our heads to the trickling of Å¿ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto me by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to deuoure Ionas may seeme to haue arriued in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to his streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eyes yet the Prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diuersity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way wee may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall and only agreed vpon by reason of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to doe yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a traueller that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue deliuered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may thinke it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man hauing bent his bow and let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1 King 22 34. strooke the King but here we finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise than in respect of vs for that the shootâ—â— did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas froâ— Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun 1 King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the prouidence of God disposeth them Prou. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good prouidence it is that this day we are here met together I to preach the word of God you to heare it and some of vs to bee made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before God for his blessing You are now inuited to the marriage supper of the lambe euery one that will approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft clothing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and booke of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithfull but a garment something like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters 2 King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing â—lse but Christ put on who diuideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enemies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40. yeares together they wandered in the desart and yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shooes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnesse lasteth for euer and his mercies cannot be worne out Hauing put on this your wedding garment doubt not of your welcome to this great feast-maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to doe it let him following S Paâ—â— his counsell Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lift vp ye euerlasting doores that a guest so richly apparelled may come in and sup with the King of glory And the King of glory vouchsafe so to clothe vs all that those gates and euerlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shall haue free and easie passage into the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it blessed Father for thy welbeloued son Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy spirit bee all praise and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE Second Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloued in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the Prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esaies father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is he was a heardman or shepherd 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a little village in the confines of the Kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the dayes of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquakâ— After my exposition giuen vpon those fiue parts of that text I recald to
your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mighty That doctrine proued I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither Empire nor kingdome nor place in them of dignitie priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industry wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power God almighty The second was to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against the God of Heauen to affirme that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your hearts might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and neuer sleeping care ouer vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the least moments tittles in the world that you can imagine to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of the Sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of Hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reuerence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth vers 2. And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lord shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking Hee shall râ—are and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence hee speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepherds The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardman or shepherd whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Euen the words which he saw vpon Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reuealed to him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloued we may learne whence the holy Scriptures haue their soueraigne authority Their authority is from aboue euen from the Lord whose name is Iehouah whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heauen of heauens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man and possesseth his secret reines and diuides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great Iehouah God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1 ch ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion Marke his reason ver 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto mee The Lord God hath spoken Thus saith the Lord and the like This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent his Son to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand for truth in despight of al the powers of darknesse which is recorded 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Hence ariseth this true position Scriptura est authentica regula tum fidei tum vitae nostrae The word of God which by an excellencie we call the Scripture is an infallible rule both of our faith and also of our life And another posiâ—ion followeth herevpon The authority of holy Scripture is greater than the authority of the Church Our obseruation here may be Since such is the worth of holy Scripture by reason of the author of it as that it is the perfect rule for our faith and life and is of greater authority than the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility This worth dignity and excellency of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery Popishly affected eare and may serue to condemne the Romish Church of impiety and sinne for her neglect and contempt of so inestimable a treasure How little they esteeme of Gods wriâ—ten word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel defence of the Apologie par 4. chap 19. 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface vpon Iacobus Andreas against Hosius makes it plaine vnto vs while he tels of the crying out against the holy Scriptures as if they were blinde and doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reuerend fathers no better than Aesops fables Now lest
arborum from the cutting downe or rooting vp of trees and signifieth vtterly to consume to waste to dissipate to destroy to extinguish So it 's vsed Psal 101.8 where Dauid purposing not to be negligent or slothfull in the execution of iustice against all malefactors in Ierusalem resolueth to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord. So it s vsed Ps 109.15 where Dauids prayer against the wicked is that their iniquity and sin be alwaies before the Lord that hee may cut off their memoriall from the earth So it s vsed Ezech. 14.13 Son of man when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it and will breake the staffe of bread thereof and will send famine vpon it and will cut off man and beast from it I will cut off that is I will destroy both man and beast from a sinfull land I omit many like places of holy writ and commend vnto you but one more parallel to this in my text It is in the 3. ver of the 2. chap. of this prophecie There thus saith the Lord I wil cut off the Iudge out of the midst of Moab as here in my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and vers the 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod I will cut off whether the Iudge out of the middest of Moab or the inhabitant from Ashdod or the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen the meaning is one and the same I will cut off that is I will vtterly destroy or extinguish Which to be the meaning of the word the author of the Vulgar Latine acknowledgeth translating the word in the originall not exeindam as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but disperdam I will destroy So doe the Seuenty Interpreters in their Greeke edition of the Bible here translating the Hebrew word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will vtterly or altogether dâ—stroy ouerthrow and extinguish I will cut off the inhabitant the inhabitant what but one yes all and euery one of the inhabitants The Holy Spirit in the sacred Scripture vseth so to speake by a word of the singular number to vnderstand more than one yea all of that kinde which kinde of speech is analogically reduced to the figure Synecdoche Let vs see the truth of this in a few instances In Exod. 8.6 it is said when Aaron stretched out his hand vpon the waters of Egypt that then the frogge came vp and couered the land The frogge It were senselesse to thinke that one frogge could couer the land of Egypt and therefore by the frogge we are to vnderstand many frogges In Num. 21.7 the Israelites desired Moses to pray to the Lord that he would take away from them the Serpent The Serpent what but one It is out of doubt that the people meant all the fiery serpents sent among them by the Lord to sting them to death of which we read verse the 6. Ieremy in chap. 8.7 saith that the storke the turtle the crane and the swallow doe know and obserue their appointed times The storke the turtle the crane the swallow We may not think the Prophet singleth out one storke one turtle one crane one swallow from the rest but his meaning is of all storkes turtles cranes swallowes that they know and obserue their appointed times As in the now cited places so here in my text the holy Ghost vseth one number for another the singular for the plurall vnderstanding by one inhabitant all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Auen Of Bikeath-Auen the Greeke Translators taking the words partly appellatiuely and partly properly doe render them the field of On. In like sort Gualter the valley of Auen The author of the Vulgar Latine vnderstanding them wholly appellatiuely rendreth them the field of the Idoll and so they may signifie the plaine of Auen the plaine of griefe the plaine of sorrow as Caluin obserueth Iunius and Tremellius doe render it as before Gualter è conualle Auenis the vally of Auen vnderstanding thereby the whole coast of Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart Caluin saith it is vncertaine whether Bikeath-Auen be a proper name of a place or no yet saith he it is probable Drusius following the Hebrew Doctors affirmeth that it is the proper name of a city in Syria Mercer the learned professour of Paris ioyneth with him And our English Geneua Translation draweth vs to bee of the same minde that Bikeath-Auen is a proper name of a city in Syria The same opinion must we hold of Beth-Eden in the next clause that it is a proper name of a city in Syria of which opinion I finde Mercer and Drusius and our English Translators at Geneua to haue beene And Caluin holds it to bee credible though he translates it the house of Eden so Gualter doth so doth Tremellius who by the house of Eden vnderstandeth the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The author of the Vulgar Latine takes Beth-Eden for an appellatiue and translates it the house of pleasure Such indeed is the signification of the word and it is by Arias Montanus and Ribera applied to signifie the city of Damascus as if Damascus were there called not only Bikeath-Auen that is the field of the Idoll because of the Idolatry there vsed but also Beth-Eden that is the house of pleasure because of the pleasant situation thereof But I retaine the proper name Beth-Eden and take it for a city in Syria wherein the King of Syria had a palace and mansion house Which I take to be plaine in my text where the Lord threatneth to cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter that is the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden For I see not any absurdity in it if I say that the King of Syria had a mansion house as well at Beth-Eden as at Damascus and that at this time the court lay at Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter This is a periphrasis or circumlocution of a King A scepter is Regium gestamen and insigne potestatis Regiae a Kingly mace the proper ensigne or token of Kingly power Whence in the best of Greeke Poets Homer Kings are called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3.86 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scepter-bearers Hereby wee vnderstand what we read in the story of Hester chap. 8.4 King Assuerus held out his golden scepter toward Hester And that Gen. 49.10 The scepter shall not depart from Iudah In the former place Assuerus maketh shew of his Kingly fauour vnto Hester by holding out his mace vnto her in the later Iacob prophesieth of the stability and continuance of the Kingdome in the tribe of Iudah
of knowledge of that his heauenly truth wherein consisteth our saluation that we may be saued What greater benefit can there be vnto vs then this What more ample testimonie of his eternall good will to vs For this benefit that is for the knowledge of Gods heauenly truth the blessed Apostle St Paul neuer ceased to giue thanks vnto God I thanke God saith he 1. Tim. 1.12 I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for he counted me faithfull and put me in his seruice When before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercy From this his thankefull heart proceeded those his words Phil. 3.8 Doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen dung that I might winne Christ St Pauls charitie was not confined within the Temple of his owne bodie others had a tast thereof As the Corinthians to whom in his first Epistle cap. 1. ver 4. he thus manifesteth his affection I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ that in all things ye are made rich in him in all kind of speech And in all knowledge I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe not for your riches for your honors for your large possessions for your flourishing cittie but for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ for your free vocation for your faith for your reconciliation for your iustification for your regeneration for your hope of eternall saluation for the preaching of the word of God among you and for your knowledge of the truth thereof The knowledge of this truth of God farre surpasseth all the treasures of this corruptible world Shall not we then poure out our soules in thankfulnes before almightie God for bestowing vpon vs so gracious a blessing as is this knowledge of the truth of God Let vs with the spirit of blessed Paul account all things which haue beene or are gainefull to vs in this present world to be but losse and dung in respect of this knowledge of Gods holy truth forasmuch as hereby we may winne Christ Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The second vse concerneth our thankesgiuing for the knowledge of Gods truth The third tendeth to our imitation Is it true Is God truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Why striue we not with all the faculties and powers of our soules to represent our God in truth He in the beginning in the first man in our forefather Adam created and made vs in his owne image after his owne likenesse Gen. 1.26 Then was man inuested with glorious roabes with immortalitie with vnderstanding with freedome of will then was he perfectly good and chast and pure and iust and true Whatsoeuer might appertaine to happines or holinesse he then had it For God created him so like vnto himselfe in perfect happines and holinesse that he might in some sort beare about with him the image of the great and glorious God of Heauen But alas our first Parent continued not long in that his first estate of puritie innocencie and integritie by his fall he lost vs that his precious Iewell which had he stood fast would haue beene vnto vs a chaine of gold about our neckes yea as it is called Psal 8.5 A crowne of honor and glorie But by his fall we are become miserable and vnholy and wicked and vncleane and false as vnlike to God as darkenesse is to light and Hell is to Heauen In this estate of sinne and death we all lay wallowing till God of his owne vnspeakeable mercy and goodnesse raised vs vp by his grace to a better state a state of regeneration and saluation wherein all we whose names are written in the Register of the elect and chosen children of God must spend the remainder and residue of the dayes of our pilgrimage in this world In this state wee must not stand at one stay but must alwayes be growing vpward We must day by day endeuour to encrease our spirituall strength and change our Christian infancie with a ripe and constant age and adde grace to grace till we become perfect men in Christ To vs now in the state of regeneration belongeth the exhortation of God vnto the children of Israell Leuit. 11.44 Be ye holy for I am holy And that of Christ to his auditors vpon the Mount Matth. 5.48 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heauen is perfect or as it is in St Luke Chap. 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your Father also is merciful By which places we are not exhorted to a perfection of supererogation as Monkes would haue it nor to a perfect and absolute fulfilling of the Law for that is impossible so long as wee carry about vs these vessels of corruption witnesse St Paul Rom. 8.3 But all that we are exhorted to is that we would do our best endeuours to resemble our God and to be like vnto him in holinesse in perfection in mercifulnesse Be holy as God is holy be perfect as God is perfect be mercifull as God is mercifull non absoluta aequalitate sed similitudine not absolutely and equally holy perfect and mercifull as God is but by a similitude God is our Father and will not we his children like good children striue to be accomodated and fitted to our Fathers vertues Beloued let vs apply our selues to this imitation of our heauenly Father to be holy as he is holy to be perfect as he is perfect to be mercifull as he is mercifull and for my present purpose to be true as he is true To this last we may thus be led God is our Creator and he is the God of truth Psal 31.5 Christ is our Redeemer and he is Truth Ioh. 14.6 We are renued by the holy Ghost and he is the spirit of Truth Ioh. 16.13 We liue in the bosome of the Church and she is the pillar and ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15 Thus liuing we are taught by the word of truth Colos 1.5 And are brought to the knowledge of the Truth 1. Tim. 2.4 And are sanctified by Truth Ioh. 17.17 Adde hereto that we are commaunded euery one to speake the Truth Ephes 4.25 And shall we doe our best to resemble God in Truth To be true as he is true Dearely beloued sith we are the children of Truth for God is Truth and his children we are let vs walke as it becometh the children of Truth let Truth be in our thoughts in our words in our workes in all our wayes What shall I more say to this poynt but exhort you in St Paules words Ephes 4.25 That ye would cast off lying and speake euery man the truth
32.41 that hee will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sinne His soule hateth and abhorreth sinne his law curseth and condemneth sinne his hand smiteth and scourgeth sinne Sinne was his motiue to cast Angels out of Heauen to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne Cities into ashes to ruinate Nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Sinne made him heretofore to drowne the olde world and sinne will make him hereafter to burne this So true is my doctrine Many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs. Let vs now make some vse of this doctrine Doe many sinnes cause Almighty God to punish vs First we are hence taught at what time soeuer God shall lay his rod vpon vs to seeke the true cause thereof in our selues Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est saith S. Austin Serm. 139. de Tempore The cause of all euill is within vs it is sinne within vs. It is impiety to imagine that God will punish vs without a cause Non pateremur nisi mereremur saith that good Father We should not vndergoe any crosse or disturbance vnlesse wee deserued it Wherefore let vs euery one of vs in particular when God commeth neere to vs in iudgement to touch either our estates with want or our callings with disgrace or our bodies with sicknes or our soules with heauines let vs haue recourse to the sinnes within vs which haue deserued this and turne we to the Lord our God Water teares sorrow repentance will better satisfie him pacifie him mooue him alter him then whatsoeuer vengeance or plagues or bloud or death Let vs enter into a due consideration of our corruptions our transgressions our sinnes wherewith as with a heauy burden wee are laden and returne wee to the Lord our God adulterers murtherers idolaters the sacrilegious the ambitious the couetous drunkards railers lyars the blasphemous swearers forswearers all who by any their euill wayes prouoke God to the execution of his iustice must take part in this conuersion Let no man draw backe let not the heinousnesse of our fore-passed sinnes deterre vs or keepe vs from so holy a course I dare affirme with S. Austin Serm. 181. de Tempore Non nocent peccata praeterita si non placent praesentia Sinnes past hurt not if sins present please not Let vs euen now at this present in detestation of sinne resolue to sinne willingly no more and our sinnes past shall neuer hurt vs. O let not this vse slip out of our minds When God his heauy hand is vpon vs in any crosse or tribulation seeke wee out the cause of it in our selues in our sinnes A second vse followeth and it is to stirre vs vp to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare those inhabitants of Iudah till by their three transgressions and by their foure they had prouoked God vnto displeasure The holy Scriptures are frequent in proclaiming God to be mercifull and gracious and long-suffering and of great goodnesse Hee cryeth to the foolish Prou. 1.22 O ye foolish how long will ye loue foolishnesse He cryeth to the faithlesse Math. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth to Ierusalem Matth. 23.37 O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often What could the Lord haue done more vnto his vineyard then he had done vnto it He dressed it with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could inuent as appeareth Esa 5.2 Such carefull dressing could not but deserue fruit This fruit he required not at the first houre but tarried for it the full time euen till the autumne and time of vintage if then it failed did it not deserue to be eaten vp Looke into the 13. of Luke vers 6. There shall you see the Lord wayting three yeeres for the fruit of his fig-tree yea and content that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeere may bee bestowed vpon it Doubtlesse God is mercifull and gracious and long suffering and of great goodnesse Heereof Beloued we haue great experience We haue our three transgressions and our foure too as Iudah had Our manifold sinnes our sins of omission and our sinnes of commission our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our sinnes of infirmity and our sinnes of presumption doe they not day by day impudently and sawcily presse into the presence of Gods Maiesty to procure his vengeance against vs And yet wee must needes confesse it God is good and patient towards vs. Beloued let vs not abuse so great goodnes and patience of our God Though some fall seauen times a day and rise againe though to some sinners it pleaseth God to iterate his sufferance as vpon vs hither to he hath done yet should not we herevpon presume to iterate our misdoings For we well know that Almighty God punished his p Ioh. 8.44 Iâ—d 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 Angels in heauen for one breach q Gen. 3.17 Adam for one morsell r Num. 12.10 Miriam for one slander Å¿ Deut. 32.52 Moses for one angry word t Iosh 7.24 25. Achan for one sacrilege u Esai 35.2 Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel x 2. ChroÌ„ 35.22 Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and y Act. 5.5 c. Ananias and Saphira for once lying to the Holy Ghost God is now as able as euer he was euen for one transgression to cut vs of but if he patiently forbeare vs till by three and foure transgressions by our many sinnes we grieue the Holy Spirit of that Sacred Maiestie shall we thinke as some impiously doe that God takes no notice of the sinnes which we commit or cares not for them Far let all such conceit be from any Christian heart Let vs rather confesse the truth that God by such his forbearance doth lead vs to repentance for as much as it is impossible that God should be and not see should see and not regard should regard and not punish should punish and not proportion his punishments to our sinnes I grant that the iustice of God goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slowly and in order but for the most part it recompenseth the slacknes of iudgement with the heauinesse thereof It keepes the rule full well to render for ripe sinnes ripe plagues for great sinnes great plagues for grieuous sins grieuous plagues The rule in the Scholes is thus deliuered Culpam poena sequitur euery sinne hath a due punishment attending it God is without exception iust and therefore Grauitas supplicij grauitatem peccati denotat grieuous punishments wheresoeuer God shall lay them doe argue grieuous sins of those places and persons Let no man then that groaneth vnder any crosse affliction or tribulation complaine of his hard hap or ill fortune all such visitations are from God and for our
In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Vervim nor the inwards of beasts nor turffs of earth but such things onely as proceed from the inner man righteousnesse patience faith innocencie chastitie abstinence such are the sacrifices to be offered vp vpon Gods holy Altar placed in our hearts In the Chapter following Chap. 25. his obseruation is that there are two things to be offered vp vnto God donum sacrificium a gift and a sacrifice the one perpetuall the other temporall According to some the gift is whatsoeuer is made of gold siluer purple or silke and the sacrifice is a beast slaine or whatsoeuer is burnt vpon the Altar But God hath no vse of these These are subiect to corruption but God is incorrupt Wee must therefore offer both gift and sacrifice in a spirituall manner so shall God haue vse of both Our gift must be integritas animi the vprightnesse of our minde our sacrifice laus hymnus prayse and thankesgiuing That I may conclude Beloued brethren let me sum vp together the Euangelicall sacrifices which the giuer of the new law requireth of vs. A broken spirit obedience to the will of God loue towards God and man iudgement iustice mercie prayer thankesgiuing almes-deedes our bodies and our soules these are the Euangelicall sacrifices the sacrifices of Christianitie to be offered vp vnto the Lord vpon the Altar of a faithfull heart A faithfull heart I say For if the heart be vnfaithfull the sacrifices will not be acceptable they will not be esteemed aboue the sorceries of Simon Magus Call them not sacrifices they are sacriledges if the heart be vnfaithfull But let the heart be faithfull and the sacrifices which it offereth vp will be as the beneficence was Phil. 4.18 which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus vnto Paul they will be odours of a sweete smell acceptable sacrifices and well pleasing vnto God Neither did that precious oyntment that ranne downe Aarons beard Psal 133.2 nor that that the woman powred vpon Christs head Mat. 26.7 nor that sweete incense Exod. 25.6 nor that wine of Lebanon Hos 14.7 yeeld so pleasant a sauour as doe the sacrifices of Christianitie that ascend from a faithfull heart O! the sweete sauour of a good life that springs and sprouts from a true beliefe farre surpasseth all other sweets in the world O! Let our sacrifices be such Let them spring from a true beliefe let them proceede from a faithfull heart so shall our minds when we thinke on God and our wils when we obey God and our soules when we loue God our tongues when we prayse God and our feete when wee walke with God and whatsoeuer else we haue when we vse it for the glory of God be an odour of a sweet smell an acceptable sacrifice and well pleasing vnto God I end Vouchsafe we beseech thee most mercifull Father so throughly to sanctifie vs with thine holy Spirit that all our sacrifices our preaching our hearing our prayers our prayses our thankesgiuings our deeds of mercie and pittie and charitie may euer be acceptable in thy sight Graunt this deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnitie of the holy Spirit be all prayse and power might and maiestie dignitie and dominion for euermore Amen THE XII LECTVRE AMOS 2.8 And they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their God THis is the last branch in the enumeration of the sinnes of the Israelites It concerneth the Iudges of Israel and the Rulers of that state them principally It is appliable to others also to the richer sort The words are a reproofe of the grosse superstition of that people They thought their dutie touching the seruice of God well discharged so they repaired to their temples Such holy places they thought were of themselues sufficient to clense them albeit they should euen there betake themselues to inordinate eating to vnmeasurable drinking to infamous luxurie yea to euery kinde of villanie For my more plaine proceeding in the handling of the words of this text will you be pleased to note in them First the action for which the Israelites are here reproued it is a drinking of wine They drinke wine Secondly whose wine it is they drinke It s not their owne its vinum damnatorum it 's the wine of the condemned They drinke the wine of the condemned Thirdly where they drinke it They drinke it not at home which were more tolerable but in domo deorum suorum in the house of their Gods They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods The first convinceth them of riot and excesse They drinke wine immoderately They are so giuen to it that they absteine not euen then when they are in their temples and would seeme most religious For they drinke it in the house of their Gods The second convinceth them of oppression The wine they drinke is vinum damnatorum it is the wine of the condemned it is vinum mulctatorum the wine of such as they haue fined or mulcted wine bought with the money of them whom they haue in their vnrighteous iudgments spoyled of their goods The third conuinceth them of idolatry They drinke their wine in the house of their Gods not in the Temple at Ierusalem that once glorious Temple of the true and liuing God but in the temple of their gods in Dan and Bethel and other places before their golden calues and other their Idols They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods First They drinke wine Wine Why might they not Is it not one of the good a 1. Tim. 4.4 creatures of God that may well be vsed with thanksgiuing God himselfe giues it to the obedient to them that loue and serue him Deut. 11.14 I will giue you the raine of your land in due season the first raine and the latter raine that thou maist gather in thy corne and thy wine and thine oyle That thou maist gather in thy wine Christ his miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee Ioh. 2.11 is euidence enough that he allowed the drinking of wine Yea himselfe dranke wine Else the people would neuer haue called him a wine-bibber as it appeareth they did Matth. 11.19 S Paul 1. Tim. 5.23 wisheth Timothie no longer to drinke water but to vse a little wine for his stomackes sake Wine hath its praises in the Scripture It makes glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 It cheareth God and man Iudg. 9.13 How then is it that the Israelites are here reproued for drinking wine I answer not for drinking wine but for the abuse in drinking are the Israelites here reproued It is with wine as it is with euery other good creature of God It may he abused Wine is abused when men are drunken with it This abuse of wine S. Paul desirous either to preuent or to reforme in the Ephesians thus speaketh to the Ephesians
