his Church with a more speciall and excellent love than he loves either all creatures or all mankind So here Doctr. Amos 3.2 Exod. 19.5 Now therefore if yee will heare my voice indeed and keepe my Covenant then yee shall be my chiefe treasures above all people though all the earth be mine where the learned take the word to signifie a people of a precious treasure The Septuag read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est thesaurus prae aliis electus and so it is more excellent and more deare and precious in Gods sight these were for themselves and the Type of others Hence is that 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people Things elected are more specially loved hence are those comparisons to set forth this love that he is the Head of his Members the Father of his Children the Husband of his Wife The Members are better affected than excrements the Children than servants the Wife without comparison as himselfe is one flesh Because love Reas 1 precious and excellent love is discerned by the things which proceed from love that are given and bestowed upon the beloved for he loves who bestowes meate and drinke and apparell but he more that provides land inheritance Non tam à veris rebus somnia superantur quà m haec terrena ab aeternis illis absunt Chrysost da. virg and layes up treasure and gives knowledge and education The servant is provided for the Child much more so the things God gives being more excellent spirituall Salvation things belonging to it but to others earthly things onely 1 Cor. 9.11 There is a three-fold state of man as Divines speake of him Esse bene esse optimum esse First naturae secondly gratiae thirdly gloriae The first of generall love the two last of speciall love which being those God gives his and his onely then is it with a more speciall love he loves them Because it is more constant and perpetuall Reas 2 for the generall love of mankind is terminated not with the Sunne and Moone onely but with their breaths they part with their lives and his love together but theirs is for ever and then specially is manifested when life is ended That in life was but a pledge and earnest of the other a penny to one hundred pound or an Angell to a thousand pound a bargaine of it Because in generall love onely sua dat Reas 3 his blessings and outward benefits but in speciall se dat he gives himselfe Hosea 2.19 Now as that of Samuel is true 1 Sam. 15.22 Obedience is better than sacrifice because in obedience a man gives himselfe to God but in sacrifice he gives but of his as Cain of the fruit of the ground Abel of the first of his sheepe and of the fattest of them so in this This should provoke every one to labour for this love Vse 1 being so speciall and so excellent rare things are deare and desired the more rare the more deare and more desired but when they are rare and excellent very precious then most of all such is this love But how may we get this Labour to be his and his children and Church so we all are But he is not a Jew that is one outward But how may we know that we are his and have love How doe commonly men know they have the generall love and whence is their generall bragge of it If they have the fruits of his love peace prosperity riches c. So in this if they have spirituall graces as true saving knowledge faith sanctification love meeknesse zeale which are the fruits of his speciall love Eccles 9.1 No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before us They are things within us which must manifest that to us for these then must we labour that we may know we have it This must teach every one to be more thankfull for this than he or others would be for the generall Vse 2 the thankfulnesse is to answer his love with obedience to heare and obey Exod. 19.5 Now therefore if ye will heare my voice indeed and keepe my Covenant then ye shall be my chiefe treasures above all people though all the earth be mine The fruits of the generall love of God will require this and the more fruits the more obedience He that hath received something though with the least owes the most he can doe how much more he that hath more houour credit riches c. Ought to performe more obedience be more zealous religious holy as August Surgunt indocti coelum rapiunt c. If for these common blessings and love how much more for the fruits of speciall love and it If to whom much of them much in the former how much more in this and of such as have his speciall love he looks for obedience and honour wherein is their thankfulnesse The Courtier that is advanced above others ought to be more respective of the Prince and his will and with more care and cheerefulnesse performe all obedience and the duty of his place than others He that hath his life liberty and living given unto him when all was lost if he shall not if he should not respect him every tongue would be ready to condemne him But if he should be made heire to the Crowne if his issue faile or hee have no child then more So in this and this not being nothing wil more prove that they are not that they would seeme to be and that they have not that they braggeon This is matter of comfort to as many as are indeed his Vse 3 beloved of him they may be sure they shall lack nothing that is needfull and good for them for if he love them thus specially as his owne God is faithfull to provide for his owne for as Rom. 8.32 who spared not his owne sonne but gave him for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also how much more readily will he give us other things when he hath given us himselfe and hath married us to himselfe Will a father see his child to want will a husband let his wife want when he is rich and able if they should yet will not God Isaiah 49.15 Can a woman forget her child and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will I not forget thee therefore they may best have their conversation without care or covetousnesse they need not sweare or deceive for gaine oppresse or offer injury to provide for themselves they need not prophane the Lords day nor use unlawfull meanes to lay up for another time to come for hee that doth so specially love them and hath laid up so great things for them and given them the pledges of them already and the earnest of such infinite things how will not he take care of them to provide necessaries for them He that in
outward felicity Manifest here and that Eccles 9.1 Psal 73.1.1 Cor. 1.26 Because these states are common to both Reason 1 and if there happen to be any propriety in them prosperity long impunity is proper to the wicked and the crosse to godly as all times manifest to us And if either argue love or hatred or doe but looke that waies it is prosperity hatred and the crosse rather argue love Rev. 3.19 Because God lesse loves where outward things are Reason 2 not in particular but generally the reason of which is because men else would thinke them beloved for their outward things and by them to deserve love and so never acknowledge his love free but that he loved them because he might better honour himselfe by them As St. August gives the reason why he chose not the wise Scribe or Philosopher not the Senator not the rich Merchant to be his Disciples because they would say they were chosen for such things And therefore these argue rather not love By the way Vse 1 this will confute the Church of Rome making a flourishing estate a signe and true note of the Church and so of the favour and love of God for no Church without love when it is manifest the crosse is Comes Ecclesiae And no society hath had more afflictions then it but if it had not yet if it will not conclude that one man is beloved and so two c. then not a multitude This confutes the common judgement of most men Vse 2 who measure the favour and love of God to themselves and others by outward things accounting him that is in poverty and misery accursed and rejected and he that is rich and full to be the sonne of God and hence they blaspheme God so usually as they doe both in respect of themselves and others when they account them beloved their reason and ground is all upon this foundation they have riches and wealth and every thing succeeds well with them Like the high Priests who accounted the people accursed because they knew not the law and themselves happy because they knew when they knew nothing as they ought to know as these for knowledge so they for riches As among the Egyptians he onely was accounted rich that had his heard full of white kine So now he onely beloved that hath his purse and treasures full How usuall this manner of judging is is too too apparent but how fallacious and deceitfull it is may be as apparent like that of Sinionides who would have wealth better then wisedome because the wise stood with cap in hand to the rich so they the wealthy then the poore because they would have it to argue more favour and so judge a man how wicked at least how ungodly soever he be if he have riches and be in prosperity and plenty and others hated but these condemne the generation of Gods children as Psalm 73. yea they judge and condemne God himselfe as if he loved the wicked To teach us Vse 3 not to judge and measure the love of God by these outward things to thinke of that James 2.1 My brethren have not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons for so much it will carry though more We have a proverbe which may confute these conceits and better informe us for usually we say not he is beloved of God that is rich but he is rich that God loves and so he is for he is rich that a Prince loves though he possesse him not with lands and livings because his love will ever administer that which is necessary for his place and state but this is true especially if we understand it of such a Prince as is not mutable in his minde not mortall in his nature he is rich that such a Prince loves which is onely God But admit this yet how shall a man know that God loves him or how may a man judge who is beloved if not by these outward things I answer by another question how doe Courtiers know Princes love them how children that their fathers love them as children The first is not from common gifts which are Princes larges they cast at all adventure but their speciall places of honor and dignities The second not that they have meate and drinke apparell and such things necessary common to htem and servants but that they have inheritances and portions provided for them So not these outward things common nor common graces knowledge utterance c. but particular graces faith hope sanctification and such like he that is rich in these is beloved oif God Or where is the God of judgement Their blasphemy consisted on two parts one that God should favour the wicked and reprobate Another that if that be denyed it will follow that God did not judge and governe things upon earth for if he did then would it not goe so well with such wicked They deny not here by this interrogation that there is a God of judgement but from the prosperity of the wicked that he shewes himselfe carelesse and remisse in his government and so in this thing calling it into question For men to deny or doubt of the providence of God Doctrine because of the prosperity of the wicked and their impunity and for the affliction of the godly and their sufferings and troubles is a wicked and blasphemous thing for such are these reproved This made David pray so earnestly for Gods judgements upon the wicked that it might appeare that his providence was over the earth Psalm 58. per totum Insinuating else that they would from their prosperity deny his providence He noteth of himselfe that from their prosperity he was tainted infected with this had not the waters of the sanctuary cured him Psal 73.17 And shewes directly that others seeing it by reason of the infirmity of the flesh and astonished at the greatnesse of their prosperity and their owne misery called into question the providence and administration of God Verse 11. Example of this is in Gideon Judges 6.12.13 Then the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou valiant man To whom Gide on answered ah my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this come upon us and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of and said did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites Because they see not how they can escape the former Reason 1 else to accuse God as a favourer of the wicked and one that loves not the good if they should acknowledge his providence seeing they measure his love by outward things Therefore they fall into this to deny his providence and particular disposition of things Because as S. Peter speaketh Reason 2 they are blinde or blinded with some passion and cannot see a farre off either to call to minde the judgements of
adeò est quod obduret mentes hominum quà m simplicitas divinorum operum quae in actu videntur magnificentia quae in effectu repromittitur Tertul. De bapt lib. cap. 2. Ipsi miramur quia credimus caeterùm incredulit as miratur non credit miratur simplicia quasi vana magnifica quasi impossibilia Idem There 's nothing that so much hardens mens minds as the simplicity of Gods workes that are seene and the greatnesse of the efficacy which is promised when as to the godly it is farre otherwise They are marvellously wrought upon by them because they look to him who workes by them here is the difference of faith and infidelity beleevers and infidels We wonder because we beleeve incredulity wonders but beleeves not it wonders at simple things as if they were vaine at great things as if impossible Wee are the Ministers of God Vse 3 and your servants for Jesus sake that we bring to you is the message and commandement of God Looke that ye receive not us if ye can dis-joyne us and our message but that we bring heare it beleeve it obey it That we have delivered that we doe and shall deliver as his commandement his will Looke therefore to it that you receive it for it both you and I must give an account I for the faithfull delivery of it you for the fruitfull receiving of it both of us for the carefull obeying of it Let no man thinke much I call so much for hearing and obeying when there is in the most still performance with the least and scarce with the least Tell me when you lend your money doe you not put your Debtor in minde of it when you meet him so doe we and so must I doe for I feare lest in that day I heare that Matth. 25.26 Thou wicked and slothfull servant thou oughtest to have put my money to the exchangers that at my comming I might have received mine owne with usury I have often put forth Gods stock unto you you must pay usury Vsura vero est auditae monitionis per opera exhibitio Your usury is to witnesse your profitable hearing by your workes See then that you obey and doe that as Nathan said to David 2 Sam. 24.13 so I may to you Now advise and see what answer I shall returne to him that sent me The burden by the ministery of Malachy Malachy must carry to this people a burden not onely things acceptable but displeasing and grievous The Ministers of God must not onely serve him in preaching the Gospell and comforts but also threatnings and judgments VERSE II. I have loved you saith the Lord yet yee say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacobs brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob. I Have loved you saith the Lord The second part of the Chapter is the matter and Prophesies consisting in two parts on Gods expostulation with the people and Priest for their sinnes and his judgments against them for those sinnes The first is hence to the 9. verse Their sinnes are two ingratitude contempt of him and corruption of his worship The 1. to the 6. verse Their ingratitude is expressed that they did not acknowledge nor account of his love nor yet of his benefits the fruit of his love which hee had from time to time bestowed upon them that they might by the greatnesse of the one or by the weight of the other be drawne to performe the duties of Piety unto him their God and King who had deserved so well at their hands and of them First for his love I have loved you A speech spoken with affection specially by valuing his love and disdaining to have it so neglected of those upon whom he had bestowed it Some thinke it is a speech imperfect broken off and interrupted with griefe when he would have added more I have loved you griefe not suffering him to speake more The supply may be I have loved you alwayes but you acknowledge it not neither answered me with love againe but for this repayed me with sinnes Love given to God signifies not a passion nor affection for there is no such thing in God Ira Dei non perturbatio animi ejus sed judicium quo irrogatur poena peccato August of the anger of God De civitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 25. So of this it is no passion but his free election to bestow yea an actuall giving to them the adoption of sonnes and eternall life For God is said to be angry when he doth that which commonly men doe when they are angry and to love when he doth that which men doe when they love Now this cannot be understood of his generall love of which all are partakers men and Angels blessing preserving sustaining them for then were it no great matter that he affirmes here to his But of a speciall love that is his choosing of them to be sonnes and to bestow on them eternall life I have loved you that is I have chosen you to be my people and I will be your God to be my children and I will be your Father and to give you the inheritance of sonnes than which what can be greater Hierome thinkes he denies now to love them because he useth the preter-tense But it is no rule when as the pretertense doth often include the present Rom. 1.24 Psal 1.1 The first sinne reproved is unthankfulnesse the reproofe being covertly insinuated rather than openly set downe under the recording and recalling of Gods love and the fruits of it whereof they had beene partakers Hierome observeth here lest the punishment should seeme unjust and God should without cause afflict them and lay the burden upon them he addeth the reproofe of their sinnes Hence we may observe The punishing and afflictions comming to men Doctr. 1 are caused by their sinnes Hosea 14.1 Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Now to the sinne here reproved in particular Doctr. 2 which is unthankfulnesse Ingratitude and unthankfulnesse unto God for his love and the fruits of it the blessings men receive either spirituall or temporall is a very great sinne So the Lord shews it here by his Prophet when he puts it in the foremost of all other sinnes in this people and as the principall which makes him threaten this burden unto them So Isaiah 1.2 sets it before all other sinnes It is by the Apostle put among the sinnes of the last dayes when iniquity shall get the upper hand and must abound 2 Tim. 3.2 This sinne is committed five waies or there are five kinds or degrees of unthankfull men First when men doe not acknowledge God as the Authour and giver of their benefits and blessings but finde out others as Hosea 2.8 9. Shee knew not that the Lord gave her Corne. Secondly when men doe forget him and his benefits against which David laboured Psal 103.2 Blesse the Lord oh my soule forget not all his benefits And confessed among sinnes Psal 106.7 our Fathers
his generall love feeds the Ravens the Lions and Leopards makes his raine to fall and his Sunne to shine upon the wicked and fills their bellies with his hid treasures what will his speciall love make him to his owne but many of his are often-times scanted So the Physitian keeps his patient at a strait diet when full dishes are hurtfull unto him And God often-times gives not riches because when they be humanae miseriae remedia the remedies of humane misery they will make them instrumenta voluptatis aut superbiae the instruments of pleasure or pride and he knows their hearts better than themselves But they often want much and have scarce to satisfie nature when the wicked have abundance but their water and browne bread makes them looke as well as all the full dishes of the wicked as it was with Daniel and his fellows And the prodigall sonne had little to refresh him when his fathers servants had bread enough because he abused his former portion and runne from under the protection and out of his fathers house So with them At his returne he had the fat Calfe killed for him and apparrell and ornaments given him fit for a sonne To admonish every one that is his Vse 4 to looke for more correction than others if they provoke him for more love more of the rod more affection more affliction the more speciall love more speciall and more speedy correction This use made Amos of it Chap. 3.2 You onely have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will visite you for all your iniquities Heads of families correct all and most where they love children before servants and of them those they love if their love be with judgment and not blinded with affection Wherein hast thou loved us Some take this to be a kind of prevention the Prophet knowing what this people would say thus accused for themselves he prevents Yee will aske me wherein I have manifest any love unto you my answer is ready and the proofe manifest Was not Jacob brother to Esau but these are more likely to be the words of the people for so their ingratitude rather appeares that they would not acknowledge the love of God but some of infirmity some of malice and contempt spake thus Wherein hast thou loved us In what speciall benefit hast thou shewed thy love unto us Cyrill supposeth that it is likely they remembred the late captivity and calamity God had brought upon them which did so sticke in their mindes that all the good God did unto them before and since specially spirituall could not make them acknowledge he loved them The corrupt nature of man is hardly drawne to confesse and acknowledge sinne Doctrine and himselfe guilty of sinne but will doe any thing accuse God or man or any other thing to cover their sin This people is a manifest proofe of it here and ver 6 7. and Cap. 2.14 and 3.7 8. Job 31.33 If I have hid my sinne as Adam concealing mine iniquity in my bosome Trem. more hominum noting the corruption of man to hide and cover it It is manifest by Adams accusing Eve and God and Eve the Serpent to cover their sinne Gen. 3.12 13. Achan Joshua 7. who covered it till God had found him out Saul he covered his by accusing of the people 1 Sam. 15.13 14 15 20 21. David 2 Sam. 11.6 c. yea even when Nathan came to him Cap. 12. who might if he did not take the Parable to himselfe before it was applyed by Nathan The Priests Matth. 27.4 Gregory They are like the Cuttle-fish that when he perceiveth men goe about to take him doth so dye and colour the water about her with a kind of blacke moisture that a man cannot tell where to have her so these and so others either by denying as Matth. 25.44 by defence as Jonah Jonah 4. by cautelous answer as Gen. 4.9 by a good purpose as Gen. 20.6 by putting it off to others Adam to Eve Because selfe love beares rule and sway Reas 1 which will make him so cover his sinnes Job 31.33 If I have hid my sinne as Adam concealing mine iniquity in my bosome The latter part Tremel reads Abdendo ex dilectione mei iniquitatem meam And this is to avoid both punishment from God and shame from men naturally they know God is just and out of his justice will visite the iniquities of men and they thinke him as man and that the Proverb is true Hosea 12.8 Confesse and be hang'd supposing he cannot know unlesse they disclose Therefore to avoid his knowledge and so his punishment they willingly smother them Againe to avoid shame from men because they will even upbraid them with their sinnes they have confessed 2 Sam. 13.13 though happily themselves more wicked but more covert Therefore they would willingly and by what meanes they can cover them Oblectat sanè flagitium tamen ipsius rei nomen aures offendit Chrysost Ser. de virtut vit Because he loves his sinne and is very loath to part with it Reas 2 Now if he should come to know and acknowledge his sinne he must forsake it or else men will cry more shame and God will more sharply punish him whereas all the while he dissembles his knowledge he thinkes he is the rather to be borne withall both of God and man How should this be accounted a corruption when as Object Isaiah 3.9 they are reproved for declaring their sinne and not hiding it It is one thing to commit sinne openly Solut. and as it were without shame to professe it Non confiieri sed profiteri another to confesse sinne with shame to himselfe and glory to God It is one thing for Zimri Numb 25.6 to manifest sinne and another for David when he is reproved by Nathan to confesse sinne It is not the same that Absolon commit sinne upon the house-top shamelesly in the sight of the Sunne to the dishonour of God and his Father and Achan confesse that was committed with shame to himselfe and giving glory to God To declare sinne as they did is the height of impiety but to confesse sinne as these is the first step to piety and to cover them gives small hope of recovering them The ones declaring and the others cloaking argue both their corruptions Then is the wisedome of the wise but foolishnesse Vse 1 who think that the best guide is Nature and that a man shall never erre if he follow it Questionlesse it is a marvellous blind guide in all things and whithersoever it calls we are to be jealous and suspicious of it It will never lead us to any good but to false pleasures deceitfull profits vaine honours It will either teach us that sinne is no sinne Rom. 7. or lessen sinne or teach us to cover sin In the body and for it he would be accounted but a slender friend and bad counsellour who should perswade a man wounded that
