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
tongue in the Vniuersitie of Paris is of opinion that the Amorite here and else-where is aboue all and for all mentioned because he of all was the most terrible the most mighty and the strongest The like is affirmed by Arias Montanus that learned Spaniard Amorrhaeum potissimùm appellat The Amorite he especially nameth because that Nation multitudine copijs atque potentiâ in multitude in forces and in power excelled all the rest of the Nations that were cast out before Israell Here then where the Lord hath sayd Yet destroyed I the Amorite in the Amorite we are to vnderstand also the rest of those seauen Nations which the Lord draue out from before Israel the Hittites the Girgasites and the Canaanites and the Perezzites and the Hivites and the Iebusites Seauen they were in number greater and mightier then Israell was All seauen were cast out by the Lord from before Israel and so much are we to vnderstand by this that the Lord here sayth Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them Before them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint They well render the Hebrew which word for word is a faciè ipsorum from their face Mercerus sayth a conspectu eorum from their sight that is sayth he corum causâ ad eorum adventum for their sake or at their comming Albertus Magnus renders it à praesentia eorum from their presence Our English before them hits the sense The sense is God stroke such a terror into those seauen Nations the inhabitants of the land of Canaan that at the comming of the Israelites at the hearing of the name of Israel they vanished they fled away they forsooke their auncient habitations or else were suddenly slaine without much resistance Thus haue you the exposition of the first branch of this ninth verse which conteineth a generall touch of the ruine of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them The Israelites their vnthankefulnesse towards me is verie notorious yet haue I destroyed the Amorite before them Yet I the Lord their God who haue freed them from their bondage in Egypt and haue led them fortie yeares through the wildernesse I haue destroyed haue ouerthrowne haue driuen out haue brought to ruine The Amorite not onely the Amorites but also the rest of the Nations sixe other mightie Nations whose dwelling was in the land of Canaan all these haue I destroyed before them for their sake for Israels sake that Israel might without resistance take quiet possession of the land of Canaan the land that floweth with milke and honey The lesson which we may take from hence is this God is all in all either in the ouerthrow of his enemies or in the vpholding of his children For further proofe hereof we may haue recourse to the 15. chapter of the Booke of Exodus There Moses sings a song vnto the Lord a song of thankesgiuing wherein hee acknowledgeth the Lord to be all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea His acknowledgment is vers 6. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in peices the enemie In the greatnesse of thine excellencie thou hast ouerthrowne them thou sentest forth thy wrath which hath consumed them as stubble With the blast of thy nostrills the waters were gathered together the flouds stood vpright as an heape the depths were congealed in the heart of the Sea The enemie feared not to enter But thou Lord didst blow with thy wind the Sea couered them they sanke as lead in the mightie waters Who is like vnto thee O Lord Who is like thee God is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies He is also all in all in the vpholding of his children Moses in the same song auoucheth it vers 13. Thou Lord in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed Thou hast guided them in thy strength vnto thine holy habitation It was not their q Psal 44.3 owne sword that deliuered them neither did their owne arme saue them But the Lord He and his mercie He and his strength deliuered them God is all in all in vpholding of his children Is it thus dearely beloued Is God all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Then for the ouerthrow of that great Nauie called the inuincible Nauie the great Armada of Spaine which * This Sermon was preached A gust 27. 1615. twentie seauen yeares r Au. Ch. 1588. since threatned desolation to the inhabitants of this I le let God haue the glorie It was the right hand of the Lord not our vertue not our merits not our armes not our men of might but the right hand of the Lord it was that brought that great worke to passe Their ſ Exod. 15.4.5 chosen Captaines were drowned in the Sea the depth couered them they sanke into the bottome as a stone Some of them that were taken from the furie of the waues and were brought prisoners to the honourablest cittie in this land in their anguish of mind spared not to say t Letter to Mendoza pa. 17. that in all those fights which at Sea they saw Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran Sure I am that Christ shewed himselfe to be little Englands u Psal 18.1 rocke and fortresse and strength and deliuerer Quid retribuemus What shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song begin as the Psalme doth the 115. Psalme Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercie and for thy truths sake With like affection recount we the deliuerance of our King and State from that infernall and hellish exployt of the powder treason The contriuers thereof I now name not What could they expect but vpon the least discouerie of so execrable an action to incurre an vniuersall detestation to haue all the hatred of the earth poured vpon them and theirs to be the outcasts of the Common wealth and the Maranathaes of the Church they and their names for euer to be an abhorring to all flesh Yet they so farre proceeded in that their Diabolicall machination that they were at the poynt to haue giuen the blow that blow that should haue beene the common ruine of vs all But God our God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greekes describe him Psal 9.9 A helper at opportunities in the needfull times of trouble when we were thus x Ioh. 4.35 albi ad messem white for their haruest readie to be cut downe by them then euen then did our God deliuer vs. Quid retribuemus What what shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song be as before Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercy and
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
if he restore the pledge and giue againe that he hath robbed and walke in the statutes of life without committing iniquitie he shall surely liue he shall not die Secondly the threatnings of God against sinners are for the most part conditionall because he is a God of mercies a gracious a Psal 86.15 Exod 34.6 Numb 14.18 Psal 103.8 Psal 145.8 God a God of long suffering and much patience a God of vnspeakable kindnesse euer ready to receiue vs to mercy as soone as we returne vnto him This is it that the Lord commandeth to be proclaimed by Ieremy chap. 3.12 Returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not keepe mine anger for euer Thirdly the threatnings of God against sinners are euermore conditionall because in his threatnings God aimeth not at the destruction of them that are threatned but at their amendment Their amendment is the thing he aimeth at It s plaine by that Ezech. 18.23 Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should returne from his waies and liue This by way of question But it s out of question and confirmed by oath Ezech. 23.11 As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne ye turne ye from your euill waies for why will ye die O house of Israel Why will ye die Returne and liue I take no pleasure in your death Hitherto you haue heard of Gods threatnings that they are of punishments either corporall or spirituall either temporall or eternall and that they are either absolute or conditionall and if conditionall that then the condition is either expressed or only vnderstood Expressed or vnderstood and that for three reasons first because repentance washes away sinne the cause of punishment secondly because God is mercifull and will not keepe his wrath for euer thirdly because he aimeth especially at the amendment of the wicked It is now time that we make some profitable vse hereof Our first vse may be to consider that in the greatest and most fearefull threatnings of Gods heauy iudgements there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found life in death and health in sicknesse if we repent and amend Thus did the Princes of Iudah profit by the threatnings of Ieremy Ieremie chap. 26.6 comes vnto them with a threatning from the Lords owne mouth I will make this house like Shiloh and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth He threatned desolation to the Lords house and destruction to their city and therefore the Priests and the people would haue put him to death But the Princes of Iudah were better aduised they pleaded the practise and example of King Hezekiah for the comfort of himselfe and the people of his time and thereby stirred vp themselues to feare the Lord and to turne from their euill waies And thus did the same King Hezekiah profit at the threatning of Esay and the King of Nineueh at the threatning of Ionah as you haue already heard They repented of their euill waies and God repented of the euils which he threatned to bring vpon them and he brought them not vpon them Here we are to meet with an obiection The obiection is If God threaten one thing and doth another if he threaten to bring euill vpon any one and repents him of the euill it may seeme his will is changeable or he hath two wills For answer I say The will of God is euer one and the same as God is one but for our capacities and for the weaknesse of our vnderstandings who cannot conceiue how God doth after a diuers manner will and not will the same thing the will of God is called sometimes secret or hidden and sometimes reuealed as the Church is called sometimes visible and sometimes inuisible yet is but one Church Deut. 29.29 The secret will of God is of things hidden in himselfe and not manifested in his word the reuealed is of things made knowne in the Scriptures or by daily experience The secret will is without condition its absolute its peremptory it s alwaies fulfilled no man hindreth it Rom. 9.19 no man stoppeth it the very reprobate yea the Deuils themselues are subiect vnto it His reuealed will is with condition and therefore for the most part is ioyned with exhortation admonition instruction and reprehension Now to the obiection my answer is Though God threaten one thing and doth another though he threaten to bring euill vpon any one and repents him of the euill yet is not his will therefore changeable nor hath he two wils but his will is euer one and the same The same will is in diuers respects hidden and reuealed It s secret at first before it be reuealed but as it is made knowne to vs either by the written Word of God or by the continuall successe of things so it is called the reuealed will of God Our duty in regard of the will of God as it is secret or hidden is not curiously to pry into it but reuerently to adore it Whatsoeuer this secret this hidden will of God is concerning vs whether to liue or die to be rich or poore to be of high estimation or of meane account in this world it is our part to rest in the same and to be contented and giue leaue to him that made vs to doe with vs and dispose of vs at his pleasure and then aftewards when by the continuall successe of things it shall be reuealed vnto vs what our lot our portion our expectation here must bee much more are we to be therewith contented and to giue thankes to God howsoeuer it fareth with vs. The obiection thus answered our recourse should be to the profit that is yet further to be made by the threatnings of Gods iudgements You haue heard that in the greatest and most fearefull there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found health in sicknesse and life in death if we repent and amend I proceed to a second vse It concernes the duty of the Minister It s our duty to propound vnto you the threatnings of the Lord with condition Should we propound them without condition we should be as if we went about to bring you to despaire and to take from you all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse We therefore propound them with condition with condition of repentance and amendment of life and doe offer vnto you grace and mercy to as many of you as be humble and broken-hearted Thus we preach not onely the Law but also with the Law the Gospell thus we bind and loose Mat. 16.19 thus we reteine and forgiue sins We preach and by our preaching we shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen against the obstinate sinner but doe open the same
Zimi Chaldaeu Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certè hoc fine sâ—â— gâ—lari Dei O. M. prouidentâ—â factum nâ—n est Ego existimo illo significari nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters More they speake of it You haue heard it before Iehouah b Deut. 10 17. God of Gods and Lord of Lords a God c Eccles 43.29 most wonderfull very d Deut. 10.17 great mighty and terrible a God that e Eccles 43.31 cannot either bee conceiued in thought or expressed by word f Aug. Soliloq cap. 24. of whom all the Angels in heauen doe stand in feare whom all dominations and g Reuel 5.11 thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers doe shake A God in greatnesse infinite in h August meditat c. 21. goodnesse souereigne in wisâ—ome wonderfull in power Almighty in coursailes terrible in iudgements righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alway the same eternall euerlasting immortall vnchangeable Such is the Lord from whom our Prophet Amos here deriueth authority to his Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe accordingly hath hee spoken it and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittlâ—s of his words are Yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5 18. Heauen and earth shall perish before one iot or one tittle of Gods word shall â—scape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Amos is here a patterne to vs that are Preachers of the word of saluation Wee must euer come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord in our mouthes we may not speake either the imaginations of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our owne hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or deprauing of the same This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs 1 Epist cha 4.11 If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if we yea if an Angell from heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you than from the Lords owne mouth speaking in his holy Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be acccursed let him be had in execration This note beloued doth also concerne you that are the auditors and hearers of Gods word For if wee the Preachers thereof must alwaies come vnto you with Thus saith the Lord then are you to heare vs with reuerence and attention And this for the authority of him that speaketh It is not you that speake saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ to his blessed Apostles Matth. 10.20 but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And againe Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians 1 Epist chap. 2.13 for that when they receiued of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receiued it not as the word of men but as it was indeed as the word of God Well therefore did S. Iames chap. 1.21 thus to exhort the Iewes Receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night Gen. 46.2 and said Iacob Iacob Iacob answered I am here He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention to heare what his God should say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth euery childe of God euen at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must he thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance O Lord by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am here Lord in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the Preacher to deliuer vnto me I am here speake on Lord thy seruant heareth If a Prince or some great man of this world shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with your best diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heauen and Lord of the earth calleth vpon you by his ministers Thus farre by occasion of the preface Thus saith the Lord. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure Whether these children of Ammon were distinguished from the Ammonites as Drusius would proue 2 Chron. 20.1 and as R. Dauid anoweth filii Ammon unsquam vocantur Ammonitae the children of Ammon are no where called Ammonites I hold it needlesse to dispute in this place It is out of doubt that these children of Ammon or Ammonites did lincally descend from Ben-ammi who was Lots sonne begotten in incest vpon his younger daughter Gen. 19.38 Lot was Abrahams brothers sonne Gen. 14.12 Whereby it is euident that the posterity of them both the children of Israel and the children of Ammon the Israelites and the Ammonites were linked together by affinity and alliance The more to blame were those Ammonites without all respect of kindred to exercise such cruelty as they did against the Israelites for which cause Almighty God here sent his blessed Prophet to thunder out his threats against them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure In the front of this Prophecie you haue the generall accusation of these children of Ammon For three transgressions and for foure Three of these transgressions if you will beleeue Albertus Magnus are Cruelty Anarice and persecution the fourth is an obstinate pertinacie a constant stubbornnesse euer to dwell in those sinnes Againe three of these transgressions are a coueting of other mens goods an vnlawfull seeking for those things that are not our owne and a hardnesse of heart to retaine them so sought for the fourth is the vnsatiable desire of a couetous man Many are the expositions of the learned vpon these words three and foure transgressions The most naturall proper and significant I take to be if by three and foure a finite and certaine number you vnderstand a number infinite and vncertaine God as often as he will forgiueth though we sin ten thousand times It is but a custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twice and thrice that is a long time to see if we will returne from our euill waies vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency he reproueth vs casteth vs away and leaueth vs in our sinnes Thus haue you the generall accusation of the children of Ammon for their many sinnes for which the Lords protestation against them followeth I will not turne to it These words are diuersly rendred by expositors by the author of the vulgar Latine