I deliuer in this position The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value I neede not be long in the proofe of this truth you already giue your assent vnto it The word of God it s a Iewell then which nothing is more precious vnto which any thing else compared is but drosse by which any thing else tryed is found lighter then vanitie it s a trumpet wherby we are called from the slippery paths of sinne into the way of Godlinesse It s a lampe vnto our feete it s a light vnto our paths Psal 119.105 It s the g Matth. 4.4 Luk. 4.4 Ierem. 15.16 Ezech. 3.3 Revel 10.9 Ezech. 2.8 Wisd 16.26 foode of our soules by it our soules do liue Deut. 8.3 It s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seede Seede committed to the earth taketh roote groweth vp blossometh and beareth fruit So is it with the word of God If it be sowen in your hearts and there take roote it will grow vp blossome and beare fruit vnto eternall life In which respect S. Iames chap. 1.21 calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an engrafted word engrafted in your hearts able to saue your soules Sith the word of God is such doth it not follow of necessitie that the ministerie of it freely exercised in any Nation will be to that Nation a blessing of an inestimable value Can it be denyed The Prophet Esay chap. 52.7 with admiration auoucheth it How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the h Nahum 1.15 feete of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth saluation that saith vnto Zion Thy God reigneth S. Paul is so resolued vpon the certainty of this truth that Rom. 10.15 he resumeth the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Conferre we these two places one with the other that of Esay with this of Paul and we shall behold a heape of blessings showring downe vpon them to whom God sendeth the ministers of his Gospell for they bring with them the word of saluation the doctrine of peace the doctrine of good things and the doctrine of the kingdome Such is the Gospell of Christ First it is the word of saluation The Gospell of Christ is called the word of saluation first because it is the power of God vnto saluation as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God vnto saluation that is it is the instrument of the power of God or it is the powerfull instrument of God which he vseth to bring men vnto saluation And secondly because it teacheth vs concerning the author of our Saluation euen Christ Iesus An Angell of the Lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame and saith vnto him Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name i Luk 1.31 Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 He shall saue his people that is he shall be their Sauiour Iesus he is the Sauiour of his people merito efficacia by merit and by efficacie By merit because he hath by his death purchased for his people for all the elect the remission of their sinnes and the donation of the holy Spirit and life eternall And by efficacie because by the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the Gospell he worketh in the elect true faith by which they doe not onely lay hold on the merit of Christ in the promise of the Gospell but also they studie to serue God according to his holy commandements An Angell of the Lord relating the natiuitie of Christ vnto the Shepheards Luk 2.10 11. saith vnto them Feare not For I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people For vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Vnto you is borne a Sauiour where you haue what you are to beleeue of the Natiuitie of Christ He is borne a Sauiour vnto you Vnto you not onely to those shepheards to whom this Angell of the Lord speakes the words but vnto you Vnto you not only to Peter and Paul and some other of Christs Apostles and Disciples of old but vnto you vnto you vnto euery one of you in particular and vnto me When I heare the Angels words Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto you I apply them vnto my selfe and say Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me In this perswasion and confidence I rest and say with S. Paul Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me and that life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me Peter filled with the Holy Ghost seales this truth Act. 4.12 There is no Saluation in any other then in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth There is no other name vnder Heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Againe Act. 15.11 he professeth it We beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saued It must be our beleefe too if we will be saued We we in particular must beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus we shall be saued We shall be saued What 's that It is in S. Pauls phrase we shall be made aliue 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made aliue St Austine Ep. 157. which is to Optatus doth thus illustrate it Sicut in regno mortis nemo sine Adam ita in regno vitae nemo sine Christo As in the kingdome of death there is no man without Adam so in the kingdome of life there is no man without Christ as by Adam all men were made vnrighteous so by Christ are all men made righteous sicut per Adam omnes mortales in poenâ facti sunt filij seculi ita per Christum omnes immortales in gratiâ fiunt filij Dei As by Adam all men mortall in punishment were made the sonnes of this world so by Christ all men immortall in grace are made the sonnes of God Thus haue I prooued vnto you that the Gospell of Christ is the word of Saluation as well because it is the power of God vnto Saluation as also because it teacheth vs of the author of our Saluation Secondly it is the doctrine of Peace The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of peace because the ministers of the Gospell do publish and preach Peace This Peace which they publish and preach is threefold Betweene God and man Man and man Man and himselfe First they preach Peace
for Nazirites Is it not euen thus O yee children of Israel I the Lord aske you the question Is it not thus The points of doctrine from hence to be collected are diuers 1. God will haue the blessings and benefits which he bestoweth vpon vs euer to be had in remembrance 2. We must acknowledge that whatsoeuer good we haue we haue it from the Lord. 3. The blessings which God bestoweth vpon vs are nothing inferiour to those he bestowed vpon the Israelites I make this plaine by a briefe collation of the blessings bestowed by the Lord vpon them and vs. The Lord brought Israel out of Aegypt the house of bondage with a mighty hand and he ouerthrew Pharaoh in the red sea the same Lord hath deliuered vs from as great a bondage hath freed vs from the house of Hell and hath spoyled that infernall Pharaoh the Deuill The Lord gaue vnto the Israelites the land of the Amorites for their possession when he had driuen out the Amorites from before their face the same Lord hath giuen vs a good land for our possession and hath from out our Churches expulsed the spirituall Amorite Antichrist Balaam of Rome The Lord raised vp vnto Israel of their sonnes for Prophets the same Lord hath raised vp vnto vs of our sonnes for Prophets he giues vs orthodoxall and sound interpreters of his holy word and Pastors to declare vnto vs what his sacred will is The Lord raised vp vnto Israel of their yong men for Nazirites the same Lord hath giuen vs Schooles and Nurseries of good literature for the trayning vp of our yong men as Nazirites in knowledge and in piety yea he hath giuen vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one most holy Nazirite euen Christ Iesus in whom he maketh vs all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Nazirites that is Christians sanctifying vs by his Holy Spirit in Baptisme wherein we promised to forsake the Deuill and all his workes and to giue vp our selues wholy to the obedience and seruice of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Haec frequenter seriò cogitemus fratres Dearely beloued let vs frequently seriously thinke of these things So shall we the more esteeme Gods benefits bestowed vpon vs and shall the lesse abuse them and shall the longer enioy them Which God of his infinite mercy grant vnto vs through Iesus Christ our Lord. THE XVII LECTVRE AMOS 2.12 But yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke and commaunded the Prophets saying Prophecie not IN this propheticall Sermon written by Amos concerning the Israelites I haue heretofore in my eight Lecture vpon this Chapter obserued foure principall parts A Reprehension An Enumeration An Exprobation and A Commination The first is a reproofe of Israell for sinne vers 6.7.8 The second a recitall of the benefits which God hath bestowed vpon Israel vers 9.10.11 The third a twyting of Israel with their vnthankefulnesse vers 12. The fourth a threatning of punishment to befall them from the 13. verse to the end of the Chapter Of the two former the Reprehension and the Enumeration you haue at sundry times alreadie heard Now are we to proceed to the Exprobation conteined in the words at this time read vnto you For our easier vnderstanding whereof we are to cast backe an eye vpon those benefits which in the precedent verses are mentioned to haue beene bestowed by the Lord vpon his people Israel They were either Corporall or Spirituall Corporall as the destruction of the Amorites before the Israelites and for their sakes vers 9. their deliuerance out of Egypt their protection and preseruation in the wildernesse for fortie yeares together that at length they might possesse the land of the Amorite vers 10. And Spirituall as the doctrine of the sincere worship of God and of eternall saluation together with the free vse and passage thereof expressed vers 11. by the raising vp of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazirites These were very great benefits and worthy all thankfull acknowledgement But the people of Israel were so farre from giuing thankes for them that they a Ruffinus vilely esteemed them and too too contemptuously reiected them This appeareth in this 12. verse which I therefore call an Exprobration an vpbraiding or twyting of Israel with the foulnesse of their b Albertus Magnus ingratitude Two things here are said vnto their charge one is Their solliciting the Nazirites to breake their vow The other is their hindering the Prophets in the execution of their function The first in these words yee gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke The second in these yee commaunded the Prophets saying Prophecie not Of these in their order The first is their solliciting the Nazirites to breake their vow Ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke Of the name of Nazirites and of their institution I spake in my last exercise out of this place I will not now spend time vpon the repetition of that I then deliuered It shall suffice if I adde but a word or two for the further illustration thereof The c Babington in Num 6. Nazirites had their name of Nazar which signifieth to separate They were yong men separate from the ordinarie course of men and bound to a certaine peculiar course and profession of life They were Ecclesiae ornamenta sayth d Harmon in 4 〈◊〉 Moses Calvin ornaments of the Church and God would in them as in a glasse make his honor and glorie in some sort to appeare They were quasi pretiosae gemmae to shine as rich Iewels among the people of God They were tanquam signiferi ante signani duces as standard-bearers ring-leaders and chiefetaines to shew the way of diuine worship vnto others Singular was the honor and dignitie of this order and calling of Nazirites Ieremie in his Lamentations chap. 4.7 thus sets them forth Her Nazirites were purer then snow they were whiter then milke they were more ruddie in body then Rubies they were like polished Saphyres The author of this order and calling is God This appeareth by the verse next before my text There the Lord hath sayd I haue raised vp of your yong men for Nazirites The first branch of the Law that concerneth this order and calling is accurately described Num 6.3 4. Whosoeuer shall vow the vow of a Nazirite he shall absteine from wine and strong drinke he shall drinke no vineger of wine or vineger of strong drinke neither shall be drinke any liquor of grapes nor eate moist grapes nor dried All the dayes of his Naziriteship shall he eate nothing that is made of the vine tree from the kernels euen to the huske These Nazirites for the time of their Naziriteship were to apply themselues wholy to the studie of the law of God and therfore was abstinence from wine and strong drinke enioyned them God would haue them refraine all things that might trouble the braine stirre vp lust and make them vnfitly disposed for so holy a studie of
which sort are wine and strong drinke Salomon so accounts of them Prov. 20.1 For there he saith Wine is a mocker strong drinke is raging and whosoeuer is deceiued thereby is not wise Salomons Mother doth likewise so account of them Prov. 31.4 There her counsaile to her sonne is It is not for Kings O Lemuel it is not for Kings to drinke wine nor for Princes to drinke strong drinke left they being drunken forget the Law and peruert the iudgement of any of the afflicted For this cause also were the Priests forbidden wine when they were to goe into the tabernacle of the Congregation and that vpon paine of death The prohibition is Levit. 10.9 There thus saith the Lord to Aaron Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy sonnes with thee when yee goe into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest ye die It shall be a statute for euer throughout your generations Hitherto I referre that Exech 44.21 No priest shall drinke wine when he entereth into the inner court From the places now alledged ariseth this position Sobrietie is a vertue fit for all men but especially for Ministers of the word and Sacraments Especially for Ministers The reasons are First it is not for Ministers to speake foolishly or to doe any thing vndecently Yet can they not but offend both in the one and the other if they suffer themselues to be ouercome with swilling of wine or strong drinke Secondly it is for Ministers to be vigilant in their vocations to be diligent in their ministeriall imployments in reading in studie in meditation to be deuout in their praiers vnto God for themselues the people ouer whom God hath made them ouerseers to handle the word of life reuerently and to dispense it in due season to euery weary soule Yet must they needs faile in the performance of these duties if they giue themselues to the drinking of wine and strong drinke Here may all that serue at the Altar be admonished euermore to be mindfull of their calling and of the hatred which God hath of excesse in men deuouted to his seruice aboue all others as also of the fearefull iudgement that will in the end without all faile ensue For if of all it be true that the drunkard shal neuer enter into the kingdome of God which you know to be true and the holy Spirit hath passed it for a truth 1. Cor. 6 10. then must it needs be sealed vp in the conscience of any Minister that a Minister through his excesse in drinking causing the holy things of God to be despised shall neuer neuer come within the gates of that eternall ioy but in stead thereof shall reape the reward of his sinne in euerlasting torments both of bodie and soule But this by the way The thing wherewith the Israelites in my text stand charged is their giuing the Nazirites wine to drinke The Israelites knew full well that it was the peremptorie mandate and expresse commandement of the Lord that the Nazirites should absteine from wine and strong drinke yet did they contrary thereunto giue vnto the Nazirites wine to drinke Gaue they the Nazirites wine to drinke was this such an offence that God should take displeasure at it To what end then serues the precept of giuing wine to him that is readie to perish through the anxietie and bitternesse of his minde that thereby he may be cheared and comforted The precept is Prov. 31.6 Giue strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish and wine vnto those that be of heauie hearts Let him drinke and forget his pouertie and remember his misery no more In vaine were this precept were the drinking of wine an offence whereat God should take displeasure And S. Paul doth amisse 1. Tim. 5.23 to wish him to drinke no longer water but to vse a little wine for his stomackes sake and his often infirmities if the drinking of wine be an offence If the drinking of wine be an offence why doth the same Apostle tell the Romans chap. 14.17 that the kingdome of God consisteth not in meate and drinke thereby giuing them libertie not onely to eate but also to drinke what they would euen to drinke wine To this I say It is not of it selfe any offence to drinke wine or to giue others wine to drinke but herein consisteth the offence of the Israelites that they gaue the Nazirites wine to drinke contrary to the Law of God and his holy commandement Tolle verbum Domini et liberum est vinum bibere adde verbum Domini vinum exhibere aut bibere tam grande est nefas quà m adulterium aut latrocinium So Brentius Let there be no law no commandement of God against the drinking of wine and you may at your pleasure drinke wine But if Gods law and commaundement be against it then for a man to drinke wine himselfe or to giue others wine to drinke it s as great a sinne as adulterie or robbery Adam in Paradise had a law giuen him that hee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill The law is expressed Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die To eate an Apple was of it selfe but a small matter but the Law of God whereby the eating of the Apple was forbidden was a matter of great weight The very eating of the Apple God did not much care for it was the obseruance of his commandement and the obedience thereunto that he required Saul had a commandement giuen him that he should goe downe to Gilgal and tarry there seauen dayes till Samuel should come and direct him what to doe The commandement is expressed 1. Sam. 10.8 Thou shalt goe downe before me to Gilgal and behold I will come downe vnto thee to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings seauen dayes shalt thou tarrie till I come to thee and shew thee what thou shalt doe According to this commandement Saul went to Gilgal and tarried there e 1. Sam. 13.8 seauen dayes according to the set time that Samuel had appoynted The seauenth day a little before Samuel came Saul f Vers 9. offered a burnt ofring g Vers 10. As soone as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering Samuel came Saul vnderstanding thereof went out to meete him that he might salute him Samuel seeing what was done tells Saul that he had done h Vers 13 foolishly in not keeping the commandement of the Lord his God which he commaunded him and withall foretells him of a heauie iudgement to befall him i Vers 14. Thy kingdome shall not continue The offering of the Holocauste or burnt offering to the Lord was it not of it selfe a good worke Yet because Saul offered it out of due time namely before Samuel was come it was sinne vnto him and the losse of his kingdome Did the
non debetis ye ought not to be ignorant of this that the amitie of the world is enmitie with God and that whosoeuer is a friend of the world he is the enemie of God I may adde yea and of the Godly too Hereto agreeth that demaund of S. Paul 2. Cor. 6.14.15 What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is righteous the world is wicked and g 1. John 5.19 lieth altogether in sinne therefore there can be no fellowship betweene God and the world God is h 1. I haâ— 1.5 light he is the i Iam. 1.17 Father of lights in him there is no darkenesse at all The world what is it but k Ephe. 5.8 darknesse what but a receptacle of the vnfruitfull l Vers 11. workes of darkenesse therefore there can bee no communion betweene God and the world Christ is holy altogether holy and immaculate Belial is wicked he is the Prince of wickednesse therefore there can be no concord betweene Christ and Belial Now if there can be no fellowship if no communion betweene God and the world can we looke there should be any fellowship any communion betweene Saints worldlings betweene the godly and the wicked betweene such as loue God and such as loue the wâ—rld If there be no concord betweene Christ and Belial can we expect there should be any concord betweene true Christians and Belialists betweene the followers of Christ and the sonnes of Belial It cannot be expected These whom I call Belialists or the sonnes of Beliall worldlings and the wicked are such as loue the world the other whom I call true Christians or followers of Christ Saints the godly are such as loue God The repugnancie that is betweene the qualities of these two is elegantly deliuered in holy writ The louers of God are m Rom. 8.14 Galat. 5.18 led by the Spirit of God they n Galat. 5.16 walke in the Spirit and bring forth the o Vers 22.23 fruits thereof as loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance and such like but they that loue the world are invested with p Ver. 19.20.21 adulterie fornication vncleannesse lasciuiousnesse Idolatrie witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse revellings and such like What greater repugnancie can there be then this Againe they that loue God are q 2. Tim. 2.22 of pure hearts and of r 1. Tim. 1.5 good consciences they Å¿ Coloss 1.22 present themselues holy vnblameable and vnreproueable in the sight of God they serue the Lord t Johan 4.23 in Spirit and in truth but they that loue the world are of u Psal 14.1 And 53.1 corrupt hearts of x Tit. 1.15 defiled minds and consciences their works are y Psal 14.1 abominable they are z Psal 58.3 deceitfull from the wombe they are altogether a Psal 14.3 become filthy their seruice of God is but a flattering of him for they b Psal 78.36 lye vnto him with their double tongue What greater repugnancie can there be then this Once more They that loue God cast all their c 1. Pet. 5.7 care vpon him they are d Vers 8. sober and vigilant for they know that their aduersarie the Deuill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuour but they that loue the world like the foole in the Psalme e Psal 14.1 53.1 10.4 say in their heart there is no God Sobrietie they care not for vigilancie they will none of it f Philip. 3.19 Minding earthly things glutted with the pleasure thereof their sole care is g Rom. 16.18 to serue their owne belly h Philip. 3.19 their God is their belly their glory is their shame their end is damnation What greater repugnancie can there be then this Will it now please you to collect with me the qualities of the wicked the sonnes of Belial worldlings such as loue the world are wholy repugnant and contrary to the qualities of the Godly the followers of Christ Saints such as loue God and therefore there can be no agreement betweene them No better then was betweene Cain and Abel And that you know was bad enough For Cain slew Abel And wherefore slew he him S. Iohn giues you the reason 1. Epist 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers righteous Thus farre of the hatred of the wicked against the Godly the true reason of my doctrine which was The wicked are euermore in a readinesse to doe all the disgrace and despite they can not onely to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers but also to the true seruants of God of what vocation estate or condition soeuer they be Let vs now make some vse of that which hath beene hitherto deliuered for the bettering and the amendment of our sinfull liues First the Ministers of Gods word may from hence learne not to take it vnto heart if such as are bound by the Law of God and nature and by all good order to yeeld them due loue and reuerence shall in pride and contempt insult ouer them to disgrace and to despite them They may well remember that it s neither great nor new nor rare thing that they meete with such course entertainement in the world forasmuch as they cannot be ignorant that the world hateth them And what if the world hate them Shall they therefore be altogether dejected They need not For Christ giues them encouragement and comfort Iohn 15.18 If the world hate you yee know that it hated me before it hated you The argument is drawen ab exemplo from Christs owne example The world hateth mee you know it to be so you see it It needes not then to be any disparagement to you if it hate you it hated me before it hated you Cur ergo se membrum supra verticem extollit S. Austine propounds the question Tract 88. in Iohannem Why doth a member extoll it selfe aboue the head Recusas esse in corpore si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite thou refusest to be in the bodie if thou wilt not with the head susteine the hatred of the world A second argument of encouragement and comfort to vs against the hatred of the world is drawne from the nature of the world vers 19. If ye were of the world the world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you This argument is euident euen to the common sense of men who cannot but know that betweene contraries there is no agreement and betweene men of vnlike qualities no full consent of minds It is then as if Christ had thus said The world loues none but his owne none but those that are addicted deuoted and wholy giuen ouer to it but
member I haue Yet if it shall please God to smite me in any member I haue in arme or in legge Psal 22.14 or in all so that I be as if all my bones were out of ioynt I shall euer acknowledge the hand of God and his particular prouidence without which not so much as a little sparrow falleth on the ground as it is testified by our Sauiour Christ Mat. 10.30 So true is my propounded doctrine Nihil accidere nisi à Deo prouisum that nothing falleth out in this life no calamity no misery nothing good or euill but by the prouidence of God The obiections that are by the ignorant cast out against this holy and comfortable doctrine I cannot now stand to refute they may if God will be the ground-worke of some other meditation For the present that I be not ouer-troublesome vnto you I will adde but a word of vse and application The first vse may be to stirre vs vp to glorifie God for all his mercies For sith we know that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life it is by the prouidence of God what should come out of our mouthes and hearts but that of holy Iob Blessed Blessed be the name of the Lord for it In the time of our prosperity when the face of the Lord shineth most cheerefully vpon vs what should pierce the inward parts of a childe of God but these or the like motions O Lord Lord that the hearts of these men my righteous friends or others are turned vnto me it is of thee alone Of thee alone it is that I haue their loue their fauour their benefits thou alone art the fountaine they are but the instruments Thy instruments they are such as next after thee I will thankfully regard but neuer before thee nor without thee Also what any other creature yeeldeth me of comfort profit or good any way the power the strength and the means thereof is from thee alone from thee my God my strength my hope and my stay for euer A second vse may be to worke patience in vs euen through our whole life and in our greatest afflictions For sith wee know that whatsoeuer befalleth vs in this life be it to the flesh neuer so sowre it commeth to passe by the prouidence of God why should any one that is the childe of God murmure or repine when he is fed with the bread of teares Psal 80.5 O then when wee are pinched with aduersity let vs not imagine that God is our enemy beleeue we rather that of his good and fatherly purpose he chasteneth vs for the remnant of sin abiding in this corrupted nature of ours thereby to stirre vs vp to the exercise of true Christian patience Vpon this beleefe I am resolued neuer to looke so much at any ill that shall betide me as at the blessed hand that shall be the guide thereof A third vse which for this time shall be my last vse of the doctrine now deliuered is to driue vs to our knees early and late to begge and desire at this our good Gods hand the continuance of his euer sweet prouidence ouer vs and for vs that by his good guidance wee may quietly saile ouer the sea of this wicked world and when his blessed will shall be we may arriue in the hauen of eternall comfort euen his blessed and glorious and euerlasting Kingdome to which the Lord grant vs a happie comming for his dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the Father in the vnitie of the holy Spirit be all praise and power Amen THE Sixth Lecture AMOS 3.5 Shall one take vp a snare from the earth and haue taken nothing at all YOu may at the first blush thinke it a needlesse labor for me to stand vpon the exposition of this second branch of this fift verse because it seemeth to be coincident with the former It is true that as well in this branch as in that the similitude is taken from the manner of a fowler yet I doubt not euen from hence to gather some good and profitable fruit for our instruction in the way of piety and godly liuing My custome hitherto requireth that first I cleare the reading and then proceed to some wholsome obseruation If the Hebrew be rendred word for word it will sound thus Nunquid aescendet laqueus è terrâ capiendo non capiet Shall a snare ascend from the earth and in taking shall it not take So are the words translated by Mercerus and by Vatablus and by Drusius Shall a snare ascend from the earth To ascend in the Hebrew tongue signifieth to be taken away to be remoued Laqueus ascendit quum tollitur a snare ascendeth from the earth when it is taken thence For this same ascendet the Septuagint haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall a snare be loosed from the earth shall it be broken vpon the earth Herewith agreeth the Chaldee Paraphrast The Vulgar Latine hath Auferetur Shall a snare be taken from the earth Shall it be taken By whom By whom but by a fowler The fowler is expressed by Tremelius and Iunius and by Caluin the rest that expresse him not must of necessity vnderstand him Shall a fowler remoue his snare from the earth Et capiendo non câ—piet and in taking shall he not take It is an Hebraisme for which the Greekes haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without taking somewhat the old Latine hath antequam quid ceperit before he haue taken somewhat Caluin and Brentius priusquam capturam ceperit before he hath taken a prey Gualter si omnino nihil ceâ—e it It he hath taken nothing at all Those hit the sense of our Prophet though they leaue his Hebraisme and herein I reprehend them not For I dissent not from S. Hierome Comment in c. 1. ad Gal. who there saith Non in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed in mâ—dulla non in sermonum folijs sed in radice rationis His saying is that the Gospell is not in the words of the Scriptures but in the sense not in the outside but in the marr w not â—n the leaues of the booke but in the root of reason Well then haue the Greekes and the Vulgar Latine and Caluin and Brentius and Gualter left the word to giue the sense So hath our countrymâ—n Tauerner whose reading is Takâ—th a man his snare vp from the ground afore he catch somewhat The meaning he well expresseth So doe our newest Translators but the better by how much the neerer they cleaue vnto the words Shall one take vp a snare from the earth and haue takâ—n nothing at all Shall be To this interrogation as to the former the answer should be negatiue No he shall not Shall hee not How so A fowler may be deceiued hee may misse of his prey and so may be driuen to take vp his snares his ginnes his nets though he haue taken nothing Luther for the remouing
the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeaâ—â— before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmeâ— 3 The place of his vsuall abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deaths of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esayes father To which opinion a learned and late Diuine l Prolog in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But S. Hierome is against it and so are most Interpreters so also is Drusius in his sacred obseruations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of Esayes father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our Prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran. auulsus one that is separated from others These diuers interpretations of these two names the name of Esayes father and this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterâ—r stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my Text. We finde not any such surname giuen Esayes father Therefore our Amos is not Amoâ— the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come tâ—â—s condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words Who was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as doe vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepherds In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2 King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepherd and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepe cattle to see to their feeding and safetie such we properly call heardmen or shepherds and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnesse himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepherd You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa This towne Å¿ Lib. dâ—vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulon t Apud Mercerum R. Dauid to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but S. Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I chuse to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iuda six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrichom in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6 rehearsed among all those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as Saint Hierome obserueth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke Here Amos for a time led a shepherds life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the Preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. Which he saw this adiection sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Arias Montanus obserueth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls seruant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the old time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reueale vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10. tribes Rehoboam Salomons sonne could keepe with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange diuision Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of Dauid are in holy Scripture called sometimes u Amos 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem. 6.1 Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of Dauid The other ten tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diuers appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethauen c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.1 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. reuolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10.
reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel Some mention is made of Iuda incidently and by the way but the scope of the prophecie is Israel The time which was my last circumstance followeth In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel The time is set downe in generall and in particular First in generall thus In the dayes of Vzziah c. Vzziah or Ozias called also Azarias 2 King 14.21 succeeded his father Amazias in the throne of Iuda This he did in the 27th yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam in Israel as appeareth 2 King 15.1 That same Ieroboam that you may distinguish him from a former King of the same name is called in my text Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash Hereby we see in generall the time of his prophecie which is more particularly set downe in the last words two yeare before the earthquake Hee meaneth that same notable and famous earthquake mentioned also Zach. 14.5 Yee shall flie saith hee like as yee fled from the earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda In what yeare of Vzziahs reigne this earthquake hapned it is not to be collected out of holy scripture Flauius Iosephus Lib. 9. antiq Iudaie cap. 11. saith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah vsurping the Priests office went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense Ribera disproues Josephus his iudgement and saith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth yeare of the reigne of Vzziah Some doe hold it was in the 22th yeare And the Hebrewes whom Funccius followeth in his Chronologie doe ascribe it to the 25. yeare For my part I say not in what yeare it happened Why should I speake where the holy spirit is silent It is out of doubt that there was such an earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah witnesse the Prophet Zacharie two yeares after Amos had begunne this propheticall function witnesse Amos here in my text Thus dearely beloued in the Lord haue I briefly run ouer the exposition of this first verse let mee now vpon it build some doctrine for the building vp of our selues in our holy faith You will be pleased to remember with me that Amos of a heardman or a shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carrie a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the King Nobles Priests and people of Israel The doctrine to be grounded hereupon I deliuer in this proposition God chuseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mighty Vile and despised persons I call such as to the world to humane wisdome and to the eye of reason are of no price esteeme or worth Such as Ioseph was when he kept sheepe in Canaan with his brethren and was by them sold to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.2 27. Such as Moses was when first he was cast into the flags Exod. 2.1 Such as Dauid was while he medled with sheepfolds and followed the ewes great with young Psal 78.70 Such as were Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn while they busied themselues about mending of nets and catching of fish Matth. 4.18.21 These Joseph Moses and Dauid shepherds Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn fishermen vile and despised in the account of the world were chosen by the wisdome of the great God of heauen one to be a ruler in Egypt another to be a leader of Gods people the third to be a King the rest to be Christs Apostles Heare now a word of eternall verity and full of comfort You shall finde it Psal 113.7 8. The Lord who is high aboue all nations and glorious aboue the heauens he raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung to set him with Princes S. Pauls discourse touching this point is more large and spatious You shall find it 1 Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weake things to confound the strong and vile things and things despised and things which are not to bring to nought the things that are The reason of Gods dealing thus in the aduancement of the foolish weak vile despised needy poor to places of dignity is expressed 1 Cor. 1.29 It is that no flesh should reioyce in his presence that is that no man should glory before the Lord. In this reason are two things worthy our religious considerations as Musculus well obserueth For hereby our God first suppresseth and beateth downe the pride of flesh and takes from it all glory of wisdome power and nobility and secondly whatsoeuer glory there is of wisdome power and nobilitie he doth claime and challenge it for his owne peculiar Thus haue you dearely beloued the confirmation of my doctrine The doctrine was God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mighty Be patient I beseech you while I point at some vses of it The first vse is to lift vp our minds to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignitie in Church and common-wealth Hereby wee know that neither Empire nor Kingdome nor place in them of dignitie prioritie or preeminence Ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industrie wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie A second vse is to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against heauen with i Cic. dâ—nat Deor. Epicurus and k Cic. ibid. Diagoras and their adherents to affirme that the God of heauen in as much as he is absolutely blessed is not to trouble himselfe with cares for this lower world that it standeth not with Gods maiesty to care for the vile abiect and despised things of this world This impious rabble and Sathans brood doe thinke that al things below the Moone are ruled by their blind Goddesse Fortune and by Chance Here must I beseech you to let your hearts be ioyned with mine in the consideration of God his sweet and neuer-sleeping care and prouidence ouer this lower world Let vs not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments The holy scriptures doe teach vs that our God examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine to a l 1 King 17.14 handfull of meale to a m Ibid. cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of n Mat. 10.29 sparrowes to the ground to the o Mat. 6.26 feeding of the birds of the aire to the p Psal 29.9 caluing of hinds to the q Mat. 6.30 See my 2 Ser. on Luk. 9. p. 32. clothing of the grasse of the field to the r Luk. 12.7 numbring of the haires of
Brentius may be thought to charge them wrongfully be patient I beseech you while I shew you out of themselues how they harpe vpon this g This point see touâ—hâ—d in my Sermon vpon Psal 21.6 pag. 12 c. blasphemous string A Cardinall of great name in his time Hosius the Popes Legat and President of the Councell of Trent in his booke De expresso verbo Dei saith as some haue thought of himselfe as others in the person of Zwenkfeldius h Vanus est labor qui Scripturis impenditur Scriptura enim est creatura egenum quoddam elementum These words are alleaged out of Hosius by John Iewel B. of Salisburie in his Apologie of of the Church of England part 4. chap. 19 20. §. 1. Thomas Harding in his Confutation saith that neither Hosius nor any Catholâ—ke speakâ—th them but one Zwenk-feldius Yet before B. Iewel the words are alleaged by Nicolaus Gallus for the words of Hosius So are they by Iacobus Andrea de authoritate Sacrae Scripturae with this censure vpon them Qua verba sinc Hosius suo sine aliorum nomine recitet certe hanc esse Asoti Hosis de SacraÌ„ Scripturá sententiam non est obscurum Flacâ—us Illyricus in his seuenth Treatise de Norma Concilii touching these very words of Hosius saith Hosius alterius cuâ—â—sdam sententiam hac de re citans comprobat that Hosius though he vttereth these words in the name and person of Zwenkseldius yet neuer the lesse he alloweth them as his owne In the London edition of the Apologie printed in 12. impensis Thomae Chardi 1591. vpon these words of Hosius you shal â—â—nde this marginall noâ—e in the 208. page Haec Hosius in libro de expresso verbo Dei sâ—d aputè sub alterius personâ quamuis ipse alias eadem in â—odem etiam libro disertis verbis affirmet It is but lost labour that is spent in the Scriptures hee giues this reason for the Scripture is a creature and a poore kinde of outward element i Citatur ab Illyrico in Norma Concilii Ludonicus Maioranus a Canon of the Church of Lateran in Rome in an k Printed at Daliâ—ga Ann. 1563. Vide H. 2. b. where also he calleth the Scriptures in disgrace literarum monumenta scriptiones chartulus macrocolla membranulas oration of his pronounced at Trent said l Scriptura est quasi mortuum atramentum the Scripture is as it were m And Mart. Peresius praef ad lâ—br de traditionibus a. 3. b. Vnus hic in primis est fons origo omnium errorum quod nihil sit pro certo indubitato in iis que ad Christianam attinent pietatem à quoquam fideli recipiendum nisi Atramento Mortuo in sacris codicibus expressum inueniatur Dead Inke The Bishop of n Apud Sleidanum comment lib. 23. Poitiers in a speech of his at the same Trent spake to like purpose The Scripture is o Res inanimis muta a dead and a dumbe thing And thinke ye was p Apud Châ—mnitium exam Conc. Trid. part 1. de sacra Scriptura Eckius more modestly conceited when he called the Scriptures q Euangelium nigrum Theologiam Atramentariam the blacke gospell and inken diuinity or r Contro 3. de Eâ—cles Pighius when hee called the Scriptures Å¿ Mutos iudices dumbe and speechlesse iudges t Sunt Scripturae velut nasus cercus qui se horsum illorsum in quamcunque volueris partem trahi retrahi fingique facitè pâ—rmittit Pigh Hierarch Eccles l. 3 c. 3. like vnto a nose of wax that is easily moulded and fashioned what way soeuer you will or u In his answer to Iewels defence Attic. 15. Diuis 9. The dangers and hurts which the common peoples reading of their Scripture in their owne language bringeth be great sundry and many Harding or x De sacrorum Bibliorum in vulg idiom translatione pag. 492. Jn propatulo est quantam perniciem in totum orbem Chrisâ—ianum ea res inuexerit adhuc inuectura sit si Laicis ill teratis liberum sit pro ipsorum arbitrio curiositate sacras literas rimari ac perferutari Staphilus who spake of the Scriptures as of mischieuous and poysonfull books if so they be committed to the view of the common people in a vulgar and knowne language But all these blasphemers are long since dead and gone Is their blasphemie dead and gone with them No that stickes fast by their posterity as a leprousie that will not be cleansed In the Colloquie held at Ratisbone of late Anno 1602. betweene the Ministers of the Augustane confession and Papists when it was alleaged Scripturam esse normam fidei that Scripture is the rule of faith it was answered by a Iesuite hoc esse fontem omnem heresâ—â—n that this was the fountaine of all heresie as M. Willet makes relation in his y Fo. A. 3. b. answer to the libellers Introduction It may be he meanes the Iesuite Tannerus whose foule reproachfull and dishonourable speech against the holy Spirit the author of holy Scripture is set downe by Hunnius in his z Pag. 26. historicall narration of that Colloquie at Ratisbone Nulla nulla nulla vnquam fuit haeresis quae ex sola Scriptura sufficienter resutari potuit A speech vehement enough Neuer neuer neuer was there any heresie sufficiently refuted only out of Scripture Hee râ—quires their imagined infallible authority of their Church to be ioyned There was another Iesuite at the same Colloquie by name Gretserus of no lesse impudency egregiously blasphemous For when it was alleaged that the holy Scripture or the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture is the highest and the infallible Iudge of controuersies of religion this Gretserus as one possessed with the spirit of contradiction vtters this proposition a Colloq Ratisb per Dauid Rungium K 1. b. Neque Scriptura sola vt est verbum Spiritus Sancti neque ipse Spiritus Sanctus vt loquitur per Scripturam est iudex supremus infallibilis controuersiarum religionis Neither the holy Scripture as it is the word of the holy Ghost nor the holy Ghost himselfe as he speaketh by the Scripture is the supreme and infallible Iudge of controuersies of religion This he vndertooke to proue by experience b Ecce stamus in conspâ—ctu huius iudicis haec dicens assurgebat â—odicem biblicum alterâ manu tenebat alterâ pâ—lsabat Ecce adsum veniat Sp. Sanct. faciat id si potest iudicet me per hanc Scripturam condemnet me si potest per cam dicat si potest errâ—â— Iacobe Gretsere tu causâ cecidisti id si dixerit statim transiâ—â— ad vestrum scamnum non â—â— est me Spiriâ—us Sanct. iudicare per hanc ScripturaÌ„ Rung ib. k. 2. a. Behold saith he we stand before the face of this
Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands and struck it with the other we stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by Dauid Rungius in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathan Gretser we doubt not but that the Lord hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloued in the Lord Schollers can tell you of Brontes Steropes Pyracmon Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head and banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Verè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudency as euer was seen in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single combat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557. haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a Iudges voiâ—e but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consâ—quent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impiouâ— assertions touching holy Scripture they doe directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying Ex vngue Leonem A man may know a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnesse impudency and fury of railing with which those Iesuits beforenamed haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You already see the readinesse of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to doe it all the disgrace they can Yet giue mee leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choise of is Gods soueraignety ouer the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and Kingdomes are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paul to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordained of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob 34.24 God shall breake the mighty and set vp other in their stead expressed in the prayer of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings and setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prou. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me Princes Nobles and Iudges doe rule This truth hath 3. branches displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique aduertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God All three are further made good in the infallible euidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo reges dâ—ri Lipsius Mouit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God Thus saith the Lord of Sauls successour 1 Sam. 16.1 I haue prouided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the reuolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1 King 12.24 This thing is done by me and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get ouer the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites Trem. Ps 75.7 of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my seruant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Aduancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone aduanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the remouall of Kings and translation of kingdomes it s well known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by diuine examples whereof I might make along recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings deliuered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs ouerthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezzâ—r and Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the diuinely inspired word of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was * Regna à Deo Reges tempâ—rari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon euen of the wonderfull extent of Gods care and prouidence to the least bâ—sest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruise of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and gouerne Kings and kingdomes Now beloued in the Lord you see by the euidence of holy Scripture that Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty Giue care I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heauen notwithstanding the eternall truth in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. Å¿ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum si ille conetur auertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about auertere populum à fide to auert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of
religiously assembled in this place are the elect of God chosen by him in Christ Iesus * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world to bee holy and without blame before him in loue yet I feare me should we enter into our owne hearts and examine our selues how we haue walked in dutifulnesse towards him our best course will be to runne vnto him with a Peccanimus in our mouthes Lord we haue z Luk. 15.18 sinned against heauen and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy seruants By the first branch of our duty we are required to be obedient seruants but we haue beene a Ezech. 2.4 hard offace and stiffe hearted a rebellious of-spring like vnto our fathers By the second branch of our duty wee are required to be faithfull seruants but we haue made a couenant with b Rom. 6.19 vncleannesse and iniquity to serue them By the third branch of our duty we are required to bee profitable seruants but when wee should haue c Mat. 25.27 put our Lords mony to the exchangers for his greater vantage we haue d Vers 25. hid it in the earth Lord enter not into account with vs e Iob 9.3 wee cannot answer thee one of a thousand Now dearely beloued suffer a word of exhortation let the remembrance of your holy duties by you to be performed to the Lord your God be like f Ecclus 49.1 the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary sweet as hony in your mouths and as musicke at a banket of wine Bee it vnto you g Ezech. 16.11 12. as bracelets vpon your hands as chaines about your necks as frontlets vpon your faces as earings in your eares as beautifull crownes vpon your heads let it bee written in your hearts as h Ierem. 17.1 with a pen of iron or point of a Diamond neuer to bee razed out Shall I deliuer this your duty vnto you in blessed Pauls words In blessed Pauls words this is your duty to i 1 Thes 2.12 walke worthy of the Lord Coloss 1.10 To walke worthy your vocation Ephes 4.1 To walke as children of the light Ephes 5.8 To walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4 To walke in loue Ephes 5.2 To haue your conuersation as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ Phil. 1.27 To behaue your selues honestly towards them that are without 1 Thess 4.12 To walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 If you take thought k Rom. 13.14 for your flesh to fulfill the lusts of it if your eyes are l 1 Ioh. 2.11 blindeâ— with m 2 Tim. 3.4 loue of pleasures if you haue n Ephes 5.11 fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse you are out of the way and doe much faile in the performance of your holy duty And to keepe you the better in the right way let me plainly tell you out of 1 Cor. 6.9 and Ephes 5.5 That neither Idolaters nor the couetous nor extortioners nor theeues nor adulterers nor fornicators nor buggerers nor wantons nor drunkards nor raylers shall haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Haue not some of vs beene such yet to such there is ministred a word of comfort 1 Cor. 6.11 First is our accusation Such were some of you then followeth our comfort but yee are washed but ye are saâ—ctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God Is this true beloued Are we washed and sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God why then resolue we to follow S. Paules aduice Phil. 4.8 Whatsoeuer things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise resolue we to thinke on these things thinke we on these things to doe them and we shall well performe our holy duties to our Lord. Thus farre of my first note touching the speaker who speaketh Now followeth my other note How he speaketh He shall roare and vtter his voice The metaphor of roaring with reference vnto God is frequent and much vsed in holy Scripture You find it as here so Ierem. 25.30 ioyned with the voice of the Lord The Lord shall roare from aboue and thrust out his voice from his holy habitation And so againe Ioel. 3.16 where you haue the very words of my text The Lord shall roare out of Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice Hos 11.10 The Lord shall roare like a Lion when he shall roare then the children of the West shall feare You shall find it with application Amos 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not bee afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie S. Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth for as much as it is fit for euery man to vse in his speech such examples and similitudes as are most familiar to him in his owne art dayly course and trade of life It s fit for a sea faring man to compare his heauinesse to a tempest his losse to a shipwracke his enemies to contrary winds fit for â— souldier to tell of his sword his buckler his coat of male his launce his helmet his musket his wounds his victorie fit for a husbandman to be talking of his oxen his kine his sheepe his grounds Not vnfitly then doth Amos our Prophet sometimes a shepherd one that kept his sheepe in the waste wildernesse of Tekoa where many a time he had heard the Lions roare compare the terrible and dreadfull voice of the liuing God to the roaring of Lions The Lord shall roare By this hyperbolicall forme of speech the holy Spirit conuinceth vs of stupidity and dulnesse as vnable to entertaine any admonition from God except he speak vnto vs after an extraordinary manner For this reason euen for our dulnes sake is God herein my text compared to a Lion He shall roare The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words He shall vtter his voice It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeall and spirituall essence deuoid of such parts of nature by which we are enabled to speak may himselfe be said to speake and vtter a voice That he spake it is well known to them to whom the Scriptures are not vnknowne He spake with Adam Eue and the serpent with Noah with Abraham 8. times with Isaac with Iacob with Moses and the Prophets with Christ and the Apostles But how he spake that is disputed of by the ancient and learned Fathers S. o In cap. 7. Esai Basil is of opinion that the Prophets did not at all with their outward eares heare God speaking to them but that the word of the Lord is said to haue come vnto them because their mindes were illuminated and their vnderstâ—nding enlightned by the shining of the true
light in great measure readily to conceiue what God would haue reuealed and faithfully to publish it according to the will of God S. p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. cap. 33. Austen enquiring how God spake with Adam and Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Jntrinsecus infabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giuing light to their minds and vnderstandings or it may be he talked with them by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen. 18. and with Lot Gen. 19. S. r Expos Moral lib. 28. incap â—8 â—â— Iob cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of wayes 1. By himselfe as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense we must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip go neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neare and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we finde Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoeuer we are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our priuate requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the Holy Spirit God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diuers manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediately there came a voice from heauen I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 1 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is obiected to the senses S. Gregory for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirlewind come out of the North with a great cloud and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenesse of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word and deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblance obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall Hee heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach from earth to heauen Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descend from heauen Act. 10.11 So Paul in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 6 By shapes presented to our bodily eyes So Abraham saw the three men that stood by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christs baptisme a Å¿ Matth. 3.17 voice was heard out of a cloud as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloued son c. By Celestiall substances I doe here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the workes therein but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire next vnto it togeher with the winds and Clouds 7. By Terrestriall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speak Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestriall substances as when God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times and in diuers manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures and by his creatures many wayes sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometime by Terrestriall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestriall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speke vnto vs as of old he did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoeuer by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moueth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when he throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heat sometime by drouth sometime by noysome worms Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few months he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren and sometime by enemies when he impouerisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoeuer other like these are Gods voices and doe call vs to tepentance But as when there came a voice from heauen to Christ Ioh. 12.28 the people that stood by and heard would not be perswaded that it was Gods voice some of them saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoeuer God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by war or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we will rather attribute these things to nature to the heauens to starres and planets to the malice of enemies to chance and the like As peruerse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to be directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last dayes God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The Gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that cloud by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This Gospell of Christ and voice of God cals vs now to obedience O the crookednesse of our vile natures Our stiffe necks will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answer like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but we answer like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good Lord vnto thee and wee shall bee
of buildings How then is it that our dwelling houses doe yet stand and flourish Our sinnes and iniquities are exceeding impudent and sawcie they are ascended into the presence of God and doe stand like Sathan among his children before his face Yet for all this impudencie and sawcinesse of our sinnes and iniquities God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safetie The consideration of this point may stirre vs vp to a gratefull agnition and acknowledgment of Gods singular bountie and longanimitie It is out of the bountie of the Lord that the earth since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man doth to this day yeeld fâ—uit in abundance for the vse of man That our possessions habitations dwelling houses and Churches are not laid waste and made desolate it is to be ascribed to Gods long sufferance and long animitie Of which I shall God willing anon speake more fully when I shall haue considered the words of the second sequel or consequent of Gods speech which are The top of Carmel shall wither The top of Carmel There were two hils of this name as St Hierome teacheth both in Iudea the one in the southerne climate of that country where on Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwell 1 Sam. 25.2 the other neere vnto Ptolemais towards the sea coast vpon which Elias prayed for raine 1 Kings 8.42 St Hierome seemeth to doubt which of these two Carmels our prophet here intendeth But Ribera resolueth for that Carmel which was neere vnto Ptolemais because it did appertaine to the lot of the ten tribes against whom Amos in this booke prophecieth This Carmel was a hill of much fatnesse and fertilitie whervpon it may as proverbially be taken for any such place St Hierome writing vpon Esay 16. saith it is the Scriptures idiome and proper forme of speech euermore to compare the rich hill Carmel to fertilitie and abundance One of the Hebrew d R. Dâ—uid apud Draâ—uâ—â— Doctors saith that Carmel is a generall name for all fruitfull arable fields and vineyards A great e Pagnin Hebrician saith that because the hill Carmel had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulnesse therefore Carmel is appellatiuely taken for any place set with corne trees or vines and specially withstanding corne with new fat wheat while it is in eare though another f Marinus in Arca Noe. Hebrician of like note affirmeth that because Carmel collectiuely signifieth standing corne or new wheat yet in the eare therfore a certaine region in the prouince of Canaan of extraordinary fertility as also a hill city there was called after this name Carmel Whatsoeuer Carmel be in this place whether a proper name or an appellatiue out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulnes Following the streame of expositors I am of opinion that Carmel in my text is that same fruitfull mountaine of Iudea by Ptolemais The top of Carmel A place fit by reason of the woodes there to lurke and lie hid in as is plaine by Amos 9.3 Though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence The top of Carmel In the Hebrew it is the head of Carmel The head or top of Carmel is the Scripture phrase to expresse whatsoeuer is best in Carmel By the like phrase we say Caput vnguenti the head or the top of the ointment to signifie the best of the ointment The top of Carmel Pagnine thus translateth it vertex loci fertilis the top of the fruitfull place And Iunius thus prostantissimum aruorum the best of the fields Both Pagnine and Iunius doe take Carmel here for an appellatiue and not for a propper name The top of Carmel shall wither shall wax dry or be dried vp That is where most fruitfull fields and pastures are there shall be a defect and want of necessaries for mans life Thus haue you the exposition of this last clause Now bee patient I pray you while from hence I commend one lesson vnto you It is this For the sinnes of a people God will make the top of their Carmel to wither I speake it more plainly For the sinnes of a people God will make their best grounds to yeeld them little or no profit For proofe of this point you will bee pleased to heare the euidence of the holy Spirit giuen in the word of life Deut. 28.20 Thus saith the Lord because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken mee the Lord shall smite thee with blasting and with mildew the Heauen which is ouer thy head shall bee brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shall bee iron in stead of raine the Lord shall giue thee dust and ashes euen from heauen shall it come downe vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed In the 2 chapter of Hosea and the 5 verse because Israel had plaid the harlot and done shamefully departing from the Lord thus saith the Lord I will take away from Israel my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof wil recouer my wooll my flax which I lent her to couer her shame Marke I beseech you the manner of the Lords speech my corne my wine my wooll my flax they are none of ours they are all the Lords The Lord hath lent them vs to serue our turnes and necessitâ—es if we abuse them to idolatrie or prophanes he will take them from vs recouer them againe vnto himselfe In the 4. Chapter of Hosea and the 3. verse because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but euery on breaketh out by swearing by lying by killing by stealing by whoring and blood toucheth blood thus saith the Lord the land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heauen and also the fishes of the sea shal be taken away If so what good then comes to you from Carmel from your best most fruitfull grounds In the 8. chapter of Hosea and the 7. verse because Israel transgressing the couenant of the Lord and trespassing against his law had sowen the wind thus saith the Lord they shall reape the whirlewind it hath no stalke the bud shall bring forth no meale if so be it bring forth the strangers shal deuoure it If so what profit then can we matching Israel in their most grieuous transgressions trespasses expect from Carmel our most fruitfull and pleasant fields The wisest King that euer sacred writ made mention of hath this saying Prou. 13.25 The belly of the wicked shall want True great Solomon The belly of the wicked man shall be emptie His Carmel the very best of his possessions shal yeeld him little profit To make an end of this discourse I would I could write it in your harts what the sweetest singer Psa 107.34 deliuereth vnto you touching this point it is worthy your best remembrance A
against the day of wrath Let vs rather euen now while it is now cast away all workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let vs take no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Let vs walke no more as formerly we haue done in gluttony in drunkennes in chambering in wantonnesse in strife in enuying in deceit in falshood in vanitie but let vs walke honestly as in the day and put we on the Lord Iesus Whatsoeuer things are true honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise thinke we on these things Thinke we on these things to doe them and we shal not need to feare any de olation to our houses or barrennesse to our grounds our dwelling houses shall not mourne or perish the top of our Carmel shall not wither our fields shall bring forth increase vnto vs. For God euen our owne God shall giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs to passe the time of our pilgrimage here in peace and plentie and when the day of our separation shall be that we must leaue the earth a vale of teares and miseriâ— he will translate vs to Jerusalem aboue the place of eternal 〈◊〉 and felicitie where this corrupâ—ible shal put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE Sixth Lecture AMOS 1.3 4 5. Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuitie vnto Kir saith the Lord. THough in this prophecie there be mention made of Iudah yet was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the ten reuolted Tribes the kingdome of Israel The mention that is made of Iudah is made but incidently and by the way The scope of the prophecie is Israel as I shewed in my * Pag. 7. first Lecture If Israel be the scope of this prophecie how commeth it to passe that the Prophet bestoweth the residue of this chapter and a part of the next in making rehearsall of foraine nations their transgressions and punishments Why doth he acquaint Israel with his burdensome prophecies against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites why doth he not rather discharge his function and duty laid vpon him and checke the Israelites terrifie them and reproue them for their euill deeds The reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians other forraine nations are three 1 That he might be the more patiently heard of his country-men the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophesie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemy in distresse likewise 2 That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that God would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbour Countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3 That they might the more feare at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other nations afflicted and tormented accordingly Here might they thus haue argued Wil not God spare our neighbours the Syrians the rest Then out of doubt he wil not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet shal they be so seuerely punished How then shal we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it From the reasons why Amos first prophecieth against forraine nations then against the Lords people Israel I come now to treat particularly of his prophecy against the Syrians vers 3 4 5. Wherein I commend to your christian considerations three parts 1 A preface proeme or entrance vers 3. Thus saith the Lord. 2 A Prophecie in the 3 4 5. verses For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure c. 3 A conclusion in the end of the 5. verse Saith the Lord. The preface and the conclusion do make for the authoritie of the prophecie verse 3. and 5. In the prophesie these parts may be obserued 1 A generall accusation of the Syrians verse the 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 A protestation of almighty God against them I will not turne to it 3 The great sinne by which they so offended God their extreme cruelty verse 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron 4 The punishments to bee laid vpon them for such cruelty These punishments are here set downe generally and specially Generally vers â—he 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil break also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-auen him that holdeth the scâ—pter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuitie vnto Kir Thus saith the Lord It is a very vsuall thing with the Prophets so to begin their special Prophecies to let the world vnderstand that they feigne nothing out of their owne braines but that whatsoeuer they speake they haue receiued it from the spirit of the Lord. Thus saith not Amos but in Amos the Lord. The Lord the powerfull Iehouah of whom you heard at large out of my third lecture vpon this chapter Thus saith the Lord the powerfull Iehouah * See Zect 3. who made the heauens and a Psal 104 2. spread them out like a curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment can againe b Esai 50.3 cloath the heauens with darknesse and make a sacke their couering who made the sea to c Psal 1â— 4.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein d Jerem. 5.22 placed the sands for bounds vnto it neuer to be passed ouer howsoeuer the waues thereof shall rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke e Esay 50.2 the flouds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall be dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who mad the dry land and so f Psal 10 4.5 set it vpon foundations that it should neuer moue and can g Pâ—al 104.6 couer her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Psal 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro
and stagger like a drunken man Thus saith the Lord This powerfull Iehouah whose throne is the heauen of heauens and the sea his floare to walk in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and diuideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shakest his inmost powers Psal 29.8 as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Sauiour Matth. 5.18 Heauen and earth shall perish before one iote or any one tittle of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the Lord Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of all other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecies of old is destitute of diuine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old i me to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 and 2 Peter 1.20 Know this that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any priuate motion He giueth the reason hereof ver 21. for the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me the Lord God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what ye shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the Lord How then dare we potters claâ— lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreuerently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point hauing heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his vowe from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull seruice of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a taste of the sweetnesse of the word of the Lord conueyed vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Euangelists Apostles It is the Lords most royall and celestiall testament the oracles of his heauenly sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels milke from his sacred breasts the earnest and pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue euidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre the preface proeme or entrance making for the authority of this prophecie Thus saith the Lord. Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherein I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The generall accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them verse the 3. I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God verse the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sin set downe generally and specially Generally verse 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan In â—â—t lib. 36. Stephan Adrichom Hâ—erâ—n Hâ—â— qu â—â—t in Gen. some coniecture by Eliezâ—r the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Aâ—ud H c. ibid Io eph aâ—â—â—q Iuâ—â—â— Lib 1 caâ— 7 â—â—llâ—t in Gâ—n cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient than Abraham doe attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Whereupon Damaâ—cus was called also Aram as c In Esay 17. S. Hierome witnesseth Whatsoeuer were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel the place where the bodie of the Prophet Zacharie lay the tower wherein S. Paul was committed to prison and the like that would be beside my purpose For the present know yee that Damascus was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria whence by a figure the figure Synecdoche it is here in my text put for the whole country of Syria By this figure Synecdoche in the name
Captaine and Iudge of Israel Iephte when he had iudged Israel six yeares as Iudg. 12.7 Against this city Hoseah prophesieth cap. 6.8 Gilead is a city of them that worke iniquity and is polluted with bloud Gilead or Galaad or Galeed is also a region or country called Dâ—ut 34 1. The land of Gilead possessed by the Reubenites Gadites and halfe the tribe of Manasseh as Num. 32.33 If Gilead the city be the Gilead in my text it is a figure the figure Synecdoche a part for the whole one city the Metropolitane city for the whole country If the land of Gilead bee the Gilead in my text it is a figure too the figure Metonymia the land of Gilead for the inhabitants thereof The inhabitants of the land of Gilead were Gods owne people his people Israel of the tribes of Reuben Gad and Manasseh against whom the Syrians of Damascus did so rage as that they are noted in my text to haue threshed them with threshing instruments of iron These threshing instruments are not in vse among vs. Yet will I as well as I may out of the ancient and learned describe them to you One of the Hebrew Doctors c Mercer Pagnin iâ— Lâ—â—â—t◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Dauid Kimchi makes them to be planks of wood to the which on the nether side are fastned little stones to part the wheat from the huske and chaffe which cannot be the threshing instruments in this place because these were of iron Saint Hierome saith they were a kinde of waines or carts with wheeles of iron and toothed to beat out corne from the huske and to bray or bruise straw and stubble to be meat for cattle when hay is scarce Nicolaus de Lyrâ ioyneth with Saint Hierome in opinion d Iunius Some doe take these instruments to bee * Tribalis ferreis iron flailes or carres or corne carts or some such like instrument of old time in vse for the threshing out of corne Of this opinion Iunius by his translation seemeth to be and Caluin disallowes it not Here some doe â—â—â—er 〈◊〉 â—yâ—â—â—rakâ—◠〈◊〉 Gualtâ—â— â—â—â—re e Rastris ferreis f Trahis ferreis dreyes or sleddes of yron as Marinus in his Arca Noâ— â—â—ure g Rotis ferreis wheeles of yron as Theodotio and Symmachus some h Serris ferreis sawes of yron as the Septuagint and Caluin some * Auec herses de ser harrowes of yron as the French translation Whatsoeuer were the threshing instrumeÌ„ts in this place whether waines or carts or carres or dreys or sleds of yron or wheeles of yron or flailes of yron or rakes of yron or harrowes of yron or sawes of yron it is out of doubt that the holy Spirit by this kind of speech they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron noteth the extreme cruelty practised by the Syrians against the people of God the Gileadites the Israelites of the tribes of Reuben Gad and Manasseh They threshed Gilead Winckleman here noteth a Metaphore or translation put by the holy Spirit to designe or signifie the notorious cruelty of the Syrian Kings vpon the Gileadites but I take it to be a proper speech of a true thing indeed acted by Hazael King of Syria against the Gileadites according to the word of God which came to Elizeus the Prophet touching Hazael 2 King 8.12 where Elizeus weeping thus speaketh vnto Hazael I know the euill that thou shalt doe vnto the children of Israel their strong cities shalt thou set on fire their young men shalt thou slay with the sword thou shalt dash their infants against the stones and rent in peeces their women with child But you will say what is this to the Gileadites I answer very much as you may see 2 King 10.33 where Hazael is said to smite the Israelites in all the coasts of Israel from Iordan Eastward euen all the land of Gilead the Gaditeâ— the Reubenits and them that were of Manasseh from Aroer which is by the riuer Arnon and Gilead and Bashan All these regions did Kng Hazael grieuously torment and bring to much woe and miserie but specially the Gileadites who therefore are twise mentioned in the fore-cited conquest of Hazael The Gileadites did Hazaell King of Aram destroy and make like dust beaten to powder 2 King 13.7 They threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron The like torments haue beene inflicted with the good approbation of Almightie God by King Dauid vpon the Ammonites 2. Sam. 12.31 where you shall find that King Dauid after his victorie ouer Rabbah a citie of the Ammonites carried away the Inhabitants that were therein and put them vnder sawes and vnder yron harrowes and vnder axes of yron and cast them into the tile kilne Thus did Dauid guided by Gods owne Spirit deale with the Ammonites His course was warrantable because hee was guided by Gods good Spirit whereof Hazael being destitute could not but grieuously offend God by threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Dauid Gods friend dealt so with the Ammonites a people without God whereas Hazael Gods enemie dealt so with the Gileadites the people of God He threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron A course that God can bee content shall be taken with Moab Esai 25.10 Moab shall be threshed as straw is threshed but that his owne people Israel or any part of them as the Gileadites be thus vsed God likes it not Witnesse my text where the Lord protesteth that he will not turne Damascus that is that he will not recall the Syrians from their errour into the right way that he wil not bring them againe into his fauour that he wil leaue them to themselues because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Now let vs see what lessons may bee taken from hence for our further instruction and meditation Gods dislike with Damascus for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of yron yeeldeth vs this lesson God is neuer well pleased with too much crueltie This truth will well appeare vnto vs if we doe but consider how God hath euermore rewarded cruelty The cruell tyrant Adonibezek did cut off the thumbes and great toes of seuenty Kings and caused them to gather the crums vnder his table Iudg. 1.7 but what was his reward As he had done to those captiue Kings so did God doe to him againe The Israelites vnder the leading of their captaine Iudah tooke Adonibezek prisoner and cut off the thumbes of his hands and great toes of his feet verse the 6. Agag King of the Amalekites by his sword had made many a woman childlesse 1 Sam. 15.33 but what was his reward You may see in the same verse what Samuel said and did vnto him Samuel said As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among other women and Samuel hewed Agag in peeces before the Lord in Gilgal The Babylonians were wonderfull cruell and hard hearted against the inhabitants of Ierusalem they
wrongs done vnto vs we must wait vpon the Lord who in his good time will right all our iniuries For he hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense Let vs proceed and see what doctrine may be gathered from the two next circumstances the circumstance of the punishment and the circumstance of the punished The punishment I noted in the breaking of barres and the punished in the word Damascus You haue already heard the meaning of these words I will breaks the barre of Damascus I the Lord will with my mighty power breake lay waste and consume the barre barre for barres euen all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiefest city of Syria and the countrey adioyning Must Damascus the strongest Citie of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee bee laid waste and spoyled Here fixing the eyes of our mindes vpon the power of the Lord learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creatuâ—e able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of iron these hee breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mighty than a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kings witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mighty Kings Psal 135.10 and 136.18 My text auoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threâ—â—heth to the mighty King of Syria a cutting off I cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden These few now alleaged instances doe sufficiently though briefly confirme my propounded doctrine There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose The reason hereof is because God only is omnipotent and whatsoeuer else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotency we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almighty In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotency For God the Father who imparteth his Godhead vnto the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost doth communicate the proprieties of his Godhead to them also And therefore our beleefe is that as the Father is Almighty Symbolo Atharas so the Sonne is Almighty and the Holy Ghost is Almighty too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almighty in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Secondly because he is able to doe more than he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelity dares deny This truth being expresly deliuered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer he will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth he in heauen in earth in the sea in all the depths For the second that God is able to doe more than he will doe euery Christian acquainted with the Euangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadduces Matth. 3.9 Thinke not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giuen him more than twelue legions of Angels to haue deliuered him He could but would not The like may bee said of many other things The Father was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worlds Was able but would not You see for Gods omnipotency that he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe yea that he is able to doe more than he will doe God only is omnipotent whatsoeuer else is in the world its weake and vnable to resist which is the very summe of my doctrine already propounded and confirmed There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose For as Iob saith chap. 9.13 The most mighty helps doe stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. confesseth In comparison of the most high who liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power whose kingdome is from generation to generation all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou This is it whereat S. Paul aimeth in his question demanded Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted the will of God And this is it which Iob intendeth chap. 9.4 demanding a like question who hath beene fierce against God and hath prospered I will not further amplifie this point it must stand good against all the might and strength of this world There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Now let vs consider some duties whereunto we are moued by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie 1 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence true humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1 epist 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloued but by nature in our selues most wretched conceiued and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednesse and dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to doe whatsoeuer he will able to doe more than he will able to cast both body and soule into hell fire Let the consideration of this our wretched estate worke in vs the fruits of true humiliation This true humiliation standeth in our practice of three things Perkins Cas Coâ— â— lib. 1. ca. 5. §. 2. pag. 57. 1. The sorrow of our heart whereby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sins 2 Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1 Wee must acknowledge all our maine sins originall and actuall 2 We must acknowledge our guiltinesse before God 3 We must acknowledge our iust damnation for sin The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnesse as in a matter of life and death A patterne whereof I present vnto you Dan. 9.17 18 19. O our God heare the praiers of vs thy seruants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God incline thine eare to vs and heare vs open thine eies and behold our miseries we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare vs O Lord forgiue vs O Lord consider and doe it deferre not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloued if we humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will
The people of Aram Aram registred Gen. 10.22 to be one of the sons of Sem was the father author or founder of the Aramites or Syrians a Tremellius Willet in Genes 10.22 whereof it is that the Scythians after their returne out of Asia and Syria were called Aramei Aramites Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram or Syria was diuided into sundry regions 2 Sam. 10.8 You may read of Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob and Aram Maacah from which prouinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites in their warre against King Dauid The successe of their expedition is recorded vers the 18. Dauid destroyed seuen hundred chariots of the Aramites and forty thousand horsemen So let them all perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords annointed 2 Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezar King of Soba against Dauid Their successe is recorded in the same place Dauid slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them all likewise perish who make head and band themselues together against the Lords anoynted 1 Chron. 19.6 You may read of Aram Naharaim which is by interpretation Aram of the riuers that is Aram lying betweene the two great riuers Euphrates and Tigris commonly knowne by the name of b Bâ—rtrâ—m Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praesat Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against Dauid and were partakers in their ouerthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriarch Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choice of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 doe make this Padan-Aram to bee a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolomee Ancobaritis Thus doth the holy spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the country of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob Aram Maacah Aram of Damascus Aram Naharaim and Padan Aram. Hâ—re Aram put without any adiunct to limit it to any one region may betoken all Syria diuided by our Prophet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three names of Damascus Bikeath-Auen and Beth-eden as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstanding by Damascus the country adioyning the whole coast of Decapolis by Bikeath-Auen the country called Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart by Beth-eden the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The people that is persons of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the noble also the word is generall and containeth all Shall goe into captiuity They shall be carried away from their natiue country into a strange land in slauery and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrene c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pentapolis the natiue country of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eratosthenes the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan and Symmachus and S. Hierome doe seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman doe expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes and best approued expositors doe auouch Tremellius and Iunius vpon the 2 Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captiuity was called Syromedia It was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hil Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captiuity of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fifty yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and curried away captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly deliuered 2 King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captiuity shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the Lord true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the Lord by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captiuity This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captiuity bondage and slauery was to be in an vnknowne strange and farre country Kir in Media From the first circumstance of the punisher the Lord of hosts imploying in his seruice the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Aramites or Syrians into captiuity we are put in minde of a well knowne truth in diuinity Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily he worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily he worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessity produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or not to doe In this ranke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessity they might haue done otherwise In this ranke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King Dauid 2 Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and railing vpon him was not of necessitie he might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captiuitie this people of Aram not of necessity hee might haue left vnto them their natiue country lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almighty God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily God laid waste Sodome Gomorrah and their sister Cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed euery thing that was vpon the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the fowle of the heauen onely was Noah saued and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water
Philistines had offended but once or a second time I should haue beene fauourable vnto them and should haue recalled them into the right way that so they might be conuerted and escape my punishments but now whereas they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and find no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to be conuerted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure The doctrine is Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners See my sixth Serm. on Hos 10. God is of pure eies and beholdeth not iniquity he hath laid righteousnesse to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontroulable euen as long as Sun Moone Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill the soule that sinneth it shall bee punished God makes it good by an oath Deut. 32.41 that he will what his glittering sword his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance vpon sinners His soule hateth and abhorreth sin his Law curseth and condemneth sin his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin Sin was his motiue to cast downe Angels into Hell to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne Cities into ashes to ruinate nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne he drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sins plucke downe from heauen the more certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in all our waies that we doe not by our many sinnes prouoke Almighty God to high displeasure A second vse it to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare these Philistines of Azzah till by three and foure transgressions by their many sins they had prouoked him to indignation It 's true our God is a good God a gracious God a mercifull God a God of wonderfull patience yet may not wee thereby take encouragement to goe on in our euill doings See my sixth Lecture pag. 70. The Lord who punished his Angels in Heauen for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one slander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and Ananias with his wife Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost out of doubt will not spare vs if wee shall persist to make a trade of sinning day after day heaping iniquity vpon iniquity to the fulfilling of our sinnes If so we doe it shall be with vs as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 2.16 The wrath of God must come on vs to the vtmost Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let vs walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs. As for the works of the flesh cast we them far from vs adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnes hatred debate emulation wrath contentions enuy drunkennes gluttony and such like for which the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience let them not once be named among vs as it becommeth Saints But the fruits of the Spirit let vs wholly delight in them hauing laid vp in the treasury of our memories this lesson Three transgressions and soure Many sinnes doe pluck downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners It followeth Because they carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom These words are the third part of this Prophecie and do containe that same grieuous sin by which God was prouoked to come against the men of Azzah and the rest of the Philistines in iudgement the sinne of cruelty rigour vnmercifulnesse hardnesse of heart They carried away prisoners the whole captiuity to shut them vp in Edom Here the abstract is put for the concrete captiuity for captiues or persons in captiuity as Psal 68.18 Thou hast led captiuity captiue The whole captiuity It 's well translated for the sense the word in the originall signifieth absolute perfect and compleat By this whole captiuity the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute perfect and compleat captiuity meram captiuitatem apertam atque manifestam saith Arias Montanus a captiuity indeed open and manifest such a captiuity saith Caluin as wherein they spared not either women or children or the aged they tooke no pity no compassion vpon either sex or age but all of all sorts male and female young and old they carried away prisoners What was their end and purpose in so doing Euen to shut them vp in Edom that is to sell them for bondslaues vnto the Idumaeans In Edom Esau Iacobs brother and Isaacks son by his wife a Gen. 25.21 Rebâ—kah for selling his birthright for a messe of b Vers 30. red broth was surnamed Edom and of him lineally descended the Edomites or Idumaeans Gen. 36.43 Of this posterity of Esau or Edom the land which they inhabited was called the land of Edom or Idumaea and it was a southerne prouince of the land of promise diuided as c Theatr. Terra Sancta Adriehom and d Obseruat lib. 14. cap. 13. Drusius haue obserued out of Iosephus his fifth book of the Iewish antiquities into two parts Idumaeam Superiorem and Inferiorem the higher and the lower Idumaea The higher wherein were two of the cities mentioned in my Text Gaza and Askelon in the diuision of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the Tribe of Iudah The lower Idumaea commonly known by the name of Idumaea fell to the lot of the Tribe of Simeon and this lower Idumaea I take to be the Idumaea in my Text. Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posterity of Esau the posterity of Iacob the Edomites were euermore most maliciously bent against the Israelites Here then appeareth the hainousnes of that sin wherwith the Philistines are charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to carry away any one from his natiue Country but him that is so carried away to sell to his mortall enemy this is a cruelty than which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of those Philistines the inhabitants of Azzah They sold whether the Iewes or the Israelites the posterity of Iacob and seruants of the liuing God to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policy that being carried farre from their owne country they should liue in eternall slauery and bondage without hope euer to returne home againe This very crime of cruelty is in the Prophecie of Ioel also Ch. 3.6 laid to the charge of these Philistines The children of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue ye sold to the Grecians
dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God! incorporeall inuisible spirituall passing all measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It s very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seat a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the euerliuing God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hâ—nds are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in euery place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It s noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare diuers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vâ—â— God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things 〈◊〉 Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all liuing things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to bee auenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being may easily be proued In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for euill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It is made plaine out of Neh. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof may be proued as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the Lord was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the Lord was hot against them he deliuered them into the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to the enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon them 1 Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was heauy vpon them * Psal 78.64 â—â— The Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a Giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and fauour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shepherd shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recouer with my hand and preserue them for euer I will gather them together I will comfort them I will defend them rursus ad pastorem praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepherd and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it s otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for euill This is auerred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephany chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall be rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries euen desolation and astonishment a hissing and a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall finde in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1 Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a Princes seat able at one time to giue entertainment to fiue Princes Against both city and dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I wi l turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to flie vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecy any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets Dauid and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my Doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoeuer afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I call whatsoeuer is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed
My propounded doctrine stands good It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Now let vs see what vses doe offer themselues to our considerations out of this Doctrine First it may serue for a iust reproofe of these our last and worst daies wherein by experience wee finde true that same m Dr. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lect. 15. paradox in common reason hardly to be proued namely that not friends only or kinsmen but brethren also when they fall to enmity their hatred is greater than that betwixt mortall foes It is come to passe according to Christ his prophecie Matth. 10.36 A mans enemies shall be they of his owne house A mans enemies indeed and his enemies to purpose to worke him most harme shall be they of his owne house May not many now adaies complaine yea cry out with Dauid Psal 55.12 If mine enemy had done me this dishonour I could haue borne it If mine aduersary had exalted himselfe against me I would haue hid my selfe from him but it was thou O man my companion my guide my familiar we tooke sweet counsell together we walked in the house of God as friends Yet hast thou done me this dishonour yea thou hast exalted thy selfe against me Of all the Vials of the wrath of God powred down vpon sinners it is one of the sorest when a man is fed with his own flesh and made drunke with his owne bloud as with sweet wine So the Prophet Esay speaketh Chap. 49.26 The meaning is as a chiefe n B. King Ibid. pillar of our Church expoundeth it when a man taketh pleasure in nothing more than in the ouerthrow and extirpation of his owne seed when he thirsteth not for any bloud but that which is drawne from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen Neuer was there more eager and bitter contention betweene Turke and Christian than now adaies there is betweene Christian and Christian a brother and a brother All we who haue giuen our names to Iesus Christ and vowed him seruice in our baptisme we are all brethren we are fratres vterini brethren from the womb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee haue one father and one mother one father in heauen and one mother the holy Catholike Church militant vpon the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Leui Gen 49.5 We are brethren in euill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what doe we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloued you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speech was vnto Christians and in Christianisme diuersity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therefore this reprofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Psal 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are giuen to vex them of your owne house or shall back-bite or slander any know that Edom-like you doe pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby euery good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2 Epist 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence Dauid Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnity Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his heard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of vnity That sweet perfume and ointment that holy o le powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweet smelling sauour to all that were about him So is it with vnity It is not onely pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermon which fell vpon the mountaines of Sion where the Lord appointed the blessing and life foreuermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heauen vpon H rmon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit If makes them among whom it is sincerely obserued it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men and one of them towards another This vnity concord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it bee vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnesse in this life and of eternall ioyes in the life to come One of the notes by which we may be assured of God his speciall loue and fauour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iohn Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God We must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth Chap. 5.1 Euery one that loueth him which begat loueth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoeuer loueth God the Father he loueth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus and his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christian brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giueth vs Chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not onely in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule hee giueth vers the 17. Whosoeuer hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloued be your direction Loue ye euery one that is called a Christian
