not the angels 2. Pet. 2. 4. and therefore he will not spare the lesser creatures for the angels are the most glorious creatures of the world who sinning against God in the beginning were cast downe from heauen into eternall torments Oh this should much terrifie vs which are lower then the angels viler then the creatures and more woorthie of death then all the works of God are of corruption that al the world for our sinne and sake should be euery day in danger of destruction And seeing the angels being in heauen found no place of mercie but present banishment and euerlasting fire how should we come into heauen with our sinnes or thinke to escape on the earth seeing the Lorde is as powerfull and wrathfull beneath among men as he is aboue among angels The vses which arise from this doctrine are these first as we might hereby gather an excellent argument to enforce the irefull wrath of God so may we also learne by this how miserable is the estate of worldy men which trust in the things of this life which shall be all destroied Deut. 28. 52 63. What do men that satisfie their lustes that gather their wealth that enlarge their dominions and other worldly things as building of faire houses leauing monuments of their names to posteritie but heape vp a great deale of dry wood for the wrath of God to consume them Take them from their desire you take them from their god pul them from their profits and you pull them from heauen but the wealth which they haue gained shoulde serue their turnes and their posterities in this life and afterward bee consumed This were but a tolerable estate and to be endured but alas the rust of that which they hoorded the crie of that they misgayned the riot of that which they haue wickedly consumed shall torment their liues in another worlde Why doest thou worship thy goods in louing them more then God bicause thou thinkest on thē more then on him and why dost thou trauaile for this worlde and the thinges thereof with so insatiable and greedy desire for if thou gaine them thou gainest more burthens to thy life and more woe to thy soule if thou haue them thou canst not long keepe them for death will part them and thee in sunder or vengeance will take them out of thy handes Oh tell me I beseech you which care for your parts and portions in this life what benefite haue you by louing them nothing but feare to loose them what profite commeth by enioying them nothing but labour to keep thē what hurt is there by wanting them nothing but a poore life and a peaceable death the loue of these is the losse of heauen and the lacke of these is the loue of God Another vse which euerie one euen the wicked must make heereof is the same which the Lorde exhorteth the Edomites vnto Esay 21. 14. Seeing their vines and fruits and corne and all other things shall come to an ende and be taken awaie with the wrath of God therefore let euery one that hath them giue them to the thirstie for drinke to the hungrie for meate to the naked for cloth and to the poore for maintenance Oh consider what is our dutie while as yet there is a little corne and comfort to our lande and deale with it as one woulde deale with his owne body for anone it shall be taken by violence therefore nowe bestowe for deuotion if wee tarrie but a little vengeance will take them and vs therefore let charitie dispende them what what are they but earth if we deliuer not them to earth shall they come againe Now they haue force to succour our liues and if we spende them not well anone they will haue powre to subuert and condemne our soules Howe is ioy withered from the sonnes of men Nowe hee complaineth what this want hath wrought when he saith that ioy is withered away as mowen grasse doth from his greenenesse so this from the sonnes of men that is the people of the lande For we cannot bee ignorant that of all times of the yeere there was most sweete singing and pleasant sporting at the time of haruest as we reade Esay 9. 5. bicause that then were the fruits reaped and comfort receiued of men but when these were destroyed their vines had no grapes their trees had no apples and their fieldes had no corne then I say was their mirth laide aside into most solitarie and sorrowfull mourning By these words note that the want of worldly comfort and the feeling of worldly and carnall sorrowe is a great and fearefull iudgement of God Deut. 28. 63. If men see no ioy in their children or comfort in their possessions or profite by their labour but in all these they are made more heauie and solitarie and the Lorde taketh from them a cheerefull countenance nay if the fruites of the earth bee destroied as heere they were so that there be none euen then I say although there be none occasion of ioy but all of sorrowe to be tormented with griefe bicause we haue not to supplie our liues is fearefull in the sight of God We cannot I grant but sorrow when we haue none occasion ofioy but yet we ought to make our griefe a godly sorrowe and the feare of famine to be the feare of condemnation for this shoulde we weepe that howsoeuer these thinges goe with vs in this life the other may be certaine in the life to come The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause it causeth death 2. Cor. 7. 7. 10. Worldly sorrow causeth death for as the fire wasteth the woode and the sunne consumeth the frost so doth carnall care eate vp the life of man Somtimes these sorrowfull worldlings are raging with enuie sometimes ouercome with malice and many times at their wits ende through couetousnesse so that the beautifull waxe pale therwith the lustie and strong man is weakned they which were pleasant are heauie and they which seemed godly are made wicked This worldly sorrowe made Achitophell that wise man to hang himselfe and Saule that strong man to kill himselfe and Zimrie that wicked king to burne himselfe for the Lorde suffered many to fall into it that they might despaire of his mercie and be excluded from his kingdome Oh therefore whosoeuer will shewe any care of his owne soule or any account of Christes woundes let him meddle little in worldly businesse keepe in the boundes of thy vocation and range not into much dealing and many trades and occupations for thou dost but thrust thy soule into danger and a thousande to one but thou wilt repent in teares bloud thy ouerreaching policie Another reason of this doctrine is bicause it is a deere and not the least blessing of God to reioyce in thy possessions be they small or great Eccle. 5. 8. and therefore it is not the least curse of God to be troubled and tormoiled therewith What beast
the world and dost breake foorth into wordes for the same Then turne thy complaint into praier or else it is but a murmuring against God as we may see in Moses and Aaron for it is by praier we make our sorrowfull hearts knowen to God and can enter into the Lords priuie chamber This duety also we may see neglected in our time for men were neuer more apt to complaine of the hardnes of the time of the wickednes of the world of the want of corne of the feare of warre of the power of the rich and of the prosperitie of the proude but they are but words for they turne not themselues to praier to shew God of the matter as they ought to do Know therefore my deere brethren that God hath left vs in this world as he left Iobs seruants for still one of them came to tell his master what had happened so we must often vse to pray and to complaine on our selues and on other men for if we confesse our sins God is faithfull that hee will pardon them but if wee iudge not our selues wee shall bee iudged of GOD. The reasons of this doctrine are these first because God forgetteth not the complaintes of the poore Psal 9. 11. 12. meaning of them that pray vnto him otherwise hee remembreth no more the poore mans enuie then the rich mans quarrell therefore let this stirre vs vp to make our complaint in praier as we reade Ezechiah did Isa 37. when Rabsakeh had blasphemed on the name of God Oh that men were as ready to pray as they bee to complaine for they can easily multiply many words to accuse other men and they might as easily finde wordes and matter to complaine vnto God for as an inferiour subiect must alway sue to his prince by petition so must wee alway make knowen all our desires vnto God by supplication Againe when men doe onely complaine of this or that want without praier they tempt God as wee may see Num. 11. 4. Therefore if we will obtaine any thing at the Lords hande to our good let vs aske by praier for although we murmur for raine and drouth and peace and wealth and such like and God giue it to vs as he gaue the Israelites quailes yet we were better want it for it shall in the end turne to our discomfort as theirs did Let vs from hence learne to aske of God without murmuring or grudging at our owne estate or the Lords hand Hos 7. 14 15. for the Lorde will complaine as fast on vs as we complaine to him Hast thou any suite to the Lord that thou wouldest obtaine of him say not oh that I had such a thing or thus thou O God maist giue me such a benefite or thus surely if God doe not heare me I would I had neuer beene borne or thus if God bee able let him doe this for mee for all this is but tempting and mocking of the Lordes power and mercie But goe to the Lorde with all humilitie cast downe thy knees and hart tell him of thy vnwoorthinesse and accuse thy selfe throughly remember him of his promises in the gospell for that must bee the foundation of praier then open thy wants and desire such a remedie as God himselfe shall like of and lastly praise him for all thy former benefites and then if thou want thy will it shall be most good for thee if thou obtaine thy wil thanke him hartily againe and vse it for the Lordes glorie Another vse is this that if complainers without praying be odious in the Lords sight although the cause bee indifferent then much more are those that neuer pray but for vnlawfull and filthie things that they might bestowe them on their lustes as the Apostle saith Iam. 4. 2 3. They desire health of body to wallowe in vanitie they craue many children to hoorde vp euill gotten goodes and to rob the poore they pray for riches that they may raigne ouer other men at their pleasure and liue in sinne without controllment they aske for marriages to abuse them in lust and finally they pollute all things that come in their hands or harts in their outwarde profession they doe but serue the time and therefore their inward constitution cannot bee very holy I am perswaded that a great sort would be ashamed to let men heare those things that they continually and immodestly desire in the presence of God Aske therefore but with wisedome enioy thine owne with thankesgiuing praise God for all things and thinke thy selfe happie whether thou liue or die Againe I might also note out of this verse how afflictions and sorrowes doe teach men to pray most seruently as we may see in Abimelech Gen. 21. 17. and in Dauid Psal 119. 67. and the reason is first because then men beginne to feele their sinnes 1. Sam. 7. 6. for in truth our consciences are all so guiltie that if we haue but our finger ake we presently conceiue it was for some notable sinne or other And for the truth of this we may finde it in many wicked rebels iustified which will then most lamentably bewaile their sinnes when indeede they feele the heauie hande of God vpon them and be either in trouble of life or in danger of death but this is with them but momentanie and like a sommer deaw but with the godly it is perpetuall for they being once spurred will trauell the better all the day following Againe as our afflictions are increased so are our sorrowes for the hart seemeth to bee pearsed with them Lam. 1. 22. let vs therefore in our afflictions not onely pray for our selues in our owne persons but also entreate of other to pray for vs as we see the Israelites did 1. Sam. 7. 8. for if we be once perswaded of the benefite of praier we will neuer cease to stirre vp our selues and others thereunto we shall be minded as Paul was that would haue the whole church of Thessalonica to pray for him 2. Thes 5. 2. for praier will make men more greedie then golde will Againe let vs thinke that afflictions shall not onely make the humble and gentle minded man to yeelde but also the most stubborne and strongest in the world Boast not your selues against the least affliction that can be for as the soft raine will lay along the rankest corne so slender troubles will bring to the earth the most obstinate sinners O Lord to thee will I crie When the prophet saith that he will crie vnto God he noteth vnto vs that in praier we must vse the most earnest and ardent affection that may be for crying is the voice of children or yoong creatures whereby all men are mooued to pitie them Therefore when we come into the Lords presence we are to stirre and mooue affections to the vttermost not with childe-like behauiour but with childe-like sinceritie and feeling as we may see in the godly Lam. 1. 20. where they desire God to behold them
