of buildings How then is it that our dwelling houses doe yet stand and flourish Our sinnes and iniquities are exceeding impudent and sawcie they are ascended into the presence of God and doe stand like Sathan among his children before his face Yet for all this impudencie and sawcinesse of our sinnes and iniquities God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safetie The consideration of this point may stirre vs vp to a gratefull agnition and acknowledgment of Gods singular bountie and longanimitie It is out of the bountie of the Lord that the earth since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man doth to this day yeeld fâ—uit in abundance for the vse of man That our possessions habitations dwelling houses and Churches are not laid waste and made desolate it is to be ascribed to Gods long sufferance and long animitie Of which I shall God willing anon speake more fully when I shall haue considered the words of the second sequel or consequent of Gods speech which are The top of Carmel shall wither The top of Carmel There were two hils of this name as St Hierome teacheth both in Iudea the one in the southerne climate of that country where on Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwell 1 Sam. 25.2 the other neere vnto Ptolemais towards the sea coast vpon which Elias prayed for raine 1 Kings 8.42 St Hierome seemeth to doubt which of these two Carmels our prophet here intendeth But Ribera resolueth for that Carmel which was neere vnto Ptolemais because it did appertaine to the lot of the ten tribes against whom Amos in this booke prophecieth This Carmel was a hill of much fatnesse and fertilitie whervpon it may as proverbially be taken for any such place St Hierome writing vpon Esay 16. saith it is the Scriptures idiome and proper forme of speech euermore to compare the rich hill Carmel to fertilitie and abundance One of the Hebrew d R. Dâ—uid apud Draâ—uâ—â— Doctors saith that Carmel is a generall name for all fruitfull arable fields and vineyards A great e Pagnin Hebrician saith that because the hill Carmel had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulnesse therefore Carmel is appellatiuely taken for any place set with corne trees or vines and specially withstanding corne with new fat wheat while it is in eare though another f Marinus in Arca Noe. Hebrician of like note affirmeth that because Carmel collectiuely signifieth standing corne or new wheat yet in the eare therfore a certaine region in the prouince of Canaan of extraordinary fertility as also a hill city there was called after this name Carmel Whatsoeuer Carmel be in this place whether a proper name or an appellatiue out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulnes Following the streame of expositors I am of opinion that Carmel in my text is that same fruitfull mountaine of Iudea by Ptolemais The top of Carmel A place fit by reason of the woodes there to lurke and lie hid in as is plaine by Amos 9.3 Though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence The top of Carmel In the Hebrew it is the head of Carmel The head or top of Carmel is the Scripture phrase to expresse whatsoeuer is best in Carmel By the like phrase we say Caput vnguenti the head or the top of the ointment to signifie the best of the ointment The top of Carmel Pagnine thus translateth it vertex loci fertilis the top of the fruitfull place And Iunius thus prostantissimum aruorum the best of the fields Both Pagnine and Iunius doe take Carmel here for an appellatiue and not for a propper name The top of Carmel shall wither shall wax dry or be dried vp That is where most fruitfull fields and pastures are there shall be a defect and want of necessaries for mans life Thus haue you the exposition of this last clause Now bee patient I pray you while from hence I commend one lesson vnto you It is this For the sinnes of a people God will make the top of their Carmel to wither I speake it more plainly For the sinnes of a people God will make their best grounds to yeeld them little or no profit For proofe of this point you will bee pleased to heare the euidence of the holy Spirit giuen in the word of life Deut. 28.20 Thus saith the Lord because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken mee the Lord shall smite thee with blasting and with mildew the Heauen which is ouer thy head shall bee brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shall bee iron in stead of raine the Lord shall giue thee dust and ashes euen from heauen shall it come downe vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed In the 2 chapter of Hosea and the 5 verse because Israel had plaid the harlot and done shamefully departing from the Lord thus saith the Lord I will take away from Israel my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof wil recouer my wooll my flax which I lent her to couer her shame Marke I beseech you the manner of the Lords speech my corne my wine my wooll my flax they are none of ours they are all the Lords The Lord hath lent them vs to serue our turnes and necessitâ—es if we abuse them to idolatrie or prophanes he will take them from vs recouer them againe vnto himselfe In the 4. Chapter of Hosea and the 3. verse because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but euery on breaketh out by swearing by lying by killing by stealing by whoring and blood toucheth blood thus saith the Lord the land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heauen and also the fishes of the sea shal be taken away If so what good then comes to you from Carmel from your best most fruitfull grounds In the 8. chapter of Hosea and the 7. verse because Israel transgressing the couenant of the Lord and trespassing against his law had sowen the wind thus saith the Lord they shall reape the whirlewind it hath no stalke the bud shall bring forth no meale if so be it bring forth the strangers shal deuoure it If so what profit then can we matching Israel in their most grieuous transgressions trespasses expect from Carmel our most fruitfull and pleasant fields The wisest King that euer sacred writ made mention of hath this saying Prou. 13.25 The belly of the wicked shall want True great Solomon The belly of the wicked man shall be emptie His Carmel the very best of his possessions shal yeeld him little profit To make an end of this discourse I would I could write it in your harts what the sweetest singer Psa 107.34 deliuereth vnto you touching this point it is worthy your best remembrance A
great thunder with lightning from heauen in the presence of all the people of God 6. This Law is of all lawes most neccssarie Necessarie for the preseruing and maintayning of discipline both in and without the Church Necessarie to convict man of sinne and to disrobe him of that pride which makes him to presume of his owne naturall strength Necessarie to represse and keepe vnder the obstinate and selfe-willed sinner with feare of punishments Necessarie to informe and instruct the regenerate in the true seruice and worship of God This law of the Lord so far surpassing all other lawes for the excellencie thereof these inhabitants of Iudah did despise they contemned it You see the sinne here laid vnto their charge Contempt of the law of the Lord. They haue despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine arising hence is The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne This truth will be plaine if you will consider what punishments God in his holy word threatneth and layeth vpon the despisers or contemners of his Sacred Maiestie of his ceremonies of his commandements of his holy word Such despisers or contemners are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 3.32 The Lord will despise them 1. Sam. 2.30 The Lord will scorne them Prov. 3.34 The Lord will bring vpon them terrors consumptions burning agues and sorrow of heart Levit. 26.15 The Lord will send a fire vpon them to deuoure them Amos 2.5 and hauing so done He will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1.26 For this contempt Pharaohs chariots his chosen Captaines and his hoste were couered in the deepe they sanke to the bottome of the Sea as a stone they were all drowned Exod. 15.4 5. For this contempt Saul was reiected from being King ouer Israel he became his owne executioner he fell vpon his owne sword 1. Sam. 31.4 For this contempt Salomons kingdome was i 1. King 11.11 12. to be rent from him and to be giuen to his seruant it was accomplished in his sonnes dayes in the dayes of Rehoboā the Israelites made vnto themselues a new King euen Ieroboam sonne of Nebat 1. Kings 12.20 What was it but this contempt that brought k 2. Chr. 28.13 ruine to the state of Ahaz What but this contempt hath brought to nought many ancient and flourishing kingdomes and nations What else hath laid their honor in the dust Infinite should I be would I produce all that is deliuered in the Sacred Scriptures concerning this contempt of the Lord and his holy lawes The litle which I haue already brought out of that invaluable treasurie may serue for the establishment of my propounded doctrine namely that The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne You see the doctrine Let vs now make some vse of it to our selues Is it true beloued Is it a grieuous sinne to despise the law of the Lord Let this be a motiue to vs to gage the very depth and bottome of our hearts there to see whether we haue sinned this sinne whether we haue carried our selues contemptuously towards the law of the Lord. Can we say concerning this law of the Lord as that sweet singer of Israel that holy man of God King Dauid once said that we haue not l Psal 119.61 forgotten it that we haue not m vers 51. declined from it that we haue n vers 55. kept it that we o vers 113. loue it we p vers 70 174 delight in it our q vers 97. meditation is in it all the day that its better vnto vs then r vers 72. thousands of gold and siluer Can we thus truely say Then doubtlesse are we free from this sinne of Contempt of the law of the Lord. But if we wilfully breake the law of the Lord if we haue no feare nor feeling of the iudgements threatned in that his holy law if we runne on securely in our vngodly courses if we prostitute our selues to all vncleannesse if we be filled with ſ Rom. 1.29 vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnes if we be puft vp with error murther debate deceit malignitie if wee walke according to the t Ephes 2 2. course of the world in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of our flesh taking delight in doing the u Galat. 5.19 workes of the flesh then are we out of doubt guilty of this sinne of despising the law of the Lord. Wherefore let vs let euery one of vs enter into the closet of our own hearts examine we our selues how we haue heretofore stood and how we do now stand affected to the law of the Lord. Iudge we our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord condemne we our selues that we be not condemned of the Lord. If we finde our selues hitherto to haue bin x 2. Tim. 2.26 intangled in the snares of Satan to haue fashioned our selues to the manners of this sinfull world to haue spent our dayes in vanities and our nights vpon the beds of wantonnesse without any due regard of Gods holy lawes enacted in the high Court of Heauen to the contrary our best way will be to betake our selues to the throne of mercy there to begge of Him that sitteth vpon the throne the grace of vnfeined repentance that sorrowing with a godly sorrow for our sinnes past for our rebellion and disobedience to the law of the Lord expressed in the wicked conuersation of our fore-passed liues we may now at length become new creatures creatures of new hearts and new spirits resoluing for the time to come to yeeld all obedience to the Law of the Lord to frequent his Sanctuarie where this law is vsually read and expounded to vs that God thereby may bee glorified and our soules saued Thus farre of the sinne of Iudah as it is expressed in the first branch of this third part of my text They haue despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine grounded thereupon was this The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne The vse made thereof vnto our selues was to stirre vp in vs a desire of conforming our obedience to this law of the Lord. The sinne of Iudah is further expressed in the next clause They haue not kept his Commandements Commandements The word in the originall and Hebrew fountaine is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word repeated Psal 119. two and twenty times The Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latin and S. Hierome mandata iust as we do mandates or commandements Tremellius and Iunius haue statuta statutes some haue Ceremonias Ceremonies which soeuer of these translations we receiue it will be consonant to the analogie of faith and the precedent clause For whosoeuer despiseth the law of the Lord he obserueth not his ceremonies he keepeth not his statutes he keepeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mandats or commandements So this clause is but an exposition of the former
