In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Vervim nor the inwards of beasts nor turffs of earth but such things onely as proceed from the inner man righteousnesse patience faith innocencie chastitie abstinence such are the sacrifices to be offered vp vpon Gods holy Altar placed in our hearts In the Chapter following Chap. 25. his obseruation is that there are two things to be offered vp vnto God donum sacrificium a gift and a sacrifice the one perpetuall the other temporall According to some the gift is whatsoeuer is made of gold siluer purple or silke and the sacrifice is a beast slaine or whatsoeuer is burnt vpon the Altar But God hath no vse of these These are subiect to corruption but God is incorrupt Wee must therefore offer both gift and sacrifice in a spirituall manner so shall God haue vse of both Our gift must be integritas animi the vprightnesse of our minde our sacrifice laus hymnus prayse and thankesgiuing That I may conclude Beloued brethren let me sum vp together the Euangelicall sacrifices which the giuer of the new law requireth of vs. A broken spirit obedience to the will of God loue towards God and man iudgement iustice mercie prayer thankesgiuing almes-deedes our bodies and our soules these are the Euangelicall sacrifices the sacrifices of Christianitie to be offered vp vnto the Lord vpon the Altar of a faithfull heart A faithfull heart I say For if the heart be vnfaithfull the sacrifices will not be acceptable they will not be esteemed aboue the sorceries of Simon Magus Call them not sacrifices they are sacriledges if the heart be vnfaithfull But let the heart be faithfull and the sacrifices which it offereth vp will be as the beneficence was Phil. 4.18 which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus vnto Paul they will be odours of a sweete smell acceptable sacrifices and well pleasing vnto God Neither did that precious oyntment that ranne downe Aarons beard Psal 133.2 nor that that the woman powred vpon Christs head Mat. 26.7 nor that sweete incense Exod. 25.6 nor that wine of Lebanon Hos 14.7 yeeld so pleasant a sauour as doe the sacrifices of Christianitie that ascend from a faithfull heart O! the sweete sauour of a good life that springs and sprouts from a true beliefe farre surpasseth all other sweets in the world O! Let our sacrifices be such Let them spring from a true beliefe let them proceede from a faithfull heart so shall our minds when we thinke on God and our wils when we obey God and our soules when we loue God our tongues when we prayse God and our feete when wee walke with God and whatsoeuer else we haue when we vse it for the glory of God be an odour of a sweet smell an acceptable sacrifice and well pleasing vnto God I end Vouchsafe we beseech thee most mercifull Father so throughly to sanctifie vs with thine holy Spirit that all our sacrifices our preaching our hearing our prayers our prayses our thankesgiuings our deeds of mercie and pittie and charitie may euer be acceptable in thy sight Graunt this deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnitie of the holy Spirit be all prayse and power might and maiestie dignitie and dominion for euermore Amen THE XII LECTVRE AMOS 2.8 And they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God THis is the last branch in the enumeration of the sinnes of the Israelites It concerneth the Iudges of Israel and the Rulers of that state them principally It is appliable to others also to the richer sort The words are a reproofe of the grosse superstition of that people They thought their dutie touching the seruice of God well discharged so they repaired to their temples Such holy places they thought were of themselues sufficient to clense them albeit they should euen there betake themselues to inordinate eating to vnmeasurable drinking to infamous luxurie yea to euery kinde of villanie For my more plaine proceeding in the handling of the words of this text will you be pleased to note in them First the action for which the Israelites are here reproued it is a drinking of wine They drinke wine Secondly whose wine it is they drinke It s not their owne its vinum damnatorum it 's the wine of the condemned They drinke the wine of the condemned Thirdly where they drinke it They drinke it not at home which were more tolerable but in domo deorum suorum in the house of their Gods They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods The first convinceth them of riot and excesse They drinke wine immoderately They are so giuen to it that they absteine not euen then when they are in their temples and would seeme most religious For they drinke it in the house of their Gods The second convinceth them of oppression The wine they drinke is vinum damnatorum it is the wine of the condemned it is vinum mulctatorum the wine of such as they haue fined or mulcted wine bought with the money of them whom they haue in their vnrighteous iudgments spoyled of their goods The third conuinceth them of idolatry They drinke their wine in the house of their Gods not in the Temple at Ierusalem that once glorious Temple of the true and liuing God but in the temple of their gods in Dan and Bethel and other places before their golden calues and other their Idols They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods First They drinke wine Wine Why might they not Is it not one of the good a 1. Tim. 4.4 creatures of God that may well be vsed with thanksgiuing God himselfe giues it to the obedient to them that loue and serue him Deut. 11.14 I will giue you the raine of your land in due season the first raine and the latter raine that thou maist gather in thy corne and thy wine and thine oyle That thou maist gather in thy wine Christ his miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee Ioh. 2.11 is euidence enough that he allowed the drinking of wine Yea himselfe dranke wine Else the people would neuer haue called him a wine-bibber as it appeareth they did Matth. 11.19 S Paul 1. Tim. 5.23 wisheth Timothie no longer to drinke water but to vse a little wine for his stomackes sake Wine hath its praises in the Scripture It makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 It cheareth God and man Iudg. 9.13 How then is it that the Israelites are here reproued for drinking wine I answer not for drinking wine but for the abuse in drinking are the Israelites here reproued It is with wine as it is with euery other good creature of God It may he abused Wine is abused when men are drunken with it This abuse of wine S. Paul desirous either to preuent or to reforme in the Ephesians thus speaketh to the Ephesians
