promyseth here the great enlarging of his Church and faythfull people If all Nations come in one and bee gathered togither which among them c. As in the 41. Chapter So here the Prophete imagineth God to speake before a Iudge as if hee had sayde I haue declared two arguments of my Deity that is that I am he which from the beginning declared to the Patriarches that I woulde send my Sonne the true Messias and sauior of the worlde and that I would deliuer my Church and people not only from the perils that shortly shall be in the Captiuitie but also encrease the number of them out of all the partes of the worlde Part of these thinges you see fulfylled alreadie the other shall as assuredly come to passe Therfore go to let all Nations and people of the worlde come togither which worship stocks and stones and Gods of their owne making and lette vs heare whether their Gods or their soothsayers enspired with the Deuil be hable to declare or tell 〈◊〉 any such things let them bring forth their witnesses to iustifye the matter But you my people can 〈◊〉 and your coÌ„sciences can be witnesses that these things which I haue spoken for my selfe and against the worshippers of Idols are true Therfore mistrust not feare not put your confydence in me sticke to the true worshipping of me For I am the true God that neuer had beginning nor shall haue â—â—ding that made all things that preserueth maintaineth all thinges and * out of whose handes no power can take any one man that I will saue c. For your sake I haue sent to Babilon and brought it downe all they c. He speaketh of that is to come as if it were past and done For he here telleth howe he will deliuer his people from the captiuitie of Babilon The sense is you are in great feare my people for your captiuitie that shall be in Babylon but I haue already deuised your deliuerance I will in conuenient time send Darius and Cyrus the Medes and the Persians into Babilon with mightie power whiche shall vtterly ouerthrowe the whole power of Babylon and Chaldey and transferring the Empyre to the Persians shall by their noble king Cyrus deliuer you This will I your God and redeemer do for you c. Remember not things of olde and regard nothing that is past He prepareth here to vtter a prophecie of the comming of Christ as if he had sayde Remember not thinges done before time I haue wrought great benefytes for you I haue deliuered you out * of Aegypt I brought you through the red sea I coÌ„ducted you through the wildernesse into the lande of Canaan I gaue you victory ouer your enimies but * remember not these benefites in comparison of that I will nowe tell you I will worke a newe thing that shall farre passe these I will make a way in the deserte and riuers of water in the wildernesse The wylde beastes shall worship me c. That is I will not onelye deliuer you from the Captiuitie of Babilon and bring you home safe through daungerous wayes and passages which may iustly bee compared to anye of the former benefites but in those Nations and Countries also which hitherto haue beene as deserts or wildernesses without all good culture of godlynesse and drie and barraine without any Springes of Gods good graces and wholesome instructions In those places I saye will I treade out a true pathe and highe waye to heauen and wildise vrasweete springs and plentifull ryuers of heauâ—enly doctrine by the preaching of the Gospell of Christ In so much that those people which for their rude and sauage barbarousnesse and for the fylthinesse of their lyues myght well seeme wilde beasts Dragons and Estreches shall lay aside their detestable and naughty Idolatrie and their foule and fylthie vices and become true worshyppers of my name and notable examples of all vertuous lyfe to the aduauncement of my great glorie and praise For thou Iacob wouldest not call vpon me but thou haddest an vnlust toward c. Least the people of God being puffed vp and swelling in their owne conceptes should thinke thys great and straunge matter was wrought for their â–ª * Desertes or worthinesse he sayth plainely that they had 〈◊〉 such thing eyther by calling vpon his name or by offering of sacrifyces or burning of Incense or bying of costly Spices for the holy Oyle commaunded Exod. 30. nor by any other maner of seruice in respect whereof this singular and vnestimable benefite was wrought but rather by their sinnes had altogether deserued the contrarie and prouoked God to iust wrath and therefore that this thing proceeded of Gods mere mercy and exceeding loue towards Mankinde for his owne felfes sake as he sayeth For his owne selfes sake putting awaye their sinnes out of his remembrance so that neyther their owne Worthynesse nor the iustice of their auncestors coulde deserue it For as Adam was a synner 〈…〉 all the other that they came of and both gouernours and people had geeuously offended God. The. 1. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 44. SO heare nowe O Iacob my 〈…〉 whom I haue chosen 2 For thus sayth the Lord that made thée fashioned thée and helped thée euen from thy mothers wombe Be not afrayde O Iacob my sieruaunt thou righteous whome I haue chosen 3 For I shall poure water vpon thy drie grounde and riuers vpon the thirstie I shall poure my spirite vpon the 〈◊〉 and my blessing vpon thy stocke 4. They shall grow togither like as the grasse and as the willowes by the waters 〈◊〉 Onâ— shall saye I am the Lordes another shall call himselfe 〈…〉 the thirde shall subscribe with his hande 〈…〉 giue himselfe vnder the name of Israell 6. Thus hath the Lorde spoken 〈…〉 and his redeemer the Lorde of hostes 〈…〉 last besides me there is no God. 7 If 〈◊〉 he like me let him call forth the thing past and openly shewe it and lay it plaine before me what hath 〈…〉 I appoynted the people of the world and what shall be shortly or what shall come to passe in tune long to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things 8 Be not 〈…〉 tolde you hitherto and warned you ye 〈…〉 your selues is there any 〈…〉 I should not knowe 〈…〉 〈…〉 and maketh also a God thereof to honour it and a grauuen Image to knéele before it 16 One péece he burneth in the fire with another he râ—steth flesh that he may eate rest his belly full with the thirde he warmeth himselfe and sayth Aha I am well warmed I haue béene at the fire 17 And of the resâ—â—ue he maketh him a God and a grauen Image for himselfe he knéeleth before it he worshippeth it he prayeth vnto it and sayth Deliuer me for thou art my God. 18 Yet men neither consider nor vnderstande because their eies be stopped that they can not 〈◊〉 and
myrth and comfort Yea that he will repayre the ruine and decaye of his Church and make their desert and wildernesse a Paradise and garden of pleasure The ruine and decay of Sion are the lost sheepe of the house of Israell which Christ and his Apostles restored The Desert and VVildernesse are the Gentiles which of olde had refused the true knowledge of God and therefore were as straungers to the promise of saluation But the se deserts God made pleasant Gardens by the teaching and publishing of his Gospell This is it that he promiseth when he sayth A lawe and ordinance shall go forth from him to lighten the Gentiles The time is euen at hande that my health and righteousnesse shall go forth c. Be of good cheere my people sayth God and be not ouerwhelmed with the heauinesse of your affliction It is euen at hande that not onely my sauing health shall go forth to preserue you but the might and strength of mine arme also by the preaching of the Gospell to gouerne and guide all other Nations Inso much that the * inhabitantes of the Islandes and other countryes shall beleeue in me and put their trust in my name And do you not mistrust this health and saluation that shall come to you by the Messias For * heauen and earth with all the inhabitours thereof shal vanish away as smoke but the iustice and saluation wrought by the sonne of God shall be most certaine and continue for euer Therefore my people that vuderstand righteousnesse feare not the * reuilings raylinges and reproches of men that shall fall vpon you for the profession of my name and truth For your enemyes shall be consumed as a garment with mothes and my sauing health that you trust in shall stande stedfast for euer and euer Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde c. In these three verses next following God comforteth his people with the example of their deliuerance out of Egypt But his maner of vtterance is with great maiestie figuratiuely turning hys speech to his owne diuine power the sense whereof is this Thou mightie power of God that manye tymes since the beginning of the worlde hast shewed thy selfe rayse thy selfe now in this great anguishe and care that his people are nowe in Is not that mightie arme hable to deliuer his seruāts now in this miserie which before time did * wound the pride of Aegypt and wyth thy woonderous workes hew in peeces that dreadful Dragon Pharao and dryed vp the sea and made it to stande as * walles on eche side of thy people passing through and resolued the same againe to the confusion of thy enimies Therefore let not the Redéemed of the Lord feare but that they shal with ioy returne againe to Sion and there remaine with muche myrth and gladnesse It is I it is I that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then c. God sharply rebuketh his people for Timorousnesse and continuall mistruste in all their aduersities It is I sayth he it is not Abraham nor Moyses nor Aaron nor any of my Saynts your Predecessours but euen I my selfe the mightye God your Lorde that doth alwaye * comfort and helpe you Seeing then the Idols that your enimies trust in are so Vaine as I haue tolde you and they themselues so Fraile and mortall and on the contrary part I your Lord your assured God so mightie and of so great force as I haue alway declared my selfe