your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mighty That doctrine proued I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither Empire nor kingdome nor place in them of dignitie priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industry wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power God almighty The second was to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against the God of Heauen to affirme that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your hearts might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and neuer sleeping care ouer vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the least moments tittles in the world that you can imagine to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of the Sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of Hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reuerence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth vers 2. And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lord shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking Hee shall râ—are and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence hee speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepherds The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardman or shepherd whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Euen the words which he saw vpon Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reuealed to him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloued we may learne whence the holy Scriptures haue their soueraigne authority Their authority is from aboue euen from the Lord whose name is Iehouah whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heauen of heauens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man and possesseth his secret reines and diuides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great Iehouah God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1 ch ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion Marke his reason ver 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto mee The Lord God hath spoken Thus saith the Lord and the like This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent his Son to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand for truth in despight of al the powers of darknesse which is recorded 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Hence ariseth this true position Scriptura est authentica regula tum fidei tum vitae nostrae The word of God which by an excellencie we call the Scripture is an infallible rule both of our faith and also of our life And another posiâ—ion followeth herevpon The authority of holy Scripture is greater than the authority of the Church Our obseruation here may be Since such is the worth of holy Scripture by reason of the author of it as that it is the perfect rule for our faith and life and is of greater authority than the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility This worth dignity and excellency of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery Popishly affected eare and may serue to condemne the Romish Church of impiety and sinne for her neglect and contempt of so inestimable a treasure How little they esteeme of Gods wriâ—ten word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel defence of the Apologie par 4. chap 19. 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface vpon Iacobus Andreas against Hosius makes it plaine vnto vs while he tels of the crying out against the holy Scriptures as if they were blinde and doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reuerend fathers no better than Aesops fables Now lest
Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands and struck it with the other we stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by Dauid Rungius in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathan Gretser we doubt not but that the Lord hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloued in the Lord Schollers can tell you of Brontes Steropes Pyracmon Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head and banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Verè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudency as euer was seen in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single combat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557. haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a Iudges voiâ—e but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consâ—quent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impiouâ— assertions touching holy Scripture they doe directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying Ex vngue Leonem A man may know a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnesse impudency and fury of railing with which those Iesuits beforenamed haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You already see the readinesse of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to doe it all the disgrace they can Yet giue mee leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choise of is Gods soueraignety ouer the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and Kingdomes are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paul to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordained of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob 34.24 God shall breake the mighty and set vp other in their stead expressed in the prayer of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings and setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prou. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me Princes Nobles and Iudges doe rule This truth hath 3. branches displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique aduertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God All three are further made good in the infallible euidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo reges dâ—ri Lipsius Mouit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God Thus saith the Lord of Sauls successour 1 Sam. 16.1 I haue prouided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the reuolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1 King 12.24 This thing is done by me and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get ouer the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites Trem. Ps 75.7 of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my seruant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Aduancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone aduanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the remouall of Kings and translation of kingdomes it s well known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by diuine examples whereof I might make along recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings deliuered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs ouerthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezzâ—r and Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the diuinely inspired word of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was * Regna à Deo Reges tempâ—rari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon euen of the wonderfull extent of Gods care and prouidence to the least bâ—sest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruise of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and gouerne Kings and kingdomes Now beloued in the Lord you see by the euidence of holy Scripture that Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty Giue care I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heauen notwithstanding the eternall truth in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. Å¿ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum si ille conetur auertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about auertere populum à fide to auert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of
turned Good Lord open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy wee may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknesse of trouble of vexation of anguish thou Lord wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darknesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexation shall be no more a place of endlesse and vnspeakable ioyes where anguish shall be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE Fourth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And hee said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence hee speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the â—op whereof was another mountaine e Drusius obseru 14.21 Not. Iunius in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the Lord. Before it was called the f 2 Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enemies Against these Iebusites King Dauid came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of Dauid owne City as appeareth 2 Sam. 5.9 This is the city of Dauid so much h 2 Sam 5.7 1 King 8.1 1 Chron. 11.5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his owne City mount Sion Dauid accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2 Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the Lord with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harps as is plaine by the story 1 Chron. cap. 15. and 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be obserued in this city of Dauid mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the Lord of boasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description and commendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of Dauid the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1 Kâ—ng 8.27 2 Chron. 6.18 Heauens and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken literally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King ouer Sion the hill of his holinesse Sion there is not to be vnderstood the terrestriall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it euen the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniuersall multitude of beleeuers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obuious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149. â— Psalmes of Dauid in n Cantic 3.11 Salomons song in the prophecies of o Esay 3 16 17. Psaâ— 4.4 Esay and p Ioel. 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heauen as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text obserueth The like obseruation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the Lord is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ wherof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walls are saluation and gates praise or the Heauen of Heauens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyr in 2 Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iâ—bus and Salem supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distich Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distich 9. names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius obseruat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diuersly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of Dauid the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of the honour of this city they that were aliue when Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48.12 numbred her towers to haue considered her wals to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarcely to haue bin beleeued This we know by Ps 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they maruelled they were astonied and suddenly driuen backe Thus is Ierusalem taken
to wisdom It should moue vs b Hereof I spake in a Sermon vpon Hebr. 10.30 to beware of those crying sinnes vsually committed against the first table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by Idolatrie in worshiping the creature aboue the creator blessed for euer by tempting God in making triall whether his word be true or not by murmuring against God in laying iniustice to his charge quod bonis male fit malis bene for afflicting the godly when the wicked liue at ease by rebellion and contumacie in taking counsell together against the Lord against his Christ by blasphemy in doing despite to the Spirit of grace It may moue vs also to beware of those other sins crying sins too vsually committed against the second table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by dishonouring our parents and such as God hath put in place of gouernment aboue vs by grieuing our children and such as are by vs to be gouerned by oppressing the fatherlesse and the poore by giuing our selues ouer vnto filthy lusts Beloued in the Lord let vs not forget this though God bee good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is hee also a iust God God the auenger and punisher Here we see he resolueth to send a fire into the house of Hazael which is the second thing to be considered How God punisheth By fire I will send a fire c. Albeit sometime God himselfe doth by himselfe immediately execute his vengeance vpon the wicked as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt Exod. 12.29 and Nabal 1. Sam. 25.38 and Vzzah 2. Sam 6.7 yet many times he doth it by his instruments c Wigand Syntagm Vet. Test Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei All the creatures of God are ready at his command to be the executioners of his vengeance Among the rest and in the first ranke is fire God sent a fire to lay wast Sodom and Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 to eate vp Nadab and Abihu Leuit 10.2 to cut of the two hundred and fifty men that were in the rebellion of Korah Num. 16.35 to deuoure two captaines twise fifty men 2. King 1.10 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this point My text telleth you that fire Gods creature becommeth Gods instrument executioner of his vengeance I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus Drusius Ar. Montanus Mercer Caluin Gualter expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quod libet genus consumptionis euery kind of consumptiō euery scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked and disobedient be it haile or thunder or sicknes or any other of Gods messengers So farre is the signification of fire though not in the naturall yet in the Metaphorical vnderstanding extended The doctrine which from hence I gather is As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked This truth well appeareth by that which I euen now repeated out of Eccles 39. whence you heard that some spirits are created for vengeance as also are fire and haile and famine and death and the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword yea that the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile cloathing are all for euill vnto the wicked If that proofe because the booke whence it is taken is Apocryphall like you not giue care I pray you while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture The doctrine to be proued is Fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the punishment of the wicked I proue it by the seruice of Angels and other creatures 2 King 19.35 we read of an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand in the camp of Ashur slaine by an Angell of the Lord. The thing is related also Esay 37.36 This ministerie of Gods Angels Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 35.5 6. where his prayer against his enemies is that the Angell of the Lord might scatter and persecute them 1. Sam. 7.10 we read that the Lord did thunder a great thunder vpon the Philistines Ezech. 14. wee read how the Lord punisheth a sinfull land with his e Ezech. 14.21 foure sore iudgements the sword pestilence famine and noysome beasts The story of Gods visitation vpon Pharaoh and the Egyptians in Exod. chap. 8 9. and 10. is fit for my purpose You shall there find that frogs lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botches sores did instrumentally auenge God vpon man and beast in Egypt Adde hereto what you read Psal 148.8 fire and haile and snow and vapours and stormy winds doe execute Gods commandement Thus is my doctrine proued As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them Here set we before our eyes holy King Dauid His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation When Shimei a man of the family of the house of Saul came out against him cast stones at him and railed vpon him calling him to his face a man of blood and a man of Belial a murtherer and a wicked man the good King did not as he was wished to doe he took not away the murtherers life but had respect to the primus motor euen Almighty God the first mouer of this his affliction Shimei he knew was but the instrument And therefore thus saith he to Abischai 2. Sam. 16.10 He curseth because the Lord had bidden him curse Dauid and who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Here also set we before our eies holy Iob. His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation The losse of all his substance his children by the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eies from the God of heauen to those second causes They he knew were but the instruments And therefore possessing his soule in patience he said Iob. 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. To these instances of Dauid and Iob adde one more that of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn the rest Act. 4.27
