tyrannie if you deny your servants to go but one houres iourney to this place to serue their God Thinke it not enough that your selues come hither to performe some duty to Christ your LORD Master how cā you performe your duty to him if you deny him your servants You know what charge is given you in the fourth commandement not your selues only but also your sonnes and your daughters your servants men and maidens and the stranger that soiourneth with you are to hallow and Sanctifie the Sabbaoth day with the Lords service In this holy worke and service of God vpō the Sabbaoth day regarde not what the multitude and greater sort of men doe Suppose all the world besides your selues would be carelesse to performe this duty yet let your holy resolutiō be the same with Ioshua's chap. 24.15 I and my house wil serue the Lord. Thus far of my first doctrine groūded vpon God's dislike with the Philistines for selling away the Israelites his faithfull people into the hands of the Edomites an vnbeleeving nation To ground a second doctrine hereon wee are to note that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans at such time as they were their captiues so did adde affliction to the afflicted The doctrine is It is a very grievous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted Witnesse the complaint made by the captiue Iewes against the insolencie of the Chaldeans Psal 137.3 They that led vs away captiue required of vs songs and mirth in our heavinesse saying sing vs one of the songs of Sion They the Chaldeans the Babylonians and Assyrians in whose country we were prisoners required of vs scornefully and disdainefully thereby to adde to our griefes they required of vs songs such songs as wee were wont to sing in Sion Ierusalem and our owne country before the destruction of the Temple and our captivitie They required of vs not songs only but mirth also they scoffingly desired vs to be merry when they saw vs so heavy hearted as nothing could make vs glad They required of vs songs mirth in our heavinesse saying sing vs one of the songs of Sion sing for vs or in our hearing some one or other of those songs which you were wont to sing in Sion when you were at home in your owne country Intolerable is the hard heartednesse cruelty and scoffing nature of the wicked when they haue gotten Gods children into their nets God cannot away with such vnmercifulnesse and want of pity He reproueth it in the Babylonians Esai 47.6 where thus saith the LORD I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heavy yoke vpon the ancient therefore now heare destruction shall come vpon thee Magna abominatio coram Deo est afflicto addere afflictionem clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis The wordes are the observation of Oecolampadius vpō the now cited place of Esai It is a great abomination before God to adde affliction to the afflicted the voice of blood cryeth vp to heaven for vengeance Yea we are assured by Psalm 102.19 that the LORD looketh downe from the height of his sanctuarie and out of heaven beholdeth the earth that he may heare and so take pitie of the sighings groanings and lamentable cryes of such his people as are in affliction The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more texts of Scripture let the now alleaged be sufficient to cōfirme my propounded doctrine that it is a grievous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to reproue the Nimrods and tyrants of this world which haue no pitie no compassion vpon the poore and distressed Such in the end shall knowe by their owne lamentable experience that to bee true which Solomon hath vttered Prov. 21.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himselfe and not bee heard A second vse is to stirre vs vp to the performance of this our Christian dutie even to take pity vpon all that are in any kind of miserie if our neighbours be destitute of ayd and helpe wee may not like wild beasts lift vp our selues against them and so tread them vnder foot No. How dare wee molest and trouble them whom by Gods appointment we are to relieue and succour We are commanded Deut. 15.11 to open our hands to the needy and poore that are in our land to open our hands to them for their helpe and succour It is not enough for vs to absteine from all iniury harme-doing but withall must we endevour to relieue the oppressed This service of ours will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs for the time of our being here and when the day of our dissolution shall be that wee must leaue this earthly tabernacle then will the Sonne of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome vs with a venite benedicti Come yee blessed of my father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and yee gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked yee cloathed me I was sicke and yee visited me I was in prison and yee came vnto me in as much as you haue done these things to the needy and distressed yee haue done them vnto me Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.7 8. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Azzah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof And I will cut of the inhabitant from Ashdod WEe are come to the last part of this prophecie the description of the punishmēts to be inflicted vpō the Philistines The seaventh verse doth not much differ frō the fourth The same punishment which is there threatned to the Syrians vnder the names of Hazael and Benhadad is in this seaventh verse denounced to the Philistines vnder the name of Azzah And therefore as there I did so must I here commend vnto you three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD I. 2 The punishment by fire I will send a fire 3 The punished the Azzites the inhabitāts of that city the Philistines vpon the wals palaces of Azzah The punisher is the LORD for thus saith the LORD I will send The note yeeldeth vs this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins This doctrine I proved at large in my eighth lecture vpō this prophecie Yet for their sakes who then heard me not or haue forgotten what then they heard I will by a few texts of Scripture againe confirme it vnto you It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This office
rendred to Haman to Sennacherib to Ioachim to the Ammonites to the Chaldeans and other wicked worldlings for their hard measure offered to the godly though they were therein Gods instruments But I must hasten and the aforementioned instances of the Egyptians of Ahab and his wife Iezebel and of Daniels accusers are sufficient to worke terror to the wicked to the godly comfort and to assure vs when the LORD shall shew himselfe from heaven with his holy Angels in flaming fire that then to the wicked whose behaviour to the godly hath beene proud dispiteous hee will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition Thus farre of the first circumstance doctrine therevpon The second circumstance is the punishment I wil send a fire By fire in this place as vers 4 7 10. learned expositors doe vnderstand not so much a naturall fire as a figuratiue fire For in the name of fire they vnderstand the sword pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumptiō quamlibet speciem excidij every kind of destruction be it haile or thunder or sicknesse or any other of Gods messengers So large is the signification of fire taken figuratiuely The doctrine arising hence is this The fire whether naturall or figuratiue that is the fire all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked This doctrine hath heretofore beene commended and confirmed vnto you The vse of it is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visite vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much look to the instruments as to the LORD that smiteth by them If the fire or water or any other of Gods creatures shall at any time rage and prevaile against vs we must remember that it is God that sendeth them to worke his holy will vpon vs. Here he sent a fire vpon Teman and vpon Bozrah to devoure her palaces For thus saith the LORD I will send a fire vpon Teman and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Here haue you the third circumstance the circumstance of the punished Teman and the palaces of Bozrah Teman was the metropolitan the chiefe city of Idumaea so named from Teman who was son of Eliphaz the son of Esau Gen. 26.10 11. Renowned and famous was Teman for her wisedome witnes the prophecie of Obadiah vers 8 9. and Ierem. 49.7 whereby it is credible shee omitted no opportunity no meanes to make her selfe strong by bulwarkes and fortresses against whatsoever incursion or siege of enimies Yet could shee not hereby be secured against the day of Gods visitation when for the complement of her sins God should lay his heavy rod vpon her What the wit of mā could invent for safety no doubt but Teman had it But what can mans wit do against the Almighty Behold here in my text thus saith the Almighty I will send a fire vpon Teman And can all the water of the huge Ocean quench the fire of the Almighty This resolution of the LORD for the overthrow of Teman is excellently set down by the Prophet Obadiah ver 8 9 10. Shall not I in that day saith the LORD even destroy the wise men out of Edom vnderstanding from the mount of Esau And thy strōg mē O Temā shall be afraid because every one of the moūt of Esau shall be cut of by slaughter For thy cruelty against thy brother Iacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut of for ever The Prophet Ieremie to this purpose chap. 49.7 bringeth in the LORD of heasts thus questioning with Edom Is wisdom no more in Teman Is counsaile perished from their children Is their wisedome vanished As if he had said the wisedome of Teman is become foolishnesse their counsaile is nothing worth And why But because as my text saith God will send a fire vpon Teman The doctrine hence arising is No wisdome no counsaile no humane invention can saue that city which God will haue destroyed The reason hereof is because there is no strēgth but of God from God The vse is to teach vs never to trust in any worldly helpe but so to vse all good meanes of our defence that still we relie vpon the LORD for strength and successe thereby Againe this fire of the LORD is sent to devoure the palaces of Bozrah This Bozrah was also a metropolitane and chiefe city seated in the confines of the lands of Edom Moab therefore in holy writ it is sometime attributed to Edom sometime to Moab Here to Edom. Prodigious was the feare and great the pride of Bozrahs heart Shee dwelt in the clefts of the rocke and kept the height of the hill But was shee thereby safe No. For thus saith the LORD vnto her Ierem. 49.16 Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee down from thence This iudgement of the LORD against Bozrah is denounced with an Ecce of admiration vers 22. Behold hee the LORD shall come vp and fly as the Eagle and spread his wings over Bozrah and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in travell Will you haue it confirmed by an oath Then looke backe to the 13. vers I sweare by my selfe saith the LORD that Bozrah shall be wast and for a reproach and a desolation and a curse and all the cities thereof shall be a perpetuall desolation Thus elegantly is Gods fearefull iudgment against Bozrah described by the Prophet Ieremy which our Prophet Amos thus delivereth A fire shal devour the palaces of Bozrah Bozrah great Bozrah she who dwelt in the clefts of the rock and kept the height of the hill must she be devoured by fire from the LORD Must shee become a reproach a desolation a curse a vastity We may hence take this doctrine It is not the situation of a city vpon rocke or hill that can bee a safegard to it if Gods vnappeasable anger break out against it for her sinnes The vse of this doctrine is the same with the former even to teach vs now and at all other times to put our trust only in the Name of the LORD who hath made heaven earth It 's neither wit nor wisedome nor strength nor height of Teman or of Bozrah or of all the best defensed cities in the world that can saue vs in the day of visitation Wherefore let our song bee as Davids was Psal 18.2 The LORD is our rocke our fortresse he that delivereth vs our God our strength in him wil we trust our shield the horne also of our salvation and our refuge Thirdly in that the LORD sendeth his fire into the palaces of Bozrah to devoure them we may learne this doctrine God depriveth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling
Matt. 10.20 but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And againe Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me S. Paule coÌ„mendeth the Thessalonians 1. ep chap. 2.13 for that when they receaved of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receaved it not as the word of man but as it was indeed as the word of God Well therefore did S. Iames chap. 1.21 thus to exhort the Iewes Receiue with meeknes the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night Genes 46.2 and said Iacob Iacob Iacob answered I am here Hee was prest and ready with all â—â—â—ient attentioÌ„ to heare what his God should say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth every child of God eveÌ„ at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must hee thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance o LORD by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am here LORD in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the preacher to deliver vnto me I am here speake on LORD thy servant heareth If a Prince or some great man of this world shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with your best diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heaven and LORD of the earth calleth vpon you by his ministers Thus farre by occasion of the preface Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of the children of Ammon for foure Whether these children of Ammon wore distinguished from the Ammonites as Drusius would proue 2. Chron. 20.1 and as R. David avoweth filij Ammon nusquam vocantur Ammonitae the children of Ammon are no where named Ammonites I hold it needlesse to dispute in this place It is one of doubt that these children of Ammon or Ammonites did lineally descend from Ben-ammi who was Dots sonne begotten in meest vpon his yonger daughter Gen. 19.38 Lot was Abrahams brothers sonne Gen. 14.12 Whereby it is evident that the posteritie of them both the children of Israel and the children of Ammon the Israelites and the Ammonites were linked together by affinitie and alliance The more to blame were those Ammonites without all respect of kindred to exercise such crueltie as they did against the Israelites for which cause Almightie God here sent his blessed Prophet to thunder out his threates against them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon for foure In the front of this prophecie you haue the generall accusation of these children of Ammon For three transgressions and for foure Three of these transgressions if you will beleeue Albertus Magnus are Crueltie Avarice and persecution the fourth is an obstinate pertinacie a constant stubbornesse ever to dwell in those sinnes Againe three of these transgressions are a coveting of other mens goods an vnlawful seeking for those things that are not our owne and a hardnes of heart to retaine them so sought for the fourth is the vnsatiable desire of a covetous man Many are the expositions of the learned vpon these words three and foure transgressions The most naturall proper significant I take to bee if by three and foure a finite and certaine number you vnderstand a number infinite vncertaine God as often as he will forgiueth though wee sinne tenne thousand times It is but a custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twise and thrise that is a long time to see if wee will returne froÌ„ our evill waies vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impeniteÌ„cie he reproveth vs casteth vs away leaveth vs in our sinnes Thus haue you the generall accusation of the children of Ammon for their many sinnes for which the LORD'S protestatioÌ„ against them followeth I will not 〈…〉 Those 〈◊〉 are diversly rendred by expositors by the author of the vulgar Latin and by Gualtâ—r NoÌ„ convert 〈…〉 I will not turne the Ammonite that is I wil not recall the children of Ammon to the right way they shall run on to their owne perdition By Calvin Non â—rocipropitius I wil not be favourable to the Ammonites By Mercer Non parcam ei I will not spare the Ammonites According to their deserts so shall it be vnto them By Iunius Non avertam istud I wil not turne away the punishment wherewith I haue resolued to punish them I am the LORD I am not changed The summe is if the Ammonites had offended but once or a second time I would haue beene favourable to them would haue recald them into the right way that so they might be coÌ„verted and escape my punishments but now whereas they doe dayly heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to be converted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it Here are you to be remembred of a doctrine sundry times heretofore commended to your christian considerations Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heaven the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners God is of pure eies and beholdeth not iniquity Hee hath laid righteousnes to the rule and weighed his iustice in a balance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontrouleable even as long as the sunne and moone Tribulation and anguish vpon every soule that doth evill The soule that sinneth it shall be punished God makes it good by an oath Deut. 32.41 That he will what his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sinne His soule hateth abhorreth sinne his law curseth condemneth sinne his hand smiteth scourgeth sinne Sinne was his motiue to cast downe Angels into Hell to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne cities into Ashes to ruinate nations to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Because of sinne he drowned the old worlde and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus do many sinnes plucke c. One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in al our waies that we doe not by our many sinnes provoke Almightie God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did soe graciously forbeare these children of AmmoÌ„ til by three foure transgressions by their many sinnes they provoked him to indignation These thinges I haue heretofore laboured to lay vnto your hearts Now therefore I proceede to the thirde part of this prophecie wherein you haue the declaration of that grievous sinne by which the children of Ammon so highly offended This their sinne was the sinne of cruelty
greater Wee ioine house to house and field to field as it is in Esai 5.8 that we may be placed by our selues in the middest of the earth Were our Fathers so ambitious They were cōtent with such bounds as their ancestors left them but we must haue them altered if not enlarged The divinely-inspired David tels vs Psal 37.3 that if wee dwell in the land where God hath placed vs we shall verily bee fed We should learne of S. Paule Philip. 4.11 in whatsoever state we are therewith to be content Knowing it to be true which the same Apostle avoweth vnto Timothy Ep. 1. chap. 6. ver 6. that Godlinesse is great gaine if we will be content with that we haue Thus much of the 13. verse THE TWENTIETH LECTVRE AMOS 1.14 15. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battle and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde And their king shall goe into captivity he and his Princes together saith the LORD HEre wee haue the denuntiation of the iudgements of God against the childrē of Ammon for their sinnes This iudgement is in the 14. verse set downe 1. In a generality 2. with some circumstances First in a generality Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy of large extent Full of terrour with shouting in the day of battle Speedy with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Of large extent For it was to fall vpon not only the meaner sort of the people but vpon the nobility also yea and vpon the king himselfe which is plaine by the 15. verse Their king shal goe into captivity he and his princes together First let vs weigh this iudgement of God as it is set downe in a generality I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah it shall devoure the palaces thereof This iudgement for substance is no other then that which you haue heretofore heard out of this chapter to haue beene denounced from Almighty God against the Syrians Philistines Tyrians and Edomites Against the Syrians vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Against the Philistines ver 7. I will send a fire vpon the wals of Azzah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Against the Tyrians ver 10. I will send a fire vpō the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Against the Edomites vers 12. I will send a fire vpon Ternan and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Betweene those denunciations this you see no great difference In those Thus saith the LORD I will send a fire in this Thus I will kindle a fire I will send a fire I will kindle a fire the substance in both is the same And therefore as in those I haue done so do I in this I commend to your Christian and religious considerations certaine circumstances 1 Of the punisher the LORD I will kindle 2 Of the punishment by fire A fire 3 Of the punished The wals of Rabbah and the palaces thereof These circumstances are in this iudgement of God as it is set downe in a generality The first circumstance concerneth the punisher the LORD for thus saith the LORD I will kindle a fire The note yeeldeth this doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This truth hath beene often confirmed vnto you Divers are the vses of it 1 It may lesson vs to looke heedfully vnto our feete that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with thē in their sinnes Sinnes are not tongue-tied they cry alowd vnto the LORD for vengeance 2 It may admonish vs not to intermedle in the LORDS office It 's his office to execute vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues 3 It may serue for a comfort to the Godly against whom the wicked haue behaved themselues prowdly and dispiteously God in due time 〈◊〉 such their behaviour will render vengeance vnto them 〈◊〉 them with everlasting perdition The second circumstance cōcerneth the punishment which is by fire I will kindle a fire By fire here we are to vnderstand not so much a true and naturall fire as a figuratiue and metaphoricall fire The sword pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumption quaelibet species excidij every kinde of destruction haile water thunder sicknes or any other of the executioners of God his wrath for the sinnes of men may be signified by this name Fire The doctrine The fire whether naturall or figuratiue that is the fire all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked Of this doctrine heretofore The vse of it is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to cary our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the meanes as to the LORD that worketh by them If the fire or water or any other of Gods creatures shall at any time rage and prevaile against vs we must know that God by them worketh his holy will vpō vs. Here we see he resolueth to kindle a fire vpon the wall of Rabbah for thus saith the LORD I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shal devoure the palaces thereof There was a city of this name Rabbah in the country of Moab called Rabbath-Moab So saith Drusius But the Rabbah in my text was a city in the country of the Ammonites called 2. Sam. 12.26 Rabbah of the children of Ammon where it is named the city of the kingdome For it was their metropolitical chiefe city In the verse following it 's called the city of waters because it was situate neere vnto the river Ieboc The destruction here threatned to this city is likewise denounced by two other Prophets Ieremy and Ezechiel In Ieremie chap. 49.2 Thus saith the LORD I will cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire Cry yee daughters of Rabbah gird you with sackecloath mourne and runne to fro by the hedges for their king shall goe into captivity and his priests his princes likewise And Ezechiel chap. 25.5 I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for Camels and the Ammonites a sheepcoate By which two places of Ieremy Ezechiel the meaning of my Prophet is opened Here in the person of God he saith I wil kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof It is as if he had said The a Ierem. 7.34 voice of mirth and the voice of gladnes shall cease to be
vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10 tribes Rhehoboam Salomons sonne could keep with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange division Israel divided from Israel tenne tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of David the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1. King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of David are in holy scripture called sometimes u Amos. 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem â— 1. Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of David The other tenne tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diverse appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethaven c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.11 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. revolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10. revolted tribes the kingdome of Israel Some mention is made of Iuda incidently and by the way but the scope of the prophecie is Israel The time which was my last circumstcanâ— followeth In the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel The time is she downe in generall and in particular First in generall thus In the daies of Vzziah c Vzziah or Ozias called also Azarias 2. King 14.21 succeeded his father Amazias in the throne of Iuda This he did in the 17th yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam in Israel as appeareth 2. King 15.1 That same Ieroboam that you may distinguish him from a former King of the same name is called in my text Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash Hereby we see in generall the time of his prophecie which is more particularly set downe in the last words two yeare before the earthquake Hee meaneth that same notable and famous earthquake mentioned also Zach. 14. â—5 Yee shall fly saith he like as yee fled from the earthquake in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda In what yeare of Vzziahs reigne this earthquâ—ke happened it is not to be collected out of holy scripture Flavius Iosephus Lib. 9. antiq Iudaic. cap. 11. saith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah vsurping the Priests office went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense Ribera disproueâ— Iosephus his iudgement and saith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth yeare of the reign of Vzziah Some doe hold it was in the 22th yeare And the Hebrewes whom Funâ—cius followeth in his Chronologie doe ascribe it to the 25. yeare For my part I say not in what yeare it happened Why should I speake where the holy spirit is silent It is out of doubt that there was such an earthquake in the daies of Vzziah witnesse the Prophet Zacharie two yeares after Amos had begun his propheticall function witnesse Amos here in my text Thus dearely beloved in the Lord haue I briefly run over the exposition of this first verse let me now vpon it build some doctrine for the building vp of our selues in our holy faith you will bee pleased to remember with mee that Amos of a heardmen or a shepheard became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word fearefull message from the living God to the King Nobles Priests and people of Israel The doctrine to be grounded herevpon I deliver in this proposition God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mightie Vile and despised persons I call such as to the world to humane wisdome and to the eye of reason are of no price esteeme or worth Such as Ioseph was when hee kept sheepe in Canaan with his brethren and was by them sold to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.2 27. Such as Moses was when first he was cast into the flags Exod. 2.1 Such as David was while he medled with sheepfolds and followed the ewes great with youÌ„g Psal 78.70 Such as were Peter Andrew Iames Iohn while they busied themselues about mending of nets and catching of fish Matth. 4.18 21. These Ioseph Moses and David shepheards Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn fishermen vile and despised in the accompt of the world were chosen by the wisdome of the great God of heaven one to be a ruler in Egypt another to be a leader of Gods people the third to be a King the rest to be Christs Apostles Heare now a word of eternall veritie and full of comfort You shall find it Psal 113.7 8. The Lord who is high aboue al nations and glorious aboue the heavens hee raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung to set him with Princes St Pauls discourse touching this point is more large and spacious You shall find it 1. Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise the weake things to confound the strong and vile things things despised and things which are not to bring to naught the things that are The reason of Gods dealing thus in the advancement of the foolish weake vile despised needy and poore to places of dignitie is expressed 1. Cor. 1.29 It is that no flesh should reioice in his presence that is that no man should glory before the Lord. In this reason are two things worthy our religious considerations as Musculus well observeth For hereby our God first suppresseth and beateth downe the pride of flesh takes from it all glory of wisdome power and nobilitie and secondly whatsoever glory there is of wisdome power nobilitie he doth claime and challenge it for his owne peculiar Thus haue you dearely beloved the confirmation of my doctrine The doctrine was God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mightie Be patient I beseech you while I point at some vses of it The first vse is to lift vp our mindes to the contemplation of Gods good providence Poore shepheards and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignitie in Church and common-wealth Hereby wee knowe that
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. § At non At non tenentur Christiani immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion 4. x Ibid. § At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloved remēber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to bee recommended at this time vnto you is the LORD speaking The LORD shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉
cals vs now to obedience O the crookednes of our vile natures Our stiffe neckes will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answere like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but wee answere like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good LORD vnto thee and we shall be turned Good LORD open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against vs in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy we may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknes of trouble of vexation of anguish thou LORD wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darkenesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexatioÌ„ shall be no more a place of endlesse vnspeakable ioies where anguish shal be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Even so be it THE FOVRTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence he speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The LORD shall roare from Sion vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the top whereof was another mouÌ„taine e Drusius observ 14.21 Not. Iuniê° in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the LORD Before it was called the f 2. Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enimies Against these Iebusites King David came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of DAVID owne City as appeareth 2. Sam. 5.9 This is the city of David so much h 2. Sam. 5.7 1. King 8.1 1. Chron. 11 5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his own City mount Sion David accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2. Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the LORD with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harpes as is plaine by the storie 1. Chron. cap. 15. 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be observed in this city of David mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the LORD of hoasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description coÌ„mendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of David the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1. King 8.27 2. Chron. 6.18 Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken litterally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King over Sion the hill of his holynesse SioÌ„ there is not to bee vnderstood the terrestiall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it even the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniversall multitude of beleevers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obvious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149.2 Psalmes of David in n Cantic 3.11 Solomons song in the prophecies of o Esa 3.16.17 Esai 4.4 Esay and p Ioel 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heaven as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text observeth The like observation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the LORD is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ whereof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walles are salvation and gates praise or the Heaven of Heavens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyâ— in 2. Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iebus and SaleÌ„ supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distiche Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distiche 9 names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius Observat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diversly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of David the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of
peeces like potters vessels Wherefore dearely beloved in the Lord while God is pleased to withhold from vs his one hand of Iustice and to strech over vs his other of Mercy to the blessing of vs in our fields in our cattle in our stoare let vs not be wedded to the hardnesse of our owne heâ—rts let vs not dwell in our old sinnes nor heap new vpon them least so wee treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Let vs rather even now while it is now cast away al workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let vs take no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lustes of it Let vs walke no more as formerly we haue done in gluttony in drunkennes in chambering in wantennesse in strife in envying in deceit in falshood in vanitie but let vs walke honestly as in the day and put we on the Lord Iesus Whatsoever things are true honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise thinke wee on these things Thinke we on these things to doe them and we shall not need to feare any desolation to our houses or barrennesse to our grounds our dwelling houses shall not mourne or perish the top of our Carmel shall not wither our fields shall bring forth increase vnto vs. For God even our owne God shall giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs to passe the time of our pilgrimage here in peace and plentie and when the day of our separation shall be that we must leaue the earth a vale of teares and miserie he will translate vs to Ierusalem aboue the place of eternall ioy and felicitie where this corruptible shal put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE SIXTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.3 4 5. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal devoure the palaces of Benhadad I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir saith the LORD THough in this prophecie there be mention made of Iudah yet was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the ten revolted Tribes the kingdome of Israel The mention that is made of Iudah is made but incidently and by the way The scope of the prophecie is Israel as I shewed in my * Pag. 7. first Lecture If Israel bee the scope of this prophecie how commeth it to passe that the Prophet bestoweth the residue of this chapter and a part of the next in making rehersall of forraine nations their transgressions and punishments Why doth he acquaint Israel with his burdensome prophecies against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites why doth he not rather discharge his function and duty laid vpon him and checke the Israelites and terrifie them reproue them for their evill deeds The reasour◠〈…〉 seâ—â— of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth â—â—â—st prophecie against the Syrians other forraine nations are 〈◊〉 1 That he might be the more patiently heard of his country-men the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enimies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against theÌ„ also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enimy in distresse likewise 2 That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against theÌ„ in vengeance seeing that God would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbour Countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3 That they might the more feare at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other nations afflicted and tormented accordingly Here might they thus haue argued Will not God spare our neighbours the Syrians and the rest Then out of doubt he wil not spare vs. They seely people never knewe the holy will of God and yet shall they be so severely punished How then shal we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it From the reasons why Amos first prophecieth against forraine nations then against the Lords people Israel I come now to treate particularly of his prophecy against the Syrians vers 3 4 5. Wherein I commend to your christian considerations three parts 1 A preface proeme or entrance vers 3. Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecie In the 3 4 5. verses For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure c. 3 A conclusion In the end of the 5. verse Saith the LORD The preface and the conclusion do make for the authoritie of the prophecie vers 3. and 5. In the prophecie these parts may be observed 1 A generall accusation of the Syrians verse the 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 A protestation of Almighty God against them I will not turne to it 3 The great sinne by which they so offended God their extreame cruelty verse 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron 4 The punishments to bee laide vpon them for such cruelty These punishmentes are here set downe generally and speciallie Generally vers the 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will break also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Thus saith the LORD It is a very vsuall thing with the Prophets so to begin their special Prophecies to let the world vnderstand that they feigne nothing out of their owne braines but that whatsoever they speak they haue received it from the spirit of the LORD Thus saith not Amos but in Amos the LORD The LORD the powerfull IEHOVAH of whom you heard at large out of my third lecture vpon this chapter Thus saith the Lord the powerfull IEHOVAH * See Lect 3. who made the heavens and a Psal 104.2 spread them out like a curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment can againe b Esai 50.3 cloath the heavens with darknesse and make a sacke their covering who made the sea to c Psal 104.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein d Ierem. 5.22 placed the sands for bounds vnto it never to be passed over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke e Esai 50.2
ruinate nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh because of sinne he drowned the old world and because of sin ere long will burne this All this maketh for the truth of my propounded doctrine Three transgressions and fowre that is Many sinnes do pluck downe from heaven the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners A lesson dearely beloved able to make vs if grace be in vs to be wary and to take heed that we bee not overtaken with three transgressions with fowre It is a very dangerous thing to adde sinne to sinne This is done h Perkins Cas Consc three manner of waies 1 By committing one sinne in the necke of another 2 By falling often into the same sinne 3 By lying in sinne without repentance Here we must remember that we are not simply coÌ„demned for our particular sinnes but for our continuance residence in them Our sins committed do make vs worthy of damnation but our living and abiding in them without repentance is the thing that brings damnation Great is the i D. King B. of London in Ion. Lect. 31. strength that sin gathereth by growing and going forwards The growth of sin k In Amos 1.3 Albertus Magnus shaddoweth in marshaling the order of sinning first is peccatum cogitationis next loquutionis thirdly operis then desperationis The beginning of sinne is inward an evil thought it hasteth out into an evil word then followeth the wicked worke what is the end of all Desperation waited on by finall impenitencie This growth of sin S. Hierome plainely expresseth The first step is cogitare quae mala sunt a wicked thought the next cogitationibus adquiescere peruersis to like wel of wicked thoughts the third quod mente decreveris opere complere to put that in action which thou hast wickedly imagined What is the ende of all Non agere poenitentiam in suo sibi complacere delicto even impenitencie and a delight or pleasure to do naughtely Hugo the Cardinall in sins proceeding noteth 1 Suggestion 2 Consent 3 Action 4 Custome and pleasure therein Suggestion is from the Devill who casteth into our hearts impure and vngodly thoughts the rest are froÌ„ our selues such is the corruption of our nature we readily consent to the Devils motion what he moues vs to we act accordingly we take pleasure in it and make it our custome This Custome is not only a graue to bury our soules in but a great stone also rolled to the mouth of it to keepe them downe for ever I say no more to this point but beseech you for Gods sake to be wary and heedfull that you bee not overtaken with three transgressions and with fowre You haue now my propounded doctrine and the first vse to bee made of it My doctrine was Three transgressions and foure that is Many sinnes do pluck downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners The first vse is to make vs wary and heedfull that we be not overtaken with with three transgressions and with foure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious coÌ„templation of the wonderfull patience of Almightie God who did so graciously forbeare to punish those Syrians of Damascus till they had provoked him to displeasure by three transgressions and by foure God is mercifull and gracious long suffering of great goodnesse He cryeth vnto the fooles and are not wee such fooles Prou. 1.22 O yee foolish how long wil yee loue foolishnes He cryeth vnto the faithlesse and is our faith living Matth. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth 〈◊〉 the Iewes and are not we as bad as the Iewes O 〈◊〉 Iâ—â—â—salem 〈◊〉 often Hee dressed his vineyard with the bâ—â—t and â—â—â—dliest husbandry that his heart could invent 〈…〉 he looked for fruit hee required it 〈…〉 first hâ—â—â—e but â—arrying the full time hee looked that it should being forth grapes in the autumne and time of vintage He wayteth for the fruite of his l Luk. 13.6 figgtree three yeares and is content to be entreated that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeare may be bestowed vpon it Thus we see Gods patience is wonderfull He is mercifull gracious long suffering and of great goodnes Yet may we not hereon presume Our safest way shall be to rise at the first call if we differre our obedience to the second call we may be prevented Then may God iustly say to vs as hee said vnto the Iewes Esai 65.12 I called and ye did not answere I spake and yee heard not And albeit some fal seaven times a day rise againe albeit to some sinners it pleaseth the Lord to iterate his sufferance yet may not we take encouragement thereby to iterate our misdoings Wee know that God punished his Angels in heaven for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the LORD and Ananias and Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost Is the Lords hand now shortned that he cannot be as speedy and quicke in avenging himselfe vpon vs for our offences Farre be it from vs so to thinke God is not slacke in comming as some count slacknes He maketh the clowds his Chariots he rideth vpon the Cherubins he flieth with the wings of the winde and so he commeth and commeth quickly and his reward is with him to giue to every one according as his workes shall be THE SEAVENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.3 Because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron THis is the third part of this Prophecie the description of that great sinne by which the Syrians so much offended Let vs first examine the words Gilead Gilead or Galaad or Galeed in holy Scripture is sometime a hill sometime a city and sometime a regioÌ„ or cuntry A hill Gen. 13. So named as appeareth vers the 47. of the heape of stones which was made thereon as a witnesse of the league betweene Iacob and Laban for Gilead is interpreted an a Acervus testimonii heape of witnesse This mountaine Gilead is the b Adrichom greatest of al beyond Iordan it is in length 50 miles and as it is continued and runneth a long it receiueth diverse names From Arnon to the city Cedar it is called Galaad theÌ„ to Bozra it is named Seir afterward Hermon and so reaching to Damascus it is ioined to Libanus and therefore as St. * Comment in hunc locuÌ„ Hierome saith in the 22. of Ierem. verse 6. Lebanon is called the head or beginning of Galeed Gilead or Galaad or Galeed is also a city built vpon mount Gilead as St Hierome witnesseth Here was borne and buried the valiant captaine and iudge of Israel Iephte when hee had iudged Israel six yeares as
iniustice to his charge quod bonis male sit malis bene for afflicting the godly when the wicked liue at ease by rebellion and contumacie in taking counsell together against the LORD against his CHRIST by blasphemy in doing despite to the Spirit of grace It may moue vs also to beware of those other sins crying sins too vsually committed against the second table that we provoke not Gods vengeance against vs by dishonouring our parents and such as God hath put in place of government aboue vs by grieving our children and such as are by vs to be governed by oppressing the fatherlesse and the poore by giving our selues over vnto filthy lusts Beloved in the Lord let vs not forget this though God bee good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is hee also a iust God God the avenger and punisher Here we see he resolueth to send a fire into the house of Hazael which is the second thing to be considered How God punisheth By fire I will send a fire c. Albeit sometime God himselfe doth by himselfe immediatly execute his vengeance vpon the wicked as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt Exod. 12.29 and Nabal 1. Sam. 25.38 and Vzzah 2. Sam. 6.7 yet many times he doth it by his instruments c Wigand Syntagm Vet. Test Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei All the creatures of God are ready at his commaund to be the executioners of his vengeance Among the rest and in the first rancke is fire God sent a fire to lay wast Sodom and Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 to eate vp Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.2 to cut of the two hundred and fiftie men that were in the rebellion of Korah Num. 16.35 to devoure two captaines twise fiftie men 2. King 1.10 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this poynt My text telleth you that fire Gods creature becommeth Gods instrument executioner of his vengeance I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Benhadad By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus Drusius Ar. MoÌ„tanus Mercer Calvin Gualter expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumptioÌ„ every scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked and disobedieÌ„t be it haile or thunder or sicknes or any other of Gods messengers So farre is the signification of fire though not in the naturall yet in the metaphoricall vnderstanding extended The doctrine which from hence I gather is As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked This truth well appeareth by that which I even now repeated out of Eccles 39. whence you heard that some spirits are created for vengeance as also are fire and haile and famine and death and the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword yea that the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale wheate and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile cloathing are all for evill vnto the wicked If that proofe because the booke whence it is taken is Apocryphall like you not giue eare I pray you while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture The doctrine to be proued is Fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the punishment of the wicked I proue it by the service of Angels and other creatures 2. King 19.35 we read of an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in the camp of Ashur slaine by an Angell of the LORD The thing is related also Esay 37.36 This ministerie of Gods Angels David acknowledgeth Psal 35.5 6. where his prayer against his enimies is that the Angel of the LORD might scatter and persecute them 1. Sam. 7.10 we read that the LORD did thunder a great thunder vpon the Philistines Ezech. 14. wee read how the LORD punisheth a sinful land with his foure e Ezech. 14.21 sore iudgements the sword pestilence famine and noysome beasts The story of Gods visitation vpon Pharaoh and the EgyptiaÌ„s in Exod. chap. 8 9 10. is fit for my purpose You shal there find that froggs lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botehâ—s and sores did instrumeÌ„tally avenge God vpon man and beast in Egypt Adde hereto what you read Psal 148.8 fire and haile and snow and vapours and stormie winds do execute Gods commaundement Thus is my doctrine proued As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishement of the wicked The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rodd of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them Here set we before our eyes holy King Dauid His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation When Shimei a maÌ„ of the familie of the house of Saul came out against him cast stones at him railed vpon him calling him to his face a man of blood a man of Belial a murtherer a wicked man the good King did not as he was wished to doe he took not away the murtherers life but had respect to the primus motor even Almighty God the first mover of this his afflictie Shimei he knew was but the instrument And therefore thus sayth he to Abischai 2. Sam. 16.10 He curseth because the LORD had hidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Here also set we before our eies holy Iob. His patience bee it the patterne of our Christian imitation The losse of all his substance and his children by the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eyes from the God of heauen to those second causes They he knew were but the instrumeÌ„ts And therefore possessing his soule in patience he said Iob 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe naked shall I returne thither the LORD hath given and the LORD hath taken blessed be the name of the LORD To these instances of David and Iob adde one more that of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn the rest Act. 4.27 Though Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and done to death the Lord of life our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage and bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the LORD Iesus they had regard vnto the hand of God Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles the Iews they knew were but
needs follow In like case it is with men They that fall into familiarity with the wicked do couple themselues with them so are led out of the way and made to worke wickednesse before the LORD From this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this vnequall yoke with infidels frō conversing with the wicked the Apostle disswadeth the Corinthians and in them vs by sundry arguments drawne ab absurdo In each argument there is an Antithesis two things opposed the one to the other In the first righteousnes and vnrighteousnes in the second light and darknes in the third Christ and Belial in the fourth the beleever and the infidel in the fift Gods temple and Idols Every argument is set downe by way of question The first what fellowship hath rigteousnesse with vnrighteousnes The answere is negatiue none The answer may be illustrated by a similitude Eccl. 13.18 How cā the wolfe agree with the lambe No more can the vngodly with the righteous The second what communion hath light with darknes The answere is negatiue none No more then truth hath with a lie as Drusius well expoundeth the place Prov. class 1. lib. 3.78 Light hath no communion with darknes therefore the beleever ought not to converse with an vnbeleever This consequence is made good by Eph. 5.8 where the Apostle telleth the Ephesiās that they were once darknes but now are light in the LORD Tenebras vocat infideles saith Musculus vpon the text S. Paule calleth vnbeleevers darknes for their ignorance of God the blindnes of their hearts but he calleth the beleevers light for their knowledge of God by which their harts are through the holy Ghost illuminated Light hath no communion with darknes therefore beleevers are not to haue familiarity with vnbeleevers The third what concord hath Christ with Belial The answer is negatiue none The oppositiō betweene these two Christ Belial is most hostile Christ is the author of our salvation Belial of our perdition Christ is the restorer of all things Belial the destroier Christ is the prince of light Belial the prince of darknes In such hostile opposition there can be no concord no concord betweene the authour of our salvation and the author of our perdition no concorde betweene the restorer of all things and the destroyer of all things no concord betweene the prince of light and the prince of darknes therefore they that beleeue in Christ are not to haue familiarity with vnbeleevers The fourth what part hath the beleever with the infidell The answere is negatiue none The beleever hath no portion with the vnbeleever and therefore he is not to haue any familiaritie with him The fift what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols The answere is negatiue none There is none indeede Sacrilega est profanatio saith e Comment in 2. Cor. 16.6 Calvin it is a sacrilegious prophaning of God's Temple to place in it an Idole or to vse any idolatrous worship therein We are the Temple of God wherefore to infect our selues with any contagion of Idols in vs it must be sacrilegious There is no agreement betweene the Temple of God and Idols therefore wee are not to haue any familiaritie with the Idolatrous Remember I beseech you righteousnesse hath no fellowship with vnrighteousnes light hath no cōmunion with darknes Christ is not at concord with Belial the beleever hath no part with the infidell there is no agreement betweene the Temple of God and Idols therefore may we not enter into familiaritie with the wicked prophane and idolatrous we may not make any covenāt with them we may not giue them our children in marriage Thus is my doctrine confirmed It is not lawfull to commit the children of beleevers into the hands of infidels Now to the vses The first serveth for our instruction teacheth vs so to loue the soules of the righteous seed that we leaue them not resident among Infidels or Atheists or Papists or any prophane wretches but rather that to our labour and cost wee redeeme them out of the Devils tyranny We must haue a singular care for the children which are borne amonge vs that they be godly and vertuously brought vp and so provided for that they may doe Christ some service in the Church and Common wealth Our Saviour his words Mat. 18.6 are true without exception Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which beleeue in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke that he were drowned in the depth of the sea What measure then are we to looke for if wee bequeath our children to the service of men of corrupt consciences and wicked affections such as will compasse heaven and earth to make anie one the childe of damnation A second vse may be for the reproofe of such as do binde put their children the fruit of their bodies which they ought to consecrate to the LORD into the education of open enemies to the gospell of Christ most blasphemous and abominable Atheists or most blind and superstitious Papists Are not these as much to be complained of as those whom the LORD here condemneth for selling of Israels seed into the hands of the Edomites Yes much more For those sold their enemies but our men sell their children those did it by the law of warre but our men doe it contrary to the law of God those in doing as they did did not sinne against their knowledge but our men in doing as they do do sinne against their conscience Vnhappy parents which destroy your children in Popish and Atheisticall houses What are you inferiour to them that sacrificed their children vnto Devils If your selues be righteous and Christians cast not away your seed your children the price of the precious bloud of Christ You haue made them in their Baptisme whē they were yong to confesse Christ will you make them now growne to yeares to deny Christ O let the words of wise Ecclesiasticus chap. 13.1 be precious in your memories He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith and doubtlesse your children placed in Atheisticall or Popish houses wil themselues become Atheisticall or Popish Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation in your childrēs behalfe Binde them to none but to Christ put them to none but to Christians sell them to nothing but to the gospell commit not your yong ones into the hands and custody of Gods enemies A third vse Is it not lawfull to commit the children of beleevers into the hands of infidels for the reason aboue specified that they be not withdrawne frō the true service of God Thē neither is it lawfull for you of your selues to keepe away your servants frō the service of God It is reputed for a tyrannie in Pharaoh Exod. 5.3 4. That he would not suffer the children of Israel to go three daies iourney into the desert to sacrifice to the LORD their God how can you free your selues from the impeachment of