eares and hand and heart to theirs when they are humbled fall thou downe when they are praying praie with them when they are hearing heare with them when they are singing sing with them and when they are mourning lamenth with them If they ioine in petition to God oh account it happinesse for thee to subscribe thy name for they are blessed that are ioyned to the fellowship of the saints Another vse if wee must seate our selues in most conuenient place to heare then let vs also frequent the places of praier and religion When the church was compelled to a riuers side in steede of a cathedrall church Act. 16. 15. Lydia the purple woman resorted thither and once she had her hart opened and conuerted to the Lord In like manner let vs resort to the churches for at one time or other we may boldly assure our selues that we shall receiue the pledge of life eternall But in our daies men are so affected to this doctrine that the diuell laugheth at it and good men lament it for either they come not at all as the ghestes which were bid to a wedding or else they come without conscience as he did without a wedding garment or else they are present without attention as Eutyches that fell on sleepe at Paules preaching or else they depart out of our assemblies as Iudas did from Christ when hee went to betray him Standing times of praier in the church some say are of Poperie and in the house they are of other condemned for puritanisme so that godly praiers being the sword of the spirite are now growen rustie and dull that few mens sins or liues or harts are parted therewith But my deere brethren come to the times of praier and binde your selues not onely publikely but also priuately with seuere vowes and pay them to the Lord for so shall the fire of the spirite be kindled in you the holy Ghost shall raigne in you the saints shall be comforted by you and you shall trie that all things are possible to a Christian Spare thy people Now we are come to the praier which the prophet teacheth the priestes to make for the people which is thus much in effect Wee haue no refuge but to flie to thee O Lord we are guiltie of the punishment but yet thou maist stay thy hand and spare our liues Giue vs not ouer wee pray thee that our enemies reioice not ouer vs and blaspheme thy blessed name we are the fields of thine owne inheritance reuenge our cause from the handes of strangers oh spare vs that we may serue thee First out of the beginning of this praier we may note that petitioners and those which are suiters to the throne of grace must alway pleade guiltie in the presence of God Luc. 18. 12 13. The example of the Publican prooueth this that the Lord loueth vs better when we tell him of our follies then when we shew him our vertues The Lord which will seldome helpe till there be no helpe but in his mercie biddeth vs alway to condemne our selues so that when wee thinke most basely of our natures and speake most vilely yet truly of our liues and confesse most bitterly against our selues then are we most nigh to the end of our praiers For this cause let vs meditate before praier that we may sufficiently waigh our miseries and more lamentably bewaile our wants and more ardently pray for his mercie that we may more comfortably enioy his fauour The reasons hereof because there is not one man liuing that can bee iustified before God Psal 143. 1 2. but euery man is an vnprofitable seruant for which cause we must alway accuse our sins and call for pardon at the Lords hand This reason being knowen of the baser and wickeder sort they imagine that they haue gained a sufficient charter to continue in their euill why say they the most righteous are guiltie in the Lords sight and what are we more Doe what wee can yet we shall sinne and we can but craue pardon of him for many as well as for few but this is a wicked and an accursed reason For although the best fall into many enormities yet ought not you to sinne good men fall into sinne but you dwell in sinne they are sorrie for them but you delight in them Dauid sinned was therefore Absolom or Achitophel vnpunished because Peter denied his maister might therefore Iudas betray him or because one man falleth into debt by sicknesse may you therefore fall into debt through riot if a sound body doe now and then fall into sicknesse then hee which hath a crazie body had neede to looke to himselfe so if men of sound soules doe fall into euils you which haue sicke soules must bee much more carefull of your health Another reason our Sauiour giueth Luc. 18. 14. for the Lord resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and meeke therefore ought wee to increase in the numbring of our sinnes that the Lord may aduance vs to the beholding of his mercie Let vs be assured if we pray without sorrow we doe but mocke the Lord but if we sorrow with earnest praier we prepare many ioyes for our soules First let vs learne that our praiers must bee ardent and continuall in the eares of the Lord as the Israelites were Iudg. 10. 3. to 13. for as we haue a continuall occasion of sinning so we must take continuall occasion of praying Who is he that hath beene but a little while in the practise of christianitie and hath not learned this lesson My sinnes are euer in my sight too heauie a burden for me to beare therefore as he which is vexed with a continuall want laboureth in a continuall worke and hee which hath a continuall sicknesse turneth on euery side to finde ease so must we which are euermore oppressed with sinne be euermore praying for helpe As the greatest burdens make the porters sweate the greatest drops so will our sinnes if we feele them make vs sweate drops of blood to be released of them therefore pray till thou be heard and take for thy example the poore widow which woulde neuer giue ouer till the iudge had righted her cause neither doe thou cease to pray til thy soule doe cease to sinne Many pray through want but not with want and for grace but not with grace they are cold and not continuall in their suites Who is so hard harted seeing a poore man with as many sores as his body can beare running after him a mile or twaine and begging but a penny that coulde denie him in like manner if wee shewe all our sores and sinnes and miseries vnto the Lord continually that when our voice is wearie our harts may speake and when our harts are sleepie our wounds may crie for mercie so that we may neither eate nor sleepe till we know our sinnes be pardoned Let vs neuer be afraide to come to the Lord notwithstanding we finde
neuer ceaseth to suggest new temptations and wee are seldome able to resist them therefore he neuer is idle but euer proceedeth farther and farther till he haue plunged vs ouer the eares in sinne that so he might drowne vs. When he made Peter denie Christ once then hee made him to denie him thrise so when he hath perswaded vs a little to follow the waies of our owne hearts then he neuer giueth ouer till hee haue made vs to denie him often so that this encreasing in sinne must bee attributed to the diuell for in truth the diuell shall be punished for the sinnes of the whole worlde and yet euerie wicked man shall be punished for his owne Let vs learne then that there is a measure appointed to receiue our sinnes and ifwe cease not till it bee full we cannot cease till it runne ouer and if we suffer it to runne ouer wee cannot hinder it from ouerrunning vs. There is none that woulde bee willing to sell his inheritance to fill a theeues purse with golde Therefore let not any of vs be so simple as to fill the diuels measure full of our sinnes which wee buie by selling away our soules Oh that we were as hard to the diuell when he craueth for a sinne as we are to a begger when he crieth for an almes we thinke well if we bestowe a pennie in a weeke vpon such a person and wee can hardly be drawen in for more but sinne after sinne we commit as fast as haile commeth from the cloudes Let vs then emptie the measure of our sinne and not fill it and be as vnwilling to cast one follie into the diuels hande as manie are to cast one farthing into the poore mans boxe Let vs resist the temptations of sinne as Iacob resisted the voice of his sonnes perswading him to suffer his little Beniamin to goe with them into Egypt and let vs neuer yeeld vnto him let vs not be ouercome rather let vs die For their iniquitie is great These wordes contayne the reason of their iudgement namely because of their sinnes for in truth if men did neuer sinne they should neuer be iudged and therefore seeing euery one that is borne hath sinned euery one borne shall answere for their sinne at iudgement But when he saith it is great hee teacheth vs that euery man shall be punished according to the quantitie of his sinne Luc. 12. 47. Many sinnes many stripes great sinnes great iudgement As in ciuill politicall gouernment there is a difference so also is there in the heauenly regiment for euery one shall bee punished according to the measure of his sinnes Therefore now take occasion to stay the heate of thy sinnes seeing many pleasures many ioyes many thefts many adulteries many othes many lies and many wicked actions shall bring vnto thee manifold indignation Moses would not suffer any of Israel to sacrifice in Egypt because the Egyptians would slay them if feare of death made them cease sacrificing to God then let feare of death make thee cease to sinne against God Some men will not eate the best meates although they loue them well because their price is too costly oh that we could as willingly abstaine from sinne which we loue too well because it will cost so deerely for one howers pleasure will bring a whole worlds paine The first reason because God hath ordained his church to haue seuerall kindes of punishment Matt. 18. whereby he teacheth that he will obserue the same order in the worlde to come to cast out obstinate offenders into the pit that is prepared for heathens and hypocrites for all the actions in the church militant do leade vs to the like in the church triumphant Secondly another reason is or else the greatest wretch of the worlde were in no woorse case then the new-borne babe but this cannot be for then were there not degrees of the Lords iustice as there are in his mercie Let vs learne to make this vse thereof seeing the Lorde woulde haue a man that had stolen any goodes or taken wrongfully from any man to restore it fowerfolde then let vs learne by the greatnesse of our sinnes to aggrauate our sorrowes for surely if we still remaine impenitent in the church of God his wrath will in the end ouertake vs as it did Ioab who was slaine at the hornes of the altar For the slaughter of the Gibeonites which Saul made vniustly God after his death caused seuen of his posteritie to bee hanged because Saul had not pacified the matter himselfe Be carefull therefore to repent thy sinnes with sorrow and to recompence them with obedience least thy desarts fall vpon thy posteritie otherwise thy delight will bee too deere and the fruites of thy pleasure will bee more bitter then wormwood Had Iudas knowen when hee was with Christ at supper that which now he feeleth all the priestes of Iewrie and al the money in their seueral treasuries could neuer haue perswaded him to that treason Trie not the aduenture of thy sinnes for hell is hotter then the fornace of Babylon and they which once come in it can neuer come out againe Learne also to knowe the waight of euery one of thy sinnes that thou maiest easily see they are odious to God infamous to men and dangerous to thy soule how the diuell hatcheth them the flesh nurseth them the worlde maintaineth them and God abhorreth them Looke I say vnto their waight for they are a burden too heauie for thee to beare if thou keepe them they will eate thee if thou striue with them they wil weary thee if thou beare them they will hurt thee if thou forsake them they will follow thee and if thou knowe them they will feare thee therefore learne to measure them and number them and waigh them that thou maiest emptie and lessen and cast them downe neuer to take them vp againe O multitude In this verse is contained the seconde similitude whereby their destruction is decyphered For after haruest commeth threshing and in my opinion in the former verse is set downe their first death and in this verse their second death by reason of the resemblance betwixt the paines of hell and the action of threshing First the stroke of the thresher seemeth to threaten the corne to strike it in peeces but yet it doth not so a man woulde thinke that the paines of hell woulde make an end of them that suffer them but yet they abide them Secondly threshing followeth the cutting of the corne and so hell followeth the death of the body Thirdly threshing is a continuall striking of one sheafe and so hell is a continuall tormenting of one soule for paine followeth paine as stroke followeth stroke But certaine it is a destruction is heere signified and that a more sharpe and seuere one then was noted in the former verse wherefore he calleth vnto them mournefullie O multitude ô multitude The which phrase of speech teacheth vs that God is
nanc finem viuendi facere cogor necessariò Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 If the preachers awake vs not we shall sleepe till we bee destroyed Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Such as are our sins such shall be our wants Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vngodly men very beastes in aduersitie Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Wicked men onely merry and sorie for wordly things Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 No mercie procured by feigned and worldly sorrowe Reason 1. 2. V se 1. 2 No resisting of the Lords iudgement Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Vers 7. Fruits faile for mans sinne Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. z We must as earnestly affect heauenly things as earthly Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Lamentation for the dead not vnlawful Reason 1. 2. Vse 1. 2 Vers. 9. He cannot feare God that sorroweth not when religion faileth Reason 1. Vse 1. God will punish sinne although hee take away his owne worship Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. A great iudgement to see the publike vse of religion violated Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The ministers are the first in any danger Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 God giueth fruits of the earth for his worship Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 We cannot perfectly without sin serue God in this life Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 11. The ministers must exhort all men Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 The outward worship of God doth good vnto all Reason 1. Vse 1. No creature but for same it shall be destroyed Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Worldly sorrow a fearefull thing Reason 1. 2 Ves 1. If we humble not our wils God will humble them against our will Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 None so for ward in religion but they may be exhorted farther Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 All must be throughly humbled in a common praier for a common miserie Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Ministers are onely the Lords seruants Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 God by threatning wrath mooueth vs to his worship Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Fasting nothing worth without praier Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 15. Good men mourne before iudgement commeth Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Nothing feareth good men so much as the wrath of God Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. The seruice of God to be performed with ioy Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 17. No naturall meanes to resist the Lords power Reason 1. 2 2 Vers 18. The beastes punished for our sakes Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Famine the greatest punishment Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Ad de praier to our complaints Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 All our affections must be pitifully affected in prayer Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 Verse 20. God heareth the voice of beasts Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. The vse of the trumpets in olde time I The ministers must shew all dangers Reason 1. Vse 1. Ministers must mooue affections Vse 2. Reasons The publique ministerie to be regarded principally How we must behaue our selues in churches Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 2. Clouds and darkenes admonish vs of iudgement Reason 1. 2 Nature seldome changed Reason 1. 2 2 1 Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 4. A guilty conscience feareth punishment Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 5. Vers 6. Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Wicked men desperate in aduersitie Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 1 The condition of soldiers 1 2 The exercise of a soldier 2 Institution in martiall affaires 3 Celeritie in a souldiour Vers 8. 1 Order in battle 2 Souldiers must looke to themselues Vers 9. 1 Confusion in victorie All villanie made lawfull in warre Vse 1. Vers 10. 1 Signes shew iudgements Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 Earth-quakes betoken God his anger Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Verse 11. 1 Creatures enimies one to another Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 Reason 1. The wrath of God intollerable Reason 1. 2 ◠1 No iudgement without the word worketh repentance Reason 1. The end of Gods iudgements 2 Vse 1. 2 2 Reason 1. 2 Vse 1 2 God regardeth no sorrowe but repentance Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Repentance is the conuersion of the whole hart Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Outward signes with inward repentance Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 In great calamities we must fast priuately Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. The paines of true repentance exceeds the paines of the flesh Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 Outward holines abhominable Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Till we turne to God we go from God Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 In our greatest miserie we must account God very merciful Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 1 Al creatures doe mooue vs to repentance Reason Vse 1. 2 2 God his mercy must moue vs to repentance Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 God deferreth venge ance and why Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Reason Vse 1. 2 Why wee know not the ende of our sorrowes Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 All things must be applied to religion Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Generall lamentation Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 No lawfull action must hinder repentance Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. All the exercises of the ministerie must be so done as they may be vnderstoode Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 1 Our praiers must begin with confession Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Reason 1. 2 Nothing more grieuous to good men then the regiment of the euill Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Reason Repentance maketh vs fit for al benefits Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Verse 19. 1 God euer heard good mens praiers Reason 1 2 Vse 1. 2 All abundance to religion Reason 1 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 God onelie driueth away hurtful things Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 All things helpe God to destroy his enimies Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 A man may offend God in doing that which he willed Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 21. The promises of God must euer preuaile with good men Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The worde of God gladdeth man and beast Reason 1. 2 Vers 23. God onely giueth ioies Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 Reason 1. Vse 1. 2 3 Wherein good men reioice Reason 1. 2 Religion better for the church then riches Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The Lord ruleth the cloudes Vse 1 2 We haue no losse by affliction Reason 1. 2 Vse Vers 26. Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. ◠Reason 1. 2 Vse 2. God vseth ordinarie and extraordinary power to deliuer his church Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Religion neuer maketh ashamed Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Vers 27. God euermore in the church Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Euerie one must know how he is in Gods fauour Reason 1. 2 2 3 We must not doubt of our religion Reason 1. 2 After knowledge commeth the holie Ghost Reason 1. 1 Vse 1. 2 3 None prophesie but by the spirite Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 They which labour not to prophesie do deface the kingdome of Christ Reason 1. 2 3 None in the church too good for to studie diuinitie Reason 1. ◠4 Christians must haue religious seruants Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Reason Vse 1. 2 God sheweth his wrath before he doth it Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 1 Reason 1. 2 Some of the Iewes shall euer be saued 3 God his promise shall preserue his church Reason 1. 2 4 Few shall be saued Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 5 By the worde wee beholde what is to come after vs. Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 2 Redemption must be certainly known Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 3 God determineth the ende of good mens trouble before trouble Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The infinite power of God can at one time assemble the whole world Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. The wicked shall be vnwillinglie drawne to iudgement Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 All sinnes shal be opened in iudgement Reason 1. 2 Vse God will adiudge the iniuries done to his church Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Wicked men in their greatest ioy neerest to hell Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 No lawfull triumph ouer the godly in warre Reason 1. 2 Vse Euill men make good things euill Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Wicked men esteeme more of their owne lust then of others life Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Wicked men set nothing by the godly Reason 1. 2. Vse 1. 2 Be not angrie with God Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 What is once lawfully giuen to religion may not be recalled Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 God taketh pleasure in his worship Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Verse 6. Commit not the children of beleeuers to Infidels Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 A wicked thing to spoile orphanes of patrimonies In the seed of the righteous shall good men be preserued Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Wicked mens policie cannot alway stand Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Thoughts to doe euill like euill actions Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. What we doe to other wee shal receiue of other Reason Vse Reason 1. Vers 9. Warre proclaimed beforehand Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Souldiers must haue a calling from God Reason 1. 2 Vers 10. Warre as needfull as husbandrie Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Weapons needfull and lawfull for any christian Reason The strongest ouerthrowne by God Reason 1. 2 Vse A sudden destruction to the wicked Reason 1. 2 Vse 1 2 The neerest foes of the Church in the greatest danger Reason 1. 2 Vse Reason Vse Sinne will neuer cease growing Reason 1. Vse 1. Such as is our sinne shall be our paine Reason 1. 2 2 Vers 14. God is sorrie to destroy vs. Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. ◠◠Fearefull things in the church Woonders make good men to hope in God Reason 1. 2 Vse Vers 17 Holines is the perfection of the church Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Religion only maketh a kingdome happie Reason 1. 2 2 The peace of the church reioice the creatures of God Reason 1. 2 Vse Vers 19. Vers 20 21
with mourning least they should esteeme the matter lightly that their sinne could be washed away with teares he telleth them plainly that the wine shal be pulled from their mouth and this he doth in my iudgement to driue them to a deeper conscience of their sinnes and consideration of the Lordes wrath So that he may seeme thus to say vnto them it is alreadie decreed that your euill shall not be turned away therefore lament your calamitie And from hence we may note that all the feigned repentance vncōfortable cries of the wicked shall neuer turne away the wrath of God from them So doth the holy Ghost declare Heb. 12. 17. Gen. 27. 38. when Esau with abundance of weeping cried out for the blessing yet he could not obtaine it Wherein there appeereth their endlesse misery that their teares shal be no more accepted of God then are the cries of a beast in the hand of a butcher The Lord knoweth that they are not humbled for his sake but for their owne and were it not more for the fear of their own misery then of his iudgements they would neuer take his name in their mouthes except to blaspheme him The Lord can and will shewe himselfe froward with them that are froward Psal 18. and haue as deafe eares at their cries as euer they had at our sermons he will be as merciles vnto them as euer they were to their brethren no children which seeme innocent no women which seeme penitent no olde men which seeme religious no yoong men which seeme glorious nor any bloode which seemeth precious shall remooue their paines and reuerse his sentence And this doth the holie Ghost alwaies perswade vnto the wicked bicause hee telleth them in other places as Prou. 15. 8. Mich. 6. 7. That their sacrifices are abhomination vnto him and if they woulde giue him the fruite of their bodies for the sinne of their soules yet will he not be mercifull vnto them What did the Lord in outward shewe better accept then sacrifice and what coulde outwardly shew greater obedience then with Abraham to offer vp their owne children yet it being done of a wicked man or womon all were woorth nothing Secondly the Lorde hath appointed a time wherein he woulde haue our conuersion performed which being passed there can bee no redemption Psalm 95. 7. Cant. 5. 6. To day if you will heare his voice then harden not your harts the fruitlesse tree in the Gospell had a time wherein it should beare fruite which being omitted without all mercy is hewed downe Therefore haue you also a time in the which if you be conuerted then shal your death be deare in the sight of the Lord but if you neglect this time your bloud shall be vile in his presence But when will you say is this time and how shall we knowe it Surely if a man in his last testament giue a legacie of money to his sonne or seruant and name not the time of the payment the lawe doth adiudge it to bee due at the death of the testatour so the Lorde hauing set no time in his testament when thou shalt repent either in yoong or in olde age in the day or in the night he thereby teacheth vs that euery day yea euery minute is appointed for our repentance till we haue repented therefore how much we liue without conuersion so much we loose and euerie day calleth vpon vs to fulfill our fathers testament except we be bastards Seeing now that the case of wicked men is so pitiles at the Lords hande let vs see what exhortations we may gather from hence for our instruction and first of all let vs take that which our Sauiour hath left Luk. 13. 24. Striue saith he to enter in at the straite gate for the time shall come that many shall striue and not be able to enter Labour I beseech you for Religion for the knowledge of the Gospell for obedience to the ministerie that your prosperitie may be continued and your aduersitie may be relieued What a shame is it for men of wealth woorth to be shut out of a noble mans gates or rather what a shame is it that the teares and sute of a sonne being in prison or beggerly shall not mooue his owne parents to clemencie so shall it be with you when you shall haue mercy shut against you bicause you cared not for the bloude of Christ and you shall haue your owne father by creation not once acknowledge you to be childrē or pitty your calamity bicause you disobeied him therfore now striue that then you may enter now obey that then you may be receiued now humble your selues that then you may be lift vp let this prouoke you like an iron grate vnto the embracing of the fear of God Presume not on the Lords mercie despaire not of your owne estates say not it is too soon for that is impietie yea the houre now is thinke not it is too late for that is blasphemie but if now thou canst enter now also thou shalt be receiued Another vse heerof doth the Lorde himselfe make Esay 17 13. That euen the same things wherein we trusted being in prosperitie shall if they can deliuer vs vp when we are in aduersitie when thou criest saith the Lorde the things that thou hast gathered togither shall deliuer thee but the winde shall take them away vanitie shall pull them away but he that trusteth in me shall inherite the lande and possesse my holie mountain The Lord mocketh and derideth at the wicked men as if he should say vnto them in this sorte you olde men you haue gathered many fables you yong men you haue hoarded many pastimes you women you haue laid vp many trifles you rich men haue encroched many purchases you noble men haue encreased your wordly honor now call to these your gods in sicknes in famine in warre in pouertie in miserie in death but I will blow them from you they cannot helpe you you shall onely knowe that they which haue relied on my blessing beleeued in my promise delighted in my truth they onely shall haue the earth for their possession and the heauens for their inheritance How foolish are men that seeke not for these things before hande that knowe not that in their wealth they choose for their life which they must abide and cannot auoide when they are in distresse either godlinesse which procureth their worldly ignominie and their heauenlie glorie or else wickednes and vnlawfull riches that causeth their worldly maiestie but their euerlasting miserie The eight Sermon Vers 6. For a nation commeth vpon my land mightie and without number whose teeth are like the teeth of a lyon and he hath the iawes of a great lyon NOw the Prophet commeth to his metaphoricall allusions whereby sometimes hee mooueth the people somtimes he describeth the persons which are the workers of this calamitie as in this vers where hee resembleth the beastes to a nation
