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
as he doth the Pismires and conies Prou. 30. 25. 26. Then he sheweth for the terrour of the people howe they are armed to destroy euen as lyons with their greedie iawes and sharpe teeth which teare in sunder whomsoeuer they meete neither shall they onely execute this malice vpon men but they shall take vengeance on the vines and figge trees stripping off the barke breaking downe the branches and deuour the fruit and the body togither From hence we may first of all note seeing he maketh these beastes infinite in number mightie in power and a nation for pollicie and vnitie that it is in vaine to resist the iudgements of God seeme they neuer so small What coulde bee more base then to threaten the Iewes which had so many cities so many castles so many corne fieldes so many store-houses and so many inhabitants to be destroied by a few grashoppers and caterpillers which a man may treade on the ground or phisicke or naturall meanes may driue away yet wee see in this place the spirite of God so dealeth and armeth them with sufficient power to dismay and deuoure all things Shall we nowe saie that anie iudgement of God is small and of no reckoning when hee can make the vnarmed wormes to wearie the harnished souldiours No verily for he hath set his iudgements some in the heauens some in the earth some in the aire and some in the waters that euery where we might be driuen from rebellion and drawne from disobedience We may see in the heauens sometimes darknesse who can remedie it we may feele in the earth barrennesse who can redresse it we may smel in the aire loathsomnes who can purge it and a little billowe of the waters can ouerwhelme vs who then can saue vs For this cause Salomon Prou. 27. 12. called him a foole that running against iudgement destroyed himselfe Oh saith he in sicknesse why should I repent I hope the physician can remedie this and so delaieth till it be too late If he be poore then saith he I will take of other mens goodes and they shall maintaine me and considereth not that the gallowes are at hand Nay that which is woorse they see the iudgements of God against idle teachers vnfruitfull hearers vncleane liuers and intolerable blasphemers and yet they cannot hide themselues from it Oh my deere brethren we haue many iudgements in our lande and how doe men resist them the husbandman by plowing the gentlemen by fining the rich men by gayning and almost euery one by vngodly flattering therefore I beseech you let vs no longer be hardened for we doe striue against the streame and bid warre against the almightie if there be any meanes to escape them it is by yeelding or else assuredly we shall neuer bee eased Let vs then set our harts at rest and neuer wage battell against the Euerlasting for he as we may reade Iob. 34. 20. and 29. 37. can easily without all might destroy the strongest catch the wisest ouerturne the swiftest and confound the noblest why doe we then take a contrarie course as Balaam did which the Lorde hath not hitherto blessed It is not in our labour to releeue vs or in the earth to redresse vs it is not in our repentance or submission but principally in the mercie of God to deliuer vs. Then I beseech and entreate by your morning and euening praier that our harts may be plowed and then shall our barnes and garners be filled Againe why should we delay to worke our owne reconciliation who is able to abide the angrie countenance of the Lord for the Psalmist saith If his wrath bee kindled but a little then blessed are they that trust in him Oh how infinite is his mercie towards vs which haue so long felt his iudgements and yet hath not his wrath beene kindled I may feare and all that haue any soules may feare that all this time the coles of our transgressions are in gathering together and shortly will the Lords wrath set them on fire and then who shall not bee burned This is euident that wee resist the iudgements of God because we seeke not a truce with him And therefore looke shortly to be serued as the Iewes were to haue our flies turned into lions our wormes into beastes our friendes into foes and these small euils which already we haue shall be growen vnsufferable The vses which arise from hence is first the same that Elihu Iobs friend maketh Iob. 37. 24. when he had reckoned vp the wonderfull iudgements and works of God he thus concludeth Let men therefore feare before him for he regardeth none that are wise in their owne conceites Wherein he teacheth vs that although the Lord worketh strangely in the world and yet forbeareth to destroy vs it is because that thereby we should learne to feare him for in the feare of God is all religion and assurance of saluation Dauid saith it is the beginning of wisedome Peter telleth vs it is the continuance of our adoption and Paul saith it is the ende of our profession when he biddeth vs to finish vp our saluation with feare and trembling Then my beloued let vs feare God for so the word of God exhorteth and the Lord commandeth and the worlde and course of nature teacheth Feare him not as a iudge for then thou shalt bee condemned feare him not as a seruant for then thou shalt be punished but feare him as a father and then thou shalt be deliuered But some waxe desperate through feeling of the Lords iudgements and others are hardened because they haue seene others taken and themselues escaped and in our times although we haue so many causes to feare him oh fearefull times wherein is so little feare we may feare this one thing least as it falleth out with a sicke man a little before his ende he hath a lightening of his paines so that he feeleth himselfe voide of pangs and then presently dieth so now hauing so little feare after so long feare we be suddenly destroied But some will say if wee knew that the Lorde had sent it and not appointed any meanes to redresse then we would rest contented and in the meane time we cannot choose but labour to be eased by some way or other I graunt if the Lord should sounde from heauen vnto you or send an angell to reprooue your rebellion then it is like you would giue ouer but why are you not contented to knowe this by his word that it is the punishing of your sinnes and till you doe away your sinnes he will not doe away his iudgements Well saide Elihu Iob. 33. 13 14. Why dost thou striue against God for he doth not giue account of all his matters for God speaketh once or twice and man seeth it not then he openeth the eares of men by their corrections which he had sealed that hee might turne them from their euill hide their pride and keepe their soule from the pit So long therefore as
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
of this verse 1. Sam. 15. 3. Zep. 1. 3. euen for our sakes are they pined and fatted beaten and brused because of the sinnes which we haue committed All the men in the world could not beare their owne plague but the innocent and harmelesse beastes must helpe out with the matter The consideration of this may shew vnto vs the verie originall of the rebellion of some beastes For there was not alway eminitie betwixt man serpents and lyons and beares and wolfes and tygers and such like for at the first they were all subiect but now in reuenge of their miseries which for our sakes they endure they kill and spoile and teare vs in peeces where euer they meete vs yea the beare as we know will especially ayme at the woman with childe that they may rende the yoong babe out of the mothers wombe and so slay it before it be able to hurt and I would God we could vse the same wisedome in the slaughter of our sinnes to cut them off while they be yoong The reasons of this doctrine are these because they are subiect to vanitie Rom. 8. 20. vnder hope for the deliuerance for the which they all haue a certaine voice in their kinde knowen to the Lord whereby they desire a finall restitution And verily if this be a reason why they should desire a deliuerance because some of them shall remaine immortall it ought much more to stirre vp the minds of christians because not some but all of them shal for euer liue with God And surely if the children of tho bride chamber desire the marriage day much more ought the bridegroome and bride themselues Againe seeing beasts lament their vanitie because of corruption howe much more woorse then beasts are wicked and prophane men which will not lament their iniquitie because of condemnation and also how vily are some bewitched by the craft of the diuell which forget and call into question another life when as the verie bruit beasts by nature acknowledge the same Another reason is because this doth most notably aggrauate the sinne of man and might humble them throughly for the same Ios. 6. 17. 21. for would not I pray you this strike any man to the heart to heare all the beasts of the field togither as the buls bellowing the oxen lowing the calues bleating the lyons roaring the wolfes howling the dogs barking the horses neighing the Asses braying the beares crying and so all other in their kinde and out of kinde calling in the eares of God for vengeance against man This will surely amaze the strongest and dismay the mightiest and therefore it wil driue men to weigh their sinnes diligently for God knowing that our deafnes wuld be so great that the voice of mā should not be heard hath made euery beast and bird yea the very thunder to awake vs. The vses which come of this doctrine are these first that we fall into a particular cause why this mutinie of creatures and outcries of all beasts should be sent which the prophet teacheth vs Hose 4. 2. 3. to be swearing and lying and stealing and killing and whooring and such like for which things he saith shall come a generall mourning of man and beastes Surely wee haue as great cause to feare this hellish yelling and confusion as euer had any nation in the world for swearing is counted brauerie lying policy stealing honest shifting killing manhood and valour and whooring a pleasant pastime And thus blood toucheth blood for the poore haue mourned at home and abroade by famine and warre and the rich shall follow after when all the confusion shall follow them Againe let vs learne to pitie the poore creatures of God which for our sakes are thus endangered liuing vnder tedious labour and dying vnder the cruell butcher Ion. 4. 11. The Lord spared them and Niniueh for their sakes Mercie is a thing much loued of the Lord and surely we are to vse it not onely towards our beasts in their labour that we tire not them too much but also in their meate that we feede them sufficiently for in this place we see they will complaine Yea moreouer let vs not be too vnmercifull in their slaughter and kill not for wantonnes the old and yoong And also I cannot see how it should be lawfull to set them togither by the eares as beares and buls and dogs and such like seeing they rent one another for our sinnes and therefore none can make sport of their fighting but they also make sport of sinning Againe out of this verse where the cattle are saide to mourne we may note that famine is the greatest punishment of sinne in this life for other calamities they feele not and care not for and for this do the godly so confesse Lam. 4. 9. that better is the estate of them that die by the sword then of those that perish by famine and they giue reasons thereof First because all other punishments are not so tedious but they are dispatched in an instant onely famine is like hell where euery part is pained a man being alway dying and yet neuer dead Againe by famine God striketh and taketh away the fruits of the earth which hee doth not in other things although men and cattle perish yet who rageth against other creatures The vses which we might make of this if we would stand in it are these First that we learne how neere we are to a famine for the Lord threatneth Ezch. 4. 16. that he will bring a famine and make them eate their bread by weight and drinke their water by measure and do both in griefe and surely this is the verie case of the poore for they haue day by day had an ounce or two or three of bread and men remaine vnmercifull Againe let vs at the verie beginning of our dearth turne vnto the Lord or else the Lord shall withhold all things from vs Amos. 4. 6. Let him not complaine of vs as he did of that people that notwithstanding many iudgments yet they would not turne vnto him for if famine be so extreme that men and beastes and all creatures perish thereat oh turne thy soule vnto the Lord thy God for why should we work the death of men the destruction of beasts and the desolation of all the fruits of the earth The xv Sermon Vers 19. O Lord to thee will I crie for the fire hath deuoured the pastures of the wildernes and the flame hath burnt vp all the trees of the fields NOw the Prophet commeth to his particular complaint and praier grounded vpon good reasons and calling vpon the name of God for in the former verse we heard onely a complaint without mention of the Lords name and now seeing hee bringeth in a praier also we must note that we euer adde praiers to our complaints Ios 7. 7 8 9. Mich. 7. 6 7. art thou grieued for the sinnes of other men or for the miseries of
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
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
