Augustine theirs did who when our Saviour was risen out of the grave said His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept Matt. 28. 13. For saith he if they were asleepe how came they to know so much And in like manner the speech of those whom the same men viz the chief Priests suborned to witnesse against him to put him to death For that which is strange to observe considering what cunning men they had to teach them their tale though there were many of them and though they brought divers accusations yet were they not able to make any two testimonies agree together Mark 14. 56 59. Word of God Such as obey it not 1 They have no title to God's Covenant nor to any thing contained in the word But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50. 16 17. 2 They are sure to be punished especially if it be the word of the Gospel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb 12. 25. 3 Their punishments have been great and without remedy Because they rebelled against the word of God and contemned the Counsell of the most high Therefore he brought downe their heart with labour◠they fell downe and there was none to help Psalm 107. 11 12. See Jer 26. 4 5. 6. Let such heare the word never somuch nay declare it and preach it never somuch yet if they build upon this only and presume thereupon that the promises contained in the word are theirs and that Christ is their Saviour they are in no better condition then he that without a foundation built his house upon the sand for that is our Saviruo's comparison Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand Those that believe it not 1 They will not be profited by it nor be partakers of what it promiseth For unto us was the Gospel preached as it was unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. 2 They will without question be condemned For the word which they have sleighted shall judge them He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day John 12. 48 and all the Ministers whom they have heard and their writings which they have read shall accuse them Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to the Father there is no need of that though I have cause enough There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust chap. 5. 45 46. Mark how angrily God threatens the Jews for not believing the Prophet Jeremy They have belied the Lord and said it is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine and the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them thus shall it be done unto them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hoasts because yee speake this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devoure them Jer 5. 12. 13 14. Such as will not heare it 1 God is exceeding angry with them They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hoasts had sent by the former Prophets Therfore came a great wrath from the Lord of hoasts Zach 7. 12 13. So in Jeremy To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare Their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot harken behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord I am weary with holding in c. Ch 6. 10 11 See also vers 19. and ch 7. 13 14 15. 2 They shall be certainly punished God told Moses concerning the Prophet whom he would raise up in his roome And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18 19. The punishments which the Scripture mentions are 1 God's not hearing their prayers in their misery as in that place of Zachary last quoted Therefore it is come to passe that as hee cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hoasts v. 13. Nay insteed of hearing them abhorring of them He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov 28 9. 2 Giving up to their lusts But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells Ps 81. 11 12 3 Greater condemnation then those have who never had the word to heare Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words When yee depart out of the house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of judgement then for that city Mat 10 14 15. Our Saviour thus spake to the twelve Apostles when hee first sent them and he said the like to the seventy disciples Luk. 10 11 12. Such as despise it Their end shall be destruction Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall bee rewarded Prov 13. 13. Words idly spoken Our Saviour told the Jewes I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account thereof Matt. 12. 36. Idle word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that which we usually meane by idle talke viz wicked and profane only but uselesse and needlesse and of which there comes or is intended no good Workes neglected No Salvation What doth it profit my brethren if a man say he hath faith and have no workes Can faith save him Jam. 2. 14. Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse saith David and put thy trust in the Lord Psalm 4. 5 or else thy trust is vaine That they might set their hope in God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements saith the same Prophet Psalm 87. 7 otherwise they might be one day ashamed of their hope faith without the observation of the Commandements being but a dead faith and not a lively ashamed The Jewes were told that unlesse they did thorowly amend their waies and their
liberality to the rich and he used also the same word that is here used by the Apostle viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate recompence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least they also bid thee againe and a recompence be made thee Luk 14 12. he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and without relation as I conceive of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made to what was spoken before whereby the evill of having a mans reward now is more fully expressed as if he would have a man by all meanes take heed of having or desiring or being content with a reward in this present world But to give you all that I have to say of those words of the Psalmist I observe that not only the noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so it is likely that the Septuagint red it signifying recompence is more especially meant of the recompence of bad works as in Isaiah ch 34. 8. and else where but also the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to reward is diverse times so used as if it were properly appliable only to rewarding by punishment as Prov. 11. 31. Psal 31 23 c. Blindnesse see Ignorance Boasters of Holinesse Boasters of holinesse have cause to feare 1 God 's not justifying them because of their justifying themselves for both can never be The Pharisee said God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the weeke I give tithes of all that I possesse Luk. 18. 11. 12. But our Saviour saies of the Publican who would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man went downe to his house justified rather then the other vers 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rather according to Beza's potius not More either magis as Austin translates or plus as Hierom or prae as Erasmus to shew that the Pharisee was not justified at all but rather condemn'd which may be gathered also by the words immediatly following For every one that exalteth himselfe shall be abased and he that abaseth himselfe shall be exalted v. 14. The connexion of these words with the former is such as appeares by the conjunction For that as it is here said of exalting and abasing so I may boldly say of justifying and condemning For every one that justifieth himselfe shall be condemned and he that condemneth himselfe shall be justified Theophylact puts the question why the Pharisee should be thus condemned for speaking but a few words in justification of himselfe and there should be no notice any where taken of Job for speaking so many But the answer may be this First a sin of the old Testament is not the lesse for not mentioning in the New 2. The Pharisee spake to God and without any provocation whereas Job spake the most of what he spake to men to cleare himselfe of their false accusations 3. It appears that Job condemned himselfe afterward for his justifying himselfe and that God hereupon accepted him Chap. 40. 4 5. and c. 42. 3. 9. 2. God's being exceedingly displeased with them for thus he speaks of the Jewes who despised the Gentiles for their barrennesse as Hagar did Sara Gen. 16. 4. notwithstanding the prophecy that the children of the desolate should be more then the children of ehe married wife Isa 54. 1. which perhaps for that reason was the sooner fulfilled which say stand by thy selfe come not neer me for I am holier then thou these are a smoake in my nose a b fire that burneth all the day Behold it is written before me I will not keep silence but will recompence and recompence into their bosome Isa 65. 5 6. Bribery Bribery is threatned 1. With punishment unavoidable Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof speaking of Judah because they sold the righteous for silver and the poore for a paire of shooes Amos 2 6. I take it to bee as much as if he had said There be many other sins which I meane to punish the Jewes for but I will especially make them smart for this viz because their judges have condemned him that had right on his side and him that had poverty to plead for him only for love of a little gaine 2. A Curse Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person Deut. 27 25. 3. If not the destruction of them and their family at lest the consumption of that wealth which they have gotten by Bribery Fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery Job 15. 34. bribe* So the Chaldee Paraphrase understanding thereby tabernacles or houses and estates purchased with mony taken for bribes which is a more plaine setting forth of the punishment of this sin being this way most severely and most usually punished then if we translated after the 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tabernacles of those that receive bribes for then they might be punisht notwithstanding for some other sin and God's anger against a sinne is never more visible then when he punishes the offender in that member or in that creature by taking it away or making it hurtful or troublesome or uselesse with which he committed it 4. The desolation of that countrey where it is practised The heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they leane upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evill can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sakes bee plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heapes c. Mic. 3. 12. See also Ezek. 22. 12. 13 14 15. It were good therefore to prevent this sin that those laws were observed which ordaine that none shall be a judge or in place of power and authoritie but such as have a competent estate or at least that none who are in places of power and authority might be without a competent estate Those words in the Proverbs The King by judgement stablisheth the land but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it Prov. 29. 4. the Talmudists saies Buxtorf interpret thus When the judge is a King needs nothing then he establisheth a land but when he is as a Priest and beggs at every mans barne he destroyes it The Rabbins say that those six Lions placed upon each side of the six steps that went up to Solomons judgement seat 1 King 10 9. had every one of them in one of their paws a precept and the other he held open as it were ready to teare to shew that if he that sate in that seat neglected his duty the hand of God was ready to punish him and teare him in pieces Now one of those six precepts was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not receive
them or command them before witnesses for there being no law to forbid this act they will say they were too severely dealt with unlesse there be some to witnesse that it was forbidden by God Then again charge them before witnesses to shew that I am resolved to do what I say as Joseph did his brethren Gen 43 3. Lest they breake thorow unto the Lord it may be render'd lest they destroy themselves for God viz Out of desire to look and pry or out of curiosity to see him Punished And he smote the men of Bethshemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore ten men 1 Samuel 6 19. wicked men commonly are more desirous toknow the things of God in a way of curiosity then godly men and it is one great vanity of the eye both of the body and the mind to delight in seeing strang sights which many times make them turne aside from God Moses when the Angel appeared to him in a flame o fire in a bush seeing the bush burnt and not consumed left the Angel to turne aside and see this great sight why the bush was not burnt Exod 3 3. But God loved him well and therefore restraind him You know how Jacob was reproved by the Angel for asking his name Gen 32 29. and Manoah in the like manner Jud 13. 17. Tacitus speaking of Hercules his pillars of which it is questioned whether Hercules went thither or not sayes Sanctius reverentius visum de actis deorum credere quam scire For things said to be done by the gods I think it more religion and reverence to believe them then as we say to go seeke the proofe of them Yet some are as hard to beleeve that God is God without too diligent inquiry as Thomas was to believe that Jesus was Jesus John 20 25. But we may not be too busie there are some secret things which belong only to God Deut. 29. 29. It was a saying of Heraclitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature loves to be hid and the god of nature more then her Ignorance in such things though it be not a mother is a very great helper of devotion curiosity on the contrary a very great hinderer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Themistius speaking of God whom we reverence admire the more because the knowledge of him is not easie and triviall ready to every mans hand Curiosity in humane things hath been an occasiō of many sad accidents Lot's wife Gen 19. out of curiosity to observe gaze upon the destruction of Sodom contrary to the Angel's cōmand v 17 stealing a time when her husband did not see her looked back from behind him and was presently turned into a pillar of salt v. 26. 2 Dinah Jacobs daughter gadding abroad forsooth to see the daughters of the land Gen 34 1. was deflowred by Shechem and became the occasion of all the sin and misery all the cruelty acted and sufferd by Simeon and Levi and the people of Shechem verse 25. 3 Davids curiosity and desire only to know the number of his people cost the Israelites the death of no lesse then seventy thousand men by the pestilence 2 Sam 24 15. For when he commanded Joab to number them all the reason he gave why he would have it done was That I may know the number of the people verse 1. Cursing of blessings See Blessings Cursing of Rulers It hath been punished with death a long time after Behold says David to Solomon in his charge before he died thou hast with thee Shimei the Son of Gera who cursed me with a grievous curse c. Now therefore hold him not gniltlesse for thou art a wise man and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him but his hoary head bring thou downe to the grave with blood 1 Kings 2 8 9. Cursing of any It is usually punished First with Gods blessing those who are cursed the more for it David sayes of Shimei It may be the Lord will look upon mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day 2 Sam 16 12. And so he sayes of others Let them curse but blesse thou or they will curse and thou wilt blesse meaning God Psal 109 28. Thus the Israelites were blessed the more for it when Balak sent for Balaam to curse them as Balak himselfe complained I look thee to curse mine enemies and behold thou hast blessed them altogether or thou hast blessed a blessing Num 23 11. At the consecration of the new wall of Jerusalem when it was read in the Law how the Ammonites and Moabites hired Balaam against the Israelites to curse them whereupon at that time they ordered the separation of the mixed multitude this passage of Gods providence was observed by those that read it Howbeit said they our God turned the curse into a blessing Neh 13 2. No punishment will vex such dispositions as are given to cursing worse then this and therfore ought the more notice to be taken of it 2 With returning the curse upon the authors He cloathed himselfe with cursing like as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oile into his bones Ps 109 18. Nothing so usuall as for such arrowes to fly back in the face of him that shot them Cursing of Parents see Parents Deceitfullnesse Deceitfull men are threatned 1 With God hatred Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures some to sell with and others to buy with but thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy dayes may be lengthened in the land which thy Lord thy God giveth thee as if otherwise they should be shortned for all that doe such things and all that do unrighteously are an abomination to the Lord Deut 25 14 15 16. 2 Excommunication out of mens houses at least He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house Ps 101 7. 3 Griefe and vexation after they have done their worke Bread of deceit is sweet unto a man but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravell Prov. 20 17. 4 Being deceived themselves by other men or by God and taken in their owne snare He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it and who so breaketh a hedge a serpent shall bite him Who so removeth stones shall be hurt therewith and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby Eclles 10 8 9. Some expound that place in the Prov cap. 20 26. A wise King bringeth a wheele over the wicked thus As a wheele turneth round so by the wisedome of a King the mischiefe intended by wicked men to others is brought about upon their owne heads 5 Being deceived by themselves i. e. by their owne deceit which makes them believe they shall prosper but tels them a lie Thou hast troden downe all them that erre
A third punishment that the Scripture reports to have befallen men for this sinne is Death The Israelites after their fight with the Benjamites according to the oath which they had made that whosoever came not up to Mispeh to joyne with them in revenging the abuse of the Levite's Concubine Judg. 19. should be put to death Judg. 21. 5. when they found none of the city of Jabesh-Gilead there they presently sent thither twelve thousand men and put them all to the sword men women and children vers 10. onely fourehundred virgins were suffered to live whom they gave for wives to the Benjamites upon their comming in to them v. 14. because they themselves had every one sworn before not to give his daughter to a Benjamite v. 18. Nabal that churle denying to help David's army with provision was threatened with the slaughter both of himselfe and all his familie 1 Sam. 25 10 22. And although David were restrained by the entreaty and liberality of Abigail his wife from avenging him with his owne hand v. 33. yet in a very little while after the hand of God found him out and stroke him to death And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died v. 38. Certainly Not-joyning with the Godly in their godly designes and especially those which they undertake upon God's command God cannot take it well and it is a thousand to one but hee punisheth it in whomsoever it be Methinkes I heare Moses angrily expostulating with the Reubenites and Gadites for desiring leave to take up their abode on this side Jordan and not goe over the river with the rest of their brethren Shall your brethren goe to warre and shall yee sit here And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land Num. 32 6 7. How angrily doth God by the Prophet Ezekiel threaten and in his threat aggravate by expressions the Egyptians their not helping Israel according to their promise And all the inhabitants shall know shall know viz. by sad experience That I am the Lord and therefore have power and authority to revenge because they have beene a staffe of reed to the house of Israel when they tooke hold of thee by the hand thou didst break he changes the person for anger and rend all their shoulders and when they leaned upon thee thou brakest and madest all their loynes to be at a stand cap. 29. 6 7. Though he punished the Israelites for trusting in the Egyptians Isa 30. 3. yet will he punish the Egyptians for not being trustie to the Israelites Another man's wickednesse is no excuse for mine Paul prayed for those that forsooke him when he came to his answer before Nero that it might not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16. and therefore surely he feared that it would The words in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to import as much as if it had been said I would or Oh if it might not or I should be glad it might not be laid to their charge but I feare it will I have beene the longer upon this subject because I perceived what an odious sin the Scripture made it in the Ammonites and Moabites and because I see how the best of us make it a very little or no sinne at all not to help God's people so long as we doe not hurt them Helping of the VVicked Helpers of the Wicked are punished or threatned 1 With God's anger Jehu the Seer told Jehoshaphat for helping of Ahab Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chr. 19. 2. That hate the Lord. The Septuagint translate whom the Lord hates If we may not hate I am sure we must not love those whom the Lord hates I meane we must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as their word is associate with them in friendship We usually take it unkindly to see our friends loving to them that hate us Do not I hate them that hate thee saith David Ps 139. 21. Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred v. 22. 2 Non-successe in other designes Then Eliezer the sonne of Dodonah of Mareschah prophecied against Jehoshaphat saying Because thou hast joyned thy selfe with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy workes and the ships were broken that they were not able to goe to Tarshish 2 Chr. 10. 37. Heresie See False Teachers Hinderers of the good workes of others Are as sure to be punished as they that doe those workes are to have their prayers heard and surer too Nehemiah prayed that God would thinke upon Tobias and Sanballat onely for endeavouring to affright him from building the wall of Jerusalem with reports that his enemies conspired to kill him Neh. 6. 14. And as they are sure to be punished for their sinne so for the most part they have no successe in their endeavours That Baal-zephon spoken of Exod. 14. 2. is thought by the Jewes to have beene an Idol made by the Egyptian witches and placed in the wildernesse to hinder the Israelites in their departure from Egypt But it seems it could do nothing upon them for all it 's looking * and staring for the name comes from Tsapha to looke or watch but the Israelites out lookt him and had a speciall command from God to encamp just over against him as it were on purpose to shew they cared not for him Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel or any other of God's people especially when they are going to the land of Canaan or are doing that for which they have God's commission and command to warrant them Read the history of God's severe punishing the Philistins for detaining the Arke 1 Sam. 5. Hindering Conversion Hinderers of the Conversion of others Threatned With Woe Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men for ye neither goe in yourselves neither suffer them that are entring to goe in Mat. 23. 13. Ye affright them from being my Disciples by your censures of Excommunication and yee keep them from the knowledge of the Messiah by not permitting the reading of the Prophesies to any but your selves for this was the practise of the Scribes and Pharisees Beza thought that Christ in these words alluded to that sort of traditions amongst them which the Talmudists call Sig Lethorah that is sepimentum legis the hedge or fence of the Law because forsooth by the use of them they kept men from transgressing the Law whereas it was rather a Blind to keep them from the knowledge of the Law And indeed there seemes to be the more ground for this conceit of his because our Saviour calls them Hypocrites as if he had reproved their Hypocrisie in carrying the keyes pretending to keep the Law for the people when they kept it from them Just as the dog that
destroyed And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you And there ye shall serve gods the worke of mens hands wood and stone which neither see nor heare nor eate nor smell But if from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule Deut. 4. 25 to 29. 10 Shame viz for being guilty of such desperate folly and madnesse Confounded or ashamed be or shall be all they that serve graven images Ps 97. 7. And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel Jer. 48. 13. 11 Death temporall by vertue of a Law He that sacrificeth unto any god or unto god for so much onely is expressed in the originall save unto the Lord onely if he worship God yet if he worship an image too it is nothing he shall be utterly destroyed Exod. 22. 20. See Deut. 13. 13 14 15. This Law was executed by Elijah upon the Prophets of Baal 1 King 18. 40. And when the Kings neglected to execute it upon their subjects because they were addicted to Idolatry themselves it was executed upon themselves by God by the hands of their subjects and serants For so died Kings of Israel 1 Zachariah 2 King 15. 10. 2 Pekahiah v. 24 25. 3 Pekah v. 30. Kings of Judah 1 Amon 2 King 21. 21 23. 2 Amaziah 2 Chron 25 27. whose idolatry was the worse and is so taken notice of that he worshiped the Idols of those people whom he had conquered and those Idols which he had brought away by violence and which he found by his own experience could not deliver their owne people out of his hand vers 15. See a most angry threat Ezek. 14. 8. denounced in very angry expressions 12 Death eternall Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 6. 9 10. See Rev. 21. 8. These are the Punishments wherewith they are punished Themselves But there are punishments likewise inflicted upon their Families after them or if you will upon Them in their families according to the threat in the second Commandements Read the extirpation of the family of Jeroboam threatned by Ahijah the Prophet 1 King 14. 9 10 11 fulfilled by Baasha his successour who left not to Jeroboam any that breathed no not so much as a dog to pisse against the wall ch 15. 29. The Odiousnesse of this sinne in the sight of God and the dangerousnesse of it to those that commit it may be gathered out of the Scriptures severall other wayes viz 1 By the Severity of the punishment inflicted upon those that enticed others to it who were to be stoned to death Deut. 13 10. neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceale him But thou shalt surely kill him c vers 8 9. Surely In the vulgar translation it is presently And they say that whereas in the execution of punishment for ordinary crimes the malefactor had a day and a night after sentence pronounced to thinke what to speake for himselfe for this and so likewise for being a false Prophet for stealing things out of the Temple and for lying with an Idolatrous woman or if a Priest had medled with holy things being uncleane the custome was to put the malefactor to death forthwith 2 From the Curse pronounced even against such as should either make an Idol themselves Cursed be the man that maketh anygraven or moltē image an abomination unto the Lord the worke of the hands of the craftsman and putteth it in a secret place Deut. 27. 15. Or but onely keep it in their houses when it had been made by others Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house lest thou be a cursed thing like it c. chap. 7. 26. 3 By the Passionate expressions if I may so speake of God in his threats against it such as those of wiping Jerusalem as one would wipe a dish 2 King 21. 13. Plucking them up by the roots 2 Chron 7. 02. and such like 4 By the passionate actions and expressions of godly men in detestation of it Such was Moses his breaking the two Tables which God himselfe gave him and wherein were the ten Commandements written with God's owne finger out of extremity of anger for the molten Calfe Exod 32. 19. And such was that prayer of Isaiah against the Jewes That God would not forgive them ch 2. 8 9. Their land is also full of Idols c. Therefore forgive them not 5 And lastly By the names that are given 1 To the sinne it selfe as Adultery Whoredome Fornication Jer 1. 16. c. 3. 17. Not that these sinnes are greater but that the Jewes accounted them greater or to shew that God was as angry with his people for committing this sinne as a man will be with his wife whom he loves for committing adultery whence his anger is usually called Jealousy and he a Jelous God being as jealous of worship as married people are of love and not giving his glory to another Isa 42. 8. 2 To the Idols Those names that are giuen to the Idols some expresse their odiousnesse such as 1 Semel Hakkinah the Image of Jealousy Ezek. 8. 3. 2 Gillulim which signifies dung Ezek 22. 3. So the God of the Ekronites otherwise called Beelzebu B i. e. the God of flies 2 Kings 1. 3 in the Gospel is called Beelzebu L i. e. The God of dung or dirt Mat. 10. 25. 3 Aven which signifies iniquity Isa 66. 3. 4 Hhetzeb which signifies griefe because God is grieved with them Jer 22. 28 or because they bring griefe to men also at last according to that in Ps 16. 4. 5 Tizrim which signifies tortures for the same reason Isa 4. 5 16. 6 Tohhebah which signifies abomination because God does and men should abominate and loath them The Jewes in the detestation of Christ call him Tahuth i. e. an Idol Other names expresse the hurtfulnesse of them such as 1 Michshol a stumbing blocke Ezek 14. 3. 2 Mokesh a Snare Exod 23. 33. 3 Bosheth Shame either because men should be willingly or because they shall be by force at last ashamed of them Hos 9. 10. 4 Miphletzeth Horrour or a Bugbeare because men should be afraid to come neere them 1 Kings 15. 3. I will conclude with an expression or two of such as were neither Jewes nor Christians against Idolatry 1 Against the Idolatry of the Egyptians worshiping herbs and beasts Cotta in Cicero Ecquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescatur deum credat esse doe you think any one so mad as to believe that which may be meat can be a God 2 Against the Idolatry of the Roman-Heathen worshiping men and women Xenophanes being asked of the people of Elea