with the tongue of men and Angels and haue not loue yet are you as souÌ„ding brasse or a tinkling cimbal Though you haue the gift of Prophecie and know all secrets and all knowledge yea if you haue all faith so that you can remove mountaines and haue not loue yet are you nothing Though you feed the poore with all your goods though you giue your bodies to be burned and haue not loue yet it profiteth you nothing My exhortation must be vnto you in the same blessed Apostles words cha 14.1 of the same Epistle Follow after loue And I shut vp this exercise with a sweet Fathers sweete meditation o Bernard serm 9. in Coena Dom. Charitas te domum Domini facit DominuÌ„ domum tibi Loue it makes thee a house for God and God a house for thee according to that 1. Ioh. 4.16 God is loue he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him A happy artificer thou art sweet loue that art able to frame for thy selfe such a house as God is This house is not built of morter and bricke nor of stone nor of wood nor of silver nor of gold nor of precious stones It exceedeth and farre surpasseth silver gold in coÌ„parison of it precious stones are vile and of no reputation This house is an everlasting house before all ages before all times it containeth all things it comprehendeth all things it createth all things it giveth life to all things In this house the blind receiue light the lame strength to walke the crooked straitnes the weake health the dead their resurrection there is none wretched in it all therein are blessed for they are entred into their Masters ioy Into which ioy that we may in due time enter let vs follow after loue wee know that God is loue and that whosoever dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Now God graunt that we may all dwell in him THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.12 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah I Am now come to the last part of this prophecie against Edom which is the denuntiation of Gods iudgments against Edom for his sinnes expressed in this 12. verse This 12. verse doth not much differ froÌ„ some precedent verses in this chapter 4 7 and 10. The same punishment which in the 4. verse is threatned to the Syrians vnder the names of Hazael and Benhadad and in the 7. verse to the Philistines vnder the name of Azzah and in the 10. verse to the Tyrians vnder the name of Tyrus is here in this 12. verse denouÌ„ced to the Edomites vnder the names of TemaÌ„ and Bozrah And therefore as in the fore-named verses I haue done so do I in this recommende vnto you three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD I will send 2 The punishment by fire I will send a fire 3 The punished the Temanites and Bozrites the inhabitants of both cities I will send a fire vpon Teman and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah The punisher is the LORD for Thus saith the LORD I will send The doctrine naturally arising hence is this It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This truth hath heretofore once and againe beene confirmed vnto you The lesse need haue I now to insist vpon it Yet may I not passe it over vnsaluted It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance c. This office of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins God taketh vpon himselfe Deut. 32.35 Where hee saith Vengeance and recompence are mine This is coÌ„fessed to be God his due by S. Paule Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the LORD and by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD and by the sweete singer of Israel Psal 94.1 O LORD God the avenger O God the avenger The Prophet Nahum chap. 1.2 to the terrour of the wicked proclaimeth it God is iealous and the LORD revengeth the LORD revengeth even the LORD of anger the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries and reserveth wrath for his enemies These places are so many pregnant proofes to make good my propounded doctrine namely that It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Many are the vses of this doctrine The first It may lesson vs to looke heedfully vnto our feete that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with them in their sinnes Sinnes are not tongue-tied they cry vnto the LORD for vengeance Wee read in holy writ of foure sorts of sinnes which aboue other do cry vnto God and do call for his great and quicke vengeance The first is Homicide murther or manslaughter whereof Almighty God Gen. 4.10 thus speaketh vnto Caine The voice of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me from the earth The second is Sodomie the sinne of Sodom the sinne against nature a sinne not once to be named among Christians Wherof thus saith the LORD vnto Abraham Gen. 18.20 Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorah is great and because their sinne is exceeding grievous I will go downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto me The third is oppression of the poore widowes fatherlesse and strangers Oppression of the poore cryeth Psal 12.5 Now for the oppression of the â—â—â—die and deepe sighes of the poore I will vp saith the LORD and will set at libertie him whom the wicked hath snared Oppression of the widowes and the fatherlesse cryeth Exod. 22.22 Yâ—â— shall not trouble any widow nor fatherles child if you vexe on trouble such and so he call and cry vnto mee I will surely heare his cry Then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse Oppression of strangers cryeth Exod. 3.7 The LORD said vnto Moses I haue surely seene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt haue heard their cry because of their taskmakers and verse the 9. Nâ—m loe the cry of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also seene the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppresse them Thus is oppression whether it be of the poore or of the widowes or of fatherlesse children or of strangers a crying sinne and this was the third The fourth is the keeping backe of the labourers hire Whereof St Iames chap. 5.4 thus witnesseth Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the LORD of hoasts You see dearely beloued foure crying sinnes murther Sodomie oppression and the detaining or keeping backe of the poore labourers wages These are crying sinnes and they cry aloud to the eares of Almightie God and
houses A truth experimentally made good vnto vs by the great coÌ„modity or contentment that commeth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse is to teach vs. 1. To be humbled before Almighty God whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from vs. 2. Since wee peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To praise God daie by day for the comfortable vse wee haue of our dwelling houses Thus is my exposition of the prophecie against Edom ended THE NINETEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.13 14 15. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead that they might enlarge their border Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battle and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde And their king shall goe into captivity he and his Princes togither saith the LORD THis blessed Prophet of Almighty God in this his prophecie against the Ammonites observeth the same order as he hath done in two precedent predictions the one against the Syrians verse the thirde fourth and fifth the other against the Philistines verse the sixth seventh and eighth As in those so in this are three parts 1 A preface Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecie For three transgressions c. 3 A conclusion verse the fifteenth Saith the LORD The prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1 A generall accusation of the Ammonites who are here noted as reproueable for many sinnes For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure 2 God his protestation against them for their sinnes I will not turne to it 3 A particular declaration of one sinne which with others procured this prophecy This sinne was the sinne of cruelty expressed in these words Because they haue ript vp the vvomen vvith childe of Gilead amplified by the end of so foule a fact That they might enlarge their borders 4 A denuntiation of iudgement which was to come vpon them deservedly for their sinnes ver 14 and 15. This iudgement is set downe First in a generalitie verse 14. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy Full of terrour in these words With shouting in the day of battle Speedy in the words following With a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde This iudgement is further amplified by the extent of it It was to fall vpon not only the meaner sort of the people but vpon the nobility also yea and vpon the King himselfe Which is plaine by the 15. verse Their King shall goe into captivity he and his princes together These are the branches and parts of this prophecy I returne to the Preface Thus saith the LORD IEHOVAH This great and most honourable name of God wee haue many times met with We haue heard what the Cabalistes and Rabbines out of their too much curiositie haue thought of it With them it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to bee pronounced not to be taken within our polluted lips They call it Tetragrammaton a name in Hebrew of foure letters of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellence because the name of God a Alsted Lex Theol. cap. 2. pag. 76. MiruÌ„ certè est quòd omnes gentes tacito consensu praecipuum Dei nomen quâ—tuor modò literis enuncient Fluxisse autem id existimatur è nomine IEHOVAH quod ipsum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini dicunt DEVS Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Germani GOTT Aegyptii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magi ORSI Hebraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galli DIEV Itali IDIO Hispani DIOS Dalmatis sive Illyricis est BOGI Boiemis BOHV Mahumetanis ABGD Gentibus in novo mundo repertis ZIMI Chaldaeis Siris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certè hoc sine singulari Dei O. M. provideÌ„tiâ factum non est Ego existimo illo significari nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters More they speake of it You haue heard it before IEHOVAH b Deut. 10.17 God of Gods Lord of Lords a God c Eccles 43.29 most wonderfull very d Deut. 10.17 great mightie and terrible a God that e Eccles 43.31 caÌ„not either be conceived in thought or expressed by word f Aug. Soliloq cap. 34. of whom all the Angels in heaven doe stand in feare whom al dominations and g Revel 5.11 thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers doe shake A God in greatnes infinite in h August meditaâ—e 21. goodnesse soveraigne in wisdome wonderfull in power Almightie in counsailes terrible in iudgements righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alwaie the same eternall everlasting immortall vnchangeable Such is the LORD from whom our Prophet Amos here deriveth authoritie to his prophecie Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not doe accordingly hath hee spoken it and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Sam. 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel wil not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iot or one title of Gods word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Amos is here a patterne to vs that are preachers of the word of salvation We must ever come vnto you with Thus saith the LORD in our mouthes we may not speake either the imaginations of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or depraving of the same This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs 1. ep chap. 4 11. If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if we yea if an Angell from heaven shall preach otherwise vnto you then from the LORD' 's owne mouth speaking in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be accursed let him bee had in â—â—â—â—ntion This note beloved dâ—th also concerne you that are the auditours hearers of Gods word For if we the preachers thereof must alwaies come vnto you with Thus saith the LORD theÌ„ are you to heare vs with reverence and attention And this for the authoritie of him that speaketh It is not you that speake saith our Saviour Iesus Christ to his blessed Apostles
belli against the day of battell So here the LORD threatneth against Rabbah a shouting in die belli in the day of battell This day of battell is that day of warre and time of trouble mentioned by Iob chap. 38.23 We see now the purpose of our Prophet in vsing these wordes With shouting in the day of battell It is to proclaime warre against Rabbah the chiefe city of the Ammonites and consequently against their whole kingdome This proclamation is more plainely delivered Ierem. 49.2 Behold the daies come saith the LORD that I will cause a noise of warre to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape her daughters shall be burnt with fire FroÌ„ this proclamation of warre made by our prophet Amos as in the Lords owne words saying I wil kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell we may take this lesson God sendeth warre vpon a land for the sinnes of a people For proofe of this truth let vs looke into the word of truth In the 26. of Levitic ver 25. thus saith the LORD vnto Israel If ye walke stubbornly against me will not obey me then I will send a sword vpon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my couenant And Ierem. 5.15 vnto the house of Israel thus saith the LORD Lo I will bring a nation â—pon you from farre You heare the LORD speaking in his owne person I will send I wil bring as here I wil kindle Will you any other witnes Then heare what Moses telleth the Israelites Deut. 28.49 The LORD shall bring a nation vpon you from farre from the end of the world flying as an Eagle a nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand a nation of a fierce countenance which will not regarde the person of the old nor haue compassion on the yonge the same shall eate the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land vntil thou be destroied and he shal leaue thee neither wheat nor wine nor oile nor the increase of thy kine nor the flockes of thy sheepe vntill hee haue brought thee to nought By this speech of Moses we plainely see that warre and all the evils of warre are from the LORD that warre is r Cominaeus Hist lib. 1. cap. 3. one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts and that it is sent by God vpon a land for the sinnes of the people as my doctrine goeth Let vs now make some vse of it Is it true beloved Doth God send warre vpon a land for the sinnes of a people How then can we looke that the happy peace which we now enioy should be continued among vs sith by our dayly sinning wee provoke Almighty God vnto displeasure Let the consideration hereof lead vs to repentance Repentance the gift of God the ioy of Angels the salue of sinnes the haven of sinners let vs possesse it in our hearts The Angels of heaven need it not because they sinne not the Devils in Hell care not for it for their iudgement is sealed It only appertaineth to the sonnes of men therefore let vs the sonnes of meÌ„ possesse it in our hearts that is let vs truely vnfeinedly forsake our old sinnes and turne vnto the LORD our God so shall this blessed peace all other good things be continued among vs. But if we will persist in our evill waies not regarding what the LORD shall speake vnto vs either in his holy word or by his faithfull Ministers we may expect the portion of these Ammonites that God should kindle a fire in our Rabbahs our best fenced cities which shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battaile Thus much of the terrour of this iudgemeÌ„t Now followeth the speed in the next circumstance With a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Suiting hereto is the reading of Mercer cum tempestate in die turbinis and that of Tremellius cum procella in die turbinis with a storme or tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Calvin hath in turbine in diâ— tempestatis in a whirlewinde in a day of tempest Brentius in turbine in die tempestatis in a whirlewinde and in a day of tempest Gualter cum turbine in die tempestatis with a whirlewinde in a day of tempest And this reading Drusius rather approveth then the former Take which you wil the meaning is one the same Namely that the warre here denounced to the Ammonites in the former clause should come vpon them tanquam turbo in die tempestatis like vnto a whirlewinde in a tempestuous and stormie day Turbine nihil celerius a whirlewinde comes suddainely and with speed so was this warre to come vpon the children of Ammon Thus haue we the meaning of our Prophet let vs nowe take a view of such doctrines as may from hence bee taken for our further instruction First whereas the punishment here threatned to the Ammonites is to come vpon them with a whirlewinde in a day of tempest in a tempestuous and stormy day we may learne that Stormes Tempests Whirlewindes and the like are the Lords creatures ready at his commande to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrell against sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the primary principal efficient cause of stormes tempests whirlewindes and the like is God God as he is the sole maker totius vniversitatis rerum of this world and all that is in it so is he also a most free and omnipotent ruler of the same He alone is able to raise tempests and at his pleasure to allay them againe Who raised the storme that endangered the ship wherein Ionah was was it not the LORD Yes For so it 's written Ion. 1.4 The LORD sent out a great winde into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea so that the shippe was like to be broken Neither was this tempest caâ—â—â—ed till rebellious Ionah was cast out of the ship into the Sea 〈◊〉 it appeareth ver 15. Well therefore is it â—â—â—ll of the Psalmist Psal 148.8 of fire haile and snow and vapours stormie windes that they execute Gods word they are all ready at his commandement to execute what he wil haue them to do Windes and tempests they depend not vpon chance or blind fortune but on the soveraigne power of the Almighty Creatour So true is my doctrine Stormes Tempests Whirlewinds the like are the Lords creatures ready at his command to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrell against sinners One vse of it is for our instruction Whosoeuer hee bee that walketh by land or passeth by sea if windes stormes or tempests doe hinder his purpose or disquiet him in his enterprise hee must assigne it to the providence of Almightie God A second vse serveth for reproofe of such as are of opinion that witches sorcerers coniurers and the Devill can Å¿ Grynaeus in
Ion. cap. 1.4 lect 13. pro libidine suâ at their pleasures raise vp tempests It is nothing so Nothing so Why then doth S. Paul Ephes 2.2 call the Devil the prince that ruleth in the aire I answer S. Paul calleth the Devill the Prince that ruleth in the aire not because he caÌ„ at his pleasure raise teÌ„pests but because he theÌ„ doth it wheÌ„ God giues him license I easily grant that witches sorcerers coniurers by the helpe of the Devill can raise stormes tempests in the aire though t K. Iames Daemonolog lib. 2. cap. 5. pag. 46. not vniversally yet in such a particular place prescribed bounds as God will permit them so to trouble u Arch B. Abbot in Ion. lect 3. pag. 51. The Devill and his factours worke their exploits onely by limitation and by leaue for they depend vpon the LORD and as if they were tied in a chaine they cannot exceed one haires breadth of that which is granted vnto them Witnesse the story of Iob. The Devill could not raise a wind to overthrow the house wherein Iob's children were but by leaue from the LORD as it appeareth Iob. 1.12 And this may be our comfort that Sathan the Devill that x 1 Pet. 5.8 roaring Lyon who walketh about seeking whom he may devoure hath y Esai 37.29 a hooke put into his nostrils a bridle in his lips and is bound z Iud. 6. with everlasting châ—ines so that he cannot hurt vs no not so much as by raising of a tempest vnlesse Almightie God for our sinnes doe let him loose Wherefore let vs commend our selues wholy to the protection of the Almightie he will * Esai 49.2 hide vs vnder the shadow of his hand For it 's he only that maketh vs to dwell in safetie Thus much of my first doctrine Againe whereas the punishment here threatned to the Ammonites was to come vpon them as a whirle-wind in a tempestuous or stormie day that is speedily we may from hence take this lesson The destruction of the wicked commeth suddainely vpon them This truth is a vowed by David Psal 37.2 Where to perswade the godly not to fret or hee grieved at the prosperitie of the wicked he brings this reason They shall soone be cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene hearbe which in other words vers 20. of the same Psalme he thus delivereth They shal perish and shall hee consumed as the fat of lambes even with the smoake shall they consume away They shall be consumed at the fat of lambes there is vtter destruction for them they shall bee consumed as smoake there is the suddennesse of their destruction The state of the wicked is very ticklish and vncertaine For as it is Psal 73.18 God hath set them in slipperie places and casteth them downe into desolation Their end is there described to be wonderfull suddaine and fearefull Quomodo vastabuntur Subitò deficient consumentur terroribus How shall they bee destroyed They shall quickly perish they shal be consumed with terrours Solomon speakes to this purpose as plainly as may be Prov. 6.15 The destruction of the wicked shall come speedily he shall be destroyed suddenly without recoverie He shall be destroyed suddenly without recoverie that is to speake in my prophets phrase Hee shall be destroyed as if he were caried away with a whirlewind in a tempestuous and stormy day or in Solomons phrase Prov. 1.27 Their destruction shall come like a whirlewind Th◠〈…〉 in this point 〈◊〉 this which hath 〈…〉 â—ay seâ—ne for the â—stablâ—shment of my propoâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—ine that The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 wicked 〈◊〉 suddenly vpon them One vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that wee giue all diligence to walke in the LORDS â—ay the sanctified holy way the way of perfection that we be not reputed among the wicked and so partake with them in the sâ—â—lenesse of their downefalls A second vse is to minister a word of comfort Doe the wicked prosper and increase in riches Is pride a chaine vnto them Is crueltie their garment Doe their eies stand out for fatnesse Haue they more then heart can wish Art thou meane while in trouble Art thou in want Doe they oppresse thee Doe they wrong thee Yet bee of good coÌ„fort Say not I haue cleansed my heart in vaine in vaine haue I washed my hands in innocencie but coâ—â—â—â— thy way vnto the LORD trust in 〈◊〉 wait patiently vpon him yeâ— a 〈◊〉 while and the wicked shall not appeare thou 〈◊〉 booke 〈◊〉 his place â—â—alt not fâ—â—de 〈◊〉 For sudden destruction shall befall him he shall be caried away as with a whirlewind in a â—â—â—posâ—uous and stormie day Thus much of the 14. verse THE XXI LECTVRE AMOS 1.15 And their king shall goe into captivity he and his Princes together saith the LORD IN my last lecture I began the expositioÌ„ of the fourth part the commination or denunciation of iudgement then I noted that this iudgement was set downe first in a generalitie Therefore will I kindle a fire c. vers 14. and secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy and of large extent Full of terrour With shouting in the day of battell Speedy With a tempest in the day of the whirlewind Of large extent For it was to reach vnto not only the meaner sort of people but to the nobles also yea vnto the King himselfe verse 15. Their king shall goe into captivitie hee and his Princes together Of this iudgement as it is delivered in a generalitie as also of the terrour and speedinesse of it I discoursed in my last exercise The extent was left vntouched whereof at this time Their King shall goe into captivitie he and his Princes together King and Princes both must into captivitie What shall become of the Priests They shall be caried away too The Septuagint in their translation doe expresly affirme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings of Ammon shall goe into captivitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their priests and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their princes Their King shall goe into captivitie their priests 〈…〉 â—od this the Prophet â—â—â—â—mie precisely 〈…〉 where thunâ—ring inâ—â—â—t the threats of 〈…〉 the children of 〈◊〉 he saith Their King 〈◊〉 goe into captivitie and his priests and his princes likewise The vulgar Latin and S. Hierome for their King doe reade Melchom Melchom shall goe into captivitie And what is Melchom It is the same with Milchom with Molech with Moloch Diverse wordes of one signification though differing in sound and termination Be it Melchom or Milchom or Molech or Moloch all is one It 's but an Idole So it 's called by the author of the vulgar Latin Levit. 18.21 De semine tuo non dabis vt consecretur Idolo Moloch Thou shalt not giue thy childreÌ„ to consecrat them to offer them to the Idolâ— Moloch It is the 〈…〉 of the Ammonites So it 's
A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS delivered in XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEISEY HAMPTON in the Diocesse of Gloucester BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD DOCTOR of Divinity and fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford HEREVNTO IS ADDED A SERMON vpon 1. Cor. 9.19 wherein is touched the lawfull vse of things indifferent EPHES. 5.16 Redeeme the time because the daies are evill Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD AND MY VERY GOOD LORD IOHN KING BY the Divine providence L. Bishop of London S. B. wisheth all grace and happinesse RIGHT REVEREND AND HONOVRABLE I Haue adventured this second time to commend my poore laboures to your Honourable protection My former were involued in a few paper leaues In presenting them to your Lordship I seemed not much vnlike the Samian Poet Choerilus who presumed to offer to great ALEXANDER a few harsh verses Your then favourable acceptance of that litle Sermō hath emboldned this larger volume to presse into your L. presence It conteineth coūtry Sermons They intend principally the reformation of māners in such as desire to liue a godly life in this present world This is the mite which for this time I cast into Gods treasurie If I haue done it with your Honoures good liking I shall the lesse regard what bitter tongues shall say Censurers I will not heed I know whose liveries they walke in It must be an admirable piece of worke that shall haue their approbation Against such I oppose a wall of brasse VVhat I doe I doe it only to discharge some little parte of that duty which I owe vnto Gods people through my Ministery I may not longer detaine your Lordship God Almighty so blesse your governement in his Church among vs that the bounds of the Gospell of CHRIST may be enlarged that faithfull Pastors may be comforted that the enimies of true religion may be suppressed that the glory of God in all may be advanced YOVR HONOVRES in all duty and service to be commaunded SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD From my Study in CORPVS CHRISTI COLLEGE in OXFORD Iuly 5. 1613. The Preface to the Christian Reader GENTLE READER These sermons were provided for the Pulpit not intended for the Presse Yet sith I liue in a prodigall age of the world wherein too many with their vnprofitable if not obscene Pamphlets doe runne a Ad prelum tanquam praelium to the Presse as a horse to the battell and are entertained with applause I haue the more willingly now published them to thy view Thou wilt say There is already great store of Sermons abroad more then we can well vse I deny it not Yet to the fulnesse of this Sea I adde more and repent not Is abundance a burden to thee If thy soule may be fed with variety as well by the eie as by the eare hast thou any reason to finde fault But weake stomackes may surfet at the sight of too much Let such favour their eie-sight They may easily looke of and please themselues with their old choise There is no reason that their daintinesse should prejudice that profit which others might reape from this abundance Wee that are called to be labourers in the Lords harvest must resolue with the LORD of the Harvest His resolution was b Ioh. 9.4 I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke Our day is our life time the only time for vs to worke in If now in this our day time we will insteed of working onely treasure vp knowledge in our hearts as that horder in the c Cap. 11.26 Proverbs did his corne in his storehouse or will wrap vp the gifts wherewith God hath blessed vs in wast papers as the slothfull servant in the * Luk. 19.20 Gospell did his talent in a napkin the night will come vpon vs and we shall not worke Suffer vs therefore while it is our day to worke Our worke consisteth in the preaching of the Gospell The Gospell is preached as well d Ambo-verbū praedicant hic quidem scripto ille verò voce Clem. Alex. stromat lib. 1 interprete Gentiano Herveto p 57 edit Basil in fol. An. 1556. paulò pòst Praedicandi scientia est quodammodo Angelica vtrovis modo iuvans seu per manum seu per linguam operetur There is not any thing PVBLIKELY NOTIFIED but wee may in that respect rightly and properly say it is PREACHED Luk. 8 39. 12.3 Hooker Eccl. Polit. l. 5. § 18. pag. 28 Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles were in their times all PREACHERS of Gods truth some by WORD some by WRITING some by BOTH Hooker ibid. § 19. pag. 29. The Apostles in WRITING are not vntruely nor vnfitly said to PREACH Hooker lib. 5. § 21. pag 39. vide ibid. plura Evangelizo MANV SCRIPTIONE Rainold de Rom. Eccles Idololat Praef. ad Com. Essex pag. 7. by writing as by speaking as well by pen as by tongue The word spoken for the time is most piercing but the letter written is of most continuance I shall account it my happinesse if I may doe good both waies My place in that worthy Foundation whereof I am an vnworthy member wearing me out in the reading of HVMANITIE now the fourteenth yeare hath hindred mee from doing that good I wished to haue done the one way by my speaking by my tongue If the other way by my writing by my penne I may redeeme the time past and by these my poore labours may doe some good not only to * The inhabitants of MEIS BY HAMPTON MARSTON and DVNFIELD in the Diocesse of Gloucester them among whom I first sowed this seed but also to other Congregations of my Country I haue enough If deare CHRISTIAN thou find in these my Sermons the same things iterated marvaile not thereat I haue my Prophets warrant for it He in this first chapter repeateth the same things fiue times over May not I after his ensample doe it once or twise I must professe vnto thee good CHRISTIAN that my cheefe intent in this Commentarie is the destruction of sinne If to any of the learned J seeme to haue failed of my purpose my earnest desire is that they will bee pleased to take the paines to amend it The rest who to this poore labour of mine shall afford their gratious and favourable good liking I heartily entreat to help me with their godly prayers that this worke whatsoever else of like kinde I shall hereafter attempt to publish to the censure of the world may wholy redound to the glory of God and good of his Church Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord JESVS that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the everlasting covenant sanctifie thee throughout that enioying the peace
of thy conscience in this world thou maist hereafter haue full fruition of that eternall peace of God in Heaven Thine vnfeinedly in the Lord for thy good S. B. THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS chap. 1. ver 1. The words of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tokoa which he saw vpon Israel in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake ONE of the Pharisees in the gospell as if he were vnwilling to be ignorant in so weightie a matter as is mans salvation in a tempting manner asked Christ this question Master what shall I do to inherit eternall life Our Saviour for answere put forth another question and said what is written in the law how readest thou Luk. 10.26 Where we may note that the law is written for man to read that so he may be instructed what he is to doe in discharge of his duty towards God The rich man in Hell prayed Abraham that Lazarus might be sent vnto his fathers house to testifie vnto his fiue brethren lest they also should come into that place of tormeÌ„t To whom Abraham answered They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luk. 16.29 The parable teacheth vs thus much that vnlesse we delight in hearing the word preached we shall never attaine to the meanes of escaping eternall torments Two notable vses of the word of God Reading and hearing They lead man as it were by the hand to the very point of his felicity For what more blessed then to possesse eternall life Yet 〈◊〉 the Pharisee taught that by reading of the law life eternall might â—ee purchased And is it not a blessed thing to be freed from Hell torments Yet was the rich man told by Abraham that his fiue brethren by hearing of Moses and the Prophets might be saved It was a setled opinion of a Deut. 8.3 old though vttered in fulnes of time by our b Mat. 4.4 Luc. 4.4 Saviour that a man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The truth of which is confirmed by the practise of Godly men in former ages I wil noâ— trouble you with many instances Many and excellent worâ— the revelations which God gaue vnto the Prophet David yet notwithstanding all them as himselfe witnesseth cap. 9.2 he omitted not the reading of the prophecy of Ieremie Much doubtlesse for the spirituall food of his own soule yet for our ensample also that we should be conversant in the scriptures too It was a worthy commendation which Luke gaue the Romans Act. 17.11 for that as soone as they had heard the word preached by S. Paule they diligently conferred the scriptures to know whether it were so or no and thereby confirmed themselues in the truth which they had heard This their zeale and diligence should stirre vs vp also for the confirmation of our faith vpon the hearing of the word to search the scriptures That great heathen Lord Queene Candaces Eunuch as he was riding on the high way in his chariot did read the prophet Esay and the Lord of heauen had regard vnto him for it Act. 8.28 So. Daniel by reading the Beroeans and the Eunuch by reading and hearing of the word were spirituallie fâ—d and nourished vnto everlasting life To these holy exercises both of reading hearing the scriptures the scriptures are full of exhortations fit for all estates for VNâ—RLâ—â—â—ERS that they would search the scriptures because in thâ—â— they thinke to haue eternall life and they do testifie of Christ Iohn 5.39 for BELEEVERS that besides other parts of their spirituall armour they would take vnto theÌ„ the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Ephes 6.17 for YONG MEN that they would rule themselues after the word of God and so clense their waies Psal 119.9 for ALL MEN that they woulde meditate in the law of God day and night Psal 1.2 Now that the scriptures the sword of the spirit the word and law of God might be much vsed to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit of ioints and marrow it was decreed in a c Nirena Synodus decretis suis tavit ne 〈◊〉 è numero Christianorum sacris â—ibâ—iorum libris caroret Corâ— Agrippa de Van. Scient cap 100 De verbo Dei councell of Nice that no house should be without the holy Bible which d In cupiâ—â— Ieiunii Sire de Tempore Serm. 55 Feria quarta post Dominitam in Quinquagesima Sic etiam autor Sermonum ad fratres in in Eremo Serm 56. Non vobis debet sufficere quod in Ecclesia lectiones divinas audiatis sed in domibus in conviviis vestris quando dies breves sunt etiam aliquibus horis in noctibus LACTIONI divinae debetis insistere Vt in horreo cordis vestri spiritale poscitis triticum comparare c. S. Austen also entended saying Nec solum sufficiat quod in Ecclesia divinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy scriptures read vnto you in the church only but in your houses also at home either read them your selues or cause other to read them Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est serutamini scripturas It is e Homil 2. Vpon Esai Origent would to God we all did as it is written search the Scriptures Chrysostome f Homil 9 vpon the Epistâ—e to the Colossians saith Comparate vobis biblia animarum pharmacâ— seculares yea lay men get you Bibles for they are medicines of your soules Whereof the godly and first christened Emperour Constantine was well perswaded who therfore gaue g Euseb de vita Constantini lib. 4 ca. 36. Theodorit Hist Eccles lib. â— cap. 16. coÌ„mandement that the Bible should be written out and sent abroad into all the kingdomes countries and citties of his dominion And what other might the perswasion of h Iewel Replie Aâ—t 15. § 13. § 13. § 15. Babington vpon the Lords praier pag. 95. Before this K Alfrede began to translate the Psalter into English c. Foâ—e in Martyrol ad an 899. ex Guliel de Regib Angl. king Adelstane here in England be when he caused the Bible to bee translated into the English tongue that all might read it The much preaching often reading of Gods holy word in the congregations of this land in the daies of her whom of late you loved Queene ELIZABETH haue set vp established her never dying praises And is not God much to bee blessed for our good Iosiah our most dread soveraigne King IAMES His heart is from aboue replenished with a religious zeale to free the passage of Gods most holy Gospell His desire to haue God sincerely worshipped throughout this land is made known by the good order he hath takeÌ„ to
set before you al other his liege people Gods word if possible in greatest purity Let God be with the workmeÌ„ I mean the traÌ„slators of the old and new testaments i This sermon was preached in the yeare of our Lord 1605. Nov. 3. Since the Translation is perfected and published the exactest that ever this Land had Let God be with them in their holy labours and let the remembrance of our King for it be like the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie Hitherto beloved I haue by way of preface exhorted you to the reading and hearing of Gods word and I doubt not of your obedience to it Yet if any of you shal except against the reading of it for the hardnesse of the phrase being of the Eunuches mind Act. 8.31 that you cannot vnderstande what you reade except you haue a guid let it be your comfort that his Maiesty in giving his royal assent to those laudable Canons Constitutions Ecclesiastical a greed vpon in the late k Begun at London Anno Do. 1603. Synod at London hath by the 45. 46. canons provided guides for you such as are soberly and sincerely to divide the worde of truth to the glory of God and the best edification of his people And now it being my lot to be sent vnto you to you I bring an vnestimable pearle the word of the Lord which the Prophet Amos saw vpon Israel In dividing it I promise you in the words of Paul 2. Cor. 12.19 by the help of God to doe all things for your edifying Wherefore beloved giue eare I beseech you with reverent regard and attention to the word of the Lord as it is written Amos 1.1 The words of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tekoa which hee saw vpon Israel in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmen 3 The place of his vsual abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deathes of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esays father To which opinion a learned and late Divine l Prolog in 12. proph nâ—n Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But St Hierome is against it and so are most interpreters So also is Drusius in his sacred observations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of ESAYS father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is evidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran avulsus one that is separated from others These divers interpretations of these two names the name of Esays father and this our Prophets name is evidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterer stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my text We find not any such surname giuen to Esays father Therefore our Amos is not Amos the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come to his condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words VVho was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as do vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepheards In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2. King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepheard and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambe and an hundred thousand rammes with the wool The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepâ— cattel aâ— sâ—e to their feeding safetie such we properly calâ— â—â—ardmâ—n 〈◊〉 shepheards and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnes himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepheard You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa this towne Å¿ Lib de vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulâ—n t Apud Mercerum R. David to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but St Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I choose to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iudae six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrachâ—m in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2. Chron. 12.6 rehearsed among al those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as St Hieromae observeth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2. Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepheards walke Here Amos for a time led a shepheards life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. VVhich he saw this adiectioÌ„ sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Ariaâ— Montanus observeth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls servant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the olde time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reveale
neither Empire nor Kingdome nor place in them of dignitie prioritie or preeminence Ecclesiasticall or politique is gottē by the industrie wisedome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie A second vse is to stop blasphemous mouthes such as are evermore open against heaven with i Cic. de nat Deor. Epicurus and k Cic. ibid. Diagoras and their adherents to affirme that the God of heaven in as much as he is absolutely blessed is not to trouble himselfe with cares for this lower world that it standeth not with Gods maiestie to care for the vile abiect and despised things of this world This impious rabble and Sathans brood doe think that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind Goddesse Fortune and by Chance Heere must I beseech you to let your hearts bee ioined with mine in the consideration of God his sweet never sleeping care and providence over this lower world Let vs not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater not in the lesser employments The holy scriptures doe teach vs that our God examineth the lest moments and titles in the world that we can imagin to a l 1 King 17.14 handfull of meale to a m Ibid. cruse of oyle in a poore widdows house to the falling of n Matth. 10.29 sparrows to the ground to the o Matth. 6.26 feeding of the birds of the aire to the p Psal 29.9 calving of hinds to the q Matth. 6.30 clothing of the grasse of the field to the r Luk. 12 7. numbring of the haires of four heads to the trickling of ſ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of luck fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto mee by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods providence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to devour Ionas may seeme to haue arrived in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lorde had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to this streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eies yet the prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diversity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way we may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall only agreed vpō by reason of the fit arrival of the merchāts while they were disputing and debating what they were best to do yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies then by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a travailer that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue delivered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may think it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man having bent his bow let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1. King 22.34 strooke the King but here wee finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise then in respect of vs for that the shooter did no more then was denounced to the King by Micheas from Gods owne mouth before the battaile was begunne 1. King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall then lottery yet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the providence of God disposeth them Prov. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with me the large extent of Gods good providence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good providence it is that this day we are here met togither I to preach the word of God you to heare it some of vs to be made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let vs poure out our souls in thankfulnesse before God for this his blessing You are nowe invited to the marriage supper of the lambe every one that wil approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceived Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparell which Micah gaue once a year to his Levite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft cloathing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high Priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and book of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithful but a garment something like Elias Mantle which devided the waters 2. King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on who devideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enimies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40 yeares together they wandred in the desert yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shoes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnes lasteth for ever and his mercies cannot be worne out Having put on this your wedding garment doubte not of your welcome to this great feast maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to do it let him following S. Paul his coūsaile Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknes put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife envying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and bee you lift vp yee everlasting doors that a guest so richly apparelled may come in sup with the King of glory And the king of glory vouchsafe so to cloth vs all that those gates and everlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shal haue free and easie passage
pulsabat Ecce adsum veniat Sp. Sanct. faciat id si potest iudicet me per hanc Scripturam condemnet me si potest per eam dicat si potest erras IACOBE GRETSERE tu causâ cecidisti id si dixerit statim transibo ad vestrum scamnuÌ„ non potest me Spiritus Sanct. iudicare per hanc ScripturaÌ„ Rang. ib. k. 2. a. Behold saith he we stand before the face of this Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands stroke it with the other wee stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by David Rungeus in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathâ—â— Gretser we doubt not but that the LORD hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloved in the Lord Schollers can tell you of BroÌ„tes Steropes Pyracmoâ— Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Venè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudencie as ever was seene in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single coÌ„bat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557 haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2 a. a newe insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a iudges voice but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consequent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impious assertions touching holy Scripture they do directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying ex vngue Leonem A man may knowe a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnes impudencie and furie of railing with which those Iesuits before named haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You alreadie see the readinesse of popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to do it all the disgrace they can Yet giue me leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choice of is Gods soveraignety over the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paule to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordeined of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob. 34.24 God shall breake the mightie and set vp other in their steed expressed in the praier of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me princes nobles and iudges do rule This truth hath 3 branches displaied in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique advertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are given by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled governed by God All three are further made good in the infallible evidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo Reges dari Lipsius Monit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5. p. 24 Kings and Kingdomes are given by God Thus saith the LORD of Saules successour 1. Sam. 16.1 I haue provided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the revolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1. King 12.24 This thing is done by me of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get over the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue given all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my servant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Advancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone advanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are given by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag. 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the removall of Kings translation of kingdomes it s wel known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by divine examples whereof I might make a long recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings delivered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. 15. of Pharaohs overthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. 5. of Nabuchadnezzar Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the divinely inspired worde of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was r Regna à Deo Reges temperari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled governed by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recoÌ„mended to you in the beginning of this Sermon even of the wonderfull extent of Gods care providence to the least and basest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widdowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of hinds to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of tears down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and governe Kings and kingdomes Now beloved in the Lord you see by the evidence of holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almightie Giue eare I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heaven notwithstanding the eternall truth
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. de nat Dei lib. 1. c. 13 not to be pronounced or taken within polluted lips that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lect. antiq lib. â—2 cap. 9. Quem nos DEVM nuÌ„cupamâ— Aegyptij THEVT Persae dicunt SYRE Magorum disciplina ORSI vnde profluxit Oromasis Iam apud Hebraerum geÌ„tem celebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrum nomeÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde TetragraÌ„maton dicunt alia voce ex primitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecis vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur Arabibus ALLA Sic ZaÌ„c de natura Dei lib. 1. cap. 13. Apud Graecos post Hebraeos nomen Dei neÌ„pe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quatuor constat literis Sic apud Latinos DEVS vnde Hisponi dicunt DIOS Itali IDIO Galli DIEV Germanis quoque Anglis quatuor est literarum GOTT Sic Chaldaeis Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegyptijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis est Oâ—SI Dalmatis seu Illyriâ—â— BOGI Maometanis Aâ—GD Gentibus in mundo novo repertis ZIMI naâ—â— of foure letters in all tongues and languages and that these foure letters in Hebrew are all d Literae quiescentes letters of Rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the creatures in the world is in God alone that it is a e Zanch. vbi suprà powerful name for the working of miracles and that Christ and Moses had by it done great wonders But my tongue shall never enlarge that which my soule abhorreth such brainsick superstitious and blasphemous inventions Yet this I dare avouch before you that there is some secret in this name It is plaine Exod. 6.3 There the LORD speaking vnto Moses saith I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and al sufficient God but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne vnto them I vnfold this secret This great name IEHOVAH first it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is f Heb. 23.8 yesterday and today and the same for ever g Apoc. 1.8 which was which is and which is to come Againe it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whome all creatures in the world haue their h Act. 17.28 life motion and being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because of i Rom. 11.36 him and in him and by him are all things And last of al it is the Memoriall of God vnto al ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine event of such his promise or threatning he addes vnto it his name IEHOVAH In steed of this Hebrew name IEHOVAH the most proper name of God the 70. interpreters of the old Testament doe every where vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greeke name a name of power wel suiting with the living true and only God For hee hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power and authority which he hath over all things is soveraigne without controlement He that made the heavens and spread them out like a k Psal 104.2 curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment he can againe l Esai 50.3 cloath the heaven with darknesse and make a sacke their covering He that made the sea to m Psal 104.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein and n Ierem. 5.22 placed the sand for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree not to be passed over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare he can with a worde o Iob. 26.12 smite the pride thereof At his rebuke the flouds shall be turned p Esai 50.2 into a wildernesse the Sea shall be dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst He that made the drie land and so set it vpon q Psal 104.5 fouÌ„dations that it should never moue hee can cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that shee shall r Psal 107.27 reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man So powerfull a God may wel be named from power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute LORD ruler and commander of all things This name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly put for the Hebrew name IEHOVAH coÌ„monly rendred in our English tongue LORD is in the writings of the Apostles simply and absolutely if the learned haue made a Å¿ Zanch. de Attrib lib. 1. c. 17. iust calculation ascribed vnto CHRIST 1000 times and may serue for sufficient proofe of the deitie of CHRIST For it imports thus much that CHRIST the t Heb. 1.3 engraved forme of his Father sitting at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places is together with the Father and the Holy Ghost the author and governour of al things and in a very speciall manner he is the heire of the house of God the mightie protector of the Church CHRIST the only begotten SoÌ„ne of God he is the LORD yet so that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded from dominion The Father is LORD the Holy Ghost is LORD too For in all the workes of God ad extra so we speak in the schooles but to speake more vnderstandingly to your capacities in al externall works each person of the TRINITIE hath his operation Yet so that a common distinction be observed For these externall workes of God do admit a double consideratioÌ„ u Zanch. de Incarn lib 2. c. 3. q. 1. Thes 2. either they are begâ—n 〈◊〉 the Divine persons and ended x extra divivinas personas in some one of them or they are both begun and ended 〈◊〉 the Divine persons The works of God begunne externally and ended in some one of the persons what are they They are such as was the Voice of the Fâ—â—her concerning CHRIST z Matt. 3.17 This is my beloved sonne a voice formed by all three persons y In aliqua personarum yet vttered only by the Father They are such as was that a Matt. 3 16. Doue descending vpon CHRIST at his baptisme a Doue framed by al three persons yet appropriate only to the Holy Ghost They are such as were the body and soule of CHRIST a body and soule created by all three persons yet assumed only by the sonne of God This is that obvious and much vsed distinction in schoole divinity Inchoativè terminative I thus expound it In these now named workes of God the voice that was spoken vnto CHRIST
the Doue that descended vpon CHRIST the body and soule of CHRIST We are to consider two things their beginning and their end If we respect their beginning they are the workes of the whole Trinity common vnto all but respect we their perfectioÌ„ and end they are no more common but hypostaticall personall for so the voice is the Fathers alone the Doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes alone Besides these there are other workes of God as begunne so ended also EXTRA PERSONAS externally and they are of two sorts either supernatural such I cal the miraculous works of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preservation of the same and the government of it All these workes of which kinde soever whether miraculous or works of nature are common to the whole TRINITIE The Father worketh the Sonne worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preserving all things in governing all things Wherevpon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is LORD so the Son is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD also So the LORD whom I commended vnto you for the speaker in my text is the Vnitie in Trinitie one God in three persons God Almightie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I go on to shew you how he speaketh I must make bold vpon your patience to tell you of some duties necessarie duties to be performed by vs towards him as LORD God is the LORD we are his servants The duties we owe him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedieÌ„ce vnto God his word lawes commandements This duty whosoever performeth shall easilie performe the second duty to wit faithfull service with all care and diligence to do whatsoever worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the thirde dutie but shall doe good and be profitable vnto the LORD All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam As long as he was invested with his roabe of innocencie he was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD Now if it wil be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answere That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his advantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainely delivered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giveth vs his graces to this end that we should vse and increase them for his advaÌ„tage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a covetous vsurer so greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scatered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob ver 2.3 seemeth in worde to thwart and crosse this doctrine For saith he may a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vp right I answere that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnes yea he can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnes and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp mâ—n to holynesse it pleaseth God in mercie to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his servants And therefore I saie againe that Adam in the state of his innocencie was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD But alas maÌ„ once beautified with innoceÌ„cie with holynes with the grace of God is now spoyled of his roabes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle works wrought about with divers colours is now stript of her iewels the soule of maÌ„ once ful of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotles and without blame before the lambe is now fallen from that grace The preacher Eccl. 7.20 doth assure vs that there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not So much doth Solomons question import Prov. 20.9 Who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sin O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob cap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquitie like water When the LORD looked down from heaven to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Psa 14.2 could hee finde any one framed according to the rule of perfection which he requireth He could not This he found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good noâ— not one Soe sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in every deed word and thought wholy sinfull The actions of his hands the words of his lips the motions of his heart when they seeme to be most pure and sanctified yet then are they as vncleane things and filthy clouts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applyed to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is nowe become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I wil not prosecute this point of mans nakednes any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainely howe vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his LORD God For his first duty insteed of obedience he continually breaketh the commaÌ„dements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty insteede of waiting vpon God to do him service he serveth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty insteed of bringing any advantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene nowe the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs servants when they had sinned against their Lord. Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe butler was restored to his former dignitie when as the baker was hanged These two servants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of meÌ„ exiled from paradise and froÌ„ the presence of God because of their sinne to liue vpon the face of the earth as it were in a dungeon full of miserie namely the reprobate and the elect For the reprobate as they liue so they die in this dungeon and do