aswell in the creation of the worlde as in the preseruation of you and delyuerance out of Aegypt from your prowde oppressour whome I then brought full lowe and made him glad to hasten you away out of the Exile that you then were in and gaue you the * treasures of hys people that you might not want breade and sustenance by the way seeing I say all this is so why doe you still mistruste and feare the power of vain men seeme they in the worlde neuer so terrible Remember therefore my promises whereby I haue assured you that I will deliuer you and acknowledge you for my people Awake awake and stande vp O Hierusalem thou that from the hande c. The Lorde here comforteth his people in telling them that he wil take the scourge of his wrath from them and lay it vpon their enimies By the Cuppe and by drinking it is vsuall both in the olde testament and newe to vnderstande Affliction as in Hier. 25. Take this cup of wine of my furie at my hand c. And Christ himself in his agonie Mat. 26. Let this cuppe passe from me c. that is this scourge of my Crosse and passion The plaine sense of thys place is O my Church be of good comfort for albeit thou hast for a time through my wrath for thy sinnes beene grieuously afflicted and no man either would or coulde comfort and helpe thee yet after I shall come through thy repentance of my mercie pardoning thy sinnes this my bitter Cup of affliction shall be taken from thee and * poured vpon the heades of those that haue oppressed thee to their vtter confusion By the Slumbring or poisoned cuppe he meaneth the grieuous aduersities that hath so touched and weakened them as they are not almost hable to stande but stagger and reele as they go as it were men halfe deade Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euery streate like a taken venison c. In these verses he describeth the great miserie that the Iewes were in at theyr captiuitie in Babilon not onely cruelly murdered in all Cities but pyning for hunger and dying in the streetes as it appeareth by the hystorie of Tobie The. 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 53. BUt who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching or to whome is the arme of the Lorde knowne 2 For he did growe before the Lorde like as a branche and as a roote in a drye grounde he hath neyther beautie nor fauour when we looke vpon him there shall be no fayrenesse we shall haue no lust vnto hym 3 He is despised and abhorred of men he is such a man as hath good experience of sorrowes and infirmities We haue reckened him so vile that we hid our faces from him 4 Howbeit he onely hath taken on him our infirmitie and borne our paines yet we did iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God. 5 Whereas he notvvithstanding was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse for the paine of our punishment was layde vpon him and with his stripes are we healed 6 As for vs we are all gone astraye lyke shéepe euery one hath turned his owne way but the Lorde hath throwne vpon him all our sinnes 7 He suffered violence and was euill intreated and did not open his mouth he shal be led as a shéepe to be slaine
said by laying examples of their owne wickednesse and rebellious stomackes against him The first is their dealyng at Horeb Exodus 32. when Moises was gone vp into the mountayne and there taried fourtie dayes to receyue the exquisite instruction of the law of GOD and to bring with him the two Tables of the tenne commaundementes They in the meane tyme forced Aaron to make thē a Golden Calfe to worshyp The seconde is their offendyng at the burning place Num. 11. where GOD consumed many of them with fyre The thirde was their murmuryng for lacke of water Exodus 17. at whyche tyme GOD gaue them water out of the rocke The fourthe was at the Sepulchers of luste Num. 11. when they longed for fleshe and GOD gaue thē Quailes to eate an whole moneth together vntyll it came out at their noses againe The laste is at Cades Barne Num. 13. When at the returne of the Messengers they murmured against God and against Moises desired to returne into Egipte The foure latter examples are onlie briefly touched in verse 22. 23. The first he stayeth long vpon from the .8 verse to the .21 reciting almost the whole story out of Exod. 32. but altering the order of some particular poyntes of whiche before I spake I thinke good briefly to note that if the children of Israell in no respect of their owne worthines were made heires of the land of Cbanaā and partakers of his earthly blessings muche more we maye not thinke that the Misterie of our redemption Reconciliation to God Remissiō of sinnes Iustification before God Assignement to euerlasting life is bestowed vpō vs as manye haue wickedly taught in regard of anye part of oure owne good workes and weldoynges but throughe fayth in the free mercye of God for the merite and passion of our Sauiour Christ Iesu You be saued sayth Saynt Paule Ephesians 2. By grace throughe faithe and that not of your selues for it is the gifte of God not of your vvorkes that no man may glorye The glory then hereof muste be giuen to God alone It is a thyng of farre greater worthynesse to attayne Remission of Synnes and The Kingdome of Heauen than it is to possesse the land of promyse and felicitie in the worlde It is a thyng muche farther aboue the power of man to conquer Sinne Sathan Deathe and Hell than it was to subdue the children of Anac Therfore as I haue said if they were forbiddē to respecte their owne power or worthynesse in those things that were the lesse and but onely figures of other muche more are we by Gods worde in like manner charged in those that are the greater things and the truth of suche as the other did but onely signifie Also in Horeb you prouoked the Lorde to anger so that the lord c. This is the first example of their transgression at Horeb in making the Golden Calfe In which it shal be good to consider what their offence was how much God was displeased therwith howe Moyses their gouernour behaued himselfe As touching the first although * mans corruption destitute of the grace of God is very prone euē to the grossest Idolatry yet it is hardly to be thought that the Israelites who so lately before had sene so many wonderous workes done as well in Egipte as in the wildernesse by the myghtye hande of the liuing God woulde now sodainly be so bewitched as to forsake him vtterlye and in steede of him worship a Golden Calfe and * attribute to it those benefites that they had receyued of God before the Calfe by themselues was made It is rather lykely that bycause they thoughte Moyses was nowe gone and therefore the lesse esteemed the forme of Religion by him declared they woulde haue a worshipping of God of their owne deuising and an Image as they thought in which they myghte honour hym For suche is the grossenes of mans wytte that he thinketh he hathe not God present wyth hym nor dothe not rightly worshyp him vnlesse it be in some visible forme of hymselfe deuised If they did worshippe the Calfe as God it was in them an exceeding furie and astoniednes of common reason and sense If they dyd onely worshippe God in the Calfe and thoughte some diuine holinesse therin as it is moste likelye yet it was a greuous offence and directly against the * fyrst commaundement whiche was giuen them by GOD with greate maiestie and terrour but a litle time before For in the fyrste commaundement God dothe not onelye forbydde straunge Goddes but also straunge worshyppyngs of GOD deuised by man contrarye to hys holye worde They brake also the couenant that * before they had condescended vnto to followe the worship of GOD appoynted in hys lawe and not to departe from it wherefore ouer and besyde their Idolatrous worshippe they myght be estemed false traiterous and forsworne persons in the syghte of GOD. Gods displeasure then was iuste agaynste them for they were as he sayth a * stifnecked people that by no meanes woulde be kepte in hys true obedience and therefore purposed vtterlye to haue destroyed them and to haue put oute the name of them from vnder Heauen Yea he was exceedyng angrye also wyth Aaron and woulde haue destroyed hym in like manner bycause he was so timerous and fainte harted that for any cause he wolde yelde to be their instrument or helper to worke Idolatrye This offence of the Israelites God opened firste vnto Moises saying Thy people vvhiche thou haste broughte oute of Egipte haue sore offended they are turned at once oute of the vvaye that I commanded them c. And wyth all declareth his greuous displeasure towarde them that for their detestable wickednesse he minded to take them from the face of the earth Then Moises as a good gouernour carefull for that people which God had committed to him fell downe before the Lorde making earnest intercession for them said O Lord god destroy not thy people and thine enheritance vvhich thou hast deliuered through thy great goodnes c. By whose example we also are taughte the forme of true and Godlye prayer grounded vpon the promyses of god For God had sayde that he had chosen the Israelites for hys peculiar people and that he would by mighty hand deliuer them to the end that he myght set forth the glory of hys name through all the worlde He promysed also to the Patriarkes Abraham Isahac and Iacob that he woulde preserue them and their seede and giue vnto theyr seede the land of Chanaan Vpon these promises doth Moises with a strong faith ground his prayer and earnestly* presseth God with the same and that he woulde not goe frō these promises though the stifnecked people had deserued the contrary Adding also the great reproche that might rise to his name among the heathen from whence they came that is the Egiptians who wold say That their God vvas not
