man vpon the high way or to breake vp a mans house in the night this is a monstrous Camell but in buying and selling to ouer-teach a neighbour a shilling or two a penny or two what say they to that oh God forbid they should be so strictly dealt withall that is a small thing their throats are not so narrow but these Gnats will goe downe easily enough To beare false witnes in a open Court of Iustice or to be guilty of pillory periury these be fowle things but to lye a litle for a mans advantage or to make another man merriment what think they of this This is a very Gnat they are ashamed to strayne thereat Tell many a man of his sinne in which he lyes that his sinne and a good conscience caÌ„not stand together what is his answer but as Lâ—t of Zoar It is not a little one Gen. 19. 20. But the truth is that these little ones are great euidences of euill Conscience It is but a dreame to thinke our Consciences good that make no Conscience of smal sinnes and duties The conscionable Nazarite Now did not only make conscience of guzzling and quaffing whole cups of wine but of eating but an huske and a kernell of a Grape What a trifle is the kernell of a Grape and yet a good coÌ„science will care to please God as well in abstinence from the kernell as from the cup. Indeed when Dauid had defiled and hardened his conscience with his adultery then hee could cut Vriahs throat and his heart smites him not for it but when vnder his affliction his conscience was tender good his heart smites him but for cutting Sauls coate 1. Sam. 24. 5. See the nature of a good conscience it will smite not onely for cutting Sauls throat but for cutting Sauls coat but for an appearance vpon a suspition and but a iealousie of euill Paul speaks of a pure Conscience 2 Tim 1. 3. Now it is with a pure conscience as it is with pure religion Iam. 1. 17. Pure religion and vndefiled is to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted of the world It hates not onely wallowing with the Sow in the myre but is shy of very spots and hates not onely the flesh but the garment not only that is grossely besmeared but which is but spotted with the flesh Iude 23. according to that Ceremoniall Levit 15. 17. And this is that which differences civilitie and a good conscience Civiltie shunnes mire but is not so trimme as to wash off spots this is the pure Religion of a pure Conscience Pure Religion and vndefiled is to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted therefore they who are not vnspotted are not vndefiled but if their Consciences bee but spotted yet are they defiled Mens Consciences are as their Religion is and pure Religion is spotlesse Yea to close this point the greatest evidence of a good coÌ„science is in making conscience of smal things Whilst men feare great sinnes or are careful of Probat enim etiam in maiorib si râ—â—â—xigat executorem se idoâ—eum fore à quâ— minora coÌ„pleantur Salviâ—n de provid l. 3. maine duties it may bee their reputation and credit may sway them which otherwise would bee impeached So that in them it may be a question whether it be conscience or credite that is the first moover but in small things where there is no credit to be had nay for scrupling whereof a man may rather receiue some discredit from the world heere it is more evident that good conscience sets a man on This then is a note of a good conscience to make Conscience as of small duties so of small sinnes as he that feares poyson feares to take a droppe as well as a draught and men feare not onely wheÌ„ a firebrand is thrust into but when a sparke lights vpon their thatch CHAP. VIII Three other notes of a good Conscience A Third note of a good Conscience may be this It loues and likes a Ministrie and such Ministers as preach 3. Note of good conscience To loue a Ministry that speaks home to the Conscience and speake to the Conscience It likes such a dispensation of the Word as comes home to it whether for direction or reproofe The Word is the rule of conscience and a good conscience is desirous to know the rule it must liue by The Word must iudge the conscience this euery good conscience knowes and therefore grudges not to be reprooved by it as knowing that if it will not abide the Words reproofe it must abide the Words iudgement Therefore a man with a good conscience speakes as Samuel Speake Lord thy seruant heares He can suffer the words of exhortation and not count himselfe to suffer whilst it is done He is of Dauids minde Let the righteous smite me and it shall be a kindnesse let him reproue me and it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake mine head Psal 141. 