and yet wee which haue more reason are not mollified by the gifts of God or warned by our workes to him or pierced by his commandements but of this inough else where Because he hath exalted This is the reason why the Lord wil bring so sharpe a punishment vpon them because they haue beene so bold as to afflict his people But some may say vnto me did not the Lord sende these creatures to destroy and if he sent them why doth he punish them and if he sent them not how could they come in such swarmes to whom I answere that the Lord sent them and yet they exalted themselues to do it Whereby we may gather that men shall not alway escape vnpunished although they performe that which God commanded for God willed that Christ should be crucified but yet Iudas was neuerthelesse eternally plagued Act. 1. 18. if one man murther another God will haue it so or else it could not be yet shal the murtherer suffer death iustly God will haue good men in his church to be persecuted imprisoned and martyred by the enimies yet woe be to those men and hands that so handle and mangle their godly members The first reason because in these actions men serue not God but their owne will Act. 13. 27. God decreeth it for one cause but they doe it for another as God would haue Christ deliuered for the sinnes of the world but Iudas betrayed him for thirtie peeces of siluer God would haue Christ dye for redemption but the Iewes would put him to death for malice and thus one and the same thing done for diuers causes doth not excuse their malice as we may note in the storie of Ioseph and his brethren Againe as they do it for their owne pleasure so they attribute it to their owne power Isa 10. 13. so wee shall finde many boasting of their wickednes how they haue played the tall fellowes in wounding and killing and whooring and stealing and endicting and condemning and accusing other men when themselues are as guiltie of hell as the other were of death Oh fearefull spectacle of humane infirmitie that we may do that which God willeth to be done and yet we cannot will as God would haue it done No maruell if our life be so separated from God when our will cannot agree with our hand Seeing we may be transgressors in doing that which God commandeth especially when we haue to doe with the godly let vs follow the counsell of Pilates wife which was this that we haue nothing to doe against iust men for God will surely plague vs in the ende Matth. 27. 19. Speake not against them for it shall be rewarded fight not against them for thou shalt be conquered spoile them not for thou shalt be spoyled and accuse them not for thou shalt be condemned They are the eie of God pricke them not they are the Lordes annointed touch them not they are Christs members hurt them not for surely as Saul by striuing against Dauid did spoyle himselfe and as Pharaoh by tyrannizing ouer the Israelites did vndoe himselfe and all his countrey so shalt thou bring both nations and people thy selfe and all thy posteritie into euerlasting woe if thou oppresse the professors of religion Remember if thou chastise them thou art but the rod of God which when corrections be finished is throwne into the fire and euen as now Pilate wisheth though it be too late that he had obeyed his wifes counsell so shalt thou wish if not too late that thou haddest neuer medled against religion Againe let vs learne to frame our wils to God his will and then shall our handes without trespasse worke that which God commaundeth and therefore doe nothing of malice for that is of the diuel do nothing of enuie for that is of sedition do nothing rashly for that is folly but do all things with loue for there is God If thou canst do anything and not breake the bond of loue to God or to thy neighbour thou sinnest not yea although it seeme neuer so sinfull in the sight of man for loue is the fulfilling of the law so then so long as thou workest in loue so long thou doest not offend God and so long as thou doest not offend God so long thou doest not transgresse the law Feare not ô land but be glad and reioice for the Lord will do mightie things In this and in the verses following the Prophet giueth them verie manie exhortations grounded on the neuer failing promise of God First generally in this verse and then more specially in the verses following In this verse hee biddeth them not to feare some will thinke that this exhortation is needles for if they did not feare they could not beleeue his former threatnings To whome I answere that he meaneth they should not distrust the promises of God notwithstanding all the before named iudgements and therefore presently in this verse he telleth them that the Lord will doe for them mighty things By this then we gather that in all good men the promises of God must bee more powerfull then the feare of euill more plainly thus Art thou feared with sicknesse with pouertie with losse of children and such like dangers then remember the promise of God which saith that all shall worke to thy best and that I will not faile thee nor thy seede and such like and so let these promises more comfort thee then thy terrors doe dismay thee So our Sauiour comforted his disciples and in them all of vs Luc. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke it is your fathers will to giue you a kingdome and Dauid saide well to this purpose Though I walke in the valley of death I will not feare for thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me so let vs say with him though we liue in feare of warre and famine and pestilence and diuell and death and hell yet wee will not feare because God hath said they shall not hurt vs. Iosuah was neuer afraid to fight because God had said that he woulde fight for him so let not vs be afraide to fight with sinne to liue in danger to languish in prison and to pine away in famine seeing wee haue the Lords owne promise that none of these shall destroy vs but amend vs. The first reason because his euerlasting loue is the cause of his promise and therefore it will performe his mercie Ier. 31. 3 and if it be euerlasting then is the force thereof now as well as when it was first made and seeing it neuer was nor euer shal be repealed therfore it shall as well strengthen thy soule as the soule of Noah or Abraham or Moses or Dauid or Ieremie or any other Againe euil things are alway cōditionally threatned meaning if men repent not as we may see in Dauid Ahab Niniueh and many other and therefore repentant men neede not feare any danger for they are alway blessed hauing the angels to
which are negligent in this action and the estate of their gouernment the estate of their families and estate of their children Surely most dangerous aboue others for as when they performe this they are noted through a whole countrey and thereby they growe famous so the neglect hereof is spred farre and thereby they growe infamous For this cause hath the holy Ghost left vs in his word sundry examples where light and gracelesse fathers haue brought their lewde and godlesse children with themselues to destruction Looke on Elie 1. Sam. 3. 12. and Saul and Haman Esth 8. 13. who was the destruction of the fathers but themselues and who was the destruction of the children but the fathers If Helie had harkened to God and corrected his sonnes the Arke had not been taken the Philistines had not preuailed his sonnes had not been killed and he had saued his owne necke from breaking Oh consider this I beseech you my reuerende and gray headed fathers your age shall not discharge you this man wanted but two yeeres of an hundred yeere olde he was priest and iudge of Israell yet when he forgat himselfe he forgot the Lord also then had hee no pitie of his yeeres no mercie on his children and no compassion of his owne life Samuel tolde Saul that there was no sacrifice like to the hearing of the worde of God then if you will offer the best sacrifice heare the word of God The Lord you see which made the eares requireth but the eares againe why should you bring your children into the curse out of the couenant why should you driue the Lord to reiect you as he did Saul because you heare not his word Are you the fathers of our bodies be also I beseech you the fathers of our faith the authors of our profession and the ensamples of our obedience As Esau cried to Isaack blesse me my father so we crie vnto you to blesse our countrey to blesse your owne posteritie and to blesse the liues of them whose soules you haue in your handes Let the elders among vs know for a certaintie that if they heare vs not though wee bee yoong that speake vnto them yet wee will vse them as the woman did the wicked iudge ouercome them by importunitie And let euery man knowe his dutie euen to pray that their fathers and masters and magistrates and gouernours may bee as willing to grace the Gospell with their presence as they are to defende it by their policie surely we can hardly imbrace that which we see the chiefe commanders to neglect But yet I beseech you for your owne soules and for our liues for the children borne and vnborne and for the generall comfort of our whole countrey fulfill that heauenly voice Matt. 17. 4. Heare the heauenly sonne of God The third Sermon Harken ye all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or yet in the daies of your fathers ALl the inhabitants By these words we obserue this doctrine that there must not any liue in the church of God but such as doe and will at the least outwardly humble themselues to the ministerie of the word the church of God is the company of selected saints chosen before all worlds to the worship of God and if they be chosen from the contemners as good wheate is from the chaffe then must they not endure the hazarding of their soules by harbouring the children of disobedience Wee may reade in Nehem. 8. 2. that when he brought foorth the lawe of God Ezra read it before the congregation both of men and women and all that could vnderstand it And in the next verse he addeth that he read it in the streetes and all the people harkened to the booke of the law As in the common wealth there is a lawe which euery one vndergoeth vnlesse they be wearie of life so in the church of God this is a lawe Let him that hath eares to heare heare except he will bee banished from the land of the righteous and cut off from the body of Christ Surely as the Apostle saide Woe is me if I preach not the Gospell So must all the ministers of the Lorde euery day sound alowde to their people woe be vnto you if you heare not the Gospell The reasons of this doctrine may thus be gathered out of the word of truth First that which Moses hath recorded Gen. 17. 14. where the Lorde wil not haue any to be of Abrahams familie but they which would bee circumcised and if any would not receiue this wounde as our Sauiour calleth it in the flesh the Lorde commanded him to be cut off from his people Nowe wee knowe that the church is the familie of Abraham who was made the father of all the faithfull that they being made partakers of his beleefe shoulde also be partakers of his obedience There is not a prince or a noble man or a learned man or a rich man or a preacher or any base person among the common people but hee may challenge this priuilege if he beleeue in the Lord of glorie that he is the sonne of promise as Isaac was and therefore the sonne of Abraham as Isaac was All are not the children of promise that heare and are borne vnder the preaching of the Gospell but there are Ismaelites also which haue outwardly the badge of a true sonne though they bee but bastarde Christians yet olde Abraham ready for the graue must be circumcised before he die and yoong Ismaell if he will euer be blessed of God must be circumcised although he were heire apparant to the land of Canaan for as yet Abraham had no other sonne and the shepherdes the neatherdes the seruingmen and euery kitchin-boy receiue the signe or else be banished from their masters tents Euen so must the hoare headed father the greene headed yoong man the wanton youth the simple plow-man the gallant ruffian and the poore turne-spit be present and obedient to the voice of the minister Many I graunt of the better sort thinke their dutie discharged if in their owne persons they learne to knowe the Lord and for their families they let them doe as they list but you must remember that this was the commendation that Abraham receiued of God That hee woulde teach his children after him Genes 18. 17. and therefore if you will bee Abrahams sonnes teach that to your families which you haue learned your selues Oh how lamentable is it to see consider of a great number that set as good faces on the Gospell as the best when on the Lords own day some send their seruants many miles iourney suffer silly persons to waite in their kitchins I mean cōtinually as if there were none that had any soules but those that are called the rulers of families We may say of them as Bernard saide of the church cōmitted to careles clergie men O miserandam sponsam talibus creditā paranimphis O miserable soules lead by
vnfulled which openeth it selfe to euery winde and storme Christ the Sauiour is our enimie and we persecute him and crucifie him the Saints of God we regarde not the promises of God we know not our hope is vanitie and our God is iniquitie Call to your remembrance the houres the daies the weekes the monethes and the yeeres of your life thinke euermore on that mercie and that power that in the ruffe of all this iniquitie forbeareth forewarneth and forgiueth you Thinke thus with your selues I was a helhounde I was a heathen the tyger is better then my parentage and the serpent then my education I was naked without grace and not able to buy it the Lord that solde it was my enimie and I durst not aske vpon credite Howe many enormities haue I runne into against my God which the Lord foreseeing hath forgiuen the curse of my nature he hath remooued the euill of my conuersation he hath remitted the emptines of my soule he hath replenished and the sentence of my condemnation hath he recalled Thus hath the Lorde dealt with my life when I was sinfull he was mercifull when I blasphemed he blessed when I made warre against him hee made peace with me hee tooke my blowes on both cheekes he gaue me his coate and his cloake and to conclude when I walked through the valley of the shadowe of death his rodde and his staffe was my comfort therefore now will I giue my life for his my body for his garment my bloud for his blowes my soule for his sake and my whole person wealth honour dignitie labour and leasure for his saluation Secondlie another vse we may make of recording time past and the seueral works of God with his particular iudgments is the same which the prophet Dauid maketh Psalm 8. which is this after the rehearsall of the glorious workes of God he compareth man with them and saith Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Euen so when we see and heare of the great workes of God vpon others lay them to your selues by particular application to your soules and reckon them vp in order for your furtherance Little Canaan tolde his father of his grandfathers drunkennes and nakednes and he was accursed and all his posteritie But I haue in my youth done many thousand greater sins yet the Lord doth stil blesse me was the Lord too rigorous against him or too partiall with me that he all his life long wore such a badge as also disgraceth all his progenie but he laieth not to my charge the follies of my youth Moses and Aaron bicause they once distrusted the hande of God they were neuer suffered to enter into Canaan but I not once onely but many hundred times haue distrusted his promise denied his worde and forsaken his truth why do I liue so long in the lande of promise when more righteous then my selfe coulde not set their foote therein Ananias and Saphira kept backe but a part of their owne to serue them in aduersitie and denying the same were sodainly slaine by the Lord but I haue kept backe not mine but the Lordes from the Lorde and haue lied not once to the holy Ghost but many times and yet I liue my credite not impeached my profession is not blamed my life is not shortened and my daies are not ended Oh beholde the seueritie of God towards these that fell but the mercy of God towardes me that standeth And thus may we say of nations and whole people why was Egypt destroyed and Israell saued why were the Canaanites cast out and the Israelites planted in why was Edom made tributarie to Iacob Babylon to Persia Persia to Graecia Ireland to England Surely surely we might haue beene the slaues and they the Lordes we the bondmen and they the freemen Euil wars might haue beene in our daies as it was in our fathers and that which was greatest poperie or heresie or hethenisme might haue beene professed in these our times as it was long agoe Thinke therefore my beloued how many bonds of obedience the Lorde hath bounde vs in and consider what had beene our hap if we had beene those children that were ripped out of their mothers bellies if we had beene those yoong men that perished in battell if we had beene those women that eate their babes to saue their liues and finally how much more are we bound vnto God that we were not Infidels Pagans Papists haeretikes Atheistes or any other kinde of cursed men Let vs also say with the prophet Psal 147. vlt. With euery nation hath he not dealt thus Let therefore euermore the worde of God bee in our mouthes the praises of God be in our hearts the Gospell in our liues and by howe much more we haue tasted of the Lords goodnes aboue other so much more let him taste of our thankefulnes aboue other The fourth Sermon And tell you your children of it and let your children shewe to their children and their children to another generation NOw the prophet hauing bidde them to enquire of their forefathers also willeth them to tell this wonder to them that shall come after namely to their children with this commandement also that they in time to come being made parents shoulde likewise declare this vnto their posteritie Where first of all the prophet giueth vs this doctrine that it is the dutie of fathers that if anie notable and woorthie worke of God happen in their daies to shew the same vnto their children for the wordes are tell your children c. Euen this doth the Lorde warne the Israelites Exod. 13. 14. to shew the wonders in Egypt vnto their posteritie and peculiarly at the eating of the passeouer For in truth this care and conscience of godlie parents is the verie conduit pipe or kings highway whereby all religion all feare of God and the vniforme profession of the truth is preserued By this meanes came Moses to be a fit and able writer of the Scriptures although hee handle matters done two thousand yeeres before he sawe the worlde he had no recordes nor writings to helpe him but that truth which descended as it were by propagation from father to sonne vnto his daies which began to be corrupt the holy Ghost approoued and Moses recorded Therefore the learned haue obserued that in seauen generations it came to Moses Adam say they taught the Historie of the creation and fall of man with other thinges to Methusaleth Methusaleth told them to Sem Sem shewed them to Iacob Iacob to Kohath Kohath to Amram and Amram to Moses And in this sort was this noble story of Genesis with visions places and persons deliuered from hande to hande from father to sonne and from one generation to another that the wordes and workes of God might be euerlastingly remembred This sheweth how by the carefulnes of parents the pure knowledge of God was maintained and the true worship of