At Sodome and in all general plagues the yong children that neuer in Act offended were partakers of the punishment c. These things may seeme repugnant to Gods iustice here defended by Ezechiel And this was it that the Israelites and Ievves did finde themselues Grieued withall Ieroboam sayd they did set vp the golden Calues and Manasses mainteyned Idolatrie and corrupted the law of God but the punishment falleth vpon vs To this we haue to answere that when God sayd Exod. 20. That he vvoulde punishe the sinnes of the fathers c. vnto the thirde and fourth generation he added of them that hate me If the children hate God and Followe theyr fathers Idolatrie and sinfulnesse although God of his mercie Spare their fathers in Wordly punishment he will plague them and so muche the more Because they would not beware by their fathers offences and consider Gods goodnesse towarde them in graunting them Time and Space to repent But some will aske whie God sayth he will punish The sinnes of the fathers vpon their children seeing the children haue their owne sinnes for which they are iustly punished It may be answered Because if their Fathers had not so grieuously offended their Punishment might haue bene longer Deferred As God is mercifull so he is Iust and forsomuch as his pacience and mercie hath Long borne with their wickednesse and looked in vaine for their repentance his Iustice must needes take place and at Length light vpon them with due punishment So that they are the Sooner and more Grieuously punished for their wicked Parents and yet not without their Owne iust desertes and euill doings Wherefore to conclude with Ezechiel the Iewes in their lewde Prouerbe did blasphemously depraue Gods Iustice seeyng their owne vniust doinges in Following the foote steppes of their sinfull Fathers did pull his iust wrath vpon them And yet it cannot be denied but that God Sometimes doth punishe some for the cause or by the occasion of other Abraham and Iacob felt the smart of famine and hunger euen as Sinfull men did and they of the house of Pharao and Abimeleck were plagued for their Princes cause But beside that which is sayde before that no man is so Righteous in the sight of God but that he Iustly deserueth punishement we must moreouer consider that Gods Scourges are not alway nor to all persons of One sort Towarde the wicked they are Plagues of his Iustice towarde the Godly they are Exercises and Medicines by which he healeth their corruptions practiseth their fayth and Stirreth them vp the more earnestly to call vpon him So that he maketh it to them as a Schoole of discipline to retaine them in more Feare of his name that they be not caried away with the wicked Allurements of the worlde as the vngodly are We may not therefore thinke God to deale vniustly when sometimes we see him to wrappe good men in those plagues wherewith he punisheth the Vngodly In those Properties of a Iust man which are recyted and sundrie times repeated in this Chapter the Prophete may seeme to omit and leaue out many workes of Iustice but in one general clause he comprehendeth all other As when he sayth And hath walked in my statutes and kept my iudgements If there had beene any such Iust man among the Iewes he might with some countenance haue quarreled with GOD punishing him being Innocent for his fathers offences But there was neuer yet any that * perfectly fulfilled the Statutes and lawes of god Therefore all mens mouthes are in that case stopped There hath beene many good men whose vnperfite obedience it hath pleased God in respect of the Promised seede and Sauiour of the worlde to accept as Iust and so to account them before him But otherwise neyther the childe this day borne nor the Angels in heauen are pure in his sight The Prophete vndoubtedly reciteth these Properties and workes of Iustice especially because men in them most commonly and Notoriously in those dayes offended so that he choked them from their blasphemous Obloquie by the testimonie of their owne Consciences which tolde them that in these poyntes they were not innocent but iustly susteyned Gods Plague euen for their Owne sinnes and not for their Fathers onely And hath not eaten vpon the hilles he hath not lift vp his eyes to the Idole c. He meaneth Sacrifycing and keeping of their holy Feastes in the highe Places so often mentioned in the bookes of Kings and the Chronicles For as the Gentiles and Heathens were wont on Hilles to haue Chappels and aulters for their False Gods euen so the Iewes and Israelites after their Temple buylded appointed place chosen did make Aulters on high places and therin worshypped sometime the lyuing God but disorderly sometyme Idoles and false Gods by the imitation of the Gentiles Neyther hath come neere a woman remooued c. He meaneth a woman hauing hir naturall and Monthly Disease because to seeke the companie of a woman at that time is lothsome to nature and a token of immoderate lust and affection But hath restored the detter his pledge he that hath not spoyled any c. The Prophet meaneth the Pledge or gage of a Poore man which hath borowed any thing of him The Lawe is Exod. 22. If thou haue taken the garment of thy neighbour to pledge before the sonne go dovvn thou shalt restore it to him and he addeth Because hee hath nothing else to couer hym c. Whereby it maye appeare he speaketh of a Poore man. And Deut. 24. the matter is made more plaine For after a larger declaring of this lawe of Charitie he sayth If he be a pore man thou shalt not sleepe vvith his pledge in thy house If this man get a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes c and doth not c. Our fathers are to be folowed but only in those things that be good but if they shall eyther giue vs example of that which is Contrarie to the wyll of God yea eyther commaunde vs to doe it surely they are not to be obeied And yet in these days we haue manye that wyll Tye themselues verye streightly to Follow their Parents Religion but if there were any Example in them of vertuous and Honest lyfe that they neuer remember Such persons imbrace in their Fathers that is euill and neglect that is good If the vngodly will turne awaye from all his sinnes that he hath done c. Of this place maye be taken a singular Comfort for all them that are tormented in their consciences for the heauie burden of their sinnes For God here * proclaymed Mercie and forgiuenesse to all that Repent them of their former wickednesse and sayth it shall not be Mentioned vnto them be it neuer so great It is a great craft of the Deuill first by all Flattering allurements of the worlde to cause men grieuously to offende and when they
before his comming These things we haue seene in these latter dayes meruelously fulfilled in all the elements In the Sunne and Moone often Eclipses In the vpper parte of the aire blasing Starres Swoordes Pillars of fire fire Drakes flying in the Aire and other like impressions In the Earth Earthquakes and other straunge alterations In the Water many and exceding great floudes risings and swellings to the great griefe and annoyance of Mankinde And as there hath bene in all times some of those signes so in no age so manye as hath bene within these fewe yeares Whereby we must needes gather that we are fallen into those latter troublesome and perilous dayes thathere the Prophete speaketh of But whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued for c. The whole summe of our* saluation consisteth in * calling vpon the name of the Lord and in putting our* confidence and trust in his mercy and deliueraunce wrought for vs by the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Iesu Who suffred and dyed for vs by his resurrection made perfect the misterie of our Redemption At Mount Sion and in Hierusalem according to the vnfallible Promises of Almightie God. The. 20. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Micheas 6. HEarken ye nowe what the Lorde sayth Aryse thou and contende with the mountaynes and let the hilles heare thy voyce 2 Heare O ye mountaynes the Lordes quarrell and ye mightie foundations of the earth for the Lorde hath a quarrell agaynst his people and will pleade with Israell 3 O my people what haue I done vnto thée or wherein haue I grieued thée giue me answere 4 I haue brought thée out of the lande of Egypt and deliuered thée out of the house of bondage and I made Moises Aaron and Miriam to lead thée 5 Remember O my people what Balach the king of Moab had deuised against thée and what answere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him from Sethin vnto Galgal that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lorde 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lorde and bowe my selfe to the hie God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with calues of a yeare olde 7 Hath the Lord a pleasure in many thousandes of rammes or innumerable streames of oyle shall I giue my first borne for mine offences and the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule 8 He hath shewed thée O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thée namely to do iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God. 9 The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie and the man that shall be saued considereth thy name hearken what is your rod and heare him that warneth you 10 Are not yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abhominable 11 Shoulde I iustifie the false balances and the bagge of deceytfull weightes 12 For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie and thâ— inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies and haue deceytfull tongues in their mouthes 13 Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thée and to make thée desolate because of thy sinnes 14 Thou shalt eate and not haue inough yea thou shalt bring thy selfe downe in the middes of thée thou shalt flée but not escape and those that thou wouldest saue will I deliuer to the sword 15 Thou shalt sowe but not reape thou