after time as Esay speaketh Chap. 42.23 It is to marke and vnderstand and remember and beleeue and follow that which you heare This duty of hearing as we should we shall the better performe if as Moses at the commandement of the Lord did put off his shoâ—es the shooes from off his feet because the place wherein be stood was h ly ground Exod. 3.5 so shall we as oft as we come to this or the like holy place the House of God to heare his Word read and preached vnto vs put off our shooes too not our shooes from off our feet but our much fouler shooes our lusts our thoughts our cares our fancies our businesses euen all that corruption and sinne wherewith in this life we are clogged which as the dust to the shooe and the sh oe to the foot cleaues fast to vs. If thus prepared we come to heare the Word of God wee shall be sure of a blessing When the woman said to Christ Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Christ replyed Luk. 11.28 Yea rather blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it By this his reply he sheweth that his Disciples were more blessed for hearing him than his Mother for bearing him Yet hereby hee denieth not his Mother to haue beene blessed euen for bearing him but insinuates onely that she was more blessed in being his childe than in being his Mother Saint Austine De Sancta Virginitate cap. 3. well expresseth it Beatior percipiende fidem Christi quà m concipiendo carnem Christi The blessed Virgin the Mother of Christ was more blessed by receiuing the faith of Christ then by conceiuing the flesh of Christ Christ said vnto his Disciples Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your eares for you heare shewing that they were more blessed than all the world besides because they had this one blessing to heare the truth This is the blessing which you come hither for God in the abundance of his goodnesse brings it home vnto you And well may you call it a blessing For the word which we bring vnto you is verbum regni Mat. 13.19 The word of a Kingdome it brings a Kingdome with it It is verbum vitae Ioh. 6.68 the word of life it brings life with it It is not onely a word of authority to command and bind the conscience nor onely a word of wisdome to direct you nor onely a word of power to conuert you nor onely a word of grace to comfort and vphold you but the word of a neuer-fading Kingdome and of eternall life to make you perfectly and for euer blessed Thus farre hath my first Doctrine carried mee The Doctrine was deliuered in these words The word of the Lord is diligently to be hearkened vnto It was grounded vpon the first branch of my Text wherein is contained the first perswasory argument of attention drawne from the authority of the word to be hearkned vnto Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you The next argument of perswasion to enforce attention in the hearer is drawne from the persons of them who are here inuited to giue eare They are Filty Israel the children the sonnes the posterity of Israel a people descended from the holy Patriarke Iacob chosen aboue all other nations to bee Gods peculiar people with whom God had made a couenant and had on his part most absolutely performed it preseruing them from their enemies and multiplying vpon them all his benefits So graciously did God deale with these sonnes of Israel not onely whilst they loued him kept their coniugall faith with him and serued him according to his word but euen then too when they had despised him and forsaken him had violated their faith with him and committed spirituall whoredome with false gods Yet when those their impieties disobediences and rebellions were growne to the height God was resolued to come against them in iudgement and to punish them This his resolution appeareth in the many menaces and threats which from time to time the Lord sent vnto them by his holy Prophets One of which is in my Text Heare this word that the Lord speaketh against you O children of Israel Against you to punish you O children of Israel euen you My obseruation here is God will not spare to smite his dearest children when they sinne against him One reason hereof may bee that the Lord may declare himselfe an aduersary to sinne in all men without partiality A second is that the Lord may reduce his children from running on headlong to perdition with the wicked And the vses may be two One to teach vs to magnifie the righteousnesse of God as generally in all his workes so particularly in the afflictions of his people The other to admonish vs that we looke not for any certaine earthly peace though we are by faith the children of Israel but that we prepare our selues for a continuall succession of crosses and calamities The third argument of perswasion to moue attention in these children of Israel is taken from the commemoration of their greatest deliuerance their deliuerance out of Aegypt Heare this w rd that the Lord speaketh against you O children of Israel against the whole family which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt My obseruation is The temporall benefits and manifold deliuerances which the Lord bestoweth vpon his people are euer to be had in remembrance and in thankefull acknowledgement This very doctrine for the substance of it I haue heretofore in your hearing propounded and proued in my fifteenth Lecture vpon the second chapter of this booke occasioned thereunto by the tenth verse wherein this great deliuerance out of Aegypt is mentioned I will not therefore at this time stand to inlarge it Onely let me now tell you that this deliuery of the Israelites out of Aegypt is not appropriate onely vnto them but that in some sort it appertaineth to the Church of God in all ages for as much as it was a type of a more surpassing deliuery from that fearefull Kingdome of sinne and darknesse It appertaineth euen vnto vs whom God of his infinite goodnesse and mercy through the precious bloud of his Sonne and our Sauiour Christ Iesus hath deliuered from this spirituall Aegypt the Kingdome of sinne and darknesse and will in his good time giue vs safe passage from hence to that heauenly Canaan the true Country and Inheritance of all Saints Whither most gracious God vouchsafe to bring vs all Amen THE Second Lecture AMOS 3.2 You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities THis second verse is the second part of Amos his second Sermon concerning the Kingdome of the ten Tribes the Kingdome of Israel It is the proposition and containeth the very substance of the whole Sermon which is to let the Israelites vnderstand that for as much as the Lord hath beene good vnto them aboue all the Nations of the
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
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but