shall be an harlot in the city and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land c. ch 7. 16 17. Preparation before medling with God's Ordinances Such as neglect it may justly feare severe punishment For thus it was said under the Old Testament and doubtlesse there is as much need of preparation for Gospell services as there was for those of the Law Let the Priests also which come neere to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord breake footh upon them Exod 19 22. The Septuagint say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest the Lord depart away from them as being a holy God and therefore not enduring any unholy thing to come neere him which I take to be a worse punishment then the former Especially after the commission of some fowle sinne whereby we are defiled For then we had need to wash our selves first with teares of humiliation and repentance The man that shall be uncleane and shall not purifie himselfe that soule shall be cut off from among the congregation c Num 19. 20. See the practise of Job ch 1. 5. The Priests before they went into the Tabernacle were to wash their hands their feet upon paine of death Exod 30. 20. What a charge did God give of preparing the people to hear him when he intended to speak upon mount Sinai even two daies before Exod 19. 10 11. See Gen 35. 2 concerning the practise of Jacob. And Job 11. 13 I wish we were as strict in preparing for all manner of duty as the Jewes were and yet are in externall preparations for the keeping of the Sabbath or that we were as punctuall to wash our hearts before we go to sit down at the Lords table as they were to wash their feet and the Pharisees their hands before they would sit downe at their own tables Presumptuous Sins See Sins Presumption of Perseverance punished Both with Sinne and Sorrow Peter told our Saviour Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Mâ—tth 26. 33. but our Saviour presently threatned him Verily I say unto thee that this night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice vers 34. Shalt not wi lt so that if it be a prophecie it is a threatning one Marke how these words of our Saviour answer to Peter's in every expression of his praefidence as were of purpose to make him see his exceeding great weaknesse Whereas he was so confident of the continuance of his fidelity that all should be offended in Christ rather then he he tells him none but him most peremptorily to the contrary VERILY I SAY unto thee c. Whereas he was confident that hee should not be so much as offended in Christ which notwithstanding Christ had said should be the lot of all of them vers 31. He tells him that he should not onely be offended in him but even quite deny him Whereas hee was confident that he should never deny Christ not once so much and not once for ever not only that night he tells him cleane contrary This night and BEFORE the Cok crow thou shalt deny me THRICE Now you may see this threat fulfilled vers 70. 72. 74. and in the next verse after Peters sin you may read his sorrow For there it is said that upon the crowing of the Cocke being put in mind of Christs words he went out and WEPT BITTERLY Professours in Hypocrisie punished 1 With Deceiving of themselves Non-acceptance of their religion Trust yee not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer 7. 4. Lying words Because they call'd it the Temple of the Lord when it was not for the Lord would no longer dwel in it nor owne it So it seems to be interpreted if we translate with the Latin v. 7 Then I will dwell with you in this place But I rather take lying words for words that would deceive them vaine and unprofitable words as it is interpreted and as the Latine it selfe also translates ver 8. thus yee trust in lying words which will not profit you You will deceive your selves exceedingly if you think you are a jot the better for going to the house of God hearing the word of God living with the people of God and having the name of God upon you if your lives be not answerable 2 Being given over to death in Sin especially if they pretend to more then others and take the name of figtrees upon them which is the greatest fruit bearing tree of any our Saviour When he saw a figtree in the way hee came to it found nothing thereon but leaves onely and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat 21 19. 3 Being given over to death in Hell Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Divells and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Matt 7. 22 23. Work iniquity What doe all these great things and yet work iniquity Yea prophecy cast out Divells preach well pray well even to admiration and yet work iniquity There is too often experience even of such hypocrisie Such as are not professours will rise up in judgement against such men and condemne them Shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law judge thee who by or in the letter and circumcision doest transgresse the Law Rom 2. 27. Prosperity Such as abuse it to Sinne through wantonnesse confidence security Threatened 1 With Not-being pardoned How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forsaken mee and sworn by them that are no gods when I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troopes in harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. Froward children will be most froward when their parents are most loving But nothing will anger a parent more When I fed them to the full As full-feeding on meat disposes the body to corporall adultery so doth being full fed with prosperity dispose the soule to spirituall adultery But withall it is as certaine that as diseases are the fruits of the former so punishments are the reward of the latter 2 Removall of those things which they abused and wherein they put their confidence As they were encreased so they sinned against me or according to the Chald. par As I multiplyed their fruits so they multiplyed to sinne Therefore will I change their glory into shame Hos 4. 7. So in Jeremy The complaint is I spake unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidest I will not heare c. 22. 2. even in Adversitie we doe not heare but in
doings c. they did but trust in lying words which would deceive them to say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord though they sayd it never so often Jer 7. 4 5. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heaven Matt. 7. 21. Workes of God not regarded Because they regard not the workes of God nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Psalm 28. 5. See Psalm 78. 32 33. World Those that love it punished 1 With a short enjoyment of what they love which is no punishment to them that doe not love it And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 31. 2 Vexation of mind I have seen all the worke that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1. 14. 3 Not being able to be Christ's disciple Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple Luk 14. 33. That forsaketh not and vers 26. That hateth not his father c. Much lesse then can they that love and cleave to the world be Christ's disciples Paul saith he counted all things but dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so he could but that he might winne Christ as if else he could not See Phil. 3. 8. 4 Surprizall by the day of Judgment Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeting and drunkenesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34. Worship of God neglected Yee looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it Why saith the Lord of hoasts Because of mine house that is wast and ye runne every man to his owne house Hag. 1. 9. APPENDIX READER I intreat thee to lend mee the reading of a few lines more which partly by the Printers fault and partly by mine own having done my work in loose papers were left out in the book P. 31. Before Destruction Read 6 Shame O Lord the hope of all Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountaine of living water Jer. 17 13. Pag. 32. read The Jewes when they heard any one blaspheme God's name either out of indignation against the party for the affront as Joshua and Caleb did at the murmuring of the people Num. 14. 6 or else out of griefe for God's dishonour as it was their custome to doe in times of mourning used to rent their cloaths And this they would doe whosoever he were that had blasphemed but especially if he were one of their own nation and had professed himselfe to be in covenant with him whose name hee blasphemed oh I could teare my haire to see Professours of godlinesse dishonourers of God For this reason and because he spake in the Hebrew tongue the Iewes conjecture Rabsbacheh at whose blasphemy the people in Jerusalem did rent their cloaths 2 Kings 18. 37. to have been formerly of their religion Yea they thought the practice of this custome so warrantable upon such an occasion that even the Priests who were expresly forbidden to use either this or any other custome used in times of mourning yea though their owne daughters should be burnt to death for whoredome Lev. 21. 9. 10 yet notwithstanding as it seemes upon the hearing of blasphemy thought they might lawfully perhaps were ambitious to use it as they were to doe many other things whereby they might seem to be over righteous P. 75. before Those who have no union c. this chapter Threats and Examples of his being a Scandal He shall be for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem Isa 8. 14. Behold this child is set for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel c. Luk 2. 34. See Pet. 2. 8. Rom. 9. 33. This stumbling at Christ was to the Jewes 1 A punishment of their disobedience And therefore Jonathan the Paraphrast in the place of the Prophet before quoted before he mentions the threat prefixes these words If ye shall not obey 2 A fruit of their blindnesse and ignorance for certainely had they seen never so little they could not possibly have stumbled in so great a stone as he was No instead of going on till they dasht th◠selves against him if they had perceived him to be a rock of refuge as indeed he was they would have got up upon him and have made him their Sanctuary Had they known what a pretious corner stone he was even chosen of God and laid in Sion of purpose as the fittest in whom the building of either sides viz of themselves and Gentiles might be fitly knitted together Eph 2. 21 for a living and a Holy Temple for God to dwell in by the Spirit insteed of their temple made with hands which must perish doubtlesse they would never have rejected him and have let him lye in the way for themselves to fall in Or if they envied so much good to the Gentiles as to make him a corner stone yet they would have made him their foundation stone and have built upon it themselves And as they stumbled at him both Jewes Gentiles because of the meannesse of his quality because of the danger of believing in him so because they liked not his do ctrine as for other reasons so especially for these 1. Because of the Spirituality of the expressions and language thereof seeming strange uncouth to them Pilate said what is truth John 13. 38. He wondered what Christ meant by truth Festus tooke Paul for a mad man Acts 26. 24. Nicodemus could not conceive how a man could be born again unlesse he could enter into his mother's wombe and so be borne Joh. 3. 4. So when he told them that unlesse they did eate his flesh and drinke his blood they had no life in them they sayd how can this man give us his flesh to eate Joh. 6. 52. Nay many that were his disciples before tooke such offence at this hard saying as they called it vers 60 that they went backe and walked no more with him And thus the Pharisees were offended when he told them that Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man but that which goeth out of the mouth Matt. 15. 12. They could not believe that that which went out of a man or that which proceeded from a man 's own selfe should defile himselfe Many other such like things there were in his doctrine which as Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 24. they could not
A VIEW OF THE THREATS AND PVNISHMENTS Recorded in the Scriptures Alphabetically composed VVith some briefe OBSERVATIONS upon severall TEXTS By ZACHARY BOGAN of C.C.C. OXON Num. 32. 23. Be sure your sinne will find you out OXFORD Printed by H. Hall for R. Davis 1653. TO MY HONOVRED FATHER Mr WILLIAM BOGAN SIR IT is too well knowne to you how for no lesse then foure or five yeares by the just hand of God upon me for my many Sins and perhaps more especially for my presumption upon my power over my passions and my phancy which I have most prefidently expressed whensoever my friends bade me beware how I yeelded to them I have been in a manner buried alive in melancholy and spent my dayes in vanity My distemper was such as did not onely render me indisposed by study to gather more knowledge then I had before being not able for whole moneths together to perswade my selfe to take a booke in hand and for severall yeares if I had read any thing to tell you what I had read But also made me to loose a very great part of that which I had already gathered And therefore I doubt not but my Acquaintance and Country men what ever they may think and say too sometimes against mee for idlenesse yet after a very few serious thoughts doe abundantly excuse me It is true It was one of those things which in my melancholy my dejected spirit dwelt longest upon that I had done God and my brethren no service having lived so long But after a yeare or two It pleased the Lord who I cannot say did ever hide himselfe in my trouble or despise my affliction but was ready to know me in all my adversity to set me in a way wherein I might spend my time better and passe thorow with more ease some of the rest of those wearisome dayes which he had appointed for me He gave me a subject to meditate upon wherein he dealt suitably with my distemper as well in the employment as the subject being fitter for meditation then reading The Mirth of a Christian Life in opposition to those who disparage it with reports of melancholy sadnes VVhich accordingly I undertooke and committed my meditations such as they were to paper VVhen some yeares were past you may remember that the last winter you told me in your letter that my mother desired much to see those meditations printed I resolved considering the sickly condition she was then in thougâ—â— they were never so unworthy the publike view to satisfie her desire But before â— had set upoÌ„ the busines it thus happened Being in a Booksellers shop and looking upon a treatise of God's Promises I asked the Bookeseller whether he knew of any Treatise of his Threats Being answered contrary to my expectation that he knew of none I was the more earnest to inquire further And so I did but could heare of none VVhereupon I told my Bookeseller that I resolved forthwith to read over the Bible and make a collection of them my selfe and if it pleased God to incourage me in it to print them Now the Lord did encourage me and that exceedingly as I shall shew you in my preface to the Reader so that I have finished my worke quickly and brought you savory meat such as I hope you love You had had it long since had it not been longer in the Printers hands then it was in mine owne But I hope it is not too late now I had another reason besides naturall and civill obligation why I chose to dedicate this booke to your selfe And that was this viz. because I conceived the contents of it more proper for your family then for any that I knew in regard we have had more mercies then other families and as I feare have abused them to security The truth is a booke of this nature is very proper for the whole Nation because there have beene so many judgements of God in the Earth and in our owne Land and yet we have not learned righteousnesse The Lord grant that as many as yet remaine may heare and feare and may henceforth commit no more such evils as they have committed But I have held you too long And therefore I will conclude with this humble request that as often as you meet with any faylings in this booke you will beare with them in that manner as you have been wont to beare with them in the authour so as never the lesse to accept of the unworthy gift of C.C.C. Jun. 29 1652. Your obedient Sonne ZACHARY BOGAN Christian READER GIve me leave to shew thee what course I tooke in Composing this Booke It was in very little more then a fortnight's time that by the help of God I read the Bible over and reduced every thing that I observed to a certaine head in Alphabeticall order After this I examined every place of Scripture by the Originall and the most noted Translations Some few Texts besides those which I observed my selfe I met with afterwards in other Bookes Those bookes I knew not of before I had done reading the Bible Which I much rejoyced for both because of other things which in reading I took in together with those that were for this purpose and because of the abundance of time and labour which I should have spent in examining quotations which are usually heaped up without choyce or judgement It cost me not a little pain to examine only those Texts which they had and I had not out of feare lest they had been apply'd to a wrong head a thing too ordinary in most Common place bookes But before I goe any further now I have spoken of paine give me leave to tell thee of that which I tooke abundance of comfort in and which I may not conceale the marvellous encouragement which it pleased God to afford me all along in this worke Whereas ever since my sicknesse I have not been able to read above a quarter of an houre at a time without a great deale of wearinesse and paine In reading the Scriptures although I read the same places ten times over I was I know not how supplyed with a constant delight in what I did and a desire to goe further If at any time I was weary as sometimes I was quite tired through infirmities of body and want of spirits as soone as I had but turned aside but a few minutes I found a sudden supply of desire to follow my businesse againe as fresh as ever Thus it was most commonly when I was thus weary and when it was not so and I had noe appetite at all to the businesse If I did but once take my bible in hand to try how it would be then and read a line or two I presently recovered my appetite againe as bodies filled with winde use to get a stomack by eating And these things I looke upon as great encouragements whereunto I adde the health which I had all the while I was doing this thing
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. 4 God forsaking of them which is but retaliation for their forsaking of him God said to Moses concerning the Israelites When thou art dead this people will forsake me break the covenant which I have made with them Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them and they shall be devoured c. Deut. 31. 16 17. The spirit of God in Azariah thus spake to King Asa The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him hee will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you 2. Chron. 15. 2. See chap. 12. 5. 5 Conquest and Captivitie In the book of Judges in most places where there is mention made of any Conquest had over the Israelites you shall find this mentioned for a reason viz. that the people forsooke or forgat the Lord their God See chap. 3. 7. and chap. 10. 6 7. 9 10. 11. c. When Rehoboam had establishd the kingdome and had strengthned himselfe he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israel with him it came to passe that in the fift yeare of Rehoboam Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. 2. Chr. 12. 1. 2. See vers 5. So the spirit of God in Zachariah told King Ioash and his Princes Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you 2. Chron. 24. 20. and according to his word the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers So they executed judgement against Israel vers 24. 6 Destruction Thou hast forsaken mee saith the Lord thou art gone backward therfore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee I am weary with repenting Jeremiah 15. 6. T is spoken to the Jews so chap. 16. 11. the Prophet is bid to answer the people if they asked him the reason of Gods judgements upon them thus Because your Fathers have forsaken me saith the Lord and have walked after other Gods and have served them and have worshipped them and have forsaken me and have not kept my law Forsaken me is repeated as if it went very neere Gods heart to be forsaken by a people whom he had chosen or as if going to other Gods did not anger him so much as going from him or forsaking him Under the old Testament when God made the Law that if any one enticed another to worship Idols he should be stoned to death hee added this for a reason of the punishment or at least for an aggravation of the sin viz because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage Deut. 13. 10. See the words of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. 6 7 8. Psal 13. 27. Particular persons as Kings and others have been punished or threatned 1 With being murdered And he forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in the way of the Lord. And the servants of Amon conspired against him and slew the King in his own house 2. King 21 22 23. Speaking of Amon King of Israel After the time that Amaziah did turne away from following the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but tbey sent to Lachisb after him and slew him there 2 Chron 25 27. 2 Being left to ruine themselves in their owne wayes The backe slider in heart shall be filled with his owne wayes Proverbs 14 14. 3 Impenitency and incurablenes It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and and were made pertakers of the holy ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come who have gon so farre and received so many good things If they shall fall to renew thē unto repentance Hebr 6 4 5 6. If they shall fall c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fall forward viz remaining still in the right way but fall aside into another way fall off or fall away viz by a totall defection and revolting from the Faith for otherwise if it should be ment of only sinning againe as the Syriack translation renders unlesse it mean that great sin whereof we speake called in Hebrew Maal a Sin and usually renderd by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Apostacy it were a very hard saying and who could heare it 4 Rejection if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt bee cut of Rom. 11 22. 5 Noe pardon if they sin wilfully and against knowledge For if wee sin wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Heb 10. 26. and so verse 38 If any man draw back my Soule shall have no pleasure in him David in his charge to his Sonne Solomon told him If thou seek him hee will be found of thee But if thou forsake him hee will cast thee of for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. 6 Distruction temporall and eternall Consider this yee that forget God least I tea◠you in peices and there be none to deliver Ps 50 22. Wee are not of them that draw back to perdition Heb 10. 39. Those wandring starres to whom is reserved the blacknesse◠of darknesse for ever Jude 13. are by the glosse interpreted Apostates and it 〈◊〉 thought to be meant of the Corpocratian◠who denie the Divinity of Christ No◠only if a man doe returne back but if h◠doe but looke back it may bee as much a◠his life is worth as it was with Lots wife Remember Lot's wife Luke 17. 32. Noe man having put his hand to the Plow and looking back if fit for the Kingdome of God Luke the 9. 62. How grevious a thing Apostatizing or back sliding is in the sight of God may be gathered by his angry expressions concerning it especially such as we find in the Prophets directed to the Jewes calling them grievous revolters Jerem 6 28 Trecherous Judah four times in one chapter viz chap 3. v. 7. 8. 10. 11. verse 20. He compares them to a wife that leaves her husband And therefore his anger against this sin being exceeding great is usually called by the name of Jealousy which is the greatest anger that can be and the hardest to be appeased as you may see in an hundred places Deut. 32. 16. c. The very heathen their constancy to their Idols will rise up in judgement against them that forsake God Hath a Nation changed their Gods which
from thy Statutes for their deceit is a lie or falshood Ps 119 118. 6 Shortnesse of life Bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes Ps 5 6. By bloudy men is usually ment in Scripture not somuch downright murderers who take away the life of another as any other wrongfull or unconscionable and unjust dealers who take away that which is many times called their life viz their livelihood in Deut 24 6. he that taketh a milstone is said to take a mans life to pledge Thus oppressours unjust judges are said to have their hands full of blood Isa 1 15 with v. 17. See what butcherly actions are ascribed to them Mic 3 2 3 4. There are very many places to this purpose in the Prophets 7 Punishment by the hand of God not to be prevented in most dreadfull expressions for the Prophet Amos having complained of some that asked When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the ballances with deceit Ch 8 verse 5. in the seventh verse he adds The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of these workes So in Micah chap 6 11 12 13. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitfull weights For the rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee in making thee desolate because of this sin Notwithstanding all these threats and which it grieves my heart to see this sin of deceitfull dealling is swallowed with ease and lookt upon as a small sinne by those that straine at violence and abhore to commit it contrary to the judgment even of an heathen man who sayes he lookt upon it as the woâ—se crime of the two fraus quasi vulpeculae vis leonis utrumque alienissimum sed fraus odio digna majore Couzening is for a fox and violence for a Lion both are very inhuman things but of the two couzening is the more odious Cicero lib. 1. de Off. Delight in Sinne see Sinne. Desertion 1 Spirituall desertion I goe my way and yee shall seeke mee and shall die in your sins saith our Saviour to the Pharisees Joh 8 21. 2 Either spirituall or temporall or both for the expressions are very dreadfull I have forsaken my house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of her enimies Jer. 12 7. the Prophet had a little before spoken of their Hypocrisie towards God viz. vers 2. as well as towards himselfe vers 6. and therefore that sin is to be thought the main cause at least why this punishment was threatned I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercies Jer. 16 5. my peace so that I will be their enemy if it had beene but their peace that is peace among themselves or with men or their prosperity it had not deserv'd the name of a threat in comparison of this loving kindnesse and mercyes or goodnesse and bowels or pity so the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as proper expression of desertion and anger as may be if God had remov'd onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his goodnesse or beneficence by not doing them good yea if he had afflicted them with never so great judgments yet if he had retain'd his bowels to pity them in their misery and such mercy is properly meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowels their conditioÌ„ had been hopefull Oh t is a sad thing when God strikes a man and goes away and leaves him when he shews his back and not his face in his calamity And yet thus are the same people threatned against whom the former threat was denounced c. 18 17. And both these threats were for the same sinne viz Idolatry as you may see verse the 15 of this chapter and chap. 16 11. In Hosea also you have the like threat of Desertion and for the same sinne For the wickednesse of their doings I will drive them out of my house I will love them no more ch 9 15. now this wickednesse was Idolatry as is to be seen by those wordes in the same verse All their wickednesse is in Gilgal as if their other wickednesse were no wickednesse compared with Idolatry which they committed in Gilgal c. 12 11. I will forsake them I will hide my face from them Deut 31 17 for the same sinne verse 16. Despising Despisers punished Hagar Abraham's maid despising her mistresse Sarah because she had conceived by her master when her mistresse had not was by her master delivered up to the will of her mistresse who used her so hardly that shee was faine to runne away Gen 16. 5 6. Gaal despising Abimelech saying to the Schechemites whom he had caused to rebell against Abimelech and to be in subjection to himselfe Who is Abimelech that we should serve him Judg 9 28. when Abimelech came against the towne his army was overthrowne and himselfe by Zebul Abimelech's deputy governour of the place expelled the city vers 39 41. Nabal despising David when he sent to him for provision saying Who is David and Who is the son of Jesse this question it seemes was usuall in way of Contempt for otherwise you may see he knew well enough who he was had not his wife appeased this son of Jesse as contemptible as he made him with a present both himselfe and all his family had been put to the sword 1 Sam. 25 10 34. Sheba who drew away the ten tribes into rebellion against David in the same manner despised him calling him in contempt The sonne of Jesse but marke his end for God used a farre more contemptible instrument to destroy him then the sonne of Jesse and it was done in a very contemptuous manner for being besieged in Abel by the advise of a woman his head was cut off and throwne over the wall to Joab now whereas this fellow when hee stirred up the people to revolt cryed to them Every man to his tents jeering as if they might goe every one to his home and take no more notice of the sonne of Jesse when this was done it is said as if the Scripture meant to shew how it pleased God to fulfill those words one way which he intended in another that they retired every man to his tent 2 Sam. 20 1 compared with v. 22. Goliah the Champion of the Philistins despising David and threatning him as we say to make hawkes meat of him 1 Sam. 17 42 44. was slaine by him in a very contemptuous manner viz onely with a little stone flung out of a sling and afterward beheaded by him with his owne sword vers 49 50. Benhadad the King of Syria
