all that passed by The Pirat freely and stoutly replyed Quid tibi vt orbem terrarum Nay what meane you Alexander to be so troublesome to rob all the world What I doe I doe it but with one ship Et latro vocor and must be called a theefe you doe the like with a fleet with a number of ships and you must be called Emperour The onely difference betweene vs is I rob out of necessity to supply my wants you out of your vnmeasurable couetousnesse Of Magistrates in Courts of Iustice if they be corrupt Saint Cyprian Ep. 2. ad Donatum giues this censure Qui sedet crimina vindicaturus admittit vt reus innocens pereat fit nocens judex It is significantly Englished by Democritus Iunior See a Lambe executed and a Wolfe pronounce sentence Latro arraigned and Fur sit on the bench the Iudge seuerely punish others and doe worse himselfe Such Iudges may iustly be noted for men of violence and robbery But my speech is not to such for they heare me not It is to you beloued Shall I say that among you there are men of violence and robbery I auow it not yet flatter not your selues He that filcheth or pilfereth the least pinne Mark 10.19 point or sticke of wood from his neighbour Prou. 22.18 he that moueth ancient bounds the ancient bounds which his fathers haue made with a purpose to encroach vpon his neighbours land hee that stealeth another mans wife childe or seruant 1 Tim. 1.10 Ios 7.19 hee that committeth sacrilege in detaining the rights of the Church he that transgresseth thus or thus he may goe for a man of violence and robbery Dearely beloued if any of you hath beene ouertaken with these or the like transgressions looke into your owne hearts examine your selues in what measure you haue or doe transgresse For we must not feare to tell you you doe offend And if your conscience tell you your offence is great runne not headlong into Hell without returning De Conuers cap. 1. Vita non est nisi in Conuersione saith Saint Bernard There is no hope of life but by turning to the Lord. And your turning to the Lord must bee by true and vnfained repentance So turne vnto him and if thou be a Publican thou maist become an Euangelist if a blasphemer an Apostle if a theefe and robber a possessor of Paradise And so much be spoken of my second part the speciall amplification of cruelty and couetousnesse the sinnes of Samaria taken from their violence and robberies treasured vp in their palaces My third part is the ratification of the whole accusation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum Iehouah the Lord hath said it They know not to doe right saith the Lord who store vp violence and robbery in their palaceâ— Saith the Lord. See the Lord â—s not idle in the Heauens as some imagine but takes notice of what is done here below He beholdeth the great tumults that are in Samaria and the oppressions there their violence and robberies he beholdeth My obseruation here shall be that Iob 34.21 The eyes of the Lord are vpon the waies of man and he seeth all his goings He seeth all He seeth our sinnes in the booke of Eternity before our owne hearts conceiued them He seeth our sinnes in our hearts as soone as our inuentions haue giuen them forme He sâ—eth our sinnes in action on the Theater of this earth quite through the scene of our liues and hee seeth them to our paine when his wrathful eye takes notice of them and his hand is lift vp to punish them He seeth them all There is nothing so secret nothing so abstracted from the senses of men Vt creatoris aut lateat cognitionem aut effugiat potestatem that it may either lurke from the eye or escape the hand of God August de Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 20. As plaine is that Iob 34 22. There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselues The Powder-traitors in the mine and Celler were not vnseene to the reuenging eye of God The villaines of the cloisters were all naked vnto him As darke as their Vaults were his all-seeing eye descried their filthinesse and laid waste their habitations The obscurity of their Cells and Dorters the thicknesse of their walls the closenesse of their Windowes with the cloake of a strict profession couering all could not hide their sinnes from the eye of Heauen Nor can our sins be hid though done with greatest secrecy Sinne as closely as thou canst there will bee witnesses of thy sinne Videt te angelus malus videt te angelus bonus videt bonis malis major angelis Deus Bernard de conuers ad Clericos cap. 16. The bad angell sees thee and the good sees thee and he that is better than the Angels farre aboue all principalities and powers God Almighty he sees thee Wherefore dearely beloued let our conuersation with men be as in the sight of God And sith in this mortality we cannot but sinne let vs endeuour to see our sinnes to know them to confesse them to bewaile them and cry we to God to giue vs grace to lay hold vpon Iesus Christ his Sonne that beleeuing we may be saued by his righteousnesse Good God pardon our sinnes giue vs faith change our liues to the better for thy blessed name and mercies sake euen for Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Thirteenth Lecture AMOS 3.11 Therefore thus saith the Lord God An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and hee shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled THis third part of this third Chapter but second Sermon of Amos to the kingdome of the ten Tribes I stiled an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Exornation pertaining to the proposition deliuered in the second verse It amplifieth the iniquitie of the Israelites from the testification of forren nations as thus You you of Israel your sinnes are so notorious so grosse so palpable that very strangers Philistines and Aegyptians may take notice of them Sith you of your selues are not touched with a conscience of your euill deeds them the Philistines and Aegyptians I call as witnesses and Iudges of your impurity and vncleannesse It is the scope of this passage The passage consisteth of two parts An Accusation vers 9 10. A Commination vers 11. In the ninth verse a part of the Accusation two things haue beene obserued An Iniunction for a Proclamation Publish in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces in the Land of Aegypt and say The Proclamation it selfe Assemble your selues vpon the Mountaines of Samaria and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof and the oppressed in the midst thereof In the Proclamation two sinnes were controuled Cruelty and Couetousnesse Their Cruelty in their great tumults their Couetousnesse in their oppressions In the tenth verse the other part of the Accusation those two enormities
light in great measure readily to conceiue what God would haue reuealed and faithfully to publish it according to the will of God S. p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. cap. 33. Austen enquiring how God spake with Adam and Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Jntrinsecus infabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giuing light to their minds and vnderstandings or it may be he talked with them by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen. 18. and with Lot Gen. 19. S. r Expos Moral lib. 28. incap â—8 â—â— Iob cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of wayes 1. By himselfe as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense we must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neare and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we finde Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoeuer we are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our priuate requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the Holy Spirit God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diuers manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediately there came a voice from heauen I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 1 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is obiected to the senses S. Gregory for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirlewind come out of the North with a great cloud and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenesse of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word and deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblance obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall Hee heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descend from heauen Act. 10.11 So Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 6 By shapes presented to our bodily eyes So Abraham saw the three men that stood by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christs baptisme a Å¿ Matth. 3.17 voice was heard out of a cloud as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloued son c. By Celestiall substances I doe here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the workes therein but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire next vnto it togeher with the winds and Clouds 7. By Terrestriall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speak Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestriall substances as when God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times and in diuers manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures and by his creatures many wayes sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometime by Terrestriall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestriall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speke vnto vs as of old he did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoeuer by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moueth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when he throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heat sometime by drouth sometime by noysome worms Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few months he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren and sometime by enemies when he impouerisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoeuer other like these are Gods voices and doe call vs to tepentance But as when there came a voice from heauen to Christ Ioh. 12.28 the people that stood by and heard would not be perswaded that it was Gods voice some of them saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoeuer God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by war or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we will rather attribute these things to nature to the heauens to starres and planets to the malice of enemies to chance and the like As peruerse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to be directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The Gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that cloud by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This Gospell of Christ and voice of God cals vs now to obedience O the crookednesse of our vile natures Our stiffe necks will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answer like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but we answer like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good Lord vnto thee and wee shall bee turned Good Lord open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy wee may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknesse of trouble of vexation of anguish thou Lord wilt
inflicted vpon the Syrians are generally set downe I note 1 Who punisheth 2 How he punisheth 3 Whom he punisheth The punisher is the Lord he punisheth by fire The punished are the Syrians to be vnderstood in the names of their Kings Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad The punisher is the Lord for thus saith the Lord I will send The note yeeldeth vs this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes In speaking of the vengeance of God our first care must bee not to derogate any thing from his procliuitie and propensnes vnto mercy We must breake out into the mention of his great goodnesse and sing a lowd of his mercies as Dauid doth Ps 145.7 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse he is louing and good to all his mercy is ouer all his works The Lord strong and mighty blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is louing and good vnto euery man Our sinnes haue prouoked his vengeance against vs yet he slow to anger and of great goodnes reserueth mercy for thousands for all the elect and forgiueth all their iniquities transgressions and sinnes His goodnesse here resteth not it reacheth also vnto the reprobate though they caÌ„not feele the sweet comfort of it For he maketh his a Matth 5.45 sun to rise on the euill the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust yea many times the sunne and raine and all outward and temporary blessings are wanting to the iust and good when the vniust and euil do flourish and are in great prosperitie Thus is Gods graciousnesse great bountie extended vnto euery man whether he be a blessed Abel or a cursed Cain a loued Iacob or a hated Esau an elected Dauid or a reiected Saul God is louing and good vnto euery man the Psalmist addeth and his mercies are ouer all his workes There is not any one of Gods workes but it sheweth vnto others and findeth in it selfe very large testimonies of Gods mercy and goodnes I except not the damnation of the wicked much lesse the chastisements of the Godly Gods mercies are ouer all his workes Dauid knew it well and sang accordingly Psal 145 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of great goodnesse Ionah knew it well and confessed accordingly chap. 4.2 Thou art a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of euill The Church knowes it well and praies accordingly O God whose nature and propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgiue receiue our humble petitions Dauid Ionah and the Church all haue learned it at Gods owne mouth who hauing descended in a cloud to mount Sinai passed before the face of Moses and cryed as is recorded Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne In which place of Scripture although afâ—erward there followeth a little of his iustice which hee may not forget yet we see the maine streame runneth concerning mildnesse and kindnesse and compassion wherby wee may perceiue what it is wherein the Lord delighteth His delight is to be a sauiour a deliuerer a preseruer a redeemer and a pardoner As for the execution of his iudgements his vengeance and his furie he comes vnto it with heauy and leaden feet To which purpose Zanchius alleageth that of the Prophet Esai chap. 28.21 The Lord shall stand as once he did in mount Perazim when Dauid ouercame the Philistines he shall be angry as once he was in the valley of Gibeon when Ioshua discomfited the fiue Kings of the Amorites he shall stand he shall be angry that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act out of which words of the Prophet he notes that Gods workes are of two sorts either proper vnto himselfe and naturall as to haue mercy and to forgiue or else strange and somewhat diuers from his nature as to be angry and to punish I know some doe expound these words otherwise vnderstanding by that strange worke and strange act of God there mentioned Opus aliquod insolens admirabile some such worke as God seldome worketh some great wonder Notwithstanding this naturall exposition of that place the former may well be admitted also For it is not altogether vnnaturall being grounded vpon such places of Scripture as doe make for the preeminence of mercy aboue iustice It 's true God hath one skale of iustice but the other proues the heauier mercy doth ouerweigh He who is euer iust is mercifull more then euer if it may be possible He may forget our iniquities but his tender mercies he will neuer forgeâ— This our Lord good mercifull gracious and long suffering is here in my text the punisher and sendeth fire into the house of Hazael whereupon I built this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This office of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for sinnes God arrogateth and assumeth to himselfe Deut. 32 35. where he saith vengeance and recompense are mine This due is ascribed vnto the Lord by S. Paul Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. By the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the Lord. By the sweet singer Psal 94.1 O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger You see by these now-cited places that God alone is hee who executeth vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins This doctrine is faithfully deliuered by the wise sonne of Syrach chap. 39 where he saith Vers 28. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shew forth their power accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine death Vers 29. all these are created for vengeance The teeth of wilde beasts Vers 30. and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked Nay saith he Vers 26. The principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale and wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile and cloathing Vers 27. All those things though they be for good vnto the godly yet to the sinners they are turned vnto euill So my doctrine standeth good It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes And you see he hath waies enough to do it All things that may be for our good are glad to do him seruice against vs. The consideration hereof should moue our hearts