5. It is with good conscience as with good eyes that can abide the light and can delight in it whereas sicke and sore eyes are troubled and offended therewith A sound heart is like sound flesh that can abide not onely touching but also rubbing and chafing and yet a man will not bee put into a chafe thereby whereas contrarily if the least thorne or vnsoundnesse bee therein a Tu scis Deus noster quod tunc de Alipioab illa peste sa nando non cogitaverim At ille in se rapuit meque illud non nisi propâ—er se dixisse credidit quod alius acciperet ad succensendum mihi accepit honestus adolescens ad succensendum sibi ad me ardentius diligendum Aug. conf li. 6. ca. 7 touch at vnawares prouokes a man if not to smite yet to angry words and language of displeasure Vnsound flesh loues to bee stroakt and to be handled gently the least roughnesse puts into a rage That is the ingenuitie of a good Conscience which was the good disposition of Alipius when hee was vnwittingly taxed by Angustine for his Theatricall vanities hee was so farre from being angry with him though he conceined him purposely to ayme at him that hee was rather angry with himselfe and loued Augustine so much the better Put mens Consciences vpon this triall and we shal see what the Consciences of most men are Let a man preach in an vnprofitable maner let him speÌ„d himselfe in idle curiosities speculalations let him be in combate with obsolete or forraine heresies so long their Minister is a faire and a good Church-man But let him do as God commaÌ„ds Ezekiel to doe Ezek. 14. 4. Answer them according to their Idols preach to their necessities let them call them presse them to holy duties and reprove them Scio me of fensurum quà m plurimos qui generalem de vitiis disputationâ—m in suam referunt contumeliam et dum mihi irascuntur suaÌ„ iudicant conscientiam multoque prius de se quam de me
Esth 8. 17. turned Iewes Was not there ioy of such Proselytes not a whit for not the feare of God but the feare of the Iewes fel vpon them as many frequent the publike assemblies more for feare of the statute then for feare of the commandement The Officers of the King helped the Iewes Esth 9. 3. Was it for conscience sake Nothing lesse but for wrath sake and for feare because the feare of Mordecai fell vpon them If the Pharisees had done all that Mat. 6. for Conscience sake which they did for vaine-glory sake they had had the glory of good Consciences Many preached the Gospell in Pauls dayes Phil. 1. Does not so good a worke argue a good conscience Yes if it had beene done for Conscience sake but that was done for contention sake not to adde soules to the Church but to adde sorrowes to Pauls afflictions It is a note of good Conscience when that which we doe is done with a respect vnto the commandement of God Psal 119. 6. and not with a squint respect vnto our own private for praise or profit It was a good argument of those Bohemians good Consciences in Vtrine mâ—ioris hâ—retici illine qui pictas ligâ—â—as an qui aureas argenteas imagines â— templis exigerent ad conflandam mâ—netam igne adorerent Dubra hist Bohem. l. 24. plucking downe Images that they beate downe onely painted and woodden Images whilest Sigismund the Emperour pulled downe siluer and golden ones to melt into money for pay for his souldiers as they plead for themselues when they were held Heretiques for their fact If they had puld downe such Images as hee did they might haue beene thought to haue done it for gaine and not for Conscience sake How great is often the zeale of many against fashions and such vanities How well it were if it were for Conscience sake and not for envie against some particular person whom they do distaste and so for the person the vanity For if it be for Consciences sake how is it that those vanities such great offences to their Consciences found in some distasted persons are yet no trouble to their Consciences being the very same if not worse in their owne favourites and associates Iudge whether such zeale come from Conscience or from corrupt affection whether it be not more against the person then against the sinne 5 5 Note of a good conscience Holy boldnesse Bâ—na conscientia prodire vult coÌ„spici ipsas nequitia tenebras timet Senec. ep 98. Qui non deliquit decet audacem esse confidenteÌ„r prose proterve loqui Plaut in Aniph 5. We haue a fift note of a good conscience in the text And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell Here is a marke of a good Conscience in his lookes as well as in his words in his face as well as in his speech Paul is here convented before the Councell With what face is he able to behold them And Paul earnestly beholding the Councell A good Conscience makes a man hold vp his head even in the thickest of his enemies I can looke them in the faces and out-face a whole rabble of them assembled on purpose to cast disgrace on it That may bee sayd of a man with a good Conscience which is spoken of some of Davids men 1 Chron. 12. 8. Whose faces were like the faces of Lions for the righteous is bold as a Lion Pro. 28. 1. Now might Paul truely haue said as David Psal 57. 