yet may the world soone be brought to confesse this truth by the euidence of her owne iudgement in worldly matters For the world deemes him the onely wise man who is prouident for after-times and who with Ioseph can lay vp in time of plenty Gen. 41.33 for the time of dearth now who more prouident in this kind then this man of wisdom of whom we speak who more laies vp for after-times then he for he is stil conuersant in Gods book which is a rich store-house for the soule to furnish it with the Panoplie of a Christian Ephes 6. and therefore hee still hath recourse to this rich treasurie to furnish his soule with all things needfull at all assayes for after-times and in time of prosperitie hee stores vp patience to help him in aduersitie in time of health he stores vp Gods mercies to refresh him in his sicknesse in time of peace and quietnesse he stores vp constancie and Christian resolution to back him out in time of persecution And as he is thus prouident for the good of his soule in this life so is hee most of all prouident for his soules good after this life For hee like a good Pilgrime-Traueller because hee would not cumber his soule too much with the trash of this world which might hinder his expedition in his iourney to Heauen hee wisely sends his treasures to Heauen before him some on poore mens backs cloathing them some in poore mens bellies feeding them and some in poore mens hands liberally relieuing them to meete him in Heauen when himselfe comes thither where his soule is sure to finde them and a reward with them Now let the world speake truth whether this so prouident a man bee not the onely man of wisedome in the world And I would to God all that haue soules to saue would bee thus wise vnto saluation and would bee as prouident for their soules as they are carefull for their bodies that wisedome might imbrace vs all for her children Now the second propertie of true wisedome is it serues to regulate and rule out our actions making them goe in a straight and right line for all our wayes are crooked wayes till such time as wisedome make straight steps vnto our feete and therefore Wisedome may well bee called the soules Controuler and happy is the soule where wisedome is controuler For Wisedome or Folly is the Mistresse of all our actions and folly is to our actions as the Varlet Baud is to the Strumpet to entise vs vnto sinne but wisedome is to our actions as the naturall Mother to her child to winne vs vnto goodnesse Folly saith to the yong heyre Be prodigall now thou hast it and let it flie in vanitie but saith Wisedome vnto him Liue honestly now thou hast it and vse it to sobrietie Saith Folly to the old Man Bee couetous now thou hast it and let it lye by thee But saith Wisedome vnto him Doe good while thou hast it for therefore was it giuen thee Folly bids the angry man giue a stab for a wrong but Wisedome is for patience Folly bids the ryotous man exceed in his Dyet but Wisedome is for Temperance Folly bids vs get it no matter how but Wisedome is for conscience And thus doe Wisedome and Folly striue for our actions and one while we yeeld to folly and another while to wisedome but happy hee who when hee sees Wisedome and Folly thus plead pro and con for his actions iudges wisely of the matter and giues Wisedome but her due For such a man hee is a man of wisedome a man in whom Wisedome delights For the obedient eare is wisedomes delight And therefore this man hee is the onely fit man to heare Gods Voice because wisedome makes him to see Gods Name while hee still beholds God in an holy contemplation and still drawes neerer and neerer vnto God in an heauenly conuersation For the man of wisedome shall see thy Name Videbit nomen Shall see thy name One would take it at first blush to bee more naturall in proprietie of speech for the Prophet to haue said Shall heare thy name rather then Shall see thy name But it is most significant as it is The man of wisedome shall see thy name For wee often heare Gods name and we feare it not For some who heare it blaspheme it and most who heare it regard it not with that reuerence as beseemes the high Maiestie of so great and glorious a name Whereas did wee propose to our selues to see Gods name did we see and behold with the eye of Faith the holy Angels of Heauen still praising this name Did wee see and behold the Diuels in hell trembling at this name Did wee see and behold the Saints on earth adoring this name Did wee see and behold all the creatures of God obeying this name our hearts would tremble within vs to take this holy name into our mouth but with feare and reuerence we would feare vainely to sweare by and blaspheme as wee doe this holy name which the Angels in Heauen with continuall Halle-lu-iahs praise magnifie and the Saints on earth with all the deuotions of