snow the frost the whirlewind the raine all these God ruleth and gouerneth after his good pleasure And who I pray you ruleth man and mans affaires but the Lord O Lord saith Ierem. chap. 10.23 I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps King Salomon confesseth as much Prou. 20.24 The steps of man are ruled by the Lord. From this ruling prouidence of God King Dauid Psal 23.1 drew vnto himselfe a very comfortable argument The Lord feedeth me therefore I shall not want Let vs as comfortably reason with our selues The Lord feedeth vs therefore we shall not want It is spoken to our neuer ending comfort by our blessed Sauiour Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father Feare ye not therefore ye are of more value than many sparrowes In the same place he further assureth that all the haires of our head are numbred Doth Gods care reach to the falling of the haires of our head and can we doubt of his perpetuall rule and gouernment in the world It must stand true Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third degree by which we may discerne the act of diuine prouidence I called gradum ordinationis the degree of ordination or direction It implyeth thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seem to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end all must make for his glorie In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and Dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing secondly he disposeth meanes vnto the end thirdly hee directeth the meanes so disposed To discourse of these particulars seuerally would carry mee beyond my time and your patience I will but only touch the generall which was God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth or setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end they all make for his glory Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inuiolable No calamitie or miserie be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neur be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamity or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazard by chance by fortune The Epicure in the booke of Iob 22.13 was in a foule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot through the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Dearely beloued we may not thinke our God to be a m See Lect. 1. page 10. God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke We haue liued long enough to haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him Serm 4. in Iames 4.10 infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. 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 captiuitie no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God Wee haue learned Zach. 4.10 that God hath seuen eyes which goe thorow the whole world You may interpret them with me many millions of eyes He is * Hieronymus in illud Psal 94.9 Qui plantauit aurem non audiet aut qui finxit oculum non considerat Ego autem dico quod Deus totus Oculus est totus Manus est totus Pes est Totus Oculus est quia omnia videt Totus Manus est quia omnia operatur Totus Pes est quia vbique est totus OCVLVS altogether eye for he seeth all things We haue learned Esai 40.12 that God hath hands to measure the waters and to span the heauens You may interpret it with me that he hath many millions of hands He is totus Manus altogether hand for he worketh all things We haue learned Matth. 5.35 that God hath feet to set vpon his foot-stoole You may interpret it with me that he hath many milions of feet He is totus Pes altogether foot for he is euery where We shall then be very iniurious to God if we deny him the ouersight of the smallest matters The holy Scriptures doe euidently shew that he examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine n Supra pag. 10. to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the clothing of the grasse in the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the numbring of the haires of our heads Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde Fortune but looke we to the hand that striketh vs. Hee who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden euen He it is that for our sins bringeth vpon vs calamities and miseries The late fearefull floud raging vpon this land to the vtter destruction of great store of cattell and much people and the late rot of sheepe in this and other places of this land are Gods visitations vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos chap. 3.6 It s out of question there is no euill in the city no not in the world but the Lords finger is in it and that iustly for our sinnes sake What remaineth but that we rent our hearts and turne vnto the Lord our God He is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of euill How know we whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him for vs Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need THE Eleuenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. WEe goe on with that which yet remaineth vnexpounded in this 5. verse
wanderer to thine house If thou seest him naked couer him hee is thine owne flesh hide not thy selfe from him Thy liberality will bring thee great aduantage whereof thou wilt not doubt if thou consider the next verse Thy light shall breake forth as the morning thy health shall grow speedily thy righteousnesse shall goe before thee the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee Seest thou not an heape of blessings one vpon another Looke into the booke of Psalmes In the beginning of the 41. Psalme many a sweet promise is made thee conditionally that thou tender the poore mans case The Lord shall deliuer thee in the time of trouble he shall keepe thee and preserue thee aliue he shall blesse thee vpon the earth he will not deliuer thee to the will of thine enemies he will strengthen thee vpon thy bed of sorrow and will make thy bed all the time of thy sicknesse I might weary you and my selfe in the pursuit of this point Here I stop my course with recommendation of one onely place and that a very remarkable one Prou. 19.17 Hee that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth to the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen Behold and see how gracious and good the Lord is If you shew pity and compassion vpon the poore God will recompence you to the full yea in the largenesse of his mercies hee will reward you plentifully It was a graue exhortation of a f Tobit to his sonne Tobias cap. 4.7 father to his sonne Giue almes of thy substance and when thou giuest almes let not thine eye be ennious neither turne thy face from any poore lest that God turne his face from thee Giue almes according to thy substance if thou haue but a little be not afraid to giue a little So shalt thou lay vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of necessity Almes will deliuer thee from death and will not suffer thee to come into the place of darknesse Almes is a good gift before the most high to all them which vse it Vse it I beseech you in the bowels of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Be ye not like Edom in my Text Corrupt not your compassions cast not off all pity suffer ye one with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous doe ye good to all men and faint not great shall be your reward in Heauen This your seruice will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue you his blessing God will blesse you for the time of your being here and when the day of your dissolution shall be that you must leaue your earthly Tabernacles then will the Sonne of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome you with a Venite Benedicti Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was hungry and ye gaue me meat I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited mee I was in prison and ye came vnto me In as much as ye haue done these things to the needy and distressed