vpō the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5 We are brethren in evill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what do 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 beloved 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 speach was vnto Christians in Christianisme diversity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therfore this reproofe 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 Ps 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are given to vexe them of your owne house or shal backbite or sclander any know that Edom-like you do pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastefull 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 every good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2. Ep. 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence David Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnitie 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 sweetnes pleasantnes 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 beard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnes and pleasantnes of vnity That sweet perfume ointment that holy oile powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweete smelling savour to all that were about him So is it with vnitie Is not only 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 Hermō which fell vpon the moūtaines of Sion where the LORD appointed the blessing and life for evermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heaven vpō Hermon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit It makes them among whom it is sincerely observed it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men one of them towards another This vnity cōcord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it be vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnes in this life and of eternall ioies in the life to come One of the notes by which wee may bee assured of God his speciall loue and favour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iob. 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 Wee must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth chap. 5.1 Every one that loveth him which begat loveth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoever loveth God the Father hee loveth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christiā brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giveth vs chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue only but indeed in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not only in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule he giveth vers the 17 Whosoever hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloved be your direction Loue yee everie one that is called a Christian not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue yee 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 yee assured that the speciall loue and favour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that do reioice God saith Ecclesiasticus chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a mā his wife agreeing togither 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 differēce of sexe there is neither male nor female all are brethrē in Christ and therfore that neighbour that loveth not his neighbour the husbād 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. Paule to the Romanes cha 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be ye 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 bee no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus far of the first branch in the description of Edoms sin and of the doctrine grounded therevpon 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 of all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneva translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reads it otherwise He destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it violaverit vterum and violated or abused the mothers wombe both do allude to the Greeke edition of the
thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that ever was made and is by the maker thereof our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our dayly vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fift petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eies of grace and mercy from heaven without any fraud or hollownes or dissimulation in the LORD so are wee taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truely so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiving ever as we may boldly say so LORD do thou to me as I to others Now if these hearts of ours bee so sturdy strong in their corruption as that they wil not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our praiers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man every day do as many good works as there are stars in HeaveÌ„ yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enimie God will not accept anie one of theÌ„ Maâ—â—â— noÌ„ acceptatur nisi aute discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregorie thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumvent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i Augustin serm 5. de S. Stephano Whosoever hateth but one maÌ„ in the whole world whatsoever he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God we must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ so adviseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our soules may liue for by hatred rancour we slay our soules S. Ioh. ep 1. chap. 3. verse 15. avoweth it that he whosoever hateth his brother is a manslayer Homicidiest scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore hee that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. cap. 3. verse 14. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule then of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proved by our Saviours question Marc. 8.36 What shal it profit a maÌ„ though he shold win the whole world if he loose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enimies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enimies is an infallible signe of our conversion Now we know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heaven for one sinner that converteth and verse the 10. that there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Thus whether we respect the reioicing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good works or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sinnes we must loue our enimies after St Stephen his example Act. 7.60 LORD lay not this sinne to their charge after S. Paule his example 1. Cor. 4.12 13. We are reviled and yet we blesse wee are persecuted and suffer it we are evill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Adde hereto Christs commandemeÌ„t Math. 5.44 Loue your enimies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you Leaue yee vengeance to the God of vengeance so shall yee bee the vndoubted children of your heavenly Father And thus farre of the second vse which was to admonish vs not to intermeddle in the Lords office of executing revengement A third followeth Is it true Is it proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the third place is a treasurie of comfort of terrour of coÌ„fort to the Godly of terrour to the wicked For though the LORD doe vse the wicked to correct the Godly yet will he in due time overthrow the wicked with a large measure of his iudgements and free the godly Gods holy practise in this kind must be hereof a warrant vnto vs. The Israelites were kept in thraldome and bondage many yeares by the Egyptians The Egyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith hee afflicted his people They were Gods weapons Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull overthrow in the redde sea at large set downe in the book of Exodus from the 7. chapter to the 14. This was it which God said to Abraham Gen. 15. vers 13 14. Knowe for a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them notwithstanding the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold him selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and vineyard Ahab Iezebel were Gods instruments were they therefore to escape vnpunished NO Witnes both their ends The end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22 38. In the place where dogges licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also And the end of Iezebel registred 2. King 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all saving her skull her feete and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the denne of Lyons his accusers vnto Darius were the instruments of this his affliction These his accusers were the Lords instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues and children were cast into the denne of Lyons the Lyons had the masterie of them and brake all their bones in pieces yer ever they came to the ground of the denne Here might I recall to your remembrances other iudgements of God of this qualitie written downe in the register of God's workes his holy word How and what he
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. § At non At non tenentur Christiani immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion 4. x Ibid. § At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloved remēber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to bee recommended at this time vnto you is the LORD speaking The LORD shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉
the flowds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who made the dry land so f Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never mâ—â—e and can g Psal 104.6 cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Esai 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man Thus saith the LORD This powerfull IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floare to walke in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and fitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernes of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not do it hath he spoken shal he not accomplish it BalaaÌ„ confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repeÌ„t for he is not as maÌ„ that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or any one title of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of al other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecie of old is destitute of divine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 2. Peter 1.20 Know this that no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion He giveth the reasoÌ„ hereof ver 21. for the Prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The The word of the LORD came vnto me the LORD God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the LORD This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Evangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand ever true what is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and every parcell thereof is given by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man whersoever were the place whatsoever were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the LORD Howe then dare wee potters clay lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreverently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his voice from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull service of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a tast of the sweetnesse of the worde of the LORD conveied vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Evangelists Apostles It is the Lords most roial and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuarie the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsels milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre of the preface proeme or enterance making for the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the LORD Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherin I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The LORDS protestation against them verse the 3 I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God vers the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sinne set downe generally and specially Generally vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan Iustin lib 36 Stephan Adrichom Hieron Heb. quaest in GeÌ„ some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Apud Hier. ibid Ioseph antiq Iudaic lib. 1. cap. 7. Willet in GeÌ„ cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Where vpon Damascus was called also Aram as c In Esai 17. St Hierome witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquitie of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel
may easily be proved In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for evill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It 's made plaine out of Nehem. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to do 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 the effects thereof may be proved as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the LORD was sore against theÌ„ Iudg. 2.15 the Lords haÌ„d that is his iudgement punishment and revengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the LORD was hote against them he delivered them into the the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to their enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the LORD was heavy vpon them 1. Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment revengement was heavy vpon them * Psal 78.64 65. The LORD awaked as one out of sleepe and like a gyant refreshed with wine he 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 favour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shephearde shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recover with my hand and preserue them for ever I will gather them together I will comfort them I wil defend them rursus ad pastorem et praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepheard 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 evill This is averred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephani chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall bee 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 even desolate an astonishment a hâ—ssing 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 find 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 seate able at one time to giue entertainement to fiue princes Against both city dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I will 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 fly vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heaven no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captivity no place of any fecrecie any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets David 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 haÌ„d of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoever afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I cal whatsoever is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Devill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches sclanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death every crosse passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud private or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs. All and every of these true Christians will patiently vndergoe For they with their sharp sighted eie of faith doe clearelie see the Hand of God in every of their molestations and in great contentment they take vp the words of patient Iob chap. 2.10 Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue evill Here let every afflicted soule examine it selfe how it is affected with the affliction vnder which iâ— groaneth If you esteem of your afflictions as of God his fatherly chastisements and so endure them blessed are yee Of this blessednes S. Iames chap. 1.12 doth assure you Blessed is the man that endureth tentatioÌ„ for when he is tryed 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 citie or country froÌ„ the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A second vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that we labour aboue al things to obtaine Gods favour and to abide in it so shall we bee safe from the feare of evill Now for the obtaining of Gods favour wee 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 wil be vnto you as Iacobs ladder was vnto the Angels Of that ladder you may read Gen. 28.12 that it stood vpon the earth the top of it did reach to heaven and the Angels 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 clime vp to heaven Here you haue no continuing citie you are but strangers pilgrims on the earth your countrey is aboue the Celestiall Ierusalem there let your hearts be As for the afflictions vexations tribulations miseries and crosses wherewith this mortall life of your is seasoned let them be your ioy They are sure pledges of Gods loue vnto you Even so saith the Spirit Hebr. 12.6 Whom the LORD loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth every sonne that he receiueth Thirdly is it true Is there no safe being in city or
no fellowship with thē Must we reproue thē rather What saith old Adam What saith flesh and blood to this Our Gallants of this age can entertaine no such advise that it may be fulfilled which our Saviour Christ foretold of the ende of the world Luk. 21.10 16. Nation shall rise against nation kingdome against kingdome a father against his sonne a brother against his brother a kinsman against his kinsman and a friend against his friend A fitter remedie for this maladie I find none then to imitate blessed Abraham There grew a debate betweene his servants and the servants 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 servants are abused my cosin LOT his servants doe seeke to crow over them and to rule the rost as they list This is an iniurie to mee their master and a shame to suffer it So a man may be made a foole indeed and counted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation Never will any man care to serue me if I sticke not better to my men then so Such language as the world now goeth is very rife among vs. But Abraham spake not so Grace was in his face 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 hetweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethrē We are brethren I pray let there be no strife between vs. Let vs be mindfull of the covenant wherein nature hath vnited our affections we are brethren the bond of brotherhood and consanguinitie 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 poore one with another Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all whosoever 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 Hee would not maintaine his servants against Lots servants hee tooke it to be farre more credit for him to haue vnitie and good loue then the bitter effects of the contrarie Among the beatitudes Matth. 5. the seaventh is Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who loue concord regard peace seeke it and insue after it Blessed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish maintaine peace and concord betweene others Blessed are they who doe their best to revnite in loue such as are fallen out to make an end of quarrels and dissentions Blessed are the peacemakers the reason is annexed for they shall be called the children of God that is they will by their loue of vnitie 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 Divell Cursed are they who are of themselues quarrelsome and contentious Cursed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish and maintaine strife debate in others Cursed are they who doe their best to set at variance such as haue long lived in peace and vnitie Cursed are makebates I annexe the reason for they shall be called the sonnes of the Devill that is They will by their loue of strife and debate make it appeare to the world that they are the sonnes of the Devill Now dearely beloued in the LORD I beseech you to remoue farre from you all cogitation and thought of strife variance and debate to remember your brotherly covenant Know yee 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. ep chap. 3.8 Be yee all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous render not evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrarywise blesse yee blesse I say and knowe that you are therevnto called that yee should be heires of blessing Thus farre of the thirde part of this Prophecie Now followeth the fourth Vers 10. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof This is a particular denunciation of a conquest and desolation against the city Tyrus for her sins According to this prediction it came to passe saith Drusius either in the warre of Salmanassar against the Tyrians or in the warre of Nabuchodonosor Yet this he affirmeth not Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus three yeares and three moneths then tooke it so saith Winckleman out of Iosephus lib. 1. contra Appionem the Latine copies of Iosephus which I haue seene make mention of the continuance of this siege for thirteene yeares The Greeke copy hath nothing of the continuance of it For therein I read only that when Thobalus was king Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus This was about the yeare of the world 3345. Tyrus after this was reedified and did flourish But shee was in her pride againe besieged and taken by Alexander the great in the yeare of the world 3632. And lōg since A.C. 1290 she was sacked and levelled with the ground by Alphix then Sultan of Egypt Thus hath Gods hand beene strong prevailing against Tyrus according to the tenour of this prophecie The very words whereof you haue heard before expounded in the fourth and seaventh verses of this chapter Now I pray you only recount with me such heads of doctrine as heretofore haue beene observed out of these words Therefore will I send a fire c. Wherein three circumstances are to be observed 1. The punisher 2. The punishment 3. The punished The first circumstance is the punisher the LORD For thus saith the LORD I will send The doctrine is It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins The second circumstance is the punishment and that is by fire I will send a fire The doctrine is The fire and all other creatures are at the Lordes commaundement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked The third circumstance is the punished the wals and palaces of Tyrus I will send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof First must the glorious city Tyrus be destroied The doctrine is No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed Secondly must the Wals of Tyrus bee devoured with the fire of Gods displeasure The doctrine is It is the good blessing of God vpon a kingdome to haue wals strong holds munitions fortresses and bullwarkes for