Zimi Chaldaeu Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certè hoc fine sâ—â— gâ—lari Dei O. M. prouidentâ—â factum nâ—n est Ego existimo illo significari nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters More they speake of it You haue heard it before Iehouah b Deut. 10 17. God of Gods and Lord of Lords a God c Eccles 43.29 most wonderfull very d Deut. 10.17 great mighty and terrible a God that e Eccles 43.31 cannot either bee conceiued in thought or expressed by word f Aug. Soliloq cap. 24. of whom all the Angels in heauen doe stand in feare whom all dominations and g Reuel 5.11 thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers doe shake A God in greatnesse infinite in h August meditat c. 21. goodnesse souereigne in wisâ—ome wonderfull in power Almighty in coursailes terrible in iudgements righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alway the same eternall euerlasting immortall vnchangeable Such is the Lord from whom our Prophet Amos here deriueth authority to his Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe accordingly hath hee spoken it and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittlâ—s of his words are Yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5 18. Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of Gods word shall â—scape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Amos is here a patterne to vs that are Preachers of the word of saluation Wee must euer come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes we may not speake either the imaginations of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our owne hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs 1 Epist cha 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if we yea if an Angell from heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you than from the Lords owne mouth speaking in his holy Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be acccursed let him be had in execration This note beloued doth also concerne you that are the auditors and hearers of Gods word For if wee the Preachers thereof must alwaies come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord then are you to heare vs with reuerence and attention And this for the authority of him that speaketh It is not you that speake saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ to his blessed Apostles Matth. 10.20 but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And againe Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians 1 Epist chap. 2.13 for that when they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeed as the word of God Well therefore did S. Iames chap. 1.21 thus to exhort the Iewes Receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night Gen. 46.2 and said Iacob Iacob Iacob answered I am here He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God should say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God euen at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must he thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance O Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am here Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am here speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince or some great man of this world shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with your best diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the earth calleth vpon you by his ministers Thus farre by occasion of the preface Thus saith the Lord. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure Whether these children of Ammon were distinguished from the Ammonites as Drusius would proue 2 Chron. 20.1 and as R. Dauid anoweth filii Ammon unsquam vocantur Ammonitae the children of Ammon are no where called Ammonites I hold it needlesse to dispute in this place It is out of doubt that these children of Ammon or Ammonites did lincally descend from Ben-ammi who was Lots sonne begotten in incest vpon his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 Lot was Abrahams brothers sonne Gen. 14.12 Whereby it is euident that the posterity of them both the children of Israel and the children of Ammon the Israelites and the Ammonites were linked together by affinity and alliance The more to blame were those Ammonites without all respect of kindred to exercise such cruelty as they did against the Israelites for which cause Almighty God here sent his blessed Prophet to thunder out his threats against them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure In the front of this Prophecie you haue the generall accusation of these children of Ammon For three transgressions and for foure Three of these transgressions if you will beleeue Albertus Magnus are Cruelty Anarice and persecution the fourth is an obstinate pertinacie a constant stubbornnesse euer to dwell in those sinnes Againe three of these transgressions are a coueting of other mens goods an vnlawfull seeking for those things that are not our owne and a hardnesse of heart to retaine them so sought for the fourth is the vnsatiable desire of a couetous man Many are the expositions of the learned vpon these words three and foure transgressions The most naturall proper and significant I take to be if by three and foure a finite and certaine number you vnderstand a number infinite and vncertaine God as often as he will forgiueth though we sin ten thousand times It is but a custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twice and thrice that is a long time to see if we will returne from our euill waies vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency he reproueth vs casteth vs away and leaueth vs in our sinnes Thus haue you the generall accusation of the children of Ammon for their many sinnes for which the Lords protestation against them followeth I will not turne to it These words are diuersly rendred by expositors by the author of the vulgar Latine
Syntagm Disput Sedan loc 2. De origine sacrae Scripturae §. 32. pag. 17. Telenus tels mee of a champion of that side as farre forward as he who saith Melius consultum fuisse Ecclesiae si nulla vnquam extitisset Scriptura that had there neuer beene any Scripture the Church had beene better prouided for then now it is Sedens in coelis ridet there 's a God in heauen that hath these wicked impes in derision vpon whom for their taunts contumelies and reprcches against his sacred word hee will one day poure out his full viols of wrath then will he crush them with his scepâ—er of iron and breake them in pieces like potters vessâ—ls You haue the fiâ—st vse A second followeth Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere then is a lesson for vs whom God hat set a part to be Preachers and Expounders of his will We must handle his sacred Scripture as his holy word wee must euer come vnto you as my Prophet heere did to the Israelites with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes Wee may not speake either the imagination of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same To this S Peter well exhorteth vs in his 1. Epist and chap. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if wee yea if an Angell from Heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you then from the Lords own mouth speaking in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be accursed let him be had in execration The third vse of this doctrine is peculiar vnto you Beloued who are auditors and hearers of the word Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Then Beloued it is your part to heare vs with attention and reuerence whensoeuer wee stand before you to expound Gods holy Scripture S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians Epist 1. chap. 2.13 For that whensoeuer they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeede the word of God In like sort if you receiue it it will saue your soules It is able so to doe S. Iames shall bee your pledge chap. 1.21 Receiue it therefore with meeknesse that by it your soules may liue God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night and sayd Gen. 46.2 Iaacob Iaacob Iaacob answered I am heere He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God would say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must hee thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance ô Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am heere Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day thou wilt put into the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am heere speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince of this world or some great man shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with all diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the Earth the liuing and immortall God calleth vpon you by his Ministers What remaineth but that you suffer a word of Exhortation It shall bee short in S. Pauls words Coloss 3.16 Holy and beloued as the elect of God let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome This word of God it is his most royall and celestiall Testament it is the oracle of his heauenly Sanctuarie it is the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauor to his Church the light of our feete the ioy of our hearts the breath of our nostrils the pillar of our faith the anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the euidence of our future blessednes Let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdom So shall your wayes by it be clensed and your selues made cleane Yet a very litle while he that shall come will come will not tarry euen our Lord Iesus Christ who finding your wayes clensed and your selues made cleane by his sacred word will in his due time translate you from this valley of teares into Ierusalem which is aboue the most glorious Citie of God There shall this corruptible put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE II. LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. IN the former Sermon I handled the Preface The Prophecie is now to be spoken vnto The first part therein is The accusation of Moab in these words For three transgressions of Moab and for foure Where we are to consider 1. Who are accused 2. For what they are accused The accused are the Moabites and they are accused of many breaches of the Law of God First of the accused Moab was one of the sonnes of Lot begotten in incest vpon his eldest daughter Gen. 19.37 From him by lineall descent came these Moabites a people inhabiting that part of the East which is commonly knowne by the name of Coelesyria but was formerly the possession of the Amorites These Moabites like their brethren the Ammonites were professed enemies to the people of God and did euermore very grieuously afflict and vex them In which respect they were for euer by God his singular commandment excluded from the Church Gods commandement is expressed Deut. 23.3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. And it s repeated Nehem. 13.1 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of God Thus haue you the accused euen the Moabites the posteritie of Moab who was Lots sonne inhabitants of Coelesyria and borderers vpon the Holy Land the possession of the Israelites Now what are they accused of Of many breaches of Gods law in these words For three and foure transgressions This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter and haue heard it diuersly expounded The most naturall proper and significant exposition commended to you was by three and foure a finite and certaine number to vnderstand many a number infinite vncertaine For three transgressions of Moab and for foure that is for many transgressions of the
