nor put their trust in it I would wish them to listen to the words of S. Austine in his Enarration vpon the 33 Psalme Ad Dominum omnes In Deo omnes Get yee all to the Lord trust yee all in God Spes tua Deus sit foâ—titudo tua Deus sit firmitas tua Deus sit exeratio tua ipse si laus tua ipse sit finis in quo requiescas ipse sit adiutorium cûm laboras ipse sit Let God be thy hope let him be thy fortitude let him be thy strength let him be thy reconcilâ—mâ—nt let him be thy praise let him be thy end wherein thou maist pleasure and solace thy selfe let him be thy refuge in time of trouble Ad Dominum omnes in Deo omnes Get yee all to God rest ye all in God Trust not in thy self nor in thine owne strength But thou wouldst still be reputed for strong and valiant Wouldest thou so Then be thou so but take this for thy character Thou strong and valiant man be thou the master of thy selfe subdue thy passions to reason and by this inward victorie worke thou thine owne peace Be thou afraid of nothing but of the displeasure of the Almighty and runne away from nothing but from sinne Looke not on thy hands but thy cause not how strong thou art but how innocent Let goodnesse euer be thy warrant and I assure thee though thou maist be ouer-mastered yet shalt thou neuer be foyled For Deus fortitudo tua God will be thy strength Thus haue you heard in briefe of the second miserie here foretold to betide the Israelites that the strong should not strengthen his force The third is Neither shall the mighty deliuer himselfe THE mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibbor Hee that excelleth in strength in strength not of bodie onely but of minde too This stout and douty man is called by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of armes a fighter a warriour such a one as hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Cyrill speaketh and is skilfull in militarie affaires This man for all his skill strength and valour shall not deliuer himselfe Himselfe The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naphscho his soule or life His soule that is his life Well For what is life but as the Philosopher defineth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the composition and colligation of the soule to the bodie The soule for life It is often so put in holy Scripture As 1. King 19.4 Elias in the wildernes requesting for himselfe that he might dye said It is enough now O Lord take away my soule from me My soule he meant his life So Ionas chap. 4.3 O Lord Take away my soule from me That by his soule he meant his life it is plaine for he addeth It is better for me to dye then to liue Satan Iob 2.4 thus saith vnto the Lord Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he giue for his soule For his soule that is for his life and so the Greeke Scholia vpon the first of S. Iames doe expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soule is also called life as in these words All that a man hath will he giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his soule or life God telleth the rich man in the Gospell who was talking of larger buildings when the building within him was neere pulling downe and thought he had goods enough for his soule to delight in when he had not soule enough to delight in his goods Thou foole this night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this night doe they require and redemaund thy soule of thee Luk. 12.10 Thy soule that is thy life for the meaning is this night thou must dye S. Austine in his second Booke concerning Christ his Sermon vpon the Mount vpon these words Nonne anima plus est quà m esca Is not the soule more then meat saith Animâ— hoc loco pro istâ vita positaÌ„ noverimus know we that the soule in this place is put for this life whose retinacle or stay is the corporall sustenance we daily take According to this signification is that also spoken Ioh. 12.25 Qui amat animam suam perdet illam he that loueth his soule shall loose it In each place the soule is put for life and accordingly is it rendered in our newest English in the one place Is not the life more then meate in the other He that loueth his life shall loose it As in these now-cited places and a 〈◊〉 31.13 Act. 20 24. in 〈◊〉 c. many other Anima pro Vitâ the soule is put for the life so is it in my text The mighty shall not deliuer his soule that is his life The meaning is He shall not saue his life he shall not saue himselfe The doctrine to be taken from hence is this No man can be priuiledged by his might against the Lord. No man can The Wiseman affirmeth it Eccles 9.11 There is no battell to the strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laggibborim to the mighty to the man of armes there is no battell no victorie in battell The Psalmist speaks it plainely Psal 33.16 A mighty man is not deliuered by much strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibbor a mighty man is not deliuered from the danger and power of his enemies by much or great strength of himselfe or others for him This mighty man in the Vulgar Latin is stiled a Giant Gigas non saluabitur in multitudine virtutis suae A Giant shall not be safe in the multitude of his strength Little Dauid but a b 1. Sam. 17.42 youth without c vers 39. armour only with d vers 50. a sling and a stone slew the Philistim great Goliah It is true No man is priuiledged by his might against the Lord. The reason hereof is that 1. Sam. 2.2 Non est fortis sicut Deus noster There is none strong like our God None so mighty none so potent as our God Men of this world may seeme to be mighty and of great power but our God in Heauen is mightier and doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him euen vpon the mighty here on the Earth From hence may the mighty man take instruction the instruction that is giuen him Ierem. 9.23 Let not the mighty man glory in his might But if he will needs glory let him glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth the Lord. Vpon this Lord the Lord of Heauen and Earth e Iudeth 9.12 creator of the waters and King of euery creature let vs wholy depend being well assured that none of these outward things agilitie of bodie strength might or the like can be any way avayleable to vs if Gods speciall blessing be not vpon them Thus much of the third miserie here foretold to betide the Israelites which hath ended the fourteenth verse The fourth followeth and is expressed in the first branch of the fifteenth verse these words Neither shall he stand that handleth the
vpon vs. All and euery of these true Christians will patiently vndergoe For they with their sharp-sighted eie of faith doe clearely see the Hand of God in euery of their molestations and in great contentment they take vp the words of patient Iob Chap. 2.10 Shall wee receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Here let euery afflicted soule examine it selfe how it is affected with the affliction vnder which it groaneth If you esteeme of your afflictions as of God his fatherly chastisements and so endure them blessed are ye Of this blessednesse Saint Iames Chap. 1.12 doth assure you Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Againe is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A second vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that we labour aboue all things to obtaine Gods fauour and to abide in it so shall we be safe from the feare of euill Now for the obtaining of Gods fauour we must doe foure things We must 1. Humble our selues before God 2. Beleeue in Christ 3. Repent of our sinnes 4. Performe new obedience vnto God The time will not suffer me to enlarge these points Humiliation faith in Christ repentance and a new life these foure will be vnto you as Iacobs ladder was vnto the Angels Of that ladder you may reade Gen. 28.12 that it stood vpon the earth the top of it did reach to heauen and the Angells of God went vp it So may you by these foure Humiliation Faith Repentance and Newnesse of life as it were by so many steps and rounds of a ladder climbe vp to heauen Here you haue no continuing Citie you are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth your countrey is aboue the Celestiall Ierusalem there let your hearts be As for the afflictions vexations tribulation miseries and crosses wherewith this mortall life of yours is seasoned let them be your ioy They are sure pledges of Gods loue vnto you Euen so saith the Spirit Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth Thirdly is it true Is there no safe being in citie or countrie from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A third vse of this doctrine is for the terrour of such as lie wallowing in the filthinesse of their sins Many there are wicked wretches who if God shall for a time deferre the punishments due vnto their sinnes are ready to thinke that God takes no notice of their sinnes These say in their heart there is no God Against these is made that challenge Psal 50.21 I hold my tongue and thâ—u thoughtest me like thy selfe I the Lord who see the secrets of all hearts I hold my tongue I did not by my iudgements punish thee for the wickednesse of thy steps I hold my tongue and thou thoughtest me like thy selfe thou thoughtest I tooke pleasure in wickednesse as thou doest but thou shalt finde and feele the contrary Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies and long suffering of God thereby they grow worse and worse obdurate and hardned in their sinnes Yet let them be aduised for they day will come and it comes apace wherein they shall feele the heauinesse of that hand which here was turned against Ekron I will turne my hand to Ekron It followeth And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish The Philistines had their beginning from Casluchim a grand-childe of Chane the accursed issue of Noah as appeareth Gen. 10.14 They were seated in a part of the Land of Canaan the west part that which bordereth vpon the great Sea the Sea commonly called the Mediterranean Their Country was called by Ptolemee and others Palaestina and by the Greeks Phoenicia It was a part of that countrey which once was called Terra promissionis the Land of promise but now Terra Sancta the Holy Land The inhabitants in our Prophets time were professed enemies to Almighty God and his beloued Israel They thought themselues safe from ruine through the strength of their fiue Dukedomes Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon Gath and Ekron But vaine and foolish are the thoughts which possesse the wicked When the God of all truth shall giue his word for a matter shal man presume to doubt of the euent Here God sets his word vpon it that there shall be an vtter ouerthrow not onely of Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon and Ekron but of Gath also and all the villages belonging thereunto for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God Ait Dominus Iehouth saith the Lord God This is the conclusion of this prophecie and it redoubleth its authoritie and credit Authoritie and credit sufficient it hath from its very front verse 6. Thus saith the Lord it is here redoubled saith the Lord God Saith the Lord God hath the Lord God said it and r 〈◊〉 23 19. shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouâ—h the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lye not as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea and Amen Å¿ Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Dominus Iehouth the Lord hath said it that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish Out of doubt then must it come to passe And so is it The first blow which the Philistines receiued towards their ouerthrow after this prophecie was giuen them aboue three-score yeares after by Ezechius that good King of Iudah of whom the Prophet Esay Chap. 14.29 foretelleth the Philistines that he should be vnto them as a Cockatrice and a fiery â—â—ring Serpent This Ezechius smote the Philistines vnto Azzah and the coasts thereof from the watch-tower vnto the defensed Citie This is plaine 2 King 18.8 A second blow was giuen by Tartan one of the Captaines of Sennacherib or Sargon King of Assyria who came vp against Ashdod and tooke it This is plaine Esay 20.1 A third blow was giuen them by Pharaoh Neco and hee smote Azzah Ashkelon and other places This is it which the Prophet Ieremy saith Chap. 47.5 Baldnesse is come vpon Azzah Ashkelon is cut vp with the rest of their valleys In a word God hath from time to time raised vp his men of war in due time to extirpate and raze out the Philistines from the face of the earth that according to the tenour of this Prophecy there might be no remnant of them The remnant of the Philistines shall perish Here may we obserue a difference in Gods punishments he punisheth the reprobate and he punisheth his elect but differently the reprobate to their vtter excision and extirpation not so the elect For of them there is vpon the
not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue ye him not outwardly in shew only but inwardly in heart in deed in truth Loue him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate but in his greatest need and be ye assured that the speciall loue and fauour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that doe reioyce God saith Ecclesiasticus Chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a man and his wife agreeing together The first which is the vnity of brethren according to my former construction compriseth the other two All Christians are brethren in Christ a neighbour to a neighbour a husband to his wife a wife to her husband For as I said in Christ there is no difference of sex there is neither male nor female all are brethren in Christ and therefore that neighbour that loueth not his neighbour the husband that is at ods with his wife the wife that agreeth not with her husband they are guilty of the breach of brotherly loue That exhortation made by S. Paul to the Romans Chap. 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be yee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue I conclude this point with the same Apostles words 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the first branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded thereupon The doctrine was It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues It was grounded vpon these words He did pursue his brother with the sword It followeth And did cast off all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneua translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reades it otherwise Hee destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it Et violauerit vterū and violated or abused the mothers wombe both doe allude to the Greeke edition of the Septuagent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did violate the mothers wombe which reading may haue reference to the natiuity of Iacob and Esau borne at one birth of their mother Rebekah And then the meaning is that the Edomites Esau's posterity neglecting that bond and knot of brotherhood and consanguinity did exercise rigour and cruelty against the Israelites Iacobs posterity or it may haue reference to a sauage and outragious cruelty as if the Edomites were here noted for ripping vp mothers wombes or women with childe in Israel That such cruelty was vsed by the Ammonites it is plaine by the 13. verse of this Chapter But this Text in the originall doth not fasten this blame vpon the Edomites and I loue not to force my Text. I will not trouble you with other expositions The originall is He did corrupt his compassions The sense and meaning is well rendred and deliuered in our receiued English Bibles He did east off all pity Is Edom here condemned for corrupting his compassions for casting off all pitie The lesson hence to bee commended to your Christian considerations is this Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God I could bring you many places out of holy Writ for the confirmation of this doctrine But two only or three and they but touched shall serue for this present In Iob 6.14 the vnmercifull are noted to haue forsaken the feare of the Almighty In Rom. 1.31 among such as God hath giuen vp to a reprobate minde to commit things worthy of death the vnmercifull are named In Iames 2.13 a punishment is denounced to the vnmercifull There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy These few Texts of Scripture doe plentifully establish my doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God If any will aske me What is this vnmercifulnesse whereof I now speake my answer shall be out of the learned Out of o Apud A shia 22. qu. 118.8.3 Isidore that it is one of the nine daughters of couetousnesse Out of p 22. qu. 159.1.2.2 Aquinas that it is the withholding of a deed of charity and an q 22. qu. 118.8.3 obduration or the hardning of the heart against mercy Out of r Comment in hunc locum Mercer that it is a breach of natures law and an abolishing of all kindnesse And so I come to make some vse of this doctrine The vse is to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity and mercy I will not now make any long declamation against inhumanity and vnmercifulnesse yet my Text requireth that I speake somewhat to it There was a time when righteousnesse seemed to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to be void of it It was in the daies of the Prophet Esay He then cryed out Chap. 45.8 O ye heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse The time is now when loue seemeth to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to bee void of it Now may we cry out O ye Heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe loue that the vncourteous and churlish Nabals of this present generation may now at length know that they are not borne for themselues only but for their poore neighbours also Your poore neighbours who stand in need of you by very prerogatiue of mankinde haue an interest in your succour and seruice But it may be that some are so farre from all humanity that this prerogatiue of mankind will not moue them to doe any worke of charity Such hard hearts let them heare what the Law is Deut. 15.7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need I know flesh and bloud will oblect Shall I lend my neighbour sufficient for his need So may I soone exhaust my substance and liue in want my selfe I reply O thou of little saith why fearest thou Looke backe vpon the blessing of God rely vpon it he through his benediction will make thee large recompence Of this thou maist be assured if thou wilt haue recourse to the fore-cited Chapter Deut. 15.10 There art thou infallibly promised for thy almes deeds done to the needy that the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou putiest thine hand to My exhortation is no other than that of the Prophet Esay Chap. 58 7. Deale thy bread to the hungry bring the poore
Let vs rather make our humble conâ—ession with King Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. that the Most High liueth for euer that his power is an euerlasting power and his Kingdome from generation to generation that all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing to him that according to his will he worketh in the armie of Heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou None can stay his hand This is it which before I noted namely that It is neither care nor policie that can stay Gods reuengefull hand when hee bringeth fire in it as here it is threatned vnto Rabbah I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah Thus farre by occasion of my first Doctrine which was It is not the greatnes of a citie that can be a safeguard vnto it if Gods vnappeasable wrath breake out against it for its sins And it was grounded vpon these words I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah It is further added of this fire that it shall deuoure the palaces of Râ—bbah Which branch repeated in each of the precedent prophecies as vers 4 7 10 12. hath formerly yeelded vs this Doctrine God depriueth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses This truth is experimentally made good vnto vs by the great commoditie or contentment that commeth to euerie one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse whereof is to teach vs 1. To be humbled before Almightie God whensoeuer it shall please him by water by fire by wind by lightning by thunder by earthquakes or otherwise to ouerthrow our dwelling houses 2. Since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To render all hearty thankes vnto Almighty God for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling-houses Thus farre of the commination or denuntiation of iudgement as it is set downe in generall The speciall circumstances whereby it is further notified or illustrated doe concerne partly the punishment and partly the punished Concerning the punishment it is full of terrour and speedy First full of terrour in these words With shouting in the day of battell With shouting in classico saith Brentius cum clangore saith Drusius that is with the sound or noise of Trumpets The Septuagint doe reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latine in vlulatu Mercer cum vociferatione Gualter cum clamore Caluin cum clamore vel Iubilo that is with a cry with a great cry with a vociferation with a shout such as souldiers doe make when on a sudden they surprise a Citie In the day of battell in die belli The like phrase we haue Psal 78.9 where it is said of the children of Ephraim that being armed and shooting with the bow they turned backe in die belli in the day of battell Dauid confesseth Psal 140.7 O Lord God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my head in die belli in the day of battell Salomon saith Prou. 21.31 The horse is prepared in diem belli against the day of battell So here the Lord threatneth against Rabbah a shouting mâ—â—ie belli in the day of battell This day of battell is that day of warre and time of trouble mentioned by Iob chap. 38.23 We see now the purpose of our Prophet in vsing these words With shouting in the day of battell It is to proclaime warre against Rabbah the chiefe citie of the Ammonites and consâ—quently against their whole kingdome This proclamation is more plainly deliuered Ierem. 49.2 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will cause a noise of warre to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire From this proclamation of warre made by our Prophet Amos as in the Lords owne words saying I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell wee may take this lesson God sendeth warre vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people For proofe of this truth let vs looke into the word of truth In the 26. of Leuit. vers 25. thus saith the Lord vnto Israel If yee walke stubbornly against me and will not obey me then I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant And Ierem. 5.15 vnto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord Loe I will bring a Nation vpon you from farre You heare the Lord speaking in his owne person I will send I will bring as here I will kindle Will you any other witnesse Then heare what Moses telleth the Israelites Deut. 28.49 The Lord shall bring a nation vpon you from farre from the end of the world flying as an Eagle a nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand a nation of a fierce countenance which will not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion on the young the same shall eat the fruit of thy cattell and the fruit of thy land vntill thou be destroyed and he shall leaue thee neither wheat nor wine nor oile nor the increase of thy kine nor the flockes of thy sheepe vntill he haue brought thee to nought By this speech of Moses we plainly see that warre and all the euills of warre are from the Lord that warre is r Cominaeus Hist lib. 1. cap. 3. one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements and that it is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people as my doctrine goeth Let vs now make some vse of it Is it true beloued Doth God send warre vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people How then can we looke that the happy peace which we now enioy should be continued among vs sith by our daily sinning wee prouoke Almightie God vnto displeasure Let the consideration hereof lead vs to repentance Repentance the gift of God the ioy of Angels the salue of sinnes the hauen of sinners let vs possesse it in our hearts The Angels of heauen need it not because they sinne not the Deuills in Hell care not for it for their iudgement is sealed It only appertaineth to the sonnes of men and therefore let vs the sons of men possesse it in our hearts that is let vs truly and vnfainedly forsake our old sinnes and turne vnto the Lord our God so shall this blessed peace and all other good things be continued among vs. But if we will persist in our euill wayes not regarding what the Lord shall speake vnto vs either in his holy Word or by his faithfull Ministers we may expect the portion of these Ammonites that God should kindle a fire in our Rabbahs our best fenced cities which shall deuoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the dâ—y of battell Thus much of the terrour of this iudgement Now followeth the speed in the next circumstance With a tempest in the day of the whirle-wind Suiting hereto
betweene God and man that Peace which Christ hath procured vs by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 In which respect he is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 For in him hath God reconciled vs vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.18 Secondly they preach Peace betweene man and man They exhort you with the Apostle Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you haue peace with all men and 2. Cor. 13.11 Be of one minde liue in Peace Liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you Thirdly they preach peace betweene man and himselfe betweene man and his owne conscience It is that Peace whereof we read Psal 119.165 Great Peace haue they which loue thy Law O Lord and nothing shall offend them they shall haue no stumbling blocke laid in their wayes though outwardly they be assaulted by aduersitie crosses and troubles yet within they are quiet they haue the Peace of conscience they are at Peace with themselues From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospell of Christ the Gospell of Christ may well be called the doctrine of Peace Thirdly it is the doctrine of good things The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of good things Of good things The name of Gospell in the Greeke tongue imports as much The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth a good message that is a happy and a ioyfull message of good things What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you call the Gospell but a celestiall doctrine which God first reuealed in Paradice afterward published by the Patriarches and Prophets shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Sonne God who is onely good yea is goodnes it selfe is the author of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell must needs bring with it a message of good things The message it bringeth is this that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Christ the only begotten Sonne of God our Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised and preached to all that truly beleeue in him perfect deliuerance from sinne death and the euerlasting curse Could there be any more happy or welcom tidings to mankinde then this was Out of doubt the Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of good things Fourthly it is the doctrine of the Kingdome The Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdome It s so called Luk. 4.43 where Christ saith of himselfe I must preach the kingdome of God to other Cities also So is it Mark 1.14 there the Euangelist saith of Christ that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee This Kingdome is twofold of Grace and of Glory of Grace here on earth and of glory hereafter in Heauen Of grace here here Christ reigneth in the soules of the faithfull by his word and holy Spirit Of glory hereafter when Christ shall haue deliuered vp the Kingdome to God the Father as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 15.24 If so it be if the Gospell of Christ be the word of Saluation if it be the doctrine of Peace of Peace betweene God and man betweene man and man betweene man and himselfe if it be the doctrine of good things of our deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law if it be the doctrine of the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the Kingdome of glory then must it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospell do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value And such is my doctrine The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value The vse hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospell and their auditors First the Ministers of the Gospell They may here be put in minde of their dutie which is willingly and cheerefully to preach the Gospell This their dutie may be called a debt S. Paul calls it so Rom. 1.14 15. I am debtor both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome S. Paul you see acknowledgeth a debt and makes a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby he was made a debter was his Apostolicall calling his debt was to preach the Gospell the persons to whom he was indebted were Greekes and Barbarians the wise and the vnwise His good conscience to discharge his debt appeareth in his readinesse to doe it I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell S. Paul may be vnto vs a patterne of imitation We also must acknowledge a debt and must make a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby we are made debtors is our ministeriall calling Our debt is to preach the Gospell The persons to whom we are indebted are our owne flocke our owne people the people ouer whom the Lord hath made vs ouer-seers Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appeare in our readinesse to doe it I and euery other minister of the Gospell must say as S. Paul doth I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell to you So farre forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge I am ready to preach the Gospell to you Nothing hath hitherto or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt but onely the impediments which the Lord obiecteth Secondly the vse of my doctrine concerneth you who are the hearers of the word You also may here be put in minde of your dutie which is patiently and attentiuely to heare the word preached Of your readinesse in this behalfe I should not doubt if you would but remember what an vnvaluable treasure it is which we bring vnto you Is it not the word of Saluation the Saluation of your soules Is it not your peace inward and outward your peace with God your peace with man your peace with your owne consciences Is it not the doctrine of good things your deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law Is it not the publication of the Kingdome of God his kingdome of graâ—e wherein you now may liue tha hereafter you may liue in the Kingdome of glory Is it not euen thus Can it be denyed Beloued in the Lord the Lord who raised vp vnto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazarites he raiseth vp vnto you of your sonnes Ministers Prophets and Teachers and of your yong men such as may be trayned vp and fitted in the Scholes of the Prophets in our Naioths in our Vniuersities for a present supply when God shall be pleased to remoue from you those which haue laboured among you and are ouer you in the Lord. It s an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the