shalt presse out Oliues but Oyle shalt thou not haue to annoynt thy selfe with Oyle thou shalt treade out must but thou shalt drinke no wine 16 Ye kéepe the ordinances of Amri and all the customes of the house of Ahab ye walke in their counsels therefore will I make thée waste and cause thy inhabiters to be hissed at and ye shall beare the reproche of my people The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Micheas Hearken you now what the Lorde sayth Arise thou and contende with c. THe Prophet Micheas blameth the Iewes for their wickednesse and declareth to them their punishment for y same 1 First he noteth their vnthankefulnesse for the great benefites that they haue receyued at his hande 2 Then he taketh from them al the confidence that they might haue had to please God with their Sacrifices and external Hypocrisie and sheweth what they should doe to please God rightly 3 Thirdly he sharpely rebuketh their obstinacie in contemâ—ing the worde of God and refusing to heare him 4 Lastly he openeth some of their particular faultes and denounceth their punishment that God will bring vpon them And all this doth he in maner of a pleading of Gods cause before Iudges which * maner the Prophetes diuerse times doe vse thereby to set out the Iustice of God and more euidently to declare that his people euen by the Iudgement of men or other common creatures are vnexcusable and by their owne wickednesse to pull vpon themselues iust and grieuous punishments In this place the Prophete by appointment of God taketh Mountaynes and Hilles and the verie Foundations of the earth to heare the cause and complaint of Almightie God agaynst his people of Israel And that is it that the Prophete vttereth in the person of God saying Arise thou and contende with the mountaynes c. And then he Obeying the appoyntment of God sayth Heare O you mountaynes the Lordes quarell c. As if he had sayde Forsomuch as the heartes of this people are so farre from God that not so much as one of them will consider and vnbe â—stande his cause I appeale to you hilles and mountaynes and make the vnsensible Creatures Iudges agaynst them In this the Prophet both noteth the hard hearts and the obstinate contempt of the Iewes particularly and also generally teacheth all then which in like maner contemne the worde of god that they shal by no meanes be hable to escape iust iudgement and condemnation For because the * who le world was made by God for vs and in all poyntes seruing to our vse perfourmeth that ende to the which it was made though all other Iudges and witnesses would fayle the very partes of the world and the coÌ„mon creatures will pronounce sentence against vs if we in our calling doe shewe our selues vnthankefull disobedient and rebellious agaynst God. O my people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieued thee c. There is no one thing that in the Prophetes causeth more difficultie then the often and the sodaine chaunging of the Person wherefore that is here also to be obserued The second verse was vttered in the person of the Prophet these three verses God himselfe speaketh Although God were grieuously displeased with them yet he calleth them His people therby * shewing that he would be readie to receiue them to Mercie if they would turne vnto him and repente Then he lamentably vpbraideth them with the vnthankefull receiuing of his great benefites that he had done for them Whereby hee
and haue wanteâ— the 〈◊〉 of my yeares 11 I spake within my selfe I will neuer visite the Lorde the Lorde I say in this life I will neuer sée man among the dwellers of the worlde 12 Mine age is 〈◊〉 together and taken away from 〈…〉 I haue hewen of my lyfe by my sinnes like as a weauer cutteth of his webbe he will with pining sickenessâ— make an ende of mée yea he will make an ende of me in one day 13 I thought I would haue liued vntill the morowe but he bruised my bones like a Lion and in one day thou wilt make an ende of me 14 Then chattered I like a swalowe and like a Crane and mourned like a Doue I lift vp mine eyes into the heigth O Lorde sayde I my sicknesse kéepeth me downe 〈◊〉 thou me 15 What shall I say the Lorde hath made a promise to me yea and he him selfe hath perfourmed it I 〈◊〉 therefore so long as I liâ—e sremember this bitternesse of my life 16 O Lord to all those that shall liue hereafter yea to all men shall it be knowne that euen in those yeares I haue a ioyfull life and that it was thou that causedst me to sléepe againe thou hast giuen life to me 17 Beholde bitter as gall was my pensiuenesse so sore longed I for health and it was thy pleasure to deliuer my life from the filthie pit for thou it is O Lorde that hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe 18 For hell prayseth not thée death doth not magnifie thée they that go downe into the graue prayse not thy truth 19 But the liuing yea the liuing knowledge thée as I doe this day the father telleth his children of thy faythfulnesse 20 To heale me it is the Lordes worke and we will sing my songs in the house of the Lorde all the dayes of our life 21 And Esay sayde Take a playster of figges and lay it vpon the sore so shal it be whole 22 Then sayde Ezekia O what a myracle is this that I shall go vp into the house of the Lorde The exposition vpon the .38 Chapter of Esay About this time was Ezechias sicke vnto death and the Prophete Esay c. IN this Chapter we haue the example of an other grieuous tentation of the good king Ezechias Who being deliuered from the daunger of the Assirians as is declared in the former Chapter read at morning prayer is now cast into a grieuous and daungerous sickenesse yea and hath the Prophete sent vnto him to denounce as it were from the mouth of God himselfe that he shoulde assuredly die At what time this sicknesse happened it is not certaine whether before the siege of Hierusalem or after But more likely it is that it happened afterwarde For otherwise so notable a circumstance in the time of the siege could not haue bene among other omitted By this example we haue to learne that God * often sendeth many grieuous tentations euen to the good and godly sometime by warre sometime by sickenesse sometime by vniust infamie and reproche sometime otherwise In all which we must learne constantly to continue in fayth and prayer and neuer to dispayre For that GOD of his fatherly prouidence doth it not for our hurt and hinderaunce but for the triall and increase of our fayth Then Ezechia turned his face towarde the wall and prayed c. It is not to be merueled that Ezechias was touched with * sorow by the message of death declared to him by the prophet He was a natural man and therfore abhorred death in his flesh he feared it to be some token of Gods displeasure towarde him because the prophet brought him that message from god He had not yet made perfect the good reformation of his countrey that he had begun and finally he had yet no issue to succeede him Remember O Lorde I beseech thee that I haue walked before thee in truth c. Here Ezechias in this distresse to our good example resorteth to his olde Sanctuarie of prayer and calling vpon god Neyther doth he as it may seeme in his prayer eyther quarrell with God as dealing hardly with him or glorie in his owne worthinesse and vertues But rather comforteth himselfe and stirreth vp his fayth agaynst that tentatioÌ„ which happely Sathan then did put into his minde that he should be reiected and reprobated of God therfore sayth he that all that he did proceeded from a good heart and minde and respected therein the good will and pleasure of God according to his holy worde wherein he might well and did comfort his troubled minde with the * testimonie of a good conscience yet not so that he would therevpon stande in iudgement before God. Then sayde God vnto Esay c. This alteration of sentence is not to be thought mutabilitie or vnconstancie in GOD who by the same Prophete before had denounced death to the same partie For the threatnings and promises of God are oftentimes conditionall and not of determinate purpose in himselfe and therefore vpon the fulfilling of the condition may they without note of inconstancie be altered As it appeareth in the threatning of the Niniuites Ionae 1 and of the king of Gerar. Genes 20. which afterwarde by their repenting and turning to God was altered and so was it here with Ezechias I will put fiftene yeares moe vnto thy life And deliuer thee and the Citie also c. Beholde the effect of earnest prayer and the readie and mercifull goodnesse of GOD towarde them that call vpon him who doth not onely heare his prayer but also confirmed his promise thereof by a notable and straunge miracle A thankesgiuing which Ezechias king of Iuda wrote when he had beene sicke c. This good king Ezechias would not passe ouer with silence the great benefite that God shewed in restoring him to his health and by his Example teacheth what all good men should doe when they feele the great mercies of God wrought in them that is not onely to make it knowne to them that we liue withall but also to cause it to remaine in remembrance to posteritie that Gods name therby may be the more glorified and other the better comforted Thus did * Moyses this did * Anna Samuels mother thus did * Dauid * Ionas * Zacharie * Simeon and the blessed virgine * Marie In the first part of this praier he rehearseth the pensiue sorowful cogitations that he conceyued in his hart in time of his sicknesse through the feare of death hell In the latter he acknowledgeth the mightie worke of God yealdeth prayses for the same I thought I should haue gone to the gates of hell when mine age c. By these wordes it maye appeare in what sort Ezechias did beholde death and whye he shewed himselfe so pensiue therein that is because hee thought himselfe out of the fauour of GOD and therefore in daunger of hell fire