vs e Vers 28. turne away from all the transgressions that we haue committed so shall we surely liue we shall not die And this we will the sooner endeuour to doe if we imprint in our hearts my propounded doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Thus much of the first vse which was to lesson vs to looke heedfully to our feet that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with them in their sinnes I proceed Is it true Is it proper to God to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the second place we are admonished not to intermeddle in the Lords office It is his office to execute vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues If a brother a neighbour or a stranger hath done vs any wrong we must forgiue him and must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth We must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth and forgiue our enemies What Forgiue our enemies How can flesh and bloud endure it Well it should be endured and many reasons there are to induce vs to so Christian an office The first is The forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes Whereof thus saith our Sauiour Luk. 6.37 Forgiue and you shall be forgiuen f Pet. de Palu serm aestiu en nr in Dom. 22. Trin. Ideo libenter debemus dimittere paruum vt Deus dimittat nobis magnum we ought willingly to forgiue vnto our neighbour a small matter that God may forgiue vs our great offences Looke what grace and indulgence we shew vnto our neighbours the like will God shew vnto vs. What else is said Luk. 6.38 With what measure you mete with the same shall it be measured to you againe Whereof I cannot giue a plainer exposition than in our Sauiours words Matth. 6.14 15. If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your Father forgiue you your trespasses A second reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that when we make our prayers vnto God we our selues may be heard For God heareth not the prayers of such as doe abide in rancour and will not forgiue their enemies It is well said of an g Augustin Ancient Qui non vult dimittere fratri suo non speret orationis effectum Whosoeuer he be that will not forgiue his brother let him not hope for any good successe in his prayer h Ambros Another saith Si iniuriam non dimittis quae tibi facta est orationem pro te non facis sed maledictionem super te inducis If thou forgiue not the iniury which thy neighbour hath done thee when thou prayest thou makest not any prayer for thy selfe but doest bring a malediction or curse vpon thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that euer was made and is by the maker thereof our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our daily vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fifth petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eyes of grace and mercy from heauen without any fraud or hollownesse or dissimulation in the Lord so are we taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truly so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiuing euer as we may boldly say So Lord doe thou to mee as I to others Now if these hearts of ours be so sturdy and strong in their corruption as that they will not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our prayers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man euery day doe as many good workes as there are Stars in Heauen yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enemie God will not accept any one of them Munus non acceptatur nisi antè discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregory thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumuent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i August serm 5. de S. Stephino Whosoeuer hateth but one man in the whole world whaâ—soeuer he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God wee must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ so aduiseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our soules may liue for by hatred and rancour wee slay our soules Saint Iohn Epist 1. Chap. 3. vers 15. auoweth it that he whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer Homicida est scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore he that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. Chap. 3. vers 14. Hee that loueth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule than of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proued by our Sauiours question Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enemies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enemies is an infallible signe of our conuersion Now wee know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heauen for one sinner that conuerteth and vers the 10. That there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Thus whether we respect the reioycing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good workes or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sins wee must loue our enemies after S. Stephen his example Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge after S. Paul his example 1 Cor. 4.12 13. We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer it we are euill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Adde hereto Christs Commandement Mat. 5.44 Loue your enemies
literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heauen For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1. God did choose Ierusalem aboue all other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the company of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2. Ierusalem is a Citie Å¿ Psal 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuary the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserued till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God and the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 the throne of Dauid So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of Christ figured by the Kingdome of Dauid 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection and obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntary obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Reuel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudeâ— the u Psal 46.4 City of God euen the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heauen Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the Lord is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother City of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an Exposition of Sion The Lord shall roare from Sion that is in other words The Lord shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloued in the Lord The Lord shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holinesse and he shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatry but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the purity of Gods worship did gloriously shine We may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainly This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is serued and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guide This guide is a King and leads you the way the blessed King Dauid I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for thy courts Marke his loue Psal 26.8 O Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnesse of his zeale Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King Dauid be the patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrument and mean to nourish beget you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else doe gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is euery mans duty the duty of euery one that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the Lord Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond and the free betweene the male and the female for our Lord who is Lord ouer all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your hearts it is repeated vnto you Mat. 23.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony-changers and doue-sellers whom hee found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò deuonit vt speluncam latronum efficiat eam Whosoeuer vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer he commeth thither to make it a den of theeues Let vs take heed beloeed in the Lord whensoeuer we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of this sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giueth a profitable caueat Take heed to thy feet when thou â—nterest into the house of God intimaâ—ing thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet is Salomons caueat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where he is chiefly to be sought and worshipped euen in euery place appointed by publike authority for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God giuen his Church a 1 Cor. 12.27 some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and
wels we will goe by the Kings high way we will not turne to the right hand nor to the left vntill we be past thy borders we will goe the high way If I and my cattell drinke of thy water I will then pay for it I will only without any harme goe thorow on my feet Moses the meekest man vpon the earth thus meekly besought the King of Edom for passage thorow his country Could hee obtaine it thinke you No. The inueterate hatred wherewith Esau was possessed residing in his posterity caused a deniall to so honest a petition The King of Edom with much poople and with a mighty power rose vp against Moses and the Israelites Long after this in the daies of Ahaz King of Iudah were the Edomites better minded towards Iacobs posterity The sacred story 2 Chron. 28.17 telleth vs that then also the Edomites were vp in armes against the Iewes some of them they slew and some they carried away captiues Hee therefore the e Psal 89.14 stablishment of whose throne are righteousnesse and equity Almighty God doth here iustly challenge Edom for pursuing his brother with the sword The lesson which hence I would commend to you is It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Our assent to this truth the light of nature within vs doth extort from vs. By natures light the very Heathen haue acknowledged one God and him the author of vnity friendship as Plato in his Lysis From the same parents one father and one mother as from one seed one root one beginning by natures ordinance doe spring g Plutarch de amore fraterno two three or more brethren not for discord or contrariety but that being many they might the better one helpe another That brother that warreth with his brother in Plutarch his iudgement doth voluntarily h Ibid. cut off a member of his owne flesh All i Xenophon lib. 2. de dictis fact Socr. enmity breedeth within our soules a thousand tormenting passions but especially that enmity which a man beareth towards his owne brother as that which is most prodigious and vnnaturall When Socrates saw Chaerephon and Chaerecrates two brethren iarring and warring each with other he said vnto them You doe now as if the hands which were created to helpe one the other should hinder and hurt one the other or as the feet which were framed to beare one anothers burthē should supplant one the other or as the eares which are coauditors of mutuall good should wax deafe to heare good one for the other or as the eyes which like Caleb and Ioshua are fellow spies in this Microcosme this little world and land of men for the good each of other should looke a squint at