charity to thinke so of them because they seeme now to condemne this more than barbarous enterprise I thinke as every man abounds in his owne sense I should doe them no wrong nay every learned Papist if he were in place where he durst speake it would not think I should doe him wrong if I should judge him disliking this which is so meritorious and commendable by their doctrine and practice for if for one and the King to lay their hands upon the Lords anointed why not for the rest And for others of them though a little humane pitty makes them a while to abhorre them yet the schooling of a Jesuite or Priest will easily and in short time harden and I doubt not but he that seems now most pittifull would have been an Edomite as Obadiah shews them what they were by telling them what they should not have been vers 11 12 13 14. But to leave these we have others who imitate the Edomites would raise up themselves by themselves and evill meanes not seeking to the Lord hee that is in disgrace seekes to rise by undermining of others and by flattery and fraude to make himselfe great againe In sickenesse to expect his health by unlawfull meanes or unlawfully using them seldome or not at all seeking the Lord In poverty and decay by lying and swearing and deceiving and breaking which once done is better then many yeeres trading Yet saith the Lord of hosts Here is the second part Gods threatning against their swelling bragges vowing as it were to disappoint all their Counsell and indeavour And to the end that they may be assured it shall be so the Lord sets himselfe downe with such an adjoynt as may assure them hee is able to doe what he saith hee will for he that speakes this is the Lord of Hosts such and so great and mighty that he commands all creatures to helpe and hurt whom and when he pleaseth to save and to destroy to further and hinder as the generall Commands all the army and all the Bands so hee all creatures The Lord our God is the Lord of Hosts Doctrine hee that is able to command all creatures for the saving of his or the destroying of others the wicked to helpe where hee will or to punish whom hee will and when hee will Hee is here called the Lord of Hosts applyed to this Hence it is that this title is given unto him in infinite places sometimes for good and sometimes for evill 2 King 19.35 1 Chronic. 2.9 Isa 1.24 and 2.12 This is manifest by his manifold commanding of Creatures both for good and evill both to save and to destroy Angels are his Ministers Psalm 104.4 They are sent by him Psalm 78.49 Isa 37.36 Hee commands the Sunne Josh 10.12 13. the Sea Exod. 14.21 the Windes Matth. 8.26 the Fire Dan. 3. the Lyons Dan. 6. Because Reas 1 hee is the Creator of all creatures and such a one as still sustaines and upholds them in being not as a Shippe-wright he makes another maintaynes no marvell if he can command what he will Because of his omnipotent power his wise providence Reas 2 to guide and govern them to twine and turne them whither so ever he will if he have given it to weak man in his skill and with his weaknes to guide a ship and turn other creatures how much more himself This may teach every man Vse 1 when he findes any of the host of God against him any creature to worke for his hurt to affront him in body and goods and name or howsoever to say as 2 Sam. 26.10 Let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him curse David who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so So bid him curse not as sinne but as a punishment or judgment or chastisement for he cannot be author but ordinator peccati one who doth dispose of their sinne and evill to the end not they but himselfe aimes at The malice is Shimeis the Lord he disposeth it to afflict David to humble him so in every particular thing thy meat and drinke the ayre fire water beasts any creature man great or small if they hurt say it is the Lord who bid them complaine to him of it seeke to him for redresse of it humble thy selfe and by the mediator seeke reconcilement they who are annoyed by a band of men or the wing of a battle will seek redresse from their Captaine or Generall So here as Act. 12.20 Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon but they came unto him with one accord and having made Blastus the Kings Chamberlain their freind they desired peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country So seeke to God on whom you depend Otherwise if Absolom will stand out when Joab and the rest of the Host is sent against him he must looke to be pierced with darts To teach every man who would have the Host of God to bee for him and with him to pray unto God the Lord of Hosts Vse 2 who can dispose of them who hath them all at command who can take from them their malice and malignity or as a wise Physitian make a wholesome medicine of that which is poyson for he hath farre more absolute command of them then any Generall over his souldiers as the Centurion insinuates Luk. 7.7 8. Hence did Jacob when he feared Esau and his band pray Gen. 32.9 and found the fruit of it cap. 33.4 Hence in the Gospell they sought from him the ejection and dispossession of Devils of what number and quality soever the curing of diseases the rebuking of windes and sea the conversion or restraining of enemyes for he was the Lord of Hosts so must we still for he is the Lord of Hosts Meanes we must use as for defence weapons for health Physick as the Jewes used the disciples but he must be looked unto on both sides because he is the Lord of Hosts for that any can helpe that is not from themselves but from him If any would be free from their hurt Vse 3 and have their help let him seek to be at peace with God and to have him his friend for to whomsoever he is a friend they will all be friendly When there was peace betwixt the two Kings of Israel and Judah Jehoram Jehosaphat each people with horses served other when it was I am as thou art then it followed my people as thy people and mine horses and thine horses 2 King 3.7 So here Prov. 16.7 When a mans wayes please God he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Many men would have all the hosts of God for him and his friends but seekes not the favour of his love as if these being more then naturally his could love where he hated or where he is hated But he that would have all things serviceable must seek his favor to be at one with him then Rom. 8.28 We know that all things worke together for
obsecro inimici dolos ut omnino à Deo averter is consulere non audet novit enim hoc grave admodum Christianis verùm artibus insidiosis aggreditur intelligit autem quemadmodum nos praesens tempus libenter recipimus omnisque actio humana in praesens contendit spectat Quamobrem hodiernum tempus nobis furatur astutè spem facit crastini postquam crastinum venerit rursus malus divisor sibi hodiernum crastinum verò Domino dari petit Basil Exhortatio ad Bapt. saith Basil exhort ad Bapt. who saith Serve me to day and God to morrow I beseech you be acquainted with the craft of the Enemy he dares not advise thee altogether and presently to forsake God for he knows Christians would not endure that but he deales craftily being a Serpent and subtle to beguile hee steales upon us for the present and puts off the next day for God and when that day comes still he puts it off to the next Therefore the Lord to meet with that comes thus calling upon us to day partly quia qui non est hodie cras minùs aptus erit Because hee that is unfit to day to morrow will be more unfit and partly for that this is the time lest judgment doe come upon us and we have no evasion for wee cannot tell what to morrow may bring forth Before God Though he deride these yet he directs others and teacheth them that in prayer they are before the Lord. They who pray Doctrine are before Gods face and in his preence If they who heare be as Cornelius said Hee and his company were Acts 10.33 before the Lord to heare one speake in his Name and him speaking mediately to them more when they speake immediately to himselfe Therefore was the Arke of Gods presence ever in the Temple before which they prayed and from which they received answer Psal 84.7 That he may have mercy upon us It is that they were commanded to pray for before and to require for the people In prayer men must not aske what they list Doctrine but that for which they have a commandment to aske and a promise to recive To reprove all those praiers Vse 1 those who frame their praiers not according to Gods will but their owne lusts and fancies whatsoever their vaine hearts desire that they utter before the Lord and make their requests unto him for it never regarding whether good or evill how agreeable or disagreeable to the word having their owne affections the rules of their prayers such prayers they would be ashamed to put up to men as they preferre to God making Christ a mediator for them if hee will doe it for them for things they would blush to desire the helpe of man in some praying as Saint Augustine who confesseth of himselfe that hee prayed to God to let him live a little longer in his sinnes so they in their corruptions desiring still meanes and opportunities to fulfill their lusts and desires Some aske temporall things simply as they Psal 78.18 who asked meate for their lust who importune the Lord to prosper their journey endeavour for honours as Balaam be the means what may be who have their prayers sometimes in mercy denyed as Jam. 4.3 and sometimes in wrath granted to them as Psal 79.29 30 31. Mercy That is be gracious and favourable unto us and lift up his gracious countenance upon us In prayer men ought especially to pray for Gods favour Doctr. the chiefest thing they ought to desire is his mercy and loving kindnesse 2 Cor. 7.14 this is called seeking Gods face Because this is the fountain from whence all things else come Reas 1 all good things we receive for Rom. 8.32 He who spared not his owne sonne but gave him for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also And the cause of that was his favor and love Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he hath given his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Because no temporall blessing asked neverso earnestly Reas 2 nay though it be sought with teares as Esan his blessing can be obtained till a man have his sinnes forgiven Hence Math. 6.11 12. the petitions are joyned with a copula as inseparable This reproveth their folly and error Vse 1 who pray more for the things of this life then for the favor of God or remission of their sinnes 2 Chron. 7.14 To teach us to pray for temporall things Vse 2 but specially Gods favor and the remission of our sinnes For us Both Prophet and People he would bee prayed for as well as the people acknowledging as it seemeth those things in himselfe which he reproved in them the better to affect them No man is so excellent in the Church of God Doctrine so indued or abounding with gifts and graces that needeth not the prayers of the rest This the Prophet sheweth that he exempteth not himselfe but would be prayed for as others So Hosea 14. sure including himselfe This our Saviour Christ shewed when teaching his Church in the person of his disciples to pray hee taught them to pray one for another and taught them they had need of the prayers one of another Math. 6. This is shewed by Saint Pauls earnest request unto them Rom. chap. 15.30 repeated to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.7 so Col. 4.3 2 Thes 3.1 and for the Saints Ephes 6.18 Because his excellency excludeth him not from the communion of Saints Reas 1 as the excellency beauty or proportion of any part doth not exclude it from the fellowship of other members Now one part of this communion is prayer one for another Because his excellency is imperfect Reas 2 for here all things are but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Therefore he hath need of prayers as his owne so others many prevailing more with God then one Because the excellency and goodnesse a man hath is as Basil exhort ad Bapt. brings in some making the objection The saurus servatu difficilis Reas 3 a treasure hard to be kept Therefore as he said Opus est vigilia wee had need to be more watchfull and he adviseth to take three adjutors Orationem Jejunium Psalmodiam Prayer Fasting and singing Psalmes Now as for keeping of treasures a man will use other meanes and helpes and all little enough so in this should he be carefull This reproveth those who think they have no need of the prayers of others Vse 1 but can pray well enough for themselves their owne private prayer is sufficient they need not the prayers of others or the publique congregations as some men thinke they have no need of publique teaching they can instruct themselves well enough with reading of good books at home so for prayer they can inrich themselves of themselves and need not the helpes of others If any thinke I wrong men in judging thus of them I answer no because I judge
corrupt affections then theirs which know not Now the knowledge here spoken of is of two things of their dutie and what they ought to do and of their dignity and what God had bestowed upon them And both makes their sinne the greater because they have gone against their owne knowledge and Gods kindnesse That though God had bestowed great blessings upon them they had forgot it though they knew it and were unthankfull unto him Unthankfulnesse is a sinne Doctrine 2 when men do not answer Gods love as he hath had care and dealt liberally with them vide Chap. 1. verse 2. I send this commandment unto you that my covenant might stand They must performe that is their parts or else he would performe no covenant with them God will not Doctrine 3 neither is bound to performe covenant with man to give him any thing he hath promised whether spirituall or temporall of this life or that is to come unlesse he performe his covenant and conditions The covenant of God is either generall or speciall The generall either legall or Evangelicall All which requires the conditions to be performed on mans part if he would have God performe or else c. Levit. 18.5 Gal. 3.11 Mark 16.16 1 Sam. 2.30 2 Chron. 15.2 Because their not performing Reason 1 frees him from his promise and binds him not to performe it to give such good things to such unworthy fedifragies covenant breakers not to give as it were the childrens bread to dogs When they performe Reason 2 he will because he is most faithfull that hath promised and can neither lye nor deceive he being true and Truth it selfe Rom. 3.3.4 Object For what though some did not beleeve shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God without effect God forbid yea let God be true and every man a lyer as it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy words and overcome when thou art judged Then will he performe when man doth not That will not follow from this Answer which is manifest thus The Apostle asketh the question Whereas many of the Jewes were unfaithfull and covenant breakers whether their infidelity should abrogate and make void the covenant of God that he should shew no fruit of it among them and as man should break his promise and performe to none that which was promised to all He answereth that cannot be but howsoever the greater part of them had broken covenant with whom he might justly breake and would yet his covenant should have his full force and efficacie though not in all yet in the Nation because there was ever some good men among that people who believed the promises and lived uncorruptly and holily therefore in them and to them should that be performed which was promised Shewing that the wickednesse of a multitude shall not make the promise of God void and of none effect but he will perform them to the beleevers and they who performe conditions though they be but a very few And so the place makes for the point not against it Many enjoy Gods blessings Object and never perform the condition but live wickedly and prophanely They enjoy not the blessing of eternity Answer neither ever shall and as for temporall things they may enjoy them but not any blessing by them it were better for them to be without them for they increase their sinne and are but fed and sustained by them for the slaughter as the damned are by Gods power to endure his wrath and punishment If in our observation we finde Vse 1 that many promises God hath made are not performed to our selves or others As there are many other things which may be answered for clearing and acquitting the truth and fidelity of God in this kinde especially in temporall things he gives spirituall an ounce of which is better then many a pound of the other And if he breaks not that promiseth silver and gives the greater summe in gold so not God If he promise deliverance and gives patience under the crosse which is better for the sufferer he still performes because such things had those exceptions And so in many other things but this especially when the good things promised are not performed the cause is in our selves and other men why they are not performed and not in God because we performe not conditions And this being makes us not him covenant-breakers who have made our selves uncapable and unworthy of his blessings and so have freed him from his promise by our breaking with him Now he that is freed cannot breake covenant though he do not the thing before covenanted To let us see the folly of those men who thinke to have Gods promises performed unto them Vse 2 and him to keep covenant with them and in many things makeno doubt but he hath done and in future times assure themselves he will when they neither have done nor yet endevour to keep any covenant with him If the former be true do they not deceive themselves and are they not though how wise soever in other things yet in this stark fools For if he be a foole that because he hath the word or the bond of a good man one able and that never broke for the payment of a thousand pounds at such a time and such a place but upon condition he performe such a service or effect such a worke to lay his whole state and his whole condition upon thta that it will be performed in the same time and place and yet he never go about to perform the conditions at all or as it should be performed were he not a foole Sure in all your judgements he were very unwise And yet alas how many fools and unwise men have we who deale thus lay all upon Gods fidelitie and performe nothing themselves at all As if God must needs performe because he had promised and could not be faithfull unlesse he did perform when they keep no condition Many a man deluded by Satan and his owne secure heart perswades himselfe God hath been mercifull unto him and forgiven him his sins though he never came truly to see sinne nor to sorrow for sinne nor forsake and reforme his corruptions wherein true repentance consisteth and which is the condition on mans part if ever he would have God take away his sinne and put them out of his remembrance Many one thinkes God had performed his covenant of temporall things because he is in the middest of abundance and hath his barnes full and his bagges full and every where findes he increaseth though he never made any conscience of his wayes and the workes of God but at best lived but civilly and kept his credit with men and sees not that he is deceived sees that these are but things that are common things wherewith he is but fatted for the shambles and such as are reserved for his evill And for time to come many doubt not but they shall obtaine great things in this life and that God will
