city of Ierusalem a curse to all the earth The Priests and Prophets contend that he was to be put to death and the people at the first concurre with them in this bloudy sentence but afterward comply with the Princes whose verdict was that he was not worthy to die because he had spoken to them in the name of the Lord their God And vpon this verdict the elders of the land giue judgment from a ruled case in the Prophet Micah who had spoken more terrible words against both citie and temple in more peremptory manner then Ieremy now had done and yet not therefore put to death but reverenced by Hezekiah as you haue it in the beginning of this 19. verse Did Hezekiah king of Iudah and all Iudah put Micah at all to death Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord Now if the solemne practise of so good a King as Hezekiah was could not moue them yet the happy successe of his practise should in reason allure them to deale more mildly with Ieremy then was intended by them For vpon Hezekia's prayers and repentance the Lord repented him of the euill which he had pronounced against Ierusalem and Sion and when they further adde thus might we procure great euill against our soules they imply thus much that if this present assembly doe not repent of their ill intentions against Ieremy the Lord would not repent of the euill which by his mouth he had pronounced against them The points which offer themselues to be discussed are but two The first in what sense God is said to repent The second in what case it is said that God will not repent or that he is not as man or the sonne of man that he should repent Deus tunc poenitere dicitur quando non facit aut quod minatur aut quod permittit God as some giue out who take vpon them to resolue this point is then said to repent when he doth not effect the evill which he threatneth or the good which he promiseth All this is true yet no true definition no iust expression of repentance either as it is applyable in Scripture to God or man Most true it is that whensoeuer God is said to repent it must be conceived that he did not effect either the euill which he threatned or the good which he promised But it is not reciprocally true that whensoeuer God doth not bring that euill of punishment to passe which he threatneth it is rightly said or conceiued that he did repent A loving father may sometimes threaten to chastise sometimes promise to reward the sonne whom he loveth best and yet not be truly thought to repent albeit he neither chastise nor reward him For hee may thus mingle threatnings with incouragements with purpose only to try his present disposition Thus we read that God who is a most loving father to mankind did command Abraham to sacrifice his only sonne Isaac whom he loved This was a threatning command at least in respect of Isaac Now albeit the Lord did withhold Abraham's hand from executing this command yet doe we not read nor is it to be conceived that God did repent of that which he gave Abraham in charge The reason is because he charged Abraham thus to doe not with purpose to have Isaac then presently sacrificed but only to try the sincerity and strength of Abrahams ' faith and obedience and by this triall to gaine his assent unto the offring up of the seed promised from the beginning of the world which was from this time irreversibly ordained to be the seed of Abraham For seeing God from the beginning had determined to give his only sonne for the redemption of man it was his good pleasure to confirme this promise by oath unto a man that was ready to offer up his only sonne in sacrifice unto God and Abraham from this very intended worke as S. Iames tels us was called the friend of God the promise made to our first parents was now accomplished by way of contract or covenant betwixt God and Abraham that the sonne of God and seed of Abraham should bee offred up in sacrifice for a blessing unto all the nations of the earth This being the end or purpose of God in commanding Abraham to sacrifice his only sonne Isaac in whom his seed was called there is no semblance of repentance in God although he did withhold Abraham's hand from doing that which he had commanded him to doe They therefore come neerer unto the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this particular expression who tell us that Deus tunc poenitere dicitur quando non facit quod facturus erat God is then said to repent when he doth not that which he was about to doe or that which hee intended or purposed to have done For without a revocation or reversing of somewhat seriously purposed or intended there can be no true notion of repentance whether in God in man or Angels And this notion or expression of repentance as it is attributed unto God in scripture we have expressely delivered by the Prophet Ieremy Chap 18. from v. 7. to the 11. At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a Kingdome to plucke up and to pull downe and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them And at what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to build and to plant it if it doe evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them This generall to my observation was first drawne into a rule or doctrinall forme by the Prophet Ieremiah yet the truth of the former part of it was experienced long before in the men of Nineveh though contrary to the mind and expectation of the Prophet Ionas not out of a nescience of this rule or Gods usuall dealing with men but out of a particular dislike or discontent that the sentence which God had commanded him to pronounce should not be put in execution The sentence was yet 40 dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Ionas 3. v. 4. This solemne proclamation the Lord did dictate unto him as it is v. 2. Did the Lord thus speake to try the Ninevites disposition only had he no intention or thought as the Prophet Ieremy speakes to overthrow or destroy the citie Certainly the Ninevites did thinke he had and yet this their thought or opinion is commended unto us by the Holy Ghost under the stile or title of beliefe for so it is said v. 5. The people of Nineveh believed God Wherein did they believe in him or what did they believe of him Surely they believed in the first place that hee meant as he spake that he had a purpose or intention to destroy them They knew their sinnes had deserved no lesse and they believed that God
or wonted triumphes shee takes upon her the beggers garbe and becomes an humble suppliant for bread and for that not in iust competency but in such a measure as might asswage or prevent extremity of hunger of which shee had suffered so much as shee thought would have given full satisfaction either to her ancient and inveterate foes or to the most malignant of her moderne enemies enough as shee thought to have drawne sighes from the barbarous Getes or to have wrung teares from the mercilesse Swab or to have cast Parthia her selfe into a swoon so shee might have beene a spectatour of her ruefull and tragicall plight yet all this evill came upon her not by observation it was not preventible by any forecast or policy besides that which Ezekiah here uses this would have sufficed so it had beene practised in time But it is not the representation of that which hath befallen others long since or may hereafter befall our selves which will so much affect us as the recognition of that which we our selves have formerly suffered It will not then I hope be unseasonable to put you in minde how in these later times whilst neighbour nations addresse their Embassadors to to this court either to condole the death of our Soveraignes or to congratulate our ioy for the happy continuance of royall succession there still hath come one unwelcome or unexpected Embassador either with them or before them to this people And however he seeme to plead for the grave yet his message is from heaven and for our peace though he find audience for the most part with needy sicke or dying men yet his instructions are principally directed to the living and potent amongst us and the tenure of them is in effect thus thinke you that those whom the Lord hath wounded with his poisonous arrowes were greater sinners then your selves or that they have suffered more then they have deserved I tell you nay but except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish unlesse you prepare your hearts to meet the Lord while hee is on the way a greater plague then the plague of pestilence is comming against you Yet hath that plague beene twice in our memory more fearefull then in the daies of our forefathers To omit that great mortality which was almost universall throughout this land about twenty seaven yeares agoe The calamities which followed upon the 2d arrivall or returne of this Embassadour about 5 yeares agoe did leave a live print or character of that feare by which the Prophet Amos describes the day of the Lord. Amos. 5. v. 18. 19. The day of the Lord saith he is darknesse and not light as if a man did flye from a Lion and a Beare met him and went into the house and leane his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him Many fled from the great city as a man would flye from a Lion and thought themselves safe if they could get into a ship for some other port but sped no better then if they had met with a Beare death being as ready as they were to imbarque it selfe as a passenger for every port authorized to execute his commission as well by sea as by land others comming to the shore were more harbourlesse in the wished for haven then if they had committed themselves to the mercilesse waves of the sea which way soever they tooke their case was like unto a stricken deare haeret lateri letalis arundo They could not shift aside from Gods arrow which still tooke up some vitall part for his marke Some after their arrivall in their native soyle wandred without companions to support them in their weaknesse and lastly dyed in the fresh and open aire without that comfort which the infected places from which they fled might have afforded them without consorts in their sighes and grones without such mutuall expressions of griefe as Sympathy of nature brings forth in the beastes of the field But amongst the wofull spectacles which the calamity of those times presented none me thinkes more apt to imprint the terrour of Gods iudgements deeper then to have seen men otherwise of undaunted spirits men whom no enemies lookes or braggs could afright afrayd to hold parley with their native countrey-men that came unto them with words of love and peace more agast to embrace their dearest friends or nearest kinsfolks then to graspe an adder or a snake The plague of pestilence is above all other diseases catching and such as have beene most observant of it's course tell us men of covetous mindes or unseasonably greedy of gaine are usually soonest caught by it though exposed to no greater or more apparent visible danger then others are The course which this messenger of death observes if these mens observation of it be true may leade our conjecture to one speciall cause why it was sent amongst us with such large commission surely if in the daies of health and peace it had not beene usuall for one neighbour to prey upon another and to verifie the saying homo homini lupus the neighbour-hood and presence of men of the same nation and profession would not have become more terrible unto others then if their habitations had beene amongst Wolves or Lions or other ravenous creatures But to what end soever this fearefull messenger was sent amongst us the tenor of his message either was not well understood or is not perfectly remembred And for this reason his commission hath beene renewed of late in the times of our hopes and joy for the continuance of royall succession in a straight line But Gods name be ever blessed who hath hitherto so tempered his judgements with mercy that we have more just cause of joy and thanksgiving for the birth of one then of sorrow for the death of many Yet let not this I beseech you abate our feare of future judgements or occasion us to thinke that the Lord either hath repented or will repent of the evill which hee hath so often threatned whereof he hath given this land and people so many warnings untill wee bring forth better fruites of our repentance then hitherto wee have done That thus we may doe let us pray continually to the Lord that hee would teach us to feare as Hezekias did that he would teach us to pray as Hezekias did As for him hee is the same Lord still the same loving Father to us that he was to Iudah and cannot forget to repent whensoever wee shall truly turne unto him Convert us O Lord we shall be converted IER 26. 19. And the Lord repented him of the evill which he had pronounced against them Thus might we procure great evill against our soules THIS is the resolution of a controversie debated from the beginning of this chapter vnto this place between the Priests the Prophets and the people and the Princes of the land whether the Prophet Ieremy were to be put to death for saying the Lord would make his temple like Shiloh and the
take it was because S. Iohn of all the foure Evangelists did out-live both sorts of the signes for hee was alive in the dayes of Trajan the emperour betwixt whose raigne and the raigne of Titus in whose dayes these signes in my text were exhibited Domitian and Cocceius Nerva did successively raigne over the Romans And it may be S. Iohn did purposely omit the Relation of our Saviours prophecies concerning these signes or prognosticks whether of Ierusalem's destruction or of Christ's comming to judge the Nations because he knew when hee wrote his Ghospell hee was to out-live them and for this reason his relation of them would have beene more lyable to suspition or to the exceptions of the Iewes or heathen than the relations of S. Matthew Marke or Luke were seeing they all dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem But did S. John know or what presumptions have we to thinke he did know that hee was to continue his pilgrimage here on earth untill this prophecy of my text were fulfilled that is untill Christ's comming to give all the Nations of the world as well as Ierusalem a solemne warning of of his power and purpose to judge the world This S. Iohn might know or this he could not but know from our Saviour's speeches to him and S. Peter related by him Iohn 21. v. 18. to the 23. Our Saviour had signified or intimated to S. Peter by what manner of death hee should glorifie God and bid him follow him the meaning is that he should be crucified as our Saviour had beene But Peter not content to know the manner of his own death turned about and seeing S. Iohn saith to Iesus Lord what shall this man doe And Iesus said unto him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that unto thee The rest of the brethren that is of Christ's disciples made a false descant upon this sure ground for they hence collected that S. Iohn should not dye at all but this misconstruction of our Saviour's words S. Iohn himselfe v. 23. of that Chap. plainly refuses Iesus said not unto him he shall not dye but if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Yet this his annotation or comment upon our Saviour's words did better refute errors past then prevent the errors or misconstructions of times ensuing For surely they erre which interpret our Saviours words as a meere put-off to Peters curious question or as if they contained no such prediction or prophecy concerning Iohn as the former did concerning Peter And there is a medium betweene the construction which the Disciples then made of our Saviours words and that construction which others have made since The Disciples hence collected that Iohn should not dye at all others collect that our Saviours speech was meerely hypotheticall or conditionall yet being proposed by way of interrogation it is equivalent to this assertory or affirmative It is my will that hee should tarry till I come doe not thou grudge at this but follow me Now as you have heard before there is a two fold comming of Christ the one typicall or representative which is the comming here mentioned in my text and meant by our Saviour in his answer to Peter Iohn 21 v. 22. the other reall or consummative to wit his last comming to Iudgement The Disciples did erre only in this that they understood our Saviours words unto S. Peter of his last comming to judgement And if Iohn had beene to tarry on earth till that time the consequence had beene true hee should not have dyed but as S. Paul speakes he should have beene changed But our Saviour speakes of his comming here mentioned in my text of which comming S. Iohn and others then living were to bee witnesses and spectators And of this comming the destruction of Ierusalem was a signe by which his Disciples then alive might prognosticate or expect it before they dyed But of his last comming to judgement at least of the time of the worlds end our Saviour in my text gave no signe but rather inhibited his Disciples to enquire after it seeing it was then reserved to his father only And if any bee disposed to seeke after the signes of that day these he must learne of S. Iohn in his revelation who saw his first comming to judgement in such a sence and manner as he had seene the Kingdome of heaven come with power and glory at his transfiguration upon the mount But though the time of Christs comming to judgement bee uncertaine though wee may not expect that hee should come unto us in such visible manner as hee did to this generation yet hee dayly comes to us in a more reall manner if wee will prepare our hearts to entertaine him For so hee comes to us in his word and in the sacraments and this his comming shall bee unto judgement unlesse wee examine and judge our selves But if wee will judge our selves we shall not bee judged of the Lord yea hee comes unto us in mercy and loving kindnesse One way or other hee comes to all Behold saith hee I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Revel 3. 20. Yet he which thus knocketh that we may open hath commanded us to knocke that it may be opened to us And indeed the only way by which wee can open the doore to him is by continuall knocking at the gate of mercy that he would open that unto us that hee would come unto us by his grace by the sweet influence of his owne everlasting sacrifice Lord heare us when we call upon thee and open unto us and so come unto us yea so come quickly A briefe appendix to the former treatise of the signes of the time or divine forewarnings OF omnious presagements or abodings good or bad whether given taken or affected and of prodigies or portendments which are for the most part publique signes of the times wherein they are exhibited I had in my younger and better dayes written a large treatise which hitherto I have not had the opportunity or leasure to publish out of which I have borrowed two or three instances in the former treatise But amongst all the forewarning signes given to this land as so many summons to repentance none which have beene given within my memory did make so durable impression upon my heart and thoughts as that late mighty winde which having begun his terrible visitation from the utmost point of the South-west did continue it in one night unto the North-east corner of this Southerne province This was more then a signe of the time Tempus ipsum admonebat the very time it selfe wherein it hapened being the vigils of that great anniversary Novemb. 5. was a signe to my apprehension most significant and doth interpret the meaning of this terrible messengers inarticulate voice much better then any linguist living this day as well as the Prophets were any such now alive could doe Both the messenger and the time wherein he delivered his message doe teach us that truth which hath beene often mentioned in these former meditations more punctually and more pithily than I could then or can yet expresse it Thus much of his meaning the serious reader may understand that albeit wee of this Kingdome were in firme league with all Nations of the earth with whom we have had any time commerce although our greatest enemies should become our greatest freinds yet it is still in the Lord almighty his power and as wee may feare in his purpose to plague this Kingdome more grievously by his owne immediate hand or by this invisible but most audible messenger or by other like stormes and tempests then at any time he hath done by the famine by the sword or by the plague of pestilence to bury more living soules as well of superior as of inferior ranke in the ruines of their stately houses or meaner cottages then the powder-plotters did intend to doe or the powder-plot it selfe had it taken effect could have done God grant every member of this Church and Kingdome grace to looke into his owne heart and purposes and to all in authority whether superior or inferior from the highest to the lowest to looke not only unto their owne but unto others waies of whom they have the care or oversight that these may runne parallel with the waies of God which if we shall continue to crosse or fall foule upon them or his most sacred lawes it is not any parliamentary law not any act of state or decrees of Courts of Iustice that can breake the stroake of his outstretched punishing arme and hand or fend off his dreadful Iudgements threatned from falling more heavy upon us then at any time hitherto his name bee praised they have done Finally although our publique fasts or solemne deprecations for averting his judgements from this land 〈◊〉 or the time being ceased by the same authority by which they were begun yet no authority no act of state doth prohibite any private man to fast upon the daies appointed by the Church whose Canons injoyne though not whole families yet of every family some one or other to resort unto the house of the Lord to offer up prayers and supplications appointed by our Church upon two other speciall dayes in the weeke besides the Lords day Nor are any prohibited upon these dayes to offer up besides their supplications for averting his judgementt the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving for our many deliverances past unto him to whom all praise power dominion and thanksgiving are due FINIS Lib. 4. num 107. Vid. plura apud Claudianum initio belli Gildonici Rupertus Angelomus Amongst other writers of those times see that noble French Historian Martin Fumèe Lord of Genillè Histor. Hungar lib. 1. pag. 32. Silus Italicus Valerius Maximus The extraordinary blessings which our Saviour prayed for were the visible endowments of the Holy Ghost and that admirable union of soule and mind and community of goods and possessions c. mentioned Act. 2. 3. 4. c. All which gifts were peculiar to these primitive times Iam. 4. v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 1. comment in Symbolum Apostolicum
it as was the worke of mans hands did stand for forty yeares after yet it stood but as a Carkasse the soule and spirit of it was translated unto the Temple of his body For as he said Veios habitante Camillo Illic Romafuit Rome was at Veii whilst Camillus in whom the life and spirit of the Ancient Romans did then wholly reside had his residence in that towne Or as we say the Kings royall presence makes the Court So was it alwayes the immediate or peculiar presence of God by way of inhabitation which made that goodly edifice which Solomon now erected to be the Temple or Sanctuary the house of prayer Now from the time of our Saviours death God withdrew his extraordinary presence from the Temple made with hands all the priviledges wherewith it was endowed and the secret influence of his grace are now wholy treasured up in the sunne of righteousnesse or in the body of Christ in whom as the Apostle speakes the God-head dwelleth bodily God is not so present in any other body or place as he was in the Temple of Ierusalem not present any where by way of inhabitation save only in the body of Christ and in the members of it that is his Church But in as much as God is by such speciall manner present in Christs manhood our accesse unto him in all our troubles and distresse is more immediate than Solomon or his people had any They were to pray in the materiall Temple or towards it their prayers had no other accesse to heaven than as it were by way of Echo from the earthly Temple and though by this way they found a true accesse unto heaven yet had they not altogether the same acceptance there as ours now have or might have Solomon indeed beseeched God here in my text that his eyes might be open and his eares attent unto the prayers which were made in this place to wit in the house which hee had built But this hee spake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men For God had not then the eyes of men to looke upon men nor the eares of man as now he hath to entertaine the prayers of men This is one speciall comfort that the Sonne of God that very Lord unto whom Solomon directs his prayer is become our high Priest not such an high Priest as cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne He hath his Temple or Sanctuary at the right hand of his Father Act. 3. 26. where he sits to pray for us as Solomon did for his people in his name Yea but he is placed there as the Apostle speaks to blesse us with all spirituall blessings and what are these to blessings of states and kingdomes for which Solomon here prayes Much every way or rather all in all For if blessings spirituall include godlinesse in them they have blessings temporall annexed unto them as appurtenances Godlinesse saith the Apostle is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. THREE SERMONS PREACHED BEFORE THE KING Vpon Ier. 26. 19. By THOMAS IACKSON Dr in Divinity and Chaplaine in ordinary to his MAIESTY OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD An. Dom. 1637. IEREMIAH 26. V. 19. Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which hee had pronounced against them THe Text is part of an Apology for the Prophet Ieremiah against whom the Priests and Prophets and all the people had pronounced this peremptory sentence v. 28. Thou shalt surely dye why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord saying this house shall be like Shilo and this city shall bee desolate without an Inhabitant But this sentence you shall finde reversed or contradicted by the Princes and all the people v. 16. Then said the Princes and all the people unto the Priests and Prophets this man is not worthy to dye for he hath spoken unto us in the name of the Lord our God The scales of Iustice being thus farre turned the right way the Elders and Sages of the land sought to keepe them at the point whereto they were drawne more through vehemency of present motion then by permanent waight of reason by alleaging a former rule beyond exception All that the Priests and Prophets could pretend why Ierusalem having made her selfe equall to Shiloh in sinne might not bee made equall to her in punishment was this That albeit Shiloh had beene the place of Gods rest the Towne or City where the Arke of his Covenant did reside yet it never had the title or priviledge of the place which God had chosen to place his name in This was Ierusalem's prerogative amongst all the Cities of Israel But what prerogative soever Ierusalem did from this title enioy these had beene the same in the dayes of Hezekiah which now they were And if in the Iudgement of Hezekiah the state of Iudah it were lawfull for Micah to threaten that Sion should be plowed as a field that Ierusalem should become heapes the mountaine of the house like the high places of the forrest It could be no capital crime in Ieremiah to say that the Lord would make the Temple like Shiloh and Ierusalem a curse to all the Nations of the earth Now Hezekiah and the state of Iudah as these Elders alledge were so farre from putting Micah to death that Hezekiah for his part did feare the Lord and besought the Lord. And when it is said he feared the Lord it is included that he did not only patiently heare the Prophet but truely believe him For the feare of the Lord in this place is neither to be extended further nor contracted narrower than thus He feared least the Lord should put the Iudgments denounced by Micah in speedy execution and as is probable by Sennacherib King of Assyria By what meanes soever the likelyhood was that this Iudgement should be put in execution the only meanes which Hezekiah resolveth upon for avoiding or preventing it was hearty and unfained praiets Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord c. In this his resolution and successe these foure particulars present themselves to your considerations First his wisdome in making choice of prayer before and above all other meanes which the opportunity of those times might suggest Secondly what advantagious successe did accrue from feare unto the efficacy of his praiers or how feare of God's Iudgements doth prepare mens hearts to pray Thirdly of the iust occasion of his and his peoples feare or of others feare in like case Fourthly in what sense God is said to repent If I should say that Hezekiah in thus doing did shew himselfe a godly and religious King none would deny it but to say he was in this a wise and politick King this will not be granted For what policy was therein fearing
and praying Every coward is capable of the former and he is a very foole that when other meanes faile cannot practice the later Must we then decline all triall of his wisdome by the received rule of humane policy This wee might doe but this we need not doe For the depth of his wisdome and policy will appeare if wee measure it by that rule or scale of that policy which the wisemen of this world hold in greatest admiration For so a great master of the art of policy tels us that when any state or kingdome is either weakened by meanes internall as by the sloath the negligence or carelesnesse of the Governours as diseases grow in mens bodies by degrees insensible for want of exercise or good dyet or whether they be wounded by causes external the only method for recovering their former strength and dignity is ut omnia ad sua principia revocentur by giving life unto the fundamentall lawes and ancient customes As for new inventions what depth or subtilities soever they cary unlesse they suite well with the fundamentall lawes or customes of the state wherein they practice they proove in the issue but like empiricall Physick which agrees not with the naturall disposition or customary dyet of the party to whom it is ministred Of the former aphorisme you have many probatum's in the ancient Roman state So have yee of the later in the state of Italy about the time wherein Machiavel wrote if we may believe him in his owne profession Admit then the rule or method were as for ought I have to say it is without exception yet the successe of the practice how conformable soever to the rule must still depend on that measure of goodnesse which is contained in the fundamentall lawes or primevall customes of every Nation If these be but comparatively good the successe of the practice cannot be absolute If they be but seemingly good or mixed with evill the great Philosopher treating of this subiect hath foretold the successe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is either falsly or but seemingly good will in revolution of time bring forth effects truly and really evill If the fundamenmentall lawes of any state be not firme or sound whatsoever else is laid upon them there lyes a necessity of finking with their owne weight Where the basis is but narrow the fastigium or roofe cannot be high Or where the foundation is both firme and spatious yet if the structure be set awry with every degree of height it gets there growes a parallell degree of inclination to its sudden downefall Now if Hezekiah in making choice of prayer before any other meanes of policy did practice according to the former rule that is as the ancient lawes of that kingdome and rules of goverment prescribed by his Ancestors did direct him he was more politickly wise than any Prince of other Nations in these times could be than any at this day can be besides such as have the like fundamentall lawes or take his practice in like exigence for their patterne For the fundamentall lawes of his kingdome were absolutely good as being immediately given by God himselfe The best lawes of other Nations were but the inventions of men Hence saith the Psalmist Psal. 147. v. 19. Hee sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel Yet Moses presumed that other Nations which had no knowledge of their lawes in particular should from the happy successe which was to attend their due observance acknowledge in generall that their lawes were more righteous and able to make this people wiser than other Nations could be For so Moses had said Deut. 4. 5. Behold I have taught you statutes and Iudgements even as the Lord my God commanded me keepe therefore and doe them For this is your wisdome and understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall heare all these statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people And what Nation is there so great that hath statutes and Iudgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day Amongst other Nations some had lawes in their kinde good for warre others for peace few or none good lawes for both none absolutely good for either No such lawes as their strict observance might secure them from their enemies They could not be so wise in projecting their owne future prosperity but their enemies might bee as subtile in contriving their adversity They could not bee so strong in battaile but their enemies and their Allies might be as strong as they They could not bee so industrious or vigilant for recovering the strength or dignity of their weakned estate but their enemies might be as vigilant to defeate their intentions Or albeit one Nation had so farre overtopped another as well in councell of peace as strength of warre as to be able to keepe them perpetually under yet no lawes no inventions of men could ever secure the most potent Nation on earth from such dangers as accrue from the host of inanimate or reasonlesse creatures albeit all Neighbour Nations were at peace with them or sworne confederates for advancing their state and dignity Against the hosts or armies of men some preparations may alwaies be made because they come not without notice or preparation but the severall hosts of the reasonlesse creatures come upon men for the most part without observation or fore-sight And one of them can execute anothers office or charge or every one accomplish that worke which the Armies of men did intend but could not execute That scarcity of bread or other calamity which sometime suddainly ariseth in some limbe or corner of a kingdome by want of trade or by shutting up too great a multitude of ships for a long time in one harbour whilst the enemy or Pirats annoy the coasts how easily might it be much increased if he that keepes the windes as in a treasure house should shut up a greater multitude of ships for a long time in the same harbour by a contrary winde albeit their enemies in the meane while become their friends albeit they were provided of an invincible navy at an houres warning Or in case they did know whence the winde commeth or whither it is going or could so covenant that it should blow where and when they listed yet if the Lord of hosts be so pleased he can bring a greater dearth and scarcity upon the most fertile provinces of the land then either the enemy or contrary windes can occasion either by withdrawing the sweet influence of the heavens or by corrupting the seed lately sowne or corne ready to be reaped with abundant moisture Or admit any people or Nation by miracle or divine dispensation might have authority not over the windes only but over the clouds the raine and dew or such a power of shutting and opening heaven as husband-men have of letting in brookes upon their medowes and taking them off againe at their pleasures so as they
might have seed time and harvest as seasonable their fields as fruitfull the Sea as open as their hearts could desire yet the very freedome of commerce and traffique whether with foraine Nations or with other members of the same Nation may bring in a greater inconvenience which no plenty can hold out then the enemy then unseasonable winde or weather could threaten Want of trade and want of victuals are plagues or punishments sent by God but the plague of pestilence which is oft times the companion of peace and plenty the usuall effect of free trading or traffique is more terrible then either of the former wants And thus may every part of the reasonlesse host accomplish what another had omitted Now with turbulent spirits or unruly men good lawes duely executed may take some order but against unseasonable weather against unruly or incommodious windes no law of man no act of Parliament can provide Against the plague or pestilence no councell of state or warre no host or army can secure themselves much lesse others Though they that besiege and are besieged doe keepe watch and sentinell day and night yet the arrowes of this dreadfull messenger flye more certainly to the marke whereto they are directed though at mid-night then their bullets doe at mid-day As there is no counsell against the Lord so there is no policy that can prevent the execution of Gods judgements upon mightiest kingdomes by the meanest of his creatures besides that policy which his lawes given to Israel did prescribe One speciall branch of that wisdome which Moses ascribes unto these lawes was they taught their observers not to trust in bow or shield not to put any part of their confidence in the strength or wit of man no not in their owne observation of these very lawes or reformation wrought by their rules as it was theirs but only in the Lord of hosts Hee was their wisdome and he was their strength whensoever any danger did approach whether from men or from other creatures their lawes did teach them that he was absolute Lord over all that the hearts of Kings and Governours were under his governance that he could dispose turne them as it seemed best to his heavenly wisdome And that alwaies seemes best to him which is for the good of such as repose their whole trust and confidence in him When Israels enemies displeased him more then Israel did he made them stronger then their enemies and when their waies did please him he made their enemies as Solomon speakes to be at peace with them Whilst they faithfully served this Lord of hosts they knew hee could command the whole host of the reasonlesse or livelesse creatures to doe them service From this knowledge of God and his lawes did Solomon gather these unerring rules of sacred policy whose observation at this time did and might for ever have preserved this kingdome There is no inconvenience of peace no mischeife of warre no kind of calamity which can befall any state or kingdome against which the fundamentall lawes of this Nation and the rules of policy gathered from them by Solomon did not sufficiently provide The soveraigne remedies for every particular disease or kind of calamity are set downe at large 2. Chron. 6. v. 22. to the 40. The remedy against the calamity of war v. 24. 25. against the calamity that may come by drought v. 26. 27. against famine pestilence and blasting of corne or other inconvenience from the host of reasonlesse creatures you have the remedy v. 29. 30. against captivity in a foraigne land v. 37. 38. The soveraigne remedy against all these and other like inconveniences and calamities is for substance one and the same with that which good King Hezekiah here used to feare the Lord and pray unto the Lord either in the Temple when they had opportunity to resort unto it or towards the Temple or the place wherein it stood when they soiourned 〈◊〉 were detained Captives in a foraigne land And who so would diligently peruse the sacred story from Solomons time untill this peoples returne from captivity and the building up of the second Temple shall finde a probatum of this Catholique and soveraigne medicine in respect of every branch of calamity mentioned by Solomon at the consecration of the first Temple I must hold to the instance of my Text. Another branch of that which was contained in the fundamentall lawes of this kingdome and which goes a great deale deeper than the fundamentall rules of any other policy was this that of all calamities which did or could befall them their sinnes and transgressions were the prime causes and whatsoever afflictions were laid upon them for their sinnes could not bee taken off without the humble supplication of the sinners Vnto a lower ebbe then King Ahaz did leave it at the kingdome of Iudah had not beene brought by any of his Predecessors or by any other in their dayes Now of all the miseries which at any time befell it by the famine by the enemies sword or by the pestilence the only cause which the rule of faith assignes was their forsaking of the Lord their God and the transgressing of his lawes But to prevent the perpetuity and continuance of such calamities as king Ahaz and his Adherents had by their foule transgressions involved this kingdome in no attempt or practice of Prince or people whether joyntly or severally did ever finde successe untill they put Solomons rules of sacred policy in practice as good king Hezekiah did Did hee not feare the Lord and prayed before the Lord c. The fruits of his prayer and the reformation of those corrupt times by giving life unto their fundamentall lawes were two First his prayers procured an healing of the wounds which by negligence of his Predecessors had beene given to the State Secondly he prevented the execution of those terrible Iudgments which in his owne dayes did hang over this land and people specially over their Heads and Rulers The kingdome of David had sometimes exceeded the most flourishing neighbour kingdomes as farre as the Cedars of Libanus did the ordinary trees of the forrest but was now brought low That height which was left her but as a decayed tree markt to the fall Hezekiah by zealous prayers removes the axe from the roote after it had made such deepe incision that it was scarce able to beare its stemme though dispoiled of his top or principall branches it nearely concerned every one which hoped for shelter under its shade to pray for gentle winds and comfortable weather that shee might recover root and branch againe But so Hezekiah's and his peoples Successors did not Manasses his sonne found a people not untoward as being in some tolerable sort reformed by Hezekiah but he himselfe a most untoward King able by his authority and bad example to undoe what his good father had well done to spoile and marre a greater people than he was Lord of though better reformed in Iosiah
reward and the Priests therereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Now untill these greedy hopes of unlawfull gaine were abandoned they could not pray in faith The ministration of publique Iustice for private reward the Priests teaching for hire and the Prophets divination for money would respectively turne their very prayers into sinne Now what meanes could be more effectuall for abandoning these and the like sinnes then the iudgement which the Prophet there threatned from the Lord Therefore shall Sion for your sake be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heapes and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forrest Micah 3. 12. If the heads of the house of Iudah and Princes of the house of Israel to whom this message is directed did sincerely and truly beleive him that sent it they could not but feare least without their speedy repentance the Lord would quickly accomplish whatsoever the Prophet in his name had threatned Now hearty and unfained feare that Sion should be plowed as a field that Ierusalem should become a heape would move all such as had not their habitation only but the very roote of their livelyhood in them to lay a better foundation of their owne and of their posterities welfare than bloud and violence It would incline the hearts of their Rulers and Magistrates to breake off their iniquity by sincere administration of Iustice by almes-deeds and workes of mercy Feare againe least the mountaine of the house that is the Temple or whose flourishing estate the livelyhood and welfare of Priests and Prophets did so depend as the Passengers life doth on the safety of the ship wherein hee sailes would worke their hearts to an observance of the properties or qualifications to the performance of all the conditions which are required to faithfull and effectuall praiers But of the conditions of successefull praiers and of the qualification of good Suppliants fitter occasion will offer it selfe hereafter Thus much towards this purpose wee have gotten from these generals that the hearts of men which have been long accustomed or hardened in perverse courses of grosser sinnes will hardly be new moulded or refashioned according or wrought unto the temper and modell of Hezekiah's heart until they be made to melt with feare of such Iudgements as Micah here theatened against Iudah Ierusalem and Sion For producing this melting or mollifying feare the considerations are specially three First the consciousnesse or apprehensions of such sinnes as specially provoke Gods anger or sollicite his Iudgments Secondly a faithfull recounting of divine forewarnings or monitions past especially if they have been grossely neglected or usually sleighted Thirdly the Inspection of the instrumentall causes or meanes in probability appointed for the execution of Iudgments threatened or a diligent observance of the signes of the time As these be the speciall meanes for begetting unfained feare so the best method for nurturing up such feare begotten that it neither grow slavish nor wilde that it end not in desperation is to know in what sence the Lord is said to repent For the sinnes which specially provoke Gods fearefull iudgement against any land or people wee cannot have a more distinct view of them in breife than from the Prophet Micah in the forecited place Bribery and corruption in the seates of Iustice oppressions and cruelty in the mighty and wealthy mercenary temporizings in the sonnes of Levi every one of these diseases is dangerous though alone but when they all meete in any state or kingdome they grow deadly Or if Micah may be no further allowed of than of a single witnesse we may adde unto him the like testimonies of the Prophet Isaiah who lived in the same time with him Corruption in the seate of Iustice did in his time taint the service of the Temple turned the prayers of the Rulers into sinne and made their sacrifices become abominable Esay 1. 14. The very aversnesse or unwillingnesse of such Rulers and oppressors as these were to have the law laid unto them by the Prophets was a prognostick of suddaine Iudgements approaching Isaiah 30. 13. Therefore this iniquity shall bee to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking comes at an instant Now if the Priests and Prophets whose office it is to discover and repaire such breaches doe but dawbe them with untempered mortar and so hide aud cover them from their sight whom it concernes to beware of them by this doing they draw the multitude within the reach of that ruine and destruction which like a trap or snare was ready to fall upon them Or least any should suspect that these prognosticks did serve only for Ierusalem and Iudah the same Prophet instructs us Isaiah 47. that it was oppression and cruelty towards such as shee had conquered which did draw Gods Iudgements upon Babel But that which made them to fall so suddainly and unexpectedly upon them was the popular and man-pleasing humors of her Soothsayers and Diviners Ierusalem and Iudah were at this time sicke of all those three diseases and therefore had iust cause to feare the iudgements threatned Quid quod hos morbos gravius symptoma sequatur There is a symptome mentioned by the Prophet Micah which was worse then the diseases themselves yet will they leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us None ill can come upon us v. 11. Elsewhere we reade this people taxed by Gods Prophets for trusting sometimes in lyes sometimes in oppression or violence oft times for putting confidence in their owne strength or in the strength of their confederates But of any branch of this fault they were not at this time guilty yet taxed no lesse as being no lesse taxe-worthy shall I say for trusting the Lord or rather as the Prophet saith for leaning on the Lord That is for presuming on his favour in the consciousnesse of such sinnes as they now stood charged with That to presume on Gods wonted favours or ordinary protection in the consciousnesse of extraordinary sinnes is a most grievous sinne against God best proportioned by his sinne against Gods Deputy who being infected with some dangerous disease should presume to rest himselfe upon the royall chaire is a truth unquestionable But why this people being thus dangerously infected should at this time specially leane upon the Lord and avouch his warrant upon their protection may well be questioned not unfitting to be inquired after The reason I take it is this These peoples fore-elders or these very men themselves in Ahaz time had usually beene indited of Idolatry and found guilty specially of worshipping in high places aud serving groves and Idols But Hezekiah in the very beginning of his raigne remooved the high places brake the Images cut downe the groves brake in peeces the brasen Serpent that Moses had made 2. Kings 18. v. 14. Nor was hee more zealous in repressing all worships of false Gods or Idolatry then
us For the unerring eye of his all-seeing providence and omnipotently stedfast hand by which he wields the scales of justice would not have suffered his consuming wrath to come any nearer to us then we were come unto the full measure of our iniquity 10 The first thing which then was or now is to be enquired after is what were the extraordinary and speciall sinnes which drew Gods iudgements so neare upon us These were not the cruelty of lawes enacted against professors of that religion which these traitors professed as they as foolishy as impiously alleadge nor was the negligence or connivence of such as were put in trust with the execution of these lawes the cause of the iudgement then threatned as some others out of misguided zeale suspect Of such negligence or omission or of whatsoever else may give any advantage to the adversaries of our peace and religion there were some positive causes in our selves God only knowes how many but of these we cannot but take notice which the Prophet Micah expresseth or some like unto them as sacriledge oppression and bribery in the layty Simony and time-serving in the Clergy luxury prophanenesse and hypocrisie in both Now when the professors of true religion shall give undoubted proofe of their constant and impartiall zeale against these foule enormities or for enquiring after the most enormous delinquents in all these kindes there will bee good hope that the lawes already enacted or projected against idolatry against superstition and false religion shall have their wished successe But suppose that upon the occasion or opportunity which these idolatrous miscreants had in a manner thrust into the hands of our law-makers the suppression of idolatry and superstition throughout this land had been more exact and more compleat then that which Hezekiah in the beginning of his raigne had wrought in Judah Was there any probability that those other diseases which Micah mentions would have beene one jot abated any likely-hood that the most amongst us would not have learned that song or ditty by heart is not the Lord now amongst us or the Antiphony unto it would have been no evill can come upon us Other grosse exorbitancies usually come within the stroake of the civill sword and lye open to the execution of wholesome lawes but for snipping this secret hypocrisie or presumptuous leaning upon the Lord though in the professors of true religion the severest execution of wholesome lawes or exercise of the civill sword hath no force or dint the cure of this disease properly belongs unto the Divine and the method to cure it is contrary to the ordinary course of law or physicke wee must breake a generall custome of this people and teach them not to rare their affections unto truth by their opposition unto false-hood not to measure their zeale and love to true religion by their hatred of false religion These be the very rootes of that hypocrisie or presumption which Micah so deeply taxeth in the state of Iudah the chiefe ingredient in the leaven of the Pharisees But lest more of this people should slide into an errour too common unto many as if such a reformation of religion as they affect would acquit or secure the state and kingdome from all danger of Gods threatned judgements let us here behold the severity and mercy of our gratious God Mercy I say towards us and severity towards our brethren professors of reformed religion in neighbour nations whom he hath of late subiected to the enemies sword and other calamities of warre for what transgression in particular hee only knowes but surely not for those transgressions which some out of discontented zeale conceive to be the only cause of his displeasure against this nation whensoever any crosse or calamity befals themselves for no man can suspect those foraine Churches which he hath visited of late were deepely guilty either of connivance to superstition or to much favouring Arminianisme However the righteous Lord by chastising them doth fore-warne us to examine and judge our selves and if we find no other causes or probable occasions to feare the approach of the like Iudgements upon our selves yet even this alone will in the day of visitation make a great addition to our generall accompt that we did not humble our selves with feare and trembling whilst the Lord did humble and correct them whilst his hand was heavy upon such of our nation as were sent abroad for their succour Our consciences will one day accuse us when wee shall have occasion to seeke the Lord that we have not for the yeares late past besought his goodnesse with greater feare and devotion to remoove the rod of his wrath from them But did the Lord in this interim direct no messengers of his wrath unto us within our own coasts Did mortality and famine only follow the campe abroad or townes besieged in other nations The famine Gods name be praised for it hath not for many yeares beene either universally spread throughout this land or extraordinary grievous upon any greater portion of it and yet hath left so deepe impression in some native members of this great body as may evidently convince the rest of great stupidity in not sympathizing more deepely with them And stupidity or dulnesse in any member whilst other suffer is an infallible Symptome of a dangerous disease oft-times a certaine prognosticke of death and hee were but an indocile Christian that could not by those knowne calamities which much people of this land have suffered from this messenger instruct himselfe how easie it is for the righteous Iudge to bring such calamity upon this kingdome by this messenger alone as would move even the most malicious and cruell enemies that we have had to bemoane our case although we were fully assured of a constant peace with all other neighbour-nations that have any power or ability to annoy us by the sword or any practice of hostility Rome in her growth in her height of greatnesse and in her declining dayes had received many grievous wounds was subiect in all estates to fearefull calamities and disasters yet never in such a lamentable and ruefull plight as the famine had brought her to if wee may iudge of her inward griefe either by her bitter outcries or by the deiected and gastly dresse in which one of her sonnes then living hath set her forth Si mea mansuris meruerunt moenia nasci Iupiter auguriis si stant immota Sibillae Carmina Tarpeias si nec dum despicis arces Advenio supplex non ut proculcet Oaxen Consul ovans nostraeve premant pharetrata secures Susa nec ut rubris aquilas figamus arenis Haec nobis haec antè dabas nunc pabula tantùm Poscimus ignoscas miserae pater optime genti Extremam defende famem satiavimus iram Siqua fuit lugenda Getis flenda Suëvis Hausimus ipsa meos horreret Parthia casus After a solemne resignation of all clayme title or interest to all former victories
rest For though they repented of their folly and besought God with teares that hee would revoke his sentence offering their service which before they had neglected for conquering the land of promise yet the Lord would not heare them and which is more remarkeable he would not heare Moses in this particular for himselfe because he was involved as an accessary in that sentence for he spake unadvisedly on their behalfe So Moses himselfe doth testifie Deut. 3. v. 23. c. And I besought the Lord at that time saying O Lord God thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatnesse I pray thee let me goe over and see this good land which is beyond Iordan and that goodly mountaine Lebanon But the Lord was wroth with mee for your sakes and would not heare me and the Lord said unto me let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter get thee unto the top of Pisgah and behold it with thine eyes for over this Iordan thou shalt not goe So then God repented him that hee had made Saul King over Israel because he had the Kingdome only by meere promise not by promise confirmed by oath But God would not repent of his deposition nor reverse his sentence because Saul by his preposterous indulgence unto Amalek Gods sworne enemy did by this fact incurre the sentence of deposition by oath and more deepely participate with the Amalekites than Moses had done with the Israelites whom God had cut off by oath from entring into the land of Canaan I hope I shall not bee thought to flatter men whilst I blesse the name of our glorious Lord for setting a King over us as farre from Saul's or Ahab's disposition as they were from the disposition of king Hezekiah for giving him a people nothing so untoward either towards God or him as the murmuring Israelites were towards God his servant Moses But whatsoever hath been said or is written concerning the Kings of Israel or Iudah were written for our instruction whether Prince or people The most immediate use of the point last discust concernes great Princes and their followers their followers thus farre that they never sollicite or importune their soveraigne Lords or in case they doe it deeply concernes Princes not to suffer themselves to be wrought by any sollicitation or importunity to favour any cause which stands accursed by Gods eternall law not to take the persons of any men into their protection whom the supreame Iudge hath exempted from his not to patronage any whom the law of God and man have designed unto utter destruction For by doing such bodily good to prodigious malefactors they shall procure as my Prophet speakes great evill unto their owne soules Evils at least temporall unto themselves and to their people of which the Lord will not repent For where such favour is shewne unto men or rather where favour and pity is shewed unto such men as God is thus highly displeased with there can be no true feare of the Lord. In whomsoever that feare is it is praedominant and will command all other affections whether of hope or feare whether of hatred love or favour to men Vnlesse such feare of the Lord bee first planted in their hearts no Prince nor Potentates no state or Kingdome can iustly pretend to this blessing which Hezekia's prayers obtained For he first feared and then besought the Lord before the Lord repented of the evill which hee had pronounced against him and his people Now it is our hope assurance that God will repent of the evill denounced which makes our feare of him or of his iudgements to be a filiall not a slavish feare For no man can feare God with a true filiall feare but hee that apprehends him as a loving father and one as is sorry for our aflictions one that delighteth not in the punishment of his sons or servants but in their repentance that they may become capable of his fatherly mercy or loving kindnesse With thee there is mercy saith the Psalmist therefore shalt thou be feared Why doth any man feare Gods mercies more than his iustice No. This was no part of the Psalmists meaning We feare his iudgements in and for themselves and as they bring evil upon us We feare God himselfe for his mercy we are afraid to offend him if we bee his children because hee is mercifull and because the greatest evill which any man can procure unto his own soule is to deprive himselfe of his mercy who is goodnesse it selfe the sole fountaine of all the good which can be derived unto us Or it may be a further part of the Psalmists meaning that it was our apprehension or beliefe of his mercy which keepseth our feare whether of him or of his judgements within his proper sphere or limits as if he had said with thee o Lord there is mercy therefore shalt thou bee feared hated thou canst not bee by such as apprehend or believe thy mercies whereas feare of iudgements or perpetuall punishments unlesse it be tempered with hope of mercy runs out of his wits and running beyond its bounds alwayes ends in hatred It is not possible either for that man not to love God which truly beleeves that hee hath mercy in store for all or for that man not to hate him or at least not to occasion others to hate him which is perswaded that he hath reserved iudgement without mercy to some men as they are men or that hee hath destinated them to inevitable destruction before he gave them life or preservation To bee thus perswaded argues an uncharitable disposition as well towards God as towards men and from both roote and branch of this error from all such heresies hatred malice and uncharitablenesse good Lord deliver us that are thine heritage thy whole Church especially this land and people A TREATISE CONCERNING THE SIGNES OF THE TIME OR GODS FOREWARNINGS CONTAINING The summe of some few Sermons delivered partly before the Kings Majesty partly in the Towne of New-Castle upon Tine OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD An. Dom. 1637. LVK. 13. 5. I tell you nay but except yee repent ye shall all likewise perish THe words containe an emphaticall negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the emphasis of the negative doth inferre a vehement affirmative though conditionall or exceptive but except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Besides the grammaticall emphasis or vehemence the same words are twise repeated by him who used no tautologies by him whose nay was nay and whose yea was yea and Amen The ingemination of the same sentence was from two severall occasions The one given to our Saviour the other taken by him The occasion given ye have v. the 1. There were present some that told him of the Galilaeans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Who these Galilaeans were and what was their crime is no where to my observation registred in particular probable it is that they were the reliques of
call portenta or prodigia that is in sacred language peculiar signes of the time or forewarnings of greater calamities to follow we gather from the first words of the Chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were some present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in illo ipso articulo temporis in that very season or nick of time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilat had mingled with their sacrifices What season was that That point of time wherein he said vnto the people 12. Chap. 4. v. When yee see a cloud rise out of the West streightway yee say there commeth a showre and so it is And when yee see the South wind blow yee say there will be heat and it commeth to passe Yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie and of the earth but how is it that yee doe not discerne this time Yea and why euen of your selues iudge yee not what is right And when the Pharises with the Sadduces came tempting and desiring him that he would shew them a signe from heauen as it is Math. 16. v. 1. 2. c. He answered and said vnto them when it is euening yee say it will be faire weather for the skie is red And in the morning it will be foule-weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times And albeit his recited speeches Luk. 12. v. 54. were directed vnto the people or promiscuous multitude then present yet in that multitude there were no question some Scribes which had the prerogatiue and portion of the first borne in the title of Hypocrites Now our Sauiour's discourse immediately before my text being of the signes of the time and a taxe of his Auditors dulnesse in not discerning them This unexpected intersertion of those Galileans whose bloud Pilat had mingled with their sacrifices whatsoever the newes-mongers intended was indeed no interruption but rather an illustration of his doctrine It comes in ' its right cue and the relators of this sad accident serve his turne as fitly as the Chirurgion doth the Physitian by making a visible dissection of that part on which the other makes an Anatomy lecture The implication or importance of the newes thus suted by divine providence unto the point then handled by our Saviour is in effect as much as if hee himselfe had said unto his Auditors If you want other signes of the time to meditate upon take these two for your theame the unusuall masacre of these Galileans and the disaster of those eighteene inhabitants of Ierusalem upon whom the tower in Siloe fell and slew them These are the first drops of Gods displeasure against the Nation but these drops without repentance will grow into a current and the current into a river and the river swell into a flood and the flood into an ocean of publique woe and tragique miseries The Prophet Ieremie long before had taxed their forefathers as more dull and stupid then the reasonlesse Creatures as the birds of the ayre for not discerning or not observing those signes of the time which did foreshew Gods judgments vpon them with the causes which did provoke them Ier. 8. 6. 7. I hearkned and heard but they speake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what haue I done every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel yea the Storke in the heauen knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people know not the Iudgment of the Lord. This stupidity or senslesnesse in man whether Iew or Gentile whether Christian or Heathen in thus slighting or neglecting the signes of the time that is such portendments or prognostiques of Gods judgments or calamities as the very booke of nature or of the visible creatures affords argues the nature at least the disposition of men in whom this stupiditie is found to be farther out of frame then the nature of the birds of the ayre or beasts of the feild For they commonly fore-see vnseaonable weather or storme comming and seeke in time for some refuge or shelter but so doe not men for the most part returne to God who is their only refuge vnder the shadow of whose wings there is only hope of safety albeit he daily giues them more pregnant prognosticks of wrath ensuing then the disposition of the ayre doth vnto birds or foules From these circumstances of the season wherein these newes were brought unto our Sauiour the ensuing discourse must take its rise by these degrees first of the peculiar signes of times portending unusuall calamities and of their generall use Secondly of the manner how this prophesy was fulfilled upon the whole Iewish Nation according to the scale or model of these two signes upon these few Galileans and inhabitants of Ierusalem Thirdly of the morall use or application of both these signes and predictions That the preserver of mankind doth alwayes in one kind or other gently yet seriously forwarn every city or nation of such extraordinary calamities as hang over their heads and without repentance inevitably fall upon them there can bee no better proofe than by induction that is by the generall agreement of Historians whether sacred Christian or heathen in all ages Of Historians whose workes are entirely extant or unsuspected to be the Authors whose names they beare Herodotus is the most ancient and he hath made up the induction to out hands untill his owne times Quoties ingentes sunt eventurae calamitates vel civitati vel nationi solent signis praenunciari Extraordinary calamities whether such as befall cities or peculiar Segniories are alwaies foreshewne by some signe or other This author lived before Alexander the great but after Cyrus had taken the city of Babilon and is quoted by Aristotle who was Alexanders instructor I referre his instances or ensamples confirming his former induction of generall observation to a fitter opportunity diverse of them being more paralleld to the signes of the times in my text then any I haue read in any heathen Author In the age next ensuing the Author of the second booke of Maccabees A man of authentique credit for matter of fact though not of Canonicall authority for his doctrine or judgement vpon matter of fact related by him hath recorded the like forewarnings though in another kind foresignifying the warres that befell the Iewish nation by Antiochus Chap. 5. 2. 3. To parallel these with the like in every age since that time would be lesse painefull to an ordinary Preacher then troublesome to his auditors Matchiavel a man as free from superstition or vaine credulity as any other writer that hath bin borne and bred amongst Christians out of his owne reading and experience hath made the same induction which Herodotus did but somewhat more full Vt causam facilè confitebor me ignorare it a rem
a visible model or character of his owne forme◠dealing with this stubborne people When wee read the sacred story 2. Chron. 26. or the lamentations of Ieremy concerning the miserable massacre of both Priests and people of young and old and the utter destruction of both city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar we cannot much wonder at such cruelty as was then practised by a barbarous and cruell tyrant alwaies willing to doe his worst against all that did oppose him But that these historicall expressions of Ierusalem's misery under Nebuchadnezzar a patterne of tyrants should become true prophecies that the miseries of this people at that time should be but as prodigious signes or portendment of farre greater miseries under the Roman Titus the flower of curtesy and mirrour of affability amongst Princes this points at somewhat extraordinary at somewhat worthy of admiration This visible type or shadow hath a body answerable unto it Titus is the type or shadow than whom no man that day living could have beene more unwilling either to practice cruelty upon any private man or to bring ruine upon any city or Nation And yet the Iewish Nation and Ierusalem the Queene of cities did suffer farre greater misery under him than any city or Nation of the world besides did ever suffer under the most bloudy tyrant into whose hands the Lord had given them But how unwilling soever he was to practice cruelty or suffer it to be practised by others under him yet he was bound to practice the discipline of warre not to staine either his owne worth or the majesty of the Roman empire by prostituting his native clemency unto desperate stubborne rebels That of the Prophet Hosea was never more truely verified never more exactly fulfilled in any generation of this people than it was in this last Perditio tua ex te ô Israel salus ex me That this city and Temple was spared so long that this people had so large a time for repentance this was altogether from God who willeth not the death of him that dyes and to testify this amor benevolentiae this good will of his unto them as they were men even unto the last end and after they had broken off amorem amicitiae the love of friendship he sends for a generall against them not a Vitellius but a Titus a man quoad haec or in this particular after his owne heart a man as it were composed of princely valour and clemency That in the issue the city the Temple and people perished after such a tragicall and unparallel'd a manner as they did this was their owne doing their owne seeking They themselves did give fire first unto the Temple and afterwards by their desperate stubbornesse provoked the Roman souldiers to accomplish the combustion so contrary unto Titus his will and command that nothing besides necessity would have excused them but thus they and their forefathers provoked God himselfe to punish and plague them so often as they were plagued hee being alwaies of his owne nature and goodnesse more compassionate towards them than any father can be towards his sonne than any mother towards the fruits of her wombe To conclude this point the blood of these few Galileans which Pilate mingled with the blood of their sacrifices and that disaster which befell those eighteene by the fall of the Tower in Siloe being compared with the nationall disaster of Ierusalem Galilee beare but the same proportion which the cloud that Elias servants saw arising out of the sea like a mans hand did unto that great inundation which immediatly followed upon it Now as none but a Prophet could have prognosticated such abundance of moisture from so litle an appearance so none but the Prince of Prophets could have discovered that unparallel'd destruction of Galilee Iudea and the Iewish Nation from such pettie and private disasters as these two mentioned in my text forty yeares before their accomplishment THE MORALL PART OF THIS TREATISE THE most vsefull consideration which these words discussed compared with the former chapter afford us are for the generall two First they teach us to beware of rash iudgment or censuring others as extraordinary sinners or more grieuous sinners then our selues though Gods visible iudgments vpon them which are alwayes most just be extraordinary Secondly they instruct us to lay Gods extraordinary judgements upon others or other unusuall signes of the times unto our own hearts For these are the usuall meanes whereby the spirit of God doth worke sinners to true repentance Wherein true repentance which is the duties whereunto our Saviour by these signes exhorts the people doth consist is the subject of other meditations consonant to these present To the first point that rash judgment or vnadvised censuring of others is a foule fault even in best men all men good and bad doe agree But not to censure or esteeme of others on whom God hath shewed notorious judgments as more notorious sinners then those which escape his judgments this may seeme for diverse reasons questionable First as all sober-minded men agree it cannot stand with the goodnesse of God to plague or punish any but for some sinne or other And if thus to deale with men be a branch of his goodnes it must be a branch of his justice to recompence extraordinary and grievous sinners with extraordinary and grievous punishments What fault is it then to judge of the cause by the effect why may we not censure them for notorious sinners or more grievous sinners than our selves whom the righteous Lord hath remarkably judged or grievously punished If to reward every man according to all his waies bee the irresistible rule of eternall and unchangeable justice what reason have wee to deny all those to bee most grievous sinners which he that cannot erre in judgment hath punished most severely Every part of these Quere's would sway much with any reasonable Christian if there were no punishment reserved by Gods eternall justice for the life to come All of them would bee unanswerable if the truth of that maxime or generall rule God rewards every man according to all his wayes or workes did determine or expire with our last mortall breaths But seeing we all expect or at least professe our expectation that Christ Iesus shall come to judge as well all those which are dead as those which he shal finde alive at his second comming we cannot by rule of faith or reason expect that every man should be rewarded according to all his waies before that last and finall judgment Wee may not presume that any man the least sinner that dyes in his sinnes should be punished according to all his deserts before that last and generall assize After that day or after the eternall and most righteous judge hath given finall sentence wee may safely say and pronounce that this man hath beene a more grievous sinner than that than we our selves were because we see him more grievously punished or sentenced to a more
forbid yea our Saviour who is both our Lord and God hath in my text forbidden us to passe the like censure either upon them or upon any in after ages on whom the like judgements have beene visibly executed That the men of Bethshemesh did grievously sinne in looking into the arke of God no Christian can no Iew doth deny But that they were more grievous sinners in this than a great part of men Christians by profession are in this our age none but an Hypocrite will affirme Leaving their persons to be judged by God this their particular sinne is more than doubled by all such as having neither lawfull calling nor abilities to discerne sacred mysteries will take upon them not only to looke into the arke of God but to determine of his covenant of life and death that is of election and reprobation the very grammaticall notion of which termes they understand not As for the sinne of Vzzah it was for nature and quality the very same as if a parish clearke in our dayes should intrude himselfe into a Deacons office as if a Deacon should usurpe the function of a Presbyter or a Presbyter the office of a Bishop Now the delinquents in both these kinds are at this day more than tenne to one in comparison of the men of Bethshemesh to all the men of Iudah or in comparison of Vzzah to all the Levites of his time which were not guilty of like sinnes in particular The judgments which God did shew upon the men of Bethshemesh and upon Vzzah though extraordinary were yet judgements tempered with mercy For God in thus punishing them did forewarne all posterity not to trespasse in the like kind as they did lest a more grievous punishment either in this life or in the life to come doe befall them For as our Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 6. in the like case saith all these were our examples But many in this last age more than in any age since our Saviour dyed and more in this kingdome than in any one Kingdome under heaven have palpably transgressed after the manner of Vzzah and the men of Bethshemesh May we hence therefore conclude that these men are more grievous sinners than any others of this age or Nation which have not transgressed in particular after these mens example No the Lord hath forbidden us to passe this censure or judgement upon them Such as are most free from these presumptuos sinnes must ever remember that they have often grievously transgressed the Law of God in some one kind or other All of us must lay that saying of our Saviour to heart unlesse wee repent wee shall all likewise perish But though this place prohibites rash censure and judgment upon particular sinners may not wee which are Gods embassadors pronounce the like universall sentence which our Saviour here doth against all the inhabitants of Galilee and Ierusalem with the same limitation against this or any other Christian Nation except yee repent yee shall all perish after the same disastrous manner that the Iewish Nation did I tell you nay this is beyond our commission beyond our instructions whom God hath appointed for his embassadors Our Saviour himselfe hath put in a caveat against all such presumptuous conjectures or pretended divinations The calamities and distresses of Galilee and Ierusalem of the whole Iewish Nation were so generall and so tragicall as no Nation since the beginning of the world had suffered the like no other shall suffer the like unto the worlds end But then all Nations unlesse they repent shall perish after a more fearefull and visibly disastrous manner than Galilee and Ierusalem did But may wee not in the meane time say that these Galileans and inhabitants of Ierusalem in whom this prophecy in my text was literally fulfilled were sinners above all other Nations or generations in the world because they suffered such things as no other Nation or generation had either suffered or shall suffer unto the worlds end I tell you nay But this present generation of the Iewes did put our Saviour the sonne of God the God of their forefathers to an ignominious death And this was the most grievous sinne quoad speciem for its specificall quality that could be committed A sinne that could not bee committed againe for he was to dye but once death hath no more dominion over him But though the sonne of God could dye but once yet many this day living may bee as guilty of his death as Iudas or Pilat as the most malitious amongst the chiefe Priestes the Scribes and Pharises were Or admit that those Iewes were more deeply guilty of our Saviours bloud than any generation since yet hee that would hence inferre his death to have beene the chiefe or only cause of all the calamities which be fell that present generation of the Iewes wherein he dyed should only proue himselfe to be more skilfull in laying the charge then in making the iust exoneration he should shew-himselfe to be but halfe an accoumptant but of this elsewhere But in what sense soeuer the putting our Saviour to death was the cause of Ierusalem's destruction yet this particular sinne in putting our Saviour to death was not the sinne or any part of the sinnes of which they are forewarned by our Saviour to repent for this sinne was not as yet committed nor so much as thought upon by those Galileans whose bloud Pilat mingled with their sacrifices or by those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloe fell And no question but these men did perish for such sinnes as the Nation was for the most part guilty of and were forewarned of by exemplary punishments inflicted upon these Galileans The persecution of our Saviour was but a Symptome of those other sinnes of whose deadly issue without repentance they were forewarned by these and the like signes of the time The reason why they hated the light of the world after hee had done so much good unto them was because their deeds were evill Joh. 3. v. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light because their deeds were evill What then were those capitall sinnes whereof they were warned in particular such in the first place was their present rebellious disposition for which sinne in particular these Galileans did thus perish But was this all No it is one thing to be rebellious another to bee unrelentingly rebellious This unrelentance presupposeth some other fouler sin then rebellion As what Hypocrisie specially when our Saviour upbraids them with this title of Hypocrisie as when he saith Luk. 12. v. 54. Mat. 16. Yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie and of the earth how is it that yee cannot discerne the signes of the time His speech implies that their hypocrisy was the chiefe cause why they did not discerne the signes of the time Why they were so unrelentingly rebellious against God and man that they would take
grievous punishment than wee or others are but before this day it is not Christian-like it is not safe to say or thinke that this man is a more grievous sinner than wee our selves are for than this man deserves to be more grievously plagued than wee our selves or others whom wee thinke well of so long as either they or wee have one houres space left for repentance To judge of the measure of any mans sinnes by the manner of his punishments here on earth or to determine of his future estate by his present death or disaster is to usurpe or trench upon Christ Iesus his royall prerogative which to prejudice by word or sentence interlocutory which to preoccupate by any peremptory or censorious thought is more than a praemunire a branch of high treason or rebellion against him Besides this exception which cleerely infringes the former allegations for judging of the cause by the effect or measuring mens sinnes by the manner of their visible punishments many positive reasons there be which might perswade us that our most good and gracious God without impeachment unto his unchangeable mercy and justice may and often doth in this life shew extraordinary mercy to extraordinary sinners and recompence ordinary sinners men not so sinfull as the best of us account our selves to be with extraordinary punishments in this life Both parts of this allegation may bee proved by instance and by rule by examples of Scripture and by reason grounded on Scripture First because such as have beene extraordinary sinners have obtained extraordinary mercy There was not an honest matron or unmarried woman in in the land of Iudea or Galilee but would have taken it for a defamation to have beene compared to Mary Magdalen Shee was a notorious sinner in that notorious sinne of wantonnesse and uncleanenesse and yet obtained greater mercy than any woman of her time besides the blessed Virgin Mary for shee was endowed with an extraordinary measure of that excellent gift of love and charity Our Saviour gives her this testimony that shee loved much And the reason why shee loved much was because many sinnes and those of the worst kind of sinnes were forgiven her Here was mercy two wayes extraordinary First in that shee had many such sinnes foregiven her Secondly in that shee loved much For this extraordinary measure of love through the same goodnesse of God by which it was given her was to have an extraordinary reward Againe what disciple or Apostle of our Saviour was there which might not have upbraided Peter with extraordinary ingratitude which is the height of sinne for denying his Lord and master three severall times expressely and in a manner judicially And yet for all this Gods mercy and gratious favour towards him was extraordinary even in respect of other disciples and Apostles the disciple whom Iesus loved only excepted Paul for a long time was a blaspheamer of the evangelicall truth a more furious persecutor of such as followed the waies of life then the Prince of his tribe King Saul had beene of righteous David And yet this man from a notorious sinner from a persecuting Saul was changed into a zealous Paul became a valiant champion for the faith more zealous in maintaining it than hee had beene furious in persecuting such as professed it And this suddaine and extraordinary change was wrought by the extraordinary mercy of God But doe not these and the like instances or examples of Gods extraordinary mercy favour and bounty towards extraordinary and notorious sinners no way prejudice or impeach the unchangeable mercy of God or his impartiall dealing with men No for the extraordinary mercy which hee shewed did not extend to them only but to all extraordinary sinners in the like kind unto the worlds end His extraordinary mercy and favour unto Mary Magdalen was as a pledge of his mercy and favour to all like sinners of her sexe so they would by true repentance accept and embrace his mercy and favour manifested unto her If any which heare or read of his mercy exhibited to her doe finally perish their perdition is from themselues If any truely repent their salvation and repentance by which they become immediatly capable of salvation is from the Lord. Gods extraordinary mercy unro Peter who had in a manner made shipwrack of his faith was as secunda tabula post naufragium as a planck or mast cast out after shipwrack not only for his succour but for the succour of all the Iewish nation which had denied the Lord that bought them As many of this nation as after Peters conversion were converted and saved their conversion and salvation was meerely from the Lord as many of them as perished did therefore perish because they did not repent as Peter did and they did therefore not repent because they did not lay Gods mercies towards him and to their country-men converted by him to their hearts That extraordinary mercy againe which God exhibited unto Paul yeelds the assurance of faith a sure anchor of hope to all persecutors of the Church whether Heathens Turkes or Infidels that there is plenteous redemption with God in Christ mercy plenteous to worke repentance in them and by repentance compleat redemption of body and soule As many of Turkes or other infidels as doe not repent and by their not repentance perish their perdition or not repentance is from themselues Not the saluation only but the repentance of such as doe repent is meerely from God and this God our Lord who is rich in mercy towards all did worke repentance in Mary Magdalene in Saint Peter and Saint Paul by meanes and motiues extraordinary that all such sinners as they were might belieue and knowe that no sinners are excluded from possibility of repentance in this life but that the mercy which he shewed to them by meanes extraordinary is daily exhibited by meanes ordinary that is by the administration of the word and sacraments vnto all that doe not wilfully exclude themselues The second point proposed was that God doth award extraordinary visible punishments vnto ordinary sinners without impeachment to his vnchangeable justice or to that ingraffed notion which all Christians haue of his unpartiall dealing with the sonnes of men It was an extraordinary visitation wherewith he visited the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and their territories 1. Sam. 6. 19. for he smote of the people fiftie thousand threescore and tenne men because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord. It was likewise an extraordinary punishment upon Vzzah who being but a Leuite did touch the Arke of the Lord. 2. Sam. 6. 6. For he was smitten with suddaine death from which kinde of punishment all of us doe pray or ought to pray that the Lord would deliuer us But may wee therefore conclude that these men of Bethshemesh were sinners above all the men of Iudah or that Vzzah was a more grievous sinner than any Levite of his age on whom the Lord did not shew like punishments God