4. My soule is among Lions I lie among them that are set on fire And now how fares hee what is he all a mort lookes he pale and blanke doth hee sneake or hang downe his head or droope with a deiected countenance No Paul is as bold as a Lion and can face these Lyons and earnestly fixe his countenance vpon the best of them A good Conscience makes a mans face as God had made Ezekiels Ezek. 3. 8. 9. Behold I haue made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead strong against their foreheads As an Adamant harder then flint haue I made thy sorehead feare them not neither bee dismaid at their lookes Such hartening and hardening comes also from a good Conscience A good Conscience makes a man goe as the Lord in another sense tells Israel hee had done for them Levit. 26. 13. I haue made you goe vpright A good conscience erects a mans face and lookes is no sneaking slinker but makes a man goe vpright As contrarily guilt deiects both a mans spirits and his lookes and vnlesse a man haue a Sodomiticall impudencie Isa 3. 9. or an whores forehead Ierem. 3. 3. which refuses to bee ashamed makes him hang downe the head Paul fixes his eyes here and lookes earnestly vpon them but what if they had looked as earnestly vpon him yet would not his good Conscience haue beene out-facâ—d See Act. 6. 15. All that sate in the Counsell looked stedfastly on him namely on Steven If but the high Priest alone had faced him it had beene somewhat but all that sate in the Councell looke stedfastly on him Surely one would thinke such a presence were able to haue damped and vtterly to haue dashed him out of countenance But how is it with him Is hee appalled Is hee damped They saw his face as it had beene the face of an Angell sayes the text As wisedome Eccl. 8. 1. so a good Conscience makes the face to shine A good Conscience hath not onely a Lions but an Angels face it hath not onely a Lion-like boldnesse but an Angelicall dazling brightnesse which the sicke and sore eyes of malice can as ill endure to behold as the Isralites could the shining brightnesse of Moses face The face of a good Conscience tells enemies that they are malicious lyers And no wonder that a good conscience hath such courage and confidence in the face standing before a whole Councell when it shall be able to hold vp it head with boldnesse before the Lord himselfe at that great day of the generall Iudgement Euen then shall a good Conscience haue a bold face CHAP. IX Two other and the last notes of a good Conscience A Sixt note of a good Conscience 6 6. Note of a good Conscience To suffer for conscience followes namely that which we haue 1 Pet. 2. 19. When a man for Conscience towards God endures griefe suffering wrong A good conscience had rather that Ananias should smite then it selfe should Ananias his blowes are nothing to the blowes of Conscience Ananias may make Pauls cheekes glowe but conscience giues such terrible buffets as will make the stoutest heart in the world to ake That will pinch and twitch and gird the heart with such griping throws that all the blowes and tortures that Ananias his cruell heart can invent are nothing to them Now therefore a man that sets any store by a good conscience will not part with the Peace or Integritie thereof vpon any termes He rates
23. Iesus answered him If I haue spoken evill beare witnesse of the evill but if well why smitest thou me And yet his precept and practice doe not interferre nor crosse shinnes For though by his precept he forbids vs to retaliate or recompence iniury with iniury out of the heate of a vindictiue spirit yet by his practice he warrants vs in cases of iniurie to make a manifestation both of our own innocency and others iniustice Religion bindes no man to be a Traitor to his owne innocency and the iustice of his cause and by silence to abet others iniustice With a good Conscience may a man speake so long as he speaks as Paul did before Festus Acts 26. 25. The words of truth and sobernesse So a man answer truely soberly without tackes of gall and impatient touches of revenge Christ and Religion say to man convented and iniuriously proceeded against as Agryppa did to Paul Acts 26. 1. Thou art permitted to speake for thy selfe This in generall more particularly in this Denunciation Consider the iudgement denounced that is this God shall smite thee From which we may obserue two things First Doct. 1 See Gods iudgements and the severity of his iustice against the enemies of a good Conscience and his faithfull servants Ananias smites Paul and for his good Conscience and what gets hee by it God will smite him and giue him as good as he brings God will smite smiters Ananias smites Paul and God wil smite Ananias yea and God did smite Ananias for hee was afterwards slaine by Manaimus one of Captaines of the Iewes It is a dangerous thing not to smite when God commands 1 King 20. 35. 