kingdome of God Wherefore to shut vp this point with Saint Pauls words 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 I beseech you by the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the third branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded thereupon The doctrine was Euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger It was grounded vpon these words His anger spoiled him euermore And his wrath watched him alway This is the Geneua translation His fury watcheth him euermore so Tremelius The meaning is Edoms wrath or fury was so implacable so farre from being abated or asswaged as that it euermore watched Israel to doe him a mischiefe In the Church Bible you haue a different reading His indignation he kept alwaies and in Matthewes Bible he kept indignation alwaies by him The reading is agreeable with the Vulgar Latine and is admitted by Oecâ—lampadius by Caluin by Drusius By Brentius also but that for indignation he hath fury He kept his fury alwayes The meaning is the indignation or fury which Edom had conceiued against his brother was permanent it would not be remitted there was no end of it The word in the Hâ—brew rendred by wrath or indignation or fury signifieth iram vehementiorem exestuantem omnemque modum praetereuntem a very vehement a boiling anger exceeding all measure or according vnto others it signifieth furorem inflâ—mmantem peruadentem ignis more a rage like fire burning whatsoeuer it meeteth with Wee now see what it is for which the Lord in this last branch reproueth Edom or the Idumaeans It is their implacable vnmeasurable and endlesse anger wherein they practised nothing but wiles how they might intrap and subuert the Israelites The lesson which from hence wee are to take for our further instruction is this Whosoeuer once prouoked vnto anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God I will not spend many words in the proofe of this proposition sith it standeth good by my former discourse You haue alreadie heard that euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger and that either in respect of its foule effects or in respect of Gods holy commandement against it Now is there any of you so deuoid of Christian vnderstanding as to thinke or imagine that God will at any hand approue that against which he giueth his commandement I assure my selfe there is none Well then I thus inferre Whosoeuer is spotted with euill anger he is not at any hand approued by God therefore whosoeuer once prouoked vnto euill anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God For further corroboration of this doctrine giue eare I beseech you to the blessed Apostles words Ephes 4.26 Let not the Sunne go downe vpon your wrath Some doe thus paraphrase these words m Guerricus serm in die Purificat August enarrat in Psal 25. Christus qui est Sol iustitiae mentem vestram irascentem non deserat qui cum irâ nunquam habitat Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse who loueth not to make his habitâ—tion there where anger hath its residence let him not forsake your angry mindes Christ may not dwell where anger is If therefore you are desirous that Christ should dwell in you you must cast away all anger from within you Lâ—t not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath There is another Exposition vsually giuen of these words to this sense Sith such is our estate in this our warfare such our weaknesse infirmitie and frailtie that anger may quickly take hold of vs and possesse vs wee must carefully take heed that wee giue it not too much respite or entertainment Our anger must not be ira pridiana a yesterdaies anger Wee must cast it from vs speedily antequam occidat lux ista visibilis before this visible Sunne the Sunne that makes our day be set ne nos dâ—serat lux illa inuisibilis that the inuisible Sunne the Sunne of righteousnesse and true light of our hearts forsake vs not It is the holy Spirit that speaketh out of the Apostles mouth Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath There is nothing more aduerse or opposite to our bounden dutie of charitie and our owne saluation than perseuerance in wrath It letteth vs from doing good to those with whom we are angry it hindereth our deuotion in prayer and maketh the wrath of God to light vpon vs. So true is my propounded doctrine Whosoeuer once prouoked vnto anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God This doctrine thus deliuered against perseuerance in anger may serue for a iust reproofe of such as doe beare perpetuall ill will to any nation To hate a Spaniard a French-man or any other country-man because he is of such a country or of such a nation this is here reproueable Againe it may serue to restraine such as doe thinke it lawfull perpetually to hate them of whom they haue receiued an iniury Such men would they but recount with themselues and recall into their mindes how many and how grieuous in iuries they haue done vnto God in transgressing his holy Commandements and how yet notwithstanding God is still propitious gracious and bountifull vnto them surely were they true Christians sealed by God his holy Spirit to the day of redemption they would remit of their hatred yea they would wholly abandon it and cast it farre from them according to the exhortation of S. Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 4.31 in whose words beloued suffer your selues to be exhorted Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all malitiousnesse Be yee courteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake for gaue you Sweet Bernard in his booke of the manner of liuing well Serm. 36. concerning hatred thus sweetly speaketh vnto his sister Soror in Christo amantissima mihi c. My most louing sister in Christ heare what I speake vnto thee If in any thing thou hast grieued thy sister or caused her to be sorrowfull satisfie her if thou hast sinned against thy sister repout before her if thou hast scandalized or offended any one of Gods hand-maids aske her forgiuenesse Goe on with speed to reconcilement sleepe not till thou haue made satisfaction rest not till thou returne in peace Thus did deuout Bernard exhort his virgin-sister The good Father no doubt had regard to the words of his and our Sauiour Iesus Christ written Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to
of God this name Iehovah first it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is yesterday and to day and the same for euer which was which is and which is to come Secondly it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their life motion and being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because of him and in him and by him are all things Thirdly it is the Memoriall of God vnto all ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 The Memoriall of his faithfulnes his truth and his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoeuer in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine euent of such his promise or threatning he adds vnto it his name Iehovah as here in my text Thus saith Iehovah Iehovah The strength of Israel who is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Wicked Balaam is driuen to confesse as much Num. 23.19 and there proceedeth by way of question Hath the Lord said and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Samuel with boldnes tells Saul 1. Sam. 15.29 that the Lord who is the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent and he giues this reason of it For he is not a man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen so firmely ratified that they cannot be altered so standing immutable that they cannot be changed Our Sauiour Christ giues record herevnto Matth. 24.35 Coelum terra praeteribunt Heauen and Earth shall passe away but Gods words they shall not passe away The grasse withereth saith the Prophet Esay cap. 40.8 The grasse withereth and the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand for euer Thus are we by this name Iehovah led to the consideration of the truth of God Gods truth is his essentiall proprietie whereby he is most free from all shew or shadow of falshood This his truth is eminent in himselfe in his workes and in his words In himselfe two manner of wayes 1. In respect of his essence whereby he truly is 2. Forasmuch as he is the Idea type and patterne of all the truth that is in any creature Now concerning the workes of God they all are Truth whether they be Internall or Externall His Internall workes are either personall or essentiall and both nothing but truth For his personall workes the Father doth truly beget the Sonne the Sonne is truly begotten of the Father and the holy Ghost doth truly proceed from the Father and the Sonne the like must we say of his essentiall workes Whatsoeuer God hath decreed he hath truly decreed it and doth truly execute it Besides these Internall workes of God some workes of his are called in the Schooles Externall Such are the creation of the world the conseruation of the same the gouernment of the Church the couenant with the faithfull and the like in all which most constant is the truth of God As the truth of God is eminent in himselfe and in his workes so also is it eminent in his words This hath but now bin prooued vnto you by the confession of Balaam by the asseueration of Samuel by the record of the Prophet Esay and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ I shut vp this doctrine of the truth of God with the words of the blessed Apostle S. Paul Rom. 3.3 Let God be true and euery man a lyar Now let vs see what vses may be made of this doctrine Is it true Is God truth in himselfe in his works and in his words Hereby may euery childe of God among vs be well assured that our faith in God the Father in Christ his Sonne and in the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne is most true and most certaine and cannot by any meanes be deceiued it selfe or deceiue vs For it is grounded and supported vpon and by the words of him who onely is the true God yea truth it selfe who hath truly sayd concerning vs and all other who beleeue in Christ that he hath c Rom. 8.37 loued vs * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world hath chosen vs to eternall life for our better atteining whereof he hath d Rom. 8.3 sent into the world his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh e Galat. 4.4 made of a woman and made vnder the Law that by his f 1. Iohn 1.7 bloud we might be clensed from all sinne and g Rom. 5.9 iustifyed in the sight of God that by his holy spirit we might be h 1. Pet. 1.3 regenerated gouerned defended from our enemies and at that great day the day of the resurrection of all flesh we may both bodie and soule be brought into the full possession of eternall life Which being so what remaineth on our parts but that we abide constantly in our holy faith and perseuere therein euen vnto the end Without perseuerance our faith will not auaile vs. For not euery one but such onely as are marked in their foreheads with the letter Tau with the note of perfection and perseuerance shall enter the inheritance of the blessed Ezech. 9 4. And not euery one but he onely that endureth to the end shall be saued Matth. 10.22 And not euery one but he onely which is faithfull vnto death shall receiue the crowne of life Reuel 2.10 Let the dog returne to his vomit and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire as the Prouerbs are 2. Pet. 2.22 But let vs hold fast our holy faith till it shall please God to call vs to make our finall account how we haue spent the dayes of our Pilgrimage in this present world So shall he that is holy and true who hath i Reuel 3.7 the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth open vnto vs the gates of Ierusalem which is aboue and giue vs full fruition of euerlasting happinesse Thus haue you the first vse of my first doctrine touching the truth of God My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The first vse concerneth our faith in Christ and our perseuerance therein A second followeth It appertaineth to thankesgiuing For if our saluation and eternall life doe depend vpon the knowledge of the heauenly truth and God brings none to the knowledge of this truth but his elect and chosen people how great thankes ought we to giue vnto God not onely for choosing vs but also for making it knowne vnto vs by the reuelation of his truth that we are his chosen people For he hath not onely imprinted in the vs image of that truth which is eternall in himselfe but also daily bringeth vs to such a measure
to his neighbour For as much as the Lord will destroy all such as speake lies This you know by the fift Psalme ver the 6. But how will he destroy them It is answered Reuel 21.8 All lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you the third vse of my doctrine My doctrine was God is truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words The third vse is our holy imitation of God in truth There is yet a fourth vse of this doctrine of the truth of God It serues for a redargution or reproofe of such as deny God and his truth Deny God and his truth Can there be any endued with a reasonable soule so voyd of vnderstanding Yes There is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule who spare not to break the cords of Religion asunder and to cast her yoke from them They dare auouch with those in Tullie Totam de Dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipub causâ vt quos ratio non posset eos ad officium religio duceret judging the seruice of God to be a meere deuise of man for the better gouernment of the Common-wealth wherein inferiors sith they will not be ruled by reason must be ordered by religion Tell such of the Scriptures you may as well vrge them with Lucians narrations tell them of repentance they cast it behind them tell them of faith they regard it not Speake to them of baptisme they hold it of no greater price then the washing of their hands Let them heare of the Resurrection this feeds them with many a merry conceit They thinke pleasantly with themselues what manner of bodies they shall haue at that day of what proportion and stature their bodies shall be whether their nayles and haire shall rise againe Impious wretches thus they make a scoffe at God and religion whom were they vsed according to their deserts the Preachers should pronounce and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers that euer yet sore ranne vpon very worthy to bee excluded the hoast and to haue their habitation alone yea to be exiled the land and to bee expelled from nature it selfe which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught I say no more against them but leaue them to the God of truth whom they haue denied that he in due time may repay them home with vengeance Thus farre am I guided by my first doctrine grounded vpon this essentiall name of God his name Iehouah importing his truth in himselfe in his workes and in his words Thus saith Iehouah Thus saith the Lord Is not this the prophesie of Amos Are not all the words of this prophesie chap. 1.1 called the words of Amos the heardsman What then meaneth this phrase Thus saith the Lord As Almighty God in olde time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod 4.12 So did hee in succeeding ages speake vnto them by the mouth of other his Prophets Luke 1.70 Heereto S. Peter beareth record 2. Epist 1.20 Know this saith he that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion and he giues the reason heereof verse 21. For the prophesie in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiaâ— speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto me The Lord God hath spoken and this in my Text Thus sayth the Lord. This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand euer true what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God The whole Scripture and euery parcell of it haâ—h inward witnesse from the Spirit which is the author of all truth Sweet then is the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last Not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the words which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people the words were the Lords Hence ariseth this doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer but onely the liuing and immortall God This truth is euident by this which I haue but now delired For if God in old time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses if God spake by other his Prophets if God spake by the Euangelists and Apostles if all Scripture be inspired of God then it well followeth that God is the author of Scripture and therefore not man nor Angell nor any other creature how excellent soeuer I can but point at the vses of this doctrine The first vse is redargution Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture Heere are all they to bee reprooued who doe vilifie and debase the sacred Scriptures and esteeme not of them as of the word of God Such are they who bearing in their fore-heads the stampe of Christians haue notwithstanding giuen their names to that Antichrist of Rome and the now-false Church there They shame not to affirme that setting aside the authority of that Church and her head the Pope the Scripture is no better then a l Collâ—q Wâ—rmâ—t doubtfull vncertaine and leaden rule then a m Colloq Râ—tâ—bon matter of debate then n Ludouic Matoranus dead inke then o Eskins inken diuinity then a p Pighius nose of wax then a r Colloq Worm booke of discord then a Å¿ Pighius dumbe Iudge then t Hosius Gretser Heereof see my second Lecture vpon Amos 1. Aesops fables Impious wretches had they not wip'd all shame from their faces they would neuer haue layd such load of disgraces vpon Gods holy word Their Cardinall Hosius stayes not heere he proceedes a degree further He coynes a distinction of Scripture as it s vsed by themselues whom he calleth Catholikes and as by vs whom hee calleth Heretikes His words are in the end of his third book against Brentius his Prolegomena The Scripture quomodo profertur à Catholicis verbuÌ„ est Dei quomodo profertur ab Haereticis verbum est Diaboli as it is alledged by vs so must it bee forsooth the word of the Deuill but as by them so onely shall it be the word of God Blasphemous Cardinall hee marcheth not alone u
Corruption it selfe as a father made Iob fit for his graue and death which of him was more wished then life as Origen and Olympiodor haue well obserued And hence it is that blessed Paul liuing in this world and vsing it as if he vsed it not for he had his conuersation in heauen and had a true and liuely taste of the ioyes of the world to come desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ and this hee was well assured was best of all for him Phil. 1.23 Thus farre beloued haue I ledde you by occasion of these words Moab shall dye vpon which I grounded this generall doctrine All must once dye In the illustration whereof I signified that of euils death was the most terrible To arme your Christian soules against the terrour or feare of death I told you that death is to be considered in a double respect either as it is in its owne nature or as it is changed qualified by the death of Christ in the first respect it is very fearefull to the naturall man in the latter it is very welcome to the resolued Christian I further added that there are two sorts of men obnoxious vnto death the one sort doe liue in sinne and dye without repentance the other with vnfained repentance and true faith in Christ doe leaue this world to the first sort death is very terrible to the latter it is a very welcome guest Now proceed we to examine the manner of Moabs death Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet In tumultu with a tumult so some do reade Vatablus Caluin Mercer Gualter in strepitu with a noyse so Iunius and Drusius in sonitu with a sound so Brentius and the author of the vulgar Latine The 70. haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moab shall dye through imbecillity or weakenes The word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth a sound a tumult an inundation or multitude of waters which ouerrunne their bankes with violence and roaring The meaning of the world is that Moab should die a death strange and extraordinary which is more specified in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With shouting This very word we met with within the 14. verse of the first Chapter where it is brought to set forth the terrour of that iudgement which God would bring vpon the Ammonites The word I expounded in my 20. Sermon on the first Chapter and shewed out of diuers Authorss that it signifieth a sound a cry a great cry a vociferation a shoute such as Souldiers doe make when on a suddaine they surprize a City To make good this exposition it is added With the sound of a trumpet The vse of trumpets in warre hath beene very ancient The vse of them is commanded to the children of Israel Num. 10.9 When ye goe to warre against the enemie yee shall blow a larme with the trumpets After they were vsed in the battle against Iericho Iosh 6.5 Ioshua saith to the people When yee heare the sound of the trumpet ye shall all shout with a great shout and the wall of Iericho shall fall downe flat To this vse Ezechiel alludeth Chap. 7.14 They haue blowne the trumpet and prepared all but none goeth to the battell And S. Paul speaks of it 1. Corinth 14.8 If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battle The Prophet Zephanie also hath respect vnto it Chap. 2.16 where he calls the great day of the Lord a day of the trumpet and a larme against the strong Cities and against the high towers From this ancient vse of trumpets we may gather the meaning of our Prophet in this place Moab shall dye with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet Moab that is the Moabites the people of Moab shall dye shall depart this life and leaue this world not quietly and peaceably in their beds but with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet euen in warre or as the phrase is in the 14. verse of the 1. chapter in the day of battaile The doctrine arising hence is this Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people That warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance its plaine in Ezech. 14.21 There God himself makes it one of his foure sore iudgements The foure are the sword famine the noysome beast and the pestilence the first is the sword an instrument for warre for warre it selfe These foure are likewise couched togither in Ezech. 5.17 where thus saith the Lord against Ierusalem I will send vpon you famine and euill beasts and they shall spoyle thee and pestilence and bloud shall through thee and I will bring thee sword vpon thee I the Lord haue spoken it I will bring the sword vpon thee the sword that is warre an instrument of warre for warre it selfe as in the former place These two places of Ezechiel to omit many other as pregnant here and there dispersed throughout the sacred Volumes of Gods eternall word these two doe speake plainely that warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance That it is sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people I made it plaine vnto you by like euidence of holy Writ in my 20. Sermon vpon the former chapter My proofes were taken from Levit. 26.25 Deut. 28.49 Ierem. 5.15 Whence I inferred that warre and all the euills of warre are from the Lord that warre is one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements that warre is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people So goeth my doctrine Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people The Vse of this Doctrine is to raise vs vp to the admiration of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God We grieue the Holy Spirit of that sacred Maiestie with our manifold and daily sinnes our sinnes of omission our sins of infirmitie and our sinnes of presumption our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our strife variance and debate our vsurie oppression and cruelty our vncleannesse wantonnes and drunkennes our sins multiply as the sands of the Sea they haue pressed into Gods presence to fetch downe his vengeance vpon vs. Behold looke about you and admire his exceeding great patience The loud crying of our sinnes hath not yet vrged the Lord so farre as to make him come against vs with his sorest iudgement of warre He hath out of his fatherly loue ouer vs mildely chastized vs. Not long since hee brake the staffe of our bread and sent among vs a dearth and scarcitie yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not long since he commanded his armies of waters to issue from out their channell and to ouer runne man and beast for many miles within this land yet haue we not returned vnto him Not long since he
it were in a sleepe without molestation he burieth the vnruly affections of his will and spendeth the remainder of his abode here in the exercises of sweete humilitie Thus shall the man be blessed that is obedient to the Commandements of the Lord his God It is said of the just Psal 112.6 In memoria aeterna erit iustus The iust shall be in euerlasting memorie It may bee likewise said of the obedient In memoria aeterna erit obediens The obedient shall be in euerlasting memorie The Rechabites shall neuer want a testimonie of their obediēce vnlesse the booke of Ieremy the Prophet be againe cut with a pen-knife and burnt as in the dayes of q Ierem. 36.23 Zedechias Ionadab their Father commaunded them to drinke no Wine and for that commaundements sake they would drinke none they nor their wiues nor their sonnes nor their daughters Iere. 35.8 A worthy patterne of obedience God himselfe commends it and obiects it for a reproofe of the disobedience of his owne people the inhabitants of Iudah For vers 13. Thus sayth the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Goe and tell the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem The words of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab that he commanded his sonnes not to drinke wine are performed for vnto this day they drinke none but obey their fathers commaundement Notwithstanding I haue spoken vnto you rising early and speaking but yee hearkened not vnto me This complaint of the Lord is redoubled vers 16. The sonnes of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab haue performed the commaundement of their Father which he commaunded but this people hath not hearkened vnto me May not the Lord now as iustly twit vs and hit vs in the teeth with this example of the Rechabites He may without doubt The Rechabites kept the commandement of their Father Ionadab a mortall man now dead but we keepe not the commaundements of our Father our heauenly Father Iehovah the immortall and the euerliuing God Beloued let vs remember it Disobedience hath neuer yet escaped the hands of Almightie God It cast r Gen. 3.22 Adam and Eue out of Paradise ſ Gen. 19.26 Lots wife out of her life and nature too t Num. 16.32 Dathan and Abiram into the mouth of the earth u 1. Sam. 15.23 Saul out of his kingdome x Ion. 1.15 Ionas out of the ship the children of Israel out of their natiue soyle yea and from the naturall roote which bare them whereof there is no other reason giuen but their disobedience Iere. 35.17 I haue spoken vnto them but they haue not heard I haue called vnto them but they haue not answered Is not the case iust ours God hath spoken vnto vs but we haue not heard him he hath called vs but we haue not answered him He hath called vs per beneficia by his benefits but we haue not answered him per y Hugo Card. in Ierem. 35. gratitudinem by our thankefulnesse he hath called vs per flagella by his chastisements and scourges but wee haue not answered him per patientiam correctionem by our patience and amendment he hath called vs per exempla by examples but we haue not answered him per imitationem by our imitation he hath called vs per praedicatores by his Preachers but we haue not answered him per obedientiam by our obedience to his word preached He hath spoken to vs but we haue not heard him he hath called vs but we haue not answered him Men and brethren what shall we doe When a multitude of Iewes pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter thus bespake Peter and his fellow Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Peters answere for himselfe and the rest was Repent Act. 2.38 This same Repent is the best lesson that we can learne We haue not kept the commandements of the Lord our God we daily transgresse them and hereby are Heauen gates fast shut against vs. The onely way for vs to haue them againe opened is to Repent Repentance is the most soueraigne medicine that we can apply to the bitter wounds made in our soules through the sting of sinne Oh! Let vs not deferre and put off this necessarie cure One hath said very well z Diez Loco de poenitentia Qui veniam per poenitentiam repromisit diem crastinam ad poenitentiam non promisit He that hath promised pardon to vs if wee Repent hath not promised vs that to morrow wee shall repent Wherefore let vs laying aside all excuses delayes and prolonging of the time let vs euen this day while it is called to day with touched hearts and consciences resolue vpon Repentance Let vs euen now haue setled purposes and willing minds to forsake all sinne and to turne to the Lord our God this will be a good beginning of true conuersion and Repentance Let vs follow it with perseuerance Let not any idle sports let not any houses of misrule or disorder keepe vs from the Church and this place of sound instruction Here shall wee all be taught of God and by the mightie opperation of his holy Spirit shall be enabled to loue his holy Lawes and in some measure to keepe his commaundements that passing the remainder of our dayes in this land of our soiournings in all possible obedience to his holy Lawes and Commaundements we may at length be translated into that better Countrey that Heauenly one that cittie of God wherein our eldest brother and sole Sauiour Iesus Christ hath prouided places for vs that where he is there may we be also THE VI. LECTVRE AMOS 2.4 And their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked IN my last Sermon I began the exposition of the third part of this prophecie against Iudah and passed ouer the two first branches You then heard the people of Iudah reproued for contempt and rebellion Contempt of the law of the Lord and rebellion against his commandements They haue despised the law of the Lord they haue not kept his commandements What! Iudah Iudah a Lament 2.1 the daughter of Sion she that was great among the Nations and b Lam. 1.1 a Princesse among the Prouinces Iudah That was the Lords c Esai 19.25 inheritance the Lords d Exod. 19.5 peculiar the Lords e Psal 114.2 Sanctuarie the f Esai 61.9 blessed seed of the Lord the g Esai 5.7 plant of the Lords pleasure Iudah to whom the h Rom. 3.2 oracles of God were committed is Iudah become rebellious Hath Iudah despised the law of the Lord Hath not Iudah kept his commandements What may be the reason of it The reason followeth in my Text Their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked In steed of lyes the vulgar Latin hath Idola Idols So hath S. Hierome Deceperunt eos Idola eorum their Idols haue deceiued them What Idols Euen such as their fathers followed while they
liued in Aegypt They fashioned vnto themselues the semblance and counterfeit of the Aegyptian Oxe they adored Beelphegor they worshipped Astaroth and Baalim Beelphegor Astaroth Baalim these were the Idols as S. Hierome commenteth by which the inhabitants of Iudah were deceiued Deceperunt eos idola eorum their Idols deceiued them For Idols our English translation readeth Lyes the Hebrew fountaine is our warrant the word there signifieth Lyes Their Lyes caused them to erre Lyes are of two sorts some are in commercijs some in cultu divino some in commerce with me some in the seruice or worship of God Lyes in commerce with men are coÌ„mitted 3. manner of wayes in words in manners in things A Lye in words is when we speake one thing thinke another and this is either iocosum or officiosum or perniciosum it is either a lye in iest or an officious lye or a pernicious lye not one of these can be excused no not the lye in iest though S. Austin call it otiosum an idle lye and exempteth it from blame as also some do officiosum the officious lye A Lye in manners you may call simulation dissimulation counterfeiting dissembling This is seene in false-Christs false-Prophets false-Apostles false-Teachers such as make a faire shew of honestie or for a i Luc. 23.14 pretence make long prayer or k Math. 7.15 weare sheeps clothing but are hypocrites deuourers wolues These lye in their manners of these it is said frons oculi vultus persaepe mentiuntur the forehead the eyes the countenance do often lye The lye in things is when one thing is substituted or put in the place of another a counterfeit for a true thing as when a cosener sells opium for apium or broome twigs for balmewood or alchimie for siluer or copper for gold But these lyes obuious and frequent in commerce with man I must passe ouer They are not intended in my text The lyes intended in my text are lyes in cultu divino lyes in the seruice and worship of God Their lyes caused them to erre These lyes in the seruice and worship of God what are they Lyranus will tell you Quaecunque fiunt aut cogitantur sine Dei verbo Whatsoeuer things in diuine worship are done or deuised without the warrant of Gods word they are lyes So saith that learned Professor of Paris Mercer Omnia humana figmenta qua contra Dei verbum in Dei cultu excogitantur All humane inventions in diuine worship deuised contrary to the word of God they are lyes Summarily thus I say By lyes in this place we are to vnderstand fictitios cultus whatsoeuer worship of God is forged or counterfeited l Coloss 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all will-worship all superstitious and blinde worship These are the lyes that caused Iudah to erre Their lyes caused them to erre First they betooke themselues to the Idolatrie of the Gentiles they made their sons to passe through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen 2. Kings 16.3 Secondly they forsooke the seruice of the Lords house his holy Temple at Ierusalem and sacrificed and burnt incense in high places on hills vnder euery greene tree 2. King 16.4 Thirdly they m Hos 10.1 8.11 increased their Altars multiplied their sacrifices and augmented their ceremonies supposing thereby ex opere operato euen for such their superstition sake to demeâ—it vnto themselues the fauor of God though they were vtterly voide of faith and repentance These were the lyes that deceiued Iudah these their lyes caused them to erre Commenta falsi cultus their new-deuised feigned and forged worships of God were the lyes that caused them to erre This appellation of lyes is also giuen to false worship Rom. 1.25 where S. Paul chargeth the Gentiles with changing the truth of God into a lye They changed the truth of God into a lye that is the true worship of God they peruerted and changed into false worship The reason why false worship there is called a lye is because it s opposed to truth n Drusius Quicquid veritati contrarium est mendacium est Whatsoeuer is contrary to truth that is a lye And therefore our Prophet here in this text opposeth lyes to the law of God because Lex Dei veritas Psal 119 142. the law of God is truth This antithesis betweene the law of God and a Lye we finde Psal 119.163 Mendacium odâ— immo detestatus sum legem tuam diligo I hate a Lye yea I abhorre it but thy Law do I loue We see now what these lyes were which caused Iudah to erre they were humane deuises and inuentions in the worship of God defiling and infecting the sinceritie of that worship which God onely approueth And yet is the Holy Spirit here pleased further to notifie vnto vs these Lyes of Iudah in these words After the which their fathers walked Their Lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers haue walked What fathers meaneth he Those which o Psal 106.19 made them a calfe in Horeb and worshipped the molten image and turned their glory euen their God into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth grasse of whom we read Exod. 32.4 Or meaneth he those which serued strange Gods in Vr of the Chaldees of whom we read Iosuah 24.2 Whatsoeuer the Fathers were here meant by our Prophet they were to these inhabitants of Iudah their ancestors they were their forefathers such as tooke delight in the seruice of false Gods Their Lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers walked It is no new thing no strange thing for children to striue to imitate their fathers that they may be like vnto them This doth S. Stephen Act. 7.51 obiect to the successors of these Iewes Yee stiffe-necked and vncircumcised in heart and eares yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee Your Fathers were a stiffe-necked people so are yee Your Fathers were of vncircumcised hearts and eares so are yee Your Fathers resisted the Holy Ghost so do yee Yee stiffe-necked and vncircumcised in heart and eares ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye By Fathers in this place the Protomartyr S. Stephen meaneth maiores their predecessors their ancestors their fore-fathers What Are these words of S. Stephen extended to all the ancestors of the Iewes Were they all a stiffe-necked people Were they all of vncircumcised hearts and eares Did they all resist the Holy Ghost This may not be imagined The many and glorious titles and appellations bestowed vpon that people in Sacred Writ do euidently make good the contrary We must therefore distinguish of those ancestors and forefathers Some of them were excellent men and sincere worshippers of the true God such were Abraham Isaac Iacob and all the faithfull that issued out of their loynes these are not the Fathers whom S. Stephen meaneth Other some there were notoriously infamous for their
