that if you looke vpon all that is to be done of a faithfull man you shall finde many vnwilling and ineuitable slippes and falles in the purest obedience of all men The church of God hath felt and complained of this miserie in all ages that she coulde neither doe as she woulde nor performe what she ought to the Lordes obedience For if we be rich and neuer so godly then wealth hindreth vs if wee be poore want oppresseth vs if wee be magistrates gouernmēt doth let vs if we be seruants worldly obedience doth staie vs. So that as it cannot be but that in the purest corne there will growe some weedes so in our holiest worship of God there will appeere some wantes Dauid coulde not worship when he was at Gath and the saints of God although they haue willing mindes want powre and meanes to accomplish their desire And therefore let vs not bragge but confesse as our Sauiour saith in the Gospel when we haue preached our whole life long praied with neuer so entire affection and laboured with neuer so great diligence in the kingdome that wee are vnprofitable seruants hauing left moe things behinde which we ought to haue done The reasons of this doctrine are these first bicause that we shoulde neuer leaue of labour more and to encrease farther and farther so long as wee liue in this worlde as the Apostle saide of himselfe Phil. 3. 13. The which lesson I woulde to God were oftener learned and better followed in our daies wherein men thinke if they haue done a little seruice on the Sabbaoth day they holde themselues contented for the whole weeke following and hauing gotten a little knowledge of the common profession they are satisfied and trauaile for no more Oh howe strange is it that men are neuer satisfied and haue their fill of any thing saue onely of religion the which presently cloyeth them bicause they thinke it is no part of their dutie to bestowe their daily labour in some part of godlinesse I knowe this doctrine will please them well that no man can worship God perfectly and therefore they will worship him sparingly and coldly But they must knowe that there is not any man which hath his perfect health and yet he liueth and mooueth and groweth in stature so there is not any mans religion absolute yet it must striue labour for perfection as a sicke man doth for health Another reason of this doctrine is this that considering our imperfection through the sinne of our natures we should more earnestly desire to bee with Christ Philip. 1. 23. for he that is wearie and cannot goe as hee woulde yet he hath this in his wish to desire the perfection of the worship of God Whereby we may note that there is not any thing that may mooue vs to loue the being in the world the world it selfe wil hate thee if thou be a Christian why shouldest thou desire to liue therein thou canst not knowe the maiestie of God thou shalt not feele the loue of Christ and thou canst not enioy the end of the faith If thou wouldest haue the wish of Dauid to liue and to declare the works of God yet it shall be better to die that thou maiest liue in the glorie of God In this life thou art sometimes sicke carefull heauie hated oppressed enuied and hast but a little comfort of God because thou canst not professe him but a little therefore desire the other where friendes and ioies and health and loue and peace and comfort shall be euerlasting and they worship most absolute without sinne or ceasing The vses which arise of this doctrine are these first that although we can neuer be absolute in this life in God his worship but we shal haue as many lets as we haue howres yet let vs not cease to lament them and to desire their absence when Dauid had beene long absent from the place of the Lords seruice he cried out saying How long shall I dwell with Mesech and be constrained to abide in the tents of Kedar why might not Dauid thinke that it was not his fault but his enimies rage that did constraine him to that neglect because he was banished from his people Indeede it is apparant he knew it well enough yet least he should be contented with his miserie he calleth to God for a remedie so although we dwell in sinne and liue in a thousand wants of bodies and soules because they cannot be remooued in this life yet let vs not rest contented herewith but lament this mischiefe that we must so doe and desire a speedie release Art thou lodged in thy chamber through sicknesse or banished from the companie of the faithfull through persecution or kept away by imprisonment or hindered by hard parents or maisters or molested through pinching pouertie all which thou canst not auoide yet that the Lord may knowe and that thy soule may liue desire to bee eased of this burden Thinke not that thou shalt bee excused if thou canst not come and worship as thou oughtest but will the thing thou canst not performe and thinke it long till thy bondage be at libertie thy want be supplied and thy soule remooued from thy bodie that thou maist see God and loue him and liue with him and praise him for euer and euer Art thou a Christian and hast thou not greater cause to wish for heauen then Dauid had for Ierusalem and if you haue then pray with as great zeale that thy will may be turned into action thy lets into helpes thy wants into supplies thy soule into pietie and all thy worship into sinceritie Another vse may be this that men doe not any thing the lesse esteeme of the worship of God because they haue hearde that it is but temporall O this were accursed that a sicke man should be lesse regarded because he is sicke and not rather be the more attended shall a sonne despise his owne father because he is poore this were iniquitie and so is it a greater abhomination that men should lesse serue the Lord because the greatest measure is imperfect Although Dauid might not builde the temple yet he prouided wherewithall to do it and so although thou canst not loue God as thou wouldest and as thou oughtest yet loue him as thou canst and as farre as thou art able be not discouraged because thou art not able to goe through with religion for if thou haue any religion knowe thou that the least things of God are greater then the greatest of the world and the weakest things of God are stronger then the strongest of men Honour them that haue the giftes of God in them although they be imperfect for who despiseth a crased peece of gold or who throweth out of doores a broken siluer pot and therefore who but a mad man would lightly regarde the small graces of God in men But alas it is the miserie of our time wherein religion is measured by wealth and deuotion
times yea if it can be most times to cast away ioy to put away pastime to depart from mirth to stop thy eares from musick and thy heart from laughter giuing ouer foolish and vnlawfull iesting merie and pleasant friends and companions and so enter into a deepe consideration of thy sinnes and dangers and troubles and life and death that it may worke an exceeding lamentation for all thy sinnes Remember Moses which forsooke the court of all Pharaohs disports to liue among his poore brethren which daily laboured in making bricke gathering staw and bearing many a heauy burthen and so if we should be exercised in a voluntarie and willing submission vnto teares and weeping sorrowes and lamenting crosses and enduring afflictions we shall kill the hearts of many sinnes and stop the breath of many euils and auoide the danger of many troubles Better it is saith Peter to suffer for well dooings then for euill now when in the feare of God we chastice our selues we suffer for well doing but if we tarrie till famine or warre or sickenes or pouertie or age or death then we suffer for our sins as a thiefe or murtherer for his robbing and killing The twelfth Sermon Vers 13. Girde your selues and lament yee priestes howle yee ministers of the altar c. THe exhortations to the people being finished the prophet goeth on to the priestes and giueth them a speciall direction how to behaue themselues in this time of dearth and famine And this part as hath bin alreadie declared is contayned in this chap. and in the second wherein he putteth thē in mind of their duties which may be reduced to these generall heads particular members First he exhorteth them to a farther humiliation giueth reason for the same vers 13. as that they should be girded with sackcloth vnto lamentation Secondly that they should bee all night long in sorrowing for the same afterward in this chapter he biddeth them sanctifie a fast vers 14. and in the second chapter vers 1. he biddeth them shew the people their woefull danger For the fast he telleth them how it should bee solemnized namely with all the people in the house of God Secondly with praier and the forme or example to pray by is described vers 15. and so to the end of the chapter First when he calleth vnto the priests to be farther humbled whom alreadie he had said to be mourning and lamenting for this matter vers 9. hee thereby giueth vs to vnderstand that there are none so forward in any good action but they haue neede of a farther prouocation and may receiue good instruction to proceed in their godly enterprise For this cause the Apostle 2. Peter 1. 12. telleth the faithfull in his time that he would neuer be negligent to put them in minde of their duetie although they had knowledge and were confirmed in the truth The which thing may reprooue many in our daies which will not abide any wholesome word of exhortation especially there are in the ministerie those which hauing rare gifts and great learning and therefore despise both men and meanes which shall any way put them in minde of their duetie thinking it a disgrace to their persons if any of the inferiour sort shall note vnto them their slips and infirmities But Peter had more modestie which easily yeelded to the reproofe of Paul Would God that men were as much ashamed to commit euill or omit goodnes as they are to be blamed for any default and it were to bee wished that they would as hardly abide the temptation of their enimie the diuell as they will the reprehension of their most christian friends Againe we haue many which haue a little shew of religion and an vnprofitable forme of seruing God the which thinke all knowledge is lapped in their braines and all holines practised in their liues and therefore they despise sermons and preachers reading and hearing conuersion and repentance and will say flatly they haue enough alreadie and therefore will receiue no more Against those let the exhortation of this Prophet and the example of these priests preuaile that they may both either shame them for their folly or reclaime them for their stubbornnes The reasons of this doctrine are these First because it is a true token that we are the Lords when we are exhorted to farther righteousnes Ioh. 15. 3. so that on the other side it is a fearefull signe that wee are none of his when we stop our eares and harden our hearts against the exhortations of the godly ministers wherfore let them which with Peter and Iohn would haue heauen to be on the earth and make a dwelling for their faith on a worldly mount instead of heauēly Sion let them I say know that as the desire of the apostles could not be performed in this life so in this life although they haue clymed vp neuer so great hils of knowledge and secret hidden mysteries and haue seene the graces of God as plainely as they sawe Elias and Moses yet must they come downe againe and labour to goe further before they come to heauen But me thinkes the earnest consideration of this point should make vs all more earnestly to thirst after our spirituall gaine of godlines and neuer to giue ouer till all our vices are remooued all our vncleannes purged and all our wickednes forgotten Doe we not see how the earth after one showre of raine thirsteth for another and so following euery yeere euen so exhortations and reprehensions are like showres of raine to make our hearts to beare fruit the which wee should desire for the loue of more holines as the earth desireth for the encrease of more fruitfulnes Another reason is because it is a notable assurance vnto a mans soule when he beareth exhortation increaseth in knowledge that he hath tasted of the goodnes and grace of God 1. Pet. 2. 3. A yoong childe tasting his mothers milke groweth thereby a sicke man tasting his phisitions potion is strengthened thereby and desireth more phisicke and more meat and therefore if wee can desire to bee more righteous more holy more faithfull more zealous and more carefull of good things we may be assured that our soules are in good and perfect health But alas how many faile herein which taste but finde no relish in the graces of God and suffer the most wholesome foode of their soules to perish in their stomacks they had rather eate the grasse of their own gathering then the meat of the Lords prouiding Stolne bread is swete vnto them that is that which is forbidden them they delight in but that which is commaunded and allowed them they cannot away with they loue better to liue in one forbidden sinne then to liue in a thousand commanded and authorized vertues From this doctrine we may make these vses First seeing there is none so holy and so good in this world but he hath neede of more holines and goodnes then it
our selues neuer so sinful Psal 9. 9 10. although we bee neuer so poore in spirit yet let vs know that ours is the kingdome of heauen So that if thou reason with the diuell himselfe who will if it be possible deceiue thy soule telling thee that thou art more vile then others and therefore it is but follie for thee to call on God for mercie yet say to thy soule that the Lord neuer despiseth the sighings of the poore although I haue sinned yet I haue sorrowed although I haue neglected grace yet with the Lord there is more grace be it that I haue no goodnesse in me the more neede haue I to goe to God the author of goodnesse Men seeke not to the phisition in health but in sicknesse and the more desperate is their disease the more speedily they sollicite him and a good phisition commeth quickly so I want the health of my soule and I see death standing at the doore and knocking for me therfore my praier shall goe to the Lord my physition and I knowe that he will speedily come vnto me He abhorreth not my weakenesse he hateth not my person he willeth not my destruction and therefore wil I pray for saluation I am exceeding base but he will bende to me I am very poore but he will giue mee the riches of the spirite I am a sinner and he is a Sauiour why shoulde I not goe vnto him and fall downe lowe vpon his footestoole for hee neuer despiseth the sighing of the contrite Giue not thine heritage That is the people whom thou diddest take vnto thy self aboue al the nations of the world from hence we may obserue as in a singular metaphor how deere the church is vnto God Deut. 4. 20. euen as deere as any mans inheritance is to himselfe for indeed an inheritance doth very fitly resemble and shadow out vnto vs the nature and condition of the church First because it is not woorth any thing except a man do plant sow the same and so is it in the church wherin if the Lord plow not and sow not there can no good thing grow therein Againe an inheritance is sometimes sold away for the barrennes thereof so when the church groweth secure and bringeth not foorth good fruits the Lord giueth it ouer for a season to be spoyled by strangers Againe if an inheritance will no way be amended then is it accursed and burned Heb. 6. 8. so if no means will reclaime the world from their wicked life then he accurseth them and giueth them ouer to the fire of hell Also as a man taketh singular comfort in his inheritance so the Lord doth in his church and as a man hedgeth and encloseth his inheritance to keepe it from being wasted euen so the Lord hath set a brazen wall about his church the which all the diuels in hell shall neuer be able to ouerthrow but men and angels shall fight for their safegarde and maugre sinne and hell they shall endure as the earth doth euen for euer and euer The first reason because hee might powre his blessing on it Esa 19. 25. for hee hauing many most excellent benefits in store hath made choise of his church to powre foorth all that he hath thereupon for whether we consider the blessings of this life or the benefits of the life to come they are all ordained for the good of them that be godly He is wise to instruct vs he is mightie to defend vs he is liberall to maintaine vs he is mercifull to receiue vs for our sakes were the heauens created the earth established the waters remooued and the fruits appointed for our sakes were the angels condemned the sonne of God crucified and the age and yeeres of the world is plunged Another reason because we should be holy vnto him Deut. 19. 2. Of all the creatures of this worlde there is none that can bee holy vnto the Lord saue onely mankinde for they are the image of God and if the lande whereupon Moses stood was holy much more is the land of our harts holy whereupon the Lord himselfe standeth for he raigneth in vs. And this is the cause why the Lorde hath made vs his inheritance that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life for the heauens are holy whither wee are going the angels are holy with whom we shall dwell the church is holy wherein we liue and therefore we must bee holy or else we are accursed Seeing we are the inheritance of God purchased by his sonne then let not any of vs liue to our selues but to him that redeemed vs 2. Cor. 5. 15. how many waies might I vrge this doctrine that as the earth beareth not fruit for it selfe but for vs so should not we eate the fruits of our owne labours but offer them to the Lord. Our harts are the grounds our bodies are the hedges God his law is the plough the worde is the seede and himselfe is the husbandman Oh let vs not be ploughed and planted in vaine let vs not frustrate the Lords expectation and our soules saluation If we were but seruants yet we ought to worke for our hire but being his inheritance we must liue and die day and night to beare him fruit wee cannot put him away but he may put vs away our fruits do not profit him and yet the want of them will curse vs. Let vs not be for the weedes of sinne nor for pleasures to feede on as bullockes do on pasture-land but let vs bee his garden of sweete flowers his vineyard of fruitfull grapes his field of fine planted wheat and his possession for an euerlasting inheritance Let our words be as gratious fruit let our religion be as pretious pearle let our loue be as rockes of golde and let our bodies bee as fruitfull garners let vs bring him all for first fruits tenthes and offerings and sacrifices that we may be his blessed land vnto the worlds end Another vse seeing we are the Lords inheritance we may see that the Lorde will be very hardly driuen to forsake vs for he gaue a lawe Numb 27. that none shoulde sell awaie their inheritance but at the ende of fiftie yeeres euery one should reclaime thereunto So that if the Lord shall giue ouer his inheritance as hee did Israell Hos 5. 15. the case is very desperate but not perpetuall A man that hath manie barren fieldes doth not presently sell them away no more the Lorde which hath many barren soules in the compasse of his church doth presently forsake them but rather dresseth them by the ministerie of the worde that they may be made fruitefull Oh heare this you that are in the Lordes folde although he beare for a season with your barren hearts and suffer you manie yeeres to lie in rest thinking at the last you will bring him some profit bring it foorth with speede or else knowe that the Lorde which redeemed you from