die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by CHRIST their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their LORD their duties of obedience of faithfull service and of profitablenes to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoever service is enioyned them and to procure advantage of glory to their LORD Beloved I doubt not but that all we who are now religiously assembled in this place are the elect of God chosen by him in Christ Iesus * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world to bee holy and without blame before him in loue yet I feare me should wee enter into our owne hearts and examine our selues how we haue walked in dutifulnesse towards him our best course will bee to runne vnto him with a PECCAVIMVS in our mouthes LORD we haue z Luk 15.18 sinned against heaven and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy servants By the first branch of â—ur dutie we are required to be obedient servants but we haue beene a Ezech. 2.4 hard of face and stiffe hearted a rebellious ofspring like vnto our fathers By the second branch of our dutie we are required to be faithfull servants but wee haue made a covenant with b Rom. 6.19 vncleanenesse and iniquitie to serue them By the third branch of our dutie we are required to be profitable servants but when we should haue c Mat. 25.27 put our Lords mony to the exchangers for his greater vantage wee haue d vers 25. hid it in the earth LORD enter not into account with vs e Iob. 9.3 we cannot answere thee one of a thousand Now dearely beloved suffer a word of exhortation let the remembrance of your holy duties by you to bee performed to the LORD your God be like f Ecclus. 49.1 the compositioÌ„ of the perfume that is made by the arte of the Apothecary sweete as hony in your mouthes and as musicke at a banket of wine Bee it vnto you g Ezech. 16.11.12 as bracelets vpon your hands as chaines about your necks as frontlets vpon your faces as earings in your eares as beautifull crownes vpon your heads let it be written in your hearts as h Ierem. 17.1 with a peÌ„ of yron or point of a Diamond never to be raced out Shall I deliver this your dutie vnto you in blessed Paules words In blessed Paules words this is your duty to i 1. Thes 2.12 walke worthy of the Lord Coloss 1.10 To walke worthy your vocation Ephes 4.1 To walke as children of the light Ephes 5.8 To walk in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 To walke in loue Ephes 5.2 To haue your conversation as it becommeth the Gospell of CHRIST Phil. 1.27 To behaue your selues honestly towards them that are without 1. Thess 4.12 To walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 If you take thought k Rom 13.14 for your flesh to fulfill the lusts of it if your eyes are l 1 Iohn 2.11 blinded with m 2 Tim. 3 4. loue of pleasures if you haue n Ephes 5.11 fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse you are out of the way and doe much faile in the performance of your holy duty And to keepe you the better in the right way let me plainly tell you out of 1. Cor. 6.9 and Ephes 5.5 That neither Idolaters nor the covetous nor extortioners nor theeues nor adulterers nor fornicators nor buggerers nor wantons nor drunkards nor raylers shall haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Haue not some of vs beene such yet to such there is ministred a word of comfort 1. Cor. 6.11 First is our accusation Such were some of you then followeth our comfort but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God Is this true beloved Are we washed and sanctified and iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God why then resolue we to follow St Paules advise Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there bee any vertue or praise resolue we to thinke on these things thinke wee on these things to doe them and we shall well performe our holy duties to our LORD Thus farre of my first note touching the speaker who speaketh Now followeth my other note How hee speaketh He shall roare and vtter his voice The metaphor of roaring with reference vnto God is frequent and much vsed in holy Scripture You shal find it as here so Ierem. 25.30 ioined with the voice of the Lord The Lord shall roare from aboue thrust out his voice from his holy habitation And so againe Ioel. 3.16 where you haue the very words of my text The LORD shall roare out of SION and vtter his voice from Ierusalem You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice Hos 11.10 The LORD shall roare like a Lion when hee shall roare then the children of the west shall feare You shall find it with application Amos 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid The LORD God hath spoken who can but prophecie St Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth for as much as it is fit for every man to vse in his speech such examples and similitudes as are most familiar to him in his owne art dayly course and trade of life It s fit for a sea faring man to compare his heavinesse to a tempest his losse to a shipwracke his enimies to contrary windes fit for a souldier to tell of his sword his buckler his coat of male his launce his helmet his musket his wounds his victories sit for a husbandman to be talking of his oxen his kine his sheepe his grounds Not vnfitly then doth Amos our Prophet sometimes a shepheard one that kept his sheepe in the wast wildernesse of Tekoa where many a time he had heard the Lyons roare compare the terrible and dreadfull voice of the living God to the roaring of Lyons The Lord shall roare By this hyperbolicall forme of speech the holy Spirit convinceth vs of stupidity and dulnesse as vnable to entertaine any admonition from God except he speak vnto vs after an extraordinary maÌ„ner For this reason even for our dulnesse sake is God here in my text compared to a Lyon He shall roare The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words He shall vtter his voice It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeall and spirituall essence devoid of such parts of nature by which we are enabled to speake may himselfe be said to speake and vtter a voice That hee spake it is well knowne to them to whom the Scriptures are not vnknowne He spake with Adam Eue the serpent with Noah with Abraham 8 times with Isaac with
sought and worshiped even in every place appointed by publike authoritie for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God given his Church a 1. Cor. 12 27. some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and evident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue would haue the societie fellowship company of your sweet Saviour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Knowe this you cannot be right worshippers of God in private if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assemblie the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoever doe for none or for smal occasions absent your selues from this place this house of God at appointed times where when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouÌ„cing of al sects and societie with idolatrie and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare avouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing St Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these daies finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will bee ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this soare I know somewhat and you knowe more then I how backward many of you haue beene froÌ„ doing God due service in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreverence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you invite your neighbour to sup with you but once he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almightie the mightie creatour of Heaven of Earth of all you that heare mâ— this day invite you many times to come and suppe at the table of his blessed Sonne and you refuse it Beleeue it hee cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoever therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grievously as a learned b Bucanus Loc. 48. Divine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a divine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloved lay vp these things in your harts let this day be the beginning of your reformatioÌ„ resolue from hence forth to perfourme your due obedience to God in this place to poure forth your praiers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table whereby faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenes of your sinnes your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of SION and IERVSALEM the place from whence God will speake vnto yâ—â— exhorted every one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Servants For old and yong should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel. 2.15 16. Calla solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the childreÌ„ those that suck the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua cha 24.15 I my house will serue the LORD Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children servants to your neighbours also strangers if they come in your way This we may learne out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zacharie First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies we wil walke in his pathes for the law shall go forth of SION and the word of the Lord from IERVSALEM Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachary chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall go vnto another saying vp let vs go and pray before the LORD seeke the LORD of hoastes I will go also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE FIFTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither OF the speaker place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spokeÌ„ Now proceed we to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time bee the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall Hebrew copie we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepheards haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepheards did vse in the wildernesse neere vnto such fields pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might bee at hand to defend their harmelesse sheepe from savage and ravenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places
the flowds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who made the dry land so f Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never mâ—â—e and can g Psal 104.6 cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Esai 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man Thus saith the LORD This powerfull IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floare to walke in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and fitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernes of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not do it hath he spoken shal he not accomplish it BalaaÌ„ confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repeÌ„t for he is not as maÌ„ that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or any one title of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of al other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecie of old is destitute of divine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 2. Peter 1.20 Know this that no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion He giveth the reasoÌ„ hereof ver 21. for the Prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The The word of the LORD came vnto me the LORD God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the LORD This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Evangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand ever true what is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and every parcell thereof is given by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man whersoever were the place whatsoever were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the LORD Howe then dare wee potters clay lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreverently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his voice from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull service of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a tast of the sweetnesse of the worde of the LORD conveied vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Evangelists Apostles It is the Lords most roial and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuarie the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsels milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre of the preface proeme or enterance making for the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the LORD Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherin I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The LORDS protestation against them verse the 3 I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God vers the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sinne set downe generally and specially Generally vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan Iustin lib 36 Stephan Adrichom Hieron Heb. quaest in GeÌ„ some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Apud Hier. ibid Ioseph antiq Iudaic lib. 1. cap. 7. Willet in GeÌ„ cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Where vpon Damascus was called also Aram as c In Esai 17. St Hierome witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquitie of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel
of Babel worthy to be destroyed blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served vs blessed shal he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones This reward of Babel is enlarged Esay 13.16 Their children shall be broken in peeces before their eies their houses shall be spoiled and their wiues ravished Thus not to trouble you with many examples we see by the reward of crueltie in the examples of Adonibezek Agag the Babylonians that God abhorreth it God abhorreth cruelty howsoever he doth punish it with another crueltie God repaieth crueltie with cruelty according to the wel known proverb Matth. 7.2 With what measure you mete with the same shall men measure to you againe The vse of the doctrine now confirmed is to work in vs the loue of clemency and mercifulnesse When we are wel assured that the cruell themselues shal tast of cruelty by way of punishment we will be afraid to behaue our selues towards any cruellie All crueltie is checked by the law of God by the sixt coÌ„mandement Thou shalt doe no murder or Thou shalt not kill The law that is written Deut. 25.3 touching fortie stripes not aboue to be giueÌ„ to an offender should draw our cruell rage and fierce affections to pitie compassion The tenour of the law is If a wicked man be condemned to be beaten the iudge shall cause him to lie downe and to bee beaten before his face according to his trespasse vnto a certaine number fortie stripes shall he cause him to haue and not past lest if he should exceed beat him aboue that with many stripes thy brother should appeare despised in thy sight We may be many waies guiltie of crueltie First if we exercise tyrannous cruelty in inflicting punishmeÌ„ts This we know by the aboue cited place out of Deut. 25. Secondly if we fight with or beate our neighbour or maime his body This is a 〈◊〉 a breach of the sixt commaundement but specially 〈◊〉 Levit. 24.19 20. If a man cause anie blemish in 〈…〉 hath done so shall it be done to him Breach for 〈…〉 for tâ—â—th such a blemish as hee hath make in any 〈◊〉 such shall be repaiâ—d to him Thirdly if we procure any way the death of our neighbour whether it be by the sword by famine by poison by false accusatioÌ„ or otherwise This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt coÌ„mandement The offender in this behalfe may bee rankt with Cain Gen. 4.8 where it is said Caine rose against his brother slew him Fourthly if wee vse any of Gods creatures hardly This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt commandement but speciallie controlled Deut. 22.6 If thou finde a birds nest in the way in any tree or on the ground whether they be yong or egs and the damme sitting vpon the yong or vpoÌ„ the egs thou shalt not take the damme with the yong but shalt in any wise let the damme goe and take the yong to thee that thou maist prosper and proâ—ing thy daies This speciall cruelty is taxed Prov. 12.10 where we are told That the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast Fiftly if because of our neighbours infirmities we vse him discourteously and make him our laughing stock or taunting recreation This is a cruelty and a breach of the sixt commandement but specially checked Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the dâ—â—st nor put a stumbling blocke before the blinde Sixtly if we iniurie a stranger This a cruelty and specially controlled Exod. 22.21 Thou shalt not doe iniurie to a stranger neither oppresse him Seaventhly if we molest any widowe or fatherlesse childe This is a cruelty and specially checkt Exod. 22.22 Yee shall not trouble any widow or fatherlesse child Eightly if we wrong the poore This is a cruelty a breach of the sixt commandement This cruelty we are guilty of many waies First if we lend mony to the poore vpon vsury This crueltie is taxed Exod. 22.25 If thou lend mony to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with vsury Secondly if we pay not the poore labourer his hire This cruelty is taxed Deut. 24.14 Thou shalt not oppresse a needy and poore hired servant thou shalt giue him his hire for his day the Sun shall not go downe vpon it for he is poore and therwith sustaineth his life lest he cry against thee to the LORD and it be sin vnto thee Thirdly if we restore not the pledge of the poore This cruelty is taxed Exod. 22.26 If thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sun go downe For it is his only covering and garment for his skin Fourthly if we withdraw our corne froÌ„ the poore This cruelty is taxed Prov. 11.26 He that withdraweth corne the people will curse him Whosoever he be that withdraweth his corne froÌ„ the market where it should be sold keeping it against a deare time the people will curse him they will speake as they haue iust occasion all manner of evill of him as that he is a covetous and miserable wretch Now dearely beloved you haue beene taught out of the eternall word of trueth that many waies you may be guilty of cruelty and so breake the sixt commandement of Almightie God If you fight with or beat your neighbour or maime his body if by any meanes you procure the death of your neighbour if you vse your neighbour discourteously or make him your laughing stock or tauÌ„ting recreatioÌ„ if you vse any of Gods creatures hardly if you iniurie strangers if you molest fatherlesse children widowes if you be too severe in punishing your servants or children if you wrong the poore either by lending him your mony vpon vsury or by not paying him his hire or by not restoring him his pledge or by with drawing your corne from him if you offend but in the lest of these you are guilty of cruelty and transgressors of Gods holy commandement The coÌ„sideration whereof if it worke in you the loue of clemencie mercifulnesse happy are you if not I haue discharged my duety Thus 〈…〉 can câ—â—ried by my first doctrine grounded vpon these words They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of 〈◊〉 My doctrine was God is never wel pleased with 〈…〉 Now be patient I beseech you while vpon the same words I ground a seâ—oâ—d doctrine They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instrumeÌ„ts of yron They that is the Syrians Gods enemies haue threshed Gilead that is some of the Israelites Gods own people with threshing instruments of yron The lesson we learne from hence is God often humbleth his servants vnder his foes and their adversaries This point is notably verified in Lot sore pressed vpon by the Sodomites Gen 19.9 in the Israelites hardly dealt with by the Aegyptians Exod. 1.11 c. in the 70. breâ—hren sons of Ierabbam persecuted by Abâ—molech most of the â—nto the death
instruments For thus make they their confession before the LORD of heauen and earth verse the 28. Doubtlesse both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against thine holy Sonne Iesus to doe whatsoever thine hand and thy counsell had determined to be done To good purpose then is that question propounded by Amos chap. 3.6 Shall there be evill in a city and the Lord hath not done it It may serue for an anchor to keepe vs that we bee not carried away with the waues of tribulation and affliction It assureth vs that God who bad Shimei curse David who sent the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse to spoile and make an end of Iobs substance and his children who determined that Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the Israelites should put to death the LORD of life that the same God hath his finger yea and his whole hand too in all our crosses and tribulations Is there any evill in the city and the LORD hath not done it Here beloued in the Lord must we be taxed for a vanity at least I had almost said a blasphemie deeply rooted too wel setled among vs. Vpon the accesse of any calamitie we cry out bad lucke bad fortune If the strong man come into our house and take from vs the flower of our riches our silver and gold then we cry What lucke What fortune If our sheep and cattle faile vs then also we cry What lucke What fortune Whatsoever crosse befalleth vs lucke and fortune is still in our mouthes Quasi Deus â—tium coleret in coelo non curaret res humanas as if we were to hold it for an article of our beleefe that God liveth idly in heaven hath no regard of mans affaires Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this question shall there be any evill in 〈…〉 and the LORD hath not done it and the holy Apostles in acknowledging Gods hand in the death of Christ and holy Iob in blessing the name of the LORD for all his losses and holy David in patiently taking Shimeis curses as an affliction sent him from the LORD doe all plainly shew this that the empire of this world is administred by Almighty God and that nothing happeneth vnto vs but by Gods hand and appointment Learne we then more patience towards the instruments of our calamities miseries crosses and afflictions let vs not be like the dogge that snatcheth at the stone cast at him without regard vnto the thrower Here we learne a better propertie even to turne our eies from the instrumentes to the hand that smiteth by them Thus farre of my second circuÌ„stance How God punisheth My third was whome he punisheth Hazael and Benhadad the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad If you wil know who and Hazael was you must haue recourse to the sâ—creâ— storie 2 King â— There 〈◊〉 you find him sent by Benhadad King of Syria with a present vnto Elizâ—us to knowe concerning his sicknesse whether he should recover of it and after his returne froÌ„ Elizeus with a thicke weâ— cloath to haue strangled and murdered his Lord Maister King Benhadad This was he whom Elizeus foretold of his hard vsage of the Israelites that hee should set on fire their strong cities should slay their young men with the sword should dash their infants against the stones and should rent in peeces their women great with child This was he who 2. Kings 13.7 so destroyed the children of Israel that hee made them like dust 〈◊〉 to powder This was he of whose death we read verse the 24. The house of Hazael either the familie flocke and posterity of Hazael as Arias Montanus Mercer Drusius expounde or some materiall house which Hazael had proudly and stately built for himselfe and his posteritie This later exposition is added to the former by Mercer and Drusius because of that which followeth the palaces of Benhadad Benhadad In writing this name I find three errours One of the Greeks who write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were in the Hebrew Benader The second of the Latines who write it Benhadab The third of Ionathan the Chaldee paraphrast who writes it Barhadad whereas the right name is Benhadad Benhadad saith Mercer vpon this place was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria as was first Pharaoh and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt and Caesar to the Roman Emperours From this opinioÌ„ of Mercer Drusius in observat sacr 11. 14. varieth affirming that albeit diverse Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad yet doth it not therevpon follow that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syria In holy Scripture we read of three Benhadads Of the first 1. Kings 15.18 who was King of Syria at what time Asa raigned in Iudah and Baasha in Israel Of the second 2. Kings 8.7 who in his sicknesse sent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God for counsaile Of the third â— Kings 13.3 who was Hazaels sonne and his successour in the throne Now the Benhadad in my text is either Benhadad Hazaels predecessour slaine by Hazael or Benhadad Hazaels sonne successour The palaces of Benhadad to bee devoured by fire from the LORD These palaces of Benhadad are the goodly sumptuous proud and stately edifices made or enlarged by either of the Benhadads or by both Hazaels predecessour and successour Thus haue you the exposition of my third circumstance which was concerning the parties punished no meane parties parties of no lower rancke then Kings Hazael and Benhadad The LORD punisheth hee punisheth by fire hee punisheth by fire Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Benhadad Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced I can but point at them 1 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the house of Hazael against his 〈…〉 who are put in mind of a truth expressed in the secoâ—â— comâ—andement this God will 〈…〉 of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation Dearely 〈…〉 is that anger the flame of whose punishment 〈…〉 smoake so farre yet the meaning thereof is as Ezechâ—â— sheweth chap. 18. If the children doe follow the fathers wickednesse not otherwise To visite then is not to punish the children for the fathers offences but to take notice apprehend them in the same faults by reason they are giuen over to commit their fathers transgressions that for them they be punished The vse is to admonish you that are Parents not onely to liue your selues vertuously religiously while you haue your abode here but also carefully to see to the training vp of your children in vertue and true religion least partaking with you in your sinnes they proâ—e inheritours of your punishmentes also 2 In that the LORD sendeth a fire into the house and palaces of Hazael and Benhadad two Kings
vnder-magistrate but the King him selfe out of Beth-eden another so named city of Syria Bikeath-Aven shall not bee able to defend her inhabitants nor Beth-eden her king I will cut of c. Thus farre the exposition Now some notes of instruction You wil be pleased to remember with me my three propouÌ„ded circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD 2 The punishment a cutting of 3 The punished the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and the King of Beth-eden From the first circumstance The LORD himselfe taking veÌ„geance into his owne hands ariseth this doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Which truth having beene often coÌ„mended to your Christian considerations in former lectures I now let passe From all three circumstances of the punisher the punishment and the punished iointly considered arise other profitable doctrines First we see that the cutting of of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and of him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden is the LORDS proper worke The lesson which wee may take from hence is this No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoever estate or degree by chance or at adventure It was an errour of the Paynims to holde fortune in so high account b Iuven. Sat. 10. Te facimus Fortuna DEAM coeloque locamus They esteemed her as a goddesse and assigned her a place in Heaven They presented her by the image of a womaÌ„ sitting sometimes vpon a ball sometimes vpon a wheele having with her a rasour c Pierius Hieroglyph lib. 29. bearing in her right hand the sterne of a ship in her left the horne of abundance by the rasour they would giue vs to vnderstand that shee can at her pleasure cut of and end our happinesse by the ball or wheele that shee is very prone to volubility and change by the sterne in her right hand that the whole course of our life is vnder her government by the horne of abundance in her left hand that all our plenty is from her This palpable idolatry of the Gentiles giving the glory of the most high to their base and inglorious abominations we Christians must vtterly renounce We honor the LORD of hoasts alone and to him alone do we ascribe the soveraignety dominion and rule of the whole world Such is the extent of Gods wonderfull and eternall providence The whole world with all things therein is wholy alone subiect to the soveraignety dominion and rule of Almighty God by his providence all things are preserved all things are ruled all things are ordered These are the three degrees by which you may discerne take notice of the Act of divine providence The first is Gradus conservationis The second Gradus gubernationis The third Gradus ordinationis The first degree is of maintenance or preseruation the second is of rule and gouernment the third is of ordination and 〈◊〉 The first degree which I termed gradum conservationis the degree of maintenance and preservation implieth thus much that all things in generall and every thing in particular are by Almighty God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created This truth is excellently explained Psal 104. 145. 147. In which the Psalmist ioyfully singeth out of the wonderfull ProvideÌ„ce of God in the maintenance and preservation of man every other creature the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fishes of the sea d Psalm 104.10.11 Hee sendeth the springs into the valleys that all the beasts of the field may drinke and the wild asses quench their thirst e Psal 147.8 Ps 104 13 He covereth the heaven with cloudes prepareth raine for the earth maketh grasse to grow even vpoÌ„ mountaines that cattle may haue food hee hath made the mountaines f Psal 104.18 to be a refuge for gooâ—s and rockes for conies the Lyons g Vers 21. roaring after their prey seeke their meat at him You see Gods care and providence for the preservation of the beasts of the field see the like for the foules of the aire Hee hath planted the h Psal 104.16 Cedars of Lebanon for birds to make their nests there and the firre trees for the storkes to dwell in the young i Ps 147 9. ravens that cry vnto him hee feedeth Our Saviour Iesus Christ Matth. 6.26 calles you to this consideration Behold saith he the foules of heauen they sow not nor reape nor carry into barnes yet your heavenly father feedeth them Gods care and providence for the preservation of his creatures here resteth not it reacheth even to the bottome of the sea There is great k Psal 104.26 Leviathan there are creeping things innumerable small and great all which wait vpon the LORD that he may giue them food in due season In due season he giues them food they gather it he openeth his hand and they are filled with good O LORD how manifold are thy works l Psal 104.24 In wisdome hast thou made them all the whole world is full of thy riches The next degree whereby we may discerne the act of divine providence I termed 〈◊〉 â—â—bernation is the degree of rule and governement It implyeth 〈…〉 that Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis sua even as he listeth This point is delivered not obscurely in many places of holy Scripture as in those generall and vniversall sayings which doe proue God Almightie even this day to work in the world and to doe all in all In Esai 43.13 thus saith the LORD Yea before the day was I am and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand I will doe it and who shall let it Agreeable to this are the words of our Saviour Iohn 5.17 My father worketh hitherto and I worke From both these places we may truly inferre that God worketh in the gouernement of this world day after day even vntill the end thereof which St Paul Ephes 1.11 avoweth He worketh all things after the counsaile of his owne wil. To the consideration hereof Elihu stirreth vp afflicted Iob chap. 37. wishing him to consider the wonderous workes of God the cloudes and his light shining out of them the thunder Gods marvailous and glorious voice the snow the frost the whirlewind the raine all these God ruleth and governeth after his good pleasure And who I pray you ruleth man and mans affaires but the LORD O LORD saith Ierem. chap. 10.23 I knowe that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps King Solomon confesseth as much Prov. 20.24 The steps of man are ruled by the LORD From this ruling providence of God King David Psal 23.1 drew vnto himselfe a very comfortable argument The LORD feedeth me therefore I shall not want Let vs as comfortably reason with our selues The LORD feedeth vs therefore we