creatures to bee reuenged on his aduersaries so also hee will and can doe the same to the benefite of his chosen He vsed the rauens to feede Eliah 1. King 17. 6. and wee know that al these noisome creatures which deuoured and destroyed the cattle people of Egypt neither deuoured or destroyed man or beast among the Israelites The viper a hurtfull beast yet it could not harme Paul Act. 28. 5. when it hung vpon his hande What shall we now say my deere brethren to commend the large liberalitie of our God to conuince the intolerable ingratitude of our soules The angels waite on vs aboue to keepe the heauens from ouerwhelming vs the creatures attend on vs beneath to make the earth to yeeld vs maintenance oh how shall they want any thing that leade a godly life yet who doth depend on the Lordes promise or who doth make conscience of the Lords liberalitie We are like to the Iewes which Nebuzaradan left in Ierusalem with the Samaritans seeing the serpents destroying the Samaritans sparing them yet still they continued in their idolatrie so although we see and heare our neighbours our countreymen or any other nation to be wasted and we preserued to be famished wee sustained to be weakened and wee strengthened to be punished when we go scot-free yet still we serue our pleasures we blaspheme the Gospell we prophane the Sabbaoth and we dishonour the almightie although he hath not dealt with any nation as he hath dealt with vs yet we care not for his creatures we loue not his truth we forsake not our sins we embrace not his feare we haue no resolution for our owne saluation the Lord for his mercy turne our harts Another doctrine we may obserue out of this verse which is this that euerie light and little creature can trouble ouercome the welfare ofmen Why did not the Lorde raine downe fire from heauen to consume their fielde of corne or to burne vp their fruitefull gardens or why did he not sende his angels immediately from heauen to weede out the wicked from the land and so to haue made an ende at the very first of these Iewish calamities This he might haue done although he did it not but rather sendeth creeping wormes to ouerthrowe a great nation which is to mans reason as if one sparke of fire were sent to burne vp the whole sea Wee reade Act. 12. 23. that Herod by his flatterers was magnified to be a God the which thing pleased the wretch too well for shortly after it cost him bloude and life to shewe himselfe and his fauorites that he was but a man for it was saide that he was eaten and deuoured of wormes O woorthie example of so woorthie impietie which wearing the crowne but of an earthly kingdome would also be aduanced to an heauenly regiment therefore he receiued the greater condemnation Where were his Phisicians coulde not they purge away the euill which did eate vp the kings hart where were his seruants which woulde doe all things for him and now could not they deliuer him from little wormes nay what did this newe made God if hee were but a god of flies could not he comfort and cure himselfe No no the darte was too deepe the wound was too great and the disease too desperate but he in the midst of these his torments hauing his heart eaten and the wormes crawling out of his body with intollerable anguish cryed out Behold your Godwhich is enforced to die Let all proude persons be warned by the example of Herod especially great men who thinke themselues if not better yet equall to the sonne of God the king of heauen and earth least they be punished after the example of Herod The flies did trouble and terriblie molest the whole lande of Egypt thinke alwaies the Lorde can easily turne our meate into wormes our drinke into flies our bloud into lice our garments into serpents and our ioyfull friends into spoyling beasts We are not so high but there is one aboue vs we are not so lowe but there are some beneath vs we are not so wise but the Lorde is within vs neither are wee so noble but his highnes can confound vs. And this doctrine hath good reasons beside lamentable experience whereon it may be grounded the weakest things of God are far stronger then the strongest of man 1. Cor. 1. 25. 27. and by the weake thinges of this worlde will he confounde the strong the which although it be spoken in another sence then it is heere alleaged yet doth it serue also to this purpose to shewe vnto vs that the Lord will for his glory ouercome by the weaker forces And it is most true that a little beast with his wrath is as forcible to destroy vs as a mightie serpent and the fall of a feather vpon our heads although they were garded with a helmet of proofe yet shoulde it through his indignation be as heauy as a mill stone to dash out the braines of the proudest Hee which made these things is not tied to his owne workes but when hee will he can alter light into darknes turne the lande into the sea the mountaines into valleyes and make iron to swim when lighter matters shall sinke Nowe good men must euer be mightily comforted with the consideration of this heauenly power this made the men of Babylon to offer their bloud to the fierie flaming furnace this made the woorthie Gideon with a fewe persons to aduenture the ouerthrow of many thousandes this encouraged Elisha being besieged with an huge army of Syrians and therefore this must force vs to die in persecution to fight for the Lordes truth to pray where we see no helpe to professe his name though we loose the sweetest pleasures of this life The vses which offer themselues vnto our consideration are these first that it teach vs to thinke most humbly and most basely of our selues as Dauid that noble king that euer was did Psal 22. 6. I am a worme saith he and no man euen the ofscouring of men Seeing the basest creatures of the world are able so easily to destroy vs what can be better signe of our humilitie then as Dauid doth to call our selues by their names Abraham talking with God called himselfe dust and ashes such as lie vnder foote to bee troden vpon by euery one and Dauid giueth himselfe a name which none hath done before him and very few after him by taking on him the title of a sillie creeping worme engendred of the dirt fed onely with earth and the lowest of all kinde of beastes would God the spirite of mildnesse could driue away the spirite of statelinesse which raigneth in those which are many thousande degrees inferiour to Dauid Let them imagine through the wrath of God that the haires of their head were turned to liuing creatures which were an easie thing with God and yet would it not make them humble how if the intrals and bowels of
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
hearers The reasons of this doctrine are these bicause in that time the Lorde sheweth himselfe to be an enimie Lamen 2. 5 8. And who is he that will not sorrow knowing that the Lorde is his enimie would he euer fall out so farre with his owne people as to suffer his owne glorie to bee darkened were it not bicause he hath kindled his wrath against them euen as a Lorde in this worlde taketh from his seruant his office his cognisance and in the end turneth him out of his dores bicause he hath displeased him so dealeth the Lorde with vs when he maketh men colde in his seruice and wearie of his Gospell O my beloued nowe I feare is the Lord an enimie vnto vs when hee suffereth such abuses and abusers of his goodnes to liue among vs. Poperie beginneth againe to growe ioyfully out of the earth in the Lordes fieldes Atheisme priuily stretcheth his selfe as the Iuie doth about the Oke the ministerie groweth careles the people waxeth wanton the rich men are idle and the poore men are ignorant of the Lords seruice Are not these sufficient tokens that the Lord beginneth to be an enimie vnto England O mourne therefore as a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husbande of her youth See we not how the worlde winneth vpon the possessions of the church if we haue a vnitie then bringeth he in securitie if there be diuisions then brocheth hee manie blasphemous heresies if we agree among our selues he maketh the world to hate vs if we please the worlde our own brethren suspect vs if we haue great gifts then are we enuied if we haue but smal gifts then are we despised and thus with nothing are all men pleased the Lords busines is still deferred Surely this will make the Lord fall out with vs be our enimie for euerie one thinketh that his owne dislike is reason enough to be absent from the Lords presence And if there be anie that loue the Lorde Iesus let them before hande sorrow that his second comming shall finde no faith on the earth Let vs therefore cast downe our selues as the Apostle wisheth vs Iam. 4. 9. Endure afflictions and weepe and sorrow let your laughter be turned into heauines and your ioy into mourning nowe is the time as Ieremie said that we giue glorie to the Lorde before he bring darknes or euer our feete stumble in the darke mountaines Let vs beholde as in a watch towre this enimie of the church marching neere at hande readie to fight against our saluation to poison our faith to abolish the Scriptures to silence the preachers to distract the people and to roote vp againe that foundation which the Lorde hath builded This let both princes and people clergie and temporaltie lament with all speede and without all ceasing that the bane of Religion is alreadie receiued and the foundation of darkenes is alreadie laide the workemen of iniquitie are building vpon it we cannot hinder but we will pray against it we cannot roote it vp but we wil set the fire of the Lords word to burne it we cannot deface it yet we will lament it Mourne O yee elders that your posteritie shall be thus endangered that in your daies you haue seene the Lorde a friende and an enimie to vs that you haue suffered the decay of that which all the worlde can neuer builde that you haue so laboured to builde your owne houses and names and haue rooted vp the walles of the church Weepe O yoong men for your selues and for your soules for your liues shall smart for your pleasures and I am afraide that the bloude of your harts must clense the wickednes of your times Crie out O children that you are deputed to haue but the reuersions of the truth which your elders deuoured and leaue you nothing but pay those debtes which they owe for their iniquities The meate offeringe All the offerings which were sacrificed in the olde lawe did betoken Christ to be sacrificed for vs vnto the which there was to be added as the Lorde commanded Numb 15. 4 5 6. a meate offering of fine meale and oyle and a drinke offering of wine without which there was no offering no sacrifice so that in this place when he saith the meat offering and drinke offering are cut off from the house of God he meaneth by one part the whole worship of God to be intermitted Frō whence we may note this that God hath so great regard to punish sinne that rather then it shall escape scot free he will discontinue his owne worship More plainly men know that so long as they keepe the worship of God and the pure outward profession of true religion no great nor generall change of state or iudgement of God shal ouerturne them therefore the Lorde will take away his worde his worship his truth from among them which are the charets of Israel and the garde of the church that he may more freely take vengeance of our sinnes Thus may we read he dealt with Israell Psal 78. 60. Lam. 2. 16. Now consider I beseech you what refuge can we haue against the Lorde or what shield to couer our sinnes why you will saie the Lords mercie but how if mercie haue beene offered and be refused and so the date thereof for our good be expired Yet you will saie his mercie endureth for euer but I may answere you that hee so little regardeth mercy to men and seruice to himselfe at sometimes that he taketh away all signe of his fauour all tokens of his presence all comfort of his word and commoditie by his worship and so let vs feare in England least we be so serued and rather ruled and least the time come that we may say heere stood a church there was the Gospell preached once we might safely professe the word of God but now we are excluded The reasons of this may be these first because the people so long as they say the temple of the Lord the Gospell of the Lorde so long they are obstinate in their sinnes and wilfull in all manner of wickednesse Iere. 7. 4 3. And for this cause to take away their shroude that they might cast away their vaine confidence the Lorde spareth not his owne worship to shew vnto vs that he also will not spare our liues This might be vrged to the vttermost for these our times wherein there are few that will crie the temple or the Gospell but amongst those few which vrge the bare name of religion and reformation how many are there that liue riotously and walke licentiously pitifully tronbling the world with their lustes and the church of God with their workes but let vs beware least both they and others cannot say the temple but that we had religion in England Secondly another reason may be this because we take not the true course and lawfull way to keepe the worship of God among vs. Rom. 9. 32. The Iewes saith the Apostle
rebukes of sin for the Lord. Hos 4. 4. cōplaineth of the desperate estate of the people for he saide they rebuked the prophet This is the sin of England for there are among vs that will teach wise men and themselues being fooles they will controule learned men themselues being ignorant they will sohoole preachers yet they cannot heare they will rule magistrates themselues being subiects and they will seeme to doe all things being able to doe nothing But this is the point woorthie to be stoode vpon they will reprooue the minister of the Gospell If they suspect vs they condemne vs if there be but an vncertaine rumour they make it a certaine sclander so that our life our liuings our doctrine our calling and all our preaching is contemned by them Our life to be idle our liuings to be too great our doctrine to be suspitious our calling to be burdensome and our preaching to be onely for a worldly respect Oh incurable vndurable mischiefe why do men at once set Christ to schoole teach God to be wise refuse the Gospels gouernment and choose the tyranny of sinne Why do they rebuke vs and yet thinke they do well if the rod of magistrates light on vs for our sinnes let vs abide it but to let euery drunkard and ruffian and seruingman and euery base companion to crow against the Gospell and our calling let vs neuer abide They hate vs because they loue sinne they loue liberty because they abhorre discipline they regard not the ministery because they regard not God and therefore looke for a present and speedie calamitie for since that base fellowes became ministers base fellowes haue regarded none so that now we may preach out our hearts and pray out our soules and weepe out our eies yet we shall receiue nothing but scoffes and scornes rebuke and scander for our labor Weepe and howle hauing bidden them to be ashamed now he biddeth them to bee sorrowfull for well hee knew that their hope and health was lost when their corne and fruites were destroyed wherein they trusted more then in GOD. And from hence wee may obserue that if the worshippe of God bee once decaied there is not any so desperately wicked or dissolute but he shall smart for them we may say Esay 9. 10 11 12. That the wicked make great bragges if they were depriued of preaching the word they say they would turne brickes into hewen stone and tymber into Cedar trees but the Lorde telleth them that their enimies shall beset them and he will cut off both honorable and taile So is the course of his iudgement that when hee hath taken away his worship which is a helmet of proofe to keepe his wrath from vs then he sendeth greatest calamitie when we thinke we shall liue in greatest securitie The filthie Sodomites thought that they were well when Lot was gone from among them but there followed presently fire and brimstone from heauen By this our gallants may perceiue that if the Gospell be in the wrath of God translated from our countrey their brauerie and pride and wealth and prosperitie shall be ouerturned into perpetuall miserie They thinke it a burden intollerable to liue vnder the checke heereof but let them know that the little finger of humane tyrannie shall bee heauier on them then the loines and body of all christianitie Oh how do men deceiue themselues with sweete promises of great and incredible ease which they shall reape by the abasing of the ministerie by the decay of good men and the abandoning of all goodnes when they shall haue libertie to commit any kinde of sinne O miserable wretches saith one to whom it is lawfull to do wickedly surely you shall come out of a little brooke and runne headlong into the maine sea The reason of this doctrine is this bicause the wicked shoulde knowe that all goodnesse which they receiue is for the Gospels and godly mens sake Prou. 11. 11. there is not any thing in the worlde which the godly haue not a title vnto insomuch as all the wicked men are but vsurpers of the goods and landes and wealth and dignities they enioy so long as a godly man is liuing The worlde is a bodie religion is the soule thereof which being remooued is dead and fit for nothing The worlde is a building and the worship is the pillar postes thereof which being remooued it must needes fall as the house wherein Sampson slewe the Philistines So that it is most plaine that when our knowledge is turned to ignorance and the preachers of the worde of God cease to speake in the name of God and when the Gospell is banished from our lande and there bee a free libertie to doe what they list then I saie will the heauens threaten destruction the mindes of men shall be made blinde their vnderstanding shall bee taken from them and they shall liue as other people do without God his word to be slaues to their enimies drudges to their labours beastes in their liues enimies to God haters of good things and diuels by their death The vses which commeth from this doctrine is first of all that wee labour with speede to amende those things which are amisse among vs for else that iudgement which the Lorde once threatened to the Ephesian church Reuel 2. 5. shall take holde namely that the Lord will take away his candlesticke from vs if the light bee gone we shal liue in darknes if the word be gone we shall liue in blindnes if God his worship be taken from vs wee shall die in miserie This onely is the meate which if wee want will consume vs it is a sworde and if it bee not in our handes it will wounde vs it is a scepter which if the king of heauen holde not foorth we shall be condemned Feare the want of the Lords worship for if it goe from vs then he will depart if he depart then our prosperitie will cease and there shall not be a man aliue which will not desire to die Consider I beseech you if you haue enioyed great possessions goodly landes faire houses many friends delicate liues and many children but in one night thy aduersarie stealeth away thy euidence whereby thou holdest thy lande and then thou art turned out of possession thy landes are taken from thee thy friendes forsake thee thy children crie on thee and thou bee constrained either to harde labour or vnlawfull beggerie how wouldest thou take it but wish for a thousande deathes to bee deliuered from this shame So shall it bee with thee in the Gospell which is the euidence of thy peace thy health thy landes thy ioy and the kingdome of heauen the which being taken from thee thou canst neuer enioy any of these then thou shalt weepe without comfort sorrowe without hope liue without ioy die without peace and be damned without mercie Oh whose heart is not cleaued asunder to thinke vpon the danger of his soule Loue the
and they sacrificed and none else but they altered and it came to one tribe and they also were abrogated and so it came to men approoued in the church who are deemed the speciall portion of the Lord in this world And surely if the seruants of Salomon were blessed that hearde his wisedome and waited in his court they are much more blessed which waite in the Lords house and heare and see the secrets of the kingdome of heauen It is therefore a most fearefull thing to aduance any vnto this to bee the Lords seruant who is not woorthy to sit in the chaire of Moses and there is no reason why they shoulde minister in the church which are not woorthie to be the porters of the doore Surely the prophanenes of many in these places is so great and so damnable that besides the iniuries done to Christ many run headlong into hell thorough the euill example of their pastours The Lords seruants followe their maister in holinesse and not the world in lewdnesse they looke to the soules but these waite for the fleeces they preach vpon conscience these doe it for fashion they preach onely the truth but these bring the fire of poetrie philosophie and such like to the altar of God to conclude they bee the helpers vnto faith but these quench their owne giftes and keepe other from pure knowledge The reasons are these because the whole life of the minister must be onely exercised in spirituall heauenly matters Act. 6. 2. 4. The apostles would consent to nothing which was not consonant to their ministerie or that might any waies hinder the same And for this cause the Lord hath so prouided that they should be exempted from all worldly businesse and receiue their maintenance from other not onely for themselues but for their children and families The which thing considered would aduertise a number of vs that wee which warre should not entangle our selues with the things of this life we should neuer giue ouer our seruice for that is nothing else but to forsake God wee must neuer cause our sinnes to make vs be thrust out of the ministerie for that will exclude vs from heauen wee must neuer bee idle and vnprofitable seruants in our ministerie for that will worke our curse and wee must neuer be wearie of our places for that will weaken and lessen our giftes But alas once there might come no rasor on the ministers heads but now adaies heads and beards and all are powled if wee shoulde not nowe looke to our owne maintenance wee might soone want sustenaunce and our children are easily suffered to begge though their parents haue well deserued of the Church of God Another reason is because none may offer them any violence but the Lorde accounteth it his owne Exod. 16. 8. and hee saith by the prophet Dauid Touch not mine annointed and doe my prophets no harme How desperate is the case of all men who are daily by wordes and deedes reuiling the ministers of the gospell and thinke themselues happy if they can giue a priest a deadly blowe by their enuenomed toong Truely I will say our owne sinnes were the cause of all this yet if the kisse of Iudas was so mortally punished these mens not kisses but wounds not with lips but with toongs and hands shall neuer escape vnrewarded for as by their toongs they haue killed vs so the Lord with his toong shall condemne them From hence let vs of the ministerie learne our dutie which is seeing we are the Lordes owne seruants let vs labour to present euerie man perfect in Iesus Christ Col. 1. 28. there is no seruant but he desireth not onely to do much worke but that hee may present it faire and beautifull to his masters viewe this is our labour to bring many soules and saints to the Lorde of glory Abraham sending his seruant to fetch a wife for Isaac his sonne he brought him godlie and beautifull Rebecah wee are the Lordes seruants and wee are sent to fetch a wife for Iesus Christ the sonne of God oh let vs be as faithfull vnto God the father and to Iesus Christ as that seruant was to Abraham and Isaac let vs doe our message with diligence let vs execute our charge with praier let vs giue them the golden bracelets of God his truth and let vs with all speede and haste returne againe to him that sent vs. When Iacobs sonnes went into Egypt Iudah promised him to bring Beniamin againe if he woulde let him go or else he shoulde slaie his owne two sonnes and so if wee bring not againe to the Lorde his beloued children he will slaie our bodies and soules for euer and euer for at our hands will he require them Come on therefore my deere and holy annointed brethren we haue the leading of God his children wee haue the keeping of Christs Queene we haue the tillage of the Lords corne we haue the vse of the Lords treasure we haue the price of our Sauiours bloud if we loose his childrē he wil slay ours if we defile his wife he wil curse vs if we neglect his husbādry he will spoile ours if we waste his treasure he wil sel vs to perpetuall bondage and if we spill our Sauiours bloud he shall condemne our bloud body and soule Oh therfore let vs be instāt in preaching holy in liuing earnest in praier zealous in exhortatiō careful in admonition instructing the children correcting the youth and comforting the aged that as Iacob returned with many more soules out of Syria into Canaan then hee brought so may wee come with many soules out of this world into the world to come Another vse shall be for the people that considering wee be the Lordes owne seruants and therefore open and shut the priuie chamber doore which leadeth vnto him and to vs is committed the building of the church then as the Apostle exhorteth you Ephes 4. 11 14. that ye giue heed to them whom the Lorde sendeth you for spirituall guides direct not your praiers to Angels and saints in heauen for they haue not the keeping of the Lordes workes but the ministers which be aliue are the priuie counsellers to the Lordes maiestie whom if you will not beleeue neither can you beleeue though an angell come from heauen vnto you And therefore as all the people were wonte to waite for the comming out of the priest that hee might blesse them so do you all euermore waite for the blessing and mercy and grace and counsell and loue of God to come from them to you As the Lorde turneth the bloude of a woman into milke for the nourishment of hir childe so doth hee turne our wordes and gifts and knowledge and learning and studie and life to be the nourishment of you his church Come to vs for comfort and instruction and edification and saluation you are the Lordes housholde we are his stewards come to vs for your meate of soule and wages
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
needefull and blessed businesse oh wretched men thus possessed by those that rather ought to be possessed by them Another reason is because this delight in this worke is the very ende and fruite of the gospell 1. Iohn 1. 4. My brethren saith Iohn I write vnto you that your ioy may be full that is that you may reioice in all things as in meate for there is the Lords hand in apparell for there is his prouidence in health for there is his goodnesse in sicknesse for there is his mercie in your houses for they are his tabernacles and in his church for there is his seruice A pagan a heathen an infidell a Iew a papist or any other enimie of Christ can come to our assemblies and with a minde readie to vomite vp whatsoeuer they heare attende to their greefe what is there done as many among vs doe and yet be neuer the better therefore bee you better then these and let your righteousnesses exceede theirs or else you shall neuer reioice in his euerlasting kingdome The vses which come of this doctrine are these first that whatsoeuer we doe in the Lords house let vs do it cheerefully of an vpright and peaceable minde that we say of our selues as Dauid and Christ of them Psal 69. 9. The zeale of thy house hath eaten mee vp so of zeale let vs doe euery thing that wee doe for as reason must measure all matters in humane and worldly affaires so must zeale season all things in spirituall and diuine matters Zeale is like the loue of Iacob to Rahel it thinketh no frost too cold nor any raine too dangerous nor any snowe too great nor any heate so vehement nor any sunne so parching but he endureth it for the loue of a woman What shall Iacob loue a faire face better then a Christian loues a glorious Sauiour oh no no but let our loue be deerer then the loue of a woman and let vs all say and that all with Marie the mother of Christ My soule reioiceth in God my Sauiour But oh where and of whome shall I complaine that haue not beene eaten vp with zeale no nor bitten therewith or that which is lesse it hath not licked their soules nor kissed their liues that is they haue neither beene iealous nor zealous for the Lorde of hostes sake for themselues they care not what God is for other they care not what their soules bee and for all they care not what hell shall be they are not earnestly righteous nor obstinately wicked but openly indifferent and that is no body in religion they mourne not when other sorrow they reioice not when other laugh they stirre not when other are mooued and they feele not when other are afflicted How zealous I beseech you are they when they haue beene colde in the heate of the day and neuer sweate one drop in the worke of Christ or wept one teare in the cause of Christ Another vse is this that seeing we must be carefull to worship God with ioy let vs then pray for the peace of the church whereby there may be no mourning within our pallaces Psal 122. 6. I graunt our sacrifices to God are as acceptable when our reioicing is banished in any common aduersitie when wee humble our selues by praier and fasting as when in times of greater prosperitie and securitie we are lifted vp with thankesgiuing yet this is better for the church and equall to the Lord. Therefore let vs most carefully commend Ierusalems peace and euerie member thereof to the Lords tuition pray for it with an earnest desire I say to obtaine and an vnwearied labour till thou hast atchieued To abate but Dauids thirst three of his men aduentured their liues being but onely to satisfie the kings minde who was Dauid but a member of the church and therefore if they would doe so much for one let vs doe more for all the church together that her thirst may be satified and her ease be procured Oh therefore how happie is our age wherein we liue for the church hath peace abundantly and our basest things are become very honourable the blood which other haue shed for the same doe we enioy and they by filthie prisons haue purchased for vs most pleasant houses O England be not wearie of thy well doing least the Lord be wearie of thee be not vnthankfull for thy peace least the bond there of be strooke in sunder be not proud of thy benefites least thou be stripped of thy ornaments be not secure in thy glorie least thou be stirred vp to greater labour but pray the father with the sonne the mother with the daughter the lorde with the seruant the mistresse with the maide the maister with the familie the rich with the poore and men with women and little children peace be within our wals and prosperitie within our dwellings The seede is rotten vnder the clods the garners are destroied the barnes are broken downe for the corne is withered It seemeth that these men being somewhat touched with want one â—eere yet they comforted vp themselues with their husbandrie and tillage thinking the next yeere woulde make amends for all like as we haue seene in our lande these times of dearth for men haue yeere by yeere sowed and plowed loosing both seede and crop notwithstanding all their labour as these husbandmen here doe thinking that whether God will or not they will make things cheaper and plentie againe but all is in vaine For if they sowe it rotteth in the ground if they keepe the houses fall vpon it if they eate they spende their store and if they spende then will shortly their liues be ended By these wordes we may obserue that it is in vaine by any naturall meanes to seeke to doe away the Lords hande Hag. 1. 6. The people of Israel being in some perplexitie they sowed and eared and planted and laboured to bee releeued but alas the prophet telleth them that he wasted their seede he bloweth on their store and the labourer putteth his wages into a broken bagge What had hee no pittie on the poore labouring man that worketh for a groate or sixe pence a day but hee must consume that also yea verily for the Lorde must bee serued as well by the poore countrie man as the rich citizen and therefore curseth as well the gettings of the one as the gaines of the other But what shall I say vnto you shall I bid you not till the earth or not sowe your corne no verily but plow vp your harts and cast in the seede of regeneration and then plow vp your land and cast in your seede of sustentation How shal the corne grow in your fields when vertue will not growe in your soules Therefore labour not in vaine it is not in all our plowing or planting or sowing or reaping or working to helpe our selues but in the Lords blessings who will then blesse the earth when we haue washed away the curse of our
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
because they bee troubled their bowels are swelled and their hart is turned vpside downe meaning that they were so passionate that their inward partes were woonderfully mooued And this condemneth the colde affection of thousands in our daies which haue as much feeling in their praier as they haue in their dreames and knowe as well how to remooue a mountaine as how to mooue the Lords minde toward them so colde are their thoughts so weake are their desires so wilde are their wordes and so many be their wants in praier that I thinke verily when they haue praied they finde themselues as much fitter for the Lordes seruice as a stone is for building being rubbed ouer with a little oile I warrant you their harts are not turned vpside downe yea I would their liues were turned but I feare they will first bee ouerturned They will make more suite in better words for a dinner they being hungrie then for the Lords spirit or any other meanes for saluation Their voices in praier are like vnborne children crie they cannot much lesse speake any thing no not so much as to say Amen when others haue praied before them The reasons of this doctrine are these because hee careth not for meane and weake wordes but for strong and fearefull passions Isa 29. 13. for the Lorde being highly to be feared will especially be then feared ardently when men speake vnto him by praier Moses fell on his face when hee praied to him and so did Elijah for it is vnpossible but a man of flesh and blood shoulde tremble when hee thinketh on God much more when he praieth to God for then doth the spirit helpe a man more to see into the secret of his maiestie then at other times Yet fearefull is it to see how men in our daies thinke to carrie away the matter with wordes perswading themselues that their bare presence and outwarde dwelling among the church where now and then they heare God spoken of and heare a few praiers in the publike place although their harts honour not the one nor confesse the other yet are they as good religious men as any in the world but let them knowe that they be as good Christians as the Samaritanes were right Israelites Another reason is because that an acceptable sacrifice to God is a broken and contrite hart Psal 51. 17. and therefore when we offer to the Lorde our praiers let vs be sure that our hartes bee broken asunder for as there was no beast sacrificed but his body and shoulders were parted so no man can be offered to God but his hart must be diuided in sunder that is he must be most passionately affected at the Lords house and most lamentably tormented for his owne sinnes most pitifully opened for the Lords mercy most earnestly desire the building vp again of the same The vses which we must make of this thing are these First let vs not iudge euill or rashly of them that are mooued earnestly and labour effectually in prayer 1. Sam. 1. 14. 16. When Annah praied before the Lorde bicause hir lips went and not hir voice Eli tolde hir shee was drunke but she answered no for she was a woman of a bitter soule In like manner the power and working of the spirit in the praier of many through their continuance wordes and gestures is most wickedly mocked and most shamefully blasphemed of the malicious sort who are able to saie as much in their praiers as the olde masse-priestes coulde when they wanted their owne bookes And for this cause without the spirit of God they speake euill of the things of the spirite terming our earnestnes in praier to be rauing our zeale to be follie our continuance to be a heape of idle desires our teares to be hypocrisie our sweate to bee chafing and our forwardnes and willingnes thereunto to be pride and ambition with a number the like as I haue heard which are now opened in the stages where all good gestures are most wickedly derided Well well Eli was not so rash nor prophane but blessed Annah when she had tolde him hir minde and yet for all that hee ended his life with the breach of his necke Howe can it be but the Lorde shall more mercileslie bring these to confusion we may aske this kinde of monsters as Esay did some in his daies vpon whom haue you iested and against whom haue you opened your mouthes surclie against him that made both toong and mouth and shall trie it out As there are many giftes in the spirite of God so are there manie waies to expresse the power of them and as euerie one hath his gift so hath hee his gesture to open and vnfoulde the same Another vse of this doctrine is for our singular comfort that seeing according to our feeling in praier so is the Lorde affected towarde vs when wee are bitter hee maketh vs sweete when we are heauie he maketh vs ioyfull when we are cast downe hee raiseth vs vp and when we are most destitute and desperate he commeth with all speede as a mother to hir childe when it crieth loudest What are our sorrowes but many voices to cry vnto God and as a godly martyr hauing receiued manie woundes in his bodie whereby the bloude issued foorth abundantlie thanked his tormentors bicause hee had as many mouthes more to praise his God as hee had woundes in his flesh much more occasion haue wee to thanke our Sauiour that by sending so many sorrowes into our harts hath prouided for vs many friendes to entreate his mercy for vs. Therefore feare not my deere brethren and sisters for any aduersitie as when the battle is hottest the victorie is neerest so when your miseries are greatest your deliuerance is at hande Of this we haue often spoken before and so also of the other part of the verse following where the prophet yeeldeth the reason of his praier bicause the greene pastures were deuoured and the greattrees were burned vp teaching vs that which before we touched that when famine commeth there is nothing free from the same but it feeleth the smart if it haue any life at all And againe the vnmercifulnesse of it is noted when hee compareth it to fire and flame the fire burneth lowe that is the grasse of the earth and the flame reacheth high euen to the trees of the fielde The beastes of the fielde crie also vnto thee for the riuers of waters are dried vp and the fire hath deuoured the pastures of the wildernesse Nowe once againe the prophet rehearseth the crie and lamentation of the beasts where I might note that seeing the beastes crie vnto God and to none else how much woorse are those then beasts which either neuer cry or else crie to other then God But this is worthie our consideration that he saith the beastes crie vnto him noting vnto vs that God regardeth the verie crie and voice of dumbe and brutish creatures and therefore the Scripture
all sorrowes to put away thy sins Another reason bicause vnto outward tokens of repentance the Lord is readie to giue remission Dan. 4. 23. when men satisfie their for iniuries distribute their goods weepe for their euils and pray for pardon then is the Lord most willing to seale a release in the blood of his sonne For in truth there must be a change in al the parts of a mans life possessions When a sicke man is recouered he weareth not the same clothes he vseth not his old diet or apparell and rest so when our soules are recouered by repentance then we cannot eate stolen bread nor weare gorgeous apparell nor yet rest in that wealth which wee vnlawfullie gayned but all must bee turned into charitie and pietie The first vse of this doctrine is this Isa 31. 6. seeing wee haue sunke deepe in rebellion let vs turne againe vnto the Lorde from whome wee are fallen as we were not ashamed to sinne so let vs not be ashamed to be conuerted As couetous men care not for their names so they may get wealth and vncleane persons little esteeme their infamie so they may fulfill their lusts and as theeues make but a pastime to rob and steale if they may escape the gallowes so let vs account it a farre lesse discredit to confesse our faults in goodnesse then they doe to commit them in wickednesse Turne therefore as we haue sinned we haue many sinnes let vs shed many teares we haue great sinnes let vs sigh many sorrowes we haue long dwelt in them let vs speedily forsake them we haue watched in sinne now let vs watch in praier we haue loued sinne let vs embrace correction we haue delighted in vanities let vs reioice in teares How can a man reioice in teares verily vnto a good soule teares are more welcome then ioyes and it reioiceth in tribulation finding it more safe to bee washed with weeping then to bee delighted in musicke There is not any man that hath felt the power of godlinesse that will denie this and if he doe let Dauid teach him when he protesteth that teares were his repast when the enemies of God reproched him Looke on thy soule weeping as thou wast woont to beholde thy pleasure reioicing and thinke that this is the Lordes great mercie towarde thee which hath yet knocked at thy hart for amendment loue the meanes which will make thee tender harted delight in those sorrowes which will procure thy endlesse ioyes shed thy teares here that hereafter thou maist be freed lament in sorrowes this life that in another thou maist reioyce in comforts Secondly let vs not alway lie in sorrowes and liue vnreformed but follow the counsell of the prophet Ier. 26. 13. to make our waies of euill good When men are repentant they enter into a new iourney for as before they were ioyfully sailing to hell so now they are painfully trauelling to heauen and seeing a good way is the wish of a traueller let vs amend our waies that we may hasten to our iourneyes ende When thou hast well drenched thy soule in sorrowes then proceede to reformation and remooue those blocks out of thy life which would haue hindered thy passage into heauen If thou hast beene a drunkard be now temperate hast thou been an Atheist now feare God if thou haue beene a swearer vse his name more reuerently and as Paul said of theeues Let him that stole steale no more so say I of all notorious sinners let them be so no more but rather labour to doe good vnto other By this we may see that repentance is not in shew but in hart not in hart but in works not in works but in affections not in affections but in conuersation Some thinke they haue well repented if they be a little sorrowful other thinke they are well reformed if they be a little reclaimed and wearie of theirvanities but these men must knowe that if good liues bee not ioyned with godly mindes and reformed waies with weeping harts neither the one nor the other shall profit them Therefore now my deere brethren let vs win the field from our sinnes and ouerthrowe the troupes of our pleasures let vs now conquere our desires and reforme all the abuses of our liues that wee may yeeld to the gospell liue in the church eate at the Lordes table and worke out our owne saluation with feare and trembling In the second place the Lord biddeth them to fast that is to abstaine from all delights and desire of meates that as they haue alreadie pined their soules with sinning so now they should punish their bodies with fasting And in this place the prophet speaketh of priuate fasting for as yet he is not come to the publike fasts which must be directed by the cleargie-men who onely had authoritie to proclaime them of the which we haue spoken in the first chapter In this place we may obserue that hainous offences and generall must haue greeuous and generall lamentation It is most requisite that when we haue any graund cause to craue at the Lords hand we vse most humble tokens of an instant and longing desire Iudg. 20. 26. The Israelites ouercome by the Beniamites fast and pray al the day till euening and the day following they get the victorie the which is a warrant for vs to doe the like that wee may so slay our sinnes as they did their enimies The which must instruct euerie man in his familie during these times of vengeance wherein we haue no more power to be deliuered then a woman in trauell to cast foorth her childe that they abstaine from glutting and deuouring the Lords benefites For the Lord will not redresse our want till wee haue generally lamented our miserie and we can no way better punish our bodies then by fasting that the Lorde may be mooued to pitie vs as he did Abraham being willing to sacrifice his sonne yet he restrained him The first reason is this bicause fasting maketh vs praie with more feeling affection which our Sauiour insinuated Matth. 17. 21. when he saide that fasting and praier woulde heale the falling euill and nothing else Indeede to shewe you howe men are affected in the time of their fasting I can hardlie doe it except youfelt it howe sweete are their sorrowes howe earnest are their praiers howe strong are their grones and howe acceptable are their hearts vnto the Lorde their teares are their drinke their cares are their meate their nakednes their brauerie ashes their beauty humilitie their health their eies are not drouzie their mindes are not wearie their handes are not filthie and their cries are not easie The Lorde accepteth their obedience in doing that they are not able and their faith in beleeuing that they haue not in them and their praiers in desiring that which is aboue them then can men affoorde to die for God that they may liue for euer for themselues Another reason is bicause fastes doe mightily mooue
the quietnes of thy minde if both be grauelled togither then comfort thy selfe bicause thou liuest And so thou shalt see one staffe to beate thee and another to defende thee one cause to punish thee but a greater to comfort thee Then denie not God although thy comfort seeme small for that begger were worthie of stripes which woulde raile on a gentleman giuing him a grote which was able to giue him a crowne Another reason God hateth them that crie out against him Ier. 12. 8. Now how can we more blasphemously crie against him then when wee traitorously denie him for if we acknowledge not him to be ours then wee denie our selues to bee his wherein wee shake off all obedience and spit in his face O consider what a thing it is to make the Lorde to hate vs the worlde will laugh at vs the church will defie vs the angels will not defende vs but the diuell will haue vs for he watcheth for the Lordes hatred as a rauen doth for a bullockes death or the butchers slaughter day We cannot preuaile by complaining against God for to whom shall wee appeale therefore if we would preuaile let vs complaine of our selues that he may be iustified and we acquited Let vs take heede that wee tempt not God in our miseries for hee will take vengeance of the sinnes we commit in aduersitie Ezech. 20. 15. The Israelites being in the wildernes without drinke hauing the whole world to bee their enimies their number being great and their miseries being many yet the Lord made their owne bloud to wash away their murmuring And let not vs tempt the Lords power as they did nor yet lightly esteem these mercies we enioy being wearie of patience and grudging at our poore estate neither let our weake wits or sicke bodies excuse our follies for we see the Lord will plague vs with one miserie after another Some are of this minde that they thinke they may be borne withall if they goe awrie in aduersitie as to lie to sweare to steale to be absent willingly from sermons because they bee poore or lame or sicke or light-witted but they are farre deceiued for it is not lawfull to doe euill that they may be well If a stubborne sonne feeling his fathers rod shall reuile him he will punish him the more so God will punish vs the more if we abuse him in our aduersitie Iob was more blamed for his vnaduised speeches in the time of his trouble then for all the vanities of his former life Therefore my deere brethren let vs be aduised how we murmur against the Lord notwithstanding our aduersitie for the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse that presumeth on his mercie or despaireth of his goodnesse let not our wordes be stout against him that we defie him or too base that wee should forget him Another vse we knowe the Lord doth multiply our miseries to the intent that we should more earnestly seeke after him Hos 5. 15. He giueth vs the more stripes that wee shoulde giue him the more praiers hee encreaseth our sharpe sufferings that we should encrease our bitter weepings and for this cause he punisheth vs that he might bee knowen to be our God What then will some say hath he no other meanes to manifest his iurisdiction and to challenge our liues to himselfe then by laying on a loade on our backes of intolerable miseries To whome I answere that he hath moe meanes to worke it then any liuing are able to shew it but this meanes liketh him best especially after men haue forsaken him It is lawfull for him to crush their bones into powder their flesh into peeces their blood into dung and their liues into death if it please him and most blessed is their estate that are thus aduaunced by him Now then learne if thou haue tasted of the sower cup of sorrowe to flie to God more speedilie and to entreate him more earnestly He hideth himselfe that we shoulde seeke him he runneth from vs that wee should runne after him hee casteth vs off that wee should make account of him he it is that bringeth vs into danger that we might knowe he will deliuer vs out of danger We are taught by experience we are reclaimed by correction wee are purged by his rod and he taketh from vs our delight that wee might come to him for delights Let vs therefore goe out of our selues much more out of our houses to seeke his presence which is euery where his benefites which are generall and our owne happinesse in the valley of teares neuer giuing ouer till wee haue found him whome our soule loueth For he is gracious Now we are come to the reasons which the prophet vseth to perswade him to repentance which are set downe in this verse and in the next in this verse taken from the adiuncts or properties of God in the next they are taken from his effects or works His properties are described to be these fower gracious mercifull long suffering and repenting him of the euill whereof euery one hath a singular waight to perswade men to repentance By the first hee meaneth plentifull in giftes by the seconde readie to forgiue sinners by the thirde waiting for their conuersion by repentance by the fourth the changing of his iudgements threatened So that the prophet might thus reason with them Repent O ye men of Iudea for the Lord hath many blessings in store doe not loose them hee is most readie to pardon you doe not refuse it for he hath and doth tarrie long for your amendment abuse not his patience and it may be if you will repent these lamentable miseries shall be all reuoked Againe can you not repent the Lord is gracious he will helpe you with his spirite Are you afraide it will be in vaine noe he is euermore entreated Thinke you it is too late that cannot bee for he is long suffering Feare you that your land and liues shall bee yet destroied his promises notwithstanding I tell you plainly you shall no sooner repent of your sinnes but hee will change his minde and repent him of the euill By the first word gracious let vs learne that all the spirituall and temporall giftes of God do call vs to repentance Deut. 4. 33 38 40 Repentance being a thing so needefull as without it none can bee saued the Lorde hath made as many preachers thereof as he and all his creatures are If wee looke vp to him wee see his grace that putteth vs in minde of repentance if we looke to his creatures marke for whom they were made that is for vs then they ouercome vs if how they were made by the vnspeakable power of God then they dismay vs if we consider their estate sometime seene and somtime not seene somtime pleasant and sometime not pleasant sometime glorious and anon troubled all this will teach vs to bee troubled for sinne Thou changest thy garments then change thy life thou seest the earth
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
doe not alway mooue him and shall we then tempt him to our and others euerlasting destruction in his wrath hee is an vnquenchable fire an vnresistable flood an vnpacifiable iudge and a destroyer of all that come in his way But alas with teares we may lament to see him prouoked euery day who is so sicke that sinneth not against him who is so weake that striueth not with him who is so vnwise that pleadeth not with him Looke with teares ouer all sorts of men the poore despise him the lame run from him the blinde come not at him the dumbe speake against him the rich will not feare him and the dead will not confesse him By all meanes we prouoke his wrath by tempting by murmuring by denying by abusing and abasing his glorie We tempt him in thinking he will pardon whatsoeuer we commit we murmur when wee haue not all our desires we denie him when we esteeme not his gospell we abuse him vsing our wealth to luxurie and our meate to gluttonie and wee abase him when wee more feare a mortall mans displeasure then the wrath of the highest When we see the Lord being angrie and so hardly pacified let vs vse all meanes to please him againe although it bee with the hazard of our owne liues as Moses did Deut. 9. 18 19. perceiuing the Lord to be mooued to wrath he fell downe on his face to entreate him for his people tarrying with him fortie daies and fortie nights neither eating nor drinking yea he desired God to be pacified with his people although he rased his name out of the booke of life What coulde bee done with greater zeale or more earnest affection the Lorde was angrie who coulde appease him but Moses and how could he be satisfied but with offering his body to death through fasting and his soule vnto condemnation Marke it I beseech you that we al learne with more zeale to entreate the Lord to be turned towarde vs. Offer we must our bodies to pining our members to tortures our health to sicknesse our wealth to pouertic our pleasure to paine and our life to death rather then the wrath of God shoulde proceede vpon vs. Oh let vs come vnto the Lord and offer him his whole man to satisfie his mercies neither be afraide to doe so but put it in speedie practise Come to him though thou be lame run to him though thou be blinde pray to him though thou be sicke and trust in him though thou be poore Abide not one miserie but all miseries that thou maist dwell with him neither care for the rage of man the want of maintenance the loue of friends or the feare of death for if thou loue these more then him thou art not woorthy of him Hauing willed the sucking babes to come to mourning he also inuiteth the new married folkes bridegroomes and brides to leaue of their vsuall dalliance and come among their neighbours to this sorrowfull banket From whence we obserue that wee must not in any thing be it neuer so lawfull hinder true repentance or the profession of godlinesse For there is nothing more honaurable then marriage more lawfull then a wedding feast more vsuall then pleasant mirth and more commendable then a ioyfull marriage day but all these being hinderances vnto repentance must bee laide aside as a mourner doth his daily attire Wee may reade Luc. 14. 21. how they were cursed that came not to the Lords feast among whome there was one that had married a wife it shall be no excuse before the Lord that they did but the course of the world in vsing these things it were better for vs to forsake our wiues then to loose our soules to renounce our mirth then to relinquish our liues to deferre our pleasure then to depart from the Lord. Let this I beseech you be your care in the Lord that you offend him not in the vse of his creatures neither let those comforts which you receiue in wedlocke in feasting in riches in beautie and the like worke your euerlasting discomfort in another worlde Liue not in mirth for then thou canst not repent reioice not in youth for it is but vanitie distrust thy ioyes for they are deceitfull be not alway mourning for thou canst not be thankfull bee euer repentant that thou maiest bee faithfull One reason heere of is giuen by the Lorde himselfe Ierem. 7. 34 bicause a desolation shall come and of all reasons there is none more forcible then the rod of vengeance and desolation so that in this sort might Ieremy and Ioel and other the Lordes ministers reason with the worlde Laie away your mirth let not the voice of musicke the day of marriage the means of ioyfulnesse or the comfort of pleasure bee had or heard among you for a desolation shall come Drawe the childe from the breast the elders from their ease the married from their loue and the people from their vanitie for a desolation commeth Houses shall be desolate without inhabitants parents shall be desolate without children cities shall be desolate without citizens and whole kingdomes shall bee desolate without professors Therefore put away this ioy like an vnlawfull wife come againe to the Lord with much weeping and reioice not in thy youth or thy age or thy wealth or thy friends or thy marriage Another reason bicause by this kinde of mirth we growe to hardnes of hart and neglect the wrath of God Amos 6. 1 5. It is much that men esteeme not the faire promises and sweete blessings of God but yet it is more fearefull when they make light account of his heauy iudgements Now if you marke who they be that care not for iudgement you shall see that they are those who eate in abundance liue in pleasure enioying wealth and children at their will and want is not knowne vnto them Againe poore people liuing in continuall scarsitie and are content with simple allowance hauing learned the feare of God a shower of raine and a cloudie day humbleth their knees to the earth and lifteth their praiers to heauen Let vs learne not to reioice in any vnlawfull manner all the time that the church of God is in aduersitie Psal 137. 2 3 4. Good men in captiuitie commanded by their enimies to sing one of the songs of Sion refused it bicause they were in a strange lande and so if we hope for mirth and ioy in another worlde let vs refuse it as much as may be in this life present for we be but strangers and pilgrims on the earth And verily if wee consider the matter well we haue as many causes to lament olde and yoong married and vnmarried as these people had to whom Ioell preached Famine was threatned to them but felt of vs they were vnder the Babylonian gouernment and we are subiect to the tyrannie of sathan they had abused manie benefites and prophets of God and so haue we they had reioiced in many worldly pleasures and
our selues neuer so sinful Psal 9. 9 10. although we bee neuer so poore in spirit yet let vs know that ours is the kingdome of heauen So that if thou reason with the diuell himselfe who will if it be possible deceiue thy soule telling thee that thou art more vile then others and therefore it is but follie for thee to call on God for mercie yet say to thy soule that the Lord neuer despiseth the sighings of the poore although I haue sinned yet I haue sorrowed although I haue neglected grace yet with the Lord there is more grace be it that I haue no goodnesse in me the more neede haue I to goe to God the author of goodnesse Men seeke not to the phisition in health but in sicknesse and the more desperate is their disease the more speedily they sollicite him and a good phisition commeth quickly so I want the health of my soule and I see death standing at the doore and knocking for me therfore my praier shall goe to the Lord my physition and I knowe that he will speedily come vnto me He abhorreth not my weakenesse he hateth not my person he willeth not my destruction and therefore wil I pray for saluation I am exceeding base but he will bende to me I am very poore but he will giue mee the riches of the spirite I am a sinner and he is a Sauiour why shoulde I not goe vnto him and fall downe lowe vpon his footestoole for hee neuer despiseth the sighing of the contrite Giue not thine heritage That is the people whom thou diddest take vnto thy self aboue al the nations of the world from hence we may obserue as in a singular metaphor how deere the church is vnto God Deut. 4. 20. euen as deere as any mans inheritance is to himselfe for indeed an inheritance doth very fitly resemble and shadow out vnto vs the nature and condition of the church First because it is not woorth any thing except a man do plant sow the same and so is it in the church wherin if the Lord plow not and sow not there can no good thing grow therein Againe an inheritance is sometimes sold away for the barrennes thereof so when the church groweth secure and bringeth not foorth good fruits the Lord giueth it ouer for a season to be spoyled by strangers Againe if an inheritance will no way be amended then is it accursed and burned Heb. 6. 8. so if no means will reclaime the world from their wicked life then he accurseth them and giueth them ouer to the fire of hell Also as a man taketh singular comfort in his inheritance so the Lord doth in his church and as a man hedgeth and encloseth his inheritance to keepe it from being wasted euen so the Lord hath set a brazen wall about his church the which all the diuels in hell shall neuer be able to ouerthrow but men and angels shall fight for their safegarde and maugre sinne and hell they shall endure as the earth doth euen for euer and euer The first reason because hee might powre his blessing on it Esa 19. 25. for hee hauing many most excellent benefits in store hath made choise of his church to powre foorth all that he hath thereupon for whether we consider the blessings of this life or the benefits of the life to come they are all ordained for the good of them that be godly He is wise to instruct vs he is mightie to defend vs he is liberall to maintaine vs he is mercifull to receiue vs for our sakes were the heauens created the earth established the waters remooued and the fruits appointed for our sakes were the angels condemned the sonne of God crucified and the age and yeeres of the world is plunged Another reason because we should be holy vnto him Deut. 19. 2. Of all the creatures of this worlde there is none that can bee holy vnto the Lord saue onely mankinde for they are the image of God and if the lande whereupon Moses stood was holy much more is the land of our harts holy whereupon the Lord himselfe standeth for he raigneth in vs. And this is the cause why the Lorde hath made vs his inheritance that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life for the heauens are holy whither wee are going the angels are holy with whom we shall dwell the church is holy wherein we liue and therefore we must bee holy or else we are accursed Seeing we are the inheritance of God purchased by his sonne then let not any of vs liue to our selues but to him that redeemed vs 2. Cor. 5. 15. how many waies might I vrge this doctrine that as the earth beareth not fruit for it selfe but for vs so should not we eate the fruits of our owne labours but offer them to the Lord. Our harts are the grounds our bodies are the hedges God his law is the plough the worde is the seede and himselfe is the husbandman Oh let vs not be ploughed and planted in vaine let vs not frustrate the Lords expectation and our soules saluation If we were but seruants yet we ought to worke for our hire but being his inheritance we must liue and die day and night to beare him fruit wee cannot put him away but he may put vs away our fruits do not profit him and yet the want of them will curse vs. Let vs not be for the weedes of sinne nor for pleasures to feede on as bullockes do on pasture-land but let vs bee his garden of sweete flowers his vineyard of fruitfull grapes his field of fine planted wheat and his possession for an euerlasting inheritance Let our words be as gratious fruit let our religion be as pretious pearle let our loue be as rockes of golde and let our bodies bee as fruitfull garners let vs bring him all for first fruits tenthes and offerings and sacrifices that we may be his blessed land vnto the worlds end Another vse seeing we are the Lords inheritance we may see that the Lorde will be very hardly driuen to forsake vs for he gaue a lawe Numb 27. that none shoulde sell awaie their inheritance but at the ende of fiftie yeeres euery one should reclaime thereunto So that if the Lord shall giue ouer his inheritance as hee did Israell Hos 5. 15. the case is very desperate but not perpetuall A man that hath manie barren fieldes doth not presently sell them away no more the Lorde which hath many barren soules in the compasse of his church doth presently forsake them but rather dresseth them by the ministerie of the worde that they may be made fruitefull Oh heare this you that are in the Lordes folde although he beare for a season with your barren hearts and suffer you manie yeeres to lie in rest thinking at the last you will bring him some profit bring it foorth with speede or else knowe that the Lorde which redeemed you from
defend them against the force of men Christ to fight for them against the rage of Sathan Let vs therefore learne to giue all diligence that wee may bee sure of the fauour of God Psa 23. 6. And for this cause Peter biddeth vs giue all diligence to make our election sure meaning that this is the greatest worke of the world that men should be certaine of the promises of God When we haue the promises and cannot certainly yeeld vnto them then are we like sicke men which haue good phisicke but cannot be perswaded to take it because they thinke it will doe them no good so wee thinke these promises vncertaine and some they haue holpe but some they failed But we must know that the promises neuer failed if the men were not vnfaithfull for as men will not plant corrupt impes and graftes so God will not make vnstedfast promises but as the ground doth many times alter a good plant that it groweth not so men doe choke the promises that they helpe not Therefore if God bid thee not feare then cast away feare if he bid thee not weepe then cease from teares as when hee biddeth thee not kill thou refrainest from murder The assurance of the Lordes fauour must growe by a continual practise of repentance as the Apostle teacheth when he saith Patience worketh experience Rom. 5. and therefore this benefite wee may reape by our often sorrowes that we may come with confidence to the throne of grace Another vse seeing the promises of God must be so auailable in vs that they must expell all feare of euill then let vs especially bee armed with them against the feare of death that euery one of vs may say with Iob. 13. 15. that although God slay vs yet will we trust in him What doth more trouble all the worlde then doth the departure out of the world for it maketh good men pray with Dauid I will not die but liue and it maketh euill men at their wits end to thinke on the paines of death therefore blessed is the remedie of the sweete promises of God which enable vs against death Daniel being once preserued among the lions aliue would neuer be afraide to be cast among them againe so we which once were not and now are once were dead and now aliue once were vnder the diuell but now vnder Christ let vs not I say feare the gates of death or the sorrowes of the graue To whome doe I speake but to them that shall passe vnder the hande of death therefore learne attentiuely what is deliuered when thou beginnest to drawe towarde the sunne setting of thy life I meane thy death then looke vpon al the promises of God which euer thou heardest at Sermons or didst read in the Scriptures laie them to thy soule bidding it not to feare death for the Lorde hath commanded thee not to feare it But peraduenture it will replie vnto thee say the paine of death is intollerable how can I but feare it then tell it againe that it is not so for death hath lost hir sting as the apostle saith O death where is thy sting what is an adder a viper or a serpent when they haue lost their sting Surely euerie yoong childe may play with them and handle them And as the paines of a trauailing woman do bring foorth a man child so thy paine shall worke pleasure thy life shall bring death thy sorrowes shall gaine ioyes thy friendes shall bee turned into saints thy parents into angels and thy gouernours into God himselfe If thou bee a woman hee will be thy husband if thou bee a man hee will be thy wife and if thou be a seruant hee will bee thy Lorde Oh feare not death but learne the promises of God to comfort thee against it and thinke what shall bee thy blessednesse to forsake the worlde to goe to heauen to forsake thy pouertie to goe to riches to forsake thy sicknes to go to health to forsake thy friendes to goe to God and to forsake a liuing of house and lande for a whole kingdome Oh trust in God in life that thou maiest trust in God in death beleeue in Christ in health that thou maiest beleeue in him in sicknesse praie vnto him in thy ioyes that thou maiest praie vnto him in thy sorrowes And be not afraide while thou art liuing of the power of man that thou maiest not be afraide when thou art dying of the power of death and condemnation For God shall Nowe hee giueth them the reason of this exhortation why they shoulde not feare bicause the Lord would do mightie things for them whereby wee may note that the vnspeakeable power of God shoulde make men to reioice Esay 14. 27. For what can better assure vs of his promises then this that hee is able to performe them and therefore as the godly comfort themselues with this saying The Lorde is king bee the earth neuer so vnpatient so let vs lift vp our selues in comfort in the kingdome glorie maiestie power and mercie of God that hee can doe what hee will and will doe what we praie for The first reason bicause for the godlies sake hee worketh myracles Exod. 15. 12. and therefore wee ought to reioice in his power We may reade Marke 2. that for one myracle all the people gaue praise vnto God Wee haue many myracles and woonders done for vs and who is able to tell what God hath done for his soule therefore yet let thy heart reioice when thy toong is not able to expresse the power of God Another reason bicause nothing can stande against the saluation of his elect Psal 107. 14. For the sea shall be emptied the earth shall be remooued the rockes shall be broken and the heauens shall bow themselues that the power of God may be manifested and his saints be saued Let vs learne by consideration of his power to serue him more earnestly as Dauid doth Psal 118. 27. when he had tolde howe mightilie God destroied his enimies as a fire of thornes then hee presently addeth Binde the sacrifice with coardes vnto the hornes of the altar As God is powerfull to saue so is hee powerfull to destroy and therefore bee afraide least as hee is able to blesse thee if thou doe well so hee curse thee if thou doe euill Pilate woulde haue had Christ haue answered bicause he saide hee had power to loose him or to deliuer him but hee was rebuked for his labour let vs much more answere the Lorde for hee hath absolute power to doe with vs whatsoeuer he will Againe let vs learne by consideration of the power of God to beleeue in him more confidently as Abraham did Rom. 4. 21. although hee sawe no reason howe the promise of God shoulde be fulfilled if Isaac were sacrificed yet this did animate him that God was able to raise him from death to life and so let vs bee obedient to the Lordes commandements when they are
keepeth life in vs who is able to shewe the cause heereof but the Lorde who knoweth all and if this one blessing shoulde faile vs although our possessions were as great as Salomons yet they woulde not serue vs. Againe let euery man in his place gather this meate and comfort for his life Esay 62. 3. that so we may perfourme the olde commandement of God to Adam that wee eate our meate in the sweate of our faces The Bees will not suffer one drone among them and so let not vs suffer them that are carelesse to prouide some thing whereby their dutie may be discharged to God and their liues preserued in the worlde Secondly he telleth them with what affection they should receiue their meat With praise and thankesgiuing to God Whereby wee may see one principall token of a temperate receiuer in that hee can giue thankes to God for his meate 1. Cor. 10. 25. but gluttons and belli-gods take their meate as Swine doe although with more manners yet with as little reuerence sitting downe to fill their bellies and rising vp to fulfill their pleasures and through immeasurable fulnes their teeth put their mouth to silence and sleepe falleth on them that their harts doe not onely forget their feeder but their maintainer also The first reason bicause it is a token they loue God Deut. 12. 11. and they that loue neuer offend for loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Againe meate is onely blessed vnto them that ioine thankesgiuing with it 1. Sam. 9. 13. So that whatsoeuer is not thankfully receiued must needes be accursed And surely if Paul saide he had rather neuer eate meate as long as hee liued then eate to the offence of his brother wee may more lawfully pine in famine starue in want and perish in distresse of meate rather then God shoulde bee offended Theeues which steale for meate coseners that deceiue for meate beggers that counterfaite for meate idle persons that worke not for meate and rich men that praie not for meate can neuer bee thankefull for that which they eate but all is accursed vnto them Let vs therefore for feare of the curse and especiallie for conscience of death liue soberly in praier in our eating and drinking working and resting sleeping and waking bicause wee knowe not whether wee eate our last morsell as the Israelites which died with meate in their mouthes or worke our last day-worke as the poore man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbaoth or sleepe our last sleepe neuer wake againe Surely as Iacob ended his life when he had blessed his children so shall we be happy if wee ende our liues when we haue praised God Againe let vs not tempt God for meate whatsoeuer distresse wee liue in but seeke it humblie in praier Psal 104. 27. that wee may eate more cheerefully and bee assured that God will continue his blessings for what shall it profite to feede our bodies to the full and let our soules goe starue and pine away to death That the Lord hath This clause is added vnto their praises at meate because then they ought to remember the Lordes benefits the which thing ought to driue away all vaine and foolish table-talke wherein men silence the mercie of God and praise the taste of their meate or the liberalitie of the feast-maker alway thanking him and neuer thinking on God whereas they are bound to do both We may note in these words that God doth not onely vse his ordinarie power in the deliuerie of his church but also his extraordinarie whereby he worketh maruels and woonders 1. Pet. 1. 5. for by the woonderfull power of God are we continued in our profession contained in the church and preserued to life eternall God told Dauid 2. Sam. 12. that if he had not done ynough for him yet he would haue done much more for him so that he hath not limited his power nor his mercie toward the faithfull The reasons first because we should knowe that we are saued through grace and the great power of God 1. Cor. 1. 18. as it is not a light matter to enioy a kingdome so is it not a small matter to climbe vp into heauen but the vnspeakable power of God must be vsed therein Againe the more power he vseth in his church the more must be his glorie Mark 7. 