at the siege of Samaria when he was told that some of the Israelites were coming forth of the city in a carelesse scornfull manner gave order whether they came for peace or warre to take them alive now those that came forth were in number but 232 and they were young men of the Princes of the Provinces chosen out of purpose by the advice of a Prophet but as few as they were and though the King of Syria made so little reckoning of them they fell upon the Syrian army and slew every man his man and put the King and his whole army to flight 1 King 20 14 15 18 20. Discord Threats OF Discord among all sorts By the prophet Jeremy I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sonnes together Jer 13 14. concerning the Jews By our Saviour Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth no my busines is to give peace in heaven and reconciliation with God I tell you nay but rather division Luk. 12 51. You may see those words in part fulfilled at Iconium upon Pauls preaching there Act 14 4. of Discord among the wicked as a punishment and for the good of the godly Every mans sword shall be against his brother concerning Gog Ezek 38 21. A great tumult from the Lord shall be among them and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour Zac 14 13. Concerning those that had fought against Jerusalem With this punishment God punished the Midianites when they fought with Gideon Judg. 7 22 where it is said THE LORD set every mans sword against his brother as it was above a great tumult from THE LORD and indeed the Lord's hand is especially seene in this punishment because there is a worke to be wrought upon the heart which the power of man cannot so well reach In this manner the Philistins likewise were panished when they fought with Saul 1 Sam. 14 20. and the Ammonites and the Moabites when they fought with Jehoshaphat 2 Chr. 20 24. See more in the chapter of The Enemies of the Church THREATS TO Discord or to those that Cause and maintaine it 1 Of Confusion and every evill worke So S. James sayes Where envying and strife is there is confusion or an unquiet life and every evill worke Jam. 3 16. The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I thinke it may not be meant so much every evill or sinfull worke or action which is best exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as every evill or hurtfull thing not so much the evill Sinne as the evill of it neither is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here a sinne as it is in 2 Corinth 12 20. for then there might have seemed to have beene a Tautologie but a punishment as it is in 2 Cor. 6 5. The evill actions which are the fruits of strife are many but I believe the evill things which are the punishments and ill consequents of it are a great many more for commonly when men agree worst they live best enemies being as they are called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observers do make men forbeare many sinnes either for fear or shame or even for spite it selfe and the want of an enemy makes them loose and carelesse The fruits of strife both miseries and sinnes must needs be many for these two reasons 1 Because men at variance will not onel y not help one another but will do all that they can to hurt one another 2 Because men at variance are for the most part in passion now passion usually considers not what is profitable and cares not what is lawfull which way soever you interpret the words of the Apostle they may very well be attended with those words of Solomon The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be modled with Prov. 17 14. This many seem to be better translated thus Leave off contention before thou hast intangled thy selfe for before it be medl'd with it cannot be left off In like manner chap 20 3 I should render it every foole will entangle himself instead of will be medling because what ever it be that is there meant it seems to be opposed to ceasing froÌ„ strife expressed in the former part of the verse which a man cannot so well be said to do unlesse he hath already medl'd or begun Strife is like a snare which at first when a man falls into if he goe gently to worke he may draw his foot out againe or iâ— it be tyed if he be not too hasty but go wisely to worke he may untye it againe but if once he fall to striving the more he strives the faster he is tyed So one word drawes another and the next is still worse then the former and each party more angry then before when men are farre in they resolve to goe on either because they thinke they cannot come off with credâ—t or because they will not come off without it 3 Destroying one another But if yee bite and devoure one another take heed that yee be not consumed one of another Gal 5 15. These evills are the naturall effects of the sinne it selfe but can it be threatend with nothing from without viz. from God or from men Yes it may be threatend 1 With Gods hatred for him that soweth discord among brethren Solomon hath put for one of his seven things which he sayes are an abomination to God Prov 6 16 19. 2 Excommunication or a worse matter I would they were cut off that trouble you Gal 5 12. Spoken of them that caused division among the Galatians by urging circuÌ„cision I would he does but wish it for his authority among the Galatians was not so great as it was among the Corinthians for if he were not an Apostle to others yet doubtlesse he was to them as he sayes 1 Cor. 9 2. but among the Corinthians I believe he meant to see it done indeed when he told them I feare lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as I would not lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whispering swellings tumults behold discord's numerous and viperous brood 1 Cor. 12 20. 3 Ruine of families cities and kingdomes our Saviour used it as an argument against he Pharisees to prove that he did not cast out one divell by an other as they said he did because sayes he Every kingdome divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against it selfe shall not stand and if Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himselfe how shall then his kingdome stand Mat 12 25 26. Where Discord is sown for the seed the harvest must needs be destruction Pallas whom the Poets fain the goddesse of
wisedome thought that Cadmus intending to make himselfe King of Boeotia could not take a wiser course to destroy his enimies then to sow this seed among them which the Poet Ovid describes by the sowing of vipers teeth in the ground which accordingly had its effect A viperous and poysonous seed indeed it is as destructive in the body of a coÌ„mon-wealth as any poyson can bee in the body of a man Id unum venenum eam labem civitatibus opulentis repertam ut magna imperia mortalia essent t is the only mortall dissease that a Kingdome can be sick of 4 Exclusion out of the kingdome of God Hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings c. what a company of names this sin hath or what a compound of sinnes it is of the which I told you before as I have also told you in times past he could never tell them too much of it that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Gal 5 20 21. Follow peace therefore with all men if not the peace of freindship the peace of good will Even the most wicked men although thou doest not seek peace with them yet if they seek it with thee let them be sure to find it Though the Israelites might not seek the peace of the Ammonites Deut 23 6. yet might they not distresse theÌ„ c. 2 9. Though they might not seek the peace of the Ammonites with themselves that is make a mutuall league of amity and association yet they must seek their owne peace with the Ammonites that is not begin to contend with them in battell Follow your own peace love and good will with all men though not their peace with your selves because it must not be gotten with enmity with God and it cannot be had without it Discouraging of men in Godly enterprises It is like to be Severely punished For The men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land Even those men that did bring up the evill report upon the land the sin is repeated to shew how great it was esteemed died by the plague before the Lord Num 14 36. Before the Lord. as if the Lord was so earnest to have this sinne punished that he would stand by and see it done himselfe Disobedience to God either meerly Disobedience without any other sinne or as being the maine provoking part of other sinnes threatned and punished 1 With God's Anger The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses Exod 4 14. and it is likely it had burnt him if he had still stood it out not obeyed at last for denying to goe to Pharoah three severall times when God bid him ver 1 10 13. Even Artaxerxes himselfe was sensible how it provoked God to be Disobeyed and therefore when he gave commission to Ezra to build the Temple he gave this charge Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for why should there be wrath against the realme of the King and his Sons Ezra 7 23. and his Sons he feared it would not be forgotten but that God would visit such an iniquity of the Fathers even upon their Children after them 2 God's Curse I sett before you this day a blessing and a curse a blessing if ye obey c. and a curse if ye will not obey the commandements of the Lord your God saith Moses Deu. 11 27 28. See Jer 11 8. Thus were Adam and Eve punished cheifely if not meerly for Disobedience at least in the act it selfe was nothing sinfull but Disobedience for what sinne could there be in in eating of a little fruit unlesse God had commanded them to the contrary And therefore when God pronounced judgment against them all that he laid to their charge was that they had eaten of the Tree of which he commanded them that they should not eate Gen 3 See what he sayes to the woman v. 11. and likewiâ—e to the man vers 17. almost the same words When Paul would shew how we were made sinners in Adam he sayes not by the Vnholynesse or by the Intemperance or by the pride or the like but by the Disobedience of one man many were made sinners Rom 5 19. so on the other side he sayes not we were made righteous by Christs holinesse or by his patience or by his meeknesse nay nor by his sufferings for he might have suffered without command and then he had merited nothing at his Fathers hand but by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous in the same place Adam's Disobedience was as pure disobedience as could be and Christ's Obedience What Christ did or suffered was neither duty in it selfe nor desert but meerely as he said to doe the will of God or to perform what the father had imposed upoÌ„ him 3 God's Setting himselfe against them If ye will not OBEY the voice of the Lord but rebell against the commandement of the Lord then shall the hand of the Lord be against you saith Samuel to the Israelites 1 Sam 12 15. voyce and commandement or as it is in the originall mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebell against or provoke the Mouth of the Lord the aggravation is in the word mouth for if they should doe things not according to his mind it were not so much but when they shall do them against his mouth when he hath given them a charge with his owne mouth to the contrary this is unanswerable as our Saviour sayes If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not * had sinne but now have they no cloake for their sinne John 15 22. In Jeremy yon may see the sinne of Disobedience often aggravated by these expressions I spake unto you rising early and speaking but ye heard not c 7. 13. and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not harkâ—ned chap 25 3. and so chap 35 14. you have the same words Oh lit must needs anger God exceedingly as it would any earthly Father to speak and speak and speak and no body regard to hearken to him Then shall the hand of the Lord be against you His power shall be employed only against you to hurt you and not at all for you to protect you O heavy Judgment 4 In Kings in their Heires with the Losse of their Kingdomes Samuel told Saul Thy Kingdome shall not continue c. Because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee 1 Sam 13 14. Yee read of no other fault reproov'd but meere Disobedience to one command onely of the Prophet's viz To tarry seven dayes for him at Gilgal chap 10 8. This perhaps he thought was a matter indifferent or he thought that he would not come or that he had obeyed his command having tarried till seven dayes were fully come which is
enough in Scripture-account to make it so many dayes but yet because he did not that which doubtles he knew was the Prophet's meaning viz tarry out the full seven dayes it argues he cared little to obey his command or follow his councell and therefore he must suffer accordinly So againe chap 15 23 he tels him thus Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity * and Idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee frō being King Rejected or Slighted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said thus Thou wouldest be thought to hate Witchraft and Idolatry as most abominable crimes But I tell thee in Disobeying God's expresse command thou doest Slight and Reject God as much as he that doth worship an Idol or goe to a witch and therfore God hath also Slighted thee thought thee unworthy to be King any longer Here we read of no other fault but Disobedience neither viz in sparing Agag the King of the Amalekites and the best of the spoile vers 9 whereas he was cōmanded to destroy every thing without exception v. 3. Yet perhaps he thought to do God better service in reserving some for sacrifice therefore some observeupon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished Idolatry verse 23. but signifying Images which they used to divine and know things by and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished stubbornesse but as they say signifying to sinne by adding to God's command and serving him another way then he commands that in the verse before mentioned Saul was told thus much viz That by serving God one way wben he commanded another as if he knew better himselfe what way was best to serve him he was as bad as they that neglecting to seek to God sought to their Images or Teraphim But his serving of God in his owne way when God commanded another was but will-worship and I may say of obedience as God himselfe saies of mercy Hos 6. 6 God desireth obedience and not sacrifice even knowledge only as it is in the same place he desireth MORE then burnt offerings but he desireth obedience and mercy and NOT sacrifice If you have no knowledge I shall accept your offerings the worse but if you doe not performe obedience to me I will not accept of your sacrifices or your prayers at all And therefore as Solomon sayes Eccles 5 1 Be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles you will but play the foole and loose your labour in offering sacrifices so long as you refuse to heare and obey 5 In whole nations Conquest and Captivity The King of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria 2 Kings 18 11 and it followes v. the 12. Because they OBEYED not the voice of the Lord their God They were DISOBEDIENT and rebelled against thee c. Therefore thou deliveredst thē into the hand of their enimies c. thus said the Levites in their praier at the time of the fast after the returne to Jerusalem Neh 9. 26 speaking concerning the old Israelites 6 Cutting off from the congregation by the Leviticall Law Whosoever eateth that which is leavened even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of the Israel Ex 12 19. surely it must be only for Disobedience to a strict command for otherwise doubtlesse such an action was in it selfe indifferent 7 Destruction and death God told the Israelites by Moses before they went into Canaan As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face so shall yee perish because you would not be obedient to voyce of the Lord your God Deut 8 20. and he told the same people by Jeremy after their returne from captivity If they will not OBEY I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation Jer 12 17. Saul's one Disobedience in sparing Agag and the spoile is mentioned for the chiefe cause of his death So Saul died for his trangression as if it were said that his grand transgression of Disobedience which he committed against the Lord even against the word of Lord which he kept not 1 Chr 10 13. against the Lord even against the word of the Lord. for if it had not been against the word of the Lord that is if the Lord had not commanded him to doe what he did not it had not been against the Lord. What fault was there but Disobedience in the Prophet of Judah in eating and drinking with the old prophet of Bethel 1 Kin 13 21. and yet it is there said that while they sate at table the word of the Lord came to the man of God that came from Judah saying For as much as thou hast DISOBEYED the mouth of the Lord c. thy carcasse shall not come unto the Sepulchres of thy Fathers verse 20 21 22. and accordingly a Lion met him and killed him v 24. but he was not suffered to eate him v. 28. belike lest such an example of Gods anger against Disobedience might be too soone forgotten What other fault could there be in him who refused to smite the Prophet when the Prophet himselfe bad him 1 King 20 35 and yet that Prophet because he bad him in the name of the Lord told him Because thou hast not OBEYED the voyce of the Lord behold as soon as thou art departed from me a Lion shall teare thee which accordingly came to passe vers 36. Even of the righteous when God hath made use of affliction to open their eares to discipline Job saies If they OBEY NOT they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge Job 36 12. without knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because being instructed they would not learne or were Disobedient Lot's wife was to blame indeed for her curiosity but there is no fault of hers mentioned besides Disobedience to the Angel's command of not looking backe Gen. 19 17. and yet shee was turned into a pillar of salt verse 26. Jonah for refusing to goe to Nineveh when God commanded him was made to lie for it no lesse then three daies in the belly of hell Jon. 2 2. Lastly Those who were destroyed by the Flood it seemes Disobedience had a great part of the cause of their punishment for the terme that S. Peter gives them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes were Disobedient 1 Epist 3 20. Disobedience to God's command in some cases is threatned worse then in others according to the quality of the person by whom it was delivered c. If the command were delivered by the mouth of a Priest it is threatned with Death The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest c. evē that man shall die Deut. 17 12. If it were delivered but by the letter of an Apostle with Excommunioation If any man OBEY NOT our word by this Epistle note that man and have no fellowship
viz with making it loathsome to them Num 11 20. I believe this is a usuall punishment with Drunkards before they die 2 Want of those creatures Isaiah having spoken those wordes above mention'd c. 5 11 afterward addes Their honourable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst verse 13. 3 Poverty and want of other creatures also For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23 21. come to poverty in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also to be dispossessed or disinherited but with this punishmeÌ„t wine it self will punish them disposessing them of themselves disinheriting them of their naturall estate of reason and causing their Parents to disinherit them of their civill estate Sometime they are and it were good if they were oftner punished thus by their Parents The word in the Hebrew viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies wine seems to be compounded of two other Hebrew words viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie thou shalt be Poor of these two words for that which signifies poore some put another like it viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Cheife the word will admit of both etymologies in like manner as wine produces both effects acording as it is well or ill used The richest wine is most dangerous in this regard because it hath most power to tempt thee to tarry long at it and therefore as I would have thee to come to all pleasant meates and drinkes with Feare so especially would I have thee be afraid to Looke upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it moveth it selfe aright Prov 23 31. 5 Sudden Death if Priests and when they went about their office Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy Sons with thee when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the congregation least ye die It shall be a statute for ever throughout thy generations Lev 10 9. Some thinke that Nadab and Abihu were Drunk when they took common fire instead of consecrated as you may see verse 1. of that chapter and that this Law was made upon that occasion because it is mentioned presently after now their punishmeÌ„t was also death viz by fire from the Lord as you may see verse 2. Either Sudden death or Surprizall by the day of judgment But and if that evill seravnt shall say in his heart my Lord delaieth his comming such speeches of security are common with Drunkards and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eate and drink with the Drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him c. Mat 24 48 49 50. shall begin If â—e be thus threatned for but beginning to drink c. what must he expect if he have practis'd this wickednesse for many yeares 6 Exclusion out of heaven Nor theeves nor coveteous nor DRUNKARDS shall inherit the Kindome of God 1 Cor 6. 10. See Mat 24 49 51. Such as make others Drunken are thus threatned Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him the Prophet could not forbeare to come from the third person to the second for anger which is best expressed in that person and MAKEST HIM DRVNKEN also that thou mayest look on their nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy foreskin be uncovered the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shamefull spuing shall be on thy glory Hab. 2 15 16. Duties of Religion c. Duties of religion such as performe them with resolution to retaine their sinnes THEY are threatned First with non-acceptance as 1. in Fasting and humiliation When the Jews demanded of God Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we aflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge He made them this answer Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours Isa 58 3. 2. In Prayer or seeking to God Yâ— pollute your selves with all your Idols even unto this day and shall I be inquired of by you O house of Israel as I live saith the Lord God I will not be enquired of by you Ezek 20 31. By you in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you which will expres both senses more anger I will neither heare you nor any body else for you See Zach 7 5 6 7. Mic 6 6 7 1. So Amos 5 22 23. Though ye offer me burnt offerings I will not accept them c. But let judgment run downe as water c. verse 24. As if he had said though you offer me never so many offerings c. I will not accept them as long as you doe not execute judgment See Jer 7 9 10. 3. In Believing God's word or believing in God or in preaching or reading But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50 16 17. God's house is not a Den for theeves c. Jer 7 11. and as long as we reject his ordinances to obey them we have nothing to doe with his ordinances to enjoy them 2. Severe punishment For every one of the house of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from mee c. And cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will sett my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverb c. Ezek 14 7 8. Samuel told Saul for all his sacrificing to the Lord because he disobeyed his command in not tarrying at Gilgal till he came Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee For now would the Lord have establish'd thy Kingdome upon Israel for ever But now thy Kingdome shall not continue 1 Sam 13 13 14. God's Altar was not allowed for a refuge for him that slew his Brother with guile Exod. 21 14. An earthly Father though his Son behave himself never so respectfully and shew him never so much reverence in his language and deportment yet if he be Disobedient is so farre from accepting of it that he likes him the worse Enemies of God's Children Enemies of God's children threatned and punished First with God's enmity against them especially when his children are dutifull for thus he speaks to rhe Israelites concerning the Angel whom he would send before them If thou shalt indeed obey his voyce and doe all that I speake then I will be an Enemy unto thine Enemies and an adversary unto thine adversaries Exod. 23 22. Secondly a Curse Isaac when he blessed Jacob thus spake Cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be hee that blesseth thee Gen. 27 29.
CURSED be in the Originall it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cursed neither Be nor Let nor Shall whereas it was before LET people serve thee or people SHALL serve thee and Nations bow downe to thee BE Lord over thy Brethren c. to shew that those who hate and curse God's Children are cursed with God presently ipso facto though they may not appeare so to them though as yet for matter of their temporall prosperity against them it be in the future tense They SHALL SERVE thee and they SHALL bow downe to thee but they ARE CVRSED or they are cursed already Thirdly The Increase of those whom they endeavour to diminish It is said of the Israelites in Egypt But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied Ex 1 12. the original word for word speaks thus As they afflicted them SO they multiplied as if God were so punctuall and so ready in this way of avenging the godly that presently assoon as ever men have done them Hurt one way he does them good another Many things grow the thicker for cutting short and there is no readier way to make the godly grow then to sow their blood upon the ground though for the present it may seeme to be but spilt Sanguis Martyrii est semen Ecclesiae Fourthly Vexation and Griefe thereupon as it is afterward said in the forementioned verse and they were GRIEVED because of the Children of Israel The Psalmist having spoken before of the good mans exaltation addeth in abundance of passion The wicked shall see it and be GRIEVED he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish Psalm 112 10. Fiftly Non-successe Balaam upon Balak's earnest importunity having tried his enchantments severall wayes at severall times and in severall places to curse the Israelites and being still told by God that it was to no purpose to endevour it because he was resolv'd to blesse them at length sitts downe and concludes Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel Num 23 23. Sixthly Conquest at least at the last These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them For he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and faithfull and chosen Rev 17 14. Seventhly Shame Isaiah Song-They shall see and be ashamed for their envie at the people yea the fire of thine enimies shall devour them chap 26 11. Eightly Punishments many and sure and notoriously by the hand of God That they are many this whole chapter shall declare and that they are sure is as sure as God is just in Paul's opininion his words are these Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thes 1 6. insomuch that as he makes the persecution of the godly to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God who must in justice render tribulation to them that trouble rest to them that are troubled 2 Thes 1 5 6 7. So in like manner in an other place he makes the malice of wicked men in persecuting of them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evident token not only of their punishment but perdition or destruction Phil 1 28. Sure and also speedy especially if God's children be earnest with him in prayer for our Saviour having told his Disciples a parable of a Judge who neither feared God nor regarded man and yet resolved to avenge a widdow of her adversary because of her importunity asked them whether they thought that God could be more hard-hearted then a wicked man and shall not God avenge his owne elect which cry day and night unto him though he beare long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Luk. 18 7 8. Beare long and yet speedily fo◠he counteth not slacknesse and speedinesse long and short as we doe because with him one day is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day 2 Pet. 3 8 9. Because the Amalekites withstood the Israelites in their journey into Canaan the Lord said unto Moses Write this for a memoriall in a booke and rehearse it in the eares of Joshua for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven Ex. 17 14. So carefull was he lest it might be forgotten and therefore in Deut. 25 17. he charges the Israelites to Blot out the remembrance of the Amalekites themselves rather then the remembrance of their injury REMEMBER saies he what Amaleck did unto thee by the way when ye were come forth out of Egypt and verse 19. Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven thou shalt not forget it Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his Servants said Moses in his Song Deut 32 43. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Septuagint and after them Paul Rom 15 10. though some translate Rejoyce ye Nations which are his people It seemeth to me as if he had said Ye Nations which have not yet shewd your selves ENEMIES TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD come in and take part with them and congratulate their delivery from those that persecute them for if you take their course you are like to fare as they have done and God will surely punish you Smite thorow the loines of them that rise against him said the same Moses in his prayer for Levi before his death Deut 33 11. Now in the Scriptures the Prayers of men inspir'd with a Prophetick Spirit whether for the godly or against the wicked have most of them the nature of prophesies and without doubt were so spoken or intended so that many of them are not to be imitated by us Many such there are of David's in the Psalmes to be render'd or interpreted at least rather by shall then let as Ps 69 27 28. c. See Deborah's prayer Jud 5 31. Joshua prophesied to the Israelites peremptorily when they had put their feet upon the necks of the five kings at Makkedah Feare not nor be dismayed for thus shall the Lord doe to all your Enemies against whom ye fight Josh 10 25. So much for the certainty of God's punishing the Enemies of his Church I proceed to the manner such as wherein it may be more clearly seene it is Hee THE hand of God notoriously appeares in the punishing of the Enemies of the Church severallwayes First When he produces unnaturall and unusuall effects upon their Minds such as first a strange Hatred Anger against one another from whence many times proceeds Either Killing of one another Thus Sennacherib king of Assyria was murthered by his owne sonnes 2 Kings 19 37. The Assyrian Officers helped the Jewes in the slaughter of their owne Nation Esth 9 3. Haman was hanged by his own kings command whom he had advised to slaughter the Jewes Esth 7. 10.