a Prophet or a Priest the Priest Exod. 28.30 that hath in the brest-plate of iudgemement the Vrim and the Thummim Againe God speaketh vnto men by a voice either sensible or spirituall if with a sensiblâ— voice then he striketh the outward eares if with a spirituall then the inward as well the left eare which is the Phantasie as the right which is the Vnderstanding Thirdly God speaketh vnto men either sleeping or waking So Serarius Quaest 1. in cap. 1. Ioshuae What the ancient Fathers haue thought of this point touching God his speaking vnto man I haue long since deliuered out of this place in my third Lecture vpon the first Chapter of this Prophecie What was Saint Basils opinion what Saint Augustines what Saint Gregories you then heard Later Writers haue reduced all the speakings of God to two heads Deeds and Words Christophorus à Castro vpon the first of Zachary Et factis loquitur Deus verbis God speaketh both by Deeds and by words Franciscus Ribera vpon the same Chapter Deus ita rebus vt verbis loquitur God speaketh as well by things as by words A learned and a very orthodox Diuine Dauid Pareus in his Commentary vpon Genesis at the third Chapter well liking of Saint Gregories opinion thus resolueth vpon the point God speaketh either by himselfe or by some Angelicall creature By himselfe God speaketh when by the sole force of internall inspiration the heart is opened or God speaketh by himselfe when the heart is taught concerning the word of God without words or syllables This speech of God is sine strepitu sermo a speech without any noise It pierceth our eares and yet hath no sound Such was the speech of God vnto the Apostles at what time they were filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.2 Suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it fillâ—d all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it suâ—e vpon each of them Per ignem quidem Dominus apparuit sed persemet ipsum locutionem interius fecit By the fire indeed God appeared but by himselfe he spake in secret within to the heart of the Apostles Neither was that fire God nor was that sound God but God by those outward things the fire and the sound Expressit hoc quod interiùs gessit hee shewed what he did within and that he spake to the heart Those outward things the fire and the sound were only for signification to shew that the Apostles hearts were taught by an inuisible fire and a voice without a sound Foris fuit ignis qui apparuit sed intùs qui scientiam dedit the fire that appear'd was without but the fire that gaue them knowledge was within So may you iudge of the sound the sound that was heard was without but the sound that smote their hearts was within So Gods speech is a speech to the heart without words without a sound Such was that speech to Philip Act. 8.29 Goe neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder Chariot It was the Spirit said so to Philip Bede expounds it of inward speech In corde spiritus Philippo loquebatur The Spirit said to Philip in his heart The Spirit of God may then be said to speake vnto vs when by a secret or hidden power it intimateth vnto our hearts what we are to doe The Spirit said vnto Philip that is Philip was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to draw neere and ioyne himselfe to the Chariot wherein that Aethiopian Eunuch sate reading the Prophesie of Esay A like speech was that to Peter Act. 10.19 Behold three men seeke thee It was the Spirit said so to Peter And here Bede In mente haec ab spiritu non in aure carnis audiuit Peter heard these words from the Spirit in mente in his vnderstanding non in aure carnis not by his fleshly eare The Spirit said vnto Peter that is Peter was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to depart from Ioppa and goe to Caesarea to preach to the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company From this inward speaking of God by his holy Spirit in the hearts of men without either words or sound we may note thus much for our present comfort that whensoeuer wee are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to offer vp our priuate requests to God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare the preaching of the word or to receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist or to doe any good worke we may be assured that God by his holy Spirit God by himselfe speaketh vnto vs. Thus you see how God speaketh vnto vs by himselfe Hee speaketh vnto vs also by his creatures By his creatures Angelicall and others And he doth it after diuers manners 1 Verbis by words By words only as when nothing is seene but a voice onely is heard as Ioh. 12.28 When Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediatly there came a voice from Heauen saying I haue both glorified it and will glorifie it againe Here was Vox Patris the voice of God the Father yet ministerio Angelorum formata it was formed by the ministery of Angels 2 God speaketh Rebus by things By things onely as when no voice is heard but some thing onely is obiected to the senses An example of this kind of Gods speaking is that vision of Ezechiel chap. 1.4 He saw a whirle-wind come out of the North with a great cloud and a fire infolding it selfe and in the middest of the fire the colour of Amber All this he saw but here is no mention of any voice at all And yet the Prophet saith Omninò fuit verbum Iehouae ad Ezechielem the Word of the Lord came expresly vnto Ezechiel The word of the Lord came and I looked and behold a whirlewind Here was res sine verbo a thing but no voice 3 God speaketh Verbis simul rebus both by words and things as when there is both a voice heard and also some thing obiected to the senses So He spake to Adam presently after his fall when he heard the voice of God walking in the Garden and saying Adam where art thou Gen. 3.8 4 God speaketh Imaginibus cordis oculis extensis by some images shapes or semblances exhibited to our inward eyes the eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder set vpon the earth the top whereof reached to Heauen and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw Heauen opened and a certaine vessell descending vnto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners and let downe to the earth wherein were all manner of foure footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowles of the aire Act. 10.10 So Paul in a vision in the night saw a man of Macedonia standing by
light in great measure readily to conceiue what God would haue reuealed and faithfully to publish it according to the will of God S. p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. cap. 33. Austen enquiring how God spake with Adam and Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Jntrinsecus infabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giuing light to their minds and vnderstandings or it may be he talked with them by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen. 18. and with Lot Gen. 19. S. r Expos Moral lib. 28. incap â—8 â—â— Iob cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of wayes 1. By himselfe as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense we must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neare and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we finde Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoeuer we are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our priuate requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the Holy Spirit God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diuers manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediately there came a voice from heauen I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 1 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is obiected to the senses S. Gregory for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirlewind come out of the North with a great cloud and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenesse of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word and deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblance obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall Hee heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descend from heauen Act. 10.11 So Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 6 By shapes presented to our bodily eyes So Abraham saw the three men that stood by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christs baptisme a Å¿ Matth. 3.17 voice was heard out of a cloud as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloued son c. By Celestiall substances I doe here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the workes therein but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire next vnto it togeher with the winds and Clouds 7. By Terrestriall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speak Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestriall substances as when God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times and in diuers manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures and by his creatures many wayes sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometime by Terrestriall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestriall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speke vnto vs as of old he did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoeuer by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moueth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when he throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heat sometime by drouth sometime by noysome worms Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few months he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren and sometime by enemies when he impouerisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoeuer other like these are Gods voices and doe call vs to tepentance But as when there came a voice from heauen to Christ Ioh. 12.28 the people that stood by and heard would not be perswaded that it was Gods voice some of them saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoeuer God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by war or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we will rather attribute these things to nature to the heauens to starres and planets to the malice of enemies to chance and the like As peruerse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to be directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The Gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that cloud by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This Gospell of Christ and voice of God cals vs now to obedience O the crookednesse of our vile natures Our stiffe necks will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answer like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but we answer like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good Lord vnto thee and wee shall bee
turned Good Lord open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy wee may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknesse of trouble of vexation of anguish thou Lord wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darknesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexation shall be no more a place of endlesse and vnspeakable ioyes where anguish shall be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE Fourth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And hee said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence hee speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the â—op whereof was another mountaine e Drusius obseru 14.21 Not. Iunius in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the Lord. Before it was called the f 2 Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enemies Against these Iebusites King Dauid came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of Dauid owne City as appeareth 2 Sam. 5.9 This is the city of Dauid so much h 2 Sam 5.7 1 King 8.1 1 Chron. 11.5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his owne City mount Sion Dauid accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2 Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the Lord with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harps as is plaine by the story 1 Chron. cap. 15. and 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be obserued in this city of Dauid mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the Lord of boasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description and commendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of Dauid the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1 Kâ—ng 8.27 2 Chron. 6.18 Heauens and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken literally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King ouer Sion the hill of his holinesse Sion there is not to be vnderstood the terrestriall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it euen the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniuersall multitude of beleeuers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obuious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149. â— Psalmes of Dauid in n Cantic 3.11 Salomons song in the prophecies of o Esay 3 16 17. Psaâ— 4.4 Esay and p Ioel. 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heauen as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text obserueth The like obseruation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the Lord is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ wherof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walls are saluation and gates praise or the Heauen of Heauens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyr in 2 Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iâ—bus and Salem supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distich Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distich 9. names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius obseruat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diuersly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of Dauid the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of the honour of this city they that were aliue when Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48.12 numbred her towers to haue considered her wals to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarcely to haue bin beleeued This we know by Ps 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they maruelled they were astonied and suddenly driuen backe Thus is Ierusalem taken
literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heauen For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1. God did choose Ierusalem aboue all other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the company of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2. Ierusalem is a Citie Å¿ Psal 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuary the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God and the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 the throne of Dauid So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of Christ figured by the Kingdome of Dauid 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection and obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntary obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reuel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudeâ— the u Psal 46.4 City of God euen the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heauen Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the Lord is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother City of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an Exposition of Sion The Lord shall roare from Sion that is in other words The Lord shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloued in the Lord The Lord shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holinesse and he shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatry but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the purity of Gods worship did gloriously shine We may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainly This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is serued and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guide This guide is a King and leads you the way the blessed King Dauid I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for thy courts Marke his loue Psal 26.8 O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnesse of his zeale Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King Dauid be the patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrument and mean to nourish beget you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else doe gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is euery mans duty the duty of euery one that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the Lord Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond and the free betweene the male and the female for our Lord who is Lord ouer all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your hearts it is repeated vnto you Mat. 23.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony-changers and doue-sellers whom hee found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò deuonit vt speluncam latronum efficiat eam Whosoeuer vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer he commeth thither to make it a den of theeues Let vs take heed beloeed in the Lord whensoeuer we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of this sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giueth a profitable caueat Take heed to thy feet when thou â—nterest into the house of God intimaâ—ing thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet is Salomons caueat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where he is chiefly to be sought and worshipped euen in euery place appointed by publike authority for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God giuen his Church a 1 Cor. 12.27 some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and
of buildings How then is it that our dwelling houses doe yet stand and flourish Our sinnes and iniquities are exceeding impudent and sawcie they are ascended into the presence of God and doe stand like Sathan among his children before his face Yet for all this impudencie and sawcinesse of our sinnes and iniquities God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safetie The consideration of this point may stirre vs vp to a gratefull agnition and acknowledgment of Gods singular bountie and longanimitie It is out of the bountie of the Lord that the earth since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man doth to this day yeeld fâ—uit in abundance for the vse of man That our possessions habitations dwelling houses and Churches are not laid waste and made desolate it is to be ascribed to Gods long sufferance and long animitie Of which I shall God willing anon speake more fully when I shall haue considered the words of the second sequel or consequent of Gods speech which are The top of Carmel shall wither The top of Carmel There were two hils of this name as St Hierome teacheth both in Iudea the one in the southerne climate of that country where on Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwell 1 Sam. 25.2 the other neere vnto Ptolemais towards the sea coast vpon which Elias prayed for raine 1 Kings 8.42 St Hierome seemeth to doubt which of these two Carmels our prophet here intendeth But Ribera resolueth for that Carmel which was neere vnto Ptolemais because it did appertaine to the lot of the ten tribes against whom Amos in this booke prophecieth This Carmel was a hill of much fatnesse and fertilitie whervpon it may as proverbially be taken for any such place St Hierome writing vpon Esay 16. saith it is the Scriptures idiome and proper forme of speech euermore to compare the rich hill Carmel to fertilitie and abundance One of the Hebrew d R. Dâ—uid apud Draâ—uâ—â— Doctors saith that Carmel is a generall name for all fruitfull arable fields and vineyards A great e Pagnin Hebrician saith that because the hill Carmel had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulnesse therefore Carmel is appellatiuely taken for any place set with corne trees or vines and specially withstanding corne with new fat wheat while it is in eare though another f Marinus in Arca Noe. Hebrician of like note affirmeth that because Carmel collectiuely signifieth standing corne or new wheat yet in the eare therfore a certaine region in the prouince of Canaan of extraordinary fertility as also a hill city there was called after this name Carmel Whatsoeuer Carmel be in this place whether a proper name or an appellatiue out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulnes Following the streame of expositors I am of opinion that Carmel in my text is that same fruitfull mountaine of Iudea by Ptolemais The top of Carmel A place fit by reason of the woodes there to lurke and lie hid in as is plaine by Amos 9.3 Though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence The top of Carmel In the Hebrew it is the head of Carmel The head or top of Carmel is the Scripture phrase to expresse whatsoeuer is best in Carmel By the like phrase we say Caput vnguenti the head or the top of the ointment to signifie the best of the ointment The top of Carmel Pagnine thus translateth it vertex loci fertilis the top of the fruitfull place And Iunius thus prostantissimum aruorum the best of the fields Both Pagnine and Iunius doe take Carmel here for an appellatiue and not for a propper name The top of Carmel shall wither shall wax dry or be dried vp That is where most fruitfull fields and pastures are there shall be a defect and want of necessaries for mans life Thus haue you the exposition of this last clause Now bee patient I pray you while from hence I commend one lesson vnto you It is this For the sinnes of a people God will make the top of their Carmel to wither I speake it more plainly For the sinnes of a people God will make their best grounds to yeeld them little or no profit For proofe of this point you will bee pleased to heare the euidence of the holy Spirit giuen in the word of life Deut. 28.20 Thus saith the Lord because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken mee the Lord shall smite thee with blasting and with mildew the Heauen which is ouer thy head shall bee brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shall bee iron in stead of raine the Lord shall giue thee dust and ashes euen from heauen shall it come downe vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed In the 2 chapter of Hosea and the 5 verse because Israel had plaid the harlot and done shamefully departing from the Lord thus saith the Lord I will take away from Israel my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof wil recouer my wooll my flax which I lent her to couer her shame Marke I beseech you the manner of the Lords speech my corne my wine my wooll my flax they are none of ours they are all the Lords The Lord hath lent them vs to serue our turnes and necessitâ—es if we abuse them to idolatrie or prophanes he will take them from vs recouer them againe vnto himselfe In the 4. Chapter of Hosea and the 3. verse because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but euery on breaketh out by swearing by lying by killing by stealing by whoring and blood toucheth blood thus saith the Lord the land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heauen and also the fishes of the sea shal be taken away If so what good then comes to you from Carmel from your best most fruitfull grounds In the 8. chapter of Hosea and the 7. verse because Israel transgressing the couenant of the Lord and trespassing against his law had sowen the wind thus saith the Lord they shall reape the whirlewind it hath no stalke the bud shall bring forth no meale if so be it bring forth the strangers shal deuoure it If so what profit then can we matching Israel in their most grieuous transgressions trespasses expect from Carmel our most fruitfull and pleasant fields The wisest King that euer sacred writ made mention of hath this saying Prou. 13.25 The belly of the wicked shall want True great Solomon The belly of the wicked man shall be emptie His Carmel the very best of his possessions shal yeeld him little profit To make an end of this discourse I would I could write it in your harts what the sweetest singer Psa 107.34 deliuereth vnto you touching this point it is worthy your best remembrance A
for them they be punished The vse is to admonish you that are Parents not onely to liue your selues vertuously and religiously while you haue your abode here but also carefully to see to the training vp of your children in vertue and true religion least pertaking with your in your sins they proue inheritours of your punishments also 2 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the house and palaces of Hazael and Benhadad two Kings we learne this lesson It is neither wealth nor policie nor power nor preferment that can stead vs if Gods vnappeaseable anger break out against vs for our sinnes The reason hereof we read Ierem. 4.4 It 's this Because of the wickednesse of our inuentions Gods wrath comes forth like fire and burneth that none can quench it The vse is to teach vs that wee despise not Gods iudgments nor abuse his mercies but that we tremble at the one and bee drawne to well doing by the other 3 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the palaces of Benhadad to deuoure them we learne thus much God depriueth vs of a great blessing when hee taketh from vs our dwelling houses The great commoditie or contentment that commeth to euery one of vs by our dwelling houses doth experimentally make good vnto vs this truth The vse is to teach vs first to be humbled before Almighty God whensoeuer our dwelling houses are taken from vs. Secondly since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory Thirdly to praise God day by day for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses It would tire you to heare these doctrines and their vses seuerally amplified and enlarged In the sequele of this chapter I shall haue occasion to repeat them to you THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir WE are now come to the second branch of the fourth part of this prophecie in the 5. verse wherein are set downe more specially the punishments to bee inflicted vpon the Syrians for their sinnes And this is done in foure seuerall clauses In each wee may obserue three circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his instruments 2 The punished the Syrians not of any one city only but of the whole country which wee gather from these names Damascus Bikeath-Auen Beth-eden and Aram. 3 The punishment the spoile of the country and ruine of the whole state The barre of Damascus must be broken the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden must be cut off and the people of Aram must go into captiuitie Of the words as they lie in order I will also breake the barre of Damascus I the Lord a Iob. 9.5 6 c. remoue mountaines and they feele not when I ouerthrow them I remoue the earth out of her place and make her pillers to shake I command the sun and it riseth not I close vp the stars as vnder a signet I my selfe alone spread out the heauens and walke vpon the height of the sea I make Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the climates of the South I the Lord who doe great things and vnsearchable maruailous things without number b Amos 5.8 9.6 Iehouah is my name I the Lord Iehouah who haue resolued to send a fire into the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad I will also breake the barre of Damascus You know what a barre is in its proper signification an instrument wherewith we make fast the gates of our cities and doors of our houses against the violence of our enemies If the barre be broken the entrance into the city or house will be the easier Kedar is discouered to be weake for want of barres Ier. 49.31 And so are they against whom Gog and Magog were to fight Ezech. 38.11 they had neither bars nor gates Ierusalem had both and God made them strong Psal 147.13 Therefore praise the Lord O Ierusalem praise thy God O Sion for he hath made the barres of thy gates strong so strong that no enemy is able to breake them or to make any irruption into them A barre is also vsed to a figuratiue sense Metaphorically and Synecdochically and betokeneth munition fortifications the forts and strong holds of a country the strength of any thing To which sense the sea hath barres We read of them Iob 38.10 God hath apppointed the sea her barres and doores saying hitherto shalt thou come here will I stay thy proud waues And the earth hath barres We read of them Ion. 2.6 And what are the barres of the earth but the c D. King B. of London in Ion. lect 27. strongest muniments and sences it hath her promontories and rockes which God hath placed in her frontiers to withstand the force of the waters Aâ—â— Moab hath barres Esai 15.5 There the barres of Moab aâ—â— put for the forts in the borders of Moab And Egypt hath barres Ezâ—ch 30.18 Where Egypts barres afâ—er the exposition of Illyricus in his d Verbo vectis key of Scriptures are munitiones robur the fortifications and strength of Egypt So here the barres of Damascus are e Mercer Damasci robur munitiones portae claustra munitissima the strength of Damascus the muniâ—ions of Damascus the gates of Damascus the most fenced fortresses of Damascus Yet f Gualter Vniuersum regni robur the whole strengâ—h of the kingdome of Syria is to be vnderstood in these barres of Damascus Of Damascus no base nor contemptible city Lewes Vertâ—manâ—iâ— a gentlâ—man of Rome in his trauell to those easterne parts of the world a hundred yeares agoe saw this city and admiting the maruellous beauty therof hath Nauigat cap. 5. left a record of it to posterity It is saith he in manner incredible and passeth all beleefe to thinke how faire the city of Damascus is and how fertile is the soile This Damascus is a city of great antiquity g See my six h lecture vpon this chapteâ— built as some coniectue by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 So that this city was built more than 3444. yeares agoe for h In the â—â—are of the wâ—rld 21â—4 I unâ—â— in Ch onolog And thâ— Serm n was â—reached A. â— 16â—6 â—ebâ— 8. so long agoe Abraham died The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient than Abraham doe attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sons of Aram Gen. 10.23 whereupon Damascus was called also Aram as S. Hierome vpon Esai 17. witnesseth Whatsoeuer were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esai 7.8 that it was the Metropolitaine and chiefest city of Syria The Prophet Ieremie giues it a high commendation