welth nor forsake your life but cast away vaine mirth idle talke wicked hope wretched behauiour leaue your sins to the diuel frō whence they came giue thy soule to the Lord frō whence it came Elisha did but require of Naaman to go into the riuer seuen times he shuld be clean which his seruants tolde him was but a small thing so we require you but to wash your souls with the water of your eies and you shal be as free from death as Naaman was from the leprosie But why should I need to instruct you are you not minded like Ieremie that of himselfe desired riuers of teares to weep for his people so be you not backward but of your own accord so that you may plese the lord desire that you were al teares to lamēt throughly the miseries of the world Oh lament with speed tarrie not or else it wil be too late whē you shal see before your eies the litle infants quartred the aged persons mangled the cruell heathens aduanced the poore christians dying the aire thundering the earth quaking vnder you and the cloudes rayning downe fire and vengeance Another vse is this that we be so minded at the hearing of the Lordes iudgements as if they were presently to be executed It was a great fault in the Israelites that whensoeuer the prophet spake any thing to them they presently thought and saide this shall not bee yet it will be a good while before it come to passe and we neede not care for wee may bee dead and gone out of the way ere this bee fulfilled Ezech. 12. 27. 28. but the Lorde rebuketh that follie and biddeth the prophet tell them that it shall bee shortly performed And so the like rage possesseth the heades and braines of many in our daies which although they knowe that it is true that is tolde them of a destruction yet euery one thinketh it shall not be this yeere nor in our Queenes daies nor so long as the Gospell remaineth and therefore they will possesse al their vanity rather then be humbled But this ought not to beso yea rather hasten out of this securitie as Lot out of Sodom and the Israelites out of Egypt that thou maiest escape it whensoeuer it commeth It is better with the wise virgines to be readie an houre or two or three too soone then with the foolish to tarrie a quarter of an howre too late Therefore admit the danger bee not as yet yet bicause wee are nowe warned let vs now be prepared shall we not make as great account of the Lords louing mercie as of our owne health yes yes my beloued and therefore let vs arise to lamentation bicause the Lord calleth for it although there were no danger following after But wee are like the disciples which coulde not watch but sleepe euen then when Christ was in most danger although our Sauiour did manie times awake them till at length the enimie came vpon them and they were all driuen to forsake Christ so I praie God our like securitie bee not with the like danger awakened for I feare if the mercifull voice of a Sauiour will not mooue vs the terrible crie and swordes of enimies will amaze vs. As a destruction In these wordes is the general cause of the lamentation described bicause the Lords wrath is kindled to make a destruction Wherein there is to bee noted that nothing doth so much feare and terrifie good men as the anger of God Deuter. 9. 17 18. When Moses perceiued that God was angrie hee fell downe flat on his face and besought God neither eating nor drinking for fortie daies and nights togither was not their feare great that made this good man to aduenture his life by so long fasting and his soule by desiring to bee razed out of the booke of life yes verily for the anger of the Lord mooued him more then if he had seene all the worlde on fire about his eares But carnall Gospellers and carelesse Atheists as they thinke it a farre more lesse matter to please God then to please man so they deeme it a lesse matter to haue God angry with them then the prince or some great rich men that may hinder their worldly estimation Alas alas if Saule were fearefull to a thousande Dauid was to tenne thousande and if worldly men may a little terrifie the flesh the God of the worlde may infinitelie plague the spirite Therefore put on this affection that we may knowe what to thinke of the wrath of God if the anger of a prince be the messenger of death much more is the wrath of God the herauld of condemnation When Assuerus was angrie presently Hamans face was couered and he carried to execution woulde not Haman giue all his possessions to haue retained the fauour of the king so likewise aduenture any thing rather then to stirre vp the coales of the Lordes wrath by which thou thy selfe and all thy neighbours shall be burned without mercy Oh therefore studie to knowe howe to auoide his displeasure and to retaine his louing countenance and let not the loue of any sinne so bewitch thee that thou procure his vengeance in working thy desire The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause none can bee an intercessour or a friende to God being angrie 1. Sam. 2. 25. that is there is not anie mortall man that can doe any such a pleasure as to staie the Lords wrath from falling on him or that may bee able to stande in the gap of the Lordes wrath The which consideration might most effectually admonish all our presumptuous companions which thinke that the Lord is pinned to their sleeues imagining him to be such a childe as might bee lost with an apple and wonne with a trifle againe but they shall finde it a farre more heauie matter when no offers of gold no intreaties offriends no teares of greefe no nor yet the fruit or blood of their bodies shal pacifie or recompence him for their sins This ought to make vs account highly of the mediation intercessiō of Christ and not to tread vnder our feete his glorious blood shedding after we be once reconciled Another reason is because it is a most fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. such a fearefull thing as passeth all vnderstanding and therefore who but mad men will run too farre into this danger Although Dauid chose rather to fall into the hands of God then men because he was well assured the iudgement was but a fatherly correction and not a reuenging punishment yet we must know that he knew that it would bee but a corporall or bodily death but we are not assured of halfe so much yea happie were we if the wrath of God did but reach to our bodies and that he would be satisfied for our sinnes if we lost our children and wealth and friendes and health and life or that if we could endure all
saith Psalm 104. 27. That God openeth his hande and giueth them meate in due season And surely as God is most wonderfull in all his workes so is he most humble and gentle to all his creatures not disdaining with his owne hande to feede the basest swine or beast in the worlde But howe vnlike are they to God which doe not heare the voice of dumbe beastes no not of speaking soules and liuing men and if they doe yet their hands must not come neere them but either they must take it vp on the grounde or else receiue of their abridgers I meane their seruants The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause God hath created them Gen. 2. 2. And for this cause before that euer he made beastes he made all the grasse and herbes of the fielde to be readie for them so kinde and constante is their nature that they neuer forget their creator but we shall finde moe men then are beastes that haue long agoe lost all their knowledge and grace and image of God calling into question whether there be a god or not Oh cursed creatures oh feareful times that bringeth foorth some men like men and some men like beastes and some men like monsters which are in bodies men in manners beasts and in mindes woorse then any creatures yea then diuels for they acknowledge and feare God Another reason is bicause men shoulde haue a taste of the excellencie of the Lordes mercy which saueth both man and beast Psal 36. 6. 7. As for mans sake they were subiect to vanitie so for mans sake they are receiued into tuitioÌ„ again the one was don for his sin the other was for his instruction that as the hainousnes of his sin did bring mo into danger beside himself wherby he might despaire so the greatnes of the Lords mercy might bring mo into fauour againe beside himselfe wherby he might be comforted And thus we may see how for our sakes is the rod of vengeance and the staffe of mercie for our example some are killed some are burned some are hewed and some are damned and for vs againe we may see the angels are maintayned the world is lengthened many good men haue beene preserued and many bruit beasts are continually maintayned The vses which come from hence are these First that we fall not into any despaire of God his goodnes toward vs either for our soules or bodies Mat. 6. 25 26. where our Sauiour biddeth vs to looke to the lyllies and to the yoong rauens for whom the Lord taketh care and verily euery haire on a good mans head is more woorth then all the beasts of the world therefore let vs perswade our selues that seeing God heareth their crie he will not denie our praier and seeing hee looketh on their mourning he will not despise our teares and seeing he regardeth their life he will not cast away our soules he that commandeth vs to be mercifull vnto them hath also bound himselfe to be mercifull vnto vs therefore let vs be assured that we are more woorth then the beasts in the arke or all the creatures in the world But alas why do I tell men of their woorth for they know it too well or of the Lords mercie for they are too proude of it Surely because as Bathsheba teacheth Salomon Prou. 31. 4 5. not to be giuen to excesse or to be wonne with vanitie because he was a king that is a worthie man in the world so I would teach men by telling them their woorth to auoide from their filthie abhominations What shall gold do in the dirt or pearle in a swines trough or money in a madâ—ans puâ—se or authoritie in the hand of fooles o 〈…〉 that we haue all vnder vs and yet be 〈…〉 honor is it to vs to be more worth then al creatures to haue the Lord for our creator and his mercies when we entreat them if in the meane season we be not godly then shal the best become woorst and at the latter ende wee shall wish we had beene woorst of all In the next words he telleth vs how the riuers of waters are dried and how the little countrey cottages wherein poore men cattle were fostered were burnt vp both very woonderfull that the one I meane the waters should loose their spring which seeme to haue an euerlasting assurance of perpetuitie But alas what can be perpetual when God altereth what can continue when he dissolueth it surely nothing for he beÌ„deth the heauens melteth the earth emptieth the sea therefore may easily drie vp the little land-brookes Therefore as on the earth is the safest going because it is lowest so in pouertie is the best estate because it hath nothing Once there were no riuers and so sometimes are not and one day shall cease to be againe so once men had nothing now in their richest estate they haue but little and one day they must forgo all But when he saith that the little cottages are burned vp wee may note that there is not any thing so small or so vile but the hand of God will finde it out Amos. 9. Poore men thinke because they be poore that God neither regardeth their well doing nor thinketh on their euill but they must be of another minde for as fire burneth vp all that standeth against it so doth the wrath of God meete with all that is against his lawe God is in the citie and in the wood and in the village and in the corne-field and in the wildernesse and on the sea he noteth thy doings in thy pallace and in thy house and in thy barne and in thy labour and in thy cottage and in thy ship euen as Christ sawe Nathaniel when he was vnder the figtree Surely the buildings of stone are too high to stand long the buildings of wood are too weake for the little lowe tabernacle with cordes tied togither shall come to an end And thus we see that fire shall be the ende of all as it was the end of Sodom so was it of Zeboijm and as of them so was it of the poore shepherds tents and as of these tents so shall it bee of heauen and earth Thus much for this first chapter The xvj Sermon Chap. 2. V. 1. Blow the trumpet in Zion and showt in my holy mountaine let all the inhabitants of the lande tremble for the day of the Lord is come for it is at hand IT hath beene shewed that the beginning of this chapter vnto the end of the 11. verse was the continuance of the former iudgements spoken of in the first chapter so that this verse belongeth to the charge of the ministers and people wherein the ministers are first exhorted to sound the trumpet and secondly the people are bid to tremble because the day of the Lords wrath is at hand Concerning this blowing of the trumpet wee may reade the right vse and first institution thereof Numb 10. First it was vsed for assembling the
and speake for thy conuersion Seest thou not the danger of life worse then death so long as thou liuest in an vnrepentant state there is but a little aire twixt thee and death there is but a little time twixt thee and hell Repentance is the Lordes gift and he giueth it to them that aske it I dare be bolde to saie that of all suites commenced before God this was neuer denied and if thou haue any minde to bee saued praie that thou maiest be conuerted Art thou dissolute in life and resolute in vanitie yet hearing some sermons of death and fearing some iudgements for thy sinnes wouldest willingly wish that thou couldest doe better and dost thou sometime wring out teares to see the preacher so earnest and yet by no meanes thou canst reforme thy life then commune with thy soule and praie to the Lorde that thou maiest so liue as hee hath taught and so die as thou shalt wish Praie I say not onely in companie but secretlie not for a season but continually not with an indifferent minde but with an earnest affection and then I assure thee drunkennes shall not drowne thee couetousnes shall not preuaile with thee pride shall not deface thee whoredom shall not vndoe thee stealing shall not shame thee the worlde shall not deceiue thee nor the flesh shall euer condemne thee Another vse is this seeing wee must aske repentance of God we must needes know our sinnes before we can repent them Ierem 3. 13. So then if thou wouldest praie most earnestly for thy conuersion and bring all thy euidence into the Lordes sight that hee might pronounce sentence on thy side thou must not come with general words say I am a sinner as other men are I haue liued sinfully as my neighbours haue done and I knowe I haue offended thy maiestie greeuously But thou must knowe thy sinnes thou must account them to knowe the number so neere as thou canst possible thou must weigh them vprightly fee which were directly against God and which were against thy neighbour thou must aggrauate them mightilie and make them as heinous as the greatest thou must condemne thy selfe open thy whole soule and abhor thy owne life Then shalt thou knowe thy sinnes that their number is infinite their rewarde is damnation that their power is execrable that their presence is intollerable Tell them as a couetousmā doth his siluer look on them as the husbandman doth his furrowe consider them as the carrier doth his loade condemne them as the iudge doth the theefe pray against them as a marriner against a storme fight against them as a souldier against an enimie accuse them as a lawyer doth his aduersarie and forsake them as a lambe doth a lyon Then shalt thou knowe that one sinne is woorth a soule that one drop of mercy is worth a world and that true repentance hath winges to beare thee vp to heauen If the preacher tell thee thy sinnes then knowe them if the lawe tell thee them then remember them if thy conscience accuse them then repent them if thy brother rebuke them then euer after loue him if the church reprooue then yeelde vnto it and if thy enimie cast them at thee yet receiue it for this will make thee know them and if thou know them thou wilt pray against them and if thou praie against them thou wilt repent them Turne you vnto me By this sentence wee may obserue that God neuer regardeth any of our sufferings or crosses till wee be repentant Or more plainly be it that our houses are burned our children murthered our inheritances remooued and our owne liues tormented yet all this doth not appease his wrath except wee adde contrition the which thing the prophet insinuateth when hee maketh this conclusion vpon all the former iudgements Therefore nowe saith the Lorde turne vnto me c. As if hee had vsed more wordes saying you O people haue had your land wasted with beastes your liues pined with famine your cattle mourning for foode the heauens obscured with darknes the earth quaking to trouble you and terrible thunders roaring to disquiet you yet for all this is not the Lord contented with you except you be repentant The selfe-same thing may wee see Esay 57 3 4 5. where the Lorde telleth them that it was not their fasting and sorrowes that he regarded but their vnfeined conuersion As a father hauing an euill sonne is not pleased with him bicause hee is whipped openly in the streetes or imprisoned and so arraigned for his follie except he bee repentant euen so is it with the Lorde hee regardeth not the punishment saith Augustine but the person that suffereth It is not our sufferings voluntarie or inuoluntarie our sicknes warre famine pouertie or bloud that can satisfie the Lord or saue our soules insomuch as after thou hast endured harde fits wicked slanders wrongfull oppressions many hungrie daies manie sharpe stripes and many dangers of death yet for all this without the ornaments of a christian thou are neuer the neerer to God Some will saie this is harde meate to be digested that the Lorde is not pleased nor pacified although hee punish vs why are not all these sufferinges the punishments of sinne and when wee are punished heere is not the Lorde too rigorous to punish vs also hereafter I answere wee suffer for our sinnes but not to satisfie for our sinnes for the rewarde of sinne is death euerlasting and all miseries which may bring vs to our ende Therefore excuse not your selues for pouertie or sicknes or famine or labour or slauerie or seruice or anie other crosse for a man may haue all this and yet bee a cast away The first reason heereof is Matth. 24. 8. That all the sufferinges of this life are but the beginning of sorrowes they are not one quarter of that vengeance which the Lord will take for our sinnes except we repent Oh consider the intollerable hande of the Lordes wrath which regardeth not our bloude nor woulde looke on a burnt sacrifice made of a whole nation and yet regardeth the broken harts cast down soules what are the plagues in the worlde to come and the wages of sinne in another life if heere wee may haue a pining sicknes a despised life an easelesse heart and an endlesse feare one man neuer lyeth in bed another neuer eateth bread another neuer liueth merrie day som lie tormented in a burning fire some bed-redden with the gout some tormented with a collicke some scalded to death some cut in peeces inchmeale some are put into furnaces of burning lead and yet all these are but the beginning of sorrowes and without repentance if it were possible for one man to endure all yet afterwarde he might goe to hell fire Another reason is bicause the sufferings of this life are alike common to good and bad vncircumcised and the people of God Ezec. 32. 28. Although God chasten euerie one that hee loueth yet he
thee a broome to sweepe thy passage that nothing hinder thee it is the key that openeth the gate of Christes mercie and a sure friende to sue out thy pardon Another reason is because Christ will not come but to such spirits Luc. 19. 10. so that if thou wouldst goe vp to Christ thy sorrow will lende thee wings if thou wouldest haue Christ to descend to thee thy sorrowe will perswade him Christ is the phisition of the minde and he will not come till thy minde be sicke As in winter the most raine falleth so in distresse of conscience most comforts come downe this doctrine bringeth great ioy of glad tidings which shal be to all harts where godly sorrow dwelleth But let vs not alway lament these sorrowes or rest in the graues of our easelesse cares but let our praiers be multiplied as our dangers are increased so doe the godly Hos 6. 1. Flie therefore to the Lord when thou feelest any smart in thy soule and let not musicall delights or pleasant companions entise with conceites to banish this greefe but let thy greefe be thy meate and drinke and the meanes to stirre thee vp to praier It is to be feared that many haue beene either vtterly condemned or desperately endangered by vsing worldly medicines for these heauenly sores for so soone as their harts waxe heauie by reason of their sinne they call for worldly delights which either driue them to desperation or harden them to condemnation Drinke is good to the thirstie but it is dangerous to them that are sicke of burning feauers in like sort vnto them that haue eaten poison so mirth is good but vse it not to driue away godly sorrow but abide it patiently with praier and fasting As thou seest thy sinnes so let the Lord heare thy praiers and as thy greefe for them is increased so let thy cries against them be multiplied Thinke whome thou hast offended wherewithall thou art greeued and how thou canst be pacified If thou be rich let thy closet bee thy sanctuarie if thou be poore let the woods and secret places be thy temple if thou haue little knowledge resort to them that haue more if thou be heauie and feelest no comfort yet pray still and giue not ouer for the ende shall bee blessed although the beginning bee desolate Againe as Hoseah teacheth chap. 14. 5. let vs in our mourning take with vs the hope of pardon or else a Christian soule shoulde haue no more feeling then a desperate wretch for we may lawfully perswade our selues how sharpe soeuer we feele our pangs and soule-fits yet there is neuer taken from vs the hope of pardon yea if faith bee not vtterly couered we may bee bolde to assure ourselues of victorie What then how if hope and faith be buried and we yeeld vnto death denying the sweete promises of Christ is not this desperation no verily for as there may bee life in the body although men cannot perceiue it so there may be in the soule although none discerne it for although Dauid said This is my death yet he recouered both life and peace of conscience Therefore a contrite spirit is alway regarded of God and if he euermore loue it in other hee doth also like it in thee Be patient the same hand which made the wounde shall heale the greefe and if thou feele a decay of grace stirre vp thy selfe more earnestly by calling on God and hold fast till the Lord come Receiue good comfort in the middest of thy sorrowes as a watchman espying the dawning long before it bee light although it be bitter in thy mouth it shall bee sweete after digestion and say I will abide the Lords leisure I will drinke his potion it is a cup but not of deadly wine I will receiue it for the purgation of my sinne although it make me sicke The xxj Sermon Vers 13. And rent your harts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repenteth him of the euill THese words are another part of the Prophets exhortation vnto repentance wherein hee noteth the greatest measure of Repentance vnder this metaphor Rent your harts Meaning the most extreme and comfortlesse paines in the action thereof not that indeed men should rip vp their breasts and rend in twaine their harts no more then when our Sauiour biddeth vs cut off the arme or plucke out the eie that offendeth vs wee should dismember our bodies for euery fall or ouersight But by the rending of the hearts wee are taught that the paines of true repentance exceede all other paines death excepted neither whipping of the body as the Iesuites do nor launcing it with kniues as the priests of Baal did or pricking it with bodkins or sickenes or famine or trauaile are comparable to repentance for these may bee quickly eased by man but the other cannot bee redressed but by God Vpon this the godly Israelites pray Iudg. 10. 15. that God would deliuer them meaning from the terrours of their sinne and lay whatsoeuer pleased him vpon them besides The insufferable wounds of a tormented minde are the onely paines which are like to the paines of hell so that neither brimstone nor fire commeth any thing so neer vnto it as this doth Wherupon it was said that good men haue their hell in this life meaning that the paines of repentance are so smart vnto them that it differeth many times verie little from the plagues of the other life Now I beseech you that are godly that haue long rested in this restles harbour to acknowledge with me the truth hereof and you that haue perswaded your selues that not onely teares but easie sighing grones doe goe for payment of your sinnes Learne of me this one lesson that your minds must be more perplexed and your hearts more inwardly vexed not onely for a day but for a longer time yea peraduenture a whole life that you may sing with all the godly The paines of hell came about me The first reason bicause that repentance is the dressing of the soules wound so that as the soule is more dangerous than the bodie so the wound therein must needs be more painfull then a wound in the flesh And for this cause are the ministers charged with the soules of men Heb. 13. 17. because they dresse not their woundes and shew not their sinnes that lie secret in their soules The which account is now a daies little regarded of many ministers ' and lesse of many people one careth not for their sinne and the other regardeth not their soule but the more they be the more is the pitie or rather the more shall be their iudgement Neither let vs be amazed to heare of these vnspeakable gripes of minde for they crie continually in the eares of God for mercie as a wound calleth for a salue Another reason because in repentance men feele the wrath of God against
fruitfull abounding with many a pleasant herbe let not thy hart be barren and stuffed with filthie stinking sins Come to the spirituall gifts of God see how many preachers thou hast to moue thee to repentance it is the end of preaching the fruit of hearing the motion of praier the sacraments signifie it the Spirit worketh it and the whole church of God liueth in it the bishop watcheth for it the doctor teacheth for it the worker of myracles doth witnesse it the poore mans boxe doth prooue it I cannot run ouer al it is sufficient that euery one do prooue it I would to God that any might preuaile The reason because God woulde be neere vnto all that call vpon him Psa 145. 18. he wil cōpasse vs about with a world of witnesses that they may draw vs to him or else to accuse our disobedience whom the heauēs could not win or the earth admonish or the church perswade or the spirite instruct that all these which could not work our health may further our death And seeing in euery place these are manifest in so much as we despise all warnings of God and his creatures it is most equall that we be pnnished with all torments of hell fire Seeing all things are notes vnto vs of the Lords fauour then assuredly if men will shew any care to serue him hee will neuer hide his face or punish vs extremely 2. Chron. 30. 9. Oh what a comfort is this to a troubled soule to haue all the creatures of the world to witnesse the Lords fauour the birds flying the beastes eating the corne standing the grasse growing and the houses ouer our heads are pledges vnto vs of the grace of God Then turne thee and consider not two or three but euery one in their kinde and thou shalt finde inestimable ioy Why doe men complaine for want of grace when all the world is ful of grace it pearseth the stones it cleaueth the rocks it shaketh the trees it quickeneth the beastes and it descendeth to the bottome of the earth onely the soules of men are not capable thereof Beginne now with thy selfe set these creatures as iudge arraigne thy soule as guiltie bring foorth thy guiltie conscience and waite for the sentence of condemnation Oh no saue thy selfe from these frowarde inuentions Turne I say a little shew a willing minde bring a ready hart pray for an ounce of godly sorrow and let the world and the gospell the creatures and the spirite the earth and the church the angels and the beastes encrease the same gather thou the wood they will blowe the fire thy care shall be augmented as the widowes oile by Elishah that thy debts shall be discharged thy trouble shall be eased thy life shall be amended and thy soule shall be blessed Seeing all the creatures of God doe remember vs of his grace then let euery creature be deere and precious vnto vs Gen. 1. 31. as a pledge of his fauour for the Lorde cōmendeth them all to be good And if he which wrought them doe so then much more ought wee for whose sake they were created Let vs then often meditate on the frame of the world the bodies of men the proportion of beastes and the little greene leaues shall minister vnto vs much instruction to reforme our liues we shall finde not one of them made for themselues but all of them for one another and especially for vs. Wherefore it cannot bee that we were borne for luxurie riot pleasure profite sorrowe loue ioy or hatred no not for the possession of our selues but for the possession of the Lord. Consider these things and thou shalt finde all time too little not spent herein and all ioy but vanitie that is not applied to this When thou canst not heare the worde reade it when thou canst not reade then meditate on it when thou art wearie of meditation then turne to the creatures and solace thy selfe in them as in a most pleasant garden of many sweet flowers marke their diuersitie in colour strange in number infinite in making contrarie and yet in vse all one euen for thy sake that thou mightest be for the Lords glorie Marke their growth that thou maist growe so and their death for thou shalt die so and their spring for thou shalt arise in the sommer of all pleasures with them in the kingdome of heauen Mercifull The second reason is taken from the Lords mercie and that therefore if they will repent he will pardon Wherein I might tell you many thinges woorth the learning of the Lordes mercie and shew you by many arguments howe the scripture in many places doth expresse it sometime naturally as to men and beasts Psal 36. 6. sometime to good and bad Mat. 5. to his church through Christ Luc. 1. 78. and all these he meaneth in this place when hee saith that God is mercifull not simply through Christ whereby he saueth his church but also through himselfe whereby he loueth al his creatures From hence obserue that the mercie of God must leade men to repentance 1. Sam. 12. 24. The which is cleane contrary to the course of the worlde which take it for a libertie of sin and make it not a necessitie to repentance but a good childe is more afraid of a gentle and a kind father then of a sterne and seuere and we if we be the children of God must be as much terrified from sinne with the sweete songs of Sion as with the loud thunder claps of Sinai be as subiect to the Lords censure in his sweete mercies as other in the fearfull curses of the Law Therefore let not our time of peace our healthie bodies our large possessions our heaps of treasure our sweete children and all other mercies of God make our harts fat but let vs vse all these to awake vs from sinning and to restraine vs from offending him that defendeth vs with them yea let vs weepe moe teares for hauing them then for wanting them that we may enioy the promises of this life and of the life to come The first reason because they are mercifull which loue mercie and therefore blessed Matt. 5. 7. If we would see a token of our pitifull harts then let vs thinke how the sweete promises of the Gospell haue pearced them It is no wonder to see such bloodie minds in Papists because they make small account of the Lords mercie teaching vs that men may satisfie for their sinne and for this cause they thirst after blood for the breach of their canons But yet let vs beware how we perswade men to relie on the mercie of God for they say wee teach men to trust to mercie and to liue vily but let vs exhort one another in the Lord that we walke woorthie of his mercie and vse his abundant clemencie for a promptor vnto repentance Another reason because God is more delighted with his mercie then with our sacrifice Hos
6. 6. and therefore so ought we to be sacrifice winneth him therefore let mercie ouercome vs euen those mercies which we read in his word and note in our liues that wee may pull downe more and more vpon vs. Oh I feare seeing of long time we haue had so little regard of mercie and all of iudgement now the thing wee were afraide of is come vpon vs namely wrath for we feele it in our liues in our times making many mens harts to tremble and the bodies of some to die Yet for all this the time of mercie is not all spent therefore let mercie draw vs vnto God and the former and late receiued kindnes from him bee as bands of steele to keepe vs in obedience Seeing the mercies of God must mooue vs to repentance then I beseech you let not our eares be deafe at his sweete promises least the Lord complaine of vs as he did of his owne time Matth. 11. 19. that we are like to children neither dauncing with them that sing nor weeping with them that mourne Austeritie is too hard for vs and mercie is too soft if wee preach the law then men say we speake of malice of else giue iudgement vpon them if we shew them libertie that maketh them woorse and woorse so that our times are like a thiefe being in prison he complaineth of crueltie and being at libertie runneth to robbing againe The mercie of God is much called for and being obtayned is much abused they make it a charter to sinne and thinke if they haue one pardon all their villanie afterward is forgiuen The deepe wounds of Christ doth not asswage their heat of sin but encreaseth their desire O my deere brethren if gentlenes will not winne rigour most perswade You are the Lords schollers learne you must the rod is your tormentor or else you shal be expelled his schoole Make much of mercy while you may haue mercie for if the gate of mercy be shut and the date expired your teares shall be drops of blood and your wounds as windowes for your bones to looke thorough your flesh shall feede the fowles of the ayre and your soules shall feele the torments of hell Secondly seeing mercie must winne vs let vs be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull Luk. 6. 36. which is needfull to bee vrged in these hard times wherein are many poore and many complaints for if wee looke to haue mercie of God when we pray vnto him let the poore find mercie in vs when they cry vpon vs. Be mercifull as our heanenly father is mercifull His hand is euer giuing his spirit is euer comforting his mercie is euer pardoning and his liberalitie is euer feeding therefore giue thou to the poore comfort the sorrowfull forgiue thy offenders and let many hungrie soules feede on thy meate Mercie is better then sacrifice hotter then coales of fire softer then liquide oyle and sweeter then pleasant hony Offer this sacrifice kindle this fire touch this oyle and eate this honie thou shalt finde mercie in iudgement in thy death-bed in thy graue and in thy resurrection it shall couer thee as a garment comfort thee as a guide carrie thee as a mother and crowne thee as a king God delighteth in it Angels reioice at it men looke for it and bruite beastes loue it Therefore with mercie delight thy creator reioyce the Angels and satisfie man and beast And bee mercifull to men to beastes and to thy selfe to man for God requireth it to beastes for nature craueth it and to thy selfe for thy soule challengeth it the first is of charitie the second of equitie and the last of pietie therefore practise mercie that christian loue godly kindnes and glorious religion may euermore maintaine thee Of great kindnesse and long suffering This is another argument to perswade them to repentance By the which we may note that God doth not alway take vengeance of sinne so soone as it is committed but winketh at it and deferreth till we repent or growe incurable This thing the Apostle noteth Rom. 2. 4. that God by his bountifulnesse and long suffering leadeth vs to repentance Although for example sake he slew Er and Onan Vzzah and Ananias and Saphira and many other in the verie act of sinning yet he doth not alway take this course For fower hundred yeeres togither did hee beare with the abhominations of Canaan Gen. 15. 18. Let not men thinke bicause they are not killed so soone as they haue blasphemed or denied God or committed adulterie or prophaned the Sabbaoth or the like that therefore their deedes shall go vnpunished no verily for the longer before they reckon the greater shall be their account and the farther a man runneth backwarde the farther hee leapeth forwarde and so the longer that God forbeareth our sinnes the heauier shall bee his stroke for wee shall beare double blame the one for breaking his lawe the other for abusing his patience It were needfull for vs to consider in our soules this singular fauour of God that wee might vse it as the prophet heere doth to further our repentance for let vs be well assured if peace and long suffering doe not prepare vs for God it will annoint vs for destruction The first reason bicause God will bee exalted in sparing vs Esay 36. 18. The Lorde which is most excellent in all his workes is most excellent in forbearing the malice of men for who coulde endure to be denied plainely reuiled openly and blasphemed boldly saue onely the Lorde or who coulde abide to see his workes reproched his worde rebuked and his liberalitie scorned saue onely the Lorde who filleth all in all and beareth much with all or else all woulde bee confounded But this is sufficient that the prophet saith he is exalted in sparing vs that is it magnifieth his honour while hee regardeth not his vengeance nor his maiestie nor his wrath nor his power but his mercy that his chiefe glory might be through clemencie Another reason bicause his chiefe desire is that not one shoulde perish 1. Pet. 3. 9. So that if men woulde or coulde laie holde on repentance they shall finde sufficient time to amende after they haue sinned So deare is the loue of God towardes vs his creatures that for his part he omitteth not any dutie to recall vs We haue the word for the meanes his workes for our helpes his mercies for our comfort and his long suffering for the time of our conuersion so that all thinges are discharged on the Lordes part and nothing on ours In this saying of Peter we must not vnderstande that any were damned contrarie to the Lordes will but rather that hee is vnwilling thereunto for a man may doe that vnwillingly which is not contrarie to his will Let vs not abuse the long suffering of God and although he bee willing to spare yet let not vs be willing to sinne Luk. 12. 46. If the euill seruant shall say in
former wee haue heard the wonderfull troubles vpon the afflicted Iewes so now we shall heare the same spirite assisting vs the singular comforts and promises which the prophet maketh vnto them vnto the ende of this prophesie These comforts are either the restitution of their owne abundance in this whole chapter following or the promise for the ouerthrow of their enimies in the last chapter vnto themselues in this chapter he promiseth worldly benefits vnto the 27. vers and spirituall benefites or graces from the 27. to the ende The worldly blessings are of two sortes First that hee will spare them from farther vengeance vers 18. Secondlie that he will heape on them many benefites In this vers he promiseth to be iealous ouer his land and spare his people Meaning that hee will watch ouer them with a reuenging hand to annoy and destroy all those that rise against them For iealousie signifieth an inordinate loue tending to reuenge Num. 25. 13. In this verse considering the order which the prophet maketh in that he first exhorteth them to repentance to praier and so presently descendeth to these sweete promises following wee may obserue that so soone as a man hath repented so soone is he capable of the tender mercies of God All this while wee haue heard of no mercie but iudgements threatning and thundering most fearefull wrath but now at length after some woorthie exhortations to repentance commeth this cheerefull promise of mercie to tell vs that we can no sooner repent on earth but the Lord will seale our remission in heauen Iob. 11. 14. 15. Naamans seruant told him that the Prophet bad him an easie thing when hee said goe wash and bee cleane and therefore if he would not wash he should not be cleane so is it but a short commaundement that wee should be repentant and then be saued therefore if men will not repent it is no pitie if they be not saued Oh I would to God that they might goe out of this life as free from sinne as Naaman went out of Israell free from leprosie but if the promises of God cannot be had without repentance no more then a cable roape can goe through the eie of a needle except it be spun as fine as any thread then are they like to lye on the Lords owne hand for there are but few that will buye them so deerely rather had they passe a short life without promises in the possession of vanities then lead a sorrowfull life in the fruition of godlines so that the contrarie shall bee saide to them that heere the Prophet speaketh God will neuer bee iealous ouer them and spare their soules The first reason because in repentance we mitigate the intolerable wrath of God Ion 3. 3. that thing which the euerlasting paines of hell cannot performe may be redressed by the sorrowes of our harts the teares of our liues for no blood no money no riches no torments nor any friends can appease the Lords wrath but a sorrowfull perplexed spirit can doe away all For as the ground is fit for the seed when it is ploughed so a heart is fit for the Lord when it is broken By this we may see what is the folly of wicked men for if by repentance good men escape damnation then without repentance euill men shall possesse damnation Tell me haddest thou leifer be drunk one meale and then fast for euer after or fast at one meale and then eate for all thy life following Canst thou not abide two or three blowes with a rod to auoide ten thousand with an iron scourage or were thou not better haue thy nailes pared then suffer thy fingers to be cut off and rather suffer a little blood to be taken from thee then let all thy life be lost so endure here mourning for an hower rather then in hell for euer and abide here the chastisement of God his worde rather then in hell the punishment of diuels let thy life loose all her ioy rather then thy soule should loose her saluation Another reason because it worketh or bringeth life eternall Act. 11. 