7 To deale thy breade to the hungrie and to bring the poore wandring home into thy house when thou séest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe froÌ„ thine owne flesh 8 Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health flourishe right shortly righteousnesse shall go before thée and the glorie of the Lord shall embrace thée 9 Then if thou callest the Lord shall aunswere thée if thou criest he shall say Here I am yea if thou layest away from thée thy burthens and holdest thy fingers and ceassest from vngracious talking 10 If thou hast compassion vpon the hungrie and refreshest the troubled soule then shall thy â—â—ht spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day 11 The Lorde shall euer be thy guide and satisfie the desire of thine heart in the time of drought and fill thy bones with marie thou shalt be like a fresh watred garden and like the fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running 12 Then the places that haue euer bene waste shall be builded of thée there shalt thou lay a foundation for many kinreds thou shalt be called the maker vp of the breach and the builder againe of the waye to dwell in 13 Yea if thou turne thy féete from the sabbath so that thou doe not the thing which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy day and thou call the pleasant holy and glorious sabbath of the Lorde and that thou giue him the honour so that thou doe not after thine owne imagination neyther séeke thine owne will nor speake thine ovvne woordes 14 Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lorde and I will carie thée hie aboue the earth and féede thée with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the Lordes owne mouth hath so promised The Exposition vpon the .lviij. Chapter of Esay Crie now as loude as thou canst leaue not of lift vp thy voice c. THe Prophete in this Chapter reciteth and telleth as it were euen from the mouth of God himselfe the wordes that he spake vnto him agaynst the Hypocrisie and other wickednesse of his people Crie sayth he as loude as thou canst and cease not deale not coldely and faintly with them but * vehemently earnestly yea and continually For of all other Hypocrites that stand in opinion of their owne iustice are most * difficultly reclaymed and most hardly brought to the acknowledging and confessing of their owne wickednesse without which they can neuer truely repent They will see me good and godly they will pretende to seeke me dayly and to knowe and vnderstande my wayes they will aske and desire to learne right iudgement as though they were in deede good people and had not forsaken me theyr Lorde God But all is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For wherin doe they put their trust in time of my plague and scourge that I send vpon them or howe thinke they to procure their reconciliation vnto my fauour again By confessing their sinnes and flying to my mercie as they should doe No no but in their workes of Hypocrisie VVherefore say they doe we fast torment and punish our selues with straitnesse of life and thou dost not see it nor regarde it As though their outward Fasting or going in heare and sackcloth were a thing so worthie in my sight as in respect thereof I should deliuer them Fasting is good if it be vsed as an outward testimonie of that* earnest repentance and sorowe for your sinnes that inwardly is in deede in your heartes But if you trust in the worthinesse thereof and thinke * thereby to deserue my fauour it is wicked and abhominable in my sight Your fast is a fast of hypocrisie For in the verye day of your fasting the lust and affection of your owne will doth still continue and you * follow your sute strife and contention against your poore brother and creditour euen for a small trifle as egrely fiercely and cruelly as euer you did as though you fasted to shewe fiercenesse and violence and not to vse mildenesse and mercie Thinke you this fasting can please me when you go hanging downe your heades with presence of sorow and holinesse and in your heartes haue nothing but fiercenesse and crueltie Doth not this Fasting rather please mee That thou lose the wicked bandes c. After God hath discouered the hypocrisie of his people he now sheweth what the right Fast is that he delighteth in and what the true meanes is to procure hys Fauour which he noteth in twoo poyntes The one that they vse * clemencie towarde their Creditours and ease them of the wicked bondes of vsurie and extortion wherein they haue wrapped them and take from them the heauie burthens and yokes by which they doe oppresse them driue them oftentimes to sel landes goodes and all that euer they haue and to leaue wife and children in most miserable beggerie The other poynt is mercie and * liberalitie to the poore and needie and to such as be in affliction or trouble anie way whome to the vttermost of their power with theyr substaunce they ought to relieue considering that they are their owne fleshe and creatures of the same God which hath giuen them abundance Vnder these are conteyned all the workes of mercie Then shall the light breake forth as the morning and thy health flourish c. Nowe followeth ample and great rewardes wherewith they shall be blessed that vse these workes of mercie First their Light that is their felicie good successe shall breake out and be euident to all men Secondly their helth and good estate shall flourishe and encrease dayly more and more Thirdly their Iustice shall haue good * testimonie and fauour before God who of his mercie will accept it Fourthly God shall embrace them and saue them harmelesse in * all their necessities Fiftly God will heare their prayers and be * ready whensoeuer they call vpon him If thou layest awaye from them thy burthens and holdest thy fingers c. That the things may more deepely sinke into memorie he repeateth againe the same workes of mercie and in other wordes the same promises of rewarde In the middes of thy Darknesse that is of thy Aduersitie thy Light that is thy Felicity shall spring vp and thy aduersitie shall be turned into felicitie The Lord shal alway be thy guide thy Patrone and Defender â–ª In the time of drought scarcitie he shall plentifully satisfie thy hartes desire and fill thy bones with marrow and make thee strong Thou shalt euer Prosper and spring like a newe watered Garden and like a Fountaine that is neuer drie â–ª Yea thou shalt so grow in welth as thou shalt not onely aduance thine owne decayed familie and kindred but to the benefite of the common weale repaire Places and Waies wasted fallen to ruine and so haue the name of the
Carnall affection and loue towarde his elder Sonne hee sought to Transfer the blessing of God heritage of preheminence in the couenant of God vnto him Wherein he might seeme to ouerthwart the Election of God which coulde not be done without some offence and therefore GOD did suffer him to be Deluded by his Wife and Childe And yet this humaine affection in Isaac was ioyned with a constant fayth in the fauor of God wherby he beleeued that aswel himself as other Patriarks were ordeined y good instruments of God by their blessings to denounce and declare the Heritage and Succession of the Couenant of God made to Abraham and his Seede And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob her sonne saying beholde I haue heard c. Moses here declareth by what Craft the blessing was transferred to Iacob from Esau And truely this dealing of Rebecca is not without blame For albeit she could not rule her husbande and Cause him to yeelde to the declared purpose of God in preferring Iacob the yonger brother yet shoulde she not haue vsed so vncomely and vnlawfull meanes to worke the thing by Counterfeyting and Vntruth If she * knewe as she did in deede that it was the Immutable purpose electiō of God She should haue paciently looked and haue abidden vntill God had wrought it by such waies as he thought good if she could not by any godly perswasiō haue brought it to passe But such Frailetie God often in his Saintes of his great mercie pardoneth when it is not done of Malicious minde and purpose as surely it was not in Rebecca but of a desire by some meanes or other to bring that to effect which she knewe was the will of God. Then saide Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother c. Iacob did to easily yeelde to his Mothers perswasion and as in his words he shewed that he feared his father and was lothe to enter his displeasure so he shoulde haue feared GOD much more and Considered what a blemishe it was to purchase his blessing by Coūterfayting vntruth For although he respected a right ende that is to attaine that which was the * promise of God yet by Such meanes he should not haue done it Then saide Isaac vnto Iacob come neere and I will feele thee my sonne c. Isaac did suspect that he was abused therefore Tryeth the matter by all meanes he can But it pleased God to dull hys senses partly to shewe that Man laboureth in * vaine to ouerthwart hys Purpose that which he is determined to haue partly that by this maner of correction he might punishe and Chastice his Immoderate affection towarde Esau his elder sonne God giue thee of the dewe of heauen of the fatnesse of the earth c. Vnder these worldly blessings the auncient fathers conteined the Heauēly promises Albeit they be not vitered so Plainly as they haue bene sence in the time of the Gospell For Gods will was to deale with thē vnder tipes * and figures of worldly things And therefore the lande of Chanaan and the Fertilitie thereof is a tipe of the heauenly and euerlasting Felicitie with God and the Subiection of enemies doth signifie the Conquest and ouerthrowe of our Spirituall enimies to whome we were thrall and in daunger When Esau hearde the wordes of his father he cried alowde c. A man might think that Gods mercy would haue bene mooued with this * heauie and sorrowful