want of understanding so that they have not the wit to doe hurt In this manner at least was Nebuchadnezar punished Dan. 4 33. Fifthly Strange Madnesse In this manner the Enemies of Jerusalem are threatned to be punished In that day saith the Lord I will smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with MADNESSE Zach. 12 4. Sixthly Strange Delusion as 1 By Sights Thus the Moabites that fought against Jehoram and Jehoshaphat were punished For the water wherewith the valley in which the Israelites lay was fiilled without wind or raine 2 Kings 3 17. by reason of the Sun shining upon it in that morning seemed to them to be bloudy vers 22 23. which made them to thinke they had slaine one another and so runne thither with confidence to take the spoyle But the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites and they fled before them v. 24. And thus the Midianites were deceived by the pitchers with Lamps in them which Gideon and his three hundred men brake in pieces when they fell upon them at Moreh For at the sight of them it is said that all the host râ—nne and cryed and fled Jud. 7 21. 2 By Reports thus the Syrians were deceived at the siege of Samaria when Joram was King of Israel For the Lord made the host of the Syrians to heare a noyse of Chariots and a noise of horses even the noise of a great host and they said one to another Lo the King of Israel hath hired against us the Kings of the Hittites and the Kings of the Egyptians to come upon us Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight and left their tents and their horses and their asses and the camp as it was and fled for their life 2 Kings 7 6 7. And likewise the Assyrians at the siege of Jerusalem when Hezekiah was King of Judah for God sayes of Sennacherib their King I will send a blast upon him and he shall heare a rumour and shall returne to his owne Land and I will cause him to fall in his owne Land 2 Kings 19 7. A Second way wherein the hand of God is notoriously seen in the punishing of the enemies of the Church is When he produces unusuall effects upon their Bodies such as 1 Blindnesse So the Sodomites were punish'd when they came to demand the Angels that lodged in Lots house insomuch that they could not find the doore Gen 19 11. And so the Syrians upon the prayer of Elisha at Dothan whither they were sent by the King of Syria to apprehend him insomuch that promising to direct them to the man whom they sought he led them quite home into Samaria 2 King 6 19 2 Diseases So the Egyptians were punished with Boyles Ex 9. The Philistins with Emrods 1 Sam 5. Gog his men have been or shall be with the Pestilence Ezek 38. 22. 3 Strange and violent and untimely Death's inflicted Sometimes more immediately by the hand of God as when all the first borne in the land of Egypt were slaine in one night Exod 12 29 And when Jehoram King Judah who had slaine his brethren of his Father's house that were better then him selfe 2 Chr 21 13. died of such a disease in his bowels that his bowells fell out verse 15. Hitherto may be reduc'd that Deep Sleep from the Lord which fell upon those that were with Saul 1 Sam 26 12. insomuch that David took away his Speare and his Cruse of water close by his bolster where he lay and no body knew of it Sometimes by the hand of men but in such a manner as that the hand of God may be never the lesse notoriously seen Either when it is done by those whom they most trusted as when Jezebel was thrown out at window by her owne Eunuches 2 Kings 9 33. Or when it is done by those to whom they intended the same death themselves as when those who gott a Commission of King Ahasuerus to kill the Jewes were slaine themselves by the same Jewes and by the same autority Esth 8 11. c. 9 5. Or when it is done in the same manner as when Haman was hanged on the gallows which he made for Mordecai Esth 7 10. and those that accused Daniel and caused him to be cast into the den of Lyons were by the Kings command throwne in themselves and devourâ—d Dan 6 24. Insomuch that I think for the most part what Abigail said to David of his enemies may be as truly said to any of the Children of God of theirs The soules of thine enemies them shall he sling out as out of the midle of a sling or he shall violently and hastily snatch them away as in a passion A THIRD way wherein the hand of God more notoriously appeares in punishing the Enemies of his children is when he makes use of noysome creatures for instruments or renders them noysome by changing their nature or increasing their number or prolonging their continuance or making them act after a strange and unusuall manner Thus it was seene upon the Egyptians in Turning their water into bloud Ex. 7. 19. In causing an excessive number of Frogges chap. 8 6. Of Lice v. 17. Of Flies v. 24. Of Locusts c. 10 13 Upon the Assyrians sent to inhabit Canaan after they had carried the Israelites captive by destroying them with Lyons 2 Kings 17 25. Upon the Egyptians in causing an exceeding great darknesse to continue three dayes together vers 22. Upon the Canaanites by destroying them with Hornets Exod. 23 28. Josh 24 12. Upon the five Cananite Kings when they fought with Joshua at Gibeon by destroying them with hailestones wherewith there were more slaine then with the sword Josh 10 11. as likewise upon the Egyptians Exod. 9 23. See Ezek. 38 22. Upon the two Captaines and their companies of fiftie sent by King Ahaziah to apprehend Elijah by destroying them with fire from heaven 2 King 1 10. so upon the Egyptians Exod. 9 23. and so it hath or shall be upon Gog and Magog Ezek. 38 22. Revel 20. 9. Upon the Philistines that fought with Samuel at Mizpeh by Thunder 1 Sam. 7 10. according to Hannah's words in her song Out of Heaven shall he thunder upon them c. cap. 2 10. and so upon the Egyptians Exod. 9 23. Upon those Five Kings formerly mentioned by causing the Sunne and Moon to stand still at the prayer of Joshua that so it might not be darke till the people had avenged themselves of their adversaries who might have escaped in the night Josh 10 12. At that time the Sun and Moone may be said to have fought for God's people though not in their courses for their courses were stopt as Deborah said in her Song the stars in their courses fought against Sisera Jud. 5 20. The Jewes some of them say that the Starres had so over-heated the ground that with the heat the horses hoofes fell off Some that they had so heated the men that going into Kidron
be are but an interpretation of thē that those Prophets who bare the people in hand there would be no captivity should suffer most by it and never returne into the Land of Israel If there had been nothing threatned in Scriptures against such men yet you may guesse their end and punishment to be bad enough by the names which they have given them in the Scriptures as of Theeves and Robbers Joh 10. 8. for of such Austin and Chrysostome thinke those words to be spoken Nay of Wolves Matt. 7. 15 and Foxes Cant 2. 15. These names they very well deserve in regard of their manner of hunting after soules as those creatures doe after sheep to make a prey of them for this speech is used concerning the False Prophetesses in Ezekiel chap 13. 18. Now we know how such beasts are used if they are taken and therefore many of these are sure to be destroyed because they are sure to be taken Saint Peter saith they are as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroied 2 Pet 2. 12. It is but talio like for like that they should be so punished because they destroy others for if he who takes away the life of the body be punished in the same manner why not also he who takes away the life of the Soule In like manner we might guesse by the name that is given to their doctrine being called a Gangrene 2 Tim 2. 17. Now where a Gangrene is that part of the body must be cut off and so Paul wished they were who with false doctrine had troubled the Galatians chap. 5. 12. THREATS Of False-Teachers Peter saith that under the Old Testament there were false Prophets among the people 2 Pet 2. 1. John saith that under the New Testament even in his time many false Prophets were gone out into the world 1 Epist 4. 1. gone out like Foxes out of their holes to make a prey of the Soules of men and therefore he bids them not believe every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God as it is in the same verse Every spirit For a spirit they will all pretend and a spirit is all they do pretend A spirit it is that moves thē but it is an uncleane spirit and therefore let thē take heed how they miscall it and so blaspheme against the Holy Ghost It was presently after our Saviour had reproved the Pharisees for saying he did cast out divells by the prince of the divells wheras he doth it by the Spirit of God that he added these wordes Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sinne and blasphemy it shall be forgiven unto men but the sinne and blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Mat 12. 13. If it be not The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost I am sure it is a blasphemy against it as well to say that the spirit of the divell is the Spirit of God as to say the Spirit of God is the spirit of the divell or to say that what is done by one is done by the other Nay methink it brings more disgrace or blasphemy upon the Spirit because all those wicked actions which such men commit will be said to proceed from that spirit which they pretended I am sure if the Spirit of truth be not the word of truth is very much evill spoken off or blasphemed by reason of such men 2 Pet 2. 2. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles instances in some that taught circumcision at Jerusalem chap 15. 5 and some that came from Judea taught it in Antioch vers 1. Threats and prophesies that there shall be false teachers The Apostles have more then one There shall be false teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet 2. 1. Privily bring in or bring in by the by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together with some truths as one would make bad mony passe with good as it is said in Isaiah The Lord hath mingled a perverse Spirit chap 19. 14. They doe their worke slily not breaking open houses or going into them openly but creeping and slipping in with others that are honest 2 Tim 3. 6. Insomuch that it is a very hard thing not to be couzend by them and therefore the times when such men shall abound may well be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difficult for so they are verse 1. though I say not for this reason From our Saviour's owne mouth we are threatned twice in one chapter Matt. 24 And many false Prophets shall arise vers 11 and so againe verse 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets Shall arise or shall be raised for so the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies viz by the power of the divell and God's permission like so many spirits for by this name they are called 1 Tim 4. 1. 1 Joh 4. 1. conjured up to trouble the world but this I speak not as if I were ignorant that the word raising is applyed also to good Prophets both in the new Testament Matt 11. 11. And in the Old Deut 18. 18. As likewise to Priests and Kings 1 Sam 2. 35. 1 Kings 14. 14. THREATS or PROPHESIES Of Being seduced by False-prophets or False-teachers Paul sayes Some shall be seduced Now the spirit speaketh expresly That in the latter times some shall depart from the faith 1 Tim 4. 1. And this they shall doe with a Love to errour we see daily how greedily men drink in any thing that is erroneous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving heed to seducing spirits as it is in the same verse The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render taking heed expresses as great Diligence as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth Constancy in adhering to any one it is used of those that followed Simon Magus Act 8. 10. Nay they shall doe it with a Loathing of the truth such as a diseased body hath of wholsome food For the time shall come when they will not endure sound or wholsome Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but after their owne lusts shall they heape to themselves teachers having itching eares and they shall turne away their eares from the truth and shall be turned unto Fables 2 Tim 4. 3. Peter sayes Many And many shall follow their pernicious waies 2 Pet 2. 2 And so our Saviourhad said before him even of such as should believe an other Christ many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many Matt 24. 5. There have been divers false Prophets who have not only taken upon them to come in Christs name but have taken Christ's name upon them as Dositheus Simon Theudas Manes who had his twelve Apostles The Anabaptists of Munster David George c. Now their being seduced proceeds First from their owne Hypocrisy viz Because they never loved the truth truly or because they received not the love of the truth when they received the truth 2 Thess 2. 10.
Secondly from the hypocrisy and cunning for usually they goe together of the Seducers as the Apostle saith speaking lies in hypocrisy 1 Tim 4. 2. I say cunning For as it is said of Antichrist that he shall come So it may be said of most false teachers that they doe come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 2. 10 that is not only with all deceivablenesse as we render it meaning thereby deceitfullnesse for so they come even to the Elect who are not deceivable but with actuall deceit as those words litterally signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that are to perish Had not the Elect the Spirit to lead them and the word to light them they would never be able to avoid their snares for our Saviour saith of some of them And shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect Matt 24. 24. Thirdly from God justice upon those who are seduced for their hypocricy Because they received not the love of the truth c. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 2 Thess 2. 10 11. Strong delusion or the efficacy of delusion for so the words in the Originall signifie i. e. Delusion that shall prevaile with them Them that is those that perish or those that shall perish for with the Elect sincere Christian it shall not prevaile I might name a great many more causes or occasions of mens being seduced but that I am loath to goe beyond my bounds There is one which I cannot forbeare to name because there hath been so frequent experience of it in these times and that is Covetousnesse according to the words of Paul For the love of mony is the root of all evill which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith c. 1 Tim 6. 10. The End for which God permits men to be thus seduced is said to be That they which are approved and are not hypocrites as they are but sincere may be made manifest 1 Cor 11. 19. which it seemes is so resolutely intended to be effected by this meanes that it is there said not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there shall be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be heresies among you That those which are approved c. They who are thus seduced by them Shall have this punishment if they have no other viz To be befooled and decieved by them and receive no good at all of them as they expected God saith of the false prophets They make you vaine or they deceive you so Hierom and the Chald par Jer. 23. 16. and so verse 32 They shall not profit this people at all FEARE Threatned and inflicted upon the wicked 1 Of God It is said that when Jehosaphat fell to teaching the people the Law of God The feare of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdomes of the lands that were round about Judah so that they made no more war against Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. 10. Because though they did not acknowledge him themselves yet this they knew that whoever he was if he were able he would protect those that did acknowledge him when they were obedient to him see Chron. 20. 29. 2 Of The Godly Egypt was glad when they departed for the feare of them fell upon them Ps 105. 38. So that the favour which they had in the sight of the Egyptians to borrow their Jewels Exod 11. 3. seemes to have had more feare in it then love which made them to lend not so much to furnish them for their journey as that they might be the sooner rid of them For what love is so great as to make a man lend another a great deale of money just as he is running away Observe therefore God's wonderfull manner of making the enemies of his Children serviceable to them 3 Of Such as themselves are Behold I will bring a feare upon thee saith the Lord of Hoasts from all those that be about thee Jerem 49. 5. to the Ammonites and so of the Elamites verse 37. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies I will indeed this worke is very proper to God and very much to be observed especially when we see it in such men as were otherwise bold and fearlesse 4 Of Any thing and for nothing With this fear God threatned the Israelites themselves if they persisted to walke contrary to him And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintnesse into their hearts in the lands of their enemies and the sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them and they shall fly as flying from a sword and they shall fall when none persueth Levit 26. 36. So Deut 28. 65 66 67. The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart fayling of eyes and sorrow of mind c. Certainly this fearefulnes was a greater punishment to them then their captivity and is as great a punishment almost as can be inflicted as may be guessed by the Emphasis and estimate which seemes to be set upon the blessing that is contrary to it viz when none shall make us afraid For this blessing was promised to the Israelites if they would be obedient in the Chapter of Leviticus above quoted verse 6. It was promised by Job to the godly man chap. 11. 19. And it was promised and prophecyed by the Prophets to believers in the time of the Gospel Ezek 34. 28. Jer 30. 10. c. Neither hath the punishment of fearefulnesse been only threatned to the wicked or the blessing of boldnesse only promised to the godly but constant experience hath made it good that the wicked are seldome free of their punishment or the godly to seek of their blessing Bona conscientia prodire vult conspici ipsas nequitia tenebras timet which I cannot render in better english then this The wicked fly when noe man purfueth but the righteous is bold as a Lion Prov. 28. 1. Feare of men and Fearefulnesse out of distrust of God's goodnesse The feare of man bringeth a snare Prov 29. 25. A snare to make men fall into mischife and misery for it follows Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe as well as or because it is a snare to make them fall into mischeife and sinne even as it was to Saul when he was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites according to his owne words I have sinned for I have trangressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voyce 1 Sam 15. 24. I say according to his words because by these words it may be gathered that this feare was the cause of his sin but otherwise that which is immediatly intended in them seemes to be a Confession of that feare as a sin it selfe for the same word is prefixed to transgressed and to feared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because I transgressed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
greedinesse violently tooke what they pleased of the flesh of the offerings while it was raw to roast it were punished not onely in themselves by dying both and shortly after and in one day 1 Sam. 2 34. but in their posterity also For thus saith God to Eli There shall not be an old man in thine house v. 31. which threat is repeated v. 33. with this augmentation for ever as if God himselfe tooke this for a great punishment would have him take notice how greatly he had offended by the greatnesse of his punishment A short life hath beene alwayes counted among the Jewes for a very great punishment from God and therefore it is that to this day they have a custome when they come to 60 yeares of age to hold a Feast because at that time they say old age begins the number of 60 being contained in the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Job ch 5 26. where it is reckoned for a peculiar blessing of the godly to come to his grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a full age like as a shock of corne cometh in his season 7 Vntimely death Job's sons and daughters thus suffered While he was yet speaking there came also another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house And behold there came a whirlewind from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead Job 1. 18 19. If they were not gluttons then they who are gluttons have the more cause to feare the like punishment No sooner had the rich man said to his soule Eate drinke and be merry Luk. 12. 19 but God said to him Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee v. 20. It is said of the Israelites before mentioned Numb 11. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great slaughter Whether they died of a disease contracted by eating too much of the flesh or whether it were by a more immediate hand of God it is not expressed but the former seemes to be more likely from those words before mentioned vers 19 20. That gluttonous lust of the Israelites was so odious to God that as if there were no other or as if it were the worst lust of all his spirit hath set it downe under the generall name onely of lust They lusted a lust v. 4. And so to make the sin the more odious to men also the place where they buried the men that were punished with death for this lusting was called Kebroth-hattavah i. e. the graves of lust because saith the text there they buried the people that lusted v. 34. Among the Jewes the Son that was to be stoned to death upon the complaint of his parents the only vices to be mētioned in the complaint besides stubbornesse were gluttony and drunkennesse which is a kind of gluttony or as they call it intemperantia circa humidum Deut 21. 20 21. 8 Surprisall by the day of judgment or The worse usage when they are surprised Take heed to your selves least at any time your heart be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34 see Mat 24. 39. But especially have Gluttons cause to fear God's wrath if they are such in times of mourning and publique calamities for then they are sure to be punished without hope of pardon In that day did the Lord God of hoasts and yet they were not afraid to disregard him call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eate and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of hoasts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of hoasts Isa 22. 12 13 14. God Speaking ungodly for him Shall have no thankes but anger and punishment also unlesse the anger be appeased For thus God spake to Eliphaz one of Job's friends who unjustly accused him in the defence of God's justice My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the tbing that is right as my servant Job hath Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and goe to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right as my Servant Job hath Job 42. 7 8. Seven Bullocks and seven Rams A great offering and therfore doubtlesse they had Sinned greatly Folly There is much of this foolish hypocriticall Zeal amongst professours both doing and speaking more then they should in defence of religion In that ye have not God repeats the fault and therefore certainly he was much offended with it Observe how sharply Job took up his freinds for their uncharitable Zeal c 13. Will ye speake wickedly for God and talke deceitfully for him verse 7. Gospel Such as oppose it They are in the same condition with Selfemuderers For Paul said to the Jewes that opposed him at Corinth Your blood be upon your heads I am clean c. Act 18. 6. Nay with fighters against God who are sure not only to have the worst but to be beaten also for fighting Gamaliel told the councell of the Jewes when he disswaded them from medling with the Apostles If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest happily yee be found to fight against God Act 5. 39. They are punished 1. With corporall blindnesse Elymas Barjesus the sorcerer resisting Paul and Barnabas and disswading Sergius Paulus the Deputy of Paphos from hearkning to them was imediatly stricken with blindnesse Act 13. 11. What fearfull expressions did Paul use when he denounced this judgment against them O full of all subtilty and all mischeife thou child of the Divell thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord vers 10. He that would keep the light from another was justly punisht not to see the light himselfe Spirituall darkenesse both by the removall of the light of the Gospel as in the place afore quoted From hence forth I will goe unto the Gentiles Act 18. 6 and by utter rejection of the men themselves for so much seemes to be implyed in Paul's shaking his raiment to the Jewes of Corinth that opposed him in the same place As if he had said with all So God shake off you and every one that withstand the truth even thus let him be shaken out and emptied For such words Nehemiah used
Daughters unto their Sons nor take their Daughters unto your Sons or for your selves chap 13. 3. 25 You see he forbids marriage with their Daughters more punctually and with larger caution adding or for your selves for feare they should take that libertie which otherwise they might think they had And if any one say Nehemiah did thus upon his owne discretion only viz. because he saw they had been by this means tempted to Idolatry before and to prevent it for the future as may be conjectured by what he saith of Solomon v. 26. That his wives had caused him to sin not that there was any such thing intended in God's prohibition at first it may be answered that the contrary is a great deale plainer from the 27 v. where it is said Shall we then hearken unto you and doe all this evill to trangresse against our God in marrying strange wives To transgresse c. In marrying not to be made to transgresse or to transgresse because of our wives but in or by the very act of marrying But to returne It was said above An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the Congregation that is to marry or enjoy their priveledges as the Israelites are forbid to come among the Nations Josh 23. 7. Even to the tenth generation Wherein they were esteem'd seven times worse then Egyptians for their children might enter in the third generation v. 8. Even to the tenth generation for ever it might be interpreted This prohibition of not being admitted till the tenth generation shall be in force against them for ever But because in Nehemiah c. 13. 1 where this law is recited the words for ever only are mentioned it seems rather to be interpreted This prohibition viz. simply of entering into the Congregation shall be for ever So that these words shall be either exegeticall to expound those next before according to the opinion of those who expound that of a bastard's not entering till the tenth generation v. 2 of not entering for ever or else auxeticall as an accession to the former wherein God's anger against the Moabites for their unkindnes to his people appeares the greater in that he could not forbeare after he had named how he would punish them as I may say in the same breath to encrease the punishment As if we would say such a one shall not come againe to my house for this twelve month no never With this interpetation agrees the proverb in use among the Jewes in their ordinary commerce Beware of a Proselyte i. e. a Gentile turned Jew even to the tenth generation which puts me in mind of adding another argument of the greatnesse of God's anger for this sin of the Moabites viz That the punishment was without exception even of turning Proselyte and embracing the Jewish religion Because In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that thing or as one would say for that same odious thing of the Ammonites and Moabites their not comming forth to helpe the Israelites with provision for that word which is put here to signifie because is often so used and yet seldome but then when the thing spoken of is a maine cause or the cause is a maine thing as Ps 79. 9. c. Because They. Though this pronoune benot in the Hebrew yet may I put an Emphasis on it in the English to denote the Ingratitude of these people in regard they were they alone whom God had given a strict charge to the Israelites not to fight with Deut 2. 19 who in obedience to that command passed by them without medling with them although they conquered Sihon who conquered the Moabites Because they met you not with bread and with water when you came forth out of Egypt one would have thought they had been sufficiently excluded by the prohibition of Bastards in the verse immediatly going before as being the children of those who were incestuously begotten viz by Lot upō his Daughters Gen 19. 36 but as if God accounted that no exception at all in cōparison of this all the reasō urged for their exclusion frō the Congregatiō of the Israelites is Because they met thē not with bread c. Shall not enter into the Congregation c. Because they mett you not as if he had said because they came not to you to help you in your necessity they shall not come among you to be holpen by you in your prosperity I have often observed in this booke how God makes the punishment to have a resemblance with the sinne Mett you not or prevented you not not because they denied it you when you asked them but because they brought it not out first of their owne accord With bread and with water when you came forth out of Egypt viz to congratulate so great a deliverance as that was when you were delivered from Egyptian bondage even as the King of Sodome came forth to meet Abraham and the King of Salem came forth to meet him with bread and wine to congratulate his successe when he had conquered the Kings Gen 14. 17 18. Deiodate thinks this complaint is only of some of the Moabites because in the second chap of this booke v. 28 29 it is said that those Moabites who dwelt in Ar which God gave to the Children of Lot did give the Israelites meate and water but I may answere it was for money v. 28. which was no preventing such as is here expressed Because they mett you not c. And because they hired against thee Balaam c. 'T is not said Because they met you not and they hired against thee as if only both faults together were counted sufficient reason of this their excommunication and not either of them singly but Because they mett you not And because they hired against thee Balaam the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because is repeated There is in this chapter besides this yet more punishment for these Ammonites and Moabites for the Israelites are forbidden not only to seek their affinity by marriage but to seeke their peace or their good any other way v. 6. Thou shalt not seeke their peace nor their prosperity all thy daies for ever 2 A Second thing wherewith we find not-Helping God's people threatened in the Scripture is a Curse Curse ye Meros said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants therof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5. 23. If you will you may read the latter part of this verse thus Because they came not to help The Lord was our help even the Lord in those that fought for us for so the Septuagint render it agreeably enough with the Hebrew which we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the chapter of the Enemies of God's children in the Section concerning Angels These words are in the Song of Deborah Barak which they made after they had conquered Jabin and Sisera 3