second causes definite or indefinite necessarie or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his governement of the world ordinarily worketh This doctrine of Almightie God working ordinarily by meanes may serue to our vse sundry waies 1 It may moue vs to a due consideration of that absolute right and power which God holdeth over all is creatures This truth I haue heretofore delivered vnto you in my eighth Lecture vpon this Prophecie in this proposition As is the fire so are all other creatures at the LORDS commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked 2 It may teach vs that God hath a loving regard and respect to our infirmities as well knowing for hee knoweth all things that in doubtfull matters we vse often to looke backe and to haue recourse to meanes or second causes 3 It may moue vs to obedience and thankefulnesse that we contemne not the meanes or second causes by which God worketh for this were to tempt God but that we thankefully imbrace them and commit their issue event and successe to God that worketh by them 4 It meeteth with a perverse opinion of such as doe hold that all second causes are needlesse and vnprofitable because God by his particular providence directeth and bringeth to passe all things in the world Thus wil these â—en 〈…〉 determined by Gods providence that I shall 〈…〉 there is no need that I vse Physicke aâ—d â—f 〈…〉 determined that I shall not recouer in 〈◊〉 shall I vse the helpe of Physicke Againe if it be determined that theeues shall haue no power over mee I shall escape from out the middest of many but if it bee otherwise determined that I shall be spoiled by them I shall not escape them no though I be in mine owne house Great is the iniurie which these disputers doe offer vnto God For answer to them I must grant that God hath a very speciall care over vs to defend vs and that we are no time safe but by his providence but meane while to make vs well assured of his good will towards vs hee hath ordained second causes and meanes for vs at all opportunities times convenient to vse in which and by which it pleaseth his heauenly Maiestie to worke effectually The rule in divinitie is good Positâ providentiâ particulari non tâ—â—â—â—tâ—r 〈◊〉 omnes causa secunda It is not necessarie that the first and principall cause being put the second and instrumentall cause should be remoued and taken away The sun doth not in vaine daily rise set though God createth light and darknesse the fields are not in vaine sowed watred with raine though God bringeth forth the come out of the earth our bodies are not in vaine with food refreshed though God be the life length of our daies Neither are wee in vaine taught to beleeue in Christ to heare the preaching of the Gospell to detest sinne to loue righteousnesse to conforme our liues vnto sound doctrine though our saluation and life eternall bee the free gift of God For God hath from everlasting decreed as the ends so the meanes also which hee hath prescribed vnto vs by them to bring vs to the ends This the great Father of this age Zanchius de attributis Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. qu. 5. expresly avoweth His Thesis is concerning life eternall Whosoever are predestinated to the end they are also predestinated to the meanes without which the end cannot possibly be obtained For example whosoever are predestinated to eternall life as all we this day assembled hope we are they are also predestinated to the â—eâ—â—es by which life eternall may bee obtained These meanes vnto eternall life are of two sorts 1. Some are necessarie vnto all of whatsoever age or sexe and they are Christ as our mediatour and high Priest his obedience and righteousnesse our effectuall vocation vnto Christ by the holy Ghost our iustification our glorification These are so necessarie vnto all that without them none can bee saued And therefore all elect infants are inwardly and after a secret manner by the holy Ghost called iustified that they may be glorified 2. Some annexed vnto these are necessary too but not to all Not to infants because they are not capable of them yet to all that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding and these are Actuall faith the hearing of the word a hatred of sinne the loue of righteousnesse patience in adversitie a desire of doing good workes All these meanes we that are growne to years of vnderstanding must embrace and take hold of every one according to our capacities or else wee shall never enter into everlasting life but our portion shall bee in that lake which is provided for the Devill and his Angels from which God Almightie keepe vs all Thus farre occasioned by my first circumstance the circumstance of the punisher God by the King of Assyria sent into captivitie the people of Aram. My doctrine was Almightie God in his governement of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes The second circumstance is of the punished the Aramites of all sorts the ruder and the noble The people of Aram. To grouÌ„d some doctrine hereon you must note with me the qualitie condition of these Aramites They were professed enimies to the people of God This appeareth before in the third verse where they are noted to haue exercised most barbarous crueltie against the Gileadites a parcell of Israel to haue threshed them with threshing instruments of yron These Aramites or Syrians for so highly offending God sendeth into captivitie The doctrine is Though the LORD 〈◊〉 vse his enimies aâ— instruments to correct his owne servants and children yet will hee in his due times overthrow those his enimies with a large measure of his iudgements Gods holy practise in this kind specially registred in sundry places of his eternal word most evidently declareth this truth The Israelites were kept in the al dome bondage many years by the Egyptians The Egyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith he afflicted his people they were Gods weapons were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull overthrow in the red sea at large set downe in the booke of Exodus froÌ„ the 7. chapter to the end of the 14. This was it which God said vnto Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. Knowe for a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirâ— foure hundred yeares shall serue them and they shall intreat them evill notwithstanding the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and vineyard Ahab and Iezebel were Gods instruments Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse
Hell vnder death vnder sin vnder the eternall malediction or curse of the law propounded to every one that doth not in all points and absolutely obey the law This Captivity is a heavy yoke to all mankinde considered without Christ Every one male and female that hath no part in Christ every vnbelieving and reprobate person is in this construction even to this day a captiue And such also were we by the corruption of our nature vpon our first father Adams default but now are we by the sacrifice of the â—â—â—aculate Lambe the LORD IESVS ransomed and freed Fâ—â— do this purpose was he sent into the world as it is evident Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.18 In both places hee professeth himselfe to bee sent into the world for this end even to publish liberty and freedome to captiues and the imprisoned which his office hee hath graciously performed By his word of grace he hath so freed our consciences formerly oppressed with and captiue vnder sin that now there is no condemnation to vs to vs I say who are in Christ do walke after the spirit as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 8.1 This is it which our Saviour foretold the Iewes Iohn 8.36 If the sonne shall make you free you shall be free indeed Be it repeated againe to our eternall comforts If the son shall make vs free we shall be free indeed But he hath made vs free for therfore was he sent to publish liberty and freedome to captiues he hath paide our ransome his iâ—â—ocent and most precious blood by it are wee throughly washed and clensed from our sins Now there is no condemnation to vs. Thus freed from our spirituall captivity bondage and slavery vnder Hell death and sinne let vs with boldnes looking vp to the throne of Grace whereon sitteth the author finisher of our faith say with the blessed Apostle 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be to God who hath given vs victory through Iesus Christ our LORD The Captivity in my text is of the other kind a corporal captivity a captivity of the body which vsually is accompanied with two great miseries pointed at Psal 107.10 The first they dwell in darknes and in the shadow of death the second they are bound in anguish and yron First they dwell in darkenesse and in the shadow of death that is they are put into deepe dungeons void of light whereby they are as it were at deaths doore Secondly they are bound in anguish and yron that is day and night they are loaden with fetters gyues or shackles of yron so loaden that they finde no rest vnto their bones Thus must it be with them who by sinnefull living provoke the LORD to high displeasure Thus is my doctrine confirmed For the sin of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Is it true beloved Doth God oftentimes for the sin of a land send away the inhabitaÌ„ts into captivity Let vs make this ChristiaÌ„ vse of it even to powre out our selues in thankfulnes before almighty God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. The sins of such nations as haue beene punished with captivity were they more grievous in Gods eies then ours are It is not to bee imagined Our sins are as crimson-like and as scarlet-like as ever were theirs the sins of our land crying sins Atheisme Irreligion Oppression Extortion Covetousnes Vsury Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Drunkennesse and many like abominations of the old man in vs all our works of darknes they haue made head together and haue impudently and shamelesly pressed into the presence of Almighty God to vrge him to poure forth the viols of his wrath and indignation vpon vs. Yet our God good gracious mercifull long suffering and of great kindnes withholdeth and stayeth his revengeful hand from laying vpon vs his great punishment of Captivity and suffereth vs to possesse our habitations in peace to eat the good things of the earth O let vs therefore confesse before the LORD his loving kindnesse declare before the sonnes of men the good things that he hath done for vs. Here dearely beloved let vs not presume vpon God his patience to lead our liues as we list We cannot but see that God is highly offended with vs already though yet hee be not pleased to execute his sorest iudgements vpon vs. Gods high displeasure against vs appeareth in those many visitations by which he hath come neere vnto vs within our memories I may not stand to amplifie the Spanish sword shaken over vs the great famine brought vpoÌ„ vs in our late Queenes daies Our now gracious Soveraigne 〈◊〉 noâ— lâ—â—g sâ—â—e at the sterne of this kingdome But few yeares are passed and yet those few haue afforded manifest tokens of Gods sore displeasure at vs. Haue not many thousands of our brethren happily not so grievous sinners as we beene taken away by the destroying Angel and yet the plague is not ceased Vnlesse we repent amend our liues we may likewise perish Haue not many of our brethren too many if it might haue seemed otherwise to Almighty God haue they not partly perished themselues partlie lost their cattell and substance in n An. D. 1607. this yeares waters such waters as our forefathers haue scarcely observed the like If wee will not wash out selues from our evill doings we see God is able to wash vs extraordinarily The vnseasonable weather giveÌ„ vs from heaven to the rotting of our sheep is but Gods warning to vs of a greater misery to befall vs vnlesse we will returne froÌ„ our euill waies Wherefore beloved let vs with one heart and minde resolue for hereafter to cast away all works of darknes to put on the armor of light take we no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Walke we from henceforth honestly as in the day Whatsoever things are true and honest and iust and pure and do pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be anie vertue or praise thinke we on these things Think we on these things to do them and we shal not need to feare any going into captivity yea the destroying Angell shall haue no power over vs the raging waters shall not hurt vs our cattell and whatsoever else we enioy shall prosper vnder vs. For God even our owne God shall giue vs his blessing THE TWELFTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.6 7 8. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure I will not turne to it because they carried away prisoners the whole captivitie to shut them vp in Edom. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the walls of Azzah and it shall devoure the palaces therof And I will cut of the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon turne mine hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the LORD
God THese words do containe a burdensome prophecie against the Philistines I divide them into three parts 1 A preface to a prophecie ver 6. Thus saith the LORD 2 The prophecie ver 6 7 8. For three transgressions c. 3 The conclusion in the end of the 8. ver Saith the Lord God In the prophecie I obserue foure parts 1 An accusation of the Philistines ver the 6. For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them ver the 6. I will not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grievous sin by which the Philistines so highly displeased God ver the 6. They carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut theÌ„ vp in Edom. 4 The description of the punishments to be inflicted vpon them in fiue branches One in the 7. ver and foure in the 8. ver The great cities Azzah Ashdod and Ashkelon and Ekron and all the rest of the Philistines are partners in this punishment This prophecie for the 〈◊〉 and current of the wordes is much like the former against the Syrians the expositioÌ„ whereof in sundry sermons heretofore delivered may serue for the exposition of this prophecie also The preface is first Thus saith the LORD Not Amos but in Amos the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH who made the heauens and spread them our like a curtaine to cloth himselfe with light as with a garment and can againe cloth the heaven with darknes and make a sacke their covering the LORD IEHOVAH who made the sea to lay the beames of his chamber therein placed the sands for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree never to bee passed over howsoever the waues thereof shal rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke the floods shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst 2. the LORD IEHOVAH who made the drie land and so see it vpon foundations that it should never moue and can cover â—er againe with the deepe as with a garment so â—â—cke her that shee shall reele to and â—ro and stacker like a dâ—â—â—ken man Thus saith the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his 〈◊〉 to walâ—e in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man and possesseth his most secret reines devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath he said it and shall he not do it hath he spoken it and shal he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Isael is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall perish before one â—â—t or any one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Out of doubt then must it come to passâ— Here see the authoritie of this prophecie and not of this only but also of all other the prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this not any other prophecie of old is destitute of divine authoritie This point of the authoritie of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second and sixt lectures vpon this prophecie and then noted vnto you the harmonie consent agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words ofâ—â—n that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man wheresoever were the place whatsoever were the people the wordes were the LORDS Thus saith the LORD Thâ—n must we giue care vnto him with reverence But what saith he Even the words of this prophecy For three transgressions of Azzah foure I will not turne it AZZAH Palestina the country of the Philistines was divided into fiue Provinces or dutchies mentioned Iosh 13.3 the Dutchies of Azzah of Ashdod of Askelon of Gath of Ekron These fiue chiefe and the most famous cities of Palestina are recorded also 1. Samuel 6.17 where the Philistines are said to haue giuen for a sinne offering to the LORD fiue golden Emerods one for Azzah one for Ashdod one for Askelon one for Gath and one for Ekron Against foure of these cities all saue Gath and against Gath too in the generall name of the Philistines this prophecie was giuen by the ministerie of Amos. In the offence or blame Azzah is alone nominated but in the punishment are Ashdod and Askelon and Ekron and the residue of the Philistines remembred as well as Azzah AZZAH It's first named Gen. 10.19 In the vulgar Latin in the Greeke it 's commonly called Gaza it hath no other name in the new Testament but Gaza It 's so called Act. 8.26 And you may call it by which name you wil AZZAH or GAZA it 's not materiall Now by this Azzah or Gaza you are to vnderstand the inhabitants of the city not them only but also the borderers all the inâ—◠〈…〉 to all which our Prophet here denounceth Gods iudgements for their sinnes For three 〈…〉 These words containing 〈…〉 for their sinnes and the 〈…〉 against theâ— for the same I hau◠〈…〉 occasioned thereon by the beginning of 〈◊〉 third verse and therefore I shall not 〈…〉 to make any long â—â—tration thereof Yet 〈…〉 you the 〈◊〉 subsâ—â—â—ce of them For three 〈…〉 It is as if the LORD had 〈…〉 had offended but once or a second time I should hauâ— been fâ—vourable vnto them should haue recalled them into the right way that so they might bee converted and 〈…〉 but now whereas they doe dayly 〈…〉 and findâ—â—p end of 〈◊〉 I hau◠〈…〉 my face against them and will not suffer 〈…〉 but indurate and obstinaâ—e as they are I will 〈…〉 For thâ—â—e transgressions of Azzah and for 〈◊〉 The doctrine iâ— Many 〈…〉 pluck◠〈◊〉 from heaâ—en the most certaine wrath 〈…〉 of God vpon the sinners God is of pure eyes beholdeth not iniquitie he hath laid righteousnes to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontrouleable even as long as sunne and moone Tribulation anguish vpon every soule that do the vill the soule that sinneth it shall be punished God â—â—kes it good by an â—â—th Deut. 32.41 That hee will what his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgment to execute vengâ—â—nce vpon sinners His soule harâ—th and abhorreth sinne his â—â—w câ—â—seth condemneth sinne his hand smiteth scourgeth sinne 〈◊〉 was his motiue to cast down Angels into Hell to thâ—ust Adam out of Paradise to turne cities into ashes to ruinate nations
to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne hee drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sinner plucke dâ—â—â—e froÌ„ heauen the more â—â—rtaine wrath and vengeanes of God vpon the sinners Oâ—â— vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfullnesse in all our waies that wee doe not by our many sinnes provoke Almightie God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplatioÌ„ of the wonderfull patience of Almightie God who did so graciously forbeare these Philistines of Azzah â—ll by three and foure transgressions by their many sinnes they had provoked him to indignation It 's true our God is a good God a gracious God a mercifull God a God of wonderfull patience yet may not wee thereby take encouragement to goe on in our evill doings The LORD who punished his Angels in heaven for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angrie word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the LORD Ananias with his wife Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost out of doubt wil not spare vs if we shall persist to make a trade of sinning day after day heaping iniquitie vpon iniquitie to the fulfilling of our sinnes If so wee doe it shall bee with vs as the Apostle speaketh 1. Thes 2.16 The wrath of God must come on vs to the vtmost Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued let vs walke in loue even as Christ hath loued vs. As for the workes of the flesh cast we them farre from vs adulterie fornication vncleanenesse wantonnes hatred debate emulation wrath contentions envie drunkennesse gluttonie such like for which the wrath of God commeth vpoÌ„ the children of disobedience let them not once be named among vs as it becoÌ„meth Saints But the fruits of the Spirit let vs wholy delight in them hauing layd vp in the treasurie of our memories this lesson Three transgressions and foure Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath vengeance of God vpon the sinners It followeth Because they carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them vp in Edom These wordes are the third part of this prophecie doe 〈…〉 by which God was provoked 〈…〉 the men of Azzah 〈◊〉 the rest of the Philistiâ—â—◠〈…〉 the sinne of â—â—ailtie rigour vnmercifulnesse hardnesse of heart They carried away prisoners the whole captiviâ—â—â— to sâ—â—t 〈…〉 Here the abstract is put for the 〈…〉 or persons in captivitie aâ— Psal â—â— 1◠〈…〉 captiue The whole 〈◊〉 It 's well translated for the sense the word in the originall signifieth absolute perfect and compleat By this whole captivitie the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute perfect and compleat captivitie â—â—ram captivitatâ—â— apâ—rtam atque manifâ—â—â—â—â— saith Ariâ—â— Montaâ—â—â— a captivitie indeed open manifest such a captivitie faith Calâ—â—â—â— as wherein they spared not either â—â—men or children or the agâ—d they tooke no pitie no compassion vpon either sexe or age but all of al sorts male and female young and old they carried away prisoners What was their end and purpose in so doing Even to sâ—â—t theÌ„ vp in Edom that is to sell them for bondâ—â—â—ues vnto the Idameans In Edom Esau Iacobs brother and Isaackâ— son by his wife a Gen. 25.21 Rebekah for selling his birthright for a messe of b vers 30. red broath was surnamed Edom and of him lineally descended the Edomites or Idâ—means Gen. 36 4â— Of this posterity of Esau or Edom the land which they inhabited was called the land of EdoÌ„ or Idumaea and it was a southerne province of the land of promise devided as c Theatr. Terrae SaÌ„ctae Adricham and d Observat lib. 14 cap 13. Drusius haue observed out of Iosephus his â— book of the Iewish antiquities into two parts Idumaeam Superiorem and Inferior 〈◊〉 the higher and the lower Idumaea The higher wherein were two of the cities meÌ„tioned in my text Gaza and Askelon in the division of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the tribe of Iudah The lower Idumaea coÌ„monly known by the name of Idumaea fel to the lot of the tribe of Simeon and this lower Idumaea I take to be the Idumaea in my text Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posteritie of Esau the posterity of Iacob the Edomites were evermore most maliciously beÌ„t against the Israelites Here then appeareth the heinousnes of that sin wherwith the Philistines are charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to carry away any one froÌ„ his natiue couÌ„try but him that is so carried away to sell to his mortall enemy this is a cruelty then which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of those Philistines the inhabitants of Azzah They sold whether the Iewes or the Israelites the posterity of Iacob and servants of the living God to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policie that being carried far froÌ„ their own country they should liue in eternal slavery bondage without hope ever to returne home againe This very crime of cruelty is in the prophecie of Ioel also ch 3.6 laid to the charge of these Philistines The children of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue yee sold to the Grecians that yee might send them far from their border that is Gods inheritance his owne seed and servants the children of Iudah Ierusalem the cruell and hard hearted Philistines did mancipate and sell away for bondslaues to the Grecians dwelling farre of that with them they might liue in perpetuall servitude and slaverie without all hope of liberty or redemption Now in this that the LORD calleth the Philistines to a reckoning because they had solde away his people though they were their captiues vnto infidels we may learne this lesson It is not lawful to coÌ„mit the children of beleevers into the haÌ„ds of infidels The vnlawfulnesse hereof appeareth by the charge which Moses giveth the Israelites Deut. 7.3 His charge is coÌ„cerning the Hittites the Gergasites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hivits and the Iebusites that they should not at al make any covenant with them nor giue theÌ„ their children in marriage And why so Because by such covenants marriages they might be withdrawn from the true service of God to the prophane worship of Idols For so it 's saide verse the 4. They will cause thy sonne to turne away from me to serue other Gods The danger of such covenants and marriages S. Paule knew to be very great and therefore from such he dehorteth the Corinthians 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked with the infidels He vseth the similitude of Oxon coupled together The yoke holdeth them so together that looke which way the one draweth the other must
of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes God arrogateth and assumeth to himselfe Deut. 32.35 where he saith vengeance and recompence are mine This due is ascribed vnto the LORD by St Paule Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the LORD By the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD By the sweet singer Psal 94.1 O LORD God the avenger O God the avenger The Prophet Nahum trebleth the phrase chap. 1.2 The LORD revengeth the LORD revengeth the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries These few texts of holy writ doe firmely proue my doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeāce vpon the wicked for their sinnes One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in al our waies that we doe not worke wickednesse before the LORD and so provoke him to execute his vengeance on vs. Beloued let vs not forget it though God be good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is he also a iust God God the avenger punisher It is proper vnto him to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes A second vse is to admonish vs not to intermeddle in the Lords office It 's his office to execute vengeance wee therefore may not do it If a brother or neighbour or stranger do wrōg vs it is our part to forgiue him and leaue revengement to God to whome it appertaineth To this Christian and charitable course our Saviour worketh vs by a strong argument Matth. 6.15 If yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses Forgiue and you shall be forgiven forgiue not and yee shall never bee forgiuen Wherefore dearely beloved suffer your selues to be exhorted as the Romans were by St Paul chap 12.19 Dearely beloued if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men recompense to no man evill for evill avenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the LORD It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here wee see that for the sinnes of the Philistines God resolueth to send a fire to devoure their wals and palaces This was my second crcumstance the circumstance of the punishment I will send a fire Many desolations hath God wrought by fire By fire he laid wast Sodom Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 By fire he did eate vp Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.2 By fire he cut of the two hundred and fiftie men that were in the rebelliō of Korah Num. 16.35 By fire he devoured two captaines twise fiftie men 2. King 1 10. 12. Why doe I load your memories with multitude of examples for this point My text telleth you that fire God's creature becommeth God's instrument executioner of his vengeance for the sinnes of Azzah to consume her wals and devoure her palaces I will send a fire a See lect 8. By fire in this place as verse the 4. the learned expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumptiō every scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked be it haile or thunder or sicknesse or any other of God's messengers So large is the signification of fire in the metaphoricall vnderstanding The doctrine is The fire whether naturall or Metaphoricall that is The fire and all other creatures are at the LORD'S commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked A truth heretofore proued vnto you as out of other places of holy writ so out of the story of God's visitation vpon Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. 8 9 and 10. chapters whereby you knowe that frogges lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botches sores did instrumentally avenge God vpon man and beasts in Egypt I stand not now to enlarge this proofe The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shal visit vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much look to the instrumēts as to the LORD that smiteth by thē If the fire or water or any other of God's creatures shal at any time rage and prevaile against vs we must remember that it is God that sendeth them to worke his holy will vpon vs. Here he sent a fire vpon Azzah to consume her wals and devoure her palaces Here you haue my third circumstance the circumstance of the punished in these words the wals of Azzah and the palaces thereof Azzah one of the fiue provinces or dutchies of Palaestina and a city of the same name as I shewed you in my last lecture The wals and palaces here mentioned doe signifie thus much that the city Azzah was well fortified and beautified with sumptuous buildings Yet must Azzah notwithstanding the beauty of her buildings and strength of her strong holds be devoured with fire I will send a fire vpon the wall of Azzah it shall devoure the palaces thereof The great city Azzah for all her strong wals must shee be spoyled The doctrine to be learned from hence is No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed The reason is because there is no strength but of God frō God For what are all the munitions in the world to the great God of Heaven and earth b Psal 68.2 As the smoake vanisheth so do they vanish and as the waxe melteth before the fire so melt they at the breath of the LORD The munitions of Edom they faile before him Edom the kingdome of Edom vpon which God stretched the line of vanitie and the stones of emptines as witnesseth the Prophet Esai cha 34.11 It is no more a kingdome it bringeth forth thornes in her palaces nettles and thistles in her strong holds The munitions of Edom are vanished as smoake The munitions of Moab they faile before him Moab the kingdome of Moab had a strong staffe and beautifull rod as speaketh Ier. chap. 48.17 but they are brokē Moab is destroied his cities are burnt vp his strong holds are gone The munitions of Moab are vanished as smoake The munitions of Israel faile before him Israel the kingdome of Israel was God's peculiar and shadowed vnder the wings of his protection yet at length infected with the leprosie of sin they were spoiled of their strong holds so saith Hoseah chap. 10.14 A tumult shall arise among the people and all thy munitions shall bee destroyed The munitions of Israel are vanished as smoake The munitions of Iudah faile before him Iudah the kingdōe of Iudah great amōg the nations a princesse amōg the provinces shee is now become tributary as complaineth the Prophet Lament 1.1 The LORD hath destroyed c Lamēt 2.2 all the habitations of Iaacob and hath not
God is a BODY This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him It was on foot many a yeare after him in the time of Arius patronised by those Hereticks which by Epiphanius are called Audiani and by Augustine k Augustin de haeres cap 50. Vadianis after whom also it was egerly maintâ—ined by certaine Monkes of Egypt who were there vpon called Anthropomorphita But all these are dead gone their monstrous errour lies buried with them There is no man of any knowledge now a daies so blinded as to fall into errour with them It is an axiome in divinitie Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuÌ„tur dicta sunt symbolicè whatsoever is spoken of God bodily that same must be vnderstood figuratiuely Bellarmine saith as much lib. 2. de imag sanct cap. 8. Membra quae tribuuntur Deo in Scripturâ metaphoricè esse accipienda that those members which the Scripture assigneth vnto God are to bee taken in a Metaphor Thus farre we are yours Bellarmine We maintaine with you that the members attributed vnto God in holy Scripture are to be takeÌ„ figuratiuely But you build herevpon chaffe and stubble Should we doe the like it could never abide the tryall of the fire To proue a non licet to be your licet Licere pingere imagineÌ„ Dei patris in formâ hominis senis to proue it to bee lawfull to represent God the Father by the image of an old man you drawe an argument from those places of Scripture which doe attribute vnto God bodily members Your conclusion is by way of question The Scripture in words attributeth vnto God all man's members while it saith that he stands he sits he walkes and nameth his head his feet his armes giueth to him a seat a throne a footstoole therefore why cannot a picture bee made to represent God Why not an image in the shape of man Why It is easily answered Because every such picture or image or stocke call it as you will is censured by Ieremie to be a doctrine of vanitie chap. 10.8 by Zacharie to be a speaker of vanity chap. 10.2 by Habakkuk to be a teacher of lies chap. 2.18 and Gods expresse commandemeÌ„t is against it Deut. 4.16 You shall not make you a grauen image or representatioÌ„ of any figure A reason of this prohibition is adioined vers 12. and 15. by which it is manifest that God simply and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to bee made of himselfe For yee saw no similitude in the day that the LORD spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire yee saw no similitude only yee heard a voice The Prophet Esai is plentiful in this demonstration to shew how vnseemly and absurd it is to l Rom. 1.25 turne the truth of God into a lie as they doe who forsake the blessed Creator to worship the creature to turne the Maiestie of God invisible into a picture of visible man to m vers 23. turne the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. chapter of his prophecie and the 18. verse To whom will yee liken God or what similitude will yee set vp vnto him the workeman melteth an image the goldsmith beats it out in gold or silver plates the poore see now the rage fury madnesse of idolaters though they haue not wherewith to suffice their own necessities they will defraud themselues to serue their idols the poore chooseth out a tree that will not rot for an oblation puts it to a cunning workeman to prepare an image that cannot be moved The like expostulation the same Prophet ascribeth to God himselfe chap. 46.5 To whom will yee make me like or make me equall or coÌ„pare me that I should be like him They draw gold out of the bagge weigh silver in the ballance hire a goldsmith to make a God of it and they bow downe and worship it they beare it vpon their shoulders they carry him set him in his place so doth he stand and cannot remoue from his place RemeÌ„ber this and be ashamed ô yee Idolaters n Esai 40.21 Know ye nothing haue yee not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue yee not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth God sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and beholdeth the inhabiters thereof as grashoppers he stretcheth out the heavens as a curtaine and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in He o Esai 40.12 measures the waters in his fist counts heaveÌ„ with his span comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God incorporeall invisible spirituall passing al measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It 's very true the Scripture in expresse wordes attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seate a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceipts to some knowledge of the everliving God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hands are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in every place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It 's noted by the q Cent. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare divers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giver protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vnto God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things as Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all living things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath hee hid me and sometime to shew his readines to be avenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being
and bloudy practises of that great Antichrist of Rome so often set on foot against vs and still defeated are so many evidences that our soules are most precious in the sight of God He he alone hath delivered vs out of the Lyons iaw to be a holy remnant vnto himselfe Now what shall we render vnto the LORD for so great a blessing We wil take vp the cup of salvation and call vpon his name THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.9 10. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure I will not turne to it because they shut the whole captivity in Edom and haue not remembred the brotherly covenant Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof THis blessed Prophet Amos sent from God in embassage to the ten revolted tribes doth first thuÌ„der out Gods iudgments against neighbour countries the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Which he doth for certaine reasons given in my sixt lecture that he might be the more patiently heard of his country men the Israelites that they might haue no cause to thinke much if God should at any time lay his rod vpon them that they might the more stande in awe of the wordes of this prophecie When they should heare of such heavy iudgements to light vpon their neighbours they could not but enter into a consideration of their owne estate thus reason within theÌ„selues Is it true which this Amos saith Will the LORD bring such heavy iudgements vpon the Syrians Philistines Tyrians and other of our neighbours In what a fearefull estate are wee in then They seely people never knew the will of God and yet must they be so severely punished How then shall we escape who knowing God's holy will haue contemned it Of the 〈…〉 the Syrians and Philistines you haue 〈…〉 lectures Now in the third place do follâ—â— the Tyrians ver 9. and 10. For three transgressions of Tyrus c. These wordes containing a burden some prophecy against Tyrus I divide into two parts 1 A preface Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecy For three transgressions of Tyrus c. In the prophecie I obserue 4. parts 1 A generall accusation of the Tyrians For three traÌ„sgressions of Tyrus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them I wil not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grievous sin by which they so highly offended This sin was the sin of vnmercifulnes and cruelty expressed in two branches 1 They shut the whole captivity in Edom. 2 They remembred not the brotherly covenant 4 The description of the punishment to befall them for their sinne in the 10. verse Therefore will I sende a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof The preface giues credit vnto the prophecie and is a warraÌ„t for the truth of it Thus saith the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floore to walke in and the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his most secret reines and divideth betwixt the flesh and the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernes of Cades This LORD IEHOVAH so mighty so powerfull shall he say a thing and shal he not do it shall be speake it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as maÌ„ that he should lie nor as the son of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Out of doubt then must it come to passe And because it is the LORD that speaketh it is required of vs that we harken to him with revereÌ„ce Thus briefly of the Preface whereof I haue more largely spoken in two former lectures my sixth and twelfth lectures vpon the thirde and sixt verses of this chapter In which these very words are prefixed for a Preface to two prophecies the one against the Syrians the other against the Philistines I proceed to the present prophecie against the Tyrians It 's much like the two former both for words and matter In regard whereof I shal be short in many of my notes For three transgressions of Tyrus for foure Here is nothing new but the name of Tyrus This Tyrus is called in the Hebrew text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tzor whence came the name Sar and Sarra in Ennius Poenos Sarrâ oriundos he notes the Carthaginians to haue their beginning from Sarra which is Tyrus Tyrus was a very ancient city it was saith Drusius Vetustissimarum vrbium parens as it were the mother of very old cities Plinie nat hist lib. 5. cap. 19. saith that out of Tyrus came the founders and first inhabiters not only of Carthage but also of Leptis Vtica and Gades the city well knowne to our moderne navigators by the name of Calis Malis and of late yeares conquered by some worthies of our English nation The ancient glorie of this citie Tyrus is blazed abroad to the whole world by Ezechiel chap. 27. Glorious was Tyrus 1. for her situation 2 for her riches 3. for the frame and beauty of her buildings 4. for her shipping 5. for her power in martiall affaires 6. for her marchandising 7. for her great esteeme and report with forraine nations The Prophet Esai in like sort blazeth out her glory chap. 23.7 8. Hee saith of her that her antiquitie is of ancient daies that she is the crowne of the Sea that her merchants are Princes and her chapmen the nobles of the world So glorious a city was this Tyrus Here shee is accused of disloyaltie to the God of heauen in the very same words wherein Damascus and Azzah are formerly accused Damascus vers 3. and Azzah vers the 6. For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure And the Lords protestation vpon this accusation is the same I will not turne to it It is as if the LORD had thus said If the inhabitants of Tyrus had offended but once or a second time I should haue beene favourable to them and would haue recalled them into the right way that so they might be converted and escape my punishments but now for as much as they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to bee converted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them Albertus Magnus vnderstandeth by these three transgressions three sorts of sinnes peccatum in voluntate peccatum in consensu peccatum in opere sin in will sin in consent and sin in action and by the fourth transgression he vnderstandeth cordis indurationem induration and hardnes of heart
vnto the LORD into the education of open enimies to the gospell of Christ most blasphemous and abominable Atheists or most blind and superstitious Papists 3 Sith it is not lawfull to commit the children of beleevers into the hands of infidels for the reason aboue specified that they bee not withdrawne from their holy faith religious worship and true service of God then neither is it lawfull for vs to keepe away or send away our servants from the service of God Let no man say vnto me such a mans servant and such a mans are employed in temporall affaires at the time of divine service and why should not mine be likewise Dearely beloved a good Christians part is to be of like resolution with Ioshuah chap. 24.15 Howsoever all the world besides shall be affected in this busines yet to resolue for himselfe and his familie as Ioshuah did for his I and my house will serue the LORD I doe but touch these points because I haue heretofore in this place more at large insisted vpon them Now followeth the second branch expressing the sin of the Tyrians their sinne of vnmercifulnesse and crueltie They haue not remembred the covenant of brethren For this time I note that men may be called brethren six māner of waies 1. By nature as Iacob and Esau 2. By kindred affinitie or alliance as Abraham and Lot 3. By nation or country as all Iewes 4. By religion as al Christians 5. By friendship as Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre 6. By calamitie or miserie as many poore distressed people who haue not wherwith to support their weake natures The covenant of brethren here mentioned some doe referre to that league of amitie which was concluded betweene King Solomon Hiram King of Tyre recorded 1. King 5.12 Some doe properly vnderstand these words to signifie that naturall league which should haue beene betweene Iacob and Esau naturall brethren and their posteritie in lineall descent the Iewes Israelites and Edomites Vnderstand it which way you will the Tyrians were both wayes blameable First they remembred not the covenant made betweene their King K. Hiram King Solomon Secondly they remembred not the couenant made by nature betweene the Iewes Israelites and Edomites brethren lineally descended from two naturall brethren Iacob and Esau From both expositions ariseth profitable doctrine First is Almighty God here displeased with the Tyrians because they did ill intreate the Iewes and Israelites not remembring the ancient covenant betweene Hiram their King Solomon King of Israel Hence we may take this lesson Ancient leagues are not rashly to bee violated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breakers of leagues truces and covenants are Rom. 1.31 ranked among such whom God in his secret iudgement hath given vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate sense Foederum tutor vindex Deus est God is as it were a tutor or protector of leagues and severely revengeth himselfe vpon the breakers of them The Gentiles of old by the light of nature did acknowledge as much and fearefull examples in all ages do proue as much I will instance but in few Ioshuah made a league with the Gibeonites and sware that he would suffer them to liue Iosh 9.15 long after Saule and his bloody house slew some of them Hereat was the wrath of the LORD kindled and for this cause he punished the people with three yeares famine and was not appeased with the land till seaven of Saules sonnes were delivered vp into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged vp in Gibeah 2. Sam. 21.1 Zedechiah king of Iudah made a covenant with Nabuchodonosor king of Babel sware a 2. Kings 24.17 2. Chr. 36.13 Ierem. 52.2 subiectiō to him But Zedechiah notwithstanding his oath tooke part with the kings of the Egyptians Idumaeans Moabites Ammonites and Tyrus against Nabuchodonosor what followeth this breach of his oath and covenant Even vtter ruine to himselfe his kingdome the city of Ierusalem and the glorious temple there 2. Chron. 36.17 Vladislaus King of Poland and Hungary concluded a peace for ten yeares with Sultan Amurath the sixt king of the Turks Vladislaus tooke his oath vpon the holy Evangelists and Amurath his by his embassadors vpon their Turkish Alcorā b Knolles Hist Turc p. 289. This was the most honorable peace that every Christian Prince had before that time made with any of the Turkish Kings and most profitable also had it beene with like sincerity kept as it vvas with solemnity confirmed Vladislaus c pag. 292. absolved from his oath by Cardinal Iulianus the Popes Legate and agent in Hungary breaketh the concluded peace d pag. 297. invadeth a fresh the Turkes dominions The Turke ioines battle with him at e pag. 297. Varna in Bulgaria and beholding the picture of the crucifixe in the displaied ensignes of the Christians pluckes out of his bosome that writing wherein the late league betweene him and Vladislaus was comprised holding it vp in his hād with his eies cast vp to heaven saith Behold thou crucified Christ this is the league thy Christians in thy name made with me which they haue without cause violated Now if thou be a God as they say thou art and as we dreame revenge the wrong now done vnto thy name and me shew thy power vpon thy periurious people who in their deeds denie thee their God What followed herevpon The victorie was the Turkes Vladislaus lost his life there eleven thousand Christians besides The successe of this great bloudy battle of Varna fought the 10. of November 1444. doth it not plainly shew that God cannot away with league-breakers These few instances of Saul Zedechiah and Vladislaus may suffice for the clearing of my propounded doctrine Ancient leagues are not rashly to be violated The vse of this doctrine is to admonish all subiects to bee very respectiue and mindful of that league covenant which they haue by their solemne oathes made and confirmed to their Kings Princes and other governers according to that exhortation made by S. Paule Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subiect to the higher powers It is not a bare or naked exhortation it is backed with a good reason For there is no power but of God and the powers that are are ordained of God it followeth in the secōd verse Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Whosoever they are that resist power men in authority princes rulers and governours they resist God God will confound them their infamie shall remaine vpon perpetuall record for a spectacle to all posterity What else meaneth the Apostle in the same place where he saith They that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement And here dearely beloved I beseech you to beware of Romish Locusts I meane Iesuits Seminary Priests who are sent from beyond the seas to inveigle you to make you vnmindfull or at least carelesse of your covenant confirmed by your sacred oathes
Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did violate the mothers wombe which reading may haue reference to the nativity of Iacob and Esau borne at one birth of their mother Rebekah And then the meaning is that the Edomites Esau's posterity neglecting that bond knot of brotherhood and consanguinity did exercise rigour and cruelty against the Israelites Iacobs posterity or it may haue reference to a savage and outragious cruelty as if the Edomites were here noted for ripping vp mothers wombs or women with childe in Israel That such cruelty was vsed by the Ammonites it is plaine by the 13. verse of this chapter But this text in the original doth not fasteÌ„ this blame vpon the Edomites and I loue not to force my text I wil not trouble you with other expositions The originall 〈…〉 â—â—rrupt his compassions The sense and meaning is wâ—ll â—â—ndâ—ed and delivered in our receiued English Bibles He did cast of all pitie Is Edom here condemned for corrupting his compassions for casting of all pitie The lesson hence to be commended to your Christian considerations is this Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God I could bring you many places out of holy writ for the confirmation of this doctrine But two only or three and they but touched shall serue for this present In Iob 6.14 the vnmercifull are noted to haue forsaken the feare of the Almightie In Rom. 1.31 among such as God hath giuen vp to a reprobate minde to commit things worthy of death the vnmercifull are named In Iames 2.13 a punishment is denounced to the vnmercifull There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy These few texts of Scripture doe plentifully establish my doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God If any will aske me what is this vnmercifulnes whereof I now speake my answer shall be out of the learned Out of o Apud Aquin 22. qu. 118.8.3 Isidore that it is one of the nine daughters of covetousnesse Out of p 22. qu. 159 1. 2. 2. Aquinas that it is the withholding of a deed of charitie an q 22. qu. 118.8.3 obduration or the hardning of the heart against mercy Out of r Comment in hunc locuÌ„ Mercer that it is a breach of natures law and an abolishing of all kindnesse And so I come to make some vse of this doctrine The vse is to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity mercy I will not now make any long declamation against inhumanitie and vnmercifulnesse yet my text requireth that I speake somewhat to it There was a time when righteousnesse seemed to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to be void of it It was in the daies of the Prophet Esay He then cryed out chap. 45.8 O yee heavens send the dew from aboue and let the cloudes drop downe righteousnesse The time is now when loue seemeth to be taken vp into the cloudes and the earth to bee void of it Now may we cry out O yee heavens send the dew from aboue let the cloudes drop downe Iouâ— that the 〈…〉 obâ—rlisâ—â— Nabals of this present generation may now at length knowe that they are not borne for themselues only but for their poore neighbours also Your poore neighbours who stand in need of you by very prerogatiue of mankind haue an interest in your succour and service But it may be that some are so farre from all humanitie that this prerogatiue of mankind will not moue them to doe any worke of charitie Such hard hearts let them heare what the law is Deut. 15.7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giâ—eth thee thou shalt not harden thine hearts nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand vnto him shalt lend him sufficient for his need I knowe flesh and blood will obiect Shall I lend my neighbour sufficient for his need I soone exhaust my substance and liue in wâ—nâ— my selfe I reply O thou of little faith why fearest thou Looke backe vpon the blessing of God relie vpon it he through his benediction will make thee large recoÌ„pense Of this thou maist be assured if thou wilt haue recourse to the fore cited chapter Deut 15.10 There art thou infallibly promised for thy almes deeds done to the needy that the LORD thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand to My exhortation is no other then that of the Prophet Esai chap. 58.7 Deale thy bread to the 〈◊〉 bring the poore wanderer to thine house If thou seest him naked cover him hee is thine owne flesh hide not thy selfe from him Thy liberalitie will bring thee great advantage whereof thou wilt not doubt if thou consider the â—ext verse Thy light shal breake forth as the morning thy health shall grow speedily thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee the glorie of the LORD shall embrace thee Seest thou not an heape of blessings one vpon another Looke into the booke of Psalmes In the beginning of the 41. Psal many a sweet promise is made thee coÌ„ditionally that thou 〈…〉 LOâ—D shall deliver thee in the 〈…〉 preserue thee aliue hee shall bliâ—◠〈◊〉 â—pon 〈◊〉 earth he will not deliver thee to the will of thine 〈…〉 will strengthen thee vpon thy bad of sorrow and will 〈…〉 of thy sickâ—â—â—se I might wearie you and my selfe in the pursuit of this point Here I stop my course with recommendatioÌ„ of one only place that a very remâ—â—keable one Prov. 19.17 He that hath mercy vpon the poore â—â—deth to the LORD and the LORD will recompense 〈◊〉 â—hat which he hath giuen Behold and â—ee how gracious and good the LORD is If you show pitie and compassion vpon the poore God will recoÌ„pense you to the full yea in the largenes of his mercies he will reward you plentifully It wâ—â— grâ—â—e â—xhortation of a Å¿ Tobitto his sonne Tobias cap. 4.7 father to his sonne Giue 〈…〉 gâ—â—st almes let not thine eie 〈…〉 poore lâ—â—st that God turne his 〈…〉 according to thy substance if thou haâ—◠〈◊〉 a little 〈◊〉 not afraid to giue a little So shalt thou lay vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of necessitie Almes will 〈…〉 from death and will not suffer thee to come into the place of darknesse Almâ—s is a good gift before the most high to all them which vse it Vse it I beseech you in the bowels of our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ Bee yee not like Edom in my text Corrupt not your compassions cast not of al pitie suffer yee one with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courâ—â—ous doe yee good to all men and faint not great shall be your reward in heaven This your service will bee acceptable vnto God God for it will giue you his blessing God will blesse you for the time of your being here and when the day of
thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that ever was made and is by the maker thereof our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our dayly vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fift petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eies of grace and mercy from heaven without any fraud or hollownes or dissimulation in the LORD so are wee taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truely so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiving ever as we may boldly say so LORD do thou to me as I to others Now if these hearts of ours bee so sturdy strong in their corruption as that they wil not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our praiers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man every day do as many good works as there are stars in HeaveÌ„ yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enimie God will not accept anie one of theÌ„ Maâ—â—â— noÌ„ acceptatur nisi aute discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregorie thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumvent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i Augustin serm 5. de S. Stephano Whosoever hateth but one maÌ„ in the whole world whatsoever he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God we must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ so adviseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our soules may liue for by hatred rancour we slay our soules S. Ioh. ep 1. chap. 3. verse 15. avoweth it that he whosoever hateth his brother is a manslayer Homicidiest scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore hee that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. cap. 3. verse 14. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule then of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proved by our Saviours question Marc. 8.36 What shal it profit a maÌ„ though he shold win the whole world if he loose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enimies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enimies is an infallible signe of our conversion Now we know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heaven for one sinner that converteth and verse the 10. that there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Thus whether we respect the reioicing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good works or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sinnes we must loue our enimies after St Stephen his example Act. 7.60 LORD lay not this sinne to their charge after S. Paule his example 1. Cor. 4.12 13. We are reviled and yet we blesse wee are persecuted and suffer it we are evill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Adde hereto Christs commandemeÌ„t Math. 5.44 Loue your enimies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you Leaue yee vengeance to the God of vengeance so shall yee bee the vndoubted children of your heavenly Father And thus farre of the second vse which was to admonish vs not to intermeddle in the Lords office of executing revengement A third followeth Is it true Is it proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the third place is a treasurie of comfort of terrour of coÌ„fort to the Godly of terrour to the wicked For though the LORD doe vse the wicked to correct the Godly yet will he in due time overthrow the wicked with a large measure of his iudgements and free the godly Gods holy practise in this kind must be hereof a warrant vnto vs. The Israelites were kept in thraldome and bondage many yeares by the Egyptians The Egyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith hee afflicted his people They were Gods weapons Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull overthrow in the redde sea at large set downe in the book of Exodus from the 7. chapter to the 14. This was it which God said to Abraham Gen. 15. vers 13 14. Knowe for a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them notwithstanding the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold him selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and vineyard Ahab Iezebel were Gods instruments were they therefore to escape vnpunished NO Witnes both their ends The end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22 38. In the place where dogges licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also And the end of Iezebel registred 2. King 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all saving her skull her feete and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the denne of Lyons his accusers vnto Darius were the instruments of this his affliction These his accusers were the Lords instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues and children were cast into the denne of Lyons the Lyons had the masterie of them and brake all their bones in pieces yer ever they came to the ground of the denne Here might I recall to your remembrances other iudgements of God of this qualitie written downe in the register of God's workes his holy word How and what he
expressed in these words Because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead and amplified by the end of so foule a fact That they might enlarge their border They haue ript vp women with childe of Gilead that c. Women with childe the word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is i Pagnin in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercer Calvin rendred by some mountaines by some cities fortified and high as mountaines as if the meaning were either that the Ammonites had made for themselues a passage into the territories of the Gileadites through the mountaines that lay betweene them a thing not impossible for we read of Annibal that k Livius lib. 21. he with fire and vineger made way through a great rocke vpon the Alpes for his armie and carriage or that the Ammonites had vanquished subdued the fortified cities of the Gileadites to the enlarging of their borders But I retaine our English translation vvomen with childe as very agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They haue ript vp women with childe Immane facinus surelie this was an outragious cruelty yet such as hath it's parallel we read of the like in 2. King 8.12 Elizeus telling Hazael king of Syria of the evill that he should do the children of Israel saith Their yong men thou shalt slay with the sword and shalt dash their infants against 〈…〉 pieces their about with child The like cruelty 〈…〉 king of Israel exercise against the inhabitaÌ„ts of the city Tiphsah and her borderers eveÌ„ vnto Thirâ—za as appeareth 2. King 15.16 He ript vp all their women with childe Hoseah also chap. 14.1 thus prophecieth against Samaria Samaria shall be desolate for shee hath rebelled against her God they shall fall by the sword their infants shall be dashed in pieces and their women with childe shall be ript You see dearelie beloved that this outragious cruelty of ripping vp women vvith childe mentioned in my text was not altogither vnvsuall The women vpon whom this cruelty was practised are here said to haue beene of Gilead Of this land of Gilead I haue heretofore largely spoken in my seaventh Lecture vpon this prophecie occasioned by the 3. ver of this chapter where it is obiected to the Syrians of Damascus that they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron TheÌ„ I shewed that the land of Gilead was possessed by the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh Num. 32.33 Whereby it is plaine that the Gileadites were Israelites Here theÌ„ these women with whom the Ammonites dealt so barbarously as to rip them vp when they were great with childe were of Iacobs posterity they were Israelites the lot and portion of Gods owne inheritance For so prodigious a cruelty we see Almighty God is here resolved to be avenged on the children of Ammon The doctrine arising hence is this Cruelty is a sinne very hatefull vnto God This doctrine I haue heretofore out of this place confirmed vnto you it is also plainely grounded vpon my text and therefore I passe it over The vse of it is to worke in vs the loue of clemency and mercifulnesse You may be many waies guilty of cruelty If you fight with or beat your neighbour or maime his body Levit. 24.19 20. If by any meanes you procure the deâ—th of your neighbour Gen. 4.8 If you vse your neighbour discourteously or make him your laughing stocke or taunting recreation Levit. 19.14 If you vse any of Gods creatures hardly Deut. 22.6 If you do wrong to strangers Exod. 22.21 If you molest fatherlesse children and widowes Exod. 22.22 If you be too severe in punishing your servants or children Deut. 35.3 If you wrong the poore either by lending him your mony vpon Vsury Exod. 22.25 or by not paying him his hire Deut. 24.14 or by not restoring his pledge Exod. 22.26 or by withdrawing your corne from him Prov. 11.26 If you offend but in the lest of these you are guilty of cruelty do transgresse Gods holy commandements the sixt commandement wherein you are forbidden to do murther Wherefore beloved in the Lord put you on the tender bowels of mercy and compassion let cruelty be farre from you My exhortation vnto you and conclusion of this point shall bee in the words of S. Paule Coloss 3.12.13 Now as the elect of God holy and beloved put on tender mercy kindnes humblenes of mind meekenes long suffering forbearing one another forgiving one another if any man haue a quarrell to another as Christ forgaue you even so do yee These words of my text They haue ript vp women with childe of Gilead do yeeld vs another profitable doctrine They that is the children of Ammon professed enimies to God and godlynesse haue raged against the Gileadites Iacobs posterity the lot and portion of Gods inheritance even to the ripping vp of their women with childe The doctrine is God often humbleth his chosen children vnder the rod of the wicked This truth appeareth in Lot sore pressed vpoÌ„ by the Sodomites Gen. 19.9 in the Israelites hardly dealt with by the Egyptians Exod. 1.11 in the seaventy brethren sonnes of Ierubbaal persecuted by Abimelech most of them to the death Iudg. 9.5 in Ieremie twise evill intreated first beaten and put in the stockes by Pashure Ierem. 20.2 and a second time beaten and imprisoned by Zedechias his nobles chap. 37.15 in the three children cast into the fiery fornace by Nabuchodonosor Dan. 3.21 Many like examples might bee extracted out of Gods holie register for proofe of this point which also may be made further to appeare vnto you in those bloody persecutions after Christ his death by the Roman Emperours who devised strange torments to keepe downe religion and religious professours men and women They plucked of their skinnes quicke they boared out their eies with nimbles they broyled them aliue on gredirous they scalded them in boiling liquors they enclosed them in barrels through which great nailes were driven and therein they tumbled them downe mountaines till their owne blood so cruelly drawne out had stifled and choaked them in the barrells womens brests were Jeared of with burning irons their bodies were rent their ioints racked Sundry other and as strange kindes of torments were endured by the faithful in the time of the ten first persecutions in the primitiue Church This is it which S. Peter hath epist 1. chap. 4. vers 17. The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God Yet let not the faithfull hereat be discouraged It is for their good Iob an vpright a iust man one that feared God and eschewed evill vpoÌ„ his experience of the afflictions which he endured vnder the rod of Gods correction chap. 5.17 saith Behold blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastning of the Almightie For he maketh the wound and bindeth it vp he smiteth and his hands make whole And thus from my doctrine I proceed to the vses
I will but point at thē Is it true beloued Doth God often humble his chosen children vnder the rod of the wicked It may first shew vs how great Gods anger is for sinne that he punisheth it so severely even in his dearest children and thereby may worke in vs a loathing hatred and detestation of sinne Never more need then now to smite our breasts pray with the publicane O God be mercifull vnto vs sinners Secondly it may teach vs not to measure the favour of God towards our selues or others by the adversities or crosses of this life Here we see that the women of Gilead of the race of Israel Gods owne lot and inheritance were most barbarously cruelly ript vp by the Ammonites Yet are we not to doubt but that Gods favour was great towards them even in this severe punishment Thirdly it may make vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before Almightie God for our present estate and condition It is not with vs as in the daies of Gilead we are not threshed with threshing instruments of yron our women with child are not ript vp Our daies are the daies of peace our King is a king of peace Peace is in our ports peace in all our borders and peace within our wals l Psal 144.12 Our sonnes doe grow vp as young plants our daughters are as the polished corners of the temple Our garners are full and plenteous with al maner of store Our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands Our oxen are strong to labour Here is no invasion no leading into captivitie no complaining in our streets Are not the people happy that are in such a case Yes saith the Psalmist Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that are in such a case The case you see is ours The God of peace which maketh an m Psal 46.10 end of warre in all the world and breaketh the bow and knappeth the speares asunder and burneth the chariots with fire hee doth now protect vs from warre and slaughter Quid rependemus What shall we render vnto the LORD for all his benefits towards vs We will take the cup of salvation and praise his holy name O our soules praise the LORD for hee onely maketh vs to dwell in safetie Thus farre of the cruell fact of the Ammonites in ripping vp the women with child of Gilead This their fact is amplified by the end wherefore they did it They haue ript vp the women with child of Gilead that they might enlarge their border That they might enlarge their border What could such crueltie against innocent and harmelesse women further them to the attaining of such an end Very much For hereby it might come to passe that there should not be any ofspring of the Gileadites to inherit and possesse the land so might the land without any resistance become the possession of the Ammonites This is by a propheticall contestation touched Ierem. 49.1 Vnto the children of Ammō thus saith the LORD Hath Israel no sonnes or hath he no heires Why then hath their King possessed Gad and his people dwelt in his cities So might this our Prophet Amos here contest and make complaint Hath Gilead no sonnes Hath Gilead no heires Why then haue the Ammonites possessed Gilead why haue they dwelt in the cities of Gilead The answer is plaine out of my text the Ammonites haue ript vp the women with child of Gilead they haue left them no sonnes no heires And so they possessed the land of Gilead so haue they enlarged their borders Wee see now the meaning of our Prophet Hee obiecteth to the Ammonites not only that they did cruelly rip vp the womē with child in Gilead but also that they did it for this end that they might enlarge their borders The doctrine is That nation which is not content with her owne borders but invadeth her neighbour countries sinneth grievously The Ethnickes of old taught but in Natures schoole did hold it for a wicked act detestable and inexpiable to remoue a neighbours land-markes In which respect the old Romans worshipped Terminus for a God Terminus which signifieth a bound limite meere buttle or land-marke was in their account a God God of their bounds limites or markes of their severall fields meadowes and pastures and such a God as should not giue place to Iupiter himselfe To this Terminus they held a feast in Februarie called it Terminalia as Austine witnesseth in his books de Civitate Dei Lib. 5.21 lib. 7. c. 7. Now if the heathenish blind superstitious Romans trained vp in natures schoole did so highly esteeme of the preservatiō maintenāce of bounds limits how are we trained vp in the schoole of Grace to esteeme thereof In the schoole of Grace a law is givē Deut. 19.14 Thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke To obey this law we are charged vpon a curse Deu. 27.17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours marke It is Gods own ordinance that bounds and limits and marks are appointed to every mans possessions This may be gathered out of Deut. 32.8 The most high GOD divided to the nations their inheritances he separated the sonnes of mē he did set the boūds of nations The meaning is the LORD pitched the boūds of kingdomes at such time as it pleased him that the nations should be divided asunder Yet we see how the covetous ambition vnsatiable desire of some Princes in the world haue put al out of order how there is nothing so holy that can stay them from incroaching vpon the bounds of their neighbours and next borderers Sēnacherib King of Assyria was a stout offender in this kind He boasted of his invasions and victories vpon his neighbour countries But that other princes may take example by him he was made a peculiar example of divine iudgement For as he transgressed the bounds of his neighbour princes to their overthrow so did his owne sonnes transgresse the bounds of nature to the losse of his their fathers life As it appeareth by Esai 37.38 As Sennacherib was in the temple worshipping Nisroch his God Adramelech Sharezer his sons slew him with the sword And by my text you see what iudgements God threatneth to the Ammonites for their vnlawful practises to enlarge their borders So my doctrine is established The nation that is not content with her owne borders but invadeth her neighbour countries sinneth grievously The vse of this doctrine may concerne vs here assembled As princes ought to hold themselues contented with their owne bounds so ought every private man also God hath also separated their possessions one frō another to the ende that al might liue and communicate one with another and that there might be no confused disorder But beloved in the Lord how do we stand to this order set by Almighty God Do we not seeke dayly to pervert it God would haue it kept most holy but we care not for it Our couetousnes carrieth vs away we would still be
no not for particular provinces or countries Almightie God who once did breake vp the fountaines of the great deepe and did open the windowes of Heaven Gen. 7.11 he is the same God still Almightie still his arme is stretched out still He can at his pleasure command the cloudes and they shall poure forth abundance of waters to the washing away of our dwelling houses But say he wil not come against vs with his armie of waters yet being Deus exerciâ—â—â— a God of boastes he hath armies of another kind at command to worke the suddaine subversion and overthrow of all our dwellings I yet present you not with lightning with thunder with windes with earthquakes wherewith the LORD of Hoasts the mightie one of Israel hath laid wast and made desolate many the habitations of sinfull men my text presents you with fire and let it suffice for this time Say I beseech you is it not a fearefull thing that insteed of the fatnesse of the cloudes of the greater and smaller raine of the sweet dewes of heaven of coÌ„fortable shewers which God hath engendred in the aire and divided by pipes to fall vpon the earth in their seasons our grounds should be withered our fruits consumed our temples and our buildings resolved into cinders yea and sometimes our skinnes bones too molten from our backes Yet beloued this sometimes comes to passe when fire one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is sent vpon vs for our sinnes What became of Sodom and Gomorah other cities of that plaine Were they not turned into ashes by fire from the LORD The storie is knowne Gen. 19.24 But what need old stories to confirme so plaine a matter whereof we haue daily and lamentable experience Doe not the grievous coÌ„plaints of many of our neighbours vndone by fire seeking from our charitable devotions some smal reliefe make good proofe hereof Dearely beloved learne we by their example to cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and to turne vnto the LORD our God lest delighting and treading in the wickednesse of their waies we be made partakers also of their punishments It is neither care nor policie that can stay Gods revengeful hand when he bringeth fire in it To this purpose memorable is the example of a country man of ours who in K. Edwards daies was a professour of the true religion that religion which by Gods goodnesse we doe this day professe This man in the o Foxe Martyrolog pag. 1893. Acts Monuments of our Church is named p A Smith dwelling at WELL in Cambridge shire Richard Denton and is there noted to haue beene an instructour of one q Of Wishich in the I le of Elie. Sometime Constable of WELL and dwelling there William Wolsey in the same his holy religion Not long after in Queene Maries daies when fire and fagot were the portion of true professours Wolsey was apprehended and imprisoned In time of his durance hee sent commendations to Denton his instructour withall demaunding by his messenger why he tarried so long after him seeing hee had beene his first instructour in the Scriptures Dentons answere was I cannot burne Cannot burne You see his policie hee halted betweene God and man he dissembled the profession of his Christian faith because forsooth he could not burne Well Queene Maries daies were soone at an end and God caused the light of the Gospell to shine againe vnder the peaceable governement of Queene Elizabeth The did our dissembler thinke himselfe safe enough from any flame of fire But behold the haxd of God His house was on fire and he with two others ventring to saue some of his goods perished in the flame Thus you see policie prevailes not when Gods revengefull hand brings fire with it And thinke you that câ—re will helpe What Care against the LORD Farre be it from vs beloved so to thinke Let vs rather make our humble coÌ„fession with king Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.31 32. that the Most High liveth for ever that his power is an everlasting power and his kingdome from generation to generatioÌ„ that all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing to him that according to his will he worketh in the armie of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou None can stay his hand This is it which before I noted namely that It 's neither care nor policie that can stay Gods revengefull hand when hee bringeth fire in it as here it 's threatned vnto Rabbah I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah Thus farre by occasioÌ„ of my first doctrine which was It is not the greatnes of a city that can be a safegard vnto it if Gods vnappeaseable wrath breake out against it for its sins And it was grounded vpon these words I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah It 's further added of this fire that it shall devoure the palaces of Rabbah Which branch repeated in each of the precedent prophecies as vers 4 7 10 12. hath formerly yeelded vs this doctrine God depriveth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses This truth is experimeÌ„tally made good vnto vs by the great commodity or coÌ„tentment that coÌ„meth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse whereof is to teach vs. 1. To be huÌ„bled before Almighty God whensoever it shall please him by water by fire by winde by lightning by thuÌ„der by earthquakes or otherwise to overthrow our dwelling houses 2. Since wee peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To render all hearty thankes vnto Almighty God for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses Thus farre of the commination or denuntiation of iudgement as it is set downe in generall The speciall circumstances whereby it is further notified or illustrated do coÌ„cerne partly the punishment partly the punished CoÌ„cerning the punishment it is full of terrour speedy First full of terrour in these words With shouting in the daie of battell With shouting in classico saith Brentius cum clâ—ngore saith Drusius that is with the sound or noise of trumpets The Septuagint do read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latin in ululatu Mercer cum vociferatione Gualter cum clamore Calvin cum clamore vel Iubilo that is with a cry with a great cry with a vociferatioÌ„ with a shout such as souldiers do make when on a suddaine they surprise a citie In the day of battell in die belli The like phrase we haue Psa 78.9 where it is said of the children of Ephraim that being armed shooting with the bow they turned backe in die belli in the day of battell David confesseth Ps 140.7 O LORD God the strength of my salvation thou hast coverd my head in die belli in the day of battell SalomoÌ„ saith Pro. 21.31 The horse is prepared in dieÌ„
mould with other men O God I thanke thee I am not as other men c. But leaue we the Pharisee in his pride he is not to be a patterne of imitation for vs. The Publicane is he whom we must follow Gerit typum omnium poenit entium all that will truely repent must take him for an ensample He stood a farre of would not lift vp so much as his eies to Heaven smote his breast and said O God be mercifull to me a sinner He stood a farre of I a B. King in Ion. lect 38. pag. 514. not daring to approach to God that God might approach to him He would not lift vp his eies to Heaven for he knew heaven to be the seate of that Maiesty which by sinning he had provoked vnto displeasure He smote his breast as the arke of all iniquity as it were punishing himselfe 〈…〉 to punish him And 〈…〉 heare and trembling tongâ—â— he called vp 〈…〉 and find O God be mercifull to me a sinner b Pet. de Palude Dom. 2. post Trin. â—â—â—r p. 364. Oratio 〈◊〉 〈…〉 It is a short praier but full of fruit O God 〈…〉 mercifull I say not to 〈◊〉 thy 〈…〉 thy 〈◊〉 or thy 〈◊〉 but be merciful to 〈…〉 sinner My whole câ—â—posâ—â—â—on 〈…〉 whatsoever I am in body or soule so farre as my manhood and humanity goeth a Sinner and not only by mine â—ffice and â—â—lling because I am a Publicane but even by â—â—ture and kiâ—de it selfe a Sinner O God be mercifull to me a sinner This Publicanâ— is set for a 〈◊〉 vnto vs. We must with him confesse our sinnes vnto the LORD Let no 〈◊〉 boast himselfe of his owne innocencie inâ—â—gâ—ity or vprightnes Quando mare sâ—ne proâ—â—â—is 〈◊〉 sine peccaâ—iâ— saith c Apud Pet. de Palude Dom. 11. Trinit p. 356 Chrysostome wheÌ„ the seâ— is without 〈◊〉 are we without sinnes But the sea is never free 〈…〉 In vaine thâ—â— is 〈◊〉 O 〈…〉 when thou exaltesâ— thy selfe as if thou were 〈…〉 what 〈…〉 at his closing vp of this parâ—â—â—e of the Publicaâ—â— and Pâ—â—risee Omnis qui se exaltat 〈◊〉 every one that exalts himselfe shall be brought low 〈◊〉 exalted himselfe and death was his recoÌ„pence Gen. 3.19 〈◊〉 exalted himselfe and he was drowned in the 〈◊〉 Exod. 14.28 â—â—rah Darhan and Abicam exalted the 〈…〉 the â—ardropened her mouth swallowed them vp Num. 16.32 Sâ—â—le exalted himselfe and an evill spirit was sent to vexe â—â—m 2. Sâ—â— 16.15 Absolon exalted himselfe he was hanged in 〈◊〉 â—â—ke 2. Sam. 16.9 Nabuchâ—donâ—sor exalted himselfe he was driven to seeke his dwelling with the beasts of the field Dan. 4.29 Amiâ—chus exalted himselfe and he died a miserable death consâ—â—ed of wormes â— Mach. 9.9 Herodâ— Agrippa exalted himselfe and the Angell of the LORD smote him so was he also eaten of wormes gaue vp the ghost Act. 12.23 It is out of all controversie Omnis qui se exaltat humiliabitur every one that exaltâ—â—â— himselfe shall be brought low Let the consideration hereof beloved worke in vs a vigilancie to keepe the proud Devill vnder that we swell not vp through a vaine perswasion of fleshly righteousnes that we lift not vp our Peacocks feathers nor extoll our eie lids through a conceite of our owne deserts but in all humility pray wee ever with the Publicane O God be mercifull vnto vs sinners and ascribe we vnto him all laud and praise for suffring vs notwithstanding our manifold sinnes every man to dwell d 1. King 4.25 vnder his vine and vnder his figgetree to liue in our owne land in peace free from all feare of being led into captivity Thus much of my first vse A second followeth My doctrine was When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sinnes hee spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King Will you haue a reason hereof Heare then what Elihu saith Iob 34.19 God accepteth not the persons of Princes he regardeth not the rich more then the poore He accepteth no mans person saith S. Paule Gal. 2.6 No mans person Then neither the person of the Priest nor of the Prince nor of the King If these sinne like others of the people these shal be punished as wel as others and if others be caried into captivity these must into captivity also The vse of this doctrine is to admonish the great mightie ones of this world that they presume not to sinne against the LORD as if they were priviledged by their greatnes might No priviledge can serue their turnes when they must e Iob 21.20 drinke of the wrath of the Almighty Then shall they be as f Iob 21.18 stubble before the winde and as the chaffe that the storme carieth away Consider this all yee who take your selues to bee mightie among your neighbours yee whom God hath blessed with this worlds good aboue your neighbours Thinke not your wealth or authority can protect you when Gods sore displeasure shall breake out against you for your sinnes but rather let it ever be written in your hearts what is written Wisd 6.6 The mighty shall be mightily tormented And remember what is added in that place He that is Lord over all will spare no person neither shal he feare any greatnes for he hath made the small and the great and careth for 〈…〉 the sâ—â—orâ—â—al And hence ariseth a 〈◊〉 vse It is to minister a word of comfort to the inferiour and poorer sort of people If the mighty shall g Amos 2.6 sell the righteous among you for silver the poore for shoes if they h Amos 2.7 gape over your heads in the dust of the earth if they i Esai 3 15. grinde your faces if by violence oppression they k Habak 1.4 compasse you about yet be yee of good coÌ„fort God the iudge of al accepteth no persons He in his good time will avenge your causes bee your oppressours never so mightie for when he punisheth a land for the sinnes of a people he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King There is a fourth vse of this doctrine It is to warne vs not to set our hearts vpon the outwarde things of this worlde for as much as God will not respect vs for them Neither Priest nor Prince nor King can stand before the displeasure of Almightie God And shall a mighty man shall a rich man stand No. l Psal 68.2 As the smoake vanisheth so shall he be driven away and as the waxe melteth before the fire so shall he perish at the presence of God Wherefore dearely beloved in the LORD let vs only and earnestly seeke after such things as may make vs accepted with God as righteousnesse peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost For whosoever in these things serveth Christ hee is acceptable to God saith S. Paule Rom. 14.18 Thus farre by occasion of my first doctrine which was When God punisheth a nation with captivitie for their
wont to begin his learning with God and S. Nicholas be my speed For such as neezed the prayer was God helpe and S. Iohn And for the stumbling horse God and S. Loy saue thee May not now a Godâ—y man iustly for zealous indignation cry out O heaven O 〈◊〉 O feaâ— what madnesse wickednesse against God were our forefathers fallen into They tooke delight in the service of stocks and stones the workes of their owne hands they worshipped and serued the creature aboue the Creator which is blessed for ever But what profit had they of such their worship Found they any helpe in the day of visitatioÌ„ No. Those Images themselues could not helpe themselues how then could they help their worshippers Themselues were broken downe and removed from out our churches their worshippers are removed with them In their steede the light of the glorious gospell of God now shineth in our churches now is superstition exiled the true service of God is come in place and Christ for his mercies sake touch vs and giue vs feeling and make vs thankful for this so great a blessing Thus haue you the first vse A second followeth It serveth for a reproofe to vs also For though wee haue cast of the yoke of Romish superstition and haue kept our selues vnspotted of the adoration and worship of Images yet are wee not free froÌ„ Idolatry but are many waies stained therewith Whatsoever this world hath visible or invisible outward or inward if it displace God of his right by carying our heart and hope after it it is our Idol Thus is gold siluer or our mony an Idol if we make it our hope or say to the wedge thou art my coÌ„fidence Iob. 31.24 In this sense S. Paule Coloss 3.5 calleth covetousnes Idolatry and Eph. 5.5 he calleth the covetous person an Idolater Thus is our substance an Idol if as Iob speaketh chap. 31.25 We reioice because it is great or because our hand hath gotten much Like those Habak 1.16 Who did sacrifice to their nets burne incense to their flues where all they are taxed for Idolaters who because their portion is encreased and their meale plenteous by such instruments and helps as they vse in their trades of life do forget the right authour of their wealth arrogate all to themselues and their serviceable meanes Thus is our wit and vnderstanding an Idol when we ascribe vnto theÌ„ our getting of riches of gold silver into our treasures like the prince of Tyrus Ezech. 28.2 who with this conceite exalted in heart brake out into that most blasphemous challenge I am a God and I sit in the seate of God in the middest of the sea Such is the Idol of the Polititians shall I call them or Atheists of this age who take themselues to be wiser then Daniel as the prince of Tyrus did and are perswaded that Moses and the Prophets are not so able to instruct them as they themselues Thus is our strength an Idol if we boast of it as Sennacherib did Esai 37.24 who bragged what great matters he had done by the multitude of his chariots but touching the true LORD of hoasts as if he were lesse then nothing he vauÌ„teth to Hezekiah king of Iudah vers 10. Let not thy God deceiue thee Thus is our belly our God when walking after the lusts of our flesh we serue not the LORD Iesus Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Philip. 3.19 Many do walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is daÌ„nation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloved you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabâ—s Paule to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the living God Thus farre of my second doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idol of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captivity much lesse can they saue the people that do trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my text Melchom shall go into captivity he and his princes together Nowe followeth the third generall part of this prophecie against the children of Ammon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the LORD This is the conclusion of this prophecie in redoubleth it's authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath froÌ„ it's very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the LORD It is here redoubled Saith the LORD Hath the LORD said it and shall he not do it Hath he spokeÌ„ it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall passe before one iote or one title of Gods word shall scape vnfulfilled IEHOVAH the LORD saith whatsoever our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the LORD that saith it Amos is but the LORDS Minister the words are the LORDS Whence we may take this doctrine The author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angel nor any other creature how excellent soever but only the living and immortall God This truth may likewise be grouÌ„ded vpon the preface to the ensuing prophecy And therfore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention welnigh tired I put of the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath been delivered vnto you non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our LORD Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first chapter 1. Tim. 1.17 Vnto the king eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS