wherein for Elohe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Almighty Whence is that rule of Saint Hierome to Damasus Epist 142. We are to know that wheresoeuer the Seuentie Interpreters haue expressed Dominum virtutum and Dominum omnipotentem the Lord of Hosts and the Lord Almighty there in the Hebrew it is Dominus Sabaoth which is by Aquila's interpretation Dominus militiarum the Lord of Hosts The Lord of Hosts by Aquila's interpretation is God the Almighty by the interpretation of the Septuagint Well Elohe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth Be he with the Greekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bee hee with the Latines Dominus or Deus virtutum or Militiarum or Exercituum all will be well expressed in our language with one title The Lord or God of Hosts But what are these Hosts whereof God is the Lord There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an host of Heauen Act. 7.42 And what that is Saint Hierome expoundeth to the noble Lady Algasia Epist 151. quaest 10. The Host of Heauen is not only the Sunne and Moone and glistring Starres but also the whole multitude of Angels and their armies called in Hebrew Sabaoth which is in Latine Virtutum or Exercituum Hispalensis for this host of Heauen doth reckon vp in the place aboue alleaged Angels Arch-angels Principalities and Powers and all the Orders of the armies celestiall of whom God is the Lord. For they are all vnder him and subiect to his soueraigntie It is true what those Ancients haue said of the Host of Heauen True it is that the Angels are of this armie Micaiah tels King Ahab so 1 King 22.19 I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne and all the Host of Heauen standing by him on his right hand and on his left There the Host of Heauen are the Angels who attend the Lord to put in execution whatsoeuer he shall command At the birth of Iesus Christ our Sauiour the Angell that appeared vnto the shepherds had with him a multitude of the Heauenly Host Luke 2.13 and that multitude was of Angels and they were by likelihood created in the first day with the Heauens because those sonnes of God did shout for ioy when God laid and fastned the foundations of the earth Iob 38.7 These the sonnes of God the Angels Bartas 1 day 1. Weeke sweetly described by the Nightingale of France to be The sacred Tutors of the Saints the Guard Of Gods elect the Pursuiuants prepar'd To execute the counsailes of the Highest The Heauenly courtiers to their King the nighest Gods glorious Heralds Heauens swift Harbengers Twixt Heauen and earth the true Interpreters these the Sonnes of God the Angels are of the glorious Host of Heauen So are the Starres the Sun the Moone the goodly furniture of the visible Heauens they are all of the Heauenly host So shall you finde them called Deut. 4.19 The Sun the Moone and the Starres euen all the Host of Heauen Of this host of Heauen it is prophecied Esai 34.4 All the Host of Heauen shall be dissolued and the Heauens shall be rowled together as a scroll and all their host shall fall downe as the leafe-falleth off from the Vine and as a falling figge from the fig-tree As for the Starres they in their courses fought against Sisera Iudg. 5.20 The Sunne and the Moone stood still the Sunne vpon Gibeon the Moone in the valley of Ajalon till the people of Israel had auenged themselues vpon their enemies the Amorites Ios 10.12 The Sunne the Moone the Starres all the twinkling spangles of the firmament you see are of Gods host Nor is Gâ—ds host only of Celestiall creatures but also of all other creatures in the world In the second Chapter of Genesis v. 1. where it is said the heauens and the earth were finished and all the host of them by all the hast of them we are to vnderstand all creatures in the Earth and Heauens which stand as an armie seruants to the Lord Psal 119.91 Esay 45.12 and are by him commâ—nded That all things are Gods seruants is auowed Psal 119.91 The Heauen and Earth continue to this day according to the ordinances of the Lord for they are all his seruants Heauen and earth and all things therein contained Continue safe sound and sure euen to this day wherein we liue and so shall doe to the worlds end by the ordinance and appointment of God for all are his seruants all creatures yeeld obedience to him as seruants to their masters They are all by him commanded For thus saith the Lord Esai 45.12 I haue made the earth and created man vpon it I euen my hands haue stretched out the Heauens and all their host haue I commanded The innumerable Hosts of creatures both in Heauen and Earth are all by God commanded Now from this which hath hitherto beene deliuered the reason is plaine why this title of God Elobe hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth or the God of Hosts is by our Prophet added to the two former appellations Adonai Iehouih the Lord God It is the more liuely to set forth his rule dominion and soueraigntie ouer all It sheweth that as an armie or an Host of souldiers obeyeth their Emperour or commander so all things all creatures celestiall terrestriall and infernall are of Gods host and doe yeeld vnto him as to their Emperour and commander all obedience They all stand readie in martiall order and battell-ray prest to doe whatsoeuer God willeth and therefore is the Lord God the Gâ—d of Sabaoth or the God of Hosts From this consideration that our Lord God is the God of Hosts we are taught the feare of so great a Maiestie For who is he that will not feare him by whom he shall finde himselfe to be beset and compassed about with very many and potent armies aboue beneath before behinde on the one hand and on the other that there can be no euasion no escaping from him Our God is the God of Hosts Man sinfull man how shall he consist if God once arme his hosts against him The feare of God will be his surest refuge Feare him and all his Hosts shall be on your side and fight for you Feare him and both flouds and rocks shall feare you all winds shall blow you happinesse ship wracks shal auoid the place where your foot treadeth as to the apples of Gods own eies so shall all his creatures yeeld to you reuerence they shal not dare to approach the channell where your way lyeth Hills shal fall downe mountaines shall be cast into the sea but who so feareth the Lord he shall neuer miscary This feare of the Lord will both land your ships in an happy hauen and after your trauels vpon the earth will harbour your soules in his euerlasting Kingdome And thus much be spoken of the first thing obserued in this Mandate euen the Giuer
Besides these there are other workes of God as begun so ended also extra personas externally and they are of two sorâ—s either supernaturall such I call the â—â—raculous workes of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preseruation of the same and the gouernment of it All these workes of which kinde soeuer whether miraculous or workes of nature are common to the whole Trinity The Father worketh the Sonâ—â— worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preseruing all things in gouerning all things Whereupon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is Lord so the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost iâ— Lord also So the Lord whom I commend vnto you foâ— the speaker in my text is the Vnity in Trinity one God in three persons God Almighty the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I goe on to shew you how he speaketh I must make bold vpon your patience to tell you of some duties necessarie duties to be performed by vs towards him as Lord. God is the Lord we are his seruants The duties wee owâ— him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedience vnto God his word laws and commandements This duty whosoeuer performeth shall easily performe the second duty to wit faithfull seruice with all care and diligence to doe whatsoeuer worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the third duty but shall doe good and be profitable vnto the Lord. All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam As long as he was inuested with his robe of innocency he was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. Now if it will be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answer That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his aduantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainly deliuered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giueth vs his graces to this end that wee should vse and increase them for his aduantage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a couetous vsurer â—o greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scattered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob vers 2 3. seemeth in word to thwart and crosse this doctrine For saith he may a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou are righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vpright I answer that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnesse yea hee can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnesse and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp man to holinesse it pleaseth God in mercy to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his seruants And therefore I say againe that Adam in the state of his innocency was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. But alas man once beautified with innocency with holinesse and with the grace of God is now spoiled of his robes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle worke wrought about with divers colours is now strâ—pt of her iewels and the soule of man once full of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotlâ—sse and without blame before the lambe is now fallen from that grace The Preacher Eccl. 7.20 doth assure vs that there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not So much doth Solomons question import Prou. 20.9 Who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sin O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob cap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquity like water When the Lord looked downe from heauen to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Ps 14.2 could he finde any one framed according to the rule of that perfection which he requireth He could not This hee found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good no not one So sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in euery deed word and thought wholly sinfull The actions of his hands the words of his lips the motions of his heart when they seeme to be most pure and sanctified yet then are they as vncleane things and filthy â—â—uts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applied to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is now become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I will not prosecute this point of mans nakednesse any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainly how vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his Lord God For his first dutie in stead of obedience hee continually breaketh the commandements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty in stead of waiting vpon God to doe him seruice he serueth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty in stead of bringing any aduantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene now the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs seruants when they had sinned against their Lord Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe Butler was restored to his former dignity when as the Baker was hanged These two seruants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of men exiled from paradise and from the presence of God because of their sinne to liue vpon the face of the earth as it were in a dungeon full of miserie namely the reprobate and the elect For the reprobate as they liue so they die in this dungeon and doe die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by Christ their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their Lord their duties of obedience of faithfull seruice and of profitablenesse to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoeuer seruice is enioyned them and to procure aduantage of glory to their Lord. Beloued I doubt not but that all we who are now
euident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue and would haue the societie fellowship and company of your sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Know this you cannot be right worshippers of God in priuate if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assembly the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoeuer doe for none or for small occasions absent your selues from this plâ—ce this house of God at appointed times where and when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouncing of all sects and society with idolatry and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare auouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing S. Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these dayes finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will be ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this sore I know somewhat and you know more than I how backward many of you haue been from doing God due seruice in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreuerence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you inuite your neighbour to sup with you but once and he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almighty the mighty creator of Heauen of Earth and of all you that heare me this day inuite you many times to come and sup at the table of his blessed Son and you refuse it Beleeue it he cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoeuer therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grieuously as a learned b Butanus Iâ—c 48. Diuine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a diuine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloued lay vp these things in your hearts let this day be the beginning of your reformation resolue from henceforth to performe your due obedience to God in this place to powre forth your prayers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table where by faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenesse of your sins your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of Sion and Ierusalem the place from whence God will speake vnto you exhorted euery one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Seruants For old and young should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel 2.15 16. Call a solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children and seruants to your neighbours and also strangers if they come in your way This we may learn out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zachary First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and wee will walke in his paths for the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of thâ— Lâ—rd to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachaâ—y chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall goe vnto another saying vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord and seeke thâ— Lord of hosts I will goe also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE Fifth Lecture AMOS 1.2 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 OF the speaker and place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spoken Now proceed wee to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time be the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall and Hebrew copy we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepherds haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepherds did vse in the wildernesse neare vnto such fields and pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might be at hand to defend their harmlesse sheep from sauage and rauenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places The dwelling places of the shepherds In my first lecture vpon this prophecy I told you there were two sorts of shepherds In the first ranke I placed sheepmasters in the second their seruants Among the first sort of shepherds was Mesa King of Moab who 2 King 3.4 is called a shepherd and there registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambes and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The
Though Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and done to death the Lord of life our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage and bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the Lord Iesus they had regard vnto the hand of God Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the Iewes they knew were but instruments For thus make they their confession before the Lord of heauen and earth verse the 28. Doubtlesse both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against thine holy Son Iesus to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined to be done To good purpose then is that question propounded by Amos chap. 3.6 Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it It may serue for an anchor to keepe vs that we be not carried away with the waues of tribulation and affliction It assureth vs that God who bad Shimei curse Dauid who sent the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse to spoile and make an end of Iobs substance and his children who determined that Herod Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the Israelites should put to death the Lord of life that the same God hath his finger yea and his whole hand too in all our crosses and tribulations Is there any euill in the city and the Lord hath not done it Here beloued in the Lord must we be taxed for a vanity at least I had almost said a blasphemie deeply rooted too well setled among vs. Vpon the accesse of any calamity we cry out bad lucke bad fortue If the strong man come into our house and take from vs the flower of our riches our siluer and gold then we cry What lucke What fortune If our sheepe and cattell faile vs then also we cry What lucke What fortune Whatsoeuer crosse befalleth vs lucke and fortune is still in our mouths Quasi Deus otium coloret in coelo non curaret res humanas as if we were to hold it for an article of our beleefe that God liueth idly in heauen and hath no regard of mans affaires Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this question shall there be any euill in the city and tâ—â— Lord hath not done it and the holy Apostles in acknowledging Gods hand in the death of Christ and holy Iob in blessing the name of the Lord for all his losses and holy Dauid in patiently taking Shimeis curses as an affliction sent him from the Lord doe all plainly shew this that the empire of this world is administred by Almighty God that nothing happeneth vnto vs but by Gods hand and appointment Learne we then more patience towards the instruments of our calamities miseries crosses and afflictions let vs not belike the dogge that snatcheth at a stone cast at him without regard vnto the thrower Here we learne a better propertie euen to turne our eies from the instrumentes to the hand that smiteth by them Thus farre of my second circumstance How God punisheth My third was whom he punisheth Hazael and Benhadad the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad If you will know who this Hazael was you must haue recourse to the sacret storie 2. Kings 8. There shall you find him sent by Benhadad King of Syria with a present vnto Elizeus to know concerning his sicknesse whether he should recouer of it and after his returne from Elizeus with a thicke wet cloath to haue strangled and murdered his Lord and Master King Benhadad This was he whom Elizeus foretold of his hard vsage of the Israelites that he should set on