wrongs done vnto vs we must wait vpon the Lord who in his good time will right all our iniuries For he hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense Let vs proceed and see what doctrine may be gathered from the two next circumstances the circumstance of the punishment and the circumstance of the punished The punishment I noted in the breaking of barres and the punished in the word Damascus You haue already heard the meaning of these words I will breaks the barre of Damascus I the Lord will with my mighty power breake lay waste and consume the barre barre for barres euen all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiefest city of Syria and the countrey adioyning Must Damascus the strongest Citie of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee bee laid waste and spoyled Here fixing the eyes of our mindes vpon the power of the Lord learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creatuâ—e able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of iron these hee breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mighty than a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kings witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mighty Kings Psal 135.10 and 136.18 My text auoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threâ—â—heth to the mighty King of Syria a cutting off I cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden These few now alleaged instances doe sufficiently though briefly confirme my propounded doctrine There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose The reason hereof is because God only is omnipotent and whatsoeuer else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotency we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almighty In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotency For God the Father who imparteth his Godhead vnto the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost doth communicate the proprieties of his Godhead to them also And therefore our beleefe is that as the Father is Almighty Symbolo Atharas so the Sonne is Almighty and the Holy Ghost is Almighty too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almighty in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Secondly because he is able to doe more than he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelity dares deny This truth being expresly deliuered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer he will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth he in heauen in earth in the sea in all the depths For the second that God is able to doe more than he will doe euery Christian acquainted with the Euangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadduces Matth. 3.9 Thinke not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giuen him more than twelue legions of Angels to haue deliuered him He could but would not The like may bee said of many other things The Father was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worlds Was able but would not You see for Gods omnipotency that he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe yea that he is able to doe more than he will doe God only is omnipotent whatsoeuer else is in the world its weake and vnable to resist which is the very summe of my doctrine already propounded and confirmed There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose For as Iob saith chap. 9.13 The most mighty helps doe stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. confesseth In comparison of the most high who liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power whose kingdome is from generation to generation all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou This is it whereat S. Paul aimeth in his question demanded Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted the will of God And this is it which Iob intendeth chap. 9.4 demanding a like question who hath beene fierce against God and hath prospered I will not further amplifie this point it must stand good against all the might and strength of this world There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Now let vs consider some duties whereunto we are moued by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie 1 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence true humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1 epist 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloued but by nature in our selues most wretched conceiued and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednesse and dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to doe whatsoeuer he will able to doe more than he will able to cast both body and soule into hell fire Let the consideration of this our wretched estate worke in vs the fruits of true humiliation This true humiliation standeth in our practice of three things Perkins Cas Coâ— â— lib. 1. ca. 5. §. 2. pag. 57. 1. The sorrow of our heart whereby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sins 2 Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1 Wee must acknowledge all our maine sins originall and actuall 2 We must acknowledge our guiltinesse before God 3 We must acknowledge our iust damnation for sin The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnesse as in a matter of life and death A patterne whereof I present vnto you Dan. 9.17 18 19. O our God heare the praiers of vs thy seruants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God incline thine eare to vs and heare vs open thine eies and behold our miseries we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare vs O Lord forgiue vs O Lord consider and doe it deferre not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloued if we humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will
lift vs vp Iames 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 2 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence to tremble at Gods iudgements to feare them to stand in awe of them to quake and quiuer at them For as God is so are his iudgements God is terrible and his iudgements are terrible God is terrible in the assembly of his Saints Psal 89.8 terrible in his works Psal 66.3 terrible in his doings toward the sons of men Psal 66.5 terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.13 To passe ouer with silence many places of holy Scripture in which God is termed a terrible God let vs confesse with the Psalmist Psal 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to be feared who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry Here are they worthily to be taxed and censured who are so far from fearing Gods iugdements as that they plainly scoffe and iest at them Such a one was he of Cambridge-shire who o This Sermon was preached Febr. 8. 1606. some 14. yeares since in the yeare 1592. made a mocke of the Lords glorious voice the Thunder The story is deliuered by Perkins in his p Printed at Cambridâ—e in 4o. 1596. p. 36. Alsted Theolog. Catechet Sect. 2. pag. 180. exposition of the Creed in these words One being with his companion in a house drinking on the Lords day when he was ready to depart thence there was great lightning and thunder whereupon his fellow requested him to stay but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning said as report was it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubs come what would he would goe and so went on his iourney but before he came halfe a mile from the house the same hand of the Lord which before he had mocked in a cracke of thunder strucke him about the girdle steed that he fell downe starke dead A memorable example brought home as it were to our doores to put vs in minde of Gods heauy wrath against those which scorne his iudgements Let vs beloued be wise vpon it and at euery iudgement of God tremble and feare and confesse as before out of Psal 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to be feared who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry 3 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Here is matter enough to vphold and stablish our faith in Gods promises to the abolishing of all wauering and doubting touching our saluation Thus No thing nor creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe he will doe whatsoeuer he hath promised to doe he hath promised to giue eternall life to all that beleeue in Iesus Christ How then can I who doe beleeue or any other who doth beleeue in Iesus Christ doubt of mine or their saluation Vpon this rocke of Gods omnipotency Abrahams faith stood vnshaken as appeareth Rom. 4. Abraham he doubted not of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith And how Because he was fully assured that the same God who had promised was able also to doe it This ablenesse of God Abraham opposed to his owne weaknesse And so aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spoken to him so shall thy seed be This promise Abraham laid hold of not considering his owne body euen now dead being almost a hundred yeares old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe he had laid hold of the promise How By faith Which was increased and confirmed to him by the consideration of the power of God And why is all this written of Abraham S. Paul saies why ver 23. Now it is not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse if we beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sins and is risen againe for our iustification Wherefore to all our sins infirmities and impotencies from whence may arise diffidence infidelity or vnbeleefe we must euer oppose Gods omnipotency and thereby support our faith in his promises I shut vp this point and my whole lecture with S. Austines discourse Serm. 123. de tempore Nemo dicat non potest mihi dimittere peccata Let no man say vnto me God cannot forgiue me my sinnes Quomodo non potest omnipotens How is it possible that the Almighty should not be able to forgiue thee thy sinnes But thou wilt say I am a great sinner and I say Sedille omnipotens est But God is Almighty Thou repliest and saiest My sins are such as from which I cannot be deliuered and cleansed and I answer Sed ille omnipotens est But God is Almighty Almighty able to doe all things greater or lesser celestiall or terrestriall immortall or mortall spirituall or corporall inuisible or visible Magnus in magnis neque paruus in minimis great in great businesses and not little in the least No thing or creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose THE Tenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir NOw proceed we to the other clauses of the last part of this prophecie against the Syrians The second clause is I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen The third is and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden The fourth is and the people of Aram c. In each of these I doe obserue as before I did three circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord either immediately by himselfe or mediately by his instruments 2 The punishment to be vnderstood in those phrases of cutting off and going into captiuitie 3 The punished the Syrians noted in these names Bikeath-Auen Beth-eden Aram. Let vs examine the words of the text as they lie in order I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen I the Lord Iehouah a See lect 9. who remoue mountaines and they feele not when I ouerthrow them who remoue the earth out of her place and make her pillars to shake who my selfe alone spread out the heauens and walke vpon the height of the sea I the Lord Iehouah who doe great things and vnsearchable maruellous things and without number I the Lord Iehouah who haue resolued to send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad and haue resolued to breake the barres of Damascus I will also cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden c. I will cut off To cut off is in sundry places of holy Scripture a Metaphor drawne ab excisione
The people of Aram Aram registred Gen. 10.22 to be one of the sons of Sem was the father author or founder of the Aramites or Syrians a Tremellius Willet in Genes 10.22 whereof it is that the Scythians after their returne out of Asia and Syria were called Aramei Aramites Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram or Syria was diuided into sundry regions 2 Sam. 10.8 You may read of Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob and Aram Maacah from which prouinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites in their warre against King Dauid The successe of their expedition is recorded vers the 18. Dauid destroyed seuen hundred chariots of the Aramites and forty thousand horsemen So let them all perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords annointed 2 Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezar King of Soba against Dauid Their successe is recorded in the same place Dauid slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them all likewise perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords anoynted 1 Chron. 19.6 You may read of Aram Naharaim which is by interpretation Aram of the riuers that is Aram lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris commonly knowne by the name of b Bâ—rtrâ—m Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praesat Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against Dauid and were partakers in their ouerthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriarch Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choice of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 doe make this Padan-Aram to bee a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolomee Ancobaritis Thus doth the holy spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the country of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob Aram Maacah Aram of Damascus Aram Naharaim and Padan Aram. Hâ—re Aram put without any adiunct to limit it to any one region may betoken all Syria diuided by our Prophet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three names of Damascus Bikeath-Auen and Beth-eden as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstanding by Damascus the country adioyning the whole coast of Decapolis by Bikeath-Auen the country called Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart by Beth-eden the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The people that is persons of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the noble also the word is generall and containeth all Shall goe into captiuity They shall be carried away from their natiue country into a strange land in slauery and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrene c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pentapolis the natiue country of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eratosthenes the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan and Symmachus and S. Hierome doe seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman doe expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes and best approued expositors doe auouch Tremellius and Iunius vpon the 2 Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captiuity was called Syromedia It was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hil Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captiuity of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fifty yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and curried away captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly deliuered 2 King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captiuity shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the Lord true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the Lord by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captiuity This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captiuity bondage and slauery was to be in an vnknowne strange and farre country Kir in Media From the first circumstance of the punisher the Lord of hosts imploying in his seruice the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Aramites or Syrians into captiuity we are put in minde of a well knowne truth in diuinity Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily he worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily he worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessity produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or not to doe In this ranke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessity they might haue done otherwise In this ranke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King Dauid 2 Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and railing vpon him was not of necessitie he might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captiuitie this people of Aram not of necessity hee might haue left vnto them their natiue country lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily God laid waste Sodome Gomorrah and their sister Cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the fowle of the heauen onely was Noah saued and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water
acknowledgeth It is expresly deliuered 1 Chron. 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressions they were carried away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy Commandements Captiuitie is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places seruing to this point my Text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three transgressions and for foure for their many sinnes for their sinne of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of Iron were to goe into Captiuity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a Land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuitie Into Captiuitie Into what kinde of captiuitie For there is a spirituall captiuitie and a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the minde and a captiuitie of the body Both are very grieuous but the first more The first which I call the spirituall captiuity and a captiuitie of the minde is a captiuity vnder the Deuill vnder the power of Hell vnder death vnder sin vnder the eternall malediction or curse of the Law propounded to euery one that doth not in all points and absolutely obey the Law This Captiuity is a heauie yoake to all mankinde considered without Christ Euery one male and female that hath no part in Christ euery vnbeleeuing and reprobate person is in this construction euen to this day a captiue And such also were we by the corruption of our nature vpon our first Father Adams default but now are we by the sacrifice of the immaculate Lambe the Lord Iesus ransomed and freed For to this purpose was he sent into the world as it is euident Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.18 In both places hee professeth himselfe to bee sent into the world for this end euen to publish liberty and freedome to captiues and the imprisoned which his office he hath graciously performed By his Word of grace he hath so freed our consciences formerly oppressed with and captiue vnder sin that now there is no condemnation to vs to vs I say who are in Christ and doe walke after the spirit as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 8.1 This is it which our Sauiour foretold the Iewes Iohn 8.36 If the Sonne shall make you free you shall be free indeed Be it repeated againe to our eternall comforts If the Sonne shall make vs free we shall be free indeed But he hath made vs free for therefore was he sent to publish libertie and freedome to captiues he hath paid our ransome his innocent and most precious bloud by it are we throughly washed and cleansed from our sinnes Now there is no condemnation to vs. Thus freed from our spirituall captiuity bondage and slauery vnder Hell death and sin let vs with boldnesse looking vp to the throne of Grace whereon sitteth the Author and Finisher of our faith say with the blessed Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Captiuity in my text is of the other kind a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the body which vsually is accompanied with two great miseries pointed at Psal 107.10 The first they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death the second they are bound in anguish and Iron First they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death that is they are put into deep dungeons void of light whereby they are as it were at deaths doore Secondly they are bound in anguish and iron that is day and night they are loaden with fetters gyues or shackles of iron so loaden that they finde no rest vnto their bones Thus must it be with them who by sinfull liuing prouoke the Lord to high displeasure Thus is my doctrine confirmed For the sin of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuity Is it true beloued Doth God oftentimes for the sin of a land send away the inhabitants into captiuity Let vs make this Christian vse of it euen to powre out our selues in thankfulnesse before Almighty God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. The sins of such Nations as haue beene punished with captiuity were they more grieuous in Gods eyes than ours are It is not be imagined Our sins are as crimson-like and as scarlet-like as euer were theirs the sins of our land crying sins Atheisme Irreligion Oppression Extortion Couetousnesse Vsury Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Drunkennesse and many like abominations of the old man in vs all our works of darknes they haue made head together and haue impudently and shamelesly pressed into the presence of Almighty God to vrge him to powre forth the vials of his wrath and indignation vpon vs. Yet our God good gracious mercifull long suffering and of great kindnes withholdeth and stayeth his reuengefull hand from laying vpon vs his great punishment of Captiuity and suffereth vs to possesse our habitations in peace and to eat the good things of the earth O let vs therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and declare before the sonnes of men the good things that he hath done for vs. Here dearely beloued let vs not presume vpon God his patience to lead our liues as we list We cannot but see that God is highly offended with vs already though yet he be not pleased to execute his sorest iudgements vpon vs. Gods high displeasure against vs appeareth in those many visitations by which he hath come neere vnto vs within our memories I may not stand to amplifie the Spanish sword shaken ouer vs and the great famine brought vpon vs in our late Queenes daies Our now gracious Soueraigne hath not long sate at the sterne of this kingdome But few yeares are passed and yet those few haue afforded manifest tokens of Gods sore displeasure at vs. Haue not many thousands of our brethren haply not so grieuous sinners as we beene taken away by the destroying Angell and yet the plague is not ceased Vnlesse we repent and amend our liues we may likewise perish Haue not many of our brethren too many if it might haue seemed otherwise to Almighty God haue they not partly perished themselues partly lost their cattell and substance in n An. Dom. 1607 this yeeres waters such waters as our fore-fathers haue scarcely obserued the like If we will not wash our selues from our euill doings we see God is able to wash vs extraordinarily The vnseasonable weather giuen vs from Heauen to the rotting of our sheepe is but Gods warning to vs of a greater misery to befall vs vnlesse we will returne from our euill waies Wherefore beloued let vs with one heart and mind resolue for hereafter to cast away all workes of darknesse and to put on the armour of light take we no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Walke we from henceforth honestly as in the day
but our men in doing as they doe doe sin against their conscience Vnhappy Parents which destroy your children in Popish and Atheisticall houses What are you inferiour to them that sacrificed their children vnto Deuils If your selues be righteous and Christians cast not away your seed your children the price of the precious bloud of Christ You haue made them in their Baptisme when they were young to confesse Christ will you make them now growne to yeeres to deny Christ O let the words of wise Ecclesiasticus chap. 13.1 bee precious in your memories He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith and doubtlesse your children placed in Atheisticall or Popish houses will themselues become Atheisticall or Popish Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation in your childrens behalfe Binde them to none but to Christ put them to none but to Christians sell them to nothing but to the Gospell commit not your young ones into the hands and custody of Gods enemies A third vse Is it not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of infidels for the reason aboue specified that they be not withdrawne from the true seruice of God Then neither is it lawfull for you of your selues to keepe away your seruants from the seruice of God It is reputed for a tyranny in Pharaoh Exod. 5.3 4. That he would not suffer the children of Israel to goe three dayes iourny into the desart to sacrifice to the Lord their God and how can you free your selues from the impeachment of tyranny if you deny your seruants to goe but one houres iourney to this place to serue their God Thinke it not enough that your selues come hither to performe some duty to Christ your Lord and Master how can you performe your duty to him if you deny him your seruants You know what charge is giuen you in the fourth commandement not your selues only but also your sonnes and your daughters and your seruants men and maidens and the stranger that soiourneth with you are to hallow and Sanctifie the Sabbath day with the Lords seruice In this holy worke and seruice of God vpon the Sabbath day regard not what the multitude and greater sort of men doe Suppose all the world besides your selues would bee carelesse to performe this duty yet let your holy resolution be the same with Ioshua's chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Thus farre of my first doctrine grounded vpon Gods dislike with the Philistines for selling away the Israelites his faithfull people into the hands of the Edomites an vnbeeleeuing nation To ground a second doctrine hereon we are to note that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans at such time as they were their captiues and so did adde affliction to the afflicted The doctrine is It is a very grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted Witnesse the complaint made by the captiue Iewes against the insolency of the Chaldeans Psal 137.3 They that led vs away captiue required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion They the Chaldeans the Babylonians and Assyrians in whose country wee were prisoners required of vs scornfully and disdainfully thereby to adde to our griefes they required of vs songs such songs as we were wont to sing in Sion Ierusalem and our owne country before the destruction of the Temple and our captiuity They required of vs not songs only but mirth also they scoffingly desired vs to be merry when they saw vs so heauy hearted as nothing could make vs glad They required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion sing for vs or in our hearing some one or other of those Songs which you were wont to sing in Sion when you were at home in your owne country Intolerable is the hard heartednesse cruelty and scoffing nature of the wicked when they haue gotten Gods children into their nets God cannot away with such vnmercifulnesse and want of pity He reproueth it in the Babylonians Esa 47.6 where thus saith the Lord I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient therefore now heare destruction shall come vpon thee Magna abominatio eoram Deo est afflicto addere afflictionem clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis The words are the obseruation of Oecolampadius vpon the now cited place of Esay It is a great abomination before God to adde affliction to the afflicted the voice of bloud cryeth vp to Heauen for vengeance Yea we are assured by Psal 102.19 that the Lord looketh downe from the height of his sanctuary and out of heauen beholdeth the earth that he may heare and so take pity of the sighings groanings and lamentable cries of such his people as are in affliction The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more Texts of Scripture let the now alleaged be sufficient to confirme my propounded doctrine that it is a grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to reproue the Nimrods and tyrants of this world which haue no pity no compassion vpon the poore and distressed Such in the end shall know by their owne lamentable experience that to be true which Salomon hath vttered Prou. 21.13 Hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard A second vse is to stirre vs vp to the performance of this our Christian duty euen to take pity vpon all that are in any kind of misery if our neighbours be destitute of aid and help we may not like wilde beasts lift vp our selues against them and so tread them vnder foot No. How dare we molest and trouble them whom by Gods appointment we are to releeue and succour We are commanded Deut. 15.11 to open our hands to the needy and poore that are in our land to open our hands to them for their helpe and succour It is not enough for vs to abstaine from all iniury and harme-doing but withall must we endeuour to releeue the oppressed This seruice of ours will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs for the time of our being here and when the day of our dissolution shall be that we must leaue this earthly tabernacle then will the Son of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome vs with a Venite benedicti Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me in as much as you haue
