not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue ye him not outwardly in shew only but inwardly in heart in deed in truth Loue him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate but in his greatest need and be ye assured that the speciall loue and fauour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that doe reioyce God saith Ecclesiasticus Chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a man and his wife agreeing together The first which is the vnity of brethren according to my former construction compriseth the other two All Christians are brethren in Christ a neighbour to a neighbour a husband to his wife a wife to her husband For as I said in Christ there is no difference of sex there is neither male nor female all are brethren in Christ and therefore that neighbour that loueth not his neighbour the husband that is at ods with his wife the wife that agreeth not with her husband they are guilty of the breach of brotherly loue That exhortation made by S. Paul to the Romans Chap. 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be yee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue I conclude this point with the same Apostles words 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the first branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded thereupon The doctrine was It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues It was grounded vpon these words He did pursue his brother with the sword It followeth And did cast off all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneua translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reades it otherwise Hee destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it Et violauerit vterū and violated or abused the mothers wombe both doe allude to the Greeke edition of the Septuagent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did violate the mothers wombe which reading may haue reference to the natiuity of Iacob and Esau borne at one birth of their mother Rebekah And then the meaning is that the Edomites Esau's posterity neglecting that bond and knot of brotherhood and consanguinity did exercise rigour and cruelty against the Israelites Iacobs posterity or it may haue reference to a sauage and outragious cruelty as if the Edomites were here noted for ripping vp mothers wombes or women with childe in Israel That such cruelty was vsed by the Ammonites it is plaine by the 13. verse of this Chapter But this Text in the originall doth not fasten this blame vpon the Edomites and I loue not to force my Text. I will not trouble you with other expositions The originall is He did corrupt his compassions The sense and meaning is well rendred and deliuered in our receiued English Bibles He did east off all pity Is Edom here condemned for corrupting his compassions for casting off all pitie The lesson hence to bee commended to your Christian considerations is this Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God I could bring you many places out of holy Writ for the confirmation of this doctrine But two only or three and they but touched shall serue for this present In Iob 6.14 the vnmercifull are noted to haue forsaken the feare of the Almighty In Rom. 1.31 among such as God hath giuen vp to a reprobate minde to commit things worthy of death the vnmercifull are named In Iames 2.13 a punishment is denounced to the vnmercifull There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy These few Texts of Scripture doe plentifully establish my doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God If any will aske me What is this vnmercifulnesse whereof I now speake my answer shall be out of the learned Out of o Apud A shia 22. qu. 118.8.3 Isidore that it is one of the nine daughters of couetousnesse Out of p 22. qu. 159.1.2.2 Aquinas that it is the withholding of a deed of charity and an q 22. qu. 118.8.3 obduration or the hardning of the heart against mercy Out of r Comment in hunc locum Mercer that it is a breach of natures law and an abolishing of all kindnesse And so I come to make some vse of this doctrine The vse is to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity and mercy I will not now make any long declamation against inhumanity and vnmercifulnesse yet my Text requireth that I speake somewhat to it There was a time when righteousnesse seemed to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to be void of it It was in the daies of the Prophet Esay He then cryed out Chap. 45.8 O ye heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse The time is now when loue seemeth to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to bee void of it Now may we cry out O ye Heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe loue that the vncourteous and churlish Nabals of this present generation may now at length know that they are not borne for themselues only but for their poore neighbours also Your poore neighbours who stand in need of you by very prerogatiue of mankinde haue an interest in your succour and seruice But it may be that some are so farre from all humanity that this prerogatiue of mankind will not moue them to doe any worke of charity Such hard hearts let them heare what the Law is Deut. 15.7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need I know flesh and bloud will oblect Shall I lend my neighbour sufficient for his need So may I soone exhaust my substance and liue in want my selfe I reply O thou of little saith why fearest thou Looke backe vpon the blessing of God rely vpon it he through his benediction will make thee large recompence Of this thou maist be assured if thou wilt haue recourse to the fore-cited Chapter Deut. 15.10 There art thou infallibly promised for thy almes deeds done to the needy that the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou putiest thine hand to My exhortation is no other than that of the Prophet Esay Chap. 58 7. Deale thy bread to the hungry bring the poore
word of my gracious God My God openeth his mouth from Heauen aboue and speaketh to me that he might saue me He speaketh to me to keep me from errour to comfort me in the troubles and aduersities of this life and to guide me to the life eternall If you stand thus affected to the word of God if you desire the sincere milke thereof for your spirituall food as the little infant doth the mothers milke for its bodily food if you finde your selues truly to loue it carefully to desire to vnderstand it and to take comfort in the exercises of it thanke God for it it is a good signe and pray God to increase it But if this word of God be a burden to thee if like a potion it goe downe against thy stomack if thou carest not how little thou be acquainted with it if thou esteemest not the exercises of it take heed bewaile thine estate it is a fearefull token pray God if thou loue thine owne soule to remoue such thy dulnesse from thee And let this suffice to haue beene deliuered vpon my second obseruation which was The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people It was grounded vpon those words of the Mandate Audite contestamini Heare and testifie First heare what God speaketh and then make your contestation testifie and beare witnesse of that you haue heard Cry aloud spare not Esay 58.1 lift vp your voices like trumpets shew vnto the house of Iacob the calamities which I haue resolued to bring vpon them Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob Hereupon I ground my third obseruation it is this God euermore vseth to denounce grieuous calamities before they come to passe He fore-sheweth them before hand The vniuersall deluge was a very grieuous calamity God foreshewed it vnto Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse long before he brought in the Floud Gen. 6.13 The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah was great their sinne was very grieuous and therefore was God resolued to destroy them yet would he not doe it till he had told Abraham and Lot thereof the one Gen. 18.17 the other Gen. 19.13 The seuen yeares of famine which were to consume the land of Aegypt God foretold to Ioseph seuen yeares before they came Gen. 41.25 A man of God is sent to Eli to foretell him of the euill that should befall his house 1 Sam. 2.27 The Prophet Ieremie is sent to the Iewes to foretell them of the seuenty yeares of their captiuitie in Babylon Ier. 25.12 And here in my text Priests and Prophets are called vpon to foretell to the house of Iacob the miseries that were readie to fall vpon them Thus stands the doctrine firme God euermore vseth to aduertise vs of miseries before they doe befall vs. Our Prophet expresly and confidently auoucheth it vers 7. of this Chapter Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets In my exposition of those words I gaue of the point in hand a larger prosecution than the remainder of this houre will affoord As now so then I proued from the euidence of the word that God neuer bringeth any grieuous calamitie vpon any people or nation or priuate person but he doth euermore first forewarne the same and foretelleth it And hereof I gaue two reasons one in respect of the godly the other in respect of the wicked For the Godly God is vnwilling at any time to take them at vnawares He loueth them he would not haue any of them perish but would they should all repent and so preuent his iudgements He is prone to doe good but slow to punish and therefore praedicit flagella vt peccantes resipiscant He fore-sheweth his iudgements to draw vs to the amendment of our liues Now for the wicked He fore-warneth them also of his future iudgements Rangol 1 King â— 27 ne dicere queant se illa euentura non audiuisse that they may not be able to say for themselues they had no fore-warning So are they left without excuse their mouthes are stopped and Gods iustice is cleared Wherefore beloued let vs acknowledge the great mercie and wonderfull patience of our good and gracious God in that he vouchsafeth so to deale with vs to retire vs from sinne He needs not nor is he bound to deale so kindly with vs. For it is our part vpon our owne perill to take heed of his iudgements that they ouertake vs not Yet so good is the Lord so louing so mercifull so patient so desirous is he we should escape the misery which we haue deserued that he sends vnto vs his letters of loue the holy Scriptures by his Ministers to fore-warne vs of the euill day A sly and subtill aduersary would steale vpon vs when we should least thinke of him and take vs at any aduantage but our louing God seekes not for aduantages against vs. He rather prouideth vs meanes for our safetie The meanes are the letters of his loue as euen now I called them the sacred Scriptures Them he conueyeth to vs by his seruants his Ministers by whom hee inuites vs to good and deters vs from euill propoundeth rewards for well doing and punishments for ill threatneth vnto vs the torments of Hell if we continue in sinne and so bridleth our wantonnesse promiseth the ioyes of Heauen if we turne vnto him by repentance and so spurres on our slothfulnesse So gracious a God fore-warneth euer before he striketh And now most gracious and louing Father we most humbly beseech thee not only to fore-warne vs before thou strike but also to giue vs grace to take heed by thy warnings that thou strike vs not So will we arise runne and open vnto thee arise by faith from the sepulcher of sinne runne with hope to the gates of thy mercies and open with loue our broken and contrite hearts that thou mayest come in and dwell with vs. Euen so be it most mercifull Father for thy sweet Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Sixteenth Lecture AMOS 3.14 15. That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. THis passage of holy Writ is a Prosopopaeia The Almighty is here brought in calling vpon his Priests and Prophets to giue care vnto him and to beare witnesse of the calamities which hee was resolued to lay vpon the house of Iacob His resolution was when he should punish the Israelites for their euill deeds then to visit their Temple and stateliest buildings with ruine and desolation The words I heretofore diuided into two generall parts One was A mandate for a Testification