Lord with your words The Prophet proceedeth now unto the last sin reproved in this Chapter which was in this people the former was touching men this is concerning God the former dishonesty and unfaithfulnesse towards men this impietie against God Before he accused them as some speake of felony now of treason before for their deeds now for their words and speeches contumeliously uttered against God denying the providence of God both over the good and bad not providing for the one and not punishing the other It is thought that the Jewes being now returned out of Babylon from their captivity and saw both the Babylonians and divers other Nations and people to abound with wealth ease and glory though they served their Idols and themselves the onely worshippers of the true God to be in want and poverty they thought and spake that God he regarded not them that worshipped him but the wicked were good in his sight and he delighted in them Or at least if it be not so where is God that judgeth uprightly Yee have wearied the Lord with your words Some thinke the wearinesse here spoken of is a fainting which commeth from too much striving and labouring whence commeth a remitting of the care and indevour which he tooke before time And so the meaning they would have to be You say the Lord who is mercifull and aboundeth with mercy and hath been ever constant in it and prone to it he is now wearyed in descending and providing for and in doing good unto those that serve him And so it should not be a wearinesse imposed upon him but one that is imputed unto him And so onely in opinion it should be so and not in truth but how this will agree with the Prophets answer to their demand I cannot see neither can it possibly for then he would have said In that ye say the Lord hath no care or hath cast of the respect of his but he speaketh otherwise The meaning is then you have grieved and vexed the Lord with your speeches and reproaches and blashemies against him It is spoken after the manner of men because they are so with the speeches of others like that Isaiah 43.24 Thou hast wearied me with thine imquities Yet ye say wherein c. Their answer for themselves putting him to his proofe and to make good that he had spoken and shew wherein else would they not confesse their faults When ye say Though not in his hearing who was able and would reproove them but amongst the ignorant people in companies where they came still inculcating and repeating such things and so make them cast off all feare of God and care of honesty and piety He that doth evill Not the good nor the righteous is respected of God but the wicked for they flourish and prosper and he is good in his sight that is approved of God From men they proceed to approach to God and to impeach and disgrace him and cast reproaches upon him and being unfaithfull injurious and unjust to men they are irreligious towards God They who are unfaithfull and unjust towards men Doctrine will be irreligious towards God such as have no care of honesty will have no care of piety not of charity not of religion and ècontra So much this insinuates and that 1 John 4.20 If any man say I love God and hate his brother he is a lyer for how can he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen love God whom he hath not seen And James 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God even the father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowes in their adversity and to keepe himselfe unspotted of the world Tit. 2.12 Matth. 25.42 Not that men shall not be condemned for irreligion but that this is manifest to others and shewes that there can be no religion Because men they see Reason 1 and converse withall daily and so not with God Now if they have no care of the present what is expected towards the absent not of visible none of the invisible As 1 John 4.20 Because care of religion proceedeth from the love of God Reason 2 which makes Christ Math. 22.27 include the whole first table which is concerning God and religion under the title of love Now there can be no love of God but where there is love to man for that 1 John 4.20 Men love not the person if not the picture love to man is naturall to God spirituall that as naturall men this as spirituall and regenerate If any be unnaturall is it not like he will and must needs be irreligious To teach us not to wonder Vse 1 as many men doe that there is so much impiety and prophanenesse in our age so little or no care of the Lords day little or no love of the word zeale for Gods glory care of his worship hatred of idolatry and such like but ècontra much and great prophaning of the Lords day c. Wee are in the age wherein charity is growne cold and iniquity hath gotten the upper hand It is true which August saith Euchi 1. ad Laur. 117. Regnat carnalis cupiditas ubt non est Dei charitas And it will be as true if ubi be placed before regnat for there can be never any true and constant love to religion where there is not true love to God that cannot be unlesse men be sanctified and regenerated Now sanctification is as some say of hearts ease that growes not in every mans garden lesse is it in every mans house so not sanctification it is few mens hearts and manifest not to be there where there is injustice dishonesty no love of God would we marvaile to see men performe no duties to those they are knowne not to love Love and affection being the ground of all duty if not why this Nay rather seeing the wickednesse injustice and oppression of the time is such we should rather wonder there is any religion at all then that there is no more that there is any love to the truth c. then so little To teach us what to judge of many men who seeme religious Vse 2 who will sit at Gamaliels feet have Christ to teach in their streets and Churches he shall eat at their tables and houses and yet they are workers of iniquity live in some one grosse sinne or another of injustice and oppression deceit or unfaithfulnesse and uncleannesse yea after they have beene convinced by the word remaine still in them know them to be but hypocrites they may talke of religion but they have no truth of it they may have the shew of goodlinesse but not the power of it They honor the word Ministers onely as Saul would have Samuel to accompany him for his owne honor before the people or some other sinister respect It is not a sure consequent a man is carefull of the duties of the second table and therefore religious because hitherto by nature he hath beene so there
remembred not the multitude of thy mercies Thirdly when they doe not give him praise in word and affection doe not utter it before men Such were the nine Lepers Fourthly when not onely these but recompense him evill for good as that Isaiah 1.2 I have brought up children and they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.5 6. Fiftly not faulty in any of these but doe not walke worthy of such mercies when he doth not render according to the benefit done unto him as it was said of Hezekiah 2 Chro. 32.25 Because the contrary is a duty so often commanded Reas 1 and so earnestly call'd for in Scripture even in every thing 1 Thess 5.18 In all things give thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus towards you Then the other must needs be a sinne Because the Saints of God have much laboured against it in themselves and others Reas 2 which they doe not but that which is evill and sinne Because the contrary is the honouring of God Reas 3 the crowning of him and the araying of him with honour and glory Psal 50.23 Who so offereth praise glorifieth me Then this is a great dishonour and then 't is evill That which is against the Crown and dignity specially immediately of a Prince is heinous and grievous This being such a sinne thus committed Vse 1 argues our age guilty before the Almighty some one way some after another yea who can say I am free Many and the most receive and devoure daily the blessings of God and know not or acknowledge not that he gave them but thinke they come naturally or by friends or by their owne labour and so as Habacuck 1.16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net and burne incense unto their yarne because by them their portion is fat and their meate plenteous and so commit Idolatry with their friends with the earth and heavens with their labours and hands But say they be so farre instructed that they confesse him the giver yet how some have forgotten him and his benefits A second brings the oblivion of the first a third of that c. As one naile drives out another but an affliction makes all to be forgotten as with men one injury they doe us makes us forget they ever did us good But say benefits be remembred and oftentimes spoken of yet not so much as the afflictions and troubles or if at one time many words to expresse the passion in suffering few in receiving or if of them yet as Courtiers bragge of the Kings favour as Haman Ester 5.11 12. more to magnifie himselfe than the Kings liberality for a long story they will tell you of their wealth and honour and children and such like but a few words and that very unsavourily will they drop out of praise to God They make not their Song or Psalmes of thankesgiving as the faithfull have done But if any can plead not guilty here and be culpable in none of these yet his unthankfulnesse appeares that he still remaines in his sinne and rebells against the Lord not onely offending him but by those things he hath received from him more than any married and modest woman will doe to her husband by the Rings Chaines Bracelets Apparrell and ornaments he gave her to adorne her so she might be acceptable to him not that shee should give to an adulterer to entice him to folly And yet what else doe many but by their riches and honours their health and beautie by their strength and valour and such like dishonour him By their riches they waxe proud against God by their honours and high places they oppresse others without feare health makes them study the adorning and trimming of the body by their beautie they entice others by their valour they contemne others and like mighty Nimrods they tyrannize in peace and warre so that God for all his cost hath not Grapes but sower Grapes as Isaiah 5. But say that herein they are not to be charged yet are they ungratefull because they have not walked worthy of such benefits because they have not rendered according to their reward and every benefit hath not beene answered with obedience and more care to please God To teach every man to labour to see and know himselfe guilty of this sinne Vse 2 to humble himselfe for it and repent of it as of one of the greatest sinnes he hath and the greater as in the degrees he finds himselfe guilty of it Now because there neither is nor can be true repentance where there is perseverance in it nor unlesse it be forsaken and the former good acted for he is ungratefull that is not thankfull as he is wicked that is not just the contrary evill is ever where the good is not where and when it ought to be Therefore must every one labour for the good and strive to be thankefull to acknowledge to remember to praise to abstaine from evill to reward with all good offices for such great kindnesse Hee must stirre up the best instrument that he hath to praise the Lord whose nature as one saith is such In conferendis beneficiis est liberalissima ita in gratiarum actionibus reposcendis est avarissima that in conferring of benefits hee is most liberall and most covetous in requiring acknowledgment This is most acceptable to him like the scent of all sacrifices Levit. 3.16 17. Let it repent us that we have deprived him of so much as is due to him and now strive to it singing the songs of thankesgiving with cheerefull hearts when hee calls us to it not loving him otherwise than hee hath done us both in word and deed ceasing to grieve him seeking to please him and to recompence as he hath rewarded us Et si gravia praeterierunt tamen gravium memoria ne praetereat non ut doleamus sed ut gratias agamus Chrysost Hom. 12. ad popul Ant. But Hom. 25. Vera gratiarum relatio haec est cum haec agamus unde Deus glorificari debet cum ea fugiamus à quibus jam fuimus liberati Nam cum Rege contumeliis affecto cum poenas luere deberemus honorati fuissemus mox iterum affecissemus contumelia tanquam ingratitudinis extremae rei maximam merito poenam priore multo graviorem dare deberemus Whereas on the contrary to be truely thankefull is a great treasure it is the way to more riches because a man doth anew draw at the Well of Gods bounty for to him that hath shall be given if hee use it for his Maisters glory and the evill avoided which else would come upon them I have loved thee This is understood not of his generall love but his speciall and that after a speciall manner not such as he loves whole mankind by but such as he loves his Church by The love of a whole Family of his Spouse and children is different one more excellent than other and so both more speciall and more excellent God hee loves
our selves we shall easily find this in our selves being all of one metall Let us learne to mourne for it and hereafter to strive against it esteeming and accounting of the blessings we have or tasted in former times though God have given us worme-wood and gall If any blessing be taken from us or trouble come upon us let us be thankfull unto God and comfortable in the middest of other of his blessings and if we be discontented let it be with our selves if we grieve let it be at our sinnes for abusing such blessings or walking unworthy of them and therefore hath God taken them from us In them let us stay our selves as Job stopped his wifes mouth Job 2.10 when she moved him to discontent and discomfort And in the meane time let us labour for good consciences and sound spirits the feeling of Gods favour and assurance of his love so shall we beare all our infirmities Prov. 18.14 And griefe or losses to him shall be but as so many sparkes falling into the the Ocean Chrysost de vita recta Hom. 25 ad popul Ant. 12.1 d. 2. Was not Esau Jacobs brother Here is Gods answer to their murmuring question and as it were a plaine deniall of his love proving evidently to them that he loved them Now he reasoneth not from common benefits as that he had created them that he preserveth them that he gave them health and peace prosperity and comforts having brought them from their captivity and seated them in their owne land c. but demonstrated his love unto them from the beginning of their nation from their Head and Author You as ungratefull creatures will not acknowledge my love this is your impudency but see I will make you confesse it And first of all to fetch things from the very beginning Was not Esau Jacobs brother And so as if all things be considered no cause why I should love one more than other they were both begotten of one father both borne in one wombe both successors of the Covenant both boughes of one roote both digged out of one rocke yea if any priviledge and cause of love it was in Esau because he was the first begotten yet I loved and freely chose Jacob yea before he was borne and hated Esau But some will say What is this to this people much every way because these were two nations that is the heads of them so that what God did to them he did to their posterity Then it follows to be reckoned as a benefit to them and so proves his love when he had chosen them and rejected their brethren without any desert of theirs Then was their ingratitude so much the greater and worthy the reproving Was not Esau Jacobs brother yet I loved Jacob. They were in many things equall and in none Jacob before but Esau yet here is a close preferring of Jacob as chiefe man in the familie and notable as by somewhat in himselfe to overmatch his birth-right and make him more acceptable and more allowed of God which is his piety The like is Gen. 5.32 Shem is put first though not the eldest of the three for this because he was greatest in Gods bookes for his piety In our common speech we so speake when we shew our account of one such an one such an Earles or Lords brother here though we speake of the brother we imply a greater dignity in the Earle so was not Esau Jacobs brother here Jacob is preferred They who are in priviledges of the flesh and worldly respects inferiour by much to others Doctr. are in the account of God not lesse but greater and more honourable if they have pietie with other vertues and spirituall graces which others are contemners of In the prophesie of Isaiah the Lord comforts his holy Church and tells her she is precious in his sight and honorable and that he loves her Esa 43.4 This people the posterity of Jacob were but a neglected people in respect of other nations the Lord found them in a desert land in a wast houling wildernesse not allured to become their Tutelar God by their greatnesse or the richnesse of their Countrey yet he led them about he instructed them he kept them as the apple of his eye Deut. 32.10 The godly are many times as stones disallowed of men but chosen of God and precious as Christ also himselfe the Corner-stone was 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Because God sees not as man sees Reas he loves most that in men whereby they are likest to himselfe that is their holinesse piety and other vertues which are above other priviledges of the flesh Men judge by the outward condition as the Barbarians did Acts 28. and as Zophar did Job 11. But so doth not God he sees what is in the heart and what doth truely deserve Then let not men carry themselves high upon the priviledges of the flesh as Esau is no whit better for being the elder brother Vse 1 Ismael was elder yet Isaack was accepted One Nation may be more noble and honourable than another yet God respects not that But in every nation he that seareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10.35 Nabal may be richer Achitophel wiser Absalom fairer Tertullus or Herod more eloquent than many of Gods people yet lesse in Gods esteeme It is a greater honour to be the sonnes of God than the heires of Monarchs and so Moser counted it He refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God Heb. 11.24 25. And hence it is that when the very Disciples of Christ began to grow proud that they could subdue devils c. he corrects them and tells them there was another thing wherein they were rather to rejoyce Luc. 10.18 19. Let us learne to imitate God Vse 2 to preferre such as are godly in our esteeme This is made one note of a man that shall come at last to Gods holy Mountaine that in his eyes a vile that is a wicked person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord Psal 15.4 This is to be like unto God who respected Mary though she were poore and meane Thou hast regarded the low estate of thy handmaid Luc. 1.48 And this Saint James teacheth us that it is not agreeable to the Christian profession to have the faith of Christ in respect with persons to preferre a man because he hath a gold ring and goodly apparrell but saith he Hearken my beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith Jam. 2.2 5. VERSE III. And I hated Esau and made his mountaines waste and his heritage a wildernesse for Dragons ANd I hated Esau and made his mountaines waste Some think that this is only added to prove his hatred to Esau viz. You may easily see my hatred when as that famous mountaine Seir where there were so many Dukes as Gen. 36.15 ad finem is now without any dweller and all
the Cities and habitations of them are destroyed Which thing as it is true and wee doubt not in part the meaning of this place yet not the whole because the Lord aimes not so much to set out his hatred to Esau and his posterity as his love to Jacob and his therefore there must needs be somewhat more in it that is the dissimilitude or dislike effect to shew his love to them which riseth thus Those whom I love I keepe them in their countrey and suffer them not to be led captive yet if for correction I suffer the enemy so farre to prevaile I doe againe reduce them into their owne countrey and give them their owne land and the comforts of it On the contrary those whom I hate those for their sinnes I cast into banishment and never bring home againe but let their land to be a dwelling for beasts Dragons and such like Now the former I have done to you who are Jacobs posterity and the latter to Esaus now contrary effects have contrary causes So then as they may see in them my hatred so in your selves ye may apprehend my love who are now at home in your owne Land and Countrey and enjoy your comforts in your Countrey This then apparently shews his hatred to Esaus posterity as in spirituall things the Apostle being interpreter Rom. 9. so here in temporall things and closely and by comparison his love to Jacobs seed and to this people The first onely to the children of promise but this to all even the whole seed and not they onely which were blessed in Isaac Exile and banishment when it falls to a man or multitude Doctrine to a family or a whole nation it is a signe and a proofe of the wrath and displeasure of the anger and hatred of God So is it here made and proved because God threatneth by his Prophet usually that which men threaten and menace when they are angry that proves their anger when it is effected Deut. 28.41 64 68. Thou shalt beget sonnes and daughters but thou shalt not enjoy them for they shall goe into captivity And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people from the one end of the earth even to the other and there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have knowne even wood and stone And the Lord shall bring thee into Aegypt againe with ships by the way whereof I spake unto thee thou shalt see it no more againe and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women and no man shal buy you Going into captivity scattering and serving the enemy are threatned as tokens of wrath Mic. 1.15 and 2.4 2 Chro. 36.16 17. Because it is a judgment of God upon whomsoever Reas 1 now the judgment of God shews his wrath and displeasure Because it is a blessing and so a token of the favour of God Reas 2 to have houses or lands and so to enjoy them Many are banished and cast into exile for Christ and the profession of his truth Ergo. Object It is true Sol. that as among the Grecians they had an Ostracismus a Law to banish every one that excelled other in riches or in honour or favour or eloquence and wisedome yea in their outward justice As Aristides was banished Athens by the voyces of all even a rustick who knew him not by face but because they called him just so falls it out in the world and in the kingdomes of it that they doe expell those who professe Christ and piety but that is nothing against this First for that which Justine Martyr saith Epist ad Diognetum de Christianis Omnis peregrina regio patria est eorum omnis patria est peregrina Every forreigne Countrey is their home and at home they are strangers and so they not banished wheresoever Againe because this comes onely from the malice and displeasure of men and is a favour of God that they are enabled to part with all for his sake as Act. 5.41 so wee may rejoyce if we be counted worthy to be exiles for his name but this here spoken of comes both from the wrath and displeasure of God and man Further as Causa non poena the cause not the punishment makes a Martyr Salvian Ex duobus lethalibus malis levius ut reor est captivitatem corporis Christiani quà m captivitatem animae sustinere So Salvian speaketh of a double captivity or of two sorts of captives one who are extrinsecus carne captives outwardly in the body others intus mente captivi inwardly in their mindes and affirmeth Of two great evills I suppose 't is more easie for a Christian to sustaine the captivity of his body than the bondage of the soule Now they which are captives in body for this are freed in their minds and è contr they who hold them captive are most captive for they are in their minds so as 2 Pet. 2.19 This may teach all such as may fall into captivity and exile Vse 1 that when it betides them If any should not we may then use the words of Salvian An credimus forte quod captivus animo populus ille non fuerit qui laetus tunc in suorum captivitatibus fuit captivus corde sensu non erat qui inter suorum supplicia ridebat qui jugulari se in suorum jugulis non intelligebat qui mori se in suorum mortibus non putabat Quo ante they should learne to groane under it as under the manifest signe yea and the thing that is the wrath of God for if they may and ought to apprehend Gods displeasure when their land brings not forth abundance to them and their use what when it beares not them any longer But this lesson you may teach those that are in captivity we neither are neither are we in feare of it I answer that men carefull of themselves will learne and regard medicines or prescriptions before they have need of them especially if there be any likelyhood they may fall into a disease lest the remedy not ready the danger may be and prove the greater and the knowledge of any thing is no burden So in this But have we no feare of this that we have no need to learne it What then meant this late and most horrible treason or practice that every Nation Christian or barbarous whether Turkes Tartars or whosoever heard of If our Papists the greatest enemies of Christ this day the world hath if our Pseudo-catholicks the most despightfull enemies to the King and his posterity to the State and the prosperity of it to the Church and the peace of it had prevailed in their designes what would have beene our condition but this Questionlesse either must it have come to cutting of throats and the spilling of our blood after which the Scarlet-whore and her whorish brood hath a long time thirsted or else this captivity and exile if not carryed out of our owne Land
yet made slaves in our owne Land for they that had remained should have served a stranger in their owne land Deut. 28.49 51 52. and vers 66 67. for whereto else tended this but to bring in a forraigne power to the slaughter of most and slavery of the rest Then is it a speciall favour to be acknowledged Vse 2 and God to be with all thankfull minds glorified of all those who finde that they are kept in their owne Land not unthankfully as this people said Wherein hast thou loved us when they had this benefit But herein hast thou loved us that we are not carryed or taken captive that our Cities and Townes are not laid waste it is for us in respect of many other deliverances and preservations from dangerous attempts so of this last not the least but that which is every waies the greatest for if it was the horriblest and most fearefull treason that ever was plotted if the danger of overturning the Church and State the greatest if the confusion to us and ours the most fearefull if the greatest signe of Gods wrath and displeasure if they had prevailed not onely to lay the Parliament-house wast when they cryed Raze it raze it even to the ground but to overthrow both Church and Common-wealth when their condition that had beene blowne up with the House and then perished had beene better than ours who were out of it when our men were appointed for the swords and slaughter our Wives and Daughters for rapes and adulteries and after to the Sword our children to have beene dashed in pieces against the stones of our streets our Cities to have beene set on fire over our heads and all our wealth to have beene a prey for desperate and forlorne wretches Then that God hath delivered us from all this it must needs be a token yea the greatest of his favour and love He that seeth it not is blind he that seeth it and doth not acknowledge it is unthankfull he that sees and acknowledgeth it and doth not praise and magnifie God for it is very wicked and impious If it had beene the preserving of goods alone from the spoile if our Cities alone from burning if our children onely from perishing if our wives onely from rapes and uncleannesse if our lives alone from death and our soules from the grave the least of these and any one of them had beene a speciall favour and signe of his love what when not one of these but all The preservation of them continually and every day when there is none that hunts so after them and seekes extraordinarily by malice to take them away is a favour and a signe of his love More when they had laid their counsells thus deepe and sought it so dangerously if he had revealed it halfe a yeare since in the beginning of the plot it had beene a token of his good will but when it was come to such ripenesse and as there was but a step betwixt David and death so not a night betwixt us and confusion it was much more Therefore to set forth his love he brought us within the sight and smelling of the danger that we might the more account of it Our Cities not wasted as Edoms mountaines is a token of his favour His mountaines wast Mountaines are for strength for the defence and preservation of any thing and by them is signified the greatnesse of Edom and all his power and strength and Metaphoricè the great and mighty men as Mich. 1.4 No outward thing can priviledge a man from Gods judgements Doctr. or be a sanctuary to save any from his wrath and displeasure when he will punish and execute his wrath And his heritage a wildernesse for Dragons Mount Seir it was Esaus inheritage and his posterity not onely left then of his father but given him of the Lord Joshua 24.4 Notwithstanding when they had defiled this with their sinnes as followeth in the next verse the Lord cast them out and made it cast them out that it was no longer inhabited by them but possessed by Dragons They who defile their land and inheritage by sinne and wickednesse shall be cast out of it Doctr. and it shall spue them out Vide Mich. 2.10 VERSE IIII. Though Edom say We are impoverished but wee will returne and build the desolate places yet saith the Lord of Hostes They shall build but I will destroy it and they shall call them The border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever THough Edom say Quicquid in scriptura dicitur dehominibus malis ad hoc dicitur ut civitas Dei ex comparatione contrariâ vel proficiat vel emineat Aug. De civitat Dei l. 16. c. 2. To evict this people more manifestly of ingratitude he proceeds to other benefits he had bestowed on them as fruits of his love and so proving that he loved them And this was but by comparison set downe insinuated under the contrary and in the amplification of the signes of his hatred to Esau and Edom for this here spoken was not for them but for his owne people So here for when the contrary was to them if this were hatred that must be love for them then and their use are these things written And the force of it stands thus See it is my hatred to Esau and his posterity that they are not established in their owne land nor defended there in their coasts but destroyed and cast out and justly for their sinnes of which you are eye-witnesses that in them and their ruine I have magnified my selfe and my Name Then must it needs be love unto you that having brought you from your captivity I have confirmed you in your Land and defended it and you Though Edom say The first part is the anticipation or preventing of them setting downe under their person the swelling and proud words and speeches they would speak and utter That is I have said I will lay her mountaines and Cities waste but they in the pride of their owne hearts and confidence of themselves and their owne strength as if they were able to resist me and to strive and stand against my power utter such vaine hopes and bragging thoughts of their owne yet shall all be but in vaine Thus they say We are impoverished The Idumeans being expelled their Countrey carryed into captivity for their sinnes and wandring in another and strange Countrey are not for all that humbled for their sinnes nor seeke not unto me but in their impoverishment and banishment they thus say For all this we will returne and be built we by our owne strength and power in spight of who saith nay will come home home againe to our Countrey shake off the yoke of our enemies and will build and establish Idumea againe and all our Cities The Lord he takes notice of seeth Doctrine and beholdeth all mens carriage in the way of his judgments how they profit by them or grow perverse how
came who would have beene ready to have done as Sixtus Quintus in his Consistory when Clement the Monk and bloody Parricide had staine Henry 3. King of France 1589. a Catholick King his eldest sonne did not punish it but excuse it not that onely but defend it not that alone but praised it and that with that choise and excellent comparison from the birth of Christ Heb. 1.5 commanding Heavens to open and receive therein the Parricide and shut out the other yea and denyed him the prayers of their Synagogue yea Princely Funerall yea honest buriall preparing the way to Heaven not by the blood of Christ but by the blood of Kings not by the Crosse but by a murdering knife See the Martyrs of the Romish Church with what ashes it is increased I have stept aside but to come home if it had beene told him I say and all his slaves and our fugitives and all his in other Countries who were not without the knowledge at least of these things they would not have believed but see it is even so 2 Pet. 2. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished It were well for their owne good they would be warned at length when they see God fights for us every where and watcheth over us in every place and brings all their purposes to nought It were better if they as the people enemies of the Church Ester 8.17 became Jewes the feare of the Jewes falling upon them so they could become Protestants and renounce their Antichrist our feare falling upon them when they see they are not onely so bloody as Haman but so bootlesse before such a thing befall them This may serve to cheere up and comfort those who are the Lords in the middest of dangers and troubles Vse 2 they are never so farre from God but God may yet ere they dye or be overthrowne relieve them by temporall deliverance and send those packing before them who thinke to make a spoile of them and let them see the miserable and wretched ends of those who make full reckoning to seeke their blood and ruinate their state How many distressed soules in the dayes of Queene Mary thinke we in this Land lay looking dayly for death when God by the death of one made an end of that bloody time that had cut off the lives of so many of Gods servants and let them see even the ruine of such as made full account of theirs What hope had the Israelites but to be even eaten up by the Egyptians and to be cut off as one man when God in the turning of a hand overturned them that even opend their mouths and swallowed them up quick and overwhelmed them before their eyes in the Red Sea Little thought Daniel when he was cast into the Lions den that he should see his accusers devoured there before him And very unlikely it was that Peter should have lived to have seene Herod consumed with wormes and eaten up with lice when Herod had him forth comming and had killed James before him Act. 12. And small probability as we may now discerne was there that we or Kings c. should have escaped the cruell designes of our bloody Edomites the Papists when their barbarous plot was come to the ripenesse and had beene concealed so many Moneths small presumption was there that our eyes should see the times as they are now and the ruine of them who were set on murder and blood yet may we use that Psalme 48.8 As we have heard so we have seene in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of our God God will establish it for ever And with David Psal 54.7 For hee hath delivered me out of all trouble and mine eye hath seene his desire upon mine enemies that we may learne to cleave to the Lord who hath thus fought for us and let us see his salvation and say as the three resolved servants of God Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden Image which thou hast set up So not to shrink from him but say we know our God is able to destroy our enemies before our face but whether he doe or no we will depend ever upon him Your eyes shall see it The Edomites when the Jewes were surprised by the Caldeans stood looking on and laughing at their destruction Obad. 12.13 Now God telleth them they should be served with the same sawce themselves the Jewes should see their calamities that should befall them and be comforted in their fall who rejoyced before over them in theirs It is a just and usuall thing with God in the generall Doctr. as to recompense a man as he hath done with others as he said Jud. 1.7 and to measure as is meted Matth. 7.2 so in this particular when they rejoyce at the fall of other men to make other glad at their fall So was it told Edom Obad. verse 15. For the day of the Lord is neare upon all the Heathen as thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head And Prov. 24.17 18. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him Because he hath made a law for the Magistrate Reas 1 executing his justice and judgments to doe so as Levit. 24.19 20. and that not for the deed onely but for the endeavours when the end of them are made manifest and he must not pitty him Deut. 19.19.21 Now if he make a law for others he will not break it himselfe when it is fitting and comely for him for some things befit him not no more saith one than a Countrey-mans coate becomes a King but this being not of that nature he will doe it Because of his owne reason to the Judge Reas 2 Deut. 19.19 20. no way so excellent to prevent much evill and oppression and hurting of others for men would abstaine not in love to others not for love of righteousnesse but for feare of this law of retribution Besides it is a speciall meanes to break off sinne at least that for feare of more in the party so offending Then you taught us false doctrine before Object when you taught we may rejoyce at the destruction of the wicked for if this be just with God then is not that lawfull with men This is not contrary to that Solut. because there was spoken of publick enemies here either of no enemies or private enemies such as dislike us and we them for some sinister respect As it is lawfull to kill a publick enemy of a State but not
some sort greater than those in the other of greater note For as a man sometimes sinnes worse in a small than in a greater fault for the greater by how much the sooner 'tis acknowledged 't is quicklier mended but the lesser while 't is counted almost none at all is therefore worse because we more securely lived in it So of this particular though disobedience and want of reverence differ in themselves yet is unreverence thus the greater because it is accounted as none and men lye very secure in it Therefore ought men to avoid it and strive against it both because they are forbidden and because as a little wound neglected will fester to a great one so this unreverence accustomed will breake out to a greater contempt and disobedience and if Christ make him culpable of sinne that saith but Raka to his equall and him of hell-fire which calleth him Foole Matth. 5.20 what shall he be worthy of that calleth his Parents so and useth them most unreverently And if 2 Kings 2.23 24. Children that mockt the Prophet were torne with Beares how shall such things escape a judgment They shall not for that of Solomon shall be true Prov. 30.17 The outward reverence must not stand in signes and words onely but as 1 John 3.18 speaks of love My little children let us not love in words neither in tongue but in deed and in truth So say we of this this reverence must appeare in our actions and this will part it selfe into obedience and subjection for the first so much Children Doctrine sonnes and daughters must not onely give inward and outward reverence in thoughts and words but they must obey them as Christ sheweth by his condemning of the sonne who obeyed not Matth. 21.30 Hence are the Commandements Coll. 3.20 Children obey your Parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord in all lawfull things as the like 1 Cor. 9.22 To the weake became I as weake that I might gaine the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some as farre as I may lawfully not seeking my owne profit 1 Cor. 10.33 even as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved in all lawfull things not seeking his owne profit preferring the pleasing of them before it the opposition being betwixt his and their pleasure and profit not betwixt their profit and pleasing of God So in this not betweene Parents and God but their will and their Parents shewing that the sonne is not to obey his Father in what he will and liketh but he is simply bound in all things though never so dislike to him so they be not displeasing to God Hence is the Commandement but with some limitation Ephes 6.1 Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right The Lord when he commends the Rechabites Jer. 35. doth shew this thing as a duty Because it is a thing well pleasing the Lord Reas 1 Coloss 3.20 so pleasing as that his owne obedience is more acceptable with it and without it he will not like of his owne at all as appeareth Matth. 15.5 6. But ye say whosoever shall say to his father or mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honour not his father or his mother he shall be free thus have ye made the Commandement of God of none effect by your tradition And undoubtedly he that preferred pitty and mercy to men before sacrifice doth much account of piety towards Parents Because if not in all things but where they please Reas 2 and according to their owne will then they preferre themselves before their Parents indeed obey not their father but themselves As they who love others from whom they looke for good doe not love them but themselves so in this therefore is it that they must endeavour to obey in all things unpleasing To reprove all disobedience that is found in Children of all sorts to their Parents young and elder and all ages Vse 1 If the Law Deuter. 21.18 19 20 21. were now in force alas how many Parents should long before this be bereaved of all some of divers of their children because not onely negligence is to be found and omission but in many apparent contempts upon whom the Law was to take hold See your sinnes and forsake them O children else know that if the former shall not goe unpunished lesse this and if such punishments for that more for this And know you that if you have or may have children and live to that God shall make them revenge your Parents quarrell and contempt to bring you to repentance or to punish you for it and the more securely you now contemne the admonitions of the Ministers the more sharply shall God then punish you and the more piercing shall it then be unto your Soules Let this then admonish every childe to give obedience to his fathers commandements Vse 2 whatsoever they are not only when they are pleasing to him but even how crosse soever they be to his liking doing his fathers will not his own being affected in regard of his earthly father as Christ was of his heavenly John 6.38 For I came downe from heaven not to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent mee and therefore was contented to breake himselfe of his owne will rather then to crosse his fathers will Math. 26.39 so must they To obey them in things that are pleasing and profitable unto them liking them well enough is not so commendable because they may be led with these respects rather then duty or love but in things difficult and hard crossing their will and affections is a double obedience and shall receive a greater reward Therefore endevour thus to obey them and God in them it is not his will of permission but of command wherein Gods law is broken if they be disobedient And not so onely but he will reject all service done to them when they neglect that they owe to theirs so that he will be deafe to their prayers contemn their service his eyes shall be shut to their miseries they may pray he will not heare stretch out long hands he will not regard yea cry to him yet will he not accept if the sighes of thy father and teares of thy mother come up before God for thy rebellions towards them thinke that thy prayers shall little be accepted of God Num. 16. If Moses his words to God for the rebellion of Corah before God made not onely their sacrifice unacceptable but brought a curse upon them think of it and take heed of the like But some in this matter may doubt and for it object and question thus Pomand 17. First what if God commanded one thing and mens parent another It is answered thou must then answer with the Apostles Act. 5.29 We ought to obey God rather then Man or
without good ground or manner may not this be seen by that of Isaac submitting himselfe to his father to cut him at his pleasure Gen. 22. yea of Israel to be circumcised and of Christ to his mother Luke 2.48 49 Because by this they shew wisdome Prov. 13.1 Reas 1 A wise sonne heareth his fathers instruction but a scorner heareth not rebuke and they get and increase wisdome Prov. 29.15 The rod and reproofe give wisedome but a child left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame for they learne to avoid the like sinnes and to escape greater stroaks from their father That which gets wisdome must be submitted to Reas 2 because by it they prevent greater destruction and bring to salvation They are called The way of life Prov. 6.23 wholesome things though bitter To prevent greater evill and bring health we easily submit our selves to the Physitians hand to receive Because they come from love Prov. 13.24 Reas 3 For those men love not or they hate in effect under affection those they correct not To reprove the stubborne and stiffe-necked children of our age who repine at their fathers reproofe Vse 1 their hearts ready to swell against them if they check them for their carriage specially when they are of some few yeares they will frowne as long as their Parents can doe They imagine they know how to carry themselves well enough yea better than their Parents and often give them word for word or mutter and murmure marvellously against them the cause being not onely want of grace in their owne hearts but the omission of correction and the rod when they were younger because they did not correct them betime Many Parents like Eli neglecting the rod when they were young cockering of them that they get such heads when they are growne that they will not beare the rod and better nothing at all by their reproofes but they live often to see their perishing as Eli did his sonnes Whereas if they be duely and maturely used to the rod and correction they will be nothing so audacious and in the end a word shall doe more with them than many stripes To teach children to give honour unto their Parents Vse 2 in submitting themselves to their reproofes and correction Wisdome will make them take them from others who are farre off when it may be doubtfull with what minde they doe it how much more from Parents of whose love they cannot doubt It is profitable saith Chrysostome Ho. 27. ad pop A. to have many admonishers and keepers many reprovers is profitable because as a beast that is hunted and set on of all sides cannot escape so shall not a sinne or vice but when such as are so nigh us who see in secret and open it is farre better But we could beare it if there were cause and we had deserved it but when they doe it without cause as we thinke unjustly that is it which makes us repine First know that the Physitian sees often more than the Patient so doth the Parent But if yet there be no cause the Apostle shews yet we should submit And we should consider as Hierome would have Salvina to judge of his reproofe that it was ex abundantia amoris and it is his cujus votum est te nescire quae metuit Besides it is more thanke worthy when a man can in such cases suppresse the rising and swelling of his impatient and corrupt nature onely for conscience of the commandement for here being some conflict betwixt his word and our will he taketh tryall of our obedience who hath simply commanded subjection in this kind to children which is to bee obeyed as that thou shalt not steale Therefore should every one endeavour to it and thinke it is the part of a good childe to kisse the rod that beates as the hand that gives The second thing wherein their subjection is required and submission is for their calling and education Children must submit themselves unto their Parents Doctrine to what calling they shall thinke fit to bring them up in and to So did Samuel to his Mother he yeelded to her to be set apart for the service of God and to be brought up to it 1 Sam. 1.28 For that which she gave he performed So David submitted himself to his father to be a shepherd and some of his brethren souldiers So Christ was disposed of by his Parents when he was fit to teach others and for another manner of worke Luke 2.46 yet he went and was subject to them and in the same trade verse 51. and Marke 6.3 Justin Martyr thinkes so 't was likely the wisedome of God to blind the wicked and hide him from their eyes Then as 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as hee walked so for this particular Because they in all reason are far better able to judge of them Reas 1 and their parts and gifts what they are fit for and wherein they are most like to give them most comfort and glorifie God and profit themselves then they can of themselves That same borrowed speech Psal 127.4 5. As arrowes are in the hand of a mighty man so are Children of the youth happie is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speake with the enemies in the gate seemes to insinuate somewhat they are as arrowes of divers heads some fit for one marke some for another he hath them in his hand and knows best which is fit for which Bcause they are not in their owne power but his Reas 2 while they live in his house and government but part of his substance therefore the Devill smote not Jobs wife as part of himselfe but his children as part of his substance and temporall goods 't is equall then he should have the disposition of his children not themselves or others It shall appeare that he may dispose of them in Marriages Reas 3 and not any other nor themselves which is then when they are of more yeares and grown of greater discretion in the world more when they are younger and without experience To reprove the sinnes of many Children Vse 1 who sometime without asking consent if denyed doe dispose of themselves at their owne pleasure in what calling they like as if their parents had no power over them as if they onely knew what was fit for themselves and their parents wanted the wit and experience they have to dispose of them for the best the cause of many miscarrying of them and not prospering in their profession because they went not to it the right way only led by their affection without judgement not knowing what God had fitted them for nor regarding their parents whom God had set over them for that purpose whence often the curse of God is upon them that they prosper not in such courses or if by the indulgence of God they prosper that their parents see not
but this bindes more as a twofold cord the law because of our creation the Gospell for our election and redemption we are no more servants but sonnes Galat. 4.5 6. But must we the lesse serve him or not this were a gallant Gospell indeed Nay we must the rather because sonnes Mala. 3.16 we must not change our service but the manner of our service for he hath made us to serve him Luke 1.74 75. that hee would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Not as servants for wages but as sonnes in a more honourable kinde of service with a free affection in no mercenarie manner In primo dedit me mihi in secundo dedit se mihi cui debeo me propter me debeo plusquam me propter se Ber. otherwise this bindes us more then before and to doe more if it were possible then the law requires If the other though free yet not so rare doe bind how much more this so rare a benefit should bind us In the first he gave me to my selfe In the other he gave himselfe to me To whom I owe my selfe for my being to him I am more indebted for giving himself to mee more is then due unto him and more must we endeavour if our being and being men require it of us what this being sonnes without which it had beene better wee had never been yea a thousand times If his bounty in creating us what his mercy and love in electing us The world though peevishly and corruptly it upbraids those that are Gods and in some sinister and corrupt affection challenges more of them then of others towards themselves then towards God yet those who are indeed Gods must thinke such speeches are goades to pricke them forwards to more For God hath done more for them therefore more is required of them yea more then they thinke they ought to performe Every one must argue as David see 2 Sam. 6.21 And David said unto Michal it was before the Lord which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore will I play before the Lord It will not serve and goe for currant if Gods children elected be not more diligent to honour him then others Where is my honour wee have seene by what right God requires this we must see now the thing it is honour which is indeed childelike and filiall feare to obey and serve him for love rather then feare as sonnes doe their father and of this I will thus speak first that men must give it to God the sonnes to the father Secondly how it differs from the servile feare Thirdly the effects of it that it may be known whether had or no and if not it may be sought if had it may be joyed in First that Men must give it unto God Doctrine The Children of God that is his sonnes and daughters ought to honour him that is to serve and obey him to doe the good he commands not for feare of punishment or hope of reward but for the love of good and righteousnesse and his goodnesse and mercy willingly and of conscience hereto may we apply that Psal 130.4 and Rom. 12.1 and 1 John 2.1 inferred upon the second Reas 1 Because else they can not be sonnes and daughters Servilis est timor quamdiu ab amore non manat qui de amore non venit honor non honor sed adulatio Bern. Cant. 83. whose nature is to obey their parents and doe them all service of love feare is servile if it flow not from love and the honour which comes not from love is not honour but flattery a formall fawning Because if they obey him and honour him for hope of good Reas 2 and feare of evill and punishment it is self love that moves them not God love nor the love of righteousnesse now if men require more nor account not of this when selfe love hath the sway and men seeke themselves how should God and why should men expect it from him * One blesses God because he is powerfull Est qui confitetur Deo quia potms est est quoniam sibi bonus est est quia simplicitèr bonus est Psal 118.1.19 primus servus est timet secundus mercenarius cupit sibi tertius filius est diligit patrem another because he is good to him another because he is simple good in himselfe Psal 118.1 The first is a servant and feares The second is an hireling and lookes for gaine The third is a sonne and loves his father There are many promises of good things for obedience Object and threats of evill for disobedience are they made to servants or written for them alone or also for sonnes If Sonnes why may not they look to them and for them doe service Without question whatsoever is written is for sonnes not servants Sol. or principally for them yet is it not acceptable to God when it is done for these for nothing proceeding from hirelings or slaves can be acceptable why then are these written Namely to helpe them in it not to be the principall mover of it vide James 2.8 This proves that many mens workes and obedience are not the honour of God Vse 1 nor things acceptable though according to the law and things commanded which in another are his honour and accepted of him the end or motive not being good and right as it should The second thing to be observed is how this child-like and filiall feare differs from the other servile feare and that it doth in divers things The first difference is in respect of the object that is of that which is feared that is sinne the one feares sinne as it is sinne and because it is sinne the other onely the punishment of sin and not sinne at all but in regard of the punishment the former curbs the action onely Hosea 3.5 the other the affection the one liketh and loveth sinne but he dare not commit it in regard of the danger that may ensue of it the other hateth and abhorreth sinne and would not commit it though he might doe it without danger at all as Prov. 8.13 The feare of the Lord is to hate evill Psal 97.10 And because it deales with the affection it is called a pure feare Psal 19.9 The feare of the Lord is cleane or pure for it purgeth the heart as faith is said to doe Acts 15.9 The other is a melting feare but this is a purging and refining feare The second difference is in their grounds the one is grounded onely uon the wrath of God and for his justice the other regardeth them but specially his mercy and goodnesse Psal 130.4 Hosea 3.5 The filiall feare to offend God in regard of benefits past the servile for evill to come Se
ethe difference plainely Jer. 5.22 23 24. Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will ye not be afraid at my presence which have placed the sand for the bounds of the Sea by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof rage yet can they not prevaile though they roare yet can they not passe over it But this people hath an unfaithfull and rebellious heart they are departed and gone For they say not in their heart Let us now feare the Lord our God that giveth raine both early and late in due season he reserveth unto us the appointed weekes of the harvest If you will nor have this filiall feare yet at least shake not off this servile dread if not feare in regard of good I have yet of evill I may doe them By these two for the present may every one examine himselfe whether he hath a servile or a filiall feare If thou fearest as a Childe thou hatest sinne as sinne because it is sinne thou art like a man that loaths a meate and therefore would not eate of it If only a servile feare thou loathest sinne for the punishment not for it selfe indeed but the sequel like a man that hath a minde to eate of something that the Phisitian hath forbidden him and is hurtfull and abstaines only because he dares not touch it for feare of further inconvenience If thou hast the child-like feare* It is not the outward worke that dislikes thee and externall act of sinne only but even the desires Ista sagitta timor qui configit interficit carnis desideria Ber. motions and affections for it is pure That dart is feare which pierces and kills the very desires of the flesh If the servile onely then the outward worke onely and practice of sinne is feared if a filiall feare then it will grieve thee to offend nay to be provoked to offend so good and gracious so mercifull and loving a father who hath beene ever so gracious and good unto thee But if but the servile feare then onely when thou feelest his hand or fearest an imminent danger or hast the fresh remembrance of a judgment which is but new taken from him for which a Child of God must and ought to feare but then are not these the principall causes of feare in him for these he feares and flies sin but principally for the other If a filiall feare thou art afraid to offend in lieu of thankfulnesse for thy being and preservation and all thy manifold blessings received already If a servile onely for feare of evills or hope of that which is to come It is the whip the scourge and the rod that causeth the hypocrite as an Asse a foole and a stave to forbeare and leave sinne but it is love conscience and obedience that maketh Gods Children willingly to abhorre it Nazianz. if thou bee'st a slave and a servant stand in feare of the whip or the scourge if an hireling worke for thy wages expect thy reward but if over and above all these thou beest a sonne doe good because it is thy duty to please and observe thy father from whom thou hast received so much good before The third difference of these two feares is this the one is a loving feare and the other is a hatefull feare the first is joyned with love such as good subjects beare to good Princes and ordinarily children beare to their fathers The second is joyned with hatred such as servants beare to their hard and cruell Masters the one would if they could withdraw themselves out of Gods government and get out of his sight as Adam Gen. 3. as a fugitive servant as Hagar Gen. 16. the other would not willingly away from God but submitteth himselfe unto him and seeketh as he can to presse neerer and neerer as farre as he dare with due reverence of his Majesty like the Prodigall sonne who came home to his father and yeelded himselfe willingly into his hands And therefore it is a true saying that after sinne the wicked are troubled they cannot get themselves farre enough from God and the godly are troubled they can not come neere enough home to him the one is afraid of the losing of God the other is afraid of Gods finding of him of that saith Augustine in 1 John 4. it is called castus timer a chaste feare T is one thing to feare God lest he send thee to Hell Aliud est timere Deum ne te mittat in Gehennam aliud ne ipse à te recedat ille non est castus qui non venit ab amore Dei sedex timore poenae iste castus est quia venit ex amore Dei quem amlecteris August in 1 Joh. 4 another lest himselfe depart from thee that feare is not chast because it comes not from the love of God but from the feare of punishment but this is chast because it comes from the love of God whom thou delightest in So that this filiall feare agreeth with the love of Gods Majesty yea it riseth out of love a man is afrayd to offend one that he loveth but the servile fear is joyned with the deadly hatred of God And so as it is said whom they feare they hate Quem metuunt oderunt quem oderunt periisse cupiunt and they desire he may perish whom they hate So it may be said of this that by it he is not homicida a manslayer but Deicida a Godslayer wishing there were never a God to punish him The fourth difference of these two feares is in their continuance which is manifest First If we consider them in divers subjects for the one is but for a bront like lightning that giveth a flash and is gone and comes in an instant never ceizeth upon the soule nor dwelleth in the heart For instance we may take Pharoah Exod. Chap. 27 28 29 30. so Ahab when Eliah had summoned him hee feares 1 King 21.27 but soone after he goes fearelesse to Ramoth Gilead 1 King 22.26 27. The filiall feare is permanent and constant as the causes of it are Isa 11.2 Prov. 28.14 For it is no naturall worke but a supernaturall habit Secndly if we consider them in one subject the one outlasteth and overlives the other 1 Joh. 4.18 perfect love casteth out feare that is servile feare but Psal 19.9 The feare of the Lord is cleane enduring for ever that is filiall feare when it comes it casts out that because it brings with it assurance of God favour It remaines still having the lesse paine and trouble with it the longer it lasteth and the more forward it commeth to perfection And this feare is so lasting that it remaines after this life not that the blessed shall fear either lest they should offend for they are then without danger of falling but in regard of Gods power and his incomparable and his incomprehensible graces there shall be a reverent dread and yet delightfull such as the Angels
and trade of sinne Vse 2 and that neither the pleasures nor displeasures of the world the delights nor the dreads of it shall draw him to be enticed and openly sinne to labour for this feare by which he shall be able to overcome temptations on all sides For if he have this feare a man would never sell himselfe to eternall torments for a draught of pleasure or for a Million of Gold when it might be said to him as Joshua 22.18 Ye also are turned away this day from the Lord and seeing yee rebell to day against the Lord even to morrow he will be wroth with all the congregation of Israel Loe to day he offendeth and to morrow God will be wroth and he shall perish in his wrath surely no profit or pleasure tendered unto him would make him incurre this danger And for the other temptation hee would easily overcome it by this even the feare of mens feare with the feare of Gods punishments and say happily as David though he spoke it more sanctifiedly Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy words If he have this feare hardly such temptations will assault him For as Chrysost Hom. 15. ad pop Ant. If it be once knowne and heard that an armed Souldier stands watching in a house for the defence of it there is neither thiefe nor robber nor any that practiseth such evill will come neere it So when feare is the keeper of mans heart there is neither the temptation of pleasure or profit or worldly feare will set upon a man but will fly away or be easily expelled subdued as it were by the command of feare God hath set two Schoole-masters over us Pudor Timor shame and feare that should lead an ingenuous nature but if not that yet this should unlesse we will be worse than beasts The second effect of this feare is that it is tanquam acus ad filum the needle or the bristle to the threed that is that as they goe before and make way for the threed but abide not there when it is once come but goes out againe So this feare first entereth the heart of man and makes way for love or the Child-like feare that loving feare first when he is converted and it entereth in for this end to bring or draw in love after it and love when it is once entered casteth feare out of doores that made entrance before 1 John 4.18 This is further manifest by the example of Paul Acts 9.3 6. and Josiah 2 Chron. 34.19 27. so Act. 2.37 38. and 16.30 Rom. 7.10 Because God respects and accepts men to give them grace when they are troubled Reas 1 and are smitten with this feare Isaiah 66.2 and it is spoken exclusivè none but them this then must needs goe before Because mans heart is not capable of grace without this first Reas 2 without this it is not fit to receive the impression of Gods Spirit It gives no grace but it makes capable of grace as we see fire though it give the metall no fashion yet it maketh it liquid and fit to be cast in any mould it maketh the waxe fit to receive any impression of the Seale So this feare though it worke no grace in the heart but leaveth it as corrupt as it findeth it yet it mollifieth it and maketh it plyable for Gods Spirit to worke upon which before could not take the stamp of Gods grace This manifesteth that many men must needs be without grace Vse 1 because many have not had this feare which is ever before grace wheresoever it comes and grace never comes any where where this Usher hath not beene before it is the forerunner of grace as John Baptist was of Christ As God appeared to Elias so he approacheth to the soule 2 Kings 19 12 13 14. he was neither in the winde nor earthquake which rended the earth and clave the rockes nor in the fire that devoureth all before it nor he went not before them but he was in a soft voyce which came afterwards So is the spirit and grace of God it goes not before the servile feare it is not with it when it rends the hard hearts of men and when it melts and mollifies them with the fire of Gods wrath but it cometh after and speaketh peace and rest to the soule whereas many never tasted of this feare and shew it by their lives they have no feare of God nay in words brag they had never no such rentings and meltings of heart nay jest at those which have they shew themselves voyd of grace of true grace yea many who are not so outragious but civill or rather secure who indeed never felt any such trouble and fight in them any such feare or terror but all things is and ever was at peace within they are men voyd of true grace and saving grace they may have the shaddow and similitudes of grace but no substance and truth of it This may teach every man that hath this feare in him Vse 2 to make much of it and nourish it it being the forerunner of grace and as it were the harbinger of it without which it never appeares as God never comes with grace unlesse this apparitor go before as men therefore who desire the Prince and joy in his comming will rejoyce at the comming of his Harbinger and make much of him so ought they of this feare yea and the greater this feare is the more rejoyce at it aswell as men may rejoyce in feare for the greater grace follows after for in the examples of the Scriptures those who have had most feare and conflicts in their conversion have been the best men and women most full of grace God saith Bernard hath two feet the one of feare the other of love and when he would enter a mans Soule he is wont to send afore or step first in with his foot of feare then after his foot of love and the greater the feare is which went before the greater the love is which follows after The third effect of this feare is to make the party it possesseth credulous apprehending every surmise against him making him encline to the worst and forecast the utmost of the evill As in that feare which the Goaler was possest with Acts 16.27 he apprehended the worst and utmost In Samuel and Josiah so in the Ninevites Ion. 3.5 therefore it made them apprehend the worst and beleeve it would be so Because feare brings to minde a mans sinnes and deserts Reas 1 even those which were long before committed and for them makes him apprehend danger and deeper then indeed it is As in the brethren of Joseph Gen. 42.21 no marvell then if it make them easily beleeve that such things may fall upon them Because they know by themselves Reas 2 that those who are injured and offended doe hate the offenders and where hatred is joyned with power and might there must needs be
hainous those which are against the main end of his calling wherein God hath placed him As the Minister must labour against ignorance idlenesse suffering his gifts to decay not increasing his talent and he must endeavour to search and beat out the simple and sincere sence of Gods word and will and impart it unto the people to bring them to life eternall for it is a hainous sin for him to be ignorant or to handle the word deceitfully or corruptly as Saint Paul speaks or to wrest the sense of it as Saint Peter speaks to their purposes And so as it is Isaiah the 3.12 They that lead thee cause thee to erre So the lawyer must not use unfaithfulnesse or cunning dealing he must search out the proper grounds of the law to direct his client to proceed warrantably to see his wrongs redressed or recover his right for for him to spend his time in devising quirks and distinctions which may serve to obscure the truth and make contentions and suits rather then end any or to delay his clients cause when he may well haste it and bring it to an issue and as many doe use their cunning to this purpose it is the greater sinne in them so a Physitian and a Surgion must imploy all his skill to cure for him to deferre and somtimes to help forwards and then pull backwards againe to make gaine of his patient and empty his purse and hurt his body is very hainous both of them worse then theeves by the high-way making Gods ordinance a cover for their theft not so punishable by humane laws but as culpable before God and shall as severely be punished So if a sonne omit the honour due to his father or a servant the feare due to his master is a greater sinne for others to doe it to the same men is not so hainous so t is the duty of a wife to be a helper that she must indeavour in all things For for her to be as Eve who was given as a comfort to make Adams life more joyous for her to be a broker to bring death she that was taken from him as part to be shot at him as a dart to the wounding and murthering of his soule as Basill speaketh or for her who was taken out of his side to guard and hemme in his heart to be a ladder to the Devill to scale the heart of her husband as Gregory speaketh of Jobs wife was more hainous then when the Serpent and Devill did it who were professed enemyes and so now being directly against the end of her creation and calling and so of all they are thus to thinke of their sinnes and thus to avoyd them That despise my name The sinne they are accused of is contempt of his worship not the omitting of it or the not doing of it at all but the doing of it corruptly carelessely and contemptuously The name of God signifies First himselfe Secondly his properties Thirdly his commands or his authority Fourthly his workes Fifthly his word and worship which is here meant and which they not only omitted which might be through ignorance or some forcible temptation but contemned or despised for many could not pretend ignorance and at this time there was no persecution to compell them to dishonour God but many did it out of a base conceit they had of Gods majesty thinking any kinde of service would serve the turne the word signifies to trample under feet as we doe vile things Math. 5.13 2 Kings 9.33 but did the Preists doe thus Ribera answereth things are oft said to be done which are intended to be done because nothing is wanting in them why it should not be done who have a will to have it done Contempt of Gods name that is when men doe indeed the works of Gods worship and service but doe them negligently Doctrine carelesly and contemptuously thinking if the deed be done it is enough but how for the manner it matters not greatly it is a grievous sinne Manifest that it is here made the grand sinne of this people and these Priests for which the burthen is threatned in the beginning and many particulary judgements afterwards This people did the work of the Lord brought their Sacrifices but they did it carelesly and contemptuously brought any thing as thinking it good enough This was one difference betwixt Abel and Cain though faith was the main yet how carefull the one was that thought the best was bad enough the other the worst would serve for he brought a Sacrifice Gen. 4.3 4. Hence are the qualities of the sacrifices described in the Law God requiring not only Sacrifices but such as were perfect without blemish Levit. 22.20 21 23. Deuter. 17.1 But why this but to shew how he requires the manner of doing aswell as the deed and that he cannot endure corruption here Hence Saul laboured to lessen the fault because they saved the chiefest for the Lord. 1 Sam. 15.15 Hence is that Malach. 1.14 which we shall see hereafter Because this argues a great contempt of God and as we may speake Reas 1 of his persn for when any man is respected either for love or feare there the offices and duties that are performed about him are done neither negligently nor carelesly but with all diligence The Wife that loves her Husband the Child that honours his Father the servant that feares his Master doe their duties with all diligence and care Where the duties are done of course and coldly there is not the respect of the person that should be so it is in our carriage towards God Because it is grosse hypocrisie when men doe thus performe the act Reas 2 and yet their hearts and affections are farre remote and so are no living sacrifices but onely dead carkasses such as must needs stinke in the nosthrils of God yea and thus honouring him they doe dishonour him Isaiah 29.13 St. Salvian speaking of such as worship God corruptly saith Non tam inanis criminis fuisset ad Templum Domini non venire quà m sic venire quia Christianus qui ad Ecclesiam non venit negligentiae reus est qui autem venit sacrilegii minoris enim piaculi reus est si honor Deo non deferatur quam si irrogetur injuria ac per hoc quicunque ista fecerunt non dederunt honorem Deo sed derogaverunt De gubern Dei lib. 8. This being such a sinne argues the age we live in guilty of a great deale of sinne before the Almighty Vse 2 his worship is performed but yet contemned marvellously amongst us As they brought the sacrifices so doe we the workes but so corruptly and carelesly that he speaks to us Ministers and people Ye despise my Name The Word is preached and heard prayers are made Sacraments are delivered and received but alas so carelesly cursarily and customably that it is but the contempt of them and the contempt of God in them How many Ministers preach the Word but for gain
therefore not doe it or doe that which will not be accepted Nay Answ that follows not for then should God have no service of the best who finde themselves ever unfit but onely of hypocrites and carnall men who think any thing good enough but though wants this way be yet must not this be left off for so we read the Children of God have done Nehemiah unfit to pray yet prayed Chapter 1.4 Hanna 1. Sam. 1. Our Saviour Christ himself when his heart was full of sorrow though this was in him an infirmitie without sinne though not in us because of the corruption it draws from our vessell as new wine put into a mustie vessell To teach men not to deferre the service of God till sicknesse and old age Vse 3 when they must needs be without heat and affection To teach every one to whet on one another Vse 4 and to labour to set an edge on one another and to stir up their affections when they are with them to come to the service of God specially such as have charge of others for their charge As they have any desire that God may have the sacrifice and service that is pleasant unto him and to keep themselves free from their sinnes they should as Prov. 27.17 sharpen and Deutr. 6.7 whet and in generall Hebr. 10.24 provoke one another Offer it now unto thy Prince The second reason and proof of their offence because they had gone against civilitie and common honestie This is the corruption of mans nature Doct. that he preferreth man before God loving fearing serving seeking his honour before Gods Gen. 27.12 2 Kings 5.18 John 12.42 43. Neverthelesse among the chief rulers many beleeved in him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be cast out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the prayse of God Joh. 5.44 Yea in all things man is more carefull of all duties and maketh it much more hainous to faile in duty to the one then to neglect and set light by the other Because they see and converse with men daily Reas 1 not so with God it is the reason why John gave him the lie that would brag of the love of God wheÌ„ he lived in the hatred of men 1 Joh. 4.20 Because love being the ground of all duties to God or man and affection to man is naturall to God spirituall Reas 2 that we have of our selves this is the gift of God therefore meere naturall men have care of duties to men more then to God because they have this Love not the other And regenerate men too because after conversion nature helpes us with the spirit to the service of man but to God the spirit onely workes yet but weakely Men being more flesh then spirit a long time after conversion Because men have a carnall understanding because they are ble to see what they receive from men but not from God Reas 3 hence no good turn from men goes unrecompenced at least not without thanks but from God many goe without thanks we have carnall eyes to see what men give us not spirituall to see what God bestowes to see the Instrument not Author Because men have perverse and partiall judgements for that which befalleth a man every one thinkes may befall him Reas 4 but that which toucheth or dishonoureth God they think it toucheth not their freehold at all To teach every man to see the corruption of his heart when when he findeth that he is in himself and others more carefull of the duties that belong to men then to God Vse 1 where the fayling of the one troubleth him more then the neglect of the other In himself he is carefull to live civilly and honestly in the world to give every man his own c. But in the mean time he is carelesse in the duties of Gods service This bewrayes the corruption of his nature for that he may doe by the light of nature and so have heathen men both coÌ„manded done And as it is meet hypocrisie for a man to be carefull in duties unto God when he is careles in duties unto men so the contrary is but meere civilitic he that is truly religious is carefull of both hee that faileth in the one is short of many Heathen and Infidells And in the other hee that goes no further is still but a naturall and cornall man They have carnall affections and understandings and are men of perverse judgements we shall finde that true of them which Saint Augustine writ de mendacio * Nulla bomines graviora peccata aestimant quam quae huic vitae faciunt injuriam Aug. Men esteem those sinnes worst that are most injurious to this life And again Non odiâ—â—us eos qui nulli molesti sunt Wee doe not hate those that live in the practise of sinne be it never so great against God as long as they are not injurious and offensive to man from this corruption is it that men feare man more then God are more desirous to please him to keep and recover his favor then Gods If a great man be offended with them as Chrysostome they will intreat friends and neighbours and others tend patiently many dayes entreat humbly once and again a 100. times and if he will not bee reconciled they can not be in quiet but when they have offended God they can lye and sleep securely and take their ease and follow their pleasures shews not this their corruption From the same corruption is it that if they receive any benefit from men or by them they labor to be thankfull and to recompence but though they cannot but looke upon some of Gods blessings they return none to him As men are liberall in thansk for their feasts and refreshings to the instruments not to the author as Basil As little children that thinke they have their coats from the taylor that maketh them and bringeth them home and putteth them on by reason of their weake conceit from this corruption is it that men mislike disobedient sonnes and bad servants of other men because it may be their owne case to be abused so by their own and the bad example of others may be a meanes to effect the like in theirs when they no waies be like affected when they are rebellious to the word of God Masters will be bitter to servants for unthankfulnesse negligence and carelesnesse of their commodities whereas they never take notice of their lying and swearing that brings in gaine of prophaning of Gods day because the one concerneth them and may be a meanes of their danger and losse and the other nothing so neere toucheth them which maketh God give them over to their corruption to be more unfaithfull to them To be briefe all hate a covetous man more then a prodigall man and an oppressour more then a filthy liver As S. Augustine saith because the one is such as he is more like to injure
labour and so to walke that by the blessing of God upon his endeavours many may be gained to God out of the bondage of sin and Satan be called and converted unto God This is given unto the Word Psal 19.7 in the Ministers preaching of it Rom. 10.14 Isai 49.5 Ezek. 3 17 c. and 33.7 c. Matth. 28.19 Acts 18.9.10 2 Tim. 2.24.25.26 Because he shall be free from their bloud and perishing Reason 1 not onely if he convert but if he so labour as they may be converted though they never be for it not being in his power to work upon the heart and to alter it if he do what he can by all meanes to the outward man he is free else he must be culpable and guilty of his perishing If in Ezekiels parable Chap. 33. a watchman set up of themselves shall answer for their bodies if they perish for want of warning what shall he do that is set up of God Because if God do make his labour effectuall Reason 2 his honour shall be the more I cannot say as Chrysost Non minus praemii if hee come without them he shall not lose his labour but lesse sure because of that Dan. 12.3 And they that bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for ever and ever This reproveth and condemneth all Preachers and Ministers Vse 1 who do not labour so in doctrine and live so in practise that men may be converted to God from iniquity but by negligence and corruption suffer men to remaine still in their sinnes yea harden them in their iniquities They are farre from their dutie and farre unlike to these Priests who were thus approved and commended of God To teach all Ministers so to preach Vse 2 and so to live that they may convert men to God and turne them from iniquity They must exhort improve and rebuke with all meeknesse long-suffering constancie and courage that there may be nothing wanting in them why they should not be turned This is his dutie and he that is a Priest and rebukes not delinquents he forsakes the office of a Priest In the doing of it faithfully he may well expect a blessing from God because of that Isaiah 55.10.11 Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it might give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shal my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it And if he doe waste himselfe hazard his life and spend his strength and gain but one or few it will be the recompence of his labour The Captaine that redeems and recovers but one captive whose freedome is desired by his Prince shall not lose his reward though he shall have greater that recovers more So in this Dan. 12.3 And if God do not blesse his labours yet if he be not wanting in his dutie care and endeavour but be found wise and faithfull he shall be rewarded Isai 49.5 And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant that I may bring Iacob again to him though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength This may teach us why the Ministery of the Word Vse 3 and the Ministers of it are so harsh and so unacceptable unto most men if they be faithfull and will seeke by all means to convert men to God because they must turne them from their sin separate them and their iniquities which they love so dearly as Micha 6.7 Sin is either naturall or by custome or both naturall diseases are almost incurable and no lesse diseases that grow into a custome which is another nature And the Physitian that should go about to cure these against a mans will should have little thanke for his paines and be not greatly welcome when such things cannot be removed without most sharp and bitter medicines great paine and griefe So in this And here is the cause why many a mans ministery at the first comming to a place is very acceptable for a while because he speakes things good and wholesome but somewhat generally because he knowes not the state of his flocke and people but after he hath lived some yeares and sees their sinnes and begins to speake home unto them then is he unacceptable because he would part them and their sins As that Minister that should perswade a divorce betwixt a man his wife which he loves most dearly should never be welcome to his house or company so in this It may be it is but the same he hath often spoke of before but then it was borne because they probably conjectured he meant not them but when he hath been a while with them that it is like he may know them to be guilty of that sinne though happily and ten to one he did not then is it tolerable because they thinke he would separate them and their beloved sinne their profitable and delightfull sinne All the while he will preach peace and comfortable things to them and bring the word of reconciliation and tell them of Gods love and Gods mercie and that he is sent to wooe them to be married to God all that while he shall be kindly welcome As he that should sue for a Prince to win the love of a woman to him all the while he tells of his honour and riches and beauty and such things he shall be kindly welcome but if he come to tell her that she must separate her selfe from some place and company she loves well and change her manners and forsake her friends and fathers house he shall finde his entertainment both for usage and countenance changed So in this Which makes oftentimes Ministers if they be not the more faithfull grow cold and carelesse and so fall into many grievous sins And turne many from iniquity In themselves and of themselves by nature they were in iniquity carnall and sold under sinne Rom. 7. till the Minister by the word brings them out of it and turnes them to God from sinne and makes them his No man naturally is Gods but a slave to sinne and Satan Doctrine 1 till he be turned and converted by the preaching of the Word and work of the Ministerie Turne from iniquity Their conversion to God Doctrine 2 and their calling is thus noted By turning from iniquitie To note this unto us Those who are truly called and converted are turned from their sinne and corruption that is washed cleansed and purged from them 1 Cor. 6.11 VERS VII For the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of
the cause equity and justice and not the persons the honour or commodity that is to be had by them not to deale for that partially with the law or in it but strive to divide the word of truth aright and to goe with a right foote unto the Gospell even as God himselfe will do for they are Gods judgements A Ministers resolution should be that of Elihu Job 32.21 22. I will not now accept the person of man neither will I give titles to man for I may not give titles least my maker should take me away suddenly Remembring that as Saul was put out of the Kalender of Gods Kings for his partiallity and is accounted to have reigned but two years when he did many more so shall they be out of the number of Gods worthies if they be partiall whereas their uprightnesse and faithfulnesse will with the good Steward bring them into the joyes of their Master To perswade our hearers to give us leave to divide the word without partiallity Vse 3 and not to be swayed with their greatnesse and riches and frowns and such like but as occasion may be to deale with their sinnes as others and to give them their portion of judgement as well as mercy without the knitting of their browes the strangenesse of their looke the censure at their tables and tavernes among such as are companions with them in the like iniquity but if they will not we must take leave we had rather fall into the hands of men then God wee know that is a fearefull thing It is neither your wealth nor your favour nor honour and credit that either can keepe us from being vile and dispised If God say to men despise them nor will answer for us when we must give an account of our Stewardship VERS X. Have we not all one father hath not one God made us Why doe we transgresse every one against his brother and breake the covenant of our fathers HAve we not all one father The second part of the Chapter beginneth here and continueth to the end containing the reproofe of divers particular vices in the people of Israel in generall both Priest and people in this tenth verse he reproveth their injurious and unequall dealing in the generall Have we not all one father Some understand these words with the next verse as if it were a reason spoken in the defence of their taking of Idolatrous wives by them who had done it their reason is thus That seeing that they had all one father which was Adam and all one Creator which was God there was no reason why they should not marry with them But others doe understand them as two main reasons against their marrying them urged by the Prophet from God himselfe and so the expounding of the words will rather confirme and the greater consent of the learned old and new goe that way Hierom saith that the people being returned out of captivity the Princes and Priests and people put away their wives of the Israelites kindred which by reason of their poverty and injury of the long way and weakenesse of their sexe impatiently bearing the labour were wasted and became both infirme and deformed in body whereupon they matched with strangers who were fresh in yeares beautifull and comely the daughters of rich and mighty men as we may see in the ninth of Ezra that is with the Canaanites Hethites Pheresites Jebusites Ammonites c. Therefore they thinke the Prophet here reproves them first for their marriages and after for their divorces Verse 16. There are two speciall and chiefe causes of love and good will amongst men the one is kindred affinity or consanguinity the other is one and the same society of religion First nature compells men to affect and love earnestly those who are borne in the same family descended from the same parents and stocke which bond cannot be violated or broken off without great wickednesse Secondly men reasonable and wise do thinke those specially to be affected by them who are companions with them in the same religion and worship And though this is the most worthy and sure yet the other goes before and first carries sway with men because it is by nature bred with them and continued from their infancie And these two they are here pressed withall as those which condemnes their fact dealing thus to put away the daughters of Israel the worshippers of the true God and to take unto them the daughters of the heathen worshippers of the false Gods For the first of these reasons it is here said Have we not all one Father That is are we not all men and women descended from Abraham by one Isaac from Isaac by one Iacob Why then should we thus doe dismisse those or passe them over and joyne our selves to the kindred of the heathen and strangers And for the second he saith Hath not one God made us Do we not all acknowledge one God the Creator and worship and serve him with dutie Do you dismisse those wives who acknowledge the same Creator with you and worship him and take unto you those who worship Idols for him and put their trust in them To create or the Creator is not here taken in that common sense as when we speake of Gods creation of the world for then could this be no reason against but rather for them as some would make it a reason in that sort which the Prophet laboureth to confute But this being against them must not be taken in that sense but in another sense as there is a speciall use of it in the Scripture when it speaketh and dealeth of some new secret disposition of things as Jer. 31.22 And so it is used Isaiah 65.18 of such a speciall creation is it here meant where love and dutie is specially due unto those who are of the same religion with us who follow the lawes and statutes of the same Creator and Author Why do we transgresse every one against his brother It is taken by some to be the reproofe of their vice though closely or not so openly as vers 11. it is set downe i. seeing we are of one kindred descended from one father why do we thus transgresse one against another either putting away or refusing our owne kindred in respect of strangers and aliens Brother here some interpret either the sister or daughter of our brother or rather according to the use of the Scripture and Hebrew which by brother understand the female as well as the Male. And the application according to the occasion either both or but the one Both as Jam. 1.2 and the one as here upon this occasion must needs be the female And breake the covenant of our Fathers Some thinks that this is applied unto the second reason because the covenant of the Fathers was That they all and their whole posterity should acknowledge and worship one God onely and one people should be consecrated to one and the same God Others thinke
marvell when most parents care onely for their owne bodies and not for their soules How should they care for the soules of their children seeing charity ever begins at home To them the Prophet speaketh at least by way of allusion as it is applyed by some of the learned Haggai 1.2.4 They say it is not yet time to looke to Gods house and his worke that when they are old they are afraid to be young Saints they or theirs they let Gods house lye waste and his field grow over with weeds the soules of themselves and their children If they would consider their wayes in their hearts they should finde God plagues us for this sinne as for others verse 6.7 If any man should hang thy house and adorne it with cloath of gold and hanging of Arras and should compell thee to sit naked in ashes wouldst thou take it well thou wouldst not Now not another but thou thy selfe adornest the house of thy soule with gold and pearles and suffers thy soule to sit in filthinesse and corruption so of thy children How shall God take it at thy hands Knowest thou not that the Prince of the Citie ought to be magnifically deckt Chrysost de diversis hom 70. Let every man then remit off his care for the one and increase it for the other And let it not be true in this that the Kings work and the Church worke is most negligently looked to But as Kish Sauls father ceased earing for the Asses and cared for Saul who must be King so for the soule seeke to have it nourished and decked and adorned And wherefore one Because he sought a godly seed The end of marriage noted and the reason why still God appoints but one for one and hath not allowed Bygamy or Polygamy but codemnes it Of which then first Polygamy is simply wicked impious and unlawfull this is Doctrine for a man to have two or moe wives or one woman two or moe husbands The learned make two kinds of Polygamy first when a man hath two wives but successively one after the death of the other touching which now there is no controversie neither ever was it sinne in the Court of Conscience how heretically soever Tertullian after his fall disputeth against it or how hotly soever Hierom opposeth it under the name of Bygamy against Iovinian and others Secondly when one man hath two or many wives and è contra of which is here spoken and condemned Further it is condemned by the Scripture Gen. 2.24 Cleave to his wife not wives Hier they one flesh one cannot be so with many And if any except that two is not there expressed he may finde it Matth. 19.5 Further vers 9. And if he that puts her away may not doe it what he that keeps her If adultery in the one how not in the other Prov. 5.18.19 None of which can be if many wives be taken 1 Cor. 7.2 To avoid fornication let every man have his wife and let every woman have her owne husband His wife saith the Apostle not wives and her owne or proper husband not such an one as is common to her and another Ephes 5.25 Christ had and hath but one Church So Ierome reasoneth against Iovinian inveighing against Lamech the first Polygamist who as he saith had divided one rib into two Reasons against this besides that the Spirit of God hath here set downe we adde these First no man may take that which is anothers and give it to another without the knowledge and consent of him that is owner of it Now the man hath not power over his owne body but his wife 1 Cor. 7.4 And if it may be supposed she may remit her right besides that she hath no power to it for God gave it her but for herselfe and not to translate it whither she will In God himselfe remaines the full right who will not remit it if she will Secondly they must not defraud one another of their company fellowship and due benevolence 1 Cor. 7. But this they must needs doe if they have many So we may see it Gen. 30.15 Thirdly because the love betwixt them ought to be in the highest degree being one flesh and one bone In respect of her he ought to love none else Now friendship and love in the highest degree saith S. Augustine by the light of reason cannot be betwixt many for the more it is extended to many there must needs be remission of it towards every one And in Polygamy it is manifest that for the love of one the rest are contemned and made as hand-maids to her and she onely ruleth Fourthly because heathen men by the light of nature have condemned it though some of them did practise it as Laban Gen. 31.50 If thou shalt vex my daughters or shalt take wives besides my daughters there is no man with us behold God is witnesse between thee and me Also the Roman Emperours Dioclesian and Maximian decreed that none under the power of the Romanes should have two wives seeing that in the edict of the Pretor such a man is to be accounted infamous Divers such lawes there are so that Arcadius and Honorius would not permit the Jewes their Polygamy Socrat. hist lib. 4. cap. 26. edit Christopher p. 672. onely Socrates reporteth in his Eccles hist lib. 4.31 that Valentinian having Severa married Iustina And to cover his filthinesse made an Act that it might be lawfull for a man to have two wives but that law was rejected and condemned afterwards and that very shortly This being a truth Vse 1 serves to confute all of the contrary minde as sometime was that Apostata Bernard Ochin who hath written certaine dialogues and laboured to establish this against the word of God Infinite it were to trouble you with all yet some The greatest is the examples of many of the holy Fathers as recorded in the Scripture who had many wives and are no where reproved I answer First it followes not Their reproofe is not set downe therefore it was not for seeing the Prophet Malachy reproves it why may it not be supposed others did so Besides many things were done that we never finde reproved which argues not the lawfulnesse of them The incest of Iacob and Lot Davids judgement against Mephibosheth and with Siba and such like Thirdly if it were not yet we live by precept not example Fourthly the multitude nor the greatnesse of offenders will excuse neither can antiquity prescribe against the word of God But as for the Fathers it is answered by the learned First that God remitted his law to them which appeares say they because he neither reproved it by his Prophets neither did he at the publishing of the Law expressely condemne it as he did some others as incest Levit. 19. before they thinke Iacobs marriage of two sisters was lawfull therefore he remitted his law yet so as they were not without all sinne in it For sinne they consider either as an aberration
their unlike and that which is so contrary to them The more righteous the Judge is the more he hates iniquity and sinne he is righteousnesse it selfe The sunne is the greatest enemy to darkenes because it hath light of it selfe and as it were is light it selfe Because it workes the destruction of the creature Reason 3 which he loves Jam. 1.15 Now then loving his creature he must needs dislike and hates this parents hate and dislike those creatures men or beasts who worke the ruine of their children the fruit of their bodies and generally whatsoever a man loves he hates that which worketh the ruine of it For sinnes past which a man hath commited Vse 1 he must be grieved and displeased with himselfe that ever he committed any such things by which he hath grieved and vexed so holy and righteous a God And this ought he to do if either he have love to God or to himselfe Semper in amore cautel la est nemò melius diligit quam qui maxime veretur offendere Sal. Ep. To God because where men love they are loath to offend and grieved when they have displeased them so that it is a note of a gracelesse child one without any love to his father that is never grieved when he sees his father grieved and vexed with his leudnesse and evill carriage he may be a child but he is a prodigall sonne and shall never be accepted till he returne and shew himselfe grieved that he hath grieved him True love seekes to please the beloved rather then it selfe and is more grieved that it hath displeased such one As Salvia Qui satis ailigunt non citò offendūtur sed si nō facilè offendunt then if it had offended it selfe And whereas men are more displeased of the losse of their owne pleasure then to the displeasure of God how can it be but that selfe love is above Gods love As Salvia saith whom a man is loathest to offend he most loves of himselfe or God but where Gods love raigneth as it ought there this dislike and griefe will be And if this should not make them dislike and grieve yet if any man indeed love himselfe he will dislike and grieve for them because if he doe it not voluntarily As Chry. of man quifuerit sub vinculis bonus nunquā erit profectò bonus simulac enim vi nullacogitur liber ipse ad ingentum subito conversus iterum descesset So I of this griefe he shall doe it by force and constraint for if he judge not himselfe and so take revenge of himselfe for his offending of God the Lord will and make him grieve though oftentimes not as he ought * because such griefe in judgements is not alwaies true griefe yet he shall grieve as he would not for God will bring upon him that which will make him grieve some judgement or other to shew that as he loves them who love him so will he grieve those who grieve him which if it be come upon them they shall finde that true that a disease is not so soone removed as it is easily prevented So here And that it will grieve them as in diseases not the disease but that they neglected the meanes by which they might have prevented it For the time to come men ought to put away their sinnes Vse 2 and keepe themselves from committing new sinnes or renewing the old for it is that which is a griefe unto the Lord and his Spirit and should not men avoid the grieving of God not words and workes which are against God and doe displease him If sinne were a thing which God regardeth not and he were no waies affected or moved with it to griefe or displeasure lesse matter were to be made of it it were no great matter though men satisfied themselves and pleased themselves but being as it is so displeasing to the Lord such a grief unto him It is not only to be sorrowed for cōmitted but carefully to be avoided If he be a foolish son that is an heavnesse to his mother Prov. 10.1 What is he that is a grief to God his father how foolish and wicked is he One asked this question to one about to sinne Tell me what thou thinkest will he pardon thee or no whatsoever thou answer it shall be against thy selfe Ablatus erat à peccatoribus timor nè posset esse cautela And tanta animorum vel potius peccatorum caecitas fuit ut cum absque dubio nullus perire vellet nullus tamen id agcret ne periret Salvia if thou thinke he will not pardon thee what folly and desperatenesse is that to offend a mighty Prince without hope of pardon if thou thinke he will what ingratitude and impiety is it to offend so gracious and good a God so when thou art about to commit any evill or dost omit some good formerly practised and as thou wouldest be thought to have done it of conscience and so it may be though now asleepe Tell me I say what thinkest thou dost thou grieve and displease God or is it liking to him Answer what thou wilt thou shalt not avoyde but be taken If thou say or thinke it doth not displease him thou thinkest wickedly and shalt know it Psal 50.21 but if thou thinke it displease him what a desperatenesse is this to provoke such a great God so mighty a Prince And though thy sinnes bring thee in never so much pleasure and profit for a time never so much contentment and satisfaction yet while God is displeased and offended yea grieved with it thinke the end will be worse for thee For doe they provoke me to anger saith God and not themselves to the confusion of their faces As if he said As Cyprian de lapsis Plus imò delinquit qui secundū hominem Deū cogitans evadere se poenā criminis credit si non palam crimē admisit sun̄ doe they imagine I will long beare my griefe and goe mourning away and not pay them home and ease my selfe yes they shall finde that I have said Isaiah 1.24 Therefore saith the Lord God of Hoasts the mighty one of Israel ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Therefore let men put away their iniquities cease of firming and not grieve the Lord. Let no man imagine that this he will not part with but yet doe something which may please God As prophane Esau with his father Gen. 28.8.9 for if they doe it shall be with them as with him though his father meant to blesse him yet God would not have it so though men and the worke blesse them yet shall it not be so For imitation if God be grieved at the sinnes of others Vse 3 then ought they to be so too vide Mal. 1.6 in properties of filiall feare And if it doe grieve them indeed then will they not use familiarity with those whose words and workes are bitter and sharpe
called the Messenger because he declares unto us the will of his Father is the Prophet of the Church and to it Christ is the principall Prophet of the Church Doctrine to reveale his Fathers will unto them Rev. 3.14 Of the Covenant Christ is so called because God covenanted with the Fathers or promised them he would give him them to be their Prophet Christ was promised to the forefathers Doctrine God did covenant with them to send him in the fullnesse of time to be their Prophet and Saviour So much is affirmed here And is also proved by Gen. 2.23 For so the Apostle takes it to be spoken of Christ and his Church Ephe. 5.30 31 32. Also that Gen. 3.15 Now from hence till this time it was still prophesied of the continuall Oracles of the Prophets As Deuter. 18.18 Isaiah 9.6 This is that generally affirmed Rom. 1.1 2. Because he loved them therefore he promised him unto them Reason 1 For there is the same reason of the promise which is of the performance but this came from love John 3.16 Because in his love he desired to save them Reason 2 and there being no other meanes but Christ Acts 4.12 He promised him that as we are saved by the performance and the vertue of that is past so they might be saved by the promise and the vertue of that which was to come To teach the excellency and worthinesse of the Gospel Vse 1 and the mysteries of salvation by Christ seeing it was promised so long time before by God himselfe and the promise so often iterated and repeated to the Fathers Things that Princes promise are not small or of little worth but of great value but that which they promise so long before and which they so often renew to severall men must needs be great and excellent when they are known to be Princes of great Magnificence and Glory So of this And as by that God would kindle in them a marvelous desire and an earnest desire to have it effected and accomplished so would he in us a due estimation and love unto it being now accomplished for being God hath provided better for us then for them as Heb. 11.40 We ought the more to love believe and esteem of it If Moses accounted but of the sight of the promised Land a farre off and rejoyced in it They who enjoyed it were much more bound to rejoyce in such a performed mercy of God If the Fathers Hebr. 11.13 When they saw the promises but as marriners upon the sea within the kenning of the land the sight of wished for Cities which they never came to much more we who do enjoy them performed least if we delight not in the knowledge and live in the faith of them we see them not Luke 17.22 If God in his love promised them Christ Vse 2 and it was love that he did promise it much more is it love he hath performed it to us Seeing that is more love which is in deed then in words Therefore ought we if they to love him and the more nay if they were bound in words we in deed and if a bare profession acknowledgement or beliefe would have sufficed them it would not us but we must love him indeed which is to keep his commandements and give him obedience and if as Chrysâ— the Jewes obeyed in the candle light how much more we in the sunne light So if they for the promises we more for the performance If Courtiers give all attendance for to rise more when they are â—isen Behold he shall come This is to be understood of the first comming in the flesh and infirmity not his comming in Glory And so some take this to note his comming in the flesh so his humanity Christ came into the world and became man Doctrine tooke unto him not the nature of Angels but of the seede of man Heb. 2.16 He shall come saith the Lord. In this comming is noted the execution of his office it selfe and this saith the Prophet the Lord saith as noting unto us that Christ did not take this office to hunselfe but he was sent of God and called to it of his father Christ did not take this calling unto him Doctrine to be the Angell and Prophet of his Church but he was called to it and appointed by God So here For seeing God saith he shall come it argues that he sends him and therein the promise appeareth Hence that Deut. 18.18 I will raise them up a Prophet Isai 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath annointed me to preach c. John 20.21 As the father hath sent me so send I you John 5.37 The father himselfe hath sent me Because it is an honor to be but Gods Embassadour under Christ Reason 1 and from him more to be immediately Now the reason for the Priesthood will hold in this Heb. 5.4 No man may take it ambitiously to himselfe but he must be called and sent Because all might understand and know Reason 2 that it was Gods work and his businesse that he did therefore he sent him he doth his worke John 4.34 and that argues God sent him John 5.36 Because he onely knew the will of God and was able to manifest it Reason 3 therefore God sent him as the chiefe John 1.18 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him This commends unto us the speciall love of God Vse 1 and his goodnesse to mankind who sent his owne Sonne from his bosome to be our Prophet to teach us his will and the knowledge of himselfe being that which couldnot be had any other waies neither by any other meanes and being that also which was of that necessity that there is no salvation without it John 17.3 If it could have beene had by any other meanes or if it had not such a consequent as the salvation of man it had nothing so appeared the goodnesse and love of God but seeing neither the one could be and the other is it much commends and sets forth his love And so ought we to account of it and to rejoyce much in the incarnation of Christ by which these mercies were conveyed unto us To teach every man to heare and receive Christ Vse 2 seeing he is sent as a Prophet to teach us of the father When I speake of hearing him I meane the hearing of him by the meanes he hath appointed by his delegates and substitutes whom he hath appointed for that purpose his Ministers Therefore ought he to be heard both personally and by what meanes soever he hath surrogated for himselfe to speake in his person seeing God hath appointed him and sent him As Matt. 17.5 While he yet spoke behold a bright cloud shadowed them And behold there came a voyce out of the cloud saying this is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him The commandement is direct if we make
for I assent not unto Iunius his reading and his note upon the place which the reader may see After the Captivity as they brought with them from Babylon the names of Angels not proper names as Iacob Bonfrerius discourseth it comment in Iudic. c. 13. v. 17. Where hee purposely handles the question whether Angels have any names but of their office as Gabriel Raphael Vriel so it is likely they might more usually call their sonnes Angells that manner of language seeming to bee very ordinary with them and our Prophet oft useth it so hee calls the Priest Cap. 2.7 and Christ Cap. 3.1 and Iohn Baptist in the same Verse T' was his name and I suppose given him not by the people as Epiphanius tells us in his life who because of his comely forme and holy life called him so but by his father at his birth or circumcision It was a commendable practise of the Iewes to give their children the names of such as had formerly exceld in vertue a custome imitated by Christians who used to call such children as were borne to them upon or neare the festivalls of any of the Apostles or others by their names which custome Philip Pareus in the life of his father David Pareus tells us was observed in his country and that for that reason his Father had that name given him or for the remembrance of some event or for the foretelling of some thing to come to passe But however usually they gave them names of a good signification Which though wee are not bound to imitate as some doe even unto superstition but have a liberty to impose such names as are in use in our Country though haply wee know not the signification of them yet it hath beene also the piety of Christian Churches to provide that no unfitting names bee given in Baptisme among others wee have a good constitution of Iohn Pecham sometimes Archbishop of Canterbury Attendant Sacerdotes ne lasciva nomina quae scilicet mox prolata sonent in lasciviam imponi permittant parvulis baptizatis sexus praecipuè foeminini si contrarium fiat per confirmantes episcopos corrigatur Let the Priests see that they suffer no wanton names which sound lasciviously to bee given unto infants in their Baptism especially to the female sexe and if there bee let the Bishops change them at their confirmation Lyndw. provinc lib. 3. De Bapt. cap. Circ Sacramentum See also the glosse there But this only by the way Who the Father of Malachy was we finde not and yet that his Father was not a prophet is not to be concluded for that rule of latter Hebrewes That such Prophets whose Fathers are named were the sonnes of Prophets and otherwise not Is found to bee uncertaine by Burgensis in Hos 1. and by Franc. Ribera praelud 4. in Expos proph and condemned also by Ioh. Drusius Lect. in Hos 1.1 The place also of his birth is as uncertaine save that Epiphanius and out of him Ribera praelud 5. tell us it was Sopha a Towne of Zabulon A place not at all mentioned or observed by Eusebius or S. Hierom in Bonfrerius his Onomasticon nor by M. Iohn More in his exact map of the Land For the time of his prophecying see the following commentary with which I sit downe in this point unwilling to endeavour to reconcile Chronologers about the precise yeare Ioh. Alsted in Thesauro Chronol Titulo 13. places him An. M. 3537. Our Isaackson in that diligent and industrious worke of his places him an hundred yeares sooner not farre from which time the Hebrewes in their Seder Olam Zuta or briefer Chronicle translated by Genebrard doe pitch setting his death An. M. 3404. But the Sepher hakkabala writ by R. Abraham Davidis as Genebrard calls him who also translated some part of it or R. Abraham bar dior as Buxtorfius names him in Bibliotheca Rabbinica litera P. yet nearer to the yeare of Isaackson and our commentary about A. M. 3450. Let such as have leasure and thinke it worth the time satisfy themselves farther to me it is plaine by the matter that he handles that he prophecyed after the Temple was built for he reproves their profaning of the Altar and a little before the comming of Ezra for he inveighed against their marrying with strangers which Ezra by his authority did remedy Epiphanius tells us hee was borne after the captivity and dyed young As if he had beene an Angel onely came and told his errand and presently returned But thus much for the inscription by way of preface wee are next to consider the prophecie it selfe from Vers 2. to the end of the Booke II. The prophecy it selfe which containes diverse contestations with them all both priests and people for many things that were amisse among them But being concise and patheticall as most of the Prophets are and abounding in affection hee intermingleth with his contestations and reproofes sometimes persuasions sometimes threatnings sometimes promises Yet saving the judgment of others who have handled this booke I resolve the whole prophecy into eight contestations First for their ingratitude and contempt of Gods worship from cap. 1. vers 2. to Chap. 2. v. 10. Secondly for their unequall and unrighteous dealing with each other Cap. 2. ver 10. Thirdly for their marrying with strangers and infidells Cap. 2. ver 11.12 Fourthly for their polygamy Chap. 2. ver 13.14 15 16. Fifthly for their blasphemy against God and his providence from Chap. 2. ver 17. to Chap. 3. ver 7. Sixthly for their impenitence Chap. 3. ver 7. Seventhly for their Sacriledge Chap. 3. ver 8 9 10 11 12. Eightly againe for their Blasphemy and Atheisme from Chap. 3. ver 13. to the end of the Booke I. The first Contestation He contests with the Priests and the people for their ingratitude and contempt of Gods worship from Chap. 1. ver 2. to Chap. 2. ver 10. In this 1. He expostulates with them Chap. 1. ver 2. to the 9. 2. He threatens them ver 9. to the end of Chap. 1. 3. He amplifies the former expostulations and threatnings Chap. 2. ver 1. to the 10. I. He expostulates with them 1. For their ingratitude ver 2. to the 6th 2. For their contempt and profaning of Gods worship ver 6 7 8. I. He expostulates with them for their ingratitude ver 2. unto ver 6. They did not account of nor so much as acknowledge Gods love The Prophet therefore presents the Lord reasoning with them and convincing them of it We have 1. The proposition of Gods love 2. The proofe of it First the proposition of Gods love ver 2. I have loved you sayth the Lord. Tremell reades it in the present I love you Not only as Hier I have loved you that is the Iewes while they loved me and kept my Covenant they had testimonies of my love but according to the force of the Hebrew who by one tense signify all I have loved you and doe love you else
they might object what is that to us that thou hast loved our fathers and hatest us Secondly the proofe of it Where I. The occasion of it There questioning with God II. Gods answer to it First the occasion is their questioning and unthankfull denyall of his love Yet yee say Genev. And yet yee say Vul And yee have sayd Trem. Pisc And yee say Vatable And yee will say So he because Vau turnes the preter into the future Chald. And if yee shall say This variety yet alters not the sense Yet yee say wherein hast thou loved us or dost thou love us so Trem. What testimony is there of thy love It is the objection of the people rising partly from their oscitancy and forgetfulnesse partly from the observation and sense of their former and present miseries Secondly Gods answer to their objection by way of proofe of his love 1. That he chose them before Esau and his posterity Hee chose their family and the father of it and preferd him before Esau though equall to him in other respects being his brother his twin-brother yea his elder brother Was not Esau Iacobs brother Vse 3 saith the Lord yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esau The sense is The Anomaly in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see in Amama Gram. l. 1. c. 10. Nu. 21. I have loved and chosen Iacob and you his posterity before Esau and the Idumaeans Which was true First When both the fathers of these families were in the wombe before any desert or actuall fault The History is Gen. 25.23 I have hated 1 lesse loved Esau Iacob being before and above him So Leah was sayd to bee hated Rachel being preferd before her Gen. 29.31 And in that sense Christ will have us hate Father and Mother that is he will be preferd before them Luke 14.20 with Math. 10.37 See also Deut. 21.15 Prov. 13.24 and 19.6 7. Math. 6.24 And besides Esau is to be taken at least in this place not so much personally as Originally for some thinke Esau himselfe did not fall away to idolatry though the Edomites afterwards did Vide Apparatus ad orig Eccl. 1. Appar sect 24. yet he was a prophane person and if he remained impenitent was reprobated so Par ad Rom. 9. Dub. 4. But however it were with him here the context sheweth the Lord speaketh of the posterities and their whole posterities the whole border or nation but election is of certaine persons not of any whole nation Secondly when the Iewes were preferd before the Idumeans They had the Law of God and his ordinances the Temple and Gods worship the ministery of the Prophets yea and the rule and dominion over Edom. 3. And cheifely at that present when Malachy prophecyed when the Iewes were returned into their Country and the Edomites left in captivity Unto this temporall condition of theirs the Geneva note applyes all and so the meaning of the place seemes to be unto me though the Apostle citing this place rises higher to treate of praedestination Ro. 9 11 12 13. And what use hee makes of this place to that purpose is more fit there to enquire to the commentators on which I doe therefore refer the Reader Secondly that he now shewed a different dealing toward them That whereas they were now againe in their owne land which is onely intimated here yet Edom was left wast and un-inhabited And they might the rather consider this as a testimony of Gods love to them that this was done to Edom for their sake for so wee finde it in Obadiah ver 10.11 That their unmercifulnesse in Hierusalems destruction is payd home unto them This desolation of Edom is set out to bee 1. Extreame ver 3. 2. Unrecoverable ver 4. 3. Notorious ver 4 5. I. Extreame I hated Esau and layd his mountaines and his heritage wast for the Dragons of the Wildernesse It is a circumlocution to expresse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that totall ruine of Edom. His Mountaines 1. The Mountaines of Seir so named not of Esau but of Seir the father of the Horites as Bonfrerius argues against both Eusebius and S. Hierom in his Onomasticon A stony and hilly Country being part of Arabia Petrea like unto Tirolis or Helvetia among the Alpes or as our Country of Wales So it is described to bee by all the Prophets that mention it and prophecyed against it as Ieremy Ezekiel Obadiah A large tract it is though a barren larger then Christianus Adrichomius hath described it to bee as Jac. Bonfrerius proves against him Annot. 5. in Chorogr Tabulam because Elath and Ezion-gaber which are seated upon the red Sea were within it as appeares Deut. 2.8 1. Kin. 9.26 2 Cro. 8.17 To which also agrees M. Mores map And his heritage The land which the posterity of Esau possessed haereditario jure for as God gave the Canaanites to the Iewes so hee gave the Hortons the old inhabitants of that part into the hand of the Edomites Wast Ruinous and desolate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all signifie the same thing and when an utter desolation is to bee exprest Two of them are sometimes put together as Ezek. 35.3 O mount Seir I will make thee Shemama Umeshamma wastnes and desolation Or as our English reades it most desolate And ver 7. of the same Chapter two more are together I will make mount Seir Shimama Ushemama desolation and desolation Or Wastnes and Wastnes or as ours most desolate And how that is wee see ver 15. Thou shall be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumaea even all of it That is no place fit for men to dwell in but as it is in the next words For the dragons in the Wildernesse The French and Deodate Exposed to Dragons Another phrase to expresse an utter desolation usuall in the Prophets Lam. 5.18 Esay 13.19.20.21 22. Which description of the ruining of Babylon will give light to this phrase and of which place Benjamin In Itinerario observed and relates That that old Babylion is utterly overthrowne in which Nebuchodonosors stately ruines are yet to be scene but inaccessible for men became of the diverse and harmefull kinds of Serpents and Dragons lurking there And they are here called The Dragons of the Wildernesse either because where they abound they will turne a place into a Wildernesse by driving men from their habitations Or because they doe usually breed and live in such uncouth and forlorne places or which wee may observe because it was the Wildernesse of this Country of Edom where the Israelites were stung with fiery Serpents this Country a great part of it being Wildernesse and abounding naturally with Serpents they should swarme and possesse the rest of the land which how great a judgement it is wee have notably and excellently set forth by Lucan in his Pharsalia lib. 9. describing Cato's dangerous passage through the Lybian Desart But for
by their fruit and practice For when their little love to the assembly of the Church appeareth by their negligent frequenting of them when prayers are made and the word Preached Saint Hierome tels me directly that some thinke they need not the preaching of the Church some not the prayers but thinke they are able enough to instruct themselves of themselves to prevaile with God which riseth commonly either from ignorance or knowledge the ignorance of their infirmities or the knowledge of their graces that makes them not desire the helpes of others as Moses tooke Aaron and Hur with him when he went to pray being privy to his own infirmities This makes them disdain others being puffed up with pride and self conceit To instruct every man be his excellency what it may be Vse 2 to affect and desire the prayers of others of the Ministers and publique congregations and the people of God for besides that God is in a speciall manner there present the caue why David and his men so desired the Temple Psal 84.1 3 7. So men in desiring them shew themselves to delight in the presence of God as gracious children in beholding the face of their father there is much profit to be had by them Non parvus est fructus domine ut à multis tibi gratiae aguntur de nobis à multis regeris pro nobis August confess 10.4 The benefit is not small O Lord that thou shouldest bee praysed by many of us and prayed unto by many for us For a man shall have not only the benefit of the prayers of one or two but many hundreds and if one faithfull prayer prevaile much Jam. 5. how much more many Thus shall he enjoy the communion of Saints which is a worthy thing so shall he better increase in the graces blessings received and keep that he hath for the best here and the most perfect must not imagine himselfe to bee already a burning and shining light within the house of heaven Sic ardens lucens nondum in domo se esse confidat ubi sine omni timore ventorum accensum lumen deportatur sed meminerit se esse sub dio utrague manu studeat operire quod portat nec credat aeri etiamsi videat esse tranquillum Repentè enim hora quae non putaverit mutabitur si vel modicum manus remiserit lumen extinguetur Bern. ser 3. in vigil nat Dom. l. where once kindled there is no danger of any winds to blow it out but must remember that he is yet in the open ayre and must cover and defend the light he carries with both hands nor be confident though the ayre seeme to bee calme for sooner then he is aware if he take away his hand his light may be pussed out saith Saint Bernard If the prayers of living Saints bee so needfull and profitable Quest whose prayers we may desire and intreat why not also of dead Saints why may not their prayers be profitable to us and we desire them How profitable soever their prayers may be to us Answ and how certaine soever it may be that they doe pray for us as some think with Bernard ser 2. in vigi Nat. Dom. that Apocal. 6.10 doth prove it because of the anser vers 11. yet to desire their prayers as those who are living is not lawfull because it is without precept or president in the Scripture because it is agains reason and the Scripture For first that they know not what we doe nor heare our prayers is manifest Isaiah 63.16 againe how should they come to the knowledge of them they in Heaven we in Earth and dispersed in many severall places As for the answer of the Rhemists out of Hierome against Vigilantius that they are in every place because they must follow the Lambe withersoever he goeth Revel 14.4 if the place be understood of them who imitate Christ upon earth and not of the soules departed as it may be at least it must bee unstood of all the lect whereof part are in the Church in the earth then the conclusion must be they who are upon earth must be every where as well as they who are in heaven which is most absurd But admit it of the Saints in heaven how is it possible they should be every where Not at one and the same instant they say but such is their motion speed and agaility to be where they list and their power and will is answerable as ell as the devill can be every where to worke mischiefe To which I answer that their comparison is absurd for the Devils by propriety of nature and the Lords permission have such passage in the wold So have not the soules of the Saints for they are appointed by God to rest Revel 6.11 and 14.13 What rest if they must be tossed up and downe by the breaths of men sometime in England sometime in France c But say they did how were it possible they should heare the prayers of all that call upon them at one and the same instant if they be not in many severall places at one and the same instant And if it be impossible the prayers must needs be vaine Besides if it were not yet in that which Papists give their reason for it is made more abhominable that is to make way for themselves to the favour of God even as by Nobles and great men we procure accesse to the King Numquid tam demens est aliquis c. Is there any so mad saith Ambrose in Epist ad Rom. cap. 1. or so carelesse of his life that he will give the honour of the King to a Noble man to procure him accesse to him when he shall be guilty of treason when hee commeth before him And yet they thinke they are not guilty of treason to God who under pretence of seeking God by Saints doe give unto the Creatures the honour of God the Creator and forsaking the Lord worship their fellow-servants And though there be saith he some reason why they should make way to a King by his Nobles and Pensioners because hee is a man and knows not who are fit to be trusted with the Common-wealth yet unto the Lord who knows all things and knows the worths and worthinesse of men there needs no spokes-man but onely a holy mind Thus farre he But to adde to him that this thing is without precept in Old or New Testament confessed by themselves Eccius grants not in the Old because the Fathers were then in limbo a good reason against him and the Israelites were marvellous prone to Idolatry Not in the New lest the Gentiles should returne to their Idolatry and lest the Apostles should be too vaine-glorious and ambitious if they had commanded it and so a great difference and strong reason why we may pray to Saints living but not to Saints departed Fur us He separates not himselfe from this Church for all the corruption
most sincere Ministers have beene no better esteemed or regarded 2 Kings 9.11 Jer. 29.26 Acts 2.13 and 26.24 Matth. 11.18 1 Cor. 4.9 ad 14. Because it befell to Christ Reas 1 who was many wayes evill spoken of John 10.20 Matth. 11.19 then no marvell if his Ministers and members be in the same condition for Matth. 10.24 25. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master is and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold Because the Ministers of God must deale with and reprove the sinnes of men Reas 2 and not spare them but threaten them for them Now when they are as Basil speaketh like Physitians who make warre not with their patient but with his disease and passion so not with them but their sinnes they thinke hee is their enemy and maketh warre against them therefore they speake evill of him To teach us not to be offended Vse 1 if we finde now many mockers and scorners of the Ministers and Ministery many who regard them not but contemne them and raise up all manner of evill speeches against them it is no new thing for there is none under Heaven It was prophesied it should be 2 Pet. 3.3 mockers 2 Tim. 3.3 despisers of them who are good and therefore still will be while the accuser of the brethren doth rule in the Ayre and is Prince of this world and doth rule in the children of disobedience he will make them mock and despise contemne and slander and oftentimes such as would make reasonable men affraid lest their slanders should be found false yet that troubles them not because they still hope it will make for their advantage he instructing them who taught Machiavill * Detrahe audacter aliquid adhaerebit Machiavil Slander one confidently and somewhat will sticke to him If that be true which Tertullian writeth Adversus Gent. Apol. cap. 1. * Nihil iniquius quà m ut oderint homines quos ignorant etiamsi res meretur odium Tertul. Nothing is worse than to hate men whom they know not though they deserve to be hated What is it then that they should slander men whom they know not when the thing deserveth great honour Vse 2 This must teach the Ministers patiently to abide the base conceits and opinions of men It is no new thing if they did it to the greene tree what will they doe to the dry if to those who have lived before more to these It is that whereunto they were appointed 1 Thes 3.3 that of Christ will be true Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Name falsely Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you which if any incurre not lesse or more in his portion he may feare and suspect himselfe whether he be Christs or no seeing Christ so speaketh Luke 6.26 Woe unto you when all men shall speake well of you for so did their fathers to the false Prophets he may suspect himselfe rather false than true That of Plinius Cecilius which he was wont to set upon his Schooles may be applyed Sciamus eum pessimè dixisse cui maximè sit applansum Wee know he that hath most applause hath made the worst Oration VERSE XIII Ye said also Behold it is a wearinesse and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hostes and ye offered that which was torne and the lame and the sick thus ye offered an offering should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord YE say also behold it is a wearinesse The second corruption here reproved is outward pollution which is double in speech and gesture The speech some expound as spoken by the Priests taking up the breast or shoulder of a carrion sheepe which was his due Levit. 7.31 32. see what I have for my labour but the Priests themselves had a hand in this sinne This speech is expounded as if it were spoken by a crafty dissimulation and arrogant bragging See how I am wearied with carrying this weighty sheepe when a man might have blowne it over or they say they are marvellously weary with carrying so weighty and tidie a beast upon their shoulders and that they might faine it by their gesture they shew it by panting and fetching their breath deepe and drawing of it short Montanus Some expound what a toile is this that we spend all in the service of God the complaint of the people that they were at great toile and paines and excessive cost and charge in Gods service as over-wearied with labour and eaten out and undone with expences especially comming so raw and bare home and therefore God was to content himselfe with it though worse You have snuffed at it Either you blow and pant as tyred with bringing a tidie beast still their arrogant dissembling continued or by a disdainfull and contemptuous gesture you shew your unwillingnesse to serve God and how vile and tedious it is to you it is the gesture of one refusing a thing with disdaine and contempt as Psal 10.5 Saith the Lord of Hoasts Who is most good and pure and a powerfull and just revenger of all such wickednesse And ye offered that which was torne Their practice and dealing their Sacrifice faulty two wayes they brought blind and lame or if any good not their owne First in manner of getting of it it was such as was stolne some expound raptum spoiled and wearied with beasts raptus ex ore lupi which was dainty among the Heathen as finer meate and the tenderer so Calvine If by chance a sheepe or other beast were wearied or so they would be content to bestow it on God But this is not like for Sacrifices were brought quick not dead But raptum rather furto rapina quaesitum as Lyra they brought such to God as was gotten by evill meanes thinking to stop his mouth as mans with part of the booty Psal 50.21 Behold it is a wearinesse The complaint of the people thinking too much of that they did in the service of God Hypocrites Doctr. naturall and wicked men doe thinke all time too much all paines too great all cost too chargeable spent upon the service of God and his worship Amos 8.5 Isaiah 58.3 for it carrieth a kind of repentance in them for that they had done all that in the service of God when they aimed not at his service but their owne profit This is that which was in Judas John 12.5 6. Why is this waste murmuring at it and made a good colour for it that he might also infect others pretending it for the members of Christ against the Head by which hee brought the Disciples into the same sinne with him Matth. 26. Because love is the
ground of all duties Reas 1 specially of the cheerefull ready diligent performing of them and the cost which men think nothing too much of where they love Parents to their Children the Wife to the Husband Now no naturall and wicked men have the love of God or can have it for it is a supernaturall gift therefore no marvell if they deale thus Because the motives of these duties Reas 2 and the manner of doing them are the benefits received and the blessings and rewards to come upon them that doe them so Now naturall and wicked men want spirituall eyes to see God the giver of all that they have and the reward for things to come and what profit the service of God brings to them then no marvell though they think all too much Micha 6.6 7. here are hypocrites that thought not great things too much for God Object This they offered but they never did it It may be a question Sol. if God would have taken them at their word whether they would have performed or no for many promise largely that are short enough in performing But admit they would yet that they would not have done it for any service to God at all but only for a safeguard to themselves and their sinnes The Prophet threatned them with the judgments of God if they did not returne from their sinnes they thinking to save themselves and keepe their sinnes which were so deare unto them offer thus liberally and it may be would have given so but it was not for God but themselves As the Mariner in a storme or danger and the traveller when he is beset with theeves will cast away liberally This teacheth that there are a great company of men in the Church who are but meere naturall men at the best Vse 1 but hypocrites in the Church seeing so many find and professe themselves to find such tediousnesse and wearines in the service of God thinking the time too much the paines too great the cost very burdensome weary of Sabboths and the times and places of exercises can be content to serve with ease but not with any strictnes or as they account it inconvenience a little labor happily but no cost without grudging To whom the Sabboth when it commeth is like to a bad guest whose departure is farre more welcome to them then his comming so is the end more acceptable then the beginning and every houre is a day till it be over others thinke it was ordained for their ease and refreshing from their labors and not for Gods service and therefore thinke it too much to give the whole day to God too much to heare twice but intolerable they should be bound to make care of it in the whole in private besides the publique service Quae diabolus imperavit quam laboriosa quam gravia nee difficultas fuit ejus man datis impedimentū Chry. ho. 19. ad P. Ant. many masters are there who thinke much to give to God a whole Sabboth who will not remit their servants a piece of one of the six dayes Many a servant who can be content to toile himselfe more that day with the workes of pleasure and the workes of Sathan then in the week with the works of his Master but thinks every thing too much for God as Chrysostome What commands doth the Devill lay on man how laborious how grievous yet the difficulty is no impediment to his commands But here a little thing hinders and they thinke all too much how much more shew they themselves wicked men who like Judas finde fault with others care or cost in the service of God and draw others with them into the same opinion to thinke it is too much when it is short of that that is expressely required To teach every man Vse 2 when he finds any such wearinesse in the service of God his heart thinking too much of his cost and pains to censure it in himselfe as a relique of the naturall man whether it come of himselfe or he be drawn unto it by others as the Disciples were by Judas and to humble himself for it for it cannot be good comming from this and men cannot gather figs of thornes nor grapes of thistles to judge it to come from this that his love is unperfect as his knowledge is but in part or from this that he hath not the feeling of Gods love his bounty and mercy towards him as he ought neither knows the fruit of this service To teach every one to labor against this corruption and to withstand it Vse 3 that it sease not upon him seeing God taxeth these for it for wherefore else but that we should avoid it and never think either paines or time or cost too much in his service and worship for which purpose two things must we labor for one the love of God for nothing will we think enough then for him as Jacob and Shechem another delight in the duties Isaiah 58.13 Psal 122.1 John 6.34 give me a man that delights in any thing and all is not enough for it And ye have snuffed at it Their gesture which as it noteth their unwillingnesse so taken as some doe take it for panting then it signifies their arrogant dissembling by which they made shew as if they had brought most excellent sacrifices when they were nothing and brought nothing but wilde and base sacrifices to God It is a grievous sinne for men to make shew of great care and diligence in the service and worship of God Doctr. and indeed doe nothing lesse Men cannot abide it specially an upright and plain dealing man Prov. 29.27 much lesse God that is righteousnes it selfe Ezek. 14.7.8 Isaiah 58.2 3. Psal 5.6 Acts 5. Because it is grosse hypocrisie Reas 1 and so abominable unto the Lord who as he is a most simple essence most holy and pure cannot endure such doubling Because offences which are done openly and committed apparently doe nor so much offend a generous and valiant minde and man Reas 2 as when they are done by craft and dissembling the reasons because the former argues the audaciousnesse and impudence of the actor the latter the great contempt and irrision of him which is so provoked This will convince many of grosse sinne before God who make such shew of great service of God Vse 1 and yet doe nothing lesse To say little of Papists as of Monks who commend their manner of worship or services who brag that they are continually in prayer that they rise in the night season with the hazard of their health to keep watch for the salvation of others and waste their bodies with watchings fastings and other exercises yet they think it skils not much what manner of prayers how without affection being but as Basil speaketh like the lowing of so many oxen though they be never so barbarous yet God will accept As the Pope provided for his idle and unlearned Priests by his Canon Quod verba Dei non debent