36. He that would not smite a Prophet when God commanded was smitten with an heauy iudgement It is no lesse dangerous to smite when God forbids smiting God hath an heauy hand for those that are so light fingred and hee will giue them blow for blow that will be smiting his for a good Conscience Touch not my annoynted nor doe my Prophets no harme Psal 105. 15. Hee that touches them touches the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2. 8. So hee that smites them smites the apple of his eye The eye is a tender place and sensible of a little blow God will not take a blow on the eye nor beare a blow on his face at the hands of the proudest enemies of them all and though we must turne the other cheeke rather then smite againe yet the Lord to whom vengeance belongs will take no blowes at their hands but if they will be smiting they shall bee sure to heare of him to their cost You finde Exod. 2. 11. an Egyptian smiting an Israelite It becomes none better then Egyptians to be smiting Israelites Moses spies an Egyptian smiting of an Hebrew What gets the Egyptian in the end See verse 12. God stirs vp the spirit of Moses to smite him and to slay him Thus will God teach Egyptians to be medling Pashur smites Ieremy Ier. 20. 2. What got he by it The heavy stroake of Gods hand vpon himselfe and all his friends vers 3. 4. 5. 6. Herod was a smiter too Acts 12. 1. 2. Hee stretched forth his hands to vexe certaine of the Church and he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword And what became of him in the ende See ver 23. The Angell of the Lord smote him and he was eaten vp of wormes and he gaue vp the Ghost It is said of Ionas his gourd that a worme smote it and it withered Ion. 4. That was much that a worm should so soon smite the gourd But when men will bee smiting Gods people and his Prophets for a good Conscience and when Herod will be so busie as to smite Apostles God can send not onely an Angell one of his most glorious creatures but even a base worme even one of the weakest creatures to smite Herod and eate him both Ieroboam stretches forth his arme against the Prophet 1. King 13. and his arme withers he doth but threaten to smite and God smites him How much more when Herod stretches forth his hands to vexe the Church to smite Gods Ministers will God not onely wither them but smite him as Sampson smote the Philistims hippe and thigh and make them a rotten and a stinking spectacle to all malicious smiters to the worlds end Thus is that true which the Prophet implyes in that speech Esa 27. 6. Hath hee smitten him as hee smote his smiter Marke then Gods dealing he vses to smite smiters Neither is this true onely of smiters with the fist and with the sword but it is also true of those smiters Ierem. 18. 18. Come and let vs smite him with the tongue Euen such smiters will God smite also as we may see there verse 21 22. 23. Thus God met with Nabal David sends for reliefe to him vpon his festival day and he instead of an almes falls a rayling on him and calls him in effect a Rogue a Vagabond and a runne-away Thus he smote David with his tongue What followes See vers 38. And it came to passe abouâ— ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal And how smote he him That he dyed So Zach. 14. 12. Their tongue shall consume away in their mouth What might the reason be of that iudgment Because happily many that cannot or dare not fight with their hands for feare of the law yet fight against Gods Ministers and his servants with their tongues Well God hath a plague to smite such smiters Though they smite but with the tongue yet God wil smite them giue them their portion with the rest of the adversaries of the Church And if God will not spare such smiters how much lesse will hee spare such as smite with the sword Vse 1 Terrour to all smiters eyther with hand or tongue Smite on goe on in your malicions courses doe so but yet know that there is a smiter in heauen that will meet with you Had Zimri peace who slew his Master So said Iezabel to Iehu and so may it bee said in this case Search the Scriptures search the Histories of the Church Had euer any smiter peace which lifted vp either hand or tongue against any of the Lords people Did smiters euer scape scot-free Had they any cause to brag in the end Had they euer any cause to brag of the last blow Did Herod prosper that smote Iames with the sword Did Ananias prosper that smot Paul Did the Egyptian prosper that smote the Hebrew Did Doeg prosper who was a tongue-smiter as well as an hand-smiter Psal 52. Oh consider this you that dare lift vp your hands and tongues against a good Conscience be afraid of Gods smiting hand tremble to meddle in this kind Learne to hold your hands and tongues vnlesse ye long to feele Gods smiting hand Especially take heed of smiting Gods Ministers in any kinde Deut. 33. 11. Levi hath a strange blessing Blesse Lord his substance