seemeth good to vs as we haue done we and our Fathers our Kings and Princes before vs sâ— will we doe We will perseuere in the Religion professed by our Fathers and reviued in Queene Maries dayes For so long as that religion was on foote we had plentie of victuals we were well we saw no euill Wâ—etched men and women as many of you as are thus wilfully addicted to the superstition of popery take you heed that the words of the Lord Esa 6.10 giuen in charge to the Prophet to be conueyed to the Iewes be not in euerie poynt appliable vnto you Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heauy shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares vnderstand with their heart and convert and be healed Will the u Ierem. 13.23 Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then will our countrymen of the popish sect change from the religion of their forefathers Their firme resolution to liue and dye in the religion of their fathers is made apparant by their x An. D. 1603. supplication to the most puissant Prince and orient Monarch our gracious Lord King IAMES one branch whereof is this We request no more fauour at your Graces hands then that we may securely professe that Catholike religion which all your happy predecessors professed from Donaldus the first converted vnto your Maiesties peerelesse mother To this purpose doth y Preface to the King before his Survey Dr Kellison recite vnto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors to moue him if possible to embrace their Religion But God his holy name be blessed for it all in vaine When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Romane Empire and Count Palatine of the Rhene was by a certaine Prince aduised for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis his z Polan com in Ezech. 20. answer was In religions non parentum non maiorum exempla sequenda sed tantum voluntas Dei In religion we are to follow not the examples of our Parents or our ancestors but onely the will of God And for this resolution he alleaged the fore-cited testimonie of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers neither obserue their iudgements nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke yee in my statutes I doubt not but that our gracious Soueraigne King IAMES hath euer had and will haue a like answer in readinesse to stop the mouths of Kellison and all others who haue dared or shall attempt to moue his royall Maiestie for his religion to be like his predecessors God giue our King the heart of a Iosh 24.15 Ioshua a heart stedfast and vnmoueable in the true seruice of the Lord our God Though some of his Predecessors haue bin deceiued to fall downe before the beast in the Apocalyps and to worship his image yet good God so guide our King and blesse him with a religious people that He and we and his people may now and euermore feare thee and serue thee in sinceritie and truth to the glory of thy great name and the saluation of our owne soules through Iesus Christ our Lord. THE VII LECTVRE AMOS 2.5 But I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem THree former Sermons haue caried me past the preface and the three first parts of this prophecie against Iudah the fourth which is the Commination or Denuntiation of the iudgements of the Lord against Iudah and Ierusalem remaineth to be the subiect of this my present discourse But I will send a fire c. These words are no strangers to you You haue met with them fiue times in the first Chapter and once before in this Their exposition their diuision the Doctrines issuing from them the Vses and applications of the Doctrines haue diuers times from out this place sounded in your eares Yet now the order obserued by the Holy Spirit in deliuering this prophecie so requiring it they are once more to be commended to your religious attentions May it please you therefore to obserue with me three circumstances Quis Quomodo Qui. 1. Quis comminatur Who it is that threatneth to punish It is the Lord. For Thus saith the Lord I will send 2. Quomodo puniet How and by what meanes hee will punish The letter of my text is for fire I will send a fire 3. Qui puniendi Who are to be punished And they are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah and the chiefe Citie thereof Ierusalem I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem In the precedent prophecies the comminations were against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all Gentiles and strangers to God but this commination against the Iewes Gods owne friends and children I will send a fire vpon Iudah I Who a Amos 4.13 forme the mountaines and create the winde and declare to man what is his thought and make the morning darknes and tread vpon the high places of the earth I will send I who b Iob 12.14 breake downe and it cannot be built againe who shuts vp a man and there can be no opening I will send I who c Psal 33.9 speakes and it is done who commands and it standeth fast I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem This fire which the Lord sendeth vpon Iudah is not so much a fire properly taken as a fire in a figuratiue vnderstanding It betokeneth that desolation which was to betide the kingdome of Iudah and the chiefest Citie thereof Ierusalem from hostile invasion I will send a fire This commination began to be fulfilled in the dayes of Zedechias King of Iudah The historie is very memorable and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and Ierem. 39. 52. In those places you may read how d 2. King 25.1 Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon came against Ierusalem pitched against it besieged it tooke it You may read how he e vers 6. tooke King Zedechiah prisoner slew his sonnes before his face put out the Kings owne eyes bound him with brasen fetters and carried him away to Babylon you may read how f vers 8. Nebuzaradan Captaine of the guard and chiefe Marshall to the King of Babylon dealt with Ierusalem He g 2. Chro. 36.19 2. Reg. 25.9 brake downe the wall thereof and burnt with fire the house of the Lord the Kings house euery great mans house all the houses and palaces there Say now did it not fall out to Iudah and Ierusalem according to this commination I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Ierusalem This desolation being thus wrought vpon Iudah and Ierusalem by the Chaldees the Iewes such as
the Iewes for their prerogatiue nor Ierusalem for her goodly buildings From this vnpartialitie of God in his workes of iustice my proposition stands good Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Will you a reason hereof It is because the Lord takes impietie for impietie wheresoeuer he finds it and for such doth punish it And he finds it euery where For the eyes of the Lord Å¿ 2. Chrâ—n 16.9 runne to and fro throughout the whole earth and are in t Prâ—u 15.3 euery place to behold as well the euill as the good His eyes are u Iere. 16.17 vpon all our wayes he seeth x Iob 34.21 all our goings he y Iob 31.4 counteth all our steps no iniquitie is z Iere. 16.17 hid from him This doth the Prophet Ieremie Chap. 32.19 wall expresse Thine eyes O Lord are open vpon all the wayes of the sonnes of men to giue euery one acccording to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings This the very Ethnickes guided onely by Natures light haue acknowledged Sybilla in her Oracles could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Almightie and inuisible God he onely seeth all things Hesiod could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath an All-seeing eye Plautus could say a Capte ivi Est profecto Deus qui quae nos gerimus auditque videt Doubtlesse there is a God who both heareth and seeth whatsoeuer we doe And b Metamorph. lib. 13. Ovid could say Aspiciunt oculis superi mortalia iustâ—s There is a God aboue who hath iust eyes beholdeth all the doings of mortall men c Thales interregatus an furta â—â—mâ—â—um Deos fallerent Nec cogiâ—ata â—nqâ—it Valer. Mar. lib. 7 cap. 2. Dioge Laert. lib. 1. in Thal s. Thales of Miletum the wisest of the seauen being asked whether mens euill deeds could be kept close from God! No sayd he nor their euill thoughts The Hieroglyphicke the mysticall or aenigmaticall letter whereby the Egyptians would haue God to be vnderstood was an eye And why so But as d Hierâ—glyph lib. 33. Pierius saith because Deus ille optimus maximus the great God of Heauen is mundi oculus the eye of the world It may be such was the conceit of that auncient e Augustin Father who sayd of God that he was totus oculus wholy an eye He giues his reason quia omnia videt because hee seeth all things All things are to the eies of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naked and opened seene as well within as without So saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 4.13 All the impieties of man in deed word or thought are manifest vnto the Lord he seeth them all and for impieties will punish them Well saith f De constantiâ lib. 2. cap. 16. Lypsius Culpae comes iustissimè poena semper est Paine is alwayes the companion of a fault And g Jbid. cap. 14. againe Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium Euery wickednesse brings a punishment with it As the worke is so is the pay if the one be readie the other is present h Lipsius de constant lib. 2 c. 13. Neuer did any man foster within his breast a crime but vengeance was vpon his backe for it If there be impietie there cannot be impunitie Witnesse the blessed Apostle S. Iames chap. 1.15 Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death And S. Paul Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death Many are the texts of holy Scripture which I might alledge to this purpose I will for this present trouble you but with one It is Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth From these now-touched considerations first that Almightie God in iudgement accepteth no persons then that his Al-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoeuer impietie is done not onely in our workes and words but also in our most retyred thoughts thirdly that in iustice euery impietie is to receiue a due punishment from these considerations my position stands firme and vnmoueable Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties they are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Here let all good Christians be admonished with their greatest carefulnesse to looke vnto their wayes that they walke not in the by-pathes of sinne to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam non potest effugere poenam sayth i Comment in Hebr. 12. Hugo Cardinalis Thinke not that thy prerogatiue of being a Christian can be a shield vnto thee Christianus k August enchir ad Laurent ca. 5. nomine non opere A Christian in name not in deed may be called a Christian but is no Christian l Bernard Sentent Christianus as he is haeres nominis Christi so must he be imitator sanctitatis A Christian is heire to the name of Christ and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holinesse A Christian sayth S. Austine if he be the Author of the Booke m Lib. 1. cap. 6. de vita Christianâ A Christian is a name of iustice of goodnesse of integritie of patience of chastitie of prudence of humilitie of courtesie of innocencie of pietie A Christian is he who is a follower of Christ who is holy innocent vndefiled vnspotted in whose brest there is no wickednesse who hurts no man but helpeth all He that can truely say I hate not mine enemies I doe good to them that hurt me I pray for them that persecute me I doe wrong to no body I liue iustly with all men hic Christianus est he is a Christian But if in the profession of Christianitie a man liues the life of a Heathen the name of a Christian shall doe him no pleasure If he take delight in the n Galat. 5.19 workes of the flesh in adulterie fornication vncleannesse laciuiousnesse drunkennesse hatred variance wrath strife or any like sinne God will forsake him the holy Angels will flie him the blessed Saints will detest him the Reprobate shall bee his companie the Deuils his fellowes hell his inheritance his soule a nest of scorpions his bodie a dungeon of foule spirits and at last both bodie and soule shal eternally burne in fire vnquencheable Wherefore dearely beloued suffer a word of exhortation o Ecclus. 21.1.2.3 Haue you sinned Doe so no more Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent For if you come too neere it it will bite you the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon slaying the soules of men So sayth Ecclus chap. 21.2 Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent Sinne It s like a leauen that will leauen the whole lumpe It s like a scab that will infect the whole flocke It s like
the poore whatsoeuer he be The commandement concerning him is Levit. 25.35 If thy brother be waxen poore and fallen into decay with thee then thou shalt relieue him yea though he be a stranger or a soiourner It is repeated Deut. 15.7 If there be among you a poore man thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from him But f Deut. 15.11 Matth. 5.42 Luc. 6.34 thou shalt open thine hand wide vnto him and shalt lend him g vers 8. sufficient for his neede Such is the commandement Doe men regard it Doe they not rather harden their hearts and shut their hands against the poore Do they not h Prou. 22.22 rob them i Ezech. 22.29 vexe them k Amos 4.1 oppresse them crush them Doe they not euen now as bad as the Israeliâ—es in my text did Do they not sell the poore for siluer for shoes for a trifle Doe they not euen now pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore If they doe so the Lord is ready to doe them right and to punish such as oppresse them For so much God vndertaketh Amos 4.2 where to such as oppresse the poore and crush the needie the Lord God hath sworne by his holinesse that loe the dayes shall come vpon them wherein he will take them away with hookes and their posteritie with fish-hookes This Salomon by the spirit full well knew and therefore Prou. 22.22 aduising vs not to robbe the poore brings this for a motiue vers 23. The Lord will plead the cause of the poore and will spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them And chap. 23.11 disswading vs from wronging of the poore he brings the like motiue Their redeemer is mighty hee shall plead their cause with you You see now God pleadeth the cause of the poore whatsoeuer he be But against whom doth he plead it My doctrine saith the Cruell the Couetous and Oppressors These are they whom the holy Spirit in this place taxeth Their cruelty and couetousnes were touched vers the 6. They sold the righteous the poore This was Cruelty They sold them for siluer and for shoes this was Couetousnesse Those two Cruelty and Couetousnes ioyned togither make Oppression which is the sinne reproued in the beginning of this 7. verse They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore With these the Cruell the Couetous and Oppressors the Lord hath a l Hos 4.1 controuersie against these hee m Micah 6.2 pleadeth First He pleadeth against the Cruell Against the Chaldeans Esai 47.5 6. Sit thou silent and get thee into darknes O daughter of the Chaldeans thou shalt be no more called the Lady of kingdomes For thou didst shew my people no mercy thou hast very heauily laid the yoke vpon them Secondly He pleadeth against the Couetous Against the men of Iudah Esai 3.14 15. Yee haue eaten vp the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses What meane ye that ye beat my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poore Thirdly He pleadeth against the Oppressors Against the heads of Israel Micah 3.3 Ye eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them yee breake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot as flesh within the cauldron Thus far of the doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressors Now let vs see what benefit we may make hereof vnto our selues for our further instruction and the amendment of our liues First Doth God plead the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous oppressors This may serue to reproue the cruel the couetous the oppressors of this age With vs now it is as once it was with the state of Israel Cruelty and Couetousnesse much worse then nettles and brambles haue ouer-run our land These two Cruelty and Couetousnesse that boundlesse this vnsatiable like the two daughters of the horsleech Prov. 30.15 haue bin so long vsed to cry Giue Giue that they will neuer be brought to say It is enough The first borne of these two Cruelty and Couetousnes is Oppression that loud-crying sinne vnder which this our land in euery corner almost groneth and shee hath her mates too Vsurie and Extortion All these Crueltie Couetousnesse Oppression Vsurie and Extortion walke hand in hand and seeke about like that n 1. Pet. 5.8 roaring Lyon the Deuill of whom they are begotten whom they may deuoure Many God knowes they haue deuoured already but that contents them not Dearely beloued how shall I worke in you a loathing a detestation of these foule sins Can I do it better then by setting before your eyes the deformitie and vglines of the men in whom they raigne And who are they will you haue their character and picture It is drawne by Salomon Prou. 30.14 There is saith he a generation a generation of men whose teeth are as swords and their o Iob 29.17 iawes as kniues to deuoure the poore from off the earth and the needie from among men They are as Dauids Lyons Psal 57.4 Their teeth are speares and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword They are as the kine of Bashan Amos 4.1 Oppressors of the poore crushers of the needy See you not in the shape of men Monsters Kine Lyons with teeth like speares and arrowes with iawes like kniues with tongues like swords Will you yet conuerse with them will you haue any further fellowship any further acquaintance with them You will say How shall we shun them vnlesse we more particularly know who they are Behold therefore a Catalogue of them out of a p Râ—inold vpon Obadiah pag. 84. learned and iudicious Diuine They are such as eat and deuoure vs vp with Vsurie such as spoile vs by monopolies by engrossing by false wares by subtile bargainâ—s such as wrong vs by enclosing of Commons such as wring vs by enhaunsing of rents such as rob the Church in pulling away the maintenance of the Ministers thereof in possessing their right in appropriating or deteining their tithes such as thrust husbandmen out of their liuings in their steed place a shepheard with his dog such as ioyne q Esa 5.8 house to house land to land liuing to liuing as though they meant aloâ—e to liue vpon the earth These are they whose character and picture I but now shewed vnto you men will you call them men nay monsters of men kine of Bashan Lyons whose teeth iawes and tongues are as speares and arrowes and kniues and swords to eate deuoure the needy and the poore These are they whom you commonly call deuouring Caterpillers greedie Cormâ—rants cruell Cambals and not amisse So vnsatiable are they and such merci-lesse man-eaters hated of all good people and r Psal 5.6 abhorred of God What can be the end of these men Shall not the day come wherein dogs shall licke their bloud as once
Psal 11. Psal 10.6 according to the vulgar Latin we read Qui diligit iniquitatem odit animam suam he that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule Did euer man hate his owne soule We may not imagine it Yet because he that loueth iniquitie liueth for the most part as if he little cared for his soules health it is there absolutely said Hee that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule In Genes 43.6 the vulgar Interpreter makes Israel thus to speake to Iudah and other his sonnes In meam hoc fecistis miseriam vt indicaretis ei alium vos habere fratrem you haue done it to my miserie that ye told the man that you had another brother It s true Iacobs ten sonnes when they were in Egypt to buy corne told Ioseph whom then they knew not to be Ioseph that their yongest brother was liuing But did they doe it with a mind to bring misery vpon their aged father Iacob Iacob himselfe could not thinke so and the storie cleares them from that imputation Yet because by that their deed miserie might haue fallen vpon their father Iacob Iacob saith vnto them after a vulgar custome of speech In meam hoc fecistis miseriam you haue done this to make me miserable In 2. King 4.16 the good woman of Shunem that was by Elisha promised a sonne notwithstanding her selfe was by nature barren and her husband also old said vnto Elisha Nay my Lord thou man of God doe not lie vnto thine handmaide Doe not lie What! Elisha a Prophet a man of God could he or would he lye No it beseemed him not Yet because he promised what was not in mans power to performe a sonne to a woman that was naturally barren and her husband also old some might thinke that he went about to deceiue the woman The woman therefore after the common kinde of speech saith vnto him Nay my Lord thou man of God doe not lye vnto thine handmaide Other like instances I might alledge for the further explanation of the Canon or rule which euen now I proposed But I need not The kind of speech is familiar in our English tongue If you see a sicke man intemperate or refusing to follow the aduise of his learned Physitian you wil straight way say this man seekes his owne death hee will kill himselfe When your meaning is not that he hath a purpose to seeke his owne death or to kill himselfe but that if he continue intemperate and will not follow his Physitians wholesome counsaile death will soone lay him in the pit Now let this rule be laid vnto my text and the scruple whereof I but now spake is gone A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide to profane my holy name they are the words of my text and the Lord in the mouth of his Prophet Amos hath spoken them But he speaketh after our manner as we vse to speake His meaning is that with the Israelites it was an ordinarie matter for a man and his father to commit filthinesse with the same maide and that by their so doing though themselues had no such purpose in so doing the holy name of God was prophaned This prophanation of Gods holy name was not the finall cause it was not the end why such filthinesse was committed in Israell It was rather the event or consequent of it Filthinesse was acted in Israel and thereof followed the prophanation of the holy name of God A man and his father c. To prophane my holy name My holy name The Hebrew hath the name of my holinesse where the substantiue is put for the adiectiue the Abstract for the Concrete which in that holy tongue is very vsuall In the 3. of Exod. ver 5. The Lord sayth to Moses Put of thy shoes from of thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is ground of Holinesse It s ground of Holinesse that is its holy ground In the 12. of Exod. vers 16. Moses and Aaron are charged to say vnto the people of Israel In the seauenth day there shall be a conuocation of holinesse vnto you A conuocation of holinesse that is a holy conuocation In the 22. of Exod. ver 31. The Lord sayth vnto the same people of Israel Yee shall be men of Holinesse vnto me Men of Holinesse that is Holy men Were it needfull I could shew vnto you that the a Esai 63 11. Spirit of Gods holinesse the b Esai 52.10 arme of his holinesse the c Psal 3.5 mountaine of his holinesse the d Psal 11.4 temple of his holinesse the e Deut 26.15 habitation of his holinesse are put for his holy Spirit his holy arme his holy mountaine his holy temple his holy habitation I could yet shew vnto you that f Exod 24.4 garments of holinesse g Num. 3.51 vessels of holinesse h Lamen 4.1 stones of holinesse i 1. Sam. 21.4 bread of holinesse k Ierem. 11.15 flesh of holinesse and l Num. 35.25 oyle of holinesse are in the holy Bible put for holy garments holy vessels holy stones holy bread holy flesh holy oyle But I haue said enough to shew what I intended namely that vsually in the Holy tongue the Abstract is put for the Concrete as holinesse for holy as in this my text A man and his father will goe in to the same maide to profane the name of my holinesse that is to prophane my holy name Can Gods holy name be prophaned by men Why not sith it may be sanctified by men That the name of God may be sanctified by men it s out of doubt Caput votorum the very first petition which wee are taught to poure forth vnto God is that his name may be sanctified Hallowed be thy name The name of God is holy in it selfe it needs not to be hallowed by vs its impossible for vs to adde vnto it any purity or holinesse which it had not before Yet m Scala coeli Serm. 9. Caput votorum the first petition of our prayer is Hallowed bee thy name Our desire therein is that Gods name which is holy of it selfe may bee so accounted off by vs may bee holily vsed by vs and may by our holy vsage of it bee manifested to the world that it is holy Now then as the name of God is Hallowed when for our holy and vnstained liues men blesse the name of God and praise him so when for our impure and spotted liues men blaspheme the name of God and dishonour him the name of God is prophaned Well then doth our Prophet Amos heere charge the people of Israel with prophanation of Gods holy name for asmuch as their liues were very impure and much spotted It was with them no strange matter for a man and his father to commit filthinesse with the same Mayde Thus haue you the words of my text expounded A man and his father A sonne and his father will goe in vnto the same mayde do
for thy truths sake God you see is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies So is he all in all in the vpholding of his children Of his children that is of such as liue by faith in Christ and doe serue the Lord their God in spirit and in truth Such if they be oppressed if they be in need if in trouble haue God for their refuge Psal 9.9 God will be the same God to them as he was to Dauid Psal 18.2 He will bee their Rocke their Fortresse their Deliuerer their God their Strength their Buckler the horne of their saluation and their high Tower Here are they to be admonished who neglecting the strong God of their saluation put their confidence in the transitorie things of this world They who trust in their wealth and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches they are here reprooueable How can their wealth how can their riches profit them in the euill day Will they serue for a ransome vnto God for thee Looke to the 49th Psalme and the 8. verse and you shall find that the redemption of a soule is much more precious And they who relie vpon great men thinking themselues safe in the shadow of their wings are here reprooueable They haue their warning Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man And why not There is no helpe in them and why no helpe Their breath goeth forth they returne to their earth and their verie thoughts doe perish They also who make any other creature their confidence are here reproueable They for their instruction may haue recourse to the 33. Psalme at the 16. verse thereof they may thus read There is no King saued by the multitude of an host a mightie man is not deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine thing for saftie neither shall he deliuer any by his great strength What Is a horse a vaine thing to saue a man Is much strength vaine Is there no saftie for a King in the multitude of an hâ—st Is there no trust to be put in Princes Nor in any man Nor in wealth Nor in the multitude of riches Nor in any of the transitorie things of this world Quid nos What shall we then doe beloued Let vs say with the confidence that the Church hath in Gods succour Psal 20.7 Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses some in Princes some in other men some in their strength some in their riches some in something else that is vaine and transitorie but we will remember the name of the Lord our God The Lord our God who was all in all in destroying the Amorites before his people Israell is now all in all in vpholding vs his Children by adoption and grace against the furie of all our enemies that haue had euill will at our prosperitie I conclude with the words of the Psal 146.5 Happie is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God which made Heauen and earth the sea and all that therein is To this Lord our God Father Sonne and holy Ghost one true and euerliuing God sing we an Hallelujah Hallelujah saluation and glory and honour and power be vnto the Lord our God for euermore THE XIIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them whose height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes yet I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath OF the benefits here mentioned to haue beene bestowed by God vpon his people the people of Israel in the first place we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites It is deliuered vers 9. Therein I propounded to your religious attentions three principall parts In the first we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them In the second the Amorites are described Their description is taken from their stature and from their valour each is set forth vnto vs by way of Comparison their stature or height by the Cedars their valour or strength by the Oke Their height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes. The third hath an explication or an amplification of the ouerthrow of the Amorites It was not any gentle stripe that they receiued not any light incision not any small wound but it was their extermination their contrition their vniuersall ouerthrow their vtter ruine Fruit and roote Prince and people Parents and children old yong were all brought to nought Yet destroyed I their fruit from aboue and their roote from beneath The first of these three principall parts deliuering in a generalitie the ouerthrow of the Amorites was the subiect of my last discourse out of this place Now followeth the second the description of that people the people of the Amorites They are for their height or stature compared to the Cedars and for their strength and valour to the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars he was strong as the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars IN Syria and especially in mount Lebanon the Cedar trees grew very high Sennacherib King of Assyria by his message to Hezekiah King of Iudah giueth testimonie hereunto His message is 2. King 19.23 With the multitude of my chariots I am come vp to the height of the mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and will cut downe the tall Cedars thereof Succidam altitudinem Cedrorum eius so he speaketh in the Hebrew I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The words are repeated Esa 37.24 I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The tallnesse of the Cedars out of doubt they are very high The Cedars of Lebanon Esa 2.13 are sayd to be sublimes elevatae high and lifted vp In Tremellius his translation they are celsissimae elatissimae most tall and towring Out of doubt they are very high If humane authoritie may be added to diuine Theophrastus in his fift Booke of his historie of Plants chap. 9. sayth that the Cedar for its length or height is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its worthie admiration Rovillius in his Historie of Plants lib. 1. cap. 11. affirmeth that the Cedar of Phoenicia or Syria beareth a bodie streight and very tall mounting aboue all other trees Arias Montanus sayth as much Cedrus vbicumque fuerit the Cedar wheresoeuer it groweth it ouertoppeth all other trees and is aboue all pre-eminent and conspicuous To proue it he bringeth those words of the spouse concerning her Beloued Cant. 5.15 His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars that is his Heroicall proceritie and the maiestie of his countenance is like vnto the Cedars of Lebanon The Spouse thus comparing the countenance of her beloued to mount Lebanon and the Cedars there intimateth that the encrease of the knowledge of God and his worship shall be so great as that the open profession of
your sonnes as Ioel speaketh of Chap. 2.28 I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Or of your sonnes de hominibus vestri generis saith Peter à Figuero of men like your selues of your brethren so they are called Deut. 18.15 The Lord thy God will raise vp vnto thee a Prophet from the middest of thee of thy brethren like vnto me Of your sonnes or of thy brethren The signification is one sayth Drusius Of your sonnes not strangers or forrainers but such as were home bred and of your owne lineage sayth Brentius Of your sonnes that is say some Hebrewes R. Dauid and R. Solomo ex parvulis of your little ones such as were Samuel and Ieremie I raised vp of your sonnes For Prophets Such as should not onely preach my will vnto you and instruct you in the way of righteousnes but also admonish you and fore-tell you what was to come to passe in future times Prophets I read in the old Testament of two sorts of Prophets Some were taught in Schooles vnder the discipline of other Prophets who were heretofore called Filij Prophetarum sonnes of the Prophets They are so called 2. King 4.1 6.1 Others had their calling immediately from God and were by him extraordinarily inspired with gifts from aboue and so were sent forth to the exercise of their holy function Of both these Amos chap. 7.14 maketh mention There he saith vnto Amaziah I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was an heardman and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit This he speaketh of himselfe as he was before his calling I was no Prophet immediately called of God nor was I the sonne of a Prophet I was not trained vp or taught in any of the Schooles of the Prophets but I was an heardman and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit He had no other calling till the Lord was pleased to aduance him to the dignitie and office of a Prophet and then was his calling extraordinarie Amos tels how it was vers 15. The Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke and the Lord said vnto me Goe prophecie vnto my people Israel The Prophets mentioned in my text may be of both sorts such as had their institution in the Schooles of the Prophets and such as were called of God immediately and extraordinarily God was the raiser vp of both Yet especially by Prophets here I vnderstand such as had their calling of God immediate and extraordinarie And these were fitted to their holy function sundrie wayes as by dreames by visions by inspiration of the holy Spirit by expresse word vttered by some Angell representing God and by God himselfe speaking to them face to face That they were fitted to their Propheticall function by dreames and visions We know by Num. 12.6 where the Lord thus speaketh vnto Aaron and to Miriam Heare now my words If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my selfe knowne vnto him in a vision and will speake vnto him in a dreame We know it likewise by Elihues words vnto Iob chap. 33.14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiueth it not In a dreame in a vision of the night when deepe sleepe falleth vpon men in slumbrings vpon the bed Then he openeth the eares of men and sealeth their instruction It may also be gathered out of the euen-now cited place of Ioel chap. 2.28 I will powre of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your old men shall dreame dreames your yong men shall see visions Dreames and visions you see were meanes by which Almightie God fitted his Prophets to the exercise of their holy function They were likewise fitted thereunto by the inspiration of the holy Ghost S. Peter sayth it Epist 2. chap. 1. vers 21. Holy men of God in old time spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost So were they by the expresse word of some Angell representing God as Gen. 19.13 There shall you find two Angels instructing Lot concerning the ouerthrow of Sodome And sometime they were enabled to their holy calling by God himselfe speaking to them face to face So was Moses The Lord spake vnto Moses face to face as a man speaketh vnto his friend Exod. 33.11 Now whether Prophets of old time were enabled to the exercise of their sacred function by God himselfe speaking vnto them face to face or by the apparition of Angels representing God or by the inspiration of the holy Spirit or by visions or by dreames it was out of doubt a great blessing vnto Israel to haue Prophets sent vnto them and therefore saith the Lord vnto them I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets It followeth And of your yong men for Nazarites Of your yong men It is emphatically spoken For though yong men for the most part are addicted vnto pleasures yet did God raise vp of them some that should withdraw themselues from the pleasures of this world either for a time or for euer and these were called Nazirites Naziraei They were called Nazaraei quasi Separatitij saith Mercer as Separatists or men separated from wine and vulgar delights that they might the more freely apply their wits and studies to the law of God and his worship Nazarites Nazarai They are so called by the author of the Vulgar Latin and so almost by all the Ancient and by many moderne interpreters by Benedictus Castalio and Caluin by Iunius and Tremellius in their Bible printed by Wechell at Francford A. C. 1579. But the same Iunius and Tremellius in their later editions of the Bible do call them Neziraeos Nezirites so doth Vatablus Drusius calls them Naziraeos Nezirites so doth Pagnine in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nezirites or Nazirites Well may they be so called for distinctions sake euen to distinguish them from Nazarites Christ is called a Nazarite Matth. 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is by many translated Nazaraeus a Nazarite He dwelt in a Citie called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Nazarite Our now English well translates it a Nazarene for Iesus Marc. 1.24 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Nazarene Nazaraeus and Nazarenus ech name is deriued from Nazareth the Citie wherein Iesus had his habitation Wherefore they who interpret that Matth. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall be called a Nazarite do think that S. Matthew had respect to the Nazarites of the old Testament as to the types of Christ may well be deceiued Some I grant are of opinion that S. Matthew doth allude to those voluntarie and vowed Nazarites of whom we read Num. 6. and some that S. Matthew hath reference to Samson who was a Nazarite by Gods singular ordination But in these opinions I finde no soliditie for they haue no ground either in the name of Nazarite or in the matter Not in the name The
betweene God and man that Peace which Christ hath procured vs by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 In which respect he is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 For in him hath God reconciled vs vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.18 Secondly they preach Peace betweene man and man They exhort you with the Apostle Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you haue peace with all men and 2. Cor. 13.11 Be of one minde liue in Peace Liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you Thirdly they preach peace betweene man and himselfe betweene man and his owne conscience It is that Peace whereof we read Psal 119.165 Great Peace haue they which loue thy Law O Lord and nothing shall offend them they shall haue no stumbling blocke laid in their wayes though outwardly they be assaulted by aduersitie crosses and troubles yet within they are quiet they haue the Peace of conscience they are at Peace with themselues From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospell of Christ the Gospell of Christ may well be called the doctrine of Peace Thirdly it is the doctrine of good things The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of good things Of good things The name of Gospell in the Greeke tongue imports as much The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth a good message that is a happy and a ioyfull message of good things What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you call the Gospell but a celestiall doctrine which God first reuealed in Paradice afterward published by the Patriarches and Prophets shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Sonne God who is onely good yea is goodnes it selfe is the author of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell must needs bring with it a message of good things The message it bringeth is this that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Christ the only begotten Sonne of God our Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised and preached to all that truly beleeue in him perfect deliuerance from sinne death and the euerlasting curse Could there be any more happy or welcom tidings to mankinde then this was Out of doubt the Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of good things Fourthly it is the doctrine of the Kingdome The Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdome It s so called Luk. 4.43 where Christ saith of himselfe I must preach the kingdome of God to other Cities also So is it Mark 1.14 there the Euangelist saith of Christ that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee This Kingdome is twofold of Grace and of Glory of Grace here on earth and of glory hereafter in Heauen Of grace here here Christ reigneth in the soules of the faithfull by his word and holy Spirit Of glory hereafter when Christ shall haue deliuered vp the Kingdome to God the Father as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 15.24 If so it be if the Gospell of Christ be the word of Saluation if it be the doctrine of Peace of Peace betweene God and man betweene man and man betweene man and himselfe if it be the doctrine of good things of our deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law if it be the doctrine of the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the Kingdome of glory then must it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospell do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value And such is my doctrine The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value The vse hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospell and their auditors First the Ministers of the Gospell They may here be put in minde of their dutie which is willingly and cheerefully to preach the Gospell This their dutie may be called a debt S. Paul calls it so Rom. 1.14 15. I am debtor both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome S. Paul you see acknowledgeth a debt and makes a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby he was made a debter was his Apostolicall calling his debt was to preach the Gospell the persons to whom he was indebted were Greekes and Barbarians the wise and the vnwise His good conscience to discharge his debt appeareth in his readinesse to doe it I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell S. Paul may be vnto vs a patterne of imitation We also must acknowledge a debt and must make a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby we are made debtors is our ministeriall calling Our debt is to preach the Gospell The persons to whom we are indebted are our owne flocke our owne people the people ouer whom the Lord hath made vs ouer-seers Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appeare in our readinesse to doe it I and euery other minister of the Gospell must say as S. Paul doth I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell to you So farre forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge I am ready to preach the Gospell to you Nothing hath hitherto or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt but onely the impediments which the Lord obiecteth Secondly the vse of my doctrine concerneth you who are the hearers of the word You also may here be put in minde of your dutie which is patiently and attentiuely to heare the word preached Of your readinesse in this behalfe I should not doubt if you would but remember what an vnvaluable treasure it is which we bring vnto you Is it not the word of Saluation the Saluation of your soules Is it not your peace inward and outward your peace with God your peace with man your peace with your owne consciences Is it not the doctrine of good things your deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law Is it not the publication of the Kingdome of God his kingdome of graâ—e wherein you now may liue tha hereafter you may liue in the Kingdome of glory Is it not euen thus Can it be denyed Beloued in the Lord the Lord who raised vp vnto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazarites he raiseth vp vnto you of your sonnes Ministers Prophets and Teachers and of your yong men such as may be trayned vp and fitted in the Scholes of the Prophets in our Naioths in our Vniuersities for a present supply when God shall be pleased to remoue from you those which haue laboured among you and are ouer you in the Lord. It s an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the
Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine The threatnings of God they are not vana dunt axat puerorum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula as Quadratus hath well noted they are not onely as scar-crowes or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne Neuer are they in vaine Of two sorts they are for either they concerne a spirituall and eternall punishment or a punishment that is temporary and corporall Of the first sort is that commination Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them The punishment there threatned is spirituall it is eternall Saint Paul so expounds it Gal. 3.10 where he saith As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them The curse there spoken of is no temporall no corporall matter it is spirituall it is eternall The reason is because the curse is opposed to the blessing Now to bee blessed with faithfull Abraham is to be iustified to bee absolued from sinne and death to be in fauour with God to obtaine eternall saluation and therefore to be accursed is to be condemned for sinne to be cast out from God to be adiudged to euerlasting death and Hell The blessing is spirituall and eternall and therefore must the curse also be spirituall and eternall Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obuious If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to doe his Commandements but will despight his statutes and abhorre his iudgements then will the Lord doe thus and thus vnto you In the 26. of Leuit. vers 16. he will visit you with vexations consumptions and burning agues that shall consume your eyes and cause you sorrow of heart Vers 17. he will set his face against you and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you Vers 19. Hee will breake the pride of your power and will make your Heauen as iron and your Earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine for neither shall your land yeeld her encrease nor your trees their fruits Vers 22. Hee will send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattell and make you few in number These and other like threatnings against the wilfull contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleaged 26. Chapter of Leuiticus and 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy and other places of holy Scripture than I can at this time stand vpon to relate them They are many they are fearefull Many and fearefull are the punishments though but temporary and corporall which the Lord threatneth to the wilfull contemners of his holy Will Thus you see Gods threatnings are of two sorts either of spirituall and eternall punishments or punishments that are temporary and corporall These threatnings of punishments corporall or spirituall temporary or eternall are by the Lord himselfe accomplished at times certaine and vnchangeable When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impiety and wickednesse the Lord appointed a certaine space the space of 120. yeeres for their repentance and conuersion Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he also is flesh yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres Though he saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was euill was onely euill was euill continually so that with great iustice he might forthwith haue swallowed them vp with a floud yet would hee not but would yet forbeare longer and looke for their amendment A hundred and twenty yeeres yet would he giue them to see if they would returne and auoid his wrath But they would not returne and therefore at the very end and terme of those hundred and twenty yeeres he brought the floud vpon them Then then and not before he brought the floud vpon them For compare we the particular circumstances of time noted Gen. 7.3 6 11. with that which Saint Peter writeth in his first Epistle chap. 3.20 we shall finde that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the Iewes Ierem. 25.11 Because you haue not heard my voice behold I will take from you the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the candle you shall be a desolation and an astonishment shall serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres The summe of the Commination is that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as those yeeres those seuenty yeeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophesie of Ieremie exactly setteth it downe Chap. 5.30 saying The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine the same night the very night wherein those seuenty yeeres came to their full period was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine To these fearefull examples of Noahs floud and the carrying away of the Iewes into Babylon may be added the burning of Sodome by fire and brimstone the destruction of the ten Tribes the ruine of Ierusalem and the Kingdome of Iudah the desolation of the seuen Churches of Asia all which besides many other calamities vpon many other places and persons accomplished and come to passe according to the threatnings of the Lord may well assure vs that whatsoeuer he hath threatned will certainly take effect And certainly if we by serious and true repentance doe not preuent the execution of his threats he will not faile to preuent vs and take vs away suddenly Thus is my obseruation made good If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine No it will not If God threaten and no repentance followeth then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe Hee threatens not in vaine hee terrifies not without cause no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey or the Lions whelpe cryeth out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing Is it thus Beloued Shall we finde that Gods threatnings will be effectuall and powerfull against vs if we by our sinnes goe on still to prouoke him to displeasure It seemes then that if we repent vs of our sinnes and cease any further to grieue Gods holy Spirit his threatnings will bee vaine and without
the earth where by the fowlers art no ginne is set for him O quà m vilium similitudines rerum quam pretiosum praedicant sacramentum O saith Rupertus how vile are the things from which similitudes may be taken and how precious the mysteries that may thereby be published This our Prophet de pastoralibus assumptus once a shepherd now called to be a dispenser of the secrets of God is content to dispense them by drawing similitudes from such things as he was wont to obserue in his shepherds walke Such is that in the first Chapter vers 2. The Lord will roare from Zion and that in the same verse the habitations of the shepherds shall mourne and that in the verse before my text will a Lion roare in the forrest when he hath no prey and this in my text Can a bird fall in a snare vpon the ground where no ginne is for him All you see are pastorall Sufficiunt coelesti magisterio res non solùm piscatorum verùm etiam pastorum vt per eorum similitudines docti sint doceant conuenienter gloriam rerum caelestium Things that fall within the knowledge not only of fishers but also of shepherds are auaileable to diuine instruction that by the similitudes of both fishers and shepherds the glory of things celestiall may be manifested Such is this pastorall similitude this similitude of birds not falling into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse by the fowlers art some ginne be set for him It serueth for the adumbration of Gods wonderfull prouidence thus As snares wherewith birds are catched fall not on the ground at all aduentures and by chance but are laid by the skill industry and fore-sight of the fowler so the calamities and miseries of this life wherewith men are vsually taken and snared come not by chance but are sent among vs by the certaine counsell of God by his iust iudgement by his diuine prouidence I know that this similitude is by others otherwise applied Saint Hierome will haue it to belong to the punishment of such as liuâ— in discord and variance to this sence They who through charitie are as birds and doe fly aloft in the libertie of the holy Spirit through discord doe lose their wings fall downe vpon him earth and are a prey vnto the fowler Did they still soare aloft with the wings of loue they should not need to feare the fowlers snares For as Salâ—mon saith Prou. 1.17 Surely in vaine the net is spread in the eyes of euery thing that hath a wing Keepe then thy selfe aboue in the aire as if thou hadest the wings of a doue and thou art from danger but if through variance through strife through hatred and other like impieties thou be ouer-burdened and pressed downe downe thou fallest to the ground and art by thine owne default ensnared Iusta enim est ruina peccatorum for iust is the fall of sinners Two Hebrew Rabbins Abraham and Dauid apply this similitude to the execution of the decree of God and his sentence thus If men whose dwellings are vpon the earth can by their cunning and industry cause the birds of the aire to descend vpon the earth and so fall into their snares from whence there is no euasion for them how much more shall I I the Lord who haue my habitation in the Heauen of Heauens bring men themselues within the snare of my decree and sentence that there shall be no escaping for them Some so apply this similitude that by this bird they vnderstand a sinner and by the snare his sinne Their explication is As a bird shall not fall into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse some ginne be laid for him so shall not sinners fall into punishment vnlesse they themselues make snares of their owne sinnes to catch themselues withall So may they quickly doe and so saith Salomon Pro. 5.22 The wickednesse of the vngodly shall catch himselfe and with the snares of his owne sinnes shall he be trapped What then Vis non capi laqueo wouldest thou not be taken with the snare rumpe ac frange laqueum the aduice is good teare and breake the snare But how Tolle peccatum fregisti laqueum take away the sinne and thou hast broken the snare Rupertus so vnderstands this similitude that he will haue the grace of God herein to be commended With him this fowler shall be God his snare the word of God the bird to be catched the soule of man His conceit runnes thus As that a bird falls into a snare vpon the earth it is to be attributed to the care and diligence of the fowler that laid the snare so that the soule of man commeth to be ensnared in the word of saluation which it neither can resist nor is willing so to doe it is wholly to be attributed to the grace of God For God alone so spreadeth the snare of his good word that this little bird this wandring and restlesse bird the soule of man is caught and brought into the hands of the Lord her God and so escapeth the iawes of the Deuill This his exposition well meeteth with the Arminians with those new Prophets who at this day pretending a more moderate diuinity then ours is as if they came out of Coelestius his Schoole haue with their sophismes and subtilties much disquieted the State of the Belgicke Churches chiefly for the point of diuine Predestination and the appendices thereof Their fourth Thesis is touching the operation of the grace of of God in Christ a Collat. Hug. Brand. pag. 216. whether it be resistable or not The grace of God say they is resistable Rupertus here saith it cannot be resisted He is in the right and with him we ioyne and thus we explaine our meaning Man is to be considered in a two-fold respect in respect of himselfe and in respect of God If he be considered in respect of himselfe as he is vnregenerate and according to his inbred prauitie so is grace by him too too resistable for as much as man of himselfe in his pure naturals gouerned only by nature reason and sense without grace without the Spirit of God cannot only resist but also cannot but resist the grace of God So saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned To the like purpose the same Apostle Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be It is true the Grace of God is resistable it is too easily resisted ex parte hominis by man in respect of himselfe But ex parte Dei it is otherwise In respect of God and his good pleasure it may well be said to be irresistible I speake of that grace of God which is his mouing and effectuall grace against
vrge this dutie First from the honour of him that speaketh Secondly from the danger of him that heareth negligently Thirdly from the profit of him that heareth with diligence First the preaching of the word of God is to be harkened vnto with all reuerence for the honours sake of him that speaketh For the honours sake of him that speaketh Why Who is he Is he not some Prophet some Apostle some Priest or Minister one whom wee know to be of meane descent some a Amos 1.1 Heard-man some b Matth. 4.18 Fisher-man some c 1 Thess 2.9 Act. 18 3. Tent-maker some d Matth. 13.55 Carpenters sonne Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren Iames and Ioses and Simon and Iudas And his sisters are they not all with vs How then is it that you vrge vs to giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the Word for the honours sake of him that speaketh Our blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus vntieth this knot for me He to comfort his Apostles against the time of persecution thus saith vnto them Matth. 10.19 20. Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you in the same houre what yee shall speake For it is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you In the thirteenth of Marke Verse 11. thus It is not yee that speake but the holy Ghost In the twelfth of Luke verse 12. thus The holy Ghost shall teach you in the same houre what yee ought to say Now see It is the Spirit of your Father the Spirit of God the holy Ghost that speaketh in his Ministers Why then yee are with reuerence to giue eare to them when they preach vnto you for the honours sake of him that speaketh Qui vos audit me audit saith Christ vnto his Disciples Luke 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me He that heareth you heareth mee It is an admirable and gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the voice of his thunders and lightnings Exod. 20.18 or with the exceeding loud sound of a trumpet but by Prophets by Apostles by Disciples by Ministers by men of our owne nature flesh of our flesh and bones of our bones by men of our owne shape and language Iames 5.17 by men subiect to the same passions whereto wee are subiect God is hee that speaketh from aboue that blesseth and curseth that bindeth and looseth that exhorteth and disswadeth by the mouth of man For this respect and relations sake betweene God and his Ministers whom it hath pleased of his mercy in some sort to dignifie with the representation of his owne person here vpon the earth the world hath euer held them in very reuerent estimation Remember the Galatians Though Saint Paul preached the Gospell vnto them through infirmitie of the flesh Galat. 4.13 without the honour without the ostentation without the pompe of this world rather as one that studied to bring his person into contempt than otherwise yet were they so farre off from despising or reiecting him that they rather receiued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus And he bare them record that if it had beene possible they would haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to him If it had beene possible that is if Nature and the Law of God had not forbidden it or if it had beene possible that is if they might haue done it sine suo dispendio as Haymo and Remigius doe interpret it if they might haue done it without their owne vtter vndoing or if it had beene possible that is if it might haue beene ad Ecclesiae vtilitatem so speake Aquinas and Gorran if it might haue beene for the good of the Church they would haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to Paul Would they haue plucked out their owne eyes Nihil habet quisquam charius oculis suis There is nothing more deare vnto a man than are his eyes And yet if it had beene possible would the Galatians haue plucked out their owne eyes and haue giuen them to Paul When the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron Moses said vnto them Exod. 16.8 The Lord heareth your murmurings which yee murmure against him and what are wee Your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. What are we but Serui Ministri the Seruants and Ministers of the Lord Your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. This is that which the Lord saith concerning his Prophet Deut. 18.19 Whosoeuer will not harken to the words which hee shall speake in my name Ego vltor existam I will require it of him I will bee his auenger Whereupon Didacus Stella Hominem non debes aspicere sed Deum Enarrat in cap. 10. Lucae qui in eo loquitur Looke not vpon man set not thy thoughts vpon him but vpon God that speaketh in him For the words which hee speaketh hee speaketh in the name of God But say the Preacher bee a naughtie a wicked man what shall I then doe Deum qui per ipsum loquitur debes respicere Thou must haue regard to God that speaketh by him God diuinâ admirabili suâ virtute God of his diuine and maruellous power is able to bring to passe excellent and diuine workes by euill instruments God fed Elias by the ministery of Rauens Rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the euening 1 King 17.6 Did Rauens bring him food Cur ita Why so Lord Couldest thou not command Doues and other cleane birds to feed thy Prophet but thou must prouide for him by Rauens Note here the mystery God vseth many times to giue vnto his people the spirituall food of their soules sound and wholesome doctrine by euill and wicked men as he gaue good bread and flesh to Elias by Rauens tu vero comede onely eat thou and receiue thou from the hand of God what he sendeth and be not curious to know whether hee that brings thee thy soules meat be a Rauen or a doue a wicked or a good man so the food hee bringeth thee be sound and come from God By this time you see you are to giue eare with reuerence to the preaching of the word of God for the honours sake of him that speaketh You are now in the second place to be vrged to the performance of this dutie from the danger of him that heareth negligently The danger is great Saint Augustine discouers it by comparing the word of God for the estimation that is to be held of it to the Body of Christ in the Eucharist His words are in the six and twentieth of his fifty Homilies Non minus reus erit qui verbum Dei negligenter audierit quà m qui Corpus Christi in terram cadere suâ negligentiâ permiserit Whosoeuer shall heare the word
a Prophet or a Priest the Priest Exod. 28.30 that hath in the brest-plate of iudgemement the Vrim and the Thummim Againe God speaketh vnto men by a voice either sensible or spirituall if with a sensiblâ— voice then he striketh the outward eares if with a spirituall then the inward as well the left eare which is the Phantasie as the right which is the Vnderstanding Thirdly God speaketh vnto men either sleeping or waking So Serarius Quaest 1. in cap. 1. Ioshuae What the ancient Fathers haue thought of this point touching God his speaking vnto man I haue long since deliuered out of this place in my third Lecture vpon the first Chapter of this Prophecie What was Saint Basils opinion what Saint Augustines what Saint Gregories you then heard Later Writers haue reduced all the speakings of God to two heads Deeds and Words Christophorus à Castro vpon the first of Zachary Et factis loquitur Deus verbis God speaketh both by Deeds and by words Franciscus Ribera vpon the same Chapter Deus ita rebus vt verbis loquitur God speaketh as well by things as by words A learned and a very orthodox Diuine Dauid Pareus in his Commentary vpon Genesis at the third Chapter well liking of Saint Gregories opinion thus resolueth vpon the point God speaketh either by himselfe or by some Angelicall creature By himselfe God speaketh when by the sole force of internall inspiration the heart is opened or God speaketh by himselfe when the heart is taught concerning the word of God without words or syllables This speech of God is sine strepitu sermo a speech without any noise It pierceth our eares and yet hath no sound Such was the speech of God vnto the Apostles at what time they were filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.2 Suddenly there came a sound from Heauen as of a rushing mightie wind and it fillâ—d all the house where they were sitting and there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as of fire and it suâ—e vpon each of them Per ignem quidem Dominus apparuit sed persemet ipsum locutionem interius fecit By the fire indeed God appeared but by himselfe he spake in secret within to the heart of the Apostles Neither was that fire God nor was that sound God but God by those outward things the fire and the sound Expressit hoc quod interiùs gessit hee shewed what he did within and that he spake to the heart Those outward things the fire and the sound were only for signification to shew that the Apostles hearts were taught by an inuisible fire and a voice without a sound Foris fuit ignis qui apparuit sed intùs qui scientiam dedit the fire that appear'd was without but the fire that gaue them knowledge was within So may you iudge of the sound the sound that was heard was without but the sound that smote their hearts was within So Gods speech is a speech to the heart without words without a sound Such was that speech to Philip Act. 8.29 Goe neere and ioyne thy selfe to yonder Chariot It was the Spirit said so to Philip Bede expounds it of inward speech In corde spiritus Philippo loquebatur The Spirit said to Philip in his heart The Spirit of God may then be said to speake vnto vs when by a secret or hidden power it intimateth vnto our hearts what we are to doe The Spirit said vnto Philip that is Philip was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to draw neere and ioyne himselfe to the Chariot wherein that Aethiopian Eunuch sate reading the Prophesie of Esay A like speech was that to Peter Act. 10.19 Behold three men seeke thee It was the Spirit said so to Peter And here Bede In mente haec ab spiritu non in aure carnis audiuit Peter heard these words from the Spirit in mente in his vnderstanding non in aure carnis not by his fleshly eare The Spirit said vnto Peter that is Peter was by the Spirit of God inwardly moued to depart from Ioppa and goe to Caesarea to preach to the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company From this inward speaking of God by his holy Spirit in the hearts of men without either words or sound we may note thus much for our present comfort that whensoeuer wee are inwardly moued and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to offer vp our priuate requests to God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare the preaching of the word or to receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist or to doe any good worke we may be assured that God by his holy Spirit God by himselfe speaketh vnto vs. Thus you see how God speaketh vnto vs by himselfe Hee speaketh vnto vs also by his creatures By his creatures Angelicall and others And he doth it after diuers manners 1 Verbis by words By words only as when nothing is seene but a voice onely is heard as Ioh. 12.28 When Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediatly there came a voice from Heauen saying I haue both glorified it and will glorifie it againe Here was Vox Patris the voice of God the Father yet ministerio Angelorum formata it was formed by the ministery of Angels 2 God speaketh Rebus by things By things onely as when no voice is heard but some thing onely is obiected to the senses An example of this kind of Gods speaking is that vision of Ezechiel chap. 1.4 He saw a whirle-wind come out of the North with a great cloud and a fire infolding it selfe and in the middest of the fire the colour of Amber All this he saw but here is no mention of any voice at all And yet the Prophet saith Omninò fuit verbum Iehouae ad Ezechielem the Word of the Lord came expresly vnto Ezechiel The word of the Lord came and I looked and behold a whirlewind Here was res sine verbo a thing but no voice 3 God speaketh Verbis simul rebus both by words and things as when there is both a voice heard and also some thing obiected to the senses So He spake to Adam presently after his fall when he heard the voice of God walking in the Garden and saying Adam where art thou Gen. 3.8 4 God speaketh Imaginibus cordis oculis extensis by some images shapes or semblances exhibited to our inward eyes the eyes of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder set vpon the earth the top whereof reached to Heauen and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw Heauen opened and a certaine vessell descending vnto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners and let downe to the earth wherein were all manner of foure footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowles of the aire Act. 10.10 So Paul in a vision in the night saw a man of Macedonia standing by
of actuall sinne Sometimes it s so Then it is so when a man for some particular offence is more and more blinded and depriued of the knowledge of God and his truth So God punished the Gentiles with ignorance Rom. 1.24 Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God therefore God gaue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues So they became vaine in their imaginations and professing themselues wise they became fooles And so God punished the wicked among the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.10 Because they receiued not the truth that they might be saued therefore God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies Thus is ignorance the punishment also of actuall sin And now is the first branch of my position cleare Ignorance is a punishment of sinne euermore of Originall and sometimes of Actuall sinne The next branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is a cause of sinne Aquin. 1. 2. q. 76. art 1. Ignorance is a cause of sinne For whosoeuer knoweth not God he cannot worship God he cannot but serue strange Gods We see that in the Galatians chap. 4.8 who therefore did seruice to them who by nature were not Gods because they knew not the true God Rom. 3.11 The like collection is made from some words in the fourteenth Psalme that therefore men seeke not God because they know him not There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God In both places Saint Paul makes Ignorance to be the mother of superstition and idolatry Men know not God therefore they seeke not God â—quin 1. 2. qu. 84. art 1. 2. but serue strange Gods Thus is ignorance a cause of sinne I say a cause of sinne as one sinne may bee a cause of another And one sinne may be a cause of another diuers waies 1 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for a sinne committed the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit leaueth and forsaketh vs. It being departed we cannot but runne into foule and filthy sinnes If our stay by which alone we are supported in the way of godlinesse be taken from vs how shall we stand 2 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as God punisheth sinne with sinne as when God gaue vp the Gentiles to their owne hearts lusts to vncleannesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues Rom. 1.24 as euen now you heard 3 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as by committing of any sinne we are drawne on againe to doe the like and to ingeminate and double action vpon action vntill at length we make the sinne habituall vnto vs. 4 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as it cannot be that a sinne should be committed without attendants In which sense the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that Couetousnesse or the loue of money is the root of all euill They that will be rich saith he fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which draw men into perdition and destruction for the loue of money is the root of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes 5 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for one the other is committed Pilat for ambition condemned Christ Iudas for money betrayed his Master and Balaam for a like reward cursed Gods people So many waies may one sinne be said to be the cause of another Now our ignorance of God is a cause of sinne the fourth way namely as it is not without attendants You heard euen now that Paul makes it to be the mother of superstition and idolatry I may say it is the mother of all heresies and errors To this purpose Saint Hierome in a proeme of his to the Virgin Eustochium before his Commentaries vpon Esay saith that the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ If 1 Cor. 1.24 saith he according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the power of God and the wisdome of God and hee that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God nor his wisdome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi est the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ It is so worthy a saying that it is put into the body of the Canon Law Dist 38. C. Si iuxta Thus much for the second branch of my position wherein I affirmed that Ignorance is a cause of sinne The third branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is in it selfe sinne Here the Schoolemen doe distinguish Aquin. 1. 2. qu. 76. Art 2. Lombard Sent. lib. 2. dist 22. c. est autem There is one kinde of ignorance in such men as may know and will not another in such as may know and care not a third in such as would know but cannot The first is an ignorance by wilfulnesse the second by negligence the third by necessity The first and second they hold for sinnes the third they excuse yea they deny it to be a sinne To their iudgement concerning the two former kinds we giue our assent It is a malicious sinne a sinne of commission a very heynous sinne when men may know and will not It is a negligent sinne a sinne of omission yet a grieuous sinne when men may know and care not But their opinion touching the third kinde we allow not What if a man would know and cannot is he therefore simply and absolutely excused No he is not It s a truth and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to preuaile against it whosoeuer knoweth not what he ought to know by the Law of God he is holden in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he transgresseth the Law of God And euery transgression of the Law of God is sinne This truth is sealed by the holy Spirit in the mouth of Saint Iohn 1 Epist chap. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery transgression of the Law is sin The Text of Scripture which they alleage for their opinion is Ioh. 15.22 There saith Christ If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne My answer is These words make nothing for them For Christ by saying so doth not absolutely excuse the Iewes from sinne vpon the condition that they had not beene able to haue heard Christ The excuse which Christ fitteth to them serues onely to excuse them from the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of sinne as if he had thus said If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sin sin that is so grieuous sinne as now they haue since they haue heard me and yet doe continue in their obstinacy refusing to giue assent to the truth which I haue told them from my
the children of Israel be taken out of the hands of Salmanassar The things compared are First a Lion and Salmanassar King of Assyria Secondly a Sheepe and the Children of Israel Thirdly some fragments of a deuoured sheepe two legs or a peece of an eare and the small number of the Israelites that should escape These Israelites are here described ab ipsorum securitate from their security or lacke of care They liue nicely aâ—d delicately in all pleasure and delight full of confidence that no euill shall at any time touch them They dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Samaria and Damascus Cities of strength and fortification were vnto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest They thought themselues safe and out of danger by the aid and succour of Ciâ—ies so well fenced but were deceiued For thus saith the Lord As the Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Such is the diuision of this Text. I now descend to a speciall handling of the parts The first is the Introduction to the Similitude Thus saith the Lord. This Introduction I heretofore copiously handled I met with it in the first Chapter of this booke fiue times Vers 3 6 9 11 13. Vers 1 4 6. in the second thrice and once before in this and therefore the lesse need is there that now I insist vpon it Yet may I not leaue it vnsaluted sith our Prophet here repeateth it And he repeateth it to iustifie his calling to shew that albeit he formerly liued the life of a Shepheard yet now he haâ—h his calling to be a Prophet from the Lord Iehouah Whence my obseruation is It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God This truth is by the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 thus deliuered No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was Now that Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated to the Priests office by the authority and appointment of God it is plaine by the eighth Chapter of Leuiticus wherein are set downe the sacrifices and ceremonies vsed at the Consecration together with the place and time thereof Thereby it appeareth that the office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but God Almighty did first institute and ordaine it by his owne expresse commandement Then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great miracle of the budding of Aarons rod Num. 17.8 The rod of Aaron for the house of Leui brought forth buds and bloomed blossomes and yeelded Almonds Thus was the institution of holy Priesthood from God alone This honour the holy men of God of old time tooke not to themselues Nor Esay nor Ieremy nor Ezechiel nor any of the residue tooke this honour to themselues but were all called of God and in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his words which is intimated by those passages very obuious in the writings of the Prophets as a â—say 1.1 the vision of Esaiah b Cap. 1.1 the vision of Obadiah the burden of Nineueh in the booke of the vision of c Cap. 1.1 Nahum the burden which Habakkuk the Prophet did see the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachy the word of the Lord which came to Hosea to Ioel to Ionah to Micah to Zephaniah to Haggai to Zachariah d Esay 1.2 The Lord hath spoken e Ierem. 10.1 Heare yee the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord. By these and the like passages they shew their calling to haue beene from God Not one of them tooke this honour to himselfe Nor did Christ himselfe take this honour to himselfe but with warrant of his Fathers calling For so I reade Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee He euen God the Father gaue him this honour And hereunto doth Christ himselfe beare witnesse in all those places of the holy Euangelists wherein he acknowledged himselfe to be * Matth. 10.40 Mark 9.37 Luk. 4.18 43. Ioh. 3.17 34 c. sent of God The holy Apostles of Christ whence had they their calling were they not all openly ordained by Christ himselfe Neuer did any of them execute that office but with protestation that they had their calling from God and therefore their writings beginne Rom. 1.1 Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Iames a seruant of God Gal. 1.1 and of the Lord Iesus Christ Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ Cap. 1.1 Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ the reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his seruant Iohn Thus had Christs Apostles the assurance of their calling from God So had the blessed Euangelists So all those whom Christ gaue vnto his Church for the instruction thereof Ephes 4.11 He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is true that Christ himselfe is the chiefe builder for so he saith Matth. 16.18 Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam vpon this rocke will I build my Church and he builds it through his holy Spirit yet he doth vse Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers as vnderwork men for this building euen vnto the end of the world And all these haue the assurance of their calling from God Who so hath it not he is not to be vouchsafed the name of Prophet or Apostle or Euangelist or Pastor or Teacher for he is an Intruder And great is the danger of Intrusion Euery Intruder was to be put to death The Law for it is Num. 1.51 Euery stranger that commeth nigh vnto the Tabernacle shall be put to death The stranger any one that is not of the tribe and family of Leui that breaketh into the Leuites function and medleth with holy things beyond his calling he is to bee put to death An example hereof we haue in the Beth-shemites 1 Sam. 6.19 who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord contrary to the Law were smitten with a great slaughter to the number of fifty thousand and threescore and ten men The like we haue in Vzzah sonne of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6.6 who because he touched the Arke of God contrary to the Law was punished with sudden death and stricken with the immediate hand of God that fell vpon him to the terrour of others and to worke reuerence in the hearts of all men toward the sacred things of his seruice Adde hereto the
the valour of their souldiers their fenced Cities the strength of Samaria and the succour of Damascus Thus haue you the reasons of my Doctrine why there is not any confidence to be put in creatures either in the strength of man or the munition of 〈◊〉 â—s The vse is to admonish vs that we depend not vpon the vaine and transitory things of this life but vpon God alone who onely is vnchangeable and vnmoueable that we resigne our selues wholly into his hands and confesse before him in the words of the Psalme 91.9 Tu es Domine spes mea Thou art O Lord my hope Serm. 9. in Psal Qui habitat Sweet is the meditation of Saint Bernard vpon the place Let others pretend merit let them bragge that they haue borne the burden and heat of the day let them tell of their fasting twice a weeke let them glory that they are not as other men Mihi autem adhaerere Deo Psal 73.28 bonum est ponere in Domino Deo spem meam but its good for me to cleaue fast vnto God to put my hope in the Lord God Sperent in aliâ—s alii Let others trust in other things one in his learning another in his nobility a third in his worth a fourth in any other vanity Mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum est but its good for me to cleaue fast vnto God to put my trust in the Lord God Dearely beloued if we shall sacrifice to our owne nets Habak 1.15 16. burne incense to our owne yarne put our trust in outward meanes either riches or policie or Princes or men or mountaines forsaking God God will blow vpon these meanes and turne them to our ouerthrow Wherefore though we haue all helpes in our owne hands to defend our selues and offend our enemies as that we are fenced by Sea fortified by ships blessed by Princes backed with friends stored with munitions aided with confederates and armed with multitudes of men yet may we not put our trust herein for nobis etiam adhaerere Deo bonum est it s also good for vs to cleaue fast vnto God to put our trust in the Lord God who alone giues the blessing to make all good meanes effectuall There is not much remaining The small number of the Israelites that were to be deliuered from the fury of the Assyrian resembled by the two legs or the tip of the eare taken by the shepheard out of the Lions mouth yeelds vs this obseruation that In publike calamities God euermore reserueth a remnant to himselfe When God punished the old world the world of the vngodly 1 Pet. 2.5 bringing the floud vpon them he saued Noah the eighth person the preacher of righteousnesse When God condemned the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with an ouerthrow turning them into ashes making them an ensample vnto those that after should liue wickedly he deliuered iust Lot from among them There is a remnant left Esay 1.9 Except the Lord of hosts had left vnto vs a very small remnant we should haue beene as Sodome and we should haue beene like vnto Gomorrah You see a remnant reserued though it be very small Yea sometimes there is a reseruation of so small a remnant as is hardly visible as in the daies of Eliah who knew of none but himselfe I only am left saith he 1 King 19.14 Yet God tells him vers 18. of seuen thousand in Israel which neuer bowed their knees to Baal I finde Ioel 2.32 deliuerance in mount Sion deliuerance in Ierusalem and deliuerance in the remnant when the Lord shall call There is then a remnant to be called euen in greatest extremity Wherefore you the Elect and chosen children of God the Father be ye full of comfort take vnto you beauty for ashes Esay 61.3 the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse reioyce ye be glad together and be ye comforted Let the Prince of darknesse and all the powers of Hell assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals vpon the Earth ioyne together to worke your ouerthrow they shall not be able to effect it For God euen your God will reserue vnto himselfe a remnant And what is this remnant but pusillus grex It s a little flock the chaste Spouse of Christ the holy Catholike Church Extra cam nulla est salus Out of it there is no Saluation for hee that hath not the Church for his Mother shall neuer haue God for his Father So much for the explanation of this twelfth verse And Gods blessing be vpon it THE Fifteenth Lecture AMOS 3.13 14 15. Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob saith the Lord God the God of hosts That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. THe words of the Lord are iust by whom soeuer they are vttered and the authority of the holy Spirit is wonderfull by whom soeuer he speaketh Non minùs de ore pastoris quam de ore Imperatoris pertonat he thundereth or he speaketh with as much Maiestie from the mouth of a shepherd as from the mouth of an Emperour Amos our Prophet is this shepherd from whom the holy Spirit here thundereth Before he came with a proclamation to the palaces of Ashdod and to the palaces of the Land of Aegypt Now he comes with a Contestation to the house of Iacob Hereafter you may heare his message to the King of Bashan that are in the mountaines of Samaria Chap. 4.1 If Amos had from a shepherd beene aduanced to the Maiestie of a King as Dauid was what could we wish should haue beene added to the greater maiestie of his elocution The contestation is the thing whereupon I shall at this time principally insist The words are a Prosopopaeia the Almighty is brought in calling vpon his Priests and Prophets to giue eare vnto him and to beare witnesse of the calamities which he was purposed to lay vpon the house of Iacob that when he should punish them for their euill deeds he would visit their Temple and proudest buildings with desolation The parts are two One is a mandate for a Contestation or Testification The other is the matter to be testified That vers 13. This vers 14 15. For the first these particulars may be obserued 1. Who it is that giues the mandate It is he that best may doe it Euen the Lord. The Lord God the God of Hosts 2. To whom he giues it Sacerdotibus Prophetis to his Priests and Prophets for to them is this by an Apostrophe directed 3. How he giues it thus Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 4. The place where this testification is to be
thereof the Lord God the God of Hosts I proceed to the rest The next is who they are to whom this Manda te is giuen and they are Sacerdotes Prophetae Priests and Prophets For to them is this passage by an Apostrophe directed To them It appeareth by the manner of giuing the Mandate it is giuen in two verbs Imperatiue Audite Contestamini Heare yee and testifie and it further appeareth by the specification of the parties concerning whom the Mandate is they are of the house of Iacob The house of Iacob is the Kingdome of the ten Tribes or the Kingdome of Israel Vnderstand then by the house of Iacob the people of Israel to whom Priests and Prophets were ordinary messengers from the Lord. And thus haue I couched together three particulars of the Mandate 1. To whom it is giuen to Priests and Prophets 2. The manner how it is giuen Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 3. The place which or the parties whom it concerneth the house of Iacob Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob Saint Hierome and Lyra doe take this Mandate to be of a larger extent than to Priests and Prophets They will haue it to be giuen vnto all to all people as if all people were here commanded to heare what the God of Hosts saith concerning the subuersion of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes and thereof to beare witnesse to the house of Iacob that they hearing might be conuerted from their euill wayes Eman. Sa. Christ à Castro But Remigius Albertus Hugo Dionysius Vatablus Montanus and others doe affirme more truly that Priests and Prophets are here called vpon to heare from the mouth of the God of Hosts the destruction that is eminent and ready to fall vpon the house of Iacob and thereof to beare witnesse vnto them vt credant resipiscant that they may beleeue and repent them of their sinnes and so be deliuered Valdè enim proficuus est concionator qui dicit quae audiit ex ore Domini for surely he his a very profitable Preacher who speaketh only that which he hath heard from the mouth of the Lord. Wherefore to Priests and Prophets be it said Audite contestamini Heare and testifie First heare and then testifie Whence the obseruation is The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people He is first to heare and then to testifie what he heareth Nemini licet prophetare nisi quae priùs à Domino audierit saith one Mercer It is not lawfull for a man to prophecie I say it is not lawfull for a man to preach but such things as he hath heard of the Lord. But doth the Lord now adayes speake that he may be heard of his Ministers Yes And I vntie the knot by a distinction There is a two-fold hearing of God when he speaketh or a two-fold hearing of the word of God Auditus externus and internus an outward and an inward hearing These two are sometimes seuered and sometimes they are ioyned together For some there are that doe heare onely outwardly but within they are deafe Of those it may be said as it is of the Idols of the Heathen Psal 115.6 They haue eares but they heare not They heare but vnderstand not what they heare These are they that receiue the seed by the wayes side Matth. 13.19 Others there are that heare not with the outward eare all their hearing is within it is in the heart there they heare God speaking to them by the inspiration of the holy Spirit Such was the hearing of the Prophets of old Besides these some there are that heare both outwardly and inwardly with the eare and with the heart Such a hearing is peculiar to the faithfull of whom I vnderstand that Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Faith commeth by hearing that is faith is bred in the hearts of the elect by the externall hearing of the Word the holy Spirit working in them The Preachers sound vnto their eares the doctrine of the Word The eares conuey it to the minde but that is blinde to conceiue diuine matters Wherefore comes Gods holy Spirit who through the doctrine receiued in at the eare illuminateth the vnderstanding openeth the heart and inclineth the will to conceiue what the Preacher hath deliuered to giue assent vnto it and to delight therein Thus comes faith by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whence we may gather this definition of Faith Faith is a true perswasion of the mercies of God merited by our Lord Iesus Christ and we attaine vnto it by the Spirit of God giuing vs this true perswasion through the doctrine of the Gospell Now the hearing whereby the Minister of the Gospell heareth the word of God or God speaking to him is a mixt kinde of hearing it is partly inward by the secret operation of the blessed Spirit and partly outward by the reuealed word of God expressed in the Sacred Scriptures Exod. 33.11 Numb 12.8 For God in the Scripture speaketh vnto vs as it were face to face or mouth to mouth as plainly as hee spake out of the cloud Matth. 17.5 when that voice was vttered This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare yee him And surely if God were now to giue his voice from Heauen hee would speake no otherwise than he speaketh in the Scriptures And therefore are we commanded Ioh. 5.39 to search the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search the Scriptures he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade the Scriptures but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search them The truth and sense of the Scripture is profound and deepe it is as gold that lyeth not vpon the face and out-side of the Earth but in the veines thereof it is as the marrow the pith the heart of a tree that is not in the barke but is couered with the barke Off must the barke if we will haue the pith and we must digge deepe in the ground if we will haue any gold so must our search be with diligence beyond the barke and outside of the letter if we will partake of the treasure that is hidden vnder it and heare God speaking vnto vs. Christ confuting the Sadduces for the point of the Resurrection Matth. 22.29 saith vnto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You erre not knowing the Scriptures implying that if they had beene diligent in the search of them God would therein haue spoken to them and directed them in that truth Saint Peter Ep. 2. Chap. 1.19 commending the faithfull of his time for their diligence in the Scriptures saith vnto them we haue a most sure word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a propheticall word whereunto you doe well that you take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place intimating that that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that same propheticall word or word of prophecie or word
vttered by the Prophets is nothing else but the word of God conueyed vnto vs by ministery of his Prophets That so it is wee are assured by the Protestation that God himselfe maketh Hos 12.10 I that am the Lord thy God I haue spoken by the Prophets and I haue multiplied visions and vsed similitudes by hand or by the ministery of the Prophets The like phrase is vsed by Haggai Chap. 1.1 to shew that his prophecie was the very word of God In the second yeare of the reigne of King Darius came the Word of the Lord by the hand or by the ministery of Haggai the Prophet vnto Zerubbabel Haggai was but a conduit to conuey the Word the Word was the Lords This is that we reade Hebr. 1.1 that God at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in time past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets Hence appeareth the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets euen from the first vnto the last Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses Dauid Esay and the rest not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministery but only the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues it was God that spake in them Whensoeuer was the time whosoeuer was the man wheresoeuer was the place whatsoeuer was the people the words were Gods God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets And for this cause when we preach vnto you we say not you are to beleeue vs in what wee say quia nos dicimus because we say it but quia dicit Dominus because the Lord saith it And if it be demanded whence it may be knowne that our sayings are the Lords sayings we answer it is knowne ex Scripturis by this or that place of Scripture To the Scriptures we are tyed as the Leuites were to the Law Deut. 17.11 From the Law they might not decline either to the right hand or to the left nor may wee from the Scriptures They were to teach according to the Law and we according to the Scriptures The voice of the Law was their rule the voice of the Scriptures must be ours The voice of the Scriptures must be our rule But saith the Romanizing Papist the Scripture hath no voice at all but is res muta Sleid. Com. l. 23. a dumbe thing The Bishop of Poitiers in the infamous conuenticle of Trent was of this minde Scripturam esse rem inanimem atque mutam that the Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thing Controu 3. de Eccles as are all other Politicke Lawes Albertus Pighius before that time had discouered his opinion of the point Esse Scripturas mutos iudices that the Scriptures are dumbe iudges and therefore vnfit to haue matters of controuersie put ouer to their iudgement Petrus à Soto saith as much in effect Schol. de Euchar. Defens 3. calling the Scripture Literam mutam non respondentem a dumb letter that giues no answer This is but one of the many blasphemies which Papists haue vttered to the disgrace of holy Scripture against whom to the honour thereof wee maintaine this assertion Scripturam non esse mutam ac vocis expertem the Scripture is not dumb and speechlesse but hath a voice a cleare voice easie to be heard except we be deafe For the confirmation of this our assertion I produce that of Saint Paul Rom. 3.19 Whatsoeuer things the Scripture saith it saith to them that are vnder the Law the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh to them that are vnder the Law It speaketh therefore it is not dumbe Moses ascribeth to the Law a mouth Deut. 17.11 and Pagnines translation there is ex ore Legis the Priests were to teach according to the mouth of the Law And why I pray you hath the Law a mouth if it cannot speake If exhortations of holy writ doe speake why may not precepts prohibitions expostulations and other passages speake as well There is an exhortation that speaketh vnto you as children Hebr. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh and thus it speaketh My sonne despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Scripture euery where speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase often iterated in the New Testament is a sure euidence that the Scripture is not dumbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.3 What saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse That Scripture is Gen. 15 6. and therefore the Scripture in Genesis speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.17 The Scripture saith vnto Pharaoh What Euen for this same purpose haue I raised thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that Scripture is Exod. 9.16 and therefore the Scripture in Exodus speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.11 The Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him in Iesus Christ shall not be ashamed that Scripture is Esay 28.16 and therefore the Scripture in Esay speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scripture from this phrase so often reiterated in the New Couenant I may conclude for the whole Scripture that it hath a voice and speaketh and therefore that it is neither dead nor dumbe as the aboue alleaged Popish Authors haue imagined It hath a voice and speaketh This voice is the voice of God For God in the Scriptures speaketh with vs familiarly as a friend speaketh with a friend Quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad cor loquitur indoctorum atque doctorum Augustine to Volusian Epist 3. God in Scriptures daily speaketh to vs and hee speaketh plainly to the heart as well of the vnlearned as of the learned to the heart of euery one of vs. Now as God in the Scriptures speaketh to vs so we cannot but acknowledge that he speaketh vnlesse we be without his holy Spirit Sic enim loquitur nobiscum vt nos eius sermonem intelligamus Ambrose to Irenaeus Epist 5. So God speaketh with vs that we may vnderstand his speech And this that which aboue I vndertooke to proue that God now adayes speaketh that he may be heard of his Ministers And sith he so speaketh my doctrine will thereupon follow The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people He is to heare what God speaketh before he make his contestation to the house of Iacob It is the order prescribed in my text Heare first then testifie Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob The vse of the point now deliuered is two-fold one concerneth the Preachers of the Gospell the other the Hearers The Preachers are to heare what God speaketh and then to testifie and beare witnesse thereof to the house of Iacob to the people of God They must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.20 Ambassadors of God in Christs stead and that to them is committed the ministery of reconciliation and therefore they may
saith they are Psal 14.1 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Is it not all one as if he had said Whosoeuer saith in heart there is no God he is a foole Now that it may appeare to be no sudden or rash censure of his but a thing well conceited and meditated by him he iterateth the same againe Psal 53.1 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God In Prosolog c. 3. Tâ—m 3. But why saith he so Cur saith Anselme nisi quia stultus insipiens est Why is it that the foole doth say there is no God Surely euen for this reason because he is a foole But why saith he so in heart In Psal 51. rather than in mouth Saint Hilary will tell you why Because if he should vtter it in his words as he smothers it in his thoughts Stultus esse sicut est publici assensus iudicio argueretur he should publikely be taken to be a foole as he is euen by generall consent But leaue we these fooles these Cosmopolites to their heauen vpon earth sith they looke for no other heauen Leaue we them to their planting traÌ„splanting building rebuilding studying for roome to lay vp their fruits non in visceribus pauperuÌ„ not in the bowels of the poore but in their enlarged barnes We are sure they will build neither Church nor Hospitall either in cultum Christi or culturam Christiani either to the seruice of Christ or to the comfort of any Christian Wherefore leaue wee them and reflect wee our eyes for a while to our owne houses to see how we may build them faire to the Lord. These our houses whereof I now speake we build and God buildeth Nos bene vinendo Deus vt bene viuamus opitulando August de Ciuit. Dei l. 17. c. 12. We build by liuing well and God by assisting vs by his grace that we may liue well For Nisi Dominus aedificauerit Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Psal 127.1 These our houses are not materiall but spirituall they are our hearts Domus nostrae corda nostra sunt so the same Father vpon the 74. â—â— Vulg. Psalme Our houses are our hearts Here is good dwelling if they be cleansed from iniquity If we loue the Lord Iesus and keepe his words his Father will loue vs they both will come vnto vs and make their abode with vs Ioh. 14.23 their abode will be by grace in these houses of ours our hearts Yet may they in a spirituall vnderstanding be those same houses of Iuory Psal 45. Houses of Iuory great and regall houses the tabernacles of God are corda sanctorum Aug. in Psal 44. they are the hearts of the Saints Other houses we haue for our solace as that Cant. 1.17 The beames of our house are Cedars our galleries are of Firre Such houses are the congregations of the Saints the places where we doe sweetly conuerse and walke together They are firme and during like Cedars among the trees not subict through Gods protecting grace to vtter corruption and they are like to galleries of sweet wood full of pleasure contentment through the favourable acceptance of God his word Those beames of Cedar and Galleries of Fâ—â—e haâ—â— respect vnto the buildings and places of Kings couered â—â—at with battlements with galleries on the top and do shew to vs by the similitude of these two odoriferous and not putrifying trees that the ioyning and coupling of the Bridegroom Christ Iesus and his Spouse the Church with-draweth vs from the stench and corruption of this vile world and maketh our soules and bodies so many houses and Temples dedicated vnto God And for this reasonâ— S. Paul calleth you the Temple of God 1. Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that yee are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroyâ— for the Temple of God is holy which Temple yee are In the same Epist Chap. 6.19 Yee are the Temple of the Holy Ghost What Know yee not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which yee haue of God and ye are not your owne For yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body in your spirit which are Gods Once more the same Apostle calleth you the Temple of God 2. Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the liuing God he proues it from the testimony of God himselfe I will dwell in you Leuit. 26.12 Ezek. 36.26 27. and walke in you and I will be your God and you shall be my people Is the testimony of God himselfe produced by the Apostle to proue that yee are Templum Dei viui the Temple of God of the liuing God and that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost O looke yee to the trimming vp of this house to the decking and adorning of this temple Your body it is the temple of the Holy Ghost it is the Temple of God defile it not Sweetly S. Ambrose Apud Lombard in 1. Cor. 6. Si non parcis tibi propter te vel parce tibi propter Deum qui sibi fecit te domum If thou spare not thy selfe for thine owne sake yet spare thy selfe for Gods sake who hath vouchsafed to make thee thy body a house a Temple for his holy habitation What shall I say more but put you in remembrance that we haue yet another house in store for the fulfilling of our ioy For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle we dissolued we haue a building of God and house not made with hand but eternal in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5 1. This same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this house not made with hand whether it be the glory of the soule and life eternal as a Photius Auselm Thomas Lyran. some doe vnderstand it or the body glorified in the resurrection as b Chrysost Theod. Theoph. Ambrose others it is the house full of contentment and beatitude And we haue it c Lombard Habemus spe habebimus re we haue in hope we shall haue it in possession We haue it saith the Apostle because we shall as certainly haue it as if we had it already in full fruition To this fullnesse of contentment and beatitude God in his good time bring vs all for Christ Iesus sake FINIS