complaynt of Esau for the losse of his fathers blessing but it is euident that this lamentation did not proceede of a Sound fayth and true Repentance but rather of a prowde minde and of a Desperate furie and rage as it maye appeare by the Hatred that he protested and by the bitter wordes greeuous Threatnings that after he vsed against hys brother Manacing that after his fathers death he would assuredlye kill him And of what affection he was and howe smally he esteemed his birth right and the felicitie that might come thereof he declared when he Solde the same to Iacob his brother for a messe of wortes And she called Iacob her yonger sonne saide vnto him thy brother c. The blessing that Isaac had giuen to his yonger sonne might seeme of Small force seing he was brought euen nowe presently into so great Feare to be Slaine by hys brother and this was vndoubtedly no small temptation and trouble to the minde of Rebecca that she sawe her sonne whome she so tenderly loued by her Fact to be brought in daunger of Present death But yet did she and her son so much esteeme this Blessing that rather then they woulde yeelde it vp to Esau to haue his fauour he was Contented to go into voluntarie Banishment and she to forgo the Presence and Companie of her sonne that she so much esteemed By this example in Iacob we must learne to take paciently if after the hope of Gods blessing and of his fauour * immediatly the Crosse of affliction do followe and not for the trouble and daunger of the worlde to forgoe the sweete promises of God. Neyther must we seeke to purchase the quietnesse of thys lyfe with the Losse of Goddes Heauenly Blessing The second Sunday in Lent at Euening praier Genesis 34. DIna the daughter of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob went out to sée the daughters of the lande 2 Whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of the countrie sawe he tooke her and laye with her and defiled her 3 And his heart laye vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob and he loued that damsell and spake kindely vnto her 4 And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying Get me this maiden vnto my wife 5 And Iacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter his sonnes being with their cattle in the fielde and Iacob helde his peace vntill they were come 6 And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob to commune with him 7 And when the sonnes of Iacob comming out of the fielde heard it it grieued them and they were not a little wroth bicause he had wrought folly in Israel in that he had lyen with Iacobs daughter which thing ought not to be done 8 And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne Sichem lōgeth for your daughter I pray you geue her him to wyfe 9 And make maryages wyth vs and giue your daughters vnto vs and take our daughters vnto you 10 And ye shall dwell with vs and the lande shall be before you dwell and doe your businesse therein and haue possessions therein 11 And Sichem sayde vnto her father and vnto her brethren Let me finde grace in your eies and whatsoeuer ye appoint me that wyll I geue 12 Aske fréely of me both dowrie and giftes and I wyll giue according as ye saye vnto me so that ye geue me the damsell to wyfe 13 But the sonnes of
their appointed offices were done the meate and drinke vanished away togyther with the Bodies And they sayde vnto him where is Sarah thy wife he answereth c. In the former Chapiter we reade that Abraham had receyued a manifest declaration of the promise of a Sonne by Sarah his wyfe This promise vndoubtedlye Abraham beleeued but Sarah did not as may appeare by this place And therefore the Angell of God asketh for Sarah thereby to haue an occasion to renewe and confirme that promise and also to reproue Sarahs in credulitie who measured the promises of God by the * likelyhoodes of natur all power When the Angell said that at his returne Sarah shuld haue a Chylde it may be thought that Sarah listened behinde the Tente doore what talke the Strangers had with hir husbande Wherein she by example declareth how hard a matter it is to haue euē the honestest and most chast Matrones to leaue al maner of womanly Curiositie Although as a modest and sober wife she stayed within the Tent and came not foorth to shew hir selfe vnto the strangers yet could she not ouercome this tentation of curious desire to knowe what was spoken When Sarah he arde the Angel say she shold haue a childe she laughed at it as a vaine and vnlikely thing and therin vndoubtedly did greatly offēd For she might well knowe that promise came from God being so well agreeing with that which was spoken to hir husband not long before And therefore by vnlikelyhode of nature to deride it as false was in hir much rashnes But that which followeth was of womanly Bashfulnesse when she beeing charged for hir laughing beeing some what astonied doth denie it Sarah laughed not aloude as the maner of dissolute women is but softly within hir selfe When it is saide It ceased to bee vvith Sarah after the Maner as it is with VVomen The meaning is she had not those superfluities that all women naturally haue so long as they by age may haue children As hir Chastitie is to be reuerenced so was it a great blame and fault in hir not only to * Mistrust the promise of god but also to Laugh it to scorne bycause it seemed vnlikely to naturall Reason And the men rising vp from thence looked toward Sodome c. Abraham perfourmeth that whiche is the third parte of Hospitalitie that is Courtesie in dismissing his gests He taketh not his leaue of them at his Tent but perceiuing their iourney toward Sodom went part of the way with thē which his paines God well requited opening to him by his Angell the purpose to destroy Sodom for the horrible sinne and wickednesse thereof Shall I saith the Lord Hide from Abraham that thing whiche I doe seeyng that Abraham shall surely be c. It may be that one of the Angells to whome Abraham in all this storie had directed his speech vttered these words in the hearing of Abraham Wherin he noteth two causes why he wold reueale this thīg vnto him The one is the great preheminence of that promise that he had made to him before time of the Increase and multiplying of his seede Seing saith he that Abraham shall surely be a mighty Nation The other is For that he knewe him to be so godly a man as woulde not only himselfe liue in Iustice and iudgemente but also woulde Instruct his children and Houshold To keepe the way of the Lord. By thys Godly Parentes maye learne that it is theyr Office and duetie to see theyr families * instructed and taughte and that in the Way of the Lorde and to be Carefull for them that they may not onely liue vertuously and godly while they be children and seruants vnder them but after their life too But Fathers now a dayes are farre from this care They deuise howe to * leaue theyr chyldren Ryche and Wealthye but of the Instruction and teachyng how to keepe the way of the Lorde they haue God knoweth so small regard as thoughe it did Nothyng appertayne vnto them And the Lord saide because the crie of Sodome and Gomorha is greate c. There is a double Crie that soundeth in the eares of the Lorde The one is the crie of Wickednesse and Sinne and that is it the Angell here speaketh of The wickednesse of Sodome Cried vnto God that is was so great that it required ▪ Wrath and vengeance from God. Sometyme the Bloud of the oppressed and afflicted Sainctes of GOD dothe in lyke manner Crye vnto hym For so dydde the bloud of Abel crie vnto the Lorde When the Scripture sayth that God commeth Down to see or know any thing we may not thinke that there is eyther Mouing of place or want of Knowledge in god But then God is sayde to come Downe when he doth applye himselfe to worke somewhat to oure behoofe And then he is sayd to come to Knowe or See when hee so Worketh that eyther Men or his Angels may know God right well knew that the Sinne of Sodome after his long Pacience Suffring was come to full ripenesse but hee sent downe his Angels that not only Abraham and Loth but the Whole world also by their punishment should vnderstande how greeuous and detestable their synne was in the sighte of God. And Abraham drewe neere and sayde wilt thou also destroy the righteous c. The Saintes of God are alway Louers of mankynde and are greeued to vnderstande of the Plague and Punishmente euen of the wicked whome wyth all their heartes they would wishe rather to Liue and Repente than to dye in their sinnes Therfore Abraham here vnderstanding by the Angell that the Visitation of Sodome and those other Cities was at hande sheweth himself very careful for them and as it were by the remembrance of those good and iust mē that might be in it doth moue God to haue pitie on them and to spare their plague Good men doe not quickely dispaire of any seeme they neuer so euill And therfore Abraham thought in so great a Multitude that there must needes haue ben some mean number of good men for whose cause God wold extend his mercie also vpō the other If there had ben iust men in Sodome they must haue ben persons vncircumcised and no partakers of the couenāt of god And yet this Reuerend Patriarke being himselfe a iust man circumcised of the assured couenant with God and the Father of the Faithful did not in respect of himself contemne suche but made that accompte of them that if there had bene suche he would haue God to haue spared the wicked for their sakes In Abraham talking with God we see a certain strife between the Charitie and Loue that was in him toward the Sodomires and the consideration of his own humblenesse and vnworthynesse in the sight of god His Charitie moued him to intreate for them But the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse beeing but duste and ashes did on the other parte abashe hym and therefore doth