in what kinde the sinne is of the same kinde is the punishment Sodoms sinne was in fiery lusts they were in their sinne set on fire from hel Their punishment was of the same kinde God raines downe fire from heaven vpon them A fiery sinne and a fiery punishment Memorable in this kinde was the Iustice of God vpon that notorious and fiery persecutor Stephen Gardiner who would not sit down to dinner till the newes came from Oxford Act and Mon. of the fire set to Ridley and Laâ—imer but before his meale was ended God kindled a fire in his body which ere long dispatcht him and made him thrust his tongue blacke out of his mouth Such was Gods Iustice vpon Adonibezek Iudg. 1. 7. in the cutting off his thumbes and his great toes Threescore ten Kings hauing their thumbes and their great toes cut off gathered their meate vnder my Table As I haue done so God hath requited mee God hath met with me in mine owne kinde hee hath paid me with mine owne coyne Thus was Gods Iustice divers wayes vpon the Egyptians They threw the Israelites children into the waters and stayned the waters with blood therefore God turnes their waters into blood To which that place alludes Apoc. 16. 4. 5. 6. And the third Angell powred out his viall vpon the waters and fountaines of waters and they became blood And â— heard the Angell of the waters say Righteous art thâ—n O Lord c. because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke Where not onely the Iustice of God but also the equity thereof is magnified not only because God had Iudged but because he had iudged thus Againe the Egyptians destroy the males of the children God meetes with them in their kind he smites the first-born through out all Egypt The Egyptians drowne the Israelites Infants in the waters God payes them in their kinde he drowns the Egyptians in the waters of the reâ— sea there is drowning for drowning and waters for waters Nadab and Abihu sinne by fire and Levit. 10. 2. there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them How many fires hath the Whore of Babylon kindled wherein she hath consumed to ashes the Saints of God God will plague her with an end suiting with her sinne Apoc. 17. 16. she her selfe shall be burnt with fire They shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire There is fire for fire Apoc. 9. 12. She there darkens the light of the truth with the smoake of heresie and superstition There arose a smoake out of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace and the Sun and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake of the pit And Apoc. 18. 9. 18. there wee finde the smoake of her burning There is smoake for smoake God will make her smoake in the end that hath brought such a deale of spirituall smoake into Fumo pereet qui fumum vendidit his Church And as that Emperor said Let him perish with smoake that sâ—lde smoak so shall she perish with smoak at the last that hath put out the eyes of so many thousands with the smoake of heresie and superstition This was that Iustice of God which the Papists Powder-Martyrs Catesby and some others of them were forced to acknowledge when they who had thought to haue blowne vp the State with Powder were themselues spoyled with Powder a sparke of fire flying into it as they were drying it and preparing for their defence Such is that Iustice of God threatned Heb. 2. 15 16. Woe vnto him that giueth his neighbour drinke that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest looke on their nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy fore skinne be vncouered the cuppe of the Lords right hand shall be turned vnto thee shamefull spuing shall be on thy glory A good place for drunkards to thinke vpon especially such whose glory is their shame whose glory is to make others drunke They shall haue cuppe for cuppe nakednesse for nakednesse spuing for spuing As they haue made others spue and vomit through oppression by drinke so will God giue them such a draught of the bitter dregs of the cup of his wrath that shall make them spue their very hearts out as Ier. 25. 27. Drink and be drunken spue and fall rise no more because of the sword which I will send amongst you Of this kinde was that Iustice of God vpon David himselfe He killes Vriah with the sword therefore the sword shall not depart from his house He defiles the wife of Vriah therefore his Concubines are defiled by Absalom This is that Iustice Apoc. 13. 10. He that leadeth into Captiuity shall goe into Captiuity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword It was the most righteous hand of God vpon Saul that hee that puts Gods Priests to the sword should fall vpon his owne sword iust with God that Elymas the Sorcerer that would haue kept the Deputy in spirituall should himselfe be smitten with bodily blindnes 3. Gods punishments are oft in the same part and member of the bodie wherewith men haue offended That look as renowned Cranmer dealt with himselfe at his Martyrdome That hand wherewith hee had subscribed to the sixe Articles that hand hee first put in the fire in an holy reuenge vpon himselfe euen so deals the Lord very often in his Iustice That which men haue made the instrument of their sinne God makes the subiect of his Iudgements Absaloms pride and his weakenesse lay where Sampsons strength was Absaloms haire was Absaloms pride therefore Absaloms hayre as it is conceiued was Absaloms halter and whilest hee will needes spare the Barber a labour he also spares the Hangman a labour Such was Gods Iustice vpon Sampson himselfe He can finde none to bee the pleasure of his eyes as the Prophet speaks of his wife Ezek. 24. but Philistims Iudg. 14. 1 2 3. and Chapt. 16. 1. and so in the loue of a Philistim Dalilah he abuses his eyes What is the issue At last the Philistims put out his eyes God punisht the abuse of his eyes with the losse of his eyes and those eyes that loued Philistims were pluckt out by Philistims Memorable in this kinde was Gods iustice vpon that French King Henry the secoÌ„d who in a rage against a Protestant Counsellor committed him into the hands of one of his Nobles to bee imprisoned and that with these words That hee would see him burned with his owne eyes But marke the iustice of God within a few dayes after the same Noble man with a Launce put into his hands by the King did at a Tilting run the saide King into one of his eyes whereof he dyed Of this kind was the Iustice of God vpon Zachary Luke 1. Offending with his tongue in that question How can
this be he is punished with the losse of the vse of his tongue and speech for a time The rich gluttons tongue had denyed Lazarus a crum therfore it is denyed a drop of water The same glutton had abused his tongue in gluttony and therefore his tongue hath a peculiar torment in hell So those Zach. 14. 12. had their tongues consumed in their mouths like enough as with their hands so with their tongues they had fought against Ierusalem Such was Gods Iustice vpon Iere boam hee stretches forth his arme against the Prophet and the Lord withers it He with his arme threatens to smite and God smites him in his arme Like that iustice which was done vpon the Emperour Aurelianus who when hee was ready to subscribe and seâ— Euseb lib. 7. cap. 29. his hand to an Edict for the persecution of the Christians was suddenly cramped in his knuckles and so hindred from it by the iudgment of God I may not here omit that notable instance of Gods Iustice vpon Rodolph Duke of SVEVIA hee whom the Pope stirred vp against his lawfull Lord and Soueraign against his Oath to vsurpe his Ctowne and Empire This Rodolph in his Warres for the Empire was wounded in the right hand of which wound hee dyed and at his death acknowledged Gods Iustice in these words You see saith he to his friends here my right hand wounded with this right hand I sware to Videtis manum dexteram meam de vulnere sauciam Haec ego iurauis Domino meo Henrico vt non nocereÌ„ ei nec insidiarâ—r gloriae eius Sed iussio Apostolicae PontificuÌ„que pâ—titio nâ—e ad id adduxit vt turamcntt transgressor honereÌ„ mihi indebitum vsurpareÌ„ Quis igitur finis nos exceperit videtis quiain manu vnde iurameâ—ta violaui mortale hoc vulnus accepi c Morn Myst â—niq p. 256 my Lord Henry the Emperour But the command of the Pope hath brought me to this that laying a side the respect of mine Oath I should vsurpe an honour not due to me But what is now come of it In that hand which hath violated mine Oath I am wounded to death And so with anguish of heart he ended his daies An example so much the rather to be marked that men may see how God blesses the Popes blessings and his dispensations with Oathes especially when they are giuen to arme men to rebellion against their lawfull Soueraignes 4. The equitie of Gods Iustice appeares in that Prou. 26. 27. Who so digeth a pit shall fall therein and hee that rolles a stone it will returne vpon him Such was Gods Iustice vpon Haman he made a gallowes for his owne necke Hitherto we may referre the iustice of God when God turnes mens beloved sinnes into their punishments Whoredome was the Leuites Concubines sinne Iudg. 19. 2. and Whordome was her death verse 26. The Lord Deu. 28. 27. threatens the botch of Egypt and how frequently is the sinne of vncleannesse smitten with the French botch the fruit of the sinne How frequent are the examples of Gods Iustice vpon drunkards drunkennesse their sinne and drunkennes their death And so that Proverbe is often verified Prou. 5. 22. His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall bee bolden with the cordes of his sinnes 5. The equitie of Gods Iustice appeares in this when he makes the place of sinne the place of punishment Wee haue frequent examples of this in Scripture This was threatned Ahab 1 King 21. 