My propounded doctrine stands good It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Now let vs see what vses doe offer themselues to our considerations out of this Doctrine First it may serue for a iust reproofe of these our last and worst daies wherein by experience wee finde true that same m Dr. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lect. 15. paradox in common reason hardly to be proued namely that not friends only or kinsmen but brethren also when they fall to enmity their hatred is greater than that betwixt mortall foes It is come to passe according to Christ his prophecie Matth. 10.36 A mans enemies shall be they of his owne house A mans enemies indeed and his enemies to purpose to worke him most harme shall be they of his owne house May not many now adaies complaine yea cry out with Dauid Psal 55.12 If mine enemy had done me this dishonour I could haue borne it If mine aduersary had exalted himselfe against me I would haue hid my selfe from him but it was thou O man my companion my guide my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together we walked in the house of God as friends Yet hast thou done me this dishonour yea thou hast exalted thy selfe against me Of all the Vials of the wrath of God powred down vpon sinners it is one of the sorest when a man is fed with his own flesh and made drunke with his owne bloud as with sweet wine So the Prophet Esay speaketh Chap. 49.26 The meaning is as a chiefe n B. King Ibid. pillar of our Church expoundeth it when a man taketh pleasure in nothing more than in the ouerthrow and extirpation of his owne seed when he thirsteth not for any bloud but that which is drawne from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen Neuer was there more eager and bitter contention betweene Turke and Christian than now adaies there is betweene Christian and Christian a brother and a brother All we who haue giuen our names to Iesus Christ and vowed him seruice in our baptisme we are all brethren we are fratres vterini brethren from the womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee haue one father and one mother one father in heauen and one mother the holy Catholike Church militant vpon the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Leui Gen 49.5 We are brethren in euill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what doe we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloued you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speech was vnto Christians and in Christianisme diuersity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therefore this reprofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Psal 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are giuen to vex them of your owne house or shall back-bite or slander any know that Edom-like you doe pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby euery good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2 Epist 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence Dauid Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnity Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his heard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of vnity That sweet perfume and ointment that holy o le powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweet smelling sauour to all that were about him So is it with vnity It is not onely pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the mountaines of Sion where the Lord appointed the blessing and life foreuermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heauen vpon H rmon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit If makes them among whom it is sincerely obserued it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men and one of them towards another This vnity concord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it bee vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnesse in this life and of eternall ioyes in the life to come One of the notes by which we may be assured of God his speciall loue and fauour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iohn Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth Chap. 5.1 Euery one that loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father he loueth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus and his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christian brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giueth vs Chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not onely in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule hee giueth vers the 17. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloued be your direction Loue ye euery one that is called a Christian
Syntagm Disput Sedan loc 2. De origine sacrae Scripturae §. 32. pag. 17. Telenus tels mee of a champion of that side as farre forward as he who saith Melius consultum fuisse Ecclesiae si nulla vnquam extitisset Scriptura that had there neuer beene any Scripture the Church had beene better prouided for then now it is Sedens in coelis ridet there 's a God in heauen that hath these wicked impes in derision vpon whom for their taunts contumelies and reprcches against his sacred word hee will one day poure out his full viols of wrath then will he crush them with his scepâ—er of iron and breake them in pieces like potters vessâ—ls You haue the fiâ—st vse A second followeth Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere then is a lesson for vs whom God hat set a part to be Preachers and Expounders of his will We must handle his sacred Scripture as his holy word wee must euer come vnto you as my Prophet heere did to the Israelites with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes Wee may not speake either the imagination of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same To this S Peter well exhorteth vs in his 1. Epist and chap. 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if wee yea if an Angell from Heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you then from the Lords own mouth speaking in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be accursed let him be had in execration The third vse of this doctrine is peculiar vnto you Beloued who are auditors and hearers of the word Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Then Beloued it is your part to heare vs with attention and reuerence whensoeuer wee stand before you to expound Gods holy Scripture S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians Epist 1. chap. 2.13 For that whensoeuer they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeede the word of God In like sort if you receiue it it will saue your soules It is able so to doe S. Iames shall bee your pledge chap. 1.21 Receiue it therefore with meeknesse that by it your soules may liue God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night and sayd Gen. 46.2 Iaacob Iaacob Iaacob answered I am heere He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God would say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must hee thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance ô Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am heere Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day thou wilt put into the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am heere speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince of this world or some great man shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with all diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the Earth the liuing and immortall God calleth vpon you by his Ministers What remaineth but that you suffer a word of Exhortation It shall bee short in S. Pauls words Coloss 3.16 Holy and beloued as the elect of God let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome This word of God it is his most royall and celestiall Testament it is the oracle of his heauenly Sanctuarie it is the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauor to his Church the light of our feete the ioy of our hearts the breath of our nostrils the pillar of our faith the anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the euidence of our future blessednes Let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdom So shall your wayes by it be clensed and your selues made cleane Yet a very litle while he that shall come will come will not tarry euen our Lord Iesus Christ who finding your wayes clensed and your selues made cleane by his sacred word will in his due time translate you from this valley of teares into Ierusalem which is aboue the most glorious Citie of God There shall this corruptible put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE II. LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth 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 saith the Lord. IN the former Sermon I handled the Preface The Prophecie is now to be spoken vnto The first part therein is The accusation of Moab in these words For three transgressions of Moab and for foure Where we are to consider 1. Who are accused 2. For what they are accused The accused are the Moabites and they are accused of many breaches of the Law of God First of the accused Moab was one of the sonnes of Lot begotten in incest vpon his eldest daughter Gen. 19.37 From him by lineall descent came these Moabites a people inhabiting that part of the East which is commonly knowne by the name of Coelesyria but was formerly the possession of the Amorites These Moabites like their brethren the Ammonites were professed enemies to the people of God and did euermore very grieuously afflict and vex them In which respect they were for euer by God his singular commandment excluded from the Church Gods commandement is expressed Deut. 23.3 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. And it s repeated Nehem. 13.1 The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of God Thus haue you the accused euen the Moabites the posteritie of Moab who was Lots sonne inhabitants of Coelesyria and borderers vpon the Holy Land the possession of the Israelites Now what are they accused of Of many breaches of Gods law in these words For three and foure transgressions This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter and haue heard it diuersly expounded The most naturall proper and significant exposition commended to you was by three and foure a finite and certaine number to vnderstand many a number infinite vncertaine For three transgressions of Moab and for foure that is for many transgressions of the
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
religiously assembled in this place are the elect of God chosen by him in Christ Iesus * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world to bee holy and without blame before him in loue yet I feare me should we enter into our owne hearts and examine our selues how we haue walked in dutifulnesse towards him our best course will be to runne vnto him with a Peccanimus in our mouthes Lord we haue z Luk. 15.18 sinned against heauen and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy seruants By the first branch of our duty we are required to be obedient seruants but we haue beene a Ezech. 2.4 hard offace and stiffe hearted a rebellious of-spring like vnto our fathers By the second branch of our duty wee are required to be faithfull seruants but we haue made a couenant with b Rom. 6.19 vncleannesse and iniquity to serue them By the third branch of our duty we are required to bee profitable seruants but when wee should haue c Mat. 25.27 put our Lords mony to the exchangers for his greater vantage we haue d Vers 25. hid it in the earth Lord enter not into account with vs e Iob 9.3 wee cannot answer thee one of a thousand Now dearely beloued suffer a word of exhortation let the remembrance of your holy duties by you to be performed to the Lord your God be like f Ecclus 49.1 the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary sweet as hony in your mouths and as musicke at a banket of wine Bee it vnto you g Ezech. 16.11 12. as bracelets vpon your hands as chaines about your necks as frontlets vpon your faces as earings in your eares as beautifull crownes vpon your heads let it bee written in your hearts as h Ierem. 17.1 with a pen of iron or point of a Diamond neuer to bee razed out Shall I deliuer this your duty vnto you in blessed Pauls words In blessed Pauls words this is your duty to i 1 Thes 2.12 walke worthy of the Lord Coloss 1.10 To walke worthy your vocation Ephes 4.1 To walke as children of the light Ephes 5.8 To walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 To walke in loue Ephes 5.2 To haue your conuersation as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ Phil. 1.27 To behaue your selues honestly towards them that are without 1 Thess 4.12 To walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 If you take thought k Rom. 13.14 for your flesh to fulfill the lusts of it if your eyes are l 1 Ioh. 2.11 blindeâ— with m 2 Tim. 3.4 loue of pleasures if you haue n Ephes 5.11 fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse you are out of the way and doe much faile in the performance of your holy duty And to keepe you the better in the right way let me plainly tell you out of 1 Cor. 6.9 and Ephes 5.5 That neither Idolaters nor the couetous nor extortioners nor theeues nor adulterers nor fornicators nor buggerers nor wantons nor drunkards nor raylers shall haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Haue not some of vs beene such yet to such there is ministred a word of comfort 1 Cor. 6.11 First is our accusation Such were some of you then followeth our comfort but yee are washed but ye are saâ—ctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God Is this true beloued Are we washed and sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God why then resolue we to follow S. Paules aduice Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise resolue we to thinke on these things thinke we on these things to doe them and we shall well performe our holy duties to our Lord. Thus farre of my first note touching the speaker who speaketh Now followeth my other note How he speaketh He shall roare and vtter his voice The metaphor of roaring with reference vnto God is frequent and much vsed in holy Scripture You find it as here so Ierem. 25.30 ioyned with the voice of the Lord The Lord shall roare from aboue and thrust out his voice from his holy habitation And so againe Ioel. 3.16 where you haue the very words of my text The Lord shall roare out of Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice Hos 11.10 The Lord shall roare like a Lion when he shall roare then the children of the West shall feare You shall find it with application Amos 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not bee afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie S. Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth for as much as it is fit for euery man to vse in his speech such examples and similitudes as are most familiar to him in his owne art dayly course and trade of life It s fit for a sea faring man to compare his heauinesse to a tempest his losse to a shipwracke his enemies to contrary winds fit for â— souldier to tell of his sword his buckler his coat of male his launce his helmet his musket his wounds his victorie fit for a husbandman to be talking of his oxen his kine his sheepe his grounds Not vnfitly then doth Amos our Prophet sometimes a shepherd one that kept his sheepe in the waste wildernesse of Tekoa where many a time he had heard the Lions roare compare the terrible and dreadfull voice of the liuing God to the roaring of Lions The Lord shall roare By this hyperbolicall forme of speech the holy Spirit conuinceth vs of stupidity and dulnesse as vnable to entertaine any admonition from God except he speak vnto vs after an extraordinary manner For this reason euen for our dulnes sake is God herein my text compared to a Lion He shall roare The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words He shall vtter his voice It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeall and spirituall essence deuoid of such parts of nature by which we are enabled to speak may himselfe be said to speake and vtter a voice That he spake it is well known to them to whom the Scriptures are not vnknowne He spake with Adam Eue and the serpent with Noah with Abraham 8. times with Isaac with Iacob with Moses and the Prophets with Christ and the Apostles But how he spake that is disputed of by the ancient and learned Fathers S. o In cap. 7. Esai Basil is of opinion that the Prophets did not at all with their outward eares heare God speaking to them but that the word of the Lord is said to haue come vnto them because their mindes were illuminated and their vnderstâ—nding enlightned by the shining of the true
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
and stagger like a drunken man Thus saith the Lord This powerfull Iehouah whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the sea his floare to walk in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shakest his inmost powers Psal 29.8 as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iote or any one tittle of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of all other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecies of old is destitute of diuine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old i me to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 and 2 Peter 1.20 Know this that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any priuate motion He giueth the reason hereof ver 21. for the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me the Lord God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what ye shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the Lord How then dare we potters claâ— lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreuerently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point hauing heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his vowe from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull seruice of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a taste of the sweetnesse of the word of the Lord conueyed vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Euangelists Apostles It is the Lords most royall and celestiall testament the oracles of his heauenly sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue euidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre the preface proeme or entrance making for the authority of this prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherein I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The generall accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them verse the 3. I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God verse the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sin set downe generally and specially Generally verse 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan In â—â—t lib. 36. Stephan Adrichom Hâ—erâ—n Hâ—â— qu â—â—t in Gen. some coniecture by Eliezâ—r the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Aâ—ud H c. ibid Io eph aâ—â—â—q Iuâ—â—â— Lib 1 caâ— 7 â—â—llâ—t in Gâ—n cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient than Abraham doe attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Whereupon Damaâ—cus was called also Aram as c In Esay 17. S. Hierome witnesseth Whatsoeuer were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel the place where the bodie of the Prophet Zacharie lay the tower wherein S. Paul was committed to prison and the like that would be beside my purpose For the present know yee that Damascus was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria whence by a figure the figure Synecdoche it is here in my text put for the whole country of Syria By this figure Synecdoche in the name
dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God! incorporeall inuisible spirituall passing all measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It s very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seat a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the euerliuing God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hâ—nds are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in euery place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It s noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare diuers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vâ—â— God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things 〈◊〉 Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all liuing things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to bee auenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being may easily be proued In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for euill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It is made plaine out of Neh. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof may be proued as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the Lord was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the Lord was hot against them he deliuered them into the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to the enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon them 1 Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was heauy vpon them * Psal 78.64 â—â— The Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a Giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and fauour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shepherd shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recouer with my hand and preserue them for euer I will gather them together I will comfort them I will defend them rursus ad pastorem praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepherd and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it s otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for euill This is auerred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephany chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall be rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries euen desolation and astonishment a hissing and a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall finde in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1 Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a Princes seat able at one time to giue entertainment to fiue Princes Against both city and dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I wi l turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to flie vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecy any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets Dauid and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my Doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoeuer afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I call whatsoeuer is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed
vpon vs. All and euery of these true Christians will patiently vndergoe For they with their sharp-sighted eie of faith doe clearely see the Hand of God in euery of their molestations and in great contentment they take vp the words of patient Iob Chap. 2.10 Shall wee receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Here let euery afflicted soule examine it selfe how it is affected with the affliction vnder which it groaneth If you esteeme of your afflictions as of God his fatherly chastisements and so endure them blessed are ye Of this blessednesse Saint Iames Chap. 1.12 doth assure you Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Againe is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A second vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that we labour aboue all things to obtaine Gods fauour and to abide in it so shall we be safe from the feare of euill Now for the obtaining of Gods fauour we must doe foure things We must 1. Humble our selues before God 2. Beleeue in Christ 3. Repent of our sinnes 4. Performe new obedience vnto God The time will not suffer me to enlarge these points Humiliation faith in Christ repentance and a new life these foure will be vnto you as Iacobs ladder was vnto the Angels Of that ladder you may reade Gen. 28.12 that it stood vpon the earth the top of it did reach to heauen and the Angells of God went vp it So may you by these foure Humiliation Faith Repentance and Newnesse of life as it were by so many steps and rounds of a ladder climbe vp to heauen Here you haue no continuing Citie you are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth your countrey is aboue the Celestiall Ierusalem there let your hearts be As for the afflictions vexations tribulation miseries and crosses wherewith this mortall life of yours is seasoned let them be your ioy They are sure pledges of Gods loue vnto you Euen so saith the Spirit Hebr. 12.6 Whom the Lord loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth Thirdly is it true Is there no safe being in citie or countrie from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A third vse of this doctrine is for the terrour of such as lie wallowing in the filthinesse of their sins Many there are wicked wretches who if God shall for a time deferre the punishments due vnto their sinnes are ready to thinke that God takes no notice of their sinnes These say in their heart there is no God Against these is made that challenge Psal 50.21 I hold my tongue and thâ—u thoughtest me like thy selfe I the Lord who see the secrets of all hearts I hold my tongue I did not by my iudgements punish thee for the wickednesse of thy steps I hold my tongue and thou thoughtest me like thy selfe thou thoughtest I tooke pleasure in wickednesse as thou doest but thou shalt finde and feele the contrary Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies and long suffering of God thereby they grow worse and worse obdurate and hardned in their sinnes Yet let them be aduised for they day will come and it comes apace wherein they shall feele the heauinesse of that hand which here was turned against Ekron I will turne my hand to Ekron It followeth And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish The Philistines had their beginning from Casluchim a grand-childe of Chane the accursed issue of Noah as appeareth Gen. 10.14 They were seated in a part of the Land of Canaan the west part that which bordereth vpon the great Sea the Sea commonly called the Mediterranean Their Country was called by Ptolemee and others Palaestina and by the Greeks Phoenicia It was a part of that countrey which once was called Terra promissionis the Land of promise but now Terra Sancta the Holy Land The inhabitants in our Prophets time were professed enemies to Almighty God and his beloued Israel They thought themselues safe from ruine through the strength of their fiue Dukedomes Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon Gath and Ekron But vaine and foolish are the thoughts which possesse the wicked When the God of all truth shall giue his word for a matter shal man presume to doubt of the euent Here God sets his word vpon it that there shall be an vtter ouerthrow not onely of Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon and Ekron but of Gath also and all the villages belonging thereunto for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God Ait Dominus Iehouth saith the Lord God This is the conclusion of this prophecie and it redoubleth its authoritie and credit Authoritie and credit sufficient it hath from its very front verse 6. Thus saith the Lord it is here redoubled saith the Lord God Saith the Lord God hath the Lord God said it and r 〈◊〉 23 19. shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouâ—h the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lye not as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea and Amen Å¿ Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Dominus Iehouth the Lord hath said it that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish Out of doubt then must it come to passe And so is it The first blow which the Philistines receiued towards their ouerthrow after this prophecie was giuen them aboue three-score yeares after by Ezechius that good King of Iudah of whom the Prophet Esay Chap. 14.29 foretelleth the Philistines that he should be vnto them as a Cockatrice and a fiery â—â—ring Serpent This Ezechius smote the Philistines vnto Azzah and the coasts thereof from the watch-tower vnto the defensed Citie This is plaine 2 King 18.8 A second blow was giuen by Tartan one of the Captaines of Sennacherib or Sargon King of Assyria who came vp against Ashdod and tooke it This is plaine Esay 20.1 A third blow was giuen them by Pharaoh Neco and hee smote Azzah Ashkelon and other places This is it which the Prophet Ieremy saith Chap. 47.5 Baldnesse is come vpon Azzah Ashkelon is cut vp with the rest of their valleys In a word God hath from time to time raised vp his men of war in due time to extirpate and raze out the Philistines from the face of the earth that according to the tenour of this Prophecy there might be no remnant of them The remnant of the Philistines shall perish Here may we obserue a difference in Gods punishments he punisheth the reprobate and he punisheth his elect but differently the reprobate to their vtter excision and extirpation not so the elect For of them there is vpon the
by nature betweene the Iewes Israelites and Edomites brethren lineally descended from two naturall brethren Iacob and Esau They knew full well that the Iewes and Israelites were the issue of Iacob and the Edomites of Esau they knew likewise that the Edomites bore a mortall hatred towards the Iewes and Israelites yet fold they the Iewes and Israelites vnto the Edomites and are therefore here said not to remember the brotherly couenant The man that conspireth mischiefe and destruction to his brother is a monster in nature worthy to be pursued with eternall detestation and whosoeuer abhorreth not from consenting to such a wickednesse but giueth furtherance or countenance thereto he is holden in the same impiety The Edomites sought the destruction of the Iewes and Israelites and the Tyrians did further them in their bloudy designes the Tyrians therefore are partakers with the Edomites in the sinne of vnmercifulnesse Which sin is here laid vnto their charge in these words They remembred not the brotherly couenant Hence we may take this lesson It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God either for brethren to be at variance among themselues or for others to countenance them in their quarrels Our assent to this truth the light of nature within vs doth extort from vs. Of the first part of my proposition wherein I auow it to be a very distastfull thing vnto God for brethren to bee at variance among themselues I shall haue fit opportunitie to entreat when I shall come to the eleuenth verse of this Chapter where Edom is reproued for pursuing his brother with the sword Of the other part wherein I do affirme it to be an vnpleasing thing to God for any to countenance brethren in their quarrels I will by Gods assistance speake at this time very briefly It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for any to countenance brethren in their quarrels The aduice is good which Saint Paul giueth Ephes 5.11 Haue ye no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but euen reproue them rather What are the workes of darknesse but the workes of the flesh Now in Galat. 5.20 in the Catalogue of the workes of the flesh we finde hatred debate wrath contention With these therefore we must haue no fellowship we must reproue them rather Must we haue no fellowship with them Must we reproue them rather What saith old Adam What saith flesh and bloud to this Our Gallants of this age can entertaine no such aduice that it may be fulfilled which our Sauiour Christ foretold of the end of the world Luk. 21.10 and 16. Nation shall rise against nation kingdome against kingdome a father against his son a brother against his brother a kinsman against his kinsman and a friend against his friend A fitter remedy for this malady I finde none than to imitate blessed Abraham There grew a debate betweene his seruants and the seruants of Lot their heardmen could not agree What doth Abraham in this case As the manner of Masters is now adaies No he breaketh not out into choler he saith not My seruants are abused my cosin Lot his seruants doe seeke to crow ouer them and to rule the rost as they list This is an iniury to mee their Master and a shame to suffer it So a man may be made a foole indeed and accounted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation Neuer will any man care to serue me if I sticke not better to my men than so Such language as the world now goeth is very rife among vs. But Abraham spake not so Grace was in his face and mildnesse in his words For thus spake he vnto his Nephew Lot Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there be no strife betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethren We are brethren I pray let there be no strife betweene vs. Let vs be mindfull of the couenant wherein nature hath vnited our affections we are brethren the bond of brotherhood and consanguinity let it moderate our passions why shall we iarre and be at odds betweene our selues Are we not brethren An excellent patterne of imitation for all estates high and low rich and poore one with another Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all whosoeuer may say they are brethren either in nature or in Christ and religion haue in Abraham a patterne for their imitation We must abstaine not only from raising strife and debate our selues but also from fostering and cherishing it in others Such was Abrahams choice He would not maintaine his seruants against Lots seruants he tooke it to be farre more credit for him to haue vnity and good loue than the bitter effects of the contrary Among the beatitudes Mat. 5. the seuenth is Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who loue concord regard peace seeke it and insue after it Blessed are they who bestirre themselues to cherish and maintaine peace and concord betweene others Blessed are they who doe their best to reunite in loue such as are fallen out to make an end of quarrels and dissentions Blessed are the peace-makers the reason is annexed for they shall be called the children of God that is they will by their loue of vnity and concord make it appeare vnto the world that they are the sonnes of God From whence it followeth by an argument from the place of contraries Accursed are makebates for they shall be called the children of the Deuill Cursed are they who are of themselues quarrelsome and contentious Cursed are they who bestir themselues to cherish and maintaine strife and debate in others Cursed are they who doe their best to set at variance such as haue long liued in peace and vnity Cursed are make-bates I annex the reason for they shall be called the sonnes of the Deuill that is They will by their loue of strife and debate make it appeare to the world that they are the sonnes of the Deuill Now dearely beloued in the Lord I beseech you to remoue farre from you all cogitation and thought of strife variance and debate and to remember your brotherly couenant Know ye that the bond of one body one spirit one hope one God one faith one baptisme is as farre aboue the bond of one father one mother one village one house and the like as the spirit is aboue the flesh spirituall things aboue carnall and God aboue man I will shut vp this point with the exhortation of S. Peter 1 Epist Chap. 3.8 Be ye all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous render not euill for euill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse ye blesse I say and know that you are thereunto called that yee should bee heires of blessing Thus farre of the third part of this Prophecie Now followeth the fourth Vers 10. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the walls of Tyrus and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof This is a particular denunciation of a conquest 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
is Gods triumph What doe I In time of peace exhort to Martyrdome Why not Though through Gods goodnesse blessed be his name for it there is not now among vs any occasion of persecution habet tamen pax nostra Martyrium suum as Gregorie the Great spake of his time Homil. 3. in Euangelia yet hath our peace her Martyrdome Albeit we doe not yeeld carnis colla ferro our neckes to the yron or our bodies to the stake yet doe we gladio spirituali with the spirituall sword slay the carnall desires within vs. You haue seene what it is to offer vp vnto the Lord the goods of our bodie patiendo by suffering by dying for the Lord. Now let vs see what it is to offer them vp faciendo by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. It is that whereto S. Paul exhorteth vs Rom. 12.1 euen our reasonable seruice of God I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God Our Bodies a sacrifice How may that be S. Chrysostome Hom. 20. in Ep. ad Rom. doth elegantly expresse it Let the eye behold no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eye is a sacrifice let the tongue speake no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the tongue is an oblation let the hand doe no euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the hand is a burnt offering So that sweete Father We may enlarge the meditation let the eare heare no euil and the eare is a sacrifice let the arme embrace no euill and the arme is a sacrifice let the foote follow no euill and the foote is a sacrifice In a word let all other parts of the bodie be preserued from euill and they are all sacrifices The eye that is b 2. Pet. 2.14 full of adulterie is no fit offering the tongue that is c Psal 120.3 deceitfull is no fit offering the hand that is euer shut against the poore is no fit offering the vncircumcised eare the wanton arme the cruell foote they are no fit offerings neither is any part of our bodie that is vnsanctified a fit offering for the Lord. Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord let it be the care of euery one of vs to present our bodies vnto the Lord a liuing and a holy sacrifice for that onely will be acceptable vnto him Now that our sacrifice may be liuing and holy and so acceptable to the Lord it is not enough for vs to d Psal 34.15 And 37.27 abstaine from doing of euill but we must willingly and chearefully betake our selues to the doing of good and this must wee doe betimes You deceiue your selues if you thinke to offer your youthfull yeares vnto the Deuill and to lay your old bones vpon Gods Altar Gods sacrifice must be the fattest it must bee the fairest He must haue both head and hinder parts to teach you that your dutie is to remember your Creator as well in the dayes of your nonage as in the dayes of your dotage as well while you are yong as when you shall be old For if you deferre your offerings till the last houre till sicknesse deaths-Bailiffe shall arest you your offering may proue sicke it may proue dead it may proue an vnholy sacrifice Receiue therefore S. Pauls word of exhortation I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing and an holy sacrifice vnto God You haue heard that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our externall goods and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goods of our bodies are to be offered vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the same I am now in briefe to shew concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goods of our minde The goods of our minde I called vertues and vertuous actions functions and operations together with all the faculties and powers of the soule all these we must offer vp vnto the Lord. But how shall we offer them vp devotione contritione by deuotion and contrition For as it is Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart is such a sacrifice as God will not despise Whosoeuer by diuine meditation and deuout prayer beateth downe the proud conceits of his rebellious heart he killeth and offereth vp as it were his sonne Isaac that which is most nere vnto him that which is most deare vnto him he offereth vp a broken spirit and that is Sacrificia Dei the sacrifices of God The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit Sacrifices in the Plurall number because this one sacrifice of a broken spirit is instar omnium in steed of all its worth all other sacrifices in the world And well may it be so for it is the sacrifices of God of God that is accepta Deo acceptable and well pleasing vnto God But what is this broken spirit I speake off It is animus contritus commutâ—â—â— abjectus propriae infirmitatis ac indignitatis conscientiâ It is a mind contrite beaten as it were to dust or powder broken in peeces and cast downe with the conscience of its owne infirmitie and vnworthinesse It is a minde that is voyd of any conceite of its owne worth that thinketh it selfe worthy of any punishment that esteemeth all its owne goods most base that followeth the word of God vpon any occasion that is comforted at the least signe of Gods fauour that is cast downe at any token of his displeasure that is easily mooued with affections of loue feare ioy and hope that is alwayes full of pitty to others that maketh conscience of the smallest transgression The man that is of such a broken spirit and so contrite a minde he may well be said to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the goods of his mind Thus you see that we are and how we are to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the goods of this world the goods of the bodie and the goods of the mind But whereon shall we offer them where is our Altar Our Altar is within vs euen our heart that is our Altar Durandus in his e Lib. 1. cap. 7. N. 18. Rationall of Diuine offices deduceth it out of the first to the Corinthians Chap. 3.17 The Temple of God is holy which yee are Yee are the Temple of GOD. Si Templum Dei sumus Altare habemus Altare nostrum est cor nostrum Hoc enim est cor in homine quod Altare in Templo If we are the Temple of God wee haue an Altar Our Altar is our Heart For the Heart is that in man as the Altar is in the Temple Our Heart then is our Altar no Legall Altar but an Evangelicall Altar Answereable to our Altar must our sacrifices be Evangelicall too Now sayth Lactantius Divin institut lib. 6. cap. 24. Now the Lord requireth not of vs any sacrifice of a dumbe beast of death and bloudshed but Victimam hominis vitae the sacrifice of man and his life
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
non debetis ye ought not to be ignorant of this that the amitie of the world is enmitie with God and that whosoeuer is a friend of the world he is the enemie of God I may adde yea and of the Godly too Hereto agreeth that demaund of S. Paul 2. Cor. 6.14.15 What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is righteous the world is wicked and g 1. John 5.19 lieth altogether in sinne therefore there can be no fellowship betweene God and the world God is h 1. I haâ— 1.5 light he is the i Iam. 1.17 Father of lights in him there is no darkenesse at all The world what is it but k Ephe. 5.8 darknesse what but a receptacle of the vnfruitfull l Vers 11. workes of darkenesse therefore there can bee no communion betweene God and the world Christ is holy altogether holy and immaculate Belial is wicked he is the Prince of wickednesse therefore there can be no concord betweene Christ and Belial Now if there can be no fellowship if no communion betweene God and the world can we looke there should be any fellowship any communion betweene Saints worldlings betweene the godly and the wicked betweene such as loue God and such as loue the wâ—rld If there be no concord betweene Christ and Belial can we expect there should be any concord betweene true Christians and Belialists betweene the followers of Christ and the sonnes of Belial It cannot be expected These whom I call Belialists or the sonnes of Beliall worldlings and the wicked are such as loue the world the other whom I call true Christians or followers of Christ Saints the godly are such as loue God The repugnancie that is betweene the qualities of these two is elegantly deliuered in holy writ The louers of God are m Rom. 8.14 Galat. 5.18 led by the Spirit of God they n Galat. 5.16 walke in the Spirit and bring forth the o Vers 22.23 fruits thereof as loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance and such like but they that loue the world are invested with p Ver. 19.20.21 adulterie fornication vncleannesse lasciuiousnesse Idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse revellings and such like What greater repugnancie can there be then this Againe they that loue God are q 2. Tim. 2.22 of pure hearts and of r 1. Tim. 1.5 good consciences they Å¿ Coloss 1.22 present themselues holy vnblameable and vnreproueable in the sight of God they serue the Lord t Johan 4.23 in Spirit and in truth but they that loue the world are of u Psal 14.1 And 53.1 corrupt hearts of x Tit. 1.15 defiled minds and consciences their works are y Psal 14.1 abominable they are z Psal 58.3 deceitfull from the wombe they are altogether a Psal 14.3 become filthy their seruice of God is but a flattering of him for they b Psal 78.36 lye vnto him with their double tongue What greater repugnancie can there be then this Once more They that loue God cast all their c 1. Pet. 5.7 care vpon him they are d Vers 8. sober and vigilant for they know that their aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuour but they that loue the world like the foole in the Psalme e Psal 14.1 53.1 10.4 say in their heart there is no God Sobrietie they care not for vigilancie they will none of it f Philip. 3.19 Minding earthly things glutted with the pleasure thereof their sole care is g Rom. 16.18 to serue their owne belly h Philip. 3.19 their God is their belly their glory is their shame their end is damnation What greater repugnancie can there be then this Will it now please you to collect with me the qualities of the wicked the sonnes of Belial worldlings such as loue the world are wholy repugnant and contrary to the qualities of the Godly the followers of Christ Saints such as loue God and therefore there can be no agreement betweene them No better then was betweene Cain and Abel And that you know was bad enough For Cain slew Abel And wherefore slew he him S. Iohn giues you the reason 1. Epist 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers righteous Thus farre of the hatred of the wicked against the Godly the true reason of my doctrine which was The wicked are euermore in a readinesse to doe all the disgrace and despite they can not onely to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers but also to the true seruants of God of what vocation estate or condition soeuer they be Let vs now make some vse of that which hath beene hitherto deliuered for the bettering and the amendment of our sinfull liues First the Ministers of Gods word may from hence learne not to take it vnto heart if such as are bound by the Law of God and nature and by all good order to yeeld them due loue and reuerence shall in pride and contempt insult ouer them to disgrace and to despite them They may well remember that it s neither great nor new nor rare thing that they meete with such course entertainement in the world forasmuch as they cannot be ignorant that the world hateth them And what if the world hate them Shall they therefore be altogether dejected They need not For Christ giues them encouragement and comfort Iohn 15.18 If the world hate you yee know that it hated me before it hated you The argument is drawen ab exemplo from Christs owne example The world hateth mee you know it to be so you see it It needes not then to be any disparagement to you if it hate you it hated me before it hated you Cur ergo se membrum supra verticem extollit S. Austine propounds the question Tract 88. in Iohannem Why doth a member extoll it selfe aboue the head Recusas esse in corpore si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite thou refusest to be in the bodie if thou wilt not with the head susteine the hatred of the world A second argument of encouragement and comfort to vs against the hatred of the world is drawne from the nature of the world vers 19. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you This argument is euident euen to the common sense of men who cannot but know that betweene contraries there is no agreement and betweene men of vnlike qualities no full consent of minds It is then as if Christ had thus said The world loues none but his owne none but those that are addicted deuoted and wholy giuen ouer to it but
earth and they haue returned vnto him nothing but vnthankfulnesse the Lord will surely punish them for all their iniquities The parts are two 1 A Commemoration 2 A Commination The Commemoration is of benefits the Commination is of punishments The Commemoration is for words short yet for matter very copious It hath reference to the many singular and exceeding great benefits which the Lord hath bestowed vpon his people Israel You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth The Commination is sharpe but very iust It may serue thus farre to instruct the Israelites that if the Lord should at any time with his strong hand a Iob 30.21 oppose himselfe against them and make their b Vers 15. welfare to passe away as a cloud and lay terrors vpon them yet they should not calumniate and c Iob 1.22 charge God with folly but should lay the whole blame thereof vpon themselues and their owne deseruings Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Of both in their order First of the Commemoration You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth You onely Onely you How can this be so Did not the knowledge of God extend it selfe to other Nations as well as to the Israelites It may not be denied It extends it selfe not to men only but to whatsoeuer else is in the world You may consider it two manner of waies either in it selfe or as it hath reference to things knowne If it be considered in it selfe it is most certaine and is euer the same as necessary and immutable as is the very diuine Essence from which it differeth not indeed but onely consideration For that axiome of the Schooles is true Quicquid est in Deo est ipsa Dei Essentia Whatsoeuer is in God is Gods owne Essence And therefore the knowledge of God is his diuine Essence and God is his owne knowledge Whence it followeth that wheresoeuer God is and his holy Essence there is his knowledge Now God is euery where his Essence is euery where his knowledge therefore must be euery where It s impossible that any thing should be concealed from it Againe the knowledge of God may be considered as it hath reference to things knowne and so also nothing can bee hid from it For it knoweth it selfe and euery thing else Things vniuersall and singular things past present and to come things which neither are nor haue beene nor euer shall bee things necessary and contingent naturall and voluntary good and euill atchieued and thought vpon finite and infinite all are knowne vnto him So saith the Apostle Heb. 4.13 There is no creature that is not manifest in the sight of God No creature Nay vnto his eyes all things are naked and open All things How then is it that here he saith to the Israelites You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth For the cleering of this doubt we are to note that knowledge attributed vnto God in holy Scripture doth not euer betoken a bare and naked knowledge but sometimes his loue his fauour his care his prouidence his choice his approbation his allowance his acceptance or the like As Psal 1.6 The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Hee knoweth that is he loueth he approueth he accepteth he is well pleased with and graciously directeth the way of the righteous And so are we to expound that of the 37. Psal Vers 18. The Lord knoweth the daies of the vpright He knoweth that is He doth not onely foresee but also he alloweth he careth and prouideth for the life of the vpright So I vnderstand that branch of Dauid prayer which he made in the caue Psal 142.3 When my spirit was ouer-whelmed within me then thou knewest my path Thou knewest that is thou didst approue and allow of the order of my life and innocent conuersation In the booke of Exodus Chap. 33.17 the Lord said vnto Moses Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name I know thee by name that is I haue respect vnto thee I approue thee I care and prouide for thee In the first Chapter of the Prophesie of Nahum vers 7. it is said of the Lord that he knoweth them that trust in him And there to know is to loue to defend to approue to regard Them that trust in him he knoweth he suffers them not to perish In the second Epistle to Timothy Chap. 2.19 we reade of a foundation a foundation of God a sure foundation the seale whereof is Nouit Dominus qâ—â— sunt ejus The Lord knoweth those that are his The Lord knoweth vnderstand not onely a knowledge in generall but a speciall knowledge such a knowledge as is ioyned cum applicatione cordis ac voluntatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a learned Diuine well speaketh such a knowledge as is associated with the applying of the heart and will and good pleasure of the Lord. The Lord knoweth who are his He so knowes them as that they d Ioan. 10.28 shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of his hand Other like places I could produce yet further to shew this idiotisme of the holy tongue that verba notitiae words of knowledge doe not euer betoken a bare and naked knowledge but sometime such a e Mat. 7.23 Luk. 13.27 Mat. 25.12 Rom. 7 15. knowledge as is ioyned with some f Vorflius aâ—ica Duplicat cap. 4. pag 225. decree of him that knoweth with some action of his will with his approbation But I shall not neede to doe it From the Texts of Scripture before alleaged ariseth a distinction of the Schoolemen their distinction of the knowledge of God The knowledge of God say they is two-fold the one is the knowledge of his g Aquin. â—â— 2â— qu. 188. 5. 1. apprehension the other the knowledge of his h Ripa in 1. Th. qu. 14. Art 13. Dub. 4. cap. 4. fol. 83. col 3. Wendalin Suppl in 4. Sentent Dist 50. qu. 1. approbation That they call his absolute and speculatiue knowledge this his speciall and practicall and this not that is the knowledge to bee vnderstood in the places euen now by me expounded And this not that is the knowledge intended in my Text. Thus is the doubt resolued The doubt was How it is here said that the Lord onely knew the Israelites aboue all the Nations of the Earth The answer is Hee knew them not onely as he knew other Nations by his absolute and speculatiue knowledge but also by his speciall and practicall not onely by the knowledge of his apprehension but also by the knowledge of his approbation Some there are that by knowledge here doe vnderstand a possession To know say they is to possesse to haue in our power to inioy as our owne For proofe whereof they bring that Psal 50.11 I know all the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are mine The words are
with any Nation Vpon this first part of my Text this Commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon Israel I grounded my first obseruation It is this It is an excellent priuilege to bee knowne of God by the knowledge of his approbation to be chosen of him to be his people to be in his loue and fauour to be vnder his care and prouidence The excellency of this priuilege appeareth in this that the Lord here calls Israel to the remembrance of it saying You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth This excellent priuilege the true seruice of the liuing God thorow the free vse of his holy Word and Sacraments wheresoeuer it is found among any people is a sure pledge that the Lord knoweth that people with the knowledge of his approbation that he hath chosen them to be his peculiar people that they are in his loue and fauour and that he careth and prouideth for them How much then Beloued how much are we indebted to the Maiesty and bounty of Almighty God who hath graced vs with so excellent a blessing as is the Ministery of his holy Word His holy Word It is a Iewell than which nothing is more precious to which any thing compared is but drosse by which whatsoeuer is tried will bee found lighter than vanity The true estimate of this Iewell may be had out of the 19. Psalme At the 7. vers it is Perfect nothing may be added to it without marring of it it conuerteth the soule and turneth it from euill to good It is sure you may build vpon the truth of it as well for the promises of mercy as for the threatnings of iudgement It giueth wisdome the wisdome of the spirit euen vnto the simple to the humble and lowly of minde At the eighth verse It is right without any iniustice or corruption It reioyceth the heart with true and sound ioy It is pure pure in all points and giueth light to the eyes the eyes of the minde that we may securely trace the way to Heauen At the ninth verse It is cleane without spot or shew of euill and endureth for euer without alteration or change It is truth without falshood and is righteous all together there is no error in it Is your desire for profit or for pleasure This Iewell yeelds you both At the tenth verse for profit it is compared to Gold for pleasure to Honey For profit it is more to bee desired than gold yea than much fine gold for pleasure it is sweeter than honey or the hony combe Moreouer at the tenth verse It will make you circumspect it will shew you the danger of sinne and will teach you how to auoid it and may encourage you to obedience for as much as in the keeping of it there is great reward Great reward yet through Gods mercy and not of your merit Now dearely beloued is the holy Word of God a Iewell so precious of such an estimate Then giue eare to the exhortation of wisdome Prou. 23.23 Buy it and sell it not Buy it what ere it cost you seeke by all meanes to obtaine it and when you haue gotten it sell it not at any hand depart not from it for any price for any cause But let it according to the exhortation that Saint Paul made to the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Let it dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome It is as one wittily speaketh Gods best friend and the Kings best friend and the Courts best friend and the Cities best friend and the Countries best friend and euery mans best friend Giue it therefore entertainment not as to a forreiner or stranger but as to your familiar as to your best friend let it dwell in you And sith it comes not empty but brings with it as well pleasure as profit as you haue already heard Let it dwell in you plenteously Plenteously Yet in all wisdome Let vs heare it in all wisdome reade it in all wisdome meditate vpon it in all wisdome speake of it in all wisdome and preach it in all wisdome not only in wisdome but in all wisdome that the words of our mouthes and the meditations of our hearts may euer be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our strength and our Redeemer Thus farre of my first obseruation grounded vpon the Commemoration of Gods blessings vpon Israel You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth You only My second obseruation is that this great blâ—ssing of the true seruice of God and the free vse of his holy Word was in the daies before Christ appropriate to the people of the Iewes This appeareth by some of those places before alleaged Deut. 4.7 8. and Psal 147.19 20. for the further illustration of the point that of the 76. Psalme vers 1 2. may well serue In Iudah is God knowne his name is great in Israel in Salem is his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion In which words the Psalmist giueth vnto the land of Iudah and Israel this prerogatiue aboue the rest of the Nations of the whole earth that there God was knowne and his name was great but especially in Salem that is in Hierusalem and in Mount Sion the place which he desired for his habitation Psal 132.13 There was God knowne his name was great there Elsewhere it was not so It was not so among the Nations For as Barnabas and Paul told the men of Lystra Acts 14.16 in times past God suffered all Nations to walke in their owne waies The way of God they then knew not The then state of the Nations Saint Paul Ephes 2.12 elegantly decyphereth in fiue circumstances Hee bids them remember what they were in time past as that first they were without Christ secondly they were aliens from the common weâ—lth of Israel thirdly they were strangers from the couenants of promise fourthly they were without hope fiftly they were without God in the world Enough is said for the confirmation of my second obseruation which was that in time of old in time past in the daies before Christ his comming in the flesh the true seruice of God and the exercise of his holy word was appropriate to the people of the Iewes to the children of Israel Now the reasons of this appropriation are two One is Gods vndeserued and speciall loue the other is the truth of his promise Both are expressed Deut. 7. At the seuenth verse the false cause is remoued at the eighth the true is put The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people There the false cause is remoued The true cause is put in the words following But because the Lord loued you and because he would keepe the oath which hee swore vnto your fathers therefore hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh King of Aegypt and
of Babylon with this water of bitternesse with this leuen this little leauen with this fox this little fox with this Cockatrice with this serpent we are to resist discord euen in the beginning And this was Saint Ambrose his Caueatur Cauâ—atur iracundia beware of discord take heed of it But if wee cannot before hand prouide against it then followes his Cohibeatur Keepe it short bridle it But how shall we keepe it short how shall we bridle it The same good Father will for this point instruct vs. Si prauenerit praeocupauerit mentem tuam iracundia non relinqua as locum tuum If anger if wrath shall preuent thee and prepossesse thy minde leaue not thou thy place Thy place What 's that Locus tuus patientia est locus tuus sapientia est locuâ— tuus ratio est locus tuus sedatio indignationis est Thy place is patience thy place is wisdome thy place is reason thy place is the asswaging the quieting of thine anger By patience by wisdome by reason thou maist asswage and quiet anger But my neighbour is so sullen so froward so selfe-willed that I cannot chuse but be moued In this case what shall I doe The Fathers reply vnto thee is Reprime linguam tuam Restraine keepe vnder tame thy tongue For so it is written Psal 34.13 Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lips that they speake no guilt Restraine keepe vnder tame my tongue keepe my tongue from euill The aduice I confesse to be very good But how shall I be able to follow it S. Iames seemeth to imply an impossibility in this performance Chap. 3.8 where he saith The tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill full of deadly poison No man can tame it How then shall I It is an vnruly euill how shall I rule it It is full of deadly poison how shall I cleanse it It were blasphemy to gaine-say what Saint Iames hath said He hath said the tongue is an vnruly euill and so it is It is an euill and an euill of a wilde nature it is an vnruly euill An vnruly euill it is Saint Bernard in his Treatise De triplici custodia saith of it facile volat atque ideo facilè violat It flieth quickly and therefore it woundeth quickly Speedy is the pace it goeth and therefore speedy is the mischiefe it doth When all other members of the body are dull with age this though it be but little this tongue alone is quicke and nimble An vnruly euill it is an vnruly euill to our selues an vnruly euill to our neighbours an vnruly euill to all the world And it is full of deadly poison Poison What is there poyson in the tongue Poyson that is contrary to the nature of a man is it in the tongue of a man Yes But it may be this poison is no mortall poyson but such a poyson whose venome may without much adoe be expelled Nay saith Saint Iames it is mortall it is a deadly poyson Say it be a deadly poyson peraduenture there is but little of it and so the danger is the lesse Nay saith Saint Iames it is full of it it is full of deadly poyson The tongue is an vnruly euill full of deadly poyson who can tame it No man saith the Apostle No. Man hath no bridle no cage of brasse no barres of iron to tame the tonguâ— withall And yet you see the Psalmographer calleth vpon vs to tame this tongue of ours to keepe it from euill Keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lips that they speake no guile In this case what shall we doe Beloued Whether shall we haue recourse for helpe in this time of need Whether but to the throne of grace euen to him that sitteth thereon He made the tongue and he alone can tame the tongue Hee that gaue man a tongue to speake can giue him a tongue to speake well Hee that placed that vnruly member in the mouth of man can giue man a mouth to rule it He can giue vs songs of Sion for loues-sonnets and heauenly Psalmes for the Ballads of Hell Wherefore let vs moue our tongues to entreat of him helpe for our tongues Dauid hath scored out this way for vs Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the doore of my lips Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis It was Saint Augustines petition and be it ours Giue Lord what thou commandest and then command vs what thou wilt Thou commandest that I keepe my tongue from euill and my lips that they speake no guilt Lord keepe thou my tongue from euill keepe thou my lips and my lips shall speake no guile Yet Beloued wee must not be idle our selues The difficulty of keeping our tongues from euill should spurre vs on to a greater diligence I know you would keepe your house from theeues your garments from moths your treasure from rust See that ye be as carefull to keepe your tongues from euill Giue not ouer your hearts vnto security and your tongues will be the better As farre as the heart is good so farre will the tongue be good If the heart beleeue Rom. 10.10 the tongue will confesse If the heart be meeke the tongue will be gentle But if the heart be angry the tongue will be bitter Iames 3.6 A tongue set on fire of Hell to tell tales to speake euill to backe-bite to slander to curse to brawle to reuile discouers a heart as foule full of all maliciousnesse according to that which our Sauiour told the Pharisees Matth. 12.34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh It is a polluted heart that maketh a foule mouth Wherefore dearely Beloued make cleane within and all will be cleane hate euill cogitations and there will proceed from you no euill communication Foster charity in your hearts and your lips will bee like the Spouses lips in the Canticles they will be like a thred of scarlet Chap. 4.3 and your talke comely the speech that proceeds from you will be gracious in it selfe and such as may administer grace vnto the hearers Ephes 4.29 full of grauity full of discretion full of zeale full of loue So shall all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and euill speaking bee put away from you with all malice And ye will be kinde one to another you will be tender-hearted one towards another you will forgiue one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you Happy are ye that are in such a case You shall not need to feare any calamity that hangeth ouer the heads of such as liue in discord and variance concerning whom my doctrine was The man that liues in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities out of which there is no escaping for him as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare I haue with some prolixity insisted vpon this argument of discord and variance the rather being perswaded of the truth of that
Sublimitas Profundum God he is Length Breadth Height and Depth He is Length for his Eternity Breadth for his Charity Height for his Maiestie Depth for his Wisdome Length He is for his Eternity Dan. 7.9 Esay 57.15 Psal 90.2 He is the Ancient of dayes and inhabiteth Eternitie Before the Mountaines were brought forth or euer the earth and the world were formed euen from euerlasting to euerlasting He is God Breadth he is for his Charitie for his Loue. Wisd 11.24 He loueth all the things that are and abhorreth nothing which he hath made Neither would he haue made any thing if he had hated it He maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and the good Matth. 5.45 and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniust The Gulfe or rather the Sea of this Loue of God is exceeding broad Height He is for his Maiesty His Maiesty Prou. 25.28 it is inestimable He that searcheth into it shall surely be oppressed with the glory thereof From the glory of this Maiestie in the day of the Lord of Hosts when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Esay 2.19 20. will the proud man the loftie man euery wicked man seeke to hide himselfe in the clefts of the rockes Psal 72.19 and in the caues of the earth but all in vaine for all the earth shall be filled with his Maiesty In regard of this his Maiesty He is * Gen. 14.18 Iob 31.28 Psal 7.18 9◠2. c. Psal 147.5 often in holy Scripture stiled Altissimus the most high So for his Maiesty he is Height Depth he is for his wisdome His wisdome it is infinite there is no end thereof It is inuariable incomprehensible ineffable Finding no fit words to expresse it with I betake my selfe to the Apostles exclamation Rom. 11.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Thus farre of my first generall the Reuealor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adonai Iehouih the Lord God The Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He will doe nothing The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo jahaseh dabar he will not doe a word A word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth sometimes any thing or matter that is either said or done In the 18. of Exodus vers 16. Moses in his reply to Iethro his Father in law saith when they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word with the Greekes it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a controuersie with the old Latine Interpreter it is Disceptatio a contention with Tremelius it is Negotium a businesse with our late English Translators it is a matter So Moses saith in effect thus much If there happen any businesse or matter of controuersie or contention betweene a man and his neighbour they come vnto me and I iudge betweene them In the 24. of Exodus vers 14. Moses with his Minister Iosuah going vp to the Mount of God saith vnto the Elders Tary yee here for vs vntill we come againe vnto you and behold Aaron and Hur are with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mi bahal debarim who so is a master of words let him come vnto them And here words with the Greekes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a iudgement or controuersie with the old interpreter quastio a question in our now English they are matters if any man haue any matters to doe The meaning is who so hath any question or controuersie let him come vnto Aaron and Hur for a resolution In the 39. of Esay vers 2. it is recorded of Hezechiah King of Iudah that when Merodach Baladan the son of Baladan King of Babylon had sent messengers to visit him and to congratulate his recouery Hee was glad of them and shewed them the house of his precious things the siluer and the gold and the spices and the precious oyntment and all the house of his armour and all that was found in his treasures It is added in the end of the verse Lo hajah dabar there was not a word in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not Not a word A word for a thing according to the custome of the Hebrew It is Saint Hieroms note vpon the place It is well rendred in our new Bibles There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominions that Hezechiah shewed them not This Hebrew custome of putting verbum pro re a word for a thing frequent in the old hath place likewise in the New Testament In the first of Luke vers 37. The Angell Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that with God no word shall be impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no word His meaning is with God no thing shall be impossible In the same Chapter vers 65. The Euangelist hauing set downe what had passed concerning Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Iudaea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all these words that is all these things were dinulged and made knowne In the second of Luke vers 15. When the Angels who related to the shepherds Christs Natiuitie were gone away from them into Heauen the shepherds said one to another Let vs now goe euen vnto Bethlehem and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word that is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne vnto vs. This word that is this thing this whole businesse whereof wee haue heard by the Angels It is the Hebraisme which I haue hitherto obserued whereby that I may speake as Logicians doe the Abstract is put for the Concret taken either actiuely or passiuely as Verbum pro re dictâ a word for a thing that is spoken of Or to speake as a Rhetorician would it is Metonymia adiuncti the Adiunct is put for the Subiect Still it is Verbum pro re a word for the thing or matter whereof the speech is So it is in this text of mine Surely the Lord God non faciet verbum he will not doe a word that is he will doe no thing no such thing as the verse before speaketh of no euill of paine punishment or affliction He will doe no such thing but hee reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets He reuealeth his secret I am come to my second generall concerning the thing reuealed it is the secret of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodh◠his secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint translated Eruditionem suam his instruction or chastisement Saint Hierome expounds it Correptionem suam the Interlinearie Glosse Correctionem suam his reproofe or correction Theodotio no ill Interpreter of old turned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his counsell and Drusius seeth no cause why it may
Enemies are by God himselfe raised vp to inuade a land for the punishment of the sinnes of Prince and people Vnlesse God send them they cannot come neere our Cities they cannot besiege vs. God doth raise them vp He raiseth vp the Medes against the Babylonians Esay 13.17 I stirre vp the Medes who shall not regard siluer nor shall they delight in gold Their bowes shall dash the young men to peeces they shall haue no pitie on the fruit of the wombe their eye shall not spare children Babylon the glory of Kingdomes the beauty of the Chaldees excellencie shall be as when God ouerthrew Sodome and Gomorrah Hee raiseth vp the Chaldeans against the kingdome of Iudah Habac. 1.6 I raise vp the Chaldeans that bitter and hasty Nation which shall march thorow the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs He raiseth vp the Romans against Ierusalem Luke 19.43 The dayes shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and shall lay thee euen with the ground and thy children within thee they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another God is he that raiseth vp enemies against a Land to inuade it Did not God send them they could doe nothing against vs. The reason is because they haue no power against vs except it be giuen them by God So Christ told Pilate Ioh. 19.11 Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue The vses follow One is to teach vs not to feare man but God that giues power vnto man A second is to admonish vs that wee be not like the dogge that snatcheth at the stone that is cast at him without regard vnto the thrower If God send an enemie to inuade vs our eye must be vpon God that sendeth him A third is to aduise vs to labour to be at one with God It will be our best bulwarke against an inuader And so I come to gather a third doctrine from this circumstance of the siege An aduersary there shall be euen round about the land In circuitu terra He shall so beset the land round about that there shall be no euasion for any of the inhabitants My obseruation shall be that of Brandmyller in his Typicall Analysis In Regni amplitudine non esse gloriandum Men ought not to glory in the greatnesse of the Kingdome wherein they liue The extent or greatnesse of the Kingdome whereof thou art what can it auaile thee Hee that once for sinne couered the whole earth with an armie of waters can now for sinne enuiron the greatest kingdome of the earth with an armie of warriours And flagellum inundans cum transierit eritis ei in conculcationem Esay 28.18 When the ouer-flowing scourge shall passe thorow then yee shall be troden downe by it Eritis ei in conculcationem that is saith Saint Hierome you shall suffer all those torments which you thought you should neuer haue suffered The threatnings which you thought should neuer come to passe shal come to passe vpon you An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land Shall be But yet there is none O let vs therefore with a sweet feeling acknowledge the infinite loue and compassion of God towards this Kingdome in so long preseruing it from all hostile inuasion There was indeed an inuasion in the yeare 88. intended against this Kingdome by a supposed inuincible Armado It gloried in strength munition ships preparations and confederates It was the Lords mercy towards vs to crosse to curse that proud attempt The winds and seas by his appointment fought against them and we were deliuered For that deliuerance wee then sang songs of thanksgiuing then were our mouthes filled with laughter and our tongues with ioy Now sith it hath pleased God to continue vnto vs hitherto our peace and plenty and we sit euery one vnder his Vine and vnder his Fig-tree whilst our neighbour-nations are shaken and tossed with the tempest of warres and all things round about vs are in an vproare Let vs blesse Gods holy name for it and pray we for the continuance of this our happinesse that there be no taste of the sharpnes and misery of war among vs that there be no assaulting of our Cities that there be no sorrow of heart nor weeping of eyes nor wringing of hands nor shriking of voices among vs. Will you take direction for your prayer from the royall Prophet Pray then as hee hath directed Psalm 144.12 Pray that our sonnes may be as plants growen vp in their youth that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace that our garners may befull affoording all manner of store that our sheepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets that our Oxen may be strong to labour that there be no breaking in nor going out that there be no complaining in our streets O happy is that people that is in such a case yea happie is that people whose God is the Lord. I haue done with the Siege and am come to the Victory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehoridh mimmek gnuzzek word for word and he shall cause thy strength to come downe Dejiciet à te robur tuum He shall cast downe thy strength from thee so Tremelius Piscator Drusius and Gualter Tollet he shall take it away from thee so Caluin Detrahet he shall pull it downe so Vatablus Deducet he shall bring it downe so Oecolampadius The Vulgar Latine turnes it passiuely Detrabetur ex te fortitudo tua thy strength shall be brought downe from thee So doth Brentius with his Dejicietur thy strength shall be throwne downe By this same strength be it robur or fortitudo Iunius vnderstandeth that whereby they heaped vp the treasures of violence and robbery Drusius vnderstandeth their strong Castles and fortified Cities Some vnderstand Riches And so qui opibus valent potentes vocantur they that excell in riches are called mightie men Albertus Magnus will haue this strength to be whatsoeuer it was wherein they put their trust as in some fortification whether it were the substance of their riches or the munitions of their Cities or the multitude of their souldiers or the armies of their adherents Whatsoeuer it be downe it must When God meaneth to giue victory to an inuader no strength shall be able to withstand him My obseruation here shall be that of Albertus Vltioni diuina nulla obsistere potest fortitudo No strength shall be able to withstand diuine reuengement For there is no strength against the Lord. No strength None at all So saith Esay Chap. 2.12 The day of the Lord of Hosts shall bee vpon euery one that is proud and loftie vpon euery one that is lifted vp vpon all the Cedars of Lebanon vpon all the Okes of Bashan vpon all high Mountaines and Hilles vpon euery high Tower and vpon euery