deere people in the two first chapters and the other part concerneth their deadly enimies which is deliuered in the thirde chapter That part which concerneth the Iewes containeth most fearefull and forcible reasons to moue their rebellious harts as first a particular rehearsal of those iudgements that now were comming which is in the first chapter and vnto the eighteenth verse of the second Secondly most sweete promises of large liberalitie if yet though sentence of destruction were pronounced they would receiue the pardon before the iudgements is set the stile of the prophet or the inscription of the whole booke contained in the three first verses wherein he describeth the summe of the prophesie by calling it the word of the Lord First by shewing the ministering cause thereof namely The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel verse the first Secondly the subiect or persons whom it concerned in the two next verses by most excellent exhortatiōs first of hearing where he noteth the persons namely the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and then the thing it selfe whether they euer heard of the like in the second verse Heare ye this O elders and harken ye all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or yet in the daies of your fathers c. The other exhortation is to perswade them not to silence the prophesie but to tell and declare it first to their children present Secondly that they shewe likewise the same to other ages following which the prophet expresseth in these words in the third verse saying Tell you your children of it and let your children shew to their children and their children to another generation Thus much for the diuision now to the wordes and exposition Ioel. verse 1. The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel These words of the prophet are thus much in effect This selfe same prophesie which hereafter followeth is the very word of God which he himselfe sent to the people by the ministerie of Ioel the sonne of Pethuel where we obserue these doctrines following First that the sermons of the prophets are the sermons of the Lorde himselfe for so saith this scripture that Ioels prophesie is the word of God In Nehemiah the ninth chapter and the thirtieth verse in that sweete confession which the Leuites made vnto God in the behalfe of that whole people thus they say Thou didst forbeare them many yeeres and protestedst among them by thy spirite euen by the hands of their prophets but they would not heare Euen thus they confesse their rebellion after they had been well whipped with seuentie yeeres captiuitie they had taken foorth this lesson that those despised sermons which once they spurned with their shooes and trod vpon with their feete were now manifestly declared to be the very word of God Wherein no doubt they shewe and testifie vnto vs that the truth of scriptures in the mouthes of Preachers will then be acknowledged when men haue been well nurtured in the schoole of aduersitie in so much that euen these wordes which now are but like the dreames of phrentick men will then become as deere vnto vs as the oracles of heauen Oh how stubborne is the conceite of our hard harts which will not be taught till they smart nor yet be instructed till they be corrected Shall the seruant say he hath no master except euery day he punish his faults or the sonne denie his owne father because in lenitie and fatherly pitie he beareth with his lewdnesse Yet our miserable times are such wherein men thinke preaching to be vaine except in persecution and reading to be needlesse except in calamitie and praier to be friuolous except in their sicknes But bid these wretches to the banket of afflictions wherein they may be throughly scourged with temporall miseries as the proud persons to shame the Atheists to death the swearer to the slaughter the drunkard to famine the gentleman to pouertie and the theefe to the halter then they will crie as lowde as hungrie lions that the scriptures which they neglected the prophets whom they reuiled the sermons which they contemned and the words of preachers which they disobeied are the actes of parliament made by God himselfe like these Iewes which now were humble after they had been in Babylon In the second Epistle of Peter cap. 1. vers 21. the holy Ghost also witnesseth that Holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost What is that but plainly to auerre that not the preachers but the spirit that speaketh in the preachers This also is confirmed by waightie and special arguments or reasons drawne from the very word it selfe First in Numbers the two and twentieth chapter and eighteenth verse where Balaam telleth the seruants of Balaack that if he would giue him his house full of golde he cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe more or lesse If then such sorcerers and diabolicall persons in the cause of God can speake nothing but what he suggesteth much more the prophets and heauenly preachers can vtter nothing but what the holy Ghost inspireth Againe the prophets and true ministers of God for the words sake only aduenture their states and hazard their liues 1. Kings cap. 22. vers 14. 27. which they would not nor could not except vpō sure ground of heauenly warrant Who would except desperate mad men vndoe themselues and suffer most intolerable torments for rebuking of sinne vnlesse they were caried by an ouerruling power euen as Ionah to Niniueth or Micheah to Ahab to eate the bread ofsorrow and drinke the cup of death that when they might ioyfully solace themselues among their friendes or quetly rest in their poore habitations they are sorowfully vexed by their cruell enimies hauing the stinking prison for their easelesse harbour I grant that heathen men haue for vaine deuises endured many torments Popish Iesuits neglecting their owne liues their princes mercy haue do daily imbrace the gallowes but their sufferings are for matters cleane contrary to the worde of truth and therefore with Tertullian it may better be saide to bee desperate presumption then Christian persecution and the diuels souldiers rather then the Lords martyrs Wherein let vs with teares of brine lament our humane miserie that thus casteth it selfe away from worldly comfort and heauenly ioyes vpon bare and weake groundes of vncertaine seruing of God Howe strong are the delusions of subtill Sathan which hath bewitched the mindes of men so farre that they haue also offered their yoong children and tender babes through violent flames for the diuels sacrifice could not their weeping eies and crying teares procure no pittie in their hard harted parents No no where superstition sitteth iudge neither nature nor reason may dare to pleade the cause This is the diuels cunning to bewitch his members imitating the true seruants of God to endure death Augustine said
preachers tell vs goe forwarde I beseech you in all other sinnes and you shall finde but a verie small number that say I beleeued and therefore I heard The medicine to purge out all these corruptions is a true faith the which if either you leaue at home or lose it by the way the labour is all lost that you take therein Oh how lamentable and damnable a sinne is infidelitie when the iudgements of God are not beleeued and the mercies of God are abused But this greeueth all godly hearts to the quicke that euen in our daies and times there should be such that as a godly father saith are armed with the name of good christians yet fight against the faith of true beleeuers Looke vpon it in time least as death followeth sicknes through want of phisicke so the death of your soules follow their sickenes through want of faith Beleeue saith Christ and al things are possible the dead haue beene raised by faith the sicke haue beene releeued by faith the mountaines may be remooued by faith and the diuell himselfe is droue away by faith therefore bring faith with you vnto the hearing of the sermons the scriptures are the Lords wordes and they are set to sale by the preaching of the ministers themselues beeing his factors faith must buye them as money doth or bee exchanged for them as one thing is for another for there is no crediting vpon wordes no obligations vpon dayes that can get them from vs but present payment of a liuely faith Therefore if any will knowe howe to heare the Gospell with profit and to enioy it with comfort let him bring faith with him that the worde deliuered may bee sealed for truth and sinnes beeing reprooued may bee receiued for truth and suffer no starting holes of infidelitie to carrie our soules from the rocke of God his truth into the sea of heathenish securitie or endlesse aduersitie O yee elders That is you gouernours of the people whom the Lord hath honoured with long life and the world with great authoritie And from hence we note this doctrine that the most honourable must most of all giue eare to the worde of God whether that honour bee in the Church as the ministers or in the common wealth as the magistrates or in the familie as the father thereof or in the warres as the generall thereof all these beeing exalted aboue other haue also a charge aboue other that euerie one walke worthie of his profession which is onely by studying and hearing the word of the Lord. The Lord so commandeth Deut. 17. 19. That the king himselfe shall cause to be wrote a booke for him of the lawe that he keepe it with him and read therein all the daies of his life Those which haue the greatest charge must vse the greatest labour to discharge their places as none could be iudges in Israell till the Lord had giuen them of the spirit of Moses so none can sincerely execute their duetie that the world may be satisfied the Lord may be glorified and their owne soules comforted vnlesse they receiue of the spirit of God and by the ministerie of the word is the spirit deliuered Gal. 3. 2. Hearken therefore you rulers of the Lordes people that which excelleth all glorie being richer then all wealth and wiser then all learning euen the spirit of God may be receiued when the word of God is deliuered Oh how are they deceiued that thinke the ministerie a base profession not meete for any but for the poore to liue by for the lame disfigured for yonger brothers for bankerupt for seruingmen for blunt-headed-schollers and such as can be good in nothing How are they also deceiued that thinke it not an exercise fit for noble men and persons of estate knights and gentlemen and such great ones which haue the world at their wils and the countrey at their pleasures shall these say they make themselues drudges to the Gospell schollers to the preachers and goe on pilgrimage to a publike sermon Yea all these must resigne their crownes of maiestie their gownes of nobility their swords of chiualrie and their estimation of gentrie vnto the voice of the blessed spirit of God speaking in the scriptures and preaching in his ministers And if these must bend their knees we must bow our bodies to the earth and put our necke vnder the yoke of Christ Iesus that he may lift vp our head liues to the participation of glorie The Lord that bindeth kings in chaines and nobles in fetters of Iron and maketh the mountaines to cleaue in sunder at his roaring willeth and commandeth vs from heauen to heare his son and it shal so come to passe that the soule shal be cut off from the Lords people that hath not kissed the prince of glorie and commeth not to offer obedience and seruice to his royall Lord who is able to cast him body and soule into fire euerlasting Let vs therefore study to enter into the courts where the Gospell of Christ soundeth and reigneth least we fall away from grace and glorie after the euill example of those long agoe condemned infidels and reprobated apostataes which gaue their eares to falshood their toongs to blasphemie their liues to vanitie their bodies to luxurie and their soules to euerlasting miserie Let not the graye haires of old men the great wealth of rich men the worship of Magistrates nor the honour of gouernement draw away our hearts from the hearing of this message which being hid from vs maketh vs cursed castawaies but being declared vnto vs regenerateth vs to the hope of eternall happines The reasons of this doctrine are also easily gathered out of the word of God First the same which Samuel vseth in his first booke cap. 12. ver 14. at the annointing or crowning of their new king Saule to perswade them and their king to the diligent hearing of the word and reuerent feare of God he vseth this as a reason That then they shall be the people of the Lord God As if Samuel had said vnto them you know that this is the glorie of our nation that we alone are the selected band and chosen soldiers to fight the Lords battles and this is an honour against all the world beside that they seruing Idoles and worshipping diuels we serue the Lord of hostes if therefore you will indeed be the Lords people you must in truth heare the Lords word what could be said more forcibly to mooue a rebellious nation to a quiet submission And this being the badge and liuerie of the Church of God we may be bold to say openly and defend confidently that they which heare not the Gospell as now it is preached in our English nation are none of the true followers of his heauenly maiestie Euen all whether they be the archenimies of Christ the Papists or the new sectary of Recusants the Brownists or the vaine religion bablers the Newters or the priuy haters of the
preachers the carnall and time seruing professours these shall goe to the place from whence they came there to be tormented world without end It is not cold and idle hearing that maketh vs the people of God but a sincere and diligent frequenting the place where his person dwelleth We must not be contented to be the Lords retayners but we must sue to be made his houshold seruants The Apostle Peter in his first epistle cap. 2. ver 5. calleth vs all that professe the Lord Iesus a spirituall priesthood now this was the office in old time of a priest euery day to appeare at the altar and their very lodging was in the Temple therefore must we come often to the Lords house and desire to dwell in his tabernacle that we may euermore heare and speake his worde The second reason of this doctrine is taken from the continuall course of the Iudgements of God All Egypt was plagued because they heard not the worde of God euen their king lost his eldest sonne and afterwarde he himselfe for the same follie was drowned and swallowed vp of the sea The noble man which would not beleeue and harken to the voice of the prophet when he told him of the great and sudden cheapnes of corne answered him that it was impossible except the windowes of heauen shoulde bee opened but he sawe it accomplished and for his infidelitie was troden to death by the people Reade the whole booke of God and you shal euery where plainly perceiue that for disobedience to God his worde and contempt of his messengers Kings haue been deposed and Queenes haue beene punished Lords Ladies Magistrates and subiectes old men and children haue tasted of the deadly cup of the Lords heauie wrath Lay vp this in your harts my bowels in the Lorde happy are they which auoide danger by the fals of other men Oh that the teares of our countrymen couldewash away the guilt of this sinne for our score is growne so great by our long continued credit that we haue made no conscience to pay the Lord his owne and we haue vrgent cause to consider and also to feare least the Lord sue the extremitie of the lawe vpon vs and neuer spare till we haue paide the vttermost farthing and felt the full weight of his hande and spent euery drop of bloud in soule and body for the notorious contempt of his most glorious Gospel There is no sacrifice to be compared to the hearing of the Lords worde and therefore the neglect thereof in whomsoeuer is most fearefull most deadly most damnable The vses which offer themselues vnto vs out of this doctrine are these first that the ancient and great men must suffer the words of the Lords ministers patiently and for this cause the Apostle willeth vs Tit. 2. 