an humbled foule reuerence and adore and wee would euen quake and tremble sleightly as too too commonly wee doe vpon euery small occasion to vse this holy name at which euen the Diuels themselues doe tremble and all the creatures of God stoope and obey And therefore he that is a man of wisedome amongst vs he will endeuour to see further then ordinarie he will see Gods name When he heares Gods name to be a name of Power he will withall in the rare workmanship and exquisite fabricke of Heauen and earth see and acknowledge the Maiestie of this name when he heares Gods name to be a name of glory and great renowne he will withall in the continuall praises of Saints and Angels who dayly sing Te Deums vnto God see and acknowledge the glory of this name To be briefe hee that is a man of wisedome amongst vs when hee heares Gods Name proclaimed in his Word if this mooue him not hee will ioyne his eyes vvith his eares and see Gods name glorious in his works which will strike him with astonishment For wee are all of vs like the Queene of Saba 1. King 10. readier to beleeue our eyes then our eares She heares of Salomons wisedome but shee credits not the report till shee comes to be an eye-witnesse of Salomons glory when shee is greatly astonied to see his wisedome and the glory of his house So wee hearing of Gods wisedome his glory and his power preached vnto vs in his Word though our tongues confesse not so much to the world yet our hearts such is the imagination of the heart onely euill and that continually oftentimes fondly call in question the truth of what we heare and doubts arise whether all bee true But when once with our eyes wee see Gods wisedome in the order and gouernance of
is not for the Citie for this none could heare Nay an ordinarie speaking voice is not for the Citie for this few could heare And therefore the Voice being sent vnto the Citie it is a Crying Voice that all might heare it And thus doth God by sending a Crying Voice vnto them take away all colourable pretences and excuses from the City For had a still voice or an ordinarie speaking voice come vnto them their plea had been non audiuimus the Voice it was so still that what for the clamours of the Citie wee heard it not And therefore the Voice it is a Crying Voice that all might heare it and none might haue excuse wherewith to cloke his finne Now then the Voice it is a Crying Voice in three respects First it is a crying Voice to make an out-cry against crying sins Secondly it is a crying Voice to rouze and awake the Citie dead asleepe in sinne which no Voice but a crying Voice could rouze Thirdly it is a crying Voice to leaue the Citie without excuse to take away all excuse from the Citie For the first the Voice it is a crying Voice to make an out cry against crying sinnes Sinne it hath got a voice in the world yea and that a lowd crying Voice in the eares of GOD. Cains sinne of murther it had a crying Voice for Abels bloud in the fourth of Genesis cryes in Gods eares for vengeance The sinne of Sodome it had a crying Voice For in the 18. of Genesis the cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is said to be great in the eares of the Lord. And in these last and worse dayes of the world sinne hath more lift vp her voice then euer for sinne hath got a roring voice now sin which before did but cry to heauen for vengeance it now roares for vengeance Now that there be many roarers abroad in the world who because their father the Diuell is stiled by Saint Peter Verse 8 in the last Chapter of his first Epistle a roaring Lyon blush not to stile themselues his roaring Whelpes his roaring Boyes And these roaring Boyes send roaring out of their Pot-guns in their drunken fits nothing else but fearefull blasphemies against the God of Heauen Now then since sinne hath not onely got a crying but euen a roaring voice in the world high time it is God should haue at leastwise a crying Voice in the world to make an out-cry against these crying and these roaring sinnes and that for two respects The one in respect of God the other in respect of man First in respect of God it is most necessarie God should haue a crying Voice abroad in the world For should sinne still goe about in the world thus vncontrouled with a crying and a roaring voice it would carry the whole world to hell with most voices For the voice of blasphemie would quite drowne the voice of Pietie and the voice of Prayer it would bee turned into the voice of cursing and where no voice were heard but the crying voice of sinne all men would learne to speake no language but the language of the Diuell all men would bee of one tongue but that tongue dipt in boyling Brimstone to speake nothing but Blasphemie the language of the damned that tongue dipt in gall to speake of nothing but cursednesse and bitternesse