19. In the place where dogges licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs licke thy bloud And this was made good 2 King 9. 26. In Tophet the place where they had slaine their Sonnes and Daughters would God slay the Iewes Ier. 7. 31. 32. And as their houses were the places of their sinns so should their houses bee the places of their punishment Ier. 19. 13. And because the Sabbath was profaned in the gates of Ierusalem therefore in the gates thereof would God kindle a fire Ier. 17. 27. And remarkeable is that Ezek. 6. 13. Their slaine men shall bee amongst their Idols round about their altars and vnder euery thicke Oake the place where they did offer sweet sauour to all their Idolls Such was the Iustice of God in that late blowe vpon that Popish Company In the very place where they vsed to dishonour God the hand of God was vpon them they were slaine and their carkases crushed in the place of their Masse-worship the first floore falling into their Massing place and so they and their Crucifixes Images all dashed together God doing with them as with the Egyptians Numb 33. 4. Not onely smiting them but also executing iudgements vpon their gods yea not onely so but executed them and their gods in the selfe-same place where God had been by them so much dishonoured 6. The equity of Gods iustice is to be seene in the time of his punishments God oft makes that time wherein men haue sinned the time of his iudgements At the time of the Passe-over did the Iewes crucifie Christ and at the time of the Passe-over was Ierusalem taken Heauy is the calamity that is befallen the Churches beyond the Seas the time wherein the first blow was given is not to be forgotten The first blow was vpon the Sabbath vpon that day was Prague lost What one thing haue all those Churches fayled in more then in that point of the religious observation of that day That day they neglected to sanctifie by obedience vpon that day God would be sanctified in his iustice vpon them and in the time would haue them reade one cause of their punishment Neither is the time wherein God did that late iustice vpon those Popish persons to bee forgotten It is somewhat that after their Roman accouÌ„t it was vpon their fift of Nouember God would let those of that Iesuited brood see how good it was to blow vp Parliament houses and happily would haue them learne more loyaltie and religion then to scoffe at our new holyday Of this kind was Gods iustice vpon one Leaver who rayling on that worthy Martyr and seruant of Christ Mr. Latimer saying that hee saw that evill fauoured knaue Latimer when hee was burned that he had teeth like an horse his sonne the same houre and at the same time as neere as could bee gathered wickedly hanged himselfe And the same was Gods Iustice ceazing vpon Steven Gardiner the same day that Ridley and Latimer were burned Since then there is such an equitie in Gods administration of iustice let it be our care and wisdome to obserue the same Learne to Coment vpon Gods works of Iustice and to compare mens wayes Gods workes together God is to haue the praise and glory of his Iustice vpon others as well as of his mercy to ourselues Now we shal then be best able to giue God this glory when we so obserue his administratioÌ„ that we may bee able not onely to say The Lord is iust but the Lord is iust in this and that particular when we can say as Reuel 16. 5. not onely Righteous art thou O Lord that iudgest but righteous art thou O Lord that iudgest thus Thus they sinned and thus are they punished It is good to obserue all the circumstances of Gods Iustice that so not onely the iustice but the wisdome and equity of Gods Iustice may bee seene and this is to trace the Lord by the foote Psal 68. 24. Especially we should be thus wise in personall evills that befall our selues that by our punishment and the circumstances thereof we might bee led to the consideration of our sinnes and so might say as Adonibezek As I haue done so hath God rewarded me Learne to giue God the prayse of his equitie as of his iustice So doth Dauid Psal 7. 15. 16. 17. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousnesse Tremble and sinne not Take heede how and wherein we sinne least by our sinnes we teach God how to punish vs Take heede of abusing thy tongue in swearing rayling scoffing least God lay some terrible iudgement vpon thy tongue here or some peculiar torment vpon thy tongue in hell hereafter Take heede what measure thou measure to others least thou teach God to measure the same to thy selfe Take heede that thou make not thine house a den of spuing drunkards least God make thine house to spue thee forth Take heede how thou vse thy wits thy strength take heede of sinning in thy Children or any thing else thou hast least God make the matter of thy sinne the matter of thy punishment FINIS