28. now life eternall is all in all he that can haue this what matter is it though his life be poore his bodie be starued his name be odious his miseries be tedious his libertie be closed vp in irons his health be layed vp in sickenes and his friends be turned into mortall foes what are all these if a man be assured of heauen surely lighter then feathers easier then soft beds and welcommer then a long life Nay rather what are all things without life eternall great liuings daintie fare many friends obedient seruants goodly houses easie daies soft beds and long life but as the pleasant sting of a serpent which a while doth so tickle the veines and sinewes of the bodie that it delighteth euery member but in the end it swelleth the body poysoneth the blood breaketh the veines and destroyeth the life so are the goods of this life without the goods of the world to come Let vs therefore make this vse thereof that if it be but to dwell in our land let vs be repentant Ierem. 25. 5. God will not spare our land till we haue repented Oh how fearfull is it to thinke that we should begge in Italy or Spaine or Fraunce when we may enioy our reuenewes in England Let vs weepe at home that we lament not in other lands let vs sorrow in our houses that we complaine not in forreine prisons Now would the Lord feed vs with the finest flower the sweetest hony the fattest oxen and the best lambes in the flocke Oh why should we abuse all these to be carried where wee shall want all sustenance for life Some men hold their landes by suite of law and continuall danger let vs bestow as much for repentance to hold ours as they do to defend theirs Let vs repent for our selues for our possessions for our wiues and children and for our bodies and soules or else all will be taken from vs. Another vse God will neuer withdraw his mercy from a repentant man Zech. 1. 3. and this was it that our Sauiour meant when he said that all things are possible to him that beleeueth namely that he should begin continue and end well Feare not the assistance of God in any trouble or triall or death or affliction if thou haue repented for thou shalt hold out to the end Repentance made Abraham to trauell longer and be well contented it made the Israelites to waite for Christ it incouraged the Martyres to die for Christ therfore if thou haue repented thou maiest boldly assure thy self that thou shalt haue patience in euery trouble zeale in all thy life and comfort in any distresse and abilitie for euery temptation with power to abide death and glorie to reward thy soule For although thou maist slip after thou hast repented yet thou canst not finally perish for all the sinnes done after
Againe let rich men especially looke to themselues Iam. 5. 1. for they for the most part esteeme more of gaine then of grace and of a great gentleman though he be an infidell then of a poore and true member of Christ Let them remember how fewe good rich men are named in the Scriptures and let them alway set before their eies that most dreadful saying of our Sauior It is easier for agable to goe thorough the eie of a needle then for a rich man to enter into heauen Let them bee liberall to good vses courteous to euery christian sparing in all expenses humble in all authoritie not gorgeous but clothed with Christ not couetous but open handed not ambitious but content with their place and not infidels but as farre exceede other in faith as they doe in wealth He shall giue you the first raine In those countries they had ordinarily two raines in the yeere especially desired wherof the first was most acceptable when they first sowed their seede and the latter raine was in the spring of the yeere which is here called the first moneth answering in some part to our March and Aprill because the world was made as it were in the spring of the yere But in this that the Prophet promiseth them the first and the latter raine we must obserue that it is the Lord that ruleth the cloudes giuing al seasonable and vnseasonable weather 1. King 18. 1. The reasons are bicause he will onely be knowen to blesse the workes of our hands Deut. 28. 1. Againe it is onely hee which decketh the heauens with clouds Psal 147. 8. Let vs therefore learne to feare the Lord by the consideration of raine Ierem. 5. 24. for hee reserueth for vs the appointed weeks for haruest Me thinkes that euerie creature of God do so admonish vs of our duetie that not so much as the little drops of raine but they teach vs to feare him Oh that our soules could so thirst for the mercie of God as the earth thirsteth for the water drops or the grace of God might so fall from heauen on our hearts as the raine doth issue from the cloudes on the ploughed land Againe let vs seeke for the testimonie of the Lords fauour towards vs in them Act. 14. 17. the Apostle sheweth the raine of the clouds the spring of the earth and the encrease of temporal things to be a sufficient meanes for the old world to haue searched for and found out God but yet they did not search into it and so is it now a good meanes for many ignorant soules to leade them to God at the first if they consider the world continueth the grasse groweth the corne increaseth the raine falleth down from heauē that by these as it were by the crosse-row of letters they might com to greater knowledge in religion When he saith that their barnes shall be full of wheat and their presses shall abound with oyle and wine he noteth thereby that their decaied houses shall be builded againe and their full ioy restored And also that if God do once begin to do good to his people hee neuer thinketh any thing too much that is bestowed on them if they be repentant The xxix Sermon Vers 25. And I will render vnto you the yeeres that the grashopper hath eaten the caterpiller and canker-woorme and palmer-woorme my great hoste which I sent among you NOw he toucheth the restitution of their goods lost in famine telling them that all their former yeeres deuoured by the beasts shall bee restored againe By which we may note a woonderful example of the Lords kindnes that he wil giue to the repentant whatsoeuer they haue lost in trouble It were enough for him yea more then he oweth vs if he did onely ease our miserie yet is he not contented therewith but giueth vs as much as we desire and beyond our desires as much as we lost so he dealt with Iob. cap. 42. 10. giuing him a thousand for fiue hundred sixe for three fourteene for seuen The first reason because he would haue none to be like him in mercie and liberalitie Mich. 7. 18. Secondly that the wicked may note a difference betwixt the iust and the vniust Mal. 3. 18. therefore let not any thing in the worlde hinder thy conuersion Ierem. 7. 14. for thy sinnes shall bee chaunged into much holines thy pouertie into great wealth thy sorrow into double ioy and thy short life into twise so many daies If thou hadst little ease now it shall be more or little peace it shall be increased or little grace it shall bee augmented or little ioy it shall be multiplied and thus will God take away curse and change it into blessing and turne our punishment into pardon Againe let vs hereby be instructed that there shall neuer be any hinderance to the ioy of the Lords saints Isa 40. 2 3. the crooked shal be made straight the high shall be made low the low shall be made high the weake shall be made strong the sicke shall be made whole the lame shall be made wel limmed the sorrowfull heart shall bee reioysed and the contrite soule shall be glorified the great power of sathan shall not hinder the tyrannie of sinne shall not preuaile nor the space twixt heauen and earth shall keepe vs from ascending to ioies Oh come on my brethren with hope and comfort and bestow your labour in the word more cheerefully that our single sorrowes may receiue double ioyes So you shall eate and bee satisfied and praise the name of the Lorde your God that hath dealt maruellouslie with you and my people shall neuer bee ashamed Hauing signified vnto them their plentie nowe hee granteth vnto them the free and lawfull vse of euerie creature telling them they shoulde eate and drinke them and praise the name of God for them When hee saith They shall eate and bee satisfied we may note a great blessing of God vpon meate temperately receiued for it satisfieth vs meaning it nourisheth and maintaineth life Hag. 1. 6. but when it is riotously and gluttonously deuoured then men fall into sicknesse in steade of health into raging in stead of quietnesse and this is the very cause why our affraies and quarrels are begunne at tauernes and alehouses and at great idoll and glutton feastes bicause men receiue them not in moderation but in excesse The first reason bicause meate so taken giueth strength to the body 1. Sam. 1427. Ionathan tasted but a drop of hony and his wearied body was strengthened and his eies almost blinde recouered their sight Another reason because meate thus taken cheereth the hart of man Ruth 3. 7. Let vs therfore learn what a singular benefit it is to eat be satisfied with the labours of our owne hande Eccle. 5. 16. 17. for if the Lord should breath thereon then were our trauaile in the dust meate hath no life in it and yet it
2. 8. Therefore as the olde fathers searched for saluation 1. Pet. 1. 19. so doe thou and as the woman did for her money which neuer gaue ouer sweeping and seeking till she had found it in like manner doe thou but follow saluation as Isaac followed Abraham vnto the place where he should be sacrificed Secondly when he saith that there shall bee deliuerance in Mount Sion wee may note that God will euermore haue some among the people of the Iewes that shall be saued Rom. 11. 15 16 26. so that notwithstanding their intolerable hardnesse of hart and great obstinacie against the Gospell yet there are some beleeuers among them and it may be that there shall be a day when they shall all beleeue in the Messiah and I thinke verily that this is the very cause why they are reserued aliue for else in consideration of that great villanie offered to our Sauiour Christ with their infidelitie and other notorious sinnes they had long agoe beene destroied man woman and childe Thirdly the prophet alleageth the proofe hereofwhen he saith as the Lord hath said whereby we may note that the promise of God shall preserue his church in what distresse soeuer it be Heb. 13. 5. yea when heauen and earth shall be burned they shall be preserued The reasons first because all the promises of God in him are Yea Amen 2. Cor. 1. 18. 20. they are not changeable but constant as it is already declared because he is mighty that doth his word Againe life eternall is giuen by promise Col. 3. 14. and if the promises neuer faile in that no more they can in this Therefore let vs through patience doe the will of God and waite for the promise Heb. 10. 26. and hauing once receiued it let vs feare no euill nor any death Gen. 32. 9 10. Fourthly when he saith that saluation shall be to a remnant and to as many as God shall call we may note that but a remant that is a very fewe shall bee saued Luc. 13. 23. The reasons because of the great hatred of God against sinne Rom. 5. 14. the which hatred shall cause the damnation of many thousands Secondly the Lord will make but a short account of all the earth Rom. 9. 28. Therefore let euery one studie to enter although he knowe there be but few to be saued that if it may be he may be one of those few Luc. 13. 24. Againe let vs knowe that except the Lord of his great mercie did keepe this remnant from the violence of sinne and sathan no not one should or coulde euer come to life eternall Isai 1. 9. Lastly when he saith to as many as God shall call wee may note that we must be called by the gospell before we can be saued in the kingdome Iude 5. But of these points I haue often already spoken in the former treatises and therefore I may the safer excuse my breuitie and the God of all mercie giue a blessing to all The xxxij Sermon Chap. 3. Verse 1. For beholde in those daies and in that time when I shall bring againe the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem THis thirde and last chapter of this Prophet Ioel containeth a most lamentable destruction of mankind namely of those which were the sworne enimies to the church of God which cannot choose but mooue a heart of stone to exceeding sorrowe and abundant teares to consider that so manie braue men stately kings warrelike souldiers honorable persons rich possessors beautiful women and innocent yoong children as it may seeme shoulde be violently driuen and drawen vnto the slaughter-house of woefull destruction Oh how may men forrowe that they were so borne to bee enimies to God and so liue that they hurt themselues and so shall die as they condemne their soules for their bloode is woorse then water their flesh is viler then dung their heart is baser then the earth and they were onely created that they might be destroied In the handling of this chapter we will obserue this method First the time when the enimies of the church shall be discussed and secondly the manner The time is set foorth in this vers to bee then when the Lorde shoulde bring againe the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem that is when he shoulde deliuer them from all manner of thraldome For beholde The prophet after the vsuall maner of the Scriptures beginneth the matter with wordes of demonstration and attention and so telleth them of this matter as if it were alreadie in action bidding them to beholde it as we may see the like Esay 24. 1. 42. 1. Ierem. 51. 1. Matth. 24. 25. By which wordes wee may note the worde of God in prophets and preachers must teach vs to consider as well the things that are to come as those that are present 2. Cor. 4. 18. Wee looke not saith the Apostle on the things that are seene but on the things that are not seene The voice of the Lordes worde must not be like the stroke of the musition which onely affecteth a man while hee heareth the sounde but it must bee like a Phisitions potion which worketh in the bodie many daies after it is taken But what doe I talke of daies as Ionathan loued Dauid when he neither saw him nor hearde him so must we loue the word of God and thinke thereon when we neither see it nor heare it The oxe careth for the pricke which presently goreth him but yet he neuer thinketh on the slaughter which is comming the childe feareth the rod which hee seeth but thinketh not on it when it is hidden the sheepe windeth from the storme when it bloweth but in calmer times it neuer remembreth but God which hath made vs more excellent then oxen and sheepe and willeth vs to be more wise then children hath giuen his worde that wee may know and feare the things that are to come So that in this sort thou must perswade thy selfe if thou heare the preacher tell of any plague then thinke with thy selfe that thou now beholdest it a far off therefore it will certainly come Beleeue the Lord and his prophets saide Iehoshaphat and you shall prosper but alas our dull hearted hearers will beleeue no more then they see will feare no more then they feele nor bee righteous any longer then they are in affliction Death is farre off they care not for it and the day of iudgement will be God knoweth when and therefore if their time be so long they thinke it will be neuer Oh wretches beholde presentlie before your eies how the Lorde commeth how the sword wasteth howe the bloude runneth howe vengeance encreaseth howe Christ condemneth and all thinges are ouerturned If thou canst so beholde the comming miseries and with teares lament them as if they were present thou shalt likewise by the worde of God so beholde the comming ioies of another life with hart reioice as if now thou
bodie eie for eie and life for life to him againe Shall bring againe the captiuitie The prophet vnder the name of captiuitie doth vnderstande all the miseries of the people of God for in captiuitie there is a concurrence or consent of all manner of euils For in truth if there be any estate lamentable in the world it is the estate of a captiue He shall liue a common slaue he shall euer be abridged of libertie he shall weare the coursest he shal eate the basest he shall lie the hardest he shall labour the sorest and he shall liue the vnhappiest His correction shall bee fitter for a beast then a man his pittie shall bee nothing if hee bee sicke hee shall haue no attendance and in this hee is woorse then any prisoner for hee must not begge for necessitie but either liue with little or else starue and the prisoner knoweth that the iudge onely hath authority to take away his life but a captiues life is in euery mans hande So that when wee reade of the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem wee must vnderstande an intollerable mischiefe to be fallen vpon them For their countrie was all spoiled their goodly houses were razed to the earth their streetes ranne with blood of men their women wiues and virgins were most shamefully abused they were caried from their owne countrey kindred and acquaintance they were solde like beastes they were killed like sheepe they were kept like dogges and they liued to see their children solde away into other countries whose sweete faces they shoulde neuer see againe Oh that we in England could thinke with our selues what was the cause why God did so lamentablie giue ouer his people to bee racked and ruled by others which was the contempt of his worde and wee may greatly feare the like punishment for the same sinne among vs Oh my heart bleedeth to thinke what will be the estate of many if a captiuitie should come their goods which they woulde not giue to the poore shall bee taken by the enimie the fire shall consume their houses the sworde shall destroy their liues the lust of men shall defile their gallant proude dames and peraduenture their tender babes and gentle posteritie shall be solde to be some galli-slaues some kitchin-boies some to draw the plow instead of oxen with their backs bare for the scourge some to be slaine before their eies many to be committed to the beasts to the waters to the heathens to the infidels to be new nurtured in paganisme O Lorde keepe this day from England But he telleth them that the Lord would deliuer thē out of this captiuity before they were in it as God told Abraham of the deliuerie of his seede before hee had any seed By which we may obserue that God doth think vpon our deliuerance redemption before we be in miserie O vnspeakable mercie of God! which had so in his euerlasting decree appointed that his sonne should redeeme vs before the world was made yea before there was any to bee redeemed He doth not make thee sick but first he hath made thee a medicine he doth not take away thy children or thy goods but first he thinketh a way how to restore them againe he doth not stirre thee vp any enimie but he hath appointed thee another friend and as at the beginning he made euerie tree and plant and herbe and fruite before he made either man or beast which should eate them so he continually prouideth meat before hunger ease before danger light before darkenes and ioy before sorrow as Ioseph of Arimathea which made his toombe before he was dead The reasons hereof are these First because he wil not haue his church to be in desperation of deliuerance Isa 10. 30. for our afflictions are called our burdens now a burden is appointed to be taken off before it be layde on and so our miseries are appointed to be taken from vs before they be cast vpon vs for the rod of the wicked shal not alway rest vpon the backes of the righteous And therfore let none cast in our teeth the miserie of a christian which seemeth to be borne for miserie but rather christians are borne for immortalitie for our short enduring calamities are nothing woorthie the glorie which shall bee heaped vpon vs. Another reason is because that this is a token of the Lords iust iudgement 2. Thess 1. 6 7. The Lord which euerie way doth shew his mercie will also declare the same in the chastising of his children and therefore as in iustice he doth wound them for their sins so in iustice he first prouideth for their safetie whereby we may know a singular comfort for them which are troubled in conscience and let them not much trouble themselues to seeke for the meanes of their ease for as Abraham did binde Isaac to be sacrificed so he did vnbinde him againe and in like sort as God hath troubled thy soule so he will giue it ease againe The vses which wee may make of this doctrine are these First letvs neuer despaire for any miseries whatsoeuer but still hope Isa 40. 2. for the Lorde hath alreadie numbred the daies of thy life and of thy sorrow and of thy paine and of thy affliction therefore neuer care for it will one day be ended Oh but thou wilt say it will be ended but it will be long first therfore I feare I shall faint in suffering but how canst thou tell it will be long hath the Lord told thee so then abide his pleasure although it be to thy paine hath he not told thee so then make not thy affliction longer or greater God which made the okes subiect to the greatest windes hath giuen them the largest and deepest rootes to stay them vp withall And if God do tempt thee with long calamitie O happie man art thou for he tempteth none aboue their power and if God load thy daies with sickenes or pouertie or losses or paines or wounds or infamie or seruitude yet know thou shalt be able to abide it if God haue sent it Another vse is that vnder our afflictions wee reioyce in hope Rom. 12. 12. for what greater perswasion can wee haue to mooue vs hereunto then this that the Lord hath alreadie determined the continuance thereof Reioice therefore that thou art like vnto Christ though thou bee vnlike to thy selfe Know that there is no darkenes but it flieth from the sunne there is no poyson but it yeeldeth vnto medicine there is no winter but it is remooued by sommer and therefore there shall neuer come vnto thee any such miserie but it shall be taken from thee But some wil say we may endure our aduersitie but we cannot reioice in the companie thereof how shal we whet our hope and reioice vnder tribulation My deere brethren if you can beare it patiently you may easily reioice therein for there is not required laughter to this ioy but the inwarde peace of
sinne which they doe not in other corporall plagues Psal 74. 1. The wrath of God made our Sauiour to sweate water and blood which comming vpon men although they cannot sweate as he did because they cannot resist as he did yet they feele in themselues such terrible horrours as amaze the strong and confound the weake From hence it commeth that some in this extremitie thinke that all that they do is for their condemnation their meat drinke apparell health and libertie are vnto many weake minds tokens of the Lords wrath Indeed they which are burned with this iron thinke that euery house will ouerwhelme them and euerie leafe that falleth on the ground will hurt them the noyse of any thing doth trouble them and a sharpe worde almost killeth them Terrible is a life lead vnder such conflicts for euery howre threatneth a thousand deathes the hart euer accuseth the memorie witnesseth against it selfe his owne reason condemneth him and his continuall feare is his cruell tormentor The first vse Let vs not be discouraged in these woefull torments but take example by our Sauiour Christ who for the glorie that was set before him most patiently endured the greatest crosse A hell thou must needs haue thou canst not eschue it therefore chuse it in this world where thou shalt finde mercie with God comfort in his word and solace in his church in the world to come thou shalt haue none of these Make heere thy apprentiship vnto sorrows where thy friends may accompany thee thy praiers may quiet thee and thy ioyes may recompence thee Why art thou afraid that thou canst not abide such paines then looke vnto God the author and finisher of thy faith Art thou in doubt to suffer shippewracke and despaire then knowe that GOD tempteth none beyonde their power Are thy friendes against thee yet the Aungels are with thee Louest thou not sorrowes then shalt thou neuer gaine ioyes if thou wouldest haue learning thou must endure the rodde if thou wilt haue golde thou must crosse the seas if thou wilt bee famous thou must take much paines and if thou wilt haue heauen thou must winne it by repentance Art thou yet afraide of thy selfe and canst not willingly vndergoe it set before thee the paines of this life and the plagues of the other life these are temporall those are eternall these are sufferable those are intollerable these are among men those among diuels these come of loue those of wrath and to conclude God shall mittigate these but hee will augment and aggrauate them Howe canst thou auoide death no more canst thou auoide hell If thou wouldest neuer die thou must neuer be borne and if thou wouldest neuer repent thou must neuer liue Let repentance bee thy purgatorie sinnes thy paines sorrowes thy tormentors and saie with Elijah Poure on more water that God may the more be glorified in thy saluation The second vse is the same that Dauid maketh Psalm 31. 23. after hee had tolde of this great extremitie and howe the Lord did set him at libertie he calleth vpon al the godlie saying Loue yee the Lorde yee his saints for he preserueth the faithfull and rewardeth abundantly the euill dooers Hearken vnto this you sorrowfull doues of the Lord your cause is not wicked your case is not desperate and your hope shall not be frustrate for the Lorde will deliuer you Is it not as easie for him to free you from sinne as from hell and from sorrowe as from damnation Yes verily and therefore loue the Lorde if you bee his saints Loue him I saie and hee shall loue you nay hee loued you first and therefore loue him againe Hee loueth you for hee looketh still vpon you and doe you loue him by looking stil vnto him hee loueth you and watcheth for your safetie do you loue him watch in his praises Which of vs liuing that were born in his church cannot say that the Lord hath wrought wonders for his annointed Tell thy soule what the Lorde hath done for it howe hee cast out the diuell and planted his spirite howe hee freede it from wrath and gaue it grace how he gained it from vengeance gaue it repentance Repentance I say with waterie eies leane bodie mournefull minde and miserable wounded heart and now for all this thou liuest in greater peace Therfore loue yee the Lorde yee his saints loue him as your husbande you are his wife loue him as your father you are his children loue him as your God you are his creatures and loue him as your life you are his ofspring Labour for him you loue pray to him you loue thinke vpon him you loue reioice in him you loue and then die to liue with him you loue thinke it long till you see him thinke it little that you giue him count it woe to forsake him and count it blessednes to loue him After hee had told them what they shoulde doe nowe hee telleth them what they shoulde not doe namely Not cut their garments Wherein he rebuketh the follie raigning in their and our times when they vsed to rent their clothes what careth the Lorde for a newe garment agaie cloke or a costly pearle All these shall perish but he endureth for euer And therefore rent not your garments onely not meaning it to bee vnlawfull to shewe an outward token of sorrowe but hee blameth curiositie and hypocrisie without inwarde sinceritie such as was in the high priest when he heard Christ say hee was the sonne of God hee rent his garments From hence we may gather that outwarde holines is abhominable All such religion as is onely for fashion praying and receiuing the Sacraments hearing of sermons and such like for meere shewe and companie Esay 57. 3 4. And if it bee lawfull to say that men are onely cyphers in religion when they know little or nothing and practise euill then may wee saie that there are more cyphers then figures in our daies You shall knowe them bicause they come but nowe and then to church where they fetch many a fained sigh and speake many ignorant Amen thinking that the worship of the Sabbaoth lieth in putting on their best apparrell and yet simple soules they are perswaded they be as good christians as can be of flesh and bloud and so they bee as Christes disciples were when hee saide vnto them O yee of little faith how long shall I bee with you how long shall I suffer you and so wee may saie to them howe long shall this simplicitie bee called christianitie and howe long shall faith giue place to opinion and howe long shall euerie base person extoll vaine profession against true Religion Oh I woulde they coulde bee brought vnto vs that wee might cast out this diuell from them The reasons of this doctrine are these because the Lorde trying the secret disposition of euery hart pronounceth that he is wearie of such fained worship and that his soule abhorreth it Isai 12.