the good each of other You will grant it to be very vnnaturall either for the hands or for the feet or for the eares or for the eyes one to striue against the other Much more monstrous will the strife between brethren be because the aid which one of them may and should giue vnto the other doth farre exceed the cooperation of the hands the supportance of the feet the coaudience of the eares the prouidence of the eies Thus farre haue I led you in Natures schoole May it now please you to heare the same things out of the schoole of Grace There Salomon hath this lesson Two are better than one for if one of them fall the other will lift him vp But woe vnto him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a second to lift him vp The words are Eccles 4.9 10. The Hebrewes referre those words to married couples but Salomon speakes it generally and thus you may expound it Two are better than one two brethren are better than one for if one of them fall the other will helpe him vp If he fall into sicknesse into want into any kind of distresse eriget allcuabit cum frater his brother will be a succour to him But woe to him that is alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an old saying one man is no man woe to such a man woe to him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a brother to lift him vp Indeed one brother helping another is like a defenced City as k Septuagint Vulgat Hieron Gloss Lyran. Hugo Card. some reade it and their counsells are like the barre of a palace which is impregnable Prou. 18.19 and if one ouercome him two shall stand against him Eccles 4.12 So naturall is their vnity and strong their coadinuance which nature hath framed double for mutuall assistance The place cited out of the Prou. 18.19 l Mercer Lauater Bibl. Augl some read otherwise A brother offended is harder to win than a strong City and their contentions are like the barres of a palace And then the meaning is The angers of brethren one of them towards another are so sharpe and vehement that they can no more easily be subdued than strong defenced townes conquered nor more easily be broken than most strong bars Which exposition teacheth vs that there is no strife matchable to the strife among brethren According to the Prouerbe Fratrum contentiones acerbissimae most bitter are the contentions of brethren Examples Poeticall Historicall and Diuine doe speake as much The implacable hatred of Atreus against Thyestes Eteocles against Polynices Romulus against Remus Bassianus against Geta Cain against Abel and Esau against Iacob are they not as trumpets to sound out this truth To this purpose might I alleage the King of Argiers the Kingdome of Tunes and Ottomans family many a brothers hand embrued and washed in his brothers bloud but seeing it is growne into a Prouerbe Irae fratrum acerbissimae most bitter are the contentions of brethren it needeth no further proofe Against such monstrous and prodigious contentions the Holy Ghost would haue all Christians well armed and for this end giueth vs in holy writ many wholsome Lessons Let a few serue this time In the first Epistle of S. Iohn Cap. 2.11 we are taught that whosoeuer hateth his brother he is in darknesse he walketh in darknesse he knoweth not whither he goeth darknesse hath blinded his eyes and Chap. 3.15 that whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer and Chap. 4.20 that whoseeuer hateth his brother is a lyer if he saith he loueth God The reason is annexed For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene And this commandement wee haue of Christ that he that loueth God should loue his brother also In the book of Prouerbs Chap. 16.19 we read of six things which the Lord hateth and of a seuenth which his soule abhorreth that seuenth is vers 19. The man that raiseth vp contentions among brethren Now if God doe abhor with his soule the man that raiseth vp contentions among brethren how doth he like of the contentions themselues
thy brother and then come and offer thy gift First be reconciled to thy brother Be reconciled What is that Reconciliatio saith n Gillebert super Cantica ser 32. one est iterata animorum dissidentium conciliatio Reconciliation is a renued agreement of dissenting mindes This is it into the commendation whereof the sweet Singer of Israel breaketh out Psal 133.1 Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell euen together If either profit or pleasure can allure you then behold consider well and weigh seriously how good how profitable and necessary and how comely how pleasant and excellent a thing it is for brethren not only naturall brethren but brethren in Christ all the sonnes of God the members of his Church and partakers of the selfe-same doctrine and life in Christ to dwell euen together not onely in one house but specially to be of one affection and consent to maintaine betweene themselues brotherly loue and mutuall consent Behold how good how comely a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnity It is as the sweet perfume and ointment that holy oile which was powred vpon the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his beard and so to the skirts of his garment it is as the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the mountaines of Sion Both these resemblances recommending vnto vs the pleasure and profit of vnity brotherly loue and concord I commended vnto you in my Sixteenth Lecture vpon the first Chapter of this prophecie and therefore now I say no more of them S. Paul 1 Cor. 12. treating of spirituall gifts and their diuersity there reckoneth vp the word of wisdome the word of knowledge faith the gift of healing the doing of miracles prophesying kindes of tongues the interpretation of tongues and sheweth how all these are wrought by the same Spirit who distributeth to euery man seuerally as he will Then vrging this seuerall distribution by way of interrogation Are all Apostles Are all Prophâ—ts Are all Teachers Are all doers of miracles Haue all the gifts of healing Doe all speake with tongues Doe all interpret He exhorts the Corinthians to couet after the best things and concludes his Chapter thus I will yet shew you a more excellent way This more excellent way is the way which now I shew you beloued This way is loue O striue yee to walke in it Let the remainder of your daies be spent therein Know ye that whatsoeuer good parts yee haue or whatsoeuer good workes ye doe it auaileth you nothing if you haue not loue Looke but to the beginning of the thirteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians There shall you finde it verified what I haue said vnto you Though you speake with the tongue of men and Angels and haue not loue yet are you as sounding Brasse or a tinkling Cimball Though you haue the gift of prophecie and know all secrets and all knowledge yea if you haue all faith so that you can remoue mountaines and haue not loue yet are you nothing Though you feed the poore with all your goods though you giue your bodies to be burned and haue not loue yet it profiteth you nothing My exhortation must be vnto you in the same blessed Apostles words Chap. 14.1 of the same Epistle Follow after loue And I shut vp this exercise with a sweet Fathers sweet meditation o Bernard serm 9. in Coena Dom. Charitas te domum Domini facit Dominum domum tibi Loue it makes thee a house for God and God a house for thee according to that 1 Ioh. 4.16 God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him A happy Artificer thou art sweet loue that art able to frame for thy selfe such a house as God is This house is not built of morter and bricke nor of stone nor of wood nor of siluer nor of gold nor of precious stones It exceedeth and farre surpasseth siluer and gold in comparison of it precious stones are vile and of no reputation This house is an euerlasting house before all ages before all times it containeth all things it comprehendeth all things it createth all things it giueth life to all things In this house the blinde receiue light the lame strength to walke the crooked straightnesse the weake health the dead their resurrection there is none wretched in it all therein are blessed for they are entred into their Masters ioy Into which ioy that we may in due time enter let vs follow after loue wee know that God is loue and that whosoeuer dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him Now God grant that we may all dwell in him THE Eighteenth Lecture AMOS 1.12 Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah I Am now come to the last part of this prophecie against Edom which is the denuntiation of God iudgements against Edom for his sins expressed in this twelfth verse This twelfth verse doth not much differ from some precedent verses in this Chap. 4 7 and 10. The same punishment which in the fourth verse is threatned to the Syrians vnder the names of Hazael and Benhadad and in the seuenth verse to the Philistines vnder the name of Azzah and in the tenth verse to the Tyrians vnder the name of Tyrus is here in this twelfth verse denounced to the Edomites vnder the names of Teman and Bezzah And therfore as in the forenamed verses I haue done so doe I in this recommend vnto you three circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord I will send 2 The punishment by fire I will send a fire 3 The punished the Temanites and Bozrites the inhabitants of both cities I will send a fire vpon Teman and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah The punisher is the Lord for Thus saith the Lord I will send The doctrine naturally arising hence is this It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This truth hath heretofore once and againe beene confirmed vnto you The lesse need haue I now to insist vpon it Yet may I not passe it ouer vnsaluted It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance c. This office of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes God taketh vpon himselfe Deut. 32.35 Where hee saith Vengeance and recompence are mine This is confessed to be God his due by S. Paul Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord and by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the Lord and by the sweet Singer of Israel Psal 94.1 O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger The Prophet Nahum Chap. 1.2 to the terrour of the wicked proclaimeth it God is iealous and the Lord reuengeth the Lord reuengeth euen the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries and reserueth wrath for his
are spoke◠〈◊〉 their place and are recorded Gen. 13.8 where Abraham thus speaketh vnto Lot Let there bee no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heard-men and my heard-men for we be brethren We be brethren He might haue sayd wee bee cosens or thou art my nephew my brothers sonne but hee vseth rather apellation of equality and cals him brother to manifest his desire of peace and concord You see the strength of the bond of bloud how forcible it is betweene man and man as men I told you of a stronger bond betweene man and man as Christians and that was the bond of one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in vs all So there is a two-fold kinred or brotherhood The one by nature the other by grace the one by generation the other by regeneration In respect of both we are tyed with bonds of loue First in respect of the former After Noahs floud there was a diuision of countreyes made to the remainder of Adams posterity some dwelt heere some there some in one place some in another as they best liked yet one bloud remained amongst them as a knot euer to ioyne them in amity and loue what distance of place soeuer seuered them Is it not so still though longer time and larger encrease haue spred it further Yes Beloued it is so And therefore this bond of bloud stocke house linage and kinred in the root should continue among vs regard one of another and make vs loue one another more then we doe But this kinred by nature and generation so many degrees remooued from the root our great grand-father Adam the first of men little mooueth vs wee