17. and this is the cause why all good men thinke they can neuer praise God ynough although euery day they renewe their thankesgiuing in heauen is the power of God most of all seene and therefore there the angels and saintes doe nothing but praise the power of God And therefore we may hereby learne that all miracles which God doth in the world doe call vs to bee partakers of his kingdome Matt. 12. 28. and if we refuse them and doe not come the same power shall be vsed in our condemnation that is promised in our saluation Neither let vs euer forget the works which God doth for vs Psal 106. 21 22. but remember them in our meate in our beds in our labour in our ease in our watching and in our reioicing that our God may still continue to doe them as we doe still perseuere to remember them Lastly in this verse hee promiseth that they should neuer be more ashamed of any reproches Whereby we may note that religion doth not commit any thing that either we may be ashamed of or repent 1. Cor. 15. 58. for our labour in religion is not in vaine If any thorough the feare or commaundement of God should slay their children as Abraham would or deceiue their maisters as Iacob did or beguile their husbands as Rebecca did or disobey their princes as Moses did or murther their enimies as Sampson did or loose their liues as Christ did yet shall they neuer neede to repent any of them Oh what a maruellous benefite hath a man by religion which he cannot haue by any other thing in the world There is nothing in all the life of man but wee may repent except it bee the feare of God We repent our words our works our expences our gettings our wanderings our negligence our diligence our sleepe meate and money and all We are ashamed of our thoughts our to yes trifles plaies childishnesse wantonnesse loue hatred lust pouertie nakednesse and the very parts of our body but of no part of religion Thou shalt neuer repent that thou forsookest the worlde beleeuedst in the Lord mournedst for thy sinnes studiedst in the scriptures heardest the preachers was obedient to the gospell praiedst many howers watched many nights fasted many daies endured many troubles and shalt die any death for the Lords sake seeing heauen is thy rest Nay rather we see many men in their death-beds wish with teares that they had hawked and hunted and plaied and laboured and loued and hated much lesse for now in their sicknesse their sinnes come on them as the Philistines came on Sampson when
he had lost his strength and carrie their poore soules into miserable captiuitie Oh wouldest thou neuer weepe nor sorrowe nor wring thy hands for any worldly thing then bee religious and as peace was in Israel all Salomons raigne so shall it be in thy soule all the while that religion raigneth The first reason because religion is the wisedome of God Matt. 11. 19. 1. Cor. 1. 30. now this is the greatest point of wisedome to foresee that they doe nothing which may hurt them for this is true repentance not to commit sinne which must be repented and it is religion that onely awaketh vs when wee are sleepie ruleth vs when we are awaked We neuer read that the children of Israel had any cause to repent their obedience all the while that they were in the wildernesse no more shall we haue any cause to repent our obedience to the gospell which is our heauenly wisedome Another reason it is the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. 16. Let vs therefore say with Dauid 2. Sam. 6. 22. that for the Lord of hostes sake and for religion wee will yet be more vaine that is howsoeuer the world account of vs and of our zeale in religion yet we will aduenture their displeasure farther for all their mockes and reproches and by names slanders shall not dismay vs but we will go forwarde in our pretended course And as Mical was cursed with barrennesse all hir life long bicause she mocked hir husband Dauid when he daunced before the Arke so I praie God they be not as barren and voide of goodnesse that mocke at the professours of religion Againe let vs euermore hearken to the Lorde speaking in his worde Ierem. 38. 20. for then wee shall not bee burned with heate nor frozen with colde nor be ashamed of our youth or bee troubled with our age or repent our birth or curse the daie that wee came into the worlde for it shall shielde vs from all these mischiefes Oh let vs open our eares to his wordes that hee may open his eares to our praiers for as the Israelites were neuer blamed so long as they followed the cloud the pillar of smoke the Arke so shalt thou neuer be blamed if thou looke vpward to the Lord and ioyne thy selfe to the maine pillar of truth the church of God and followe the Arke which is the Gospell borne by the ministers or else thou shalt weepe and crie howle and repent at the last when thou canst not repent throughly Yee shall also knowe that I am in the middes of Israell and that I am the Lorde your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed Nowe hee beginneth to follow the spirituall benefits from this vers to the ende of the chapter promising them first his presence vers 27 28 29. then his power in the verses to the ende His presence is promised first in regarde of the particular knowledge of his fauour resting among them vers 27. And in the two next verses by the powring out of his spirit And heereby we may first of all note that the church of God which is Israell hath the Lorde in hir continually Matth. 28. 19. Although by diuine power God bee present euery where yet is hee most present in the church in heauen and earth there doth hee shewe more power more mercy more iudgement more fauour then in other places I meane in that place where his Gospell is professed The first reason bicause in his church is his chiefe treasure Esay 33. 6. And as Christ saide to vs where our treasures are there are our harts so the Lordes heart and soule is lodged in his church where are his treasures namely his feare zeale faith knowledge redemption and the graces of the spirit and I woulde God men did not cast his treasure before the swine of their filthie sinnes Another reason bicause the power of darknes shall not preuaile against it Mat. 16. 18. For as the sunne doth breake awaie the cloudes and the north winde driue away the raine so doth the presence of God in his church breake in peeces the strength of diuels and driue away the rage of sinne And truely as when Lot went out of Sodom the valley was destroied so when God shall forsake his church it shal come to ruine Let vs learne to glorifie the Lorde in the church 1. Cor. 6. 20. for hee is not far off but in the middest of vs. Againe let vs also by the consideration of his dwelling among vs hold fast our hope of trust Heb. 3 6. that we be not confounded at the last The presence of Debora made Barac get the victorie against Sisera and his nine hundred charets of iron let vs not by the presence of a woman or man but God Almightie put to flight all our sinnes and lead our pleasures captiues that they may neuer more offend the church of God Secondly by this verse wee must note that it behooueth euerie member of the church to haue a particular knowledge of the Lordes fauour towarde him not onely that God is or that Christ died for the worlde but that God is their God and Christ is their redeemer 2. Cor. 5. 11. So that as Elisha woulde not forsake Elijah because hee was his master nor Ruth forsake Naomi because shee was hir stepmother nor Peter forsake Christ because hee was his Sauiour no more must wee forsake the Lorde for hee is our master our father our Sauiour and our God In this one point is included all religion for this is the ende of all profession that God may bee ours and wee may bee his The first reason because without this assurance of faith wee cannot please God Heb. 11. 6. So that whatsoeuer we do for companie or custome or perswasion or of vncertainty doth not please almightie God Againe if wee knowe not that GOD is in vs then are wee reprobates and then were it better for vs that wee had neuer so much as liued vnder the time of the Gospell Therefore let vs seeke the Lorde more ardently for as the brethren of Ioseph might not see his face anie more except they brought little Beniamin with them so may not wee appeere before GOD except wee bring this perswasion with vs. Gedeon slewe fortie two thousande because they coulde not rightly pronounce one worde but the Lorde will slay many millions that cannot say that hee is theirs Oh learne to say vnto God my father as Isaac did that he may answere vnto thee my sonne as Abraham did Againe let vs open the way that other men may come to the Lord as well as wee Isai 26. 2. for God keepeth not his kingdome to himselfe as Noah did not builde his arke for himselfe or Salomon his houses for himselfe nor the Apostles possessed the spirite for themselues onely and so let vs not conceale the Lordes fauour to our selues onely but
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
enioiedst them Therefore beholde iudgement and terrour and thunder and fire and the ouerthrowe of all thinges which one daie shall bee that thou maiest feare thy proude and sinfull nature and so behold mercie the resurrection the life to come the face of God and the fellowship of Angels that thou maiest quietlie repose thy soule in the sweete profession of the Lordes Gospell The reasons of this doctrine are these first because they are base minded if not beastly affected which onely looke to the temporall things that they see and not to the heauenly and eternal things which they see not as the Apostle in the before-named place saith and therefore it is farre more honourable that thou shouldest beleeue the things that are to come when we heare them in the word then the things that are past and present which our eies beholde Againe our Sauiour saith Marc. 9. 23. that all things are possible to him that beleeueth which is verified in nothing more then in this when we giue vp our whole harts to the things that are preached and daily waite when they shall be performed And if all things be possible then is saluation and the ioyes of heauen possible for thee if thou canst beleeue them and so liue as thou maiest obtaine them The vses which wee are to make of this doctrine are these first seeing wee must be instructed by the word of God to behold the things that are to come as if they were present then let vs euermore bee faithfull the which thing the Apostle teacheth vs when hee saith that wee stande by faith Rom. 9. 23. so that as our bodies stand vpon our legs so our soules stand vpon our faith And if this be so how many lame soules are there in the world nay they are not lame that neuer had legs but those that had them yet are they monsters and such monsters are faithlesse and infidel men If thy legs be sicke thou wilt goe to thy surgeon and if thy faith be sicke goe to thy Sauiour what comfort hast thou of the worlde if thou canst not walke in the world and what ioy hath thy soule if it haue no faith to walke in the scriptures Stand by faith and fall not beleeue soundly and strongly bring not a woodden leg I meane a woodden faith such as men can make but a true and substantiall faith which the Lorde onely giueth Let not any thing mooue thee for all things are possible to the beleeuer though the earth remooue bee not thou afraide though the heauens passe yet the world shall not passe beleeue all things say not this will be long or that will be late or the other is doubtfull or God is mercifull his minde may alter or the preachers are but men they may be deceiued or the iudgements be conditionall they may be reuersed or the promises be vncertaine they may be recalled Oh beware of an infidell hart Heb. 3. 12. and depart not from the liuing God Moses because hee did but once distrust God he could not enter into the land of Canaan the gouernour that would not beleeue the prophet was trod to peeces the princes which would not beleeue Ieremie were slaine by the Babylonians and the soules which will not beleeue the preachers shall be ouercome by diuels Oh consider how fearefull a thing it will be for you to say as the Iewes Ezech. 33. v. vlt. surely there was a prophet among vs. Therefore as the husbandman looketh to the haruest in the winter when the corne appeereth not as the seruant thinketh on his wages long before it commeth as the birde thinketh on her yoong ones long before she breedeth and the builder thinketh on his dwelling long before it be finished so doe you thinke on the ioyes and woes which shall bee long before they come And account your selues the happiest men aliue whome God warneth with his owne word that you may auoid the day of destruction for if you liued not vnder the check of the gospell and the controulment of preachers you might goe as other barbarous nations doe blindfolded that is vnwitting and vnknowing to the slaughter of your bodies the butcherie of your soules Surely the Lord doth nothing but he reuealeth the same to his seruants the prophets and therfore blessed are they that liue among them but more blessed are they which heare them beleeue thē loue them receiue them regarde them because God hath sent thē Secondly in this vers we may obserue when he saith In those daies and in that time that God wil haue the redemption and deliuerie of his saints and church to bee most certaine and knowen for vpon this occasion doth the prophet double the note of the time as it were noting both the day and the moneth So as once hee tolde Abraham that his seede shoulde be a stranger in another land fowre hundred and thirtie yeeres and no longer to shewe vnto him that they shoulde bee assuredly deliuered So doth hee heere by this prophet though not so precisely note the assurance of their redemption The reasons of this doctrine are these First because wee are not redeemed with any temporall worldly or earthly price but by and with the most precious blood of Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1. 18. Againe another reason is because as the Apostle saith 1. Timoth. 2. 6. that this was done in due time The vses which come of this doctrine are these First seeing the Lorde will haue the redemption of his people to bee sealed and certainly knowen then let vs looke for that time and that day when Christ shal finally deliuer vs from the wrath to come 1. Thess 1. 10. What shoulde make good men to feare the latter day their redemption is certaine the Lorde is their Sauiour the Sauiour is their head their head is their brother and vntill Christ come they are subiect to wrath but when he is come they are deliuered from death Againe let vs receiue any pledge or token of the Lordes loue and fauour towarde vs which is shedde in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. and seeing this is it that we are certainly redeemed and our soules health is not builded vpon peraduentures but it is surely established then let vs certainly perswade our selues that God loueth vs with an euerlasting loue What will hee keepe from vs that giueth vs his owne sonne and will kill him to acquite vs If this perswade vs not to bee penitent and to loue God againe then is not the loue of God nor the bloude of Christ sprinkled in our hearts Naaman woulde haue giuen to Elisha manie thousande poundes bicause the water of Iorden had clensed his leprosie what woulde he haue giuen if Elisha had cured him by medicine But Christ hath cured our soules and bodies by the riuer of his owne bloud and by the losse of his owne life then are we worthie to giue heart for heart bloud for bloud bodie for
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
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
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs