desart without any to inhabit it And here we haue a higher degree than either of the former for though the enemie might ouercome them and spoile their country yet there might remaine some Citie and albeit some Cities might be assailed and destroyed yet some houses in those Cities might still continue Or say it should so fall out that all their Cities and houses in their Cities should be laid leuell with the ground yet some men might haply escape by flight and afterwards returne and build new houses Cities and erect new lawes and gouernment But in that he threatens to lay it waste and make it a desolation all hope is gone This is that which the Lord speaketh in the next chapter where he seemeth to comment vpon these words The Cities shall be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be vtterly desolate And the Lord will remoue men farre away and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land All which befell this people at their carrying away into Babylon and much more fully and compleatly was it fulfilled after Christs time when Ierusalem was vtterly destroyed so that one stone was not left vpon another To which time some referre it It shall not be pruned nor digged By cutting or pruning he seemeth to vnderstand fatherly discipline and correction which now he would with-hold from them according to that in the first of this prophesie Why should you be stricken any more As if he should haue said I see it is but lost labour to smite you for the more I correct you the worse you proue And by digging he vnderstandeth that point of husbandry whereby the earth is drawne into ridges or heapes chiefly about the vines which is so conuenient and necessarie in such places where vintages are as that without it the vines will neuer prosper And here hee alludeth vnto such husbandmen as hauing barren vineyards and fruitlesse trees doe neglect to prune or cut them dung or digge about them because they take no pleasure nor delight in them But there shall come vp briers and thornes By briers and thornes some here vnderstand the Gentiles according to that of our Sauiour Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled But we may better vnderstand thereby Idolatry and superstition with other errors and abominations that for want of Gods husbandry should as afterwards there did grow vp amongst them And thus sinnes and transgressions are compared to thornes and briers elsewhere in Scripture And that fiâ—ly 1 For their wounding and pricking those that handle them for whom doth not sinne wound whom hath it not stung that euer dealt with it 2. For their holding together and twining one within another Sinnes grow in heapes and where you finde any you may finde many And therefore when the Apostle speakes of them hee couples them Chambering and wantonnesse gluttonie and drunkennesse strife and enuying thus they grow like thornes in hedges by companies 3. Because they choake the plants and hinder them from the Sunnes hear and influence of heauen thus the seed is choaked by these thornes as our Sauiour teacheth And therefore S. Peter willeth to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings those cursed thornes and briers and then As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it By clouds vnderstand we the Prophets and by raine the Word The Metaphor is vsuall Moses thus begins his Song My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse And so the word of the Lord came to Ezechiel and said Sonne of man set thy face towards Ierusalem and drop thy word towards the holy places and prophesie against the land of Israel And thus Amos speaketh to Amaziah Thou saiest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac In which places it is apparant that Gods Prophets are as clouds and their words or prophesies like drops of raine Now in comparing the raine and the word we shall finde good resemblance in sundry particulars as 1. In regard of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. cleansing the aire 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardned earth In each one of which if wee should spend time we should finde an excellent agreement but especially in a sixth respect It is a principall meanes and subordinate cause that all things fructifie and grow And therefore this must needs be a heauy iudgement and argue Gods hot displeasure against his Vineyard in commanding the clouds to raine no more raine vpon it according to that charge giuen to Micah Prophesie ye not vnto them seeing that without it it was impossible the Vine should grow or flourish Thus we see that as by briers and thornes the Plants should be choaked so for want of raine their very roots should wither And thus much for the literall exposition Now to come to some particular obseruation And now goe to I will tell you This is the vsuall manner of Gods dealing To warne before he strikes and foretell the iudgement before he inflicteth it He punisheth none before he hath admonished them smiteth none before he hath forewarned them That of the Prophet Amos makes this good Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets He sendeth his Heralds to proclaime warre before he makes it and foretels them of such iudgements as he is purposed to inflict that they may forewarne others Take the old world my brethren for an ensample did hee not foretell the destruction of it vnto Noah before he brought that great Deluge vpon the earth And was not Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto them whose hand taught them as much as his tongue His businesse in building the Arke was a reall Sermon to the world wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the belieuer and to the rebellious destruction And did he not the like by Sodome and Gomorrah vnto whom hee sent his seruant Lot whose righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Was not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his people did he not againe and againe admonish them and threaten them by his seruants Moses and Aaron that if they would not let his people goe he would doe thus and thus vnto them And so with the Niniuites vnto whom he sent Ionah with this erie Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And with Ierusalem which was often forewarned by his Prophets and by our Lord himselfe of her destruction before it fell Two reasons may be rendered for this
and honour but Learning followes Homer with a staffe and wallet the studie of Diuinitie brings contempt and beggerie Looke how it was with the Iewes vnder the tyrannie of Egypt so is it now with vs when we should make bricke worke in our profession we are enforced to gather straw seeke out for sustenance and yet if our tale of bricke be not made vp we are cried out vpon for being idle But God heares our cries and will one day plead our cause In the meane time let such places and Parishes as would haue their Ministers thus to follow close their callings see that they so prouide for their certaine maintenance as that they may without distraction follow it We haue done with the Prooem Now we come to the Poem or Song it selfe My welbeloued hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill c. Wherein is set forth Gods great loue towards his people Israel and Iudah and their horrible ingratitude and disobedience towards him together with their fearefull and finall ruine for that their disobedience All which is darkly and obscurely propounded vnder a continued similitude or allegorie of an vnprofitable Vineyard which did not answer the cost and expectation of the Vinitor by bringing forth of fruit meet for him that dressed it In opening whereof we need not doubt of finding out the true and proper sense and meaning in the Generall as who this Vinitor is and who the Vineyard and what the fruit these being explained and expounded by our Prophet vers 7. But in the Particulars there is question As what is meant by Hill Fence Stones Plant Tower Winepresse forasmuch as these parts are not followed by him and are diuersly interpreted by Expositors By Hill some vnderstanding the field of this world others the citie of Ierusalem which was higher than all other Cities and the Countrie thereabouts And others the Land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and hony By Fence or Hedge some vnderstand the Law which was giuen by Moses whereby the people of Israel were fenced in and kept within compasse Others the Couenant which God made with his people the Iewes wherwith he did hedge them in vnto himselfe to be his peculiar people And others vnderstand thereby the Diuine protection by which as by an hedge the Lord did continually protect his people By Stones some vnderstand their wicked Kings Saul Ahab and the rest who by their wicked practises did hinder the growth of Gods Church Others the Gentiles and Heathen people the Canaanites and Hittites with the rest whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel Others vnderstand thereby all kinde of Idolatrie Errors Abominations which the Lord purged his people from And there are some others who by stones vnderstand the Wall wherewith the Lord did make the fence or hedge and that because the word here vsed signifieth as well to build with stones and gather them together for that end as to remoue stones By the choice Plant some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant and that because the Prophet speaketh in the singular number both in the Parable and in the exposition of it He saith not Vines or Plants but a Vine or Plant and the man of Iudah not the men of Iudah Others vnderstand thereby the best and choisest persons amongst that people especially them of the house of Iudah as Dauid Solomon and the rest whom God had chosen and endued with an excellent measure of his Spirit for rule and gouernment and others vnderstand it more largely for the whole body of that people the stems and branches of Abraham Isaak Iacob those honourable Plants By Tower some vnderstand their Prophets Priests and Princes whom the Lord gaue vnto them to watch as out of a tower ouer them for their good Others would haue vs vnderstand thereby Ierusalem that great Metropolitan Citie of the Iewes And others the Temple which was built therein By Wine-presse that was therein some doe vnderstand the Doctrine of the Prophets their exhortations and reprehensions whereby they did labour to bring the people to repentance Others Passions and Afflictions which the Lord laid vpon them for their sinnes And others vnderstand thereby the Altar in the Temple vpon which they did offer vp their sacrifices and oblations Thus we see the diuersitie of opinions concerning these particulars and the variety of paths wherein our Interpreters walke so that it is no easie matter to take the right yet amongst all I had rather follow them who by this fruitfull Hill vnderstand the Land of Canaan For of it the Scripture thus speaketh The Land whither you goe to possesse it is a land of hils and vallies and drinketh water of the raine of heauen A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eies of the Lord thy God are alwaies vpon it from the beginning of the yeere euen vnto the end of the yeere A good land and large flowing with milke and honie By Fence or Hedge his mightie protection whereby he defended and preserued his people from all their enemies This was that hedge which the Lord made about Iob and about his house and about all that he had on euery side And this hedge did the Lord promise to make about Ierusalem so that none should hurt it Of which Fence reade at large Psal 90. By Stones the Canaanites and Hittites of whom Dauid thus speaketh Thou didst driue out the Heathen with thy hand and plantedst them thou didst afflict the people and cast them out Of which Stones say some Iohn Baptist speaketh when he telleth the Iewes bragging they had Abraham to their father that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham But that I deliuer not for doctrine By choise Plant the seed of Abraham Isaak Iacob the men of Israel and Iudah as appeares verse 7. One number there being put for another the singular for the plurall a thing vsuall in Scripture And thus we reade Thou hast brought a Vine out of Aegypt thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it Thou preparedst roome before it and didst cause it to take deepe root and it filled the land The hils were couered with the shadow of it and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent out her boughes vnto the Sea and her branches vnto the riuer And else-where thus I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine vnto me In both which places the people of Israel are meant By Tower the glorious Temple that was in Ierusalem that stately edifice or building according to that of the Prophet He built his Sanctuary like high Palaces like the earth which he hath established for euer And so is it termed else-where A Tower of the flocke the strong hold of the daughter of Sion By Wine-presse the ministerie of the
is it possible that there should be a controuersie betweene God and his Vine which he planted with his owne right hand Betweene him and that people whom he had so highly honoured Then it will follow that Sinne will make bate and stirre vp strife betweene God and his dearest people There is no Citie no not Ierusalem no people no not Israel nor Iudah be they graced with neuer so many priuileges crowned with neuer so many blessings but sinne will set the Lord and them at variance The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land saith Hoseah because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land c. Sinne was the breeder of it Babylon the glory of the Kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie yet her pride set her and God at variance so that her Palaces were made dens of Dragons wilde beasts of the field did lie there their houses were cages for vncleane birds Owles did dwell there Satyres did dance there with dolefull creatures were they filled And thus Sodome sometimes as faire and beautifull as Paradise it selfe was set at variance with the Lord by reason of her sinnes Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of bread c. bred the quarrell and was the cause that shee was made a perpetuall desolation And will not those seuen famous Churches of Asia Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis in the midst whereof God is said to haue his walke witnesse as much Did not their sinnes cause the Lord to contend with them a long time and in the end make him to giue vp their Land to be inhabited by Zijm and Ochim Turkes and Infidels What shall I need to say more Such a variance it made betweene God and the Angels as that they were turned out of Heauen Betweene God and our great Grand-father as that he was droue out of Paradise Betweene the Lord and Moses as that it kept him from Canaan And such a contention daily it breeds betweene God and men as that infinite thousands are thereby kept out of the Kingdome of Heauen Let all wicked ones hence take notice of their estates which by this Doctrine they may as clearely see as in a glasse For doth sinne set God and man at oddes and is it a make-bate betweene them Then certainly such as liue in it and harbour it cannot be at peace with God What peace saith Iehu to Ioram so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so man0y So say I What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured in thy brest Nay There is no peace to the wicked saith my God For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is thy enemie and hath against thee and therefore see thou agree quickly with thy aduersarie We say in a prouerbe He is poore that God hates true none so poore as the wicked are for what though they haue riches honours friends c. when there is a controuersie betweene God and them If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge for him said old Ely to his sonnes but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him Seeke therefore reconciliation cast that make-bate out of thy bosome which stirs vp all this strife Sinne is thy owne creature destroy that and God must needs loue thee who art his creature but if thou wilt not then expect no peace but contention and destruction If the Pot will needs contend with the Potter it cannot be but it must be broken Thou art but an earthen Pitcher in the hand of thy Maker and he can full easily dash thee against the wall and stampe thee into powder It is good counsell that the Wise-man giues thee Contend not with him who is mightier than thy selfe and if thou beest not a foole I aduise thee to follow it lest Woe and Alas come too late And secondly See here the reason why the Lord doth so often bend his browes and turne away his face from his owne people in displeasure Sinne is it that bred the quarrell that was it which causeth it The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to crie out of euill tongues that haue for spoken them and surely say they we are bewitched but if we looke well about vs we shall finde the grand-witch to lie lurking in our own bosomes It is sinne that hales downe those iudgements on vs and ours What shall I say O Lord when Israel turnes their backes before their enemies said Iosua to God now marke Gods answer Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned they haue transgressed my Couenant which I haue commanded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue also stollen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed thing from amongst you This answer may we giue to the like demand Why are wee so often punished afflicted plagued Surely wee haue taken of that execrable thing and broken the Couenant of the Lord and vntill that accursed thing Sinne be searched out and cast away neuer hope for any fauour to be shewed from the Lord Ionah must be cast ouer-boord before the storme cease Lastly seeing sinne sets God and his dearest people at variance be they graced with neuer so many excellencies or priuiledges then be not high minded but feare for whatsoeuer thou art that sinnest against the Lord be thy priuiledges neuer so many or excellent wert thou as a signet vpon Gods right hand or as the apple of his eye yet he will haue a controuersie with thee And so for our Land in generall which may seeme to out vie the felicitie of all other Nations in high and rich prerogatiues Of all the trees in the Garden wee may seeme to be the Vine that God hath set his heart vpon amongst all the varietie of Flowers England is the Lilly and the Rose amongst all the Princes we haue had a Deborah and haue a Dauid amongst all the Prophets of the Lord wee haue the most reuerend Elishaes amongst all the Nurseries and Springs of learning wee haue the most famous Naiâ—ths amongst all Lands we haue that Canaan which abounds with plentie of all good things and amongst all Cities wee haue Ierusalem But will these priuiledges beare vs out if wee take libertie to sinne against the Lord Alas they cannot nay so farre are they from stopping Gods wrath as that they will rather make way for it As a man is more offended with the euill behauiour of a seruant that hath beene aduanced by him so the Lord with vs. When Saul
haue none to inhabit it The people of the land shall be swept away with the sword and the earth shall be robbed of all her goodly ornaments It shall neither be inhabited by men nor adorned with her beautifull fruits as it were with her princely coat of diuers colours but become as a desolate and forsaken wildernesse This is the meaning And hence note we the miserie of warre War is that miserable desolation which findes a land before it like Eden and leaues it behinde like Sodome a desolate and forsaken wildernesse The fiercenesse rage of it Moses expresseth and describeth when he telleth the Israelites of a Nation that should come from farre as swift as the Eagle fleeth and of fierce countenance who should not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the young who should eat the fruit of their cattell and the fruit of their land vntill they were destroied who should not leaue them either corne wine or oile nor-increase of Kine nor flockes of Sheepe but should besiege them in their gates vntill their high and fenced walls came downe wherein they trusted throughout all their land by reason whereof they should be driuen to eat the fruit of their owne bodie the flesh of their sonnes and of their daughters which the Lord their God had giuen them in the siege and in the straitnesse wherewith their enemies should distresse them So that men should haue euill or couetous eyes towards their brethren and wiues of their bosomes and their children which they should leaue in not giuing to any of them of the flesh of their children which they should eat for feare lest they should haue none left for themselues in the straitnesse of the siege And the tender and delicate women who would not aduenture to set the sole of their feet vpon the ground for delicatenesse shall be as niggardly towards their husbands and towards their sonnes and daughters and towards their young ones For they shall eat their children secretly and in corners that none might get any part away from them because of the siege wherewith their enemie should distresse them Fearefull threatnings But is it possible that the miserie or mischiefe of warre should be so great Were not these threatnings made to keepe them in obedience only Surely nothing is there threatned but warre hath brought forth To instance in that vnmatchable instance of the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespasian who besieged it for the space of fiue months threescore and eleuen yeeres after Christs incarnation or thereabouts In which time there passed many assaults and skirmishes much slaughter and bloudshed being made both on the one side and other The famine meane while afflicting the City was such as no Historie can parallel Horses Asses Dogs Cats Rats were good vnto their tastes But this food failing they were driuen to eat courser fare yea those things which vnreasonable creatures would not eat as the leather of their shooes and of their targets of their bridles and of their girdles and the like Oxe dung was a pretious dish vnto them and the shreddings of pot-herbes cast out and trodden vnder foot and withered were taken vp againe for nourishment What miserable meat was this And yet as miserable as it was the childe would snatch it from his parent and the parent from his childe euen from out his iawes Yea some to prolong their liues would not sticke to eat vp that that others had vomited and cast vp And yet harken to a far more lamentable accident than all this yet The mother takes her owne childe from her brests a harmelesse suckling silly infant and thus speakes to it Little infant poore wretch in war in famine in sedition for whom shall I preserue thee for whom shall I saue thee aliue If thou liue thou must be a slaue vnto the Romanes but famine preuents thy seruitude yea and the mutinous Iewes are more cruell than either the Romans or the famine Be thou therefore meat to me a furie to the mutinous and euen a mocke of the life of man And when shee had thus spoken shee kild it and boyled the dead bodie of it and eat the one halfe and reserued the other for another time The mutinous Iewes drawne by the sent and sauour of this meat brake into this womans house and threaten to slay her if shee bring it not forth vnto them Shee tels them shee hath meat indeed but shee had reserued it for her selfe neuerthelesse seeing they did so vrge her shee would bring it to them So shee brings them the reliques of her sonne at which sight they standing amazed and shrinking backe with feare and horrour the mother said thus vnto them This meat you see is indeed part of my owne sonne it was my deed to kill it eat yee of it for I haue eaten Will you be more tender than a woman more pitifull than a mother Eat I say for I haue eaten If you will not eat it shall remaine for me his mother Oh fearefull horrid inhumane act The famine still continuing they are compelled to begin to issue out of their Citie gates and no sooner were they out but they were still taken and crucified vpon Crosses and Gibbets set vp before the walls that they who were within might by beholding of this spectacle be moued to giue ouer but yet they continued obstinate and would not Fiue hundred a day were thus hanged vp till there were neither trees to be gotten nor any more space left to set them in and desire being made to know the number of dead carkasses which were carried out of the Citie for want of buriall to bee throwne in ditches as dung vpon the earth they found the number to be numberlesse so that no way could it certainly be knowne but out of one Gate the keeper had noted an hundred and fifty thousand dead bodies to be carried out And thus what with the extremitie of the famine what with the furie of the sword and what with sicknesse during the time of this warre there perished in Ierusalem and the Prouince adioyning as some credible Authors affirme about six hundred thousand able men to beare armes or as others hold who were present at the warre there died eleuen hundred thousand besides others taken captiue to the number of ninety seuen thousand The Iewes thus dead and scattered what became now of their glorious Citie Their holy Temple it was burnt their strong and high walls were throwne downe all the Citie became waste and desolate and so it remaines to this day And thus we see what Moses there threatned is here fulfilled to the vtmost both which proue my doctrine and make it good That albeit warre finde a land like Eden it will leaue it like a Sodome a desolate and forsaken wildernesse If these be not sufficient reade the whole booke of Ieremiahs Lamentations and there we shall finde that the mercies of warre are
therfore we vse Psalmes before our Sermons 2. It comprehends much in a little as we see in the Psalmes For what are they but a Compendium of both Testaments 3. It delighteth the eare and causeth it to hearken more attentiuely as we haue before seene in the beginning 4. And lastly it is a great helpe to memorie and causeth things once learned long to be retained as we finde by experience in children and others what they learne in Ryme they neuer forget againe to their dying day Now to apply the point This may serue first to informe our iudgements concerning the lawfulnesse hereof that so this exercise and Art which is by some wrongfully held in contempt may be brought into a more reuerend esteeme for what is the maine cause so many speake against Poetrie but an ignorant misconceit they haue thereof imagining it to be but a vaine inuention of man and an vnfitting language for to expresse holy and sacred matters and mysteries by But that which hath beene said before serues for the discouery and I trust shall also for the recouerie of this error God hath vsed Verse to expresse a great part of his reuealed will vnto vs and hath mingled many of his heauenly precepts with the sweet and pleasing straines of Poesie and Numbers And therefore let it neither be thought a vaine and vnnecessary curiositie nor yet as some others doe a horrible and damnable impietie True it is in these wretched daies for the most part we shall finde that the subiect of Poesie is wantonnesse and lasciuiousnesse wherewith the mindes of youth are wonderously bewitched But yet as one said of Musicke we may say of it The proper and principall subiect of it is the Almighties praise Shall we then condemne the lawfull vse with the vnlawfull abuse That may not be Let vs cast away the fashion but keepe still the stuffe Let not the exercise it selfe be abhorred nor the vse thereof condemned but the corruption thereof For certainly there is no Art that doth set forth the glory of God which is the chiefe end of mans creation with so much excitation and expression as this Art doth And therefore by some it is preferred to all Arts and Sciences To conclude this vse if euery Art be the gift of God and if it be of him to inuent and finde out curious workes to worke in gold and siluer and in brasse c. Then must it likewise be of him to guide the pen and giue the tongue for speaking such excellent things and after so elegant a manner The like might be said for her sister Musicke This may likewise serue for a Reprehension of such as abuse this Art which in it selfe is so lawfull and commendable and by their wantonnesse cause it to grow contemptible And thus doe vainer Poets who by their lasciuious rymes luftfull Sonnets Plaies and Entersudes bring shame vnto the Art disgrace to Poesie and dishonour to the giuer The like is the practise of wicked Fidlers and Baladmongers who make it their profession and get their liuing by poisoning many a soule in alluring their mindes vnto vanitie with their bewitching harmonie and tempting charmes of lasciuious Musicke A shame it is that such Vermine should be suffered in so well a gouerned Common-wealth as this is And the greater is our shame in that our Magistrates haue no more care for the putting such good Lawes in execution as are already enacted for the punishment of these Come we now to the third circumstance propounded in this Preface to our consideration and that is the manner of the Prophets publishing this Poem which he did indite I will sing As the former particular gaue occasion to speake of the lawfulnesse of Poesie and versifying so doth this for the authoritie and lawfulnesse of Voice-Melodie and Singing Let the point be this Songs and Poems artificially modulated may lawfully be sung for the setting forth of Gods praise This I will make good both by precept and practice out of the Old and New Testament Out of the Old Come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs make a ioyfull noise to the rocke of our saluation Let vs come before this presence with thanksgiuing and make a ioyfull noise vnto him with Psalmes And againe Make a ioyfull noise vnto God all ye Lands sing forth the honour of his name Praise the Lord for he is good sing praises vnto his name for it is pleasant As in these and many other places it is commanded So by many of Gods faithfull seruants we may finde it hath beene practised For Israel sang this song Spring vp oh well Sing you vnto it Dauid and Solomon did likewise vse it and gaue appointment how the Iewes should sing Psalmes in their Temple So did Moses Deborah and Barak with others more as in the proofe of the former Doctrine appeared In the New Testament it is commanded in these expresse words Speak to your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melodie in your hearts vnto the Lord. And againe Is any amongst you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes And there also we finde it vsed by Paul and Silas who at midnight prayed and sang praises to the Lord and by Christ and his Apostles whose example is without exception who sang a Psalme together as at other times so that night in which our Sauiour was betrayed Thus out of holy writ we haue proued the point Much might be brought likewise for the further confirming of it our of Ecclesiasticall Historie if it were as needfull as easie so to doe of the practise of Christians since Christs time but of that much I will alledge only at this time that testimonie which Plinius secundus a Heathen who liued about 200 yeares after Christ gaue vnto the Emperour Traian in the behalfe of Christians They vse saith he to rise before day to celebrate Christ in Psalmes as God And as Socrates reports neither Constantine nor Theodosius euer began a battell but first they and their souldiers sung Psalmes and made supplications to the Lord. Let vs now come to some profitable vse And first it serueth soundly to lesson such as condemne this exercise or deride such as vse it either in publike or in priuate Such mockers are euery where to be found who as they deride all other parts of Gods seruice so amongst the rest this But if it be a worke of Gods spirit to sing and if Gods children sing with the spirit as S. Paul auoucheth then against whom doe these open their mouthes whom doe they blaspheme A lamentable thing it is that in a Land professing the Gospell and after the continuance of the publike preaching thereof so many yeares such an ancient laudable and holy exercise should be made a matter of scorne in the seeming of any The Lord lay not this sinne vnto our
is a thing counted both common and easie to performe this duty and no man doubts hee is herein to seeke when notwithstanding this is as true as God is true who is Truth it selfe that no more doe truly loue God than are from all eternity elected by God to saluation And wee know or may know for Scripture saies it that the number of them is small yea very small comparatiuely considered their account will soone be made it is but a short worke into a short summe shall they be gathered Seeing then it is as narrow as Gods election and that is very narrow let each one search narrowly his bosome for this grace A rule of three 1. our Affections 2. our Words 3. our Actions will sufficiently discouer it By our affections will it soone bee seene what loue we beare to God For Loue as the greatest wheele sets all the rest a worke It is the strongest affection and to it doe all the rest giue place where that goes before Desire followes after What I loue I desire to enioy and it is not where it begets not a desire of society Ammon was very sicke through loue his flesh did pine and waste away because he could not enioy his sister Thamar Dauid and Ionathan did loue intirely and as the Text saith their soules were knit together whence it was that they tooke such pleasure and contentment each in other the story shewes what shifts they made to meet what weeping and heart-sorrow there was when they were to part and all because they loued Thus hee that loues the Lord must needs desire to haue society with the Lord A ioy it is to his soule to meet him and nothing doth he desire so much as to enioy him And so Dauid was affected as appeares by those many patheticall desires of his Whom haue I in Heauen but thee and there is none vpon the earth that I desire besides thee As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land My soule waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning These and many other such like sayings shew the affection of his soule And whereas in some places God is pleased graciously to manifest his presence after a speciall manner and in some exercises there is an especiall kinde of fellowship had with him we shall finde what a great desire the godly haue had to such places and what great loue they haue borne to those duties I haue loued saith Dauid the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth And else-where thus One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple And againe How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the Tents of wickednesse The like is his desire after the meanes and exercises of Religion Oh how loue I thy Law it is my meditation all the day I loue thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold Euening and morning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud Yea seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements This hath beene the desire of such whose hearts haue beene enflamed with the loue of God after his presence of grace here and as desirous haue they bin after Gods presence of glory hereafter with Paul desiring to bee loosed that hee might bee with Christ which they count best of all and with the Bride and Spirit in the Reuelation say Come Amen euen so come Lord Iesus Againe our Ioy will make knowne our loue For where loue is there ioy will shew it selfe 1. In the Presence or enioyment of the party beloued 2. In his Image or picture 3. In such things as tend to the setting forth of his Honour As loue causeth vs to desire society with the beloued party so it maketh vs to reioyce in it greatly when it is obtained and had euen as a louing wife reioyceth in the company of her Husband aboue the company of any other whatsoeuer so saith the Church I will greatly reioyce in the Lord my soule shall be ioyfull in my God The Apostle Paul calleth Christ his reioycing By our reioycing which I haue in Christ Iesus Thus do Gods children reioyce in Gods presence yea their ioy before him is according to the ioy in haruest and as men reioyce when they diuide the spoyle As they ioy in his Presence so doe they reioyce in his Image The very picture of a friend whom we entirely loue we esteeme highly of and often solace our selues in the beholding it So If we loue him that begat we loue him also that is begotten If we loue God it cannot be but we must needs reioyce in the Image of God which appeares in his children consisting in righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus did Dauid My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where marke 1. His delight was In the Saints 2. In all the Saints 3. All his delight was in them The mother of Darius as I haue read saluting Hephestion in stead of Alexander who was but Alexanders fauourite blushed and was much ashamed vpon notice of her mistake which Alexander perceiuing bid her not be troubled for said he he is also Alexander Doest thou reioyce in Christ thou must then reioyce in the godly for they also are Christ And as in the Image so Loue causeth vs to reioyce in euery thing that serueth to the praise or profit of the beloued party So here As 1. generally in the Churches welfare Ierusalem shall be preferred to our chiefest ioy thus the godly in Isayes dayes Reioyce yee with Ierusalem and be glad with her all yee that loue her reioyce for ioy with her all you that mourne for her 2. More particularly The readinesse of the people to doe God seruice will stirre vp Ioy as in Dauids time The people reioyced for that they offered willingly And in Asa's time All Iudah reioyced at the oath of the couenant which they had made vnto the Lord for they had sworne saith the text with all their heart So likewise will the conuersion of sinners Thus when the Iewes heard of the conuersion of the Gentiles and that the Holy Ghost was fallen vpon them as vpon themselues at the
droue out before his Israel that they might not hinder this his Vineyards growth Hence we inferre It is not safe nor profitable for the Church to suffer wicked Idolaters or other obstinate sinners to remaine within the Church Of such Gods Vineyard must be rid and his Church purged Will you heare in a few words what the Scriptures say for confirmation hereof It is commanded in the law that the false Prophet and seducing Idolater whether he be brother or sonne or daughter or wife or friend should bee taken away and slaine without mercie or pitie that all Israel may heare and see and feare and not dare to commit the like And againe There shall not bee amongst you man nor woman nor family nor tribe which shall turne away his heart from the Lord our God to goe and serue the gods of these Nations Besides it forbad sowing of the field with mingled seed plowing with an Oxe and an Asse together the wearing of a garment of diuers things as linnen and woollen mixt together Now these lawes according to the letter seeme ridiculous saith the glosse but the thing that God intends hereby to shew is that he cannot away with a mixt Religion The Church of Ephesus was commended for hating the workes of the Nicolaitans but Pergamus was reproued for suffering them that maintained the Doctrine of Bulaam and Thyatira blamed for suffering Iesabel to teach and deceiue Gods seruants And why in Scripture are Idolaters called stumbling-blocks snares thornes traps whips and destruction but because they proue so to the people amongst whom they liue Israel found them so and England did no lesse in Queene Maries daies and France doth so For from whence spring these commotions tumults horrible massacres and bloudy tragedies but from the diuersity of Religion amongst them And indeed what agreement hath light with darknesse or God with Belial The Lord can neuer digest two contraries though neuer so well mixed or wisely tempered in matters of religion as the Church of Laodicea sheweth Hereupon zealous Elijah exhorteth the people after this manner If the Lord be God follow him and if Baâ—l be God goe after him Besides Doe yee not know that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lâ—mpe Sinne therefore being infectious the sinner is not to bee tolerated in the assembly of the righteous Take wee occasion hence to magnifie Gods name who hath beene so gracious to this his Vineyard which his owne right hand hath planted in this Land as to cleanse it of all such stones as might any way hinder the prosperity or flourishing estate of it Our streets are well swept and rid of that Popish rubbish wherewith formerly they haue beene much annoied Those dens of theeues are dispersed those buyers and sellers of Popish trash Monks Friers Massemougers and Iesuits are whipt out of the Temple and driuen from amongst vs He hath pulled downe that great Idoll of the Masse with other Idols that were set vp to bee adored and hath abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of false doctrine And withall hath blessed vs with so religious and prudent a King as is a constant Defender of the Faith and an open aduersary to superstition and Idolatry What shall we now render to the Lord for all these testimonies and tokens of his loue towards vs but take the cup of Saluation and praise with tongue and heart the name of God acknowledging his goodnesse in deliuering vs from the Romish bondage labouring to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell to the glorie of his name and our owne endlesse saluation This likewise serueth for the Admonition 1. Of Ministers whom God hath reposed such great trust and confidence in as to be the dressers and keepers of his Vineyard that wee be found faithfull and what lies in vs remoue whatsoeuer may any way annoy it For which end Christ hath not only committed vnto vs the sword of the spirit which is the word of God wherewith we may conuince gainsayers but also the keies of the kingdome that men being conuicted and not conuerted nor reclaimed they may be cast out and expelled either for a time as the incestuous Corinthian was or for euer euen vnto the comming of the Lord Which kinde of excommunication the Apostle cals Maran-atha of Mara the Lord and Atha he commeth â— being interposed for sound sake Which censure being so grieuous as it is for it is a deliuering vp to Satan ought not to be inflicted rashly for euery trifle but deliberatly in matters of weight and moment and in such cases as expresly shut out of the kingdome of heauen such as those the Apostle mentioneth 1 Corinth 6. because it is a declaration of that which is by God done in heauen In the execution whereof let all such as it doth concerne beware of filthy lucre and faithfully discharge what is committed to them not suffering the notoriously prophane to remaine within the Church lest others bee endangered and infected by their society for their very words and much more their conuersation creepeth and corrupteth as a gangreene 2. Magistrates who must second the word of information with the rod of reformation and backe the Ministers of the Word by the vse of the temporall sword which they must not beare for nought but as the Ministers of God take vengeance on them that doe euill These are Gods Surrogates and the Preachers hopes Our words are thought aire where their hands doe not compell Good lawes are made against the wicked and prophane but what are wee the better for Gods owne lawes without execution If those who haue the charge imposed and the sword put in their hands stand like the picture of S. George with his hand vp yet neuer strike it will fare full ill with the Vineyard of the Lord. Let it bee their care with Dauid earely to destroy the wicked of the Land and to cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. Take vs the foxes the little foxes that spoile the vines for our vines haue tender grapes Let neither young nor old bee spared And of all other let that Romish Reinard and his Cubs extrauagant Priests and Iesuits with other obstinate Recusants bee hunted as most hurtfull to our Vineyard For what thinke you of these Positions 1. Neighbours if Heretikes meaning thereby Protestants may lawfully be spoiled of their goods though indeed it were better say they to doe it by the authoritie of the Iudge 2. It is lawfull for Parishioners to defraud Protestant Ministers of their Tithes and of this Non est dubium say they there is no doubt to be made 3. Men are not bound to restore that which they haue receiued or to satisfie their creditours who are tainted with heresie 4. A Catholike wife is not bound to giue due beneuolence to her husband being a Procestant
5. By the heresie of the father a childe is freed from his obedience So that if a Priest returning into England findeth his father to be a Protestant he may deny him to be his father meaning that he is not such a one as he ought to acknowledge for his father 6. That Heretikes may not be tearmed either children or kindred but according to the old Law thy hand must be vpon them to spill their bloud 7. That it is not lawfull for Christians to tolerate an hereticall King they may expell him depose him yea murther him And this they say is agreeable to the Apostolique doctrine 8. If warre be once proclaimed by them against Sectaries that is in their language vs Protestants then it is lawfull for any priuate man to take spoile kill such Sectaries and burne their houses ouer their heads 9. It is lawfull for Catholike Princes to make league with Protestants only for their owne aduantage as for example to dispatch some businesses which hinder them from falling vpon Protestants with their whole forces 10. And that one may sweare with Equiuocation and ment all reseruation is good positiue Diuinitie with them By these and the like Positions which they maintaine we plainly see how they dissolue all bands of humane fellowship and strangle the vitall spirits of humane societie Whether it be safe then to suffer such iudge yee Besides as is their doctrine such is their practise in deposing Kings and Emperours practising hellish treasons iustifying the murdering of Princes making leagues only for their owne ends breaking their promises oathes vowes at their pleasure Can it then be well with the Vineyard if these Foxes be at libertie Can it be well with the Lambes of Christ if these Wolues be suffered to range about Can Israel enioy the Land of Canaan in quiet if these Canaanites be not subdued as seruants to the Congregation or subuerted as enemies Let therefore all such Magistrates as tender the good of their King and Crowne Land and State doe their best to watch and catch these Foxes lenitie and mildnesse hath long beene vsed Now to vse the words of a late worthy Prelate some iustice with mercie would doe well some frosts with the fire that warmes these Snakes in the bowels of our Land some pluckes at these thornes and prickles in our eyes the mean time and will be hereafter in our sides and hearts lest if lustice goe on to sleepe as it were her dead sleepe the tares of disloyaltie treasons and seditions be so thick sowen in the field of this Kingdome by those enuious ones the Seedesmen of Rome that it will be difficultie and mastrie afterwards to remoue them 3 And let all good Christians of what estate or degree soeuer beware of hauing any inward societie or familiaritie with Idolaters or other obstinate sinners and offenders It is worthy our remembring how when the Emperour Theodosius senior was desirous to confer with Eunomius the Arrian Bishop his wife Plaâ—â—â—a the Empresse very earnestly disswaded him lest hee being peruerted by his speeches should beginne to like of his heresie and surely there is more danger of being infected by them than of doing good vpon them Easier is it to draw a prophane person from hell gates than to remoue an opinion from a wilfull minde Let vs all with Iacob cleanse and purge our families of these and such like baggage not suffering any vngodly person to dwell with vs. We see how it is in the bodie when nature hath any euill or vnprofitable humours that oppresse the stomacke it is forced to cast them out for the preseruation of the health of other parts So should it be with vs if wee perceiue our families to be endangered by obstinate and obdurate sinners it should vomit them out as raw and vndigested humours by timely election lest the whole head wax heauie and the whole bodie sickly and so the vitall parts languish To conclude let vs all pray and pray heartily for this Vineyard in this Land as all are directed by authoritie Lord strengthen the hands of our gratious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land that with iudgement and iustice they may cut off and root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect out of the Confines and limits of this Kingdome that they may neuer preuaile against vs nor triumph in the ruines of this Church And with our Prayer let all protest with one ioynt voice to God Thou art my Lord c. their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another god their drinke-offering of bloud will I not offer nor take vp their names into my lips Now in the next place consider we of Gods great loue to this his Vineyard in regard of the Choice Vine wherewith he planted it It was not of an ordinary but of the best and noblest kinde Which whether it be meant of all the seed of Abraham in generall as some would haue it or of some of the choisest persons of the house of Iudah in particular as of Dauid Solomon and other such godly Kings as some other take it yet this will follow The godly and their seed are the noblest plants and choisest persons Such as are godly such are most excellent My goodnesse saith Dauid extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where see how that Kingly Prophet honoureth such as are Saints with the name of Excellent and Worthies of the earth And Solomon his sonne affirmeth as much when he telleth vs The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour i. he is better beloued and graced of God and hath that in him which maketh him more honourable than any other who is vnrighteous and sinfull And our Prophet Isaiah calleth the godly in plaine termes The glory Vpon all the glory saith he shall be a defence Thus as the godly goe before all other in virtue so they goe before them in honour and as they exceed others in pietie so they surmount them in excellencie And that this is truth viz. That the godly are the noblest and choisest persons may appeare further if we consider 1. Their Race and Pedigree for they are descended of the bloud royall they are borne of God being sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And whereas other men are called children of the earth or children of disobedience or children of iniquitie or children of wrath or children of death or children of the Deuill or children of perdition or children of Hell we shall finde that all the godly are called either children of light or children of the Prophets or children of the Promise or children of the wedding chamber or children of the Kingdome Thus for birth and bloud they exceed all other of the earth besides 2.
did appeare for his Vineyards good Now see the successe Hee looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wilde grapes His hope and expectation was to finde grapes in the vine or clusters of grapes as the word noteth But it deceiued the hope and expectation of the Lord and like a degenerated plant brought forth wilde grapes Not leaues or no fruit but as the word signifieth stinking and bitter fruit such a kinde of fruit as in smell was most odious and stinking and in taste most loathsome and vnsauoury being neither answerable to the nature and kinde of the noble plant nor yet to the care and cost of the good and painfull husbandman Two things then are here to bee considered First What God expected for his cost and paines He looked for grapes Secondly What it returned and how it answered the hope and expectation of the Vine-dresser It brought forth wilde grapes Before I come to any obseruation let me make answer to a question Some may demand whether God can faile of his end in any of his actions or be deceiued of his hope and expectation The answer is Gods knowledge is absolute and perfect knowing all things from all eternity at one instant and it is most certaine and cannot any way bee deceiued all things being knowne of him as they are and all things are as they are knowne of him The future degeneration and ingratitude of this people the Lord foresaw euen from the beginning and knew full well what he should receiue from them and causeth his seruant Moses to sing and write thereof euen before they came into the Land of Canaan and so he telleth them by this our Prophet that hee knew they would deale very treacherously with him This then is not spoken as if Gods hope and expectation were vncertaine or could bee frustrate or as if hee were doubtfull what would follow but by a figure hee thus speaketh Shewing thereby 1. What they ought to haue done 2. How acceptable and pleasing it would haue beene to him if they had so done Now to some Instructions and first from Gods expectation this we note Where God hath taken paines in planting and husbanding there he iustlie expects fruit somewhat answerable to his paines He lookes for the fruits of his trauels from them on whom hee hath bestowed it I went downe into the garden of nuts saith the Welbeloued to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranats budded He hauing purged and dressed his garden came to see how his handy-worke did thriue and prosper expecting in conuenient time some answerable returne That Parable which our Sauiour doth propound of the Vineyard let out to vnthankfull husbandmen is a pregnant proofe for when the season came and time of fruit drew neere that great Housholder sends out his seruants to those husbandmen that they might receiue the fruits And in the application of that Parable wee reade that Hee will let out his Vineyard to other husbandmen who should render him fruits in due season And when our Sauiour telleth vs of his Fathers purging and pruning of the Vine he withall sheweth vs what is his aime and scope therein namely that Christians should bee abundant in bringing forth of fruits beseeming their profession There is good Reason for it For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke What husbandman bestowes his seed and paines vpon his land and doth not expect a good crop therefrom And is it not then iust and equall that the Lord should looke for some answerable returne for all his paines Let this then serue for our Instruction that wee answer this Husbandmans hopes in some good measure Let vs remember the end of all his cost and labour and consider with our selues the reason why we haue receiued so many blessings from him Let vs set before our eies his many fauours spirituall and temporall and then say whether hee hath not beene as carefull a Husbandman for England as euer he was for Israel Hath hee not taken vs out of the Romish Aegypt where wee grew not well and planted vs in a very fruitfull Hill in a Land flowing with milke and hony Hath he not fenced vs about with his mighty protection and defended vs from many dangers and deuillish plots deuised against vs by the enemies of the truth So that neither Boare nor Beare Wolfe nor Foxe Turke nor Pope could yet inuade vs or preuaile against vs Hath hee not rooted out and expelled those ranckling thornes and renting brambles I meane the Papists and cast out of this his Vineyard the stumbling stones of superstition and baggage of mans traditions with the relikes of Idolatry hammering and beating downe the Popish Dagon And hath hee not planted choise plants in this his Vineyard giuing vs such Princes as may bee compared with the best Princes of Israel and Iudah vnder whom wee haue a long time enioyed the Gospell with the fruits of the Gospell Peace and Plentie so that wee may sit vnder our owne Vines and Fig-trees conferring of the waies of God and quietly enioying our goods and earthly happinesse No Church vnder heauen more enriched with treasures and gifts from God than ours is What could he haue done more for this his Vineyard than hee hath done And what can he expect lesse from this his Vineyard than he now doth abundance of sweet grapes and good fruits Yea in particular let euery one consider this and make application of it to himselfe Hath not the Lord chosen thee aboue many thousands in the world and afforded vnto thee such meanes as hee hath not granted vnto many who by nature are as good as thy selfe art Hath he not sent his seruants vnto thee earely and late to call vpon thee that thou shouldest bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Hath hee not often trimmed thee with his pruning-hooke of afflictions and crosses sometimes in thy friends at other times in thy goods sometimes one way at other times another and to what end hath all this beene but that thou shouldest bee fruitfull Thus should euery one commune with his soule and put the question to himselfe what God meant in being at such paines and cost with him that so those fruits may be sound in vs which the hand of God lookes to gather from vs For to whom much is giuen of them much shall bee required Oh! beware then that thou deceiuest not Gods hope he expecteth fruit of thee let him finde it in thee This point though plaine I finde so needfull to be pressed in this barren age as that I must be bold to pursue it and shew First the Motiues or Reasons inducing vs to fruitfulnesse And secondly acquaint you with some profitable meanes that must be vsed to make vs grow more fruitfull And
any creature yet not on a rotten sticke where lies the fault Surely in the rottennesse of the wood and not in the Caruers cunning that thou art not wrought vpon the fault is thy owne and not the Lords Thy case is that of Ierusalem How often would I haue gathered thee and thou wouldst not If then thou smartest for thy sinfull and barren life thanke thy selfe for thou art the cause God only the auenger thy bloud then be vpon thy owne head that which will die let it die And thus much for the first point A second followes and I propound it thus The wicked will still continue wicked although God vse all good meanes that can be vsed to bring them vnto good and make them better God had done what might be done and yet his Vineyard is as bad nay worse than euer A pregnant proofe this our Prophet giues vs when he saith Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse in the land of vprightnesse will he deale vniustly and will not behold the Maiestie of the Lord. Such is the vile and cursed nature of them as that no mercy nor fauour can worke with them to doe well nay in the land of vprightnesse amongst many occasions and meanes of good they will doe wickedly And thus Ieremiah to the same purpose In vain I haue smitten your children they receiued no correction c. O Generation see ye the word of the Lord haue I been a wildernesse vnto Israel a land of darknesse wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more vnto thee And againe O Lord are not thine eies vpon the truth thou hast stricken them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made their faces harder than a rocke they haue refused to returne And so Amos sheweth how incorrigible the wicked of his time were no correction that the Lord could vse would better them Many are the examples likewise that might be brought for the further strengthening of this truth as of Pharaoh Ahaz and others but I purposely forbeare inasmuch as something hath formerly beene spoken to this purpose Now briefly for the vse which is For Admonition that we beware of this sinne which hath an aggrauating circumstance with it for then is sinne most vile and filthie when it breakes out against those meanes that should haue kept it in Amongst many of which meanes these are some which let vs all take especiall notice of First our Vowes and promises which we haue often made vnto the Lord both in health and sicknesse that we would doe such or such a holy dutie and refraine from such or such an euill action let vs beware of sinning against these our vowes are Gods debts and they must be paid and therefore saith Solomon When thou vowest a vow to God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay that which thou hast vowed Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay And indeed he is iustly required to pay that was not compelled to vow And amongst all other vowes be mindfull of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in thy Baptisme and hast often since renued in thy comming to the Supper of the Lord. Oh! what a fearefull thing is it if we wittingly and wilfully breake couenant with God when ciuill honesty maketh some conscience of keeping promise made with man Secondly checke of Conscience God hath set conscience within vs as a Monitor to giue vs an Item when we doe amisse and to forewarne vs of euill this oftentimes tels vs we may not doe such or such an action or when we haue done it that it is not well now beware we of sinning against conscience neglect not the checkes thereof reprouing vs of our waies but heedfully minde it watch-word for else know assuredly that the conscience which now checkes thee shall hereafter iudge thee and that which now reproueth thee will hereafter vexe thee and torment thee for thy neglect Beware also how thou suppressest any good motion suggested by conscience for in so doing thou wilt in the end cleane silence conscience and quite kill it so that the grossest sinnes shall be practised without any checke or remorse Fearefull is this sinne and such as is the forerunner of a reprobate minde Thirdly Corrections and Afflictions These are the thornes wherewith God doth hedge vs in and serue to keepe vs from leaping out of Gods pastures into the pasture of wickednesse and sinne Beware we then of leaping ouer this hedge take we heede of sinning against these meanes let it not be said of vs as it was of Ahaz This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more and more against the Lord. To be afflicted and not to be purged by affliction to be stricken with the rods of God and to haue no correction nor reformation follow is a signe of a fearefull induration The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed with the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Fourthly Gods many and great mercies especially the Word and the light of the Gospell take we heed how we withhold the Truth of God in vnrighteousnesse hating to be reformed casting it behinde our backes Such a sinne is this as brings condemnation with a witnesse with a vengeance sore and heauie condemnation This is that condemnation that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse rather than light because their deeds are euill The cleare light of the truth shining hath discouered to vs that Swearing is a sinne Drunkennesse is a sinne Sabbath breaking is a sinne c. what now will such plead for themselues that liue therein Surely they haue now no cloake for their sins S. Paul would haue the word of God to dwell plentifully in our hearts to haue full scope and the whole sway in the heart of a Christian And so be it These and the like meanes which God affordeth vs for our good let vs profit by and by no meanes sinne against them for if we doe assuredly God will require it of vs for good turnes aggrauate vnkindnesses and our offences are increased with out obligations Of all the gracious meanes he affords vs he keepes a reckoning The sundry afflictions wherewith his people were afflicted are by him remembred and so the Sermons and Prophesies of his seruants with the circumstances of time and place and vnder what Kings reigne are likewise by him recorded Since therefore God keepes such a precise account of the meanes he vouchsafeth to vs let it stir vp all to make better account vse of those meanes for otherwise they will be
Ierusalem Woe to England and to the inhabitants thereof by reason of such outragious wickednesse as euery where aboundeth which thing is not lightly to be passed by but deserues pondering on For certainly if wee be not perswaded to feare their threatnings we shall in the end be constrained to feele them whether wee will or no. Besides what strange signes and wonders and what varietie of them haue we lately seene both in the heauens and vpon the earth What wonderfull and mightie tempests fearefull thundring and lightning hath lately happened whereby much hurt hath beene done at Sea many ships and barkes cast away and that in the safest Rodes and Harbours of this land besides the almost incredible hurt done by land throughout this Kingdome the violence of the winde thunder and lightning being such as that in many places West-ward whole fields of Corne haue beene blasted stackes of Corne scorched and here with vs the Corne hath beene so dispersed and scattered as if it had beene sowen againe and so beaten out of the eares as if it had beene threshed on the floore so that with the Mildew and blasting which was sent vpon our Corne in generall before our haruest and now with this sudden iudgement of winde vpon that little store of Corne remaining in haruest God hath taken from vs our stay and staffe of bread What shall I need to speake of those many Earthquakes mightie inundations of waters great hailestones strange Eclipses monstrous births which euery yeere brings forth Certainly if the Sorcerers of Egypt were now amongst vs they would confesse these to be the finger of God But fooles and blind that we are who haue no eies to see nor harts to vnderstand these things or at most make of them but a nine daies wonderment and so passe them ouer And againe hath not God often warned vs by lesser and lighter iudgements hath hee not visited vs with Famines Postilence and other such like infection of sicknesse These are but as warning-peeces shot off in our eares and assured fore-runners of greater iudgements vnlesse repentance cut off their course For looke as one cloud followeth another till the Sunne consume them so one iudgement hastens after another and Repentance only is the Sunne that must dispell them And lastly that the righteous perish who seeth not and yet alas who seeth it so as to consider it in his heart The Lords hand hath beene vpon vs these many yeeres and hath come not in fauour to weed out the worst but in displeasure to gather the best and ripest Amongst our Princes he hath smitten at our chiefest Amongst our Nobles he hath taken of our noblest Amongst our Magistrates he hath fetched away of our vprightest Surely surely God neuer thus beheads a State or Countrey but for some treason The Shepherds are smitten for the sheepes vnthankefulnesse vnfruitfulnesse What shall I say more Death hath beene at the Citie as well as at the Court and in the Countrey as well as in the Citie and hath fetched away of all sorts almost the best And can this be any other than a plaine prognostication of some euill nigh at hand which euils they haue preuented by their death God grant we likewise may preuent them by our Repentance To draw towards a conclusion of this point let euery one in particular yea thou that hearest and readest this goe home to thy selfe and make application hereof to thy owne soule for God speaketh in particular to thee as well as to any other and demandeth of thee how thou hast profited by these or the like warnings For hath he not often by the ministery of his seruants come so home vnto thy conscience as that thou hast beene perswaded and enforced to confesse thou art the man he meaneth and at whom he aimeth And what drunkard or prophane Esau is there here amongst vs who hath not been at sometimes or other told by them that if they repent not they shall be damned Besides haue not thine eies seene his signes and wonders in the heauens vpon the earth c. Thou hast heard and hast beene told of such a childe borne without a mouth or with two heads or with one eye c. why take thou warning this is meant to thee as well as to any other And hath not the Lord smote thee hitherto with a little rod afflicted thee with light losses crosses c. see then thou hearest the rod and who hath appointed it And once againe I will demand of thee answer mee Hast thou not beene depriued of some faithfull friend it may be of a godly husband a religious wife a Christian and carefull parent a gratious childe a faithfull Shepherd or a true hearted brother If it be so take it as the shaking of the rod and as a warning from God vnto thee that thou mend thy manners Remember Solomons Prouerbe A prudent man foreseeth the euill and hideth himselfe but the simple passeon and are punished Be thou that wiseman not this foole but foresee the danger and preuent it before it fall Oh happie man to heare this word before it fall sound in thine eares As for many thousands it is fallen irrecouerably vpon them alreadie to those poore soules it cannot be said as now it is to thee Preuent it by repentance before it fall for iudgement hath alreadie seized vpon them but how happie art thou if thou knewest thy happinesse in that thy day is yet to come And therefore I say to thee take warning by these things and preuent the euill before it fall for when it is fallen there is no preuenting of it Oh that thou knewest at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace and that they were not hidden from thine eies My praier shall be for thee my selfe and the whole land in generall that we may so doe Euen so O Lord open our eies that we may so see thee warning as that we may feare thee threatning and obey thee teaching and patiently suffer thee chastising and at last be by thee made partakers of those good things Which neither eie hath seene nor eare heard nor can enter into the heart of man Amen Amen What I will doe Great was Gods mercy towards this his people in foretelling and premonishing them of vengeance And this makes it greater in his prolonging of it He doth not by and by inflict but will a while deferre There shall be some delay and pause some lucida interualla misericordiae A breathing time and mercifull space is granted betweene the fault and punishment And therefore he speakes not in the present tense but in the future What I will doe where we see and whence we learne God is of a patient and forbearing nature of much gentlenesse and long sufferance forbearing sinners for some space after they haue transgressed before he proceed to punish Many examples might be brought for proofe All the day long he
is at hand waiting when they shall be deliuered to him yet they lie snorting in their sinnes sleeping betweene Death and Hell as Peter did betweene the two souldiers being fast bound with chaines or to vse Solomons Prouerbe As a Sailer vpon the top-mast in the midst of a storme there being but a haires bredth betweene them and their destruction See then thy estate thou who art from vnder Gods protection liuing in thy sinnes thou liuest in perpetuall perill thou maist eat and drinke make merry and be iocund but thou hast little reason Belshazzar may carowse it in golden and siluer vessels but hee had little cause when his doome was written on the wall Amnons heart may cheere him but as little reason had he Death being so nigh at hand Be then as merry as you will you wicked ones this I am sure of your wretched estate giues you no leaue Lastly here is a ground of encouragement for the faithfull when they haue iust cause to band themselues against the wicked and are constrained to meddle with euill men or to vndertake warre against the enemies of the Church either for the defence of true Religion or for the releeuing and deliuering of such as are oppressed for religion or for the safetie and defence of Land and people or for other such like iust causes that wee lift vp our heads and hearts with hope of victory because we haue to doe with weake and naked men Thus Iosua and Caleb comforted the people against the Canaanites saying Rebell yee not against the Lord neither feare ye the people of the Land for they are but bread for vs their shield is departed from them and the Lord is with vs feare them not This was that also wherewith Abijah the King of Iudah comforted himselfe going against the mightie armie of Ieroboam with this let vs and all Gods people comfort our selues when we are to goe out against our aduersaries for they come out into the field as souldiers without weapons they haue neither shield nor buckler nor breast-plate nor helmet nor sword nor speare their loines are vngirt their feet vnshod their heads are vncouered in the day of bartell they lie open as naked men to be wounded and destroyed and therefore Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the wicked nor all their multitude for there is more with vs than is with them with them is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs and to fight our battles And so much for this Now we goe on It shall be eaten vp and trodden downe This followes vpon the former The hedge and wall being pluckt vp and broken downe way is made whereby the beasts of the field that is the enemies of the Church shall haue free egresse and regresse to eat and deuoure and not only so but to tread downe and spoile they should not only trouble and afflict them but also ouercome them and enter into their possessions carrying away what they list making strip and waste of the rest The first point hence to be obserued is Vntill God breake downe the wall and plucke vp the hedge of his protection wherewith his people are encompassed the wicked and vngodly cannot hurt them or any way harme them God must giue yea make way before they can come in vpon them to afflict them How should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight saith Moses in that same sweet song which he sang a little before his death except their rocke had sold them and the Lord had shut them vp This was a thing impossible that one enemie should chase a thousand Israelites and two Gentiles put a thousand Iewes to flight had not that God who had beene before their rocke deliuered them vp into the hands of those their enemies The Deuill himselfe who is the greatest of all their enemies and strongest of that hellish band being the great Goliah in that armie of Philistines can doe nothing without permission hee must haue a commission to goe forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that he and his people may fall at Ramoth Gilead He must beg leaue at Gods hands to touch Iob such a hedge being made about him and all he had on euery side that there was no comming at him except God leaue open some gap for this soule beast to enter The like protection haue all Gods people whereby they are so fenced that neither the Deuill nor any of his limbes can hurt any of them without speciall warrant and commission from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which wee reade of in the Acts Doubtlesse against thy holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel hath determined before to be done And that answer of our Sauiour vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue For as our Sauiour saith elsewhere My Father is stronger than all all power and strength is of him and from him originally according to that in Daniel Wisdome and might are Gods He can giue and take away at his pleasure Which being so this discouers vnto vs a notable delusion of the Deuill in that he perswadeth Witches and Wizards that he can do all things and at their request or command will lame and kill men or beasts and whatsoeuer they bid him doe or hire him to doe that shall be done with which conceit also many of our people are possessed which causeth them to be so afraid of Witches as that they dare not any way displease them or giue them a foule word for feare they should send their spirits to torment their bodies destroy their goods lame their cattell or doe them some other mischiefe And thus are thousands deluded by the Deuill yea and bewitched before they be aware and led into all manner of error and of falshood That there are Witches by whom the Deuill worketh I deny not Scriptures and experience doth make it euident but that these Witches can send the Deuill to kill or lame either men or beasts when they list and where they list I vtterly deny For first we are to know that the Deuill hath of himselfe no power ouer the least flie the high prouidence of the Almightie hath so chained and bridled him vp as that he cannot plucke off a fether from the wing of a little Wren or Sparrow without leaue and power giuen him from God It followes then that he at his pleasure cannot doe the least harme to man or beast to gratifie a Witch neither doth the sending of the Deuill by a Witch giue him any power and commission to doe any thing for God must giue way before any euill can
waking spying Antipater by him he vsed these words as the story saith No maruell I slept so soundly seeing Antipater was by and watched It would not haue fallen out so well with this Land in generall and many no nor any of vs in particular had not this Ante-pater our gracious Father who was before all worlds beene our mercifull keeper In 88. fierce enemies intended the inuasion of this Land but they were foiled and England triumphed for the Lord of Hoasts was our defender Many enterprises haue beene vndertaken against our most gracious Soueraigne especially that hellish attempt of popish monsters in that infernall Powder-plot yet King Iames is waked and long may he wake for Ante-pater stood by and watched O still stand by and watch but as for his enemies they are executed as traitors and haue slept their last And so lot them perish oh Lord. But doe wee not see how the godly are wronged spoiled yea and sometimes killed by their aduersaries True yet this commeth not to passe through the force of their aduersaries might but by the will and permission of the Lord neither doth hee suffer it to satisfie their foes but to increase their felicity and for their good For it is with the godly as with the beast in the field which is safer in a storme than in the fairest seasons the storme driueth him to his den and harbour but when it is ouer hee commeth forth and is in danger to bee taken of the hunter Thus in trouble the godly flie vnto the clefts of their Rocke and get vnder the wing of their Protector but when troubles are ouer they are in greater danger to be ensnared Wee know raine and thunder are many times better for corne and grasse than faire sunne-shine so here Againe God hath promised not to defend vs from troubles but preserue vs in troubles Our Feare shall be taken away not our Fight And so though we be persecuted yet we be not forsaken though slaine yet not ouercome nay when we seeme to be ouercome then doe we ouercome our enemies Though we beare away the blowes and are slaine by them yet God still preserues vs and we obtaine a noble victorie Excellent was that speech which sometimes Anaxarchus vsed when as Nicocreon the tyrant commanded he should be beaten to death in a morter Beat and bray said he to the executioner as long as thou wilt Anaxarchus his sachell meaning his body but Anaxarchus thou canst not touch Thus are the godly preserued by God who putteth his right hand vnder their heads and giues them grace sufficient proportioning their strength to the burden mitigating their sorrowes making them possesse their soules in patience yea to reioyce in their tribulation as appeareth not only in the examples of the Apostles in the Acts but also by the practise of some in our owne Nation in the time of persecution as Glouer Farrar Hawkes with diuers other the later of which three being desired by some of his godly friends to giue some token when hee was in the flames whether the paine were tolerable or no for their further confirmation after his eies were started out of his head his fingers consumed with the fire and when euery one thought him dead and did expect the fall of his body suddenly lifts vp his stumps and thrice as a famous conquerer claps them ouer his head in token of victory Thus the faithfull famously conquer when they seeme to be conquered by their enemies I remember what one saith of S. Laurence his patience and constancy when hee was broiled on the gridiron That God was more glorified by it than if hee had saued his body from burning by a miracle So vndoubtedly it is as much for Gods glory to preserue vs in our suffering as to preserue vs altogether from suffering Thus then we see that our enemies could not so farre preuaile did not God permit them neither would he suffer them so farre to preuaile did it any way tend to his dishonour or our dammage Our God is omnipotent doing what he will and suffering no resistance in that he will not so that only he which can ouercome him can hurt vs. That godly gloriation then which the Apostle vseth against the enemies of our soules may fitly be vsed by vs against the enemies of our bodies What shall we then say to these things If God be for vs who can be against vs And then a little after Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs. Thus as if all these had been but flea-bitings he doth triumph ouer them And then in a straine beyond all admiration hee goeth on thus For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. If then we be Gods though Satan and sinners would yet they can doe nothing against vs that shall be for our hurt and though God himselfe can yet he will doe nothing to vs that shall not turne to our endlesse and euerlasting good Further in that it is said The wall shall not only be broken but that it shall likewise be trodden downe we may see as in a glasse the beastly and brutish disposition of the enemies of the Church No beast of the field doth shew it selfe more raging or rauenous than doe the wicked when God suffers them to breake into his Vineyard for the afflicting of it Looke as it is with beasts who doe not only eat and deuoure but tread downe and spoile when they come into good pastures more than they eat so is it with them and therefore Scripture giues them names agreeing with their natues they are called Fowlers Hunters Canibals and men-eaters They are also named Lions and this was Neroes stile who was the first that stained his sword with the bloud of Christians as Eusebius sheweth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie They are likewise called Boares The Boare out of the wood doth waste it and Buls yea strong buls of Bashan They are also compared to Vnicornes Beares Leopards Dragons Serpents Aspes Adders and they haue their hornes tusks teeth talants mouthes iawes pawes checkbones giuen to them These names they haue made good in all ages If we should view the Scriptures or reade ouer the Histories of the Primitiue Church we should finde plenty of examples for the confirming hereof Such and so great cruelty hath beene practised by them towards Gods people that as Eusebius affirmeth it farre exceedeth the credit of any relation If we come to our owne times we shall not want
which our blessed Sauiour hath giuen vs wee are taught to acknowledge that kingdome power and glory is Gods And no maruell seeing he alone made all without any helpe Yea he it is that doth preserue and vphold all things that are made and therefore he must needs haue absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all But Sathan is called the God of this world and most obey him How then is God so absolute a Lord Sathan is so called First because he challengeth it to himselfe and not that he is so for The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein He only vsurps it as he did when he told our blessed Sauiour All the kingdomes of the world he would giue him if he would fall downe and worship him And thus the Deuill is called the God of this world as Absolom was called King by vsurpation Secondly and especially he is called a God because the wicked make him so suffering him to rule ouer them and reigne in them giuing him that honour and worship which indeed belongs to God It is not then Satans power that makes him a God but mans weaknesse in yeelding to his suggestions Neither doth this obedience which most giue him make against what is now taught for we may not measure and esteeme of soueraigntie and authoritie by the obedience or disobedience of subiects but by the right of authoritie which any hath ouer a land or people What if most men should not obey their Prince but his enemie would it follow hereupon that he should not be their Lord but that other whom they serue Nothing lesse So here And againe Satan himselfe is but Gods slaue seruing as an executioner or tormenter of the wicked now we know Princes are as well Lords ouer such as they are ouer the very best Now we come to see what Vses will follow hereupon And first seeing God is absolute Lord ouer all that is or euer was let wicked men be admonished aduisedly to consider from whom they haue had what now they doe enioy and whether they hold their lands and their possessions as we say in Capite All as we see is Gods if wee hold not what we haue from him we are but as theeues robbers vsurpers Tell me then thou worldly wealthy wise one canst thou say of thy lands possessions leases moneys as Iacob did that God hath giuen them thee I feare me nay the bad meanes thou vsedst for the attainment of them will gainsay it God giues what hee giues by lawfull meanes thy courses were sinfull and vnlawfull as lying couzenage oppression vsury extortion or the like whereby these were gotten Whence is it that Trades are called crafts and mysteries but from hence in that more liue by the craft and sinne of their Trades than by the Trade it selfe Hence also is it that men are faine to bee as warie in buying and bargaining with most Tradesmen in these sinfull daies as if they were fallen into the hands of theeues and cut-purses Will not these things witnesse against many at the last day that they haue not lawfully what they haue Will not these sinfull courses conuict thousands of theft before the Lord Yes questionlesse Happy were it for these if they could in time see it and repent thereof and make restitution of what they haue thus vniustly gotten while there is helpe and hope otherwise let such be assured a day will come when as they shall be compelled to restore and say to Satan and the world as Iudas did to the High Priests Take your siluer your gold your wealth againe It is the price of bloud but shall finde no better answer than that they gaue him What is that to vs thou shouldst haue looked to it Secondly is God such an absolute Lord hauing power and domnion ouer all let this serue for our Instruction and teach vs all to shew our alleageance to him in the practise of these duties First in carrying in our hearts a feare and reuerence of his maiestie euen such a feare as doth proceed from loue this God requireth A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord Almighty Secondly by an open profession and acknowledgement that he is our Lord. Euen as seruants by their liuerie make knowne to all men whose they are and whom they serue So doe thou both by words and deeds make knowne to whom thou dost belong and be not ashamed of thy master thou hast no cause He is farre from being a faithfull seruant that can stand by and be dumbe in case his master be dishonoured Thirdly in giuing him absolute and vniuersall obedience cheerefully subiecting our selues in all things and at all times to his commands Here must be no reasoning about no inquiring into his commandements as may be into mens for they must be obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command any thing contrary to his will but he must be obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will reuealed His sayings must be our doings Ipse dixit must be sufficient Fourthly by acknowledging our selues to be accountable vnto him for all our waies and workes Still remembring the goods we vse are none of ours they are our Lords and we are but stewards who must shortly be called to a reckoning He that spendeth his owne need care the lesse but he that hath a matter of trust committed into his hands and cannot spend but out of anothers stocke had need to looke about him because he must be countable and so enforced to make good whatsoeuer he commeth short in in his reckonings Aske then thy selfe what haue I that I haue not receiued of my Lord and Master Whence had I these gifts of bodie minde health wealth c. but of him And so carry thy selfe in the vsing of these as that thou maist be able to hold vp thy head before the Lord in that day of reckoning And thus we see some particulars wherein we are to testifie our loyalty and obedience Lastly this may be a ground of moderation and meeknesse for all superiours in their dealings with their inferiours and such as are vnder their gouernment seeing as they are Lords ouer others so they haue a Lord aboue them This the Apostle putteth Masters in minde of and on this very ground stirres them vp to iust and equall dealing with their seruants because they also haue a master in heauen As if he should say Beware that you abuse not your authoritie for know that you haue a supreme Lord and Master aboue you as you are aboue these who hath more power ouer you than you haue ouer them and therefore looke vnto your cariage The second attribute giuen to him is Lord of Hoasts The reasons haue beene before rendred and this
body to pining their minde to repining their soule to Satan that they would fall to restoring because the sinne is retained vntill the gaines of Vsury be returned Which saying though it seeme hard yet it is most true And what though they should in so doing restore all they haue I would tell them as the Prophet did Amasiah The Lord is able to giue thee more than this A mansion in Gods kingdome is worth all thy cash But I speake to the belly that hath no eares Shew me the Vsurer except Zacheus that euer repented truly for as Humilitie is the repentance of Pride so is Restitution of this sinne I doubt not but there are some but they will be as daintie dishes in heauen as Venison is on a Plowmans table Wherefore I will forbeare any further dealing with these and rather speake in generall to all Oppressors of what kinde soeuer and so hasten to an end Let all such know as vse any kinde of iniustice vi or dolo by force or fraud against the poore and needie who are no way able to withstand them that they flay their skins off they grinde their faces yea eat their very flesh as sometimes that poore leane widow told Baldwin an Archbishop of Canterbury when she heard him boasting that he had neuer eat flesh in all his daies that he had eat vp hers in taking away her Cow whereby shee liued And let them call to minde the fearefull woes that are thundered out against them for this sinne There is a Woe from Isaiah a Woe from Ieremiah a Woe from Micah a Woe from Habbakkuk Woe and alas then that such can be secure Oh that such would now at length call themselues to account for their oppressions that some remorse might be wrought in their hearts if it were possible Such as these in former times haue beene executed as theeues are now amongst vs. Catillus a British King hung vp all oppressors of the poore And after him King Edward commonly called good King Edward banished such the Land And by the ancient Lawes of England the goods of oppressors dying without restitution were forfeit to the King and all his lands vnto the Lord of the Towne And it is apparant by the Canon-law that heretofore they haue beene denied Christian burial Were the same lawes still in force vndoubtedly it would be a good restraint And yet what is all this to expulsion out of Gods Kingdome Oh that these would bethinke them of that dreadfull day of reckoning and of that terrible sentence which shall be then denounced Depart you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels There is the Reiection For I was an hungrie and you gaue mee no meat I was thirstie and you gaue me no dâ—inke I was a stranger and yee tooke me not in naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee did not releeue mee There is a Reason of their Reiection Oh then how fearefull will their case be against whom the Iudge may thus proceed in sentence Depart from mee you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels for I had meat and by force you tooke it from mee I had drinke and you spoiled mee of it I had a house and you thrust mee out of doores I had clothes and you pulled them from my backe I was in health and you made mee sicke I was at libertie and you imprisoned me For if by that sentence they be damned who haue not done the workes of mercie much more shall they be damned who haue acted the workes of crueltie If by that sentence they be damned who haue not succoured nor releeued the poore much more shall they be damned who haue oppressed and crushed the poore To winde vp all in a word and so to turne the vse from Reprehension to Exhortation Let no man from hence forth oppresse nor defraud his brother for the Lord is the auenger of all such things Let vs all so carry our selues as that with blessed Paul we may glory as he did We haue wronged no man wee haue consumed no man wee haue defrauded no man And so I leaue this which especially respects the Agent and come to what remaines which especially respects the Patient Behold a cry i. of the poore and needy of the fatherlesse and widow and such as were oppressed Here we see The cryes of the oppressed ascend vp into the Almighties eares He heares their groanes and beholds their grieuances The Lord told Moses as much when he called him to be the deliuerer of his people Israel I haue surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry by reason of their taske-masters for I know their sorrowes Now therefore behold the cry of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them Afterwards when God forbad his people to oppresse the stranger fatherlesse and widow he addeth this as a reason I will surely heare their cry Iob auoucheth as much as I haue deliuered They cause the cry of the poore to come vnto him and he heareth the cry of the afflicted So doth the Psalmist The righteous cry when he is thus oppressed and God heareth him S. Iames likewise confirmeth it Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the cares of the Lord of Sabbath And how can it be otherwise For marke our blessed Sauiours owne argument If importunate clamour preuaile with the vniust Iudge who neither regardeth man nor feareth God shall not God much more auenge his owne elect ones that cry day and night vnto him for the wrong that is done vnto them through the oppression of the mighty I tell you saith our Sauiour though he forbeare long yet at length he will doe it Dauid furnisheth vs with another Reason A father of the fatherlesse and a Iudge of the widow is God in his holy habitation These are his Clients he hath taken them into his protection he is become their Iudge and shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right This neerely concernes both oppressors and the oppressed As for oppressors they had need be well aduised what they doe for if they continue in their cruelty the poore must needs sigh and cry and God will heare them which if he doe he will cause their oppressors to heare of him He will iudge the fatherlesse and the oppressed that the man of earth may no more oppresse Or suppose that they themselues cry not but sit downe by it and thrust their mouthes in the dust swallowing their griefe with silence yea praying for them who persecute and oppresse them rather than putting vp