that tongue dipt in bloud to speake of nothing but bloud and slaughter so aduancing it selfe euen to the Throne of God if it were possible to pull God out of his Throne one while crying out Vbi est Deus Where is God another while crying out Non respicit Deus God regardeth not yet another while flatly roaring out Non est Deus There is no GOD. This and farre more worse then this would bee the language of the world were there no voyce heard in the world but the crying voyce of sinne God therefore to stop the mouth of the Diuell who thus goes about to deface his glory scoming at his power with Vbi est Deus Where is God deriding his prouidence with Non respicit Deus God regardeth not Nay more then this seeking to pull God out of his Throne with Non est Deus There is no God God hee also sends a crying Voyce into the world to make an outcry against this Cry of sinne and to drowne and confound this cursed language of the world inuented in hell learned of the Deuil which being of a far higher reach then euer Babel could possibly haue been would towre vp higher then to Heauen euen to the Throne of God if it were possible to dethrone that great Monarch of the world with Non est Deus There is no God And now that Gods crying voyce is heard in the world the better part of the world hath learned the holy tongue and words of piety are now more often heard then words of blasphemy and the Voyce of prayer is now more frequent then the Voyce of cursing So that now no longer Where is God for Iehoua in coelis Our God he is in heauen no longer now God regardeth not for our God as he is in heauen so beholds hee all things that are done both in heauen and earth and his prouidence gouernes all things Wisd 14. No longer now Non est Deus There is no God for our God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reu. 1.4 He who is who was and is to come our God hee is from all eternity Now as God thus sends a crying Voyce into the world to vindicate his glory from the vnrighteousnesse of men Rom. 1.18 who else would withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse So doth hee also in great compassion vnto man send his crying Voyce into the world to outcry crying sinnes lest crying sinnes still crying in Gods eares for vengeance should pull downe the vials of Gods wrath to consume man from off the face of the earth for the crying voyce of sinne is still importuning the hand of Iustice with one plague or other to cut off the sinner And one while it cals for a second Deluge to drowne the world for the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse which are in the world yet another while it calls for a famine to punish the want and scarsity of good men yet another while it calls for pestilence and the sword to punish our abuse of health and happinesse And thus is the voyce of sinne still vrging the hand of Iustice to write bitter things against the sinner but the crying Voyce of mercy which God for the good of man sends into the world speakes better things both from God to man and for man to God And it first speakes from God to man that man would preuent punishment by penitence that man would preuent a second floud to drowne the world for sinne by first drowning his sinne in a floud of leares leauing his crying sinnes and falling a crying for his sins Now as this crying Voyce speaks mercy from God to man so doth it also
commendation of this famous Citie There is no Nation vnder heauen more respects these Voices if they be the Lords Voices indeed then the more graue and discreeter Citizens And as for the rest they loue them too but not with so good discretion for they loue them in a manner as the Ape doth her yong ones they loue them so importunately that they kill them And therefore it were to be wisht they would loue them a little more in louing them a little lesse while they giue the Voices a breathing time to follow the Apostles rule to his beloued Timothy 1. Tim 4.13 To giue attendance to reading and to exhortation and to doctrine that there may be a breathing while for the Voices to giue attendance to reading as well as all to exhortation and to doctrine For the Voices they will be so much the better able to teach others by their doctrine when they haue first taught themselues by their reading Now as wee are bound to loue the Lords Voices so can we not better expresse our loue vnto them then in cherishing them For farre bee it that the Lords Voices should be fedde like meere voyces indeed onely with ayre and that their maintenance should bee the peoples courtesie and beneuolence for this it were a dishonour vnto God and a great abasing to the Ministerie The very Heathens tell vs as much Ptut Mor. For Plutarch tels vs of a Laconian who seeing a Collector going about and gathering the peoples deuotions for the gods