disdaine to take notice of it Let then the other kinred that of grace and regeneration by its stronger bonds of loue tye ioyne vs together The iust and wise man knoweth saith y Diuin Jnstit lib. 5. c. 23. Lactantius cunctos ab eodem Deo eadem conditione generatos iure fraternitatis esse coniunctos that all who are borne of one God and vpon the same condition are ioyned together by the right of brother-hood To which purpose a great z Caluin Comment in Genes 13.8 Diuine saith Hac lege adoptati sumus omnes in Dei sâ—lios vt alij alijs mutuo fratres simus Wee are all adopted or chosen to be the sonnes of God vpon this condition that we mutually be brethren one vnto another Dearely Beloued sith wee are become the sonnes of God vpon a condition let vs fulfill the condition let vs bee brethren one to another That is let vs not bee cruell one towards another let vs doe no iniury one to another let vs be mercifull one to another let vs loue one another Let good Abraham be the patterne of our imitation If there be any variance or iarring among vs let vs goe one to another and kindely entreat one another I pray thee let there bee no variance no iarring betweene mee and thee nor betweene my men and thy men for we are brethren But proud and rebellious flesh and bloud will not suffer vs to become Abrahams so wise so meeke such louers of concord and vnity Not suffer vs Then is our condition fearefull and we may well expect that the God of Abraham at his great day of visitation shall reiect vs and cast vs from out his sight into the euer-burning lake There is no entrance into the Heauenly Canaan for the cruell injurious malicious and despitefull man It s onely Loue that opens the gates of Heauen without Loue whatsoeuer you doe it s no aduantage to you S. Paul tels you 1 Cor. 13. that though you speake with the tongues of men and Angels and haue not Loue you are but as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymball and though you haue the gift of prophesie and know all secrets yea if you haue all faith so that yee can remooue mountains and haue not Loue you are nothing and though you feede the poore with all your goods and giue your bodies to bee burnt and haue not Loue it profiteth you nothing To bee short almes without Loue prophesie without Loue knowledge without Loue miracles without 〈◊〉 martyrdome without Loue prayer without Loue and 〈◊〉 like very commendable and good workes all are nothing Loue is the fire that purifieth it is the incense that perfumeth it is the oyntment or box of Spikenard that sweetneth it is the salt that seasoneth all our good thoughts words and deedes I conclude with S. Iohns words in his 1 Epist cap. 4. vers 7. Beloued let vs loue one another for Loue commeth of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God For God is Loue if therefore wee dwell in Loue we dwell in God and God dwells in vs. Now O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world take from vs all bitternesse and anger and wrath and crying and euill speaking with all maliciousnesse Raise vp in vs a desire of brotherly Loue that wee may euery one haue a care to helpe another that our Loue be not fained false hypocriticall wayward tedious disdainefull nor hunting after profit but that it be vnfained and perfect euen towards our enemies Grant good Lord that thus retaining the study of concord and louing one another we may all meet together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of thee the Sonne of God till we become perfect in thee our onely Sauiour and Redeemer To thee O Christ with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee ascribed all prayse and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE III. LECTVRE AMOS 2.2 3. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the palaces of Kerioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him WE are now to consider the fourth part of this burden of the Moabites namely the commination or denuntiation of such punishments as God would bring vpon the Moabites for their sinnes The punishments are described first generally and then more specially The general description is Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the palaces of Kerioth In the former chapter wee met with this forme of commination a Verse 4.7.10.12.14 fiue times Wee now finde nothing new but new names Moab and Kerioth Of Moab you heard somewhat in my last Sermon that Moab was Lots sonne and that from him lineally descended the Moabites a people inhabiting that part of the East which is commonly knowne by the name of Caelesyria and was in former times the possession of the Amorites I now adde that from the same Moab the sonne of Lot a city in Arabia afterward called Areopolis was named Moab and thence the whole prouince
any place be of sufficient secrecie to conceale the vices of Kings Now if Kings secrets done in Court if their secret vices be made knowne much more shall it be knowne that is proclaimed in Court And therefore is the Proclamation here enioyned to be made in the Palaces of Palaestina and Aegypt in their Princes Courts that the same thereof flying abroad into all the coasts of those dominions the rest of the people might vnderstand thereof and beare witnesse to the iudgements of God which he executeth vpon his people for their sinnes that they are very iust By this iniunction for the Proclamation now expounded you see that Heathens the Philistines and Aegyptians aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and vtter enemies to that State are inuited to be spectators of the euils which God in iudgement was to bring vpon that his people the Israelitish Nation And this was to make the euils which the Israelites were to suffer the more grieuous vnto them Hence ariseth this obseruation The calamities or miseries which the Lord in iustice layeth vpon vs for our euill deeds will be the more grieuous vnto vs if our enemies be made priuie vnto them This is it the Lord saith to Ierusalem Ezech. 5.8 Behold I euen I will execute iudgement in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations thine enemies In the sight of thine enemies will I doe it It could not be but an exceeding great griefe to the Virgin daughter of Zion that the Lord had caused her enemie to reioyce ouer her and had set vp the horne of her aduersaries Lament 2.17 The reproach and ignominie that commeth from an enemie in time of misery is to some farre more grieuous than death it selfe who rather choose to die though it be by their owne hands or the hands of a friend than they will endure dishonour from an enemie Examples of such a resolution there are many in prophane Histories as in Plutarch of a Tom. 3. vit in Catone Catâ— Minor b In Antonio Antonius and Cleopatra in c Annal. lib. 16. Tacitus of Thraseas These of the Heathen killed themselues through impatiencie as not being able to endure the reproach and shame which they feared the one from Caesar two of them from Augustus the fourth from Nero. Nor is the Sacred story void of examples of this kinde Abimelech sonne of d Ierubesheth 2 Sam. 11.21 Ierubbaal he whom the Sichemites e Iudg. 9.6 made their King when at an assault of his giuen to the tower of Theber he had his scull broken by a peece of a Milstone which a certaine woman had cast vpon his head he called hastily vnto a young man his armour-bearer and said vnto him Draw my sword and slay me that men say not of me A woman slew him And his young-man thrust him thorow and he died Iudg. 9.54 Such was the end of that ambitious and cruell tyrant He is slaine of a woman and when he sees he is to die hee is desirous to blot out that infamie he will not haue it said of him that a woman slew him That a woman of the enemies side slew him he will not by any meanes haue it said of him Kill him rather than it should be said A woman slew him Such was the impatience of Saul Saul he that was the first King of the Israelites when the Philistines had gotten the day against him 1 Sam. 31.2 1 Chron. 10.2 had slaine three of his sonnes Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua and himselfe was wounded by their archers he thus spake vnto his Armour-bearer Draw thy sword and thrust me thorow therewith lest these vncircumcised come and thrust me thorow and mocke me Which vile act his Armour-bearer refusing Saul became his owne executioner took his owne sword and slew himselfe 1 Sam. 31.4 He takes his own sword and slayes himselfe And why so Lest saith he these vncircumcised Philistines come and thrust me thorow and mocke me See he will die that he may not die he will be thrust thorow that he may not be thrust thorow he will kill himselfe that the Philistines may not kill him Hee will not endure to come within the power of his enemies I commend not Saul for his valour in killing himselfe nor Abimelech for his in causing his Armour-bearer to thrust him thorow It was not valour in them but cowardise or impatiencie For if they could with patience haue borne and endured their troubles they would not haue hastened their owne death Selfe-killing is a sinne so grieuous that scarce there is any more hainous before the Lord. Many reasons may be alleaged to shew the vnlawfulnesse of this fact and I hold it not amisse to bring a few especially in the iniquitie of these times wherein wretchednesse hath so fearefully preuailed in some persons and almost daily doth preuaile that they dare plunge themselues into this pit of terrible destruction My first reason shall be because it is forbidden in that Commandement Thou shalt not kill Exod. 20.13 In that Commandement is forbidden the killing of any man without lawfull authority But no man hath authority ouer himselfe because no man is superiour to himselfe and therefore no man may kill himselfe Out of S. Augustine lib. 1. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 20. I thus frame the reason Thou shalt not kill that is the Law The Law is not Exod. 20.13 thou shalt not kill thy neighbour limiting it as it were to some but indefinitly Thou shalt not kill extending it largely to all and therefore a man may not kill himselfe My second reason I take from that other Law Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe It is giuen in the Old Leuit. 19.18 Matth. 5.43 22.39 Rom. 13.9 Galat. 5.14 Iames 2.8 and is oft repeated in the New Testament Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Where the loue of our selues is made measure for the loue of our neighbours Thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour but as thou louest thy selfe The example of thy charity is drawne from thy selfe at home Thy soule thy preseruation the good wished to thy selfe should be the true direction of thy deeds vnto thy neighbour But it is vnlawfull for thee to lay bloudy or murthering hands vpon thy neighbour and therefore thou mayest not make away thy selfe It is more vnnaturall for thee to shed thine owne bloud than thy neighbours Thy neighbours thou mayest not shed much lesse mayest thou shed thine owne Thirdly for a man to kill himselfe it is an iniury to the Common-wealth wherein he liueth for thereby he maimeth the Common-wealth and cutteth off one of her members The King thereby shall want a man when he hath vse of him This is an iniury to the State therfore a man may not kill himself Fourthly our life is giuen vs of God God hath placed vs in this world as in a watch or standing from whence we may not stirre a foot till God call vs
Saint Hierome See their many madnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint many miraculous and strange demeanours Oecolampadius saith Stupenda multa many prodigious deportments Drusius Strages multas many slaughters Caluin Concussiones multas many concussions violent and publike extortions Vatablus and Mercer Contritiones multas many Contritions brusings or cursings of the afflicted Iunius and Piscator Vexationes plurimas very many vexations Gualter Tumultus multos many tumults Brentius Tumultus magnos great tumults Great tumults It s our translation See See then many madnesses strange and prodigious behauiours slaughters concussions contritions very many vexations many and great tumults All these see In medio ejus in the middest of Samaria Yet is not this all you are there to see For see also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaschukim the oppressed in the middest thereof For the oppressed Caluin hath Oppressiones the oppressions it is the marginall reading in our now-Bible Brentius hath Calumnias so hath Oecolampadius Saint Hierome and the Vulgar Latine Calumniam patientes Their meaning is that in Samaria in the middest thereof in penetralibus eius in the in most parts thereof there were many that were calumniated were accused falsly were appeached wrongfully were charged maliciously were reproached vniustly were reuiled iniuriously Such doing was there in Samaria not onely in the country abroad but also within the walls thereof Euery where did cruelty aduance it selfe and so did Couetousnesse And thus haue I expounded the Proclamation the words thereof in which the Philistines and Aegyptians Gentes extra Oeconomiam Dei prophane Nations are cited to be witnesses yea and Iudges too of the impurity and vncleannesse that was in the Lords owne people the people of Israel My obseruation is God â—ometimes conuinceth his owne people of impiety by comparing them with forreine Nations Such a comparison is that Ierem. 2.10 Passe ouer the Iles of Chittim and see and send vnto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be any such thing Hath any Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods But my people haue changed their glory for that which doth not profit It is a vehement expostulation and in the paraphrase may be thus You my people of the Iewish Nation passe ye ouer vnto Chittim to the Macedonians and Cyprians see of what Religion and constancy they are and send ye vnto Kedar to the Hagarâ—ns obserue them marke them diligently Can you finde thinke you any Nations so like your selues so inconstant so mutâ—ble Is there any Nation in the whole world that so rashly changeth her Gods Gods Gods of the Nations They are no Gods but Idols the froth and skumme of mans braine And yet are the Nations constant in the worship of these their false Gods their no Gods But you you of the Iewish Nation mine owne people you haue changed your Glory Me the true faithfull and euerliuing God in whom alone you should haue gloried Mee haue you changed for a thing of nought Be astonished O ye Heauens at this be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. A like comparison is that brought by our Sauiour in the Gospell Matth. 12.41 Where from the example of the Niniuites he inferreth the condemnation of the Iewes The men of Niniueh shall rise vp in iudgement with this generation Luk. 11.33 and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here The Niniuites were Gentiles and Barbarians the Iewes were Gods owne people the Preacher to the Niniuites was Ionas a meere man and a stranger but Christ God and man of the line and race of Dauid was the Preacher to the Iewes Ionas his preaching continued bur for three daies and the Niniuites repented Christ preached for three yeeres together and the Iewes blasphemed Therefore shall the men of Niniueh rise vp in iudgement with the Iewes and shall condemne them Saint Paul likewise presseth the example of the Gentiles the more to accuse the Corinthians of grieuous sinne among them 1 Cor. 5.1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles The Gentiles who know not God nor haue heard of the faith of Christ will not commit so foule a sinne and will you Christians you who hope for saluation by faith in Christ will you defile your selues with such abomination For the loue of God for the loue of your owne soules flye from fornication And thus haue you the confirmation of my second obseruation which was God sometimes conuinceth his owne people of impiety by comparing them with forreine Nations The vse of this obseruation may be to teach vs who professe the faith of Christ that the glorious name of Christianity is but vaine and idle if a mans life through his corrupt and dissolute behauiour be not answerable Saint Augustine in his time propounded this question to an Auditory of his in his second Sermon vpon the thirtieth Psalme Quam multos putatis fratres mei velle esse Christianos sed offendi malos moribus Christianorum My brethren how many thinke ye there are that would willingly become Christians but that they take exception at the euill liues of the Christians Long after him great Gregory Moral lib. 25. cap. 10. complained Nonnulli fidem medullitèr tenent sed viuere fideliter nullatenùs curant Many there are that make profession of the faith of a Christian but they take no care at any hand to liue the life of a Christian The life of a Christian if you take it in its full perfection is not such a kinde of life as the Christians vse to liue at this day in the world but such a life as our Sauiour Christ liued such as his Disciples liued such as the holy Martyrs vnder the Primitiue Church did liue a life that is a continuall crosse and death of the whole man whereby man thus mortified and annihilated is fit to be transformed into the similitude and likenesse of God But where is the Christian that now adayes liueth such a life Hath not dissimulation and hypocrisie in a manner couered the face of the Earth Christi nomen auditis you heare the name of Christ but where shall you see the man that liueth the life of Christ Crepamus Euangelium we cry the Gospell the Gospell but where is he that yeeldeth obedience to the Gospell Doctrinam fidei ebuccinamus we trumpet out the Doctrine of faith but the discipline of a Christian life we exterminate we banish Multa passim fides absque operibus euery where there is much speech of the efficacie of faith without workes but where is the man that sheweth me his faith by his workes Beloued what shall I say more If we haue a delight to be called the people of God if wee take any ioy in the name of a Christian let it be our care to liue as it becommeth the people