lay in the manger kept the horse's oates for him and just such key-keepers are the Papists You have the like threat in Luke Woe unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the key of knowledge c. c. 11. 52. They took the key that was all for they made no use of the key at lest not to open the door but to shut it There is no sin more Devilish or wherein in men shew themselves more like the Devill then this of Hindering goodnesse Neither is there any thing wherein the Devill shewes himselfe more truly Satan that is an enemy Then is the Devill truly Satan when hee resists Joshua Zac 3 1 and when hee taketh away the word that is sowen in mens hearts Mark 4. 15. And then are men little better then Divells when they are a hindrance to others from that which may be for the good of their Soules When Peter would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a block in Christ's way to Jerusalem whether he went to doe the will of his Father which if he had not done wee had perished to all eternity he calls him Satan Mat. 16. 23. Get thee behind me Satan When Paul was stopt in his intention to come to the Thessalonians by the Epicureans and others at Athens he said that Satan hindered him 1 Thess 2. 18. and when Bariesus sought to turne away the Deputy-Governour of Paphos from the faith he called him the Child of the Divell and enemy of all unrighteousnesse Acts 13. 10. But is this all that we have to say to such men to call them enemies Noe for as for that Jew which I mentioned you may read how he was stricken with blindnes v. 11 and for the rest of the Jewes who forbade the Apostles to speak to the Gentiles 1 Thess 2. 16 it is said of them in the same place The wrath is come upon them to the utmost I could wish we were all of us so wise as to count all them for no better then our enemies who either hinder us from goodnesse or entice us to wickednesse Hire Those that detaine it 1 Their punishment is certaine Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant that is poore and needy whether he be of thy Brethren or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates At his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the Sun goe downe upon it for he is poore and setteth his heart upon it least he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be sinne in thee Deut 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant or one that workes for wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Malachi chap. 3. 5. a participle of the same verb hashak to oppresse is joyned also with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that oppresse the hire The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to to keep back that which another should have is after the same manner joyned sometimes with the thing as by the Septuagint in their translation of those places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and sometimes with the person as by Paul 1 Cor 6. 8. and c. 7. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But perhaps by oppressing the hire may be meant an oppressing of the hireling not so much by keeping his hire altogether as by diminishing his hire or not giving him it so soone as the master ought or as he agreed therefore it is said v 15. At his day using tricks evasions to deceive him Accordingly some say that the word Hashak properly signifies oppression by cunning and fraud as Gasal doth oppression by violence which if it doe it is very well expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies and our translation very well renders it so to defraud Hashak or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such a sinne in paying another too little as Batsah or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in making another pay too much that not by violence but by cunning and deceit It is a sin as frequently committed and as lightly esteemed of by us now as it was by the Jewes of old who as in this so in other sins which were not point blank contrary to the letter of the Law cared not how much they offended If they were never so outragious with their brother calling him foole Raca all the bad names of the world so long as they did not kill him Mat. 5. 21. If they lusted never so much so long as they did not cōmit adultery v. 27. and so if they defrauded never so much by keeping backe so long as they did not steale by taking away they thought or would have others to thinke that they did not break the commandements But our Saviour sufficiently told thē that the meaning of God the Cōmandements was larger then so as you may see Mat. 5. And as for this sin whereof we speak when he shewed the young man the cōmandements he did not only tel him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not steal but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not defraud for so Marke hath it c. 10. 19. though Matthew Luke mention it not Whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers Though he might make a stranger pay him more thē a brother for usury yet he himself might not pay to a strāger lesse then to a brother for wages However I believe if he so defrauded a brother it was a worse sin thē if he defrauded a strāger according to the words of the Apostle You do wrong defraud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that your brethren Neither shall the Sun goe down upon it There are two things which the Scripture forbids us to let the Sun goe down upō A grudge that we owe to our neighbour the wages that we owe to a hireling For a man to go to bed either with a grudge in his stomacke or the wages of a hireling in his pocket is as dangerous to his soule as it is hurtfull to his body to sleep before his meat is concocted He that doth either of these is as one that lyeth all night with his doores open upon him And 't is to be attributed to nothing but God's forbearance if such a sinne or the punishment thereof which lies at the doore as much as any doe not come in and surprize him ere he see the light of another day He that sleeps with dues unpaid and sinnes unrepented of is like him that sleeps upon the top of a mast or in the sides of a ship when it is like to be cast * away To conclude he is like one that angers his enemie and casts away his weapon or a garrison that makes a sally presently throwes downe the workes For he is poore c. the Scripture hath every where very high and tender expressions of five sorts of people especially viz the Poore the Fatherlesse the Widow the Stranger
of sinnes that border very close upon Idolatry is exceeding great and therefore I thought I might doe well If it were for nothing but because of them to produce the punishments concerning Idolatry that so fearing to commit this sinne you may the more be afraid likewise to commit them being so neer it for feareof committing this before you are a ware As to the other reason I shall give this satisfaction that my purpose is to produce only the more noted places of Scripture and where it is more plainly expressed that Idolatry and not any other sinne was the maine cause of such a punishment Now the threats and punishments which concerne Idolatry are expressed either in Generall termes or in particular In Generall thus Woe unto him that saith unto the wood awake c. Hab 2. 19. If thou serve their Gods it will surely be a snare unto the Exod 23. 33. The particular punishments are 1 Sorrowes Their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another God Ps 16. 4. 2 Deprivation of temporall blessings Take heed to your selves it is for your owne good and you shall hurt no body but your selves if you doe not that your heart be not deceived and ye turne aside and serve other Gods and worship them And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you and he shut up the heaven that there be no raine and that the land yeeld not her fruit c. Deut. 11. 16 17. 3 God's refusing to speak to them in his word or to heare them speak to him in prayer Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquity before their faces should I be enquired of at all by them Ezek 14. 3. Should I be enquired of the interrogation seems to imply that they did enquire of God as is to be seen likewise in the following verse Men may be Idolaters I speak this to the Papists even when they pray to God if they retaine their Idols In Hosea c. 4. 15 The Jews are forbid to goe up to Bethaven though they sweare the Lord liveth In Zephany c. 1. 5. there is mention made of some that sweare by the Lord and by Malcam or according to the Original to the Lord and IN Malcham as the Papists say they direct their worship to God only IN or THROUGH their Images But in the second and third verses there is almost as heavy a threat pronounced against such as against any Idolaters in any place I will utterly consume all things from off the land c. Take some examples of this Idoll-godlynesse Popish linsey woolsey-worship which perhaps is worse then pure Idolatry as adultery is worse then whoredome 1 Micah's Mother who said she had dedicated that silver to the Lord forsooth whereof as she said she intended to make a graven Image and a molten Image Jud 17. 3. 2 The Israelites in the reigne of Ahab who halted between the worship of God and the worship of Baal 1 Kings 18. 21. 3 The Jewes in the reigne of Manasseh who did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God only 2 Chr 33. 17. 4 The people which were sent by Shalmaneser to inhabit the country of the ten Tribes of whom it is said They feared the Lord and served their owne Gods 2 Kings 17. 33. But you may see such worship and such feare was counted as none at all by God for in the very next verse it followes Vnto this day they doe after their former manners they FEARE NOT the Lord though it were said before even in relation of those manners that they feared him 4 Excommunication and Banishment Thou shalt make no Covenant with them nor with their Gods They shall not dwell in thy land c. Exod. 23. 32 33. The Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not sit with them 5 Spirituall Blindnesse Exekiel relating the Jewes their manner of making an Idol and worshipping it after they had made it thus speaks He hath shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they connot understand Isa 44. 18. And well might he say so for had they had any sense or understanding left in them it was impossible they could have been so mad as to worship a thing that they made with their owne hands see Rom. 1. 21. 6 Delusion Every one c. Which setteth up his Idoles in his heart c and cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me If the Prophet be decived when he hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet Ezek 14. 9. 7 Giving up to sinne Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse c. Rom. 1. 24 mention is made of Idolatry in the next verses both before and after 8 Conquest by enemies as is to be seen especially in Judges c. 2. 13 14 15. Where it is said that when the Israelites served Baal and Ashtaroth they could not stand before their enemies but whither soever they went out the hand of the Lord was against thēfor evill as the Lord had said as the Lord hath sworne He had said it and sworne it Thus were conquered The Jewes in the reigne of Rehoboam by Shishak King of Egypt 1 King 14. 23 compared with 25. The Israelites in the reigne of Jehoahas by Hazael King of Syria 2 Kings 13 3 and in the reigne of Menahem by Pul King of Assyria 2 Kings 15. 19. The Jewes againe in the reigne of Jehoiakim by Nebucadnezar 2 King 23. 37 compared with chap 24. 1. Let Rome take heed of Idolatry That which they themselves will confesse to be Idolatry continued amongst them till Honorius his time and Austin saies it was the maine cause of the conquest of that City by the Barbarians 9 Captivity and Losse of liberty to worship the true God if they would Thus were punished Once The Ten Tribes in the reigne of Hoshea by Shalmaneser King of Assyria 2 King 17. 16. 18. 20. The Jewes twice viz. in the reigne of Jehoiachim ch 24. 9 12. and in the reigne of Zedekiah vers 19. comp with ch 25. 1. and both times by Nebuchadnezar which punishment was no more then what they were told of should be inflicted if they followed Idols before ever they went into the land of Canaan For thus spake Moses unto them in the last yeare of their journey when they were in the wildernesse on this side Jordan When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt have remained long in the land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven image or the likenesse of any thing and shall doe evill in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you this day that yee shall soone utterly perish from off the Land whereunto you goe over Jordan to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes upon it but shall utterly be
whether they should Sacrifice to and mourne for Leucothea as others did made answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be so well rendered in English If they thought she were God they should not mourne for her and if they thought she were but a woman they should not sacrifice to her 3 Against the Idolatry of the Roman-Christians painting and worshiping God in the likenesse of man Tacitus a says of the old Germans neque deos in ullam humani oris speciem assimilare ex magnitudine coelestium arbitrantur that they thought it not agreable with the nature of Gods to resemble them in any human countenance Plutarch in the Life of Numa says that following Pythagoras who said that God was invisible c he forbade the Romans to represent God in any Image whether of man or beast and that for one hundered and seventy yeares they had not any such Image amongst theÌ„ but only Temples As if it were not fitting sayes he to liken better things to worse as if it were not possible to comprehend God otherwise then by the understanding Ignorance Ignorance or Blindnesse threatened and Inflicted The Jewes are the most notable examples of this punishment that can be produced For Before the comming of Christ You may see it threatened to them in Micah even upon their Prophets themselves thus Therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that yee shall not divine and the Sun shall not goe downe over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them ch 3. 6. You may see it inflicted in Isaiah upon all sorts For the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes the Prophets and your Rulers the Seers hath he covered and the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a booke that is sealed c. ch 29. 10. See ch 6. 10. After the comming of Christ You may see it threatened in Luke thus Vnto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but unto others in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand ch 8. 10. See ch 19. 42. In John thus For Judgement I am come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde ch 9. 39. For though Grotius would have these last words to be an Hebraisme for Be made to appeare blinde and I acknowledge the Hebraisme yet I rather chuse to follow Beza whose words upon the place are these Illos in densissimas ignorantiae tenebras demergam Grotius himselfe upon Matt 15. 14. produces a saying of the Jews out of the Midrash Tehillim Psal 146. that when God should have his Tabernacle among them their teachers shall be blinde See ch 19. 42. ch 12. 4. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. You may see it inflicted in Paul 1 Cor. 3. 15. Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart and threatened to continue Vntill the fulnesse of the Genâ—â—es come in by the same Apostle Rom. â— 25. Now this punishment is executed both â—on Jew and Gentile 1 By not destroyingâ—e â—e vaile that is spread over them but leaâ—ng them in the darke Esay 25. 7. 2 By â—elivering the word in languages which they â—annot understand Wherefore tongues are â—or a signe not to them that believe but to â—hem that believe not 1 Cor. 14. 22. Grotiusâ—â—deed â—â—deed upon the same principle as before â—nterprets it Tongues are for the converting â—f those who as yet believe not But I rather â—gree with Beza who would have this beâ—ng a signe here to be meant of a punishment and those words of Esay ch 28. 11. cited in the verse going before this to be meant as a threat and whereas it is said And yet for all that they will not heare mee that the meaning in the Prophet is as if he had said thus Notwithstanding this grievous punishment of living dispersed captives among people whom they cannot understand yet for all that this perverse people will not be brought to hearken to my word Indeed besides that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred them that believe not is seldome applyed to any but those that never believed at all I cannot be perswaded but that delivering the Gospell to a people in no other languages then such as they cannot understand is a signe that God will leave them to themselves for by this meanes it is hid and it is hid to none but to them that are lost or those that shall perishâ— In whom the God of this world the God who is the maker and is the owner of this world and therefore may doe with any creature thereof what he will hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor 4. 3 4. I will conlude with Beza's wish utinam vero istius horrendae maledictinis dei domestica exempla nobis non suppeditarent eae gentes quae solae hodiè Christi nomine gloriantur That there were no such examples of this punishment in this manner executed as are in the Popish Churches where the people are not suffered to have the use of the Bible in their mother-tongue Ignorance threatned and punished It is threatned in generall termes thus That the Soule be without knowledge it is not good Prov 19. 2 that is it is very bad as it is said c. 17. 26. To punish the just is not good that is it is very bad for such is the use of the Scripture and especially in the Proverbs viz by joyning a negative to a verbe to signifie not barely the not being of that which is expressed but the cleane contrary Solomon seemes to me as if he had spoken thus and what he said either concerning knowledge or ignorance you may beleeve him for his wisedome How bad it is for a Soule to be without knowledge I cannot presently tell you or how many and what evills will befall it but this I am sure it can never be good The evills which an ignorant man is subject to must needs be many both of Sinne and punishment even as many of both sorts as a drunken man whom every man knowes to be subject to infinite many I use this comparison because the Prophet Esay hath used it before me They are drunke but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drinke for the Lord hath powred upon them the spirit of deep sleepe and hath closed their eyes Isa 29. 9. I say of Sinne and therefore those words of Solomon translated by us in that manner as you have read are by the Septuagint and the Chald Par rendered thus Without knowledge the soule is not good and though I believe they meane in
shall eat Yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes neither twenty dayes But even a whole month till it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that he have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Egypt Num 11 18. 19 20. Because yee have despised the Lord which is among you c. as if he had said because yee have so undervalued me and my being among you chusing even to goe back againe into Egypt so you may eat flesh rather then goe along with me into Canaan without it Impatience under the want of temporall blessings God takes as a dâ—spising or thinking slight of him as if he were not a sufficient portion without them So distrusting of Gods providence at such a time is a polluting of his name making it common and vile as if hee were no more to be trusted then a creature and therefore those that believe him are said to sanctify him in the eyes of others Num 20 12. The Chald par at those words above cited sayes because the word of the Lord was loathsome to you or because you were weary of it to intimate the neere resemblance of their punishment to their sinne as if because they had loathed or were weary of the word of God or rather the Manna which he sent theÌ„ v. 6. they should be brought to loath even that which they so earnestly desired as it is said and as the Chaldee also renders as if he thought it to be thus meant till it be loathsome to you 2. Death and that first by fire from God as in the Israelites for complaining as 't is thought of their toylesome travelling And when the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the Campe Num 11 1. Secondly by a fearefull judgement not specified for the murmuring formerly spoken of And while the flesh was yet in their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague vers 33. I know some * interpret this plague to be the fire spoken of vers 1. and the murmuring to have beene the same and the rather because of what is said Ps 78. 20. 21. But why then is it said The children of Israel wept againe v. 4. And why should the same place be called Taberah in the beginning of the chapter and Kibroth Hattaavah before you come to the end Mark how earnest hasty God was to punish this sinne He had promised they should eat flesh for a moneth v. 20. and therefore to be as good as his word would not doe it sooner but let them have a full moneth of daies as it is in the Hebrew v. 20. but as soone as ever the moneth was out he did it presently so that though they tooke the meat into their mouthes they had no time to chew it While the flesh was yet in their teeth the fire of the Lord was kindled c. Thirdly by fiery serpents for tempting God as the Apostle's expression is 1 Cor. 10 9. to send other bread and not being contented with but loathing the Manna which he provided for them And the people spake against God against Moses Wherefore have yee brought us up out of the land of Egypt to die in the wildernesse for there is no bread neither is there any water and our soule loatheth this light bread And the Lord sent fiery serpents and they bit the people and much people dyed Num. 21. 5 6. Lastly by Severall wayes for murmuring at the journey into Canaan upon the report of the cowardly spies who were themselves stricken with sudden death Num. 14. 37. For because of this sin their entrance into Canaan was prorogued for 40 yeares during that time they wandered up down in the wildernesse so long till all that were numbred at the time of the murmuring and were above 20. yeares old were dead according to the threat v. 29. 30 All that were numbred of you according to your whole number from 20 yeares old and upward which have murmured against mee Doubtlesse ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein In the New Testament you shall find it threatened 1 With Not being owned by Christ Whosoever doth not beare his crosse come after mee cannot be my disciple Luk. 14. 27. 2 Not having a crowne or reward for not striving Lawfully And if a man strive for masteries he is not crowned except he strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2. 5. The Apostle had before exhorted Timothy to patience v. 3. Strive lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse he fight a good fight 1 Tim. 6. 12. unlesse he strive justum legitimum certamen doing every thing as he should You may pati suffer yet you may not be patiens patient in persecution You must be sure that you suffer justly as well as suffer unjustly as you must suffer well and take it patiently or else your suffering for doing well will not be acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2. 20. In James we have impatience threaten'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation though it be but Impatience of what we suffer from men though it be never so wrongfully What is there then for impatience under what we suffer from God who alwayes punisheth us lesse then we deserve Grudge not one against another lest yee be condemned Jam. 5. 9. Not only if ye wrong first but if you returne wrong for wrong you may be condemned in the opinion of all good men who would else justifie you and commend you The law gives an action against him that strikes again as well as against him that struck first And here in this place even for grudging we have a Judge ready to punish Behold the Judge standeth at the doore The word in the Originall for grudge not is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is meant of impatience may be gathered by the verses immediately before and after Be yee also patient stablish your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh vers 8. Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience vers 10. Impenitence is threatened in generall termes 1 With Certaine punishment for God will whet his sword so that it shall be sure to cut If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready Ps 7. 12. 2 With Severe punishment where there hath been extraordinary meanes used to reclaime Then began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty workes weere done because they repented not Woe unto
threescore and ten yeares for otherwise this had been no punishment and the time of the captivity was so many yeares was thus threatened Thou Pashur and all that dwell in thy house shall goe into captivity and thou shalt come into Babylon and there thou shalt die and shalt be buried there thou and all thy friends to whome thou hast prophecied Lyes Jer 20. 6. 7 Being given up by God to Continuance in it He that is unjust let him be unjust still Rev 22. 11. So Deiodate expounds the place comparing it with Ezek 3. 27 and 20 39. Dan 12. 10. Am 4. 4. 8 Destruction The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to doe judgment Prov 21. 7. destroy them the originalis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some desire from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to draw to ground according to the Latin translation Rapinae impiorum detrahent eos as if it were said The weight of their money as bad as stollen by jnjustice bribery shall draw them out of their seat and sinke them to the ground 9 Damnation so certainly that Paul wonders if a Christian be ignorant of it Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 6. 9. The greatnesse of this sinne and the dangerousnesse of it may be yet further gathered out of the Scriptures 1 From the frequent Complaints made of it more frequent then almost any other sin in those Books where punishments are most threatened viz the Books of the Prophets 2 By the names that are given it as of robberie * Prov 21. 7. Mighty Sinnes Am 5. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so in the same verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which perhaps denoteth not so much many as large and as our English word very well expresses it Manifold transgressions as Samuel called the sinne of the Israelites in asking a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A manifold wickednesse Now the Sinne mentioned immediatly before and after is Injustice Sutable with the first of these expressions is that of the Fist of wickednesse spoken concerning the same sinne Isa 58. 14. and with the latter that of wickednesse simply v. 6 spoken also concerning the same sinne as if it were so large wickednesse as to comprehend all wickednesse in it or as if it were so great wickednesse that you need not call it by any other name to make men know what you meane But this might more properly have beene put in the chapter of Oppression Insensiblenesse under punishments threatened In their heat I will make their feasts and I will make them drunken that they may rejoyce and sleepe a perpetuall sleep and not wake saith the Lord. It is spoken of the Babylonians Jer. 51. 39. Instruments of punishing punished Instruments or men imployed by God in punishing his children punished themselves The Assyrians are the most notable example that can be produced All that found them meaning the Israelites haue devoured them and their adversaries said we offend not because they have sinned against the Lord c. Jer. 50. 7. but it followes vers 9. I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great Nations from the North country c. Though the godly are justly punished by God that they cannot be so by men nor the wicked neither without authority Though Christ were delivered by the determinate Counsell of God yet were those hand◠wicked wherewith he was taken and crucified Acts 2. 23. The reason why God punisheth the Instruments wich he thus employs is partly this Because though they are weapons of his indignation as he cals the Medes by whom he punished the Babylonians Isa 13 5 to execute his wrath yet they doe it not in obedience to him or respect to his ends any more then a sword as David called the wicked gods sword Ps 17. 13 or an axe or a saw or a rod as God calls the King of Babylon Isa 10 15 or any other Senslesse Instrument Nay they doe it only with respect to their owne ends and out of malice or covetousnesse or ambition or some such thing The Assyrian though God sent him and sent him against a people of his wrath and gave him charge to take the spoyle Isa 10 6 yet because his aime was not so much to punish the Israelites by destroying as to destroy by punishing nor so much to destroy the Israelites only and then to sit down as to make himselfe the Monarch of all the world because he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destry cut off nations not a few vers 7. in the 12. v. he is thus threatned Wherefore it shall come to passe when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Sion on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria the glory of his high looks When God's own wrath against his people is out he will make the former wrath of the wicked to praise him and not only restraine that which remaines of their wrath but according to the Chaldee Par. upon that place Ps 76. 10. employ the remainder of his own in their destruction Such Instruments are no way likely to escape punishment 1. Because in doing their work they doe alwaies sinne 1 Either in the manner as I have shewed you how and therefore it is said of Babylon All yee that bend the bow shoot at her spare no arrows For she hath SINNED against the Lord Jer. 50. 14. 2 Or in the matter That which they doe being a wrong to those that are punished and therefore in the place but now quoted vers 15. Babylons punishment is called vengeance For it is the vengeance of the Lord take vengeance upon her as she hath done doe unto her 3 Or in the measure In doing more then God would have done I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease for I was but a litle displeased and they helped forward the affliction Zach. 1 15. See Esa 47. 6. 2 Because after they have done their work most commonly they provoke God to punish them by pride and make themselves unfit to avoid punispments by security out of conceit that their successe was to be attributed to their own strength or the justnesse of their cause or the like and not to the sinnes of those whom they have hurted And the Heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivitie for their iniquities because they trespassed against me Ezek. 39. 23. For their iniquities as if he had added not because your were better they their cause was juster and to intimate that they being guilty of that which the Israelites were viz iniquities must take their turnes also and be punished in the same manner Intemperance This will seeme to have had a great stroke at least in occasioning the destruction of the world if we take the interpretation