O saith he I will now make no more reckoning of the gods so long as I see them goe a begging and to bee poorer then my selfe And would not thinke you many a churlish Nabal and repining Laban of these dayes bee ready to fall into the same disdaine of God and of his Voices if the Offals onely of their reuenues and cruell mercies of their purse were the stay and maintenance of the Ministers life This it were great pitie it should be so and hope suggests the best that it wil neuer be For were it so as in the same Plutarch we reade Plut. Mor. of one Philippus a Priest amongst the Heathen so poore that hee beg'd for his liuing and yet hee would goe about and tell how happy he should be When quoth one will this be When I am dead saith he Why then poore fellow quoth the other thou art too blame thou diest not quickly that thou mayst be happy Euen thus should the Lords poore Voices bee flouted of the world The Lord is our portion say the Voices and wee shall bee happy but when saith the world shall you haue this portion that ye may be happy When we dye say the Voices Why then sayes the world yee are too blame ye dye not quickly to be happy in Heauen whom the world hath tooke an order with neuer to bee happy on earth But this it is the voice of the sonnes of Belial who haue euill will at Sion and had rather put a Church into their purse then empty their purse vpon the Church For you beloued the Lords Voices are perswaded better things of you how regardfull of them you haue alwayes beene and how carefull you be 2. Reg. 4. not onely with the good Shunamite to prouide them a Chāber a Table a Stoole when they turne in vnto you but to send them away as Ioseph did his Brethren Gen. 42. with their Sacks full of Corne and euery man his money in his Sacks mouth meat for the belly and money for the back For which care of yours in cherishing the Lords Voices the blessing of Heauen and the farnesse of the earth be your great reward And may they euer liue registred in the Kalendar of Saints who already haue or hereafter shall more like the Primitiues of old then the hold-fast Possessiues of these times thus bring in part of their Possessions and lay it downe at the Apostles feet bringing an offering to the worke of the Tabernacle to this so worthy a Worke. Now as wee are to loue and cherish so are wee also to obey the Lords Voices And this is it the Apostle exhorts you vnto Heb. 13. Verse 17 Obey them which haue the ouer sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue account for them vnto God that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you You are then to obey Gods Minister because God hath set him as a watchmā ouer your soules he must giue an account to God for your soules Now if ye doe what hee commands you from God his shall be the ioy and yours the crowne But if yet will be stiffenecked and not obey though his bee the griefe to see his Ministerie take no better effect amongst you yours shall be the perill For if hee giue vp his account of your soules with griefe of heart for your disobedience to the Gospell of Christ this it is vnprofitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you and not for him And therefore as you tender your soules obey the Lords Voices which watch ouer your soules Giue an obedient eare to the Lords Voices to heare them and an obedient heart to the Lord himselfe to feare him that yee may be blessed For in the 30. of Deuteronomie Verse 20 there be three wayes set downe the three rodes by which we come to blessednes the first is by louing the Lord thy God the second by obeying his Voice and the third by cleauing vnto him so that if thou loue the Lord because he is thy Father if thou cleaue vnto him because he is thy Saniour if thou obey his Voice because hee is thy Lord thou and thy Seed shall liue and bee blessed vpon earth For if thou obey diligently the Voice of the Lord the Lord in the 28. of Deut. pronourices thee Blessed in the Citie Verse 3 and blessed in the field Verse 4 blessed in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of the ground Verse 6 blessed in thy comming in and in thy going out Verse 8 blessed in thy storehouses blessed in all thou set'st thine hand vnto Thus shall the man bee blessed that obeyes the Voice of the Lord. And therefore all ye who desire blessednes heare and obey that yee may eate the good things of the Land And thus now you see how for the Lords sake whose Spouse the Church is you are to loue to cherish and to obey the Lords Voices Now let euery faithfull Christian which is a member of the true Church the Spouse of Christ plight faith to Christ the Husband of this Spouse for the performance of this Christian dutie which God so requires at our hands And so from the Voice come we to see the nature of the Voice It is a crying Voice The Lords Voice Cryoth and neede had the Voice be a Crying Voice for it hath a Citie to Cry in and a whispering still Voice