ye haue done them vnto me Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world THE Seuenteenth Lecture AMOS 1.11 12. And his anger spoiled him euermore and his wrath watched him alway Therefore will I send a fire vpon Teman and it shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah IN my last Lecture I began the exposition of the third part of this Prophecie which is a declaration of Edoms sins in foure branches The two first I passed ouer the last time The first branch was Hee did pursue his brother with the sword Thereon I grounded this doctrine It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues One vse of this doctrine was a iust reproofe of the want of brotherly loue in these our daies A second vse was an exhortation to brotherly kindnesse The second branch was He did cast off all pity Thereon I grounded this doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God The vse I made of it was to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity and mercy Which meditation ended I ended that Lecture Now come I to the third branch in the declaration of Edoms sinnes His anger spoiled him euermore or In his anger he spoiled him continually The preposition is not expressed in the originall but is well vnderstood and supplied by some Expositors to this sense Edom furious and angry Edom doth euermore vi apertâ with open violence attempt the spoile of Israel and if open violence preuaile not iâ—tùs simultatem alit within him he fostereth and cherisheth priuy and secret malice such as of old was harboured and setled in old a Gen. 27 41. Esaus heart Edom in his anger spoiled him continually Spoiled him The word in the originall is from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith Mercer ferarum proprium est is proper and peculiar to wild beasts and it signifieth Rapere discerpere to spoile rauenously to rent or teare in peeces Thus is Edom compared to some truculent or sauage beast some deuouring Lion some rauenous Wolfe some fierce Beare or the like that hunteth greedily after their prey The comparison is As a Lion a Wolfe a Beare or some other cruell beast hunteth greedily after his prey and when he hath gotten it teareth it in peeces and so deuoureth it so doth Edom he hunteth for his brother as with a snare or net and hauing once enclosed him he throwes him headlong into vtter desolation and this he doth in the bitternesse of his anger In his anger he spoiled him euermore This clause is otherwise rendred by the old Latine Interpreter Et tenuerit vltrà furorem suum Hee possessed his fury beyond measure longer than was meet he should An exposition followed by many of the learned and of late Writers by Brentius and Mercer In Matthews Bible it is well expressed He bore hatred very long the meaning is Hee constantly eagerly obstinately persisted in his anger and held it fast as a sauage beast holdeth fast his prey Both readings this and the former this Hee bore hatred very long and the former In his anger he spoiled his brother euermore both doe appeach and accuse Edom of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger The doctrine which hence I would commend to your Christian considerations is this Euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger I say of rash vnaduised euill and sinfull anger For there is a good kind of anger an anger praise worthy an anger to be embraced of euery one of you Whereto the Prophet Dauid exhorted the faithfull of his time Psal 4.4 Be angry and sin not And S. Paul his Ephesians Chap. 4.26 Be angry but sin not You
almost lost our selues in these two wildernesses Etham and Shur We must make more hast through the rest I will not much more then name them The next wildernesse they came vnto was the wildernesse of l Num. 33.11 Sin Exod 16.1 After that they pitched in the wildernesse of m Vers 15. Sinai Exod. 19.1 From Sinai they came to the wildernes of Paran Num. 10.12 thence to the wildernesse of n Vers 36. Zin which is Kadesh Num. 20.1 and then to the wildernesse of o Vers 44. Moab Num. 21.11 Here at Ieabarim they finished their 38. iouraey They had foure more to make They soone made them and last of all they pitched in the plaines of Moab by Iordan nere Iericho Num. 33.48 You haue now heard of many wildernesses They are all conteined in the wildernesse mentioned in my text I led you through the wildernesse The wildernesse Not the wildernesse of Etham onely but the wildernesse of Shur too and the wildernesse of Sin and all other the wildernesses through which the Children of Israel trauailed in their way to the land of promise They were many wildernesses yet my text speaketh as of one I led you through the wildernesse So speaketh the Psalmist in that his remarkeable exhortation to giue thankes to God for particular mercies It is Psal 136.16 O giue thankes p Psal 136.1 vnto the Lord vnto the q Vers 2. God of Gods vnto the r Vers 3. Lord of Lords to him who led his people through the wildernesse So also he speaketh Psal 78.52 The Lord He guided his owne people in the wildernes like a flocke In both places you heare onely the sound of a wildernesse and yet were they wildernesses through which the Lord led and guided his people Israel Let it be our comfort God neuer forsakes his people When he hath led them through one wildernesse he will lead them through a second through a third through all He will neuer leaue them till he see them safely arriued in the place where they wish to be No expense of time can make him to relent If we shall need his protection for fortie yeares together for fortie yeares together we shall be sure of it Israel had it My text avowes it I led you fortie yeares through the wildernesse It is the third circumstance I noted in Gods protection of his people in the wildernesse the circumstance of Time Fortie yeares Fortie yeares were the people of Israel in the wildernesse From Egypt to the wildernesse of Sinai where their Å¿ Num. 33.15 Exod. 19.1 twelfth mansion was they came in seauen and fortie dayes There they continued almost a yeare From thence from the wildernesse of Sinai by many iourneys they came to mount t Num. 20.22 33.37 Hor where was their foure and thirtieth mansion in the wildernes of Zin or Cades In comming thither they spent nine and thirtie yeares There in mount Hor u Num. 20.23 33.38 Deut. 32.50 died Aaron their priest He died in the fortieth yeare after the Children of Israell were come out of the land of Egypt in the first day of the fift moneth Now had they but few iourneys to make they had but eyght to make all eyght with good successe they made in the remainder of that fortieth yeare and they pitched in the plaines of x Num. 33.48 22.1 Moab by Iordan neere Iericho where was their two and fortieth and their last mansion Well might that be their last mansion For now they had gotten the possession of the land of the Amorite which in my text is put for the end why they were brought vp out of the land of Egypt and were led fortie yeares through the wildernesse I brought you vp out of the land of Egypt and led you fortie yeares through the wildernesse To possesse the land of the Amorite HEre was the fulfilling of that promise which was long before made to Abraham The promise was first made to Abraham when from Haran he was come into the land of Canaan Gen. 12.7 Vnto thy seed will I giue this land It was renued vnto him after his returne from Egypt to the land of Canaan Gen. 13.15 All the land which thou seest to thee will I giue it and to thy seed for euer It was once more renued Gen. 15.18 Vnto thy y Gen 26.4 Deut. 34.4 seed haue I giuen this land from the riuer of Egypt vnto the great riuer the riuer Euphrates The z Gen. 15.19 Kenites and the Kenizites and the Kadmonites a Vers 20. and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaims b Vers 21. and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgasites and the Iebusites Ten sundry Nations are rehearsed whose countries are promised to the seed of Abraham Among them are the Amorites The Amorites countrey is by promise giuen to Abrahams seed and Abrahams seed in the posteritie of Iacob possessed it but some foure hundred and seauentie yeares after the promise From the promise to their going forth out of Egypt were foure hundred and thirtie yeares to which if you will adde their fortie yeares iourney in the wildernesse you haue the full number of foure hundred and seauentie yeares the space betweene the promise and the performance Abraham he beleeued the promise so many yeares before it was to take effect Great was his faith He leauing his owne countrey his kinred and his fathers house comes vnto a people who knew him not and he knew not them takes possession for that seed which he had not which in nature he was not like to haue of that land whereof hee should not haue one c Art 5.7 foote wherein his seed should not be setled for almost fiue hundred yeares after O the power of fayth It preuents time it makes future things as present If we be the true sons of Abraham and haue but one graine of his faith we haue alreadie the possession of our land of promise the celestiall Canaan though we soiourne here on earth as if we sought a countrey yet haue we it alreadie we haue it by fayth The seed of Abraham the children of Israel after their fortie yeares trauaile in the wildernesse got possession of the land of the Amorite which long before was promised vnto them It may teach vs thus much In whatsoeuer God promiseth he approueth himselfe most faithfull both in his abilitie and performances At the verie time prefixed and not before he vnchangeably performeth what he promised If so then when we are in any distresse and haue not speedie deliuerance according to our desires we must waite the Lords leasure and must expect with patience till the time come which is appointed by him for our ease and releife We must euer trust our God on his bare word we must do it with hope besides hope aboue hope against hope For the small matters of this life we must wholy relie vpon him How shall we hope to
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
The other The matter to be testified That was vers 13. this vers 14. and 15. For the first these particulars haue beene obserued 1 Who it is that giues the Mandate Euen the Lord the Lord God the God of hosts 2 To whom he giues it Sacerdotibus Prophetis to his Priests and Prophets For to them is this passage by an Apostrophe directed 3 How he giues it Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 4 The place where this testification was to be made in domo Iacob in the house of Iacob Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob saith the Lord God the God of Hosts vers 13. In the other part which concerneth the matter to be testified we may obserue 1 A resolution of God to punish Israel for sinne There shall be a day wherein the Lord will visit the transgression of Israel vpon him vers 14. 2 That this punishment so resolued vpon by the Lord shall reach vnto their holiest places to their houses of religion to their Altars in Bethel the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground vers 14. 3 That this punishment shall extend to the chiefest places of their habitation euen to the demolition and ruine of their dwelling houses The winter house shall be smitten so shall the summer house the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end vers 15. 4 The seale and assurance of all in the two last words of this Chapter Neum Iehouah saith the Lord. 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. Such are the parts of this Scripture Of the first generall which was the Mandate for the testification and of the particulars therein I discoursed in my last Sermon out of this place Now I am to descend to the second generall which is of the matter to be testified The first branch therein is of Gods resolution to punish Israel for sinne and that is in the beginning of the fourteenth verse In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him By the words its plaine that a day should come wherein God would punish Israel for his transgressions R. Dauid R. Abraham That day some ancient Rabbines referre to the earthquake that was in the daies of Vzziah King of Iudah whereof we finde mention made in the first Chapter of this Prophecie verse 1. and Zach. 14.5 Some referre it to the time of King Iosiahs reigne when he brake downe the Altar that was at Bethel and the high place there 2 King 23.15 Others hereby doe vnderstand that day wherein Samaria was captiuated by the Assyrian King Salmanassar 2 King 17.6 Whensoeuer that day fell out it was the day of the Lords visitation the day wherein the Lord visited Israel for his iniquities This word to visit signifieth a remembrance prouidence care and performance of a thing spoken be it good or euill and it belongeth vnto God to visit both waies either for good or for euill either in mercy or in iudgement It was for good that the Lord visited Sarah Gen. 21.1 The Lord visited Sarah Gen. 17.19 18.10 as he had said and the Lord did vnto Sarah as he had spoken For Sarah conceiued and bare Abraham a sonne in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him This was a visitation for good a visitation in mercy Such is that whereof dying Ioseph tells his brethren Gen. 50.24 I die and God visiting will visit you and will make you goe vp out of this land vnto the land which he sware to Abraham to Isaak and to Iacob God visiting will visit you He meaneth a visitation in mercy God will surely visit you in mercy And so he did when they had beene bond-slaues in Aegypt foure hundred and thirty yeeres Exod. 12.41 For at the end of those yeeres euen the selfe same day that those yeeres were ended it came to passe that all the Hosts of the Lord the Tribes of Israel went out from the land of Aegypt Out they went with an high hand in the sight of all the Aegyptians And so God visiting visited his people Israel Numb 33.3 according to his promise made by Moses Exod. 3.16 This was a visitation for good a gracious and mercifull visitation But gracious and mercifull aboue all was the visitation of our Lord Iesus Christ when with a true and euerlasting redemption he redeemed all true Israelites from sinne and death and Satan It is the visitation for which Zachary in his Canticle blesseth God Luk. 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel And why blessed for he hath visited and redeemed his people He hath visited his people visited in the better part visited in mercy in exceeding great mercy Beloued sith Christ hath visited vs in our persons Math. 25.40 Luk. 16.1 it is our parts to visit him in his members We are all his Stewards and the good things he hath lent vs are not our owne but his if the goods of the Church we may not appropriate them if of the Common-wealth we may not enclose them You know it is a vulgar saying He is the best subiect that is highest in the subsidie booke Let it passe for true But I am sure he is the best Christian that is most forward in Subsidiis in helping of his brethren with such good things as God hath bestowed vpon him Besides this visitation for good and in mercy there is also a visitation for euill and in iudgement Thus to visit is to visit in anger or displeasure And so by a Synecdoche of the Genus for Species to visit is to punish Thus is God said to visit when with some sudden and vnlooked scourge or calamity he taketh vengeance vpon men for their sinnes which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of So God visited the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children Exod. 20.5 He visiteth not onely by taking notice of and apprehending children in their fathers faults but also by punishing them for the same in as much as they are giuen ouer to commit the transgressions of their fathers Dauid in his deuotions calleth vpon the Lord to visit the Heathen Psal 59.5 O Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel awake thou to visit the Heathen Where to visit is to visit for euill to visit in iudgement in anger and displeasure it is to correct it is to punish To such as depart from the Law of the Lord and from that rule of righteousnesse which it prescribeth them to walke in the Lord himselfe threatneth that he will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89 32. And
them very infamous for their beastly Sodomie for their filthy adulterie for other their vncleane lust So holy were those holy Fathers Neither were they themselues alone giuen ouer to such filthinesse but they also tooke order to haue others like vnto them They could not alone be wicked z SZeged Spec. Pontif. Alexander the sixt gaue leaue to Cardinall Mendoza to abuse his owne bastard sonne in incestuous Sodomie a Downam de Antich lib. 1. cap. 6. Ormâ—rod Pict Pap. SZâ—ged spec Pont. Vescel Kroning Tractat. de Indulgentijs Sixtus the fourth gaue licence to the Cardinall of S. Lucie and to all his familie that they might in the three hot moneths of the yeare freely vse Sodomie Iohannes a Casa a Florentine Archbishop of Beneventum Legat for Iulius 3. at Venice set forth a booke in Italian Metre in commendation of this Diana of the Papists this abominable sinne of Sodomie Will you heare more of Sixtus the fourth He to incite and incourage others to be as filthy as himselfe built in Rome a famous stewes not onely of women but also of males The femall stewes how aduantagious it hath bin to the Pope and gainefull to his coffers may from hence appeare that the Pope hath receiued from them a yearely pension amounting sometimes to three thousand sometimes to foure thousand Ducates It is said of Paulus the third that in his tables he had the names of 45000 Curtizans which paid vnto him a monethly tribute Now that the Pope neede not to loose so great a reuenew some haue bestirred themselues to patronize his stewes by argument and by autoritie Their chiefe reason is that common Curtizans in hot countries are a necessarie euill Harding Confut. Apol. Iewelli par 4. cap. 1. thus speaketh of it It is common in all great Cities in hot countries not to banish from among them the filthy generation of harlots for the auoyding of a greater mischiefe Dr Bishop in his second part of the Reformation of a Catholicke deformed in the treatise of repentance saith The stewes in some hot Countries are tolerated to auoyd a greater mischiefe The cheife autoritie they bring is S. Austines out of his second booke de ordine cap. 4. Aufer meretrices de rebus humanis turbaveris omnia libidinibus Take harlots from among men yee shall disturbe all things with leacherous lusts To their reason that Curtezans in hot Countries are a necessarie euill we say that the heat of a countrey is no sufficient warrant for the popish stewes The land of Israel is a hotter climate then that of Italie yet saith God vnto the Iewes Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel For S. Austines autoritie wee acknowledge it to bee great and reuerend But withall we say that S. Austine when he wrote those words was not S. Austine When he wrote that tract of Order himselfe then liued in disorder a yong gallant a novice in the faith not well instructed not yet baptised in the name of Christ himselfe then kept a concubine and liued in whoredome But the same Saint Austine afterward fully instructed and baptised said thus Istam in vsu scortatorum terrena civiâ—as licitam fecit turpitudinem The words are De Ciuit. Dei lib. 14 cap. 18. The citie of the world not the Church of God hath made this filthinesse of harlots to bee lawfull So doth not Saint Austines autoritie hold vp the stewes Saint Paul beates them downe flat Rom. 3.8 they who say Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof their damnation is iust In a word the toleration of the stewes is an occasion of vncleanenesse to many a yong man and woman that otherwise would absteine from all such kinde of filthinesse What an abomination is it for a brother and his brother a father and his sonne a nephew and his vncle to come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Is it not the very abomination which the Lord reproueth in my text A man and his father will goe in to the same maide to profane my holy name I haue held you too long May it please you to remember my doctrine It was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God A twofold Vse I made of it One was to stirre vp our selues to a holy conversation The other to reproue such as are giuen ouer to vncleanenesse I conclude with that exhortation of Saint Peter 1. Epist. chap. 2.11 Dearely beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims absteine from fleshly lusts They may seeme vnto you a Paradise to your desires but they will proue a Purgatorie to your purses and a Hell to your soules Doe you loue your bodies Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they are rottennesse to your bones Doe you loue your soules Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they warre against your soules Doe you loue your credits Abstaine from fleshly lusts for they are dishonourable The heate of carnall lusts what is it but an infernall fire whose fuell is fullnesse of bread and aboundance of idlenesse whose sparkes are euill communication whose smoake is infamie whose ashes are pollution whose end is Hell Dearely beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts haue your conuersation honest among all men that they beholding your good works may glorifie God in the day of visitation Now gracious Father so worke in vs thou and thy power thou and thy mercy so bring it to passe that we may so spend the remainder of our dayes here in all holy conversation that after this life ended we may haue our inheritance in thy kingdome Grant this for thy sonne Christ Iesus sake To whom with thee c. THE XI LECTVRE AMOS 2.8 And they lay themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge by euery Altar and they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God IT is a great height of impietie whereto men are growne when by vnlawfull meanes or pretences or allurements they adde sinne to sinne A man may sinne once and a second time and may doe it through infirmitie but if he go on with a third transgression and with a fourth if he be obstinate in heaping sinne vpon sinne lamentable is his estate A woe must be his portion It s denounced by the Prophet Esay cap. 5.18 Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Was there euer a people so far giuen ouer to worke impietie Behold such were the people of Israel they to whom this prophecie of Amos was directed Their cruelty their couetousnes their oppressions their calumnies their filthy lusts reproued in the two precedent verses do proclaim as much And yet they haue not done sinning They would I grant make faire weather they would make a faire shew as if their desire
had neither Altars nor Images nor Temples Arnobius flourished after Origen in the yeare 290. and q Arnob. lib. 4. contragentes Babington in Exod. 27.1 pag. 403. Hospintan Hist Sacram. lib. 2. pag. 54. in his time the Heathen accused the Christians for that they had neither Churches nor Altars nor Images So for two hundred and ninetie yeares there were no Altars in the primitiue Church None for 290. yeares Yet Martin of Polonia sometimes an Arch-bishop and Penitentiarie to Innocent the fourth affirmeth in his Chronicle that Pope Sixtus did institute Vt missa super Altare celebreter that the Masse should be celebrated vpon an Altar r Hospin ibid. pag. 121. Sixtus of whom he speaketh was Bishop of Rome Anno Christi 125. So by Martins opinion Altars should haue bin in the Church aboue a hundred yeares before either Arnobius or Origen were writers But what small credit is to be giuen to this Chronicler Martin let Bellarmine tell you Fuit Martinus vir simplex fabellas pro historijs obtrudit This censure he giueth in his Booke of Ecclesiasticall writers vpon the yeare 1250. Martin was a simple man and one that obtrudeth fables for histories If Martin be false in this point of the institution of Altars how shall we find out the truth Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 3. will seeme to deliuer it There reprouing Kemnitius for making Felix the fourth to haue instituted the consecration of Altars calleth that a lye and sayth ſ § Octavum est Constat Sylvestrum autorem huius ritûs fuisse It is manifest that Sylvester was the author of this rite of the consecration of Altars Now Sylvester ascended to the Popedome in the yeare 314. So by Bellarmines opinion and what writer among the Papists is of greater authoritie then Bellarmine by Bellarmines opinion there were no Altars of vse in the Church before the yeare 314. So my proposition stands good The primitiue times of the Church knew not the vse of stonie or wooden Altars Which truth as it hath serued to condemne the Papists of blind superstition for creeping vnto and worshipping before their Altars whereof they haue out of Gods booke no warrant so may it be a motiue to vs to lift vp our hearts vnto the Lord and to giue him thankes for that it hath pleased him to deliuer vs from the more then Egyptian darknesse of Poperie wherein our forefathers liuing committed abomination before stockes and stones We haue not now an Altar properly so called no materiall Altar our Altar is metaphoricall it is spirituall As our sacrifices are which we are to offer vp vnto the Lord so is our Altar our sacrifices are spirituall our Altar therefore must be spirituall There were vnder the Law many kindes of sacrifices t Exod. 20.24 Burnt offerings u Num. 6.11 Sinne offerings x Vers 15. Meat offerings Drinke offerings y Exod. 20.24 Peace offerings All are reduceable to two heads they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either propitiatorie or Eucharisticall either expiatorie or gratulatorie either sacrifices of satisfaction or sacrifices of thankesgiuing The first sort of sacrifices which I call propitiatorie expiatorie or satisfactorie had their end in the death of Christ the other which I call Eucharisticall gratulatorie or sacrifices of thanksgiuing doe remaine for euer but without legall rites and ceremonies that which was legall in them is done away there remaineth onely that which was Euangelicall that which was Spirituall These sacrifices gratulatorie these sacrifices of praise and thankesgiuing are the sacrifices which we can and must offer vnto Almightie God Of these sacrifices I obserue three sorts according to the three sorts of goods which man vsually enioyeth The z Arist Eth. lib. 1. cap. 8. Philosopher deuides them into goods of the mind goods of the bodie and externall goods By externall goods you may vnderstand a Arist Magn. Moral lib. 1. cap. 3. riches rule honor by the goods of the bodie you may vnderstand health beautie comelinesse by the goods of the minde you may vnderstand vertues and vertuous actions functions and operations together with all the powers and faculties of the soule All these goods must we offer vp vnto the Lord in sacrifice First we must offer vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our externall goods the goods of this world The author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wisheth vs not to forget it chap. 13.16 To doe good and to distribute forget not And to make vs remember it the more willingly he giues this reason for with such sacrifices God is well pleased It is true God accepteth and taketh in good part as bestowed vpon himselfe whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the poore Giue meate to the hungrie drinke to the thirstie take in the stranger cloth the naked visite the sicke yeeld comfort to the poore prisoner thou doest all to Christ The day shall come wherein Christ will tell thee so Mat. 25.40 Verily I say vnto you in as much as yee haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren yee haue done it vnto me Doe good to the poore you doe it vnto Christ Say not if I giue I shall want my selfe Giue and it shall be giuen to thee The promise is Luk. 6.38 Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you good measure pressed downe and shaken together and running ouer So your giuing will be but a lending and good paiment will be made vnto you Salomon beares record hereunto Prou. 19.17 He that hath mercie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and that which hee hath giuen will he pay him againe Thus must we offer vp vnto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our externall goods the goods of this world Secondly we must offer vp vnto the Lord in sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the goods of the bodie The goods of our body we may offer vp in sacrifice two manner of wayes patiendo or faciendo by suffering or by doing by dying for the Lord or by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. This sacrifice of suffering or dying for the Lord is a precious sacrifice according to that Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints It is acceptable with God St Peter affirmeth it 1. Epi. chap. 2.20 If when ye doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God In the verse following he exhorts vs to this suffering Christ hath suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps Christ hath suffered for vs wee must if need be suffer for him Martyrdome It is so pleasing a sacrifice as that it made Ambrose say of his sister Appellabo Martyrem praedicabo satis I will call her Martyre and so shall I be sure to commend her enough S. Hierome in his Ep. to Heidibia sayth Triumphus Dei est passio Martyrum The suffering of Martyrs
depart from his house Plagues and punishments from God shall be his portion Thus is Vnthankefulnesse repayed with temporall punishments It is repaid likewise with Eternall An Eternall punishment it is which is adiudged to the vnthankefull and vnprofitable seruant in the parable of the talents Matth. 25.30 Cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Eternall is the punishment which Iudas suffereth for his vnthankefulnesse He fell z Act 1.18 headlong he burst asunder in the middest all his bowels gushed out and so he went into his owne place Act. 1.25 His owne place Ex proprijs meritis damnationis locum suum effecit saith Caietane Iudas by his owne deserts made the place of damnation his owne place His owne place not by any desire or affectation of his owne but by Gods ordination He went into his owne place Abijt in Infernum sayth Lorinus he went into Hell and there hee suffereth the a Reuel 21.8 second death a death after death a death and yet euerlasting For as Hell is large so its long and strong too Betweene vs and you sayth Abraham in Paradise to Diues in hell there is a great gulfe fixed b Luk. 16.26 so that they which would passe from hence to you cannot neither can they passe to vs that would come from thence Ex inferno nulla redemptio there is no getting out of Hell and therefore Iudas his punishment is Eternall St Paul 2. Tim. 3.2 sets downe a catalogue of the wicked Among them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vnthankefull haue their place They haue their place among the wicked and therfore the portion of the wicked must be their portion And what shall become of the wicked S. Paul sayth 1. Cor. 6.10 They shall not inherit the kingdome of God He saith it againe Gal. 5.21 They shall not inherit the kingdome of God S. Iohn in his Reuelation Chap. 21.8 sayth They shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone The Vnthankefull therefore as wicked shall not inherit the kingdome of God but shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Their punishment shall be Eternall Hitherto you haue heard First that God doth seriously forbid Vnthankefulnesse Secondly that he doth seuerely reprehend it Thirdly that he doth duly punish it From hence is the lesson which I commended vnto you made good Vnthankefulnesse is a sinne very odious in the sight of God The consideration hereof should worke in vs a resolution to giue thankes vnto our God for all his benefits And although Dignas Deo gratias agere non sufficimus though we be not able worthily to giue God thanks yet let euery one of vs professe with S. Bernard in his second Sermon c Domin 6. Pentac pag. 230. h. de septem panibus Ingratitudinem prorsus odit anima mea my soule doth hate vnthankefulnesse Peremtoria siquidem res est Ingratitudo Vnthankefulnesse its a killing sinne it s an enemie to grace it s a blacke friend to saluation I tell you sayth that Father quoniam pro meo sapere I tell you that to my vnderstanding there is nothing that so much displeaseth God especially in the children of Grace and men of Conuersion as vnthankefulnesse doth His reason is Vias obstruit gratiae vbi fuerit illa iam gratia accessum non invenit locum non habet Vnthankfulnesse it stops it dams vp the passage of grace Let Vnthankefulnesse be any where the good graces of God will haue no accesse thither much lesse will they reside there The same sweete Father Serm. 51. in Cantica d Pag 719 h. speaketh to like purpose Vnthankefulnesse its the soules enemie it s a burning wind siccans tibi fontem pietatis rorem misericordiae fluenta gratiae It dryeth vp the fountaine of pietie the dew of mercy the riuers of grace He may seeme to haue reference to that Heauenly meditation of S. Austine in the 18. chapter of his e Tom. 9. fol. 159. â— Soliloquies Lord I will recount in my minde all the good which thou hast done for me all my life long euen from my f Psal 71.5 youth For I know right well that vnthankefulnesse doth much displease thee as being the roote of all spirituall wickednesse It is ventus quidam desiccans vrens omne bonum It is a certaine wind that dryeth and burneth vp whatsoeuer good is and stoppeth the fountaine of thy heauenly mercies ô Lord. Such should be our euery dayes meditation Euery day should we recount in our minds all the good things which God hath done for vs all our life long euen from our youth Here to are we exhorted by S. Paul 1. Thes 5.18 In euery thing giue thankes His exhortation is made strong with a reason annexed For this is the will of God in Christ Iesus concerning you The like exhortation is made to the Colossians chap. 3.15 Be yee thankefull and ver 17. Whatsoeuer yee doe in word or in deed doe all things in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him The Ephesians are in like sort exhorted chap. 5.20 Giue thankes alwayes for all things vnto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ In this Apostolicall exhortation to thankesgiuing foure circumstances are principally remarkeable Quando pro quibus cui per quem One is Quando When we are to giue thankes We are to doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes at all times The second is pro quibus for what we are to giue thanks We are to doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all things For all things which God sendeth vpon vs or our neighbours be they prosperous or otherwise For euen aduersitie g Râ—m 8.28 worketh for the good of them that loue God The third is cui to whom we are to giue thankes We are to doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God and the Father because he is God and Father God in greatnesse and Father in goodnesse God for his creation and generall gouernment of the world and Father for his election redemption and iustification of the faithfull The fourth is Per quem By whom we are to giue thanks we are to doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Not in our owne name for there is no h Rom. 7.8 good in vs. Of our selues we cannot so much as i 2. Cor. 3.5 thinke a good thought much lesse can we speake a good word or doe a good deed Nor in any Angels name for the Angels are but k Heb. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are but ministring spirits Nor in any Saints name for this were to mingle the bloud of Thomas with Christs bloud as l Luk. 13.1 Pilate mingled the bloud of the Galileans with their owne sacrifice Christ he alone is our Sauiour our Redeemer our Mediator our Aduocate in his
was the Author of that Treatise de Baptismâ— Christi thus In Patre sumus in Filio vinimus in Spiritu Sancto mouemur proficimus We haue our being in the Father we liue in the Son we moue in the Holy Ghost S. Hilary in his Eâ—arrat vpon Psal 13. seemeth to assigne all these to the holy Ghost S. Cyril lib. 2. in Iohan. cap. 74. ascribes them all to the Sonne S. Augustine lib. 14. de Trinit cap. 12. refers them to the whole Trinity Of the whole Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost he will haue it to be true that in him we liue and moue and haue our being and he giues for a reason hereof that Rom. 11.36 because of him and through him and in him are all things All things are of him and through him and in him and therefore in him we liue and moue and haue our being Homil. 38 in â—â—l Apol. See saith S. Chrysostome how all things are his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and preseruation is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our being is from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our actiuity is from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from him it is that we perish not In him we haue whatsoeuer we haue in him we liue in him we moue in him we haue our being Who heares this and stands not in admiration of the vniuersall prouidence of God From this vniuersall or generall prouidence of God I descend to his speciall prouidence The speciall prouidence of God is that by which he ruleth euery part of the world and all things in euery part euen the things that seeme most vile and abiect all their actions all their euents Euery part of Heauen he ruleth Not so much as a little cloud ariseth or moueth or changeth or vanisheth but nutu Dei by the pleasure and appointment of God Eu ry part of the earth he ruleth There is not the man that either is conceiued or is borne or liueth or is preserued or moueth or doth any thing or dieth nisi ex nutu voluntate Dei but by the will pleasure and appointment of God There is not so much as animalculum not any the least liuing creature nor beast nor flie nor worme that is ingendred or fed or susteined nisi à Deo but by God There is not so much as herbula not any the least flower or grasse that either springeth or blossometh or withereth sine manu Dei but by the hand of God Gods speciall prouidence is ouer all his workes but more peculiarly is it ouer his Church His peculiar prouidence ouer his Church appeareth in the wonderfull preseruation thereof from its first beginning but more euidently from the time that Noahs Arke floated vpon the waters vntill these our dayes But of all most famous and to be admired was that his preseruation his protection of the Church among the people of Israel when they a Gen. 15.13 Act. 7.6 sciourning in a strange land in the Land of Aegypt were for foure hundred and thirty yeares held in slauery and bondage and were very ill intreated Then then at the time appointed God sent b Act. 7.35 Moses to be their ruler and deliuerer who led them from out of Aegypt into the wildernesse In the wildernesse a place of desolation could their necessities be supplied They could be and were supplied When they needed guide God went before them He went before them c Exod. 13.21 in a pillar of a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night So day and night was God their guide When they wanted bread flesh or drinke mercy and miracle did concurre for their supply d Psal 78.24 Heauen gaue them bread the e Ve s 26. wind quailes the f Vers â—5 rocke waters Of apparell they felt no want for g Deut. 29.5 forty years together neither the cloaths vpon their backes nor the shooes on their feet were waxen old For the direction of their consciences h Exo. 20.2 c. a Law was giuen them from mount Sinai and for the resolution of their doubts they had the oracles of God from betweene the i Exod. 25.22 Cherubins They needed not to feare the force and fury of their enemies for they found by experience that the k Ios 10.13 Sun and Moone and l Exod. 9.23 Psal 105.32 fire from Heauen and vapours from the clouds and m Exod. 2.20 water and n Exod. 8 6. Psal 105.30 frogs and o Psal 105. â—1 lice and flies and p Vers 34. locusts and caterpillers tooke their parts Yea the Lord himselfe q Exod. 14.14.25 fought for them Very speciall was the prouidence of God for his Church in Israel As speciall is his prouidence for his Church among vs. Here should I set the mercies of our Land to run along with Israels we should win ground of them we should out-run them Be iâ— that in Gods actuall and outward mercies they might outstrip vâ—â— yet in his spirituall and sauing health they come short of vs. For as one well saith they had the shadow we the substaâ—ce they the candle-light we the noone-day they the breakfast of the Law fit for the morning of the world we the dinner of the Gospel fit for the high-noone thereof They had a glimpse of the Sunne we haue him in the full strength they saw per fenestram we sine medio They had the Paschall lambe to expiate sins ceremonially we haue the Lambe of God to satisfie for vs really Vnthankfull we thrise vnthankfull are we if we acknowledge not the prouidence of God ouer his Church among vs to be very speciall Now followeth the particular or singular prouidence of God It is that by which he prouideth for euery particular creature That there was r Ionah 1 4. sent out a great wind into the sea to raise a tempest against a ship that was going to Tarshish that there was a preparation of a great fish Å¿ Vers 17. to swallow vp Ionah and of a Gourd t Ionah 4.6 to be a shadow ouer his head against the Sun-beames and of a worme u Vers 7. to smite that Gourd it was wholly from the particular prouidence of God From the same prouidence it is that the Sunne riseth on the euill and the good and that the raine falleth on the iust and on the vniust Mat. 5.45 From the same it is that the Lilies of the field are so arayed as Solomon in all his glory was not so Mat. 6.28 From the same it is that the haires of our head are all numbred Mat. 10.30 What Are the haires of our head numbred Serm. de Martyr Are they all numbred Quid timebo saith Saint Augustine quid timebo damna membrorum quando securitatem accipio capillorum Surely I that haue security for the haires of my head will not feare the losse of any