secondly in our singing our owne and others edification and profit is to be respected r 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is profitable for our instruction and whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning The booke of Psalmes then must needs be profitable for this purpose Thus edifie thy selfe by applying the matter sung to thy owne heart and examine thy selfe after the Psalme is ended what thou hast thereby profited as well as after thy hearing of the word preached Here likewise that manner of singing vsed amongst the Papists in a strange and vnknowne tongue as also that kinde of singing Psalmes wherein the words and sentences are broken and diuided which hinders the edification of the hearers is not iustifiable Thus we haue seene the rules propounded to vs What now remaines but that a watchfull care be had that they be put in practise by vs and the rather for that amongst all the exercises belonging to a Christian God is most dishonoured by this For few sing but as it may well be feared take Gods name in vaine in singing because they doe not so performe it as Gods word enioynes The more subiect then this dutie is to be performed amisse the more cause haue we of care for the right performance of it when euer we set vpon this holy exercise Text. To my well-beloued Here is the Dedication of the Prophets Poem From whose practise learne we our dutie Doctr. All our labours are to be dedicated to the Lord. viz. To consecrate all our labours vnto God Thus Moses and the children of Israel write a song and sing it ſ Exod. 15.1 vnto the Lord. And in that sweet Swan-like song which that man of God sang a little before his death t Deut. 32.3 He will publish the name of the Lord So Dauid spake vnto the Lord in that same Psalme of Thanks-giuing u 2 Sam. 22.1 which he made for Gods powerfull deliuerance of him out of the hands of all his enemies The like did Solomon Hannah Hezekiah Mary Zachary Simeon with other of Gods Saints dedicate their labours in this kinde to Gods eternall praise And so the Apostles as euidently appeares by that doxologie or forme of praise which they continually vse in their Epistles * Rom. 16.27 Ephes 3.21 1 Tim. 1.17 6.16 Iude 25. To God only wise be glory c. Vnto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus Vnto the King immortall inuisible the only wise God be honour and glory To God only wise our Sauiour be all glory c. And hereunto tend those generall exhortations x 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe doe all to the glory of God And againe y Coloss 3.17 Whatsoeuer you doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus And thus this truth is strengthned Reason Besides there is good Reason for it For the first thing in Gods intention should be the first in ours But this is the first in his He predestinated vs saith the z Ephes 1.5 6. Apostle to the praise of the glory of his grace a Prou. 16.4 He hath made all things for himselfe saith the Wise-man yea euen the wicked for the day of iudgement b Isay 43.6 7. Bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth euen euery one that is called by my name for I haue created him for my glory And againe we reade c Coloss 1.16 All things were created by him and for him Seeing then God himselfe proposeth his owne glory to himselfe for the end of all his works man should make the glory of God the end of all he doth But ah Lord God how little is thy glory thought Vse vpon How few make it the supreme end of all their labours Shouldst thou d Psal 14.2 looke downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke after thee to honour thee wouldst thou finde one amongst a thousand that did truly doe it We all can say with Saul e 1 Sam. 15.30 Honour me I pray thee before the Elders of my people when notwithstanding we turne thy glory into shame f Psal 4. louing vanitie seeking after lyes Oh that we could once be brought to learne this Vse 2. lesson That we would not suffer any part of the repute or honour of any of our acts or labours to rest vpon our owne heads but repell it forcibly from our selues and reflect it carefully vpon our Lord and Master It is the g Matth. 6.9 first grace which Christ teacheth vs to begge of God and it ought to be the chiefest ayme of our whole liues yea we should prefer it before our liues or the saluation of our soules wherefore it is made the first petition and set before the desire of daily bread and the petition that is made for remission of our sinnes Now at length then learne to prefer it before all the world and promote it by our best meanes Consider we for this end
take notice first of the poisonfull Vse 1 nature of sinne which corrupteth and altereth the nature of all things be they neuer so good so excellent making that hurtfull which in it selfe is healthfull Christ the Word the Sacraments the Creatures yea God himselfe are by it made occasions of euill Yea looke as Gods wisdome and goodnesse can draw good out of the greatest euill as out of mans fall Iudas his treason the Iewes abiection c. So mans sinne can draw euill out of the greatest good and make it hurtfull and pernitious to his soule Should wee not then hate it and abhorre it And secondly of the wretched estate of the sinner who is poisoned by sinne Needs must his condition be fearefull who brings swift damnation on himselfe not only by foule grosse sinnes but euen by the most holy things of God as the wicked doth For as m Rom. 8.28 all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose as witnesseth the Apostle So by a rule of contraries to them who are vnregenerated all things worke together for the worst They corrupt all things they defile all things Their tongues are Adders speares their lips are instruments of guile their hands worke iniquitie and their feet are swift to the shedding of bloud Their wits they abuse to cauill with their wealth to oppresse their strength to steale their friends to bolster them out in all with their knowledge they beguile and deceiue the simple and vnstable soule The Scripture they make a couer for their prophanenesse for when they be espied or reproued they will tell you they doe no more than what they can iustifie by holy warrant Their mariage they abuse for lust their children for couetousnesse the day for open euill and the night for secret shame How neere must their damnation be when euery thing doth further it Euery word euery action yea euery thought doth hasten it Oh! the misery of the wicked who in the top of their happinesse and in the midst of their store and plentie are hastening to death to Hell Vse 2 Againe let this admonish vs not to content our selues with the enioyment of things in themselues good vnlesse we haue a sanctified vse thereof And surely herein many doe delude themselues in thinking all is well and they are the blessed of the Lord in that they haue so many good things and such plenty of Gods good blessings showred downe vpon their Tabernacles when alas as we haue seene many haue as much whose n Rom. 11.10 table becomes a snare vnto them and their prosperitie their ruine Doe not then content thy selfe in the simple enioyment of things good vnlesse they be good to thee Better be as poore as Lazarus than with Diues to haue much wealth and haue no grace to vse it o Eccles 7.11 Wisdome is good saith wise King Solomon with an inheritance but an inheritance without wisdome is passing hurtfull Vse 3 Lastly learne that the meanes which God affordeth for mans good shall neuer returne in vaine for if they further not mans saluation they will hasten his destruction and confusion If wee will not be the better for his mercies we shall be a great deale worse Some effect will follow thereupon if they produce not sweet grapes they will sowre For p Esay 55.10 11. as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto the eater So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it saith the Lord The preaching of Gods word and all other of his ordinances is such physicke as will either cure or kill none euer heard the one or vsed the other but was thereby made either much better or much worse they became either more barren or more fruitfull The Word in Scripture is called q Hebr. 4.12 a two edged sword that cuts both waies it is either a conuerting or a conuincing power A sauour it hath to all either of death or life And looke as fire hath a double operation vpon the seuerall subiects it workes vpon it fires stubble but refines the gold So hath the Word some hearts as we haue heard it enflames with zeale and loue vnto it other hearts it sets on fire to persecute and molest it and the bringers of it At one Sermon r Act. 13.7 8. Sergius Paulus was conuerted and Elimas obdurated at another Sermon Å¿ Act. 17.4 5. some beleeued and some beleeued not And vpon our Sauiours preaching we may reade how t Iohn 6.66 some went backe and walked no more with him but others stuck more fast close vnto him knowing full well that he had the u Verse 68. words of eternall life and therefore whither should they goe Thus is it to conuersion if beleeued to confusion if despised How should this stirre vs vp to a zealous preparation before wee come to the house of God Wee returne not to our owne homes as we came from thence but wee are one step neerer to heauen or to hell Oh! what a griefe and heart-breake will it be vnto thee at the last day to see many who haue heard the Word with thee beene of the same Parish vnder the same Ministery sate in the same stoole to be receiued into heauen because they beleeued and repented and thou thy selfe thrust downe to hell for thy infidelitie and hard-heartednesse Looke therfore well about thee and regard the means * Exod. 4.3 When Moses threw the Rod out of his hand it became a Serpent but when he laid hold of it and tooke it to him it became that Rod wherewith he wrought those many and mighty miracles Thus if thou castest the word thou hearest from thee looke to finde it as a Serpent that will sting thee to the heart but lay hold of it and take it vp obey it and apply it and thou shalt haue the great worke of thy saluation wrought thereby Before we leaue this verse one thing more I would haue obserued The fruit that it brought forth is said to be wilde fruit The word as was before noted signifieth x Baaschim Vuas putridas seu foetidas Moller in loc Acerbas ac insuaues Vatab. such a kind of fruit which in smell is most odious and stinking and in taste most loathsome and vnsauourie And this teacheth vs thus much Doctr. The fruit of disobedience is a wilde and stinking fruit The fruit of disobedience and sinne is a stinking and vnsauourie fruit It is such a fruit as is odious and vnsauoury in Gods nostrils bitter and vnpleasant to his taste Moses in his last song speaking of the wicked and vngodly enemies of the
will take no warning Hee need not to giue thee any warning of his iudgements thou gauest him no warning of thy sinnes no respit yet that God might approue his mercies to thee he giues thee warning and respit of repenting How loth art thou oh blessed God to strike that threats before He that delights in reuenge surprises his aduersarie whereas he that giues warning desires to be preuented Were we not wilfull what need wee euer feele smart Oh that this might teach vs wisdome to see the euill Vse 2 and flie from it which that we may the better doe Diuers waies God forewarneth vs of vengeance 1. By the ministery of his seruants let vs diligently obserue the vsual waies whereby the Lord premonisheth and they are sundrie As first By the ministerie of his seruants the Prophets whereby he foretelleth when wrath is readie to fall vpon vs for our sinnes By them he foretold t 2 Chron. 36.15 16. the Israelites of the King of the Caldeans comming vp against them whom they laughed to scorne and contemned and by them Ierusalem was fore-warned as was before noted Their threatnings therefore and menaces should not bee lightly despised but feared not passed ouer but preuented not derided but applied to our consciences For though they die u Zach. 1.5 yet Gods word shall liue and his iudgements they denounced seize vpon vs except we die to sinne 2. By signes in the heauens 2 By signes and wonders of which sort was that Earthquake which happened * Amos 1.1 Zach. 14.5 in Vzziahs daies in the whole Countrey And those strange apparitions seene in the heauens a little before the destruction of Ierusalem as that Blazing starre like a sword which hung ouer the Citie a whole yeeres space Horses and Chariots with armed troopes of men seene in the aire the Eclipse of the Moone for twelue nights together with many other wonders Ieseph de Bell. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 12. whereof Iosephus hath at large written as that voice heard in the Temple the night before the Feast of Pentecost Let vs depart from hence And the constant crying of one about the walles for a long space Woe Matth. 24.32 woe woe to Ierusalem and the like And thus doth God forewarne vs of the end of the world as our blessed Sauiour sheweth 3. By lesser iudgements 3 By lesser and lighter iudgements by gentle and fatherly corrections that by them we may be brought to turne vnto him and so escape further vengeance Thus were the Israelites often warned from the Lord sometimes x Amos 4.8 he smote them with Blastings and Mildewes and at other times by giuing their Gardens Vineyards Fig-trees and Oliue-trees to the Palmer-worme to deuoure and when these warnings would not serue then he sent amongst them the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt and slew their young men with the sword and tooke away their horses c. And when nothing would serue he ouerthrew them as he ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrah And so our Sauiour hauing foretold many euils that should come vpon Ierusalem for their contempt of the Gospell and refusing of grace offered addeth y Matth. 24.6.8 All these are but the beginnings of sorrowes the end is not yet There were more in number and greater in weight to follow after these Thus lesser iudgements are as it were the prints of Gods foot whereby we may trace him if he be come out against vs. 4 By the death of the godly 4. By the death of the godly and such as feare his name are future iudgements forewarned especially if they be such as are great and eminent whether in Church or Common-wealth If these be taken away it is a fearefull signe that some grieuous iudgement will ouertake the remnant of the people This is that wherof our Prophet Esay speaketh z Isay 3.1 2 3. Behold the Lord the Lord of hosts doth take away from Ierusalem the mightie man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet and the prudent and the ancient The Captains of fiftie and the honourable man and the Counsellor c. And elsewhere thus a Cap. 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to his heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the euill to come Thus was that good King Iosiah dealt withall b 2 King 22.20 not long after whose death followed the Captiuitie of Babel In that graue wherein he was interred the libertie glory and peace of Iewrie lay also buried And so Luther after whose death presently followed that miserable calamitie vpon Germany which hee had often foretold would come vpon them for their contempt of the Word and which he desired he might neuer liue to see as Caluin obserues in his Comment vpon that place of Isay last quoted Cap. 57.1 These are some wayes whereby the Lord fore-warneth vs that euill is at hand and therefore it behoueth vs when by any of these he premonisheth vs of danger nigh we c Amos 4. prepare to meet him and preuent it And surely if euer there was cause then now there is why we should humble our selues before him in sackcloth and ashes for who can be ignorant of the many warnings we haue had in each particular kinde The Turtles of this Land haue groaned out the sad tunes of woe and misery God hath so guided the hearts and tongues of his Ministers as that they all euen as one man doe constantly crie out with that Iesus the sonne of Anani a little before the destruction of Ierusalem Woe to England and to the inhabitants thereof by reason of such outragious wickednesse as euery where aboundeth which thing is not lightly to be passed by but deserues pondering on For certainly if wee be not perswaded to feare their threatnings we shall in the end be constrained to feele them whether wee will or no. Besides what strange signes and wonders and what varietie of them haue we lately seene both in the heauens and vpon the earth What wonderfull and mightie tempests fearefull thundring and lightning hath lately happened This present yeere 1622. on August 19. whereby much hurt hath beene done at Sea many ships and barkes cast away and that in the safest Rodes and Harbours of this land As appeares in that relation of the tempest which hapned in Deuon the yeere and moneth aforesaid which is in Print besides the almost incredible hurt done by land throughout this Kingdome the violence of the winde thunder and lightning being such as that in many places West-ward whole fields of Corne haue beene blasted stackes of Corne scorched and here with vs the Corne hath beene so dispersed and scattered as if it had beene sowen againe and so beaten out of the eares as if it had beene threshed on the floore so that with the Mildew and blasting which was sent vpon our Corne in generall before our haruest
Reason And no wonder for God respecteth truth in the inward parts and not outward titles he regardeth substance more than shadowes Vse This being so let none content themselues with their good names or outward titles of honour that are giuen them but let them vse them as a spurre to stirre them vp to imitate such good men as haue beene before so named and surely this was one reason why this people were thus called by the name of Israel that they might hereby be put in minde of their pedegree and so of their predecessors pietie and consequently to make them ashamed of their owne apostacie who were so far degenerated from those religious men of whom they were descended Neither content thy selfe with that honorable title of a Christian or of a Professor or of a Protestant vnlesse thou makest good those names by a holy and godly life Tell me then thou that art thus called hast thou those gifts and graces which those names import hast thou receiued an ointment from that holy one hath he opened thy eies quickened thy dead heart sanctified thy vncleane affections If it be thus then indeed these names and titles are well befitting thee but if it be otherwise with thee if thou liuest loosely and prophanely thou maist blush so often as thou hearest thy selfe called Christian or Professor or the like for thou art nick-named and miscalled It is as if a Cobler should be called worshipfull or a Carr-man honourable and who could away with that Nay more it is a kinde of sacriledge vnder those holy names to liue an vnholy life Belshazzar sinned against God by excesse and intemperancie in his eating and drinking but in that he abused the holy vessels of the house of God to serue him to such prophane and vnholy vses was a sinne more fearefull and sacriledge most horrible Thus for thee as thou art a man to sinne prouokes Gods wrath and deserues damnation but to sinne vnder the Christian name and commit wickednesse as thou art a Gospeller it is with Belshazzar to abuse and prophane the holy vessels of Gods house and this must needs plunge thee into the hottest fire of hell Mountaignes Essaies To conclude this vse let me tell you what I haue read of a libidinous Gentleman who sporting with a Curtezan in a house of sinne happened to aske her name which she said was Mary whereat he was stricken with such a remorse and reuerence that he instantly not only cast off the harlot but amended his future life Art thou called a Christian and yet followest drunkennesse swearing c. let that very name cause thee to be ashamed of thy folly Let all apply what I forbeare to amplifie Further in that these people haue these titles Israel Iudah the names of their forefathers giuen them as titles of honour and names of excellency we learne a third lesson And obserue another note viz. Good Parents and Progenitors are great ornaments to their posteritie Doctr. Good Parents are ornaments to their posteritie Parents that are godly and religious doe no whit at all disgrace their children by their pietie and godlinesse but much countenance and grace them by it insomuch that it is an honour for posteritie to descend from such worthie Ancestors Solomons Prouerbe may be a sufficient proofe hereof r Pro. 17.6 Childrens children are the crowne of the elders and the glory of the children are their fathers to wit if they be godly and pious Besides sundrie instances and examples that might be brought for the confirming of this truth as of Abraham what an honourable title was it accounted to be called the son of Abraham and childe of Abraham The Iewes brag and boast therefore Å¿ Iohn 8.33 Matth. 3.9 They were Abrahams seed and they had Abraham to their Father And so it was indeed to them that walked in his steps and were like him in grace And so afterwards in Dauid what an excellent prerogatiue was it accounted to be to descend from him and be of his Family Reas For such are the seed of Princes and linage of Kings for thus hath God aduanced the godly to be t Reuel 1.6 Kings Priests and Prophets vnto himselfe they come of the noblest House and Family that is whose originall commeth not out of some corner of the earth but they spring of Christ of whom all the Families in heauen and earth are called And this is right and proper Nobilitie indeed Vse 1 This being so it first reproueth such Parents as hope to bring credit and renowne to their posterities by their lewd and sinfull courses they liue miserably and deale vniustly and open the mouths of all to crie out vpon their falshood and deceit their couetousnesse and extortion and yet thinke to raise vp their houses and aduance their names and adorne their children with glorie and estimation But this truth may discouer vnto such parents their folly and great madnesse for this is not the way to bring credit but disgrace to their posterities yea when they are dead and rotten their euill courses will be cast as dung in the faces of such as they leaue behinde as experience makes good Such a man saith one was this childes father What that Vsurer that Worldling that Extortioner that Drunkard that Whore-master saith another How can thy childe stand by and heare this without red cheekes it must needs be matter of shame and griefe vnto him First step to Heauen 42. Wouldst thou indeed be an ornament to thy childe and childs childe after thee then see thou be righteous and religious and so thy name shal be remembred in them when thou art dead Oh what a credit is it now accounted to be of the posteritie of Latimer Bradford Ridley and other of those men of God who suffered for the truth How are such esteemed and accounted of amongst all Let experience make thee wise and so liue thou that thy children also may account it their honour not their shame to name thee when thou art raked vp in the dust Secondly let Children who haue had or haue godly Vse 2 and religious parents be thankfull for them and repose their Gentry more in their forefathers vertues that they had than in their great lands and reuenewes that they possessed esteeming them the worthiest of all their Ancestors who were the godliest rather than they who were the wealthiest And withall let such be stirred vp to tread in their fathers steps for all that hath beene said is with this prouiso that we their children be adorned with their gifts and vertues For though wee descend from godly and worthy Ancestors yet if wee u Ezek. 18.10.13 degenerate from them as a base and bastard brood it can be no honour credit comfort nor commendation to vs. Put case a man haue a thousand pound land a yeere left him by his friends and he spend it all like the Prodigall * Luke 15. in riotous and voluptuous