finde and yet no man is a fit man to heare the voyce of the Lord but this man of wisedome and therefore wee must seeke narrowly for this man of wisedome whom we shall be better able to discern if we distinguish men into three rankes and place in the first ranke men of folly in the second men of wisedome but with this restriction in suo genere in their kind in the third ranke men of wisedome indeed men sanctified from aboue wise vnto saluation who are the onely fit men to heare the voyce of the Lord. For the first men of folly There bee at this day in the world two sort of fooles mad fooles and golden fooles and of the mad fooles holy Dauid speaks in his 53. Psalme vers 1. The foole hath said in his hart There is no God and doe but a while suruey the passages of his life and you will say hee is a mad foole indeed for he hath no other God but his belly for his belly is his god Philip. 3.19 neuer did those foolish Babylonians in that story offer vp more daily to their Idol Bel then he doth daily to his Idoll belly to his god his belly his drinke-offerings are healths and carowses the Incense which hee burnes Indian smoake his Church none but a Play-house the ordinary sermons which he hears a Comedy his funerall scrmons a Tragedy his Morning prayer God damne mee his Euening prayer Deuill take body and soule Now what a madde Bedlam is this in such madde humors to iest away his soule But O that this man were wise and would leaue this iouiall folly to learne Iehouahs feare Luk. 15.10 that the Angels in Heauen might reioyce at his conuersion as the Diuels in hell now laugh at his folly and destruction Now the second sort of fooles are of Diues kin who for all his riches Luk. 12.20 is called in the Gospell but a foole and these fooles they say to the wedge of gold Thou art our God and the seruice of their God is in conotousnesse which is idolatry so that they bee idolaters Col. 3.5 and delight in nothing more then in a masse euen a masse of mony which is all they care for now preach to such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preach profit to them and they heare you gladly but preach vnto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preach Christ vnto them and they heare you not These though they be not so mad yet they be as bad fools as the former for though they will not abuse Gods blessings as the former and empty their purse vpon their belly yet which is almost as bad they will not vse Gods blessings at all but empty their belly for their purse whereas the golden meane it is which commends the man And therefore the man of wisdome hee stands by and sees the folly of both these and learnes the instruction of wisdome by them both so that hee is neither for the belly his god nor yet for gold his god but his onely request to God is that of the Wise-man in the thirtieth of Prouerbs Verse 8 Feed me O Lord with food conuenient for me And thus now you see the madnesse of folly See wee withall in the second place the folly of some wisdome Iames 3.15 There is a wisdome which Saint Iames tells vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not from aboue but it is earthly sensuall and diuellish It is first earthly it studies only how to get lands and liuings on earth it cares not at all for the Land of the liuing in Heauen It is sensuall all it mindes is for the pleasure of the body it mindes not at all the comforts of the soule It is diuellish 2a 2ae Quaest. 45. art 1. Diabolica saith Aquinas propter imitationē superbiae Diaboli Diuellish because it makes the man that hath it proud and enuious as the Diueil Now this Diuellish wisdome it is in the Diuels gift and he hath bestowed it on the proud aspiring Iesuit who by this Diuellish wisdome contriuing the death of Princes and downefall of States and Kingdomes vpholds the sensuall wisdome of the Priests in pleasure and the earthly wisdome of the Pope in state and magnificence but farre be this wisdome from vs it makes vs sapientes it makes vs wise Ierem. 4.22 but as saith the Prophet wise onely to doe euill And therefore take we heed of this wisdome for it is diuellish it is from the Diuell and it fits vs for the Diuell making vs the Diuels Apes by imitation of his practices in this life and the Diuels Heires by partaking of his punishments in hell fire And therefore againe and againe take we heed of this diuellish wisdome and let vs seeke for the true wisdome which S. Iames tels vs is from aboue from the Father of lights Iam. 1.5 6. who giueth the true wisdome to euery one that asketh of him if hee aske in faith Now this wisdome which is from God aboue and which onely truely denominates a man a man of wisdome hath two properties For first as Aquinas obserues 2a 2ae Quaest 45. Art 3. Art 6. it makes a man contemplari diuina to fix his heart in contemplation vpon God And then secondly it serues regulare humanos actus to regulate and direct our actions For the first the chiefe poynt of true wisdome is in the first place to haue an eye to God and to his Lawes so that though wee conuerse with men on earth Phil. 3.20 yet our conuersation may be with God in heauen and this we haue prooued vnto vs out of the 4. of Deut. vers 6. where saith God Keepe my Lawes and ordinances and doe them for Haec est Sapientia This is your wisdome and if ye thus obserue and keep my statutes the people round about you shall say of you Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a great nation By this then shall you discerne a man of wisdome seest thou a man like Zachary and Elizabeth iust and walking in the ordinances of his God Seest thou a man like vnto Cornelius a deuout man and one that feareth God Seest thou a man like vnto Nathaniel a true Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile Seest thou a man like vnto S. Paul crucified to the world and therefore held of the world but a foole for Christs sake Bee bold to say it Such a man as this and none but such a man as this is the man of wisdome of whom we speake For though the world be not so quick-sighted as to pierce into the depth of this How this can bee that a man who forsakes the pleasures and vanities of the world and liues in the world dead to the world as a man out of the world whose conuersation is in Heauen that this man hee should bee the onely man of wisdom in the world Though I say the world doth not easily attain to the reach of this
the Lord that you may all of you take notice of it and not content your selues with imperfect Comma's of obedience to doe some part of that which God commandeth nor yet with imperfect Colons of obedience to doe the one halfe of that which God commandeth but that you may still endeuour to conclude all your actions with full Points of obedience to doe all which God commandeth not mans but the Lords voice cryeth this in your eares For the Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie and the man of wisedome shall see thy name Heare ye the Rod and who hath happainted it Which Text of holy Scripture seemes to haue in it the composure of a Syllogisme The Maior Proposition in these words The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie The Minor in these words The man of wise dowe shall see thy name that is shall see and consider the glory of Gods name his Maiestie and his power and so with reuerence attend vnto his voice The illation or Conclusion by way of exhortation in these words Heare ye therefore the Rod He that is a man of wisedome amongst you let him lend his eares and heart to heare of a Rod which the voice denounceth vnlesse ye turne from the euill of your waies which God hath appointed most certainely to bring vpon you vnlesse you preuent his punishments with your penitence In the Maior consider we 1. Cuius hac vox whose voice this is it is the Lords voice 2. Qualis what manner of voice it is It is a crying voice The Lords voice cryeth 3. The vbi the place where it cryeth and that is the Citie The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie In the Minor consider we 1. Quibus to whom this voice is directed to men of wisedome The man of wisedome shall see thy name 2. The reason why the voice is directed onely vnto such and that is because they see Gods name they haue an awefull feare and reuerence of the great Maiestie of God which tunes their eares and hearts and makes them tuneable to this voice to attend with reuernce vnto the voice of so high a Maiestie In the Conclusion consider we Quid clamat What the voice cryeth It tels vs louingly of a Rod from God Heare yee the Rod and who hath appointed it These be the parts of this Text and you haue the Lords voice in the front of it and the Lords Rodde in the conclusion or shutting vp of it to shew how that they who will not heare the Lords Voice at the first shall be sure to feele his Rod at the last Let vs therefore in the first place attend vnto that which is first proposed which is Psal 29. Vox Iehouae the Lords voice The Lords voice saith the Prophet Dauid is a mighty voice it makes Heauen and earth to shake And so terrible is this voice to flesh and bloud that in the 20. of Exodus Verse 19 the children of Israel cry out vnto Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die Adam before his fall could well enough endure to heare the voice of God but no sooner had hee transgrest but as you reade Genesis 3. when hee heares the voice of God he is afraid Verse 10 I heard thy voice in the Garden and was afraid And this is the condition of vs all since the fall of our first Parents we are so afraid to heare the voice of God that we cry out with the Israelites Let man speake with vs and wee will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die And therefore though in my Text mention be made of the Lords voice this voice it is not the Lords voice which ye are afraid to heare lest ye dye But the Lords Prophet is the Lords voice in this place which if ye heare not ye die this it is no new thing for the Lords Prophet to bee stiled the Lords voice For in the first Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice Christ he is the Word Saint Iohn the Baptist Christs Herauld hee is the voice to publish and proclaime this word So that Saint Iohn he was the Lords voice to proclaime vnto the Iewes verbū Dominum the Word which is God And our Prophet Micah in this place he is the Lords voice to publish vnto the Iewes verbum Domini the Word of God the Word of the Lord. Now it is not said to be the Prophets voice which publishes the message but the Lords voice because the people should attend with reuerence to the Prophets Gods Ministers voice euen as they would to the Lords owne voice sith Gods Messenger he is no other but vox Iehouae the Lords voice Man indeed is the voice because wee are confounded when God himselfe doth speake but not mans but the Lords is the voice because though man vtter them yet wee should take the words as spoken from God who else would speake the words vnto vs himselfe but that our infirmitie cannot away with the Maiesty of the Speaker who therefore makes man the voice because man may well away to heare what man doth speake and therefore though he make man the voice yet will not haue the voice acknowledged to bee mans voice but the Lords voice because wee should attend to what is spoken as spoken from God and not from man who is onely the Lords voice And thus now you see who is the Lords voice in this place See we withall what instructions we haue by this why first we haue Gods mercy commended to vs who vouchsafes to send a voice before a rodde a voice to premonish before a rod to punish Secondly wee haue Gods Ministers dutie set before vs in that he is vox in that he must be a voice Thirdly and lastly we see Gods Ministers dignitie in that hee is vox Iehouae the Lords voice For the first Gods mercy in that he sends a voice to premonish before a rodde to punish And this mercy of God it is euery where commended vnto vs in holy Writ from the Alpha to the Omega from the beginning to the end The first man Adam no sooner had hee lost himselfe straying in forbidden pathes from his Gods command but the voice of mercy seekes him out in the third of Genesis Vbies Adam where art thou Wicked Cain he murthers a righteous Abel and the voice of mercy straight vpon the murther cals vpon him to strike him with remorse for his sinne Vbi est VVhere is thy Brother Abel Alas Gen. 4. what hast thou done that thy Brothers bloud cryes in mine eares for vengeance The old world 1. Pet. 3.19 20. though now euen drowned with the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse yet it perished not by the floud but it had first a voice to admonish it righteous Noah was sent vnto it a preacher of righteousnes Nineueh that great Citie God he had purposed
to destroy it for the Cry of their sinne which came vp to Heauen but a voice is first sent vnto them Ionah like a Doue is sent from before Gods Mercy-Seat with the Oliue Branch of Peace in his mouth Ionah 1. to flie to Nineueh with the siluer wings of mercy offering them mercy if they doe repent And to come nigher home Heere in my Text you see Ierusalem rebellious Ierusalem a Citie so vnthankfull to her God yet she hath a voice first sent vnto her the voice of mercy to make her heare the rodde before the hand of iustice is vpon her to make her feele the rodde And as the Citie Ierusalem was vouchsafed this voice of Mercy to winne her home by repentance to her God So this our Ierusalem this Citie of ours a Citie as vnkind to God as euer was Ierusalem yet hath it voices vpon voices sent vnto it it is full of voices these voices with that voice of a Crier in the third of Mathew forewarne vs to flee from the wrath to come Some of these voices Cry vnto the Citie to take heed how she harbours Drunkards lest the Land spue out her Inhabitants as a lothsome burthen to her stomacke Some of these voices Cry vnto the Citie to take heed how she deale with Pride lest pride like Samson carrie away the gates of the Citie vpon her back and betray the strength of the Citie whil'st with her ouer-curious cloathing she leaues the Citie bare and like an Ague hauing fashious for fits shakes the Common-wealth whilst shee makes her wealth too common for other Nations dearely buying at their hands their strange fashions and new deuices till at last Pride get a trip and if preuention step not in lay the Cities honour in the dust Some againe of these Voyces Cry vnto the Citie to take heed shee bee not too secure for the Diuel is like the Vsurer all is well with him so long as he sees security Thus the Voyces you see they discharge like so many Warning-pieces vpon you euen from God to forewarne you to flee from the wrath to come now if yee will not heare this voyce of Mercie but like wel-fed Horses will fetch your full careeres in sinne and seeme to spurne against the Decree of Heauen disdaining to humble your selues in dust and ashes and to come before God in Fasting Teares and Prayer if the rod of God on the sudden smite any one Dan. 5. with Belshazzer quaffing in his Cups or priding it with Iezabel 2. Reg. 9. or promising security to himselfe with Diues let him not blame GOD for his seuerity Luke 12. for God sent Voyces vpon Voyces to recall him but he would not bee recalled and therefore let him blame his owne stupid securitie who would not bee wonne with the voyce of Mercie vntill he feele the stroke of Iustice For vs Beloued sith God thus in Mercie still vouchsafes a Voyce to premonish before a Rod to punish let vs heare and obey the Voyce of Mercie that so wee may preuent the stroke of Iustice for to bee all eare and heart to heare and obey is the Peoples dutie as to bee all Voyce and Heart to exhort and obey is the Ministers dutie which wee haue in the second place commended vnto vs in that Gods Minister he is vox in that he is a voice Gods Minister he must be a voice For in the 28. of Exodus verse 35. wee reade that Aarons sound must be heard when he goeth into the Holy place to minister before the Lord that he dye not Wherevpon saith venerable Beda a Sacerdos ingrediens vel egrediens moritur si de eo sonitus non audiatur quia iram contra se occulti Iudicis exigit si sine praedicationis sonitu incedit Beda de vest Sacerd. 1. Cor. 9.16 Mar. 16.15 The Priest comming to minister before the Lord he dyes for it if his sound be not heard and the Minister of the Gospell hee stands guilty of death if hee take vpon him to minister before the Lord and haue not his sound heard in the sincere preaching of the Gospell Gods Minister then needs must he be a voice For wo vnto him if he be not a voice Woe vnto me saith the Apostle if I preach not the Gospell for their Commission is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Preach the Gospell This then commends the necessitie of preaching against the common voice of the world which holds a Paradoxe against the Schoole of Christ that the more preaching the lesse practifing and Neuer were there more golden times then when there was lesse voycing it in the Pulpit and more mumming and massing it at the Altar This is a strange world when the more we are taught to doe the lesse we doe and when mens eares are like the thin eares of Come which Pharaoh saw in a dreame in the 41. of Genesis the thinne eares deuoured the full eares For so our thinne eares which scarce heard good instruction in time of Popery deuoure our full eares which now in the light of the Gospell are dayly fild with good instructions for when we heard little the boast is we did much and now we heare much the cry is wee doe iust nothing at all And therefore if God should deale with vs in iustice and not in mercy rather then hee would suffer his voice thus to be wronged to be thought the occasion of our seldome practice and slacke performance he would quite take his Voices from vs and sith we will not be content to be brought to heauen by the direction of his Voice suffer vs to goe to hell by the suggestion of the Diuell but God pities our infirmitie and though we such is the weakenes errour of our iudgement think the voice cry too too often yet God such is the deadnesse and dulnes of our hearts thinkes the voice neuer to cry often enough And therefore in the 58. of Isai verse 1. saith God vnto his Voice vnto his Prophet Cry Cry alowd Spare not but lift vp thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and to the house of Iacob their sinne Now doth the voice of God say Cry the voice of man needs must it cry what the voice of God would haue it cry And therefore all that be Voices let them not spare to cry while they haue a voice to cry let the world regard their often crying as it please And as for those who haue the calling of Voices who are called to be Vocales but proue muti who are called to be vocall but proue mute it were to be wished they would a little straine their voice to speake somewhat in Gods cause that if not their voice yet at leastwise their sound might be heard in Gods Temple as Aarons was whilst though themselues be slow of Speech as Moses was Exod. 4. yet they procure some Aaron to bee their mouth their sound vnto the people that they die