asts at Ephesus For in the iudgement of Theophylaâ—â— of old of Beza Baronius and some b â—ainold Idol 2.6.6 other very learned of this age he spake it figuratiuely to designe and note the disordered assembly gathered together against him at Ephesus vpon the complaint of the siluer-smith Demetrius for defense of great Diana I am assured it is an errour of all the Papists to take it after the letter which Christ spake Matth. 26.26 This is my body There is a figure in the speech For in all sacraments there is a great difference betweene the signes and the things signified The signes are visible the things inuisible the signes earthly the things heauenly the signes corruptible the things immortall the signes corporall the things spirituall and as a reuerend c D. Bason B. of Winchester of Chrâ—stian Subiection par 4. pag. 577. edit Lond. in 8. 1586. Father speaketh in the person of Theophilus the signes are one thing the truth is not the same but another thing and euen by plaine Arithmeticke they be two things and not one This is my body There is a figure in the speech He cals the bread his body by way of signification by way of similitude by way of representation after the manner of Sacraments in a signe not according to the letter but in a spirituall and mysticall vnderstanding and if you respect the precise speech improperly figuratiuely I will not hold you with other like instances These few already spoken of may serue to make it plaine that the not admitting of a Trope or Figure there where in great reason it ought to be admitted is a cause of errour I haue giuen this note in this place beloued because the phrase here vsed in the person of the euerliuing God I will turne my hand to Ekron being spirit and life hath beene by some mistaken and applied to a carnall sense From hence as from other places of holy Scripture in which other the members of mans body are ascribed vnto God as the d Psal 27.8 face the e Deut. 8.3 mouth the f 2 King 19.16 eares g Jbid. Zach 4.10 eies h 1 King 8.42 armes i Matth. 5.35 22.44 feet and some other Tertullian liuing neare vnto the Apostles time was bold to conclude that God is a body This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him It was on foot many a yeare after him in the time of Arius patronized by those Heretikes which by Epiphanius are called Audiani and by Augustine k Augustin de haeres cap. 50. Vadiani after whom also it was eagerly maintained by certaine Monkes of Egypt who were thereupon called Anthropomorphitae But all these are dead and gone their monstrous errour lies buried with them There is no man of any knowledge now a dayes so blinded as to fall into errour with them It is an axiome in diuinity Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuntur dicta sunt symbolicè whatsoeuer is spoken of God bodily that same must be vnderstood figuratiuely Bellarmine saith as much li. 2. de imag sanct c. 8. Membra quae tribuantur Deo in Scriptura metaphoricè esse accipienda that those members which the Scripture assigneth vnto God are to be taken in a Metaphor Thus farre we are yours Bellarmine We maintaine with you that the members attributed vnto God in holy Scripture are to be taken figuratiuely But you build hereupon chaffe and stubble Should we doe the like it could neuer abide the triall of the fire To proue a non licet to be your licet Licere pingere imaginem Dei patris in formâ hominis senis to proue it to be lawfull to represent God the Father by the image of an old man you draw an argument from those places of Scripture which doe attribute vnto God bodily members Your conclusion is by way of question The Scripture in words attributeth vnto God all mans members while it saith that he stands he fits he walkes and nameth his head his feet his armes and giueth to him a seat a throne a footstoole therefore why cannot a picture bee made to represent God Why not an image in the shape of man Why It is easily answered Because euery such picture or image or stocke call it as you will is censured by Ieremie to be a doctrine of vanity chap. 10.8 by Zacharie to be a speaker of vanity ch 10.2 by Habakkuk to be a teacher of lies chap. 2.18 and Gods expresse commandement is against it Deut. 4.16 You shall not make you a grauen image or representation of any figure A reason of this prohibition is adioyned verse 12. and 15. by which it is manifest that God simply and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to be made of himselfe For yee saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire yee saw no similitude only ye heard a voice The Prophet Esai is plentifull in this demonstration to shew how vnseemly and absurd it is to l Rom. 1.25 turne the truth of God into a lie as they doe who forsake the blessed Creator to worship the creature to turne the Maiestie of God inuisible into a picture of visible man to m Vâ—rse 23. turne the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. chap. of his Prophecie and the 18. verse To whom will yee liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him the workman melteth an image the goldsmith beats it out in gold or siluer plates the poore see now the rage fury and madnesse of idolaters though they haue not wherewith to suffice their owne necessities they will defraud themselues to serue their idols the poore chuseth out a tree that will not rot for an oblation and puts it to a cunning workman to prepare an image that cannot be moued The like expostulation the same Prophet ascribeth to God himselfe chap. 46.5 To whom will ye make me like or make me equall or compare me that I should be like him they draw gold out of the bagge and weigh siluer in the ballance and hire a goldsmith to make a God of it and they bow downe and worship it they beare it vpon their shoulders they carry him and set him in his place so doth he stand and cannot remoue from his place Remember this and be ashamed O ye Idolaters n Esai 40.21 Know ye nothing haue ye not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue ye not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth God sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and beholdeth the inhabiters therof as grashoppers he stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in He o Esai 40.12 measures the waters in his fist counts heauen with his span comprehends the
Zimi Chaldaeu Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certè hoc fine sâ—â— gâ—lari Dei O. M. prouidentâ—â factum nâ—n est Ego existimo illo significari nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters More they speake of it You haue heard it before Iehouah b Deut. 10 17. God of Gods and Lord of Lords a God c Eccles 43.29 most wonderfull very d Deut. 10.17 great mighty and terrible a God that e Eccles 43.31 cannot either bee conceiued in thought or expressed by word f Aug. Soliloq cap. 24. of whom all the Angels in heauen doe stand in feare whom all dominations and g Reuel 5.11 thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers doe shake A God in greatnesse infinite in h August meditat c. 21. goodnesse souereigne in wisâ—ome wonderfull in power Almighty in coursailes terrible in iudgements righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alway the same eternall euerlasting immortall vnchangeable Such is the Lord from whom our Prophet Amos here deriueth authority to his Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe accordingly hath hee spoken it and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittlâ—s of his words are Yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5 18. Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of Gods word shall â—scape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Amos is here a patterne to vs that are Preachers of the word of saluation Wee must euer come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes we may not speake either the imaginations of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our owne hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs 1 Epist cha 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if we yea if an Angell from heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you than from the Lords owne mouth speaking in his holy Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be acccursed let him be had in execration This note beloued doth also concerne you that are the auditors and hearers of Gods word For if wee the Preachers thereof must alwaies come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord then are you to heare vs with reuerence and attention And this for the authority of him that speaketh It is not you that speake saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ to his blessed Apostles Matth. 10.20 but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And againe Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians 1 Epist chap. 2.13 for that when they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeed as the word of God Well therefore did S. Iames chap. 1.21 thus to exhort the Iewes Receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night Gen. 46.2 and said Iacob Iacob Iacob answered I am here He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God should say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God euen at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must he thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance O Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am here Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am here speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince or some great man of this world shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with your best diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the earth calleth vpon you by his ministers Thus farre by occasion of the preface Thus saith the Lord. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure Whether these children of Ammon were distinguished from the Ammonites as Drusius would proue 2 Chron. 20.1 and as R. Dauid anoweth filii Ammon unsquam vocantur Ammonitae the children of Ammon are no where called Ammonites I hold it needlesse to dispute in this place It is out of doubt that these children of Ammon or Ammonites did lincally descend from Ben-ammi who was Lots sonne begotten in incest vpon his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 Lot was Abrahams brothers sonne Gen. 14.12 Whereby it is euident that the posterity of them both the children of Israel and the children of Ammon the Israelites and the Ammonites were linked together by affinity and alliance The more to blame were those Ammonites without all respect of kindred to exercise such cruelty as they did against the Israelites for which cause Almighty God here sent his blessed Prophet to thunder out his threats against them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure In the front of this Prophecie you haue the generall accusation of these children of Ammon For three transgressions and for foure Three of these transgressions if you will beleeue Albertus Magnus are Cruelty Anarice and persecution the fourth is an obstinate pertinacie a constant stubbornnesse euer to dwell in those sinnes Againe three of these transgressions are a coueting of other mens goods an vnlawfull seeking for those things that are not our owne and a hardnesse of heart to retaine them so sought for the fourth is the vnsatiable desire of a couetous man Many are the expositions of the learned vpon these words three and foure transgressions The most naturall proper and significant I take to be if by three and foure a finite and certaine number you vnderstand a number infinite and vncertaine God as often as he will forgiueth though we sin ten thousand times It is but a custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twice and thrice that is a long time to see if we will returne from our euill waies vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency he reproueth vs casteth vs away and leaueth vs in our sinnes Thus haue you the generall accusation of the children of Ammon for their many sinnes for which the Lords protestation against them followeth I will not turne to it These words are diuersly rendred by expositors by the author of the vulgar Latine
Syntagm Disput Sedan loc 2. De origine sacrae Scripturae §. 32. pag. 17. Telenus tels mee of a champion of that side as farre forward as he who saith Melius consultum fuisse Ecclesiae si nulla vnquam extitisset Scriptura that had there neuer beene any Scripture the Church had beene better prouided for then now it is Sedens in coelis ridet there 's a God in heauen that hath these wicked impes in derision vpon whom for their taunts contumelies and reprcches against his sacred word hee will one day poure out his full viols of wrath then will he crush them with his scepâ—er of iron and breake them in pieces like potters vessâ—ls You haue the fiâ—st vse A second followeth Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere then is a lesson for vs whom God hat set a part to be Preachers and Expounders of his will We must handle his sacred Scripture as his holy word wee must euer come vnto you as my Prophet heere did to the Israelites with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes Wee may not speake either the imagination of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same To this S Peter well exhorteth vs in his 1. Epist and chap. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if wee yea if an Angell from Heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you then from the Lords own mouth speaking in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be accursed let him be had in execration The third vse of this doctrine is peculiar vnto you Beloued who are auditors and hearers of the word Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Then Beloued it is your part to heare vs with attention and reuerence whensoeuer wee stand before you to expound Gods holy Scripture S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians Epist 1. chap. 2.13 For that whensoeuer they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeede the word of God In like sort if you receiue it it will saue your soules It is able so to doe S. Iames shall bee your pledge chap. 1.21 Receiue it therefore with meeknesse that by it your soules may liue God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night and sayd Gen. 46.2 Iaacob Iaacob Iaacob answered I am heere He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God would say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must hee thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance ô Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am heere Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day thou wilt put into the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am heere speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince of this world or some great man shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with all diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the Earth the liuing and immortall God calleth vpon you by his Ministers What remaineth but that you suffer a word of Exhortation It shall bee short in S. Pauls words Coloss 3.16 Holy and beloued as the elect of God let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome This word of God it is his most royall and celestiall Testament it is the oracle of his heauenly Sanctuarie it is the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauor to his Church the light of our feete the ioy of our hearts the breath of our nostrils the pillar of our faith the anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the euidence of our future blessednes Let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdom So shall your wayes by it be clensed and your selues made cleane Yet a very litle while he that shall come will come will not tarry euen our Lord Iesus Christ who finding your wayes clensed and your selues made cleane by his sacred word will in his due time translate you from this valley of teares into Ierusalem which is aboue the most glorious Citie of God There shall this corruptible put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE II. LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. IN the former Sermon I handled the Preface The Prophecie is now to be spoken vnto The first part therein is The accusation of Moab in these words For three transgressions of Moab and for foure Where we are to consider 1. Who are accused 2. For what they are accused The accused are the Moabites and they are accused of many breaches of the Law of God First of the accused Moab was one of the sonnes of Lot begotten in incest vpon his eldest daughter Gen. 19.37 From him by lineall descent came these Moabites a people inhabiting that part of the East which is commonly knowne by the name of Coelesyria but was formerly the possession of the Amorites These Moabites like their brethren the Ammonites were professed enemies to the people of God and did euermore very grieuously afflict and vex them In which respect they were for euer by God his singular commandment excluded from the Church Gods commandement is expressed Deut. 23.3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. And it s repeated Nehem. 13.1 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of God Thus haue you the accused euen the Moabites the posteritie of Moab who was Lots sonne inhabitants of Coelesyria and borderers vpon the Holy Land the possession of the Israelites Now what are they accused of Of many breaches of Gods law in these words For three and foure transgressions This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter and haue heard it diuersly expounded The most naturall proper and significant exposition commended to you was by three and foure a finite and certaine number to vnderstand many a number infinite vncertaine For three transgressions of Moab and for foure that is for many transgressions of the
it were in a sleepe without molestation he burieth the vnruly affections of his will and spendeth the remainder of his abode here in the exercises of sweete humilitie Thus shall the man be blessed that is obedient to the Commandements of the Lord his God It is said of the just Psal 112.6 In memoria aeterna erit iustus The iust shall be in euerlasting memorie It may bee likewise said of the obedient In memoria aeterna erit obediens The obedient shall be in euerlasting memorie The Rechabites shall neuer want a testimonie of their obediēce vnlesse the booke of Ieremy the Prophet be againe cut with a pen-knife and burnt as in the dayes of q Ierem. 36.23 Zedechias Ionadab their Father commaunded them to drinke no Wine and for that commaundements sake they would drinke none they nor their wiues nor their sonnes nor their daughters Iere. 35.8 A worthy patterne of obedience God himselfe commends it and obiects it for a reproofe of the disobedience of his owne people the inhabitants of Iudah For vers 13. Thus sayth the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Goe and tell the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem The words of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that he commanded his sonnes not to drinke wine are performed for vnto this day they drinke none but obey their fathers commaundement Notwithstanding I haue spoken vnto you rising early and speaking but yee hearkened not vnto me This complaint of the Lord is redoubled vers 16. The sonnes of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab haue performed the commaundement of their Father which he commaunded but this people hath not hearkened vnto me May not the Lord now as iustly twit vs and hit vs in the teeth with this example of the Rechabites He may without doubt The Rechabites kept the commandement of their Father Ionadab a mortall man now dead but we keepe not the commaundements of our Father our heauenly Father Iehovah the immortall and the euerliuing God Beloued let vs remember it Disobedience hath neuer yet escaped the hands of Almightie God It cast r Gen. 3.22 Adam and Eue out of Paradise ſ Gen. 19.26 Lots wife out of her life and nature too t Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram into the mouth of the earth u 1. Sam. 15.23 Saul out of his kingdome x Ion. 1.15 Ionas out of the ship the children of Israel out of their natiue soyle yea and from the naturall roote which bare them whereof there is no other reason giuen but their disobedience Iere. 35.17 I haue spoken vnto them but they haue not heard I haue called vnto them but they haue not answered Is not the case iust ours God hath spoken vnto vs but we haue not heard him he hath called vs but we haue not answered him He hath called vs per beneficia by his benefits but we haue not answered him per y Hugo Card. in Ierem. 35. gratitudinem by our thankefulnesse he hath called vs per flagella by his chastisements and scourges but wee haue not answered him per patientiam correctionem by our patience and amendment he hath called vs per exempla by examples but we haue not answered him per imitationem by our imitation he hath called vs per praedicatores by his Preachers but we haue not answered him per obedientiam by our obedience to his word preached He hath spoken to vs but we haue not heard him he hath called vs but we haue not answered him Men and brethren what shall we doe When a multitude of Iewes pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter thus bespake Peter and his fellow Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Peters answere for himselfe and the rest was Repent Act. 2.38 This same Repent is the best lesson that we can learne We haue not kept the commandements of the Lord our God we daily transgresse them and hereby are Heauen gates fast shut against vs. The onely way for vs to haue them againe opened is to Repent Repentance is the most soueraigne medicine that we can apply to the bitter wounds made in our soules through the sting of sinne Oh! Let vs not deferre and put off this necessarie cure One hath said very well z Diez Loco de poenitentia Qui veniam per poenitentiam repromisit diem crastinam ad poenitentiam non promisit He that hath promised pardon to vs if wee Repent hath not promised vs that to morrow wee shall repent Wherefore let vs laying aside all excuses delayes and prolonging of the time let vs euen this day while it is called to day with touched hearts and consciences resolue vpon Repentance Let vs euen now haue setled purposes and willing minds to forsake all sinne and to turne to the Lord our God this will be a good beginning of true conuersion and Repentance Let vs follow it with perseuerance Let not any idle sports let not any houses of misrule or disorder keepe vs from the Church and this place of sound instruction Here shall wee all be taught of God and by the mightie opperation of his holy Spirit shall be enabled to loue his holy Lawes and in some measure to keepe his commaundements that passing the remainder of our dayes in this land of our soiournings in all possible obedience to his holy Lawes and Commaundements we may at length be translated into that better Countrey that Heauenly one that cittie of God wherein our eldest brother and sole Sauiour Iesus Christ hath prouided places for vs that where he is there may we be also THE VI. LECTVRE AMOS 2.4 And their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked IN my last Sermon I began the exposition of the third part of this prophecie against Iudah and passed ouer the two first branches You then heard the people of Iudah reproued for contempt and rebellion Contempt of the law of the Lord and rebellion against his commandements They haue despised the law of the Lord they haue not kept his commandements What! Iudah Iudah a Lament 2.1 the daughter of Sion she that was great among the Nations and b Lam. 1.1 a Princesse among the Prouinces Iudah That was the Lords c Esai 19.25 inheritance the Lords d Exod. 19.5 peculiar the Lords e Psal 114.2 Sanctuarie the f Esai 61.9 blessed seed of the Lord the g Esai 5.7 plant of the Lords pleasure Iudah to whom the h Rom. 3.2 oracles of God were committed is Iudah become rebellious Hath Iudah despised the law of the Lord Hath not Iudah kept his commandements What may be the reason of it The reason followeth in my Text Their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked In steed of lyes the vulgar Latin hath Idola Idols So hath S. Hierome Deceperunt eos Idola eorum their Idols haue deceiued them What Idols Euen such as their fathers followed while they
against Iudah These might haue serued Israel in stead of so many mirrours or looking glasses wherein they might haue beheld the iudgements that hung ouer their heads also From the iudgements of God denounced to forreine nations the people of Israel might thus within themselues haue reasoned Our God! All his a Deut. 32.4 wayes are iudgement he is a God of truth without iniquitie iust and right is he The Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites must they for their misdoings be punished How then shall we escape They sillie people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet must they be measured with the line of desolation What then shall be the portion of our cup who knowing Gods holy will haue not regarded it Againe from the iudgements of God pronounced against Iudah the people of Israel might thus within themselues haue argued God b Psal 9.7 ministreth his iudgements in vprightnesse He threatneth destruction to our brethren the people of Iudah that people whom all that saw them acknowledged to be the c Esa 61.9 blessed seed of the Lord that people that was the d Esa 5.7 plant of the Lords pleasures that people with whom God placed his e Psal 114.2 sanctuarie vpon that people will the Lord send a fire to deuoure them What then shall be the end of vs They our brethren of Iudah haue preserued among them Religion the worship and feare of the Lord in greater puritie then we haue done and yet will the Lord send a fire vpon them to deuoure them Certainly our iudgement cannot be farre off Amos hauing thus prepared his auditors the Israelites to attention maketh no longer delay but beginneth to deliuer his message to them in the words which I haue now read vnto you For three transgressions of Israell and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof c. Herein for our more direct proceeding may it please you to obserue with me 1. Autoritatem sermonis The authoritie of this Prophecie Thus sayth the Lord. 2. Sermonem ipsum The Prophecie it selfe For three transgressions of Israel c. In the Prophecie as farre as this Chapter leadeth vs we haue 1. Reprehensionem A reproofe of Israel for sinne vers 6 7 8. 2. Enumerationem A recitall of the Benefits which God had heaped vpon Israel vers 9.10.11 3. Exprobrationem A twitting of Israel with their vnthankefulnesse vers 12. 4. Comminationem A threatning of punishment to befall Israel for their sinnes ver 13. to the end of the Chapter The Reprehension is first and first by vs to be considered In it we may note 1. A generall accusation of Israel For three transgressions of Israel and for foure 2. A protestation of Almightie God against them I will not turne away the punishment thereof 3. A rehearsall of some grieuous sinnes which made a separation betweene God and Israel Because they sold the righteous for siluer and the poore for a paire of shoes and so forward to the end of the eyghth verse You haue the deuision of my Text. Now followeth the exposition The first thing we meete with is Autoritas sermonis the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the Lord Iehovah Now the thirteenth time is this great Name of God Iehovah offered to our deuoutest meditations We met with it in the first chapter of this book nine times and thrise before in this and yet by this name Iehovah is not God knowne to vs. We know him by the name of a strong omnipotent and All-sufficient God but by his Name Iehovah we know him not Abraham Isaac Iacob by this Name knew him not it is so recorded Exod. 6.3 Nor can we by this Name know him For this Name is a Name of Essence It designeth God vnto vs not by any effect of his but by his Essence and who euer knew the Essence of God who was euer able to define it The f Pet. Galatinus de arcanis Cathol verit lib. 2. cap. 1. schoole-men say there are three things whereof they can giue no definition One is that first matter out of which all things were produced The second is Sinne that hath destroyed all The third is God who preserueth all The first which is the Philosophers Materia prima they define not obsummam informitatem because it is without all forme The second which is mans bane Sinne they define not ob summam deformitatem for its exceeding deformitie The third euen God the prime cause of all his creatures they define not ob summam formositatem for his transcendeÌ„t beautie It pleaseth the Schoolmen sometimes thus to play with words For the matter they are in the right It is true g Aquin. par 1. qu 1. art 7. ad â—â— De deo non possumus scire Quid est We cannot attaine to so great a measure of the knowledge of God as to define what he is When the Poet h Cic. de Nat. Deorum lib. 1. Simonides was asked of K. Hiero what God is He wisely for answere desired one dayes respite after that two then foure still he doubled his number at last of his delay he gaue this for a reason Quanto diutiùs considero tanto mihi res videtur obscurior the more I consider of this matter the more obscure it seemeth vnto me Cotta in i Ibid. Tullie said not amisse Quid non sit Deus citiùs quà m quid sit dixerim I can with more ease tell what God is not then what he is This goeth for a truth in the schooles k Aquin. par 1. qu 3. in principio De Deo scire non possumus quid sit sed quid non sit we cannot know of God what he is but what he is not So saith Saint l In psal 85. Augustine Facilius dicimus quid non sit quam quid sit Deus We can more easily say what God is not then what he is And what is he not The same father in his 23. Tract vpon the Gospell of S. Iohn will tell you Non est Deus corpus non terra non coelum non luna non Sol non Stellae non corporalia ista God is not a bodie he is not the earth he is not the Heauen he is not the Moone he is not the Sunne he is not the Starres he is not any of these corporall things From hence sprang those Negatiue attributes of God which we meete with either in the sacred volumes of the New Testament or in the writings of the ancient Fathers from hence is God said to be m 1. Tim. 1.17 immortall invisible n Rom. 1.23 vncorruptible o Bernard serm 6. Supra Cantica incorporeall p Aug. de verb. Apostoli Serm. 1. ineffable inestimable incomprehensible infinite q Bernard paruorum sermonum serm 51. immense vndiuided vnuariable vnchangeable All these shew vnto vs not what God is but what he is not And
to keepe out of their sight But if the way here be figuratiuely taken as well it may by a metaphor for their cause their right their businesse their trade or course of life then are we here to vnderstand that the richer sort of the Israelites did peruert the right of the poore did hinder their purposes did disturbe their courses and did so confound them that they were not able to make any prouision for themselues This metaphoricall signification of a way we meet with Exod. 18.20 There Moses is counselled by Iethro to shew his people the way wherein they were to walke We meet with it also in the Booke of Iob Chap. 17.9 There Iob sayth the righteous shall hold on his way We meete with it in many other places of holy writ which I must now let passe in all which as in this place the way betokeneth the cause of a man his right his busines his trade or course of life Aâ—ter this figuratiue signification some doe thus expound these words They turne aside the way of the meeke or They peruert the way of the poore that is the Israelites their rulers and gouernours the rich among them doe take in ill part what so euer the poore say or doe All their words all their deeds are found fault with Some malicious inuention or surmise is euer at hand to lay the blame vpon them This I take to be the fittest exposition for this place Here then we haue the fourth sinne wherewith the Israelites are here charged It is Caluninia their false accusing of the poore a sinne that euermore attendeth vpon Oppression For the cruell and couetous wretch who is perswaded that his greatnesse chiefly consisteth in the oppression of the poore will be sure so to prouide to keepe the poore vnder that they shall neuer be able to reuenge the wrongs done vnto them Let the poore man slip but vnaduisedly or ignorantly the lawes must by and by take hold on him whereas the Rich man the lawes are but as Cobwebs he breakes throw them all Hence is that common saying the poore man doth nothing well the rich man nothing ill Yea let the poore man doe all things well yet will some rich calumniator euer be ready to giue an ill construction of his best wayes or as the phrase in my text is to turne aside the way of the meeke or to peruert the way of the poore The lesson which we are to take from hence for our instruction is this The poore man which vseth any honest trade or course of life is not to be turned out of his way his words and actions are not to be mis-interpreted The reason of this doctrine is plaine in the sixth verse of this Chapter The Lord will not turne away his punishments from the offenders in this kind from such as turne aside or peruert the way of the meeke and the poore The vse of this doctrine concerneth all those whom God hath blessed with the wealth of this world It is their dutie not to be carelesse of the poore not to grieue them not to hinder them in their honest courses not to turne them aside out of their lawfull wayes You that haue wherewith to maintaine your selues abundantly you may not exempt your selues from doing seruice vnto God with your abundance Yea you must straine yourselues to the vttermost of your powers to relieue and succour such as are in scarcitie and in want This is a sacrifice that God requireth at your hands Offer it willingly and you shall haue a reward Your reward it shall not be a corruptible Crowne It shall be a Crowne of eternitie It shall be the possession of Heauen it selfe The poore shall carry you thither There is to this purpose a sweete meditation of S. Austin Serm. 245. de Tempore There hee bâ—ingeth in God thus speaking to the rich man Te diuitem feci tibi quod dares dedi laturarios tibi pauperes feci I haue made thee rich I haue giuen to thee that thou mightest giue to others I haue made the poore to be thy porters to be the Cariers of thine almes and thee into Heauen To this sense doth the same S. Austine Serm. 25. de verbis Domini call the poore man viam Coeli the way to Heauen Via Coeli est pauper per quam venitur ad Patrem The poore man is the way to heauen by which we come vnto the Father Incipe ergo erogare si non vis errare Begin therefore to errogate to distribute to lay out vpon the poore if thou wilt not wander or stray from the way to Heauen Loose thou the fetters of thy patrimony in this life that hereafter thou mayest haue free accesse into Heauen Cast away the burthen of thy riches cast away thy voluntarie bonds cast away thy anxieties thy irkesomnesse wherewith for many yeares thou hast beene disquieted Da pâ—tenti vt possis ipse accipere Giue to him that asketh of thee an almes that thou maist thy selfe receiue mercy Tribue pauperi si non vis flammis exuri Giue vnto the poore if thou wilt not be burnt in the flames of Hell fire Da in terrâ Christo quae tibi reddat in Coelo Giue to Christ on earth and Christ will repay thee in Heauen The like hath the same good father Serm. 227. de Tempore Si aperueris pauperibus manus tuas Christus tibi aperiet januas suas vt Paradisi possessor introeas If thou wilt open thy hand vnto the poore Christ will open his gates vnto thee that thou maist enter the possession of Paradise the Paradise of Heauen It is a Paradise for pleasure but a Citie for beautie and a Kingdome for state There is God in his fulnesse of glorie and raignes in iustice The companie there are all triumphant they are all invested with glorie crowned in maiestie clothed in sinceritie Their faces shine with beautie their hearts are filled with pietie their tongues extoll the Lord with spirituall alacritie in their hands they beare palmes in token of victorie No tongue can vtter no heart can conceiue the boundlesse and endlesse happinesse that shal be enioyed there This we know that our corruption shall there put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE X. LECTVRE AMOS 2.7 And a man and his father will goe in vnto the same maid to prophane my holy name THey who haue begun to goe beyond the lines and the limits prefined vnto them in the word of God doe by little and little proceed from euill to worse from one wickednesse to another This you haue seene verified in these Israelites You haue seene their crueltie their couetousnesse their oppressions their calumnies They were cruell they sold the righteous they sold the poore ver 6. They were couetous they sold the righteous for siluer they sold the poore for a paire of shoes in the same verse They were oppressours they panted after the dust of the earth
fornication and in the former not once to name it Thirdly it is malum lubricum a sinne full of great danger So meaneth Salomon Prou. 23.27 where he sayth A whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow d Prou. 22.14 pitt The comparison is plaine A Harlot to a deepe ditch and to a narrow pit The meaning of the holy Ghost is As a man that falleth into a deepe ditch or into a narrow pit breaketh either an arme or a legge and with much adoe getteth out againe so is it with them that are ouertaken with this vile sinne of fornication the woman e Eccles 26.7 whose heart is as snares and nets and her hands as bands will bee to them more bitter then death with much adoe shall they escape from her Fourthly it stoppeth the passage into Heauen S. Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 6.9 Fornicators shall not inherite the kingdome of God and againe Ephes 5.5 No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ S. Iohn Reuel 21.18 sayth as plainely Whoremongers shall haue their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you of many foure reasons why wee may not commit fornication 1. It is vnlawfull by the law of Nature 2. It is forbidden by the law of God 3. It is full of great danger 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heauen Now see the validitie of my former inference We may not commit fornication for the reasons now specified much lesse may we commit adulterie much lesse incest much lesse other sinnes of vncleannesse sinnes against Nature monstrous and prodigious sinnes All these S. Paul 1. Cor. 6. hath euen chayned together to cast them into Hell And that you may take notice of it he hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not deceiued Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate nor abusers of themselues with mankinde shall inherit the kingdome of God Thus farre hath the first vse of my doctrine led mee The second followeth My doctrine was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God This in the second place serueth for the reproofe of such as suffer themselues to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes or carnall lusts And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned f Caietan in Aquin 2. 2. qu. 154 Art 9. §. Respondeo Emanuell King of Portugall married his wiues sister g Caietan ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicilie married his fathers h Joannam sister Philip the second King of Spaine married his sisters i Annam daughter Henry the eight King of England married his brothers k Catharinam wife All these were incestuous marriages and are by this doctrine condemned But some may say these marriages were not concluded but by the Popes dispensation Why then say I they are condemned I say so because they are precisely against the law of God written Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law What! Dispense against the law of God! We are not ignorant that the chiefe patrons of the Pontificiall law howsoeuer they grant l In cap. MennaÌ„ 2. q. 5. Annotat. marg Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like doe notwithstanding expresly affirme m Gloss in Cap. Post translationem Extra de Renuntiatione 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle n Rainold Thes 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant vnto the Pope this power of dispensing only in causes perteining to the positiue law of man with which colour they now paint ouer that same flagitious glosse of dispensing against the Apostle but also in matters ratified by the law of God I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations that haue bin granted by the Pope as that o Cap. ad Apostolicae in Sexto de Sentent re iudicat Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae subiects may be discharged of their oath and fealtie and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince yea to take armes against him yea to lay violent hands on him that p Concil Constans Sess 19. Cap. Quòd non obstantibus Câ—luis conductibus promise may be broken with God and man that most horrible q Rainold Thes 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations may be committed that all things diuine and humane may be peruerted right and wrong Heauen and earth lawfull and vnlawfull may be confounded togither But I may not so far digresse from my present purpose Let it suffice for this time that you see the impietie of the Popes dispensations or rather dissipations as r De Consid ad â—ugâ—n lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them in his allowing of incestuous mariages that a man may marry his wiues sister or his fathers sister or his sisters daughter or his brothers wife all precisely against the law of God Here might we stand amased and wonder that such irregular and shamelesse dispensations should passe with the approbation of the Pope who beares a face as if he were most holy yea Holinesse it selfe Speake we to him or write to him our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime most holy Father and Sanctitas Tua your Holinesse But knowing him to be that Å¿ 2. Thess 2 3. man of sinne that sonne of perdition that grand Antichrist who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures was to be reuealed in these latter times we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties that may be Can we t Matth. 7.16 gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Can we expect that the Pope who u 2. Thess 2.4 opposeth himselfe against God and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God should either himselfe liue or cause others to liue according to the holy law of God For the Popes themselues would the time and your patience permit I could rip vp their liues and shew vnto you how they haue bin stained and defiled with all manner of fearefull notorious and abhominable sinnes But my text will not suffer me so farre â—o range The sinnes of vncleanenesse wherein those holy fathers haue to the astonishment of the world wallowed are the sinnes in my present text and doctrine smitten at What shall I tell â—ou of the incest committed by many of them by Iohn the 13. with Stephana his fathers concubine by Iohn the x Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brothers wife by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces by Pius the 5. with his owne sister by y Joan. Iovian Pontan Alexander the 6. with his owne daughter I could make true report vnto you of many of
with it let him be warie for the time to come that he fall so no more This sinne it is morbus regius as i Dist. salutis â— Bonaventure calls it It s a costly sinne Costly indeed For he that draweth his patrimonie through his throat eating and drinking more in a day then he is able to earne in a whole weeke his end must needs be beggery according to that of the wise man Prov. 23.21 The duunkard and the glutton shall come to pouertie You haue heard of many other inconveniences that doe accompanie this sinne They may moue the meere naturall man the man whose Heauen is here on earth to take good heed that this sinne haue no dominion ouer him Much more should the true Christian he who hath his Heauen aboue withstand the rage and furie of this sinne It is a worke of the flesh So it s called Galat. 5.21 and there the Apostle hath past his doome vpon it They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Parallel to which is that of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 6.9 Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceiued no drunkard shall inherit the kingdome of God I shut vp this point with a word of exhortation I borrow it from Luk. 21.34 The words are the words of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to his Disciples Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts be ouer-charged with surfetting and drunkennesse and so the last day come vpon you vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes that yee may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the sonne of man Thus farre of the first generall part the action of these Israelites their drinking of wine Now in the second place we are to consider whose wine it was It was not their owne it was vinum damnatorum the wine of the condemned They drinke the wine of the condemned By this wine of the condemned some vnderstand the wine that was of custome giuen to condemned persons to refresh and comfort them when they were to suffer execution for their offences Of this custome a certaine Hebrew in a booke of his entituled k See Nichol. de Lyra in Math. 27.34 Liber iudicum ordinariorum maketh mention after this manner It is the aduise of Lemuel the King Prov. 31.6 Giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish and wine vnto those that be of heauy heart Let him drinke and forget his pouertie and remember his miserie no more Vpon occasion of these words the Seniours of the Iewes made this constitution vt condemnatis ad mortem daretur vinum aromaticum ad bibenduÌ„ vt faciliùs tolerarent passionem that sweet and odoriferous wine should be prouided for such as were condemned to death which they might drinke and so the more easily endure their suffering This constitution was put in practise by the Iewes At the time of Christs suffering there were in Ierusalem certaine devout Matrons full of compassion who did out of their devotion bestow this wine This wine so prouided for Christ and those that suffered with him some cruell Iewes tooke vnto themselues according to these words of Amos They drinke the wine of the condemned This wine they tooke vnto themselues and in the place thereof they did put vinegar mixt with gall as S. Matthew saith chap. 27.34 If vinegar mixt with gall might serue Christs turne so it was the Iewes would haue the wine They would drinke the wine of the condemned This custome of giuing wine to such as were condemned to dye you see was very ancient The learned l Musâ—ulus Aretius Hunnius Muthesius expositors of the Gospell in their Commentaries vpon the 27. of S. Matthew doe generally remember it Lucas Brugensis very precisely Moris erat qui hodie apud nos in vsu est It was a custome and is this day in vse with vs that to malefactors brought to the place of execution wine should be giuen them and that of the best partly to refresh their thirstie and wearied bodies and partly to exhilarate and cheare vp their hearts that they might the lesse thinke of death and with more ease endure it If to this custome our Prophet here alludeth then are the Israelites here reproued for their cruelty for taking to themselues to their owne priuate vse what was of custome belonging to poore condemned prisoners But I take it more agreable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place if we vnderstand by the wine of the condemned wine bought with the money of such as the Iudges of Israel had in their vnrighteous iudgements put to the worse This wine the Septuagint doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum de calumnijs wine gotten by deceitfull dealing by malitious surmises by false accusations The Chaldee Paraphrast tearmes it vinum rapinae the wine of oppression of pillage of robberie Luther stiles it vinum mulctatorum and Castalio vinum mulctatitiuÌ„ wine issuing from mulctes from fines In our now English translation it is the wine of the condemned cast your eye but to the margent and you will finde it to bee the wine of such as were fined or mulcted Here then by the wine of the condemned we are to vnderstand that the Iudges of Israel laid vpon the poore men vniust penalties by which they might be prouided of wine and other delicates and so spend their dayes in iollity You see now what sinne it is whereat this second generall part doth aime It is an oppressing sinne the sinne of oppression when Iudges rulers of states and men in autoritie make hauocke of the poore Of this sinne I spake at large in my Ninth Lecture vpon this second chapter of Amos at what time I deliuered this doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against their oppressors The lesse neede haue I now to spend my time vpon it Yet a word of it My now-doctrine I deliuer in this positioÌ„ It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another Oppression I call euery iniustice vsed of the mightier either by violence or by colour of law or by any other cunning dealing against such as are not able to withstand them This description of oppression I gather from Levit. 25.14 from Micah 2.1 2. and from 1. Thess 4.6 In ech place the vnlawfulnesse of oppression is manifested The first place is Levit. 25.14 The commandement there is If thou sell ought vnto thy neighbour or buyest ought of thy neighbors hand yee shall not oppresse one another Whether you sell or buy you may not oppresse the very forbidding of oppression is a sufficient argument that oppression is vnlawfull The second place is Micah 2.1 2. Woe to them that deuise iniquitie and worke euill vpon their beds when the morning is
light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands And they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away So they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage where you haue an imprecation against oppressors a woe thundred out against them It is enough to proue oppression to be vnlawfull The third place is 1. Thess 4.6 This is the will of God that no man oppresse or ouer-reach his brother in any matter Is it Gods will Then surely it is not lawfull for you to oppresse or ouer-reach one another in any businesse Men of trade may not gaine by their false weights false measures false speeches or false oathes neither may men in any other course of life gaine by violence or by colour of Law or by any other cunning dealing Thus is my doctrine confirmed It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another First it may serue for a reproofe of the Oppressors of this age who make gold their hope and the wedge of gold their confidence as Iob speaketh chap. 31.24 S. Paul he taught 1. Tim. 6.6 that Godlinesse is great gaine but these men suppose the contrary that gaine is great godlinesse and therefore they feare not to gaine with the hurt of others They build their houses as the moth So saith Iob chap. 27.18 As the moth How is that The moth is made full by spoyling the barkes and bookes wherein it liueth So is it with these men they make themselues full by spoyling others with whom they liue and haue to deale I expresse it in Ieremies phrase chap. 22.13 They build their houses by vnrighteousnes and their chambers by wrong and in Habakkuks phrase chap. 2.12 They build them townes with blood and stablish their Cities by iniquitie Against these is that complaint of the Lord Esai 3.14 15. Ye haue eaten vp the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses What meane yee that yee beat my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poore Woe to these men a woe from Micah a woe from Ieremie a woe from Habakkuk in the now-alleaged places a woe from Esay too Chap. 5.8 Woe vpon woe and yet will they not cease from ioyning house to house and laying land to land as if the way to the spirituall Canaan were all by Land and not through a red Sea of death as one wittily speaketh From this contempt of the Prophets of the Lord or rather of the Lord himselfe speaking by his Prophets it is now come to passe that many a poore tenant is thrust out of his house that Villages are depopulated that those streets which were wont to be sowen with the seeds of men are now become pastures for the sending forth of oxen and for the treading of sheepe as Esay speaketh chap. 7.25 Now may Hythlodaeus his complaint haue place m Mori Vtopia lib. 1. Our sheepe in England were sometimes the meekest beasts of the field and contented themselues with a litle but now are they become so fierce and greedy that they devoure men and Towne-fields and houses and villages and lay all waste Alas silly sheepe it is no fault of yours you are as meeke as euer you were Whose then is the fault It is yours yee grinding oppressors yours whose hearts are like the vast Ocean fit to swallow vp euery base commoditie that the earth is able to afford you O that these men would at length call themselues to a strict account of the oppressions wherewith they haue oppressed the poore either by depopulating or by raising rents or by hoysing fines or by interest or otherwise and would once begin to make some restitution Did they but know in what estimation they stand in Church and Common-wealth they would remit somewhat of their Cruelty The Church heretofore denied them Christian buriall It s apparant in the Canon Law Extra de Vsuris Cap. Quia in omnibus How the Common-wealth brooketh them they may perceiue by two instances Catillus a British King 170. yeares before Christ did hang them vp He hung vp all oppressors of the poore My n Stow in his Summarie Chronicler writes in the margent A good example Long after him King Edward commonly called good King Edward banished them his Land So writeth Glanvil lib. 7. de Leg. consuet Angliae c. 37. The same author in the same booke cap. 16. affirmeth that by the most ancient lawes of England the goods of a defamed oâ—pressor dying without restitution were escheated vnto the King and all his lands vnto the Lord of the towne Wherefore let the oppressor now at last forsake his oppressions What can all the wealth all the mucke of the earth auaile him if for it he loose the kingdome of Heauen Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat The wealth he here heapeth vp may for a time yeeld him some delight but what is a moment of delight to the eternitie of sorrow that must follow Must follow Yea it must follow if amendment hinder it not If he amend not I say as God is God so certainely shall the oppressor be destroyed though not in the red Sea as the oppressing Aegyptians once were yet in a Sea a blacke Sea of Hellish deeps where he shall be pained vnspeakably tormented intolerably both euerlastingly Thus haue you the first vse of my doctrine My doctrine was It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another The vse was a generall reproofe of our now-oppressors A second vse may be to admonish Iudges Iustices and other Magistrates and Rulers that they suffer not themselues to be stained with this sin of oppression It is the o Pilkinton exposit in Nehem. cap. 5. fol. 80. A. dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor This dutie is laid vpon him Ierem. 21.12 There thus saith the Lord to the house of Dauid Execute iudgemâ—nt in the morning and deliuer him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor It is likewise laid vpon him Esai 1.17 Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow Where first Gods commandement is that Magistrates should execute iudgement in the morning In the morning Therefore they are not to vse delayes in doing iustice Secondly Gods commandement is that Magistrates should seeke iudgement Must they seeke iudgement Therefore in cases of oppression they are not to stay till they be called for Thirdly God commendeth vnto Magistrates all that are oppressed but specially the fatherlesse and widow the fatherlesse because they want the defence of their parents and the widow because she is destitute of the helpe of her husband and we know euery man goeth ouer where the hedge is lowest Therefore are Magistrates to take vpon them the defence of the fatherlesse the defence of the widow the defence of euery one that is oppressed Is it so Then are Magistrates to take speciall heed that themselues
be neither principalls nor accessaries in the sin of Oppression They must abhor the practise of the Princes of Ierusalem who Esay 1.23 are stiled companions of theeues because they loued gifts and followed after rewards They are to detest the corruption of the rulers of Israel who Hos 4.18 loue with shame to cry Bring yee Bring yee They must hate the wayes of Samuels sonnes who 1. Sam. 8.3 turned aside after lucre tooke bribes and peruerted iudgement They must loath the courses of cursed Balaam who 2. Pet. 2.15 Loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse Happy is the land that is ruled by such Magistrates Such may with boldnes stand vp and make protestation with iust and vncorrupt Samuel 1. Sam. 12.3 Behold here we are witnesse against vs whose oxe haue we taken whom haue we defrauded whom haue we oppressed of whose hand haue we receiued any bribes to blinde our eyes therewith and no man shall be able to accuse them Are ours such I stand not here to plead against them Onely this I say If ours be not such but are of another stampe if they loue the wages of vnrighteousnesse if they loue gifts if they follow after rewards if they turne aside after lucre if they take bribes if they shame not to cry Bring ye bring yee I may ranke them with these Israelites in my text They will sell the righteous for siluer they will sell the poore for a paire of shoes they will pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore they will turne aside the way of the meeke and they will drinke the wine of the condemned Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine My doctrine was It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another The vse was an admonition to Magistrates rulers and other officers that they suffer not themselues to be stained with the sinne of oppression A third vse followeth It reacheth to the poore oppressed They may from hence receiue consolation from hence they may be comforted Is it not an exceeding great comfort to a poore oppressed wretch to know that God taketh notice of the oppressions vnder which he groaneth That God doth so I haue already made it manifest in the proofe of my doctrine in the reproofe of oppressors and in the Magistrates admonition It is cleare also in the letter of my text Here God taketh notice of the oppressions of the poore in Israel in as much as the Iudges the Rulers and great men there did drinke the wine of the condemned Hereto I adde that Psal 12.5 For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needie now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safetie from him that puffeth at him from him that would ensnare him Behold here first Gods readinesse to helpe the poore and secondly how forcible with God the poore mans prayers are Are not both these to a poore oppressed man points of singular comfort Out of doubt they are But some poore man pressed downe with the burden of oppression may here say vnto me Hath God promised to deliuer me from mine oppressors Why then am I still oppressed Stay a while and thou shalt behold the goodnes of the Lord. It s not for thee to make haste or to seeke by vile and vnwarrantable courses to winde thy selfe out of thine oppressors hands Vntill it shall please the Lord to put an end to thy present grieuances it s thy dutie to possesse thy soule in patience Prescribe not thou vnto the Lord what he shall doe Let his grace let his fauour be sufficient for thee whatsoeuer it bring with it be it want or pouertie or aduersitie One drop of his fauour is better worth vnto thee and more of valew then this whole world If thou haue but a tast but a touch of it it will make thee sing with Dauid Psal 119.71 It s good for me that I haue bin afflicted good that I haue bin in want in pouertie in aduersitie vnder the griping hand of the oppressor O! how sweet is the quiet fruit of righteousnes that springeth forth from the bitter roote of tribulation I haue done with the poore oppressed when I shall haue giuen them a Caveat The Caveat is that they themselues oppresse not themselues There is no oppression to the oppression that one poore man exerciseth towards another For a poore man that oppresseth the poore is like a sweeping raine that leaues no foode Salomon avoweth it Prov. 28.3 A poore man a man of meane estate if he oppresse by force by fraud by bargaining or otherwise a poore man such as he himselfe is whom he should tender and pitie because by him he may be put in minde of his owne estate he is like a sweeping raine like a floud that riseth through abundance of raine or he is like a great storme and tempest of raine that suddenly carieth away corne hay and whatsoeuer it meeteth with and leaues behinde it no foode for men or cattle to liue on A poore man if he oppresse the poore is like a sweeping raine that leaues no foode A poore man and yet an oppressor Such a one is much more intolerable then a rich man that oppresseth For whereas by the law of God euery oppressor is bound to make actuall restitution for the wrongs he hath done the rich man may bee in case to doe it the poore man neuer My exhortation is to rich to poore to all that all would be of the same minde one towards another So S. Paul exhorted the Romans chap. 12.16 Be of the same minde one towards another Minde not high things but condiscend to men of low estate Recompence to no man euill for euill If it be possible as much as lyeth in you liue peaceably with all men Sith here we haue no continuing citie Heb. 13.14 sith here we are but pilgrims and strangers 1. Pet. 2.11 sith here is not our rest Micah 2.10 why vse we fraudulencie and forgerie in our contracts why bribery in iustice why crueltie in our dealings why ouer-beare we right by might why grinde we the poore like corne with the milstones of oppression why eat we them vp like bread yea why doe the poore grinde themselues why oppresse they one another Will we neuer leaue crushing one another Dearely beloued we forget our selues we thinke we are at home but are not Our home is aboue it is Heaven Here we are but strangers and say Is it fit that strangers when they are but passing through a strange country should devoure and consume one another Beloued in the bowels of Iesus Christ let vs for the time to come so liue and loue togither whilest we shall be here iornying towards our wished-for-home that Celestiall Canaan that when it shall please God to call vs to our accounts how we haue here caried our selues we may with blessed Paul 2. Cor. 7.2 boldly make our profession We haue wronged no man we haue consumed no man we haue defrauded no
refused him Eliab notwithstanding the prioritie of his birth and notwithstanding the comelinesse of his person he is refused and Dauid little Dauid little in his fathers eyes and little in the eyes of his brethren neglected and despised of all for hee was the yongest of all he is chosen to be the Lords anointed He is taken o Psal 78 70.71.72 1. Sam. 16.11 2. Sam 7.8 from the sheepe-folds from following the Ewes great with yong and is placed in rule and gouernment to feed Iacob the people of the Lord and Israel the Lords inheritance Thus much may serue for the confirmation of my propounded doctrine God respecteth not the tall man for his tallnesse nor the strong man for his strength You may adde nor the great man for his greatnesse nor the rich man for his wealth nor the wise man for his wisedome The reason I haue alreadie touched It is expressed 1. Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth For man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart He looketh on the heart and therefore he chooseth not as man chooseth the tall the great the strong the rich the wise but the low man the little man the weake man the poore man the foolish man Whereto else tendeth the Apostles speech to the faithfull among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things that are mightie and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are And what is the end of all It s this that no flesh should glory in the presence of God It is the vse we are to make of the doctrine now deliuered We are vrged vnto it Ierem. 9.23 There thus sayth the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mightie man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth In like sort say we Let not the tall man glorie in his tallnesse neither let the strong man glorie in his strength though the height of the one be like the height of the Cedars and the other be strong like the Okes yet let them not glorie therein but let them glory in this that they vnderstand know God to be the Lord which exerciseth louing kindnes iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth that is in the Apostles phrase 1. Cor. 1.31 He that glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. And againe 2. Cor. 10.17 He that glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. All other glorying is vaine Glorie not in thy tallnesse what can it auaile thee Glory not in thy strength it cannot helpe thee Say thou wert as tall as the Amorites in my text and thy height were like the height of the Cedars say thou wert as strong as they strong as the Okes yet notwithstanding the one or the other height or strength thou maist perish and come to nought as they did Glorie thou therefore in the Lord. Here may the man that is low of stature or weake of body be comforted for as much as God seeth not as man seeth nor chuseth as man chuseth Be thou little or be thou weake thou art neuer a whit the further from the grace fauour of God No further then Zacheus was Zacheus was a verie little man In the 19. of Luke ver 3. it is sayd of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee was little of stature Iesus passed through Iericho Zacheus was very desirous to see him but could not for the presse of the people because he was little of stature To supply this defect of his he gets him vp into a tree and seeth Iesus Iesus for it spake graciously vnto him Zacheus make hast and come downe for to day I must abide at thy house You see Iesus respected Zacheus for all his little stature He was of little stature Statura brevis magnus in opere S. p Tâ—m 8. fol. 310. H. Austin saith it Enarr in Psal 129. Zacheus was in deede little of stature but was great in good workes Great in his loue toward Iesus whom he was so desirous to see and great in charitie towards men to whom he was readie to make a fourefold restitution if he had done wrong to any Zacheus little of stature Chrysologus Serm. 54. thus meditates vpon it q Pag. 225. Satis hic animo magnus erat qui pusillus videbatur in corpore Nam mente tangebat coelos qui corpore homines non aequabat Zacheus was great enough in mind albeit he was but little in bodie in bodie he was no match for men and yet his minde reached vp to Heauen Whereupon he frames this exhortation Nemo de brevitate corporis cui addere nil potest curet sed vt fide emineat hoc procuret Let not any man be grieued because he is little of stature whereto he cannot adde one cubite but let euery mans care be to be eminent aboue others in faith You haue hitherto heard of the varietie of mens statures you haue heard of the Amorites that their height was like the height of the Cedars Of King Saul that he was higher then any of his people from the shoulders and vpward of Eliab that he was high of stature of Zacheus that he was low of stature This varietie of mens statures is by euery dayes experience confirmed vnto you And why is there such varietie of mens statures One reason may be to stirre vs vp to this consideration that God is the most prouident author of euery mans stature It is not in man to adde any thing to his stature not one cubite sayth our Sauiour Mat. 6 27. He sayth it againe Luke 12.25 Which of you with taking thought can adde one cubite to his stature No man No man can doe it Nay it is not in man to amend the imperfections wherewith he is borne into the world The man that was borne blind confesseth it Ioh. 9.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind We cannot supply any defect wherwith we are borne into this world much lesse can we adde any thing vnto our stature It may thus farre serue for our instruction Vt ex illo capite neminem contemnamus vel exagitemus saith Franzius Disp 2. in Deuter. Thes 92. that we despise not any man nor speake ill of him for his stature be it great or little or for any defect he hath in nature from his natiuitie A second reason why there is
against that great Armada and inuincible Nauie that was prouided for our ouerthrow but I may not now stand vpon amplifications It s out of doubt the wind the creature of the Lord is the Lords weapon wherewith sometimes he reuengeth the wicked and disobedient Euery other creature of the Lord hath his place to fight the Lords battels against the disobedient To auenge Gods quarrell against the disobedient the Heauen that is ouer our heads shall become as brasse and the earth that is vnder vs as yron Deut. 28.23 Heauen and earth shall fight for him m Levit. 26 22. Ezech. 5.17 Wild beasts euill beasts all the beasts of the field shall fight for him Esay 56.9 Euery feathered fowle shall fight for him Ezech. 39.17 The silliest of creatures etiam vermes pulices muscae araneae sayth n Summa Theol. part 2. Tit. 4 â—ap 2 §. 1. Antoninus wormes and fleas and flyes and spiders shall all fight for him So true is that which in the second place I affirmed God punisheth disobedience per impugnationem orbis by setting the world against man Thirdly God punisheth disobedience per privationem Numinis by depriuing man of the vision of God This appeareth by the seueritie of that sentence which the Iudge of all flesh the Iudge of quicke and dead shall at the last day pronounce against the Reprobate for their disobedience to Gods holy Lawes and Commaundements The sentence is expressed Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Depart from me There is preuatio numinis a separation from the face of God an exclusion from the beatificall and blessed vision of God Depart from me ye cursed Cursed are yee and therefore depart Cursed because yee haue not obeyed the Law of the Lord Cursed because yee haue contemptuously reiected the holy Gospell Cursed because ye haue trodden vnder foote the sweete grace of God freely offered vnto you Cursed because yee haue beene so farre from relieuing the weake and poore members of Christ as that yee haue rather oppressed and crushed them with wrong violence Cursed are yee and therefore depart Depart from me yee Cursed into euerlasting fire Behold the torment where into the disobedient shall be cast and the infinitie of it It s fire and fire euerlasting But why fire Are there not other kinds of punishments in Hell Yes there are Dionysius the Carthusian in his third Novissimum art 6. reckoneth vp eleuen kinds the Centuriators in their first Centurie lib. 1. cap. 4. nine kinds Durandus de S. Porciano in 4. Sent. Dist 50. qu. 1. diuerse kinds Why then doth the Iudge in pronouncing the sentence of the damned speake onely of fire Caietane saith it is propter supplicij vehementiam for the vehemencie of the punishment because of all the punishments in Hell that shall torment the bodie the fire is the sharpest So saith o Jn Mat. 25. qu. 403. Abulensis In afflictivis nihil est nobis tam terribile quam ignis of things that may afflict our bodies there is nothing so terrible vnto vs as fire So Durandus in the place now cited § 9. Of all the punishments in Hell wherewith the bodie shall be tormented the punishment of fire is the greatest quia quod est magis activum est magis afflictivum the more actiue any thing is the more it tormenteth but the fire is maximè activus and therefore maximè afflictivus the fire is the most actiue and therefore it most of all tormenteth For this cause when other punishments are in Scripture passed ouer with silence the sole punishment of fire is expressed because in it as in the greatest of all all other punishments are vnderstood Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Prepared of God the Father by his eternall decree of absolute reprobation Prepared for the Deuill and his Angels God from euerlasting determined concerning such Angels as should fall not to confirme them in good but to turne them out of heauen and to exclude them from eternall beatitude together with their head prince the Deuill The Deuill and his Angels Horrenda societas Such shall be the companions of the cursed and damned after this life ended I must draw towards an end Dearely beloued you haue hitherto heard concerning Disobedience that it is a foule sin that God curseth it and doth punish it that he punisheth it first per afflictionem corporis by laying affliction vpon man in his bodie secondly per impugnationem orbis by setting the whole world against him and thirdly per privationem numinis by depriuing him of the beatificall and blessed vision of God which of all the punishments of Hell is farre the greatest farre greater then the punishment of fire What now remaineth for vs but that we labour to eschew and to flie from so damnable a sinne and to embrace the contrary vertue due obedience to the holy will of God Let not the pleasures of sinne the lusts of the flesh the riches the snares the cares of this world nor any transitorie delight that may tickle man for an houre but will wound him for euer let not all these nor any one of these inuolue vs in the gulfe of disobedience against the holy Gospell of Christ and the eternall will of God But thinke wee oh thinke we euer that there is a Heauen a God a Iesus a Kingdome of glorie a societie of Angels a communion of Saints ioy peace and happinesse and an eternitie of all these and striue we with all humilitie and obedience to the attainement of these so shall God in this world shower downe vpon vs his blessings in abundance and after this life ended he shall transplant vs to his Heauenly Paradise There shall this corruptible put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life THE XVIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.12 But yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke and commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not THat these words are an exprobation an vpbraiding or twiting of Israel with the foulenesse of their ingratitude I signified in my last exercise out of this place I then obserued in the words a double ouersight in the Israelites the first was that they solicited the Nazirites to breake their vow the second that they hindred the Prophets in the execution of their holy function The first in these words Yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke The second in these Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not Of the first then Now of the second My method shall be first to take a view of the words then to examine the matter conteined in them The words are Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not Yee commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in Pihel from the roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifieth to giue in charge to will to command If it be ioyned in construction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it
of a Lyon slaying the soules of men To a two edged sword vers 3. Flee from sinne as from a two edged sword for all iniquitie is as a two edged sword the wounds whereof cannot be healed But what is a two edged sword what the teeth of a Lyon what the face of a Serpent what the Deuill himselfe to the loue of God Flee from sinne for the loue of God that with thy sinnes thou be not burdensome and grieuous vnto God If we cannot but sinne as the truth is we cannot such is our imperfection yet let vs not increase the measure of our sin by any wicked malice If we cannot stay our selues from going in the paths of sinne yet let vs stay our selues for going on therein Stop we the course of our sinnes as the Lord shall enable vs and let vs not by the fulnesse of their measure pull vengeance from Heauen whether God will or no. A heauie day and houre will it be to you to me to any if the Lord shall once say vnto vs as here he doth to Israel I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Againe stands it thus beloued May our sinnes be burdensome and grieuous vnto God May they presse him as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Make we then here of a second vse euen to admonish such sinners as are obstinate and impenitent They may from hence be remembred that if they be burdensome and grieuous vnto God with their obstinacie and impenitencie God will be burdensome and grieuous vnto them with his plagues Obstinacie impenitencie O let sinnes of such an eleuation be farre from our Coasts If we driue God to call a conuocation of Heauen and Earth as Esa 1.2 Heare O heauens and giue eare O earth I haue nourished and brought vp Children and they haue rebelled against me if we driue him to call on the mountaines the foundations of the earth to heare his controuersie as Micah 6.2 Heare yee O mountaines the Lords controuersie and yee strong foundations of the earth the Lord hath a controuersie with his people and will plead with them if we driue him to his old complaint Hos 4.1 There is no truth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring yee breake out and bloud toucheth bloud if we thus and thus force God what shall become of vs in the end Will hee not againe force vs to cry out houle and repent that euer wee thus and thus forced him Yes without all controuersie he will He will poure out x Nahum 16. his furie like fire he will throw downe rockes before him and shall we then be able to stand It s impossible we should vnlesse truly and vnfeinedly renouncing all shew of obstinacy and impenitencie we become dutifull and obedient children to the Lord our God O how desirous how earnest is our sweete Sauiour we should be such How pathetically doth he perswade our and the whole Churches reformation Cant. 6.13 Returne returne O Shulamite returne returne Let our reply be with Saint Austine Domine da quod jubes jube quod vis Lord giue vs abilitie to returne to thee and then command vs to returne or with Ieremie chap. 31.18 Turne thou vs vnto thee ô Lord and we shall be turned thou art the Lord our God Thus haue you my doctrine and the vses thereof My doctrine was Our sinnes are sometimes burdensome and grieuous vnto God My first vse was an incitement to the detestation of sinne in generall My second was a caueat against the foulest of sinnes obstinacie and impenitencie My doctrine branding our sinnes with burdensomenesse and grieuousnesse in respect of God I grounded vpon the complaint which in my text God maketh against Israel I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues God is pressed vnder our sinnes therefore our sinnes are burdensome vnto him they are grieuous vnto him But here it may be questioned how God can be said to complaine of our sinnes to be burdened with them to be grieued at them sith in himselfe he hath all pleasure and content He dwelleth in such y 1. Tim. 6.16 light such brightnesse of glory as neuer mortall foote could approach vnto the sight of his face is to vs on earth vnsufferable no mortall eye euer saw him nor can see him he z Esa 57.15 inhabiteth the eternitie is the a Esa 44.6 first and is the last and b Mala. 3.6 changeth not yea hath not so much as a c Iam. 1.17 shadow of change How then is it that he oft complaineth how can he be burdened how grieued Complaints we know are the witnesses of a burdened and grieued soule God here complaineth of pressure that he is pressed vnder Israell as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues from whence the collection is that the sinnes of Israel are burdensome and grieuous vnto God But can this be so indeed Can our sinnes be burdensome vnto God Can they be grieuous vnto him or can God complaine that they are such What can be said vnto it Will you that I speake properly without a figure Then thus I say God cannot complaine because he cannot be burdened or grieued Could he be burdened or grieued hee could suffer But he cannot suffer Euery blow of ours though we were as strong and high as the sonnes of Anak light short of him If some could haue reached him it had gone ill with him long ere this But God cannot suffer So true is that axiome of the Schooles No passion can befall the Deitie Aquinas 1. qu. 20. art 1. thus deliuers it Nulla passio est in Deo there is no passion in God and lib. 1. Contra Gentiles cap. 89. In Deo non sunt Passiones affectuum there are no affectiue passions in God By affectiue passions be vnderstandeth the passions of the sensitiue appetite which therefore are not in God because God hath no such appetite as Ferrariensis hath well obserued Well then if these passions of complaining of repenting of grieuing of fainting and the like cannot properly be sayd to be in God how are they so frequently in holy Scripture ascribed vnto him My answere is they are ascribed vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abusiuely by an Anthropopathie It is Athanasius his golden rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Say God complaineth say he repenteth say he grieueth say he fainteth or is wearied all these are spoken of God for our capacities but are to be vnderstood as its fit for God God in holy Scripture speaking of himselfe as if these passions were familiar with him he appeares as transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar termes speaketh to our shallow vnderstandings As an old man speaking to a child frames his voyce in a childish phrase So God speaking to vs men speakes
suffer sinne to escape vnpunished then belike hee casteth all men into Hell there to be punished with infernall torments I answere No. Sed quosdam infernalibus poenis punit caeteris peccata remittit Farre bee it from God that he should punish all the Elect as well as the Reprobate with infernall torments Some all the Reprobate he so punisheth but to others to all the Elect he forgiues their sinnes Their reply here is Doth God forgiue the Elect their sinnes Why then it is likely he leaues them altogether vnpunished Our answere is Not so God doth not leaue the sinnes of the Elect altogether vnpunished but doth punish them all by translating their sinnes from them to his owne sonne Christ Iesus according to that Esay 53.6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquitie of vs all He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities The summe of all is Our transgressions our iniquities our sinnes God punisheth in Christ and for his sake forgiues them vs. Thus farre the reproofe My second Vse is a short word of exhortation Will not God suffer any sinne to escape altogether vnpunished What then shall become of vs beloued Our sinnes Are they not impudent and vnblushing Are they not acted with lifting vp the hand and hee le against God The hand in opposition the heele in contempt Our sinnes They keepe not low water the tyde of them is euer swelling they are obiects to the eye of the world and are proud that they are obserued I haue read of two ladders by which meâ— climbe to Heauen prayers and sinnes the godly by their prayers the wicked by their sinnes By this laâ—ter ladder did Sodome and Ninivâ—h climbe O let not our sinnes bee such climbers Rather then they should presse into the presence chamber of Heauen and grow acquainted with God let vs keepe them downe and here punish them For they must be punished Must be Yea sayth S. Austine Enarrat in Psal 58. Iniquitas omnis parva magnáue fit puniatur necesse est Euery sinne be it great or be it little must of necessitie bee punished Must it By whom He there tells you aut ab ipso homine poenitente aut a Deo vindicante eyther by man repenting or by God reuenging For quem poenitet scipsum punit who so repenteth of his sinnes he punisheth himselfe for his sinnes Ergo fratres puniamus peccata nostra therefore brethren let vs be our owne punishers punish we our selues our sinnes that God may haue mercie on vs. He cannot shew mercie vpon workers of iniquitie quasi blandiens peccatis aut non eradicens peccata as if he flattered men in their sinnes or had no purpose to roote out sinne Prorsus aut punis aut punit Beleeue it either thou must punish thy selfe or God will punish thee Vis non puniat puni tu Wilt thou that God should not punish thee then punish thou thy selfe and wash away thy sinnes with the salt and bitter teares of vnfeined Repentance through a liuely faith in the bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ So shall not thy sinnes be layed vnto thy Charge but they shall be as a bundle that is bound vp and is cast into the bottome of the Sea they shall neuer rise vp against thee If thou thus punish thy selfe God will not complaine of thee that he is pressed vnder thee as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues nor will he threaten to presse thee as a Cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed Now forsaking the ladder of our sinnes climbe we to Heauen with the ladder of our prayers O Lord our God the giuer of all grace grant we beseech thee that we may vnfainedly bewayle our sinnes be they neuer so small and may amend all without excuse as well our secret sinnes as those that are knowne that we may in thy good time be translated from this valley of sinnes to that thy blessed habitation aboue where we may with all Saints for euer sing Halleluja Saluation and glory and honour and power vnto the Lord our God for euermore Amen THE XX. LECTVRE AMOS 2.14 15 16. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mightie deliuer himselfe Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow and he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the Horse deliuer himselfe And he that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. THE defiance is set the trumpet is blowne the warre is proclaimed from the Maiestie of heauen against the Kingdome of the ten tribes of Israel Such was the height of their impieties discouered vers 6 7 8. such the foulenesse of their ingratitude blased vers 12. that they could not looke for lesse then a dissipation a dispersion and ouerthrow by warre The proclamation you heard of of late out of the 13. verse it was made either by way of a grieuous complaint Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues or by way of a terrible commination Behold I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed The successe and euent of this warre now followeth vers 14 15 16. wherein three generals haue bin obserued Impotentia fugiendi Debilitas in refistendo and Fuga fortium The first was their impotencie and vnablenesse to escape by flight in the day of battell the second their debilitie and weaknesse in resisting the enemie the third the flight of their most valiant and stout of heart Three generalls they are and are by our Prophet diuided into seauen seuerall branches in which he describes gravitatem tribulationis as Castrus speaketh the grieuousnes of their tribulation or as Quadratus summam calamitatem angustiam the extreame miserie and anguish whereinto they were to fall He sheweth Gods iudgements to be ineluctable If he will the punishment of any there is no place for refuge no evasion no meanes to escape Neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mighty nor the bow-man nor the swift of foote nor the horseman nor the couragious and stout of heart shall be able to helpe himselfe in that day in the day of Gods reuengement Thus haue you summarily the scope of our Prophet in this Scripture and the meaning thereof I must now descend to the particulars The first of the seauen miseries here foretold to betide the Israelites is in the beginning of the 14. verse The flight shall perish from the swift IT is an Hebrew phrase I meete with the like Psal 142.4 Perijt fuga à me So Dauid in extreame danger in the Caue complaineth The flight perished from me or Refuge failed me or I had no place to flie vnto that is I saw not which way I might escape all hope of evasion was gone from me I was in mine
Antipater Epigram that running in a race from the bâ—ginning to the end no man could see him so swift he was of foote But these I take to be either fabulous or hyperbolicall Yet say there were such say there are such I say neither was there for them neither is there for these any evasion or escaping from God No not any at all My Prophet in the next verse the 15. of this Chapter speaks it in plaine tearmes He that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe Not deliuer himselfe and yet swift of foote It is euen so Why may he not attempt to flee Perchance he may yet shall his attempt be frustrate for thus saith the Lord Amos 9.1 He that fleeth shall not flee away and he that escapeth shall not be deliuered Yea saith he though they digge into Hell thence shall mine hand take them though they climbe vp to Heauen thence will I bring them downe And though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the Sea thence will I command the serpent and he shall bite them And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies thence will I command the sword and it shall slay them In this Hyperbolicall exaggeration for such it is in the iudgements of S. Hierome Remigius Albertus Hugo and Dionysius he sheweth how impossible it is for man by seeking to flee to lurke or to hide himselfe to exempt himselfe from the power or wrath of GOD. This impossibilitie of hiding our selues from the power or wrath of God either in Heauen or Hell or Sea or darke place or any where else is elegantly and fully illustrated by the sweetest singer of Psalmes David Psal 139.7 Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall flie from thy presence If I ascend vp into Heauen thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea Euen there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me If I say Surely the darknes shall couer me euen the night shall be light about me Yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike to thee You see nor Heauen nor Hell nor Sea nor darknesse could hide Dauid from the presence of God Could they not hide Dauid and shall they be able to hide others They shall not God makes it good by that his vehement asseueration Ierem. 23.23 Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heauen and Earth saith the Lord You see againe At hand or further off in Heauen or Earth in places of most secrecie our Lord he is God he seeth all things he fills both Heauen and Earth Thus haue you the confirmation of my doctrine which was When God resolueth to punish man for sinne there is no refuge for him no evasion no escaping by flight though he be of a swift an expedite and an agile bodie Is there no refuge for vs no evasion no escaping by flight when God will punish No there is none How can there be any sith our persecutors shall be swifter then the Eagles of the Heauen to pursue vs vpon the mountaines and to lay waite for vs in the wildernesse according to the mone that the daughter of Sion maketh Lament 4 19. Flee we as we may to mountaines to the wildernesse to hide our selues our flight shall be in vaine for our persecutors shall be swifter then the Eagles of the Heauen they whom God will employ to be the executioners of his displeasure towards vs shall still haue meanes to ouertake vs and to finde vs out Will there be no refuge for vs no evasion no escaping by flight when God will visit for our sinnes What shall we then doe beloued What Vis audire consilium Wilt thou heare counsell saith S. Austine in his sixth Treatise vpon S. Iohns Epistle Si vis ab illo fugere ad ipsum fuge If thou wilt flee from him flee to him Ad ipsum fuge confitendo non ab ipso latendo Flee to him by confessing thy sins but hide not thy selfe from him Latere enim non potes sed confiteri potes For its impossible thou shouldst lye hid from him yet mayst thou confesse thy selfe vnto him Say vnto him r Psal 91.2 Refugium meum es tu Lord thou art my refuge and my fortresse my God in thee will I trust Refugium meum es tu Lord thou art my refuge To like purpose the same S. Austine vpon Psal 71. saith Non est quo fugiatur ab illo nisi ad illum there is no flying from God but by flying to Him Si vis evadere iratum fuge ad placatum if thou wilt flee from him as he is angry flee to him as pacified So vpon Psal 75. Non est quo fugias à Deo irato nisi ad Deum placatum there is no flying from God angry but to God pacified Prorsus non est quo fugias beleeue it there is no flying from God Vis fugere ab ipso fuge ad ipsum Wilt thou needs flee from him then flee to him Flee to him From whence and whither Can I flee from any place where God is not to some place where he is Or is he not euery where Fills he not Heauen and Earth How then can I flee to him Vnderstand not any locall flying de loco ad locum but a flying de vitâ ad vitam de actu ad actum de bonis ad meliora de vtilibus ad vtiliora de sanctis ad sanctiora as Origen speaketh Homil. 12. in Genesin and so mayst thou flee to God Flee from life to life from an euill life to a good life from act to act from an euill act to a good act from good to better from profitable courses to more profitable from sanctified thoughts to more sanctified and thou doest flee to God The performance of this thy flight must be non passibus pedum sed mentis profectibus not by the agilitie or swiftnes of thy feete but by the increase or bettering of will and vnderstanding Thus to flee to God is nothing else then to draw neere vnto him to haue accesse vnto him to come vnto him To draw neere vnto him we are exhorted Iam. 4.8 Draw nigh vnto God and he will draw nigh to you Draw nigh to God! but how Pedibus aut passibus corporis with your bodily feete or paces No sed cordis but with the feete and paces of our heart Per bona opera saith the Glosse by good workes per morum imitationem saith Aquinas by honestie of life and conuersation fide affectu pijs precibus
saith another by true faith by sincere affection by godly and deuout prayers Such are the feete such the paces of our hearts by which if we are contrite broken and sorrowfull in spirit for our sinnes already past and are carefull to preuent all occasion of sinne hereafter we draw nigh to God yea we haue accesse vnto him To haue accesse to God we are invited Psal 34.5 Accedite ad cum illuminamini facies vestrae non confundentur Let your accesse be to God and be lightned and your faces shall not be confounded And this accesse to God according to S. Austine vpon Psal 145.16 is to be animo non vehiculo affectibus non pedibus with the minde not with a chariot with our affections not with our feete So the same Father vpon the 59 Psalme Our accesse to God must be non gressu pedum non subvectione vehiculorum non celeritate animalium non elevatione pennarum not by running with our feete not by hurrying in a coach not by riding vpon the swiftest of horses not by mounting vp with feathered wings sed puritate affectuum probitate sanctorum morum but with puritie of affections and sanctitie of behauiour This our accesse vnto God is nothing else then our comming vnto God The invitation to come vnto him is generall Matth. 11.28 It is there made by our Lord Å¿ Rom. 1.3 7. Iesus Christ our t Matth. 1.21 Sauiour and u Galat. 3.13 Redeemer the x Revel 17.14 Lord of Lords and King of Kings the head of all principalitie and power the ioy and crowne of all Saints the assured trust and certaine y Colâ—ss 1.27 hope of all the faithfull and it s made vnto all Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauy laden and I will giue you rest Come Come vnto me Quibus gressibus ad semetipsam nos veritas vocat Christ the Truth calls vs but how shall we come vnto him Quibus gressibus by what steps or paces Gregorie frames the question Moral lib. 21. cap. 4. and there giues this answer Ad se quippe venire nos Dominus praecipit nimirùm non gressibus corporis sed profectibus cordis its true the Lord commands vs to come vnto him not with the motion of our bodies but with the proceedings of our hearts Thus I haue made plaine vnto you what it is Ad Deum fugere to flee to God It s nothing else then Deo appropinquare ad Deum accedere ad Deum venire to draw nigh to God to approch vnto him to come vnto him but whether we flee or draw nigh or approch or come vnto him the vnderstanding of all must be spirituall Our wings our charriots our coaches our feete wherewith we are to flie to draw nigh to approch to come to God are all spirituall And what are they They are contrition faith and obedience With these we approch we draw nigh we flie we come to God Vt miseri ad misericordiam vt nudi ad divitem vt famelici ad panem vt infirmi ad medicum vt serui ad dominum vt discipuli ad magistrum vt caeci ad lumen vt frigidi ad ignem as the wretched to the mercifull as the naked to the rich as the hunger-staruen to bread as the sicke to the Physition as the seruant to his Lord as the scholar to his Master as the blinde to the light as the cold to the fire so Hugo Cardinalis vpon the 4th of S. Iames. Now with these three Contrition Faith and Obedience the inseparable companions of true and vnfeigned Repentance let vs make haste to God and flie we with all speede from the wolfe to the shepheard from death to life from our sinnes to our Sauiour from the paths of Hell full of all darknesse and horror to the way of Heauen full of all true ioy and pleasure So will God draw nigh to vs Liberando ab angustijs gratiam dando de virtute ad virtutem promovendo saith the same Hugo he will free vs from distresse will giue vs of his grace and will promote vs from vertue to vertue Thus shall it be with vs if with the affection of the spouse in the Canticles we call vpon the Lord. Her affection is seene Chap. 1.4 Draw me saith she and we will runne after thee Say we with like affection Lord draw vs and we will runne after thee Draw vs and we will runne That we may begin zealously to runne after God we haue neede to be drawne and that with great force For vnlesse he draw vs we cannot z Joh. 6.44 come to him we cannot follow him But if he once draw Lo then we hasten then we runne then we wax hot Wherefore let the Lord draw vs let him pull vs out from the bondage of our sinnes let him deliuer vs from this wicked world let him powerfully incline our wills and affections towards him let him giue vs strength to cleaue vnto him and then we and all the faithfull will at once with speed and earnestnesse flie vnto him draw nigh vnto him haue our accesse vnto him and come vnto him Hitherto of the first branch of this fourteenth verse expressing the first of the seauen miseries here foretold to betide the Israelites that the flight should perish from the swift Now followeth the second and it concerneth their strong men And the strong shall not strengthen his force THE strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whom is strength strength not of minde but of bodie he shall not strengthen his force though he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very strong and Iustie yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not reteine his force so daunted shall he be in heart and his courage so abated that he shall not dare for his owne defence to vse the strength he hath He shall be as if he had no strength at all The lesson to be taken hence is When God meanes to punish a mans strength will not helpe him It will not For as it is in the song of Hannah the mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2.9 By strength shall no man preuaile No man against God For God is Almightie He remoueth the mountaines and they know not He ouercommeth them in his anger He shaketh the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble He commands the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth vp the Starres He alone spreadeth out the Heauens and treadeth vpon the waues of the Sea He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleâ—ades and the chambers of the South He doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number He is the Almightie Who euer hath hardned himselfe against him and hath prospered So deuout Iob chap. 9 4. It is as if he had thus briâ—fly argued God is Almighty and therefore there is no contending against him no withstanding him by any strength of man Here may the strong be admonished that they glory not in their strength
except they be agreed Hitherto you haue had the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proposition of this first similitude now followeth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reddition of it Hitherto hath beene rei extrariae consideratio now followeth rei praesentis accommodatio hitherto the explication of the former part now the application of the latter Thus As it cannot be that two should walke together except they be agreed so it cannot be that the Prophets of the Lord should forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them This is the second of those fiue expositions wherof you heard in the beginning of this exercise It was the exposition of Lyra Hugo and Dionysius and is embraced by later Expositors by Paulus de Palatio Marthurinus Quadratus and Christophorus à Castro by Brentius and Winckleman by Caluin and Mercer The obseruation is The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them This truth Saint Peter expresly deliuereth Ep. 2. Chap. 1. vers 20 21. No prophecie of the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation for the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Prophets of the Lord spake not of their owne heads God spake in them Prophets They are criers and criers speake nothing but what is put into their mouthes Esay is a cryer He makes a noise after the manner of a cryer Esay 55.1 Hoe euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters The Lord bids him cry Esay 40.6 and he saith What shall I cry Then are the words put into his mouth All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field Iohn Baptist is a cryer So he stiles himselfe Ioh. 1.23 I am the voice of a cryer in the wildernesse And how crieth he Euen as the words are put into his mouth Prepare yee the way of the Lord make his pathes strait Prophets They are Trumpetors Their voice is like a Trumpet Esay 58.1 Crie aloud spare not Lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgression and the house of Iacob their sinnes They must set the trumpet to their mouthes Hos 8.1 They must blow the trumpet Ioel 2.1 But they must blow it with the breath of the Lord Otherwise it giueth but an vncertaine sound and a false alarum Prophets They are Watch-men Their office is to heare the Word at the Lords mouth and then to warne the people The charge is giuen them Ezech. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel therefore heare the Word at my mouth and giue them warning from me This their charge is reiterated Ezech. 33.7 O sonne of man I haue set thee a watch-man vnto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt heare the Word at my mouth and warne them from me You see they are not to speake a word but they haue it from the Lord and accordingly must they warne the people Ieremie a Prophet He eats the words of the Lord Chap. 15.16 and is thereby fitted to his function Ezechiel a Prophet A hand is sent vnto him and loe a roule of a booke therein The roule is spread before him and is written within and without Within is written Lamentations and mournings and woe This roule he is commanded to eat He eats it So he goes and speakes vnto the house of Israel Ezech. 3.3 Saint Iohn the Diuine a Prophet too He sees an Angell with a little booke in his hand and begs the booke The Angell giues it him and bids him eat it He takes it and eats it Then is he fit to prophesie before many peoples and nations and Kings and tongues Reuel 10 11. The Prophets professe of themselues that they speake nothing besides the pure word of God Ioshua he saith to the children of Israel Come hither and heare the Word of the Lord your God Chap. 3.9 The words which I shall deliuer vnto you concerning what shall come to passe hereafter they are not my words they are the words of the Lord your God Esay calls vpon Heauen and Earth to heare Chap. 1.2 Heare O Heauens and giue eare O Earth for the Lord hath spoken The words which I now speake vnto you they are not my words they are the words of the Lord. Amos our Prophet he likewise calleth vpon the children of Israel in the beginning of this Chapter Heare this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel Heare it It is not my word it is the word of the Lord the Lord hath spoken it What more familiar in the writings of the Prophets than these formes of speech Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord the burthen of the Word of the Lord the Word of the Lord came vnto me They all make for the authority of the Prophets of old and their prophesies From hence as also from that they are Eaters of the Word of God and are Watchmen and are Trumpeters and are Cryers its euident their prophesies were not of their owne wils they spake not of their owne heads God spake in them Thus the truth of my Doctrine stands inuiolable The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them Here first is a lesson for vs who succeed the Prophets in the Ministery of the Church We may not deliuer any thing vnto you but what wee haue gathered out of the Word of God Euery Minister of the New Testament should bee as Moses was of the Old Moses his charge was not to conceale any thing but to speake all Exod. 7.2 Thou shalt speake all that I command thee It is our part to doe the like It is our part to speake in the Name of God and in his Name alone to feed the flocke of Christ with his pure word and with his word alone and to doe it as learnedly as faithfully as sincerely as constantly as we may leauing the successe of all to him that hath sent vs and disposeth of all mens hearts at his pleasure So running our race we shall one day be at rest in eternall comfort fully deliuered from this vile world from wicked men from euill natures from such who are euer ready to take our best endeuours in the worst sense and to require our honest affections with their foule disgraces Here secondly is a lesson for you For you Beloued for all such as are the Auditors and hearers of the Word of God This duty of hearing is to be put in practice not dully but with diligence not heauily but with chearefulnesse as to the Lord. There is a generation of hearers that would seeme desirous to heare the Word preached but they would haue it of free
the earth where by the fowlers art no ginne is set for him O quà m vilium similitudines rerum quam pretiosum praedicant sacramentum O saith Rupertus how vile are the things from which similitudes may be taken and how precious the mysteries that may thereby be published This our Prophet de pastoralibus assumptus once a shepherd now called to be a dispenser of the secrets of God is content to dispense them by drawing similitudes from such things as he was wont to obserue in his shepherds walke Such is that in the first Chapter vers 2. The Lord will roare from Zion and that in the same verse the habitations of the shepherds shall mourne and that in the verse before my text will a Lion roare in the forrest when he hath no prey and this in my text Can a bird fall in a snare vpon the ground where no ginne is for him All you see are pastorall Sufficiunt coelesti magisterio res non solùm piscatorum verùm etiam pastorum vt per eorum similitudines docti sint doceant conuenienter gloriam rerum caelestium Things that fall within the knowledge not only of fishers but also of shepherds are auaileable to diuine instruction that by the similitudes of both fishers and shepherds the glory of things celestiall may be manifested Such is this pastorall similitude this similitude of birds not falling into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse by the fowlers art some ginne be set for him It serueth for the adumbration of Gods wonderfull prouidence thus As snares wherewith birds are catched fall not on the ground at all aduentures and by chance but are laid by the skill industry and fore-sight of the fowler so the calamities and miseries of this life wherewith men are vsually taken and snared come not by chance but are sent among vs by the certaine counsell of God by his iust iudgement by his diuine prouidence I know that this similitude is by others otherwise applied Saint Hierome will haue it to belong to the punishment of such as liuâ— in discord and variance to this sence They who through charitie are as birds and doe fly aloft in the libertie of the holy Spirit through discord doe lose their wings fall downe vpon him earth and are a prey vnto the fowler Did they still soare aloft with the wings of loue they should not need to feare the fowlers snares For as Salâ—mon saith Prou. 1.17 Surely in vaine the net is spread in the eyes of euery thing that hath a wing Keepe then thy selfe aboue in the aire as if thou hadest the wings of a doue and thou art from danger but if through variance through strife through hatred and other like impieties thou be ouer-burdened and pressed downe downe thou fallest to the ground and art by thine owne default ensnared Iusta enim est ruina peccatorum for iust is the fall of sinners Two Hebrew Rabbins Abraham and Dauid apply this similitude to the execution of the decree of God and his sentence thus If men whose dwellings are vpon the earth can by their cunning and industry cause the birds of the aire to descend vpon the earth and so fall into their snares from whence there is no euasion for them how much more shall I I the Lord who haue my habitation in the Heauen of Heauens bring men themselues within the snare of my decree and sentence that there shall be no escaping for them Some so apply this similitude that by this bird they vnderstand a sinner and by the snare his sinne Their explication is As a bird shall not fall into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse some ginne be laid for him so shall not sinners fall into punishment vnlesse they themselues make snares of their owne sinnes to catch themselues withall So may they quickly doe and so saith Salomon Pro. 5.22 The wickednesse of the vngodly shall catch himselfe and with the snares of his owne sinnes shall he be trapped What then Vis non capi laqueo wouldest thou not be taken with the snare rumpe ac frange laqueum the aduice is good teare and breake the snare But how Tolle peccatum fregisti laqueum take away the sinne and thou hast broken the snare Rupertus so vnderstands this similitude that he will haue the grace of God herein to be commended With him this fowler shall be God his snare the word of God the bird to be catched the soule of man His conceit runnes thus As that a bird falls into a snare vpon the earth it is to be attributed to the care and diligence of the fowler that laid the snare so that the soule of man commeth to be ensnared in the word of saluation which it neither can resist nor is willing so to doe it is wholly to be attributed to the grace of God For God alone so spreadeth the snare of his good word that this little bird this wandring and restlesse bird the soule of man is caught and brought into the hands of the Lord her God and so escapeth the iawes of the Deuill This his exposition well meeteth with the Arminians with those new Prophets who at this day pretending a more moderate diuinity then ours is as if they came out of Coelestius his Schoole haue with their sophismes and subtilties much disquieted the State of the Belgicke Churches chiefly for the point of diuine Predestination and the appendices thereof Their fourth Thesis is touching the operation of the grace of of God in Christ a Collat. Hug. Brand. pag. 216. whether it be resistable or not The grace of God say they is resistable Rupertus here saith it cannot be resisted He is in the right and with him we ioyne and thus we explaine our meaning Man is to be considered in a two-fold respect in respect of himselfe and in respect of God If he be considered in respect of himselfe as he is vnregenerate and according to his inbred prauitie so is grace by him too too resistable for as much as man of himselfe in his pure naturals gouerned only by nature reason and sense without grace without the Spirit of God cannot only resist but also cannot but resist the grace of God So saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned To the like purpose the same Apostle Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be It is true the Grace of God is resistable it is too easily resisted ex parte hominis by man in respect of himselfe But ex parte Dei it is otherwise In respect of God and his good pleasure it may well be said to be irresistible I speake of that grace of God which is his mouing and effectuall grace against
also in particular I speake not now of the prouidence of God as it is potentialis immanens but as it is actualis transiens not as it is the internall action of God but as it is externall not as it is his decree of gouerning the world but as it is the execution of that decree This prouidence of God this his actuall and transient prouidence this his externall action and the execution of his inward and eternall decree is nothing else than a perpetuall and vnchangeable disposition and administration of all things or to speake with Aquinas it is nothing else than ratio ordinis rerum ad finem it is nothing else than the course which God perpetually holdeth for the ordering of the things of the world to some certaine end Such is the prouidence of God whereof I am now to speake which is by some diuided into a generall and a speciall prouidence by others into an vniuersall a special a particular prouidence Gods vniuersall or generall prouidence I call that by which he doth not only direct al creatures according to that secret instinct or inward vertue which he hath giuen to euery one of them at the time of their creation but doth also preserue them in their ordinary course of nature Of this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus in his first Sermon concerning this argument discourseth copiously and elegantly You that say in your hearts there is no prouidence of God consider the things that are visible and are obuious to your eies consider their nature their site their order their state their motion their agreement their harmony their comlinesse their beautie their magnitude their vse their delight their variety their alteration their continuance and then if you can deny God's prouidence Gods prouidence is manifest in euery worke of creation you may behold it in the Heauen and in the lights thereof the Sunne the Moone and the Starres You may behold it in the aire in the clouds in the earth in the sea in plants in hearbs in seeds You may behold it in euery other creature euery liuing creature reasonable or vnreasonable man or beast and in euery beast whether it goeth or flieth or swimmeth or creepeth There is not any thing but it may serue to magnifie the prouidence of God But why runne I to the Fathers for the illustration of a point wherein the holy Scriptures are so plentifull so eloquent The 104. Psalme containeth an egregious description hereof a faire and goodly picture and a liuely portraiture of this prouidence of God drawne with the pencill of the holy Ghost I see therein the aire and clouds and winds and water and the earth and the like so ruled and ordered by the immediate hand of God that should he remoue his hand but for a moment this whole vniuerse would totter and fall and come to nothing I goe on to the 147. Psalme There I see God numbering the starres and calling them by name I see him couering the Heauens with clouds preparing raine for the earth giuing snow like wooll scattering the hoare frost like ashes casting forth his ice like morsells making grasse to grow vpon the mountaines giuing food to beasts to Rauens all this I see and cannot but acknowledge his vniuersall prouidence I looke backe to the booke of Iob and Chap. 9. I finde God remouing mountaines and ouer-turning them I finde him shaking the earth out of her place and commanding the Sunne to stand still I finde him alone spreading out the heauens and treading vpon the waues of the sea I finde him making Arcturus Oâ—ion Pleiades and the chambers of the South I finde him doing great things past finding out yea and wonders without number All this I finde and cannot but admire his vniuersall prouidence Infinite are the testimonies which I might produce out of the old Testament for this point but I passe them ouer contenting my selfe with only two out of the new That of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I worke is fit to my purpose The words are an answer to the Iewes who persecuted our Sauiour and sought to slay him for doing a cure on the Sabbath day vpon one that had beene diseased 38. yeares They held it to be vnlawfull to doe any worke vpon the Sabbath day Christ affirmes it to be lawfull The ground of their opinion was God the Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes This Christ denieth not but explicates the meaning of it It s true My Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes yet true also it is Pater meus vsque modò operatur My Father worketh hitherto He rested the seuenth day from all his workes and yet he worketh how can this be so It is thus according to Aquinas He rested the seuenth day à nouis creaturis condendis from making any new creatures yet notwithstanding hee euer worketh creaturas in esse conseruando preseruing his creatures in their being It may be thus enlarged Requieuit die septimo God rested the seuenth day from creating any new world or from making any new kinds of creatures but nor then rested he nor at any time since hath he rested from prouiding for and caring for and ruling and gouerning and sustaining the world Neuer resteth he but causeth his creatures to breed and bring forth after their kinds and restoreth things decaying and preserueth things subsisting to his good pleasure This is that saying of our Sauiours Pater meus vsque modò operatur my Father worketh hitherto My Father worketh hitherto Hom. 37. in Ioan. 5. Saint Chrysostome well discourseth thereupon If saith he thou shouldest aske How is it that the Father yet worketh sith he rested the seuenth day from all his workes I tell thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prouideth for and vpholdeth all things that he hath made Behold the Sunne rising and the Moone running and pooles of water and springs and riuers and raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the course of nature in seeds and in the bodies of man and beast behold and consider these and all other things whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this vniuerse consisteth and thou wilt not deny the perpetuall operation of the Father but wilt breake forth into the praises of his vniuersall prouidence That branch of Saint Pauls Sermon to the Athenians Act. 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being is also fit to the point we haue in hand In him that was to the Athenians the vnknowne God but is indeed the only true and euer-liuing God we liue we moue we haue our being Saint Ambrose in his booke De bono moutis cap. 12. thus descants vpon the words In Deo mouemur quasi in vià sumus quasi in veritate vinimus quasi in vitâ aeternâ In him we moue as in the way we haue our being as in the truth we liue as in the life eternall S. Cyprian or whosoeuer
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but
Sublimitas Profundum God he is Length Breadth Height and Depth He is Length for his Eternity Breadth for his Charity Height for his Maiestie Depth for his Wisdome Length He is for his Eternity Dan. 7.9 Esay 57.15 Psal 90.2 He is the Ancient of dayes and inhabiteth Eternitie Before the Mountaines were brought forth or euer the earth and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting He is God Breadth he is for his Charitie for his Loue. Wisd 11.24 He loueth all the things that are and abhorreth nothing which he hath made Neither would he haue made any thing if he had hated it He maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and the good Matth. 5.45 and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniust The Gulfe or rather the Sea of this Loue of God is exceeding broad Height He is for his Maiesty His Maiesty Prou. 25.28 it is inestimable He that searcheth into it shall surely be oppressed with the glory thereof From the glory of this Maiestie in the day of the Lord of Hosts when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Esay 2.19 20. will the proud man the loftie man euery wicked man seeke to hide himselfe in the clefts of the rockes Psal 72.19 and in the caues of the earth but all in vaine for all the earth shall be filled with his Maiesty In regard of this his Maiesty He is * Gen. 14.18 Iob 31.28 Psal 7.18 9◠2. c. Psal 147.5 often in holy Scripture stiled Altissimus the most high So for his Maiesty he is Height Depth he is for his wisdome His wisdome it is infinite there is no end thereof It is inuariable incomprehensible ineffable Finding no fit words to expresse it with I betake my selfe to the Apostles exclamation Rom. 11.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Thus farre of my first generall the Reuealor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adonai Iehouih the Lord God The Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He will doe nothing The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo jahaseh dabar he will not doe a word A word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth sometimes any thing or matter that is either said or done In the 18. of Exodus vers 16. Moses in his reply to Iethro his Father in law saith when they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word with the Greekes it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a controuersie with the old Latine Interpreter it is Disceptatio a contention with Tremelius it is Negotium a businesse with our late English Translators it is a matter So Moses saith in effect thus much If there happen any businesse or matter of controuersie or contention betweene a man and his neighbour they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them In the 24. of Exodus vers 14. Moses with his Minister Iosuah going vp to the Mount of God saith vnto the Elders Tary yee here for vs vntill we come againe vnto you and behold Aaron and Hur are with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mi bahal debarim who so is a master of words let him come vnto them And here words with the Greekes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a iudgement or controuersie with the old interpreter quastio a question in our now English they are matters if any man haue any matters to doe The meaning is who so hath any question or controuersie let him come vnto Aaron and Hur for a resolution In the 39. of Esay vers 2. it is recorded of Hezechiah King of Iudah that when Merodach Baladan the son of Baladan King of Babylon had sent messengers to visit him and to congratulate his recouery Hee was glad of them and shewed them the house of his precious things the siluer and the gold and the spices and the precious oyntment and all the house of his armour and all that was found in his treasures It is added in the end of the verse Lo hajah dabar there was not a word in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not Not a word A word for a thing according to the custome of the Hebrew It is Saint Hieroms note vpon the place It is well rendred in our new Bibles There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not This Hebrew custome of putting verbum pro re a word for a thing frequent in the old hath place likewise in the New Testament In the first of Luke vers 37. The Angell Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that with God no word shall be impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no word His meaning is with God no thing shall be impossible In the same Chapter vers 65. The Euangelist hauing set downe what had passed concerning Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Iudaea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words that is all these things were dinulged and made knowne In the second of Luke vers 15. When the Angels who related to the shepherds Christs Natiuitie were gone away from them into Heauen the shepherds said one to another Let vs now goe euen vnto Bethlehem and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word that is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne vnto vs. This word that is this thing this whole businesse whereof wee haue heard by the Angels It is the Hebraisme which I haue hitherto obserued whereby that I may speake as Logicians doe the Abstract is put for the Concret taken either actiuely or passiuely as Verbum pro re dictâ a word for a thing that is spoken of Or to speake as a Rhetorician would it is Metonymia adiuncti the Adiunct is put for the Subiect Still it is Verbum pro re a word for the thing or matter whereof the speech is So it is in this text of mine Surely the Lord God non faciet verbum he will not doe a word that is he will doe no thing no such thing as the verse before speaketh of no euill of paine punishment or affliction He will doe no such thing but hee reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He reuealeth his secret I am come to my second generall concerning the thing reuealed it is the secret of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodh◠his secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint translated Eruditionem suam his instruction or chastisement Saint Hierome expounds it Correptionem suam the Interlinearie Glosse Correctionem suam his reproofe or correction Theodotio no ill Interpreter of old turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his counsell and Drusius seeth no cause why it may
wherein for Elohe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Almighty Whence is that rule of Saint Hierome to Damasus Epist 142. We are to know that wheresoeuer the Seuentie Interpreters haue expressed Dominum virtutum and Dominum omnipotentem the Lord of Hosts and the Lord Almighty there in the Hebrew it is Dominus Sabaoth which is by Aquila's interpretation Dominus militiarum the Lord of Hosts The Lord of Hosts by Aquila's interpretation is God the Almighty by the interpretation of the Septuagint Well Elohe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth Be he with the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bee hee with the Latines Dominus or Deus virtutum or Militiarum or Exercituum all will be well expressed in our language with one title The Lord or God of Hosts But what are these Hosts whereof God is the Lord There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an host of Heauen Act. 7.42 And what that is Saint Hierome expoundeth to the noble Lady Algasia Epist 151. quaest 10. The Host of Heauen is not only the Sunne and Moone and glistring Starres but also the whole multitude of Angels and their armies called in Hebrew Sabaoth which is in Latine Virtutum or Exercituum Hispalensis for this host of Heauen doth reckon vp in the place aboue alleaged Angels Arch-angels Principalities and Powers and all the Orders of the armies celestiall of whom God is the Lord. For they are all vnder him and subiect to his soueraigntie It is true what those Ancients haue said of the Host of Heauen True it is that the Angels are of this armie Micaiah tels King Ahab so 1 King 22.19 I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heauen standing by him on his right hand and on his left There the Host of Heauen are the Angels who attend the Lord to put in execution whatsoeuer he shall command At the birth of Iesus Christ our Sauiour the Angell that appeared vnto the shepherds had with him a multitude of the Heauenly Host Luke 2.13 and that multitude was of Angels and they were by likelihood created in the first day with the Heauens because those sonnes of God did shout for ioy when God laid and fastned the foundations of the earth Iob 38.7 These the sonnes of God the Angels Bartas 1 day 1. Weeke sweetly described by the Nightingale of France to be The sacred Tutors of the Saints the Guard Of Gods elect the Pursuiuants prepar'd To execute the counsailes of the Highest The Heauenly courtiers to their King the nighest Gods glorious Heralds Heauens swift Harbengers Twixt Heauen and earth the true Interpreters these the Sonnes of God the Angels are of the glorious Host of Heauen So are the Starres the Sun the Moone the goodly furniture of the visible Heauens they are all of the Heauenly host So shall you finde them called Deut. 4.19 The Sun the Moone and the Starres euen all the Host of Heauen Of this host of Heauen it is prophecied Esai 34.4 All the Host of Heauen shall be dissolued and the Heauens shall be rowled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall downe as the leafe-falleth off from the Vine and as a falling figge from the fig-tree As for the Starres they in their courses fought against Sisera Iudg. 5.20 The Sunne and the Moone stood still the Sunne vpon Gibeon the Moone in the valley of Ajalon till the people of Israel had auenged themselues vpon their enemies the Amorites Ios 10.12 The Sunne the Moone the Starres all the twinkling spangles of the firmament you see are of Gods host Nor is Gâ—ds host only of Celestiall creatures but also of all other creatures in the world In the second Chapter of Genesis v. 1. where it is said the heauens and the earth were finished and all the host of them by all the hast of them we are to vnderstand all creatures in the Earth and Heauens which stand as an armie seruants to the Lord Psal 119.91 Esay 45.12 and are by him commâ—nded That all things are Gods seruants is auowed Psal 119.91 The Heauen and Earth continue to this day according to the ordinances of the Lord for they are all his seruants Heauen and earth and all things therein contained Continue safe sound and sure euen to this day wherein we liue and so shall doe to the worlds end by the ordinance and appointment of God for all are his seruants all creatures yeeld obedience to him as seruants to their masters They are all by him commanded For thus saith the Lord Esai 45.12 I haue made the earth and created man vpon it I euen my hands haue stretched out the Heauens and all their host haue I commanded The innumerable Hosts of creatures both in Heauen and Earth are all by God commanded Now from this which hath hitherto beene deliuered the reason is plaine why this title of God Elobe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth or the God of Hosts is by our Prophet added to the two former appellations Adonai Iehouih the Lord God It is the more liuely to set forth his rule dominion and soueraigntie ouer all It sheweth that as an armie or an Host of souldiers obeyeth their Emperour or commander so all things all creatures celestiall terrestriall and infernall are of Gods host and doe yeeld vnto him as to their Emperour and commander all obedience They all stand readie in martiall order and battell-ray prest to doe whatsoeuer God willeth and therefore is the Lord God the Gâ—d of Sabaoth or the God of Hosts From this consideration that our Lord God is the God of Hosts we are taught the feare of so great a Maiestie For who is he that will not feare him by whom he shall finde himselfe to be beset and compassed about with very many and potent armies aboue beneath before behinde on the one hand and on the other that there can be no euasion no escaping from him Our God is the God of Hosts Man sinfull man how shall he consist if God once arme his hosts against him The feare of God will be his surest refuge Feare him and all his Hosts shall be on your side and fight for you Feare him and both flouds and rocks shall feare you all winds shall blow you happinesse ship wracks shal auoid the place where your foot treadeth as to the apples of Gods own eies so shall all his creatures yeeld to you reuerence they shal not dare to approach the channell where your way lyeth Hills shal fall downe mountaines shall be cast into the sea but who so feareth the Lord he shall neuer miscary This feare of the Lord will both land your ships in an happy hauen and after your trauels vpon the earth will harbour your soules in his euerlasting Kingdome And thus much be spoken of the first thing obserued in this Mandate euen the Giuer
euill deeds Another reason hereof may be because all power is of God and from him alone There is no creature in the world deuill man or other that hath power any way to hurt or molest vs but from the Lord. All power is his Hee alone makes the earth to open her mouth and a Exod. 15.12 Numb 16.32 swallow vp his aduersaries He alone b Iob 9.5 remoueth mountaines and ouerturneth them He it is that saith to the North c Esa 43.6 Giue vp and to the South Keepe not backe and to the Deepe d 44.27 Be dry He diuideth the e 51.15 roaring Sea measureth the f Iob 28.25 winds and waters g Dan. 4.25 ruleth in the kingdomes of men Whatsoeuer he is pleased to doe h Psal 135.6 that doth He in Heauen and in Earth in the Seas and all deepe places There is no power but from him And therefore for this reason also it is true that Whatsoeuer visitation or punishment befalleth vs in this life it is laid vpon vs by the hand of God by his good will and pleasure From the reasons of this obseruation proceed we to see what profit we may reape from hence for the bettering and amendment of our sinfull liues First from hence we learne in all our troubles and calamities to looke vp to God as the chiefe and principall Author of them from whom they come and vpon our selues and our sinnes the sole procurers of them and for whose sake they are sent Eliphar among his aduertisements giuen vnto Iob hath this for one Misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Iob 5.6 Warning Iob thereby to haue an eye to God as the Author of his affliction It s very true affliction comes not vpon vs at all aduentures it proceedeth not from the Earth or the Aire or the Heauen it is the hand of God that is heauy vpon vs for our sinnes Great is our folly that we gaze about here and there wandring vp and downe in our owne imaginations and searching all the corners of our wits to finde out the causes of our calamities without vs whereas indeed the true and right cause of them is within vs. Wee are euermore accusing either heat or cold or drought or moisture or the aire or the ground one thing or other to be the cause of our miseries but we will not be brought to acknowledge their true and proper cause euen the sinne that reigneth in vs. I deny not but the Lord hath secret causes whereof wee know not either the manifestation of his owne workes or the triall of our faith yet the reuealed and originall cause of all our miseries hath his beginning and spring-head from within vs from our iniquities The Prophet Ieremy Lament 3.39 makes this enquiry Wherefore should a liuing man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinne wherefore should he complaine Whereunto he fits this answer man suffereth for his sinnes implying thus much that it is meere folly for a man to vex his soule in mis-iudging of his estate and seeking by-paths to winde himselfe out of miseries sith miseries befall no man but for his sinnes Whereupon sweetly Pellican Non murmuret afflictus contra Dominum Let not the man that is in affliction murmure against the Lord for the Lord doth all things well Sed si quid patitur imputet peccatis suis quae Deus impunita non sinit But if he suffer any thing let him lay the blame thereof vpon his sinnes which God leaueth not vnpunished Our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hauing cured the man that had beene diseased eight and thirty yeeres and finding him in the Temple aduised him to consider the cause of his so long and lamentable a visitation saying vnto him Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee Ioh. 5.14 intimating that his disease of so long continuance was laid vpon him for his sinnes Out of doubt this diseased man thought himselfe happy when hee was restored to health yet lest he should rest therein our Sauiour telleth him he must change his heart and sinne no more lest a worse thing should befall him Sciebat Dominus ei quem salvum fecerat meritis peccatorum illum etiam carnis accidisse languorem Augustine de fide operibus cap. 20. The Lord knew that that same infirmity of body vpon the man whom he had healed befell him for his sinnes sake I need not presse other instances of holy Writ for the further illustration of the point in hand sith my Text is plaine for it By my Text its plaine that the visitation which the Lord was resolued to lay vpon the house of Iacob was for the preuarications thereof it was for their reuoltings and transgressions and wickednesse it was for the sinnes of Israel The sinnes of Israel were the cause of Gods visitation vpon them Wherefore Beloued let euery visitation of God vpon vs be vnto vs a Sermon of repentance to put vs in remembrance of our sinnes and to admonish vs not to sow any more vpon the furrowes of vnrighteousnesse lest we reape a more plentifull haruest of affliction and whensoeuer any visitation shall be vpon vs let vs desire God to sanctifie the crosse vnto vs that it may consume sinne in vs and prouoke vs to a more holy conuersation Thus haue you your first vse Now in the second place the consideration of this truth that whatsoeuer visitation or punishment befalleth any of vs in this life it is laid vpon vs by the hand of God may teach vs to haue patience in our troubles not to repine or grudge when we are vnder the rod of affliction Sith it is the hand of God that doth visit vs we are to take it patiently as a dutifull child beareth the chastisements of his louing father This was the practise of holy Dauid Psal 39.9 where he saith Obmutui non aperui os meum quoniam tu fecisti Lord I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Quoniam tu fecisti because thou didst it this was the fountaine whence he drew his patience To the reuilings of the wicked to their reproaches to their malicious detractions to their scoffings to their iniurious speeches Obmutuit he answered not a word but was as the man that is dumbe as he that hath no tongue as he whose mouth is shut he excused not himselfe he returned no euill language but he held his peace and bore it patiently The fountaine of this his patience was Quoniam tu fecisti because thou didst it Lord thou didst it But thou art a Father I am thy sonne therefore what thou didst thou didst it for my good and therefore I hold my peace Out of this fountaine Iob drew his patience When he had lost his children and was depriued of all his goods he murmured not nor charged he God foolishly All he said was Dominus
the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end Thus much bee spoken for the exposition of the words Now let vs see what point of obseruation may from hence arise for our further profit In that our Prophet here seemeth to reproue and tax the rich men Princes and others in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes for their variety cost and state in their buildings by threatning destruction to their winter houses and summer houses to their houses of iuory and to their great houses this question is propounded Whether it be lawfull for Kings Princes and other men of state to build such houses Petrus Lusitanus thus resolues it If Kings Princes and other men of state be otherwise godly and faithfull and studious of Gods worship and mindfull of the poore they may without sinne build such sumptuous and magnificent houses and palaces according to their owne reuenues and estate Such houses King Salomon built and is not reproued He was building of his owne house thirteene yeeres He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon 1 King 7.1 and he made a house for Pharaohs daughter All these houses were of precious stones according to the measures of hewed stones sawed with Sawes within and without euen from the foundation vnto the coping 1 King 7.9 These doubtlesse were costly and magnificent houses yet is Salomon commended for building them And yet neuerthelesse is all such building blame-worthy and to be reproued if it exceed the measure of the ability and dignity of the builder For then there is a necessity of oppressing the poore Against such builders there is a wo gone forth Ier. 22.13 Woe vnto him that buildeth by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers by wrong Againe though a builder exceed not the measure of his ability and dignity yet may his building bee reproueable through the vanity of his intention if his intendment be not Gods honour but his owne praise for haughtinesse and pride of minde makes the best action faulty So much for the question proceed we to the obseruation From the demolition and ouerthrow here threatned and after in due time brought to passe vpon the winter house with the summer house vpon the houses of iuory and vpon the great houses in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes we may make this obseruation that All the aid and succour a man hath from his buildings whatsoeuer is vaine if once the wrath of God break forth against him If once the wrath of God breake forth against vs alas what shall faire rich and great buildings auaile vs If these might haue yeelded any succour in the day of the Lords visitation the Israelites might haue found it But they together with their buildings thoughfull of state and pompe are perished and come to nought And is it not in like sort fallen out with other most flourishing common wealths and most mighty Kingdomes The daily change of things doth abundantly euict that there is nothing in this world perpetuall Here then may Filii huius seculi this worlds darlings some rich men be reproued for a vanity of theirs They see that death comes alike to all to the rich as to the poore and yet they dreame of nothing else than of a perpetuity of life here For so they order all their waies as if they were to liue here for euer They build them houses great and goodly houses and spare no cost to adorne and deck them gorgeously supposing hereby to continue a perpetuity of their name This vanity of theirs the Psalmist of old hath very well discouered Psal 49.10 11. They see that wise men also die and perish together as well as the ignorant and foolish and leaue their riches for other And yet they thinke that their houses shall continue for euer and that their dwelling places shall endure from generation to generation and call their lands after their owne names By which their vanity they seeme to acknowledge no other life but this Whatsoeuer we preach vnto them of that better life that heauenly and eternall life they beleeue it not but rather they deride it as fabulous But if at any time they are conuinced in conscience that there remaineth after this a better life yet they desire it not Their onely desire and wish is to dwell here for euer Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations and for this purpose they call their lands after their owne names They will no other Paradise but this As vaine were they that built the Tower of Babel Gen. 11.4 Goe to say they Let vs build vs a City and a Tower whose top may reach vnto Heauen and let vs make vs a name lest we bee scattered abroad vpon the face of the whole earth Let vs build vs a City and a Tower One reason is a desire of dominion Hugo saith Gen. 10.10 Factum esse cupiditate regnandi that Nimrod set forward the worke that it might be the beginning and chiefe of his Kingdome Another reason is Ne diuidaemur lest we be scattered They built them a City and a Tower to maintaine society that they might dwell together and not be scattered vpon the face of the whole earth Antiq. Iud. lib. 1. cap. 5. Iosephus thinks they did it of purpose to oppose themselues against the ordinance and commandement of God who would haue them dispersed into diuers parts that the world might be replenished A third reason is Vt celebremus nomen nostrum to get vs a name They built them a City and a Tower to grow famous thereby De confus ling. 468. Philo saith they did write their names in this Tower to reuiue their memory with posterity In this their proud enterprise they sinned grieuously They sinned through their impiety towards God Erigebant turrim contra Dominum saith S. Augustine De Ciuit Dei l. 16. c. 4. they erected a Tower in despight of God The Prophet Esay according to this patterne bringeth in the King of Babel thus vaunting himselfe I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds I will be like the most high Chap. 14.14 Secondly they sinned through vanity For what more vaine than to neglect Heauen where onely immortality is to be found and to seeke to be famous on earth where there is nothing that is not vaine and transitory See saith Chrysostome the root of euill they seeke to be famous aedificiis non cleemosynis by buildings not by almes Thirdly they sinned through disobedience For knowing that it was Gods ordinance that the earth by them should be replenished they did wilfully oppose themselues against it They would liue together and would not be dispersed as euen now I told you out of Iosephus Fourthly they sinned through impudency Philo cries out vpon it O insignem impudentiam O notorious impudency whereas they should rather haue couered their sinnes they proclaime their pride their tyranny their
saith they are Psal 14.1 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Is it not all one as if he had said Whosoeuer saith in heart there is no God he is a foole Now that it may appeare to be no sudden or rash censure of his but a thing well conceited and meditated by him he iterateth the same againe Psal 53.1 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God In Prosolog c. 3. Tâ—m 3. But why saith he so Cur saith Anselme nisi quia stultus insipiens est Why is it that the foole doth say there is no God Surely euen for this reason because he is a foole But why saith he so in heart In Psal 51. rather than in mouth Saint Hilary will tell you why Because if he should vtter it in his words as he smothers it in his thoughts Stultus esse sicut est publici assensus iudicio argueretur he should publikely be taken to be a foole as he is euen by generall consent But leaue we these fooles these Cosmopolites to their heauen vpon earth sith they looke for no other heauen Leaue we them to their planting traÌ„splanting building rebuilding studying for roome to lay vp their fruits non in visceribus pauperuÌ„ not in the bowels of the poore but in their enlarged barnes We are sure they will build neither Church nor Hospitall either in cultum Christi or culturam Christiani either to the seruice of Christ or to the comfort of any Christian Wherefore leaue wee them and reflect wee our eyes for a while to our owne houses to see how we may build them faire to the Lord. These our houses whereof I now speake we build and God buildeth Nos bene vinendo Deus vt bene viuamus opitulando August de Ciuit. Dei l. 17. c. 12. We build by liuing well and God by assisting vs by his grace that we may liue well For Nisi Dominus aedificauerit Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Psal 127.1 These our houses are not materiall but spirituall they are our hearts Domus nostrae corda nostra sunt so the same Father vpon the 74. â—â— Vulg. Psalme Our houses are our hearts Here is good dwelling if they be cleansed from iniquity If we loue the Lord Iesus and keepe his words his Father will loue vs they both will come vnto vs and make their abode with vs Ioh. 14.23 their abode will be by grace in these houses of ours our hearts Yet may they in a spirituall vnderstanding be those same houses of Iuory Psal 45. Houses of Iuory great and regall houses the tabernacles of God are corda sanctorum Aug. in Psal 44. they are the hearts of the Saints Other houses we haue for our solace as that Cant. 1.17 The beames of our house are Cedars our galleries are of Firre Such houses are the congregations of the Saints the places where we doe sweetly conuerse and walke together They are firme and during like Cedars among the trees not subict through Gods protecting grace to vtter corruption and they are like to galleries of sweet wood full of pleasure contentment through the favourable acceptance of God his word Those beames of Cedar and Galleries of Fâ—â—e haâ—â— respect vnto the buildings and places of Kings couered â—â—at with battlements with galleries on the top and do shew to vs by the similitude of these two odoriferous and not putrifying trees that the ioyning and coupling of the Bridegroom Christ Iesus and his Spouse the Church with-draweth vs from the stench and corruption of this vile world and maketh our soules and bodies so many houses and Temples dedicated vnto God And for this reasonâ— S. Paul calleth you the Temple of God 1. Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroyâ— for the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are In the same Epist Chap. 6.19 Yee are the Temple of the Holy Ghost What Know yee not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which yee haue of God and ye are not your owne For yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body in your spirit which are Gods Once more the same Apostle calleth you the Temple of God 2. Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the liuing God he proues it from the testimony of God himselfe I will dwell in you Leuit. 26.12 Ezek. 36.26 27. and walke in you and I will be your God and you shall be my people Is the testimony of God himselfe produced by the Apostle to proue that yee are Templum Dei viui the Temple of God of the liuing God and that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost O looke yee to the trimming vp of this house to the decking and adorning of this temple Your body it is the temple of the Holy Ghost it is the Temple of God defile it not Sweetly S. Ambrose Apud Lombard in 1. Cor. 6. Si non parcis tibi propter te vel parce tibi propter Deum qui sibi fecit te domum If thou spare not thy selfe for thine owne sake yet spare thy selfe for Gods sake who hath vouchsafed to make thee thy body a house a Temple for his holy habitation What shall I say more but put you in remembrance that we haue yet another house in store for the fulfilling of our ioy For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle we dissolued we haue a building of God and house not made with hand but eternal in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5 1. This same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this house not made with hand whether it be the glory of the soule and life eternal as a Photius Auselm Thomas Lyran. some doe vnderstand it or the body glorified in the resurrection as b Chrysost Theod. Theoph. Ambrose others it is the house full of contentment and beatitude And we haue it c Lombard Habemus spe habebimus re we haue in hope we shall haue it in possession We haue it saith the Apostle because we shall as certainly haue it as if we had it already in full fruition To this fullnesse of contentment and beatitude God in his good time bring vs all for Christ Iesus sake FINIS