worde thereof shall not be frustrate or vayne In like maner he wil of his Seueritie Iustice bring vpon them all those euils that he hath Threatned if they doe fall from him by disobedieÌ„ce to Idolatrie and wickednesse For Heauen and Earth shall perishe as Christ saith Mat. 24. but the vvordes of God shall not perish The second Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Iudicum Cap. 4. ANd the chldren of Israell began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ahud was dead 2 And the Lorde solde them into the hande of Iabin king of Chanaan that raygned in Hazor whose captaine of warre was called Sisara whiche dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles 3 And the Children of Israell cryed vnto the Lord for he had nine hundred charets of yron and twentie yeares he troubled the children of Israell very sore 4 And Debora a prophetisse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israell the same time 5 And the same Debora dwelt vnder a paulme trée betwéene Ramath and Bethel in mount Ephraim and the children of Israell came vp to hir for iudgement 6 And she sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kedes Nephthali and said vnto him Hath not the Lord God of Israell commaunded saying Go and drawe towarde mount Thabor and take with thée ten thousand men of the children of Nephthali and of the children of Zabulon 7 And I will bring vnto thée to the riuer â—ison Sisara the captayne of Iabins armie with his charetts and his people and will deliuer him into thyne hands 8 And Barak said vnto hir If thou wilt go wyth me I will go but and if thou wilt not come with me I wil not go 9 She saide I will surely go with thee but thys iourney that thou takest shall not be for thine honoure for the Lorde shall deliuer Sisara into the hande of a woman And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedes 10 And Barak called Zabulon Nephthali to Kedes and ledde after him ten thousand men and Debora wente with him 11 But Haber the Kenite whyche was of the children of Hohab the father in law of Moyses remoued from the Kenites and pitched his tente vnto the playne of Zaanaim which is by Kedes 12 And they shewed Sisara that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to Mount Thabor 13 And Sisara gathered together all his charettes euen nine hundreth Charettes of yron and all the people that were with him from Haroseth of the Gentils vnto the ryuer of Kison 14 And Debora sayde vnto Barak Vp for this is the day in which the lord hath deliuered Sisara into thine hand is not the Lord gone out before thée And so Barak went downe from mount Thabor and ten thousande men after him 15 But the Lord destroyed Sisara and all his Charetts and all his hoast with the edge of the sworde before Barak so that Sisara lyghted downe of his Charet and fled awaye on his féete 16 But Barak followed after the Charets and after the hoast vnto Haroseth of the Gentiles and all the hoaste of Sisara fell vpon the edge of the swoorde and there was not a man lefte 17 Howebeit Sisara fledde away on his féete to the tâ—nte of Iaell the wyfe of Haber the Kenite for there was peace betwéene Iabin the king of Hazor and the householde of Haber the Kenite 18 And Iael went out to méet Sisara and said vnto him Tourne in my lord tourne into me feare not And when he had tourned in vnto hir into hir tent she couered him with a mantell 19 And he saide vnto hir Giue me I pray thée a litle water to drinke for I am thirstie And she opened a bottell of milke and gaue him drinke and couered him 20 And againe he saide vnto hir Stand in the doore of the tent and wheÌ„ any man doth come and enquire of thée whether there be any man here thou shalt say Nay 21 Then Iael Habers wife toke a nayle of the tent and an hammer in hir hande and wente softly vnto him and smote the nayle into the temples of his head and fastned it into the ground for he slumbred sore and was wéery and so he dyed 22 And behold as Barak folowed after Sisara Iael came out to méete him and said vnto him Come and I will shewe thée the man whome thou séekest And when he cam into hir tente beholde Sisara lay dead and the nayle was in his temples 23 And so God broughte Iabin the king of Chanaan into subiection that day before the children of Israell 24 And the hand of the Children of Israell prospered and preuayled against Iabin the king of Chanaan vntill they had destroyed Iabin king of Chanaan The Exposition vpon the .iiij. Chapter of the Booke of Iudges And the children of Israel began agayn to do wickedly in the sight of God. c. IN this place and in the Chapiters before after those Promises Threatnings be often fulfilled towardes the Israelites that Moyses and Iosua their Gouerners before their departures out of this lyfe moued by the Spirit of god declared to theÌ„ For here in this boke we read ofteÌ„times of Falling from God to wickednesse error and often tymes of Gods * plagues cast vpon them for the same Also of often Repentaunce and tourning to God and Gods often mercifull deliueraunce of his people when they forsooke their wickednesse and called vpon him for succour Wherby wee must learne that Gods worde is vnfallible true as wel in the promises of his Mercie goodnesse towarde them that wyth * contrite hearts come vnto him as also in the Threatnings of his iustice to the stubburne obstinate sinner that will not Repent As touching this place let vs marke that nothing is more perilous than carnall Securitie and Abusyng the prosperous Benefites of God. After the Mesopotamians the Moabites and Philistines were ouercome as is before mencioned it might seeme the Israelites should haue had no Enimie that would once haue stirred against them For they enioyed great * tranquillitie and Peace Fourescore yeares togither But Wealthe and Prosperitie breedeth wantonnesse and forgetfulnesse of god And therefore sodainly while they thought all was husht quiet another Enimie was raysed vp whom they little thought of that is Iabin king of the Chanaanites whose predecessour before they had slayne and destroyed his royal Citie Hazer Iosue 11. But nowe his Nephew or coosen of the same name was growen to so great power that he had subdued the Ievves and held them in miserable Bondage which for al his strength hee had not bene hable to bring to passe if God for their sinnes Had not solde them into his handes to be punished for their offences The Tirannie of Iabin was the more cruell agaynst the Israelites bycause they had before as I haue sayd slayne his predecessor and burnte his royall citie with fire to the ground And the children
that is his single Directe Will the other Retribuens that is his Requiting Wil wherby he killeth and punisheth For as in hys single and directe will he would not haue sinne so would he not haue the punishmēt of sinne but is Driuen vnto it by the impenitent synners that of his iustice he must needes giue them the reward of that wickednesse which he would not haue And therfore in his Simple and Reuealed will for the loue he beareth to mankinde he is grieued to see man cast him selfe into the daunger therof When God in Ezechiel saith I wil not the death of a sinner We must further vnderstād that there are two sorts of sinners The penitente and the Impenitent sinner God of his mercie * will not the death of the Penitente sinner although he haue iustly deserued it This Wil is so Firme Sure Resolute that he bindeth it with an oth saying As sure as I liue The Impenitent sinner of his iustice he must will punish by Death both of body and soule And such were the sonnes of Helie of whome here it is spoken There came a man vnto Hely and said vnto him thus saith the lord c. Now God sendeth his messenger to Helie to declare vnto him as well the grieuousnesse of his sonnes offēces cōtinued by his Slacknes as also the Great punishment that shuld come vnto him for the same The Men of God are all they which being lightned with the Spirite of God declare his wil vnto his people Some of which be ordinarie Ministers in the Church of God and so doth Paule cal Timothie The man of God Some ar extraordinarie for some peculiar purposes of greate importance as this messenger in this place was but who it was by name the Scripture expresseth not And here wee may learne that when the ordinarie ministerie is corrupted and regardeth not the worde of God The Holie Ghost rayseth vp other extraordinarie to reproue them Examples hereof we haue in the Prophets and in Christ and his Apostles The Prophets and messengers of God alway vse this preface Thus sayth the Lorde wherby as Ambassadors from God they declare their Commission and that they mynd to vtter nothing but that wherof they haue warrant from God himselfe Ambassadors may not goe beyond their Commission nor the Messengers of God beyond his reuealed will. In this Message the Prophet first putteth Helie in mynde of the singular benefit that God gaue to his ancesters appointing the priesthood to remaine to that familie thereby the more to amplifie his vnthankfull negligence Then hee layeth before him his offence and trespasse done against God that for to benefite and pleasure his lewde Children he suffered the Sacrifice and true worshin of God not only to be abused or dishonored but to be brought to vtter Contempt and as it were trodē vnder foote and the harts of the people alienated from it Lastly he declareth his punishmente that God repenteth him of that priuiledge that he had giuen to hys familie and would take the same frō him that there should neuer be old man in his house but should dye as soone as they came to mans state bicause he so negligently abused the reuerend authoritie of his age That he should see that is That his posteritie should see his enimie and one that he did enuie in the house of the Lorde and that in the time of Salomon when the people of God had greatest prosperitie That they of his flocke should come to extreame pouertie and neede And in assurance that all these things in their due time should come to passe he giueth him this vnpleasant token that his two sonnes should Die both in one day This maye bee a terrible example to all Parentes Princes and Magistrates that by their slacknesse and remisse gouernemente suffer corruption of Gods true worship and wickednesse of life to encrease in their children or subiects for lacke of Seueritie and iust Punishment This punishmente of taking away the priesthoode from the house of Helie God doth not presently execute but differreth it vntill the reigne of Salomon when Sadoc was placed in Abiathars roome 3. Reg 2. In the meane time God of hys mercie gaue time to his posteritie to repente The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ieremie Cap. 5. LOke thorough Hierusalem beholde and sée féeke thorough hir stréetes also within if ye can finde one man that doth equall and righte or seeketh for the truth and I shall spare that Citie saith the Lord. 2 For though they can saye The Lorde liueth yet they sweare to deceiue 3 Wheras thou O Lord lookest only vpon faith and truth Thou hast scourged them but they toke no repentance thou hast corrected them for amendement but they refused thy correction they made their faces harder than a stone and would not amend 4 Therefore I thought in my selfe Peraduenture they are so simple and foolish that they vnderstand nothing of the Lords way and iudgements of their God. 5 Therefore will I go vnto their heads and rulers and talke with them if they know the way of the Lorde and iudgements of their God But these in like manner haue broken the yoke and burst the bondes in sunder 6 Wherefore a Lion out of the wood hath hurte them and a woolfe in the euening shall destroy them the Leopard doth lye lurking by their cities to teare in péeces all them that come therout for their offences are multiplied and their departing away is encreased 7 Shoulde I then for all this haue mercie vpon thée Thy children haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods and albeit that I fedde them to the full yet they fall to adulterie and haunt harlots houses 8 In the desire of vncleanely lust they are become lyke the stoned horse euery man neygheth at hys neighbours wife 9 Should I not correct this saith the Lorde shoulde I not be auenged of euery people that is like vnto this 10 Climbe vp vpon their walles beate them downe and destroy them not vtterly take away their battlements bycause they are not the Lords 11 For vnfaithfully hath the house of Israel and Iuda forsaken me sayth the Lord. 12 They haue denied the Lorde and sayde It is not hee that looketh vppon vs tush there shal no misfortune come vppon vs we shall sée neither sword nor hunger 13 As for the warning of the prophets it is but wynd yea there is not the word of God in them such things shall happen vnto themselues 14 Wherefore thus saith the lorde God of hostes Bicause ye speak such words behold y words that are in thy mouth will I turne to fire make the people to be wood that the fire may cōsume them 15 Lo I wil bring a people vpon you frō farre O house of Israel saith the Lord a mightie people an old people a people whose speach thou knowest not neither vnderstandest what
When the prophet sayeth The Lion out of the wood and a VVolfe in the euening hee noteth the Crueltie and fiercenesse of the enimies For the Lion when he commeth out of the wood for his pray is very hungrie and the VVolfe that hath missed his feeding al the day long is in the euening more greedy and fierce And such he signifieth that these Enimies shuld be The Lion Hath hurt thē saith Ieremie that is Shall hurte them For the manner of the Prophets is oftentimes by y time Past to note the time to Come as well in the threatnings of punishments as in the Promises of Gods good blessings And thereby do they signifie that the truth of either of thē is so assured as if they were Alredy perfourmed The cause of all the Afflictions and troubles that God casteth vpon his people is noted to be the encrease of their Wickednes and Contempt of God and his word Shoulde I then for all this haue mercie vpon thee Thy children haue c. God here sheweth that of necessitie his very Iustice forceth him Sharply to punish thē As if he had said Seeing I am the* Iudge of the world how should I let them escape vnpunished which so obstinately of purpose prouoke my wrath against them Should I not then make my glory and maiestie cōtemptible in the world Shuld I not make the wicked to think I were no God yea y there were no God at al that woulde punishe their naughtie and synfull lyfe Wherfore as of my Mercie I am most redie to pardon the Repentante sinner that leaueth his wickednesse and turneth to me So muste I of my Iustice sharply plague the obstinate and stiffenecked offender that runneth on headlong in his owne naughtie wayes God turning his speeche to the Citie Hierusalem sayth Hir children that is her inhabitantes hath vnthankfully also abused his benefites whiche he bestowed vpon them and when he fed them with Plentie and Abundance of al things they turned it to the Pāpering of their bodyes and to the mayntenance of their wanton lustes in suche sorte that they became as Stalions or stone horses euery one neighing at his neighbours wife By which comparison he maruelously setteth foorthe theyr outragious Incontinencie and Dissolute life and giueth vs also to vnderstand how easily Wealth and * plētie doth breed Loosenesse and wantonnesse if we learne not to vse with reuerence and feare the good blessyngs that GOD poureth vpon vs and that God also will bee auenged of vs for the same For the Iustice of God must needes punish the same in vs as well as he did in the Iewes and so hee heere earnestly affirmeth when he saith Should I not be auenged on euery people that is like vnto this c. Climbe vp vpon their walles beat them down and destroy them not vtterly c. This is spoken by God to the enimies of the Iewes as it were to hasten and encourage thē to Plague that naughty people By which maner of speaking God giueth his people to vnderstād both that the Inuasiō of their enimies that shoulde come vpon them was only at the appoyntment callyng of God and that they were therin the Ministers and * executioners of his iustice and also that they should be hable by no meanes to Escape the danger therof eyther by their Strong sensed Cities or otherwise In these wordes And destroy them not vtterly God limitteth the power of the enimies leaueth hope of Pardon to his people if they will in any tyme Repent and turne vnto him The goodnesse of God vseth all meanes that may be to prouoke them to leaue their wickednesse before he bring vpon them extreme Desolation and confusion In the 11. 12. 13. verses God agayne alledgeth the iuste causes of their Plague that is that they had vnfaythefully by Apostasie forsaken hym Denyed hys Prouidence contemned the Thretnings of his Prophets as * False Vain and foolishe and sayde that the Punishmentes of Warre Famin and Hunger should not light vpon them but on the Prophetes themselues that spake so muche of them Such is the obstinacie of the wicked against all godly Aduertisemēts that they wil not only not acknowledge them to be Good true but impute the cause of Gods wrath and displeasure to those Messengers that hee sendeth to call them to Repentance Wherfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes Bicause ye speake such words c. God sheweth howe grieuous and intollerable the Contempt of his word and ministers is in his sight how Seuerely he wil punish the the same Bicause saith he you haue thus Cōtemptuously thought and spoken of my worde vttred by my prophet as though it were * vain false and of no credite beholde sayth God turning his speache to Hieremie That woorde of which they make so small accompt and which they esteeme of so little Force I wil make as Fire in thy mouth that leude People shal be as wood or stubble And euē as certenly as Fire cōsumeth wood y is cast into it so assuredly shal the Might and Truth of that my Word vttered by thee bring vpon them the Plague and Desolation that it hath threatned vnto them In the .3 nexte Verses he describeth the Myght and cruell Barbaritie of those enimies that he would bring vpon them They shal be sayeth hee A mightie people whose power they shall not be hable to resiste An olde people that by long continuance in Empire and dominion is waxen Proud and sterne and therby will vse the lesse mercie A people whose speache they knew not and therby could not deale with them by entreatie to obtaine fauoure They are so mighty men and so ready Archers that none escapeth that they shoote at and therefore their Arrowes may well be saide to bee Sodaine death So barbarous and fierce they shall be as they will not spare either Sonnes or Daughters amōg you they wil Cōsume your meats your frutes your Grapes your Figges they wyl Destroy your sheepe your Oxen your bullockes and all your Cattell neither shall you haue any Defēce healpe or succoure against them For the sensed Cities wherein you trust shall in that day nothing healpe you but that by the force of the sword they shall bring you to great distresse and pouertie And although that this threatning be very terrible yet he saith further that He wyll not so haue done with them but will adde greter Plagues and punishments And therefore bycause God sawe their wayward obstinacie that they would not only not acknowledge their fault and repent but also would murmure against him as dealing cruelly and vniustly with them and punishing them without good cause Hee willeth the Prophete to answere this their blasphemous murmuring and tell them plainly That forsomuch as they had forsaken the true worship of the liuing God did Sacrifice to strange Goddes at home in their owne Lande whyche God had gyuen them He would nowe