long before with holy premonitions he prouideth for them by his Prophets and either by promises he keepeth them in good courses or by threats he recalleth them from bad Be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an exposition or a reason of what was said before it is all one for the matter But if we respect the forme of the sentence as it standeth in our now English translation Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets it may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Asseueration For such it is and is of a reuelation concerning which three things are to be obserued 1. Who is the Reuealer 2. What is Reuealed 3. To whom The Reuealer is the Lord God His secret is the thing reuealed They to whom the reuelation is made are his seruants the Prophets Of those in their order The Reuealer is first and is here set forth by two names of his Adonai Iehouih Lord God The first place of Scripture wherein these two names are ioyned together is Gen. 15.2 in the complaint made by Abraham for want of an heire Lord God what wilt thou giue me if I goe childlesse Lord God Lord in Hebrew is Adonai which signifieth My Lords or my stayes or pillars implying in it a mystery of the holy Trinity Matth. 11.25 It is one of the proper names of God the Lord of Heauen and earth who as a base sustaineth his faithfull children in all their infirmities It is written here with kametz or long A in the end and so is proper to God hauing the vowels of Iehouah when it is written with Patach or short A it is applied to creatures In the forme singular Adon Lord or sustainer is also ascribed vnto God the Lord of all the earth Psal 97 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth The Lord of the whole earth he is Adon Adonim in the forme plurall is likewise ascribed vnto God Malac. 1.6 If I be Adonim If I be a Lord where is my feare The other name of God in this place is Iehouih Iehouih It is vsually so written when it is ioyned with Adonai and it hath the consonant letters of Iehouah and the vowels of Elohim And where one Prophet writeth Adonai Iehouih as in the prayer of Dauid set downe 2 Sam. 7.18 another writing of the same prayer saith Iehouah Elohim 1 Chron. 17.16 Say Iehouih or Iehouah the signification is the same But Iehouih as Tremelius and Iunius haue noted vpon the 15. of Genesis is the more patheticall the fitter to moue affection and is therefore vsed in passionate speeches and prayers that are very earnest by a Gen. 15.2 8. Abraham by b Deut. 3.24.9.26 Moses by c Cap. 4.14 c. Ezechiel and others as if they were sighing and sobbing So writeth Amandus Polanus in his Commentary vpon Ezechiel chap. 4.14 But Alsted in his Theologicall Lexicon is of another minde and thinks there is no more passion shewed in saying Iehouih than in saying Iehouah Yet may it be otherwise Adonai Iehouih the Lord God The first of these two names betokeneth his Maiestie his sustentation of all things and his dominion ouer all the second his Essence his existing or being The first Adonai Grammarians deriue from Eden which is as much as Basis or Stylobates the base or foot-stoole of a pillar the foundation thereof giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the Lord our God is the sustainer the maintainer the vpholder of all things that he is most properly primarily and of himselfe Lord that he is the only true prime and supreme Lord of all things yea the Lord of Lords that he alone hath absolute full free and eternall right ouer all things that are contained within the circuit of Heauen and Earth The second Iehouih they deriue as they doe Iehouah from Hauah which signifieth He was The force of this name is opened in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn chap. 1.4 in that his sâ—lutation to the seuen Churches of Asia Grace be vnto you and peace from Him which is and which was and which is to come that is from God the Father Iehouah from him that is eternall immortall and vnchangeable from him who hath his being of himselfe and giueth being to all creatures In the same chap. vers 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty The words are the conclusion or shutting vp of the fore-mentioned salutation and are a confirmation of that grace and peace that was to come vnto the seuen Churches from Iehouah God alone from him who is the first and the last our Redeemer the Lord of Hosts besides whom there is no God Who was who was before all and gaue to euery creature the being Who is to come who is to come continueth for euer and supporteth all euen the Almightie who exerciseth his power and prouidence ouer all This same who is who was and who is to come as before in the distinguishing of the Persons of the Trinitie it was vsed to expresse God the Father so here it is vsed to declare the vnion of substance in the whole three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost It is likewise vsed Reu. 11.17 where those foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seats fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thankes O Lord Almightie which art and which wa st and which art to come So is it by the Angell of the waters Reuel 16.5 where he saith Thou art righteous O Lord which art and which wa st and which shalt be Thus in the Holy Reuelation of Saint Iohn is the force of the name Iehouah opened foure seuerall times and implieth thus much 1. That God hath his being or existence of himselfe before the world was Esay 44.6 2. That He giues being vnto all things For as much as in him all things are and doe consist Act. 17.25 Exod. 6.3 Esay 45.2 Ezech. 5.17 3. That Hee giueth being to his Word effecting whatsoeuer Hee speaketh We met with this name of God Iehouah in the first Chapter of this Booke nine times in the second seuen times and twice before in this Now by the change of a vowell it is Iehouih This change of a vowell changeth not the name Iehouah or Iehouih the name is the same the most proper name of God of God whose true Latitude is his Immensitie whose true Longitude is his Eternitie whose true Altitude is the Sublimitie of his Nature whose true Profunditie being sine fundo without bottome is his incomprehensibility Bernard in his fifth booke de Consideratione cap. 13. hath a discourse to this very purpose but with some variety The question there propounded is Quid est Deus What is God The answer is Longitudo Latitudo
verse there it is intimated that a day should come wherein the Lord would visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him In this visitation or punishment their religious places or houses of religion were to have a portion It is plaine by by the latter part of the fourteenth verse I will visit the altars of Beth-el and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground Nor were their religious places only to partake of this visitation but other places also prophane and ciuill their places of ordinary and common vseâ— their edifices and dwelling houâ—â— Their doome is forespoken in the beginning of the 15. verse The winter house shall be smitten so shall the summer house one houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shaue an end For the seale and assurance of all the conclusion of this Chapter is Neum Iehouah saith the Lord. Of Gods resolution to punish the sinnes of Israel together with the visitation of their religious places I entreated in my last Sermon Now am I to proceed with the punishment inted to their prophane and ciuill places to their places of ordinary and common vse to their edifices and dwelling houses thus deliuered in this fifteenth verse And. I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end For the easier handling of these words I am to speake of an action and of the obiect thereof of a smiting and of the thing to be smitten The smiting is the Lords the the things to be smitten belong to the Israelites Of both in their order First for the Action for the smiting which is Gods Persecution I will smite The actions of God and two sorts Immanent or Transcient Immanent are those that remaine within himselfe as to vnderstand to will to loue For alwayes and from all eternity God in himself vnderstandeth willeth and loueth The Transient actions of God are such as he in â—â—me produceth without himselfe So he created the world he â—â—â—leth it and worketh all in all he iustifieth he regnerateth he punisheth And of this ranke in his action of smiting Persecution I will smite God in holy Scripture is said to smite either immediately of himselfe without means or mediatly when he vseth meanes as Angels good or bad or men godly or wicked or other creatures God immediatly of himselfe and without means smote all the first-borne in the Land of Aegypt from the first-borne of Pharoah that sate on his throne vnto the first-borne of the captiue that was in the dungeon Exod. 12.29 God of himselfe smote them all And though hee oft-times vses meanes the ministry of Angells men or other creatures for the smiting of transgressours yet is God iustly said to smite them For the axiom of the Schooles is Actio non attribuitur instrumento propriè sed principali agenti Tho. 1.2 qu. 16. 1. c. si the action is not properly attributed to the instrument but to the principall agent The building of a house is not to be ascribed to the axe but to the Carpenter that vseth the axe Angels men and other creatures are to God but as the axe is to the Carpenter but as his instruments Whensoeuer therefore through their ministery any euil shal betide vs we are to acknowledge God to be the pricipall doer therereof He it is that smiteth vs. 2. King 19.35 It is true that an Angell in one night smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundred fourescore and five thousand Esay 37.36 The Angell smote them that is the letter But it was Angelus Domini it was the Angell of the Lord. The Lord sent that Angell to cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captaines in the campe of King Sennacherib The Lord sent him The Lord then was agens principalis he was the principal doer in that slaughter the Angell was but his messenger to put in execution the worke of the Lord. So the Lord was he that smote the Assyrians Israel vnder the conduct of Moses smote two mighty Kinges Sibon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan Numb 21.35 There Israel smote them yet Psal 136.17 the Lord is said to haue smitten them percussét Reges magnos He smote great King and slew famous Kings Sibon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan The Lord smote them The Lord then was Agens principalis he was the pricipall doer in this great ouerthrow Israel did but execute what the Lord would have done So the Lord was he that smote those Kings If a a 1 King 20.36 Lion smite vs vpon the way if either b Esay 49.10 hunger or thirst if the heat or the Sunne smite vs if our Vines c Psal 78 47 48. be smitten with haile our Sycomore trees with frost our flockes with hot thunder-bolts our d Deut. 28.22 corne-fields with blasting and with mildew if our selues be smitten with consumptions with feuers with inflamations with extreme burnings with the e Vers 27. botch of Aegypt with the Emrods with the scab and with the itch whereof we cannot be healed if we be smitten with f Vers 28. madnesse with blindnesse with astonishment of heart if we be any way smitten whatsoeuer the meanes may be it is the Lord that smiteth vs. Percutiet te Dominus the Lord shall smite thee Vers 22 27 28 35. It is in one Chapter in the 28. of Deuteronomie foure times repeated to shew vnto vs that if we be smitten with any the now mentioned miseries or any other it is the Lord that smiteth vs. The Percutiam in my text serues for the corroboration of this truth Percutiam I will smite the winter house with the summer house If then but a house be smitten be it a winter house or a summer house the Lord is he that hath smitten it So from this percutiam I will smite I I the Lord will smite ariseth this doctrine In the miseries or calamities that doe befall vs in this life we must not looke to the instruments but to the Lord that smiteth by them Thus haue the godly euer done Holy Iob in his time did it The losse of all his substance and children by the Sabeans Iob 1.15 Chaldeans fire from Heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eyes from the God of Heauen to those second causes Those he knew to be but instruments the Lord was agens principalis he was the chiefe doer This he acknowledgeth and blesseth God for it Dominus abstulit The Lord that gaue me all hath taken all away blessed be the name of the Lord Iob 1.21 Such was the practice of King Dauid Shimei 2 Sam. 16.5 a man of the family of the house of Saul comes forth from Bahurim Vers 6. curseth still as he comes meets the King casts stones at him raileth vpon him calleth him to his face
literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heauen For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1. God did choose Ierusalem aboue all other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the company of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2. Ierusalem is a Citie Å¿ Psal 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuary the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God and the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 the throne of Dauid So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of Christ figured by the Kingdome of Dauid 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection and obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntary obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reuel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudeâ— the u Psal 46.4 City of God euen the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heauen Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the Lord is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother City of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an Exposition of Sion The Lord shall roare from Sion that is in other words The Lord shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloued in the Lord The Lord shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holinesse and he shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatry but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the purity of Gods worship did gloriously shine We may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainly This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is serued and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guide This guide is a King and leads you the way the blessed King Dauid I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for thy courts Marke his loue Psal 26.8 O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnesse of his zeale Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King Dauid be the patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrument and mean to nourish beget you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else doe gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is euery mans duty the duty of euery one that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the Lord Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond and the free betweene the male and the female for our Lord who is Lord ouer all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your hearts it is repeated vnto you Mat. 23.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony-changers and doue-sellers whom hee found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò deuonit vt speluncam latronum efficiat eam Whosoeuer vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer he commeth thither to make it a den of theeues Let vs take heed beloeed in the Lord whensoeuer we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of this sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giueth a profitable caueat Take heed to thy feet when thou â—nterest into the house of God intimaâ—ing thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet is Salomons caueat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where he is chiefly to be sought and worshipped euen in euery place appointed by publike authority for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God giuen his Church a 1 Cor. 12.27 some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and
of knowledge of that his heauenly truth wherein consisteth our saluation that we may be saued What greater benefit can there be vnto vs then this What more ample testimonie of his eternall good will to vs For this benefit that is for the knowledge of Gods heauenly truth the blessed Apostle St Paul neuer ceased to giue thanks vnto God I thanke God saith he 1. Tim. 1.12 I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice When before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy From this his thankefull heart proceeded those his words Phil. 3.8 Doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen dung that I might winne Christ St Pauls charitie was not confined within the Temple of his owne bodie others had a tast thereof As the Corinthians to whom in his first Epistle cap. 1. ver 4. he thus manifesteth his affection I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ that in all things ye are made rich in him in all kind of speech And in all knowledge I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe not for your riches for your honors for your large possessions for your flourishing cittie but for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ for your free vocation for your faith for your reconciliation for your iustification for your regeneration for your hope of eternall saluation for the preaching of the word of God among you and for your knowledge of the truth thereof The knowledge of this truth of God farre surpasseth all the treasures of this corruptible world Shall not we then poure out our soules in thankfulnes before almightie God for bestowing vpon vs so gracious a blessing as is this knowledge of the truth of God Let vs with the spirit of blessed Paul account all things which haue beene or are gainefull to vs in this present world to be but losse and dung in respect of this knowledge of Gods holy truth forasmuch as hereby we may winne Christ Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The second vse concerneth our thankesgiuing for the knowledge of Gods truth The third tendeth to our imitation Is it true Is God truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Why striue we not with all the faculties and powers of our soules to represent our God in truth He in the beginning in the first man in our forefather Adam created and made vs in his owne image after his owne likenesse Gen. 1.26 Then was man inuested with glorious roabes with immortalitie with vnderstanding with freedome of will then was he perfectly good and chast and pure and iust and true Whatsoeuer might appertaine to happines or holinesse he then had it For God created him so like vnto himselfe in perfect happines and holinesse that he might in some sort beare about with him the image of the great and glorious God of Heauen But alas our first Parent continued not long in that his first estate of puritie innocencie and integritie by his fall he lost vs that his precious Iewell which had he stood fast would haue beene vnto vs a chaine of gold about our neckes yea as it is called Psal 8.5 A crowne of honor and glorie But by his fall we are become miserable and vnholy and wicked and vncleane and false as vnlike to God as darkenesse is to light and Hell is to Heauen In this estate of sinne and death we all lay wallowing till God of his owne vnspeakeable mercy and goodnesse raised vs vp by his grace to a better state a state of regeneration and saluation wherein all we whose names are written in the Register of the elect and chosen children of God must spend the remainder and residue of the dayes of our pilgrimage in this world In this state wee must not stand at one stay but must alwayes be growing vpward We must day by day endeuour to encrease our spirituall strength and change our Christian infancie with a ripe and constant age and adde grace to grace till we become perfect men in Christ To vs now in the state of regeneration belongeth the exhortation of God vnto the children of Israell Leuit. 11.44 Be ye holy for I am holy And that of Christ to his auditors vpon the Mount Matth. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect or as it is in St Luke Chap. 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your Father also is merciful By which places we are not exhorted to a perfection of supererogation as Monkes would haue it nor to a perfect and absolute fulfilling of the Law for that is impossible so long as wee carry about vs these vessels of corruption witnesse St Paul Rom. 8.3 But all that we are exhorted to is that we would do our best endeuours to resemble our God and to be like vnto him in holinesse in perfection in mercifulnesse Be holy as God is holy be perfect as God is perfect be mercifull as God is mercifull non absoluta aequalitate sed similitudine not absolutely and equally holy perfect and mercifull as God is but by a similitude God is our Father and will not we his children like good children striue to be accomodated and fitted to our Fathers vertues Beloued let vs apply our selues to this imitation of our heauenly Father to be holy as he is holy to be perfect as he is perfect to be mercifull as he is mercifull and for my present purpose to be true as he is true To this last we may thus be led God is our Creator and he is the God of truth Psal 31.5 Christ is our Redeemer and he is Truth Ioh. 14.6 We are renued by the holy Ghost and he is the spirit of Truth Ioh. 16.13 We liue in the bosome of the Church and she is the pillar and ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Thus liuing we are taught by the word of truth Colos 1.5 And are brought to the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2.4 And are sanctified by Truth Ioh. 17.17 Adde hereto that we are commaunded euery one to speake the Truth Ephes 4.25 And shall we doe our best to resemble God in Truth To be true as he is true Dearely beloued sith we are the children of Truth for God is Truth and his children we are let vs walke as it becometh the children of Truth let Truth be in our thoughts in our words in our workes in all our wayes What shall I more say to this poynt but exhort you in St Paules words Ephes 4.25 That ye would cast off lying and speake euery man the truth
Christ for its durablenesse stabilitie may well be likened to mountaines and that the Cedars of Lebanon doe not so much ouergrow other trees in tallnesse as true Christian religion for its reuerend maiestie shall ouergoe whatsoeuer blind bushie and thornie superstitions It is out of doubt Cedar trees are verie high So high that neuer man neuer Gyant was so high How then is it that my text thus speaketh of the Amorites Their height was like the height of the Cedars It is by a figure which the Greekes call Hyperbole Whereof many instances may be alledged out of holy Scripture In the 2. of Sam. 1.23 it is said of Saul and Ionathan They were swifter then Eagles they were stronger then Lyons Swifter then Eagles and yet the Eagle of birds is the swiftest stronger then Lyons and yet the Lyon of Beasts is the strongest They were swifter then Eagles they were stronger then Lyons they are two Hyperboles or prouerbiall speeches By them the holy Ghost lets vs vnderstand that Saul and Ionathan were exceeding swift of foot and strong of bodie In Psalme 107.26 it is sayd of the waues of the Sea in a great tempest They mount vp to Heauen they goe downe againe to the depths They are two Hyperboles By them the Psalmist setteth as it were before our eyes the greatnesse of the daunger wherein they often times are that trade by Sea In Genes 13.16 The Lord said to Abram I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth then shall thy seed also be numbred I will make 〈◊〉 seede as the dust of the earth saith the Lord. It is an Hyperbole S. Austine so takes it de Civ Dei lib. 16. c. 21. And well For who seeth not how incomparably greater the number of the dust is then the number of all the men that euer haue bin are or shall be from the first man Adam to the end of the world can be And therefore where the Lord saith I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth we are not to imagine that the posteritie of Abram was to be in number as the dust all the people of the earth put togither cannot stand in this comparison but wee are giuen to vnderstand that they were to be a very great people I passe ouer with silence many instances of like nature and returne to my text where it is said of the Amorites Their height was like the height of the Cedars The speach is prouerbiall its hyperbolicall We may not from it collect that the Amorites were as high as the Cedars but this onely that the Amorites were a people very tall and high of stature Neuer did any man equall the Cedars in height yet shew me a man that is of a vaste bodie and of an vnusuall proceritie I may take vp this Scripture phrase and say of him His height is like the height of Cedars Thus you see the Amorites for their height or talnes are likened to the Cedar For their strength or valour they are resembled to the Oke in the next words He was strong as the Okes. The figure of speach is as before It s prouerbiall The Oke you know is a hard kinde of wood strong firme and durable Hence is the prouerbe Quercu robustior or robore validior stronger then the Oke Neuer was there man of so firme a constitution that he can properly be said to be stronger then the Oke Yet shew me a man of extraordinarie strength I may take vp this Scripture-phrase and say of him Fortis ipse quasi quercus he is strong as the Okes. And in this sense it is here said of the Amorite He was strong as the Okes. That the Amorites were of an vnusuall and extraordinarie height and strength as they are here described by our Prophet Amos you may further know by the relation which the Spies made vnto Moses after their returne from the search of the Holy land Their relation is Num. 13.28 The people be strong that dwell in the land we saw the children of Anak there At the 32. verse they speake more fully All the people that we saw in it are men of great stature And there we saw the Gyants the sonnes of Anak which come of the Gyants and we were in our owne sight as grashoppers and so were we in their sight By this relation of the Spies you see that the Amorites the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were more then ordinarie tall and strong The tallest and strongest of the Amorites of these Amorites which the Lord destroyed before Israel was Og the King of Basan Of his height and strength the Iewes make strange reports For his height they say he was in his cradle and swadling cloutes thirty cubits high and as he grew in yeares so grew he in tallnesse For his strength they say when he had heard that the tents of the children of Israel tooke vp the space of three miles he rooted vp a mountaine of like space and set it on his head with purpose to cast it vpon the tents of Israel but as he caried it Ants made a hole through the midst of it and so it descended and rested vpon his necke whence by reason of his teeth excessiuely increasing and running into the holes of the mountaine the mountaine stuck so fast that he could not remoue it to cast it as he had purposed vpon the campe of the Israelites This the Iewes do write in their booke of Benedictions and Lyra in his Postill vpon Num. 21. makes mention of it but withall censures it to be so absurd that it needs no other refutation yet he makes mention of it that we may see quanta coecitas est in Iudaeis how blinde the Iewes are to beleeue such fables It is I grant one of those Iewish fables whereto S. Paul wished Titus chap. 1.14 not to giue any heed and I beleeue it no more then I doe that the Gyant Antaeus was threescore cubits high because Gabinius in the 17. booke of Strabo his a pag. 960. Geographie affirmes it or that in Scythia in a rocke by the riuer Tyres there was to be seene the print of Hercules his foote of two cubits length because Herodotus in his b pag. 110. Melpomene is the relator of it Yet beleeue I that Og the King of Basan was of more then ordinarie tallnes and strength And you will beleeue it too if you will estimate a monument of his which was to be seene in Rabbath the Metropoliticall Citie of the children of Ammon now called Philadelphia The monument was a bedsted of his It is described Deut. 3.11 His bedsted was a bedsted of yron nine cubits was the length thereof and foure cubits the breadth of it after the cubit of a man Of a man of reasonable stature not of a Gyant nor of a dwarfe Nine cubits long was his bedsted and bedsteds vsually exceed the common stature of
I deliuer in this position The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value I neede not be long in the proofe of this truth you already giue your assent vnto it The word of God it s a Iewell then which nothing is more precious vnto which any thing else compared is but drosse by which any thing else tryed is found lighter then vanitie it s a trumpet wherby we are called from the slippery paths of sinne into the way of Godlinesse It s a lampe vnto our feete it s a light vnto our paths Psal 119.105 It s the g Matth. 4.4 Luk. 4.4 Ierem. 15.16 Ezech. 3.3 Revel 10.9 Ezech. 2.8 Wisd 16.26 foode of our soules by it our soules do liue Deut. 8.3 It s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seede Seede committed to the earth taketh roote groweth vp blossometh and beareth fruit So is it with the word of God If it be sowen in your hearts and there take roote it will grow vp blossome and beare fruit vnto eternall life In which respect S. Iames chap. 1.21 calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an engrafted word engrafted in your hearts able to saue your soules Sith the word of God is such doth it not follow of necessitie that the ministerie of it freely exercised in any Nation will be to that Nation a blessing of an inestimable value Can it be denyed The Prophet Esay chap. 52.7 with admiration auoucheth it How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the h Nahum 1.15 feete of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth saluation that saith vnto Zion Thy God reigneth S. Paul is so resolued vpon the certainty of this truth that Rom. 10.15 he resumeth the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Conferre we these two places one with the other that of Esay with this of Paul and we shall behold a heape of blessings showring downe vpon them to whom God sendeth the ministers of his Gospell for they bring with them the word of saluation the doctrine of peace the doctrine of good things and the doctrine of the kingdome Such is the Gospell of Christ First it is the word of saluation The Gospell of Christ is called the word of saluation first because it is the power of God vnto saluation as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God vnto saluation that is it is the instrument of the power of God or it is the powerfull instrument of God which he vseth to bring men vnto saluation And secondly because it teacheth vs concerning the author of our Saluation euen Christ Iesus An Angell of the Lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame and saith vnto him Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name i Luk 1.31 Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 He shall saue his people that is he shall be their Sauiour Iesus he is the Sauiour of his people merito efficacia by merit and by efficacie By merit because he hath by his death purchased for his people for all the elect the remission of their sinnes and the donation of the holy Spirit and life eternall And by efficacie because by the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the Gospell he worketh in the elect true faith by which they doe not onely lay hold on the merit of Christ in the promise of the Gospell but also they studie to serue God according to his holy commandements An Angell of the Lord relating the natiuitie of Christ vnto the Shepheards Luk 2.10 11. saith vnto them Feare not For I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people For vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Vnto you is borne a Sauiour where you haue what you are to beleeue of the Natiuitie of Christ He is borne a Sauiour vnto you Vnto you not onely to those shepheards to whom this Angell of the Lord speakes the words but vnto you Vnto you not only to Peter and Paul and some other of Christs Apostles and Disciples of old but vnto you vnto you vnto euery one of you in particular and vnto me When I heare the Angels words Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto you I apply them vnto my selfe and say Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me In this perswasion and confidence I rest and say with S. Paul Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me and that life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me Peter filled with the Holy Ghost seales this truth Act. 4.12 There is no Saluation in any other then in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth There is no other name vnder Heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Againe Act. 15.11 he professeth it We beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saued It must be our beleefe too if we will be saued We we in particular must beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus we shall be saued We shall be saued What 's that It is in S. Pauls phrase we shall be made aliue 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made aliue St Austine Ep. 157. which is to Optatus doth thus illustrate it Sicut in regno mortis nemo sine Adam ita in regno vitae nemo sine Christo As in the kingdome of death there is no man without Adam so in the kingdome of life there is no man without Christ as by Adam all men were made vnrighteous so by Christ are all men made righteous sicut per Adam omnes mortales in poenâ facti sunt filij seculi ita per Christum omnes immortales in gratiâ fiunt filij Dei As by Adam all men mortall in punishment were made the sonnes of this world so by Christ all men immortall in grace are made the sonnes of God Thus haue I prooued vnto you that the Gospell of Christ is the word of Saluation as well because it is the power of God vnto Saluation as also because it teacheth vs of the author of our Saluation Secondly it is the doctrine of Peace The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of peace because the ministers of the Gospell do publish and preach Peace This Peace which they publish and preach is threefold Betweene God and man Man and man Man and himselfe First they preach Peace
betweene God and man that Peace which Christ hath procured vs by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 In which respect he is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 For in him hath God reconciled vs vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.18 Secondly they preach Peace betweene man and man They exhort you with the Apostle Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you haue peace with all men and 2. Cor. 13.11 Be of one minde liue in Peace Liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you Thirdly they preach peace betweene man and himselfe betweene man and his owne conscience It is that Peace whereof we read Psal 119.165 Great Peace haue they which loue thy Law O Lord and nothing shall offend them they shall haue no stumbling blocke laid in their wayes though outwardly they be assaulted by aduersitie crosses and troubles yet within they are quiet they haue the Peace of conscience they are at Peace with themselues From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospell of Christ the Gospell of Christ may well be called the doctrine of Peace Thirdly it is the doctrine of good things The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of good things Of good things The name of Gospell in the Greeke tongue imports as much The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth a good message that is a happy and a ioyfull message of good things What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you call the Gospell but a celestiall doctrine which God first reuealed in Paradice afterward published by the Patriarches and Prophets shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Sonne God who is onely good yea is goodnes it selfe is the author of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell must needs bring with it a message of good things The message it bringeth is this that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Christ the only begotten Sonne of God our Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised and preached to all that truly beleeue in him perfect deliuerance from sinne death and the euerlasting curse Could there be any more happy or welcom tidings to mankinde then this was Out of doubt the Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of good things Fourthly it is the doctrine of the Kingdome The Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdome It s so called Luk. 4.43 where Christ saith of himselfe I must preach the kingdome of God to other Cities also So is it Mark 1.14 there the Euangelist saith of Christ that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee This Kingdome is twofold of Grace and of Glory of Grace here on earth and of glory hereafter in Heauen Of grace here here Christ reigneth in the soules of the faithfull by his word and holy Spirit Of glory hereafter when Christ shall haue deliuered vp the Kingdome to God the Father as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 15.24 If so it be if the Gospell of Christ be the word of Saluation if it be the doctrine of Peace of Peace betweene God and man betweene man and man betweene man and himselfe if it be the doctrine of good things of our deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law if it be the doctrine of the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the Kingdome of glory then must it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospell do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value And such is my doctrine The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value The vse hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospell and their auditors First the Ministers of the Gospell They may here be put in minde of their dutie which is willingly and cheerefully to preach the Gospell This their dutie may be called a debt S. Paul calls it so Rom. 1.14 15. I am debtor both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome S. Paul you see acknowledgeth a debt and makes a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby he was made a debter was his Apostolicall calling his debt was to preach the Gospell the persons to whom he was indebted were Greekes and Barbarians the wise and the vnwise His good conscience to discharge his debt appeareth in his readinesse to doe it I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell S. Paul may be vnto vs a patterne of imitation We also must acknowledge a debt and must make a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby we are made debtors is our ministeriall calling Our debt is to preach the Gospell The persons to whom we are indebted are our owne flocke our owne people the people ouer whom the Lord hath made vs ouer-seers Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appeare in our readinesse to doe it I and euery other minister of the Gospell must say as S. Paul doth I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell to you So farre forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge I am ready to preach the Gospell to you Nothing hath hitherto or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt but onely the impediments which the Lord obiecteth Secondly the vse of my doctrine concerneth you who are the hearers of the word You also may here be put in minde of your dutie which is patiently and attentiuely to heare the word preached Of your readinesse in this behalfe I should not doubt if you would but remember what an vnvaluable treasure it is which we bring vnto you Is it not the word of Saluation the Saluation of your soules Is it not your peace inward and outward your peace with God your peace with man your peace with your owne consciences Is it not the doctrine of good things your deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law Is it not the publication of the Kingdome of God his kingdome of graâ—e wherein you now may liue tha hereafter you may liue in the Kingdome of glory Is it not euen thus Can it be denyed Beloued in the Lord the Lord who raised vp vnto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazarites he raiseth vp vnto you of your sonnes Ministers Prophets and Teachers and of your yong men such as may be trayned vp and fitted in the Scholes of the Prophets in our Naioths in our Vniuersities for a present supply when God shall be pleased to remoue from you those which haue laboured among you and are ouer you in the Lord. It s an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the
against that great Armada and inuincible Nauie that was prouided for our ouerthrow but I may not now stand vpon amplifications It s out of doubt the wind the creature of the Lord is the Lords weapon wherewith sometimes he reuengeth the wicked and disobedient Euery other creature of the Lord hath his place to fight the Lords battels against the disobedient To auenge Gods quarrell against the disobedient the Heauen that is ouer our heads shall become as brasse and the earth that is vnder vs as yron Deut. 28.23 Heauen and earth shall fight for him m Levit. 26 22. Ezech. 5.17 Wild beasts euill beasts all the beasts of the field shall fight for him Esay 56.9 Euery feathered fowle shall fight for him Ezech. 39.17 The silliest of creatures etiam vermes pulices muscae araneae sayth n Summa Theol. part 2. Tit. 4 â—ap 2 §. 1. Antoninus wormes and fleas and flyes and spiders shall all fight for him So true is that which in the second place I affirmed God punisheth disobedience per impugnationem orbis by setting the world against man Thirdly God punisheth disobedience per privationem Numinis by depriuing man of the vision of God This appeareth by the seueritie of that sentence which the Iudge of all flesh the Iudge of quicke and dead shall at the last day pronounce against the Reprobate for their disobedience to Gods holy Lawes and Commaundements The sentence is expressed Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Depart from me There is preuatio numinis a separation from the face of God an exclusion from the beatificall and blessed vision of God Depart from me ye cursed Cursed are yee and therefore depart Cursed because yee haue not obeyed the Law of the Lord Cursed because yee haue contemptuously reiected the holy Gospell Cursed because ye haue trodden vnder foote the sweete grace of God freely offered vnto you Cursed because yee haue beene so farre from relieuing the weake and poore members of Christ as that yee haue rather oppressed and crushed them with wrong violence Cursed are yee and therefore depart Depart from me yee Cursed into euerlasting fire Behold the torment where into the disobedient shall be cast and the infinitie of it It s fire and fire euerlasting But why fire Are there not other kinds of punishments in Hell Yes there are Dionysius the Carthusian in his third Novissimum art 6. reckoneth vp eleuen kinds the Centuriators in their first Centurie lib. 1. cap. 4. nine kinds Durandus de S. Porciano in 4. Sent. Dist 50. qu. 1. diuerse kinds Why then doth the Iudge in pronouncing the sentence of the damned speake onely of fire Caietane saith it is propter supplicij vehementiam for the vehemencie of the punishment because of all the punishments in Hell that shall torment the bodie the fire is the sharpest So saith o Jn Mat. 25. qu. 403. Abulensis In afflictivis nihil est nobis tam terribile quam ignis of things that may afflict our bodies there is nothing so terrible vnto vs as fire So Durandus in the place now cited § 9. Of all the punishments in Hell wherewith the bodie shall be tormented the punishment of fire is the greatest quia quod est magis activum est magis afflictivum the more actiue any thing is the more it tormenteth but the fire is maximè activus and therefore maximè afflictivus the fire is the most actiue and therefore it most of all tormenteth For this cause when other punishments are in Scripture passed ouer with silence the sole punishment of fire is expressed because in it as in the greatest of all all other punishments are vnderstood Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Prepared of God the Father by his eternall decree of absolute reprobation Prepared for the Deuill and his Angels God from euerlasting determined concerning such Angels as should fall not to confirme them in good but to turne them out of heauen and to exclude them from eternall beatitude together with their head prince the Deuill The Deuill and his Angels Horrenda societas Such shall be the companions of the cursed and damned after this life ended I must draw towards an end Dearely beloued you haue hitherto heard concerning Disobedience that it is a foule sin that God curseth it and doth punish it that he punisheth it first per afflictionem corporis by laying affliction vpon man in his bodie secondly per impugnationem orbis by setting the whole world against him and thirdly per privationem numinis by depriuing him of the beatificall and blessed vision of God which of all the punishments of Hell is farre the greatest farre greater then the punishment of fire What now remaineth for vs but that we labour to eschew and to flie from so damnable a sinne and to embrace the contrary vertue due obedience to the holy will of God Let not the pleasures of sinne the lusts of the flesh the riches the snares the cares of this world nor any transitorie delight that may tickle man for an houre but will wound him for euer let not all these nor any one of these inuolue vs in the gulfe of disobedience against the holy Gospell of Christ and the eternall will of God But thinke wee oh thinke we euer that there is a Heauen a God a Iesus a Kingdome of glorie a societie of Angels a communion of Saints ioy peace and happinesse and an eternitie of all these and striue we with all humilitie and obedience to the attainement of these so shall God in this world shower downe vpon vs his blessings in abundance and after this life ended he shall transplant vs to his Heauenly Paradise There shall this corruptible put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall bee swallowed vp of life THE XVIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.12 But yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke and commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not THat these words are an exprobation an vpbraiding or twiting of Israel with the foulenesse of their ingratitude I signified in my last exercise out of this place I then obserued in the words a double ouersight in the Israelites the first was that they solicited the Nazirites to breake their vow the second that they hindred the Prophets in the execution of their holy function The first in these words Yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke The second in these Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not Of the first then Now of the second My method shall be first to take a view of the words then to examine the matter conteined in them The words are Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophesie not Yee commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in Pihel from the roote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifieth to giue in charge to will to command If it be ioyned in construction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it
word Ecce Loe Marke or Behold to put men in remembrance and to awake them to the consideration of the weightie matter that followeth that they should not lightly passe ouer it but deepely marke and consider it The Iesuit Lorinus Comment in Act. Apost obserueth out of holy Scripture diuerse acceptions and vses of this particle Ecce Behold First it noteth rem novam ac inopinatam atque mirabilem some thing that is new and vnlooked for and wonderfull as Act. 1.10 while the Apostles looked stedfastly toward heauen at the time of Christs ascension Ecce Behold two men or two Angels in the forme of men stood by them in white apparell So is it vsed by the blessed Virgin in her Magnificat Luk. 1.48 Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Where Ecce Behold rem magnam novam admiratione dignam designat sayth Alfonsus Salmeron Behold it designeth and poynteth out vnto vs some great matter new and admirable such as is creaturam in lucem edere creatorem famulam Dominum generare Virginem Deum parere What greater what newer what matter more wonderfull then that a Creature should conceiue in her wombe and bring forth her Creator a handmaid her Lord a virgin God It is so full of wonder that the Prophet Esay foretelling it chap. 7.14 stamps it with an Ecce Behold Behold a virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne The Euangelist S. Matthew chap. 1.23 reciting the Prophets prediction leaues not out this stampe Behold Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a sonne The Angell Gabriel who was sent from God to the virgin Mary to report vnto her this great wonder omits not this stamp Ecce Behold See the Angels words Luk. 1.31 Behold thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Iesus This the Postillers doe call Ecce admirativum an Ecce of Admiration and it is the first vse of the particle Behold obserued by Lorinus Secondly it betokeneth propinquum tempus some time neere at hand as Esai 41.27 The first shall say to Sion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold behold them or behold these things and I will giue to Ierusalem one that bringeth good tydings The place I vnderstand of Christ who is Alpha or primus the first and Euangelista he that bringeth the good tydings him God giueth to Sion and to Ierusalem and in him Ecce ecce ista erunt Behold behold all the promises of God shall come to passe and that speedily This is true of Christ who sayth in the Reuelation chap. 22.7 Behold I come quickly and Vers 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shall be If I would imitate the Postillers I could call this Ecce Admonitivum an Ecce of Admonition a warning word for euery one to be in a readinesse to embrace Christ at his comming Thirdly Ecce Behold is a note of asseueration or certaintie and is put for Sanè or Certè verily or certainly Such it is Iere. 23.39 Ecce Behold I euen I will vtterly forget you and I will forsake you and cast you out of my presence And I will bring an euerlasting reproch vpon you and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten Behold I will doe it I will surely doe it Fourthly Ecce Behold is a particle ordinarily vsed by God in his Comminations when he threatneth some great and heauie punishment to come as Ezech. 5.8 Thus sayth the Lord against Ierusalem Behold I euen I am against thee and will execute iudgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the Nations And chap. 6.3 Thus saith the Lord against Israel Behold I euen I will bring a sword vpon you and I will destroy your high places And against Tyrus chap. 26.3 Behold I am against thee O Tyrus and will cause many Nations to come vp against thee as the Sea causeth his waues to come vp And against Zidon chap. 28.22 Behold I am against thee O Zidon and I will be glorified in the midst of thee And against Pharaoh chap. 29.3 Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt I will put hookes in thy Iawes Many other like places I might alledge yet farther to shew vnto you the frequent vse of this particle Ecce Behold in the Comminations of Gods punishments But I will not hold you any longer with this discourse Sufficient shall it be for you at this time to bee aduertised that as often as you meete with this word Ecce Behold in the sacred Volume of the word of God so often you haue a watch-word to stirre vp your attention to listen to the matter that ensueth for its weight and worth Such is it in my text Behold Your attention is called vpon to giue eare to that which followeth I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues I am pressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in Hifhil the roote of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Hifhil is sometimes Transitiue sometimes Intransitiue or Neutrall from whence there is a twofold Interpretation of this place One is I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues the other I will presse your place as a Cart full of sheaues presseth That is our Textuall reading this our Marginall Some incline to that some to this Each hath a proper and a profitable vnderstanding First of the first Behold I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues THis meaning the Vulgar Latin seemeth to expresse Ecce ego stridebo subter vos sicut stridet plaustrum onustum foeno which I find thus handsomely translated in an old English Manuscript some take it to be Wickliphes Loe I shall sound strongly vnder you as a wayne charged with hay soundeth strongly S. Hierome thus glosseth it As a cart or wayne that is full laden with stubble or hay maketh a noyse soundeth out and bowleth so I not any longer enduring your sinnes but as it were committing stubble to the fire shall cry out With this exposition of S. Hierome agreeth that of Gregorie the great Moral 32.6 Who there takes these words of my text to intimate that God vnder the burden of sins maketh a noyse and cryeth out Aliquando sayth he etiam insensatis rebus propter infirmitatem nostram altâ condescensione se comparat God sometimes condescends to our weake capacities and for our infirmities sake compares himselfe to things voyd of sense as here Behold I shall skreeke or cry out vnder you as a cart or wayne full-laden with sheaues skreeketh or cryeth out For because fenum est vita carnalium the life of carnall men is as hay according to that Esa 40.6 Omnis caro fenum All flesh is grasse the Lord patiently enduring the life of carnall men testifieth of himselfe more plaustri fenum se portare that likevnto a cart or
Antipater Epigram that running in a race from the bâ—ginning to the end no man could see him so swift he was of foote But these I take to be either fabulous or hyperbolicall Yet say there were such say there are such I say neither was there for them neither is there for these any evasion or escaping from God No not any at all My Prophet in the next verse the 15. of this Chapter speaks it in plaine tearmes He that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe Not deliuer himselfe and yet swift of foote It is euen so Why may he not attempt to flee Perchance he may yet shall his attempt be frustrate for thus saith the Lord Amos 9.1 He that fleeth shall not flee away and he that escapeth shall not be deliuered Yea saith he though they digge into Hell thence shall mine hand take them though they climbe vp to Heauen thence will I bring them downe And though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence and though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the Sea thence will I command the serpent and he shall bite them And though they goe into captiuitie before their enemies thence will I command the sword and it shall slay them In this Hyperbolicall exaggeration for such it is in the iudgements of S. Hierome Remigius Albertus Hugo and Dionysius he sheweth how impossible it is for man by seeking to flee to lurke or to hide himselfe to exempt himselfe from the power or wrath of GOD. This impossibilitie of hiding our selues from the power or wrath of God either in Heauen or Hell or Sea or darke place or any where else is elegantly and fully illustrated by the sweetest singer of Psalmes David Psal 139.7 Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall flie from thy presence If I ascend vp into Heauen thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea Euen there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me If I say Surely the darknes shall couer me euen the night shall be light about me Yea the darknesse hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike to thee You see nor Heauen nor Hell nor Sea nor darknesse could hide Dauid from the presence of God Could they not hide Dauid and shall they be able to hide others They shall not God makes it good by that his vehement asseueration Ierem. 23.23 Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heauen and Earth saith the Lord You see againe At hand or further off in Heauen or Earth in places of most secrecie our Lord he is God he seeth all things he fills both Heauen and Earth Thus haue you the confirmation of my doctrine which was When God resolueth to punish man for sinne there is no refuge for him no evasion no escaping by flight though he be of a swift an expedite and an agile bodie Is there no refuge for vs no evasion no escaping by flight when God will punish No there is none How can there be any sith our persecutors shall be swifter then the Eagles of the Heauen to pursue vs vpon the mountaines and to lay waite for vs in the wildernesse according to the mone that the daughter of Sion maketh Lament 4 19. Flee we as we may to mountaines to the wildernesse to hide our selues our flight shall be in vaine for our persecutors shall be swifter then the Eagles of the Heauen they whom God will employ to be the executioners of his displeasure towards vs shall still haue meanes to ouertake vs and to finde vs out Will there be no refuge for vs no evasion no escaping by flight when God will visit for our sinnes What shall we then doe beloued What Vis audire consilium Wilt thou heare counsell saith S. Austine in his sixth Treatise vpon S. Iohns Epistle Si vis ab illo fugere ad ipsum fuge If thou wilt flee from him flee to him Ad ipsum fuge confitendo non ab ipso latendo Flee to him by confessing thy sins but hide not thy selfe from him Latere enim non potes sed confiteri potes For its impossible thou shouldst lye hid from him yet mayst thou confesse thy selfe vnto him Say vnto him r Psal 91.2 Refugium meum es tu Lord thou art my refuge and my fortresse my God in thee will I trust Refugium meum es tu Lord thou art my refuge To like purpose the same S. Austine vpon Psal 71. saith Non est quo fugiatur ab illo nisi ad illum there is no flying from God but by flying to Him Si vis evadere iratum fuge ad placatum if thou wilt flee from him as he is angry flee to him as pacified So vpon Psal 75. Non est quo fugias à Deo irato nisi ad Deum placatum there is no flying from God angry but to God pacified Prorsus non est quo fugias beleeue it there is no flying from God Vis fugere ab ipso fuge ad ipsum Wilt thou needs flee from him then flee to him Flee to him From whence and whither Can I flee from any place where God is not to some place where he is Or is he not euery where Fills he not Heauen and Earth How then can I flee to him Vnderstand not any locall flying de loco ad locum but a flying de vitâ ad vitam de actu ad actum de bonis ad meliora de vtilibus ad vtiliora de sanctis ad sanctiora as Origen speaketh Homil. 12. in Genesin and so mayst thou flee to God Flee from life to life from an euill life to a good life from act to act from an euill act to a good act from good to better from profitable courses to more profitable from sanctified thoughts to more sanctified and thou doest flee to God The performance of this thy flight must be non passibus pedum sed mentis profectibus not by the agilitie or swiftnes of thy feete but by the increase or bettering of will and vnderstanding Thus to flee to God is nothing else then to draw neere vnto him to haue accesse vnto him to come vnto him To draw neere vnto him we are exhorted Iam. 4.8 Draw nigh vnto God and he will draw nigh to you Draw nigh to God! but how Pedibus aut passibus corporis with your bodily feete or paces No sed cordis but with the feete and paces of our heart Per bona opera saith the Glosse by good workes per morum imitationem saith Aquinas by honestie of life and conuersation fide affectu pijs precibus
giue eare vnto the voice of the Lord thy God Now this third reason I frame thus If the obedient shall be blessed and rewarded for hearing and the disobedient cursed and punished for not hearing the voice of the Lord our God then it behoueth vs with all diligence to giue eare vnto his holy Word From the reasons enforcing the duty of hearing the Word of God I come now to make some vse of the doctrine deliuered It may serue first for reproofe For the reproofe of such as refuse to â—â—are the Word of God Such as if they had no soule to saue yea as if they beleeued that there is neither God nor Deuill neither Heauen nor Hell doe stop their eares that they may not heare Very desperate is their disease The a Mat. 12.42 Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement and condemne them She thought it worthy her labour to make a long iourney to heare the wisdome of Salomon and yet behold more than Salomon is here Here not farre hence in this place and present with you is Christ our Lord. Salomon a man Christ is God Salomon a mortall King of the Kingdome of Christ there is no end Salomon a King by humane succession Christ by diuine eternity Salomon a sinner inwrapped in the allurements of lasciuiousnesse Christ b 1 Pet. 2.22 without sinne without guile Heb. 7.26 harmelesse and vndefiled Salomon gaue his Parables onely in Hierusalem Christ giues his voice thorowout the Christian world hee giues it vs in our streets in our Temples in this his house wherein now I stand Inexcusable therefore art thou O man O woman O childe of vnderstanding whosoeuer thou art that refusest to heare the word of Christ thy Lord and God For such your refusall you shall be sure to giue an account at the great day of Gods vengeance Against such refusall the voice of wisdome cryeth out Prou. 1.24 Because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out mine hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth Parallel to this is that Esa 65.12 There thus saith the Lord Because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did euill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not therefore will I number you to the sword and ye shall all bow downe to the slaughter Hereunto may that be added Ierem. 7.13 Because I spake vnto you rising vp early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not therefore will I doe vnto you thus and thus I will cast you out of my fight I will powre out mine anger and my fury vpon the place of your habitation vpon man and vpon beast and vpon the trees of the field and vpon the fruit of the ground I will cause to cease from your streets the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride Thus and thus shall it befall them that refuse to heare when the Lord speaketh the d Ier. 14.12 16. famine shall pinch them the e Ier. 15.3 sword shall slay them the f Ier. 21.9 Ezâ—h 6.11 7.15 pestilence shall waste them g Ieâ—m 15.3 dogges shall teare them wilde beasts shall destroy them and the Fowles of Heauen shall deuoure them You haue the first vse The second vse may be for reproofe too for the reproofe of such as come to heare but heare not as they should I haue read of a generation of such hearers Some saith my Author hearken after newes If the Preacher say any thing of beyond Sea matters or of court affaires at home that is his lure Some hearken whether any thing be said that may bee wrested to be spoken against persons in high place that they may accuse the Preacher Some smacke of eloquence and gape for a phrase that when they come abroad in company they may haue a fine word to grace their talke Some sit as Male-contents till the Preacher come to gird some whom they spight then pricke they vp their eares to listen and it shall goe hard if they remember not something of what is spoken Some come to gaze about the Church their eyes are euill eyes they are wanton eyes they are euermore looking vpon that from which holy Iob turned his eyes away Some sit musing all the Sermon time some of their Law-suits some of their bargaines some of their iourneyes some of some other imployments The Sermon is ended before these men thinke where they are Some that come to heare so soone as the Prayer is done or soone after fall fast asleepe as though they had beene brought into the Church for corpses and the Preacher should preach at their funeralls You see now a generation of hearers seuen sorts of them not one of them heareth as he should If they come to the Church and doe remaine there for the Sermon time they thinke their duty well and sufficiently discharged But much more than so is required at their hands Outward seruice without inward obedience is but Hypocrisie The naked hearing of the Word of God is but an halting with God If thou keepe from him thy heart he cares not for thy presence nor for thy tongue nor for thy eare Cares he not for our presence nor for our tongue nor for our eare vnlesse he haue our heart too Then may that Caueat which Christ giueth his Disciples Luk. 8.18 when he had expounded vnto them the parable of the Sower be a seasonable caueat for vs. The Caueat is Take heed how ye heare This same take heed euer goeth before some danger Some danger there is in hearing for you may easily heare amisse You may easily heare amisse and therefore take heed Take heed how you heare When you sow your seed in the field you will takâ— hâ—ed how you sow lest your seed should bee lost Your care herein is commendable Let not your care be lesse to further the growth of Gods seed Gods seed it is immortall seed euen his holy Word O take heed how you heare that none of this seed be lost No seed groweth so fast as this if it be receiued in good ground in an honest and good heart for so it groweth in a moment as high as Heauen Take heed therefore how ye heare Would ye now know how ye should heare The Prophet Ierem. shall teach you Chap. 13.15 Heare and giue care So shall Esâ—â— Chap. 28.23 Giue ye eare and heare hearken and heare Heâ—re giue eare and hearken Why is this multiplying of words but to teach you that you are to heare and mere thâ—n heare More than heare What is that to say It is to heare interiori auditu with the inward hearing as before I noted out of Albertus It is audire intelligere to heare and vnderstand as in the phrase of the Gospell already alleaged It is to heare for the
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but
a Prophet or a Priest the Priest Exod. 28.30 that hath in the brest-plate of iudgemement the Vrim and the Thummim Againe God speaketh vnto men by a voice either sensible or spirituall if with a sensiblâ— voice then he striketh the outward eares if with a spirituall then the inward as well the left eare which is the Phantasie as the right which is the Vnderstanding Thirdly God speaketh vnto men either sleeping or waking So Serarius Quaest 1. in cap. 1. Ioshuae What the ancient Fathers haue thought of this point touching God his speaking vnto man I haue long since deliuered out of this place in my third Lecture vpon the first Chapter of this Prophecie What was Saint Basils opinion what Saint Augustines what Saint Gregories you then heard Later Writers haue reduced all the speakings of God to two heads Deeds and Words Christophorus à Castro vpon the first of Zachary Et factis loquitur Deus verbis God speaketh both by Deeds and by words Franciscus Ribera vpon the same Chapter Deus ita rebus vt verbis loquitur God speaketh as well by things as by words A learned and a very orthodox Diuine Dauid Pareus in his Commentary vpon Genesis at the third Chapter well liking of Saint Gregories opinion thus resolueth vpon the point God speaketh either by himselfe or by some Angelicall creature By himselfe God speaketh when by the sole force of internall inspiration the heart is opened or God speaketh by himselfe when the heart is taught concerning the word of God without words or syllables This speech of God is sine strepitu sermo a speech without any noise It pierceth our eares and yet hath no sound Such was the speech of God vnto the Apostles at what time they were filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.2 Suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it fillâ—d all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it suâ—e vpon each of them Per ignem quidem Dominus apparuit sed persemet ipsum locutionem interius fecit By the fire indeed God appeared but by himselfe he spake in secret within to the heart of the Apostles Neither was that fire God nor was that sound God but God by those outward things the fire and the sound Expressit hoc quod interiùs gessit hee shewed what he did within and that he spake to the heart Those outward things the fire and the sound were only for signification to shew that the Apostles hearts were taught by an inuisible fire and a voice without a sound Foris fuit ignis qui apparuit sed intùs qui scientiam dedit the fire that appear'd was without but the fire that gaue them knowledge was within So may you iudge of the sound the sound that was heard was without but the sound that smote their hearts was within So Gods speech is a speech to the heart without words without a sound Such was that speech to Philip Act. 8.29 Goe neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder Chariot It was the Spirit said so to Philip Bede expounds it of inward speech In corde spiritus Philippo loquebatur The Spirit said to Philip in his heart The Spirit of God may then be said to speake vnto vs when by a secret or hidden power it intimateth vnto our hearts what we are to doe The Spirit said vnto Philip that is Philip was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to draw neere and ioyne himselfe to the Chariot wherein that Aethiopian Eunuch sate reading the Prophesie of Esay A like speech was that to Peter Act. 10.19 Behold three men seeke thee It was the Spirit said so to Peter And here Bede In mente haec ab spiritu non in aure carnis audiuit Peter heard these words from the Spirit in mente in his vnderstanding non in aure carnis not by his fleshly eare The Spirit said vnto Peter that is Peter was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to depart from Ioppa and goe to Caesarea to preach to the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company From this inward speaking of God by his holy Spirit in the hearts of men without either words or sound we may note thus much for our present comfort that whensoeuer wee are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to offer vp our priuate requests to God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare the preaching of the word or to receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist or to doe any good worke we may be assured that God by his holy Spirit God by himselfe speaketh vnto vs. Thus you see how God speaketh vnto vs by himselfe Hee speaketh vnto vs also by his creatures By his creatures Angelicall and others And he doth it after diuers manners 1 Verbis by words By words only as when nothing is seene but a voice onely is heard as Ioh. 12.28 When Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediatly there came a voice from Heauen saying I haue both glorified it and will glorifie it againe Here was Vox Patris the voice of God the Father yet ministerio Angelorum formata it was formed by the ministery of Angels 2 God speaketh Rebus by things By things onely as when no voice is heard but some thing onely is obiected to the senses An example of this kind of Gods speaking is that vision of Ezechiel chap. 1.4 He saw a whirle-wind come out of the North with a great cloud and a fire infolding it selfe and in the middest of the fire the colour of Amber All this he saw but here is no mention of any voice at all And yet the Prophet saith Omninò fuit verbum Iehouae ad Ezechielem the Word of the Lord came expresly vnto Ezechiel The word of the Lord came and I looked and behold a whirlewind Here was res sine verbo a thing but no voice 3 God speaketh Verbis simul rebus both by words and things as when there is both a voice heard and also some thing obiected to the senses So He spake to Adam presently after his fall when he heard the voice of God walking in the Garden and saying Adam where art thou Gen. 3.8 4 God speaketh Imaginibus cordis oculis extensis by some images shapes or semblances exhibited to our inward eyes the eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder set vpon the earth the top whereof reached to Heauen and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw Heauen opened and a certaine vessell descending vnto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners and let downe to the earth wherein were all manner of foure footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowles of the aire Act. 10.10 So Paul in a vision in the night saw a man of Macedonia standing by