2. To exhort the elders to sobernesse and faith There be two things which should shine as bright in age and authoritie as the eies do in the heads of strong yoong men that see and be seene of others and yet see not themselues euen so ought sobrietie and faith to offer themselues vnto the view of all persons where the graie haires appeere like the buddes of an almond tree whereby the aged may see and correct the follies of youth and yoong men may see their example to be drawne in loue with their liues but they themselues ought not to be proud for that honour which the Lord hath bestowed vpon them Oh how vnhappie is that time when olde men and great men are as wanton as children and as faithles as those which neuer knewe God Wo bee to that lande whose Prince is a childe saith Salomon Meaning that the whole countrey is distressed where the gouerners thereof haue as little stay as children or as little faith as children In our daies if the Lords ministers which keepe the soules of our countrymen shall in meekenesse admonish old men they tell them they are but boyes to themselues and they knew what religion was before they were borne not knowing their antiquitie cannot preiudice the spirite of the Lord or not considering what our sauiour saide to the labourers in the vineyard They which were first shall be last and they which were last shall bee first Others thinke that if they beare an office in the common wealth no man may dare to counsell them in the Lorde they themselues thinke they are iniured and their friends thinke they are disgraced if the word of exhortation passe vpon them shall I say they being a gentleman well descended well instructed of so many hundred poundes reuenues bee in as much slauerie to this preaching as the poore artificer But vnto these we may answere that if their natures or offices exempt them from sermons they also exempt them from saluation For it pleased God through the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue What is a King better then a farmer a noble man better then an artificer a gentleman better then a plowman and a magistrate better then a subiect without true religion and obedience to the gospel Surely nothing for now whether had you rather bee poore Iacob bowing to the earth alone or rich Esau attended with fowre hundred men whether had you rather bee Pharaoh or Moses Ieroboam or the prophet Ziakijah or Ieremie the rich man or Lazarus Pilate or Christ Herod or Iohn Baptist the Apostles or the high Priests stagger not heereat but shew your consciences whether of these you woulde be you cannot bee both therefore choose one The way to heauen is narrowe and we being clothed with our owne conceites can neuer enter in there is too little roome for both we cannot beare the yoke of Christ and the worlde at one time the least of both requireth a whole man Therefore you my beloued fathers beare with the voice of vs your yoongers for when we exhort you it is not done in our name but in his who is the ancient of daies elder then the oldest wiser then the wisest stronger then the strongest and yoonger then the yoongest who is euery day borne in his members It is not vs but him that you heare who knoweth your harts seeth your liues and shall condemne your incredulitie The Lord told the rebellious Israelites when they refused Moses and Aaron that it was not against them but him that they had murmured and refused so it is not our youth it is not our frailtie it is not our weaknes that you blame for if wee were not ministers you woulde loue vs the better for it but it is against the Lorde that you striue Oh staie your toongs before they go too farre God which dasheth in peeces yoong infants careth not for your gray haires your swordes auaile not against him neither can your reuenues redeeme your soules Secondly we may make this one vse of this That forsomuch as the Elders and Magistrates must aboue others vse the hearing of the worde of God what is their estate
creatures to bee reuenged on his aduersaries so also hee will and can doe the same to the benefite of his chosen He vsed the rauens to feede Eliah 1. King 17. 6. and wee know that al these noisome creatures which deuoured and destroyed the cattle people of Egypt neither deuoured or destroyed man or beast among the Israelites The viper a hurtfull beast yet it could not harme Paul Act. 28. 5. when it hung vpon his hande What shall we now say my deere brethren to commend the large liberalitie of our God to conuince the intolerable ingratitude of our soules The angels waite on vs aboue to keepe the heauens from ouerwhelming vs the creatures attend on vs beneath to make the earth to yeeld vs maintenance oh how shall they want any thing that leade a godly life yet who doth depend on the Lordes promise or who doth make conscience of the Lords liberalitie We are like to the Iewes which Nebuzaradan left in Ierusalem with the Samaritans seeing the serpents destroying the Samaritans sparing them yet still they continued in their idolatrie so although we see and heare our neighbours our countreymen or any other nation to be wasted and we preserued to be famished wee sustained to be weakened and wee strengthened to be punished when we go scot-free yet still we serue our pleasures we blaspheme the Gospell we prophane the Sabbaoth and we dishonour the almightie although he hath not dealt with any nation as he hath dealt with vs yet we care not for his creatures we loue not his truth we forsake not our sins we embrace not his feare we haue no resolution for our owne saluation the Lord for his mercy turne our harts Another doctrine we may obserue out of this verse which is this that euerie light and little creature can trouble ouercome the welfare ofmen Why did not the Lorde raine downe fire from heauen to consume their fielde of corne or to burne vp their fruitefull gardens or why did he not sende his angels immediately from heauen to weede out the wicked from the land and so to haue made an ende at the very first of these Iewish calamities This he might haue done although he did it not but rather sendeth creeping wormes to ouerthrowe a great nation which is to mans reason as if one sparke of fire were sent to burne vp the whole sea Wee reade Act. 12. 23. that Herod by his flatterers was magnified to be a God the which thing pleased the wretch too well for shortly after it cost him bloude and life to shewe himselfe and his fauorites that he was but a man for it was saide that he was eaten and deuoured of wormes O woorthie example of so woorthie impietie which wearing the crowne but of an earthly kingdome would also be aduanced to an heauenly regiment therefore he receiued the greater condemnation Where were his Phisicians coulde not they purge away the euill which did eate vp the kings hart where were his seruants which woulde doe all things for him and now could not they deliuer him from little wormes nay what did this newe made God if hee were but a god of flies could not he comfort and cure himselfe No no the darte was too deepe the wound was too great and the disease too desperate but he in the midst of these his torments hauing his heart eaten and the wormes crawling out of his body with intollerable anguish cryed out Behold your Godwhich is enforced to die Let all proude persons be warned by the example of Herod especially great men who thinke themselues if not better yet equall to the sonne of God the king of heauen and earth least they be punished after the example of Herod The flies did trouble and terriblie molest the whole lande of Egypt thinke alwaies the Lorde can easily turne our meate into wormes our drinke into flies our bloud into lice our garments into serpents and our ioyfull friends into spoyling beasts We are not so high but there is one aboue vs we are not so lowe but there are some beneath vs we are not so wise but the Lorde is within vs neither are wee so noble but his highnes can confound vs. And this doctrine hath good reasons beside lamentable experience whereon it may be grounded the weakest things of God are far stronger then the strongest of man 1. Cor. 1. 25. 27. and by the weake thinges of this worlde will he confounde the strong the which although it be spoken in another sence then it is heere alleaged yet doth it serue also to this purpose to shewe vnto vs that the Lord will for his glory ouercome by the weaker forces And it is most true that a little beast with his wrath is as forcible to destroy vs as a mightie serpent and the fall of a feather vpon our heads although they were garded with a helmet of proofe yet shoulde it through his indignation be as heauy as a mill stone to dash out the braines of the proudest Hee which made these things is not tied to his owne workes but when hee will he can alter light into darknes turne the lande into the sea the mountaines into valleyes and make iron to swim when lighter matters shall sinke Nowe good men must euer be mightily comforted with the consideration of this heauenly power this made the men of Babylon to offer their bloud to the fierie flaming furnace this made the woorthie Gideon with a fewe persons to aduenture the ouerthrow of many thousandes this encouraged Elisha being besieged with an huge army of Syrians and therefore this must force vs to die in persecution to fight for the Lordes truth to pray where we see no helpe to professe his name though we loose the sweetest pleasures of this life The vses which offer themselues vnto our consideration are these first that it teach vs to thinke most humbly and most basely of our selues as Dauid that noble king that euer was did Psal 22. 6. I am a worme saith he and no man euen the ofscouring of men Seeing the basest creatures of the world are able so easily to destroy vs what can be better signe of our humilitie then as Dauid doth to call our selues by their names Abraham talking with God called himselfe dust and ashes such as lie vnder foote to bee troden vpon by euery one and Dauid giueth himselfe a name which none hath done before him and very few after him by taking on him the title of a sillie creeping worme engendred of the dirt fed onely with earth and the lowest of all kinde of beastes would God the spirite of mildnesse could driue away the spirite of statelinesse which raigneth in those which are many thousande degrees inferiour to Dauid Let them imagine through the wrath of God that the haires of their head were turned to liuing creatures which were an easie thing with God and yet would it not make them humble how if the intrals and bowels of
rebukes of sin for the Lord. Hos 4. 4. cōplaineth of the desperate estate of the people for he saide they rebuked the prophet This is the sin of England for there are among vs that will teach wise men and themselues being fooles they will controule learned men themselues being ignorant they will sohoole preachers yet they cannot heare they will rule magistrates themselues being subiects and they will seeme to doe all things being able to doe nothing But this is the point woorthie to be stoode vpon they will reprooue the minister of the Gospell If they suspect vs they condemne vs if there be but an vncertaine rumour they make it a certaine sclander so that our life our liuings our doctrine our calling and all our preaching is contemned by them Our life to be idle our liuings to be too great our doctrine to be suspitious our calling to be burdensome and our preaching to be onely for a worldly respect Oh incurable vndurable mischiefe why do men at once set Christ to schoole teach God to be wise refuse the Gospels gouernment and choose the tyranny of sinne Why do they rebuke vs and yet thinke they do well if the rod of magistrates light on vs for our sinnes let vs abide it but to let euery drunkard and ruffian and seruingman and euery base companion to crow against the Gospell and our calling let vs neuer abide They hate vs because they loue sinne they loue liberty because they abhorre discipline they regard not the ministery because they regard not God and therefore looke for a present and speedie calamitie for since that base fellowes became ministers base fellowes haue regarded none so that now we may preach out our hearts and pray out our soules and weepe out our eies yet we shall receiue nothing but scoffes and scornes rebuke and scander for our labor Weepe and howle hauing bidden them to be ashamed now he biddeth them to bee sorrowfull for well hee knew that their hope and health was lost when their corne and fruites were destroyed wherein they trusted more then in GOD. And from hence wee may obserue that if the worshippe of God bee once decaied there is not any so desperately wicked or dissolute but he shall smart for them we may say Esay 9. 10 11 12. That the wicked make great bragges if they were depriued of preaching the word they say they would turne brickes into hewen stone and tymber into Cedar trees but the Lorde telleth them that their enimies shall beset them and he will cut off both honorable and taile So is the course of his iudgement that when hee hath taken away his worship which is a helmet of proofe to keepe his wrath from vs then he sendeth greatest calamitie when we thinke we shall liue in greatest securitie The filthie Sodomites thought that they were well when Lot was gone from among them but there followed presently fire and brimstone from heauen By this our gallants may perceiue that if the Gospell be in the wrath of God translated from our countrey their brauerie and pride and wealth and prosperitie shall be ouerturned into perpetuall miserie They thinke it a burden intollerable to liue vnder the checke heereof but let them know that the little finger of humane tyrannie shall bee heauier on them then the loines and body of all christianitie Oh how do men deceiue themselues with sweete promises of great and incredible ease which they shall reape by the abasing of the ministerie by the decay of good men and the abandoning of all goodnes when they shall haue libertie to commit any kinde of sinne O miserable wretches saith one to whom it is lawfull to do wickedly surely you shall come out of a little brooke and runne headlong into the maine sea The reason of this doctrine is this bicause the wicked shoulde knowe that all goodnesse which they receiue is for the Gospels and godly mens sake Prou. 11. 11. there is not any thing in the worlde which the godly haue not a title vnto insomuch as all the wicked men are but vsurpers of the goods and landes and wealth and dignities they enioy so long as a godly man is liuing The worlde is a bodie religion is the soule thereof which being remooued is dead and fit for nothing The worlde is a building and the worship is the pillar postes thereof which being remooued it must needes fall as the house wherein Sampson slewe the Philistines So that it is most plaine that when our knowledge is turned to ignorance and the preachers of the worde of God cease to speake in the name of God and when the Gospell is banished from our lande and there bee a free libertie to doe what they list then I saie will the heauens threaten destruction the mindes of men shall be made blinde their vnderstanding shall bee taken from them and they shall liue as other people do without God his word to be slaues to their enimies drudges to their labours beastes in their liues enimies to God haters of good things and diuels by their death The vses which commeth from this doctrine is first of all that wee labour with speede to amende those things which are amisse among vs for else that iudgement which the Lorde once threatened to the Ephesian church Reuel 2. 5. shall take holde namely that the Lord will take away his candlesticke from vs if the light bee gone we shal liue in darknes if the word be gone we shall liue in blindnes if God his worship be taken from vs wee shall die in miserie This onely is the meate which if wee want will consume vs it is a sworde and if it bee not in our handes it will wounde vs it is a scepter which if the king of heauen holde not foorth we shall be condemned Feare the want of the Lords worship for if it goe from vs then he will depart if he depart then our prosperitie will cease and there shall not be a man aliue which will not desire to die Consider I beseech you if you haue enioyed great possessions goodly landes faire houses many friends delicate liues and many children but in one night thy aduersarie stealeth away thy euidence whereby thou holdest thy lande and then thou art turned out of possession thy landes are taken from thee thy friendes forsake thee thy children crie on thee and thou bee constrained either to harde labour or vnlawfull beggerie how wouldest thou take it but wish for a thousande deathes to bee deliuered from this shame So shall it bee with thee in the Gospell which is the euidence of thy peace thy health thy landes thy ioy and the kingdome of heauen the which being taken from thee thou canst neuer enioy any of these then thou shalt weepe without comfort sorrowe without hope liue without ioy die without peace and be damned without mercie Oh whose heart is not cleaued asunder to thinke vpon the danger of his soule Loue the
not the angels 2. Pet. 2. 4. and therefore he will not spare the lesser creatures for the angels are the most glorious creatures of the world who sinning against God in the beginning were cast downe from heauen into eternall torments Oh this should much terrifie vs which are lower then the angels viler then the creatures and more woorthie of death then all the works of God are of corruption that al the world for our sinne and sake should be euery day in danger of destruction And seeing the angels being in heauen found no place of mercie but present banishment and euerlasting fire how should we come into heauen with our sinnes or thinke to escape on the earth seeing the Lorde is as powerfull and wrathfull beneath among men as he is aboue among angels The vses which arise from this doctrine are these first as we might hereby gather an excellent argument to enforce the irefull wrath of God so may we also learne by this how miserable is the estate of worldy men which trust in the things of this life which shall be all destroied Deut. 28. 52 63. What do men that satisfie their lustes that gather their wealth that enlarge their dominions and other worldly things as building of faire houses leauing monuments of their names to posteritie but heape vp a great deale of dry wood for the wrath of God to consume them Take them from their desire you take them from their god pul them from their profits and you pull them from heauen but the wealth which they haue gained shoulde serue their turnes and their posterities in this life and afterward bee consumed This were but a tolerable estate and to be endured but alas the rust of that which they hoorded the crie of that they misgayned the riot of that which they haue wickedly consumed shall torment their liues in another worlde Why doest thou worship thy goods in louing them more then God bicause thou thinkest on thē more then on him and why dost thou trauaile for this worlde and the thinges thereof with so insatiable and greedy desire for if thou gaine them thou gainest more burthens to thy life and more woe to thy soule if thou haue them thou canst not long keepe them for death will part them and thee in sunder or vengeance will take them out of thy handes Oh tell me I beseech you which care for your parts and portions in this life what benefite haue you by louing them nothing but feare to loose them what profite commeth by enioying them nothing but labour to keep thē what hurt is there by wanting them nothing but a poore life and a peaceable death the loue of these is the losse of heauen and the lacke of these is the loue of God Another vse which euerie one euen the wicked must make heereof is the same which the Lorde exhorteth the Edomites vnto Esay 21. 14. Seeing their vines and fruits and corne and all other things shall come to an ende and be taken awaie with the wrath of God therefore let euery one that hath them giue them to the thirstie for drinke to the hungrie for meate to the naked for cloth and to the poore for maintenance Oh consider what is our dutie while as yet there is a little corne and comfort to our lande and deale with it as one woulde deale with his owne body for anone it shall be taken by violence therefore nowe bestowe for deuotion if wee tarrie but a little vengeance will take them and vs therefore let charitie dispende them what what are they but earth if we deliuer not them to earth shall they come againe Now they haue force to succour our liues and if we spende them not well anone they will haue powre to subuert and condemne our soules Howe is ioy withered from the sonnes of men Nowe hee complaineth what this want hath wrought when he saith that ioy is withered away as mowen grasse doth from his greenenesse so this from the sonnes of men that is the people of the lande For we cannot bee ignorant that of all times of the yeere there was most sweete singing and pleasant sporting at the time of haruest as we reade Esay 9. 5. bicause that then were the fruits reaped and comfort receiued of men but when these were destroyed their vines had no grapes their trees had no apples and their fieldes had no corne then I say was their mirth laide aside into most solitarie and sorrowfull mourning By these words note that the want of worldly comfort and the feeling of worldly and carnall sorrowe is a great and fearefull iudgement of God Deut. 28. 63. If men see no ioy in their children or comfort in their possessions or profite by their labour but in all these they are made more heauie and solitarie and the Lorde taketh from them a cheerefull countenance nay if the fruites of the earth bee destroied as heere they were so that there be none euen then I say although there be none occasion of ioy but all of sorrowe to be tormented with griefe bicause we haue not to supplie our liues is fearefull in the sight of God We cannot I grant but sorrow when we haue none occasion ofioy but yet we ought to make our griefe a godly sorrowe and the feare of famine to be the feare of condemnation for this shoulde we weepe that howsoeuer these thinges goe with vs in this life the other may be certaine in the life to come The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause it causeth death 2. Cor. 7. 7. 10. Worldly sorrow causeth death for as the fire wasteth the woode and the sunne consumeth the frost so doth carnall care eate vp the life of man Somtimes these sorrowfull worldlings are raging with enuie sometimes ouercome with malice and many times at their wits ende through couetousnesse so that the beautifull waxe pale therwith the lustie and strong man is weakned they which were pleasant are heauie and they which seemed godly are made wicked This worldly sorrowe made Achitophell that wise man to hang himselfe and Saule that strong man to kill himselfe and Zimrie that wicked king to burne himselfe for the Lorde suffered many to fall into it that they might despaire of his mercie and be excluded from his kingdome Oh therefore whosoeuer will shewe any care of his owne soule or any account of Christes woundes let him meddle little in worldly businesse keepe in the boundes of thy vocation and range not into much dealing and many trades and occupations for thou dost but thrust thy soule into danger and a thousande to one but thou wilt repent in teares bloud thy ouerreaching policie Another reason of this doctrine is bicause it is a deere and not the least blessing of God to reioyce in thy possessions be they small or great Eccle. 5. 8. and therefore it is not the least curse of God to be troubled and tormoiled therewith What beast
before the Lord when wee euer meete againe about the like occasion and this I would haue practised both in priuate and publike humiliation The reasons that may mooue vs vnto this dutie to be throughly humbled are these first because the Lorde will not looke on our aduersitie without this perfect and absolute contrition Isa 58. 3. for he then especially looketh to the inwarde disposition of euery soule to see who they be which tremble at his word and iudgements and they which then will not nor cannot there is little hope of grace and goodnesse in them The heathen king of Niniueh and all his subiects had that conscience when the Lord sounded their destruction by the prophet Ionah Ahab mourned when he heard the words of Elijah the prophet and when God speaketh to the Assyrians and Moabites he biddeth them come downe into the dust and ashes to lament their miseries Alas why doe I rehearse either precepts or examples to mooue men vnto this which they would not doe for if their owne liues and bloud and soules will not prouoke them hereunto other mens waies will not perswade them yet let them thus consider that it will greeue them more to loose this their counterfeite humilitie as the Iewes doe in the forenamed place when they shall say we fasted we praied we trauelled and we desired to iustifie our soules and yet their fast shall be as vanitie their praier abhomination and their comming into the Lords presence like his which had no wedding garment and therefore was hee and so shall they bee cast into vtter darknesse Another reason is this because that those iudgements which call for this humiliation must teach vs righteousnesse Esa 26. 9. and so we encrease in righteousnesse as we exceede in humilitie and for this cause we must know that the more religion a man hath the more humble he is and the more hee saith hee encreaseth in goodnesse the more he must studie to shew it outwardly As for those which thinke they serue God well enough when they neither pray with their toongs nor bende with their knees nor vncouer their heads nor mooue out of their houses I leaue them to their fancies let euery beast bird of the aire confute their fancies for the Lord which hath assigned euery member his office will haue euery one to execute it himselfe The vses which offer themselues by the consideration of this point are these seeing we must bee throughly humbled therefore let vs auoide all manner of idlenesse in this worship of God Iam. 2. 19. when we are once perswaded of this point we shall not onely lende an eare to this businesse but thinke all time too little that we spend not herein The poore saintes of God in that forenamed place crie in the night watches as these priestes which lay all night in lamentation and so when the feare of the Lords wrath and the conscience of our owne dangers doe once meete together then there is not any thing that will bee so acceptable to vs as praier This feare will driue from vs our sleepe as the windes driue away the cloudes the sicke man will sit vp the olde man will holde vp his hands the weake man will stand for his life the woman will weepe without ceasing and euery one so touched will auoide all worldly actions then will or rather then must the rich man forsake his counting house the farmer leaue his plough the seruant auoide his rest the labourer neglect his meate and the drowsie person hold vp his eies All the Apostles slept till the high priestes seruants came to take our Sauiour but then they awaked fled for their liues but why did they not wake before in praier that thē they might haue slept without danger oh let vs therefore come both great small to appeere in the Lords presence with al diligence let not any long iourney any lack of prouision any loue of ease any losse of health make vs idle Rise early to praier watch late to lament sleepe little that thou maist spende the more time to gaine thy soules health In the day we labour for our bodies in the night let vs labour for our soules My soule saith Dauid thinketh on thee in the night watches and so let our soules thinke on the Lord when other thinke on their rest and their pleasure Another vse which commeth by this consideration is this that seeing we must be throughly humbled or not at all let vs take for our example the paterne of them that mourne for the dead as the prophet exhorteth Ierem. 6. 26. How many are the teares of them which loose their louing husbands their tender children and their loyal friendes Iacob for feare of this said before hand it woulde make his hoare head goe downe into the graue But so slight is the mourning of many among vs that they neither wette their cheekes for their sinnes nor yet would willingly depart with this life for the enioying of the life to come Surely this is woorthy to be noted in them which earnestly lament the dead that they desire to be with them so let vs desire to be free of this feare of death and sinne with the death of our sinnes and liues let vs so bitterly bewaile our time as we may be most willing to change our life for no other cause then to cease from sinne The Israelites bewailed Moses thirtie daies together and let vs with great and long continuance mourne not for Moses who is in heauen but for our selues who would be in heauen When Naomy bid her daughters Ruth and Orpah goe backe into Moab they wept at her words if they were so vnwilling to liue in Moab and to depart with Naomi why are not wee as vnwilling to liue in this world and to depart with Christ seeing he is our head and we his members we must goe to him and he may not come to vs let vs therefore by his example endure many sorrowes and great dangers that we may be more willing to leaue this life The theefe inclosed in the prison ceaseth from stealing and when wee are closed in iaile of many griefes and clogged with the irons of many crosses then let vs know that we cease from many externall and internall abhominations Yee ministers of my God In this that hee calleth the priestes which serued at the altar the ministers of God he thereby giueth vs to vnderstand whose possession are the ministers namely and onely the Lords Num. 3. 12. The Lord challengeth the tribe of Leui to himselfe to be his peculiar and royall priesthood and the Apostle willeth the Corinthians that they should so thinke of him as of the minister of God and disposer of the secrets of his kingdome and therefore writing to the Galathians hee telleth them hee is not by man nor by the will of man but of God Once in steede of the appointed ministerie were the first borne of euery familie
and you shall like of it better loue it deerer heare it oftener and leane to it more safer then euer you did Againe seeing we must heare the worde of God with feare and trembling let vs also make an ende of our saluation with feare and trembling Philip. 2. 12. that is feare not onely in the church or when thou art neere vnto danger but all thy life long vntill thou haue made an end of thy saluatiō For so long as thou fearest so long thou art in safetie but when the world shall say peace peace and there be no feare of iudgement then shall come their destruction for as when he in the gospell promised to himselfe greatest safetie in his riches that night did they fetch away his soule so when we say we haue done it is finished I haue sorrowed long ynough I haue endured the crosse of Christ thus many yeeres and therefore now I will take my pleasure then shall our danger bee neerest and our woe bee greatest therefore let vs neuer cease fearing till we be in heauen as the shipmen neuer cease watching till they bee in harbour Oh here is a Christians triall if other men vexe him let him beare it if he be free from other men let him chastise himselfe Feare the Lorde least he be thy iudge feare thy Sauiour least he prooue thy enimie feare thy sinnes least they ouermatch thee and tremble at the word of God least it condemne thee A day of darknesse and obscuritie a day of cloudes and of blacknes as the morning spread vpon the mountaines so is there a great people and a mightie there was none like it from the beginning neither shall be any more after it vnto the yeeres of many generations A day of darknesse Now the prophet proceedeth to describe the great wrath of God in the furie of these small beastes which he doth first by consideration of the qualitie of the day or time when they should come and secondly by the manner of their comming taken from many resemblances and similitudes For the time he describeth it after the vsuall manner of the scriptures which setteth foorth a sorrowfull day of indgement by darknesse cloudes and mistes secondly he sheweth the cause hereofto be the great and mighty people meaning the locusts and the residue for he calleth them a people as Salomon calleth the ants and the conies Prou. 30. 25. and he saith they shal obscure the light as the morning darknes bicause their company should bee so many as we may reade they did in Egypt Exo. 10. 15. And therefore he saith there was not the like from the beginning meaning for a long season nor yet should bee againe to many generations following So that he telleth them that this was a fearful time when all the heauens should be couered with clouds the earth be darkened with an innumerable swarme of noisom beasts Cōcerning the multiplying of these beasts we haue spoken in the former chapter First when hee sheweth them that the day of their trouble shoulde bee cloudie gloomie and full of darkenes wee may learne that these thinges doe put vs in minde of the great wrath of God Psalm 18. 11. For in truth thus the Lorde will haue it that we shoulde bee feared from the heauens aboue vs and from the earth beneath vs. It is reported for a great wonder that wee in Englande seldome haue any daies wherein we see not many cloudes whereas in other countries they see not any cloudes for manie monethes togither Let vs therefore make this aduantage of our countries scituation that on the day time when we beholde the cloudes wee thinke vpon the great iudgement of God whereby from the cloudes hee once rained downe a great floude that destroied the worlde and howe one day in a cloude Christ shall come to iudge both quicke and dead Againe by night let vs meditate on the light of heauen that wee may escape that vtter darknes where shal be nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause this want of light was the first punishment that God inflicted on the Iewes for the death of Christ Matth. 27. 45. the which thing made them much afraid for they had darknes instead of light to shew them that Christ which should haue beene their light was nowe made darkness vnto them from whom they could receiue no sight to walke to heauen And surely if this outwarde and carnall darknes bee so terrible especially in the daie time then what is the inward and spirituall darknes in the mindes of men whereby they are depriued of all light of God all partaking of the spirite and all the hope of the worlde to come Oh woulde God this their perplexitie coulde prouoke their harde and vnbeleeuing hearts to forsake their damnable securitie this their darknesse is so grosse that other men feele it yet they are so blinded that they cannot see it Let vs therefore my deere brethen know that God will leaue none without excuse but either the word or the world shall tell them their duties and let vs learne to praise the Lord for couering the heauens with cloudes Psalm 147. 8. that by this meanes not onelie watereth the earth and maketh it fruitefull but also admonisheth the mindes of his children of a continuall preparation to iudgement But in our times all these are nothing regarded for signes tokens remembrances of righteousnes yea some knowe not so much as the vse of the rainbowe in the cloudes neuerthelesse in the right vse of God his creatures consisteth one great part of religion so that this is the best kinde of Astrologie or Prophesie to bee made of the starres that they may direct vs to a holy life and prepare vs for a blessed ende Moreouer by this that the Prophet saith The like hath not beene seene nor shall not be in many generations Wee may obserue that God doth verie seldome change the course of nature and turne light into darknes for nature being a rare worke of God he seldome vseth his omnipotencie to alter and change the same since the foundations of the worlde were laide The reasons are these First in regard of the Lordes owne promise Genesis 8. 21. For after the floud he determineth neuer to drowne the world againe and therefore he gaue the rainebowe to be a pledge thereof and also that the continuall course of nature shoulde remaine for euer Now the Lorde is faithfull and will remember his promise or else we knowe that the worlde might manie times since haue beene destroied for there hath beene more sinne since the floude then euer was before Since the floude haue sprung idolatrie the poison of the worlde and many other abhominations not knowen of in the first age as wars and Sodometrie and such other like yet for his promise sake hee forbeareth destruction Another reason may be the same that Dauid vseth Psalm 119. 90. 91. That
that they might know that as none but God could be the author of these so none but his maiestie coulde bee the sender of them These heauenly signes or rather signes in heauen are described in the two next verses first the shaking of the world secondly the darkening of the lights and thirdly the great and terrible thunders which should then be heard all which is supported by a strong reason vers 11. By this verse we may first of all learne that the extraordinarie signes of heauen are the forerunners and most euident prophets of calamitie and destruction following Isa 29. 6. God which woulde haue all his iudgements not onely felt but feared doth not let them come stealing on the world as if he could not doe them against our will or not hinder them against their nature but proclaimeth them by manifold fearefull signes in heauen The reasons are first because we should knowe that the euill onely proceedeth from him 2. Sam. 5. 24. it doth not any whit distaine the Lords honor to be a reuenger of sinne vpon the bodies and soules of many thousands but rather it maketh for his glorie for hee must iudge the world in righteousnesse Another reason is because by this meanes the Lorde doth most earnestly affect good mens harts and afflict the wicked Ezech. 32. 9. for the sight of terrible signes cannot choose but mooue the brute beastes of the earth much more reasonable men who are more giuen to feare because they are more giuen to sinne and our Sauiour saith in the gospell that mens harts shall faile them because of the signes of heauen The vses are these first let vs not be superstitious or heathenish in fearing the signes of heauen aboue the rule of faith Ier. 10. 2. For alas what can any planet or any signe doe but by the Lordes assignement and therefore in fearing it superstitiously we feare not God we distrust his prouidence we restraine his power and we cast away our owne confidence and faith It was a great signe in heauen when fire came downe and destroyed Sodom and Gomor and all cities cattel and pastures of the plaine Gen. 19. yet little Zoar was saued standing among them when all the residue were burning about it therefore beware of the slauish feare of the signes of heauen for it is the Lorde that gouerneth the starres Another vse as we are not to feare them too much so wee are not to regard them too little but vse them as promptors and furtherances to another life Luk. 21. 28. when you see these saith Christ then lift vp your heads and know that your redemption draweth neere Be it therefore that the heauens be burning the lights be darkening the stars be falling the earth be shaking and the ayre be thundering yet feare it no more then the Israelites did in Egypt but rather now thinke that the Lord will amaze sinners erect his throne of righteousnes to stand for euermore This must much encourage vs in these our later daies wher in euerie hower we looke for the accomplishing of all the signes before Christs comming and let vs watch for the appearing of our Sauiour that we be not comfortles when other shall bee both witlesse and faithles but know that good men shall stand in the middest of all these terrours and fires as the men did walke in the middest of the Babilonish furnace and not haue one haire of our head diminished When he saith that the earth shall tremble he noteth that earth quakes are notable tokens of the Lordes wrath Psal 18. 7. we are not onely to impute it to the ayre shut vp in the furrowes of the earth as in philosophie they do but we must goe to the principall cause which is the hand of God and the finall cause which is to shew his wrath for in his wrath saith the scripture he casteth downe whole mountaines Oh how terrible is this to consider that the whole earth should be shakē at the chiding of God yet man which is made of earth and standeth on earth and liueth on earth and shall returne to earth againe will not shake or tremble for the same I thinke there is more terrour in the dead bones in the graues then in liuing bodies in their houses The reasons hereofare these because the law of wrath was giuen in fire and earth-quakes Exod. 19. 18. Heb. 12. 18. for God did then shew himselfe most terrible when the mountaine seemed to burne and there was nothing but cursing and death for the law that then was giuen did condemne many millions which now do know the same Againe earthquakes do commonly proceede and goe before the alteration of religion Reuel 6. 12. for as when Iehu altered the idolatrie of Baal the prophets and the God were both displaced so when religion is altered God is as it were displaced and all his seruants persecuted which must of necessitie shew the heauie indignation of God for he will not haue his image defaced nor endure that his glorie should be giuen to another Let vs therefore learne that if the strong earth be not able to abide the wrath of God then much lesse shal weake and sinnefull men Num. 16. 1. Againe let vs learne to preach the word more earnestly by the consideration of earth-quakes We may read Amos 1. 2. that two yeere before the earth-quake the Lord sent him to prophesie as it were to plant the minds of his church that they might haue liued without wauering Now it is well knowen that wee haue had one great and terrible earth quake in our times would God it might so worke that the preachers would for that cause preach more diligently and the people heare more attentiuely least it prooue vnto vs a token of the decay of religion Truely as yet blessed be God religion is not altered but it is much defaced and God graunt that as the earth-quake at the death of Christ was the decrease of Iudaisme and Paganisme but the increase of christianitie so that in our time may worke the like effect and may seale vnto vs the decay of Poperie and heresie but may assure vs of the continuance of veritie and pure religion We might also note out of this verse that seeing the heauens and earth are afraide of him therefore the most guiltles creatures of God cannot abide his anger But this we will deferre vnto the next chapter Againe in that the sunne and moone are darkened we may obserue not onely that God is the author of light and darkenes but also that he will not let sinners in his anger haue any benefit of them Isa 13. 9 10. The reasons are First because they are enimies to good men and good things Exod. 10. 22. Secondly bicause they are ashamed of the sinnes of men as we may see at Christs death Matth. 27 45. Let vs therefore so glorifie God in our places as these creatures do in theirs for they
loueth not euery one that hee chasteneth Christ his best beloued was crucified and yet beloued but Herod was eaten with worms yet hated shal we think that the estate of Herod was any whit better in another life bicause his miserie was begun in this life no verilie no more may wee extoll or accuse those which liue long or miserable daies in this life Iosiah a good king of whom God pronounceth that he shoulde be gathered to his fathers in peace but yet hee was slaine in warres and Ahab an euill king died also in warres was his estate the better bicause he ended his life as a good man did no no it had bin better for him he had neuer bin Yet despaire not in thy afflictions and presume not to aduance worldly sorrow into the place of godly sorrowe and make not thy calamities thy Christ to lift thee vp to heauen Hauing learned that our calamities will not cōmend vs to God let vs do as the prophet here exhorteth Turne vnto the Lord our God Ier. 3. 1. Bloud cannot pacifie him but water can death cannot satisfie him yet teares can bodily plagues will not mooue him but spiritual sorrowes wil vengeance staieth him not but repentance will alter him Therefore turne vnto the Lorde Shall not wee thinke my deere brethren that all these iudgements which wee for these many yeeres haue endured haue wrought mightily in them and on them which were taken by them and is there yet an ende of them either in sight or in hope Haue not many souldiers fighting dying in their owne blood cried alowde in the eares of God Haue not many houses beene suddenly swept away with the pestilence Did not the Lord see it and if hee sawe it why did hee not pitie it and if hee pitied it why did hee not stay it haue not many hundreds in the first yeere of famine perished most miserably for want of bread whose cries must needs pearse the heauens and whose last gaspes might mooue him to pitie yet it hath continued some yeeres since Then may wee see and say if sufferings coulde haue satisfied the Lorde the blood of souldiers the liues of citizens the crie of poore men and the feare of all men might already long agoe haue pleased him but he will neuer be altered till we bee altered Therefore now let me remember you with Ioel Turne vnto me saith the Lord c. Alas alas our health is turned into sicknesse our liues into death our plentie into famine our peace into warres our mirth into mourning our store into want our people into perishing and our poore are turned into their graues and yet we haue not turned vnto the Lorde oh let vs turne before all be ouerturned Let vs fill our chambers with mourning rather then all our land be filled with howling let vs pray for repentance let vs sue for repentance let vs worke for repentance and bestowe all that we haue vpon repentance or else vengeance will come and take all away Another vse is this Rom. 8. 18. seeing God regardeth not our miseries then it followeth that all our sufferings are not woorthie of the life to come Art thou good then despise these worldly sorowes and hope for heauenly ioyes art thou an euill man then repent with speede least thy intolerable euils be turned into intolerable woe Wouldest thou by paine seeke aduauncement they deserue it not wouldest thou by paine bee amended then pray for repentance Oh how are we punished in this life nay rather how shall we be blessed in another life Couldest thou which liest in some strange torments bee content to end thy life in sorrowe to spende thy good for ease or to become any base seruant that thou mightest be released are thy paines so great so comfortlesse and so continuall yet for all this be not disquieted be not discouraged for anon thy ioyes may be farre more pleasant and continuall But why doe I spend time in vaine fearest thou any of those euils which happen in the world for thou canst not but feare all wherefore a Father said it is better to suffer one death and so to die then by liuing to feare all manner of deathes Then I say consider with thy selfe whether is greater thy sorrowes or thy comforts thy body or the heauens thy sufferings or the ioyes of the world to come there shall famine be banished warres shall be conquered sicknesse shall bee cured labour shall be ceased pouertie be forgotten enmitie shall be cooled paines shall be remooued teares shall be dried vp and death it selfe be euerlastingly destroied therefore suffer much to liue so labour much to die so and die in despite of death to raigne so All the miseries of this life are not worthie of this blessednesse but there is not any man liuing that can endure the one halfe of them therefore precious is the bountie of God who giueth vs this glorie for his promise not for our crosses nor yet for our vertues for our crosses are the deserts of sinnes and our vertues are imperfect goodnesse Thirdly in these words we may obserue the definition of repentance namely that it is a turning vnto the Lord so that so long as we are vnrepentant so long we goe from the Lord. I might also make many words on the metaphor turne and not without profit to shew you how our life is a iourney our faith the legs whereon we walke the scripture our guide the church our companion and heauen our waies end seeing all is done elsewhere I will not now stand vpon it Onely in these words I will vrge this that there is no repentance except the whole hart be changed it is not in good words nor yet in an outwarde good practise but in the motions and affections of the hart 1. King 8. 47 48. for this cause our Sauiour biddeth first cleanse that which is within and then that which is without As men doe first cleanse the inside of a vessell not the outside and then put goodnesse therein so must the hart which is a vessell be first cleansed or else all is vaine which the hande doth the mouth speaketh and the minde beleeueth Thy memorie must bee turned thy vnderstanding will and affections must bee changed thy memorie by remembring God and his truth thy vnderstanding by knowing God and his Gospell thy will by beleeuing God and his promises and thy affections by louing desiring meditating and reioycing in and on heauenly things and then is thy whole hart conuerted Some haue knowledge and vnderstanding but no sounde faith or sweete loue some againe loue but they want knowledge and so some haue a good will to the Gospell but they want memorie For the amending of all this follow my direction conferre and you shall haue memorie read and you shall haue knowledge heare and you shall haue faith pray often and you shal haue al good affections all which must be done before you can be saued The first
Againe let rich men especially looke to themselues Iam. 5. 1. for they for the most part esteeme more of gaine then of grace and of a great gentleman though he be an infidell then of a poore and true member of Christ Let them remember how fewe good rich men are named in the Scriptures and let them alway set before their eies that most dreadful saying of our Sauior It is easier for agable to goe thorough the eie of a needle then for a rich man to enter into heauen Let them bee liberall to good vses courteous to euery christian sparing in all expenses humble in all authoritie not gorgeous but clothed with Christ not couetous but open handed not ambitious but content with their place and not infidels but as farre exceede other in faith as they doe in wealth He shall giue you the first raine In those countries they had ordinarily two raines in the yeere especially desired wherof the first was most acceptable when they first sowed their seede and the latter raine was in the spring of the yeere which is here called the first moneth answering in some part to our March and Aprill because the world was made as it were in the spring of the yere But in this that the Prophet promiseth them the first and the latter raine we must obserue that it is the Lord that ruleth the cloudes giuing al seasonable and vnseasonable weather 1. King 18. 1. The reasons are bicause he will onely be knowen to blesse the workes of our hands Deut. 28. 1. Againe it is onely hee which decketh the heauens with clouds Psal 147. 8. Let vs therefore learne to feare the Lord by the consideration of raine Ierem. 5. 24. for hee reserueth for vs the appointed weeks for haruest Me thinkes that euerie creature of God do so admonish vs of our duetie that not so much as the little drops of raine but they teach vs to feare him Oh that our soules could so thirst for the mercie of God as the earth thirsteth for the water drops or the grace of God might so fall from heauen on our hearts as the raine doth issue from the cloudes on the ploughed land Againe let vs seeke for the testimonie of the Lords fauour towards vs in them Act. 14. 17. the Apostle sheweth the raine of the clouds the spring of the earth and the encrease of temporal things to be a sufficient meanes for the old world to haue searched for and found out God but yet they did not search into it and so is it now a good meanes for many ignorant soules to leade them to God at the first if they consider the world continueth the grasse groweth the corne increaseth the raine falleth down from heauē that by these as it were by the crosse-row of letters they might com to greater knowledge in religion When he saith that their barnes shall be full of wheat and their presses shall abound with oyle and wine he noteth thereby that their decaied houses shall be builded againe and their full ioy restored And also that if God do once begin to do good to his people hee neuer thinketh any thing too much that is bestowed on them if they be repentant The xxix Sermon Vers 25. And I will render vnto you the yeeres that the grashopper hath eaten the caterpiller and canker-woorme and palmer-woorme my great hoste which I sent among you NOw he toucheth the restitution of their goods lost in famine telling them that all their former yeeres deuoured by the beasts shall bee restored againe By which we may note a woonderful example of the Lords kindnes that he wil giue to the repentant whatsoeuer they haue lost in trouble It were enough for him yea more then he oweth vs if he did onely ease our miserie yet is he not contented therewith but giueth vs as much as we desire and beyond our desires as much as we lost so he dealt with Iob. cap. 42. 10. giuing him a thousand for fiue hundred sixe for three fourteene for seuen The first reason because he would haue none to be like him in mercie and liberalitie Mich. 7. 18. Secondly that the wicked may note a difference betwixt the iust and the vniust Mal. 3. 18. therefore let not any thing in the worlde hinder thy conuersion Ierem. 7. 14. for thy sinnes shall bee chaunged into much holines thy pouertie into great wealth thy sorrow into double ioy and thy short life into twise so many daies If thou hadst little ease now it shall be more or little peace it shall be increased or little grace it shall bee augmented or little ioy it shall be multiplied and thus will God take away curse and change it into blessing and turne our punishment into pardon Againe let vs hereby be instructed that there shall neuer be any hinderance to the ioy of the Lords saints Isa 40. 2 3. the crooked shal be made straight the high shall be made low the low shall be made high the weake shall be made strong the sicke shall be made whole the lame shall be made wel limmed the sorrowfull heart shall bee reioysed and the contrite soule shall be glorified the great power of sathan shall not hinder the tyrannie of sinne shall not preuaile nor the space twixt heauen and earth shall keepe vs from ascending to ioies Oh come on my brethren with hope and comfort and bestow your labour in the word more cheerefully that our single sorrowes may receiue double ioyes So you shall eate and bee satisfied and praise the name of the Lorde your God that hath dealt maruellouslie with you and my people shall neuer bee ashamed Hauing signified vnto them their plentie nowe hee granteth vnto them the free and lawfull vse of euerie creature telling them they shoulde eate and drinke them and praise the name of God for them When hee saith They shall eate and bee satisfied we may note a great blessing of God vpon meate temperately receiued for it satisfieth vs meaning it nourisheth and maintaineth life Hag. 1. 6. but when it is riotously and gluttonously deuoured then men fall into sicknesse in steade of health into raging in stead of quietnesse and this is the very cause why our affraies and quarrels are begunne at tauernes and alehouses and at great idoll and glutton feastes bicause men receiue them not in moderation but in excesse The first reason bicause meate so taken giueth strength to the body 1. Sam. 1427. Ionathan tasted but a drop of hony and his wearied body was strengthened and his eies almost blinde recouered their sight Another reason because meate thus taken cheereth the hart of man Ruth 3. 7. Let vs therfore learn what a singular benefit it is to eat be satisfied with the labours of our owne hande Eccle. 5. 16. 17. for if the Lord should breath thereon then were our trauaile in the dust meate hath no life in it and yet it
keepeth life in vs who is able to shewe the cause heereof but the Lorde who knoweth all and if this one blessing shoulde faile vs although our possessions were as great as Salomons yet they woulde not serue vs. Againe let euery man in his place gather this meate and comfort for his life Esay 62. 3. that so we may perfourme the olde commandement of God to Adam that wee eate our meate in the sweate of our faces The Bees will not suffer one drone among them and so let not vs suffer them that are carelesse to prouide some thing whereby their dutie may be discharged to God and their liues preserued in the worlde Secondly he telleth them with what affection they should receiue their meat With praise and thankesgiuing to God Whereby wee may see one principall token of a temperate receiuer in that hee can giue thankes to God for his meate 1. Cor. 10. 25. but gluttons and belli-gods take their meate as Swine doe although with more manners yet with as little reuerence sitting downe to fill their bellies and rising vp to fulfill their pleasures and through immeasurable fulnes their teeth put their mouth to silence and sleepe falleth on them that their harts doe not onely forget their feeder but their maintainer also The first reason bicause it is a token they loue God Deut. 12. 11. and they that loue neuer offend for loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Againe meate is onely blessed vnto them that ioine thankesgiuing with it 1. Sam. 9. 13. So that whatsoeuer is not thankfully receiued must needes be accursed And surely if Paul saide he had rather neuer eate meate as long as hee liued then eate to the offence of his brother wee may more lawfully pine in famine starue in want and perish in distresse of meate rather then God shoulde bee offended Theeues which steale for meate coseners that deceiue for meate beggers that counterfaite for meate idle persons that worke not for meate and rich men that praie not for meate can neuer bee thankefull for that which they eate but all is accursed vnto them Let vs therefore for feare of the curse and especiallie for conscience of death liue soberly in praier in our eating and drinking working and resting sleeping and waking bicause wee knowe not whether wee eate our last morsell as the Israelites which died with meate in their mouthes or worke our last day-worke as the poore man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbaoth or sleepe our last sleepe neuer wake againe Surely as Iacob ended his life when he had blessed his children so shall we be happy if wee ende our liues when we haue praised God Againe let vs not tempt God for meate whatsoeuer distresse wee liue in but seeke it humblie in praier Psal 104. 27. that wee may eate more cheerefully and bee assured that God will continue his blessings for what shall it profite to feede our bodies to the full and let our soules goe starue and pine away to death That the Lord hath This clause is added vnto their praises at meate because then they ought to remember the Lordes benefits the which thing ought to driue away all vaine and foolish table-talke wherein men silence the mercie of God and praise the taste of their meate or the liberalitie of the feast-maker alway thanking him and neuer thinking on God whereas they are bound to do both We may note in these words that God doth not onely vse his ordinarie power in the deliuerie of his church but also his extraordinarie whereby he worketh maruels and woonders 1. Pet. 1. 5. for by the woonderfull power of God are we continued in our profession contained in the church and preserued to life eternall God told Dauid 2. Sam. 12. that if he had not done ynough for him yet he would haue done much more for him so that he hath not limited his power nor his mercie toward the faithfull The reasons first because we should knowe that we are saued through grace and the great power of God 1. Cor. 1. 18. as it is not a light matter to enioy a kingdome so is it not a small matter to climbe vp into heauen but the vnspeakable power of God must be vsed therein Againe the more power he vseth in his church the more must be his glorie Mark 7. 17. and this is the cause why all good men thinke they can neuer praise God ynough although euery day they renewe their thankesgiuing in heauen is the power of God most of all seene and therefore there the angels and saintes doe nothing but praise the power of God And therefore we may hereby learne that all miracles which God doth in the world doe call vs to bee partakers of his kingdome Matt. 12. 28. and if we refuse them and doe not come the same power shall be vsed in our condemnation that is promised in our saluation Neither let vs euer forget the works which God doth for vs Psal 106. 21 22. but remember them in our meate in our beds in our labour in our ease in our watching and in our reioicing that our God may still continue to doe them as we doe still perseuere to remember them Lastly in this verse hee promiseth that they should neuer be more ashamed of any reproches Whereby we may note that religion doth not commit any thing that either we may be ashamed of or repent 1. Cor. 15. 58. for our labour in religion is not in vaine If any thorough the feare or commaundement of God should slay their children as Abraham would or deceiue their maisters as Iacob did or beguile their husbands as Rebecca did or disobey their princes as Moses did or murther their enimies as Sampson did or loose their liues as Christ did yet shall they neuer neede to repent any of them Oh what a maruellous benefite hath a man by religion which he cannot haue by any other thing in the world There is nothing in all the life of man but wee may repent except it bee the feare of God We repent our words our works our expences our gettings our wanderings our negligence our diligence our sleepe meate and money and all We are ashamed of our thoughts our to yes trifles plaies childishnesse wantonnesse loue hatred lust pouertie nakednesse and the very parts of our body but of no part of religion Thou shalt neuer repent that thou forsookest the worlde beleeuedst in the Lord mournedst for thy sinnes studiedst in the scriptures heardest the preachers was obedient to the gospell praiedst many howers watched many nights fasted many daies endured many troubles and shalt die any death for the Lords sake seeing heauen is thy rest Nay rather we see many men in their death-beds wish with teares that they had hawked and hunted and plaied and laboured and loued and hated much lesse for now in their sicknesse their sinnes come on them as the Philistines came on Sampson when
idolatrie and the monarchie of the diuel the which I pray God for euer destroy But in this that we said that the abundance of the spirit vnder the time of the kingdom of Christ is shadowed foorth vnder these types of the olde testament so that the kingdome of Christ consisteth of such members as are heere described to bee possessed with the spirit of God to prophesie and such like Whereby we learne that those which auoide the ministerie and other spirituall functions do as much as they can darken and deface the kingdome of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. so that a continuall and an vnwearied studie must be applyed vnto the same there is no wit so fine but herein it may be busied there is no profession so needefull but it must giue place to this For Diuinitie is like Sara and other arts and sciences like Agar and although humane arts haue conceiued with child and gotten more followers then Diuinitie yet they must know they are but handmaides and must be subiect to their mistresse The reasons First because the ignorance of the scriptures is the mother of all abhomination and errour Matth. 22. 25. so that take away religion and Diuinitie although their sciences could make golde yet they cannot stand Secondly in the profession of faith and of religion consisteth the ground-worke and foundation of the church Matth. 16. 18. and therfore they which giue not themselues hereunto doe not onely pull downe the building of christianitie but raze downe the verie foundations thereof I haue followed these things more at large in the beginning and therefore I now touch them lightly Let vs therefore exercise the commandements of God and purge our impure liues by their rule Psalm 119. 9. for so long as our eares are open to his word our liues shal be couered from shame as Ioas prospered all the daies of Iehoijada so shall we so long as the Gospell and religion ruleth in our soules Let vs take that which the angels brought Act. 7. 53. for they brought the law and in nothing are we so like the angels as in the studie of Diuinitie for they behold the face of God in heauen and wee behold him in the scriptures Thirdly when he saith that their sonnes and their daughters shall prophesie we may note that there are not any in the church too rich or too good for the studie of diuinitie Isaie the Prophet was of the kings seed and Salomon the richest and wisest king that euer was would be called a preacher in his wisest and best daies Our gentlemen scorn this priestly trade but set their sonnes to marchandize or to the lawe or to one golden trade or other but they set their sonnes as much to Diuinitie as their daughters yea they thinke their whole family is disgraced if there bee any of their name a priest for so they odiously terme vs otherwise the name is too good for them or vs. The reasons First bicause bodily exercise profiteth little but godlines is profitable to all 1. Tim. 4. 8. One was woont to say that the world was destroyed by three sortes of men by Lawyers for they destroy mens goods by Phisitions for they kill mens bodies and by ignorant Diuines for they damne mens soules now verily I thinke that so it is with vs for there was neuer more contention for wealth or more cost laide foorth on phisicke and neuer lesse care for saluation Such ignorant diuines haue marde all whose heads are as full of learning as a flint stone is of oyle and their liues correspondent to their knowledge so that now adaies there is no difference betweene Aaron and the priests of Egypt betwixt Nadab and Phinehas betwixt Sadoc and Abiathar betwixt Michaiah and Zidkijah betwixt Ieremie and Shemaiah betwixt Christ and the Pharisees betwixt Peter and Simon betwixt the Phisition and the patient betwixt Balaam and his Asse Studie doth not commend a Diuine but a noble mans letter and an angell is more woorth then a preacher Another reason it will amend euery mans way Psal 119. 9. Let therefore the word of God dwell among vs plentifully Col. 3. 16. and let vs exercise the scriptures from our childhoode 2. Tim. 3. 15. that so wee may haue God in our selues religion in our hearts and holines in our liues that our auncients may teach better our youth may liue better our children may learne better that our houses our hearts our liues our fathers our sons our daughters may bee blessed Fourthly hee saith Hee will powre foorth his spirite vppon their seruaunts and maidens who in olde time were baselie accounted of especially if they were not of their owne nation From hence wee may note that it is the dutie of christians that liue in these times since this Gospell was fulfilled to haue care to make their seruants religious Prou. 14. 35. or else to make choise of such when they want A good christian wil be alway a good seruant and therefore if thou wouldest haue good seruants make them good christians He is a better seruant that liueth well then hee that laboureth well for thinke not that hee will euer make conscience of thy businesse that maketh not conscience of the Lordes businesse Col. 3. 22. The reasons First because thou maiest safely giue all into his handes as was in Ioseph Gen. 39. 8. Againe hee may profit thy sonnes and doe them more good then thou canst Prouerb 17. 2. Therfore let seruants bee handled like christians not like slaues like men and not like beastes Leuit. 25. 39. They are your brethren despise them not 1. Timoth 6. 2. They are the Lordes free men abuse them not 1 Cor. 7. 22. Command them no euill offer them no wrong hinder not their faith torment not their liues forsake them not in age nourish them in sicknesse pay them their hire feede them sufficiently empaire not their credite reuile them not correct them for euill commende them for godlinesse and be such masters to them as Christ is to you Againe let seruants make choise of christian maisters not where they may haue most wages but where they may haue most instruction not where they may haue most ease but most information 1. Timot. 6. 6. You were better eate herbes with a godly master then a fatte oxe with a wicked you were better fare harde and worke harde where your soules may bee gouerned then fare well and worke little where your soules are endangered Be subiect to thy master 1. Pet. 2. 18. Serue not an Atheist for any money nor a papist for any meat nor a neuter for any hire nor a knowne hypocrite for any wages but serue thy master looke to his wealth tranaile for his profite mispende not his substance defende his credite make much of his children and praie for his saluation Care not for ease spende nothing in riot carie no tales keep within the house and remember God in thy worke that
hee may remember thee in thy death for as thou seruest thou shalt be serued againe The xxxj Sermon Vers 30. And I will shew woonders in the heauens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke 31. The sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the moone into blood before the great and terrible daie of the Lorde come 32. But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued for in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath saide and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call NOw we are come to the last parte namely the manifestation of the power of God by great and fearfull signes in heauen and secondly by giuing saluation to the faithfull Concerning the great and feareful woonders much hath already beene spoken and nowe the lesse shall suffice For the interpretation take thus much That when Christ is come and ascended into heauen and the worlde conuerted from infidelitie vnto him then shall appeere manie extraordinarie tokens of the Lordes power both in the heauens and in the earth the lights shall bee most fearefully ecclipsed being in shew turned into darkenesse and blood the aire shall bee troubled and many terrible and strange things shall be seene So that heerein is described the constitution and euent of all thinges at the change of the worlde when God shall come to take vengeance on his enimies as it is in the chapter following I will briefely touch euery thing that I purpose to handle in this vers First in that hee telleth vs of these fearefull woonders presently to succeed or rather to accompanie the preaching of the Gospell the powring foorth of the spirite and conuersion of the worlde we may learne that God will giue vs temporall calamities with spirituall benefits Luk. 21. 9. So that there is no maruaile that in our times there haue been seene so many terrible things in heauen and earth seeing the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs for calamities make vs to beleeue it more willingly Hos 5. 15. And if the Gospell bee not shadowed in this trouble and wee not ouerthrowne by them then haue wee a notable triall of the Lordes promise towarde vs Luk 21. 18. For as Gedeons fleece was drie when all the earth about it was wet so shall we be safe when many shal be cast down Let vs learne to commit our soules vnto him 1. Pet. 4. 19. that although the heauēs fall down the earth be remooued the sea be dried and the light be darkened yet we may possesse our soules and our soules may possesse our Sauiour for it is God that sendeth woonders ruleth all signes the same cloude did leade the Israelites to Canaan that brought other to destruction the same signes are for our saluation which are for other mens condemnation Secondly when hee saith hee will set woonders in heauen wee are taught that God will manifest his wrath before it commeth Rom. 10. 18. Heauen is in the sight of all and naturally we are inclined to looke vpward so that whatsoeuer we there see we know it commeth from God and therefore there are the signes manifested because euery one might see them The reasons first because wee may either confesse them or be confounded by them Isai 2. 18. Secondly that the greatest enimies of God may be stilled Psal 8. 2. Therefore learne so soone as you see the rod to feare him that ordained it Mich. 6. 9. Againe let vs make a good vse of the signes that wee haue alreadie seene and not trie the Lords patience any longer or tempt the power of God any more Amos 5. 18. The wicked Iewes would haue had Christ shewe them a miracle when he was on the crosse and then they woulde beleeue him but yet they were wicked and so you which desire more tokens of the Lords power that you may be amended are still wicked for if you cannot beleeue the liuing word you shall not beleeue the dead miracles Thirdly when he saith that all these shall come before the great and terrible day of the Lord we must note that all the woonders and signes in the aire must prepare vs to iudgement Isa 29. 6. Oh how can the Lorde change vs when he thus changeth the world and how doth hee prouide for our safetie and preach our repentance by all the woonders of heauen and earth Darknesse putteth vs in minde of hell fire putteth vs in minde of the latter day blood putteth vs in minde of destruction smoke doth admonish vs of the vanitie of our life the earth would moue vs to repentance by remoouing her selfe the light would couer our sinnes in darknesse by withdrawing it selfe and the cloudes would call vs to heauen Let vs learne to feare the power of God more earnestly in his creatures that if these strange things come vpon vs yet we may not forget our Sauiour who shall come in the cloudes But whosoeuer Least wee should thinke that these troubles shoulde ouerturne and ouercome all in the world when there shall be no light but darknesse no peace but thunders no comfort but fires nor any appeerance but wrath and iudgement the prophet in these words telleth them that then euen in those most desperate miseries God would remember to heare the praiers of his children for the godly cannot choose but feare mightily when they should see all the world in an vprore and heauen and earth roaring to their destruction Whereby I might note that good men must endure the feare of those euils which shall come on the world Isa 33. 4. because they loue their life too much Psal 119. 108. and because their whole life must bee mortified and mangled with many sorrowes Rom. 8. 36. yet let vs not so feare that we despaire how neer soeuer we seeme to destruction Isa. 41. 14. but be obedient as Noah was Heb. 11. 7. though the waters and cries of all the world be as neere to vs as they were to him First when he saith that all that call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued we may note that saluation must bee praied for before we can haue it Heb. 7. 25. Saluation commeth not as honour came on Dauid which made him a king before hee thought on it but it must come on vs as cleannesse and health came on Naaman which he trauelled for and praied for and washed for seuen times in Iorden before he could be cleansed And as the poore Canaanitish woman entreated Christ a good while before he would graunt so the Lord looketh that men should entreate for saluation many daies and nights and times with many teares and sighes and grones thorough many sorrowes and cares and troubles before they can be saued The reasons first because saluation is the Lords Psal 3. 8. and therefore it must be praied for secondly we must be saued by faith now faith is no faith that praieth not for grace Ephes
continuall sight and remembrance then shal they not be forgotten or couered when the number shall be rehearsed And surely me thinkes that the conscience of this matter should mightily terrifie our natures from sin seeing that all our offences are continually in the Lords memorie Some thinke that because the time is long since they committed adulterie or sacriledge or theft or drunkennes or idolatrie now God hath forgotten it and it shall neuer more be laide to their charge But they must knowe that a thousande yeeres are with the Lorde as one day seeing that is past as a watch in the night and therfore the Lord doth as well remember their old committed sinnes as a watchman remembreth who came by him in the night their childish vanitie their youthful wantonnes their sinfull sporting their filthie resting their babish trifling and their merrie pastimes are fresh before the Lord 1. Sam. 15. 1 2 3. The Lord telleth Samuel that he remembreth what Amalek did to Israell Exod. 17. how he was the first that bid them to battle after they came out of Egypt and therefore commandeth Saul to destroy them man woman and childe This was many hundred yeeres after the acte committed and the iniurie offered yet God thinketh vpon it although they had beene alreadie well punished for it And so doth he remember how thou hast oppressed the poore long ago how many acres thou hast encroched how many pounds thou hast gathered by vsurie how many mens cattle thou hast bought by extortion and finally how often in thy yonger dayes thou were negligent to sanctifie the sabbaoth If thy sinnes might fall from thy life as thy teeth in age doe fall from thy mouth thou were happie or if thy life could be chaunged into holines as thy old yeeres turne thy blacke haire into whitenes blessed were thou but alas thy strength faileth thy beautie fadeth thy life weareth thy hand weakeneth thy blood dryeth thy head chaungeth and thy whole bodie stoopeth to the earth yet thy wickednes remaineth vntouched and vnblasted as the Iuie which is thickest and greenest when it hath killed and withered the great oake The vse which commeth of this doctrine is the same that the most wise preacher that euer was taught vs Eccles 12. 13. That seeing God woulde bring euery secret worke into iudgement therefore feare him and keepe his commaundements Howe many waies wee are taught to feare the Lorde appeereth in the former sermons and therefore it were needlesse to vrge this exhortation any farther in this place But if we consider that if it be such a shame to endure the speeches of friendes and enemies in this life for the faultes we haue committed how much more ought wee to blush before the Lord with all the angels of heauen and all the men that euer were are or shall be in the world when at the latter day our faultes shall bee opened when euery one shall hisse at our filthinesse and laugh at our wickednesse Oh confesse thy selfe to a fewe in this world rather then deferre to bee reuealed before all in the ende of the world Thinke not that thy owne estate will be any thing more tolerable because all other men shall haue their faultes also ripped vp and repeated for the more the worse a Iudge will bee more easily entreated for one then for twentie and therefore God will be lesse partiall because so many shall be found guiltie feare not shame but death abstaine not from sinne for the worldes sake but for the Lords sake and let not other mens voices more appalle thee then the sentence of God It hath beene heretofore and shall be hereafter more manifestly shewed that God doth no more spare a multitude then a man or many then one and therefore neuer flatter thy selfe in the matter but onely vse the time and these admonitions that God may forget thy sinnes and then they shall bee forgiuen thee and if they bee forgiuen they shall not bee opened but silenced at the latter day For although we shall then heare of the murder that Cain did of the mocking that Ismael did of the filthinesse that Er and Onan did of the rebellion of Absolon and the treason of Iudas yet wee shall not heare of Noahs drunkennesse or Lots incest or Iosephs oath or Moses vnfaithfulnesse or Dauids adulterie or Peters deniall or of any of the faultes of the elect for their sinnes shall remaine in the graue when their bodies are raised vp to the ioy of another life The xxxiiij Sermon FOr my people In these words we may obserue that God will iudge the world for the iniuries done to his church and for nothing more Psal 9. 17. for hee will then open the counsels thou hast conceiued against the godly how many stripes thou hast giuen them how many times thou hast reuiled them how many waies thou hast oppressed them how often thou hast imprisoned them and how many thou hast murdered of them He will aske thy poore neighbour howe thou didst releeue him howe often thou didst lend him how much vsurie thou tookest of him how many times thou didst harbour him and with what affection of hart thou didst embrace him I graunt that he will open thy other sinnes and condemne thee for them but yet the speciall cause why he sitteth in iudgement at the latter day with all the world before him is that he may make inquisition for the blood of his saints and iustifie his children whom the world condemned The reasons are First because he is the life of the faithfull Col. 3. 4. Secondly because this doth shew his righteousnes 2. Thess 1. 6 7. when he doth acquite the faultlesse and condemne the guiltie The vses which wee may make thereof are these First that wee neuer grieue any of the saints of God Psal 105. 15. when Iehu was to kill all the prophets of Baal he bad them search diligently for the seruants of God and be sure that there were not one among them to be hurt This care ought men to haue of the least and basest in the church that they prouoke them not to complaine vpon them to the Lord for surely if the poorest member of Christ that liueth among vs doe iustly complaine of the greatest Lord and potentate of the world vnto the God of heauen it were better for that Lord that a milstone were tyed about his necke and he were cast into the sea Againe seeing it is so dangerous to offer any violence to any of the Lords children let vs abide in the Lord Iesus Ioh. 2. 28. and then will he reuenge our cause for hee cannot forget his owne stripes and for his sake are we buffeted disdained and mocked and reuiled persecuted martyred and therefore by him shall we be defended reuenged vpō them If we be of the Lords body we cannot hurt the Lords members therfore they which persecute the church speak euil of the poore are none of the
goods whereas you should haue laide your goodes at the Apostles feete what will ye doe when the mouth of God shall pronounce your destruction for medling with his tithes and his offerings and his sacrifices and his liuings as the hand of God did Belshazzars depriuation on the wall surely not your knees will bend but your harts wil quake not your countenance will change but your conscience wil tremble not your loines wil be loosed but your liues not your wealth shall be only destroied but your soules bodies for euer euer Secondly we may obserue out of this vers when he saith that they haue caried into their temples his goodlie pleasant things that God accounteth preciouslie of the meanes of his worship howe basely soeuer the world and all worldlings doe iudge thereof Leuit. 1. 2. for he calleth them his goodly and pleasant things The which thing I woulde haue most diligently obserued that wee may so thinke of the thinges of God as the spirite of God doth deliuer them vnto vs that we finde them goodlie as full of grace and pleasant as filled with delight that we may all saie Oh Lorde howe sweete are thy lawes vnto our hearts yea sweeter then honie to our mouthes For carnall minded men see no more grace in a church then in a tauerne nor no more delight in a christian then in a ruffian nor esteeme any whit better of a preacher then a craftesman or finde any more sweetenesse in a sermon then a plaie or take any more delight in the Gospell then in a little pedlars french Oh howe basely are you minded that cannot thinke better of the Lords matters One of you thinke that there is great goodnesse in an eare of wheate another findeth great delight in a fielde flower another sporteth himselfe with the smell of a rose but none of you can feele any pleasure in that corne that bringeth bread of life or that flower that sheweth the worke of life or that rose that offereth the smell of heauen Laie away thy base thoughts of spirituall matters and knowe that the church is the Lordes house who is greater then a king that the preachers are the Lordes stewardes who are better then lordes that the Gospell is thy soules food sweeter than any iuncate that a christian is the Lordes friend better than any rich man that a sermon is thy Sauiours praise higher then any prince and that the fellowship of saints is more woorth then the valour of knights Thinke I saie howe goodly and pleasant are the wordes full of grace the companie full of goodnesse the praiers full of sweetenesse the Psalmes full of melodie and the soules full of sorrowe which are gathered togither before the Lorde in his church The reasons of this doctrine are these First because hee euermore regardeth what himselfe hath appointed Cant. 5. 1. His church is his garden and therefore he hath planted euery flower growing therin wherewithall hee cannot chuse but bee highly delighted as he was at the beginning when hee sawe that all his workes were good Another reason is bicause he punisheth them seuerely that contemne any part of his ordinance Heb. 2. 2. 1. Cor. 11. 30. and therefore he accounteth preciously of his worde which hee defendeth by his power and of his poore saints whom hee maintaineth by his angels and of his mercie which hee manifested in his sonne and of the neglect of his Gospell which hee punisheth by condemnation Let vs therefore honour whom God honoureth Act. 10. 15. and that which God accounteth precious let vs not cast awaie as vile Because Assuerus honoured Haman all the people of his kingdome did him reuerence and therefore because the Lorde thinketh well of the worde and of the Sacraments and of praier and of preaching and of hearing the Gospell let him bee a dead dogge that speaketh against the same But alas alas as Vasthi would not come although the king hir husband sent for hir so will not our Vasthies men women olde and yoong followe religion and come to the Gospell although God our father and Christ our husband send for them neuer so earnestly but she was rewarded for hir disobedience and was diuorced from the king and so I feare will bee the ende of verie many in our daies to be put out of the Lordes fauour and diuorced from the blessings of Christ And again let vs learne to put on our eies of faith that wee may commend that which God commendeth for except wee can beholde the workes of God and the Gospell of God with spirituall eies it shall neuer bee goodly and pleasant before vs and cast away the blockish dulnesse that oppresseth your braines like a drouzie nap in a shining daie which will not suffer you to beholde the light with any comfort But lift vp your eies as the children of light that you may see the beautie of Christes church the riches of the Lords spirit the treasures of the Lordes saintes the ornaments of a faithfull soule and the glorie of another life The children also of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue ye sold vnto the Grecians that yee might send them farre from their border This verse contayneth the last cause of the Lordes iudgement vpon his enimies for that they had sold his seed and seruants vnto the heathen nations with this policie because when they were carried far from their own countrey they should liue like slaues without hope euer to returne home againe These Grecians to whom they solde the people of God were Gentiles or heathens the posteritie of Iauan the sonne of Iaphet who was the eldest sonne of Noah And in this that the Lorde now calleth them to a reckoning because they had solde away his people although they were their captiues vnto infidels we may obserue that it is not lawfull to commit the children of the beleeuers into the handes of vnbeleeuers And for this cause it is reported Gen. 12. 5. that when Abraham was commaunded by God to goe out of Haran where all were fallen to idolatrie into the promised lande of Canaan he tooke with him Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers sonne for he would not leaue him in the hands of Terah Abrahams father and Lot his grandfather because with the residue he then was fallen to idolatrie And this example is a sufficient proofe of the matter to teach vs that we should so loue the soules of the righteous seede that we leaue them not resident among the infidels or Atheists or Papistes or other prophane wretches but to our owne cost and labour redeeme them from the diuels tyranny But in this we may lament First that euen in our times we may see many of yeeres of discretion to runne away into papistical and heathenish warres or else to sauegarde themselues vnder the liueries of them that are open enimies to the Gospell and many to binde and put their owne children the fruit of their bodie
which they ought to consecrat to the Lord into the education of most blasphemous and abhominable Atheists are not these as much to be complained vpon as them whom the Lord heere condemneth for selling of Ierusalems seed into the hands of the Grecians Yea much more for these sold their enimies but our men sell themselues and their children these did it by the lawe of warre but our men doe it contrarie to the lawe of God these men in so doing did not sinne against their knowledge but our men in doing as they do sinne against their conscience O vnhappie parents which destroy your children in Popish houses what are you inferiour to them that sacrificed them to diuels O vnhappie yoong men which destroy your soules for the seruice of wicked men why do you to gaine a gentlemans cognisaunce loose your Sauiours crowne I pray God open your eies that you may come from them or else you will be destroyed with them The reasons of this doctrine are these First because it is not lawfull to make marriages with infidels heathens papists or Atheists Deut. 7. 3. and if in an equall band we may not aduenture our sonnes or our daughters much more may we not giue them ouer in an vnequal if it be not lawfull to giue them in marriage then is it not lawfull to sell or giue them to slauerie or seruitude The woorser part is apt to ouercome the better for if an infidell man do take a beleeuing woman or an infidell woman a beleeuing husband a thousand to one but the infidell will perswade the beleeuer as wise king Salomon who was perswaded to idolatrie by his wiues And then I pray you how will those that are wicked masters and gouernours compel and perswade their poore despised seruants and captiues hirelings and apprentices vnto whatsoeuer iniquitie commeth in their braine But peraduenture some will say that when we be ouercharged with poore people we are glad if wee finde any that will ease vs of our cost and we were better suffer our poore mens children to serue carnall men and papists and Atheists then to keepe them in idlenes or let them famish to whom I answere that God hath not so dealt with any in England for there are meanes sufficient to bring them vp with christians and not to suffer them to famish if men would but straine their abilitie a little to do good but all is too little that is reserued for the wanton posteritie of the wealthie and men choose rather that their vnthriftie children should consume all in leudnes which they haue got in miserie then that any portion should goe foorth of their coffers to maintaine poore mens children and so to put the lesse in their inuentorie Another reason to confirme this doctrine is this that there is no part nor communion betwixt the children of God and Belial 2. Cor. 6. 15. and therefore to send or giue our children vnto Pagans Atheists and carnall godlesse men to be by them instructed is to ioyne light with darkenes heauen with hell saints with diuels and God with Beliall Oh what a confusion is there now in the world for seeing God doth yet suffer a few Papists among vs as hee suffered Philistims among the Israelites to trie them and prouoke them now happie are they that can be in league with them for they haue good cheere fat beeues many great mannors goodly rich farms they are able to pleasure thē but such plesure wil cost more then a lawiers or a courtiers friendship althogh thou shouldst cōuerse with thē without al approuing of their superstitiō yet thou oughtst not at al for God hath no felowship with thē The vses which arise frō this doctrin are these first that by the former example of Abraham we haue singular care that al the childrē which are born amōg vs be godly vertuously brought vp carefully prouided for that they may do Christ som seruice in the cōmonwelth or church And surely as our sauior said Ma. 18. that whosoeuer doth offend one of those litle ones that beleeue in him it were better a milstone were hanged about his neck he cast into the sea but of al offences there is non so gret as to bequeath thē vnto their tuition that wil cast away their soules for men of corrupt cōsciences wicked affections will cōpas heauē earth to make any the childrē of dānatiō Oh therfore cast not away the seed of the righteous the childrē of Christiās the price of the pretious blood of Christ You haue made thē in their baptism whē they were yong to cōfesse Christ now make thē not again to deny Christ but if euer there be any poore mans child com to your prouisiō so set him forward deal for his helth that with the maintenāce of this life he may haue the assurāce of the life to com Bind thē to none but to Christ put thē to none but to christians sel thē to nothing but to the gospell leaue not young helplesse youths maidens in the hands custodie of old cākred wicked enemies of God Another vse if it be not lawful to cōmit the children of the righteous vnto the gouernmēt of the wicked then is it not lawful for masters lords to keep their seruants from the true seruice of God It was a wicked tyrannie of Pharaoh Exod. 5. 3 4. that he kept the children of Israel frō the seruice of God such surely is the tyranny of them that will busie their seruāts euen on the Lords day rather than send them or suffer them to serue the Lord oh think with your selues that Christ is your Lord and master Eph. 6. 9. therfore how will he take it at your hands to see you thus afflict his free men and how can you affoorde him your owne seruice which will deny him your seruants Rather follow the example of Iosuah and say that you and your houshold will serue the Lord and let there be as many Pharaohs as will be yet they shall knowe one day that there is no crueltie more punishable then is the authoritie which is vsed against the Lords seruice That you might send them farre from their border That is you haue a wicked policie to sell away my people because you would neuer haue them come againe but that you might for euer possesse their inheritances By which we may obserue that it is a most wicked and vile thing to depriue any of their patrimonies or inheritances and by violence and countenance to keepe them from them Ezech. 22. 7. And the reason is because the Lord nameth himselfe to be a father of the fatherlesse Psal 68. 5. therfore he that oppresseth them shall be oppressed by God and they that take away their inheritance how shall they looke for any inheritance in another life Giue vnto them and take not from them Deut. 24. 19. and augment their reuenues rather
away their children whom they had taken prisoners vnto heathens and infidels as the Lord here saith that the Iewes should sell them to the Sabeans who were infidels First for the opening of this place it was lawfull for the Iewes so to doe because they had the expresse commaundement of God as it is here set downe and if at the commaundement of God they must in their warres kill man woman and childe much more at his commaundement may they sell their prisoners to heathens Secondly wee must not make this place any rule or example for vs to imitate but take it for a speciall curse vpon the enemies of the Iewes at this time because they should sell them as they had sold theirs Then to the question I thinke it not lawfull for vs to sell any vnto heathens yea though they be heathens and our enemies The reasons are these first because Deut. 20. 11 12. the Lord propoundeth an euerlasting lawe for warre standing vpon these conditions first that they offer peace secondly if they ouercome their enimies then shall they make them their tributarie seruants and not sell them away or if they refuse peace being offered then shall they destroy them all so then selling of men and women becommeth barbarous and heathen men and not the children of God Secondly by selling away our enimies wee doe not weaken the common enemie of our faith but rather strengthen him for a bond-slaue can fight as well against the gospell as a free man therefore it is better to slay them outright than to make a gaine of them vnto heathens or men of no faith Thirdly it is not lawfull to sell them because it is an vnnaturall thing for one man to buie another or to sell another as we may see in the historie of Ioseph Fourthly they were better bee among vs and bee the least in our congregation where they may possibly come to learne Iesus Christ than to be among heathens where Christ is hated and so I cannot see how wee can wash our hands cleane from the guilt of their damnation So that now it appeereth that men must looke especially that they vndoe not those whom the Lord hath commended to their safetie and preseruation besides many other reasons which I could adde vnto the former And againe by this verse we may see how the children of the wicked beare their fathers faultes for here are the sonnes and daughters to bee solde so may wee reade Psal 127. 9. that they are blessed that reuenge the fathers crueltie on the children Oh my deere brethren let your tender babes procure pitie and pietie in your soules for you see how their liues shall pay for your wrongs and their butcherie for your tyrannie It were an easier calamitie if the hand that sinned should onely be cut off but wee see that if the right hand slay a man the whole body must perish thereby It is a singular blessing of God to be descended of godly parents yea the wicked brag thereof Ioh. 8. 39. Matt. 3. 9. Therefore if you will make your posteritie happie and blessed make your owne soules godly and your works holy Let not your children be made slaues to the wicked and bondslaues to the diuell for your follie but be you gentle that they may liue bee you patient that they may be beloued bee you honest that they may bee honoured and be you good to the godly that they may possesse your reuenues Publish this among the Gentiles prepare warre wake vp the mightie men let all the men of warre drawe neere and come vp Nowe are wee come to the second meanes whereby the Lorde taketh vengeance on the enimies of his church that is by warre for as by warre they had wasted the Iewes so by warre shoulde themselues be confounded In this warre we are to consider First the preparation thereof by souldiers verse 9. then the instruments or weapons verse 10. Secondly the execution in the verses following First then in this verse he calleth for the souldiers and biddeth that the warre shoulde be proclaimed and that all the men fitted thereunto shoulde come vp to fight Whereby wee must first of all obserue that warre must bee proclaimed before it be waged Ios 22. 12. For it becommeth not anie prince or great person so to deale with his enimies that he ouercome them before they haue intelligence of him The reason First bicause peace must be first of all offered Deuter. 20. 10. For warre which is the slaughter of mankinde must be the last meanes for princes to right and trie their iniuries It must be taken in hande for necessitie not for pleasure and it must bee executed with mercie not with crueltie Another reason bicause victorie onely dependeth on God 2. Chron. 13. 12. and therefore wee must vse all good meanes in the vndertaking thereof least beginning without the Lordes counsell wee ende with his curse being guiltie of our own death others Let vs not then in this latter age of the world fear any of the rumours of warre Mat. 24. 6. for the Lord of hostes is the great warriour whose souldiers wee are and if hee can vse the roaring of the diuell to driue vs from hell then thinke also he will vse the trumpets of warre to bring vs into heauen Feare not I say all the rumours of warre in France Flanders Hungarie Turkie or in other places of the worlde for if the wicked die in them it is for sinne if good men by the punishment for sinne they kill sinne and all this shall promote the Gospell and preserue the church Secondly when he biddeth to awake the mightie men we may note that men of greatest courage and valour are fit for the warres 2. Sam. 10 9. But of this matter we haue spoken in the second chapter Againe when he calleth them to draw neer and to come vp we note that souldiers should beware that they haue a calling from God and a commandement from him to fight 1. King 22. 7. Iehoshaphat woulde not fight with Ahab against the Syrians till hee had inquired of the Lorde and this wee may see in Dauid many times For seeing warres are the cause of many mens death let vs beware that we adde not curse to curse like the king of Moab who being ouercome by the Israelites went home and sacrificed his owne sonne in the fire The reasons are First because they cannot prosper that waite not for the Lordes calling Ios 1. 17 18. Secondly he giueth power to fight Psalm 18. Let vs therefore bee so minded in warres that wee neuer vndertake them when the Lorde disalloweth them Numb 14. 44 45. The Israelites fighting with the Amorites contrarie to the Lordes wil were slaine and driuen backe againe whereas at other times they lost not a man but returned in victorie Againe let souldiers learne to keepe themselues from euill Deuter. 23. 9. For the battle or warfare is like a mans
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs
any blood Secondly the nature of it is to crie for vengeance in the eares of God Gen. 4. 10. as the Lord saide to Cain and therefore I thinke verily there will come a day that our recusants which are the ofspring of many bloodie persecutours shall haue the blood of the Lords saints reuenged vpon them But if the blood of saints shall be so reuenged then much more shall the blood of Christ Heb. 10. 29. There are only two kinds of people vpon whom the Lord wil bring the blood of his son the Iewes whom we see scattered ouer all the world being accounted a verie miserable and forlorne people the other are the contemners of the Gospell which make no account to be saued thereby who are in a maner as guiltie of the death of Christ as were the soldiers Iewes that nayled him on the crosse Wherfore God will not forget how they tread vnder their feete his pretious blood Againe let vs take occasion to praise the Lord which letteth not the blood of his children be shed in vaine Deut. 32. 43. as he blesseth them that take reuenge vpon his enimies make them fall to the earth so he curseth thē that cause any of his seruants to com to their latter end Again by this verse we may note that the blood of the Lords saints is innocent 2. King 21. 16. whatsoeuer lawes of princes or decrees of men be laide to their charge yet this must stil comfort them that if they die for the Lords cause they are innocent and shall certainly receiue life eternall The reasons because thorough hatred and malice of the world are they deliuered Ioh. 17. 4 Secondly being the seruants of righteousnes they cannot bee iustly executed for the same Rom. 6. 18. Let vs bee heereby encouraged not to feare death 1. Pet. 2. 19. for if we die naturally we die happily and if we die violently we die innocently Againe let not any of vs that are Christians suffer for our euill doing 1. Pet. 4. 15. but rather let vs watch ouer our liues that no sinful danger of humane lawes doe euer ouertake vs. But Iudah shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation For I will clense their blood that I haue not clensed and the Lord shall dwell in Zion These verses containe the last promises of the Lord vnto his church grounded vpon the presence of God among them First for their perpetuitie Secondly for the declaration of their innocencie which hee noteth when he saith that he will clense their blood c. when as vpon the report of the iniuries receiued in the former verse he presently addeth that they shall dwell for euer we may note that the wrongs which good men in this life endure shall bee one meanes to forwarde their rest and glorification Psa 12. 5. For this is the fruit of our afflictions to perswade the Lord for our immortalitie for as when the Israelites cried in Egypt then the Lord brought them into Canaan so when wee crie for our wrongs we are readiest for heauen The reasons God euermore hath an eie to the afflicted Psal 9. 13. Secondly then are we most like to the sonne of God and when we are likest to him on earth wee are neerest to him in heauen Let vs so beare our afflictions and wrongs as if we were borne for them 1. Cor. 4 9. for we see they shall turne to our greater ioy But of this matter we haue spoke often I might also remember out of this verse when he saith that Iudah and Ierusalem shall dwell for euer hee meaneth not the citie Ierusalem for that is long agoe destroied but he meaneth that the Iewes shall neuer be vtterly destroied but many of them shal be saued in the world to come When he saith that he wil clense their blood that is hee will manifest to all the worlde that they were not iustly executed but vniustly murdered whereby we may see at length that the wicked whether they were wilfully blinded or ignorantly affected in persecuting good men yet they shall know and so shall other that they murdered them vniustly as the Iewes which shall see Christ whom they pearced Reuel 1. 7. Mat. 27. 3 4. for wilfull murders cannot be euerlastingly concealed and it is al one before God to steale by authoriti◠or without law to kill by law or without authority Lastly we may see when he saith he will dwell in Zion that the presence of God preserueth the church Reuel 1. 13. how can it euer perish when the Lord maintayneth it Surely sathan told Christ that he could not do amisse for the Angels watched about him and held him vp that at no time he should dash his foot against a stone If the helpe of Angels in the diuels conceit was so great to preserue Christ then much greater is the presence and hand of God to vphold his church Hee alone buildeth it that it fal not keepeth it that it fade not dresseth it that it may be holy preserueth it that it may be godly so that so long as the Lord endureth so long shall the church stand maugre the might of all the diuels in hell To the which God euerlasting immortall and onely wise the most glorious Trinitie the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost let vs render all praise ascribe all maiestie and giue our whole spirits soules and bodies that he may be glorified in vs and we be glorified in him Amen Amen FINIS Cassianus Ioseph de antiq lib. 12. Herod lib. 7. Sabel Enn. lib. 9. Enn. 5. Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 24. Stobaeus ser 96 Fulg. lib. 1. 2. Cypr. aduers Demetr Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 7. cap. 11. Sab. lib. 4. Ennead 6. Plutarch Boeth lib. 8. Eurip. Plut. de amore Duditius de cometis The time of this prophesie The scope of this labour The diuision of this prophesie Cap. 1. vers 1. The prophets sermons are the Lordes owne words Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. If God did not send his word none would aske for it Reas 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Men preferred before angels in the preaching of the word Reas 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The ministers must call on the people to heare Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The greatest men should be the greatest professors Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. a Principes cum ad limen delubri veniunt proinde sunt atque priuati 2 None must liue in the Church vnlesse they outwardly bee subiect to the Gospell Reason 1. 2 Vser 2 God his works must be perpetually remembred Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 We must tell our children what God hath done in our daies Reason 1. 2 Vse 1 2 Be carefull what we commit to posteritie Reason 1. No impiety but it will find some followers 2 Vse 1. 2 A speciall iudgement to increase hurtfull beastes Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Euery little beast can ouercome the welfare of man * Ecce me inquit qui vobis Deus videor