given by divers to those words of God in Genesis Ch. 6. 3. thus translated by us My spirit shal not alwaies strive with man for that he also is flesh Which I know no reason but we may very well doe especially if insteed of following Arias and Symmachus and translating My spirit shall not alwaies strive c. we follow either Pagnin or the Septuagint Chald Par and the Vulgar and translate thus My spirit shall no longer remaine in man because they are flesh For so it will very well beare this paraphrase viz because I see they are altogether for their bodies to pleasure their flesh by gluttony and lasâ—iviousnesse and care not for their soules I am resolved to resume againe that breath which I put into them and not to suffer my spirit any longer to lodge in such filthy carcasses Our Saviour himselfe may seeme to have seconded this interpretation when he spake of this punishment and the security of the people in sinning before it was inflicted in this manner For as in the daies that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage c. Mat. 24. 38. not as if eating and drinking were a sin but either intemperance in eating and drinking or doing that nothing else So speaking of the destruction of Sodom and the security of the people in sinning before the inflicting of it he saies in the first place they did eat they dranke c. Luk. 17. 28. And in the like security he told the Jewes that many should be surprized by the day of judgement either Generall that which shall be to all or particular that which hath beene to them take it how you will Even thus shall it be in the day when the sonne of man is revealed Luk. 17. 30. See chap. 12. 45. Mat. 24. 49. And therefore Paul speaking to the Thessalonians to prepare for the day of the Lord bids them in especiall manner to be sober and temperate Epist 1. 5. 6. The intemperate man both his danger his hurt must needs be great especially from the Divell â— for men usually spare him out of pity or scorne and therefore the Apostle saith Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Divell as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. 1 Because even while he is well he is not carefull to prevent it only sober men will be carefull to gird up the Loynes of their mind 1. Pet. 1. 13. or put on the brestplate of faith and love 1 Thess 5. 6. or watch unto prayer * 1. Pet. 4. 7. Sober in the Epistles may be meant also of being Sober-minded as we render it in Tit. 2. 6. or Grave Humble quiet serious circumspect as it is in Rom. 12. 3. 1. Tim. 3. 11. Tit. 2. 2. 4. But yet in these places the word in the original is different viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in those which I have quoted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the place first quoted v. 12. 1. Thess 5. 6. seemes cleerly to be meant of Temperance properly so called because in the following verse there is mention made of sleeping and being drunken as of things opposed to watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the night they that are drunk are drunk in the night 2. Because when he hath â—urfeited he is not able to avoid it or receive it Receive it he cannot for want of strength of which he hath as litle in minde as he hath in Body avoid it he cannot because he is seldome so much as awake to foresee it Only the sober man can be watchfull and therefore the Apostle in the place above quoted viz Thes 5 6. knowing that a man caÌ„not be watchfull unlesse he be sober assoone as he had nam'd the former presently added the latter Let us watch and be sober Peter in the place above quoted puts them as neere together though not in the same order He must needs be taken napping that cannot keep himselfe waking But the greatest of these causes as being the cause of the latter I take to be the former viz Security All sinnes wherein men are secure must needs be dangerous and therefore there is no sin so dangerous as Intemperance because there is none wherein men are so secure You have had three notable examples hereof But of all the three the first is the most notable in regard that the people of the old world if they had not that time told them which God had limited for their continuance viz of a hundred and twenty yeares yet had they all that time given them after notice of the flood wherein the Arke was in preparing which could be no small time as Peter seemes to intimate When once the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Arke was a preparing 1. Pet. 3. 20. Besides the time wherein the creatures were a gathering which were to be put into the Arke If the time allotted them had been never so short unlesse they had been worse then beasts they must needs have bethought themselves a litle and not have still continued in that manner as our Saviour saies they did eating and devouring till the very Day that Noah went into the Arke for then they believed certainly he was not in jest Nay he saies They knew not till the flood came and tooke them all away Beza observes how the word in that place used for eating is by the GraÌ„marians said to be properly used of beasts adding Vt etiam videatur magnae esse hujus verbi emphasis quo significatur homines brutorum instar fore ventri deditos There is one thing more that aggravates the security of those gluttons before the flood viz that although for those hundred and twenty yeares as it is probable they had had Noah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter calls him 2. Pet. 2. 5. a preacher of righteousnesse or a publisher of that righteous judgement of God intended by him in the destruction of the world so that by knew not must be meant as Beza translates acknowledged not or did not consider yet notwithstanding all this they repented not but remained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostl's word is i. e. disobedient or not perswaded to believe what Noah told them If you observe it you shall finde that the Intemperate man his pleasure is so bewitching and seemingly harmelesse is the hardest to be perswaded and the worst to be made either to believe a threat or feare a punishment or to leave his sinne of any in the world You may see more of this sin in the Chapters of Gluttony Whoredome Drunkennesse Adultery Iudging others threatned 1. With Judgement Judge not and yee shall not be judged Luk. 6. 37. For if that which is lesse likely be true that which is more likely is not likely
to be false Now it is more likely that he who judgeth shall be judged then that he who judgeth not shall not be judged because there are other faults for which he may be judged And so is iâ— more likely then that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged which notwithstanding is the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 31. Besides in Matthew it is said c. 7. 1. judge not that yee be not judged Now if not judgeing be the way to avoid judgement judging must needs be a way to incurre it Judgement I say not only of Men for every body will be sure to judge him and spie and catch at every litle fault in him and will be glad to see him miscarry but of God too and such as will be damnatory even 2 Condemnation against which he cannot complaine for he hath condemned himselfe in condemning others for sinne being a sinner himselfe even in thus condemning which he thinkes not of even as David did when he condemned the rich man in the parable of Nathan 2 Sam 12. 5. so that he hath nothing to say and therefore saith the Apostle Thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that JUDGEST for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest doest the same thing Rom. 2. 1. In judging others he doth as it were shew God the way of Judging him and in a manner challenge him to do the like Condemnation I say yea and 3 Greater condemnation perhaps then else he should have had Be yee not many masters knowing that yee shall receive the greater condemnation c. Jam. 3. 1. viz. as for other sinnes and for this to boot No sooner had the Scribes Pharisees taxed the Disciples of Christ for transgressing the tradition of the Elders in eating with unwashen hands but presently Christ reproves them for transgressing the commandements of God in keeping the tradition of the Elders Mat. 15. 2 3. So the same men had no sooner condemned the Disciples for breaking the Sabbath in plucking eares of corne to satisfie their hunger but presently Christ condemnes them both for unmercifulnesse in not pitying the hungry and denying a little corne and for injustice to boot in condemning the guiltlesse ch 12. 7 and finding fault where there was none a thing usuall with them that are given to judging and censuring Iudgment day Take heed how you put it fâ—rre away and so be Secure in sinning for thus saith our Saviour But if that evill Servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his comming and shall begin to smite his fellow Servants and to eate and to drinke with the Drunken The Lord of that Servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder c. Mat. 24. 48 49 50 51. 'T is the only way to make you neglect to get oyle in your lamps the Danger whereof you may see in the Parable of the Foolish Virgins c. 25. 3 12. It will be in vaine to plead non putaram I was not AWARE Foolishnesse will be no excuse you slighted your Master and the Bridegroome while he was your Advocate and now there will be no more pleading no more place for an Advocate I remember a saying of Cicero speaking of Minos and Rhadamanthus whom the Poets make to be universall Judges in the life to come apud quos nec te L. Crassus defendet nec M. Antonius c. before whom thou shalt not have either Crassus or Antony two famous Oratours of Rome to plead for thee l. Tusc Q Kings and Governours threatened and punished 1 For Destroying their people with Woe Wo be unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture saith the Lord Jer 23. 1. The people are God's sheep and not theirs Rulers are but Shepheards for that is the usuall name they have both in Hebrew Greek therefore have no right to them nay they are Shepheards and therefore are bound to feed them and therefore woe must needs be to them if they destroy them 2 For Oppression with Removall from their places Requiring the Flock at their hands Thus saith the Lord God behold I am against the Shepheards and I will require my Flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock neither shall the Shepheardsâ— feed themselves any more for I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be meat for them Ezek 34 10 see Zach 11 3 compared with v. 5 to the 8. see likewise the title Oppression 3 For Injustice with God's unappeasable Anger The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will powre my wrath upon them like water Hos 5. 10. seeing they have removed the bounds of their Injustice I will also remove the bounds of my wrath 4 For Bribery with Shame from men and judgment from doe* love or doe love that which is a disgrace to them Give ye Hos 4 18 and it followes c. 5. 1. Heare this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ye eare ye house of the King for judgment is toward you because you have been a Snare in Mizpah and a Net spread upon Tabor Her Rulers In the Hebrew her Shields to intimate what they should have been It is a signe that God is very angry especially in his threatenings when he calls men by such names as expresse that duty which they have not performed as you may observe the Kings are for the most part threatned under the name of Pastors such as they should bee A Snare in Mizpeh As others translate viz not Mizpeh as a proper name but as the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Jerome Speculationi that is the Watch making it an appellative or as the Paraphrast your Teachers this place may be better applied to that which many Kings and Governours are guilty of the hindering of the Ministers who are God's Watchmen in the worke of the Gospel See more in Bribery 5 For Feeding themselves and not the flock with Woe Sonne of man prophecy against the Sheepheards of Israel prophecy say unto theÌ„ thus saith the Lord God say unto the Sheepheards Woe be to the Sheepheards of Israel Should not the Sheepheard feed the flock Ezek 34. 2. 6 For Deserting their flocks with the Losse or Destruction both of their power and wisdom Woe be to the Idol Sheepheard that leaveth the flock the sword shall be upon his arme and upon his right eye his arme shall be cleane dried up and his right eye shall be utterly darkened Zach 11 17. Our English Paraphrast agreeing with Hierom in the exposition of this and the former verse who applied it to Antichrist thus speakes Woe be to that False Pastour which only carries the name and semblance of an Evangelicall Shepheard who leaveth the flocke to be wasted and spoiled the just
secure enough let these Calvinisticall Preachers that preach nothing but damnation say what they will but marke what follows in that chapter of Jeremy in the 13 14 verses you have both a complaint and a threat from God very like to this of our Saviour which I thinke not much to transcribe And now because ye have done all these workes saith the Lord and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not therefore will I doe unto this house which is called by my name wherein ye trust and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers as I have done to Shiloh So you must interpret unlesse you make the Dative case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superfluously used as the manner is for it to be both in Hebrew and in other languages for thē it is no more thē if it had beene said your house is or shall be left desolate or your house is left to be made desolate or so as it shall become desolate 4 Destruction of themselves For hereunto those husbandmen in the parable formerly spoken of were condemned according to Luke ch 20. 16. by our Saviour but according to Matthew ch 21. 41. by themselves that is the Priests and Elders So likewise in the parable of those that murdered the Kings servants whom he lovingly sent to invite them to his sonnes wedding it is said The King sent forth his armies and destroyed those murtherers and burnt up their cities Mat. 22. 7. See c. 23. 35. The Apostle Paul saies of the Jewes after he had spoken of their killing the Lord Jesus and the Prophets and persecuting his Apostles that wrath was come upon them to the utmost 1. Thess 2. 15 16. In which place however I speake it with reverence I think the Greeke were better translated wrath is come TO AN END upon them To an end I meane not of it's selfe but of it's appointed time at the end whereof it shall be kept in no longer but break forth into punishment So that if you will make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some doe it must not be meant in perpetuum for ever which is the commonly received signification of that Hebrew in which sence the Septuagint doubtlesse rendered it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Psalm 9. 18. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto victory or execution according as that greeke is rendred in Matt. 12. 20 He shall send forth judgement into victory that is to execution This sense of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First it suits very well with those Hebrew expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 11. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 7. 8. rendered till the indignation be accomplished I will accomplish mine anger Which I conceive the last at least to be spoken in that sence as it is said Jer. 25. 34 The dayes of your dispersions are accomplished in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled as if it had beene said The daies at the end whereof your dispersions shall begin are fully come In the like manner as it is said in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2. 1. When the day of Pentecost was accomplished or fulfilled that is as we render it Fully come So on the contrary God is said to deferre his anger when he continues indeed his anger but deferres the execution of it Isay 48 9. 2 It suits very well with what is spoken before in the same verse of filling up their sinnes as if God had intended when those should be filled up that then the time of their punishment should be fulfilled also that being God's appointed time The Septuagint who usually translate the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translating it so in Jeremy 50. 39. Isa 13. 20. where it is said of Babylon It shall never be inhabited are there interpreted not as we and the Latine also in the last place translate but as the Latine translates in the first of those places viz. usque in finem untill the end i. e. till the end of Gods appointed time the decree whereof he will never revoke 3 It suits very well with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which will signify Come upon as it is here translated that is Come suddenly for so wee use that expression in English without the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon and cannot be so properly said of a thing in the extremity or increase thereof as in the Beginning But enough of this I shall conclude this chapter of those that persecute Ministers with what I have to say of the certainty of their punishment and that shall be 1 Two expressions of Paul One to Ananias the High Priest when he commanded to smite him viz God shall smite thee thou whited wall Act. 23. 3. God shall or God will certainely ere it be long for hee is about it already 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether God did in proper speech smite him indeed viz by Death or whether he did it another way onely by removing him from his place is not certain but thus much we have read it was not long after that there was another put in his roome The other expression is that concerning Alexander the Coppersmith who he saies did him much evill viz The Lord reward him according to his works 2. Tim. 4. 14. The Lord reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some read but it is in a manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall or will reward as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2. Tim. 2. 7. and so the Syriack Interpreter and Augustine translate And I must confesse sometimes I think that even so as wee read viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be also rendred in a future signification at lest in the minde of the speaker according to our english phrase thus The Lord MAY reward him according to his works if he do it is a hundred to one or great chance but he doe So in that place of Timothy but now quoted where we thus read the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may render thus Consider or mind well what I tell thee for I make no question then but God will give thee understanding in all things 2 A Prophecy of Jeremy concerning his persecuters But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one therefore my persecuters shall stumble and they shall not prevaile they shall be greatly ashamed for they shall not prosper their everlasting confusion shall nevor be forgotten Jer 20. 11. I might instance in a world of examples especially of Kings and great persons but I am loath to goe beyond my bounds And therefore I will only mention two or three whose Persecution is spoken of in the Scripture 1 Jezabel the wife of Ahab who had slaine divers Prophets
and would have also slaine Elijah 1 Kings 19. 14 was throwne out at window by her servants and troden under foot by her enemies and eaten up by the dogs 2 King 9. 36. according to Elijahs prophecy 1 King 21. 13. 2. Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist Mat. 14. 10 was banished into France and there murdered as he was a hunting You may marke the end also of Herod Agrippa who imprison'd Peter and James although his death be by Luke attributed to another cause Act 12. 33. The Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the ghost 3 Nero who caus'd Paul to be put to death he call's him the Lyon 2 Tim. 4. 17 had been drawn through the city and whipped to death according to the sentence of the Senate but that he cut his own throat before Lastly Domitian called also Nero by the people who banished John the Evangelist into the Island Patmos was conspired against and murdered by his own wife and some of his friends and after his death both his name and all his Acts were eras'd and abolished by the decree of the Senate But what doe I talke of persecuting by offering violence when as Such as Mocke at them are punished 1 With Wrath unappeaseable But they mocked the messengers of God and dispised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2 Chron 36. 17. Against his people c. whom he was loath to be so angry with bâ—t being thus provoked he could not forbeare 2 Severe punishment both on them and theirs The Jewes because the Prophets had told them so many prophecies of God's judgements for their sinnes and of nothing else and because they saw none of those prophecies yet fulfilled at length began to mock at them when they met them and to aske them in derision because with those words usually they began their prophecie especially of Gods judgements What is the burden of the Lord and their false Prophets and Priests would doe the like But they are thus threatened by Jeremy And as for the Prophet and the Priests and the people that shall say the burden of the Lord I will even punish that man and his house Jer. 23. 34. So v. 36. Every man's word shall be his burden viz. either because God would burden them with heavie judgements for thus speaking or because it should lye as a burden upon their consciences hereafter when those prophecies should be fulfilled to have thus derided them 3 Reproach for their reproach And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon them and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten Jer. 23. 40. We all know the proofe of this The very name of a Jew is to use the Scripture language a reproach a by-word and a curse to this day though I believe these words are rather meant of their unhappinesse then of their wickednesse 4 Violent death by wild beasts As Elisha was going up to Bethel There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him Goe up thou bald head Goe up thou bald head And he turned backe and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two shee beares out of the wood and tare forty and two children of them 2 Kings 2. 23 24. Children what must the elder sort expect then Some make this Allegory which I mention because what is said is not impertinent to the subject in hand Christ a Crucifying was Elisha the Jewes mocking him and saying If thou be that Christ the Sonne of God come down from the Crosse were the children and Titus and Vespasian who shortly after destroyed both them and their City the two bears though in the masculinâ— gender because they were so fierce that they had better have met with a beare robbed * of her whelps then them Such as Despise them or sleight them Shall be punished as despisers of Christ himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Just as Moses told the Israelites Exod. 17. 2. Why chide you with me wherefore doe ye tempt the Lord. And ch 16. 7. he heareth your murmurings against the Lord. For what are wee that you murmure against us Let them put it off how they will viz that they despise not God but the men their distinction will not serve For he that truly respects me will respect any one that comes from mee for my sake Further Such as Believe them not have been punished and threatned 1 With violent death That Lord that would not believe Elisha who when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians even in the extremity of the famine prophecied that the next day a measure of fine flowre should be sold for a shekle c. was by him threatned that he should see it indeed with his own eyes to his conviction but he should but see it to his griefe for he should not eat of it which fell out accordingly for the next day hee was troden to death by the hungry greedy people as they pressed out at the gate to take the spoile of their enemies camp to satisfie their hunger 2 Kings 7. 2. 17. 2 Being worse dealt with at the day of Judgement then Sodome and Gomorrah and how bad is that like to be Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words when yee depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for that city Mat. 10 14 15. Further Such as will not suffer them to reap their carnall things One may conjecture their Condition is not safe by the strictnesse of the charge given to the Israelites concerning the Levites Take heed to thy selfe for thou wilt hurt thy selfe most that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upoÌ„ the earth Deu. 12. 19 as long as thou livest upon the earth Come what will poverty or any condition yet be sure to remember him and that as long aâ— thou art upon the earth though thou art led captive out of thine own countrey See the charge repeated Deut. 14. 27. after which it is added vers 29. That the Lord may blesse themin all the worke of thine hand which thou doest Which seemes to be spoken as if otherwise hee would not in this manner blesse them Nay further yet Such as doe not stand by them in persecution Have cause to to feare as may be gathered by what Paul saies of those who deserted him At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16 See the ch of Not-helping the godly at the end Ministery Such
sinne it must expect a great punishment Give me leave to produce what a heathen speakes in commendation of the practise under the golden age When although men had no other law besides that of nature yet he saies they counted it a capital crime if a young man did not rise up as the phrase is here used likewise in the Hebrew to an Old man though a poorman Credebant hoc grande nefas morte piandum Si Juvenis vetulo non assurrexerit si Barbato cuicunque puer licet ipse videret Plura domi farra majores glandis acervos Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor annis But the present age is of another mettall Wherein the disrespect commonly shewed not only to old men but to old parents and such especially for then doe we slight them most when we should most respect them makes this report concerning those times almost incredible so that I may use the words of the Historian speaking of an army how the younger bands gave place to the elder Vix ut verisimile sit parentum quoque hoc saeculo vilis levisque apud liberos autoritas Of the respect given and commanded to be given to old men in Scriptures See Job 29. 8. Chr 32. 4 6 7. Rom 16. 3. 1 Tim 5. 1 2. Opportunities of Grace such as neglect them threatned 1 With Hardening Exhort one another while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. See Ps 32. 6. Isa 55 6. 2 Cor 6 2 2 Removall of the meanes afforded them Yet a litle while the light is with you walke while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh 12. 35. 3 Not being suffered to have any more though they desire it Our Saviour told his Disciples The day will come when yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the son of man and shall not see it Luk 17. 22. See c. 13 24. 4 Being suffered to dye in their sinnes I goe my waies and yee shall seek me and shall dye in your sinnes whither I goe yee cannot come Joh 8. 21. Because it is not your desire to seek me when I may be found it shall bee your punishment to seek me when I may not Now seeing it is thus I will exhort you in the words of Jeremy to the Jewes Give glory to the Lord your God by repenting and believing before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the darke mountaines and while yee look for light he turne it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse Jer 13. 16. And if you will not heare it I am sure I shall have cause to mourne as hee had saying it with confidence as if the punishment were already inflicted Because the Lord's flock is carried away captive vers 17. because through your inward darknesse in the midst of so much light you are led captive by Satan into outer darknesse whence there is no returning to all eternity Oppression Oppressours of the Poore threatned 1 In generall with Punishment great and sure enough For God goes solemnly about it as if he made it his businesse to keep an assize of purpose for them The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancient of his people and the Princes thereof for yee have eaten up the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses Isa 3. 14. The spoile of the poore c. which is like the gold of Toloze for none can prosper that have it Nay he is so earnest at it that he riseth off his seat to execute it For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12. 5. 2 Poverty and losse of their estates which they have gotten by oppression Solomon hath a Proverb for it He that oppresseth the poore to encrease his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to a want Prov. 22. 16. Hee that oppresseth in the Septuagint the Paraphrase and the Vulgar he that falsly accuseth onely Amos hath a prophecie for it Forasmuch therfore as your treading is upon the poore and yee take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stone but yee shall not dwell in them yee have planted pleasant vineyards but yee shall not drinke of them ch 5. 11. This is a great punishment and matter of much vexation much more then if the houses or vineyards had been bought or given It is a punishment often mentioned in the Scripture viz. not dwelling in an house that a man hath built not eating or gathering of the grapes of the vineyard which a manhath planted See Deut. 28. 30. ch 20. 6. 3 Destruction 1 Of their persons Hee shall judge the poore of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour Ps 72. 4. Break in pieces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he expresses that which he often uses and the Scripture intimates as much in allusion by using the same words as I have often said his retaliating or doing to them as they have done to others for it is said of these oppressours Is 3 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they beat or break in pieces my people grinde the faces of the poore 2 Of their countrey for the Prophet Amos cha 8. after complaint made of some that swallowed up the needy v. 4. and that bought the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes v. 6. thus threatens Judea The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Judah Surely I will never forget any of their workes Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourne that dwelleth therein c. vers 7. 8. Shall not c. as if he had said If the land have cause to tremble at any time it hath now under the weight of such heavy Oppressours Or I cannot chuse but make it tremble now unlesse I will be God no longer Oppressors of the Fatherlesse Widdows Strangers and Servants Are threatned with speedy punishment perhaps the more speedy because their oppressours put it so farre away for these were the words of the Jewes Where is the God of judgement Mal 2. 17. But in the following Chapter you have this threat And I will come neere to you in judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers c. and against these that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the fatherlesse and that turne aside the stranger from his right feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts vers 5. And feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts or feare not me who am the Lord of hosts and therefore able nay who am a father of the fatherlesse and a judge of the widowes Ps 68. 5. a preserver of the stranger Ps 146. 9. and
not pray but prophecie And his prophecie was fullfilled for the Canaanites being the posterity of Cham which came of Canaan who alone is mentioned of Cham's sonnes and the ejection of whose posterity by the Israelites Moses his maine designe was to relate so that there is some ground to thinke that Canaan the grandchild had a hand in the sinne as I have said before those that were used best I meane the Gibeonites were used as servants the rest as servants of servants and worse too by the Israelites who were of the posterity of Seth and their brethren or kinred for so the word is used in Scripture by whom they were utterly destroyed Whether Noah prayed or prophecied this is certaine The prayers of Parents both for and against their children are very powerfull and many times come to passe like prophecies Augustine speakes of ten children that being cursed by their mother went about quaking and trembling from one place to another like vagabonds In that manner as some conceive Cain did because the Septuagint in Gen 4. 12. for fugitive and vagabond translate groaning and trembling And there might be many other instances given Insomuch that as Ambrose saith Children should honour their parents if it were for nothing but for feare honoretpius patrem propter gratiam ingratus propter timorem 2 With a most fearefull Judgement what ever it be The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out the young Eagles shall eat it Prov 30. 17. The eye the same thing I believe that is meant by Lamp in c. 20 and so it is expounded alike viz of the Soule And accordingly it is thought that by the Ravens of the valley and the young Eagles are meant the black Divels of the lowest Hell and the Spirits subject to that Prince of the ayre who shall make a prey of such a mans Soule as soone as 't is got out of the Cage If these words be meant onely of blindnesse as the Sept. seeme to have taken the other ch 20 yet is the Punishment sad fearefull The EIE that mocketh though he say nothing but doe it so closely that his father shall not know it And despiseth to obey or despiseth the wrinkles for so one saith the Hebrew word * also signifies and the Septuagint render it Old age that is the markes of her old age hastened with paines and care in bearing and bringing him up so that herein he is both unreasonable in despising that which himselfe occasioned and unnaturall also and worse then the beasts for some of them will pay their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great deale better then many Christians in feeding their old ones So that understand you by Ravens and Eagles what you will such a wretch as will mock his parents may well feare that the birds and beasts will rise up against him to punish him in this world and their naturall affection come against him in judgement co condemne him in the world to come Such as Set light by them threatned With a Curse Cursed be hee that setteth light by his father or mother Deut. 27. 16. Seteth light Doth not honour saith the Paraph. and the vulgar translation This sinne is ranked with very hainous sinnes in that Catalogue Ezek. 22. 7. after which follows a fearfull threat v. 13 14 15. Such as are Disobedient to them and Incorrigible With Stoning to death If a man have a stubborne and rebellious sonne which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have chastned him will not harken unto them Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the Elders of his city and unto the gate of his place And they shall say unto the Elders of this city This our sonne is stubborne and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard Being rebellious is the maine crime and being a glutton and a drunkard are brought in as evidences though crimes too And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he die So shalt thou put â—ill away froÌ„ among you all Israel shall hear and feare Deut. 21. 18 19. 20 21. Certainly rebellious children are grievous sinners in God's account and he will accordingly punish them because he aggravates the disobedience of the Israelites to his own self by it Isa 1. 2. I have nourished brought up childreÌ„ they have rebelled against mee And accordingly threatens them with grievous threats c 30. 1. c. Woe to the rebellious children Such as doe not Honour them Have cause to feare Shortnesse of life Because it is said Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Ex 20. 12. I say shortnesse of life simply because it is usually so expounded otherwise I should say short injoyment of their inheritances which is no reason they should enjoy who will not honour those from whom they have them Indeed I rather thinke that in these words is promised that which is promised also in other places to other things upon the keeping of the command not so much living long as living long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee In that good good Land for so the Septuagint translate and so it is otherwise called out of which on the contrary they are every where threatned to be cast out and carried away by captivity if they kept not the coÌ„mandments As for living long only a promise of that is annexed only to Letting the damme goe when they rob'd a bird's nest ch 22. 7. And Dying in a polluted land though they lived never so long was a punishment Amos 7. 17. I placed Not-Honouring after not-Obeying because I take it to be lesse as I take Honouring to be more then Obeying So farre am I from taking it for no more then it is commonly made to be viz honouring with Cap and Knee forsooth which they think to be enough without doing any thing when they are bid viz yeelding them help and support and indeavoring to reward them with acts of piety Reward them I say for so the word in the Hebrew for honour will signifie as well as to honour according to the use of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tim. 5. 3. and v. 17. Act 28. 10. The Jewes have a saying What honour is to bee given to parents To give them meat and drinke to cloath them and cover them Peace breaking see Discord Persecution Threats of it and for it All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim 3. 12. All from the Divell and most from men even for so living All that will but live honestly suffer by so living but not for
But they that will live godly who are resolved they will live godly notwithstanding all rubs and hinderances dangers they shall suffer for so living Nay there is also a threat of persecution even out of zeale for God such as is too usuall the more is the pity Yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will think that he does God service Joh. 16. 2. But there is also a threat against theÌ„ Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said The Lord be glorified but he shall appeare to your joy and they shall be ashamed Isa 66. 5. which cannot be well interpreted but of these latter daies since Christs time Pity Not pitying others in their misery threatned With Suffering the like Woe to them c. That drink wine in bowles anoint theÌ„selves with the chiefe ointments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they goe captive with the first that go captive c. Amos 6. 6. 7. They are not grieved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint Nihil patiebantur lat i.e. they suffered nothing or they were not moved whereas if one member suffer all the members should suffer with it 1 Cor 12. 26. God is so much for tender heartednesse in this kinde that he would have us not to have the heart to looke upon them For he tells Edom Thou shouldst not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that hee became a stranger Obad. 12. Pledges of things necessary Such as keep them Have cause to feare what may come of the prayers of him that pawned them For thus it is spoken If thou at all take thy neighbourâ—s raiment to pledge thou shalt deliver it to him by that the Sun goeth downe For that it is his covering only it is his rayment for his skin wherein shall he sleep And it shall come to passe when he cries unto me that I will he are for I am gracious Exod. 22. 26 27. God would have us be very tender of taking pledges of any kind as you may see Deut 24. 10 11. but especially of such things as are necessary for the sustenance of life such as a milstone vers 6. expressedly forbidden Politicians punished 1 With Infatuation of their mindes so that their counsells are to their hurt The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived they have also seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every work thereof as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit Isa 19. 13 14 see v. 11 12. Those that counselâ—d Pharaoh to help the Jewes against the Assyrians did it to his and their owne ruine for the Assyrians thereupon invaded Egypt 2 Frustration of their counsells so that their desires are not accomplished He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize Job 5 12. Let them be never so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perplexedly knit and twisted they shall all be unravelled See Ps 33 10. Isa 19. 3 4. Jer. and the example of the builders of Babel Gen 11. 6 7 8. Upon the certainty of this punishment Gamaliel advised the Councell of the Jewes to let the Apostles alone For saies he If this counsell or this worke bee of men it will come to naught Act. 5. 38. But especially they are thus punished if their counsells are not only ungodly but against the godly For in the frustrating of such counsells God hath appeared very notably severall waies As 1. By discovering them himself in a dream or some such way As he did to Joseph Herod's designe of killing all the children in Bethleem whereby he preserved the life of our Saviour Mat 2. 16. And to Nehemiah Sanballat's designe of killing the builders of the wall of Jerusalem as they were at work Neh 4. 11. with the 15. 2 By causing those whom they entrust to discover them As he caused Jonathan Sauls own sonne and Michal his own daughter to discover Sauls designe of killing David 1 Sam 19. 2 11. 3 By Contriving strange waies of getting the godly out of their power As he did for David and Paul who when their enemies had beset the house to apprehend them were let downe at a window and so escaped 1 Sam 19 12. 2 Cor 11. 33. And for Baruch and Jeremiah concerning whom when Jehoiakim had sent men to put them to death it is said The Lord hid them Jer 36. 26. which some conceive hee did by striking the men with blindnesse as he did for Elias 2 Kings 6. 18. or by making him invisible so as they conceive our Saviour did for himself Joh 8. 59. 4 By causing their counsells to be slighted as he did that notable councell of Ahitophel to Absalom to chuse out 12000 men and goe suddenly in the night after David and take him unprovided which in any man's judgement was the wisest way that possibly could be taken And therefore it could never have been that Absalom should rather hearken to Hushai one that came from his enemies and to such counsel as his was to take such a tedious course of gathering all Israel from Dan to Beersheba 2 Sam 17. 11 but that the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsell of Ahitophel to the intent that the Lord might bring evill upon Absalom as it is said 2 Sam 17 14. 5 By raising up enemies against them As hee did for Ahaz King of Judah against Rezin king of Syriah and Pekah king of Israel who had a designe to conquer his kingdome and set up another king Isa 7 6. But according to the the prophecy vers 7. their councell was frustrated for Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came against Rezin and slew him 2 Kings 16. 9. and not long after Shalmaneser King of Assyria subdued Samaria cap. 17. 3 Destruction of themselves by their owne hands For so Ahitophel because his councell was not followed and because he knew David had intelligence of what he had done went presently and hung himselfe 2 Sam. 17. 23. Or at least by their owne councels I say by or with and not onely in and it will stand very well with the frequent use both of the Hebrew Greek so to translate although the more ordinary signification be in in these following places viz. Job 5. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 19. He taketh the wise with their owne craftinesse Which it is easie for God to doe being wiser then they as it is easie for one that knoweth the foxes cunning in taking such a secret way to take him sooner so then if he went more openly All wicked men as I have often shewed are as thorns and briars and their own wickednesse as fire Isaa 9. 18. They are like a garment and their wickednes like a moth Job 13. 28. in regard destruction
comes to them from themselves But yet in a more speciall manner doth God delight to make the devices and coâ—ncels of those that proudly presume confidently use their wisedome and strength against him his to prove destructive to themselves scattering them even by the imagination of their owne hearts Luk. 1. 51. Me thinkes I heare him speaking to such as he did once to the Assyrians Yee shall conceive chaffe yee shall bring forth stuble your own breath as fire shall devoure you Isa 33. 11. Prayer not heard For these causes among many other viz. 1 Not-hearing God He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov. 28. 9. See ch 1. 24. vers 28. 2 Not-hearing the Poore Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe and shall not be heard Prov. 21. 13. 3 Apostacy from the true worship of God to Idolatry They are turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to heare my words and they went after other Gods to serve them c. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will bring evill upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry unto mee I will not hearken unto them Jer. 11. 10 11. See Ezek. 20. 31. ch 8. 17. 18. 4 Contempt of the worship of God and worshipping him negligeÌ„tly Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar and yee say wherein have we polluted thee In that yee say the table of the Lord is contemptible And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evill c. I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hoasts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Mal. 1. 7 8 10. 5 Blood guiltinesse and injustice in judgement When yee spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare your hands are full of blood Isay 1. 15. See c. 59. 2. 6 Oppression Who eat the flesh of my people c. Then shall they cry unto the Lord but he will not heare Mic 3. 3 4. 7 Hypocrisie Will hee heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him Job 27. 9. 8 Sinning with delight and without remorse They have loved to wander they have not refrained their feet therefore the Lord doth not accept them c. Jer 14. 10. It followes v 11. Then the Lord said unto me pray not for this people and vers 12. When they fast I will not heare their cry c. God heareth not sinners that sin in such a manner Joh 9 31. 9 Resolving to continue in sin when we pray If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me Ps 66. 18. 10 Intending to make ill use of what wee pray for Yee aske and receive not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it upon your lusts Jam 4. 3. 11 Having sinfully occasioned those evills from which we pray to be delivered And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which you shall have chosen you and the Lord will not heare you in that day They are the words of Samuel to the Israelites when they desired a King 1 Sam 8. 18. You may see an experience of Gods refusing to heare prayer for this reason likewise in those Israelites who fighting with the Amorites against the command of God being overthrowne in the words of Moses returned wept before the Lord but the Lord would not hearken unto them Deut 1. 45. 12 Doubting in prayer But let him aske in faith nothing wavering for hee that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed For let not that man thinke that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord. Jam 1. 6 7. Praying amisse punished 1 With Not-obtaining the request Ye aske and have not because yee aske amisse that yee may consume it upon your lusts James 4. 3. which is a notable argument of the greatnesse of Gods love and that which wee have experience of oftner then we take notice It is more love to deny us a Scorpion when we aske for a Scorpion then not to give us a Scorpion when wee aske for a fish as it is a greater signe of love to doe good when there is greater excuse for doing hurt then where there is lesse 2 Obtaining with Anger God tells Israel I gave thee a King in mine anger and tooke him away in my wrath Hos 13. 11. 3 Obtaining with a vengeance as we say He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule Psalm 106. 15. the Septuagint translate for leannesse fulnesse or saciety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether they by fulnes meant fulnesse to loathing spoken of Num 11. 20. and so made it a cause of leannesse And so whether we by leannes be to be understood of an atrophy usually occasioned by too full feeding Againe whether they read the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insteed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whether they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is in Numbers and whether this place and that in Numbers in ch 11. 20 be to be understood of a different punishment at a different time I cannot determine But only thus much I can determine from these words viz that the Israelites lusting sinfully after flesh when they should have been contented with what God had else provided for them had their desire in that indeed but were met with another way And perhaps all that the Prophet meant by calling it leannes was onely to allude to their fulnesse with flesh which they so eagerly desired and obtained and to shew that for a litle good they had a great deale of bad of what kinde soever the punishment were Not-Praying punished With Temptation For thus Jesus Christ told his Disciples when he found them asleep Arise or according to Marke Watch and pray lest you enter into tentation Luk. 22. 46. Lest So we translate the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which yet may be rendered THAT yee may not enter As if because Christs enemies then were so eager in persecution he would have his Disciples to pray to God for his according as he had taught them to pray before Mat. 6. 9. that they might not be tented to forsake him through feare This is certaine for I have had experience of it to my great griefe not only if a man doe not forbear to pray now then but if he forbeare to pray often he will presently lye open to the assault of all manner of tentations Besides he will be in danger of utter falling away from goodnesse and not without abundance of difficulty bâ— brought to renew his wonted course of praying againe And here I had once concluded this Chapter but since I though good to adde two or three words in favour of the aforesaid interpretation to the end that
I may make you more seriously then usually we do to think of these two things one as great an evill as we can be delivered from viz. Temptation and the other as necessary a duty as we can practise viz prayer against it which I never heard practised since the disuse of the Lord's Prayer 1 In the 40. v. of this ch it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be otherwise translated then it is viz. without a point after Pray Pray that yee enter not into temptation 2 In the 31. v. our Saviour saith that Satan had desired yea and obtained liberty to tempt them 3 In the 32 v. he saith that hee had prayed for Peter that in that temptation his faith might not faile 4 He had told them all the day before what danger they should be in that night of being offended at him through temptation and he had absolutely told Peter being confident to the contrary that he should deny him 5 He himselfe had prayed for the same in effect viz. That the cup might passe from him v. 39. And I must confesse I doe not think that by the preposition in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant as some say their being delivered up to temptation but only their coming into that temptation in which our Saviour already was viz. of being put to it either to depart from God or to part with life 6. There was not any thing which they had so much need to pray against at such a time as that was viz. when the shepheard himselfe should be smitten then that the sheep might not scattered from him and forsake him 7. It was that which the shepheard had long before prescribed to them especially to pray for viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would not LEAD or BRING them into temptation Matth. 6. 13. an expression to which this answers that ye may not enter into temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas it is there presently added And deliver us from evill so in this chapter it is said that Satan that evill one had begged them to winnow them therefore now if ever they had cause to pray to be delivered from him 8 The words added immediately after these Mat 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake seeme to make much for it For I doe not thinke as some doe that they are spoken in a favourable manner to excuse their drowzinesse because the contrary appeares by the verse next before where there is a reason mentioned why they were not to bee excused viz because Christ had as yet watched but one houre which was urged by our Saviour very sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What or is it possible could yee not watch with mee one houre But rather in a friendly monitory manner to minde them of their weaknesse especially because hee saw how confident they were of their strength to hold out in temptation as if hee had spoken the whole thus Doe yee sleep as if you were secure against and as if you would expose your selves to temptation you had more need watch and pray that you may not be tempted and all litle enough I deny not but according to your profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will may be present with you and you may be resolv'd in the spirit to hold it out with me even to die with mee But know this your flesh is weak So that unlesse my father doe extraordinarily strengthen you when it comes to you will not tell how to finde in your heart to perform what you would therfore by all means pray that ye may not be brought to temptation So that If to be free from Temptation it be needfull not only to pray but to pray against it you have no cause to wonder if They who doe not pray do meet with it Preaching of the VVord threatened to be removed Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Am 8. 11 12. A famine of bread or A hunger for bread So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the threat is not only of a want or scarcity but of an hunger earnest desire proceeding from that want as is plaine by the 12 verse by the word for of hearing which signifies literally To heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which aggravates the punishment very much for they shall have paine and griefe whiles they hunger and in the end shal be starv'd to death for want of what they would have And yet as we render it famine it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull because it implies a necessity of this food for the life of the Soule For we doe not call it a famine although other things be never so scarce and deare unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne or bread which we cannot be without Such as Hinder it have cause to feare 1 Removall of good preachers and havinâ— bad in their stead which is a worse punishment then if they had none Prophecy yâ— not say they to them that prophecie They shâ— not prophecie to them that they shall not taâ—â— shame Mic 2. 6. And it follows vers 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lyâ— saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine 〈◊〉 of strong drinke he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉 this people If you translate this verse witâ— the vulgar thus I could wish I were not man that had the spirit that which I speak were not true but yet I will prophecy to you 〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with winâ— even a full cup of judgments which I shall denounce unto you it will amount to thus much viz that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word from preaching the truth God will punish them with fearefull judgements and make even those very Ministers in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy In the originall it is drop in both verses And it is not unlike the people did indeed use this very word in a jeere because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek 20. 46. ch 21 2. Even as they did the words Line upoâ— Line Isa 28 10. The burden â—f the Lord Jer 23 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word c. 2 Death and ruine of their families That Amaziah but now mentioned who was a Priest of Bethel in Jeroboam's time is thus threatened by Amos Thou sayest Prophesie not and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack Therefore thus saith the Lord thy wife
prosperity we are apt to say we will not heare The threat presently followes vers 22. The wind shall eate a up all thy pastours thy lovers shall goe into captivitie c. So likewise vers 23. it is said O inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars thinking thy selfe as secure as the eagle in his nest Jer. 49. 16. But it is presently added in the same verse How gratious shalt thou be now when pangs come upon thee Or if you will How shalt thou be gracious and obtaine favour and mercy when adversity cometh having beene thus lifted up with prosperitie See the like complaint Hos 10. 1. where Israel is compared to a vine that bringeth forth fruit only for it selfe perhaps only leaves for it 's own covert not for the use of the owner 3 Most severe punishments without mercy According to their pasture so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten mee Therefore will I be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will will I observe them I will meet them as a beare robbed of her whelps and will rent the cawle of their heart and there will I devoure them like a lyon the wild beast shall teare them It is spoken of the Israelites Hos 13. 6 7 8. As a Lyon Seeing they have beene like idle beasts to mee onely growing fatt with my blessings as beasts doe with pasture till they kick against their master I will be like a cruell beast to them even like a Lyon and punish them without mercy as a ravenous beast will I observe them and chuse out the fattest of them for my prey I will destroy the fat and the strong Ezek. 34. 16. Full and high fed horses and such as have layen long idle breake and grow unruly but they are sure to be hampered for it And there will I devoure them There that is saith one in the heart as if the threat were thus As the Lyon when he kils a beast falls upon the HEART chiefly and the blood and the fat that is about it and leaves the rest of the body to be devoured by other beasts So I will first punish the Israelites in their hearts with sorowes and feares and afterward deliver them to the Assyrians to punish them in their bodies with oppression and violence In the places hitherto cited you have had God's punishments for abused prosperity upon the Israelites his owne people for Judgement usually beginneth at the house of God Now I shall shew you how he threatened and punished the heathen as 1 The Moabites who for trusting in their treasures Jer 48 7 their Idols v. 13 for their ease* obstinacy in their wickednesse in Keeping their Sent like wine setled upon the lees because they had no Changes and because no enemy molested them vers 11 in the 12 vers are thus threatned I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander and shall empty his vessels break their bottels 2 Chaldea who for being overjoyâ—d with successe upon her enemies growing fatt with the spoyle of Gods people Jer 50 11 is threatned to be dealt with her selfe as she had dealt with others Chaldea shall be a spoyle all that spoyle her shal be satisfied vers 10. 3 Sodome the maine occasion if not the cause of whose fearefull punishments was her idle security and her proud confidence for her fulnes of bread Ezek. 16 49 50. Idlenes as well as ful feeding will breed dsieases in mens bodyes draw down judgement upon their persons Security confidence if they be not the causes why men suffer punishments are the occasions why they doe not escape them for like hypnotick potions they bring men asleep with the doores open upon them so tâ—at misery and all sorts of misery may come upon them and take them napping in one day as it is said of Babylon Whose threat because it is so pat to my purpose I will produce How much shee hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queene and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine for she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rev 18. 7 8. Worldly men as they abuse prosperity so they are abused by it and deceived viz by becomming so proud as to think they can never be removed But see how Edom is threatned for his pride thus occasioned Jer 49. 16. Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart c. Be more afraid in and of prosperity then adversity They who are too much taken with it will be quickly taken by it and ensnared For it is no better to worldly men then a baited snare Proud men Have cause to feare 1 God's slighting and neglecting of them for however some translate yet the place is most easily thus interpreted the context seemes to require it Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth a farre off Psal 138. 6. He knoweth them well enough and that they shall know one day but he doth not acknowledge nor respect them Thinke it not strange The higher men are the further from heaven See more in sect 4. 2 God's anger and resolution to punish them for it is said even of Hezekiah though he were onely too glad or as we say proud of a mercy the recovery of his health His heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. This wrath was executed after his death and it had beene executed before had he not humbled himselfe for having exalted himself Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart c. So the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the daies of Hezekiah verse 26. 3 God's hatred Both when it is expressed in behaviour These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look c. Prov 6. 17. And when it is only in the heart as there are too many proud hearts with dejected looks Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord c 16. 5. And no wonder for God knoweth whereof he is made and that he is but dust Ps 103 14. How doe our stomacks rise when we see a man proud whom we know to come of a very meane descent 4 God's setting himselfe against them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble I believe this was an ordinary saying in the times of the Apostles like a proverb Both Peter and James have it in their Epistles 1 Pet. 5. 5. James 4. 6. It was one of Solomon's proverbs long before Surely he scorneth the scorners but giveth grace to the lowly Prov. 3. 34. It is a fearfull thing
when God resolves to punish a man after that manner as he sins against him when he will walke contrary to them that walke contrary to him and shew himselfe froward with the froward or as it is here when he scorneth the scorners If one scorner or one froward man meet with another woe to him that is weakest The more proud the more resistance the more resistance the more paine and enraging of the adversary for the present and the greater punishment to come God takes a kind of delight to deale with such men as a valiant souldier doth to deale with a stubborn enemy whom he hopes to conquer If all the Kings of the earth should set themselves against him it would be but so much laughing matter to him Psal 2. 2 4. Me thinkes I see God like a challenged enemy after long provocation as it were entring into the lists against Babylon when I read those words of his Behold I am against thee O thou most proud Jer. 50. 31. AGAINST thee or To thee so the Hebrew as if he should say Have at thee or Come on Babylon now I am for thee now I see thee proud now thou art a fit object to exercise my full strength upon God doth not punish any so deliberately as I may say or with such resolution as he doth a proud man The Lord of hosts hath purposed it or upon consultation determined to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Is 23. 9. And no wonder if it be according to that saying of the Jewes In whomsoever is haughtinesse of spirit God saies of him I and he cannot dwell together in one world So that the next thing he must expect is 5 Certaine punishment in spite of all his strength and endeavours to the contrary for to thus much the words will amount expound them how you will Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord though hand joyne in hand he shall not be unpunished Prov 16. 5. The punishments which the Scripture mentions are 1 Abasement It was a common saying among the Jews Whosoever exalteth himselfe shall be abased and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Our Saviour belike used it often Luke speakes of twice as c. 14 11. c. 8. 14. Abasement I say both by and with God whether it be pride towards him or towards men For one of those times our Saviour used it upon occasion of the Pharisee's justifying himselfe c. 18. the other upon occasion of a mans taking the uppermost seat at a feast without entreaty c. 14. Evills of punishment doe not spring out of the ground They come all from above and therefore no wonder that the highest things beare the brunt and the lowest escape The day of the Lord of hoasts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and hee shall bee brought low And upon all the Cedras of Libanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan and upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up c. Isa 2. 12. to 18. See c. 5 15. c. 13. 11. c. 14. 13. Job 40. 12. Infinite many more texts for such like threatning expressions might be brought against pride But I am oath to offer you to many lest you resolve to take none at all There be likewise many examples of men people that have beene abased for their pride wherof I will only namea few in whose relation pride is chiefly mentioned they are 1 the Sodomites Ez 16. 49. 2 Nebucadnezar Dan 5. 20 21 3 Belshazzar his son ibid. vers 23. 4 The Tyrians Ezek 28. 6. 5 The Assyrians Ezek 31. 10. 6 The Moabites Isa 16. 6. So likewise examples of evills occasioned by pride doubtles I might produce many but that it is not agreeable with my purpose to speak of consequents except such as are necessary or immediate However I will name one viz Amaziah King of Judah who being lifted up for his victory over the Edomites when he had no occasion given him would needs challenge Joash King of Israel to fight with him and was overthrowne and taken prisoner and both the Court and Temple plundered 2 Chron 25. 19 22. And I referre you to three or foure more the like instances in the Chapter of Despising 2 Shame an attendant of the former punishment When pride commeth then commeth shame Pro 11. 2. and indeed shame cannot come without pride for a humble man befall him what will hath no cause of shame if he have of griefe Shame I say not onely as we usually take the word being ashamed but as the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shame of reproach When a proud man falls many will reproach him and no body will pity him See Ps 119 78. As likewiâ—e the punishment of proud women Isa 3 17. and the parable of the guest who was made with shame to take the lowest roome Luk 14. 9. 3 Diseases upon their bodies which they have too proudly clothed or carried Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walke with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe and making a tinkling with their feet Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crowne of the head of the daughters of Sion c. Isa 3. 16 17. with the following verses Joash King of Israel was punished with very loathsome diseases so that no body could endure to come near him 2 Chr. 24 25. And he is thought to have been thus punished chiefly for his pride viz. in suffering men to adore him worship him as a God For this Hierom and others conceive to be meant by those words v. 17 of the aforesaid chapter After the death of Jehoiada because say they it could not be suffered while Jehoiada was living came the Princes of Judah and made obeysance to the King now saith one by this filthines uncleannes of his body through diseases God did mind him of the uncleannesse of his soule through pride The Septuagint in Prov 16. 5 where we render abomination translate uncleane 4 Ruine and destruction Upon their persons Hee that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction and that is easie enough to be found Prov 17. 19 As surely as he that exalteth his gate as we call it in going and takes no notice of his way is sure to fall See Mal 4. 1. Upon their Families The Lord will destroy the house of the proud c 15. 25. Pride will have a fall is so true a saying that if we once see a man proud we may conclude whereto he will For he is fallen with God already dead in Law there wants only execution 'T is God's way when hee will destroy a man to the purpose to let him get up high and then his fall will bee the greater
say is not the Lord among us None evill can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sake bee plowed as a field Mic 3. 11 12. 3 God's abhorring of them I the Lord love judgement I hate robbery for burnt offerings Isa 61. 8. Such robberies the Scribes and Pharisees to whom Christ spake those wordes before mentioned were guilty of who pretending they tooke it for pious uses as for offerings and the like by this means rooked the poore widows and orphanes of their livelyhood God abhorres such pretended religion as much as he did the hire of an whore or the price of a dog brought into his house though it were for a vow which he saith were an abomination to him Deut 23. 18. It was the saying of an Heathen that the Gods could not be made propitious with offering sacrifices to commit wickednesse 4 God's being against them Behold I am against the Prophets that use their tongues say HE SAITH Jer. 23. 31. 5 God's severe punishing them For thus he complaines Whose possessours slay them and hold themselves not guilty and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord for I am rich Zach. 11. 5. Religion only in Shew Threatned 1 With Having no reward Take heed that yee doe not your almes before men to bee seen of them otherwise yee have no reward of your father which is in heaven Mat. 6. 1. No reward of your father All the reward you have is that which you do it for how can you expect any other viz. The praise of men They disfigure their faces that they may appeare unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6. 16. They have their reward they are paid and let them look for nothing in heaven hereafter Hitherto may you referre that in Timothy if you expound it of fasting with Beza Bodily exercise profiteth nothing 1 Ep. 4 8. 2 Woe Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees for yee make cleane the outside of the cup and the platter but within they are full of extortion and excesse Mat. 23. 25. Repenting late Strive to enter in at the strait gate For many I say unto you will seek which doe not strive to enter in and shall not be able When once the master of the house is risen up hath shut to the doores and yee begin to stand without and to knock at the doore saying Lord Lord open unto us and he shall answer and say unto you I know you not whence you are c. Luk. 13. 24 25. Reported well of by all Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Reproaching Threatned 1 With certaine punishment because God takes speciall notice of it Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me Lam 3. 61. Ps 69. 19. Whosoever shall say to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the councell but whosoever shall say thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire Mat. 5. 22. 2 With sad and heavy judgments denounced in very angry expressions I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border Therefore as I live saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall be as Sodom the children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of nettles and salt pits and a perpetuall desolation The residue of my people shall spoile thē the remnant of my people shall possesse them Zeph 2. 8 9. See Eze 21. 28. concerning the same people 3 Exclusion out of heaven Nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor 6. 10. Certainly a reviler is as much out of charity in his heart as a man can be and God lookes not so much to uncharitablenesse what it is either in our speech or our actions for that is according to our power as what it is in our hearts There is an example or two of reproachers severely punished 1 Nahash the Ammonite when he besieged Jabash Gilead would not yeeld to the desire of the inhabitants to enter into covenant with them although they profered to serve him but with this condition viz that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel 1 Sam 11. 2. But the inhabitants sent immediatly to Saul who came with his army upon the Ammonites in the morning watch slew them untill the heat of the day And it came to passe that they which remained were scattered so that two of them were not left together vers 11. 2 Nabal the Carmelite when David sent his servants to him for victualls for his men gave them this reproachfull answer Who is David and who is the son of Jesse There be many servants now adaies that break away every man from his master 1 Sam 25. 10. Now which sin it was that was punished whether his not giving David provision or his giving this reproachfull answer I knowe not But it is said in the same Chapter v 38. And it came to passe about ten daies after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died Had not his wife Abigail pacified David with a present he had been kil'd by him before ver 33. but the punishment was more notorious this way viz by the hand of God Reproofe Such as doe not Give it If Parents they are sometimes punished by God of which see in the Chapter of Parents Sometimes by their children themselves Thus was David punished by his son Adonijah of whō is it said that his father had not displeased him at any time in saying why hast thou done so 1 Kings 1. 6. But he took a course to work him trouble enough to reward him for his gentlenesse for hee sought to make himselfe King ver 5. If they are God's Ministers I know not what they may expect Their case is bad enough doubtlesse as you may gather by the Prophet Isai's words if the Latine translation be right Woe unto me because I have held my peace ch 6. 5. Those who follow this translation some of them interpret it of the Prophet's not reproving King Vzziah so boldly as he should for medling with the Priests office 2 Chr. 26. 16. Others because he did not see him putt out of the City according to the Law for the Lepers Lev. 13. 46. But this last we have the lesse cause to suspect for what is said in that chapter but now quoted v. 21 viz. That he dwelt in a severall house Such as doe not Take it punished 1 With Errour He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction bnt he that refuseth reproofe erreth Prov 10. 17. 2 Destruction Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way and he that hateth reproofe shall die Prov. 15. 10. The way againe as it was before For there is no other way to come to life
The horse that will not follow the reines and the traveller that will not hearken to him that tels him when he is Out especially where there are so many turnings how is it likely they can be in the right Shall die and that shamefullly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a shamefull end so the Sept translate And this is often seen stubborne and self-willed men how are they ashamed to shew their faces when they miscarry having nothing to say for and nobody to speake against but themselves They miscarry shamefully and they miscarry suddenly for they must of necessity if they will not take warning He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck for he keeps going notwithstanding and every step brings him neerer to the pit shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. Basil being asked With what mind a man should take reproofe answered with the same that a man should take a medicine being in a dangerous disease Cyprian's punishment for such men is Excommunication Revenging God threatens to punish it severely 1 In the Edomites Thus saith the Lord God because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and hath greatly offended and revenged or hath greatly offended in revenging himselfe upon them Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast c. And I will lay vengeance upon Edom c. Ezek. 25. 12 13 14. 2 In the Philistins Because the Philistins have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despitefull heart to destroy it for the old hatred Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will stretch out my hand upon the Philistines c. and I will execute great vengeance c. Dealt by vengeance as if their dealing with the Israelites as they did had not been so bad if it had not bin in way of revenge Great Vengeance or vengeances so it is in the originall great and vengeances too Vengeance viz for vengeance after the usuall way in most of the threats in the Prophets of punishing like with like Riches Such as gaine them wrongfully threatned 1 With Not-being the better for them which is no small punishment considering what paines they are at in gathering them Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from Death Prov. 10. 2. At least in the end they will be so punished An inheritance may be gotten hastily in the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed ch 20 21. See ch 21. 6. 2 The diminishing of those riches thus gotten as it is commonly seen that they moulder away they know not how Wealth gotten by vanity shal be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall encrease Prov. 13. 11. 3 Poverty He that hasteth to be rich hath an evill eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him ch 28 22. wealth hastily gotten is like a child borne before his time which cannot be long-lived And indeed there are few rare-ripes but are soon rotten whether in wealth wisdome or learning He that hasteth There is little difference betweene him that hasteth to be rich and him that getteth riches wrongfully For he that is hasty and greedy if hee cānot do it by right yea though he can if that way be long about as usually it is will do it by wrong Poverty shall come upon him one way or other Either he shal be taken frō his riches by captivity or such like punishment as the Jewes were As the partrich sitteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and in the end shall be a foole Jer 17 11. Or else his riches shall be taken from him the same way that hee got them for so the Israelites are threatned Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces Therefore thus saith the Lord God an adversary there shall be round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoyled Amos 3 11. Store up violence and robbery The Scripture in diverse places calleth things that men have wrongfully gotten by the names of the sinnes indeed t is they that will stick longest with them See almost the like threat against the Chaldeans Hab. 2. 6 7 8. In the end shall bee a foole or shall appear to be so or be so accounted For the present he is only counted wise that hath worldly cunning to gett wealth and the simple-dealing man is counted a foole insomuch that honest simple are come to be used for the same with foolish But in the end it shall appeare who was indeede most wise and who tooke the wisest course 4 In his poverty in temporall things poverty likewise in spirituall things the onely thing that makes that poverty intolerable The Lord will not suffer the soule of the righteous to famish but he casteth away the substance of the wicked Prov 10 3. for though the Hebrew word for soule be most commonly meant otherwise then in a spirituall sense yet by the words * in the former verse it seems to be so meant here and so Jerom expounds it Casteth away He doth but gently take away a godly man's substance and put spirituall things in the roome for a supply But the wicked man's substance he casts away in anger lookes no more after him 5 The disposall of his wealth first or last 〈◊〉 the mercifull whom he never imitated and the poore whom he never reliev'd He that by usury and unjust gaine increaseth his substance hee shall gather it for him that will pity the poore Prov. 28. 8. These which I have nam'd are very usuall waies of punishing Such men I meane in the riches themselves which they have wrongfully gotten And although perhaps for the most part punishments of this sort are slowe of coming viz after the death of the parties Yet many times you may see them Speedily executed so that the parties themselves shall plainly perceive a curse attending their dishonest gain Such is that by the hād of God in not prospering those things in and about which their wrongs were practised such as Job speaks of If my Land cry against me or that the furrowes likewise thereof cōplain If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money or have caused the owners thereof to loose their life Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockle instead of barley They are his last words ch 31. 38 39. 40. After all this you may say that you often see the contrary and that such men come in no misfortune at all And I grant they may be punish'd either so invisibly as few or with such manner of punishments as none but discerning Spirits may take nocice of as inflicted for such a sinne But that hereafter and even now one way or other corporally or spiritually they shall be punish'd I may undertake
laying judgment to the line and spoken after the same manner viz in answer to the peoples opinion that there was no divine providence to take notice of mens actions that things should continue as they were without alteration But saith God they shall know the contrary for I will not only punish them but I will doe it very exactly so that not only not all but none shall escape Josephus saith that the Romane Souldiers under Titus when he tooke Jerusalem searched the very sinks and graves and dens for men and put to death those that they found That say in their heart you have had the expression twice before in this chapter of Security And indeed it is proper to all Secure men so to say and the best of us are guilty of it oftner then we take notice of In their heart That is enough with God to provoke him and we dare not say otherwise then in our hearts for feare of provoking men 3 Death by the sword All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword which say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us Amos 9. 10. 4 Sudden unavoidable destruction For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess 5. 3. 5 All the curses written in the booke of the Covenant And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Deut 29. 19 20. No wonder then that the Prophet Amos should say Woe to them that are at ease in Sion Amos 6. 1. Seducers and seduced See False teachers Selfe conceited men punished 1 By their own sin deceiving them For if a man think himselfe to be something when he is nothing he deciveth himselfe Gal 6. 3. 2 By God detaining from them that which they think they have Whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have Luk 8. 18. Selfe-destruction Threatned to Sinners In generall as for the prime and remote cause any sins whatsoever are mens owne snares and stumbling blocks so that you may say to a man of any of them as Moses does of serving Idols It will surely be a snare unto thee Ex 23. 33. Sinners will run themselves fast enough in and hang themselves sure enough with the Cords of their owne sins of their own accord although or rather indeed If God let them alone His own iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins Prov 5. 22. Wickednesse is the fire and they are the briars and thornes Isa 9. 18. Punishment by God is but their own way brought back again upon their own head The Scripture useth this expression for it 1 Kings 8. 32. as likewise that of eating the fruit of their own waies Pr. 1. 31. David prayed that the way of his enemies might be dark and slippery Psal 35. 6. Jeremy threatned that the way of the false Prophets should be so chap 23. 12. I make no doubt but I may say that the way of every sinner is so Which if it be there needs none to throw him downe for hee will fall soone himselfe and fall most dangerously as a man must needs doe in such waies Many are the places of Scripture which speake to this purpose especially in the Psalmes and the Proverbs You may see at your leasure Psal 64. 8. 140. 9. 141. 10 * Prov. 11. 5 6 19. ch 13. 6 14. 14. 21. 7. 29. 6. I say that every sinner will punish himselfe with his own courses when once God leaves him or gives him leave to take those courses and so to punish himselfe Now the main cause of God's leaving him in this manner is his leaving God first and refusing to hearken to the counsell of his word So that still the sinners destruction is from himselfe and he is his own greatest enemy They would none of my Councell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their owne devises Prov 1 30 31. If hee will not take God's Counsell he must needs take his owne and his own is never good Such as will not follow advice though it bee but man's advice we see but few of them prosper See more to this purpose in the Chapter of God's Leaving men to sin in the Title Sin Now by any sin as I told you before men do hurt theÌ„selves remotely in the end by just desert But there are some sins by which they are more immediatly their own executioners And of such sins and the manner of being punished by them mention is made in severall places of this book And therefore I will instance onely in two or three that are more noted and these are 1 An unruly tongue A fooles mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soule Prov 18. 7. 2 Anger and Envy For wrath killeth the foolish man and Envy slayeth the silly one Job 5. 2. 3 Frowardnesse The integritie of the upright shall guide them hut the perversnesse of transgressours shall destroy them Prov 11. 3. 4 Confidence and wantonnesse in prosperity The turning away of the simple shall sâ—ay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov 1. 32. Of these you may see more in their severall Chapters This way of punishing men by themselves is a way that God uses very much whether it be by giving them up to such sins as are most hurtfull to the parties that commit them Or by causing them to be whâ—pt by those scourges which they made themselves and intended for the backs of others Insomuch that if you see men punished this way you have very good cause to think that God hath a speciall hand in it and that he is very angry As David saith The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Ps 9. 16. Selfe-Feare See Feare and Enemies of Gods people Selling deceitfully See deceitfull dealing Sinne. I meane to give you two or three of the more remarkable texts of Scripture which speak of Sin in generall as Sin Now we find in the Scriptures First that by Sin there comes no good no not in this world every thing considered What fruit had yee then then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Rom 6 21 and therefore sinnes are called the unfruitfull workes of darknesse Eph. Secondly that for Sin there will be certain punishment It was so
of thy hands 2 Chr. 16. 7. 'T is true he overcame the K. of Israel But it seems he might have overcome the king of Syria too who was as great an enemy to Judah as he was to Israel had it not been for this sinne 2 Being overcome Sometimes by treachery of those in whom they trust as the Jews were overcome by the Assyrians being promised help and encouraged to stand it out by the Egyptians For upon them they leaned as upon a staff but it proved a hollow-hearted reed and brake under them Ezek. 29. 6. Isa 36. 5. And some times without treachery as the same people were by the same people when they fled into Egypt where they and the Egyptians both were overthrowne by Nebuchadnezzar The Egyptians are men and not God and their horses are flesh and not Spirit c. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall downe and they all shall faile together Isa 31. 3. Perhaps Benhadad King of Syria might have prospered against Ahab being a wicked king had he not put so much confidence in the strength of his Army For the Scripture relates his boasting expressions 1 Kings 20. 10. But you may reade of his overthrow v. 20. See Hos 10. 13 14 15. 3 Shame for their folly Woe to the rebellious house c. Isa 30. 1. where the Latine translates desertores forsakers because they forsooke God and betooke themselves to men And it followes vers 3. The strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion The trust Not their being overthrowne by the enemie For it had been no shame to be overcome by so potent an enemie as the Assyrian But that they should occasion their owne overthrow by trusting in vain men when they might have trusted in the Lord of Hoasts how could they chuse but be exceedingly ashamed and confounded for their folly and madnesse One of the sins for which God threatens to give Jerusalem bloud in fury and jealousie Ezek. 16. 38 was trusting in her owne beauty vers 15. An Idol especially is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing of nought or that which is not a thing And the Prophet Amos complaines of rejoycing in it chap. 6. 13. But any creature to trust in is as good as nothing meere vanity and cannot satisfy his expectation Men find it so by daily experience and yet 't is all one But what saith Job Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence chap. 15. 31. 4 A Curse Cursed be the man being Geber that trusteth in man Adam a whom he knoweth to be an earthen vessell and maketh flesh his arme For he shall be like the heath in the desart and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited Jer. 17. 5 6. Trust in God The want of it especially if it be distrust and doubting of his faithfulnesse punished 1 With Want of assurance and establishment When Ahaz K. of Judah being invaded by Rezin K. of Syria and Pekah K. of Israel distrusting God's providence intended to betake himselfe for help to the Assyrians the Prophet Isaiah told him If yee will not believe yee shall not be established Isa 7. 9. Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words used for believe and for established are the same only in a different forme And indeed beliefe or trust in God is the only thing that can establish both our hearts and our conditions According to the Hebrew we might render thus If yee will not be assur'd yee shall not bee assured The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies faith both ours in beliefe God's in faithfulnes is used as if it did signifie also riches And therefore some derive the word Mammon Riches from Amun trust If it signifie riches it may well be used also for trust because men usually trust in riches and if it signifie trust it may bee used also for riches because God who only is to be trusted in is riches enough to them that trust in him and rich unto all that call upon him In the 37. Psal vers 3. where we translate Trust in the Lord and doe good and dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed the Sept. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be fed with the riches of it The Hebrew for these words is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vatablus renders nourish thy selfe with faith that which Habakkuk saies the just shall live by Ch. 2. 4. 2 God's fiery indignation severe punishment Yea they spake against God they said can God furnish a table in the wildernesse c. Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth so a fire was kindled against Jacob c. Psal 78 19 20 21. and afterward in the same Ps vers 32 33. For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wonderous works Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their yeares in trouble It is strange all the while the Israelites were in the Wildernesse though they were so often punished for distrust in God's providence yet upon every occasion they distrusted it He was never so often tempted and provoked through distrust of it and yet there were never so many cleare testimonies given of it Vnbeliefe as to promises punished 1 With not enjoying those promises when they are fulfilled Thus the Noble man at Samaria was punished Who because hee would not believe Elisha's Prophecy of a plenty to bee the next day in that towne although there were then a strait siege and the want of provision was so great that women did eate their children so that one would think hee had good cause to doubt of the truth of it yet notwithstanding had this punishment threatned him by the Prophet Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof 2 Kings 7. 2. which came to passe accordingly See Ministers not believed In like manner were the Israelites punished viz with dying before they came to the promised land And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not So we see they could not enter in because of unbeliefe Heb. 3. 18 19. See Jude verse 5. 2 With Dumbnesse Thus Zachary was punished for not believing the promise sent him by the Angell that his wife Elizabeth should have a Son although as one might think he had good reason to doubt of it because he she too were both old Luk 1. 20. Dumbnesse I said I may adde Deafnesse too if the opinion of Theophylact others be true who would have the Angel's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be translated not thou shalt be dumb but thou shalt be deafe and not able to speak They have some reasons for it as 1 Because