fire their strong cities should slay their young men with the sword should dash their infants against the stones and should rent in peeces their women great with child This was he who 2. Kings 13.7 so destroyed the children of Israel that hee made them like dust beaten to powder This was he of whose death we read verse the 24. The house of Hazael either the familie stocke and posterity of Hazael as Arias Montanus Mercer Drusius expound or some materiall house which Hazael had proudly and stately built for himselfe and his posteritie This later exposition is added to the former by Mercer and Drusius because of that which followeth the palaces of Benhadad Benhadad In writing this name I find three errours One of the Greeks who write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were in the Hebrew Benader The second of the Latines who write it Benhadad The third of Ionathan the Chaldee paraphrast who writes it Barhadad whereas the right name is Benhadad Benhadad saith Mercer vpon this place was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria as was first Pharaoh and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt and Caesar to the Roman Emperours From this opinion of Mercer Drusius in obseruat sacr 11.14 varieth affirming that albeit diuerse Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad yet doth it not thereupon follow that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syriae In holy Scripture we reade of three Benhadads Of the first 1. Kings 15.18 who was King of Syria at what time Asa raigned in Iudah and Baasha in Israel Of the second 2 King 8.7 who in his sicknesse sent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God to counsaile Of the third 2 Kings 13.3 who was Hazaels sonne and his successour in the throne Now the Benhadad in my text is either Benhadad Hazaels predecessour slaine by Hazael or Benhadad Hazaels son and successour The Palaces of Benhadad to bee deuoured by fire from the Lord. These palaces of Benhadad are the goodly sumptuous proud and stately edifices made or enlarged by either of the Benhadads or by both Hazaels predecessour and successour Thus haue you the exposition of my third circumstance which was concerning the parties punished no meane parties parties of no lower ranke then Kings Hazael and Benhadad The Lord punisheth hee punisheth by fire hee punisheth by fire Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced I can but point at them 1 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into tho house of Hazael against his family and posterity we are put in minde of a truth expressed in the second commandement this God will visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation Dearely beloued sore is that anger the flame of whose punishment casteth out smoake so farre yet the meaning thereof is as Ezechiel sheweth chap. 18. If the children doe follow the fathers wickednesse and not otherwise To visit then is not to punish the children for the fathers offences but to take notice and apprehend them in the same faults by reason they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers transgressions that
wanderer to thine house If thou seest him naked couer him hee is thine owne flesh hide not thy selfe from him Thy liberality will bring thee great aduantage whereof thou wilt not doubt if thou consider the next verse Thy light shall breake forth as the morning thy health shall grow speedily thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee Seest thou not an heape of blessings one vpon another Looke into the booke of Psalmes In the beginning of the 41. Psalme many a sweet promise is made thee conditionally that thou tender the poore mans case The Lord shall deliuer thee in the time of trouble he shall keepe thee and preserue thee aliue he shall blesse thee vpon the earth he will not deliuer thee to the will of thine enemies he will strengthen thee vpon thy bed of sorrow and will make thy bed all the time of thy sicknesse I might weary you and my selfe in the pursuit of this point Here I stop my course with recommendation of one onely place and that a very remarkable one Prou. 19.17 Hee that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen Behold and see how gracious and good the Lord is If you shew pity and compassion vpon the poore God will recompence you to the full yea in the largenesse of his mercies hee will reward you plentifully It was a graue exhortation of a f Tobit to his sonne Tobias cap. 4.7 father to his sonne Giue almes of thy substance and when thou giuest almes let not thine eye be ennious neither turne thy face from any poore lest that God turne his face from thee Giue almes according to thy substance if thou haue but a little be not afraid to giue a little So shalt thou lay vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of necessity Almes will deliuer thee from death and will not suffer thee to come into the place of darknesse Almes is a good gift before the most high to all them which vse it Vse it I beseech you in the bowels of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Be ye not like Edom in my Text Corrupt not your compassions cast not off all pity suffer ye one with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous doe ye good to all men and faint not great shall be your reward in Heauen This your seruice will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue you his blessing God will blesse you for the time of your being here and when the day of your dissolution shall be that you must leaue your earthly Tabernacles then will the Sonne of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome you with a Venite Benedicti Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was hungry and ye gaue me meat I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited mee I was in prison and ye came vnto me In as much as ye haue done these things to the needy and distressed ye haue done them vnto me Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world THE Seuenteenth Lecture AMOS 1.11 12. And his anger spoiled him euermore and his wrath watched him alway Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah IN my last Lecture I began the exposition of the third part of this Prophecie which is a declaration of Edoms sins in foure branches The two first I passed ouer the last time The first branch was Hee did pursue his brother with the sword Thereon I grounded this doctrine It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues One vse of this doctrine was a iust reproofe of the want of brotherly loue in these our daies A second vse was an exhortation to brotherly kindnesse The second branch was He did cast off all pity Thereon I grounded this doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God The vse I made of it was to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity and mercy Which meditation ended I ended that Lecture Now come I to the third branch in the declaration of Edoms sinnes His anger spoiled him euermore or In his anger he spoiled him continually The preposition is not expressed in the originall but is well vnderstood and supplied by some Expositors to this sense Edom furious and angry Edom doth euermore vi apertâ with open violence attempt the spoile of Israel and if open violence preuaile not iâ—tùs simultatem alit within him he fostereth and cherisheth priuy and secret malice such as of old was harboured and setled in old a Gen. 27 41. Esaus heart Edom in his anger spoiled him continually Spoiled him The word in the originall is from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith Mercer ferarum proprium est is proper and peculiar to wild beasts and it signifieth Rapere discerpere to spoile rauenously to rent or teare in peeces Thus is Edom compared to some truculent or sauage beast some deuouring Lion some rauenous Wolfe some fierce Beare or the like that hunteth greedily after their prey The comparison is As a Lion a Wolfe a Beare or some other cruell beast hunteth greedily after his prey and when he hath gotten it teareth it in peeces and so deuoureth it so doth Edom he hunteth for his brother as with a snare or net and hauing once enclosed him he throwes him headlong into vtter desolation and this he doth in the bitternesse of his anger In his anger he spoiled him euermore This clause is otherwise rendred by the old Latine Interpreter Et tenuerit vltrà furorem suum Hee possessed his fury beyond measure longer than was meet he should An exposition followed by many of the learned and of late Writers by Brentius and Mercer In Matthews Bible it is well expressed He bore hatred very long the meaning is Hee constantly eagerly obstinately persisted in his anger and held it fast as a sauage beast holdeth fast his prey Both readings this and the former this Hee bore hatred very long and the former In his anger he spoiled his brother euermore both doe appeach and accuse Edom of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger The doctrine which hence I would commend to your Christian considerations is this Euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger I say of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger For there is a good kind of anger an anger praise worthy an anger to be embraced of euery one of you Whereto the Prophet Dauid exhorted the faithfull of his time Psal 4.4 Be angry and sin not And S. Paul his Ephesians Chap. 4.26 Be angry but sin not You
The same thing is twise said 1. They haue despised the law of the Lord. 2. They haue not kept his commandements Is the same thing twise said Let it be true that by the lawes of the Lord and the commandements of the Lord one and the same thing be vnderstood is it likewise all one to despise and not to keepe or doth not our Prophet say lesse against the people of Iudah where he saith They haue not kept the commandements of the Lord then when he saith They haue despised the law of the Lord He may seeme to say lesse But if we consider the force of the Hebrew phrase we shall finde it to be otherwise It is a rule y Drusâ—us Hebraei per negationem contrarij vehementiùs affirmant the Hebrewes by denying the contrary doe the more vehemently affirme It may thus appeare Solomon in his Prouerbs chap. 17.21 saith Non gaudet stulti pater the father of a foole reioyceth not This may seeme to be but coldly and slenderly spoken not sufficiently to expresse that griefe which fathers do conceiue at the disobedience of their sonnes which the Wiseman there calleth foolishnes But the phrase is very forcible Non gaudet stulti pater the father of a foole reioyceth not Nemo quisquam vnquaÌ„ ita dolet quin idem aliquaÌ„do gaudeat saith o Drus obseruat lib. 1. c. 22. a learned writer There is scarse any man euer so grieued but that at some one time or other he reioyceth but if a man at all times and euery moment of time be grieued of him we may truly say Non gaudet he reioyceth not Non gaudet stulti pater It is very fitly englished in our new translation The father of a foole hath no ioy Here you you who liue vnder the rule of your parents be ye sonnes or daughters liuing vnder father or mother if you behaue your selues disobediently towards your Parents in Salomons account you are fooles and your Parents can haue no ioy in you And tell me of whom should your Parents haue ioy if not of you their children S. Paules exhortation is not lightly to be esteemed by you Heare therefore what he saith vnto you Ephes 6.1 Children obey your parents in the Lord. and vers 2. Honor thy father and mother To the first he perswadeth you by a reason drawne from the schole of nature It is right so to do To the second he allureth you by an argument drawne from your owne good v. 3. So shall it be well with you and you shall liue long vpon the earth and euer remember this same Non gaudet of Salomon Non gaudet stulti pater The father of a foole of a disobedient childe hath no ioy A like phrase the same Salomon hath Prou. 10.2 Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis The treasures of wickednes profit not This may seeme to be spoken but jeiunely and sleightly not sufficiently to expresse the hurt mischiefe that shall befall a man for his goods vnlawfully and dishonestly gotten But the phrase is very forcible Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis the treasures of wickednes profit not Quod in omni tempori nocet sayth p Drusius vbi suprà one de eo verissimè enuntiatur non prodest Name any thing that at all times is hurtfull and of it we may truely say Non prodest it doth not profit Salomon hath named it Thesauri improbitatis the treasures of wickednesse Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis It is very fitly englished in our new translation The treasures of wickednesse profit nothing It is worth the marking they profit nothing Heare you you who heape vnto your selues Thesauros improbitatis these same treasures of wickednesse by your auarice extortion oppression vsury false-dealing with your neighbours or otherwise vnlawfully You may know that these your treasures of wickednesse can profit nothing They may be vnto you obstacles and impediments to keepe you for euer without the gates of Heauen What meaneth else our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in that his constant asseueration to his Disciples Mat. 19.23 Verily verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of Heauen And againe where he sayth ver 24. It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God And who is this rich man Qui diuitijs cor apponit he that setteth his heart vpon his riches and trusteth in them and not onely he but he also that getteth his goods vniustly he that getteth thesauros improbitatis those same treasures of iniquitie whereof for the present I say no more then what our Sauiour sayth to his Disciples Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if hee shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule Onely I wish from my heart that in your hearts were written this same Non prosunt Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis the treasures of wickednesse doe profit nothing Will you now looke backe to my text for the explication whereof I haue expounded to you a Non gaudet and a Non prosunt The first Non gaudet concerneth the Father of a disobedient childe and importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaudij the privation of ioy the Father of a disobedient sonne hath no ioy at all The other Non prosunt is spoken of goods ill gotten and importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vtilitatis the privation of profit Non prosunt goods ill gotten profit nothing at all My text hath answerable to those two a Non obseruârunt Non obseruârunt mandata eius They haue not kept the commandements of the Lord. This may seeme to be but coldly and sleightly spoken not sufficient to expresse the disobedience of the people of Iudah towards the commaundements of the Lord. For there is no man liuing vpon earth that can keepe his commandements And if the people of Iudah in this sinned but as other men ordinarily sinned what great matter is it that our Prophet here obiecteth to them But the phrase here is very forcible Non obseruârunt mandata eius They haue not kept his commaundements Here is implied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observantiae a privation of obseruance They haue not kept the commandments of the Lord in any one point Couenant-breakers and apostates as they were they refused to be vnder the Lords commandements and audaciously framed to themselues a new kind of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a will worship a worship of their owne inuention cultum plenum sacrilegijs a worship full of sacriledge We see now what it is that our Prophet in this branch of my text reprooueth in the people of Iudah It is a Non obseruârunt a non obseruance an vniuersall neglect of the commandements of the Lord. They tooke license to themselues to innouate to frame vnto themselues a new kind of diuine worship such as the Lord neuer approoued yea such as was contrarie to the expresse will of
and they haue rebelled against me What Children and they rebell If seruants had done it if bondmen if the sonnes of Agar of whom it was sayd of old m Gen. 21.10 Cast out this bondwoman and her sonne if these had rebelled against me it were the lesse to be maruailed at but they are children mine owne children children of mine owne education nourished and brought vp by my selfe That these should rebell against me Heare ô Heauens and hearken ô earth stand yee hereat astonished Marke I beseech you how the Lord goeth on to amplifie this Vnthankefulnesse of his people ver 3. The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider See you not how God setteth his people as it were to Schoole to the Oxe and to the Asse to learne of them what their dutie is And no maruaile is it sayth a good n Calvin Interpreter For it often times falleth out that bruit beasts doe make a greater shew of humanitie then man himselfe doth It is a commendation giuen vnto dogges that they are fidelissimi dominis gratissimi most faithfull most grateful vnto their Masters that by night they watch and ward and keepe their Masters houses that by day they attend their Masters abroad that they fight for them yee and sometimes o Bosquiâ—r sâ—cundâ naufragij tabulâ Conc. in dâ—dicativis Templi pag. 158. die for them too The Dogge that in K. Pyrrhus his p Theatâ—â—m mundi Launaei lib. 1. sub finem Campe in the middest of his armed souldiers inuaded the parricide and murderer of his Master is recorded for a paterne of thankefulnesse So is that Merchants dogge that in the Iland Teos lay vpon a bagge of money of his Masters which his Masters boy had by negligence left behind him in a by-way and so long he lay vpon it that at his masters returne to seeke what he had lost tùm custodiae finem fecit tùm caninam efflavit animam sayth my q Elias Cretens comment ad â—rat 2. Naziazenus de Theologia p. 60. Author hee yeelded vp the custodie of the bagge and dyed I could tell you of as great thankefulnesse in Lyons It was a thankful Lyon that spared Androclus a runnagate from his Master put into Circus Maximus at Rome to be deuoured by the Beasts there The kindnesse he had done to the Lyon was in Africa and it was nothing else but the plucking of a thorne out of his foote It was a kindnesse and the Lyon forgat it not It s registred by Gellius Noct Attic. lib. 5. cap. 14. It was a thankefull Lyon that followed Gerasimus the Abbot to keepe his Asses the kindnesse that the Abbot had done to the Lyon was done at the riuer Iordan It was nothing else but the remoouing of a little bramble from the Lyons foote It was a kindnesse and the Lyon did him seruice for it It s reported by Iohan. Moscus in his pratum spirituale c. 107. And Fran. Costerus the Iesuite cites it to be true in his r Pag. 255. Sermon vpon the thirteenth Dominicall after Pentecoast It was a thankefull Lyon that followed a certaine souldier that went with Duke Godfrey of Bullein to the Conquest of the Holy land The kindnesse that the souldier had done to the Lyon was done not farre from Ierusalem And what was it A serpent that had gotten this Lyon at the aduantage and was like to be his executioner was slaine by this souldier This was a kindnesse and the Lyon was thankefull for it It is storied by Bernardus Guidonis in his Chronicle And Philip Diez a Fryer minorite of Portugall in his Summa predicantium at the word Ingratitude takes it for true and vpon the relation thereof breaketh out into this exclamation Å¿ Pag. 4â—5 O magnam bestiae gratitudinem ingentem hominum ingratitudinem Quare haec audientes vos non confunditis O the great thankefulnesse of a beast and the exceeding great vnthankefulnesse of men How is it that you heare this and are not confounded Salomon the wisest among the sonnes of men Prov. 6.6 sends the sluggard to the Ant to learne of her to labour Goe to the Ant thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise Shee t Prou. 6.7 hauing no guid ouerseer or ruler prouideth her meate in summer and gathereth her food in the haruest Goe learne of her doe thou likewise Is the sluggard sent to the Ant to learne Then well may the Vnthankefull man be sent to the Lyon to the dogge to the oxe and to the asse He may learne to be thankefull of the Lyon and of the dog I haue shewed it vnto you by humane testimonies The oxe and the asse may also teach it them diuine demonstration makes it good Remember I beseech you that same exaggeration of the ingratitude of Israel The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters cribbe but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider And let this suffice to shew that God doth seuerely reprehend vnthankefulnesse Now in the third place I am to shew that he doth punish it The punishments wherewith God repayeth vnthankefulnesse are of two sorts They are eyther Temporall or Eternall Among Temporall punishments I ranke the losse of the commodities of this life Such a punishment a temporall punishment it was wherwith God repayed the Vnthankefulnesse of the Israelites in the wildernesse of Pharan at Kibroth-Hattaauah or the graues of lust their thirteenth mansion so called because there u Num. 11.34 they buried the people that lusted for flesh This punishment Psal 78.30 31. is thus described While their meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came vpon them and slew the fattest of them and smote downe the chosen of Israel In the 11. of Numbers ver 33. thus While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague A temporall punishment it was wherewith God repayed the mother x Hos 2.5 that played the Harlot Hos chap. 2. for her vnthankfulnesse Shee knew not that the Lord gaue y Ver. 8. her Corne and wine and oyle and multiplyed her siluer and her gold For shee sayd verse 5. I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water my wooll and my flax mine oyle and my drinke You may see her punishment resolued vpon vers 9. I will returne saith the Lord and will take away my Corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and I will recouer my wooll and my flax Mine sayth the Lord. They are all his It was the Harlots Vnthankefulnesse to call them hers But shee was punished with the losse of them A temporall punishment it is which is threatned to fall vpon euery Vnthankefull wretch Prov. 17.13 Who so rewardeth euill for good euill shall not
trust in him for greater matters for impossibilities if we trust him not for smaller matters for probabilities How can I depend on God for raysing my bodie from the graue and for sauing my soule from Hell if I will distrust him for a morsell of bread towards my preseruation The Lord who brought Israel out of Egypt and led them fortie yeares through the wildernesse to possesse the land of the Amorite and all that while nourished and fed them not with bread nor wine nor strong drinke but miraculously with water out of the hard rocke with Quailes with Manna from Heauen and so blessed the very clothes and the shoes they wore that neither their clothes nor shoes all that while were waxen old he is the same Lord still still as readie to be to his faithfull ones a present helpe in all their troubles He hath brought vs out of Egypt too Attendamus ergo nos fratres so S. Austin bespake his Readers Tract 28. in Iohan and so let me conclude Attendamus ergo nos fratres Brethren and the rest dearely beloued let vs diligently obserue it and make we it the matter of our daily meditation Educti sumus de Aegypto we are brought out of Egypt There were we in bondage to the Deuill as to a Pharaoh there Lutea opera in terrenis desiderijs agebamus dirtie workes in the earthly desires of our flesh were the fruits of our labours Let it suffice that we haue beene such that we haue beene seruants Luteis operibus peccatorum to the dirtie workes of sinne as to the tyrannie of the Egyptians Now are wee passed through Baptisme as through the Red Sea therefore Red because it is consecrated with the Bloud of Christ In this Sea the Red Sea of Baptisme the Egyptians our enemies euen all our sinnes are drowned Now are wee in the wildernesse in cremo huius vitae sayth the same Saint Austine lib. 50. Homil. 20. we are in the wildernesse of this life Here Christ is with vs. He protecteth vs he preserueth vs he feedeth vs with his Word and Sacraments His word is a light vnto our steps to guide vs that we erre not His Sacraments are two that of Baptisme assureth vs that the Bloud of Christ applied to our soules clenseth vs from all our sinnes the other of his Supper is a signe a seale a pledge vnto vs of him our Sauiour Christ Iesus giuen for vs and to vs. Thus passing through the wildernesse of this world wee shall in the prefixed time the due time appoynted by the Lord Patriam promissionis ingredi We shall haue the full fruition of the promised land of the supernall Ierusalem of the land of the liuing of the Kingdome of Heauen To which God bring vs all THE XVI LECTVRE AMOS 2.11 And I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your yong men for Nazarites Is it not euen thus O yee children of Israel saith the Lord THe blessings and benefits which Amos in this Chapter remembreth to haue beene bestowed by Almightie God vpon his people the ten tribes of Israel are partly Corporall and partly Spirituall Of their Corporall benefits I haue heretofore in your hearing discoursed in my two former Sermons They were the destruction of the Amorites before them and for their sake vers 9. their deliuerance out of Egypt their protection and preseruation in the wildernesse for fortie yeares to the end that they might at length possesse the land of the Amorite ver 10. These were notable benefits though they were but Corporall But the benefit whereof I am now to speake is Spirituall It is the doctrine of the sincere worship of God and of eternall saluation together with the free vse and passage thereof or if you will it is the ordinary ministery of the Word thus expressed vers 11. And I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your yong men for Nazarites c. In these words I commend vnto you two generall parts One is A description of the now mentioned Spirituall benefit I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your yong men for Nazarites The other is A testification that such a benefit was bestowed Is it not euen thus ô ye children of Israel saith the Lord In the description we may note 1. Quis Who was the bestower of this benefit I the Lord. 2. Quomodo How it was bestowed by a raising vp I raised vp 3. Quid What was bestowed Prophets and Nazarites 4. Quibus auxilijs what helpe was vsed No stranger no forrainer had here ought to doe they were their owne sonnes and their owne yong men that were employed I raised vp of your sonnes c. The testification followeth you may also call it an asseueration It s set downe in the forme of a question where you may obserue who moues the question to whom it is moued and what the question is The Lord is he that moues the question the children of Israel are they to whom it is moued the question is Is it not euen thus Is it not euen thus O ye children of Israel sayth the Lord Such is the diuision of my text I might handle each part precisely but that happily would seeme ouer-curious I make choise therfore to applie my selfe after my old and wonted fashion to fit an exposition to the words as here they are conueyed vnto vs by the ministery of Amos and this with all breuitie and plainnesse And I I the Lord. I who destroyed the Amorite before you and for your sake I who brought you vp from the land of Egypt I who for fortie yeares together led you through the wildernesse that you might possesse the land of the Amorites I who thus blessed you with corporall benedictions haue not beene wanting to you in Spirituall I also raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your yong men for Nazarites I raised vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word feci surgere or feci vt surgerent I made to arise I made Prophets to rise out of your sonnes I made them to rise that is feci vt existerent I made them to be In this sense I finde the word vsed Deut. 34.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there arose not a Prophet since in Israell like vnto Moses There arose not that is there was not There was not a Prophet since like vnto Moses So Mat. 11.11 where the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar Latin hath Non surrexit Our now English renders it There hath not risen Among them that are borne of women there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist There hath not risen that is there hath not beene Among them that are borne of women there hath not beene a greater then Iohn the Baptist So here I haue raised vp that is I haue made to be I haue made your sonnes to be Prophets I haue raised vp of your sonnes aliquot è filijs vestris sayth Mercer some of your sonnes such
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
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but
Sublimitas Profundum God he is Length Breadth Height and Depth He is Length for his Eternity Breadth for his Charity Height for his Maiestie Depth for his Wisdome Length He is for his Eternity Dan. 7.9 Esay 57.15 Psal 90.2 He is the Ancient of dayes and inhabiteth Eternitie Before the Mountaines were brought forth or euer the earth and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting He is God Breadth he is for his Charitie for his Loue. Wisd 11.24 He loueth all the things that are and abhorreth nothing which he hath made Neither would he haue made any thing if he had hated it He maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and the good Matth. 5.45 and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniust The Gulfe or rather the Sea of this Loue of God is exceeding broad Height He is for his Maiesty His Maiesty Prou. 25.28 it is inestimable He that searcheth into it shall surely be oppressed with the glory thereof From the glory of this Maiestie in the day of the Lord of Hosts when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Esay 2.19 20. will the proud man the loftie man euery wicked man seeke to hide himselfe in the clefts of the rockes Psal 72.19 and in the caues of the earth but all in vaine for all the earth shall be filled with his Maiesty In regard of this his Maiesty He is * Gen. 14.18 Iob 31.28 Psal 7.18 9◠2. c. Psal 147.5 often in holy Scripture stiled Altissimus the most high So for his Maiesty he is Height Depth he is for his wisdome His wisdome it is infinite there is no end thereof It is inuariable incomprehensible ineffable Finding no fit words to expresse it with I betake my selfe to the Apostles exclamation Rom. 11.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Thus farre of my first generall the Reuealor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adonai Iehouih the Lord God The Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He will doe nothing The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo jahaseh dabar he will not doe a word A word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth sometimes any thing or matter that is either said or done In the 18. of Exodus vers 16. Moses in his reply to Iethro his Father in law saith when they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word with the Greekes it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a controuersie with the old Latine Interpreter it is Disceptatio a contention with Tremelius it is Negotium a businesse with our late English Translators it is a matter So Moses saith in effect thus much If there happen any businesse or matter of controuersie or contention betweene a man and his neighbour they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them In the 24. of Exodus vers 14. Moses with his Minister Iosuah going vp to the Mount of God saith vnto the Elders Tary yee here for vs vntill we come againe vnto you and behold Aaron and Hur are with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mi bahal debarim who so is a master of words let him come vnto them And here words with the Greekes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a iudgement or controuersie with the old interpreter quastio a question in our now English they are matters if any man haue any matters to doe The meaning is who so hath any question or controuersie let him come vnto Aaron and Hur for a resolution In the 39. of Esay vers 2. it is recorded of Hezechiah King of Iudah that when Merodach Baladan the son of Baladan King of Babylon had sent messengers to visit him and to congratulate his recouery Hee was glad of them and shewed them the house of his precious things the siluer and the gold and the spices and the precious oyntment and all the house of his armour and all that was found in his treasures It is added in the end of the verse Lo hajah dabar there was not a word in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not Not a word A word for a thing according to the custome of the Hebrew It is Saint Hieroms note vpon the place It is well rendred in our new Bibles There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not This Hebrew custome of putting verbum pro re a word for a thing frequent in the old hath place likewise in the New Testament In the first of Luke vers 37. The Angell Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that with God no word shall be impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no word His meaning is with God no thing shall be impossible In the same Chapter vers 65. The Euangelist hauing set downe what had passed concerning Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Iudaea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words that is all these things were dinulged and made knowne In the second of Luke vers 15. When the Angels who related to the shepherds Christs Natiuitie were gone away from them into Heauen the shepherds said one to another Let vs now goe euen vnto Bethlehem and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word that is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne vnto vs. This word that is this thing this whole businesse whereof wee haue heard by the Angels It is the Hebraisme which I haue hitherto obserued whereby that I may speake as Logicians doe the Abstract is put for the Concret taken either actiuely or passiuely as Verbum pro re dictâ a word for a thing that is spoken of Or to speake as a Rhetorician would it is Metonymia adiuncti the Adiunct is put for the Subiect Still it is Verbum pro re a word for the thing or matter whereof the speech is So it is in this text of mine Surely the Lord God non faciet verbum he will not doe a word that is he will doe no thing no such thing as the verse before speaketh of no euill of paine punishment or affliction He will doe no such thing but hee reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He reuealeth his secret I am come to my second generall concerning the thing reuealed it is the secret of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodh◠his secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint translated Eruditionem suam his instruction or chastisement Saint Hierome expounds it Correptionem suam the Interlinearie Glosse Correctionem suam his reproofe or correction Theodotio no ill Interpreter of old turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his counsell and Drusius seeth no cause why it may
all that passed by The Pirat freely and stoutly replyed Quid tibi vt orbem terrarum Nay what meane you Alexander to be so troublesome to rob all the world What I doe I doe it but with one ship Et latro vocor and must be called a theefe you doe the like with a fleet with a number of ships and you must be called Emperour The onely difference betweene vs is I rob out of necessity to supply my wants you out of your vnmeasurable couetousnesse Of Magistrates in Courts of Iustice if they be corrupt Saint Cyprian Ep. 2. ad Donatum giues this censure Qui sedet crimina vindicaturus admittit vt reus innocens pereat fit nocens judex It is significantly Englished by Democritus Iunior See a Lambe executed and a Wolfe pronounce sentence Latro arraigned and Fur sit on the bench the Iudge seuerely punish others and doe worse himselfe Such Iudges may iustly be noted for men of violence and robbery But my speech is not to such for they heare me not It is to you beloued Shall I say that among you there are men of violence and robbery I auow it not yet flatter not your selues He that filcheth or pilfereth the least pinne Mark 10.19 point or sticke of wood from his neighbour Prou. 22.18 he that moueth ancient bounds the ancient bounds which his fathers haue made with a purpose to encroach vpon his neighbours land hee that stealeth another mans wife childe or seruant 1 Tim. 1.10 Ios 7.19 hee that committeth sacrilege in detaining the rights of the Church he that transgresseth thus or thus he may goe for a man of violence and robbery Dearely beloued if any of you hath beene ouertaken with these or the like transgressions looke into your owne hearts examine your selues in what measure you haue or doe transgresse For we must not feare to tell you you doe offend And if your conscience tell you your offence is great runne not headlong into Hell without returning De Conuers cap. 1. Vita non est nisi in Conuersione saith Saint Bernard There is no hope of life but by turning to the Lord. And your turning to the Lord must bee by true and vnfained repentance So turne vnto him and if thou be a Publican thou maist become an Euangelist if a blasphemer an Apostle if a theefe and robber a possessor of Paradise And so much be spoken of my second part the speciall amplification of cruelty and couetousnesse the sinnes of Samaria taken from their violence and robberies treasured vp in their palaces My third part is the ratification of the whole accusation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum Iehouah the Lord hath said it They know not to doe right saith the Lord who store vp violence and robbery in their palaceâ— Saith the Lord. See the Lord â—s not idle in the Heauens as some imagine but takes notice of what is done here below He beholdeth the great tumults that are in Samaria and the oppressions there their violence and robberies he beholdeth My obseruation here shall be that Iob 34.21 The eyes of the Lord are vpon the waies of man and he seeth all his goings He seeth all He seeth our sinnes in the booke of Eternity before our owne hearts conceiued them He seeth our sinnes in our hearts as soone as our inuentions haue giuen them forme He sâ—eth our sinnes in action on the Theater of this earth quite through the scene of our liues and hee seeth them to our paine when his wrathful eye takes notice of them and his hand is lift vp to punish them He seeth them all There is nothing so secret nothing so abstracted from the senses of men Vt creatoris aut lateat cognitionem aut effugiat potestatem that it may either lurke from the eye or escape the hand of God August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 20. As plaine is that Iob 34 22. There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselues The Powder-traitors in the mine and Celler were not vnseene to the reuenging eye of God The villaines of the cloisters were all naked vnto him As darke as their Vaults were his all-seeing eye descried their filthinesse and laid waste their habitations The obscurity of their Cells and Dorters the thicknesse of their walls the closenesse of their Windowes with the cloake of a strict profession couering all could not hide their sinnes from the eye of Heauen Nor can our sins be hid though done with greatest secrecy Sinne as closely as thou canst there will bee witnesses of thy sinne Videt te angelus malus videt te angelus bonus videt bonis malis major angelis Deus Bernard de conuers ad Clericos cap. 16. The bad angell sees thee and the good sees thee and he that is better than the Angels farre aboue all principalities and powers God Almighty he sees thee Wherefore dearely beloued let our conuersation with men be as in the sight of God And sith in this mortality we cannot but sinne let vs endeuour to see our sinnes to know them to confesse them to bewaile them and cry we to God to giue vs grace to lay hold vpon Iesus Christ his Sonne that beleeuing we may be saued by his righteousnesse Good God pardon our sinnes giue vs faith change our liues to the better for thy blessed name and mercies sake euen for Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Thirteenth Lecture AMOS 3.11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and hee shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled THis third part of this third Chapter but second Sermon of Amos to the kingdome of the ten Tribes I stiled an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Exornation pertaining to the proposition deliuered in the second verse It amplifieth the iniquitie of the Israelites from the testification of forren nations as thus You you of Israel your sinnes are so notorious so grosse so palpable that very strangers Philistines and Aegyptians may take notice of them Sith you of your selues are not touched with a conscience of your euill deeds them the Philistines and Aegyptians I call as witnesses and Iudges of your impurity and vncleannesse It is the scope of this passage The passage consisteth of two parts An Accusation vers 9 10. A Commination vers 11. In the ninth verse a part of the Accusation two things haue beene obserued An Iniunction for a Proclamation Publish in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces in the Land of Aegypt and say The Proclamation it selfe Assemble your selues vpon the Mountaines of Samaria and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof and the oppressed in the midst thereof In the Proclamation two sinnes were controuled Cruelty and Couetousnesse Their Cruelty in their great tumults their Couetousnesse in their oppressions In the tenth verse the other part of the Accusation those two enormities
light in great measure readily to conceiue what God would haue reuealed and faithfully to publish it according to the will of God S. p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. cap. 33. Austen enquiring how God spake with Adam and Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Jntrinsecus infabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giuing light to their minds and vnderstandings or it may be he talked with them by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen. 18. and with Lot Gen. 19. S. r Expos Moral lib. 28. incap â—8 â—â— Iob cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of wayes 1. By himselfe as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense we must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neare and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we finde Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoeuer we are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our priuate requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the Holy Spirit God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diuers manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediately there came a voice from heauen I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 1 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is obiected to the senses S. Gregory for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirlewind come out of the North with a great cloud and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenesse of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word and deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblance obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall Hee heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descend from heauen Act. 10.11 So Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 6 By shapes presented to our bodily eyes So Abraham saw the three men that stood by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christs baptisme a Å¿ Matth. 3.17 voice was heard out of a cloud as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloued son c. By Celestiall substances I doe here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the workes therein but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire next vnto it togeher with the winds and Clouds 7. By Terrestriall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speak Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestriall substances as when God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times and in diuers manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures and by his creatures many wayes sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometime by Terrestriall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestriall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speke vnto vs as of old he did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoeuer by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moueth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when he throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heat sometime by drouth sometime by noysome worms Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few months he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren and sometime by enemies when he impouerisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoeuer other like these are Gods voices and doe call vs to tepentance But as when there came a voice from heauen to Christ Ioh. 12.28 the people that stood by and heard would not be perswaded that it was Gods voice some of them saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoeuer God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by war or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we will rather attribute these things to nature to the heauens to starres and planets to the malice of enemies to chance and the like As peruerse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to be directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The Gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that cloud by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This Gospell of Christ and voice of God cals vs now to obedience O the crookednesse of our vile natures Our stiffe necks will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answer like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but we answer like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good Lord vnto thee and wee shall bee
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
beloued able to make vs if grace be in vs to be wary and to take heed that we bee not ouertaken with three transgressions and with foure It is a very dangerous thing to adde sin to sin This is done h Perkins Cas Consc three manner of wayes 1 By committing one sin in the necke of another 2 By falling often into the same sin 3 By lying in sinne without repentance Here we must remember that we are not simply condemned for our particular sins but for our continuance and residence in them Our sins committed doe make vs worthy of damnation but our liuing and abiding in them without repentancei s the thing that brings damnation Great is the i D. King B. of London in Ion. Lect. 31. strength that sin gathereth by growing and going forwards The growth of sin k In Amos 1.3 fol. 43 c. Albertus Magnus shadoweth in marshalling the order of sinning first is peccatum cogitationis next loquutionis thirdly operis then desperationis The beginning of sinne is inward an euill thought it hasteth out into an euill word then followeth the wicked worke what is the end of all Desperation waited on by finall impenitency Tom. 5 pag. 93. E. This growth of sin S. Hierome plainly expresseth The first step is cogitare quae mala sunt a wicked thought the next cogitationibus adquiescere peruâ—rsis to like well of wicked thoughts the third quod mente decreueris opere complere to put that in action which thou hast wickedly imagined What is the end of all Non agere poenitentiam in suo sibi câ—mplacere delicto euen impenitencie and a delight or pleasure to doe naughtily Hugo the Cardinall in sins proceeding noteth In Psal 7.4 5. Persequatur per suggestiones CoÌ„prehendat pâ—r consensum Conculcet per actum gloriam meam in puluâ—rem deducet per consuetudinem 1 Suggestion 2 Consent 3 Action 4 Custome and pleasure therein Suggestion is from the Deuill who casteth into our hearts impure and vngodly thoughts the rest are from our selues such is the corruption of our nature we readily consent to the Deuils motion what he moues vs to we act accordingly we take pleasure in it and make it our custome This Custome is not onely a graue to bury our soules in but a great stone also rolled to the mouth of it to keepe them downe for euer I say no more to this point but beseech you for Gods sake to bee wary and heedfull that you be not ouertaken with three transgressions and with foure You haue now my propounded doctrine and the first vse to be made of it My doctrine was Three transgressions and foure that is Many sins doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners The first vse is to make vs wary and heedfull that we bee not ouertaken with three transgressions and with foure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare to punish those Syrians of Damascus till they had prouoked him to displeasure by three transgressions and by foure God is mercifull and gracious long-suffering and of great goodnesse He cryeth vnto the fooles See Serm. 5. vpon Hebr. 10. pag. 76. King vpon Ion. Lect. 31. pag 420. and are not we such foolâ—s Prou. 1.22 O ye foolish how long will yee loue foolishnesse Hee cryeth vnto the faithlesse and is our faith liuing Matt. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth vnto the Iewes and are not we as bad as the Iewes Matth 23 37. O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often He dressed his vineyard with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could inuent Esai 5.2 afterward he looked for fruit he requ red it not the first houre but tarrying the full time hee looked that it should bring forth grapes in the autumne and time of vintage He waiteth for the fruit of his l Lâ—k 13 6. fig-tree three yeares and is contented to be entreated that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeare may bee bestowed vpon it Exod. 34.6 Thus we see Gods patience is wonderfull He is mercifull gracious long suffering and of great goodnesse Yet may wee not hereon presume Our safest way shall be to rise at the first call if we defer our obedience to the second call we may be preuented Then may God iustly say to vs as he said vnto the Iewes Esai 65.12 I called and ye did not answer I spake and yee heard not And albeit some fall seuen times a day and rise againe albeit to some sinners it pleaseth the Lord to iterate his sufferance yet may not we take encouragement thereby to iterate our misdoings We know that God punished his Angels in heauen for one breach See Lect. 12. p. 135. King vpon Ioh. Lect. 31. pag 421. Adam for one morsell Miriam for one slander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and Ananias and Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost Esai 59.1 Is the Lords hand now shortned that he cannot be as speedy and quicke in auenging himselfe vpon vs for our offences Farre be it from vs so to thinke God is not slacke in comming as some count slacknesse He maketh the clouds his Chariots Psa 18.11 Reuâ—l 22.12 he rideth vpon the Cherubins he flieth with the wings of the wind and so he commeth and commeth quickly and his reward is with him to giue to euery one according as his workes shall be THE Seuenth Lecture AMOS 1.3 Because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron THis is the third part of this Prophecie the description of that great sin by which the Syrians so much offended Let vs first examine the words Gilead Gilead or Galaad or Galeed in holy Scripture is sometime a hill sometime a citie and sometime a Region or country A hill Gen. 31. So named as appeareth verse 47. of the heape of stones which was made thereon as a witnesse of the league betweene Iacob and Laban for Gilead is interpreted an a Aceruus testimonii heape of witnesse This mountaine Gilead is the b Adrichom greatest of all beyond Iordan it is in length 50. miles and as it is continued and runneth along it receiueth diuers names From Arnon to the city Cedar it is called Galaad then to Bozra it is named Seir afterward Hermon and so reaching to Damascus it is ioyned to Libanus and therefore as S. * Comment in hunc locum Hierom saith in the 22. of Ier. verse 6. Lebanon is called the head or beginning of Galeed Gilead or Galaad or Galeed is also a city built vpon mount Gilead as S. Hierome witnesseth Here was borne and buried the valiant
till the comming of the Messias Here then he that holdeth the scepter in Beth-Eden is the King abiding in Beth-Eden Hitherto beloued haue I laboured to vnfold the words of my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden I the Lord with my mighty power will cut off will vtterly consume and destroy the inhabitant not one only but euery one that dwelleth in Bikeath-Auen the so named city of Syria There will I not stay my hand but I will also with my mighty power cut off vtterly consume and destroy him that holdeth the scepter not only the vnder-magistrate but the King himselfe out of Beth-eden another so named city of Syria Bikeath-Auen shall not be able to defend her inhabitants nor Beth-eden her King I will cut off c. Thus farre the exposition Now some notes of instruction You will be pleased to remember with me my three propounded circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord. 2 The punishment a cutting off 3 The punished the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and the King of Beth-eden From the first circumstance The Lord himselfe taking vengeance into his owne hands ariseth this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Which truth hauing beene often commended to your Christian considerations in former lectures I now let passe From all three circumstances of the punisher the punishment and the punished ioyntly considered arise other profitable doctrines First wee see that the cutting off of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and of him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden is the Lords proper worke The lesson which wee may take from hence is this No calamity or misery be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture It was an errour of the Paynims to hold fortune in so high account b Iuuen. Sat. 10. Te facimus Fortuna Deam coeloque locamus They esteemed her as a goddesse assigned her a place in Heauen They presented her by the image of a woman sitting sometimes vpon a ball sometimes vpon a wheele hauing with her a rasour c Pierius Hieroglyph lib. 29. bearing in her right hand the sterne of a ship in her left the horne of abundance by the rasour they would giue vs to vnderstand that she can at her pleasure cut off and end our happinesse by the ball or wheele that she is very prone to volubility and change by the sterne in her right hand that the whole course of our life is vnder her gouernment by the horne of abundance in her left hand that all out plenty is from her This palpable Idolatry of the Gentiles giuing the glory of the most high to their baâ—e and inglorious abominations wee Christians must vtterly renounce We honor the Lord of hosts alone and to him alone doe we ascribe the soueraingty dominion and rule of the whole world Such is the extent of Gods wonderfull and eternall prouidence The whole world with all things therein is wholly and alone subiect to the soueraignty dominion and rule of Almighty God by his prouidence all things are preserued all things are ruled all things are ordered These are the three degrees by which you may discerne and take notice of the Act of diuine prouidence The first is Gradus conseruationis Trelcat Instit l b. 2 pag. 46. The second Gradus gubernationis The third Gradus ordinationis The first degree is of maintenance or preseruation the second is of rule and gouernment the third is of ordination and direction The first degree which I termed gradum conseruationis the degree of maintenance and preseruation implieth thus much that all things in generall and euery thing in particular are by Almighty God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created This truth is excellently explained Psal 104. 145. 147. In which the Psalmist ioyfully singeth out of the wonderfull Prouidence of God in the maintenance and preseruation of man and euery other creature the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fishes of the sea d Psal 104.10 11. He sendeth the springs into the vallies that all the beasts of the field may drinke and the wilde asses quench their thirst e Psal 147.8 Psal 104.13 Hee couereth the heauen with clouds prepareth raine for the earth and maketh grasse to grow euen vpon mountaines that cattell may haue food he hath made the mountaines f Psal 104.18 to be a refuge for goats and rockes for conies the Lions g Vers 21. roaring after their prey seeke their meat at him You see Gods care and prouidence for the preseruation of the beasts of the field see the like for the fowles of the aire He hath planted the h Psal 104 16. Cedars of Lebanon for birds to make their nests there and the firre trees for the storkes to dwell in the young i Psal 147.9 rauens that cry vnto him he feedeth Our Sauiour Iesus Christ Matth. 6.26 calls you to this consideration Behold saith he the fowles of heauen they sow not nor reape nor carry into barns yet your heauenly father feedeth them Gods care and prouidence for the preseruation of his creatures here resteth not it reacheth euen to the bottome of the sea There is great k Psal 104.26 Leuiathan there are creeping things innumerable small and great all which wait vpon the Lord that he may giue them food in due season In due season hee giues them food l Psal 104.24 and they gather it he openeth his hand and they are filled with good O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisdome hast thou made them all the whole world is full of thy riches The prouidence I termed gradum gubernationis the degree of rule and gouernment It implyeth thus much that Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth This point is deliuered not obscurely in many places of holy Scripture as in those generall and vniuersall sayings which doe proue God Almighty euen this day to work in the world and to doe all in all In Esa 43.13 thus saith the Lord Yea before the day was I am and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand I will doe it and who shall let it Agreeable to this are the words of our Sauiour Ioh. 5.17 My father worketh hitherto and I worke From both these places wee may truly inferre that God worketh in the gouernment of this world day after day euen vntill the end thereof which Saint Paul Ephes 1.11 auoweth He worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will To the consideration hereof Elihu stirreth vp afflicted Iob Chap. 37. wishing him to consider the wonderous workes of God the Clouds and his light shining out of them the thunder Gods maruellous and glorious voice the
snow the frost the whirlewind the raine all these God ruleth and gouerneth after his good pleasure And who I pray you ruleth man and mans affaires but the Lord O Lord saith Ierem. chap. 10.23 I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps King Salomon confesseth as much Prou. 20.24 The steps of man are ruled by the Lord. From this ruling prouidence of God King Dauid Psal 23.1 drew vnto himselfe a very comfortable argument The Lord feedeth me therefore I shall not want Let vs as comfortably reason with our selues The Lord feedeth vs therefore we shall not want It is spoken to our neuer ending comfort by our blessed Sauiour Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father Feare ye not therefore ye are of more value than many sparrowes In the same place he further assureth that all the haires of our head are numbred Doth Gods care reach to the falling of the haires of our head and can we doubt of his perpetuall rule and gouernment in the world It must stand true Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third degree by which we may discerne the act of diuine prouidence I called gradum ordinationis the degree of ordination or direction It implyeth thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seem to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end all must make for his glorie In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and Dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing secondly he disposeth meanes vnto the end thirdly hee directeth the meanes so disposed To discourse of these particulars seuerally would carry mee beyond my time and your patience I will but only touch the generall which was God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth or setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end they all make for his glory Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inuiolable No calamitie or miserie be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neur be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamity or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazard by chance by fortune The Epicure in the booke of Iob 22.13 was in a foule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot through the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Dearely beloued we may not thinke our God to be a m See Lect. 1. page 10. God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke We haue liued long enough to haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him Serm 4. in Iames 4.10 infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. No corner in Hell no mansion in heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuitie no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God Wee haue learned Zach. 4.10 that God hath seuen eyes which goe thorow the whole world You may interpret them with me many millions of eyes He is * Hieronymus in illud Psal 94.9 Qui plantauit aurem non audiet aut qui finxit oculum non considerat Ego autem dico quod Deus totus Oculus est totus Manus est totus Pes est Totus Oculus est quia omnia videt Totus Manus est quia omnia operatur Totus Pes est quia vbique est totus OCVLVS altogether eye for he seeth all things We haue learned Esai 40.12 that God hath hands to measure the waters and to span the heauens You may interpret it with me that he hath many millions of hands He is totus Manus altogether hand for he worketh all things We haue learned Matth. 5.35 that God hath feet to set vpon his foot-stoole You may interpret it with me that he hath many milions of feet He is totus Pes altogether foot for he is euery where We shall then be very iniurious to God if we deny him the ouersight of the smallest matters The holy Scriptures doe euidently shew that he examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine n Supra pag. 10. to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the clothing of the grasse in the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the numbring of the haires of our heads Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde Fortune but looke we to the hand that striketh vs. Hee who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden euen He it is that for our sins bringeth vpon vs calamities and miseries The late fearefull floud raging vpon this land to the vtter destruction of great store of cattell and much people and the late rot of sheepe in this and other places of this land are Gods visitations vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos chap. 3.6 It s out of question there is no euill in the city no not in the world but the Lords finger is in it and that iustly for our sinnes sake What remaineth but that we rent our hearts and turne vnto the Lord our God He is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of euill How know we whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him for vs Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need THE Eleuenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. WEe goe on with that which yet remaineth vnexpounded in this 5. verse
Whatsoeuer things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there bee any vertue or praise thinke we on these things Thinke we on these things to doe them and we shall not need to feare any going into captiuity yea the destroying Angell shall haue no power ouer vs the raging waters shall not hurt vs our cattell and whatsoeuer else we enioy shall prosper vnder vs. For God euen our owne God shall giue vs his blessing THE Twelfth Lecture AMOS 1.6 7 8. Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure I will not turne to it because they carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the walls of Azzah and it shall deuoure the Palaces thereof And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon and turne mine hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God THese words doe containe a burthensome prophecie against the Philistines I diuide them into three parts 1 A preface to a prophecie vers 6. Thus saith the Lord. 2 The prophecie vers 6 7 8. For three transgressions c. 3 The conclusion in the end of the eighth verse Saith the Lord God In the prophecie I obserue foure parts 1 An Accusation of the Philistines vers the 6. For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them vers the 6. I will not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grieuous sin by which the Philistines so highly displeased God vers the 6. They carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom. 4 The description of the punishments to be inflicted vpon them in fiue branches One in the seuenth verse and foure in the eighth verse The great Cities Azzah and Ashdod and A hkelon and Ekron and all the rest of the Philistines are partners in this punishment This prophecy for the tenor and current of the words is much like the former against the Syrians the exposition whereof in sundry sermons heretofore deliuered may serue for the exposition of this prophecie also The preface is first Thus saith the Lord Not Amos but in Amos the Lord. The Lord Iehouah who made the heauens and spread them out like a curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment and can againe cloath the heauens with darknesse and make a sacke their couering the Lord Iehouah who made the sea to lay the beames of his chamber therein and placed the sands for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree neuer to be passed ouer howsoeuer the waues thereof shall rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke the flouds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall be dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst the Lord Iehouah who made the drie land and so set it vpon foundations that it should neuer moue and can couer her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that she shall reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man Thus saith the Lord The Lord Iehouah whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the sea his floure to walke in and the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man and possesseth his most secret reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the Lord Hath he said it and shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or any one tittle of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lod Out of doubt then must it come to passe Here see the authority of this prophecie and not of this only but also of all other the prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other prophecy of old is destitute of diuine authority This point of the authority of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second and sixt Lectures vpon this Prophecie and then noted vnto you the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the Lord Then must we giue eare vnto him with reuerence But what saith hee Euen the words of this Prophecie For three transgressions of Azzah and foure I will not turne it Azzah Palestina the country of the Philistines was diuided into fiue Prouinces or Dutchies mentioned Iosh 13.3 the Dutchies of Azzah of Ashdod of Askelon of Gath of Ekron These fiue chiefe and the most famous Cities of Palestina are recorded also 1 Sam. 6.17 where the Philistines are said to haue giuen for a sinne offering to the Lord fiue golden Emerods one for Azzah one for Ashdod one for Askelon one for Gath and one for Ekron Against foure of these Cities all saue Gath and against Gath too in the generall name of the Philistines this prophecie was giuen by the ministery of Amos. In the offence or blame Azzah is alone nominated but in the punishment are Ashdod and Askelon and Ekron and the residue of the Philistines remembred as well as Azzah Azzah It 's first named Gen. 10.19 In the vulgar Latine and in the Greeke it 's commonly called Gaza it hath no other name in the new Testament but Gaza It 's so called Act. 8.26 And you may call it by which name you will Azzah or Gaza it 's not materiall Now by this Azzah or Gaza you are to vnderstand the inhabitants of the City and not them only but also the borderers all the inhabitants of the country adiacent to all which our Prophet here denounceth Gods iudgements for their sins For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure These words containing an accusation of the Philistines for their sins and the protestation of Almighty God against them for the same I haue heretofore in my sixt Lecture at large expounded occasioned thereto by the beginning of the third verse and therefore I shall not need at this time to make any long iteration thereof Yet let me relate vnto you the summe and substance of them For three transgressions of Azzah c. It is as if the Lord had thus said If the
Philistines had offended but once or a second time I should haue beene fauourable vnto them and should haue recalled them into the right way that so they might be conuerted and escape my punishments but now whereas they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and find no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to be conuerted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure The doctrine is Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners See my sixth Serm. on Hos 10. God is of pure eies and beholdeth not iniquity he hath laid righteousnesse to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontroulable euen as long as Sun Moone Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill the soule that sinneth it shall bee punished God makes it good by an oath Deut. 32.41 that he will what his glittering sword his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance vpon sinners His soule hateth and abhorreth sin his Law curseth and condemneth sin his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin Sin was his motiue to cast downe Angels into Hell to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne Cities into ashes to ruinate nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne he drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sins plucke downe from heauen the more certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in all our waies that we doe not by our many sinnes prouoke Almighty God to high displeasure A second vse it to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare these Philistines of Azzah till by three and foure transgressions by their many sins they had prouoked him to indignation It 's true our God is a good God a gracious God a mercifull God a God of wonderfull patience yet may not wee thereby take encouragement to goe on in our euill doings See my sixth Lecture pag. 70. The Lord who punished his Angels in Heauen for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one slander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and Ananias with his wife Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost out of doubt will not spare vs if wee shall persist to make a trade of sinning day after day heaping iniquity vpon iniquity to the fulfilling of our sinnes If so we doe it shall be with vs as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 2.16 The wrath of God must come on vs to the vtmost Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let vs walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs. As for the works of the flesh cast we them far from vs adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnes hatred debate emulation wrath contentions enuy drunkennes gluttony and such like for which the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience let them not once be named among vs as it becommeth Saints But the fruits of the Spirit let vs wholly delight in them hauing laid vp in the treasury of our memories this lesson Three transgressions and soure Many sinnes doe pluck downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners It followeth Because they carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom These words are the third part of this Prophecie and do containe that same grieuous sin by which God was prouoked to come against the men of Azzah and the rest of the Philistines in iudgement the sinne of cruelty rigour vnmercifulnesse hardnesse of heart They carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom Here the abstract is put for the concrete captiuity for captiues or persons in captiuity as Psal 68.18 Thou hast led captiuity captiue The whole captiuity It 's well translated for the sense the word in the originall signifieth absolute perfect and compleat By this whole captiuity the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute perfect and compleat captiuity meram captiuitatem apertam atque manifestam saith Arias Montanus a captiuity indeed open and manifest such a captiuity saith Caluin as wherein they spared not either women or children or the aged they tooke no pity no compassion vpon either sex or age but all of all sorts male and female young and old they carried away prisoners What was their end and purpose in so doing Euen to shut them vp in Edom that is to sell them for bondslaues vnto the Idumaeans In Edom Esau Iacobs brother and Isaacks son by his wife a Gen. 25.21 Rebâ—kah for selling his birthright for a messe of b Vers 30. red broth was surnamed Edom and of him lineally descended the Edomites or Idumaeans Gen. 36.43 Of this posterity of Esau or Edom the land which they inhabited was called the land of Edom or Idumaea and it was a southerne prouince of the land of promise diuided as c Theatr. Terra Sancta Adriehom and d Obseruat lib. 14. cap. 13. Drusius haue obserued out of Iosephus his fifth book of the Iewish antiquities into two parts Idumaeam Superiorem and Inferiorem the higher and the lower Idumaea The higher wherein were two of the cities mentioned in my Text Gaza and Askelon in the diuision of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the Tribe of Iudah The lower Idumaea commonly known by the name of Idumaea fell to the lot of the Tribe of Simeon and this lower Idumaea I take to be the Idumaea in my Text. Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posterity of Esau the posterity of Iacob the Edomites were euermore most maliciously bent against the Israelites Here then appeareth the hainousnes of that sin wherwith the Philistines are charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to carry away any one from his natiue Country but him that is so carried away to sell to his mortall enemy this is a cruelty than which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of those Philistines the inhabitants of Azzah They sold whether the Iewes or the Israelites the posterity of Iacob and seruants of the liuing God to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policy that being carried farre from their owne country they should liue in eternall slauery and bondage without hope euer to returne home againe This very crime of cruelty is in the Prophecie of Ioel also Ch. 3.6 laid to the charge of these Philistines The children of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue ye sold to the Grecians
proposition The whole world with all things therein is wholly and alone subiect to the soueraigntie dominion and rule of Almightie God by whose prouidence all things are preserued all things are ruled and things are ordered These were the three degrees by which I told you you might discerne and take notice of the act of diuine prouidence The first was gradus conseruationis the second gradus gubernationis the third was gradus ordinationis the first degree was the degree of maintenance or preseruation the second degree was the degree of rule or gouernment the third degree was the degree of ordination or direction The first implieth thus much that All things in generall and euery thing in particular are by Almightie God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created The second thus much that Almightie God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth all to his chiefly intended end all doe make for his glory In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing Secondly he disposeth the meanes vnto the end Thirdly he directeth the meanes so disposed From these points thus summarily rehearsed I inferre my propounded doctrine No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neuer be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamitie or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazzard by chance by fortune The Epicure in Iob Chap. 22.13 was in a grosse and soule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot thorow the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Farre be it from vs beloued so to be conceited We may not thinke our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God vpon the Mountaines and not in the Valleyes a God in the greater and noâ— in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke beloued We haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ier. 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God The least moments and tittles in the world that you can imagine God his care and prouidence reacheth vnto to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the â—â—ing of sparrowes to the ground to the cloathing of the grasse of the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of â—indes to the numbring of the haires of our heads and of the teares that trickle downe our cheekes Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde fortune but looke we rather to the hand that striketh vs. He who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon he it is that for our sinnes bringeth vpon vs calamiti s and miseries Whatsoeuer calamities or miseries doe molest or trouble vs be wee assured that they are Gods visitatio vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues What remaineth then but that in time of misery and heauinesse wee louingly embrace Gods hand and kisse the rod wherewith he smiteth vs If hee smite vs with any kinde of crosse or tribulation our best way is to turne vnto him as with a spirit of contentment and gladnesse because so louing a Father doth chastise vs so with a sorrowfull and contrite heart because we haue offended so gracious a Father and thus shall wee finde comfort to our soules THE Fourteenth Lecture AMOS 1.8 And turne mine hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God THe last time I began to expound the 8. verse then I passed ouer two branches thereof And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon whence considering the cutting off of king and subiect from Ashdod and Ashkelon to be the proper worke of the Lord I tooke this lesson No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture Now let vs proceed to the remainder of that verse And turne my hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord. Is not God a spirit How then hath he hands The letter killeth but the spirit giueth life saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 An ancient a Augustin de Doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 5. Father vpon those words aduiseth vs to beware that we take not a figuratiue speech according to the letter for saith he Anshel in 2 Cor. 3. Echard Compend Theol patrum 〈◊〉 1 ap 6. pag. 157. when we take that which is spoken in a figure as if it were spoken properly it is a carnall sense Neque vlla mors anima congruentius â—ppeâ—â—atur neither is there any thing more rightly called the death of the soule If a figuratiue speech be properly taken or if the letter be vrged against the spirituall meaning that which was spoken to giue life to the inward man may subuert the faith and endanger the soule A trope vpon good reason to be admitted not admitted is a cause of errour It caused the Iewes to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching his owne body Iob. 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe It caused Nicodemus to erre Hee tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching mans regeneration Iob. 3.3 Except a man bee borne againâ— he cannot see the Kingdome of God It caused the Dis ples of Christ to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching the execution of his Fathers will Ioh. 4.32 I haue meat to eat that ye know not of I hold it to be an errour of Nicephorus and others to take it after the letter as if Paul had indeed fought vpon a theatre with Lions at Ephesius because he saith 1 Cor. 15.32 that he fought with b
My propounded doctrine stands good It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Now let vs see what vses doe offer themselues to our considerations out of this Doctrine First it may serue for a iust reproofe of these our last and worst daies wherein by experience wee finde true that same m Dr. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lect. 15. paradox in common reason hardly to be proued namely that not friends only or kinsmen but brethren also when they fall to enmity their hatred is greater than that betwixt mortall foes It is come to passe according to Christ his prophecie Matth. 10.36 A mans enemies shall be they of his owne house A mans enemies indeed and his enemies to purpose to worke him most harme shall be they of his owne house May not many now adaies complaine yea cry out with Dauid Psal 55.12 If mine enemy had done me this dishonour I could haue borne it If mine aduersary had exalted himselfe against me I would haue hid my selfe from him but it was thou O man my companion my guide my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together we walked in the house of God as friends Yet hast thou done me this dishonour yea thou hast exalted thy selfe against me Of all the Vials of the wrath of God powred down vpon sinners it is one of the sorest when a man is fed with his own flesh and made drunke with his owne bloud as with sweet wine So the Prophet Esay speaketh Chap. 49.26 The meaning is as a chiefe n B. King Ibid. pillar of our Church expoundeth it when a man taketh pleasure in nothing more than in the ouerthrow and extirpation of his owne seed when he thirsteth not for any bloud but that which is drawne from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen Neuer was there more eager and bitter contention betweene Turke and Christian than now adaies there is betweene Christian and Christian a brother and a brother All we who haue giuen our names to Iesus Christ and vowed him seruice in our baptisme we are all brethren we are fratres vterini brethren from the womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee haue one father and one mother one father in heauen and one mother the holy Catholike Church militant vpon the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Leui Gen 49.5 We are brethren in euill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what doe we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloued you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speech was vnto Christians and in Christianisme diuersity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therefore this reprofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Psal 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are giuen to vex them of your owne house or shall back-bite or slander any know that Edom-like you doe pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby euery good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2 Epist 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence Dauid Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnity Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his heard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of vnity That sweet perfume and ointment that holy o le powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweet smelling sauour to all that were about him So is it with vnity It is not onely pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the mountaines of Sion where the Lord appointed the blessing and life foreuermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heauen vpon H rmon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit If makes them among whom it is sincerely obserued it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men and one of them towards another This vnity concord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it bee vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnesse in this life and of eternall ioyes in the life to come One of the notes by which we may be assured of God his speciall loue and fauour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iohn Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth Chap. 5.1 Euery one that loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father he loueth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus and his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christian brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giueth vs Chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not onely in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule hee giueth vers the 17. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloued be your direction Loue ye euery one that is called a Christian
vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues 3 It may serue for a comfort to the Godly against whom the wicked haue behaued themselues proudly and dispiteously God in due time for such their behauiour will render vengeance vnto them and punish them with euerlasting perdition The second circumstance concerneth the punishment which is by fire I will kindle a fire By fire here we are to vnderstand not so much a true and naturall fire as a figuratiue and metaphoricall fire The sword pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis euerie kinde of consumption quaelibet species excidij euerie kinde of destruction haile water thunder sicknesse or any other of the executioners of God his wrath for the sinnes of men may be signified by this name Fire The Doctrine The fire whether naturall or figuartiue that is the fire and all other creatures are at the Lords Commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked Of this Doctrine heretofore The vse of it is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to carrie our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the meanes as to the Lord that worketh by them If the fire or water or any other of Gods creatures shall at any time rage and preuaile against vs we must know that God by them worketh his holy will vpon vs. Here wee see hee resolueth to kindle a fire vpon the wall of Rabbah for thus saith the Lord I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof There was a Citie of this name Rabbah in the Countrie of Moab called Rabbath-Moab So saith Drusius But the Rabbah in my Text was a Citie in the Country of the Ammonites called 2 Sam. 12.26 Rabbah of the children of Ammon where it is named the citie of the kingdome For it was their metropolitical chiefe city In the verse following it is called the citie of waters because it was situate neere vnto the riuer Ieboc The destruction here threatned to this citie is likewise denounced by two other Prophets Ieremie and Ezechiel In Ieremie chap. 49.2 Thus saith the Lord I will cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall bee a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire Crie ye daughters of Rabbah gird you with sacke-cloth mourne and run to and fro by the hedges for their King shall goe into captiuitie and his Priests and his Princes likewise And Ezechiel Chap. 25.5 I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for Camels and the Ammonites a sheep coat By which two places of Jeremie and Ezechiel the meaning of my Prophet is opened Here in the person of God he saith I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof It is as if he had said The a Ierem. 7.34 voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse shall cease to be heard in Rabbah the noise of warre shall be heard there and I will make it a dwelling place for Camels a sheepe-coat an heape of desolation Must Rabbah the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome be measured with the line of desolation It yeelds vs this Doctrine It is not the greatnesse of a Citie that can be a safeguard vnto it if God his vnappeasable wrath breake out against it for its sinnes For confirmation of this Doctrine I need not send you to the old world to behold the ruines of cities there There may you see the citie which Caine built Gen. 4.17 and whatsoeuer other cities were erected between that time and the floud you may see them all swept away with the floud After the floud you may see Sodom and Gomorrah with other cities of that plaine ouerthrowne with brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heauen Gen. 19.24 I need not present you with other like desolations of cities townes or villages wrought by Almightie God in the dayes of old This one chapter and first chapter of this prophecie of Amos yeelds vnto vs plentifull proofe for this point Here hâ—ue we seene desolation vpon desolation not the shaking only but the ouerthrow of foure states namely of the Syrians of the Philistines of the Tyrians and of the Edomites In the state of the Syrians we haue seene the ruines of the house of Hazael and of the palaces of Ben-hadad and of Damascus and of Bikeath-Auen and of Beth-eden and of Aram vers 4 5. In the state of the Philistines we haue viewed the rubbish of Azzah and the palaces thereof of Ashdod also of Ashkelon and of Ekron vers 7 8. In the state of the Tyrians we haue beheld the waste done vpon the proud Citie Tyrus and her palaces vers 10. In the state of the Edomites we haue considered the destruction of Teman and Bozrah vers 12. All which doe euidently and strongly proclaime vnto vs the truth of my propounded Doctrine namely that It is not the greatnesse of a Citie that can be a safeguard vnto it if God his vnappeasable wrath breake out against it for its sinnes One vse of this Doctrine is to lesson vs that wee put not any confidence in any worldly helpe but that so wee vse all good meanes of our defense that still we rely vpon the Lord for strength and successe thereby A second vse is to put vs in minde of the fearefull punishments which God layeth vpon men for sinne He deuoureth their Cities throweth downe their strong holds and spares them not Hath God dealt thus with strong Cities and shall poore villages escape If the secure worldling shall here obiect that our dayes are the dayes of peace that our King is a King of peace that peace is in all our ports in all our quarters in all our dwelling places and that therefore there is no need to feare the subuersion either of our cities or of our villages to such I must answer in the Prophet Esayes words Chap. 48.22 There is b Esa 57.21 no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. No peace to the wicked For though God the c Rom. 15.33 God of peace which d Psal 46.9 maketh an end of warre in all the world and breaketh the bow and knappeth the speare asunder and burneth the chariots with fire doth now protect vs from forraine inuasion and hostilitie yet being e Amos 3.13 Deus exercituum a God of hosts he hath armies of another kinde at command to worke the sudden subuersion and ouerthrow of all our dwellings Hereof hath God made good proofe in these our dayes To say nothing of his arrow of pestilence which is grandis terror mortalium the great terrour of men as being Deaths chiefe Pursuiuant and Sumner who in Iob 18.14 is called Rex Terrorum the King of feares to say nothing of this arrow how it hath for these f This Sermon was preached Ann. Dom. 1610. Ian.
thus haue argued Will not God spare the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Then out of doubt he will not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet shall they be so seuerely punished How then shall we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it You see now why Amos sent with a message to the Ten Tribes of Israel doth first prophecie against foreine Nations In the last place are the Moabites This prophecie against the Moabites Tremellius and Iunius in their translation of the Bible do add to the first Chapter as a part of it But sith the Hebrew text so diuides it not I will not follow them but will expound it as belonging to the second Chapter The words then which I haue read vnto you are the burden of Moab a heauy prophecie against Moab And doe conteine three generall parts 1. A preface vers the 1. Thus saith the Lord. 2. A prophecie vers the 1. For three transgressions of Moab c. 3. A conclusion vers the 5. Saith the Lord. The preface and conclusion doe giue authoritie to the prophecie whereby we learne that the words here spoken by Amos are not the words of Amos but the words of the euerliuing GOD. The prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1. The generall accusation of Moab For three transgressions of Moab and for foure 2. The Lords protestation against them I will not turne to it 3. The declaration of that grieuous sinne whereby they so highly offended God Because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime vers 1. 4. A commination or denuntiation of such punishment as should be laid vpon them for their sins vers 2. 3. This punishment is set downe 1. In a generalitie Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Kirioth 2. More especially Where I obserue 1. The manner of the punishment as that it should come vpon them with feare trouble and astonishment And Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 2. The extent of it None might escape it neither Prince nor King For thus saith the Lord vers the 3. I will cut off the Iudge the King out of the middest thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him Thus haue you the Analysis resolution or diuision of my Text. Returne we now to the Preface Thus saith the Lord whose name in my Text is Iehovah Sundry are the Names of God in holy Scripture by which albeit the substance of God cannot aptly and clearely be defined yet they serue vs thus farre to bring vs to some further knowledge of God then otherwise we should haue These Names of God are obserued by ancient Diuines to be of two sorts Negatiue and Affirmatiue The negatiue Names of God are Vncreated Incorporeall Invisible Incorruptible Infinite and such like and these describe not what God is but what he is not and doe euidently declare vnto vs that he is bonum quoddam excellentissimum some most excellent Good free from all imperfection of any creature The affirmatiue Names of God are ascribed vnto him either essentially or by way of relation or by a Metaphor The Names of God ascribed vnto him essentially are either proper to him alone or common to others also Among the essentiall Names of God proper to him alone is Iehovah the Name of God in my Text. His other essentiall Names communicable vnto others as to men doe yet belong vnto God either modo excellentiae by an excellencie or modo causa independentis as he is the primarie cause of all things By an excellencie God is said to bee Good Iust Wise Mighty Holy Mercifull and as he is the primarie cause of all things so is he called a Creator a Redeemer and hath other like appellations Now the affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by way of relation are the Names of the Trinitie in which there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no coÌ„meation no vnion each person hath his proper name Father Son Holy Ghost The other affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by a metaphor are affirmed of him either per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery man may vnderstand what they meane as when God is said to be Angrie or per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by analogie or similitude as when God is called a Lyon a Stone a Riuer Of these many Names of God now repeated vnto you his most proper Name is his Name in my Text his Name Iehouah a Name that cannot be attributed to any creature in the world no not by an analogie or similitude It is the honourablest Name belonging to the great God of Heauen I might spend much time about it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of the b See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. Cabalists and Rabbins They say it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to be pronounced not to be taken within polluted lips they call it nomen tetragrammaton a name of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellency for as much as the Name of God * Abrah Broviê° in festo Circumc Dom. Conc. 3 Dei nomen significat quaternarius ea ratione quia fere omnibus nomen Dei QuadriliteruÌ„ Latinis Deus Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Italis Idio Germanis Goth Polonis Illyrijs Bogh Gallis Dieu Hispanis Dios Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. Garhard lor. Theol. Tom. 1. de Natura Dei §. 26. Obseruant nonnulli appellationem Dei esse omnibus fere populis quadriliterum Sic Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs Adad Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegyptis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus Alla Illyricis Bogi Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turcis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hetruscis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinis Deus Hispanis Dios Italis Idio Gallis Dieu Germanis Gott Polulis novi orbis Zimi Vide P. Gregor lib. 6. Synt. art mirab c. 2. in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters and they obserue these foure letters in Hebrew to bee letters of rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the Creatures in the world is in God alone they teach that it is a powerfull name for the working of miracles and that by it Christ and Moses haue done great wonders But these their braine-sicke superstitious and blasphemous inventions my tongue shall not enlarge Yet thus much I say of this Name that there is a secret in it It is plaine Exod. 6.3 There thus saith the Lord vnto Moses I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and all-sufficient God but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them This secret I haue heretofore vnfolded vnto you after this manner This great name
This was not the practise of olde Of old time in the primitiue times of the Church the Holy Scriptures had their free passage All sorts of people might read them might search into them might iudge of them The vnlearned as the learned the laitie as the clergie women as men base as noble yong as old all had their shares in reading in hearing in meditating in practising the sacred doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures There can be no iust reason to the contrary For as S. Chrysostome in his first Homilie vpon S. Mathew saith The Scriptures are easie to the slaue and to the husbandman to the widdow and to the slaue and to him that may seeme to be very simple of vnderstanding To which purpose S. Austine Epi. 3. ad volusian affirmeth that Almightie God in the Scriptures speaketh as a familiar friend without dissimulation vnto the hearts both of the learned and also of the vnlearned The like S. Basil avoucheth vpon the 1. Psal The Scripture of God is like an Apothecaries shop full of medicines of sundry sorts that euery man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease Vpon this ground S. Chrysostome Hom. 2. in Iohan would perswade his auditors not onely in the Church to bee attentiue to the word of God but that at home also the husband with the wife and the father with the childe would talke together thereof and would to and fro inquire and giue their iudgments and would to God sayth he they would once beginne this most approued and most excellent custome Theodoret in his fift Booke de curatione Graecarum affectionum seemeth much to reioyce at the knowledge which the Christians generally had in the sacred Scriptures Our doctrine saith he is knowne not onely of them who are the doctors of the Church and Masters of the people but also euen of Taylers and Smiths and Weauers and all Artificers of women too not such onely as were learned but also of labouring women and Sewsters and seruants and hand-maides Neither onely Cittizens but Country folkes also doe very well vnderstand the same Ditchers deluers Cowheards Gardiners can dispute of the Trinitie and the creation of all things Thus was it of old and why should it not be so now in our daies The Holy Scriptures are the same now that then they were Now as in the dayes of q Sermon de Confessorib sive Dispensat p. 610. Fulgentius In Sacris Scripturis abundat quod rebustus comedat quod parvulus sugat There is in the Scriptures plentie whereof the strong may eate and the little ones may sucke Now as in the dayes of r Epist ad leandrum Gregorie Scripturae flumen sunt in quo agnus ambulet Elephas natet the Scriptures are as a great Riuer wherein a Lambe may walke and an Elephant may swim Now as in the dayes of Å¿ De Lazarâ— Theophylact Scripturae sunt Lucerna quo fur deprehenditur The Scriptures are as a lanterne whereby you may descry and discouer that great theefe the Deuill who is euer readie to steale away your hearts from God Let vs deaâ—ely beloued follow this lanterne Let this Lampe of Gods word direct your footsteps So shall we bee safe from errour But if we will not follow it if we will decline if we will swerue from it we shall be suddainly involued and inwrapped in deceit and cannot choose but erre This was my first doctrine I can but touch the second Their lies caused them to erre after which their Fathers walked You haue vnderstood by my precedent exposition of these words that the Inhabitants of Iudah are here blamed for adhering to the blind superstitions of their forfathers The doctrine arising hence is this In matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers This truth is plainely deriued from my text for if we will make it our rule in Religion to follow our forefathers their lyes that is their blind superstitions and idolatrous worship of God may deceiue vs and cause vs to erre Were not the elders of Israel thus deceiued and brought into errour The twentie Chapter of the prophecie of Ezechiel makes it plaine that they were so there shall you finde it obiected to them that they were polluted after the manner of their fathers and committed whoredome after the abomination of their fathers ver 30. And to draw them from adhering to the ill courses of their fathers the Lord himselfe is pleased ver 18. 19. thus to speake vnto them Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile yourselues with their Idoles I am the Lord your God Walke in my statutes keepe my iudgements and doe them What will you more for the confirmation of my propouÌ„ded doctrine You haue alreadie the warrant of Almightie God from heauen for it that in matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers It is backed with another text Zach. 1.4 Be not as your Fathers your Fathers they heard me not they hearkened not vnto me saith the Lord. Be not you therefore as your fathers Your father 's tempted me in the desert Psal 95.9 Will you also tempt me Be not as your Fathers Your Fathers were a stubborne and rebellious generation Psal 78.8 Will you also be stubborne and rebellious Be not as your Fathers It is out of doubt Our fathers must not be followed in euill Yea in matters of Religion we are not bound to follow our Fathers If our fathers in their religion were blinded with superstition and worshipped God otherwise then they were directed by Gods holy word we are not to follow them yea we are plainely charged not to be as they were Thus briefly of my Doctrine In matters of religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers This truth serueth for a reproofe of Iesuits Priests Recusants and all other popishly affected within this our country who are so strangely devoted to the Religion whereof their fathers were that they purposely shut their eyes against the light of Gods word will not suffer it to shine vpon them To whom shall I liken them They are like to certaine Iewes that dwell in Pathros in the land of Egypt who when Ieremie in the name of the Lord dehorted them from their Idolatrie did as it were defying the Prophet thus protest Ierem. 44 17. We will not hearken vnto thee We will doe what seemeth good to vs as we haue done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes so will we doe We will burne incense to the Queene of Heauen we will powre out drinke offerings vnto her For so long had we plentie of victuals we were well we saw no euill Doe not our popelings in England now sing the same song Call them t Esa 8.20 ad lâ—gem ad testimonium call them to the word of God Their answere is readie at their tongues end we will not hearken to it we will doe what
the Iewes for their prerogatiue nor Ierusalem for her goodly buildings From this vnpartialitie of God in his workes of iustice my proposition stands good Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Will you a reason hereof It is because the Lord takes impietie for impietie wheresoeuer he finds it and for such doth punish it And he finds it euery where For the eyes of the Lord Å¿ 2. Chrâ—n 16.9 runne to and fro throughout the whole earth and are in t Prâ—u 15.3 euery place to behold as well the euill as the good His eyes are u Iere. 16.17 vpon all our wayes he seeth x Iob 34.21 all our goings he y Iob 31.4 counteth all our steps no iniquitie is z Iere. 16.17 hid from him This doth the Prophet Ieremie Chap. 32.19 wall expresse Thine eyes O Lord are open vpon all the wayes of the sonnes of men to giue euery one acccording to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings This the very Ethnickes guided onely by Natures light haue acknowledged Sybilla in her Oracles could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Almightie and inuisible God he onely seeth all things Hesiod could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath an All-seeing eye Plautus could say a Capte ivi Est profecto Deus qui quae nos gerimus auditque videt Doubtlesse there is a God who both heareth and seeth whatsoeuer we doe And b Metamorph. lib. 13. Ovid could say Aspiciunt oculis superi mortalia iustâ—s There is a God aboue who hath iust eyes beholdeth all the doings of mortall men c Thales interregatus an furta â—â—mâ—â—um Deos fallerent Nec cogiâ—ata â—nqâ—it Valer. Mar. lib. 7 cap. 2. Dioge Laert. lib. 1. in Thal s. Thales of Miletum the wisest of the seauen being asked whether mens euill deeds could be kept close from God! No sayd he nor their euill thoughts The Hieroglyphicke the mysticall or aenigmaticall letter whereby the Egyptians would haue God to be vnderstood was an eye And why so But as d Hierâ—glyph lib. 33. Pierius saith because Deus ille optimus maximus the great God of Heauen is mundi oculus the eye of the world It may be such was the conceit of that auncient e Augustin Father who sayd of God that he was totus oculus wholy an eye He giues his reason quia omnia videt because hee seeth all things All things are to the eies of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naked and opened seene as well within as without So saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 4.13 All the impieties of man in deed word or thought are manifest vnto the Lord he seeth them all and for impieties will punish them Well saith f De constantiâ lib. 2. cap. 16. Lypsius Culpae comes iustissimè poena semper est Paine is alwayes the companion of a fault And g Jbid. cap. 14. againe Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium Euery wickednesse brings a punishment with it As the worke is so is the pay if the one be readie the other is present h Lipsius de constant lib. 2 c. 13. Neuer did any man foster within his breast a crime but vengeance was vpon his backe for it If there be impietie there cannot be impunitie Witnesse the blessed Apostle S. Iames chap. 1.15 Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death And S. Paul Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death Many are the texts of holy Scripture which I might alledge to this purpose I will for this present trouble you but with one It is Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth From these now-touched considerations first that Almightie God in iudgement accepteth no persons then that his Al-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoeuer impietie is done not onely in our workes and words but also in our most retyred thoughts thirdly that in iustice euery impietie is to receiue a due punishment from these considerations my position stands firme and vnmoueable Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties they are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Here let all good Christians be admonished with their greatest carefulnesse to looke vnto their wayes that they walke not in the by-pathes of sinne to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam non potest effugere poenam sayth i Comment in Hebr. 12. Hugo Cardinalis Thinke not that thy prerogatiue of being a Christian can be a shield vnto thee Christianus k August enchir ad Laurent ca. 5. nomine non opere A Christian in name not in deed may be called a Christian but is no Christian l Bernard Sentent Christianus as he is haeres nominis Christi so must he be imitator sanctitatis A Christian is heire to the name of Christ and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holinesse A Christian sayth S. Austine if he be the Author of the Booke m Lib. 1. cap. 6. de vita Christianâ A Christian is a name of iustice of goodnesse of integritie of patience of chastitie of prudence of humilitie of courtesie of innocencie of pietie A Christian is he who is a follower of Christ who is holy innocent vndefiled vnspotted in whose brest there is no wickednesse who hurts no man but helpeth all He that can truely say I hate not mine enemies I doe good to them that hurt me I pray for them that persecute me I doe wrong to no body I liue iustly with all men hic Christianus est he is a Christian But if in the profession of Christianitie a man liues the life of a Heathen the name of a Christian shall doe him no pleasure If he take delight in the n Galat. 5.19 workes of the flesh in adulterie fornication vncleannesse laciuiousnesse drunkennesse hatred variance wrath strife or any like sinne God will forsake him the holy Angels will flie him the blessed Saints will detest him the Reprobate shall bee his companie the Deuils his fellowes hell his inheritance his soule a nest of scorpions his bodie a dungeon of foule spirits and at last both bodie and soule shal eternally burne in fire vnquencheable Wherefore dearely beloued suffer a word of exhortation o Ecclus. 21.1.2.3 Haue you sinned Doe so no more Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent For if you come too neere it it will bite you the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon slaying the soules of men So sayth Ecclus chap. 21.2 Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent Sinne It s like a leauen that will leauen the whole lumpe It s like a scab that will infect the whole flocke It s like
fornication and in the former not once to name it Thirdly it is malum lubricum a sinne full of great danger So meaneth Salomon Prou. 23.27 where he sayth A whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow d Prou. 22.14 pitt The comparison is plaine A Harlot to a deepe ditch and to a narrow pit The meaning of the holy Ghost is As a man that falleth into a deepe ditch or into a narrow pit breaketh either an arme or a legge and with much adoe getteth out againe so is it with them that are ouertaken with this vile sinne of fornication the woman e Eccles 26.7 whose heart is as snares and nets and her hands as bands will bee to them more bitter then death with much adoe shall they escape from her Fourthly it stoppeth the passage into Heauen S. Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 6.9 Fornicators shall not inherite the kingdome of God and againe Ephes 5.5 No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ S. Iohn Reuel 21.18 sayth as plainely Whoremongers shall haue their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you of many foure reasons why wee may not commit fornication 1. It is vnlawfull by the law of Nature 2. It is forbidden by the law of God 3. It is full of great danger 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heauen Now see the validitie of my former inference We may not commit fornication for the reasons now specified much lesse may we commit adulterie much lesse incest much lesse other sinnes of vncleannesse sinnes against Nature monstrous and prodigious sinnes All these S. Paul 1. Cor. 6. hath euen chayned together to cast them into Hell And that you may take notice of it he hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not deceiued Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate nor abusers of themselues with mankinde shall inherit the kingdome of God Thus farre hath the first vse of my doctrine led mee The second followeth My doctrine was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God This in the second place serueth for the reproofe of such as suffer themselues to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes or carnall lusts And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned f Caietan in Aquin 2. 2. qu. 154 Art 9. §. Respondeo Emanuell King of Portugall married his wiues sister g Caietan ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicilie married his fathers h Joannam sister Philip the second King of Spaine married his sisters i Annam daughter Henry the eight King of England married his brothers k Catharinam wife All these were incestuous marriages and are by this doctrine condemned But some may say these marriages were not concluded but by the Popes dispensation Why then say I they are condemned I say so because they are precisely against the law of God written Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law What! Dispense against the law of God! We are not ignorant that the chiefe patrons of the Pontificiall law howsoeuer they grant l In cap. MennaÌ„ 2. q. 5. Annotat. marg Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like doe notwithstanding expresly affirme m Gloss in Cap. Post translationem Extra de Renuntiatione 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle n Rainold Thes 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant vnto the Pope this power of dispensing only in causes perteining to the positiue law of man with which colour they now paint ouer that same flagitious glosse of dispensing against the Apostle but also in matters ratified by the law of God I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations that haue bin granted by the Pope as that o Cap. ad Apostolicae in Sexto de Sentent re iudicat Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae subiects may be discharged of their oath and fealtie and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince yea to take armes against him yea to lay violent hands on him that p Concil Constans Sess 19. Cap. Quòd non obstantibus Câ—luis conductibus promise may be broken with God and man that most horrible q Rainold Thes 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations may be committed that all things diuine and humane may be peruerted right and wrong Heauen and earth lawfull and vnlawfull may be confounded togither But I may not so far digresse from my present purpose Let it suffice for this time that you see the impietie of the Popes dispensations or rather dissipations as r De Consid ad â—ugâ—n lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them in his allowing of incestuous mariages that a man may marry his wiues sister or his fathers sister or his sisters daughter or his brothers wife all precisely against the law of God Here might we stand amased and wonder that such irregular and shamelesse dispensations should passe with the approbation of the Pope who beares a face as if he were most holy yea Holinesse it selfe Speake we to him or write to him our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime most holy Father and Sanctitas Tua your Holinesse But knowing him to be that Å¿ 2. Thess 2 3. man of sinne that sonne of perdition that grand Antichrist who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures was to be reuealed in these latter times we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties that may be Can we t Matth. 7.16 gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Can we expect that the Pope who u 2. Thess 2.4 opposeth himselfe against God and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God should either himselfe liue or cause others to liue according to the holy law of God For the Popes themselues would the time and your patience permit I could rip vp their liues and shew vnto you how they haue bin stained and defiled with all manner of fearefull notorious and abhominable sinnes But my text will not suffer me so farre â—o range The sinnes of vncleanenesse wherein those holy fathers haue to the astonishment of the world wallowed are the sinnes in my present text and doctrine smitten at What shall I tell â—ou of the incest committed by many of them by Iohn the 13. with Stephana his fathers concubine by Iohn the x Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brothers wife by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces by Pius the 5. with his owne sister by y Joan. Iovian Pontan Alexander the 6. with his owne daughter I could make true report vnto you of many of
those blessings wherewith God had blessed them Foure are heere mentioned One is the ruine of the Amorites set downe verse 9. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them whose height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes yet I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath The second is their deliuerance from the seruitude of Egypt ver 10. Also I brought you vp from the land of Egypt The third is their safe passage through the desert touched in the same verse I led you fortie yeares through the wildernesse And why so but to possesse the land of the Amorite These were three great blessings yet were they but temporall The fourth passeth It is spirituall ver 11. I raysed vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites The confirmation of all followeth in the same verse Is it not euen thus O yee children of Israel sayth the Lord Say O yee children of Israel Haue I not done so and so for you Haue I not destroyed the Amorite for your sake Haue I not freed you from your Egyptian yoke Haue I not guided you through the desert Haue I not giuen you Prophets and Nazarites of your owne sonnes and of your owne yong men for your instruction in the true seruice and worship of your God Is it euen thus O yee children of Israel saith the Lord You haue now the scope of my Prophet and the summe of this Scripture My present discourse must begin with the first mentioned benefit bestowed by God vpon that people It is the ruine of the Amorites for their sake thus expressed ver 9. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them c. Herein I commend vnto you three principall parts The first hath a generall touch of the ruine of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them The second hath a description of that people They are described from their stature and from their valour Each is set forth vnto vs by way of comparison their stature or tallnesse by the Cedar their valour or strength by the Oke Their height was like the height of the Cedars and hee was strong as the Okes. The third hath a particular explication or amplification of their ruine It was not any gentle stripe that they receiued not any light incision not any small wound but it was their extermination their contrition their vniuersall ouerthrow their vtter ruine Their roote and fruit Princes and subiects Parents and children yong and old were all brought to nought Yet I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath Of the first of these three parts at this time It hath a generall touch of the ruine of the Amorites Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them Yet The Hebrew letter is Vau it is most vsually put for a Et. And It is here so rendred by Leo Iuda by Calvin by Gualter by Brentius and by Drusius The b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint the author of the c Autem Vulgar Latine and Vatablus doe translate it But. d Quamvis Tremellius and the e Licet Translator of the Chaldee Paraphrase haue Although Our English Bible hath Yet Be it either And or Although or But or Yet it varieth not the meaning of the holy Ghost The meaning of the holy Ghost is by this enumeration of Gods benefits vpon Israel to taxe Israel of Ingratitude God showred downe his benefits vpon them yet they returned no thankes So much is here enforced by this particle Yet to this sense Notwithstanding all the good I haue done vnto Israell whether for their temporall or for their spirituall estate for their temporall by destroying the Amorite before them by freeing them from their seruitude in Egypt and by guiding them through the wildernesse and for their spirituall estate by giuing vnto them Prophets euen of their owne sonnes yet Israell f Hos 11.7 my people Israell haue g Hos 13.6 forgotten me Crueltie Couetousnesse Oppression False dealing Filthie lusts Incest Idolatrie Riot and Excesse these are the fruits wherwith they repay me Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them Here we are to take out a lesson against Vnthankefulnesse It is this Vnthankefulnesse is a sinne very odious in the sight of God This truth you will acknowledge to be very euident and out of question if you will be pleased to consider three things The First is that God doth seriously forbid Vnthankefulnesse The Second is that he doth seuerely reprehend it The Third is that he doth dulie punish it First God forbiddeth vnthankefulnesse It is forbidden Deut. 6.12 Take heed that thou forget not the Lord thy God when thou art full h Deut. 6.10 When the Lord thy God shall haue brought thee into the land which he sware vnto thy Fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob to giue thee and shall haue giuen thee great and goodly Citties which thou buildest not i Vâ—â—s 11. And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not and Wells diâ—gâ—d which thou diggedst not vineyards oliue trees planted which thou plantedst not k Deut. 8.10.11.12 when thou hast eaten and be full l Deut. 6.12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage Take heed that thou be not vnthankefull Secondly God reprehendeth vnthankfulnesse He reprehendeth it in the Iewes Esa 1.2 I haue nourished I haue brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me He reprehendeth it in the Gentiles Rom. 1.21 There are the Gentiles sayd to be without excuse Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were they thankefull Hee reprehendeth it in the proud Christian 1. Cor. 4.7 The proud Christian he boasteth of his dignitie of his good workes of his merits Vnthankfull man what hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why doest thou glory why boasteth thou as if thou hadst not receiued It is a reprehension of Vnthankfulnesse which you haue Mat. 25 26. There the seruant that receiued of his Master one Talent to be employed to the best aduantage and employed it not is thus checked Thou wicked and slothfull seruant thou knowest that I reape where I sowed not and gather where I haue not strawed Thou oughtest therefore to haue put my money to the exchangers I may not passe by Iesus his censure which he giueth of the Leapers Luk. 17.17 It is a reprehension of their Vnthankfulnesse Tenne were clensed onely one and he a Samaritane returned to giue thankes It drew from Iesus this expostulation Were there not ten clensed but where are the nine Let me recall you to review that reproofe of Vnthankefulnesse Esa 1.2 How begins it Heare ô men hearken ô Angels No. A greater Auditorie must yeeld attention Heare ô Heauens and hearken ô earth Why What is the matter I haue nourished and brought vp children
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
also in particular I speake not now of the prouidence of God as it is potentialis immanens but as it is actualis transiens not as it is the internall action of God but as it is externall not as it is his decree of gouerning the world but as it is the execution of that decree This prouidence of God this his actuall and transient prouidence this his externall action and the execution of his inward and eternall decree is nothing else than a perpetuall and vnchangeable disposition and administration of all things or to speake with Aquinas it is nothing else than ratio ordinis rerum ad finem it is nothing else than the course which God perpetually holdeth for the ordering of the things of the world to some certaine end Such is the prouidence of God whereof I am now to speake which is by some diuided into a generall and a speciall prouidence by others into an vniuersall a special a particular prouidence Gods vniuersall or generall prouidence I call that by which he doth not only direct al creatures according to that secret instinct or inward vertue which he hath giuen to euery one of them at the time of their creation but doth also preserue them in their ordinary course of nature Of this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus in his first Sermon concerning this argument discourseth copiously and elegantly You that say in your hearts there is no prouidence of God consider the things that are visible and are obuious to your eies consider their nature their site their order their state their motion their agreement their harmony their comlinesse their beautie their magnitude their vse their delight their variety their alteration their continuance and then if you can deny God's prouidence Gods prouidence is manifest in euery worke of creation you may behold it in the Heauen and in the lights thereof the Sunne the Moone and the Starres You may behold it in the aire in the clouds in the earth in the sea in plants in hearbs in seeds You may behold it in euery other creature euery liuing creature reasonable or vnreasonable man or beast and in euery beast whether it goeth or flieth or swimmeth or creepeth There is not any thing but it may serue to magnifie the prouidence of God But why runne I to the Fathers for the illustration of a point wherein the holy Scriptures are so plentifull so eloquent The 104. Psalme containeth an egregious description hereof a faire and goodly picture and a liuely portraiture of this prouidence of God drawne with the pencill of the holy Ghost I see therein the aire and clouds and winds and water and the earth and the like so ruled and ordered by the immediate hand of God that should he remoue his hand but for a moment this whole vniuerse would totter and fall and come to nothing I goe on to the 147. Psalme There I see God numbering the starres and calling them by name I see him couering the Heauens with clouds preparing raine for the earth giuing snow like wooll scattering the hoare frost like ashes casting forth his ice like morsells making grasse to grow vpon the mountaines giuing food to beasts to Rauens all this I see and cannot but acknowledge his vniuersall prouidence I looke backe to the booke of Iob and Chap. 9. I finde God remouing mountaines and ouer-turning them I finde him shaking the earth out of her place and commanding the Sunne to stand still I finde him alone spreading out the heauens and treading vpon the waues of the sea I finde him making Arcturus Oâ—ion Pleiades and the chambers of the South I finde him doing great things past finding out yea and wonders without number All this I finde and cannot but admire his vniuersall prouidence Infinite are the testimonies which I might produce out of the old Testament for this point but I passe them ouer contenting my selfe with only two out of the new That of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I worke is fit to my purpose The words are an answer to the Iewes who persecuted our Sauiour and sought to slay him for doing a cure on the Sabbath day vpon one that had beene diseased 38. yeares They held it to be vnlawfull to doe any worke vpon the Sabbath day Christ affirmes it to be lawfull The ground of their opinion was God the Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes This Christ denieth not but explicates the meaning of it It s true My Father rested the seuenth day from all his workes yet true also it is Pater meus vsque modò operatur My Father worketh hitherto He rested the seuenth day from all his workes and yet he worketh how can this be so It is thus according to Aquinas He rested the seuenth day à nouis creaturis condendis from making any new creatures yet notwithstanding hee euer worketh creaturas in esse conseruando preseruing his creatures in their being It may be thus enlarged Requieuit die septimo God rested the seuenth day from creating any new world or from making any new kinds of creatures but nor then rested he nor at any time since hath he rested from prouiding for and caring for and ruling and gouerning and sustaining the world Neuer resteth he but causeth his creatures to breed and bring forth after their kinds and restoreth things decaying and preserueth things subsisting to his good pleasure This is that saying of our Sauiours Pater meus vsque modò operatur my Father worketh hitherto My Father worketh hitherto Hom. 37. in Ioan. 5. Saint Chrysostome well discourseth thereupon If saith he thou shouldest aske How is it that the Father yet worketh sith he rested the seuenth day from all his workes I tell thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prouideth for and vpholdeth all things that he hath made Behold the Sunne rising and the Moone running and pooles of water and springs and riuers and raine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the course of nature in seeds and in the bodies of man and beast behold and consider these and all other things whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this vniuerse consisteth and thou wilt not deny the perpetuall operation of the Father but wilt breake forth into the praises of his vniuersall prouidence That branch of Saint Pauls Sermon to the Athenians Act. 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being is also fit to the point we haue in hand In him that was to the Athenians the vnknowne God but is indeed the only true and euer-liuing God we liue we moue we haue our being Saint Ambrose in his booke De bono moutis cap. 12. thus descants vpon the words In Deo mouemur quasi in vià sumus quasi in veritate vinimus quasi in vitâ aeternâ In him we moue as in the way we haue our being as in the truth we liue as in the life eternall S. Cyprian or whosoeuer
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
the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end Thus much bee spoken for the exposition of the words Now let vs see what point of obseruation may from hence arise for our further profit In that our Prophet here seemeth to reproue and tax the rich men Princes and others in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes for their variety cost and state in their buildings by threatning destruction to their winter houses and summer houses to their houses of iuory and to their great houses this question is propounded Whether it be lawfull for Kings Princes and other men of state to build such houses Petrus Lusitanus thus resolues it If Kings Princes and other men of state be otherwise godly and faithfull and studious of Gods worship and mindfull of the poore they may without sinne build such sumptuous and magnificent houses and palaces according to their owne reuenues and estate Such houses King Salomon built and is not reproued He was building of his owne house thirteene yeeres He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon 1 King 7.1 and he made a house for Pharaohs daughter All these houses were of precious stones according to the measures of hewed stones sawed with Sawes within and without euen from the foundation vnto the coping 1 King 7.9 These doubtlesse were costly and magnificent houses yet is Salomon commended for building them And yet neuerthelesse is all such building blame-worthy and to be reproued if it exceed the measure of the ability and dignity of the builder For then there is a necessity of oppressing the poore Against such builders there is a wo gone forth Ier. 22.13 Woe vnto him that buildeth by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers by wrong Againe though a builder exceed not the measure of his ability and dignity yet may his building bee reproueable through the vanity of his intention if his intendment be not Gods honour but his owne praise for haughtinesse and pride of minde makes the best action faulty So much for the question proceed we to the obseruation From the demolition and ouerthrow here threatned and after in due time brought to passe vpon the winter house with the summer house vpon the houses of iuory and vpon the great houses in the Kingdome of the Ten Tribes we may make this obseruation that All the aid and succour a man hath from his buildings whatsoeuer is vaine if once the wrath of God break forth against him If once the wrath of God breake forth against vs alas what shall faire rich and great buildings auaile vs If these might haue yeelded any succour in the day of the Lords visitation the Israelites might haue found it But they together with their buildings thoughfull of state and pompe are perished and come to nought And is it not in like sort fallen out with other most flourishing common wealths and most mighty Kingdomes The daily change of things doth abundantly euict that there is nothing in this world perpetuall Here then may Filii huius seculi this worlds darlings some rich men be reproued for a vanity of theirs They see that death comes alike to all to the rich as to the poore and yet they dreame of nothing else than of a perpetuity of life here For so they order all their waies as if they were to liue here for euer They build them houses great and goodly houses and spare no cost to adorne and deck them gorgeously supposing hereby to continue a perpetuity of their name This vanity of theirs the Psalmist of old hath very well discouered Psal 49.10 11. They see that wise men also die and perish together as well as the ignorant and foolish and leaue their riches for other And yet they thinke that their houses shall continue for euer and that their dwelling places shall endure from generation to generation and call their lands after their owne names By which their vanity they seeme to acknowledge no other life but this Whatsoeuer we preach vnto them of that better life that heauenly and eternall life they beleeue it not but rather they deride it as fabulous But if at any time they are conuinced in conscience that there remaineth after this a better life yet they desire it not Their onely desire and wish is to dwell here for euer Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations and for this purpose they call their lands after their owne names They will no other Paradise but this As vaine were they that built the Tower of Babel Gen. 11.4 Goe to say they Let vs build vs a City and a Tower whose top may reach vnto Heauen and let vs make vs a name lest we bee scattered abroad vpon the face of the whole earth Let vs build vs a City and a Tower One reason is a desire of dominion Hugo saith Gen. 10.10 Factum esse cupiditate regnandi that Nimrod set forward the worke that it might be the beginning and chiefe of his Kingdome Another reason is Ne diuidaemur lest we be scattered They built them a City and a Tower to maintaine society that they might dwell together and not be scattered vpon the face of the whole earth Antiq. Iud. lib. 1. cap. 5. Iosephus thinks they did it of purpose to oppose themselues against the ordinance and commandement of God who would haue them dispersed into diuers parts that the world might be replenished A third reason is Vt celebremus nomen nostrum to get vs a name They built them a City and a Tower to grow famous thereby De confus ling. 468. Philo saith they did write their names in this Tower to reuiue their memory with posterity In this their proud enterprise they sinned grieuously They sinned through their impiety towards God Erigebant turrim contra Dominum saith S. Augustine De Ciuit Dei l. 16. c. 4. they erected a Tower in despight of God The Prophet Esay according to this patterne bringeth in the King of Babel thus vaunting himselfe I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds I will be like the most high Chap. 14.14 Secondly they sinned through vanity For what more vaine than to neglect Heauen where onely immortality is to be found and to seeke to be famous on earth where there is nothing that is not vaine and transitory See saith Chrysostome the root of euill they seeke to be famous aedificiis non cleemosynis by buildings not by almes Thirdly they sinned through disobedience For knowing that it was Gods ordinance that the earth by them should be replenished they did wilfully oppose themselues against it They would liue together and would not be dispersed as euen now I told you out of Iosephus Fourthly they sinned through impudency Philo cries out vpon it O insignem impudentiam O notorious impudency whereas they should rather haue couered their sinnes they proclaime their pride their tyranny their