A Commentary OR EXPOSITION UPON THE FIRST Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS. Delivered In XXI. Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocese of Gloucester. BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD Doctor of Divinity, and fellow of Corpus Christi College in OXFORD. EPHES. 5.16. Redeem the time, because the days are evil. LONDON, ¶ Printed by John Haviland, and are to be sold by Hugh Perry at the Harrow in Britain's Burse. 1629. THE PREFACE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. Gentle Reader, THese Sermons were provided for the Pulpit, not intended for the Press. Yet, sith I live in a prodigal age of the world, wherein too many with their unprofitable, if not obscene Pamphlets, do run a Ad prel●m tanquam pralium. to the Press, as a horse to the battle, and are entertained with applause; I have the more willingly now published them to thy view. Thou wilt say: There is already great store of Sermons abroad; more than we can well use. I deny it not. Yet to the fullness of this Sea I add more, and repent not. Is abundance a burden to thee? If thy soul may be fed with variety, as well by the eye as by the ear, hast thou any reason to find fault? But weak stomaches may surfeit at the sight of too much. Let such favour their eyesight. They may easily look off, and please themselves with their old choice. There is no reason that their daintiness should prejudice that profit, which others might reap from this abundance. We that are called to be labourers in the Lord's Harvest, must resolve with the Lord of the Harvest. His resolution was, b joh. 9.4. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. Our day is our life time; the only time for us to work in. If now, in this our day time, we will in stead of working, only treasure up knowledge in our hearts, as that Hoarder in the c Cap. 11.26. Proverbs did his Corn in his storehouse; or will wrap up the gifts, wherewith God hath blessed us, in waste Papers, as the slothful servant in the d Luk. 19.20. Gospel did his Talon in a Napkin; the night will come upon us and we shall not work. Suffer us therefore, while it is our day, to work. Our work consisteth in the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel is preached as well e Ambo verbum praedicant, hic quidem scripto, ille vero voce. Clem. Alexan. stromat. lib. 1. interpret Gentiano Herueto, p. 57 edit. Basil. in fol. An. 1556. & paulò pòst. Praedicandi sci●●tia est quodammodo Angelica, utrovis modo invans, seu per manum, s●u per linguam operetur. There is not any thing publicly notified but we may in that respect rightly and properly say it is preached, Luk. 8.39. and 12.3. Ho●k●r Eccl Pol●t. l. 5. §. 18 p. 28. Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles were in their times all Preachers of God's truth; some by Word, some by Writing, some by Both. Hooker ibid. §. 19 pag. 29. The Apostles in Writing, are not untruly nor unfitly said to preach. Hooker lib. 5. §. 21. pag. 39 vide ibid. plura. Euangelizo Manu, & Scriptione, Rainold de Rom. Eccles. Ido●●lat. Praef. ad Com. Essex. pag. 7. by writing as by speaking; as well by p●n as by tongue. The word spoken, for the time is most piercing, but the letter written is of most continuance. I shall account it my happiness, if I may do good both ways. My place in that worthy Foundation, whereof I am an unworthy member, wearing me out in the reading of Humanity, now the fourteenth year, hath hindered me from doing that good I wished to have done, the one way by my speaking by my tongue. If the other way, by my writing by my pen, I may redeem the time past, and by these my poor labours may do some good, not only to f The inhabitants of M●isey Hampton, Marston, and Dunfield, in the Diocese of Gloucester. them, among whom I first sowed this seed, but also to other Congregations of my Country, I have enough. If (dear Christian) thou find in these my Sermons the same things iterated, marvel not thereat; I have my Prophets warrant for it. He in this first Chapter repeateth the same things five times over. May not I after his ensample do it once or twice? I must profess unto thee (good Christian) that my chief intent in this Commentary is the destruction of sin. If to any of the learned, I seem to have failed of my purpose, my earnest desire is, that they will be pleased to take the pains to amend it. The rest, who to this poor labour of mine shall afford their gracious and favourable good liking, I hearty entreat to help me with their godly prayers, that this work and whatsoever else of like kind I shall hereafter attempt to publish to the censure of the world, may wholly redound to the glory of God, and good of his Church. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, sanctify thee throughout, that enjoying the peace of thy conscience in this world, thou mayst hereafter have full fruition of that eternal peace of God in Hea●●n. Thine unfeignedly in the Lord, for thy good, S. B. THE First Lecture. AMOS 1.1. The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen at Tekoa, which he saw upon Israel, in the days of Vzziah King of juda, and in the days of jeroboam the son of joash King of Israel, two years before the earthquake. ONE of the Pharisees in the Gospel, as if he were unwilling to be ignorant in so weighty a matter, as is man's salvation, in a tempting manner asked Christ this question: Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Our Saviour for answer put forth another question, and said, What is written in the Law, how readest thou? Luk. 10.26. Where we may note that the Law is written for man to read, that so he may be instructed, what he is to do in discharge of his duty towards God. The rich man in Hell, prayed Abraham that ●●●rus might be sent unto his father's house to testify unto hi● 〈◊〉 brethren, lest they also should come into that place ●● torment. To whom Abraham answered, They have Moses a●● 〈◊〉 Prophets▪ let them hear them, Luk. 16.29. The parable teacheth us thus much, that unless we delight in hearing the word preached, we shall never attain to the means of escaping eternal torments. Two notable uses of the word of God, Reading, and hearing; They lead man as it were by the hand to the very point of his felicity. For what more blessed than to possess eternal life? Yet was the Pharisee taught, that by reading of the law li●e eternal might be purchased. And is it not a blessed thing to be freed from Hell torments? Yet was the rich man told by Abraham, that his five brethren by hearing of Moses and the Prophets, might be saved. It was a settled opinion of a Deut 8 3. old, though uttered in fullness of time by our b Mat. 4 4. Luc. 4.4. Saviour, that a man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The truth of which is confirmed by the practice of godly men in former ages. I will not trouble you with many instances. Many and excellent were the revelations which God gave unto the Prophet Daniel, yet notwithstanding all them, as himself witnesseth cap. 9.2. he omitted not the reading of the Prophecy of jeremy. Much doubtless for the spiritual food of his own soul: yet for our ensample also, that we should be conversant in the Scriptures too. It was a worthy commendation which Luke gave the Beroeans, Act. 17.11. for that as soon as they had heard the word preached by S. Paul, they diligently conferred the scriptures, to know whether it were so, or no; and thereby confirmed themselves in the truth which they had heard. This their zeal and diligence, should stir us up also, for the confirmation of our faith upon the hearing of the word, to search the scriptures. That great heathen Lord, Queen Candaces' Eunuch: as he was riding on the high way in his chariot, did read the Prophet Esay, and the Lord of heaven had regard unto him for it, Act. 8.28. So Daniel by reading, the Beroeans, and the Eunuch by reading and hearing of the word, were spiritually fed, and nourished unto everlasting life. To these holy exercises both of reading and hearing the scriptures, the scriptures are full of exhortations, fit for all estates: for Vnbeleevers, that they would search the scriptures, because in them they think to have eternal life, and they do testify of Christ, joh. 5.39. for Believers; that besides other parts of their spiritual armour, they would take unto them the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, Eph. 6.17. for young men; that they would rule themselves after the word of God, and so cleanse their ways, Psal. 119.9. for all men, that they would meditate in the law of God day and night, Psal. 1.2. Now, that the scriptures, the sword of the spirit, the word and law of God might be much used to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, of joints and marrow, it was decreed in a c Nicena Synodus decretu suis cavit ne quis ● numero Chri●●anorum sacris Bibliorum lib●●● careret. Corn. Agrippa de Van. Scient. cap●●●. De verbo Dei. council of Nice; that no house should be without the holy Bible: which d In capite Je●●nij. Sive de Tempore Serm. 55. Feria quarta post dominicam in Quinquagesima. Sic etiam autor Sermonum ad fratres in Eremo, Serm. 56. Non vobis debet sufficere, quod in Ecclesia lectiones divinas audiatis, sed in domibus, & in conviniis vestris, & quando dies breues sunt, etiam aliquibas horis in no●● ●●ctioni divinae debetis ins●stere. in horreo cordi● vestri spiritale possitis triticum comparare, etc. ●● Homil. 2. upon Esai. S. Austen also intended, saying: Nec solum sufficiat, quod in Ecclesia divinas lectiones auditis, sed etiam in domibus vestris, aut ipsi legite, aut alios legentes requirite. Let it not content you to hear the holy scriptures read unto you in the church only: but in your houses also at home, either read them yourselves, or cause other to read them. utinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est: scrutamini scripturas. It is ᵉ origen's: Would to God we all did as it is written, search the scriptures. chrysostom f Homil. 9 upon the Epistle to the Colossians. saith, Comparate vobis biblia animarum pharmaca, seculares: Ye lay m●● get you Bibles, for they are medicines of your souls. Whereof the godly and first christened Emperor Constantine was well persuaded, who therefore gave g Euseb. de vita Constantini, lib. 4. cap. 36. Theodorit. Hist. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 16. commandment that the Bible should be written out, and sent abroad into all the kingdoms, countries, and cities of his dominion. And what other might the persuasion of h Iewe●. Reply Art. 15. §. 13. & 16. and Babington upon the Lord's prayer, pag. ●5. Before this, K. Alfred began to translate the Psalter into English etc. Fox in Mary●●●dan. 899. ex Guliel. de Regib. Ang. king Adlestane here in England be, when he caused the Bible to be translated into the English tongue, that all might read it? The much preaching and often reading of God's holy word in the congregations of this land in the days of her, whom of late you loved, Queen Elizabeth, have set up and established her never dying praises. And is not God much to be blessed for our good josiah, our most dread Sovereign, King james? His heart is from above replenished with a religious zeal to free the passage of Gods most holy Gospel. His desire to have God sincerely worshipped throughout this land, is made known by the good order he hath taken to set before you, and all other his liege people, God's word, if possible, in greatest purity. Let God be with the workmen, I mean, the Translators of the old and new testaments; i This sermon was preached in the year of our Lord 1605. Nou. 3. Since the Translation is perfected and published; the exactest that ever this Land had. Let God be with them in their holy labours; and let the remembrance of our King for it, be like the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecary. Hitherto (beloved) I have by way of preface exhorted you to the reading and hearing of God's word; and I doubt not of your obedience to it. Yet if any of you shall except against the reading of it for the hardness of the phrase, being of the Eunuch's mind, Act. 8.31. that you cannot understand what you read except you have a guide; let it be your comfort, that his Majesty in giving his royal assent to those laudable Canons, and Constitutions Ecclesiastical, agreed upon in the late ᵏ Synod at London, * Begun at London, Anno Don. 1603. hath by the 45. and 46. canons, provided guides for you, such as are soberly, and sincerely to divide the word of truth to the glory of God, and the best edification of his people. And now it being my lot to be sent unto you, to you I bring an unestimable pearl, the word of the Lord, which the Prophet Amos saw upon Israel. In dividing it, I promise you in the words of Paul, 2 Cor. 12.19. by the help of God, to do all things for your edifying. Wherefore (beloved) give ●are I beseech you, with reverend regard and attention to the word of the Lord, as it is written, Amos 1.1. The w●●ds of Amos, who was among the herdsmen at Tekoa, which he saw upon Israel, in the days of Vzziah King of juda, and in the days of jeroboam the son of joash King of Israel, two yea●● before the earthquake. This first verse we may call the title of this book, or the preface unto it. It yields to our considerations sundry circumstances. 1 The Prophet's name, Amos. 2 His former condition of life, He was among the herdsmen. 3 The place of his usual abode, Tekoa. 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecy, implied in these words, The words which he saw upon Israel. 5 The time of his Prophecy, In the days of Vzziah, King of juda, and in the days of jeroboam the son of joash King of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Amos] Epiphanius in his book of the lives and deaths of the Prophets, holdeth this Amos to be Esayes father. To which opinion a learned and late Divine l Prologue. in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus seemeth to give his assent. But S. Hierome is against it, and so are most Interpreters; so also is Drusius in his sacred observations, 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 Prophet's name, is evidence and proof sufficient, that they were not one but two names: and consequently not one but two men. Again 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. awlsus, one that is separated from others. These diverse interpretations of these two names, the name of Esayes father, and this our Prophet's name, is evidence and proof 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 stutterer, stammerer, or maffler, as Drusius noteth upon my Text. We find not any such surname given Esayes father. Therefore our Amos is not Amo● the father of Esay. From our Prophet's name let us come t●●s condition of life, and vocation, expressed by himself in these words, Who was among the herdsmen. There are two sorts of herdsmen: the one is of such as do use the feat and trade of graziers, or are sheep-masters; such as have under them in pay other herdsmen, and shepherds. In this sense Mesa King of Moab, 2 King. 3.4. is called a herdsman, or shepherd; and is registered to have rendered to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. The other sort of herdsmen, is of such as are hired to keep cattle, to see to their feeding, and safety: such we properly call herdsmen, or shepherds, and such a one was Amos our Prophet: witness himself, cap. 7.14. I was no Prophet, neither was I a Prophet's son, but I was a herdsman, or shepherd. You see now his former condition of life, profession and vocation; see also the place where he lived. At Tekoa] This town s Lib. d●vit. Prophet. Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulon: t Apud Mercerum. R. David to the inheritance of the sons of Aser: but S. Hierome (whom with the rest of the expositors of this book I choose to follow) placeth it in the tribe of juda, six miles southward from Bethlehem. Adrichom in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem. More or less; it's not much pertinent to my present occasion. For the place itself: Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6. rehearsed among all those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in juda. Beyond the City Tekoa (as Saint Hierome observeth) there was not any little village, no not so much as a cottage; only there was a great wilderness, called 2 Chron. 20.20. the wilderness of Tekoa; a fit place for a shepherds walk. Here Amos for a time led a shepherd's 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 prophecy, implied in these words. The words of Amos which he saw upon Israel] The Hebrew manner is to call sermons, words; as jerem. 1.1. The words of jeremy. 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 understand sermons; the sermons of jeremy, Ecclesiastes, Haggei, and Esay. So here the words of Amos, are the sermons of Amos. Which he saw] this adjection showeth that these words of Amos were committed to him, by that kind of prophetical instinct, and motion, which is termed vision, as Arias Montanus observeth in his common disputes of the prophetical books. Indeed vision is one of the kinds of prophecy: In which regard (as saul's servant beareth witness, 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 reveal unto Amos in a vision. These words which Amos saw] this vision, or prophecy was concerning Israel, upon, or against Israel.] Upon Israel] Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of jacobs' loins; and was so from the beginning of saul's reign to the end of salomon's. After whose death a rent was made in the kingdom. jeroboam son of Nebat seduced 10. tribes. Rehoboam salomon's son could keep with him but two. Thus of one kingdom, Israel, were made two: juda and Israel. A strange division. Israel divided from Israel: ten tribes from the other two. Two tribes, the tribes of juda and Benjamin, continued in their obedience to the house of David: the other ten forsook it, and fell away. The two tribes, juda and Benjamin (called but one tribe, 1 King. 11.13. because of the mixture of their possessions) these two tribes settled in their faithfulness and obedience to the seed of David, are in holy Scripture called sometimes u Amos 2.4. juda, sometimes x jerem. 6.1. Benjamin, sometimes y Micah. 1.1. jerusalem, sometimes z Amos 6.1. Zion, sometimes * Zach. 12.7. the house of David. The other ten tribes which fell away from, and forsook their rightful King, and holy religion, have in like sort their diverse appellations: a Hos. 10.15. Bethel, b Hos. 10.5. Bethaven, c Micah. 1.1. Samaria, d Hos. 2.22. jesreel, e Amos 5.6. joseph, f Hos. 4.17. Ephraim, g Hos. 10.11. jacob, h Hos. 10.1. Israel. These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to signify the 10. revolted 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 kingdom of the 10. revolted tribes; the kingdom of Israel. Some mention is made of juda incidently, and by the way; but the scope of the prophecy is Israel. The time, which was my last circumstance, followeth. In the days of Vzziah King of juda, and in the days of jeroboam the son of joash King of Israel. The time is set down in general, and in particular. First in general, thus. In the days of Vzziah, etc.] Vzziah, or Ozias, called also Azarias, 2 King. 14.21. succeeded his father Amazias in the throne of juda. This he did in the 27th year of the reign of jeroboam in Israel, as appeareth 2 King. 15.1. That same jeroboam (that you may distinguish him from a former King of the same name) is called in my text jeroboam the son of joash. Hereby we see in general, the time of his prophecy; which is more particularly set down in the last words, two year before the earthquake.] He meaneth that same notable and famous earthquake, mentioned also Zach. 14.5. Ye shall fly (saith he) like as ye fled from the earthquake in the days of Vzziah King of juda. In what year of Vzziahs' reign this earthquake happened, it is not to be collected out of holy scripture. Flavius josephus, Lib. 9 antiq. judaie. cap. 11. saith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah usurping the Priest's office went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. Ribera disproves Josephus his judgement; and saith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth year of the reign of Vzziah. Some do hold it was in the 22th year; And the Hebrews (whom Funccius followeth in his Chronologie) do ascribe it to the 25. year. For my part I say not in what year it happened. Why should I speak where the holy spirit is silent? It is out of doubt that there was such an earthquake, in the days of Vzziah, witness the Prophet Zacharie: two years after Amos had begun this prophetical function; witness Amos here in my text. Thus (dear beloved in the Lord) have I briefly run over the exposition of this first verse: let me now upon it build some doctrine, for the building up of ourselves in our holy faith. You will be pleased to remember with me, that Amos of a herdsman or a shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word, and fearful message from the living God, to the King, Nobles, Priests, and people of Israel. The doctrine to be grounded hereupon, I deliver in this proposition; God chooseth vile and despised persons, to confound the great and mighty. Vile and despised persons, I call such, as to the world, to humane wisdom, and to the eye of reason are of no price, esteem, or worth. Such as joseph was, when he kept sheep 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 David was while he meddled with sheepfolds, and followed the ewes great with young, Psal. 78.70. Such as were Peter, Andrew, james, and john, while they busied themselves about mending of nets, and catching of fish, Matth. 4.18.21. These, Joseph, Moses, and David, shepherds; Peter, Andrew, james, and john, fishermen, vile and despised in the account of the world, were chosen by the wisdom of the great God of heaven, one to be a ruler in Egypt; another to be a leader of God's people; the third to be a King; the rest to be Christ's Apostles. Hear now a word of eternal verity, and full of comfort. You shall find it, Psal. 113.7, 8. The Lord who is high above all nations, and glorious above the heavens, he raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth up the poor out of the dung, to set him with Princes. S. Paul's discourse touching this point is more large and spacious. You shall find it, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and the weak 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 God's dealing thus in the advancement of the foolish, weak, vile, despised, needy & poor, to places of dignity, is expressed, 1 Cor. 1.29. It is, that no flesh should rejoice 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 observeth. For hereby our God first suppresseth and beateth down the pride of flesh, and takes from it all glory of wisdom, power and nobility; and secondly, whatsoever glory there is of wisdom, power and nobility, he doth claim and challenge it for his own peculiar. Thus have you (dear beloved) the confirmation of my doctrine. The doctrine was: God chooseth vile and despised persons, to confound the great and mighty. Be patiented, I beseech you, while I point at some uses of it. The first use is to lift up our minds to the contemplation of God's good providence. Poor shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignity in Church and commonwealth. Hereby we know that neither Empire nor Kingdom, nor place in them of dignity, priority, or preeminence, Ecclesiastical or politic, is gotten by the industry, wisdom, wit, or strength of man: but that all are administered, ruled, and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power, God almighty. A second use is to stop blasphemous mouths, such as are evermore open against heaven, with i Cic. d●nat. Deor. Epicurus, and k Cic. ibid. Diagoras, and their adherents, to affirm that the God of heaven, in as much as he is absolutely blessed, is not to trouble himself with cares for this lower world: that it standeth not with God's majesty to care for the vile, abject, and despised things of this world. This impious rabble, and Satan's brood, do think that all things below the Moon are ruled by their blind Goddess Fortune and by Chance. Here must I beseech you, to let your hearts be joined with mine in the consideration of God his sweet, and never-sleeping care and providence over this lower world. Let us not suppose our God to be a God to halves and in part only; a God above, and not beneath the moon: a God upon the mountains, and not in the valleys; a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments. The holy scriptures do teach us, that our God examineth the least moments and tittles in the world, that we can imagine, to a l 1 King. 17.14. handful of meal; to a m Ibid. cruse of oil in a poor widow's house, to the falling of n Mat. 10.29. sparrows to the ground, to the o Mat. 6.26. feeding of the birds of the air, to the p Psal. 29.9. calving of hinds: to the q Mat. 6.30. See my 2 Ser. on Luk. 9 p. 32. clothing of the grass of the field; to the r Luk. 12.7. numbering of the hairs of our heads: to the trickling of s Psal. 56.8. tears down our cheeks. Why then are we troubled with the vain conceits of luck, fortune, or chance? Why will any man say, this fell unto me by good luck, or by ill luck? by good fortune, or by misfortune? by good chance, or by mischance? We may and should know, that in the course of God's providence all things are determined and regular. This is a sure ground: we may build upon it. The fish that came to devour jonas, may seem to have arrived in that place by chance; yet the scripture saith, the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow jonas, jon. 1.17. The storm itself which driven the pilots to his strength, may likewise seem contingent to the glimpse of carnal eyes; yet the Prophet saith, I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you, jon. 1.12. The fish which Peter took might seem to have come to the angle by chance, yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himself, Mat. 17.27. By the diversity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching joseph out of the way, we may gather, that the selling of him into Egypt, was but accidental, and only agreed upon by reason of the fit arrival of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to do: yet saith joseph unto his brethren, you sent me not hither, but God, Gen. 45.8. What may seem more contingent in our eyes, than by the glancing of an arrow from the common mark, to strike a traveller that passeth by the way? yet God himself is said to have delivered the man into the hand of the shooter, Exod. 21.13. Some may think it hard fortune, that Achab was so strangely made away, because a certain man having bend his bow, and let slip his arrow at hap hazard, without aim at any certain mark, t 1 King. 22 34. strooke the King: but here we find no luck, nor chance at all, otherwise, than in respect of us, for that the shoot●● did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas fro● Gods own mouth before the battle was begun, 1 King. 22.17. What in the world can be more casual than lottery lyet Solomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap, the providence of God disposeth them, Prou. 16.33. See now, and acknowledge with me the large extent of God's good providence. Though his dwelling be on high, yet abaseth he himself to behold us below. From his good providence it is, that this day we are here met together, I to preach the word of God, you to hear it, and some of us to be made partakers of the blessed body and blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Let us pour out our souls in thankfulness before God for his blessing. You are now invited to the marriage supper of the lamb; every one that will approach unto it, let him put on his wedding garment. A garment nothing like the old rags of the Gibeonites which deceived joshua, jos 9.5. A garment nothing like the suit of apparel which Micah gave once a year to his Levite, jud. 17.10. A garment nothing like the soft clothing worn 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 upon his breast, Exod. 28.21. For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on, in whose breast and book of merits are written and registered all the names of the faithful: but a garment something like Elias Mantle which divided the waters, 2 King. 2.8. For this your garment is nothing ●lse but Christ put on, who divideth your sins 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 wilderness, which did not wear: 40. years together they wandered in the desert, and yet saith Moses, neither their clothes nor their shoes waxed old, Deut. 29.5. For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on, whose righteousness lasteth for ever, and his mercies cannot be worn out. Having 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 learn how to do it; let him, following S Pa●● his counsel, Rom. 13.12. cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light: let him walk honestly as in the day, not in gluttony and drunkenness, neither in chambering, and wantonness, nor in strife and envying: let him take no thought for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it: so shall he put on the Lord jesus. u Psal. 24.7. Lift up your heads you gates, and be you lift up ye everlasting doors, that a guest so richly apparelled may come in, and sup with the King of glory. And the King of glory vouchsafe so to cloth us all, that those gates and everlasting doors may lie open to us all. So at our departure from this valley of mourning, we shall have free and easy passage into the city of God, where our corruptible shall put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Even so be it, (blessed Father) for thy well-beloved son jesus Christ his sake, to whom with thee in the unity of the holy spirit, be all praise and power, might and Majesty, dignity and dominion for evermore. Amen. THE Second Lecture. AMOS 1.2. And he said: the Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem, and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top of Carmel shall whither. IN my former Sermon upon the first verse of this chapter (beloved in the Lord) I commended to your religious considerations five circumstances. 1 Touching the Prophet's name: It was Amos, not Amos Esaies' father, but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life: He was among the herdsmen, that is, he was a herdsman or shepherd. 3 Of the place of his usual abode: At Tekoa; a little village in the confines of the Kingdom of juda, beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage: only there was a great wilderness, called 2 Chron 20.20. the wilderness of Tekoa: a fit place for a shepherds walk. 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecy, implied in these words: The words which he saw upon Israel. Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly, and properly to the 10. revolted tribes, the kingdom of Israel. 5 Of the time of the prophecy, which I told you was set down in that verse generally and specially. 1 Generally; In the days of Vzziah king of juda, and in the days of jeroboam the son of joash king of Israel. 2 Specially: Two years before the earthquake. After my exposition given upon those five parts of that text, I recalled to your remembrances, that Amos of a herdsman, or shepherd, became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearful message from the living God to the king, nobles, priests, and people of Israel. Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine: God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemn the great and mighty. That doctrine proved, I recommended to you the uses of it. The first was to lift up your minds to the contemplation of God's good providence. Poor shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth. This might persuade you that neither Empire, nor kingdom, nor place in them of dignity, priority or preeminence, ecclesiastical or politic, is gotten by the industry, wisdom, wit, or strength of man, but that all are administered, ruled, and governed by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power, God almighty. The second was to stop blasphemous mouths, such as are evermore open against the God of Heaven, to affirm, that all things below the moon, are ruled by their blind goddess fortune and by chance. Here my desire was, that your hearts might be joined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and never sleeping care over us in this lower world: that we would not suppose our God, to be a God to halves and in part only, a God above and not beneath the Moon, 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 handful of meal, to a cruse of oil in a poor widow's house; to the falling of the Sparrows to the ground; to the feeding of the birds of the air; to the calving of Hinds; to the clothing of the grass of the field; to the numbering of the hairs of our heads; to the trickling of tears down our cheeks. Thus fare as God's holy spirit assisted me, I led you the last time. Now let it please you with patience and reverence to give ear to the word of God, as it followeth, vers. 2. And he said: The Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem, and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top of Carmel shall whither. In this verse I commend unto you two general parts: 1 A preface to a prophecy: And he said. 2 The prophecy itself: The Lord shall roar from Zion, etc. In the prophecy, I must further commend unto you 3. things: 1 The Lord speaking: He shall r●are and utter forth his voice. 2 The place from whence he speaketh: from Zion and jerusalem. 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 barrenness to their fruitful grounds: The top of Carmel shall whither. The first general part, the preface to the prophecy I must first speak unto. And he said] He, that is, Amos: Amos the herdsman, or shepherd, whose dwelling was at Tekoa. He said; what said he? Even the words which he saw upon Israel, that is, he spoke the words of God committed to him, by that kind of prophetical instinct and motion which is commonly termed vision: the words of God, which were disclosed or revealed to him in a vision; Amos spoke, but his words were Gods words. Here (dear beloved) we may learn whence the holy Scriptures have their sovereign authority. Their authority is from above, even from the Lord, whose name is jehovah, whose a Matth. 5.34. throne is the heaven of heavens, and the b Habak. 3.15. sea his floor to walk in, the c Esai 66.1. earth his footstool to tread upon, who hath a chair in the conscience, and sits in the d Psal. 7.9. heart of man, and possesseth his secret reines, and divides betwixt the flesh and the skin, and shaketh his inmost powers, as the e Psal. 29.8. thunder shaketh the wilderness of Cades. This powerful and great jehovah, God almighty, spoke in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses, Exod. 4.12. and in the mouths of all his Prophets, Heb. 1.1. Know this, saith S. Peter in his second epistle, 1 ch. ver. 20. That no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion. Mark his reason, ver. 21. for the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost. Hence sprang these usual and familiar speeches in the books of the Prophets: The word of the Lord came unto me: The Lord God hath spoken: Thus saith the Lord; and the like. This Lord, who thus spoke in old time by his Prophets, did in fullness of time, when he sent his Son to consummate, and perfect the work of man's redemption, speak by his blessed Evangelists, and Apostles. This appeareth by the faithful promise made them, Mat. 10.19. Take no thought how, or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you what ye shall say. It is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. It must stand for truth in despite of all the powers of darkness, which is recorded, 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; The whole Scripture, and every parcel thereof, is given by inspiration of God, and hath inward witness 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 excellency we call the Scripture, is an infallible rule both of our faith, and also of our life. And another position followeth hereupon: The authority of holy Scripture is greater, than the authority of the Church. Our observation 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 unto it, to hear it, and to read it with reverence, obsequy, and docility. This worth, dignity, and excellency of holy Scripture, which is God's holy word, now commended unto you, yields a very harsh and unpleasant sound to every Popishly affected ear, and may serve to condemn the Romish Church of impiety, and sin for her neglect, and contempt of so inestimable a treasure. How little they esteem of God's wri●ten word, the word of life, and sole food of our souls, the grave and learned f B. jewel defence of the Apology par. 4. chap 19 & 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface upon jacobus Andreas against Hosius, makes it plain unto us, while he tells of the crying out against the holy Scriptures, as if they were blind, and doubtful, and a dumb schoolmaster, and a kill writ, and a dead letter, yea, and if it may like those reverend fathers, no better than Aesop's fables. Now lest Brentius may be thought to charge them wrongfully, be patiented I beseech you, while I show you out of themselves, how they harp upon this g This point see touched in my Sermon upon Psal. 21.6. pag. 12, etc. blasphemous string. A Cardinal of great name in his time, Hosius the Pope's Legate, and Precedent of the Council of Trent, in his book De expresso verbo Dei, saith, as some have thought, of himself; as others, in the person of Zwenkfeldius. h Vanus est labour, qui Scriptures impenditur. Scriptura enim est creatura & egenum quoddam elementum: These words are alleged out of Hosius, by John jewel B. of Salisbury, in his Apology of of the Church of England, part 4. chap. 19 & 20. §. 1. Thomas Harding in his Confutation, saith, that neither Hosius nor any Catholic speaks them, but one Zwenkfeldius. Yet before B. jewel, the words are alleged by Nicolaus Gallus, for the words of Hosius. So are they by jacobus Andrea, de authoritate Sacrae Scripturae, with this censure upon them: Qua verba, since Hosius suo, sine aliorum nomine recitet, certe hanc esse Asoti & Hosis, de Sacram Scripturá sententiam, non est obscurum. Flac●us Illyricus in his seventh Treatise, de Norma Concilii, touching these very words of Hosius, saith; Hosius alterius cu●●sdam sententiam hac de re citans, comprobat: that Hosius though he uttereth these words in the name and person of Zwenkseldius, yet never the less he alloweth them as his own. In the London edition of the Apology printed in 12. impensis Thomae Chardi, 1591. upon these words of Hosius, you shall ●●nde this marginal no●e in the 208. page: Haec Hosius in libro de expresso verbo Dei, s●d aputè, & sub alterius personâ, quamuis & ipse alias eadem in ●odem etiam libro disertis verbis affirmet. It is but lost labour that is spent in the Scriptures: he gives this reason; for the Scripture is a creature, and a poor kind 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 Dali●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 l●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 inveniatur. Dead Ink. The Bishop of n Apud Sleidanum comment. lib. 23. Poitiers in a speech of his at the same Trent, spoke to like purpose: The Scripture is o Res inanimis & muta. a dead and a dumb thing. And think ye was p Apud Ch●mnitium exam. Conc. Trid. part. 1. de sacra Scriptura. Eckius more modestly conceited, when he called the Scriptures q Euangelium nigrum & Theologiam Atramentariam. the black gospel, and inken divinity? or r Contro. 3. de E●cles. Pighius, when he called the Scriptures s Mutos iudices. dumb and speechless judges, t Sunt Scripturae, velut nasus cercus, qui se horsum, illorsum, & in quamcunque volueris partem trahi, retrahi, fingique facitè p●rmittit. Pigh. Hierarch. Eccles l. 3 c. 3. like unto a nose of wax that is easily moulded and fashioned what way soever you will? or u In his answer to jewels defence, Attic. 15. Divis. 9 The dangers and hurts which the common people's reading of their Scripture in their own language bringeth— be great, sundry, and many. Harding, or x De sacrorum Bibliorum in vulg. idiom. translatione. (pag. 492.) In propatulo est quantam perniciem in totum orbem Chris●ianum ea, res invexerit, & adhuc invectura sit, si Laicis ill. teratis liberum sit, pro ipsorum arbitrio & curiositate sacras literas rimari, ac perferutari. Staphilus, who spoke of the Scriptures, as of mischievous and poisonful books, if so they be committed to the view of the common people in a vulgar and known language. But all these blasphemers are long since dead and gone. Is their blasphemy dead and gone with them? No: that sticks fast by their posterity, as a leprosy that will not be cleansed. In the Colloquy held at Ratisbone of late, Anno 1602. between the Ministers of the Augustane confession and Papists, when it was alleged Scripturam esse normam fidei, that Scripture is the rule of faith; it was answered by a jesuite, hoc esse fontem omnem heres●●n: that this was the fountain of all heresy: as M. Willet makes relation in his y Fo. A. 3. b. answer to the libelers Introduction. It may be he means the jesuite Tannerus whose foul, reproachful, and dishonourable speech against the holy Spirit, the author of holy Scripture, is set down by Hunnius in his z Pag. 26. historical narration of that Colloquy at Ratisbone: Nulla, nulla, nulla unquam fuit haeresis, quae ex sola Scriptura sufficienter resutari potuit. A speech vehement enough, Never, never, never was there any heresy sufficiently refuted, only out of Scripture. He requires their imagined infallible authority of their Church to be joined. There was another jesuite at the same Colloquy, by name, Gretserus, of no less impudence, & egregiously blasphemous. For when it was alleged that the holy Scripture, or the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture, is the highest and the infallible judge of controversies of religion, this Gretserus, as one possessed with the spirit of contradiction, utters this proposition: a Colloq. Ratisb. per David Rungium. K 1. b. Neque Scriptura sola, ut est verbum Spiritus Sancti, neque ipse Spiritus Sanctus ut loquitur per Scripturam, est iudex supremus, & infallibilis controversiarum religionis: Neither the holy Scripture, as it is the word of the holy Ghost, nor the holy Ghost himself, as he speaketh by the Scripture, is the supreme and infallible judge of controversies of religion. This he undertook to prove by experience. b Ecce stamus in consp●ctu huius iudicis (haec dicens assurgebat, & ●odicem biblicum alterâ manu tenebat, alterâ p●lsabat) Ecce adsum: veniat Sp. Sanct. faciat id, si potest; iudicet me per hanc Scripturam; condemnet me, si potest per came: dicat, si potest: err●● jacobe Gretsere, tu causâ cecidisti; id si dixerit, statim. transi●● ad vestrum scamnum, non ●● est me Spiri●us Sanct. iudicare per hanc Scripturan. Rung. ib. k. 2. a. Behold, saith he, we stand before the face of this judge (with that he rose up, and took the Bible in one of his hands, and struck it with the other) we stand (saith he) before the face of this judge. See now, I am here. (I use his own words, as they are set down by David Rungius, in his description of the forenamed Colloquy) Ecce adsum: behold now I am here, let the holy Spirit judge me if he can by this Scripture: let him condemn me, if he can, by Scripture; the holy Spirit cannot judge me by Scripture; he cannot; let him do it if he can: he cannot condemn me by Scripture. Increpet te Deus Satan: Gretser, we doubt not, but that the Lord hath, or will rebuke thee. Dear beloved in the Lord, Scholars can tell you of Brontes, Steropes, Pyracmon, Polyphemus, and others of that rabble of Cyclops, and Giants, who made a head, and banded themselves together, to pluck jupiter from out his throne. Behold in this jesuite, Verè Cyclopicam audaciam, as great impudence, as ever was seen in any Cyclops face; that a man by profession a Christian▪ and among Popish Christians of the precise sect, a sanctified jesuite, should challenge to a single combat, God Almighty, who would think it? Some that were at the Colloquy at Worms, An. 1557. have often remembered in their common talk c Rung. Colloq. Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new, insolent, and unheard of assertion, maintained by the Papists; Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis, sed materiam litis, that the holy Scripture is not a judge's voi●e, but rather the matter of strife and contention. It was indeed a strange assertion, and by a consequent, striking God himself, the author of holy Scripture. Yet you see, it is by our modern jesuits this day matched, forasmuch as with their impious assertions touching holy Scripture, they do directly strike the holy Spirit. It is an old saying, Ex ungue Leonem: A man may know a Lion by his claw. Surely, let men of understanding consider the audaciousness, impudence, and fury of railing, with which those jesuits beforenamed have been throughly replenished, they must acknowledge and confess, that those jesuits were guided by the Spirit of lies, and blasphemies. You already see the readiness of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture under foot, and to do it all the disgrace they can. Yet give me leave, I beseech you, by some instance to show the same unto you. The instance which I make choice of, is God's sovereignty over the Kings and Kingdoms of this world. q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon upon Hos. 10.7. Kings and Kingdoms are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty. A truth included within the general doctrine, commended by S. Paul to the Romans, chap. 13.1. All powers that be, are ordained of God: acknowledged by Elihu, job 34.24. God shall break the mighty, and set up other in their stead: expressed in the prayer of Daniel, chap. 2.21. God taketh away Kings, and setteth up Kings: proclaimed as in the Lords own words, Prou. 8.15, 16. By me King's reign, by me Princes, Nobles, and judges do rule. This truth hath 3. branches, displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis. politic advertisements, Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings, and Kingdoms, are given by God. 2 Kings, and Kingdoms, are taken away by God. 3 Kings, and Kingdoms, are ordered, ruled, governed by God. All three are further made good in the infallible evidence of the written word of God. The first was: s Regna à Deo & reges d●ri. Lipsius, Movit. Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings, and Kingdoms are given by God. Thus saith the Lord of saul's successor, 1 Sam. 16.1. I have provided me a King among the sons of Ischai: and of the revolt of the ten tribes, in the rent of the kingdom of Israel, 1 King. 12.24. This thing is done by me: and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get over the King of judah, and other his neighbour Kings; the Kings of Edom, of Moab, of the Ammonites, Trem. Ps. 75.7. of Tyre, of Zidon, jer. 27.6. I have given all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel, my servant. It is true which we learn, Psal. 75.6. Advancement is neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the wilderness. Our God is judge; he alone advanceth. You see now it is plain by holy Scripture, that Kings and Kingdoms are given by God. The second was t Regna à Deo & Reges tolli. Lips. ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdoms are taken away by God. That God's hand is likewise exercised in the removal of Kings, and translation of kingdoms, it's well known, as by the abovecited texts of Scripture, so by divine examples, whereof I might make along recital, would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings delivered into the hands of Abraham; out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs overthrow in the red sea, out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezz●r and Belshazzar his son dispossessed of their crowns: and out of other places of the divinely inspired word of like patterns. It's plain without any further proof, that Kings and Kingdoms are taken away by God. The third was, * Regna à Deo & Reges temp●rari. Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings, and Kingdoms, are ordered, ruled governed by God. For proof hereof I need no more, but remember you, of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon, even of the wonderful extent of God's care and providence to the least & basest things in this world: as I said to a handful of meal; to a cruse of oil in a poor widow's house; to the falling of sparrows to the ground; to the feeding of the birds of the air; to the calving of hinds; to the clothing of the grass of the field; to the numbering of the hairs of our heads; to the trickling of tears down our cheeks. Shall God care for these vile and base things? and shall he not much more order, rule, and govern Kings, and kingdoms? Now (beloved in the Lord) you see by the evidence of holy Scripture, that Kings, and kingdoms, are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty. Give care I beseech you, while I show you how this doctrine, and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded, is in popish religion neglected, disgraced, trodden under foot. Rome's chiefest champion, Cardinal Bellarmine in his fifth book De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdoms from the disposition of the Lord of heaven, notwithstanding the eternal truth in the holy Scriptures. This he doth in four positions. 1. s Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur. Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum, si ille conetur avertere populum à fide. Princes if they go about, avertere populum à fide, to avert their people from the faith, (the faith of the Church of Rome) then by the consent of all, they may and must be dispossessed of their sceptres and regalities. 2. t Jbid. §. Quod si. Quod si Christiani olim non depos●erun. Neronem & D●ocletianum, & julianum Apostatam, & Valentem Arianum, & similes, id fuit quia d●erant vires temporales Christianis. If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero, Diocletian, julian the Apostata, Valens the Arian (and other like tyrants) id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis, it was because they wanted power, and force, and were not strong enough for that attempt. 3. u Ibid. §. At non. At non tenentur Christiani, imm● nec d●bent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regem infidelen. Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidel; or a King not a Papist.) Not bound to tolerate him? Nay, saith Bellarmine, they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis; if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion. 4 x Ibid. §. At non. De iure humano est, quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem: It is by the law of man, that we have this, or that man to be our King. This last position is formerly avowed by the same author in the same book; but in the second Chapter, with opposition and disgrace to the sovereignty of the Lord of hosts. y §. Quod ad primum. D minium non descendit ex iure divino, sed ex iure gen●ium. K ngdomes and dominion are not by the law of God, but by the law of nations. It is an impious, blasphemous, and atheological assertion. From these positions of the great jesuite, by a necessary inference do follow these two conclusions. 1 That the Papists would most willingly deprive our most gracious Sovereign of his royal throne and regality, if they were of force and power so to do. 2 That all subjects of this land, may stand in manifest rebellion against their King, because he is no Papist. Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royal Majesty in his excellent speech the 5. of November z Ann. D●m. 1605. last: The a C. 2. a. Romish Catholics by the grounds of their religion do maintain, that it is lawful or rather meritorious, to murder Princes or people, for quarrel of religion. By the grounds of popish religion, it is lawful, yea meritorious for Papists to murder Kings, which are not Papists. You see his Majesty's royal acknowledgement of impiety in the grounds of Romish religion. You will not doubt of it, if you rightly esteem that same late, thrice damnable, diabolical, and matchless plot, conceived in the womb of that religion, with a full resolution to consume at once our pious King, and this flourishing kingdom. You perceive now, in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures, the written word of God. The written word of God expressly requireth obedience unto Princes, as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authority. But the Popish religion maintaineth rebellion against Princes, as placed in their thrones by man's sole authority. Which will you follow? the holy word of God, or the doctrine of the Romish Church? Beloved, remember what I told you in the beginning of this exercise; though Amos spoke, yet his words were Gods words; remember that God is the author of holy Scripture: and then for his sake, for the author's sake, for God's sake, you will be persuaded to take heed unto it, to hear it, and read it with reverence, obsequy, and docility. We, the branches of the same vine, that bore our predecessors, to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternal God, the holy Scriptures are come, must esteem of them all for b D. King B. of Lond. upon jon. lect. 1. p. 2. Gods most royal and celestial Testament; the oracles of his 〈◊〉 ●●nly 〈…〉 ●led counsels, milk from his sacred 〈◊〉, the 〈◊〉 ●pledge of his favour to his Church▪ the light of our 〈◊〉, c jerem. 15. 1●. ●oy of our hearts, d Lament. 4.20. breath of our nostrils, 〈…〉 of our hope, gro●nd of out love, 〈…〉 future blessedness. Behold the value and price of the words, which Amos saw upon Israel, which God willing, with all my diligence, and best pains, I will expound to you hereafter, as occasion shall be ministered. Now le● us pour out our souls in thankfulness before the Lord, for that he hath been pleased this day to gather us together to be hearers of his holy word, and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord jesus Christ, thereby to confirm our holy faith in us. We thank thee therefore, good Father, and beseech thee more and more to feed us with the never perishing food of thy holy word, that by it being made clean and sanctified, we may in due time have free passage from this valley of tears to the city of joy, jerusalem which is above, where this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. So be it. THE Third Lecture. AMOS 1.2. And he said, the Lord shall roar from Zion, ●nd utter his voice from jerusalem; and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top of Carmel shall whither. Upon the preface to this prophecy [these words, and he said] my last lecture was bestowed: wherein because whatsoever Amos, the herdsman spoke, was the word of God, I endeavoured to show forth the worth, dignity, and excellency of the word of God, commonly called by the name of holy Scripture. A point that yields a very harsh and unpleasant sound to every popishly affected ear, as then at large I made plain out of popish mouths, and practise. Order now requireth, that I go on to the next general part of this text, to the prophecy itself. The first point therein to be recommended at this time unto you, is the Lord speaking. The Lord shall roar, and utter his voice] wherein I desire you to observe with me, who it is that speaketh, & how he speaketh. Who speaketh? It is the Lord. How speaketh he? He roareth, and uttereth forth his voice. First of him that speaketh: He is in the Hebrew text called jehovah; which is the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. King B. of London, upon Ionas, Lect. 11. pag. 152. honourablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven. Much might be spoken of it, would I apply myself to the curiosity of Cabalists and Rabbins; as that it is a name b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Zanch. de nat. Dei lib. 1 c. 13. not to be pronounced, or taken within polluted lips; that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lict. antiq. lib, 2. cap. 9 Quem nos Deum nun cupamus, Aegyptii Th●●t, Persae dicunt Sire, Magorum disciplina Orsi, unde profluxit Oromasis. Tam apud Hebraeorum gentem ellebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacr●̄ nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quod inde Tetragrammaton dicunt, & alia voce exprimitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graetis vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur, Arabibus Alla. Sic & Zanch. de natura Dei lib. 1. c. 13. Apud Graecos, post Hebra●s, nomen Dei, nempe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quatuor conflat literis. Sic apud Latino's Deut, unde & Hispani dicunt Dios; Itali Idio; Galli Dieu; Germanis quoque & Anglic quatuor est li●erarum GOAT. Sic Chaldaei●, & Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Arabibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Aethi●pibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Aegytiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Assyrijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Magis est Ors●, Dalmatis scu Illyricis Bogi, Maometanis Ab●d. Gentibus in mundo no●o repertis Zimi. name of four letters in all tongues and languages; and that these four letters in Hebrew, are all d Lit. rae qui●scentes. letters of Rest, to signify unto us, that the rest, repose, and tranquillity of all the creatures in the world, is in God alone; that it is a e Zanch. ubi supra. powerful name for the working of miracles, and that Christ and Moses had by it done great wonders. But my tongue shall never enlarge that which my soul abhorreth, such brainsick, superstitious, and blasphemous inventions. Yet this I dare avouch before you, that there is some secret in this name. It is plain, Exod. 6.3. There the Lord speaking unto Moses saith: I appeared unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to jacob, by the name of a strong; omnipotent, and all-sufficient God, but by nay name jehovah was I not known unto them. I unfold this secret. This great name jehovah; first it importeth the eternity of God's essence in himself, that he is f Heb. 13.8. yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever, g Apoc. 1.8. which was, which is, and which is to come. Again, it noteth the existence, and perfection of all things in God, as from whom all creatures in the world have their h Act. 17.28. life, motion, and being, God is the being of all his creatures; not that they are the same that he is, but because of i Rom. 11.36. him, and in him, and by him are all things. And last of all it is the Memorial of God unto all ages; as himself calls it, Exod. 3.15. the memorial of his faithfulness, his truth, & his constancy in the performance of his promises. And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets, God promiseth or threatneth any great matter, to assure us of the most certain event of such his promise or threatening, he adds unto it his name, jehovah. In stead of this Hebrew name jehovah, the most proper name of God, the 70. Interpreters of the old Testament do every where use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Greek name, a name of power, well ●●iting with the living, true, and only God. For he hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The power and authority which he hath over all things, is sovereign, and without controlment. He that made the heavens, and spread them out like a k Psal. 104.2. curtain, to himself with light as with a garment, he can again l Esai. 50: 3. the heaven with darkness, and make a sack their covering. He that made the sea to m Psal. 104.3. lay the beams of his chamber therein, and n jerem. 5.22. placed the sand for bounds unto it by a perpetual decree, not to be passed over, howsoever the waves thereof shall rage's and roar; he can with a word o job 16.12. smite the pride thereof. At his rebuke the floods shall be turned p Esai 50.2. into a wilderness, the Sea shall be dried up, the fish shall rot for want of water, and die for thirst. He that made the dry land, and so set it upon q Psal. 104.5. foundations, that it should never move, he can cover her again with the deep as with a garment, and so rock her that she shall r Psal. 107.27. reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. So powerful a God may well be named from power, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the absolute Lord, ruler and commander of all things. This name of power, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fitly put for the Hebrew name jehovah, commonly rendered in our English tongue, Lord, is in the writings of the Apostles simply, and absolutely, (if the learned have made a s Zarch. de Attrib. lib. 1. c. 17. just calculation) ascribed unto Christ a thousand times: and may serve for sufficient proof of the deity of Christ. t Heb. 1.3. For it imports thus much; that Christ the engraved form of his Father, sitting at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest places, is together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, the author and governor of all things; and in a very special manner, he is the heir of the house of God, the mighty protector of the Church. Christ, the only begotten Son of God, he is the Lord: yet so, that neither the Father, nor the Holy Ghost are excluded from dominion. The Father is Lord, the Holy Ghost is Lord too. For in all the works of God ad extra, (so we speak in the schools; but to speak more understandingly to your capacities) in all external works, each person of the Trinity hath his operation. Yet so that a common distinction ●re observed. For these external works of God do admit a double consideration, u Zanch. de Incarn. lib. 2. c. 3. q. 1. Thes. 2. either they are begun x Extra divinas personas. without the Divine persons, and ended y In aliqua personarum. in some one of them: or they are both begun and ended, without the Divine persons. The works of God begun externally, and ended in some one of the persons, what are they? They are such as was the Voice of the Father concerning Christ, z Matth. 3.17. This is my beloved son: a voice form by all three persons, yet uttered only by the Father. They are such as was that a Matth. 3.16. Dove, descending upon Christ, at his baptism: a Dove framed by all three persons, yet appropriate only to the Holy Ghost. They are such as were the body and soul of Christ: a body and soul created by all three persons, yet assumed only by the son of God. This is that obvious, and much used distinction, in school divinity: I●ch●●ti●è, & termin●●●è. I thus expound ●t. In these now named works of God, the voice that was spoken unto Christ, the Dove that descended upon Christ, the body and soul of Christ, we are to consider two things: their beginning, and their end. If we respect their beginning, they are the works of the whole Trinity, common unto all, but ●●spect ●● their perfection, and 〈◊〉, they are ●● I 〈◊〉 common, but hypostatical and personal for so the voice is the Fathers ●one; the Dove is the Holy Ghosts alone; the reasonable soul, and humane flesh, are the Sons alone. Besides these there are other works of God, as begun, so ended also extra personas; externally: and they are of two sor●s: either supernatural (such I call the miraculous works of God;) or natural; such as are the creation of the world, the preservation of the same, and the government of it. All these works of which kind soever, whether miraculous, or works of nature, are common to the whole Trinity. The Father worketh, the Son●● worketh, and the Holy Ghost worketh, as in doing of wonders; so in creating all things, in preserving all things, in governing all things. Whereupon followeth that which before I affirmed; that as the Father is Lord so the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost i● Lord also. So the Lord, whom I commend unto you fo● the speaker in my text, is the Unity in Trinity, one God in three persons, God Almighty, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Before I go on, to show you, how he speaketh, I must make bold upon your patience, to tell you of some duties, necessary duties, to be performed by us towards him, as Lord. God is the Lord, we are his servants. The duties we ow● him in this respect are three: to obey him, to serve him, to profit him. The first duty required of us, is obedience unto God his word, laws and commandments. This duty whosoever performeth, shall easily perform the second duty, to wit, faithful service, with all care and diligence to do whatsoever work it pleaseth God to employ him in: and shall not leave undone the third duty, but shall do good, and be profitable unto the Lord. All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam. As long as he was invested with his robe of innocency, he was perfectly obedient, a faithful servant, and profitable to his Lord. Now if it will be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God, thus I answer: That God's riches do consist in his glory, and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged, his advantage is procured. The parable of the talents, Mat. 25.14. confirmeth this point. The parable is there plainly delivered unto you. The meaning of it is; that God giveth us his graces to this end, that we should use and increase them for his advantage. Yea God there compareth himself to a covetous usurer, ●o greedy of gain, as that he reapeth, where he sowed not, and gathereth where he scattered not. By all means he laboureth to gain glory to himself. Eliphaz in the 22. chapped. of job vers. 2, 3. seemeth in word to thwart, and cross this doctrine. For saith he, may a man be profitable unto God? Is it any thing to the Almighty, that thou are righteous? Or is it profitable to him, that thou makest thy ways upright? I answer, that God indeed is not so tied to man, but that he can set forth his glory, without him, or his righteousness; yea he can glorify himself in the unrighteousness, and destruction of man: yet I say, that to stir up man to holiness, it pleaseth God in mercy to count only that glory gained, which is gained by the obedience of his servants. And therefore I say again, that Adam in the state of his innocency was perfectly obedient, a faithful servant, and profitable to his Lord. But alas, man once beautified with innocency, with holiness, and with the grace of God, is now spoiled of his robes; the Queen once clothed with a vesture of needle work wrought about with diverse colours, is now stripped of her jewels: and the soul of man once full of grace, is now rob of her ornaments, & rich attire. My meaning is, that man once able to present himself spotless, and without blame before the lamb, is now fallen from that grace. The Preacher, Eccl. 7.20. doth assure us that there is no man just in the earth, that doth good and sinneth not. So much doth Solomon's question import, Prou. 20.9. Who can say I have purged my heart? I am clean from my sin? O, saith Eliphaz unto job cap. 15.14. What is man that he should be clean? and he that is borne of a woman that he should be just? Behold, (saith he) God hath found no steadfastness in his Saints, yea the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much more is man unsteadfast, how much more abominable, and filthy, drinking iniquity like water? When the Lord looked down from heaven, to see whether there were any child of man, that would understand, and seek God, Ps. 14.2. could he find any one framed according to the rule of that perfection, which he requireth? He could not. This he found, that all were gone out of the way, that all were corrupt, that there was none that did good, no not one. So sinful is man in his whole race: sinful in his conception; sinful in his birth; in every deed, word, and thought, wholly sinful. The actions of his hands, the words of his lips, the motions of his heart, when they seem to be most pure and sanctified, yet then are they as unclean things, and filthy ●●uts, Esay 64.6. So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain, Gen. 4.14. may in some sense be applied to man in general; that for his sin he is cast forth from the presence of God, and is now become a fugitive, and a vagabond upon the earth. I will not prosecute this point of man's nakedness any farther. By this which hath been spoken it appeareth plainly, how unfit man is, to fulfil those good duties required of him by his Lord God. For his first duty, in stead of obedience he continually breaketh the commandments of his God, in thought, word, and deed. For his second duty, in stead of waiting upon God to do him service, he serveth Satan, sin, and his own corrupt desires. For his third duty, in stead of bringing any advantage of glory unto God, he dishonoureth him by all means, leading his life as if there were no God. You have seen now the miserable and wretched estate of man, by nature the vassal, and slave of sin: with whom it fareth, as it did with Pharaohs servants when they had sinned against their Lord, Gen. 40. You know the story, how Pharaohs chief Butler was restored to his former dignity, when as the Baker was hanged. These two servants of Pharaoh, may resemble two sorts of men exiled from paradise, and from the presence of God, because of their sin, to live upon the face of the earth, as it were in a dungeon full of misery; namely the reprobate, and the elect. For the reprobate; as they live, so they die in this dungeon, and do die eternally; but the elect, they are pardoned, and restored to their former dignity, and enabled by Christ their redeemer, and reconciler to God, to perform their duties to their Lord, their duties of obedience, of faithful service, and of profitableness; to obey the commandments of God, to perform whatsoever service is enjoined them, and to procure advantage of glory to their Lord. Beloved, I doubt not, but that all we, who are now religiously assembled in this place, are the elect of God, chosen by him in Christ jesus * Ephes. 1.4. before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before him in love: yet I fear me, should we enter into our own hearts, and examine ourselves, how we have walked in dutifulness towards him; our best course will be to run unto him with a Peccanimus in our mouths. Lord we have z Luk. 15.18. sinned against heaven and before thee, and are not worthy to be called thy servants. By the first branch of our duty we are required to be obedient servants, but we have been a Ezech. 2.4. hard offace, and stiff hearted, a rebellious offspring like unto our fathers. By the second branch of our duty we are required to be faithful servants; but we have made a covenant with b Rom. 6.19. uncleanness, and iniquity, to serve them. By the third branch of our duty we are required to be profitable servants; but when we should have c Mat. 25.27. put our Lord's money to the exchangers for his greater vantage, we have d Vers. 25. hid it in the earth. Lord enter not into account with us, e job 9.3. we cannot answer thee one of a thousand. Now (dear beloved) 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 honey in your mouths, and as music at a banquet of wine. Be it unto you g Ezech. 16.11, 12. as bracelets upon your hands, as chains about your necks, as frontlets upon your faces, as earings in your ears, as beautiful crowns upon your heads; let it be written in your hearts as h jerem. 17.1. with a pen of iron, or point of a Diamond, never to be razed out. Shall I deliver this your duty unto you in blessed Paul's words? In blessed Paul's words this is your duty, to i 1 Thes. 2.12. walk worthy of the Lord, Coloss. 1.10. To walk worthy your vocation, Ephes. 4.1. To walk as children of the light, Ephes. 5.8. To walk in newness of life, Rom. 6.4. To walk in love, Ephes. 5.2. To have your conversation as it becometh the Gospel of Christ, Phil. 1.27. To behave yourselves honestly towards them that are without, 1 Thess. 4.12. To walk honestly as in the day, Rom. 13.13. If you take thought k Rom. 13.14. for your flesh to fulfil the lusts of it; if your eyes are l 1 joh. 2.11. blinde● with m 2 Tim. 3.4. love of pleasures; if you have n Ephes. 5.11. fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, you are out of the way, and do much fail in the performance of your holy duty. And to keep 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 covetous, nor extortioners, nor thiefs, nor adulterers, nor fornicators, nor buggers, nor wantoness, nor drunkards, nor railers, shall have any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Have not some of us been such? yet to such there is ministered a word of comfort, 1 Cor. 6.11. First is our accusation, Such were some of you: then followeth our comfort, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord jesus, and by the spirit of God. Is this true beloved? Are we washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord jesus, and by the spirit of God? why then; resolve we to follow S. Paul's advice, Phil. 4.8. Whatsoever things are true, and honest, and just, and pure, and do pertain to love, and are of good report: if there be any virtue, or praise, resolve we to think on these things: think we on these things to do them, and we shall well perform our holy duties to our Lord. Thus fare of my first note touching the speaker, who speaketh. Now followeth my other note; How he speaketh? He shall roar, and utter his voice] The metaphor of roaring with reference unto God, is frequent and much used in holy Scripture. You find it as here, so jerem. 25.30. joined with the voice of the Lord: The Lord shall roar from above, and thrust out his voice from his holy habitation. And so again, joel. 3.16. where you have the very words of my text: The Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem. You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice, Hos. 11.10. The Lord shall roar like a Lion: when he shall roar, than the children of the West shall fear. You shall find it with application, Amos 3.8. The Lion hath roared; who will not be afraid? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? S. Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth, for as much as it is fit for every man to use in his speech such examples and similitudes, as are most familiar to him in his own art, daily course, and trade of life. It's fit for a sea faring man, to compare his heaviness to a tempest, his loss to a shipwreck, his enemies to contrary winds: fit for ● soldier, to tell of his sword, his buckler, his coat of male, his lance, his helmet, his musket, his wounds, his victory: fit for a husbandman, to be talking of his oxen, his kine, his sheep, his grounds. Not unfitly then doth Amos our Prophet, sometimes a shepherd, one that kept his sheep in the waste wilderness of Tekoa, where many a time he had heard the Lions roar, compare the terrible and dreadful voice of the living God, to the roaring of Lions. The Lord shall roar] By this hyperbolical form of speech the holy Spirit convinceth us of stupidity, and dulness, as unable to entertain any admonition from God, except he speak unto us after an extraordinary manner. For this reason, even for our dulness sake▪ is God herein my text compared to a Lion. He shall roar] The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words; He shall utter his voice. It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeal, and spiritual essence, devoid of such parts of nature, by which we are enabled to speak, may himself be said to speak; and utter a voice. That he spoke it is well known to them, to whom the Scriptures are not unknown. He spoke with Adam, Eve, and the serpent: with Noah, with Abraham 8. times, with Isaac, with jacob, with Moses, and the Prophets; with Christ, and the Apostles. But how he spoke, 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 ears hear God speaking to them; but that the word of the Lord is said to have come unto them, because their minds were illuminated, and their understanding enlightened by the shining of the true light in great measure, readily to conceive what God would have revealed, 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 spoke with Adam and Eve, writeth to this purpose. It may be, God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels, by some q Jntrinsecus, & infabilibus modis. internal and secret means, as by giving light to their minds and understandings: or it may be, he talked with them by his creature; which God useth to do, two manner of ways: 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. ●8. ●●. job cap. 2. Gregory most accurately handleth this question to this sense: God speaketh two manner of ways. 1. By himself, as when he speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit. After which sense we must understand that which we read, Act. 8.29. The spirit said unto Philip; go near and join thyself to yonder chariot: that is, Philip was inwardly moved, to draw near and join himself to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sat, and read the Prophecy of Esay. The like words we find, Act. 10.19. The spirit said unto Peter, Behold three men seek thee: the meaning is the same: Peter was inwardly moved by the holy Spirit to departed from joppa, and to go to Caesarea, to preach unto the Gentiles to Cornelius and his company. Where we may note thus much for our comforts, that whensoever we are inwardly moved, and do feel our hearts touched with an earnest desire, either to make our private requests unto God, or to come to the place of public prayer, or to hear a sermon, we may be assured that the Holy Spirit, God by himself speaks unto us. 2 God speaketh to us by his creatures Angelical, and other, and that in diverse manners. 1 In word only, as when no form is seen, but a voice only is heard: as john 12.28. when Christ prayed, Father, glorify thy name; immediately there came a voice from heaven; I both have glorified it, and will glorify it again. 1 In deed only: as when no voice is heard, but some semblance only is objected 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 whirlwind come out of the North, with a great cloud, and fire wrapped about it, and in the midst of the fire the likeness of Amber. All this he saw; but you hear 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 objected to the senses: as happened unto Adam presently after his fall: He 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 jacob in his dream saw a ladder reach from earth to heaven, Gen. 28.12. So Peter in a trance saw a vessel descend from heaven, 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 plain of Mamre, Gen. 18.2. And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodom, Gen. 19.1. 6 By Celestial substances. So at Christ's baptism a s Matth. 3.17. voice was heard out of a cloud, as also at his t Matth. 17.5 transfiguration upon the mount, This is my beloved son, etc. By Celestial substances I do here understand not only the Heavens with the works therein, but also fire, the highest of the elements, and the Air next unto it, togeher with the winds and Clouds. 7. By Terrestrial substances. So God to reprove the dulness of Balaam, enabled Balaams own Ass to speak, Num. 22.28. 8 Both by Celestial and Terrestrial substances, as when God appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush, Exod. 3.2. You see now how God of old at sundry times, and in diverse manners did speak to man: either by himself, or by his creatures: and by his creatures many ways: sometimes in word, sometimes in deed, sometimes in both word and deed; sometimes in sleepings, sometimes in watchings; sometimes by Celestial substances, sometime by Terrestrial, sometimes by both, Celestial and Terrestrial. To make some use of this doctrine; let us consider, whether God doth not now speak unto us, as of old he did to our forefathers. We shall find that now also he speaketh unto us by himself, whensoever by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moveth 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 down our strong holds: sometime by heat, sometime by drought, sometime by noisome worms, Locusts, and Caterpillars, when he takes from us the staff of bread; sometime by plagues, when in a few months he taketh from us many thousands of our brethren; and sometime by enemies, when he impoverisheth us by war. All these, and whatsoever other like these, are God's voices, and do call us to tepentance. But as when there came a voice from heaven to Christ, joh. 12.28. the people that stood by and heard, would not be persuaded that it was God's voice; some of them saying that it thundered, others that an Angel spoke: so we, howsoever God lays his hand upon us, by fire, by thunder, by famine, by pestilence, by war, or otherwise, we will not be persuaded that God speaks unto us; we will rather attribute these things to nature, to the heavens, to stars and planets, to the malice of enemies, to chance, and the like. As perverse as we are, there is a voice of God, which we cannot but acknowledge to be his, and at this time to be directed unto us. Mention of it is made, Heb. 1.2. In these last day's God hath spoken to us by his son. The Gospel 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 Gospel of Christ, and voice of God, calls us now to obedience. O the crookedness of our vile natures! Our stiff necks will not bend. God speaketh unto us by his Ministers, to walk in the old way, the good way; but we answer like them, jer. 6.16. We will not walk therein. He speaketh to us by his watchmen, to take heed to the sound of the trumpet; but we answer like them, jer. 6.17. We will not take heed. Turn us good Lord unto thee, and we shall be turned. Good Lord open thou our ears, that if it be thy holy will, either to Roar unto us, or to speak with a milder voice: either to come against in judgement, or to visit us in mercy; we may readily hear thee, and yield obedience: and as obedient children receive the promise of eternal inheritance. So when the time of our separation shall be, that we must leave this world, a place of darkness, of trouble, of vexation, of anguish, thou, Lord wilt translate us to a better place, a place of light where darkness shall be no more; a place of rest, where trouble shall be no more; a place of delight, where vexation shall be no more; a place of endless and unspeakable joys, where anguish shall be no more. There this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Even so be it. THE Fourth Lecture. AMOS 1.2. And he said, the Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem; and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top of Carmel shall whither. IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker. Now am I to entreat of the places from whence he speaketh; expressed in two names: Zion and jerusalem. The Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem, etc. Zion] I read in holy Scripture of two Zions. The one is Deut. 4.48. a hill of the Amorites, the same with Hermon. Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Zion, by the figure b junius in Deut. 3.9. Syncope; the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sirion; and so recorded, Deut. 3.9. The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Zion, is the Zion in my Text; mount Zion in judah, upon the ●op whereof was another mountain, e Drusius obseru. 14.21. Not. & junius in Psal. 48.3. Moria, upon which stood the Temple of the Lord. Before it was called the f 2 Sam. 5.7. Tower or Fort of Zion. It was a fortress, a bulwark, a strong hold, and place of defence for the jebusites, the inhabitants of the land against their enemies. Against these jebusites King David came with a warlike power, speedily surprised their fort, built round about it; dwelled in it; and called it his g The City of David. own City, as appeareth, 2 Sam. 5.9. This is the city of David, so much h 2 Sam 5.7. 1 King 8.1. 1 Chron. 11.5. 2 Chron. 5.2. mentioned in the sacred books of Samuel, the Kings, and Chronicles. To this his own City mount Zion, David accompanied with the Elders, and Captains of Israel, i 2 Sam. 6.15. brought the Ark of the Lord with shouting, with cornets, with trumpets, with cymbals, with viols, with harps; as is plain by the story, 1 Chron. cap. 15. and 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be observed in this city of David: mount Zion was now the place of the Name of the Lord of boasts. Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description, and commendation of mount Zion, Psal. 48.1, 2, 3. Mount Zion lying northward from jerusalem, is fair in situation. It is the city of the great King; the city of God; Gods holy mountain; the joy of the whole earth. In the palaces thereof God is well known for a sure refuge. In this city of David, the holy mount Zion, the Lord of hosts, whom the k 1 K●ng. 8.27. 2 Chron. 6.18. Heavens, and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to contain, is said to l Psal. 74.2. dwell, Psal. 9.11. not that he is tied to any place; but because there were the most manifest, and often testimonies of his residence; Thus is Zion taken literally. It is also taken spiritually, by a Synecdoche, for the Church, Spouse, and Kingdom of Christ, as Psal. 2.6. where God is said to have anointed his King over Zion, the hill of his holiness. Zion there is not to be understood the terrestrial Zion by jerusalem, but another Zion; elect, and spiritual; not of this world; holy Zion; so called for the grace of sanctification poured out upon it, even the holy Church of Christ: whereto do appertain the holy Patriarches, the Prophets, the Apostles, the universal multitude of believers throughout, not only Israel, but the whole world. Zion in this signification is obvious in holy Scripture. To which sense by the daughters of Zion, in the m Psal. 149. ●. Psalms of David, in n Cantic 3.11. salomon's song, in the prophecies of o Esay 3 16, 17. Psa●. 4.4. Esay, and p joel. 2.23. joel, you may understand the faithful members of the Church of Christ. There is yet one other signification of Zion. It's put for Heaven, as learned Drusius in his notes upon my text observeth. The like observation is made by Theophylact, and Oecumenius commenting upon Heb. 12.22. Now the Zion in my text, from whence the Lord is said to roar, to speak terribly, and dreadfully, is, either the Temple upon mount Zion by jerusalem: or the Church of Christ, whereof Zion is a type; Zion the holy one of Israel, whose walls are salvation, and gates praise: or the Heaven of Heavens, the most proper place of God's residence. jerusalem.] Of old this city was called Salem, as Gen. 14.18. when Melchisedeck, King thereof, brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram, and his followers. Afterward it was possessed by the jebusites, and named jebus, judg. 19.10. Peter Martyr in 2 Sam. 5.6. from both these names I●bus, and Salem, supposeth that by the change of a few letters, jerusalem hath had her name; and not from the mountains called Solymi, as some do conjecture, but err: for that the mountains Solymi were in Pisidia, not in judea. Many were the names of this city. Some of them Benedictus in his marginal note upon josua, chap. 10. nameth in a distich, Solyma, Luza, Bethel, jerosolyma, jebus, Helia. Vrbs sacra, jerusalem dicitur, atque Salem. In this distich 9 names of this one city are couched together; Solyma, jerosolyma, jerusalem, jebus, Salem, Bethel, Helia, Luza, the holy City. Drusius obseruat. sacr. lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that jerusalem did consist of two parts: the one was called, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the lower city; the other, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the higher city. This higher city was Zion, or mount Zion, whereof you have already heard, and was diversely termed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the city of David, the fort, the fort of Zion, the tower of Zion. But I come not to preach names unto you. Will you hear of the honour of this city? they that were alive when jerusalem flourished to have q Psal. 48.12. numbered her towers, to have considered her walls, to have marked her bulwarks, and to have told their posterity of it, might have made a report scarcely to have been believed. This we know by Ps. 48.4, 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together, and saw it; they marvelled, they were astonished, and suddenly driven back. Thus is jerusalem taken literally. It is also taken spiritually for the Church; either militant here on earth, or Triumphant in heaven. For the Church Militant, Psal. 128.5. Thou shalt see the wealth of jerusalem all thy life long. And for the Church Triumphant, Gal. 4.26. jerusalem, which is above, is free. The Catholic Church, Militant, and Triumphant, is called jerusalem; because jerusalem was a type thereof. jerusalem was a type of the Catholic Church in sundry respects. 1. God did choose jerusalem, above all other places of the earth, to r Psal. 132.13. Psal. 135.21. dwell in. So the Catholic Church, the company of the predestinate, God hath chosen, to be a peculiar people unto himself. 2. jerusalem is a City, s Psal. 122.3. compact in itself, by reason of the bond of love, and order among the Citizens. So the faithful, the members of the Catholic Church, are linked together by the bond of one Spirit. 3 jerusalem was the place of God's sanctuary, the place of his presence, and worship, where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserved till the coming of the Messiah. Now the Catholic Church is in the room thereof. In the Catholic Church we must seek the presence of God, and the word of life. 4 In jerusalem was the t Psal. 122.5. the throne of David. So in the Catholic Church is the throne, and sceptre of Christ; figured by the Kingdom of David. 5 The commendation of jerusalem was the subjection, and obedience of her citizens. The Catholic Church hath her citizens too, Eph. 2.19. and they do yield voluntary obedience and subjection to Christ their King. 6 In jerusalem the names of the citizens were enrolled in a register. So the names of all the members of the Catholic Church are enrolled in the book of life, Reuel. 20.15. You see now what jerusalem is literally, and what spiritually. Literally, it is that much honoured City in Iude●, the u Psal. 46.4. City of God, even the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High. Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ: either his Church Militant on earth, or his Church Triumphant in Heaven. Now the jerusalem in my text, from whence the Lord is said to utter his voice, is either jerusalem in the literal, or jerusalem in the spiritual understanding: it is either jerusalem the mother City of judea; or jerusalem the Church of Christ, Militant upon earth; or jerusalem above, the most proper place of God's residence. So that jerusalem here is the same with Zion, an Exposition of Zion. The Lord shall roar from Zion, that is, in other words, The Lord shall utter his voice from jerusalem. Mark I beseech you, (beloved in the Lord,) The Lord shall roar, not from Dan, and Bethel, where jeroboam calves were worshipped; but from Zion the mountain of his holiness: and he shall utter his voice, not from Samaria, drunken with Idolatry: but from jerusalem, the x Zach. 8.3. city of truth, wherein the purity of God's worship did gloriously shine. We may take from hence this lesson: Zion and jerusalem are to be frequented, that thence hearing God speak unto us, we may learn what his holy will is. To speak more plainly. This is the lesson which I commend unto you: The place where God is served, and the exercises of his religion are practised, must be carefully frequented. That I may the more easily persuade you to come unto, and to frequent this place, this house of God, his holy Church, and Temple, I bring you a guide. This guide is a King, and leads you the way, the blessed King David. I beseech you mark his affection, Psal. 84.1. O Lord of hosts, how amiable are thy tabernacles? My soul longeth, yea and fainteth for thy courts. Mark his love, Psal. 26.8. O Lord I have loved the habitation of thine house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth. Mark the earnestness of his zeal, Psal. 42.1, 2. As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God; when shall I come, and appear before the presence of God? Let this holy King, King David, be the pattern of your imitation. Beloved, you must have an earnest love and desire to serve God in the assembly of his Saints: you must much esteem of the public exercise of religion. It is Gods effectual instrument and mean to nourish, & beget you to the hope of a better life. In what case then are you, when you absent yourselves from this, and the like holy assemblies: when either you come hither carelessly, or else do gracelesly contemn this place. Here is Zion, here is jerusalem; here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan: and here may you speak to him again with your own mouths. It is every man's duty, the duty of every one that love's God, to come unto God's house, his house of prayer. In this respect thus saith the Lord, Esay 56.7. Mine house shall be called the house of prayer for all people. For all people: there is no difference between the y Galat. 3.28. jew and the Grecian, between the bond and the free, between the male and the female; for our Lord, who is Lord over all, z Rom. 10.12. is rich unto all that call upon him; Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. To imprint this sentence in your hearts, it is repeated unto you, Mat. 23.13. Where jesus Christ to the money-changers, and dovesellers, whom he found in the Temple, useth this speech, It is written, mine house shall be called an house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thiefs. junius his note upon the place is good: Qui domo Dei non utitur ad orationis domum, is eò devonit, ut speluncam latronum efficiat eam: Whosoever useth not the house of God for a house of prayer, he cometh thither to make it a den of thiefs. Let us take heed (beloeed in the Lord) whensoever we come unto the Church, the house of God, that we be not partakers of this sharp censure. Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17. giveth a profitable caveat, Take heed to thy feet, when thou ●nterest into the house of God: intimating thus much; that of duty we are to enter into the house of God. Though the Temple in jerusalem and all the worship in ceremonies, that was annexed to it, are taken away; yet is salomon's caveat good for us still, Take heed to thy feet when thou interest into the house of God. For we also have God's house, where he is chief to be sought, and worshipped; even in every place appointed by public authority for public assemblies. Wherefore, I pray you, hath God given his Church a 1 Cor. 12.27. some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors, some Teachers? Is it not as we are taught, Ephes. 4.12. for the gathering together of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ? See you not here a forcible argument, and evident proof, for this your public meeting? There is, Matth. 18.20. a special promise of a blessing to light upon you, as oft as you shall come to this place; and thereof the author of all truth assureth you: Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. O weigh, and consider this. If you love, and would have the society, fellowship, and company of your sweet Saviour, jesus Christ, you must frequent this place, hither must you come. Know this; you cannot be right worshippers of God in private, if you refuse, or neglect to frequent this public assembly, the Zion, the jerusalem, from whence God is pleased to speak unto you. Much then, very much to blame you, whosoever do for none, or for small occasions absent yourselves from this pl●ce, this house of God, at appointed times, where and when your public prayers should be as it were a public renouncing of all sects, and society with idolatry, and profaneness; an acknowledgement and confession of the true God, and a public sanctification of God's holy Name to the glory of God. The time was, and I dare avouch it, Act. 21.5. when all the congregation of Tyre with their wives and children, bringing S. Paul out of the town to the sea shore, kneeled down with him and prayed. Shall we in these days find this zeal among Christians? I much doubt it; and am persuaded, men will be ashamed, in imitation of those Tyrians, to kneel down in an open place, to pray unto God publicly. I will not rub this sore; I know somewhat, and you know more than I, how backward many of you have been, from doing God due service in this place. Shall I say, you have dishonoured him, some by irreverence, some by much absence, some by wilful refusal to be made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour, jesus Christ? I think, should any one of you invite your neighbour to sup with you, but once, and he refuse it, you would take some displeasure at him: and shall God Almighty, the mighty creator of Heaven, of Earth, and of all you, that hear me this day, invite you many times to come, and sup at the table of his blessed Son, and you refuse it? Believe it? he cannot take it well. It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing, to come, or not to come to the Lords table. Come you must of duty; though of duty you are first to examine yourselves. Whosoever therefore wilfully refuseth to come, he sinneth very grievously, as a learned b Butanus I●c. 48. Divine well noteth. 1 Because he contemneth not any humane, but a divine edict, the express commandment of the Lord of life: Do this in remembrance of me. 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death, by which we are redeemed. 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body, and blood of Christ. 4 Because he showeth himself to be none of the number of Christ's disciples. I beseech you (dear beloved) lay up these things in your hearts; let this day be the beginning of your reformation; resolve from henceforth to perform your due obedience to God in this place; to pour forth your prayers before him, to hear his holy word, and to frequent the Lords table; where by faith in his death and passion, you may receive many a gracious blessing: forgiveness of your sins, your reconciliation with God, the death of iniquity in you, and the assured pledge of eternal life. I have now by occasion of Zion and jerusalem, the place, from whence God will speak unto you, exhorted every one of you in particular to come to the Church. I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty. It is not enough for you to come yourselves to the Church; you must solicit and exhort others to come likewise. Father's must bring their children, Masters must bring their Servants. For old and young should come. My warrant for what I say, I take out of joel 2.15, 16. Call a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, gather the elders, assemble the children, and those that suck the breasts. Mark I beseech you. Children, and such as suck the breasts must be assembled. You must have the spirit of resolution, to say with joshua, chap. 24.15. I, and my house will serve the Lord. Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children, and servants; to your neighbours, and also strangers, if they come in your way. This we may learn out of the prophecies of Esay, Micah, and Zachary. First, Esay 2.3. The faithful shall say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from jerusalem. Again, Micah. 4.2. You shall find the very same exhortation made by the faithful, and in the same words: Come, and let us go up to the mountain of th● L●rd, to the house of the God of jacob, etc. The Prophet Zacha●y, chap. 8.21. for sum, and substance speaketh the same thing: They that dwell in one town, shall go unto another, saying, up, let us go, and pray before the Lord, and seek th● Lord of hosts, I will go also. Thus fare of the place from whence the Lord speaketh, expressed by two names, Zion and jerusalem. THE Fifth Lecture. AMOS 1.2. And he said, the Lord shall roar from Zion, and utter his voice from jerusalem; and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish, and the top of Carmel shall whither. OF the speaker, and place from whence he speaketh, I have heretofore spoken. Now proceed we to the sequels of the speech, which shall for this time be the ground of my discourse. The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish.] So do the words sound for their substance. Yet after the letter in the original, and Hebrew copy, we are to read otherwise: the fruitful or pleasant places of the shepherds have mourned. Let us briefly take a view of the words, as they lie in order. The dwelling places.] So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not unfitly. For though properly it signifieth fruitful and pleasant fields, and pastures; yet because shepherds did use in the wilderness, near unto such fields and pastures to erect themselves little cottages and cabins, that they might be at hand to defend their harmless sheep, from savage and ravenous beasts, it may here well be englished, the dwelling places. The dwelling places of the shepherds.] In my first lecture upon this prophecy, I told you there were two sorts of shepherds. In the first rank, I placed sheepmasters; in the second, their servants. Among the first sort of shepherds was Mesa King of Moab: who 2 King. 3.4. is called a shepherd, and there registered to have rendered to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. The other sort of shepherds, is of such, as are hired to keep sheep; to see to their seeding & safety. Such we properly call shepherds, and such are the shepherds in my text. It followeth. Have mourned] The text is so; the meaning is; shall mourn. This enallage or change of the time, of the time passed for the time to come, hath its reason from a truth contained in a saying of the Schoolmen, Apud Deum non est tempus: God is beyond times limits. He was when time was not; and shall be when time shall be no more. It's common with the Prophets to speak of a future thing, as of a thing past, or present. A learned ᵃ Grammarian doth well express the reason; Otho Gualt. perius. quia Prophetia ipsorum tam certa est ac si spectatores rerum futurarum in praesenti omnia fieri cernere●t. The prophecies in the old time, which came not by the will of man, were of as great certainty as if the Prophets had been present spectators of the things to come. The sweet ●inger of Israel, to show Gods promise made for the encouragement of the man, that loveth to live a godly life, saith Psal. 1.3. He hath been like a tree planted by the rivers of waters. He hath been, that is the text; the sense is, he shall be like such a tree. jacob in the 48. of Gen. ver. 22. thus blesseth joseph: I have given thee one portion above thy brethren. I have given thee, that is the text; the sense is, I do, or will give thee. In Hosea 10.5. we read thus, The people of the Calf of Bethaven have mourned over it. The text is, have mourned; the sense is, shall mourn. So here my text is, The dwelling places of the shepherds have mourned: the sense is, they shall mourn. Shall mourn] Mourn? How can dwelling places mourn? Even as the earth can mourn. The lamentations & mournings of the earth are eternised with holy Prophet's pens. With Esayes pen, chap. 24.4. For the sins of the people the land lamenteth and fades away: and again, chap. 33.9. For the sins of the people the earth mourneth and fainteth. With jeremies' pen, fi●st, chap. 4.28. For the sins of judah the earth shall mourn; again, chap. 12.4. For the wickedness of the inhabitants shall the land mourn; a third time, chap. 23.10. because of oaths the land mourneth. W th' joels' pen, chap. 1.10. for si●ne the land mourneth. With Hoseas' pen, chap. 4 3. because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in Israel, eu●ry one breaking out by swearing, by lying, by killing, by stealing, by whoring blood touching blood, therefore shall the land mourn. Lamentation, and mourning, proper p●ssions of the reasonable creature, are by a translation ascribed to the Earth; to note either that she is ill favoured, and out of fashion for lack of dressing; or that men for her desolation do lament, and mourn, as D●usius lib. 1. quaest. Hebr. qu. 27. observeth out of S. Austin. Suitable to the mournings of the Earth, is the mourning in my text: the dwelling places of the shepherds shall mourn] It is a translation from living things to things without life; from shepherds to their dwelling houses: The dwelling places of the shepherds shall mourn, that is, the shepherds themselves shall mourn, when they shall behold the spoil, overthrow, and desolation of their dwelling houses. Our English reading then for the sense is good, The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish. You see now the desolation of the dwelling places of the shepherds. Will you have the reason of it? Look back then to the but-now cited places of Esay, jeremy, Hosea, joel, for the reason, why the earth is said to mourn. The reason is the same for the earth's mourning, and the mourning of the shepherds dwelling houses: even sin and iniquity. Whence you may learn this lesson: Sin and iniquity are means to lay waste and make desolate [our dwelling houses] yea the fairest, and goodliest buildings; all manner of buildings. This point I might at large demonstrate & make plain unto you, by the ruins of time: by the ruins of the old world of Sod●me, Gomorah, and their sisters; of Babel; of the first, and second Temples; of the Eastern Churches; of the Abbeys, and Monasteries of this land. But for this present I will content myself only to deliver unto you, and that briefly, a few brief notes for your further instruction, and meditation. Is it true? Are si●ne and iniquity means to lay waste, & make desolate all manner of buildings? Why then (beloved) you must acknowledge and confess, that the crying sins of your forefathers have been the cause why Gods own house, and b The Chapel at Marston Meisey ruined. Chapel among you, is become waste, and desolate. This meditation concerneth some of you specially: you among whom God sometimes had his Zion, and jerusalem, his house of prayer, and sacred Chapel. O it is a fearful judgement of God upon you, that he hath removed his kingdom, and your candlestick from among you. But you will lay this blame upon your forefathers. I cannot excuse them. Yet must I tell you, that except ye amend your lives, a worse thing may befall you. And you (beloved) who have your dwelling near unto this House of God, the place of assembly for his Saints, will you match your neighbours in sin, and iniquity; and not fear their punishments? When first I beheld, and considered the condition of this House, wherein we are now assembled, it seemed to me that desolation had begun to set her foot here. What else could yourselves think of, or hope for, as oft as you beheld her decayed estate? Such Churches as this, if any be so bad as this, within this Realm, may give some occasion to that same scandalous assertion, of one of our English c Gul. Reginald. Caluino turc. lib. 2. cap. 15. in argumento Libri. In Anglicano & Turcico ministerio summa est conuenien●ia. Templa utrinque sunt similia, sed Turcis ornatiora & magnificentiora. pag. 313. fugitives beyond the seas: that the Churches in Turkey are more sumptuous and stately, then ours in England. Of ours he saith, that they are * Apud vest●os Euangelices— Ecclesiae plerumque turpes, sordidae, & immundae tacent. At hominum nobilium, mercatorum, iuridicorum, Baronum, Comitunque d●●ibus, nih●l ornatius, nihil op●rosius, & in his po●●endis humming privatiregias aliquando gazas consumunt. Ibid. pag. 318. turpes, sordidae, immundae; foul, unclean, & sluttish. To persuade you to repair her decayed places, I would it were within the compass of my Rhetoric. Yet let me propound one question unto you, Hag. 1.4. Is it time for yourselves to dwell in your sciled houses, and this house to lie waste? Consider your own ways in your own hearts, and give your answer unto God. A second note for your further instruction, and meditation followeth. Is it true? Are sin and iniquity means to lay waste & make desolate all manner of buildings? How then is it, that our dwelling houses do yet stand, and flourish? Our sins, and iniquities, are exceeding impudent, and saucy; they are ascended into the presence of God, and do stand like Satan among his children before his face. Yet for all this impudency, and sauciness of our sins and iniquities, God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safety. The consideration of this point may stir us up to a grateful agnition, and acknowledgement of God's singular bounty, and longanimity. It is out of the bounty of the Lord that the earth, since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man, doth to this day yield f●uit in abundance for the use of man. That our possessions, habitations, dwelling houses, and Churches are not laid waste, and made desolate, it is to be ascribed to God's long sufferance, and long animity. Of which I shall (God willing) anon speak more fully, when I shall have considered the words of the second sequel, or consequent of God's speech, which are: The top of Carmel shall whither. The top of Carmel] There were two hills of this name, as St Hierome teacheth; both in judea; the one in the southern climate of that country where on Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwell, 1 Sam. 25.2. the other near unto Ptolemais, towards the sea coast, upon which Elias prayed for rain, 1 Kings 8.42. St Hierome seemeth to doubt; which of these two Carmels our prophet here intendeth. But Ribera resolveth for that Carmel, which was near unto Ptolemais, because it did appertain to the lot of the ten tribes, against whom Amos in this book prophesieth. This Carmel was a hill of much fatness, and fertility: whereupon it may, as proverbially, be taken for any such place. St Hierome writing upon Esay. 16. saith, it is the Scriptures idiom, and proper form of speech evermore to compare the rich hill Carmel, to fertility, and abundance. One of the Hebrew d R. D●uid apud Dra●u●●. Doctors saith, that Carmel is a general name for all fruitful arable fields, and vineyards. A great e Pagnin. Hebrician saith, that because the hill, Carmel, had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulness, therefore Carmel is appellatively taken for any place set with corn, trees, or vines; and specially withstanding corn, with new & fat wheat while it is in ear: though another f Marinus in Arca Noe. Hebrician of like note, affirmeth that because Carmel collectively signifieth standing corn, or new wheat yet in the ear, therefore a certain region in the province of Canaan of extraordinary fertility (as also a hill, & city there) was called after this name Carmel. Whatsoever Carmel be in this place, whether a proper name, or an appellative, out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulness. Following the stream of expositors, I am of opinion, that Carmel in my text, is that same fruitful mountain of judea by Ptolemais. The top of Carmel] A place fit by reason of the woods there to lurk, and lie hid in; as is plain by Amos, 9.3. Though they hide themselves 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 express whatsoever is best in Carmel. By the like phrase we say Caput unguenti, the head or the top of the ointment, to signify the best of the ointment. The top of Carmel] Pagnine thus translateth it, vertex loci fertilis: the top of the fruitful place. And junius thus: prostantissimum aruorum: the best of the fields. Both Pagnine, and junius, do take Carmel here for an appellative, and not for a name. The top of Carmel shall whither] shall wax dry, or be dried up. That is, where most fruitful fields, and pastures are, there shall be a defect, and want of necessaries for man's life. Thus have you the exposition of this last clause. Now be patiented, I pray you, while from hence I commend one lesson unto you. It is this: For the sins of a people, God will make the top of their Carmel to whither. I speak it more plainly. For the sins of a people, God will make. their best grounds to yield them little, or no profit. For proof of this point, you will be pleased to hear the evidence of the holy Spirit, given in the word of life, Deut. 28.20. Thus saith the Lord: because of the wickedness of thy works, whereby thou hast forsaken me, the Lord shall smite thee with blasting, and with mildew: the Heaven which is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee, shall be iron: in stead of rain, the Lord shall give thee dust and ashes, even from heaven shall it come down upon thee until thou be destroyed. In the 2 chapter of Hosea, and the 5 verse, because Israel had played the harlot, and done shamefully, departing from the Lord, thus saith the Lord: I will take away from Israel my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, & will recover my wool, & my flax, which I lent her, to cover her shame. Mark I beseech you, the manner of the Lords speech, my corn, my wine, my wool, my flax; they are none of ours, they are all the Lords. The Lord hath lent them us to serve our turns, and necessity's: if we abuse them to idolatry, or profanes, he will take them from us, & recover them again unto himself. 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 every on breaketh out by swearing, by lying, by killing, by stealing, by whoring, and blood toucheth blood, thus saith the Lord: the land shall mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut off, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and also the fishes of the sea shall be taken away. If so, what good then comes to you from Carmel, from your best & most fruitful grounds? In the 8. chapter of Hosea, and the 7. verse, because Israel transgressing the covenant of the Lord, and trespassing against his law, had sown the wind, thus saith the Lord: they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall bring forth no meal; if so be it bring forth, the strangers shall devour it. If so, what profit then can we, matching Israel in their most grievous transgressions, & trespasses, expect from Carmel, our most fruitful, and pleasant fields? The wisest King that ever 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 empty. His Carmel, the very best of his possessions, shall yield him little profit. To make an end of this discourse, I would I could write it in your hearts, what the sweetest singer, Psa. 107.34. delivereth unto you, touching this point: it is worthy your best remembrance: A fruitful land God turneth into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. This one place (had I troubled you with no more) would have been a pregnant, and sufficient proof of my propounded doctrine. What fruit can you look for out of barrenness? And by this one place you see, that God turneth a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. You must then acknowledge the lesson commended unto you to be good, and true; namely, that for the sins of a people, God will make their Carmel to whither; that for the sins of a people, God will make best grounds to yield them little, or no profit. Now let us see, what use we may make of this doctrine for our further instructions. A first use, is to admonish such as do dwell in delectable, pleasant, well watered, and fruitful places, that they boast not overmuch of their fertile, and sweet possessions: since there is no land so d●lectable to the eye, or fruitful to the purse, but it may be turned into a wilderness. If for our sins God shall come against us in the fierceness of his wrath; we shall be as g Esay 1.9. Sodom, and like unto Gomorah: our land shall burn with brimstone, and h Deut. 29.23. salt; it shall not be sown, nor shall bring forth; neither shall any grass grow therein. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins, neither reward us according to our iniquities. A second use, is to warn rich men, the richer sort among you, that weighing rightly the power of Almighty God, by which he maketh the top of Carmel to whither, & turneth your fruitful fields into barrenness; you will beware of insolency, and contain yourselves in modesty, and submission. Know this; there is no man hath a foot of ground, or never so small a possession to dwell in, but he hath it at God's hand; and upon this condition; that he keep his statutes, and commandments. Which if you disobey, contemn, and cast behind you, assure yourselves, your riches are none of yours, you are not the right owners of them but mere usurpers. The Lord of hosts will send an host of enemies against you. Art thou rich in money? thou art in danger of thiefs art thou plentiful in h●ush●ld stuff? thou are in danger of fire: hast thou much gold? the rust doth venom it, and thee: is thine apparel gorgeous? the moth will eat it: hast thou store of cattles? rottenness may consume them: is thy maintenance by husbandry? blast and mildews will hinder thee, the i ●●c● 1. ●. palmer worm, will eat thy fruits, that which the palmer worm shall leave, the grasshopper shall eat; that which the grasshopper shall leave, the canker worm shall eat; and that which the canker worm shall leave, the caterpillar shall eat. So many, and many more enemies can the Lord of hosts send to fight against you; if you hate to be reform, and cast his commandments behind you. A third and the last use of my propounded doctrine, is, to stir up myself, and all you that hear me this day, gratefully, and thankfully to recount the mercifulness, patience, and long sufferance of our God. Our sins have deserved it at his hands, that he should make the top of our Carmel to whither; that he should make our best grounds to yield us little or no profit; that he should smite us with blasting, and mildew; that he should make the Heaven over our head, brass; and the Earth under us, iron: that instead of rain, he should give us aust and ashes; that he should take from us, his corn, his wine, his wool, his flax, and whatsoever good thing else, he hath lent us for our use. All this, and much more have our sins deserved: and yet God withholdeth from us his revenging hand. O the depth of the riches of the mercifulness, patience, and long sufferance of our God. Yet stay ye so●n●s of Belial, and imps of Hell; ye wicked ones, who serve under Satan's Banner. God's mercifulness, patience, and long sufferance, is to you very small advantage. S. Basil treating upon the words of the covetous rich man, Luk. 12.18. those words: I will pull down my barns, and build greater, tells you that God his goodness, extended to you in your fields, or elsewhere, bringeth upon you in the end the greater punishment. True great Basil. God his justice goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, slowly, and in order. Long before thy time was this lesson learned in Nature's school. k Lib. 1. c. 1. Valerius Maximus who lived under Tiberius Caesar, recounting some of the sacrileges of Dionysius, clearly carried with frompes, and mockeries, saith, Lento gradu ad vindictam sui divina procedit ira: the wrath of God proceedeth to the execution of vengeance, with a remiss & slow pace; but evermore, as he well addeth, tarditatem supplicij gravitate compensat: it recompenseth the slackness of punishment, with the heaviness thereof. I will not weary your religious ears with profane, though fit sentences for this argument, out of l Lib. 3. odd. 2. Raro antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo. Horace, m Lib. 1. cleg. 9 Ah miser, et si quis primo perjuria celat, Sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus Tibullus, n Lib. 3.— Quis enim laesos impune putaret Esse deos?— Lucan, & o Lib. deijs qui tardè a numine corripiuntur. Plutarch; nor with those well known proverbs, Dij lenti, sed certi vindices, Dij lane os pedes habent: Tacito pede, and Cunctabundus naturâ Deus. From Nature's school I recall myself to the God of Nature; who though in his word of eternal truth he proclaimeth himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a p Exod. 34.6. God slow to anger, and is for such acknowledged by the never failing testifications, and reports of divinely inspired q Nehem. 9.17. Psal. 86.15. Psal. 103.8. & 145.8. Rom. 2 4. 2. Pet. 3.9. Prophets and Apostles: is notwithstanding in the same word noted to r Exod 20.6. & 34.7. Deut. 5.9. jerem. 32.18. recompense the iniquity of the Fathers into the bosom of their children after them. It must stand ever good: Quo tardius, eo gravius, that the longer God is before he punisheth, he punisheth so much the more grievously. Though for a time he be pleased to hold his tongue, and to walk as with woollen feet; yet at length shall we, or our posterity, find by woeful experience, that he hath a rod of iron ro rule us, yea, and to break us in pieces, like potter's vessels. Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) while God is pleased, to withhold from us his own hand of justice, & to stretch over us his other of Mercy, to the blessing of us in our fields in our cattle, in our store, let us not be wedded to the hardness of our own hearts; let us not dwell in our old sins, nor heap new upon them, lest so we treasure up unto ourselves wrath against the day of wrath. Let us rather even now, while it is now, cast away all works of darkness, and put on the armour of light: let us take no further thought for our flesh to fulfil the lusts of it. Let us walk no more, as formerly we have done, in gluttony, in drunkenness, in chambering, in wantonness, in strife, in envying, in deceit, in falsehood, in vanity; but let us walk honestly as in the day; and put we on the Lord jesus. Whatsoever things are true, & honest, and just, and pure, and do pertain to love, and are of good report; if there be any virtue, or praise, think we on these things. Think we on these things to do them, and we shall not need to fear any de olation to our houses, or barrenness to our grounds; our dwelling houses shall not mourn, or perish; the top of our Carmel shall not whither; our fields shall bring forth increase unto us. For God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing God will bless us to pass the time of our pilgrimage here in peace, and plenty; and when the day of our separation shall be, that we must leave the earth, a vale of tears, and miseri●, he will translate us to Jerusalem above, the place of eternal 〈◊〉, and felicity, where this corrup●ible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. So be it. THE Sixth Lecture. AMOS 1.3, 4, 5. Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four I will not turn to it, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. I will break also the bars of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven: and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, and the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord. THough in this prophecy there be mention made of judah, yet was Amos by the holy spirit deputed, and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the ten revolted Tribes, the kingdom of Israel. The mention that is made of judah, is made but incidently, and by the way. The scope of the prophecy is Israel, as I shown in my * Pag. 7. first Lecture. If Israel be the scope of this prophecy, how cometh it to pass, that the Prophet bestoweth the residue of this chapter, and a part of the next, in making rehearsal of foreign 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 upon him? and check the Israelites, & terrify them, and reprove them for their evil deeds? The reasons why Amos, sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites, doth first prophecy against the Syrians, & other foreign nations, are three. 1 That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen the Israelites. The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharp against the Syrians, and other their enemies, could not, but with more quiet hear him, when he should prophesy against them also. Consolatio quaedam est, afflictio inimici: some comfort it is to a distressed natural man, to see his enemy in distress likewise. 2 That they might have 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 God's word, and ignorant of his will. 3 That they might the more fear at the words of this prophecy, when they should see the Syrians, and other nations, afflicted, and tormented accordingly. Here might they thus have argued? Will not God spare our neighbours, the Syrians, & the rest? Then out of doubt he will not spare us. They silly people never knew the holy will of God, and yet shall they be so severely punished? How then shall we escape, who knowing Gods holy will have contemned it? From the reasons why Amos first prophesieth against foreign nations, & then against the Lord's 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, proem, or entrance, vers. 3. Thus saith the Lord. 2 A Prophecy, in the 3, 4, & 5. verses For three transgressions of Damascus and for four, etc. 3 A conclusion, in the end of the 5. verse, Saith the Lord. The preface, and the conclusion do make for the authority of the prophecy, verse. 3. and 5. In the prophecy these parts may be observed. 1 A general accusation of the Syrians, verse the 3. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four. 2 A protestation of almighty God against them, I will not turn to it. 3 The great sin, by which they so offended God: their extreme cruelty, verse 3. They have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. 4 The punishments to be laid upon them for such cruelty. These punishments are here set down generally, and specially. Generally vers. ●he 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. Specially vers. the 5. I will break also the bars of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven: & him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, and the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir. Thus saith the Lord] It is a very usual thing with the Prophets, so to begin their special Prophecies, to let the world understand, that they feign nothing out of their own brains, but that whatsoever they speak they have received it from the spirit of the Lord. Thus saith, not Amos, but in Amos the Lord. The Lord, the powerful jehovah of whom you heard at large out of my third lecture upon this chapter. Thus saith the Lord] the powerful jehovah, * See Zect 3. who made the heavens and a Psal. 104 2. spread them out like a curtain, to himself with light as with a garment; & can again b Esai. 50.3. the heavens with darkness, and make a sack their covering: who made the sea, to c Psal. 1● 4.3. lay the beams of his chamber therein, & d Jerem. 5.22. placed the sands for bounds unto it, never to be passed over, howsoever the waves thereof shall rage's, and roar; and can with a word smite the pride thereof: at his rebuke e Esay. 50.2. the floods shall be turned into a wilderness; the sea shall be dried up; 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 upon foundations, that it should never move; and can g P●al. 104.6. cover her again with the deep, as with a garment, and so h Psal 24.20. rock her, that she shall reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. Thus saith the Lord] This powerful jehovah, whose throne is the heaven of heavens, and the sea his floor to walk in, & the earth his footstool to tread upon, who hath a chair in the conscience, and sitteth in the heart of man, & possesseth his secretest reines, and divideth betwixt the flesh & the skin, and shakest his inmost powers, Psal. 29.8. as the thunder shaketh the wilderness of Cades. Thus saith the Lord.] Hath the Lord said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it? Balaam confesseth as much unto Balak, Num. 23.19. God is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son 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 Saviour, Matth. 5.18. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot, or any one tittle of God's law shall escape unfulfilled. Thus saith the Lord] Then out of doubt it must come to pass. Hereby you may be persuaded of the authority of this Prophecy: 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 divine authority. This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered unto you in my second lecture, and therefore have now the less need to spend time therein. Yet a word or two thereof. God almighty spoke in old i'm 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 private motion. He giveth the reason hereof ver. 21. for the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost. Hence sprang those usual and familiar speeches in the books of the Prophets; The word of the Lord came unto me; the Lord God hath spoken; and this in my text, Thus saith the Lord. This Lord, who thus spoke in old time by his Prophets, did in fullness of time, when he sent to consummate, and perfect the work of man's redemption, speak by his blessed Evangelists, and Apostles. This appeareth by the faithful promise made unto them, Matth. 10.19. Take no thought how, or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you, what ye shall say. It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your father, that speaketh in you. It must stand ever true what is recorded, 2 Tim. 3.16. the whole Scripture (and every parcel thereof) is given by inspiration of God, and hath inward witness from that Spirit, which is the author of all truth. Here may you note the harmony, consent, and agreement, of all the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, from the first unto the last: not one of them spoke one word of a natural man in all their ministeries; the words which they spoke, were the words of him that sent them: they spoke not of themselves, God spoke in them. Whensoever were the time, whatsoever were the means, whosoever were the man; wheresoever were the place, whatsoever were the people, the words were the Lords. Thus saith the Lord] How then dare we, potters cla●, lift up our hands against him, that fashioned us? How dare we absent ourselves from his house of prayer, where God in and by his holy word speaketh unto us? How dare we, when we are come to this place, behave ourselves carelessly, negligently, irreverently? But I will not at this time press you any further with this point, having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Zion, and uttering his vow from jerusalem, exhorted you in many words, to the due performance of your dutiful service of God in this place. For this present, I will only give you a taste of the sweetness of the word of the Lord, conveyed unto us by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets, Evangelists, & Apostles. It is the Lords most royal and celestial testament, the oracles of his heavenly sanctuary, the only key unto us of his revealed counsels; milk from his sacred breasts; the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church, the light of our feet, joy of our hearts, breath of our nostrils, pillar of our faith, anchor of our hope, ground of our love, evidences, and deeds of our future blessedness. Thus fare the preface, proem, or entrance, making for the authority of this prophecy; Thus saith the Lord. Now followeth the prophecy against the Syrians: wherein I commended to your Christian considerations four things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians, vers. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four. 2 The Lords protestation against them, verse the 3. I will not turn to it. 3 The particular sin, by which the Syrians had so offended God, verse the 3. They have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. 4 The punishments attending them for this sin; set down generally, and specially. Generally verse 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. Specially vers. the 5. I will break also the bars of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven: and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, & the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir. Order requireth that I begin with the first part; the accusation of the Syrians, verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for four] This Damascus was a very ancient city, built, as a Arias Montan. In ●●t. lib. 36. Stephan. Adrichom. H●er●n. H●●. qu ●●t in Gen. some conjecture, by Eliez●r, the steward of Abraham's house, who was surnamed Damascus, Gen. 15.2. The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15. b A●ud H c. ibid. & Io eph. a●●●q Iu●●●. Lib 1 ca● 7. ●●ll●t in G●n. cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to have been more ancient than Abraham, do attribute the building of this city to Huz, one of the sons of Aram, Gen. 10.23. Whereupon Dama●cus was called also Aram, as c In Esay 17. S. Hierome witnesseth. Whatsoever were the antiquity of this city, it is plain by Esa. 7.8, that it was the Metropolitan, and chiefest city of Syria. I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus, a gentleman of Rome, saw in this city about some hundred years since; as the place where Cain slew Abel; the place where the body 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 ye, that Damascus was the Metropolitan, 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 Damascus, our Prophet here threatneth all inhabitants in the country about Damascus; he citeth all the Syrians to appear before the tribunal seat of Almighty God, because they had unjustly troubled and vexed the city Gilead. But of this hereafter. Now let us see, what is meant by the three transgressions, and four, here mentioned in the general accusation of the Syrians. For three transgressions, and for four] The word Transgressions, signifieth, whatsoever detestable thoughts, words, or deeds may be conceived, uttered, or acted against God's law, our holy faith, and Christian duties. These three transgressions of Damascus, are in the judgement of Arias Montanus, the same with the three transgressions of Azzah, and of Tyrus, and of Edom, and of Ammon, and of Moab, and of judah, and of Israel, so often repeated in this and the next chapters, namely, the vain worship of strange Gods, whoredoms, and murders. The fourth, saith he, is added in the text, even their barbarous cruelty: They threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four.] S. Hierom expoundeth these words, as if the Syrians of Damascus had dealt cruelly against the people of God, not once, or twice only, but also a third and fourth time, to this sense: if the Syrians had persecuted my people, but once, or a second time, I should have pardoned them; but now when they have not ceased a third, and fourth time, to practise their cruelty upon my chosen people, even to thresh them with threshing instruments of iron, shall I not visit for these things? is it not time that I beat them with rods? is it not necessary that I turn from them the countenance of my clemency? For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four.] d Apud Mercerum. Some refer these three, and four transgressions, to three, and four generations; thus: though God useth to forbear, and pardon men's sins to the third and fourth generation, yet in the fourth he will undoubtedly execute his vengeance. e Ibid. Some others do ma●e this sense of these words: God useth to remit, and to forgive any man his sins for thrice; but f the fourth time he sinne likewise, there is no hope of remission. According to that which we read, job 33.29. All these things will God work twice or thrice with a man, that he may turn back his soul from the pit, to be illuminated in the light of the living. Twice, or thrice, will God chastise us for our sins; but if we sin the fourth time, woe unto us, we are left unto ourselves. For three transgressions and for four.] f Mercer. Winckleman. Some do join these numbers to make seven; because the number of seven in holy Scripture, is a number of plenitude and perfection, as Leu. 26.18. If you will not obey me, I will punish you seven times for your sins. To which sense here by three transgressions, and four, that is, by seu●n, they affirm the multitude and greatness of the sins of Damascus to be designed, and pointed at. For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four.] The last exposition, wherewith I will now hold you, is the most g M rcer. Caluin. Drusius. general, proper, and significant: to understand by three, and four, which make a certain number, a number infinite and uncertain. For as oft as he will, God forgiveth, though we sinne a hundred times. It is but the custom of the Scripture thus to speak. God waiteth for us twice and thrice, that is, a good while, to have us return from our evil ways unto repentance; but the fourth time, that is, at length, when he seethe us persist in our impenitency, he reproveth us, casteth us away, and leaveth us in our sins. You have hitherto the general accusation of the Syrians, whereby you know they were defiled with three transgressions, and with four; with very many sins. Now followeth the protestation of Almighty God against them for their sins. I will not turn to it] to them; to the inhabitants of Damascus; to the Syrians: that is, I will have no mercy on them. These words are diversely rendered by expositors: by the author of the vulgar Latin, and by Gualther, Non convertam eum. I will not turn it: that is, I will not recall the Syrians of Damascus to the right way, they shall run on to their own perdition. By Caluin, Non propitius ero ei; I will not be favourable to the Syrians of Damascus; I will not return unto mercy. By Mercer, Non parcam ei; I will not spare the Syrians of Damascus: According to their deserts, so shall it be measured to them. By junius, Non avertam istud: I will not turn away the punishment, wherewith I have resolved to punish them. I am the Lord, and am not changed; I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the Palaces of Benhadad, etc. The sum of both, the Accusation and Protestation, is: if the Syrians had offended but once, or a second time, I would have been favourable to them, and would have recalled them into the way, that so they might have been converted, and escaped my punishments: but now whereas they do daily heap transgression upon transgression, and find no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted, but indurate, and obstinate as they are; I will utterly destroy them. For three transgressions of Damascus and for four, I will not turn to it. Having thus expounded these words, give me leave out of them to gather such notes, as may make for our further instruction, and reformation. My first note is, Three transgressions and four do pluck down from Heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the transgressors. The doctrine. Three transgressions, and four, that is, Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God, upon the sinners. God is of pure eyes, and beholdeth not iniquity; he hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. The sentence is passed forth, and must stand uncontrollable, even as long as sun, and moon. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil. The soul that sinneth it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath, Deut. 32.41. that he will whet his glittering sword, & his hand shall take hold on judgement to execute vengeance upon sinners. His soul hateth and abhorreth sin; his law curseth, and condemneth sin; his hand smiteth, and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast down Angels into Hell, to thrust Adam out of Paradise, to turn cities into ashes, to ruinated nations, to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh: because of sin he drowned the old world; and because of sin, ere long will burn this. All this maketh for the truth of my propounded doctrine. Three transgressions and four, that is, Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. A lesson (dear beloved) able to make us (if grace be in us) to be wary, and to take heed, that we be not overtaken with three transgressions and with four. It is a very dangerous thing to add sin to sin. This is done h Perkins Cas. Consc. three manner of ways. 1 By committing one sin in the neck of another. 2 By falling often into the same sin. 3 By lying in sin without repentance. Here we must remember, that we are not simply condemned for our particular sins, but for our continuance and residence in them. Our sins committed do make us worthy of damnation; but our living and abiding in them without repentancei, s the thing that brings damnation. Great is the i D. King B. of London in jon. Lect. 31. strength that sin gathereth, by growing, and going forwards. The growth of sin k In Amos 1.3. fol. 43, etc. Albertus Magnus shadoweth in marshalling the order of sinning: first is peccatum cogitationis, next locutionis, thirdly operis, then desperationis. The beginning of sin is inward, an evil thought; it hasteth out into an evil word; then followeth the wicked work: what is the end of all? Desperation, waited on by final impenitency. Tom. 5 pag. 93. E. This growth of sin, S. Hierome plainly expresseth. The first step is, cogitare, quae mala sunt; a wicked thought; the next, cogitationibus adquiescere peru●rsis; to like well of wicked thoughts; the third, quod ment decreveris, opere complere; to put that in action, which thou hast wickedly imagined. What is the end of all? Non agere poenitentiam, & in suo sibi c●mplacere delicto: even impenitency and a delight or pleasure to do naughtily. Hugo the Cardinal in sins proceeding, noteth, In Psal 7.4, 5. Persequatur] per suggestiones. Comprehendat] p●r consensum. Conculcet] per actum. & gloriam meam in pulu●rem deducet] per consuetudinem. 1 Suggestion. 2 Consent. 3 Action. 4 Custom, and pleasure therein. Suggestion is from the Devil, who casteth into our hearts impure and thoughts: the rest are from ourselves; (such is the corruption of our nature,) we readily consent to the Devil's motion; what he moves us to, we act accordingly; we take pleasure in it, and make it our custom. This Custom is not only a grave to bury our souls in, but a great stone also rolled to the mouth of it, to keep them down for ever. I say no more to this point, but beseech you for God's sake, to be wary, and heedful, that you be not overtaken with three transgressions, and with four. You have now my propounded doctrine; and the first use to be made of it. My doctrine was. Three transgressions and four, that is, Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. The first use is, to make us wary and heedful, that we be not overtaken with three transgressions, and with four. A second use, is to move us to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God: who did so graciously forbear to punish those Syrians of Damascus, till they had provoked him to displeasure by three transgressions, and by four. God is merciful, and gracious, long-suffering, and of great goodness. He cryeth unto the fools, See Serm. 5. upon Hebr. 10. pag. 76. King upon jon. Lect. 31. pag 420. (and are not we such fool's?) Prou. 1.22. O ye foolish, how long will ye love foolishness? He cryeth unto the faithless (and is our faith living?) Matt. 17.17. O generation faithless and crooked, how long now shall I suffer you? He cryeth unto the jews, (and are not we as bad as the jews? Matth 23 37. ) O jerusalem, jerusalem, how often? He dressed his vineyard with the best and kindliest husbandry, that his heart could invent, Esai. 5.2. afterward he looked for fruit; he requ red it not the first hour, but tarrying the full time, he looked that it should bring forth grapes, in the autumn, and time of vintage. He waiteth for the fruit of his l L●k 13 6. figtree three years; and is contented to be entreated, that digging, and dunging, and expectation a fourth year may be bestowed upon it. Exod. 34.6. Thus we see God's patience is wonderful; He is merciful, gracious, long suffering, and of great goodness. Yet may we not hereon presume. Our safest way shall be to rise at the first call; if we defer our obedience to the second call, we may be prevented. Then may God justly say to us, as he said unto the jews, Esai. 65.12. I called, and ye did not answer; I spoke, and ye heard not. And albeit some fall seven times a day, and rise again; albeit to some sinners it pleaseth the Lord to iterate his sufferance, yet may not we take encouragement thereby, to iterate our misdoings. We know that God punished his Angels in heaven for one breach; See Lect. 12. p. 135. King upon joh. Lect. 31. pag 421. Adam for one morsel; Miriam for one slander; Moses for one angry word; Achan for one sacrilege; Ezechias for once showing his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel; josias for once going to war without ask counsel of the Lord; and Ananias and Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost. Esai. 59.1. Is the Lords hand now shortened that he cannot be as speedy, and quick, in avenging himself upon us for our offences? Fare be it from us so to think. God is not slack in coming, as some count slackness: He maketh the clouds his Chariots, Psa. 18.11. Reu●l 22.12. he rideth upon the Cherubins, he flieth with the wings of the wind; and so he cometh; and cometh quickly, and his reward is with him to give to every one according as his works shall be. THE Seventh Lecture. AMOS 1.3. Because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. THis is the third part of this Prophecy: the description of that great sin by which the Syrians so much offended. Let us first examine the words. Gilead] Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed, in holy Scripture is sometime a hill, sometime a city, and sometime a Region, or country. A hill, Gen. 31. So named as appeareth verse 47. of the heap of stones, which was made thereon, as a witness of the league between jacob and Laban: for Gilead is interpreted an a Aceruus testimonii. heap of witness. This mountain Gilead, is the b Adrichom. greatest of all beyond jordan: it is in length 50. miles; and as it is continued, and runneth along, it receiveth diverse names. From Arnon to the city Cedar, it is called Galaad; then to Bozra it is named Seir, afterward Hermon, and so reaching to Damascus it is joined to Libanus: and therefore as S. * Comment. in hunc locum. Hierom saith, in the 22. of jer. verse 6. Lebanon is called the head, or beginning of Galeed. Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed is also a city built upon mount Gilead, as S. Hierome witnesseth. Here was borne and buried the valiant Captain and judge of Israel, jephte, when he had judged Israel six years; as judg. 12.7 Against this city Hoseah prophesieth, cap. 6.8. Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. Gilead, or Galaad, or Galeed, is also a region or country, called D●ut. 34 1. The land of Gilead, possessed by the Reubenites. Gadites, and half 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 Metropolitan city for the whole country. If the land of Gilead be 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 God's own 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 have threshed them with threshing instruments of iron. These threshing instruments are not in use among us. 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. i● L●●●t● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. David Kimchi makes them to be planks of wood, to the which on the neither side are fastened little stones, to part the wheat from the husk, and chaff; which cannot be the threshing instruments in this place, because these were of iron. Saint Hierome saith, they were a kind of wanes, or carts, with wheels of iron, and toothed, to beat out corn from the husk, and to bray or bruise straw, and stubble to be meat for cattle, when hay is scarce. Nicolaus de Lyrâ joineth with Saint Hierome in opinion. d junius. Some do take these instruments to be * Tribalis ferreiss. iron flails, or cars, or corn carts, or some such like instrument, of old time in use for the threshing out of corn. Of this opinion junius by his translation seemeth to be, and Caluin disallows it not. Here some do ●●●er 〈◊〉 ●y●●●rak●● 〈◊〉 Gualt●● ●●●re e Rastris ferreiss f Trahis ferreiss dreyes or sleds of iron, as Marinus in his Arca No●, ●●ure g Rotis ferreiss wheels of iron, as Theodotio, and Symmachus; some h Serris ferreiss. saws of iron, as the Septuagint, and Caluin; some * Auec hearses de ser. harrows of iron, as the French translation. Whatsoever were the threshing instruments in this place; whether wanes, or carts, or cars, or dreys, or sleds of iron, or wheels of iron, or flails of iron, or rakes of iron, or harrows of iron, or saws of iron: it is out of doubt, that the holy Spirit by this kind of speech (they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron) 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 Metaphor, or translation, put by the holy Spirit to design, or signify the notorious cruelty of the Syrian Kings upon 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 unto Hazael: I know the evil that thou shalt do unto 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 rend in pieces 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 jordan Eastward, even all the land of Gilead, the Gadite●, & the Reubenits, and them that were of Manasseh, from Aroer, (which is by the river Arnon) and Gilead, and Bashan. All these regions did Kng Hazael grievously torment, and bring to much woe, and misery; but specially the Gileadites, who therefore are twice mentioned in the forecited 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 iron] The like torments have been inflicted, with the good approbation of Almighty God, by King David upon the Ammonites, 2. Sam. 12.31. where you shall find, that King David after his victory over Rabbah, a city of the Ammonites, carried away the Inhabitants that were therein, and put them under saws, and under iron harrows, and under axes of iron, and cast them into the tile kilne. Thus did David, guided by Gods own Spirit, deal with the Ammonites. His course was warrantable, because he was guided by God's good Spirit; whereof Hazael being destitute, could not but grievously offend God, by threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. David, God's friend, dealt so with the Ammonites, a people without God: whereas Hazael, God's enemy, dealt so with the Gileadites, the people of God. He threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron] A course that God can be content shall be taken with Moab, Esai. 25.10. Moab shall be threshed, as straw is threshed: but that his own people Israel, or any part of them, as the Gileadites, be thus used, God likes it not. Witness my text, where the Lord protesteth that he will not turn Damascus, that is, that he will not recall the Syrians from their error into the right way, that he will not bring them again into his favour, that he will leave them to themselves; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. Now let us see what lessons may be taken from hence for our further instruction, and meditation. God's dislike with Damascus, for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of iron, yields us this lesson; God is never well pleased with too much cruelty. This truth will well appear unto us, if we do but consider how God hath evermore rewarded cruelty. The cruel tyrant Adonibezek did cut off the thumbs, and great toes of seventy Kings, and caused them to gather the crumbs under his table, judg. 1.7. but what was his reward? As he had done to those captive Kings, so did God do to him again. The Israelites under the leading of their captain judah, took Adonibezek prisoner, and cut off the thumbs 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 childless, 1 Sam. 15.33. but what was his reward? You may see in the same verse what Samuel said, and did unto him. Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among other women; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. The Babylonians were wonderful cruel and hard hearted against the inhabitants of jerusalem: they spared none of them, no not their young children, but cruelly destroyed them, and all theirs. But what was their reward? You may see it by the prophetical denunciation of the ruin of Babel, Psal. 137.8, 9 O daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed: blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us; blessed shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones. This reward of Babel is enlarged, Esay 13.16. Their children shall be broken in pieces before their eyes: their houses shall be spoiled; and their wives ravished. Thus not to trouble you with many examples, we see by the reward of cruelty in the examples of Adonibezek, Agag, and the Babylonians, that God abhorreth it. God abhorreth cruelty, howsoever he doth punish it with another cruelty. God repaieth cruelty with cruelty, according to the well known proverb, Matth. 7.2. With what measure you meet, with the same shall men measure to you again. The use of the doctrine now confirmed, is to work in us the love of clemency and mercifulness. When we are well assured, that the cruel themselves shall taste of cruelty by way of punishment, we will be afraid to behave ourselves towards any cruelly. All cruelty is checked by the law of God, by the sixth commandment, Thou shalt do no murder; or Thou shalt not kill. The law that is written, Deut. 25 3. touching forty stripes, and not above, to be given to an offender, should draw our cruel rage and fierce affections to pity and compassion. The tenor of the law is: If a wicked man be condemned to be beaten, the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face according to his trespass unto a certain number: forty stripes shall he cause him to have, and not past, lest if he should exceed, & beat him above that with many stripes, thy brother should appear despised in thy fight. We may be many ways guilty of cruelty. First, if we exercise tyrannous cruelty, in inflicting punishments. This we know by the above cited place out of Deut. 25. Secondly, if we fight with, or beat our neighbour, or maim his body. This is a cruelty & a breach of the sixth commandment: but specially checked, Levit. 24.19, 20. If a man cause any blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, such a blemish as he hath made in any, even such shall be repaied to him. Thirdly, if we procure any way the death of our neighbour, whether it be by the sword, by famine, by poison, by false accusation, or otherwise. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the sixth commandment. The offender in this behalf may be ranked with Cain, Gen. 4 8. where it is said: Cain rose against his brother, and slew him. Fourthly, if we use any of God's creatures hardly. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the sixth commandment: but specially controlled. Deut, 22.6. If thou find a birds nest in the way, in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young, or eggs, & the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young, but shalt in any wise let the damme go, and take the young to thee, that thou mayest prosper, and prolong thy days. This special cruelty is taxed, Prou. 12.10. where we are told, That the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. Fiftly, if because of our neighbour's infirmities, we use him discourteously, and make him our laughing stock, or taunting recreation. This is a cruelty, and a breach of the sixth commandment: but specially checked, Levit. 19.14. Thou shalt not curse the deaf; nor put a stumbling block before the blind. Sixtly, if we injury a stranger. This is a cruelty, and specially controlled, Exod. 22.21. Thou shalt not do injury to a stranger, neither oppress him. Seventhly, if we molest any widow, or fatherless child. This is a cruelty, and specially checked, Exod. 22.22. Ye shall not trouble any widow, or fatherless child. Eightly, if we wrong the poor. This is a cruelty, & a breach of the sixth commandment. This cruelty we are guilty of many ways. First, if we lend money to the poor upon usury. This cruelty is taxed, Exod. 22.25. If thou lend money to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be as an usurer unto him, ye shall not oppress him with usury. Secondly, if we pay not the poor labourer his hire. This cruelty is taxed, Deut. 24.14. Thou shalt not oppress a needy and poor hired servant: thou shalt give him his hire for his day: the Sun shall not go down upon it, for he is poor, and therewith sustaineth his life; lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. Thirdly, if we restore not the pledge of the poor. This cruelty is taxed, Exod. 22.26. If thou take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the Sun go down. For it is his only covering and garment for his skin. Fourthly, if we withdraw our corn from the poor. This cruelty is taxed, Prou. 11.26. He that withdraweth corn, the people will curse him. Whosoever he be that withdraweth his corn from the market, where it should be sold, keeping it against a dear time, the people will curse him: they will speak, as they have just occasion, all manner of evil of him, as that he is a covetous and miserable wretch. Now (dear beloved) you have been taught out of the eternal word of truth, that many ways you may be guilty of cruelty, and so break the sixth commandment of Almighty God. If you fight with, or beat your neighbour, or maim his body: if by any means you procure the death of your neighbour: if you use your neighbour discourteously, or make him your laughing stock, or taunting recreation? if you use any of God's creatures hardly: if you injury strangers: if you molest fatherless children, & widows: if you be too severe in punishing your servants, or children: if you wrong the poor, either by lending him your money upon usury: or by not paying him his hire: or by not restoring him his pledge: or by withdrawing your corn from him; if you offend but in the least of these, you are guilty of cruelty, and transgressors of Gods most holy commandment. The consideration whereof if it work in you the love of clemency, and mercifulness, happy are you: if not, I have discharged my duty. Thus fare have I been carried by my first doctrine, grounded upon these words, They have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. My doctrine was: God is never well pleased with too much cruelty. Now be patiented, I beseech you, while upon the same words I ground a second doctrine. They have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:] They] that is, the Syrians, God's enemies, have threshed Gilead] that is, some of the Israelites, Gods own people, with threshing instruments of iron. The lesson we learn from hence is; God often humbleth his servants under his foes, and their adversaries. This point is notably verified, in Lot sore pressed upon by the Sodomites, Gen. 19.9. in the Israelites, hardly dealt with by the Egyptians, Exod. 1.11. etc. in the 70. brethren, sons of jerubbaal, persecuted by Abimelech, most of them to the death, judg. 9.5. in jeremy twice evil entreated; first beaten, and put in the stocks by Pashure, jer. 20.2. and a second time beaten and imprisoned by Zedechias his nobles, jer. 37.15. In the three children, cast into the fiery furnace by Nabuchodonosor, Dan. 3.21. Many more are the examples registered in the book of God, fit to prove this point: which also may further appear unto you, in those bloody persecutions after Christ his death by the Roman Emperors, in those strange torments which they devised to keep down religion, and religious professors, men & women; Ler Serm. D. Laurent. Prudent. hymn. in S. Laurent. they plucked off their skins quick; they bored out their eyes with wimbles; they broiled them alive on gredirons; they scalded them in boiling liquors; they enclosed them in barrels, and driving great nails thorough, tumbled them down mountains, till their own blood so cruelly drawn out, stifled, and choked them in the barrels: women's breasts were seared off with burning irons, their bodies rend, & their joints racked. Many more were the grievous torments endured by the faithful in the time of the ten first persecutions in the primitive Church. All, and every of which do strongly prove my doctrine; God often humbleth his servants under his foes, and their adversaries. The reason why God humbleth his servants, under his, and their enemies, is their disobedience to his word. This is plain, Deut. 28.36, 37. If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep and to do all his commandments, and his ordinances, the Lord shall bring thee, and thy king unto a nation, which neither thou, nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other Gods, wood and stone: and thou shalt be a wonder, a proverb, and a common talk among all the people, whither the Lord shall carry thee. Where you see captivity, and banishment, denounced to Gods own people, if they disobey his word. You have now my doctrine, and the reason of it. My doctrine, God often humbleth his servants under his foes, and their adversaries. The reason is, The disobedience of God's servants to the word of God. The uses of this doctrine. 1. To show unto us how great God's anger is for sin, that doth punish it so severely, even in his dearest children. The consideration hereof should work in us a loathing, hatred, and detestation of sin. Yet such is the perversity of our corrupt natures, that we daily fleet from sin to sin, like the fly that shifteth from sore to sore: we tempt the Lord, we murmur, we lust, we commit idolatry: we have our eyes full of adultery, our hearts exercised with covetousness, our bodies weakened with drunkenness; by all means we serve the flesh, sitting down to eat, and rising to play. Never more need than now, to smite our breasts, and pray with the Publican, Luk. 18.13. O God be merciful unto us sinners. 2. To teach us, not to measure the favour of God towards ourselves, or others, by the blessings, or adversities of this life, seeing the wicked do often flourish when the godly are in great misery: and on the other side, the godly do prosper, when the wicked are in distress. In my text we see the Gileadites, a portion of Israel, threshed with instruments of iron, by the hands of a wicked people, and Gods enemies, the Syrians of Damascus. Behold the prosperity of the wicked. In Exod. 14. we see the children of Israel passing thorough the red sea, as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians assaying to do the like were drowned. Behold the prosperity of the Godly. Measure not therefore the favour of God, by the blessings or adversities of this life. Whatsoever out estate be now, or hereafter shall be, let us therewith be contented. If God be pleased to bless us with peace, plenty, and prosperity, blessed be his holy Name: & if he shall not like so to bless us, but shall rather chastise us with trouble, want, and adversity; yet still blessed be his holy Name: and his will be done. 3 To make us pour out our souls in thankfulness before Almighty God, for our present estate and condition. We know that our sworn enemies, the Popish crew, and faction, of long time envied, and maliced our happy peace. Had they had power according to their will, how would they have used us? Would they not have threshed us with threshing instruments of iron? What mercy, or pity, could be expected from them, who with so inhuman, barbarous, and cruel a plot, their plot of gunpowder, the like whereof was never before heard of, would have blown up, & torn piecemeal, the King, Queen, Prince, Lords, and Commons, the fift of November i This Sermon was preached Sept. 21. 1606 last, as you well know? what shall we render unto the Lord, for this so great a deliverance? Let us render the calves of our lips applying David's song of degrees, Psalm 124. to our present purpose. 1 If the Lord had not been on our side, (may great Britain now say.) 2 If the Lord had not been on our side, when the Popish sect rose up against us. 3 They had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. 4 Then had their k Seven sparks of the enkindled soul by R.B.P. Psal. 2. pag 33. fury flien forth as thunder, the flame had Burst out beyond the furnace. 5 Then had we been like l Ibid. stubble in their way. 6 Praised be the Lord, who hath not given us a prey unto their teeth. 7 Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. To this thankfulness, I purpose further to incite you, if God give life, and leave, upon the fift of November next, the day appointed by Act of Parliament for your public thanksgiving for that most happy deliverance. My text shall be the Psalm now applied unto us, the 124. Mean time let us beseech Almighty God to give his blessing to that which hath been spoken, that it may fructify, and bring forth fruit in us, in some thirty, in some sixty, in some a hundred fold, to the glory of God's holy name, and the salvation of our own souls. THE Eight Lecture. AMOS 1.4. Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad, etc. THis is the fourth part of this prophecy against the Syrians, wherein are set down the punishments to be inflicted upon the Syrians for their sins, as first I noted, Generally, verse the 4. Specially, verse the 5. In the fourth verse, wherein the punishments to be inflicted upon the Syrians, are generally set down, I note, 1 Who punisheth. 2 How he punisheth. 3 Whom he punisheth. The punisher is the Lord; he punisheth by fire. The punished are the Syrians, to be understood in the names of their Kings, Hazael and Benhadad. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. The punisher is the Lord; for thus saith the Lord, I will send. The note yields us this doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. In speaking of the vengeance of God, our first care must be, not to derogate any thing from his proclivity, and propensnes unto mercy. We must break out into the mention of his great goodness, and sing a loud of his mercies, as David doth, Ps. 145.7. The Lord is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger; and of great kindness; he is loving, and good to all; his mercy is over all his works. The Lord strong, and mighty, blessed above all, yea being blessedness itself, and therefore having no need of any man, is loving, and good unto every man. Our sins have provoked his vengeance against us yet he, slow to anger, and of great goodness; reserveth mercy for thousands, for all the elect, and forgiveth all their iniquities, transgressions, and sins. His goodness here resteth not: it reacheth also unto the reprobate, though they cannot feel the sweet comfort of it. For he maketh his a Matth 5.45. sun to rise on the evil, & the good; and sendeth rain on the just, and unjust; yea many times the sun, and rain and all outward, and temporary blessings are wanting to the just, and good, when the unjust, and evil do flourish, and are in great prosperity. Thus is God's graciousness, & great bounty extended unto every man, whether he be a blessed Abel, or a cursed Cain; a loved jacob, or a hated Esau; an elected David, or a rejected Saul. God is loving and good unto every man: the Psalmist addeth; and his mercies are over all his works. There is not any one of God's works, but it showeth unto others, and findeth in itself very large testimonies, of God's mercy, and goodness; I except not the damnation of the wicked, much less the chastisements of the Godly. God's mercies are over all his works. David knew it well, and sang accordingly, Psal. 145 8. The Lord is gracious, and merciful, long suffering, and of great goodness. jonah knew it well, and confessed accordingly, chap. 4.2. Thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of evil. The Church knows it well, and prays accordingly: O God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy, and to forgive, receive our humble petitions. David, jonah, and the Church, all have learned it at Gods own mouth, who having descended in a cloud to mount Sinai, passed before the face of Moses and cried, as is recorded, Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord, strong, merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness, and truth, reserving mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. In which place of Scripture, although afterwards there followeth a little of his justice, which he may not forget, yet we see the main stream runneth concerning mildness, and kindness, and compassion: whereby we may perceive, what it is, wherein the Lord delighteth. His delight is to be a saviour, a deliverer, a preserver, a redeemer, and a pardoner. As for the execution of his judgements, his vengeance, and his fury, he comes unto it with heavy and leaden feet. To which purpose Zanchius allegeth that of the Prophet Esai. chap. 28.21. The Lord shall stand (as once he did in mount Perazim, when David overcame the Philistines) he shall be angry (as once he was in the valley of Gibeon, when joshua discomfited the five Kings of the Amorites) he shall stand, he shall be angry, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act; out of which words of the Prophet he notes that God's works are of two sorts; either proper unto himself, and natural; as, to have mercy, and to forgive: or else strange and somewhat diverse from his nature; as, to be angry, and to punish. I know some do expound these words otherwise, understanding by that strange work, and strange act of God, there mentioned, Opus aliquod insolens, & admirabile, some such work as God seldom worketh; some great wonder. Notwithstanding this natural exposition of that place, the former may well be admitted also. For it is not altogether unnatural, being grounded upon such places of Scripture, as do make for the preeminence of mercy above justice. It's true: God hath one scale of justice, but the other proves the heavier; mercy doth overweigh. He who is ever just, is merciful more than ever, if it may be possible. He may forget our iniquities, but his tender mercies he will never forge●. This our Lord, good, merciful, gracious, and long suffering, is here in my text the punisher, and sendeth fire into the house of Hazael: whereupon I built this doctrine; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This office of executing vengeance upon the wicked for sins, God arrogateth and assumeth to himself, Deut. 32 35. where he saith, vengeance and recompense are mine. This due is ascribed unto the Lord by S. Paul, Rom. 12.19. It is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. By the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 10.30. Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. By the sweet singer, Psal. 94.1. O Lord God, the avenger, O God, the avenger. You see by these now-cited places, that God alone is he who executeth vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This doctrine is faithfully delivered by the wise son of Syrach, chap. 39, where he saith: Verse 28. There be spirits that are created for vengeance, which in their rigour lay on sure strokes; in the time of destruction they show forth their power, & accomplish the wrath of him that made them: Fire, and hail, and famine, & death, Verse 29. all these are created for vengeance: The teeth of wild beasts, Verse 30. and the scorpions, and the serpents, and the sword, execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked. Nay, saith he, Vers. 26. The principal things for the whole use of man's life: as water, and fire, and iron, and salt, and meal, and wheat, and honey, and milk, and the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing. Verse 27. All those things though they be for good unto the godly, yet to the sinners they are turned unto evil. So my doctrine standeth good; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. And you see he hath ways enough to do it. All things that may be for our good, are glad to do him service against us. The consideration hereof should move our hearts to wisdom. It should move us b Hereof I spoke in a Sermon upon Hebr. 10.30. to beware of those crying sins usually committed against the first table, that we provoke not God's vengeance against us, by Idolatry, in worshipping the creature above the creator, blessed for ever; by tempting God, in making trial whether his word be true or not; by murmuring against God in laying injustice to his charge, quod bonis male fit & malis bene; for afflicting the godly, when the wicked live at ease; by rebellion and contumacy, in taking counsel together against the Lord, & against his Christ; by blasphemy, in doing despite to the Spirit of grace. It may move us also to beware of those other sins, crying sins too, usually committed against the second table; that we provoke not God's vengeance against us by dishonouring our parents, and such as God hath put in place of government above us; by grieving our children, and such as are by us to be governed; by oppressing the fatherless, and the poor; by giving ourselves over unto filthy lusts. Beloved in the Lord, let us not forget this: though God, be good, gracious, merciful, and long suffering, yet is he also a just God; God the avenger, and punisher. Here we see he resolveth to send a fire into the house of Hazael; which is, the second thing to be considered; How God punisheth: By fire. I will send a fire etc. Albeit sometime God himself doth by himself immediately execute his vengeance upon the wicked; as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt, Exod. 12.29. and Nabal. 1. Sam. 25.38. and Vzzah, 2. Sam, 6.7. yet many times he doth it by his instruments: c Wigand. Syntagm. Vet. Test. Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei; All the creatures of God are ready at his command to be the executioners of his vengeance. Among the rest, and in the first rank, is fire. God sent a fire to lay waist Sodom and Gomorah, and their sister cities, Gen. 19.24. to eat up Nadab, and Abihu, Levit 10.2, to cut of the two hundred, and fifty men, that were in the rebellion of Korah, Num. 16.35. to devour two captains & twice fifty men, 2. King. 1.10. & 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this point. My text telleth you, that fire, God's creature, becometh God's instrument, & executioner of his vengeance: I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus. Drusius. Ar. Montanus. Mercer. Caluin. Gualther expositors do understand not only natural fire, but also the sword, and pestilence, and famine; quod libet genus consumptionis, every kind of consumption, every scourge, wherewith God punisheth the wicked, and disobedient, be it hail, or thunder, or sickness, or any other of God's messengers. So fare is the signification of fire, though not in the natural, yet in the Metaphorical understanding extended. The doctrine which from hence I gather is. As is the fire, so are all other creatures at the Lords commandment to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. This truth well appeareth by that which I even now repeated out of Eccles. 39 whence you heard, that some spirits are created for vengeance; as also are fire, and hail, and famine, and death, and the teeth of wild beasts, and the scorpions, and the serpents, and the sword; yea, that the principal things for the whole use of man's life, as water, and fire, and iron, and salt, and meal, & wheat, and honey, and milk, and the blood of the grape, and oil, & clothing, are all for evil unto the wicked. If that proof, because the book, whence it is taken, is Apocryphal, like you not: give care I pray you, while I prove it out of Canonical Scripture. The doctrine to be proved is. Fire, and all other creatures, are at the Lords commandment to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. I prove it by the service of Angels, and other creatures. 2 King. 19.35. we read of an hundred fourscore and five thousand in the camp of Ashur slain by an Angel of the Lord. The thing is related also, Esay 37.36. This ministry of God's Angels David acknowledgeth Psal. 35.5, 6. where his prayer against his enemies is, that the Angel of the Lord might scatter and persecute them. 1. Sam. 7.10. we read that the Lord did thunder a great thunder upon the Philistines. Ezech. 14. we read how the Lord punisheth a sinful land, with his e Ezech. 14.21. four sore judgements, the sword, pestilence, famine, and noisome beasts. The story of God's visitation upon Pharaoh, and the Egyptians in Exod. chap. 8, 9 and 10. is fit for my purpose, You shall there find, that frogs, lice, flies, grasshoppers, thunder, hail, lightning, murrain, botches, & sores, did instrumentally avenge God upon man and beast in Egypt. Add hereto what you read, Psal. 148.8. fire and hail, and snow, and vapours, and stormy winds do execute God's commandment. Thus is my doctrine proved, As is the fire, so are all other creatures at the Lords commandment to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. The use of this doctrine is to teach us, how to behave ourselves at such times as God shall visit us with his rod of correction, how to carry ourselves in all our afflictions. We must not so much look to the instruments, as to the Lord that smiteth by them. Here set we before our eyes holy King David. His patience! be it the pattern of our Christian imitation. When Shimei a man of the family of the house of Saul, came out against him, cast stones at him, and railed upon him, calling him to his face a man of blood, and a man of Belial, a murderer, and a wicked man, the good King did not as he was wished to do: he took not away the murderer's life, but had respect to the primus motor, even Almighty God, the first mover of this his affliction; Shimei he knew was but the instrument. And therefore thus saith he to Abischai, 2. Sam. 16.10. He curseth because the Lord had bidden him curse David; and who dare then say, wherefore hast thou done so? Suffer him to curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. Here also set we before our eyes holy job. His patience! be it the pattern of our Christian imitation. The loss of all his substance, & his children, by the Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire from heaven, and a great wind from beyond the wilderness, could not turn away his eyes from the God of heaven to those second causes. They he knew were but the instruments. And therefore possessing his soul in patience he said, job. 1.21. Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken: blessed be the name of the Lord. To these instances of David, and job, add one more; that of the blessed Apostles, Peter, john, & the rest, Act. 4.27. Though Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, had crucified, and done to death the Lord of life, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage, and bitter speeches against them. In that great execution of the Lord jesus, they had regard unto the hand of God. Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the jews, they knew were but instruments. For thus make they their confession before the Lord of heaven and earth, verse the 28. Doubtless both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, gathered themselves together against thine holy Son jesus, to do whatsoever thine hand, and thy counsel had determined to be done. To good purpose than is that question propounded by Amos, chap. 3.6. Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? It may serve for an anchor to keep us, that we be not carried away with the waves of tribulation, and affliction. It assureth us that God, who bad Shimei curse David, who sent the Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire from heaven, and a great wind from beyond the wilderness, to spoil, and make an end of jobs substance and his children; who determined that Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the Israelites, should put to death the Lord of life: that the same God hath his finger, yea, and his whole hand too, in all our crosses and tribulations. Is there any evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it? Here (beloved in the Lord) must we be taxed for a vanity at least, (I had almost said a blasphemy) deeply rooted, & too well settled among us. Upon the access of any calamity we cry out, bad luck, bad fortue. If the strong man come into our house, and take from us the flower of our riches, our silver and gold, than we cry, What luck? What fortune? If our sheep and cattles fail us, than also we cry, What luck? What fortune? Whatsoever cross befalleth us, luck and fortune is still in our mouths: Quasi Deus otium coloret in coelo, & non curaret res humanas; as if we were to hold it for an article of our belief, that God liveth idly in heaven, and hath no regard of man's affairs. Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this question; shall there be any evil in the city, and t●● Lord hath not done it? and the holy Apostles, in acknowledging God's hand in the death of Christ; and holy job in blessing the name of the Lord for all his losses; and holy David, in patiently taking Shimeis' curses, as an affliction sent him from the Lord, do all plainly show this, that the empire of this world is administered by Almighty God, & that nothing happeneth unto us, but by God's hand, and appointment. Learn we then more patience towards the instruments of our calamities, miseries, crosses, and afflictions: let us not belike the dog, that snatcheth at a stone cast at him, without regard unto the thrower. Here we learn a better property: even to turn our eyes from the instruments to the hand that smiteth by them. Thus fare of my second circumstance; How God punisheth. My third was; whom he punisheth] Hazael and Benhadad; the house of Hazael, and palaces of Benhadad. If you will know who this Hazael was, you must have recourse to the sacred story, 2. Kings 8. There shall you find him sent by Benhadad, King of Syria, with a present unto Elizeus to know concerning his sickness, whether he should recover of it; and after his return from Elizeus, with a thick wet cloth to have strangled, and murdered his Lord, and Master, King Benhadad. This was he, whom Elizeus foretold of his hard usage of the Israelites; that he should set on fire their strong cities; should slay their young men with the sword; should dash their infants against the stones; and should rend in pieces their women great with child. This was he, who 2. Kings. 13.7. so destroyed the children of Israel, that he made them like dust beaten to powder. This was he of whose death we read verse the 24. The house of Hazael] either the family, stock, and posterity of Hazael; as Arias Montanus, Mercer, Drusius expound: or some material house, which Hazael had proudly and stately built for himself, and his posterity. This later exposition is added to the former by Mercer, and Drusius, because of that which followeth, the palaces of Benhadad. Benhadad.] In writing this name, I find three errors. One of the Greeks who writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were in the Hebrew Benader. The second of the Latins, who writ it Benhadad. The third of jonathan, the Chaldee paraphrast, who writes it Barhadad: whereas the right name is Benhadad. Benhadad (saith Mercer upon this place) was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria; as was first Pharaoh, and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt, and Caesar to the Roman Emperors. From this opinion of Mercer, Drusius in obseruat. sacr. 11.14. varieth, affirming that albeit divers Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad, yet doth it not thereupon follow, that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syriae. In holy Scripture we read of three Benhadad's. Of the first 1. Kings. 15.18. who was King of Syria, at what time Asa reigned in judah, and Baasha in Israel. Of the second, 2 King. 8.7. who in his sickness sent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God to counsel. Of the third 2 Kings. 13.3. who was Hazaels' son, and his successor in the throne. Now the Benhadad in my text, is either Benhadad, Hazaels' predecessor, slain by Hazael, or Benhadad, Hazaels' son, and successor. The Palaces of Benhadad] to be devoured by fire from the Lord. These palaces of Benhadad are the goodly, sumptuous, proud, and stately edifices made, or enlarged, by either of the Benhadad's, or by both: Hazaels' predecessor, and successor. Thus have you the exposition of my third circumstance, which was concerning the parties punished; no mean parties parties of no lower rank than Kings: Hazael, and Benhadad The Lord punisheth, he punisheth by fire; he punisheth by fire Hazael, and Benhadad; I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced. I can but point at them. 1 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the house of Hazael, against his family, and posterity, we are put in mind of a truth expressed in the second commandment; this: God will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. Dear beloved; sore is that anger, the flame of whose punishment casteth out smoke so fare: yet the meaning thereof is, as Ezechiel showeth, chap. 18. If the children do follow the father's wickedness, and not otherwise. To visit then, is not to punish the children for the father's offences, but to take notice, and apprehend them in the same faults, by reason they are given over to commit their father's transgressions, that for them they be punished. The use is, to admonish you that are Parents, not only to live yourselves virtuously, and religiously, while you have your abode here, but also carefully to see to the training up of your children, in virtue, and true religion, least partaking with your in your sins, they prove inheritors of your punishments also. 2 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the house, and palaces of Hazael, and Benhadad, two Kings: we learn this lesson. It is neither wealth, nor policy, nor power, nor preferment, that can stead us, if God's unappeasable anger break out against us for our sins. The reason hereof we read, jerem. 4.4. It's this: Because of the wickedness of our inventions, God's wrath comes forth like fire, and burneth that none can quench it. The use is to teach us, that we despise not Gods judgements, nor abuse his mercies; but that we tremble at the one, and be drawn to well doing by the other. 3 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into the palaces of Benhadad, to devour them: we learn thus much. God depriveth us of a great blessing, when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. The great commodity, or contentment, that cometh to every one of us by our dwelling houses, doth experimentally make good unto us this truth. The use is; to teach us, first, to be humbled before Almighty God, whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from us. Secondly, since we peaceably enjoy our dwelling houses, to use them for the furtherance of God's glory. Thirdly, to praise God day by day for the comfortable use we have of our dwelling houses. It would tyre you to hear these doctrines, and their uses severally amplified, and enlarged. In the sequel of this chapter, I shall have occasion to repeat them to you. THE Ninth Lecture. AMOS 1.5. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Beth-Eden, and the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir. WE are now come to the second branch of the fourth part of this prophecy, in the 5. verse, wherein are set down more specially the punishments to be inflicted upon the Syrians for their sins. And this is done in four several clauses. In each we may observe three circumstances. 1 The punisher: the Lord, either immediately by himself, or mediately by his instruments. 2 The punished: the Syrians not of any one city only; but of the whole country; which we gather from these names, Damascus, Bikeath-Auen, Betheden and Aram. 3 The punishment; the spoil of the country; and ruin of the whole state. The bar of Damascus must be broken; the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and the King, keeping his court at Beth-Eden, must be cut off: and the people of Aram must go into captivity. Of the words as they lie in order. I will also break the bar of Damascus] I, the Lord, a job. 9.5, 6, etc. remove mountains, and they feel not when I overthrew them; I remove the earth out of her place, and make her pillars to shake; I command the sun, and it riseth not; I close up the stars as under a signet: I myself alone spread out the heavens and walk upon the height of the sea: I make Arcturus. Orion, and Pleyades, and the climates of the South: I, the Lord, who do great things, and unsearchable, marvellous things, without number, b Amos 5.8. & 9.6. jehovah is my name. I, the Lord, jehovah, who have resolved to send a fire into the house of Hazael, and palaces of Benhadad; I will also break the bar of Damascus. You know what a bar is in its proper signification: an instrument wherewith we make fast the gates of our cities, and doors of our houses, against the violence of our enemies. If the bar be broken, the entrance into the city, or house will be the easier. Kedar is discovered to be weak, for want of bars, jer. 49.31. And so are they against whom Gog, and Magog were to fight. Ezech. 38.11. they had neither bars, nor gates. jerusalem had both; and God made them strong, Psal, 147.13. Therefore praise the Lord, O jerusalem, praise thy God, O Zion; for he hath made the bars of thy gates strong; so strong, that no enemy is able to break them, or to make any irruption into them. A bar is also used to a figurative sense; Metaphorically, and Synecdochically; and betokeneth munition, fortifications, the forts and strong holds of a country, the strength of any thing. To which sense the sea hath bars. We read of them, job 38.10. God hath appointed the sea her bars, and doors, saying, hitherto shalt thou come; here will I stay thy proud waves. And the earth hath bars. We read of them, jon. 2.6. And, what are the bars of the earth, but the c D. King B. of London, in jon. lect. 27. strongest muniments, and senses it hath; her promontories, and rocks, which God hath placed in her frontiers, to withstand the force of the waters? A●● Moab hath bars, Esai. 15.5. There the bars of Moab, a●● put for the forts in the borders of Moab. And Egypt hath bars, Ez●ch. 30.18. Where Egypt's bars af●er the exposition of Illyricus in his d Verbo, vectis. key of Scriptures, are munitiones & robur, the fortifications, and strength of Egypt. So here: the bars of Damascus, are e Mercer. Damasci robur, munitiones, portae & claustra munitissima; the strength of Damascus; the muni●ions of Damascus; the gates of Damascus; the most fenced fortresses of Damascus. Yet f Gualther. Vniversum regni robur, the whole strength of the kingdom of Syria, is to be understood in these bars of Damascus. Of Damascus] no base nor contemptible city. Lewes Vert●man●i●, a gentleman of Rome, in his travel to those eastern parts of the world, a hundred years ago, saw this city, and admiting the marvelous beauty thereof, hath Navigat. cap. 5. left a record of it to posterity. It is (saith he) in manner incredible, and passeth all belief, to think how fair the city of Damascus is, and how fertile is the soil. This Damascus is a city of great antiquity g See my six h lecture upon this chapter. built as some coniectue by Eliezer, the steward of Abraham's house who was surnamed Damascus, Gen. 15.2. So that this city was built more than 3444. years ago; for h In the ●●are of the w●rld 21●4. I un●● in Ch onolog. And th● Serm n was ●reached A. ●. 16●6 ●eb●. 8. so long ago Abraham died. The first mention of this city is, Gen. 14.15. Others holding the name of this city to have been more ancient than Abraham, do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sons of Aram Gen. 10.23. whereupon Damascus was called also Aram, as S. Hierome upon Esai. 17. witnesseth. Whatsoever were the antiquity of this city, it is plain by Esai. 7.8. that it was the Metropolitaine, and chiefest city of Syria. The Prophet jeremy gives it a high commendation, chap. 49.25. where he calls it a glorious city, and the city of his joy. Damascus in this place is not the bare city, but i ●e● c●●us. tractus Damascus, siue Decapolitanus; the whole country about Damascus, and the coasts of Decapolis, whereof we read, Mark. 7.31. I will also break the bars of Damascus] To break in the Hebrew phrase, and by a Metaphor, is to consume, to destroy, to waste, to spoil. In the 24. of Esai. vers. 19 where the Prophet saith; confractione confringetur terra: the earth shall with breaking be broken: the meaning is; the earth shall certainly be wasted, and spoiled. So here; I will break the bar of Damascus, that is, I will consume, & spoil, all the munitions, all the fortifications, all the fenced fortresses, all the strength of Damascus. This office of breaking bars, God elsewhere assumeth to himself, as Esai. 45.2. where thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus, his anointed; I will break the brazen doors, and burst the iron bars. The Psalmist also ascribeth unto the Lord this office of breaking bars, Psal. 107.16. where exhorting us to confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and to declare his wonderful works, he bringeth this for a reason: For he hath broken the gates of brass, and hath burst the bar of iron asunder. Now have you the meaning of these words, I will break the bar of Damascus; I] the Lord, will break] by my mighty power, will lay waste, and consume, the bar] bar for bars, all the strength of Damascus] of that part of Syria, which bordereth upon Damascus. Now let us see what less●●s may be taken from hence for our further instruction, and meditation. You will remember my three propounded circumstances; The punisher, The punishment, The punished. The punisher, is the Lord; the punishment, is breaking of bars; the punished, is the whole country of Damascus. From the first circumstance of the punisher, the Lord himself taking vengeance into his own hand, I gather this doctrine; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This doctrine was in my last Lecture commended unto you, and then at large confirmed. I need not make any repetition of it. The consideration of it day after day, cannot be either vain or unfruitful to us. It may cause us to be wary and heedful, that by our daily sinning we make not ourselves k john 8.34. Rom. 6.20. servants unto sin, and l 2 Pet. 2.19. corruption. And whereas we cannot but sin daily, (for who can say, I have m Prou. 20.9. purged my heart, I am clean from my sin?) it may draw us to repentance, and to a godly sorrow for our sins; whereby we have transgressed the law of God, offended his Majesty, and provoked his wrath. We must believe it: though God be good, gracious, merciful, and long suffering, yet is he also a just God; God the avenger, and punisher. The consideration of this point, may further admonish us, to be wary in any case that we breathe not after revengement. To revenge our wrongs, is God's office, we must not intrude ourselves into it; we may not usurp it. Why will we herein be our own carvers? The wise son of Sirach, chap. 28.1. speaks it confidently: He that seeketh vengeance, shall find vengeance of the Lord, and he will surely keep his sins. Mark his exhortation following, verse the 2. Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done to thee; so shall thy sins be forgiven thee also. Wise Siracides saith no more, than doth our Saviour jesus Christ, Matt. 6.14, 15. If ye do forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if ye do not forgive men their trespasses, no more will your father forgive you your trespasses. Dear beloved, is this so? Will not God forgive us, unless we forgive others? We must needs grant it to be so, praying daily as we do, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Much then (beloved) very much to blame are we, who lead our lives, as if Lex talionis, that same old law of rendering like for like, first recorded, n And Levit. 24.20. & Deut. 19 21. Matth. 5.38. Exod. 21.24. were this day in force. Even this day, we stick not to be of mind with the godless worldling: Receive I wrong? I will repay it, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. As good as he bringeth, I will give him. We are commanded, Matth. 18.22. to forgive one another, even seventy times seven times. How have we cast behind us this holy commandment? If thy neighbour sin against thee, wilt thou not be meet with him seven years after, if possible? Tell me; if by order of friends, or constraint, thou be moved to forgive thy neighbour, wilt thou forgive him? Forgive him? Yea after a sort. We will forsooth forgive the fault, but not forget the matter, nor affect the party that wronged us. Is this to love our enemies? Is this not to resist evil? Nothing less. Learn therefore of Christ what it is, to love your enemies, Matth. 5.44. Bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; pray for them that hurt you, and persecute you. And again learn of Christ, what it is, not to resist evil, Matt. 5.39. Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also: & if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also: and whosoever will compel thee to go with him one mile, go with him twain. This is it, whereto S. Peter exhorteth you, 1 Epist. chap. 3.8. Be ye all of one mind, one suffer with another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, render not evil for evil, nor rebuke for rebuke; but contrariwise bless, if ye will be heirs of blessing. Let wise Solomon's counsel somewhat prevail with you; that counsel which he giveth you, Pro. 24.29. O say not I will do to him as he hath done to me; I will recompense every man according to his work. What shall I do then, when I have received a wrong? What else, but follow the same wise man's counsel, given me, Pro. 20.22. Expectabo Dominum, & liberabit me; I will wait upon the Lord, and he will deliver me. I shut up this meditation with S. Paul's exhortation, Rom. 12.17. Recompense to no man evil for evil; if it be possible, as much as in you is, have peace with all men. Dear beloved, avenge not yourselves, but give place unto wrath; for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Hitherto (beloved in the Lord) I have laboured to work in you a detestation of all private revengement. The occasion of my discourse, was from my propounded doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance; proper to the Lord, and therefore not any way to be meddled in by us. It is not for us by ourselves to avenge the wrongs done unto us; we must wait upon the Lord, who in his good time will right all our injuries. For he hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. Let us 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 bars; and the punished, in the word Damascus. You have already heard the meaning of these words: I will breaks the bar of Damascus] I] the Lord, will] with my mighty power break] lay waste, and consume, the bar] bar, for bars, even all the munition, and strength, of Damascus] of the chiefest city of Syria, and the country adjoining. Must Damascus, the strongest City of all Syria, have her bars broken? Must she be laid waste, and spoilt? Here fixing the eyes of our minds upon the power of the Lord, learn we this lesson; There is no thing, nor creature, able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. Nothing: not gates of brass, nor bars of iron, these he breaketh asunder, Psal. 107.16. No creature. What creature more mighty than a King? Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kings: witness the Psalmist, 110.5. Doth he wound Kings? yea he slayeth mighty Kings, Psal. 135.10. and 136.18. My text avoweth the same, in one of the next clauses, where God thre●●heth to the mighty King of Syria, a cutting off: I cut off him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden. These few now alleged instances do sufficiently (though briefly) confirm my propounded doctrine; There is no thing, nor creature, able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. The reason hereof is, because God only is omnipotent, and whatsoever else is in the world, it is weak, and unable to resist. Of God's omnipotency we make our daily profession in the first article of our belief, professing him to be God, the Father Almighty. In which profession we do not exclude, either the Son, or Holy Ghost, from omnipotency. For God the Father, who imparteth his Godhead unto the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, doth communicate the proprieties of his Godhead to them also. And therefore our belief is, that as the Father is Almighty, Symbolo Atharas. so the Son 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 do whatsoever he will. Secondly, because he is able to do more than he will. For the first, that God is able to do whatsoever he will, who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheism, and infidelity dares deny? This truth being expressly delivered twice in the book of Psalms; First, Psal. 115.3. Our God in heaven, doth whatsoever he will: again, Psal. 135.6. Whatsoever pleaseth the Lord, that doth he in heaven, in earth, in the sea, in all the depths. For the second, that God is able to do more than he will do: every Christian acquainted with the Evangelicall story, doth acknowledge it. It is plain by john Baptists reproof of the Pharisees, and Sadduces, Matth. 3.9. Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our Father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Able, but will not. So likewise when Christ was betrayed, the story, Matth. 26.53. is, that God the Father could have given him more than twelve legions of Angels to have delivered him. He could, but would not. The like may be said of many other things. The Father was able to have created another world; yea a thousand worlds. Was able, but would not. You see for God's omnipotency, that he is able to do whatsoever he will do; yea that he is able to do more than he will do. God only is omnipotent: whatsoever else is in the world, its weak, and unable to resist: which is the very sum of my doctrine already propounded, and confirmed; There is no thing, nor creature, able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. For as job saith, chap. 9.13. The most mighty helps do stoop under God's anger. This is it, which Nabuchodonosor, Dan. 4.34, 35. confesseth: In comparison of the most high, who liveth for ever, whose power is an everlasting power, whose kingdom 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 heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, nor say unto him, what dost 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 job intendeth, chap. 9.4. demanding a like question: who hath been fierce against God, and hath prospered? I will not further amplify this point; it must stand good against all the might and strength of this world, There is no thing, nor creature, able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. Now let us consider some duties, whereunto we are moved by this doctrine of God's omnipotency. 1 Is there no thing, nor creature able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose? Learn we from hence true humiliation; that same Christian virtue, to which S. Peter 1 epist. 5.6. gives his exhortation: Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. What are we, (beloved) but by nature in ourselves most wretched; conceived, and borne in sin? hitherto running on in wickedness? and daily rebelling against God? against Almighty God, against him, who alone is able to do whatsoever he will; able to do more than he will; able to cast both body and soul into hell fire? Let the consideration of this our wretched estate, work in us the fruits of true humiliation. This true humiliation standeth in our practice of three things. Perkins. Cas. Co●. ●. lib. 1. ca 5. §. 2. pag. 57 1. The sorrow of our heart, whereby we are displeased with ourselves, and ashamed in respect of our sins. 2 Our confession to God, in which we must also do three things. 1 We must acknowledge all our main sins; original, and actual. 2 We must acknowledge our guiltiness before God. 3 We must acknowledge our just damnation for sin. The third thing in our humiliation, is our supplication to be made to God for mercy, which must be with all possible earnestness, as in a matter of life and death. A pattern whereof I present unto you, Dan. 9.17, 18, 19 O our God, hear the prayers of us thy servants, and our supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon us. O our God, incline thine ear to us, and hear us; open thine eyes, and behold our miseries; we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousness, but for thy great tender mercies. O Lord hear us, O Lord forgive us, O Lord consider, and do it, defer not thy mercies for thine own sake, O our God. Thus (beloved) if we humble our selves under the hand of Almighty God, God will lift us up. james 4.10. 1 Pet. 5.6. 2 Is there no thing, nor creature, able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose? Learn we from hence to tremble at God's judgements, to fear them, to stand in awe of them, to quake, and quiver at them. For as God is, so are his judgements: God is terrible, and his judgements are terrible. God is terrible in the assembly of his Saints, Psal. 89.8. terrible in his works, Psal. 66.3. terrible in his doings toward the sons of men, Psal. 66.5. terrible to the Kings of the earth, Psal. 76.13. To pass over with silence many places of holy Scripture, in which God is termed a terrible God; let us confess with the Psalmist, Psal. 76.7. Thou, O God of jacob, thou art to be feared; who shall stand in thy sight, when thou art angry? Here are they worthily to be taxed, and censured, who are so far from fearing Gods iugdements, as that they plainly scoff, and jest at them. Such a one was he of Cambridge-shire, who o This Sermon was preached Febr. 8. 1606. some 14. years since, in the year 1592. made a mock of the Lords glorious voice, the Thunder. The story is delivered by Perkins, in his p Printed at Cambrid●e in 4ᵒ. 1596. p. 36. Alsted. Theolog. Catechet. Sect. 2. pag. 180. exposition of the Creed, in these words: One being with his companion in a house drinking on the Lord's day, when he was ready to departed thence, there was great lightning and thunder: whereupon his fellow requested him to stay; but the man mocking, and jesting at the thunder and lightning, said (as report was) it was nothing but a knave cooper knocking on his tubs; come what would, he would go, and so went on his journey: but before he came half a mile from the house, the same hand of the Lord, which before he had mocked, in a crack of thunder struck him about the girdle steed, that he fell down stark dead. A memorable example, brought home as it were to our doors, to put us in mind of God's heavy wrath against those, which scorn his judgements. Let us (beloved) be wise upon it, and at every judgement of God tremble, and fear, and confess, as before out of Psal. 76.7. Thou, O God of jacob, thou art to be feared; who shall stand in thy sight; when thou art angry? 3 Is there no thing, nor creature able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose? Here is matter enough to uphold, and establish our faith in God's promises, to the abolishing of all wavering, and doubting touching our salvation. Thus; No thing, nor creature, is able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. God is able to do whatsoever he will do; he will do whatsoever he hath promised to do; he hath promised to give eternal life to all that believe in jesus Christ. How then can I, who do believe, or any other, who doth believe in jesus Christ, doubt of mine, or their salvation? Upon this rock of God's omnipotency Abraham's faith stood vnshaken, as appeareth Rom. 4. Abraham he doubted not of the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith. And how? Because he was fully assured, that the same God who had promised, was able also to do it. This ableness of God, Abraham opposed to his own weakness. And so, above hope believed under hope, that he should be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken to him, so shall thy seed be. This promise Abraham laid hold of, not considering his own body, even now dead, being almost a hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarahs' womb: he had laid hold of the promise. How? By faith. Which was increased, and confirmed to him, by the consideration of the power of God. And why is all this written of Abraham? S. Paul says why, ver. 23. Now it is not written for him only, that it was imputed to him for righteousness; but also for us, to whom it shall be imputed for righteousness, if we believe in him, that raised up jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification. Wherefore to all our sins, infirmities, and impotencies, from whence may arise diffidence, infidelity, or unbelief, we must ever oppose God's omnipotency; and thereby support our faith in his promises. I shut up this point, and my whole lecture, with S. Austin's discourse, Serm. 123. de tempore: Nemo dicat, non potest mihi dimittere peccata: Let no man say unto me, God cannot forgive me my sins. Quomodo non potest omnipotens? How is it possible that the Almighty should not be able to forgive thee thy sins? But thou wilt say, I am a great sinner; and I say, Sedille omnipotens est; But God is Almighty. Thou repliest and sayest; My sins are such, as from which I cannot be delivered and cleansed; and I answer, Sed ille omnipotens est; But God is Almighty. Almighty; able to do all things, greater or lesser, celestial or terrestrial, immortal or mortal, spiritual or corporal, invisible or visible. Magnus' in magnis, neque paruus in minimis: great in great businesses, and not little in the least. No thing or creature is able to withstand God's power, or to let his purpose. THE Tenth Lecture. AMOS 1.5. I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Beth-Eden, and the people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir. NOw proceed we to the other clauses of the last part of this prophecy, against the Syrians. The second clause is, I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen: The third is, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden: The fourth is, and the people of Aram, etc. In each of these I do observe (as before I did) three circumstances. 1 The punisher the Lord, either immediately by himself or mediately by his instruments. 2 The punishment, to be understood in those phrases of cutting off, and going into captivity. 3 The punished, the Syrians, noted in these names, Bikeath-Auen, Betheden, Aram. Let us examine the words of the text, as they lie in order. I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen] I, the Lord, jehovah, a See lect. 9 who remove mountains, and they feel not when I overthrew them; who remove the earth out of her place, and make her pillars to shake; who myself alone spread out the heavens, and walk upon the height of the sea: I, the Lord, jehovah, who do great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things, and without number: I, the Lord, jehovah, who have resolved to send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad, and have resolved to break the bars of Damascus; I will also cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, etc. I will cut off] To cut off, is in sundry places of holy Scripture a Metaphor, drawn ab excisione arborum, from the cutting down, or rooting up of trees: and signifieth utterly to consume, to waste, to dissipate, to destroy, to extinguish. So it's used, Psal. 101.8. where David purposing not to be negligent or slothful, in the execution of justice against all malefactors in jerusalem, resolveth 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 used, Ps. 109.15. where David's prayer against the wicked is, that their iniquity and sin be always before the Lord, that he may cut off their memorial from the earth. So it's used, Ezech. 14.13. Son of man when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespass, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of bread thereof; and will send famine upon 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 sinful land. I omit many like places of holy writ; and commend unto you, but one more, parallel to this in my text. It is in the 3. ver. of the 2. chap. of this prophecy. There thus saith the Lord; I will cut off the judge 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 judge out of the midst 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 utterly destroy, or extinguish. Which to be the meaning of the word, the author of the Vulgar Latin acknowledgeth, translating the word in the original, not exeindam (as indeed it signifieth) I will cut off, but disperdam, I will destroy. So do the Seventy Interpreters in their Greek edition of the Bible, here translating the Hebrew word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (as indeed it signifieth) I will cut off; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will utterly, or altogether destroy, overthrow, and extinguish. I will cut off the inhabitant] the inhabitant? what? but one? yes, all, and every one of the inhabitants. The Holy Spirit in the sacred Scripture useth so to speak; by a word of the singular number to understand more than one; yea all of that kind: which kind of speech is analogically reduced to the figure Synecdoche. Let us see the truth of this in a few instances. In Exod. 8.6. it is said; when Aaron stretched out his hand upon the waters of Egypt, that then the frog came up, and covered the land. The frog! It were senseless to think that one frog could cover the land of Egypt; and therefore by the frog, we are to understand many frogs. 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. jeremy in chap. 8.7. saith that the stork, the turtle, the crane, and the swallow do know, and observe their appointed times. The stork, the turtle, the crane, the swallow! We may not think the Prophet singleth out one stork, one turtle, one crane, one swallow, from the rest; but his meaning is of all storks, turtles, crane's, swallows, that they know, and observe their appointed times. As in the now cited places, so here in my text, the holy Ghost useth one number, for another; the singular for the plural, understanding by one inhabitant, all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Auen. Of Bikeath-Auen] the Greek Translators taking the words partly appellatively, and partly properly, do render them the field of On. In like sort Gualther, the valley of Auen. The author of the Vulgar Latin, understanding them wholly appellatively, rendereth them, the field of the Idol: and so they may signify, the plain of Auen, the plain of grief, the plain of sorrow, as Caluin observeth. junius and Tremellius do render it, as before Gualther, è convalle Auenis, the valley of Auen: understanding thereby the whole coast of Chamatha, which way Syria bordereth upon Arabia, surnamed the Desert. Caluin saith it is uncertain, 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 professor of Paris, joineth with him. And our English Geneva Translation draweth us to be of the same mind, 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 find Mercer, and Drusius, and our English Translators at Geneva to have been. And Caluin holds it to be credible, though he translates it the house of Eden, so Gualther doth; so doth Tremellius, who by the house of Eden, understandeth the whole country of Coelesyria, wherein stood the city Eden. The author of the Vulgar Latin takes Beth-Eden for an appellative, 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 signify the city of Damascus: as if Damascus were there called not only Bikeath-Auen, that is, the field of the Idol, because of the Idolatry there used, but also Beth-Eden, that is, the house of pleasure, because of the pleasant situation thereof. But I retain 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 plain in my text, where the Lord threatneth, to cut off him, that holdeth the sceptre out of Beth-Eden. Him that holdeth the sceptre] 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 sceptre] This is a periphrasis, or circumlocution of a King. A sceptre is Regium gestamen, and insigne potestatis Regiae, a Kingly mace, the proper ensign, or token of Kingly power. Whence in the best of Greek Poets, Homer, Kings are called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 3.86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, scepter-bearers. Hereby we understand, what we read in the story of Hester, chap. 8.4. King Assuerus held out his golden sceptre toward Hester. And that Gen. 49.10. The sceptre shall not departed from judah. In the former place Assuerus maketh show of his Kingly favour unto Hester, by holding out his mace unto her: in the later jacob prophesieth of the stability and continuance of the Kingdom in the tribe of judah, till the coming of the Messiah. Here than he that holdeth the sceptre in Beth-Eden, is the King abiding in Beth-Eden. Hitherto (beloved) have I laboured to unfold the words of my text: I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden] I] the Lord, with my mighty power, will cut off] will utterly consume, and destroy, the inhabitant] not one only, but every one that dwelleth in Bikeath-Auen] the so named city of Syria. There will I not stay my hand, but I will also with my mighty power cut off, utterly consume and destroy, him that holdeth the sceptre] not only the under-magistrate, but the King himself, out of Betheden] another so named city of Syria. Bikeath-Auen shall not be able to defend her inhabitants, nor Betheden her King. I will cut off, etc.] Thus fare the exposition. Now some notes of instruction. You will be pleased to remember with me, my three propounded circumstances. 1 The punisher, the Lord. 2 The punishment, a cutting off. 3 The punished, the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and the King of Betheden. From the first circumstance; The Lord himself taking vengeance into his own hands, ariseth this doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. Which truth having been often commended to your Christian considerations, in former lectures, I now let pass. From all three circumstances of the punisher, the punishment, and the punished, jointly considered, arise other profitable doctrines. First we see, that the cutting off, of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and of him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, is the Lords proper work. The lesson which we may take from hence is this; No calamity, or misery, be falleth any one of whatsoever estate, or degree, by chance, or at adventure. It was an error of the Paynims to hold fortune in so high account; b Iwen. Sat. 10. Te facimus, Fortuna, Deam, coeloque locamus. They esteemed her as a goddess, & assigned her a place in Heaven. They presented her by the image of a woman, sitting sometimes upon a ball, sometimes upon a wheel, having with her a razor, c Pierius Hieroglyph. lib. 29. bearing in her right hand the stern of a ship, in her left, the horn of abundance: by the razor, they would give us to understand, that she can at her pleasure cut off, and end our happiness; by the ball, or wheel, that she is very prone to volubility and change; by the stern in her right hand, that the whole course of our life is under her government; by the horn of abundance in her left hand, that all out plenty is from her. This palpable Idolatry of the Gentiles, giving the glory of the most high, to their ba●e and inglorious abominations, we Christians must utterly renounce. We honour the Lord of hosts alone, and to him alone do we ascribe the soveraingty, dominion, and rule of the whole world. Such is the extent of God's wonderful and eternal providence. The whole world with all things therein, is wholly and alone subject to the sovereignty, dominion, and rule of Almighty God; by his providence all things are preserved, all things are ruled, all things are ordered. These are the three degrees by which you may discern, and take notice of the Act of divine providence. The first is Gradus conseruationis. Trelcat. Instit. l b. 2 pag. 46. The second, Gradus gubernationis. The third, Gradus ordinationis. The first degree is of maintenance, or preservation; the second is of rule, and government; the third is of ordination, and direction. The first degree, which I termed gradum conseruationis, the degree of maintenance, and preservation, implieth thus much; that all things in general, and every thing in particular, are by Almighty God sustained ordinarily, in the same state of nature, and natural proprieties, wherein they were created. This truth is excellently explained, Psal. 104. & 145. & 147. In which the Psalmist joyfully singeth out, of the wonderful Providence of God in the maintenance and preservation of man, and every other creature; the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea. d Psal. 104.10, 11. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, that all the beasts of the field may drink, and the wild asses quench their thirst. e Psal. 147.8. & Psal. 104.13. He covereth the heaven with clouds, prepareth rain for the earth, and maketh grass to grow even upon mountains, that cattles may have food; he hath made the mountains f Psal. 104.18. to be a refuge for goats, and rocks for coneys: the Lions, g Vers. 21. roaring after their prey, seek their meat at him. You see God's care and providence for the preservation of the beasts of the field; see the like for the fowls of the air. He hath planted the h Psal. 104 16. Cedars of Lebanon, for birds to make their nests there, and the fir trees for the storks to dwell in: the young i Psal. 147.9. ravens that cry unto him, he feedeth. Our Saviour jesus Christ, Matth. 6.26. calls you to this consideration: Behold (saith he) the fowls of heaven; they sow not, nor reap, nor carry into barns, yet your heavenly father feedeth them. God's care and providence for the preservation of his creatures, here resteth not: it reacheth even to the bottom of the sea. There is great k Psal. 104.26. Leviathan; there are creeping things innumerable, small, and great; all which wait upon the Lord, that he may give them food in due season. In due season he gives them food, l Psal. 104.24. and they gather it, he openeth his hand and they are filled with good. O Lord how manifold are thy works? In wisdom hast thou made them all; the whole world is full of thy riches. The providence, I termed gradum gubernationis, the degree of rule, and government. It implieth thus much; that Almighty God for his unlimited power, governeth all things in the world, and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae, even as he listeth. This point is delivered not obscurely in many places of holy Scripture, as in those general, and universal sayings, which do prove God Almighty, even this day to work in the world, and to do all in all. In Esa. 43.13. thus saith the Lord; Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is none that can deliver out of mine hand, I will do it, and who shall let it? Agreeable to this are the words of our Saviour, joh. 5.17. My father worketh hitherto, and I work. From both these places we may truly infer that God worketh in the government of this world day after day, even until the end thereof: which Saint Paul, Ephes 1.11. avoweth; He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. To the consideration hereof Elihu stirreth up afflicted job, Chap. 37. wishing him to consider the wondrous works of God, the Clouds, and his light shining out of them; the thunder, God's marvelous and glorious voice; the snow, the frost, the whirlwind, the rain; all these God ruleth, and governeth after his good pleasure. And who I pray you ruleth man, and man's affairs, but the Lord? O Lord, saith jerem. chap. 10.23. I know that the way of man is not in himself, neither is it in man to walk, and to direct his steps. King Solomon confesseth as much, Prou. 20.24. The steps of man are ruled by the Lord. From this ruling providence of God, King David, Psal. 23.1. drew unto himself a very comfortable argument: The Lord feedeth me, therefore I shall not want. Let us as comfortably reason with ourselves; The Lord feedeth us, therefore we shall not want. It is spoken to our never ending comfort by our blessed Saviour, Matth. 10.29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father? Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. In the same place he further assureth, that all the hairs of our head are numbered. Doth God's care reach to the falling of the hairs of our head, and can we doubt of his perpetual rule and government in the world? It must stand true: Almighty God for his unlimited power governeth all things in the world, and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae, even as he listeth. The third degree, by which we may discern the act of divine providence, I called gradum ordinationis, the degree of ordination, or direction. It implieth thus much: that God of his admirable wisdom ordaineth, and setteth in order, whatsoever things in the world seem to be most out of order; he bringeth them all to his chief intended end; all must make for his glory. In this divine ordination three things do concur: Constitutio finis; mediorum ad finem dispositio; and Dispositorum directio. First, God appointeth an end to every thing; secondly, he disposeth means unto the end; thirdly, he directeth the means so disposed. To discourse of these particulars severally, would carry me beyond my time, and your patience: I will but only touch the general, which was, God of his admirable wisdom ordaineth, or setteth in order; whatsoever things in the world seem to be most out of order: he bringeth them all to his chief intended end; they all make for his glory. Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inviolable; No calamity or misery be falleth any one, of whatsoever estate or degree, by chance, or at adventure. For if it be true, (as true it is, and the gates of Hell shall neur be able to prevail against it) that God by his wonderful providence, maintaineth, and preserveth, ruleth, and governeth, ordereth, disposeth, and directeth all things in this world, even to the very hairs of our heads, it cannot be, that any calamity, or misery should befall any one of us by adventure, by haphazard, by chance, by fortune. The Epicure in the book of job, 22.13. was in a foul error to think, that God walking in the circle of heaven, cannot through the dark clouds see our misdoings, and judge us for them. Dear beloved, we may not think our God to be a m See Lect. 1. page 10. God to halves, and in part only: a God above, and not beneath the moon: a God upon the mountains, and not in the valleys; a God in the greater, and not in the lesser employments. We may not thus think. We have lived long enough, to have learned better things out of Amos 9 jerem 23. Psal. 139. that God is every where present, and that there is no evasion from him. Serm 4. in james 4.10. & infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. No corner in Hell, no mansion in heaven, no cave in the top of Carmel, no fishes belly in the bottom of the sea, no dark dungeon in the land of captivity, no place of any secrecy any where, is able to hide us from the presence of God. We have learned, Zach. 4.10. that God hath seven eyes, which go thorough the whole world. You may interpret them with me, many millions of eyes. He is * Hieronymus in illud Psal. 94.9. Qui plantavit aurem, non audiet? aut qui finxit oculum non considerate? Ego autem dico, quod Deus totus Oculus est, totus Manus est, totus Pes est. Totus Oculus est, quia omnia videt. Totus Manus est, quia omnia operatur. Totus Pes est, quia ubique est. totus OCULUS, altogether eye, for he seethe all things. We have learned, Esai. 40.12. that God hath hands to measure the waters, and to span the heavens. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many millions of hands: He is totus Manus, altogether hand; for he worketh all things. We have learned, Matth. 5.35. that God hath feet to set upon his footstool. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many million of feet: He is totus Pes, altogether foot, for he is every where. We shall then be very injurious to God, if we deny him the oversight of the smallest matters. The holy Scriptures do evidently show, that he examineth the least moments, and tittles in the world that we can imagine, n Supra pag. 10. to a handful of meal, to a cruse of oil in a poor widow's house, to the falling of sparrows to the ground, to the clothing of the grass in the field, to the feeding of the birds of the air, to the calving of hinds, to the numbering of the hairs of our heads. Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) whatsoever calamity or misery hath already seized upon us, or shall hereafter overtake us, let us not lay it upon blind Fortune, but look we to the hand that striketh us. He, who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the sceptre out of Betheden, even He it is, that for our sins bringeth upon us calamities, and miseries. The late fearful flood, raging upon this land to the utter destruction of great store of cattles, and much people; and the late rot of sheep in this, and other places of this land, are God's visitations upon us for our sins, and admonishments for us to amend our lives. Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? saith Amos, chap. 3.6. It's out of question; there is no evil in the city, no, not in the world, but the Lords finger is in it; and that justly, for our sin's sake. What remaineth, but that we rend our hearts, and turn unto the Lord our God? He is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, of great kindness, and repenteth him of evil. How know we, whether he will return, and repent, and leave a blessing behind him for us? Let us therefore go boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. THE Eleventh Lecture. AMOS 1.5. The people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord. We go on with that which yet remaineth unexpounded in this 5. verse. The people of Aram] Aram registered 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 return out of Asia and Syria, were called Aramei, Aramites, Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram, or Syria, was divided into sundry regions. 2 Sam. 10.8. You may read of Aram Soba, Aram Rehob, Aram Ishtob, and Aram Maacah; from which provinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites, in their war against King David. The success of their expedition is recorded vers. the 18. David destroyed seven hundred chariots of the Aramites, and forty thousand horsemen. So let them all perish, who make head, and band themselves together against the Lords anointed. 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 David. Their success is recorded in the same place, David slew of the Aramites two and twenty thousand men. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, let them all likewise perish, who make head and band themselves together against the Lords anointed. 1 Chron. 19.6. You may read of Aram Naharaim, which is by interpretation Aram of the rivers, that is, Aram lying between the two great rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, commonly known by the name of b B●rtr●m. Comparat. Gram. Hebr. & Aram. in Praesat. Mesopotamia. And these Syrians gave aid unto the Ammonites against David, and were partakers in their overthrow. Gen. 28.5. You may read of Padan Aram, whither the Patriarch jacob was by his father Isaac sent, to make choice of his wife of the daughters of Laban. Tremellius and junius in their note upon Gen. 25.20. do make this Padan-Aram to be a part of Mesopotamia, that part which is called by Ptolomee Ancobaritis. Thus doth the holy spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe unto us the country of Aram in its parts; Aram Soba, Aram Rehob, Aram Ishtob, Aram Maacah, Aram of Damascus, Aram Naharaim, and Padan Aram. H●re Aram, put without any adjunct to limit it to any one region, may betoken all Syria, divided by our Prophet Amos in this one verse into three parts, under the three names of Damascus, Bikeath-Auen, and Betheden, as Tremellius and junius have noted; understanding by Damascus, the country adjoining, the whole coast of Decapolis; by Bikeath-Auen, the country called Chamatha, which way Syria bordereth upon Arabia, surnamed the Desert; by Betheden, 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 general, and containeth all. Shall go into captivity] They shall be carried away from their native country into a strange land in slavery and bondage. Unto Kir] not unto Cyrene, c Ribera. a noble city in that part of Africa, which is called Pentapolis (the native country of d Arias Montanus. Callimachus the poet, and Eratosthenes the historian,) as e Apud Drusium. jonathan, and Symmachus, and S. Hierome do seem to understand, and Eusebius, and the author of the ordinary gloss, and Winckleman do expressly affirm; but unto Kir, a city in the seignories, or dominions of the king of Assyria, as the Hebrews, and best approved expositors, do avouch. Tremellius and junius upon the 2 Kings 16.9. do understand by this Kir, that part of Media, which from this captivity was called Syromedia; It was named Kir, that is, by interpretation a wall; because it was round about compassed with the hill Zagrus, as with a wall. This deportation, and captivity of the Syrians, was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae. 23. almost fifty years before it was fulfilled. It was fulfilled in the days of Ahaz, King of judah, who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser, King of Assyria, for help. Tiglath Pileser consented unto him, went up against Damascus, took it, slew Rezin King of Aram, and curried away captive the people of Aram into Kir. Thus is the story expressly delivered, 2 King. 16. Thus fare the exposition of the words. The people] not only the ruder multitude; but the nobles also, of Aram] not of Damascus only, but of all Syria, shall go into captivity] shall be carried away captive by Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria, unto Kir] a part of Media. This accordingly came to pass. For it could no otherwise be; the Lord, true in all his promises, and threatenings, whose words are yea, and Amen, he hath said it. The people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord. Now to the notes of instruction. Here must I commend unto you (as I have 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 captivity. This third circumstance is amplified by the place. Their captivity, bondage, and slavery, was to be in an unknown, strange, and fare country; Kir in Media. From the first circumstance of the punisher, the Lord of hosts employing in his service the King of Assyria, for the carrying away of the Aramites, or Syrians, into captivity, we are put in mind of a well known truth in divinity: Almighty God in his government of the world, worketh ordinarily by means or second causes. I say ordinarily: because extraordinarily, he worketh sometime without means, sometime against means. Ordinarily he worketh by means. And they are of two sorts. Definite; such as of their natural, and internal principles, do of necessity produce some certain effects. So the fire burneth, the water drowneth. Indefinite; such as are free, and accidental agents, having in themselves freedom of will to do, or not to do. In this rank you may place josephs' brethren, at what time they sold him to the Ismaelites, Gen. 37.28. they sold him not of necessity, they might have done otherwise. In this rank you may place Shimei, for his carriage towards King David, 2 Sam. 16.6. His throwing of stones at the King, and railing upon him, was not of necessity; he might have done otherwise. And the King of Assyria carried into captivity this people of Aram, not of necessity; he might have left unto them their native country, lands, and possessions. All these; fire, water, josephs' brethren, railing Shimei, the King of Assyria, and whatsoever else like these, means, or second causes; definite, or indefinite; necessary, or contingent; are but instruments, by which Almighty God in his government of the world worketh ordinarily. God laid waste Sodom, Gomorrah, and their sister Cities: he did it by fire, Gen. 19.24. God destroyed every thing that was upon the earth from man to beast, to the creeping thing, and to the fowl of the heaven (only was Noah saved, and they that were with him in the Ark) the rest he destroyed by water, Gen. 7.23. God sent joseph into Egypt, to preserve his father's posterity, and to save them alive by a great deliverance, as joseph himself confesseth, Gen. 45.7. This was Gods doing, but he did it by josephs' own brethren, who (you know) sold him to the Ismaelites. God sent an affliction upon David for his good, by cursed speaking, and throwing of stones; wherein David acknowledgeth Gods special finger, 2 Sam. 16.11. The thing was Gods doing. He did it by Shimei, the son of jemini. God spoke the word concerning the people of Aram, that they should go into captivity, as appeareth in my text: God spoke the word, and it was done. God therefore sent the people of Aram into captivity, but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria. All these; (though I said it before, I say it again) All these; fire, water, josephs' brethren, railing Shimei, the King of Assyria, and whatsoever else like these, means, or second causes; definite, or indefinite; necessary, or contingent; are but instruments, by which Almighty God in his government of the world ordinarily worketh. This doctrine of Almighty God, working ordinarily by means, may serve to our use sundry ways. 1 It may move us to a due consideration of that absolute right, and power, which God holdeth over all his creatures. This truth I have heretofore delivered unto you in my eighth Lecture upon this Prophecy, in this proposition: At is the fire, so are all other creatures at the Lords commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. 2 It may teach us, that God hath a loving regard, and respect to our infirmities, as well knowing, (for he knoweth all things) that in doubtful matters we use often to look back, and to have recourse to means, or second causes. 3 It may move us to obedience, and thankfulness: that we contemn not the means, or second causes, by which God worketh; for this were to tempt God; but that we thankfully embrace them, and commit their issue, event, and success to God, that worketh by them. 4 It meeteth with a perverse opinion of such, as do hold that all second causes are needless, and unprofitable, because God by his particular providence directeth, and bringeth to pass all things in the world. Thus will these men reason: If it be determined by God's providence, that I shall recover my health, there is no need that I use Physic: and if it be otherwise determined, that I shall not recover, in vain also shall I use the help of Physic. Again, if it be determined that thiefs shall have no power over me, I shall escape from out the midst of many: but if it be otherwise determined, that I shall be spoiled by them, I shall not escape them, no, though I be in mine own house. Great is the injury which these disputers do offer unto God. For answer to them, I must grant, that God hath a very special care over us, to defend us; and that we are no time safe, but by his providence; but mean while, to make us well assured of his good will towards us, he hath ordained second causes, and means for us, at all opportunities, and times convenient to use, in which, and by which, it pleaseth his heavenly Majesty to work effectually. The rule in divinity is good, Posit â providentiâ particulari, non tolluntur de medio omnes causae secundae: It is not necessary, that the first and principal cause being put, the second and instrumental cause should be removed, and taken away. The Sun doth not in vain daily rise, and set, though God createth light, and darkness; the fields are not in vain sowed, and watered with rain, though God bringeth forth the corn out of the earth; our bodies are not in vain with food refreshed, though God be the life, and length of our days. Neither are we in vain taught to believe in Christ, to hear the preaching of the Gospel, to detest sin, to love righteousness, to conform our lives unto sound doctrine, though our salvation, and life eternal be the free gift of God. For God hath from everlasting decreed, as the ends, so the means also, which he hath prescribed unto us, by them to bring us to the ends. This the great Father of this age, Pag. 480. Zanchius de attributis Dei, lib. 5. cap. 2. qu. 5. expressly avoweth. His Thesis is concerning life eternal: Whosoever are predestinated to the end, they are also predestinated to the means, without which the end cannot possibly be obtained. For example; whosoever are predestinated to eternal life, (as all we, this day assembled, hope we are) they are also predestinated to the means, by which life eternal may be obtained. These means unto eternal life are of two sorts: 1. Some are necessary unto all, of whatsoever age, or sex: and they are, Christ, (as our Mediator, and high Priest) his obedience, and righteousness; our effectual vocation unto Christ by the holy Ghost; our justification; our glorification. These are so necessary unto all, that without them none can be saved. And therefore all elect infants are inwardly, and after a secret manner by the holy Ghost called, and justified, that they may be glorified. 2. Some annexed unto these are necessary too, but not to all. Not to Infants, because they are not capable of them; yet to all that are grown to years of understanding; and these are Actual faith, the hearing of the Word, a hatred of sin, the love of righteousness, patience in adversity, a desire of doing good works. All these means, we, that are grown to years of understanding, must embrace, and take hold of, every one according to our capacities, or else we shall never enter into everlasting life; but our portion shall be in that lake, which is provided for the D●uill and his Angels; from which God Almighty keep us all. Thus fare occasioned by my first circumstance, the circumstance of the punisher; God by the King of Assyria sent into captivity the people of Aram. My doctrine was, Almighty God in his government of the world worketh ordinarily by means, or second causes. The second circumstance is of the punished: the Aramites of all sorts, the ruder, & the noble. The people of Aram. To ground some doctrine hereon, you must note with me the quality, and condition of these Aramites. They were professed enemies to the people of God. This appeareth before in the third verse, where they are noted, to have exercised most barbarous cruelty against the Gileadites, a parcel of Israel, to have threshed them with threshing instruments of Iron. These Aramites, or Syrians, for so highly offending, God sendeth into captivity. The doctrine is, Though the Lord do use his enemies, as instruments, to correct his own servants, and children; yet will he in his due time, overthrow those his enemies, with a large measure of his judgements. God's holy practice in this kind, specially registered in sundry places of his eternal Word, most evidently declareth this truth. The Israelites were kept in thraldom, and bondage, many years by the Egyptians. The Egyptians, they were but the weapons of God's wrath, wherewith he afflicted his people; they were God's weapons: were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Witness those ten great plagues, which at length God wrought upon them, and their fearful overthrow in the red sea, at large set down in the book of Exodus, from the seventh Chapter to the end of the fourteenth. This was it, which God said unto Abraham, Gen. 15.13, 14. Know for a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land, that is not theirs, four hundred years, and shall serve them, and they shall entreat them evil; notwithstanding the Nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge. Ahab, the most wicked of the Kings of Israel, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and his accursed wife, jezebel, were God's instruments to afflict Naboth with the loss of his life, and Vineyard. Ahab, and jezebel, were God's instruments. Were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Witness both their ends: the end of Ahab, recorded, 1 King. 22 38. In the place, where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, did dogs lick the blood of Ahab also; and the end of jezabel, registered the 2 Kings 9.35. She was eaten up with dogs, all, saving her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the den of Lions. His accusers unto Darius were the instruments of his affliction. These his accusers were the Lords instruments for this business. Were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Their fearful end is set down, Dan. 6.24. By the Commandment of King Darius they, with their wives, and children, were cast into the den of Lions, the Lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces, ere ever they came to the ground of the den. The time will not suffer me to recall to your remembrances all the judgements of God of this quality, written down in the Register of God's works, his holy Word; how, and what he rendered to g Ester 7.10. Haman, to h 2 Kings 19.35, 37. Sennacherib, to i jerem. 36.29. joachim, to the k jerem. 49.2. Ammonites, to the l jerem. 49.9. & 51.20. Chaldeans, to the m Ezech. 35.2. Idumeans, and other wicked worldlings, for their hard measure offered to his children, though they were therein his own instruments. The instances of the Egyptians, of Ahab, and his wife jezebel, and of Daniel his accusers, may serve for the declaration of my propounded doctrine, Though the Lord do use his enemies, as instruments, to correct his own servants, and children; yet will he in his due time, overthrow those his enemies, with a large measure of his judgements. The reason hereof is; because God's justice cannot let them escape unpunished. Saint Paul expresseth it, 2 Thess. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. Let this be our comfort, whensoever the wicked shall rage's against us. For hereby are we assured, when the Lord shall show himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, that then to the wicked, whose behaviour towards the godly is proud, and despiteous, he will render vengeance, and punish them with everlasting perdition. Saint Peter to make us steadfast in this comfort, disputeth this point, Ep. 1. chap. 4.17. The point he proveth by an argument drawne à minori, inferring from a truth to carnal men's understanding less probable, a truth of greater probability. judgement (saith he) beginneth at the house of God; If it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them, which obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the , and the sinner appear? Our Saviour's words, Luk. 23.31. do contain a like argument: If they do these things to a green tree, what shall he done to the dry? To like purpose in jerem. 25.29. saith the Lord of Hosts: Lo I begin to plague the city where my name is called upon, and shall you go free? Ye shall not go free. Hitherto I refer also one other text, Esai. 10.12. where it is said, that God, when he hath done, and dispatched all his work upon Mount Zion, will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the King of Assyria; the meaning of the place is, that God, when he hath sufficiently chastised and corrected those of his own house, his beloved children, will turn his sword against the scorners of his Majesty. When God hath served his own turn by the wicked, then comes their turn also; howsoever for a while they flourish, in hope to escape God's hand, and to abide unpunished, yet will God in due time well enough find them out, to pay them double. The uses of this doctrine I can but point at. One is, to admonish us, that we spite not any of the wicked, who now do live in rest, because their turn to be punished must come, and fail not. The further it is put off from them, the heavier in the end it will fall upon them. A second use is, to teach us patience in afflictions; for as much as God will shortly cause the cup to pass from us to our adversaries. But say, he will not. Yet nevertheless are we to possess our souls in patience; rejoicing and giving thankes to God, who hath made us worthy, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. For we have learned, Act. 14.22. That through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of God. etc. The Prophets, and Apostles, and Martyrs, which were not only reviled and scourged, but also beheaded, cut in pieces, drowned in water, consumed in fire, by other tyrannical devices cruelly put to death, they all by this way received the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate, and entered into the kingdom of God. And we undoubtedly know, 2 Cor. 5.1. T●at if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. Thus fare of my second circumstance; the circumstance of the punished, the Aramites, professed enemies unto God, yet by him employed in the correction of his own children, the Israelites, are here themselves punished. My doctrine was, Though the Lord do use his enemies, as instruments, to correct his own servants, and children: yet will be in due time overthrew those his enemies, with a large measure of his judgements. The third circumstance is, the punishment, a going into captivity: amplified by the place. This captivity, bondage, and slavery, was to be in an unknown, strange, and a fare country; Kir in Media. The people of Aram shall go into captivity unto Kir. The doctrine is, For the sin of a Land, God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity. Captivity to be an effect, or punishment of sin, King Solomon in his prayer made to the Lord at his consecration, or dedication of the Temple, 1 King. 8.46. acknowledgeth. It is expressly delivered, 1 Chron. 9.1. of the Israelites; that for their transgressions they were carried away captive unto Babel. In Deut. 28.41. among the curses threatened to all such as are rebellious, and disobedient to God's holy Commandments, Captivity is ranked, and reckoned. I let pass the multitude of Scripture-places serving to this point; my Text is plain for it. The Aramites for their three transgressions, and for four, for their many sins, for their sin of cruelty, for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of Iron, were to go into Captivity. My doctrine standeth firm; For the sin of a Land, God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity. Into Captivity? Into what kind of captivity? For there is a spiritual captivity, and a corporal captivity; a captivity of the mind, and a captivity of the body. Both are very grievous, but the first more. The first, which I call the spiritual captivity, and a captivity of the mind, is a captivity under the Devil, under the power of Hell, under, death, under sin, under the eternal malediction or curse of the Law, propounded to every one, that doth not in all points, and absolutely, obey the Law. This Captivity is a heavy yoke to all mankind, considered without Christ. Every one, male, and female, that hath no part in Christ, every unbelieving and reprobate person, is in this construction, even to this day a captive. And such also were we, by the corruption of our nature upon our first Father Adam's default: but now are we by the sacrifice of the immaculate Lamb, the Lord jesus, ransomed, and freed. For to this purpose was he sent into the world: as it is evident, Esai. 61.1. and Luk. 4.18. In both places he professeth himself to be sent into the world for this end, even to publish liberty, and freedom to captives, and the imprisoned; which his office he hath graciously performed. By his Word of grace he hath so freed our consciences, formerly oppressed with, and captive under sin, that now there is no condemnation to us; to us, I say, who are in Christ, and do walk after the spirit, as Saint Paul speaketh, Rom. 8.1. This is it which our Saviour foretold the jews, john. 8.36. If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Be it repeated again to our eternal comforts: If the Son shall make us free, we shall be free indeed. But he hath made us free: for therefore was he sent, to publish liberty, and freedom to captives; he hath paid our ransom, his innocent, and most precious blood: by it are we throughly washed, and cleansed from our sins. Now there is no condemnation to us. Thus freed from our spiritual captivity, bondage, and slavery under Hell, death, and sin, let us with boldness looking up to the throne of Grace, whereon sitteth the Author, and Finisher of our faith, say with the blessed Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.55. O Death, where is thy sting? O Hell, where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law. But thankes be to God, who hath given us victory, through jesus Christ our Lord. The Captivity in my text, is of the other kind, a corporal captivity, a captivity of the body, which usually is accompanied with two great miseries, pointed at, Psal. 107.10. The first, they dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death; the second, they are bound in anguish, and Iron. First, they dwell in darkness, and in the shadow of death, that is, they are put into deep dungeons, void of light, whereby they are as it were at death's door. Secondly, they are bound in anguish, and iron, that is, day and night they are loaden with fetters, gyves, or shackles of iron; so loaden, that they find no rest unto their bones. Thus must it be with them, who by sinful living provoke the Lord to high displeasure. Thus is my doctrine confirmed; For the sin of a land, God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity. Is it true, beloved? Doth God oftentimes for the sin of a land send away the inhabitants into captivity? Let us make this Christian use of it: even to pour out ourselves in thankfulness before Almighty God for his wonderful patience towards us. The sins of such Nations, as have been punished with captivity, were they more grievous in God's eyes, than ours are? It is not be imagined. Our sins are as crimson-like, and as scarlet-like, as ever were theirs; the sins of our land, crying sins; Atheism, Irreligion, Oppression, Extortion, Covetousness, Usury, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Drunkenness, and many like abominations of the old man in us, all our works of darkness, they have made head together, and have impudently and shamelessly pressed into the presence of Almighty God, to urge him to pour forth the vials of his wrath and indignation upon us. Yet our God, good, gracious, merciful, long suffering, and of great kindness, withholdeth, and stayeth his revengeful hand, from laying upon us his great punishment of Captivity: and suffereth us to possess our habitations in peace, and to eat the good things of the earth: O, let us therefore confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and declare before the sons of men the good things that he hath done for us. Here (dear beloved) let us not presume upon God his patience, to lead our lives as we list. We cannot but see, that God is highly offended with us already, though yet he be not pleased to execute his sorest judgements upon us. God's high displeasure against us, appeareth in those many visitations, by which he hath come near unto us, within our memories. I may not stand to amplify, the Spanish sword shaken over us, and the great famine brought upon us in our late Queen's days. Our now gracious Sovereign hath not long sat at the stern of this kingdom. But few years are passed; and yet those few have afforded manifest tokens of Gods sore displeasure at us. Have not many thousands of our brethren (haply not so grievous sinners as we) been taken away by the destroying Angel, and yet the plague is not ceased? Unless we repent, and amend our lives, we may likewise perish. Have not many of our brethren (too many, if it might have seemed otherwise to Almighty God) have they not partly perished themselves, partly lost their cattles, and substance, in n An. Dom. 1607 this years waters, such waters, as our forefathers have scarcely observed the like? If we will not wash ourselves from our evil doings; we see, God is able to wash us extraordinarily. The unseasonable weather given us from Heaven to the rotting of our sheep, is but God's warning to us of a greater misery to befall us, unless we will return from our evil ways. Wherefore (beloved) let us with one heart, and mind, resolve for hereafter to cast away all works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light: take we no further thought for our flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. Walk we from henceforth honestly, as in the day. Whatsoever things are true, and honest, and just, and pure, and do pertain to love, and are of good report, if there be any virtue, or praise, think we on these things. Think we on these things to do them, and we shall not need to fear any going into captivity; yea the destroying Angel shall have no power over us; the raging waters shall not hurt us; our cattles, and whatsoever else we enjoy, shall prosper under us. For God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing. THE Twelfth Lecture. AMOS 1.6, 7, 8. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Azzah, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they carried away prisoners the whole captivity, to shut them up in Edom. Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Azzah, and it shall devour the Palaces thereof. And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and turn mine hand to Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. THese words do contain a burdensome prophecy against the Philistines. I divide them into three parts: 1 A preface to a prophecy, vers. 6. Thus saith the Lord. 2 The prophecy, vers. 6, 7, 8. For three transgressions, etc. 3 The conclusion, in the end of the eighth verse, Saith the Lord God. In the prophecy I observe four parts. 1 An Accusation of the Philistines, vers. the 6. For three transgressions of Azzah, and for four. 2 The Lords protestation against them, vers. the 6. I will not turn to it. 3 The declaration of that grievous sin, by which the Philistines so highly displeased God, vers. the 6. They carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them up in Edom. 4 The description of the punishments to be inflicted upon them; in five branches. One in the seventh verse, and four in the eighth verse. The great Cities Azzah, and Ashdod, and A hkelon, and Ekron, and all the rest of the Philistines, are partners in this punishment. This prophecy for the tenor and current of the words, is much like the former against the Syrians, the exposition whereof, in sundry sermons heretofore delivered, may serve for the exposition of this prophecy also. The preface is first. Thus saith the Lord] Not Amos, but in Amos, the Lord. The Lord, jehovah, who made the heavens, and spread them out like a curtain, to himself with light, as with a garment; and can again the heavens with darkness, and make a sack their covering: the Lord, jehovah, who made the sea to lay the beams of his chamber therein, and placed the sands for bounds unto it by a perpetual decree, never to be passed over, howsoever the waves thereof shall rage's, and roar; and can with a word smite the pride thereof: at his rebuke the floods shall be turned into a wilderness, the sea shall be dried up; the fish shall rot for want of water, and die for thirst: the Lord, jehovah, who made the dry land, and so set it upon foundations, that it should never move, and can cover her again with the deep, as with a garment; and so rock her, that she shall reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. Thus saith the Lord] The Lord, jehovah, whose throne is the heaven of heavens, and the sea his flower to walk in, and the earth his footstool to tread upon; who hath a chair in the conscience, and sitteth in the heart of man, and possesseth his most secret reines, and divideth betwixt the flesh and the skin; and shaketh his inmost powers, as the thunder shaketh the wilderness of Cades. Thus saith the Lord] Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken it, and shall he not accomplish it? The Lord, jehovah, the strength of Israel, is not as man, that he should lie; nor as the son of man, that he should repent. All his words, yea all the titles of his words are yea, and Amen. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot, or any one tittle of his word shall escape unfulfilled. Thus saith the Lod] Out of doubt than must it come to pass: Here see the authority of this prophecy; and not of this only, but also of all other the prophecies of holy Scripture; that neither this nor any other prophecy of old, is destitute of divine authority. This point of the authority of holy Scripture I delivered unto you in my second and sixth Lectures upon this Prophecy: and then noted unto you the harmony, consent, and agreement of all the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, from the first unto the last; not one of them spoke one word of a natural man in all their ministeries: the words which they spoke, were the words of him that sent them: they spoke not of themselves, God spoke in them. Whensoever were the time; whatsoever were the means; whosoever were the man; wheresoever were the place; whatsoever were the people; the words were the Lords. Thus saith the Lord] Then must we give ear unto him with reverence. But what saith he? Even the words of this Prophecy. For three transgressions of Azzah, and four, I will not turn it] Azzah] Palestina, the country of the Philistines, was divided into five Provinces, or Dutchies, mentioned Iosh. 13.3. the Dutchies of Azzah, of Ashdod, of Askelon, of Gath, of Ekron. These five chief, and the most famous Cities of Palestina, are recorded also, 1 Sam. 6.17. where the Philistines are said to have given for a sin offering to the Lord five golden Emerods', one for Azzah, one for Ashdod, one for Askelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron. Against four of these Cities, all save Gath, and against Gath too in the general name of the Philistines, this prophecy was given by the ministry of Amos. In the offence or blame Azzah is alone nominated; but in the punishment are Ashdod, and Askelon, and Ekron, and the residue of the Philistines remembered as well as Azzah. Azzah] It's first named, Gen. 10.19. In the vulgar Latin, and in the Greek, it's commonly called Gaza; it hath no other name in the new Testament, but Gaza. It's so called, Act. 8.26. And you may call it by which name you will, Azzah, or Gaza, it's not material. Now by this Azzah, or Gaza, you are to understand the inhabitants of the City, and not them only, but also the borderers; all the inhabitants of the country adjacent: to all which our Prophet here denounceth God's judgements for their sins. For three transgressions of Azzah, and for four] These words containing an accusation of the Philistines for their sins, and the protestation of Almighty God against them for the same, I have heretofore in my sixth Lecture at large expounded, occasioned thereto by the beginning of the third verse: and therefore I shall not need at this time to make any long iteration thereof. Yet let me relate unto you the sum and substance of them. For three transgressions of Azzah, etc.] It is as if the Lord had thus said: If the Philistines had offended but once, or a second time, I should have been favourable unto them, and should have recalled them into the right way, that so they might be converted, and escape my punishments: but now, whereas they do daily heap transgression upon transgression, and find no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted; but indurate, and obstinate as they are, I will utterly destroy them. For three transgressions of Azzah, and for four] The doctrine is: Many sins do pluck down from heaven, the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. See my sixth Serm. on Hos. 10. God is of pure eyes, and beholdeth not iniquity; he hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. The sentence is passed forth, and must stand uncontrollable, even as long as Sun & Moon. Tribulation, and anguish upon every soul that doth evil; the soul that sinneth, it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath, Deut. 32.41. that he will what his glittering sword, & his hand shall take hold on judgement, to execute vengeance upon sinners. His soul hateth and abhorreth sin; his Law curseth and condemneth sin; his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast down Angels into Hell; to thrust Adam out of Paradise; to turn Cities into ashes; to ruinated nations; to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh. Because of sin he drowned the old world, and because of sin ere long will burn this. Thus do many sins pluck down from heaven the more certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. One use of this doctrine is, to teach us heedfulness in all our ways, that we do not by our many sins provoke Almighty God to high displeasure. A second use it, to move us to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbear these Philistines of Azzah, till by three and four transgressions, by their many sins, they had provoked him to indignation. It's true: our God is a good God, a gracious God, a merciful God, a God of wonderful patience: yet may not we thereby take encouragement to go on in our evil doings. See my sixth Lecture pag. 70. The Lord who punished his Angels in Heaven for one breach, Adam for one morsel, Miriam for one slander, Moses for one angry word, Achan for one sacrilege, Ezechias for once showing his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel, josias for once going to war without ask counsel of the Lord, and Ananias with his wife, Sapphira, for once lying to the holy Ghost; out of doubt will not spare us, if we shall persist to make a trade of sinning, day after day heaping iniquity upon iniquity, to the fulfilling of our sins. If so we do, it shall be with us, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Thes. 2.16. The wrath of God must come on us to the utmost. Now therefore as the Elect of God, holy, and beloved, let us walk in love, even as Christ hath loved us. As for the works of the flesh, cast we them far from us; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, hatred, debate, emulation, wrath, contentions, envy, drunkenness, gluttony, and such like, for which the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience, let them not once be named among us, as it becometh Saints. But the fruits of the Spirit, let us wholly delight in them; having laid up in the treasury of our memories this lesson: Three transgressions and sour; Many sins do pluck down from heaven, the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. It followeth, Because they carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them up in Edom] These words are the third part of this Prophecy, and do contain that same grievous sin by which God was provoked to come against the men of Azzah, and the rest of the Philistines in judgement; the sin of cruelty, rigour, unmercifulness, hardness of heart. They carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them up in Edom] Hear the abstract is put for the concrete; captivity for captives, or persons in captivity; as Psal. 68.18 Thou hast led captivity captive. The whole captivity] It's well translated for the sense: the word in the original signifieth, absolute, perfect, and complete. By this whole captivity, the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute, perfect, and complete captivity: meram captivitatem, apertam, atque manifestam, saith Arias Montanus: a captivity indeed, open and manifest: such a captivity, saith Caluin, as wherein they spared not either women, or children, or the aged: they took no pity, no compassion, upon 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? Even to shut them up in Edom: that is, to sell them for bondslaves unto the Idumaeans. In Edom] Esau, jacobs' brother, and isaack's son by his wife a Gen. 25.21. Reb●kah, for selling his birthright for a mess 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 southern province of the land of promise, divided, as c Theatr. Terra Sancta. Adriehom, and d Obseruat. lib. 14. cap. 13. Drusius have observed out of josephus his fifth book of the jewish 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 division of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the Tribe of judah. 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 jacob with a deadly hate, so did the posterity of Esau the posterity of jacob; the Edomites were evermore most maliciously bend against the Israelites. Here then appeareth the heinousness of that sin, wherewith the Philistines are charged. It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree. It is a cruel deed to carry away any one from his native Country; but him that is so carried away, to sell to his mortal 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 jews, or the Israelites, the posterity of jacob, and servants of the living God, to their professed enemies the Edomites, with this policy, that being carried fare from their own country, they should live in eternal slavery and bondage, without hope ever to return home again. This very crime of cruelty, is in the Prophecy of joel also, Ch. 3.6. laid to the charge of these Philistines: The children of judah, and the children of jerusalem have ye sold to the Grecians, that ye might send them far from their border: that is, God's inheritance, his own seed and servants, the children of judah and jerusalem, the cruel and hard hearted Philistines did mancipate, and sell away for bondslaves to the Grecians dwelling fare off, that with them they might live in perpetual servitude and slavery, without all hope of liberty or redemption. Now in this that the Lord calleth the Philistines to a reckoning, because they had sold away his people, though they were their captives, unto Infidels, we may learn this lesson; It is not lawful to commit the children of believers into the hands of Infidels. The unlawfulness hereof appeareth by the charge which Moses giveth the Israelites, Deut. 7.3. His charge is concerning the Hittites, the Gergasites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivits, and the jebusites, that they should not at all make any covenant with them, nor give them their children in marriage. And why so? Because by such covenants & marriages they might be withdrawn from the true service of God, to the profane worship of Idols. For so it's said, verse the 4. They will cause thy son to turn away from me, and to serve other gods. The danger of such covenants and marriages, S. Paul knew to be very great, and therefore from such he dehorteth the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6.14. Be ye not unequally yoked with the infidels. He useth the similitude of Oxen coupled together. The yoke holdeth them so together, that look which way the one draweth, the other must needs follow. In like case it is with men. They that fall into familiarity with the wicked, do couple themselves with them, and so are led out of the way, and made to work wickedness before the Lord. From this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this unequal yoke with Infidels, from conversing with the wicked, the Apostle dissuadeth the Corinthians, and in them us, by sundry arguments drawn ab absurdo. In each argument there is an Antithesis: two things opposed the one to the other. In the first, righteousness and unrighteousness; in the second, light and darkness; in the third, Christ and Belial; in the fourth, the Believer and the Infidel; in the fifth, God's Temple and Idols. Every argument is set down by way of question. The first, what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? The answer is negative: none. The answer may be illustrated by a similitude, Eccl. 13.18. How can the wolf agree with the lamb? no more can the with the righteous. The second, what communion hath light with darkness? The answer is negative: none. No more than truth hath with a lie, as Drusius well expoundeth the place, Prou. Class. 1. lib. 3.78. Light hath no communion with darkness; therefore the believer ought not to converse with an unbeliever. This consequence is made good by Eph. 5.8. where the Apostle telleth the Ephesians, that they were once darkness, but now are light in the Lord. Tenebras vocat infideles, saith Musculus upon the Text; S. Paul calleth unbelievers, darkness, for their ignorance of God, and the blindness of their hearts: but he calleth the believers, light, for their knowledge of God, by which their hearts are through the holy Ghost illuminated. Light hath no communion with darkness, therefore believers are not to have familiarity with unbelievers. The third, what concord hath Christ with Belial? The answer is negative: none. The opposition between these two, Christ and Belial, is most hostile. Christ is the Author of our salvation; Belial of our perdition: Christ is the restorer of all things; Belial the destroyer: Christ is the Prince of light; Belial the prince of darkness. In such hostile opposition there can be no concord: no concord between the Author of our salvation, and the author of our perdition; no concord between the restorer of all things, and the destroyer of all things; no concord between the Prince of light, & the prince of darkness: therefore they that believe in Christ, are not to have familiarity with unbelievers. The fourth, what part hath the believer with the infidel? The answer is negative: none. The believer hath no portion with the unbeliever; and therefore he is not to have any familiarity with him. The fift; what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? The answer is negative: none. There is none indeed. Sacrilega est profanatio, saith a Comment. in 2 Cor. 16.6. Caluin, it is a sacrilegious profaning of God's Temple, to place in it an Idol, or to use any idolatrous worship therein. We are the Temple of God; wherefore to infect ourselves with any contagion of Idols, in us it must be sacrilegious. There is no agreement between the Temple of God and Idols; therefore we are not to have any familiarity with the Idolatrous. Remember I beseech you: righteousness hath no fellowship with unrighteousness; light hath no communion with darkness; Christ is not at concord with Belial; the believer hath no part with the infidel; there is no agreement between the Temple of God and Idols; therefore may we not enter into familiarity with the wicked, profane, and idolatrous; we may not make any covenant with them; we may not give them our children in marriage. Thus is my doctrine confirmed: It is n t lawful to commit the children of believers into the hands of Infidels. Now to the uses. The first serveth for our instruction; and teacheth us so to love the souls of the righteous seed, that we leave them not resident among Infidels, or Atheists, or Papists, or any profane wretches: but rather, that to our labour and cost, we redeem them out of the D●uils tyranny. We must have a singular care for the children which are borne among us, that they be godly and virtuously brought up, and so provided for, that they may do Christ some service in the Church and Commonwealth. Our Saviour his words, Mat. 18.6. are true without exception; Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a millstone were changed about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. What measure then are we to look for, if we bequeath our children to the service of men of corrupt consciences and wicked affections, such as will compass Heaven and Earth to make any one the child of damnation? A second use may be, for the reproof of such as do bind and put their children, the fruit of their bodies, (which they ought to consecrate unto the Lord) into the education of open enemies to the Gospel of Christ, most blasphemous and abominable Atheists, or most blind and superstitious Papists. Are not these as much to be complained of, as those whom the Lord here condemneth for selling of Israel's seed into the hands of the Edomites? Yes, and much more. For those sold their enemies, but our men sell their children; those did it by the law of war, but our men do it contrary to the law of God; those in doing as they did, did not sin against their knowledge; but our men in doing as they do, do sin against their conscience. Unhappy Parents, which destroy your children in Popish and Atheistical houses! What are you inferior to them that sacrificed their children unto Devils? If yourselves be righteous and Christians, cast not away your seed, your children, the price of the precious blood of Christ. You have made them in their Baptism, when they were young, to confess Christ: will you make them now, grown to years, to deny Christ? O, let the words of wise Ecclesiasticus, chap. 13.1. be precious in your memories: He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith: and doubtless your children placed in Atheistical, or Popish houses, will themselves become Atheistical or Popish. Suffer, I beseech you, a word of exhortation in your children's behalf. Bind them to none, but to Christ; put them to none but to Christians; sell them to nothing but to the Gospel: commit not your young ones into the hands and custody of God's enemies. A third use. Is it not lawful to commit the children of believers into the hands of infidels, for the reason above specified, that they be not withdrawn from the true service of God? Then neither is it lawful for you of yourselves, to keep away your servants from the service of God. It is reputed for a tyranny in Pharaoh, Exod. 5.3, 4. That he would not suffer the children of Israel to go three days journey into the desert, to sacrifice to the Lord their God: and how can you free yourselves from the impeachment of tyranny, if you deny your servants to go but one hours' journey to this place, to serve their God? Think it not enough, that yourselves come hither to perform some duty to Christ your Lord and Master; how can you perform your duty to him, if you deny him your servants? You know what charge is given you in the fourth commandment; not yourselves only, but also your sons, and your daughters, and your servants, men, and maidens, and the stranger that sojourneth with you, are to hollow, and Sanctify the Sabbath day with the Lords service. In this holy work and service of God upon the Sabbath day, regard not what the multitude and greater sort of men do. Suppose all the world besides yourselves, would be careless to perform this duty; yet let your holy resolution be the same with Ioshua's, chap. 24.15. I and my house will serve the Lord. Thus fare of my first doctrine grounded upon God's dislike with the Philistines, for selling away the Israelites, his faithful people, into the hands of the Edomites, an unbeeleeving nation. To ground a second doctrine hereon; we are to note, that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans, at such time as they were their captives: and so did add affliction to the afflicted. The doctrine is, It is a very grievous thing to add affliction to the afflicted. Witness the complaint made by the captive jews against the insolency of the Chaldeans, Psal. 137.3. They that led us away captive required of us songs, and mirth in our heaviness, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. They] the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, and Assyrians, in whose country we were prisoners, required of us] scornfully, and disdainfully, thereby to add to our griefs: they required of us songs] such songs, as we were wont to sing in Zion, jerusalem, and our own country before the destruction of the Temple, and our captivity. They required of us, not songs only, but mirth also] they scoffingly desired us to be merry, when they saw us so heavy hearted, as nothing could make us glad. They required of us songs and mirth in our heaviness, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion] sing for us, or in our hearing, some one or other of those Songs which you were wont to sing in Zion, when you were at home in your own country. Intolerable is the hard heartedness, cruelty, and scoffing nature of the wicked, when they have gotten Gods children into their nets. God cannot away with such unmercifulness, and want of pity. He reproveth it in the Babylonians, Esa. 47.6. where thus saith the Lord, I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst show them no mercy; but thou didst lay thy very heavy yoke upon the ancient: therefore now hear, destruction shall come upon thee. Magna abominatio eoram Deo est, afflicto addere afflictionem; clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis. The words are the observation of Oecolampadius upon the now cited place of Esay: It is a great abomination before God, to add affliction to the afflicted; the voice of blood cryeth up to Heaven for vengeance. Yea, we are assured by Psal. 102.19. that the Lord looketh down from the height of his sanctuary, and out of heaven beholdeth the earth, that he may hear, and so take pity of the sigh, groan, and lamentable cries of such his people as are in affliction. The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more Texts of Scripture; let the now alleged be sufficient to confirm my propounded doctrine, that it is a grievous thing to add affliction to the afflicted. The uses of this doctrine, I can but point at. One is, to reprove the Nimrods', and tyrants of this world, which have no pity, no compassion upon the poor and distressed. Such in the end shall know by their own lamentable experience, that to be true which Solomon hath uttered, Prou. 21.13. He that stoppeth his ear at the crying of the poor, shall cry himself and not be heard. A second use is to stir us up to the performance of this our Christian duty, even to take pity upon all that are in any kind of misery: if our neighbours be destitute of aid and help, we may not like wild beasts, lift up ourselves against them, and so tread them under foot. No. How dare we molest and trouble them, whom by God's appointment we are to relieve and secure? We are commanded, Deut. 15.11. to open our hands to the needy and poor that are in our land: to open our hands to them for their help and secure. It is not enough for us to abstain from all injury and harme-doing, but withal must we endeavour to relieve the oppressed. This service of ours will be acceptable unto God? God for it will give us his blessing: God will bless us for the time of our being here; and when the day of our dissolution shall be, that we must leave this earthly tabernacle, then will the Son of man, sitting upon the throne of his glory, welcome us with a Venite benedicti; Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I thirsted, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye lodged me; I was naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me; in as much as you have done these things to the needy and distressed, ye have done them unto me. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. THE Thirteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.7, 8. Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Azzah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod. WE are come to the last part of this Prophecy, the description of the punishments to be inflicted upon the Philistines. The seventh verse doth not much differ from the fourth. The same punishment, which is there threatened to the Syrians, under the names of Hazael, and Benhadad, is in this seventh verse denounced to the Philistines, under the name of Azzah. And therefore, as there I did, so must I here commend unto you three circumstances: 1 The punisher: the Lord, I. 2 The punishment: by fire, I will send a fire. 3 The punished: the Azzites, the inhabitants of that City: the Philistines upon the walls and palaces of Azzah. The punisher is the Lord, for thus saith the Lord, I will send. The note yields us this doctrine: It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This doctrine I proved at large in my eighth Lecture upon this prophecy. Yet for their sakes, who then heard me not, or have forgotten what then they heard, I will by a few texts of Scripture again confirm it unto you: It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This office of executing vengeance upon the wicked for their sins, God arrogateth and assumeth to himself, Deut. 32.35. where he saith, Vengeance and recompense are mine. This due is ascribed unto the Lord by S. Paul, Rom. 12.19. It is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. By the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 10.30. Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will ecompence, saith the Lord. By the sweet Singer, Psal. 94.1. O Lord God the avenger, O God the avenger. The Prophet Nahum trebleth the phrase, Chap. 1.2. The Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth, the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries. These few texts of holy Writ do firmly prove my doctrine: It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. One use of this doctrine is, to teach us heedfulness in all our ways; that we do not work wickedness before the Lord, and so provoke him to execute his vengeance on us. Beloved, let us not forget it: though God be good, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering, yet is he also a just God, God the avenger, and punisher. It is proper unto him to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. A second use is, to admonish us not to intermeddle in the Lord's office. It is his office to execute vengeance; we therefore may not do it. If a brother, or neighbour, or stranger do wrong us, it is our part to forgive him, and leave revengement to God, to whom it appertaineth. To this Christian and charitable course, our Saviour worketh us by a strong argument, Mat. 6.15. If ye do not forgive men their trespasses, no more will your Father forgive you your trespasses. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; forgive not, and ye shall never be forgiven. Wherefore (dear beloved) suffer yourselves to be exhorted, as the Romans were by S. Paul, chap. 12.19. Dear beloved, if it be possible, as much as in you is, have peace with all men; recompense to no man evil for evil: avenge not yourselves, but give place unto wrath, for it is written: vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. Here we see, that for the sins of the Philistines, God resolveth to send a fire to devour their walls and palaces. This was my second circumstance; the circumstance of the punishment; I will send a fire.] Many desolations hath God wrought by fire. By fire he laid waste Sodom, Gomorrah, and their sister cities, Gen. 19.24. By fire he did eat up Nadab and Abihu, Levit. 10.2. By fire he cut off the two hundred and fifty men, that were in the rebellion of Korah, Numb. 16.35. By fire he devoured two Captains, and twice fifty men, 2 King. 1.10. and 12. Why do I load your memories with multitude of examples for this point? My text telleth you that fire, God's creature, becometh God's instrument, and executioner of his vengeance for the sins of Azzah, to consume her walls and devour her palaces. I will send a fire] a See Lect. 8. By fire in this place, as vers. 4. the learned Expositors do understand, not only natural fire, but also the sword, and pestilence, and famine: quod libet genus consumptionis, every kind of consumption, every scourge, wherewith God punisheth the wicked, be it hail, or thunder, or sickness, or any other of God's messengers. So large is the signification of fire in the metaphorical understanding. The doctrine is, The fire, (whether Natural, or Metaphorical) that is, The fire, and all other creatures, are at the Lords commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. A truth heretofore proved unto you, as out of other places of holy Writ, so out of the story of God's visitation upon Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, Exod. 8, 9, and 10. Chapters, whereby you know, that Frogs, Lice, Flies, Grasshoppers, Thunder, Hail, Lightning, Murrain, Botches and Sores, did instrumentally avenge God upon man and beasts in Egypt. I stand not now to enlarge this proof. The use of this doctrine is, to teach us how to behave our selves at such times as God shall visit us with his rod of correction: how to carry ourselves in all our afflictions. We must not so much look to the instruments, as to the Lord that smiteth by them. If the fire, or water, or any other of God's creatures, shall at any time rage and prevail against us, we must remember that it is God that sendeth them, to work his holy will upon us. Here he sent a fire upon Azzah, to consume her walls, and devour her palaces. Here you have my third circumstance, the circumstance of the punished, in these words; the walls of Azzah, and the palaces thereof] Azzah, one of the five Provinces, or Dutchies of Palaestina, and a City of the same name, as I shown you in my last Lecture. The walls and palaces here mentioned, do signify thus much; that the City Azzah was well fortified, and beautified with sumptuous buildings; Yet must Azzah, notwithstanding the beauty of her buildings, and strength of her strong holds, be devoured with fire: I will send a fire upon the wall of Azzah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.] The great City Azzah, for all her strong walls, must she be spoiled? The doctrine to be learned from hence, is: No munition can save that city, which God well have destroyed. The reason is; because there is no strength but of God, and from God. For what are all the munitions in the world to the great God of Heaven and Earth? b Psal. 68.2. As the smoke vanisheth, so do they vanish; and as the wax melteth before the fire, so melt they at the breath of the Lord. The munitions of Edom they fail before him. Edom, the kingdom of Edom, upon which God stretched the line of vanity, and the stones of emptiness, as witnesseth the Prophet Esay, Chap. 34.11. it is no more a kingdom; it bringeth forth thorns in her Palaces; nettles and thistles in her strong holds. The munitions of Edom are vanished as smoke. The munitions of Moab, they fail before him. Moab, the kingdom of Moab, had a strong staff and beautiful rod, as speaketh jerem. Chap. 48.17. but they are broken. Moab is destroyed, his Cities are burnt up, his strong holds are gone. The munitions of Moab are vanished as smoke. The munitions of Israel fail before him. Israel, the kingdom of Israel, was Gods peculiar, and shadowed under the wings of his protection: yet at length infected with the leprosy of sin, they were spoiled of their strong holds; so saith Hoseah, Chap. 10.14. A tumult shall arise among the people, and all thy munitions shall be destroyed. The munitions of Israel are vanished as smoke. The munitions of judah fail before him. judah, the kingdom of judah, great among the Nations, and a Princess among the Provinces, she is now become tributary, as complaineth the Prophet, Lament. 1.1. The Lord hath destroyed c Lament. 2.2. all the habitations of jaacob, and hath not spared, he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of judah; he hath cast them down to the ground. The munitions of judah are vanished as smoke. Let these few instances in the states of Edom, Moab, Israel and judah, serve for proof of my doctrine, No munition can save that city which God will have destroyed. You will remember the reason of it; because there is no strength, but of God, and from God. The use of this doctrine is, to teach us, never to trust in any worldly help, but so to use all good means of our defence, that still we rely upon the Lord for strength and success thereby. See Serm. 4 upon james 4.10. pag. 116. Beloved in the Lord, we have learned, that a horse his help is vain, Psal. 33.17. that man's help is vain, Psal. 60.11. that the help of Princes is vain, Psal. 146.3. that much strength is vain, 2 Chron. 25.7. that much wealth is vain, Psal. 49.6. that all worldly helps are vain, Esai. 31.1. All under God is vanity. Wherefore now, and all othertimes, let our trust be only in the name o● the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. Thus much of my first doctrine grounded upon the third circumstance of this seventh verse, the circumstance of the punished, No munition can save that city which God will have destroyed. Again, this overthrow of the walls of Azzah in God's anger, teacheth us thus much, It is the good blessing of God upon a kingdom, to have walls, strong holds, munitions, fortresses and bulwarks, for a deaf se against enemies. The reason is, because these be the means which God usually blesseth, to procure outward safety. The use is to teach us carefully to prepare such against time of trouble: yet with this caution, that we rest not in them, but depend wholly upon God's blessing. And here we are to pour out our souls in thankfulness before Almighty God, for blessing this our Country with the strength of walls; of walls by sea, and walls by land; by sea with ships, and at land with strong holds, castles and fortresses; by sea and land, with men of wisdom and valour, to bid battle to the proudest enemy that dare advance himself against us. Confess we with David, Psal. 18.2. The Lord is our rock, our fortress, he that delivereth us, our God, our strength, our shield, the horn of our salvation, and our refuge. In him we trust, and d Psal. 56.11. fear not what man can do unto us. Yet further. The fire in God's anger devouring the palaces of Azzah, teacheth us, that God depriveth us of a great blessing, when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. This doctrine I commended to you in my Eight Lecture upon this prophecy. The truth is experimentally made good unto us by that great commodity or contentment, that cometh to every one of us by our dwelling houses. The use of this doctrine is threefold. It teacheth us, 1. To be humbled before Almighty God, whensoever our dwelling-houses are taken from us: 2. Since we peaceably enjoy our dwelling-houses, to use them for the furtherance of God's glory: 3. To praise God continually for the comfortable use we have of our dwelling-houses. Thus fare of the seventh verse. The eighth followeth. And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holds the sceptre, from Ashkelon] Ashdod and Ashkelon were two chief Cities of Palaestina. One of them, as here it appeareth, was the place of residence for the chief Ruler over that State. To both Ashdod and Ashkelon, to the inhabitants of Ashdod, and the Scepter-bearer in Ashkelon, to King and subject, God's sore judgement, even a cutting off, is here threatened, I will cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod] Of the like judgement in the same words you have heard before in vers. 5. threatened to the Syrians, I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the Sceptre out of Betheden. The words I then expounded at large: the brief or sum whereof, is: I] the Lord, jehovah, will cut off] will utterly destroy, and root out the inhabitant] not one alone, but all, and every one of the inhabitants, of Ashdod] one of the five chief Cities of the Philistines: And I will utterly destroy, or root out, him that holdeth the Sceptre] the Philistines their chief Ruler; their King, making his residence at Ashkelon] another of the five Cities of Palaestina. I will cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod, and him that holdeth the Sceptre from Ashkelon.] In the words I observe, as before, three circumstances. 1 The punisher, the Lord; I. 2 The punishment, a cutting off; I will cut off. 3 The punished, the inhabitants of Ashdod, and the Scepter-bearer of Ashkelon. By the first circumstance, (the Lord himself taking vengeance into his own hands,) you may be remembered of a doctrine often commended to you in this and other Lectures; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. From all three circumstances, of the punisher, the punishment, and the punished jointly considered, we may take a profitable lesson. We see that the cutting off of the inhabitants of Ashdod, and of him that holdeth the Sceptre from Ashkelon, is the Lords proper work. The lesson which we learn from hence is, No calamity or misery befalleth any one, or whatsoever estate or degree, by chance, or at adventure. This doctrine I handled at large in my tenth Lecture. The truth of it dependeth upon this proposition; The whole world, with all things therein, is wholly and alone subject to the sovereignty, dominion and rule of Almighty God; by whose providence all things are preserved, all things are ruled, and things are ordered. These were the three degrees, by which I told you, you might discern and take notice of the act of divine providence. The first was gradus conseruationis; the second gradus gubernationis; the third was gradus ordinationis; the first degree was the degree of maintenance or preservation; the second degree was the degree of rule or government; the third degree was the degree of ordination or direction. The first implieth thus much, that All things in general, and every thing in particular, are by Almighty God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and natural proprieties, wherein they were created. The second thus much, that Almighty God for his unlimited power governeth all things in the world, and ruleth them, pro libertate voluntatis suae, even as he listeth. The third thus much, that God of his admirable wisdom ordaineth, and setteth in order, whatsoever things in the world seem to be most out of order: he bringeth all to his chief intended end; all do make for his glory. In this divine ordination, three things do concur: Constitutio finis, mediorum ad finem dispositio, and dispositorum directio. First, God appointeth an end to every thing. Secondly, he disposeth the means unto the end. Thirdly, he directeth the means so disposed. From these points thus summarily rehearsed, I infer my propounded doctrine: No calamity or misery befalleth any one, of whatsoever estate or degree, by chance, or at adventure. For if it be true (as true it is, and the gates of Hell shall never be able to prevail against it,) that God by his wonderful providence maintaineth, and preserveth; ruleth, and governeth; ordereth, disposeth, and directeth all things in this world, even to the very hairs of our heads; it cannot be, that any calamity or misery should befall any one of us by adventure, by hap-hazzard, by chance, by fortune. The Epicure in job, Chap. 22.13. was in a gross and soul error, to think that God walking in the circle of heaven, cannot thorough the dark clouds see our misdoings, and judge us for them. Fare be it from us, (beloved) so to be conceited. We may not think our God, to be a God to halves, and in part only; a God above, and not beneath the Moon; a God upon the Mountains, and not in the Valleys; a God in the greater, and no● in the lesser employments. We may not thus think, beloved. We have learned better things out of Amos 9 jer. 23. Psal. 139. that God is every where present, and that there is no evasion from him. No corner in Hell, no mansion in Heaven, no cave in the top of Carmel, no fishes belly in the bottom of the sea, no dark dungeon in the land of captivity, no place of any secrecy any where, is able to hide us from the presence of God. The least moments and tittles in the world, that you can imagine, God his care and providence reacheth unto: to a handful of meal; to a cruse of oil in a poor widow's house; to the ●●ing of sparrows to the ground; to the clothing of the grass of the field; to the feeding of the birds of the air; to the calving of ●indes; to the numbering of the hairs of our heads, and of the tears that trickle down our cheeks. Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) whatsoever calamity or misery hath already seized upon us, or shall hereafter overtake us, let us not lay it upon blind fortune, but look we rather to the hand that striketh us. He who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, he it is, that for our sins bringeth upon us calamiti s and miseries. Whatsoever calamities or miseries do molest or trouble us, be we assured that they are God's visitatio: upon us for our sins, and admonishments for us to amend our lives. What remaineth then, but that in time of misery and heaviness, we lovingly embrace God's hand, and kiss the rod, wherewith he smiteth us? If he smite us with any kind of cross or tribulation, our best way is, to turn unto him, as with a spirit of contentment and gladness, because so loving a Father doth chastise us; so with a sorrowful and contrite heart, because we have offended so gracious a Father: and thus shall we find comfort to our souls. THE Fourteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.8. And turn mine hand to Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. THe last time I began to expound the 8. verse, than I passed over two branches thereof; And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon; whence considering the cutting off, of king and subject, from Ashdod, and Ashkelon, to be the proper work of the Lord, I took this lesson; No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoever estate or degree, by chance, or at adventure. Now let us proceed to the remainder of that verse; And turn my hand to Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord. Is not God a spirit? How then hath he hands? The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life, saith S. Paul. 2 Cor. 3.6. An ancient a Augustin. de Doctrina Christiana, lib. 3. cap. 5. Father upon those words adviseth us to beware, that we take not a figurative speech according to the letter; for, saith he, Anshel. in 2 Cor. 3. Echard. Compend Theol patrum. 〈◊〉 1 ap 6. pag. 157. when we take that which is spoken in a figure, as if it were spoken properly, it is a carnal sense, Neque ulla mors anima congruentius ●ppe●●atur; neither is there any thing more rightly called the death of the soul. If a figurative speech be properly taken, or if the letter be urged against the spiritual meaning, that, which was spoken to give life to the inward man, may subvert the faith, and endanger the soul. A trope, upon good reason to be admitted, not admitted, is a cause of error. It caused the jews to err. They took it literally, which Christ spoke in a figure, touching his own body, job. 2.19. Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up again. It caused Nicodemus to err. He took it literally, which Christ spoke in a figure, touching man's regeneration, job. 3.3. Except a man be borne against, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. It caused the Dis bless of Christ to err. They took it literally, which Christ spoke in a figure, touching the execution of his Father's will, joh. 4.32. I have meat to eat, that ye know not of. I hold it to be an error of Nicephorus, and others, to take it after the letter, as if Paul had indeed fought upon a theatre with Lions at Ephesius, because he saith, 1 Cor. 15.32. that he fought with b acts at Ephesus. For in the judgement of Theophyla●● of old, of Beza, Baronius, and some b ●ainold. Idol. 2.6.6. other very learned of this age, he spoke it figuratively, to design and note the disordered assembly gathered together against him at Ephesus, upon the complaint of the siluer-smith Demetrius, for defence of great Diana. I am assured it is an error of all the Papists, to take it after the letter which Christ spoke, Matth. 26.26. This is my body. There is a figure in the speech. For in all sacraments, there is a great difference between the signs and the things signified. The signs are visible, the things invisible: the signs earthly, the things heavenly: the signs corruptible, the things immortal: the signs corporal, the things spiritual: and as a reverend c D. Basin, B. of Winchester, of Christian Subjection, par. 4. pag. 577. edit. Lond. in 8. 1586. Father speaketh in the person of Theophilus the signs are one thing, the truth is not the same, but another thing; and even by plain Arithmetic, they be two things, and not one. This is my body. There is a figure in the speech. He calls the bread his body, by way of signification, by way of similitude, by way of representation, after the manner of Sacraments, in a sign, not according to the letter, but in a spiritual and mystical understanding, and if you respect the precise speech, improperly, & figuratively. I will not hold you with other like instances. These few already spoken of, may serve to make it plain, that the not admitting of a Trope or Figure there, where in great reason it ought to be admitted, is a cause of error. I have given this note in this place (beloved) because the phrase here used in the person of the everliving God, (I will turn my hand to Ekron) being spirit and life, hath been by some mistaken, and applied to a carnal sense. From hence as from other places of holy Scripture, in which other the members of man's body are ascribed unto God; as the d Psal 27.8. face, the e Deut. 8.3. mouth, the f 2 King. 19.16. ears, g Jbid. & Zach 4.10. eyes, h 1 King 8.42. arms, i Matth. 5.35. & 22.44. feet, and some other; Tertullian living near unto the Apostles time, was bold to conclude, that God is a body. This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him. It was on foot many a year after him in the time of Arius, patronised by those Heretics, which by Epiphanius are called Audianis, and by Augustine k Augustin. de haeres. cap. 50. Vadianis: after whom also it was eagerly maintained by certain Monks of Egypt, who were thereupon called Anthropomorphitae. But all these are dead and gone; their monstrous error lies buried with them. There is no man of any knowledge now a days so blinded, as to fall into error with them. It is an axiom in divinity: Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuntur, dicta sunt symbolicè: whatsoever is spoken of God bodily, that same must be understood figuratively. Bellarmine saith as much, li. 2. the imag. sanct. c. 8. Membra, quae tribuantur Deo in Scriptura, metaphoricè esse accipienda, that those members which the Scripture assigneth unto God, are to be taken in a Metaphor. Thus fare we are yours, Bellarmine. We maintain with you, that the members attributed unto God in holy Scripture, are to be taken figuratively. But you build hereupon chaff and stubble. Should we do the like, it could never abide the trial of the fire. To prove a non licet to be your licet: Licere pingere imaginem Dei patris in formâ hominis senis, to prove it to be lawful to represent God the Father by the image of an old man, you draw an argument from those places of Scripture, which do attribute unto God bodily members. Your conclusion is by way of question; The Scripture in words attributeth unto God all man's members, while it saith, that he stands, he fits, he walks; and nameth his head, his feet, his arms; and giveth to him a seat, a throne, a footstool: therefore why cannot a picture be made to represent God? Why not an image in the shape of man? Why? It is easily answered. Because every such picture, or image, or stock (call it as you will) is censured by jeremy to be a doctrine of vanity, chap. 10.8. by Zacharie to be a speaker of vanity. ch. 10.2. by Habakkuk, to be a teacher of lies, chap. 2.18. and Gods express commandment is against it, Deut. 4.16. You shall not make you a graved image, or representation of any figure. A reason of this prohibition is adjoined, verse 12. and 15. by which it is manifest, that God simply and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to be made of himself: For ye saw no similitude in the day that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire; ye saw no similitude, only ye heard a voice. The Prophet Esai is plentiful in this demonstration, to show how unseemly, and absurd it is, to l Rom. 1.25. turn the truth of God into a lie, as they do, who forsake the blessed Creator, to worship the creature: to turn the Majesty of God invisible, into a picture of visible man: to m V●rse 23. turn the glory of the incorruptible God, to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man. His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. chap. of his Prophecy, and the 18. verse. To whom will ye liken God? or what similitude will ye set up unto him? the workman melteth an image; the goldsmith beats it out in gold, or silver plates: the poor (see now the rage, fury, and madness of idolaters, though they have not wherewith to suffice their own necessities, they will defraud themselves to serve their idols) the poor chooseth out a tree, that will not rot, for an oblation, and puts it to a cunning workman to prepare an image, that cannot be moved. The like expostulation the same Prophet ascribeth to God himself, chap. 46.5. To whom will ye make me like, or make me equal, or compare me, that I should be like him? they draw gold out of the bag; and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a God of it: and they bow down, and worship it: they bear it upon their shoulders, they carry him, and set him in his place; so doth he stand, and cannot remove from his place. Remember this, and be ashamed, O ye Idolaters. n Esai. 40.21. Know ye nothing? have ye not heard it? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood it by the foundation of the earth? God sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and beholdeth the inhabiters thereof, as grasshoppers, he stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreads them out, as a tent to dwell in. He o Esai. 40.12. measures the waters in his fist, counts heaven with his span, comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure, weighs the mountains in a weight, and the hills in a balance. God incorporeal, invisible, spiritual, passing all measure; there is nothing p Esai. 46.9. like unto him. No thing. And therefore (O Idolaters) not your old man's image. For the truth of your antecedent, we stand on your side. It's very true: the Scripture in express words attributeth unto God many the members and offices of man's body. It saith of him, that he stands, he sits, he walks: it nameth his head, his feet, his arms: it gives him a seat, a throne, a footstool: but all these, and other like bodily offices, parts, and members, being spoken of, as belonging unto God, must be understood figuratively. It hath pleased the spirit of wisdom to deal with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to fit the holy Scriptures to our weak capacities: to use known, familiar, and sensible terms, thereby to raise up our conceits to some knowledge of the everliving God. In this regard by the wisdom of the same spirit, among many other members, H●nds are also ascribed unto God, and that in many places; yet not in every place to one and the same sense, and understanding. It's noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius, that the hand of God doth bear diverse offices among us: officia creatoris, largientis, protegentis, minantis: the offices of a Creator, liberal giver, protector, and threatener. Hands are ascribed v●● God, sometime to show that he is the Creator of all things, 〈◊〉 Psal. 119.73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: sometime to show his liberality to all living things, as Psal. 145.16. Thou openest thy hand, and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure: sometime to show the care he hath to protect and defend the faithful, as Esai. 49.2. Under the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and sometime to show his readiness to be avenged upon 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 love of God, and his displeasure: under them comprehending all their consequents and effects. That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his love, and the benefits redounding thence to man, man's being, and his well-being, may easily be proved. In the second chapter of the book of judges, ver. 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for evil: the collection thence may be, that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good. It is made plain out of Neh. 2.8. where the Prophet, to show how ready Artaxerxes was to do him pleasure, saith; The King gave me according to the good hand of my God upon me. I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture give strength to this position; but it may seem to be a needless labour. Therefore I proceed. Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure, and the effects thereof, may be proved as easily. When the Israelites forsaking God betook themselves to serve Baalim, the hand of the Lord was sore against them, judg. 2.15. the Lords hand, that is, his judgement, punishment, and revengement was sore upon them: the wrath of the Lord was hot against them: he delivered them into the hands of the spoilers: they were spoiled, sold to the enemies, and sore punished. When the Philistines had brought the ark of God into the house of Dagon, the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them, 1 Sam. 5.6. the Lords hand, that is, his judgement, punishment, and revengement was heavy upon them. * Psal. 78.64, ●●. The Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a Giant refreshed with wine, he smote his enemies with Emerods', and put them to a perpetual shame. Of like signification is the phrase in my text: I will turn my hand to Ekron: my hand shall be sore against Ekron; I will come against Ekron in judgement; I will punish Ekron, I will take vengeance on Ekron. I will turn my hand] Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and favour of God, as Zach. 13.7. I will turn my hand upon my little ones. My little ones, (when the shepherd shall be smitten, and the sheep scattered) I will recover with my hand, and preserve them for ever: 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 back again to their own shepherd, and master. There you see Gods turning of his hand upon his little ones, is for good. Here it's otherwise. God turneth his hand to Ekron for evil. This is averred and justified 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 up. jeremy, chap. 25.20. takes the cup of the wine of God's indignation, and gives it Ekron to drink, to make Ekron like her neighbour countries, even desolation and astonishment, a hissing, and a curse. So great is Ekrons' calamity, threatened in these words of my text; I will turn my hand to Ekron. Ekron] Will you know what this Ekron was? You shall find in the book of joshua, chap. 13.3. that it was a dukedom in the land of the Philistines, and 1 Sam. 6.16. that there was in this dukedom a city of the same name; no base city, but a Prince's seat; able at one time to give entertainment to five Princes. Against both city and dukedom God's hand was stretched out. I will turn my hand to Ekron. Will God smite Ekron, both city and dukedom? 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 fly unto from his presence: None. No corner in Hell, no mansion in Heaven, no cave in the top of Carmel, no fishes belly in the bottom of the sea, no dark dungeon in the land of captivity, no place of any secrecy any where can hide us from the presence of God. Witness two holy Prophets, David, and Amos. The one, Psal. 139. the other, chap. 9 You have the reason of my Doctrine: the uses 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 use hereof is, to teach us to take patiently whatsoever afflictions shall befall us. Afflictions I call, whatsoever is any way opposite to humane nature; such as are the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the Devil: the diseases of the body, an infortunate husband, or wife, rebellious children, unthankful friends, loss of goods, reproaches, slanders, war, pestilence, famine, imprisonment, death, every cross and passion, bodily, or ghostly, proper to ourselves, or appertaining to such as are of our blood, private or public, secret or manifest, either by our own deserts gotten, or otherwise imposed upon us. All, and every of these, true Christians will patiently undergo. For they with their sharp-sighted eye of faith, do clearly see the Hand of God in every of their molestations: and in great contentment they take up the words of patiented job, Chap. 2.10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not receive evil? Here let every afflicted soul examine itself, how it is affected with the affliction under which it groaneth. If you esteem of your afflictions, as of God his fatherly chastisements, and so endure them, blessed are ye. Of this blessedness Saint james, Chap. 1.12. doth assure you: Blessed is the man that endureth tentation: for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Again, is it true? Is there no safe being in City or Country, from the hand of God, when he is disposed to punish? A second use of this doctrine is, to admonish us, that we labour above all things to obtain God's favour, and to abide in it: so shall we be safe from the fear of evil. Now for the obtaining of God's favour, we must do four things. We must 1. Humble ourselves before God: 2. Believe in Christ: 3. Repent of our sins: 4. Perform new obedience unto God. The time will not suffer me to enlarge these points. Humiliation, faith in Christ, repentance, and a new life; these four will be unto you, as jacobs' ladder was unto the Angels. Of that ladder you may read, Gen. 28.12. that it stood upon the earth; the top of it did reach to heaven, and the Angels of God went up it. So may you by these four, Humiliation, Faith, Repentance, and Newness of life, as it were by so many steps, and rounds of a ladder, climb up to heaven. Here you have no continuing City; you are but strangers, and pilgrims on the earth; your country is above, the Celestial jerusalem: there let your hearts be. As for the afflictions, vexations, tribulation, miseries and crosses, wherewith this mortal life of yours is seasoned, let them be your joy. They are sure pledges of God's love unto you. Even so saith the Spirit, Hebr. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth. Thirdly, is it true? Is there no safe being in city or country from the hand of God, when he is disposed to punish? A third use of this doctrine is, for the terror of such as lie wallowing in the filthiness of their sins. Many there are, wicked wretches, who, if God shall for a time defer the punishments due unto their sins, are ready to think that God takes no notice of their sins. These say in their heart there is no God. Against these is made that challenge, Psal. 50.21. I hold my tongue, and th●u thoughtest me like thyself. I] the Lord, who see the secrets of all hearts, I hold my tongue] I did not by my judgements punish thee for the wickedness of thy steps; I hold my tongue, and thou thoughtest me like thyself] thou thoughtest I taken pleasure in wickedness, as thou dost; but thou shalt find, and feel the contrary. Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies, and long suffering of God; thereby they grow worse and worse, obdurate, and hardened in their sins. Yet let them be advised: for they day will come, and it comes apace, wherein they shall feel the heaviness of that hand, which here was turned against Ekron: I will turn my hand to Ekron. It followeth, And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish. The Philistines had their beginning from Casluchim, a grandchild of Chane, the accursed issue of Noah, as appeareth, Gen. 10.14. They were seated in a part of the Land of Canaan; the west part, that which bordereth upon the great Sea, the Sea commonly called the Mediterranean. Their Country was called by Ptolemee and others, Palaestina, and by the Greeks, Phoenicia. It was a part of that country, which once was called Terra promissionis, the Land of promise; but now Terra Sancta, the Holy Land. The inhabitants in our Prophet's time, were professed enemies to Almighty God, and his beloved Israel. They thought themselves safe from ruin through the strength of their five Dukedoms; Azzah, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. But vain and foolish are the thoughts which possess the wicked. When the God of all truth shall give his word for a matter, shall man presume to doubt of the event? Here God sets his word upon it, that there shall be an utter overthrow, not only of Azzah, Ashdod, Ashkelon and Ekron, but of Gath also, and all the villages belonging thereunto: for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. Ait Dominus jehouth] saith the Lord God. This is the conclusion of this prophecy, and it redoubleth its authority and credit. Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front, verse 6. Thus saith the Lord: it is here redoubled; saith the Lord God. Saith the Lord God] hath the Lord God said it, and r 〈◊〉 23 19 shall he not do it? hath he spoken it, and shall he not accomplish it: The Lord, Iehou●h, the strength of Israel, is not as man, that he should lie, not as the son of man, that he should repent. All his words, yea all the titles of his words, are Yea, and Amen. s Matth. 5.18. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot or one tittle of his word shall escape unfulfilled, Dominus jehouth, the Lord, hath said it, that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish. Out of doubt than must it come to pass. And so is it. The first blow, which the Philistines received towards their overthrow after this prophecy, was given them above threescore years after by Ezechius, that good King of judah, of whom the Prophet Esay, Chap. 14.29. foretelleth the Philistines, that he should be unto them as a Cockatrice, and a fiery ●●ring Serpent. This Ezechius smote the Philistines unto Azzah, and the coasts thereof, from the watchtower unto the defensed City. This is plain, 2 King. 18.8. A second blow was given by Tartan, one of the Captains of Sennacherib, or Sargon, King of Assyria, who came up against Ashdod, and took it. This is plain, Esay 20.1. A third blow was given them by Pharaoh Neco: and he smote Azzah, Ashkelon, and other places. This is it which the Prophet jeremy saith, Chap. 47.5. Baldness is come upon Azzah, Ashkelon is cut up with the rest of their valleys. In a word; God hath from time to time raised up his men of war, in due time to extirpate and raze out the Philistines from the face of the earth, that according to the tenor of this Prophecy, there might be no remnant of them. The remnant of the Philistines shall perish] Hear may we observe a difference in God's punishments; he punisheth the reprobate, and he punisheth his elect; but differently: the reprobate to their utter excision, and extirpation; not so the elect. For of them, there is upon the earth evermore a remnant that shall be saved: as it's intimated by the Prophet Esay, Chap. 1.9. Except the Lord of hosts had reserved unto us even a small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorah. You see a remnant reserved, though a small one. Yea sometimes there is a reservation of so small a remnant as is scarcely visible. As in the days of Eliah, who knew of none but himself. I only am left, saith he, 1 King. 19.14. Yet God tells him in the 18. verse of seven thousand in Israel which never bowed their knees to Baal. Hitherto belongeth that, joel 2.32. In mount Zion, and in jerusalem, shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant, whom the Lord shall call. t jerem. 25.34 Howle ye wicked, and cry, and wallow yourselves in the ashes, for your days of dispersion and slaughter are accomplished, and ye shall fall like the Philistines, every mother's child of you: the u jerem. 46.10. sword shall devour you: it shall be satiate, and made drunk with your blood, there shall not be a remnant of you left. But you, the elect and chosen children of God your Father, take unto you x Esay 61.3. beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness; rejoice ye, and be glad together. Let the prince of darkness, and all the powers of hell, assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals upon the earth, join together to work your overthrow, they shall not effect it. For God, even your God, will reserve unto himself a remnant. This remnant is the chaste Spouse of Christ, the Holy Catholic Church, enriched from above with all manner of benedictions. Extra eam nulla est salus; whosoever hath not her for his Mother, shall never have God for his Father. Of this remnant and Catholic Church, notwithstanding the challenge of Romish Idolaters, we (beloved) are sound and lively members. Happy are the eyes which see that we see, and enjoy the presence of him, whom we adore: happy are the ears that hear what we hear, and the hearts which are partakers of our instructions. No Nation under Heaven hath a God so potent, so loving, so near to them, which worship him, as we of this Island have. The many and bloody practices of that great Antichrist of Rome, so often set on foot against us, and still defeated, are so many evidences, that our souls are most precious in the sight of God. He, he alone hath delivered us out of the Lion's jaw, to be a holy remnant unto himself. Now what shall we render unto the Lord for so great a blessing? We will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon his Name. THE Fifteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.9, 10. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they shut the whole captivity in Edom, and have not remembered the brotherly covenant. Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Tyrus, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. THis blessed Prophet Amos, sent from God in Embassage to the ten revolted Tribes, doth first thunder out God's judgements against neighbour countries; the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites. Which he doth for certain reasons, given in my sixth Lecture: that he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen, the Israelites: that they might have no cause to think much, if God should at any time lay his rod upon them; and that they might the more stand in awe of the words of this prophecy. When they should hear of such heavy judgements to light upon their neighbours, they could not but enter into a consideration of their own estate; and thus reason within themselves: Is it true, which this Amos saith? Will the Lord bring such heavy judgements upon the Syrians, Philistines, Tyrians, and other of our neighbours? In what a fearful estate are we then? They silly people never knew the will of God; and yet must they be so severely punished? How then shall we escape, who knowing Gods holy will, have contemned it? Of the judgements denounced against the Syrians and Philistines, you have heard at large in former Lectures. Now in the third place do follow the Tyrians, verse 9, and 10. For three transgressions of Tyrus, etc. These words containing a burdensome prophecy against Tyrus, I divide into two parts. 1 A preface, Thus saith the Lord. 2 A prophecies, For three transgressions of Tyrus, etc. In the prophecy I observe four parts. 1 A general accusation of the Tyrians: For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four. 2 The Lords protestation against them: I will not turn to it. 3 The declaration of that grievous sin, by which they so highly offended. This sin was the sin of unmercifulness and cruelty, expressed in two branches. 1 They shut the whole captivity in Edom. 2 They remembered not the brotherly covenant. 4 The description of the punishment to befall them for their sin, in the tenth verse, Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Tyrus, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. The preface gives credit unto the prophecy, and is a warrant for the truth of it. Thus saith the Lord] The Lord, jehovah, whose Throne is the Heaven of heavens; and the Sea his floor to walk in; and the Earth his footstool to tread upon; who hath a chair in the conscience, and sitteth in the heart of man, and possesseth his most secret reines, and divideth betwixt the flesh and the skin, and shaketh his inmost powers, as the thunder shaketh the wilderness of Cades. This Lord, jehovah, so mighty, so powerful, shall he say a thing, and shall he not do it? Shall he speak it, and shall he not accomplish it? The Lord, jehovah, the strength of Israel, is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should repent. All his words, yea all the tittles of all his words, are Yea, and Amen. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot or one tittle of his Word shall escape unfulfilled. Thus saith the Lord] Out of doubt than must it come to pass. And because it is the Lord that speaketh, it is required of us, that we harken to him with reverence. Thus briefly of the Preface; whereof I have more largely spoken in two former Lectures, my sixth and twelfth Lectures, upon the third and sixth verses of this Chapter. In which, these very words are prefixed for a Preface to two prophecies; the one against the Syrians, the other against the Philistines. I proceed to the present prophecy against the Tyrians. It is much like the two former, both for words and matter. In regard whereof I shall be short in many of my notes. For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four] Here is nothing new, but the name of Tyrus. This Tyrus is called in the Hebrew text * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tzor: whence came the name Sar, and Sarra in Eunius, Poenos Sarrâ oriundos; he notes the Carthaginians to have their beginning from Sarra, which is Tyrus. Tyrus was a very ancient City; it was saith, Drusius, Vetustissimarum urbrum parcus. as it were, the mother of very old Cities. Pliny N●●. 〈◊〉 lib. 5. ● p. 19 saith, that out of Tyrus came the founders and first inhabiters, not only of Carthage, but also of Leptis, Utica, and Gades, the City well known to our modern N●uigators by the name of Calis Malis, and of late years conquered by some worthies of our English Nation. The ancient glory of this City Tyrus, is blazed abroad to the whole world, by Ezechiel Chap. 27. Glorious was Tyrus: 1. For her situation: 2. For her riches: 3. For the frame, and beauty of her building: 4. For her shipping: 5. For her power in martial affairs: 6. For her merchandizing: 7. For her great esteem and report with foreign nations. The Prophet Esay in like sort blazeth out her glory, Chap. 23.7, 8. He saith of her, that her antiquity is of ancient days; that she is the crown of the Sea; that her merchants are Princes, and her chapmen the Nobles of the world. So glorious a City was this Tyrus. Here she is accused of disloyalty to the God of heaven, in the very same words, wherein Damascus and Azzah are formerly accused: Damascus. vers. 3. and Azzah, vers. 6. For three tran gressions of Tyrus, and for four] And the Lords protestation upon this accusation is the same, I will not turn to it] It is a●●f the Lord had thus said: If the inhabitants of Tyrus had offended but once, or a second time, I should have been favourable to them, and would have recalled them into the right way, that so they might be converted, and escape my punishments: but now, for as much as they do daily heap transgression upon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted, but indurate and obstinate, as they are, I will utterly destroy them. Albertus Magnus understandeth by these three transgressions, three sorts of sins; peccatum in voluntate, peccatum in consensu, peccatum in opere: sin in will, sin in consent, and sin in action: and by the fourth transgression he understandeth, cordis indurationem, induration and hardness of heart; which he defineth to be pertinaciam permanendi in peccato, a pertinacy, or stubborn resolution to persevere in sin, wherein the sinner lieth wallowing, void of shame, and all liking of goodness. I do rather approve Wincklemans judgement, who by these three, and four transgressions of Tyrus, understandeth pride, disdain, luxuriousness of meats and drinks, costliness of garments, wanton lusts, and other like sins, incident to Mart Towns, and Towns of great trade. That such were the sins of Tyrus, witness that her sharp and grievous reprehension, Ezech. 28. For these three and four, many transgressions and sins, the Lord protesteth against Tyrus, I will not turn to it: I will take no pity on them; but will do unto them according to their works. For three transgressions of Tyrus and four, etc.] Here are you to be remembered of a doctrine more than once, heretofore commended to your Christian considerations. Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. God is pure of eyes, and beholdeth not iniquity: He hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. The sentence is passed forth, and must stand uncontrollable, even as long as Sun and Moon: Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil. The soul that sinneth it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath, Deut. 32.41. That he will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on judgment to execute vengeance for sin. His soul hateth and abhorreth sin; his law curseth and condemneth sin; his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast down Angels into Hell; to thrust Adam out of Paradise; to turn Cities into ashes; to ruinated nations; to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh. Because of sin he drowned the old world, and because of sin ere long will burn this. Thus do many sin pluck down from Heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. One use of this doctrine was; to teach us heedfulness in all our ways, that we do not by our many sins provoke Almighty God to high displeasure. A second use was; to move us to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbear these Tyrians, till by three and four transgressions, by their many sins they had provoked him to indignaon. These things I have heretofore laboured to lay unto your hearts. Now followeth the third part of this prophecy, wherein you have the declaration of that grievous sin, by which the Tyrians so highly offended: the sin of unmercifulness and cruelty; expressed in two branches. 1 They shut up the whole captivity in Edom. 2 They remembered not the brotherly covenant. 1 They shut up the whole captivity in Edom] The exposition of these words I have formerly delivered unto you in my twelfth Lecture, and my meditations upon the 6. verse. There the Philistines are condemned for carrying away prisoners the whole captivity, to shut them up in Edom: and here are the Tyrians condemned for shutting the whole captivity in Edom. The sin seemeth to be the same in both; the Philistines, and the Tyrians. Both did shut up the whole captivity in Edom; that is, as joel chap. 3.6. speaketh; they both did sell away the children of judah, and the children of jerusalem unto the Grecians, that they might send them fare from their borders. God his peculiar inheritance, his own seed, and servants, the children of judah, and jerusalem, were by the cruel and hardhearted Philistines and Tyrians, mancipated, and sold away forbond slaves to the Grecians, dwelling fare off, that with them they might live in perpetual servitude and slavery, without all hope of liberty or redemption. Arias Montanus noteth a difference betwixt that sin of the Philistines, and this of the Tyrians. The Philistines carried away prisoners the whole captivity, to shut them up in Edom. They did, as they thought, but what they might do lawfully, by the law of nations. The jews were their captives and prisoners, conquered by a strong hand in open hostility, and for this respect they shut them up in Edom; they sold them to the Grecians, to be by them transported to the Idumaeans. But these Tyrians had no such pretence of excuse. They did not with a strong hand, in open hostility conquer the jews, & so take them prisoners, but did surprise them by deceit, and treachery, as they lay at Tyrus for traffic and intercourse of merchandise; and thus surprised they shut them up in Edom; they sold them to the Grecians, to be by them transported to the Idumaeans, fare from their own country, even to Italy. For it is a constant tradition in all Hebrew histories, that a great part of the Italian nation, specially those that dwelled at Rome, had their beginning from the Idumaeans. But I will not prosecute this opinion. They shut the whole captivity in Edom] They spared not, either women, or children, or the aged; they took no pity, no compassion, upon either sex, or age; but all of all sorts, male and female, young and old, a whole and perfect captivity, they delivered up into the hands of the Edomites. The Edomites were the posterity of Esau, who was named Edom, as the Israelites were the posterity of jacob, who was named Israel. Esau pursued jacob with a deadly hate: so did the posterity of Esau, the posterity of jacob. The Edomites were evermore most maliciously bend against the Israelites. Now behold the foulness of this sin wherewith the Tyrians are here charged. It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree. It is a cruel deed to detain any one unlawfully from returning into his native country: but him that is so detained, to sell away for a bondslave to his mortalest enemy, this a cruelty, than which there cannot be a greater. Such was the sin of these Tyrians; They sold the jews, jacobs' posterity, and God his servants, to their professed enemies, the Edomites, with this policy, that being carried fare from their own country, they might live in eternal slavery and bondage, without hope ever to return home again. They shut the whole captivity in Edom] The Tyrians are here disproved, for delivering up God's inheritance, a believing nation, into the hands of profane Edomites. And it may remember you of a lesson heretofore commended to your Christian considerations; It is not lawful to commit the children of believers into the hands of infidels. The reason is, that they be not withdrawn from their holy faith, religious worship, and service of God. 1 This doctrine serveth for our instruction. It teacheth us so to love the souls of the righteous seed, that we leave them not resident among Infidels, Atheists, Papists, or other profane wretches, but rather that to our own cost and labour, we redeem them out of the Devil's tyranny. 2 It serveth for the reproof of such as do bind and put their children (the fruit of their bodies, which they ought to consecrate unto the Lord) into the education of open enemies to the Gospel of Christ; most blasphemous and abominable Atheists, or most blind and superstitious Papists. 3 Sith it is not lawful to commit the children of believers into the hands of Infidels, for the reason above specified, that they be not withdrawn from their holy faith, religious worship, and true service of God: then neither is it lawful for us to keep away, or send away our servants from the service of God. Let no man say unto me, such a man's servant, and such a man's, are employed in temporal affairs at the time of divine service, and why should not mine be likewise? (Dear beloved) a good Christians part is, to be of like resolution with joshuah, chap. 24.15. Howsoever all the world beside shall be affected in this business, yet to resolve for himself and his family, as joshuah did for his; I and my house will serve the Lord. I do but touch these points, because I have heretofore in this place more at large insisted upon them. Now followeth the second branch expressing the sin of the Tyrians, their sin of unmercifulness and cruelty. They have not remembered the covenant of brethren For this time I note that men may be called brethren six manner of ways. 1. By nature, as jacob and Esau. By kindred, affinity, or alliance, as Abraham and Lot. 3. By nation or country, as all jews. 4. By religion, as all Christians. 5. By friendship, as Solomon, and Hiram King of Tyre. 6. By calamity, or misery, as many poor distressed people, who have not wherewith to support their weak natures. The covenant of brethren here mentioned, some do refer to that league of amity which was concluded between King Solomon, and Hiram, King of Tyre, recorded 1 King. 5.12. Some do properly understand these words, to signify that natural league which should have been between jacob and Esau, natural brethren, and their posterity in lineal descent, the jews, Israelites, and Edomites. Understand it which way you will: the Tyrians were both ways . First they remembered not the covenant made between their King, King Hiram, and King Solomon. Secondly, they remembered not the covenant made by nature between the jews, Israelites, and Edomites, brethren lineally descended from two natural brethren, jacob and Esau. From both expositions ariseth profitable doctrine. First, is Almighty God here displeased with the Tyrians, because they did ill entreat the jews, and Israelites, not remembering the ancient covenant between Hiram their King, and Solomon King of Israel? Hence we may take this lesson, Ancient leagues are not rashly to be violated. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, breakers of leagues, truces, and covenants, are Rom. 1.31. ranked among such, whom God in his secret judgement hath given up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to a reprobate sense. Foederum tutor, & vindex Deus est; God is, as it were a tutor, or protector of leagues, and severely revengeth himself upon the breakers of them. The Gentiles of old by the light of nature did acknowledge as much; and fearful examples in all ages do prove as much. I will instance, but in few. joshuah made a league with the Gibeonites, and swore that he would suffer them to live, Iosh. 9.15. long after Saul, and his bloody house slew some of them. Hereat was the wrath of the Lord kindled, and for this cause he punished the people with three year's famine, and was not appeased with the land, till seven of saul's sons were delivered up into the hands of the Gibeonites, to be hanged up in Gibeah, 2 Sam. 21.1. Zedechiah King of judah, made a covenant with Nabuchodonosor King of Babel, and swore a 2 King. 24.17. & 2 Chr. 36.13 & jerem. 52.2. subjection to him. But Zedechiah notwithstanding his oath, took part with the Kings of the Egyptians, Idumaeans, Moabites, Ammonites, and Tyrus, against Nabuchodonosor, what followeth this breach of his oath and covenant? Even utter ruin to himself, his kingdom, the city of jerusalem, & the glorious Temple there, 2 Chr. 36.17 etc. Vladislaus King of Poland, and Hungary, concluded a peace for ten years with Sultan Amurath, the sixth King of the Turks. Vlidislaus took his oath upon the holy Evangelists, and Amurath his, (by his Ambassadors) upon their Turkish Alcoran. b Knolles Hist. Tunc pag. 289. This was the most honourable peace, that ever Christian Prince had before that time made with any of the Turkish Kings, and most profitable also, had it been with like sincerity kept, as it was with solemnity confirmed. Vladislaus c Pag. 292. absolved from his oath by Cardinal julianus the Pope's Legate, and Agent in Hungary, breaketh the concluded peace, and ᵈ invadeth a fresh the Turks dominions. The Turk joins battle with him at e Pag. 297. Varna in Bulgaria; and beholding the picture of the crucifix in the displayed ensigns of the Christians, plucks out of his bosom that writing, wherein the late league between him and Vladislaus was comprised; and holding it up in his hand with his eyes cast up to heaven, saith; Behold, thou crucified Christ; this is the league thy Christians in thy name made with me, which they have without cause violated. Now if thou be a God as they say thou art, and as we dream, revenge the wrong now done unto thy name, and me; and show thy power upon thy perjurious people, who in their deeds deny thee, their God. What followed hereupon? The victory was the Turks. Vladislaus lost his life there, and eleven thousand Christians besides. The success of this great and bloody battle of Varna, fought the 10. of November, 1444. doth it not plainly show, that God cannot away with league-breakers? These few instances of Saul, Zedechiah, and Vladislaus, may suffice for the clearing of my propounded doctrine; Ancient leagues are not rashly to be violated. The use of this doctrine is, to admonish all subjects to be very respective and mindful of that league and covenant which they have by their solemn oaths made and confirmed to their Kings, Princes, and other Governors: according to that exhortation made by S. Paul, Rom. 13.1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. It is not a bare or naked exhortation; it is backed with a good reason, For there is no power but of God; and the powers that are, are ordained of God: It followeth in the second verse; Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. Whosoever they are that resist power, men in authority, Princes, Rulers, and Governors, they resist God, and God will confound them; their infamy shall remain upon perpetual record for a spectacle to all posterity. What else meaneth the Apostle in the same place, where he saith, They that resist, shall receive to themselves judgement? And here (dear beloved) I beseech you to beware of Romish Locusts, I mean jesuits, and Seminary Priests, who are sent from beyond the seas to inveigle you, & to make you unmindful, or at least careless of your covenant, confirmed by your sacred oaths, with your redoubted Sovereign. They will tell you that your King is an Heretic, because he maintaineth not their Romish, new, and upstart religion: and will thereupon go about to persuade you, that you are not to keep your faith with him. It is a Devilish doctrine. They have learned it from Martin the fift, one of their holy Popes, f Cochlaeus Hist. Hussit. lib. 5. Rainold. Thes. §. 42. pag. 188. Margin. who in his Epistle to Alexander, Duke of Lituania, saith; Scito te peccare mortaliter, fi seruabis fidem datam hareticis: Know, saith he, that thou sinnest mortally, if thou keepest thy oath made with heretics. If upon this persuasion you will not be drawn to break your oath, which you make a conscience of; then will they further tell you, that the Pope hath already given you absolution, and a dispensation for your oath. Pope g Caus. 15. qu. 6. c. Nos Sanctorum. Nosces, qui excommunicatis fidelitate & sacramento constrictisunt, Apostolicâ autoritate sacramento abs●luimus. Gregory the seventh of that name, saith; We by Apostolical authority do absolve all from their oaths, which they have given to persons excommunicate. The words are in Gratians decree, caus. 15. qu. 6. c. 4 We by Apostolical authority do absolve all from their oaths, etc. But who are excommunicate by Romish exposition? I will tell you out of the great lawyer Panormitan, not they only against whom the sentence of excommunication is pronounced. For saith h Extra de Judicits C●p. Come in homine. Cum est crimen notorium, nullâ est opus declaratione sententiae excommunicationis. Panormitan, when the Heresy is publicly known, there needeth no pro●uatiation of the sentence of excommunication. And who are such heretics as against whom there needeth no pronunciation of the sentence of excommunication? i Lib. 1. de iusta punit. Heretic. Alfonsus de Castro, and k Justruct. Sacerd. lib. 1. cap. 19 Qui intelligens aliquam sententiom expressè ab Ecclesia damnatam, eam retin●crit, Haereticus pertinax est censendus. Tolet the jesuite, will tell us, that whosoever maintaineth any doctrine condemned in the Church of Rome, he is to be accounted an obstinate Heretic. Well then; all Protestants, Princes, and subjects, maintaining true Christian doctrine, such as is condemned in the Church of Rome, are in Popish account obstinate Heretics, and therefore ipso facto, already excommunicate: there needeth no pronunciation of the sentence of excommunication against them. Whereupon it followeth, that in every kingdom where the King is a professed Protestant, the subjects are already absolved from their each of allegiance. I will not in this auditory further enlarge this point. A point, I grant, fit for the Convent of the profound and learned, then for this place. Wherefore I shut up this point, beseeching you to suffer a word of exhortation. Howsoever Pope l Apud G●●tian Caus 15 q. 6. Gregory the seventh, that same m Ma●nat●●y Ne●rama● 〈◊〉 praestigtis Diabolicis Papatum in●asit. Szeged. spec. Pontis. & Vrsin. spec. jesuit. sorcerer, and n Cum Mathilde comitissa occultum habuit commercium. Vrsin. Spec. jesuit. p. 265. adulterer, and o Lib. 5. Decret. tit. 7 cap. 6. glossa. Nos excommunicamus universos haereticos, ut absolutosse noverint omni fidelitatis debito, qui iis iuramento terebantur astricti. Gregory the ninth, and p In B●lla. Absoluimus subditos vincul●iuramenti, quo Reginae Elizabethe constricti tenchantur. Pius the fift, and all succeeding Popes shall absolve you from your oath of allegiance, yet (dear beloved) believe them not. ‛ Peter, and the Apostles, Act. 5.29. do put you in mind, that it is better to obey God, than men. And God in his holy word commandeth you to be subject to the higher powers, as you have already heard, Rom. 13.1. to honour the King, 1 Pet. 2.17. to submit yourselves to all manner ordinance of man for his sake, whether it be unto the King as unto the superior, or unto other governors, verse. 13. you have taken your oath of allegiance, and sworn obedience to your King; break not your covenant with him, that God's wrath break not forth in fire against you, as it did against these Tyrians, for not remembering the covenant of brethren. Thus fare by occasion of the first exposition of these words, They remembered not the covenant of brethren, that is, they remembered not the covenant made between their King, King Hiram, and the King of Jsrael, King Solomon. Now somewhat of the other exposition. They remembered not the covenant of brethren; that is, they remembered not the covenant made by nature between the jews, Israelites, and Edomites, brethren lineally descended from two natural brethren, jacob and Esau. They knew full well, that the jews and Israelites were the issue of jacob, and the Edomites of Esau; they knew likewise, that the Edomites bore a mortal hatred towards the jews and Israelites; yet fold they the jews and Israelites, unto the Edomites; and are therefore here said not to remember the brotherly covenant. The man that conspireth mischief and destruction to his brother, is a monster in nature, worthy to be pursued with eternal detestation: and whosoever abhorreth not from consenting to such a wickedness, but giveth furtherance, or countenance thereto, he is holden in the same impiety. The Edomites sought the destruction of the jews and Israelites, and the Tyrians did further them in their bloody designs; the Tyrians therefore are partakers with the Edomites in the sin of unmercifulness. Which sin is here laid unto their charge in these words, They remembered not the brotherly covenant. Hence we may take this lesson; It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God, either for brethren to be at variance among themselves, or for others to countenance them in their quarrels. Our assent to this truth, the light of nature within us doth extort from us. Of the first part of my proposition, wherein I avow it to be a very distasteful thing unto God for brethren to be at variance among themselves, I shall have fit opportunity to entreat, when I shall come to the eleventh verse of this Chapter, where Edom is reproved for pursuing his brother with the sword. Of the other part, wherein I do affirm it to be an unpleasing thing to God for any to countenance brethren in their quarrels, I will by God's assistance speak at this time very briefly. It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God, for any to countenance brethren in their quarrels. The advice is good which Saint Paul giveth, Ephes. 5.11. Have ye no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but even reprove them rather. What are the works of darkness, but the works of the flesh? Now in Galat. 5.20. in the Catalogue of the works of the flesh, we find hatred, debate, wrath, contention. With these therefore we must have no fellowship, we must reprove them rather. Must we have no fellowship with them? Must we reprove them rather? What saith old Adam? What saith flesh and blood to this? Our Gallants of this age can entertain no such advice: that it may be fulfilled which our Saviour Christ foretold of the end of the world, Luk. 21.10. and 16. Nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, a father against his son, a brother against his brother, a kinsman against his kinsman, and a friend against his friend. A fit remedy for this malady I find none, than to imitate blessed Abraham. There grew a debate between his servants, and the servants of Lot; their herdsmen could not agree. What doth Abraham in this case? As the manner of Masters is now adays? No, he breaketh not out into choler; he saith not, My servants are abused; my cousin Let his servants do seek to crow over them, and to rule the roast as they list. This is an injury to me their Master, and a shame to suffer it. So a man may be made a fool indeed, and accounted a wretch, and a dastard of no reputation. Never will any man care to serve me, if I stick not better to my men than so. Such language, as the world now goeth, is very rife among us. But Abraham spoke not so. Grace was in his face, and mildness in his words: For thus spoke he unto his Nephew Lot, Gen. 13.8. I pray thee, let there be no strife between thee and me; neither between thy herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are brethren. We are brethren; I pray let there be no strife between us. Let us be mindful of the covenant wherein nature hath united our affections; we are brethren: the bond of brotherhood and consanguinity, let it moderate our passions; why shall we jar and be at odds between ourselves? Are we not brethren? An excellent pattern of imitation for all estates, high and low, rich and poor, one with another. Noblemen, Gentlemen, Yeomen; all, whosoever may say they are brethren, either in nature, or in Christ and religion, have in Abraham a pattern for their imitation. We must abstain, not only from raising strife and debate ourselves, but also from fostering and cherishing it in others. Such was Abraham's choice. He would not maintain his servants against Lot's servants: he took it to be fare more credit for him to have unity and good love, than the bitter effects of the contrary. Among the beatitudes, Mat. 5. the seventh is; Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are they who love concord, regard peace, seek it, and ensue after it. Blessed are they who bestir themselves to cherish and maintain peace and concord between others. Blessed are they who do their best to reunite in love, such as are fallen out, to make an end of quarrels and dissensions. Blessed are the peacemakers: the reason is annexed; for they shall be called the children of God, that is, they will by their love of unity and concord, make it appear unto the world that they are the sons of God. From whence it followeth by an argument from the place of contraries: Accursed are makebates, for they shall be called the children of the Devil. Cursed are they who are of themselves quarrelsome and contentious. Cursed are they who bestir themselves to cherish and maintain strife and debate in others. Cursed are they who do their best to set at variance such as have long lived in peace and unity. Cursed are make-bates; I annex the reason; for they shall be called the sons of the Devil, that is, They will by their love of strife and debate, make it appear to the world that they are the sons of the Devil. Now (dear beloved in the Lord) I beseech you to remove fare from you all cogitation and thought of strife, variance, and debate; and to remember your brotherly covenant. Know ye, that the bond of one body, one spirit, one hope, one God, one faith, one baptism, is as fare above the bond of one father, one mother, one village, one house, and the like, as the spirit is above the flesh, spiritual things above carnal, and God above man. I will shut up this point with the exhortation of S. Peter, 1 Epist. Chap. 3.8. Be ye all of one mind; one suffer with another; love as brethren; be pitiful; be courteous; render not evil for evil, nor rebuke for rebuke: but contrariwise bless ye; bless I say, and know that you are thereunto called, that ye should be heirs of blessing. Thus fare of the third part of this Prophecy. Now followeth the fourth. Vers. 10. Therefore will I send a fire upon the walls of Tyrus, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. This is a particular denunciation of a conquest and desolation against the City Tyrus for her sins. According to this prediction it came to pass, saith Drusius, either in the war of Salmanassar against the Tyrians, or in the war of Nabuchodonosor. Yet this he affirmeth not. Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus three years and three months, and then took its so saith Winckleman out of josephus, lib. 1. contra Appionem: the Latin Copies of josephus, which I have seen, make mention of the continuance of this siege for thirteen years. The Greek Copy hath nothing of the continuance of it. For therein I read only, that when Thobalus was King, Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus. This was about the year of the world 3345. Tyrus after this was re-edified and did flourish. But she was in her pride again besieged, and taken by Alexander the Great in the year of the world 3632. And long since, A. C. 1290. she was sacked & leveled with the ground by Alphix then Sultan of Egypt. Thus hath God's hand been strong and prevailing against Tyrus, according to the tenor of this Prophecy. The very words whereof you have heard before expounded in the fourth and seventh verses of this Chapter. Now I pray you only recount with me such heads of Doctrine as heretofore have been observed out of these words: Therefore will I send a fire, etc. Wherein three circumstances are to be observed: 1 The punisher. 2 The punishment. 3 The punished. The first circumstance is the punisher, the Lord: For thus saith the Lord, I will send] The Doctrine is: It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. The second circumstance is the punishment, and that is by fire: I will send a fire] The Doctrine is: The fire, and all other creatures, are at the Lords commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. The third circumstance is the punished, the walls and palaces of Tyrus: I will send a fire upon the walls of Tyrus, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. First, must the glorious City Tyrus be destroyed? The Doctrine is: No munition can save that City which God will have destroyed. Secondly, must the Walls of Tyrus be devoured with the fire of God's displeasure? The doctrine is, It is the good blessing of God upon a Kingdom, to have walls, strong holds, munitions, fortresses, and bulwarks for a defence against enemies. Thirdly, must the palaces of Tyrus be consumed with the fire of God's anger? The doctrine is; God depriveth us of a great blessing when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. Of these doctrines and their several uses, I have heretofore in this place at large entreated. Wherefore let this which hath been now spoken, suffice for my present exposition of this prophecy against Tyrus. THE Sixteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.11, 12. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn to it: because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger spoiled him evermore, and his wrath watched him always. Therefore will I send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. IN this burdensome Prophecy against Edom I observe two parts: 1 A Preface: Thus saith the Lord. 2 A Prophecy: For three transgressions of Edom, etc. In the Prophecy I observe four parts: 1 A general accusation of the Edomites: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four. 2 The Lords protestation against them: I will not turn to it. 3 The description of the sin by which they offended; in four branches: 1 He pursued his brother with the sword. 2 He cast off all pity. 3 His anger spoiled him evermore. 4 His wrath watched him always. 4 The declaration of the punishments to be inflicted upon Edom, vers. 12. Therefore will I send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. The Preface, Thus saith the Lord, challengeth your attention. The two first parts of the Prophecy, the accusation of the Edomites, and God's protestation against them in these words: For three transgressions of Edom and for four, I will not turn to it, may give you occasion to recount and remember a Doctrine already the third time recommended to your religious considerations; Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. Mel satietatem gignit; It is an old saying, A man may eat too much honey. What? One lesson so often? No variety? I could answer with a Greek Proverb; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: that good and wholesome lessons may well be commended to you twice and thrice, many times, and yet should you not dislike it. But for the present I proceed to the third part of this prophecy, wherein is described Edom's sin. Of this part are four branches: 1 He did pursue his brother with the sword] wherein observe 1 A purfuer: Edom. 2 The pursued: His brother. 3 The manner of pursuit; With the sword. Edom did pursue his brother with the sword. Edom] Esau, jacobs' brother, and isaack's son by his wise a Gen. 25.21, Rebekah, for selling his birthright for a mess of red broth, was surnamed Edom, Gen. 25.30. and of him lineally descended the Edomites, or Idumaeans, Gen. 36.43. Esau pursued jacob with a deadly hate; so did the posterity of Esau the posterity of jacob: the Edomites were evermore most maliciously bend against the Israelites. Edom is the pursuer in his own person, and in his posterity. The pursued is Edom's brother, jacob, surnamed Israel, and his posterity the jews and Israelites. Edom pursued his brother with the sword] Bello, & armat â manu, by war, and bands of soldiers, saith Drusius. Esau hated his brother jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him, and thereupon in heart vowed his death. For thus thought Esau in his mind, Gen. 27.41. The days of mourning for my father will come shortly, then will I slay my brother jacob. jacob to assuage his brother Esau's fierceness, fled b Gen. 27.44. to his Uncle Laban in Mesopotamia, with whom he lived c Gen. 31.38. twenty years: which time expired, jacob upon God his admonishment returned into the d Gen. 31.3. land of his fathers. A man would have thought twenty years time sufficient for any one to have forgotten, or at least to have digested a displeasure. Twenty years were not enough for Esau; so immortal was his hatred. After twenty years, as jacob returned from Mesopotamia, Esau went against him with four hundred men, Gen. 33.1. This inexpiable rancour and hatred ended not in Esau. His malicious posterity retained it. Witness the churlish answer given to Moses his Ambassadors, Numb. 20.20. Moses being to conduct the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, desirous to bring them the nearest way, sent to the King of Edom for leave to pass thorough his country: I pray thee let us pass thorough thy country: we will not go thorough the fields, nor thorough the vineyards: we will not drink of the water of thy wells; we will go by the King's high way: we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, until we be passed thy borders: we will go the high way. If I and my cattles drink of thy water, I will then pay for it: I will only without any harm go thorough on my feet. Moses the meekest man upon the earth, thus meekly besought the King of Edom for passage thorough his country. Can he obtain it, think you? No. The inveterate hatred wherewith Esau was possessed, residing in his posterity, caused a denial to so honest a petition. The King of Edom with much poople, and with a mighty power, rose up against Moses and the Israelites. Long after this, in the days of Ahaz King of judah, were the Edomites better minded towards jacobs' posterity? The sacred story, 2 Chron. 28.17. telleth us, that then also the Edomites were up in arms against the jews; some of them they slew, and some they carried away captives. He therefore, the e Psal. 89.14. establishment of whose throne are righteousness and equity, Almighty God, doth here justly challenge Edom for pursuing his brother with the sword. The lesson which hence I would commend to you is: It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God for brethren to be at variance among themselves. Our assent to this truth, the light of nature within us doth extort from us. By nature's light the very Heathen have acknowledged one God, and him the author of unity & friendship; as Plato in his Lysis. From the same parents, one father, and one mother, as from one seed, one root, one beginning, by nature's ordinance do spring g Plutarch. de amore fraterno. two, three, or more brethren, not for discord, or contrariety; but that being many, they might the better one help another. That brother that warreth with his brother, in Plutarch his judgement, doth voluntarily h Ibid. cut off a member of his own flesh. All i Xenophon. lib. 2. de dictis & fact. Socr. enmity breedeth within our souls a thousand tormenting passions; but especially that enmity which a man beareth towards his own brother, as that which is most prodigious and unnatural. When Socrates saw Chaerephon, and Chaerecrates, two brethren jarring and warring each with other, he said unto them: You do now, as if the hands which were created to help one the other, should hinder and hurt one the other; or as the feet, which were framed to bear one another's burden, should supplant one the other: or as the ears, which are coauditors of mutual good, should wax deaf to hear good one for the other: or as the eyes, which like Caleb and joshua are fellow spies in this Microcosm, this little world and land of men, for the good each of other, should look a squint at the good each of other. You will grant it to be very unnatural, either for the hands, or for the feet, or for the ears, or for the eyes, one to strive against the other. Much more monstrous will the strife between brethren be; because the aid which one of them may and should give unto the other, doth fare exceed the cooperation of the hands, the supportance of the feet, the coaudience of the ears, the providence of the eyes. Thus fare have I led you in Nature's school. May it now please you to hear the same things out of the school of Grace? There Solomon hath this lesson: Two are better than one; for if one of them fall, the other will lift him up; But woe unto him that is alone, for he falleth, and there is not a second to lift him up. The words are Eccles. 4.9, 10. The Hebrews refer those words to married couples: but Solomon speaks it generally: and thus you may expound it; Two are better than one, two brethren are better than one: for if one of them fall, the other will help him up. If he fall into sickness, into want, into any kind of distress, eriget, & allcuabit cum frater, his brother will be a succour to him. But woe to him that is alone. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is an old saying, one man is no man; woe to such a man; woe to him that is alone; for he falleth, and there is not a brother to lift him up. Indeed one brother helping another is like a defenced City (as k Septuagint. Vulgat. Hieron. Gloss. Lyran. Hugo. Card. some read it) and their counsels are like the bar of a palace which is impregnable, Prou. 18.19. and if one overcome him, two shall stand against him, Eccles. 4.12. So natural is their unity, and strong their coadinuance, which nature hath framed double for mutual assistance. The place cited out of the Prou. 18.19. l Mercer. Lavater. Bibl. Augl. some read otherwise; A brother offended is harder to win than a strong City, and their contentions are like the bars of a palace. And then the meaning is: The angers of brethren one of them towards another, are so sharp and vehement, that they can no more easily be subdued, than strong defenced towns conquered; nor more easily be broken, than most strong bars. Which exposition teacheth us, that there is no strife matchable to the strife among brethren. According to the Proverb, Fratrum contentiones acerbissimae; most bitter are the contentions of brethren. Examples Poetical, Historical, and Divine, do speak as much. The implacable hatred of Atreus against Thyestes, Eteocles against Polynices, Romulus against Remus, Bassianus against Geta, Cain against Abel, and Esau against jacob, are they not as trumpets to sound out this truth? To this purpose might I allege the King of Algiers, the Kingdom of Tunes, and Ottomans family, many a brother's hand embrued and washed in his brother's blood; but seeing it is grown into a Proverb, Irae fratrum acerbissimae, most bitter are the contentions of brethren, it needeth no further proof. Against such monstrous and prodigious contentions, the Holy Ghost would have all Christians well armed; and for this end giveth us in holy writ many wholesome Lessons. Let a few serve this time. In the first Epistle of S. john, Cap. 2.11. we are taught that whosoever hateth his brother, he is in darkness, he walketh in darkness, he knoweth not whither he goeth; darkness hath blinded his eyes: and Chap. 3.15. that whosoever hateth his brother is a : and Chap. 4.20. that whoseever hateth his brother is a liar, if he saith he loveth God. The reason is annexed; For how can he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment we have of Christ, that he that loveth God should love his brother also. In the book of Proverbs, Chap. 16.19. we read of six things which the Lord hateth, and of a seventh which his soul abhorreth: that seventh is, vers. 19 The man that raiseth up contentions among brethren. Now if God do abhor with his soul the man that raiseth up contentions among brethren, how doth he like of the contentions themselves? My propounded doctrine stands good. It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God, for brethren to be at variance among themselves. Now let us see what uses do offer themselves to our considerations out of this Doctrine. First, it may serve for a just reproof of these our last and worst days, wherein by experience we find true that same m Dr. King B. of London upon jonas, Lect. 15. paradox, in common reason hardly to be proved; namely, that not friends only, or kinsmen, but brethren also when they fall to enmity, their hatred is greater than that betwixt mortal foes. It is come to pass according to Christ his prophecy, Matth. 10.36. A man's enemies shall be they of his own house: A man's enemies indeed, and his enemies to purpose, to work him most harm, shall be they of his own house. May not many now adays complain, yea cry out with David, Psal. 55.12. If mine enemy had done me this dishonour, I could have borne it: If mine adversary had exalted himself against me, I would have hid myself from him; but it was thou, O man, my companion, my guide, my familiar: we took sweet counsel together; we walked in the house of God as friends. Yet hast thou done me this dishonour; yea, thou hast exalted thyself against me. Of all the Vials of the wrath of God poured down upon sinners, it is one of the sorest, when a man is fed with his own flesh, and made drunk with his own blood, as with sweet wine. So the Prophet Esay speaketh, Chap. 49.26. The meaning is, as a chief n B. King. Ibid. pillar of our Church expoundeth it; when a man taketh pleasure in nothing more, than in the overthrow and extirpation of his own seed: when he thirsteth not for any blood, but that which is drawn from the sides of his brethren and kinsmen. Never was there more eager and bitter contention between Turk and Christian, than now adays there is between Christian and Christian, a brother and a brother. All we, who have given our names to jesus Christ, and vowed him service in our baptism, we are all brethren, we are fratres uterini, brethren from the womb, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we have one father, and one mother; one father in heaven, and one mother, the holy Catholic Church, militant upon the earth. But it fareth with us as it did with Simeon and Levi, Gen 49.5. We are brethren in evil; the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations. They in their wrath slew a man: and what do we? If our wrath be kindled against our brother, we will not stick Edom-like, to pursue him with the sword; we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh, and drunk with his blood. Think not (dear beloved, you of the other sex) think not yourselves exempt from this reproof, because in it I have not made any mention of sisters; for under the name of brethren I meant you also. My speech was unto Christians; and in Christianisme diversity of sex maketh no difference. So saith the Apostle, Gal. 3.28. Male and female, all are one in Christ. To you therefore this reproof of brethren at variance doth also appertain. If you lay violent hands upon any, your husbands, your children, or other; or if with your tongue (which the holy Spirit, Psal. 57.4. calleth a sharp sword) you are given to vex them of your own house; or shall backbite or slander any; know, that Edom-like, you do pursue your brother with the sword. And take, I beseech you, my propounded doctrine, as belonging unto you also; It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God, for brethren to be at variance among themselves. A second use is, to work in us brotherly kindness: that virtue, whereby every good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of love. This brotherly kindness, S. Peter, 2 Epist. 1.7. commendeth unto us, as whereto we ought to give all diligence. David, Psal. 133.1. styleth it with the sweet name of Unity; Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to live in unity. And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes: in the one showing the sweetness and pleasantness of it; in the other, the fruit and profit which cometh by it. First, it is like that precious ointment, which was poured on the head of the high Priest, and ran down upon his herd, and so to the borders of his garments. Behold the sweetness and pleasantness of unity. That sweet perfume and ointment, that holy o le poured out upon the high Priest and his garment, was not only pleasant and delightful to himself, but did also yield a sweet smelling savour to all that were about him. So is it with unity. It is not only pleasant to them, who do religiously esteem and keep it, but to others also which are about them. Secondly, it is like the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the mountains of Zion; where the Lord appointed the blessing, and life forevermore. Behold the fruit and profit which cometh by Unity. The dew, and wet that fell down from heaven upon H rmon and Zion, made those hills, and the plain countries near them, fertile: so doth Unity bring with it great fruit and profit. If makes them among whom it is sincerely observed, it makes them through God's blessing fruitful and plentiful in good works towards God, and in him and for him towards men, and one of them towards another. This unity, concord, brotherly love, mutual consent and agreement, if it be unfeigned, hath the promises both of this life and of that to come: of peace and quietness in this life, and of eternal joys in the life to come. One of the notes by which we may be assured of God his special love and favour, is the love of our brethren. Now that we deceive not ourselves in this love, S. john, Epist. 1. gives us three rules to direct us. 1 Christian brotherly love must not be for any worldly respects or considerations, but principally for and in God. We must love our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ. This rule he intimateth, Chap. 5.1. Every one that loveth him which begat, loveth him also which is begotten of him: that is, whosoever loveth God the Father, he loveth also the sons of God; his natural son Christ jesus, and his sons by grace and adoption, all Christians. 2 Christian brotherly love must not be outward in show only, but inward in the heart. This rule he giveth us, Chap. 3.18. Let us not love in word, nor in tongue only, but in deed and in truth. 3 Christian brotherly love must be not only in time of prosperity, but when most need is. This rule he giveth vers. the 17. Whosoever hath this world's good, and seethe his brother hath need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Let these rules (beloved) be your direction. Love ye every one that is called a Christian, not because he is rich or in authority, but because he is a Christian, the son of God by grace and adoption. Love ye him, not outwardly in show only, but inwardly in heart, in deed, in truth. Love him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate, but in his greatest need; and be ye assured that the special love and favour of God will be your shield and protection. Three things there are that do rejoice God, saith Ecclesiasticus, Chap. 25.1. The unity of brethren, the love of neighbours, a man and his wife agreeing together. The first, which is the unity of brethren, according to my former construction, compriseth the other two. All Christians are brethren in Christ, a neighbour to a neighbour, a husband to his wife, a wife to her husband. For, as I said, in Christ there is no difference of sex; there is neither male nor female; all are brethren in Christ; and therefore that neighbour that loveth not his neighbour, the husband that is at odds with his wife, the wife that agreeth not with her husband, they are guilty of the breach of brotherly love. That exhortation made by S. Paul to the Romans, Chap. 12.10. concerneth all of you, all, of both sexes, without any difference: Be ye affectioned to love one another with brotherly love. I conclude this point with the same Apostles words, 1 Cor. 1.10. and 2 Cor. 13.11. Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord jesus Christ, that ye speak all one thing, and that there be no dissensions among you: Be of one mind; live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with you. Thus fare of the first branch in the description of Edom's sin, and of the doctrine grounded thereupon: The doctrine was, It is a thing very distasteful, and unpleasing unto God, for brethren to be at variance among themselves. It was grounded upon these words, He did pursue his brother with the sword. It followeth: And did cast off all pity] or after the Hebrew text, did corrupt his compassions, which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible, and the Geneva translation. The English translation set out by Tyndall reads it otherwise: He destroyed his mother's womb: and Winckleman reads it, Et violaverit uterum, and violated or abused the mother's womb: both do allude to the Greek edition of the Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he did violate the mother's womb; which reading may have reference to the nativity of jacob and Esau, borne at one birth of their mother Rebekah. And then the meaning is, that the Edomites Esau's posterity, neglecting that bond and knot of brotherhood and consanguinity, did exercise rigour and cruelty against the Israelites, jacobs' posterity: or it may have reference to a savage and outrageous cruelty, as if the Edomites were here noted for ripping up mother's wombs, or women with child in Israel. That such cruelty was used by the Ammonites, it is plain by the 13. verse of this Chapter. But this Text in the original doth not fasten this blame upon the Edomites, and I love not, to force my Text. I will not trouble you with other expositions. The original is: He did corrupt his compassions] The sense and meaning is well rendered and delivered in our received English Bibles; He did east off all pity. Is Edom here condemned for corrupting his compassions? for casting off all pity? The lesson hence to be commended to your Christian considerations is this, unmercifulness is a sin hateful unto God. I could bring you many places out of holy Writ for the confirmation of this doctrine. But two only, or three, and they but touched, shall serve for this present. In job 6.14. the unmerciful are noted to have forsaken the fear of the Almighty. In Rom. 1.31. among such as God hath given up to a reprobate mind to commit things worthy of death, the unmerciful are named. In james 2.13. a punishment is denounced to the unmerciful; There shall be judgement merciless to him that showeth no mercy. These few Texts of Scripture do plentifully establish my doctrine: unmercifulness is a sin hateful unto God. If any will ask me, What is this unmercifulness whereof I now speak; my answer shall be out of the learned. Out of o Apud A shia. 22. qu. 118.8.3. Isidore, that it is one of the nine daughters of covetousness. Out of p 22. qu. 159.1.2.2. Aquinas, that it is the withholding of a deed of charity, and an q 22. qu. 118.8.3. obduration or the hardening of the heart against mercy: Out of r Comment. in hunc locum. Mercer, that it is a breach of nature's law, and an abolishing of all kindness. And so I come to make some use of this doctrine. The use is to stir us up to the exercises of humanity and mercy. I will not now make any long declamation against inhumanity and unmercifulness; yet my Text requireth that I speak somewhat to it. There was a time when righteousness seemed to be taken up into the clouds, and the earth to be void of it. It was in the days of the Prophet Esay. He then cried out, Chap. 45.8. O ye heavens, send the dew from above, and let the clouds drop down righteousness. The time is now, when love seemeth to be taken up into the clouds, and the earth to be void of it. Now may we cry out, O ye Heavens, send the dew from above, and let the clouds drop down love; that the uncourteous and churlish Nabals of this present generation may now at length know, that they are not borne for themselves only, but for their poor neighbours also. Your poor neighbours, who stand in need of you, by very prerogative of mankind, have an interest in your succour and service. But it may be that some are so fare from all humanity, that this prerogative of mankind will not move them to do any work of charity. Such hard hearts let them hear what the Law is, Deut. 15.7. If one of thy brethren with thee be poor, within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thy hand unto him, and shalt lend him sufficient for his need. I know flesh and blood will oblect: Shall I lend my neighbour sufficient for his need? So may I soon exhaust my substance and live in want myself. I reply: O thou of little saith, why fearest thou? Look back upon the blessing of God; rely upon it: he through his benediction will make thee large recompense. Of this thou mayst be assured, if thou wilt have recourse to the forecited Chapter, Deut. 15.10. There art thou infallibly promised for thy alms deeds done to the needy, that the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou putiest thine hand to. My exhortation is no other than that of the Prophet Esay, Chap. 58 7. Deal thy bread to the hungry: bring the poor wanderer to thine house: If thou seest him naked, cover him; he is thine own flesh; hide not thyself from him. Thy liberality will bring thee great advantage: whereof thou wilt not doubt if thou consider the next verse, Thy light shall break forth as the morning; thy health shall grow speedily: thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee. Seest thou not an heap of blessings one upon another? Look into the book of Psalms. In the beginning of the 41. Psalm many a sweet promise is made thee conditionally, that thou tender the poor man's case: The Lord shall deliver thee in the time of trouble, he shall keep thee and preserve thee alive; he shall bless thee upon the earth; he will not deliver thee to the will of thine enemies: he will strengthen thee upon thy bed of sorrow, and will make thy bed all the time of thy sickness. I might weary you and myself in the pursuit of this point. Here I stop my course, with recommendation of one only place, and that a very remarkable one, Prou. 19.17. He that hath mercy upon the poor, dareth to the Lord; and the Lord will recompense him that which he hath given. Behold and see how gracious and good the Lord is. If you show pity and compassion upon the poor, God will recompense you to the full: yea, in the largeness of his mercies he will reward you plentifully. It was a grave exhortation of a f Tobit to his son Tobias. cap. 4.7. father to his son: Give alms of thy substance, and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be ennious, neither turn thy face from any poor, lest that God turn his face from thee. Give alms according to thy substance: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give a little: So shalt thou lay up a good store for thyself against the day of necessity. Alms will deliver thee from death; and will not suffer thee to come into the place of darkness. Alms is a good gift before the most high to all them which use it. Use it, I beseech you in the bowels of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Be ye not like Edom in my Text, Corrupt not your compassions; cast not off all pity; suffer ye one with another; love as brethren; be pitiful, be courteous: do ye good to all men, and faint not: great shall be your reward in Heaven. This your service will be acceptable unto God. God for it will give you his blessing. God will bless you for the time of your being here; and when the day of your dissolution shall be that you must leave your earthly Tabernacles, then will the Son of man, sitting upon the throne of his glory, welcome you with a Venite Benedicti, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye lodged me; I was naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. In as much as ye have done these things to the needy and distressed, ye have done them unto me. Come ye blessed of my Father; inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. THE Seventeenth Lecture AMOS 1.11, 12. And his anger spoiled him evermore, and his wrath watched him always. Therefore will I send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. IN my last Lecture I began the exposition of the third part of this Prophecy, which is a declaration of Edom's sins in four branches: The two first I passed over the last time. The first branch was, He did pursue his brother with the sword. Thereon I grounded this doctrine; It is a thing very distasteful and unpleasing unto God, for brethren to be at variance among themselves. One use of this doctrine was, a just reproof of the want of brotherly love in these our days. A second use was an exhortation to brotherly kindness. The second branch was; He did cast off all pity. Thereon I grounded this doctrine; unmercifulness is a sin hateful unto God. The use I made of it was to stir us up to the exercises of humanity and mercy. Which meditation ended, I ended that Lecture. Now come I to the third branch in the declaration of Edom's sins. His anger spoiled him evermore] or, In his anger he spoiled him continually. The preposition is not expressed in the original, but is well understood, and supplied by some Expositors to this sense: Edom, furious and angry Edom, doth evermore vi apertâ, with open violence attempt the spoil of Israel: and if open violence prevail not, i●tùs simultatem alit; within him he fostereth and cherisheth privy and secret malice, such as of old was harboured and settled in old a Gen. 27 41. Esau's heart. Edom in his anger spoiled him continually. Spoilt him] The word in the original is from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which, saith Mercer, ferarum proprium est, is proper and peculiar to wild beasts: and it signifieth Rapere, discerpere, to spoil ravenously, to rend, or tear in pieces. Thus is Edom compared to some truculent or savage beast; some devouring Lion, some ravenous Wolf, some fierce Bear, or the like, that hunteth greedily after their prey. The comparison is; As a Lion, a Wolf, a Bear, or some other cruel beast, hunteth greedily after his prey, and when he hath gotten it, teareth it in pieces, and so devoureth it: so doth Edom; he hunteth for his brother as with a snare or net; and having once enclosed him, he throws him headlong into utter desolation: and this he doth in the bitterness of his anger; In his anger he spoiled him evermore. This clause is otherwise rendered by the old Latin Interpreter, Et tenuerit ultrà furorem suum; He possessed his fury beyond measure longer than was meet he should. An exposition followed by many of the learned, and of late Writers, by Brentius and Mercer. In Matthews Bible it is well expressed; He bore hatred very long: the meaning is, He constantly, eagerly, obstinately persisted in his anger, and held it fast; as a savage beast holdeth fast his prey. Both readings, this, and the former; this, He bore hatred very long: and the former, In his anger he spoiled his brother evermore; both do appeach and accuse Edom of rash unadvised evil, and sinful anger. The doctrine which hence I would commend to your Christian considerations is this; Every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger; of rash, unadvised, evil, and sinful anger. I say, of rash, unadvised, evil, and sinful anger. For there is a good kind of anger; an anger praise worthy; an anger to be embraced of every one of you. Whereto the Prophet David exhorted the faithful of his time, Psal. 4.4. Be angry, and sin not. And S. Paul his Ephesians, Chap. 4.26. Be angry, but sin not. You may be angry, and not sin. Christian religion doth not make men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It makes them not void of passion, and senseless. You may be angry. But your anger must lie down by and wait upon reason and virtue, as a shepherd's dog lieth by and waiteth upon his master: the comparison is Great * Serm. de Ira Basils. As the dog doth, so must your anger do: your anger commanded by virtue and reason, must accuse, bark at, and bite vice, and all vicious wolves in man's shape. Well said the heathen Philosopher in his fourth Academic, that Anger is the whetstone of fortitude, if it be tempered and ruled by reason. To this purpose speaketh mellifluous Bernard * Ad Guidonem Abbatem de tribus sentibus. Ep. 69. Not to be angry when there is a just cause of anger, is to be unwilling to mend or correct sin. This good anger whereof I now speak, you may call Indignation, or zeal, which is nothing else but a just commotion of anger for the breach of some of God's commandments: as when God his holy Name is reproached, or our harmless neighbours are unjustly wronged: when some grievous injury is done either against God, or against our innocent neighbours. To justify you in this anger, there are many examples in holy Writ: I will make bold to commend a few unto you. Moses, a very meek man b Numb. 12.3. above all that were upon the earth, was possessed with this indignation and zeal. The c Exod. 32.9. stiffnecked Israelites upon Moses his long absence from them (for he was absent d Exod. 24.18. forty days and forty nights) they made themselves a molten calf for their God. This Idol they worshipped; they offered sacrifice unto it. Hereat Moses his wrath waxed hot. In this his wrath the two tables of the testimony, which were e Exod. 32.16. God's work, and Gods own writing, were broken in pieces, and he caused to be slain of the people in one day about three thousand men, Exod. 32.28. Elias was possessed with this indignation and zeal, when he slew of Baal's Prophets to the number f 1 King. 18.19. of four hundred and fifty, 1 King. 18.40. Elizeus was possessed with this indignation and zeal, when he cursed the two and forty children torn in pieces by Bears, 2 King. 2.24. Paul was possessed with this indignation and zeal, when he strooke Elimas' the Sorcerer with blindness, Act. 13.11. In a word, Christ himself was possessed with this indignation and zeal, when with a scourge of small cords he drove out of the Temple buyers, and sellers, with their sheep and oxen, and the money-changers, joh. 2.13. You have seen Moses, Elias, Elizeus, Paul, and Christ himself angry: their anger was a good anger. I thus describe it. A good anger is a godly and reasonable desire of just revenge, stirred up in us by a true zeal of justice, whereby being displeased as well with our own sins as with other men's, we covet after a lawful revenge, that th● persons may be saved, that God's wrath may be appeased, that the Kingdom of Christ and his glory may be promoted. My description I thus explicate. A good anger is a godly and reasonable desire of just revenge, stirred up in us by a true zeal of justice:] I say, a true zeal; because there is also a false zeal; when some men do pretend God's glory, and indeed intent nothing less. This true zeal directeth our anger against men's vices, not their persons: we must love the man, but be angry at his sin: not at his sin only, but at our own also: we must detest our own sins as well as other men's: and lawfully vindicate as well other men's sins as our own: and all this that ourselves and others may be saved; that God's wrath may be pacified; that the Kingdom of Christ and his glory may be advanced. I will not now examine whether this good anger hath at any time affected your hearts to the beating down of sin. Whether you have with connivency, patience, and silence endured God's Commandments to be violated, his holy Name by vain and fearful oaths to be blasphemed, the Sabbath to be profaned, parents to be dishonoured, murders, adulteries, or thefts to be committed, your neighbours to be wronged, and other like sins to be acted: whether you have with connivency, patience, and silence, endured such foul demeanours which you should in indignation, anger, and zeal have reproved and taxed; I leave to the private examination of your own hearts. Only let me tell you, there is a judge in Heaven that will one day call you to account for these things. My Text now admonisheth me to speak somewhat of evil anger: whereof Edom is here accused by the suffrage of Almighty God: In his anger he spoiled his brother evermore. My doctrine was; Every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger. My proposition is to be understood of rash, unadvised, evil, and sinful anger. Which the Austen of our time, learned g Comment. in Ephes. 4, Zanchites thus describeth; Evil anger is an unjust and unreasonable desire of revenge, stirred up in us by a sense of some injury done us, or through the vice of impatience in us, whereby being displeased at men, rather than at their vices, we wish vengeance to betide them, respecting our own wilful lusts only, and not at all either the safety of our neighbours, or any public good, or the glory of God. These species, or kinds of this anger, according to h Orthodox. fid. l●b. 2. c. 16. Damascene, are three. The first he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; you may call it choler, it is a hasty anger and of short continuance. The second he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; you may call it angriness; it is a more permanent anger of more continuance. The third he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; you may call it wrath; it is a settled anger, watching opportunity to work revenge. These three kinds of anger S. Paul condemneth for evil, under the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Anger, bitterness, and wrath, Ephes. 4.31. Let all bitterness, anger; and wrath be put away from you. Our Saviour Christ, Mat. 5.22. admonisheth his Disciples, if not of three kinds, yet of three degrees of anger. 1 Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause, unadvisedly, he shall be culpable of judgement. 2 Whosoever saith unto his brother, Raca, he shall be worthy to be punished by the Council. 3 Whosoever shall say fool, he shall be worthy to be punished with Hell fire. The first condenmeth the anger in the heart, when a man is inwardly moved, and concealeth it. The second condemneth the anger in the countenance, when a man by his face, and gesture, is discovered to be angry. The third condemneth the anger in speech, when a man by foul and bitter speaking, manifesteth himself to be angry. You see diverse kinds of anger. Gregory the Great, Moral. lib. 5. cap. 30 applieth them to men's persons. He reckoneth up four sorts of men subject to these evil angers. 1. Some are soon angry, and soon pacified. 2. Some are slowly angry, and slowly pacified. 3. Some are soon angry, and slowly pacified. 4. Some are slowly angry, and soon pacified. All these do sin in their angers, but not all equally. Some more, some less grievously, yet all do sin. And therefore that the glory of God may be propagated, and the good of our neighbours furthered, I beseech you, receive into your devout hearts my propounded doctrine, Every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger. If you demand a reason hereof, I must repeat unto you God his holy Commandment: Thou shalt do no murder. In the name of murder, are inhibited all the kinds of anger above specified; the anger that lurketh in the heart, the anger that shineth in the countenance, the anger that is manifested in words; whereto I add that anger that breaketh into action. If you wound, or but strike your neighbour; if you speak bitterly against him; if you look frowningly at him; if you hate him in heart, or be unadvisedly angry with him, you are before Almighty God guilty of murder. And for this cause, every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger. Another reason of this doctrine may be drawn from the foul effects of anger. The i Peter de La Primadaye. Author of the French Academy par. 2. Chap. 55 thus discourseth of them: Anger is a vice that hath wonderful effects in the body, and such as are very unbeseeming a man. For, first of all, when the heart is offended, the blood boileth round about it, and the heart is swollen, and puffed up, whereupon followeth a continual panting and trembling of the heart, and breast. And when these burning flames and kindled spirits are ascended up from the heart unto the brain, then is anger come to his perfection: from hence cometh change of countenance, shaking of the lips, and of the whole visage, stopping of speech, and terrible looks, more mere for a beast, than for a man. Lactantius hath the like discourse in his book De Ira Dei, cap. 5. k Ira, cum in animum cutusquam incidit, velut saena tempestas tantos excitat fluctus, ut statum mantis immutet, ardesrant oculi, os tremat, lingua titubet, dentes concrepent, alterna vultum ma ulet, nunc saffasus r●bor, nunc pall●r albescens. When anger (saith he) is fallen into the mind of man, like a sore tempest, it raiseth such waves, that it changeth the very state of the mind; the eyes wax fiery, the mouth trembleth, the tongue faltereth, the teeth gnash, and the whole countenance is by course stained, sometimes with redness, sometimes with paleness. Basil in two Sermons of his, one preached before the Lacizians, the other l De ira, hom. 38. elsewhere, is plentiful in this point. The man that is indeed and throughly angry, differeth nothing either in the manner of his look, or in the affection of his mind, from him that is possessed with Devils. His blood boileth about his heart; the whole proportion of his visage is altered; you will not take it to be the same face: his eyes look not as they were wont, but are fiery and staring; he whets and grinds his teeth, like the foaming Boar; his countenance is wan, of colour black, and blue, stained, and died as with blood: his body swells; his veins wax big; his voice is unpleasant; his speech marticulate: you will have much a do to understand him. A servant of * Mich. de Monta●gue Ess. lib. 2 cap. 31. ex A. Gelli●. Plutarch's, a loud and vicious fellow, for some faults by him committed, was stripped naked to be whipped. Being under the whip, he upbraided his master, and objected to him, how he had often heard him say, that it was an unseemly thing for a man to be angry; and that thereof he had written a book; and that yet now contrary to his own sayings and writings, all plunged in rage, and engulfed in choler, he caused him so cruelly to be beaten. To whom Plutarch with an unaltered and mild settled countenance, said thus: What? Whereby dost thou judge I am now angry? Doth my countenance, doth my voice, doth my colour, or doth my speech give thee any testimony, that I am either moved or choleric? Me thinks mine eyes are not staringly wild, nor my face troubled, nor my voice frightful or distempered. Do I wax red? Do I foam at the mouth? Doth any word escape me, whereof I may repent hereafter? Do I startle and quake? Do I rage and ruffle with anger? For to tell thee true, these are the right signs of choler; these are the tokens of anger. You may say (beloved) that they are the effects of anger. The forecited Father Basil may be your warrant, who further telleth you, that unbridled tongues, ungnarded mouths, vnstayed hands, contumelies, foul language, railing words, unjust blows, and the like enormities, are the sons, are the fruits, are the effects of evil anger. And in this respect also, every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger. Now to make some use of this doctrine. Shall I say, that this evil anger is a reigning evil among you? Your consciences must needs bear me witness, it is so. Now may I charge some of you, as Ezechiel charged the house of Israel, chap. 11.6. Many have you murdered in this place, and you have filled the streets with the slain. For as often as you have been angry unadvisedly one with another, so often have ye murdered one another. O! what an account are ye one day to make before Christ's Tribunal, even for this one sin; unless in this your day you wash it away with tears of penitency. Tremble therefore, stand in awe, and sin no more so. Examine your own hearts, not now only while you hear me, but also when you are gone from hence, even upon your beds of rest. Solomon exhorts you, Eccles. 7.10. Be thou not of an hasty spirit to be angry. His reason is, For anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Saint Paul exhorts you, Rom. 12.19. Dear beloved, avenge not yourselves, but give place unto wrath. His reason is, For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. Saint james exhorts you, Chap 1.19. My dear brethren be slow to wrath. His reason is, For the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of God. You know the Law; and it is fulfilled in one word, this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This is taught you, Gal. 5.14. Suffer yourselves to be exhorted in the words following, vers. 15. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed lest ye be consumed one of another. In the twentieth verse we read of hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions; and are assured by the 21. verse, that if we do such things, we shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Wherefore (to shut up this point with Saint Paul's words, 1 Cor. 1.10. and 2 Cor. 13.11.) I beseech you, by the name of the Lord jesus Christ, that ye speak all one thing, and that there be no dissensions among you. Be of one mind; live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with you. Thus fare of the third branch in the description of Edom's sin, and of the doctrine grounded thereupon. The doctrine was, Every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger. It was grounded upon these words, His anger spoiled him evermore. And his wrath watched him always] This is the Geneva translation. His fury watcheth him evermore, so Tremelius. The meaning is, Edom's wrath, or fury, was so implacable, so fare from being abated or assuaged, as that it evermore watched Israel, to do him a mischief. In the Church Bible you have a different reading; His indignation he kept always; and in Matthewes Bible, he kept indignation always by him. The reading is agreeable with the Vulgar Latin; and is admitted by Oec●lampadius, by Caluin, by Drusius. By Brentius also; but that for indignation, he hath fury: He kept his fury always. The meaning is, the indignation or fury which Edom had conceived against his brother, was permanent, it would not be remitted, there was no end of it. The word in the H●brew rendered by wrath, or indignation, or fury, signifieth iram vehementiorem, & exestuantem, omnemque modum praetereuntem, a very vehement, a boiling anger, exceeding all measure; or according unto others, it signifieth furorem infl●mmantem, & pervadentem ignis more: a rage like fire, burning whatsoever it meeteth with. We now see what it is, for which the Lord, in this last branch, reproveth Edom, or the Idumaeans. It is their implacable, unmeasurable, and endless anger; wherein they practised nothing but wiles, how they might entrap and subvert the Israelites. The lesson which from hence we are to take for our further instruction, is this, Whosoever once provoked unto anger, doth for ever hold it fast, and cherish it, he is not at any hand approved by God. I will not spend many words in the proof of this proposition, sith it standeth good by my former discourse. You have already heard, that every child of God ought to keep himself unspotted of anger; and that, either in respect of its foul effects, or in respect of Gods holy commandment against it. Now is there any of you so devoid of Christian understanding, as to think or imagine, that God will at any hand approve that, against which he giveth his commandment? I assure myself there is none. Well then, I thus infer; Whosoever is spotted with evil anger, he is not at any hand approved by God: therefore, whosoever once provoked unto evil anger, doth for ever hold it fast and cherish it, he is not at any hand approved by God. For further corroboration of this doctrine, give ear, I beseech you, to the blessed Apostles words, Ephes. 4.26. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath. Some do 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 Sun of righteousness, who loveth not to make his habitation there, where anger hath its residence, let him not forsake your angry minds. 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. L●t not the Sun go down upon your wrath] There is another Exposition usually given of these words, to this sense: Sith such is our estate in this our warfare; such our weakness, infirmity and frailty, that anger may quickly take hold of us, and possess us; we must carefully take heed that we give it not too much respite, or entertainment. Our anger must not be ira pridiana, a yesterday anger. We must cast it from us speedily, antequam occidat lux ista visibilis, before this visible Sun, the Sun that makes our day, be set; ne nos d●serat lux illa invisibilis, that the invisible Sun, the Sun of righteousness, and true light of our hearts, forsake us not. It is the holy Spirit that speaketh out of the Apostles mouth. Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath. There is nothing more adverse, or opposite to our bounden duty of charity, and our own salvation, than perseverance in wrath. It letteth us from doing good to those with whom we are angry: it hindereth our devotion in prayer, and maketh the wrath of God to light upon us. So true is my propounded doctrine, Whosoever once provoked unto anger, doth for ever hold it fast, and cherish it, he is not at any hand approved by God. This doctrine thus delivered against perseverance in anger, may serve for a just reproof of such as do bear perpetual ill will to any nation. To hate a Spaniard, a Frenchman, or any other countryman, because he is of such a country, or of such a nation, this is here reprovable. Again, it may serve to restrain such, as do think it lawful perpetually to hate them of whom they have received an injury. Such men, would they but recount with themselves, and recall into their minds how many, and how grievous in juries they have done unto God, in transgressing his holy Commandments; and how, yet notwithstanding, God is still propitious, gracious, and bountiful unto 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 fare from them: according to the exhortation of S. Paul to the Ephesians, Chap. 4.31. in whose words (beloved) suffer yourselves to be exhorted: Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, crying, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all maliciousness. Be ye courteous one to another, and tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake for gave you. Sweet Bernard in his book of the manner of living well (Serm. 36. concerning hatred) thus sweetly speaketh unto his sister: Soror in Christo amantissima mihi, etc. My most loving sister in Christ, hear what I speak unto thee: If in any thing thou hast grieved thy sister, or caused her to be sorrowful, satisfy her: if thou hast sinned against thy sister, repout before her: if thou hast scandalised, or offended any one of God's handmaids, ask her forgiveness. Go on with speed to reconcilement: sleep not till thou have made satisfaction; rest not till thou return in peace. Thus did devout Bernard exhort his virgin-sister. The good Father (no doubt) had regard to the words of his and our Saviour jesus Christ, written, Matth. 5.23, 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thine offering before the Altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. First be reconciled to thy brother: Be reconciled. What is that? Reconciliatio (saith n Gillebert. super Cantica, ser. 32. one) est iterata animorum dissidentium conciliatio; Reconciliation is a renewed agreement of dissenting minds. This is it, into the commendation whereof the sweet Singer of Israel breaketh out, Psal. 133.1. Behold how good and comely a thing it is, for brethren to dwell even together? If either profit or pleasure can allure you; then behold] consider well, and weigh seriously how good] how profitable and necessary; and how comely] how pleasant and excellent a thing it is, for brethren] not only natural brethren, but brethren in Christ, all the sons of God, the members of his Church, and partakers of the selfsame doctrine, and life in Christ, to dwell even together] not only in one house, but specially to be of one affection and consent: to maintain between themselves brotherly love and mutual consent. Behold how good, how comely a thing it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is as the sweet perfume and ointment, that holy oil, which was poured upon the head of the high Priest, and ran down upon his beard, and so to the skirts of his garment: it is as the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the mountains of Zion. Both these resemblances recommending unto us the pleasure and profit of unity, brotherly love and concord, I commended unto you in my Sixteenth Lecture upon the first Chapter of this prophecy: and therefore now I say no more of them. S. Paul, 1 Cor. 12. treating of spiritual gifts, and their diversity, there reckoneth up the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge; faith; the gift of healing; the doing of miracles; prophesying; kinds of tongues; the interpretation of tongues: and showeth how all these are wrought by the same Spirit, who distributeth to every man severally, as he will. Then urging this several distribution by way of interrogation, (Are all Apostles? Are all Prophet's? Are all Teachers? Are all doers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?) He exhorts the Corinthians to covet after the best things; and concludes his Chapter thus: I will yet show you a more excellent way. This more excellent way, is the way which now I show you, beloved. This way is love. O strive ye to walk in it. Let the remainder of your days be spent therein. Know ye, that whatsoever good parts ye have, or whatsoever good works ye do, it availeth you nothing, if you have not love. Look but to the beginning of the thirteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. There shall you find it verified, what I have said unto you: Though you speak with the tongue of men and Angels, and have not love, yet are you as sounding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal. Though you have the gift of prophecy, and know all secrets, and all knowledge, yea, if you have all faith, so that you can remove mountains, and have not love: yet are you nothing, Though you feed the poor with all your goods, though you give your bodies to be burned, and have not love, yet it profiteth you nothing. My exhortation must be unto you in the same blessed Apostles words, Chap. 14.1. of the same Epistle; Fellow after love. And I shut up this exercise with a sweet Fathers sweet meditation; o Bernard. serm. 9 in Coena Dom. Charitas te domum Domini facit, & Dominum domum tibi. Love, it makes thee a house for God, and God a house for thee: according to that, 1 joh. 4.16. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. A happy Artificer thou art, sweet love, that art able to frame for thyself such a house, as God is. This house is not built of mortar, and brick, nor of stone, nor of wood, nor of silver, nor of gold, nor of precious stones. It exceedeth and fare surpasseth silver and gold; in comparison of it precious stones are vile, and of no reputation. This house is an everlasting house, before all ages, before all times; it containeth all things, it comprehendeth all things, it createth all things, it giveth life to all things. In this house the blind receive light, the lame strength to walk, the crooked straightness, the weak health, the dead their resurrection: there is none wretched in it, all therein are blessed: for they are entered into their Master's joy. Into which joy, that we may in due time enter, let us follow after love, we know that God is love, and that whosoever dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him; Now God grant, that we may all dwell in him. THE Eighteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.12. Therefore will I send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. I Am now come to the last part of this prophecy against Edom: which is the denunciation of God judgements against Edom for his sins, expressed in this twelfth verse. This twelfth verse doth not much differ from some precedent verses in this Chap. 4, 7, and 10. The same punishment which in the fourth verse is threatened to the Syrians, under the names of Hazael, and Benhadad; and in the seventh verse to the Philistines, under the name of Azzah; and in the tenth verse to the Tyrians, under the name of Tyrus, is here in this twelfth verse denounced to the Edomites, under the names of Teman and Bezzah. And therefore, as in the forenamed verses I have done, so do I in this recommend unto you three circumstances. 1 The punisher: the Lord, I will send. 2 The punishment: by fire, I will send a fire. 3 The punished: the Temanites, and Bozrites, the inhabitants of both cities: I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. The punisher, is the Lord; for, Thus saith the Lord; I will send. The doctrine naturally arising hence is this; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This truth hath heretofore once, and again, been confirmed unto you. The less need have I now to insist upon it. Yet may I not pass it over unsaluted. It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance, etc.] This office of executing vengeance upon the wicked for their sins, God taketh upon himself, Deut. 32.35. Where he saith, Vengeance and recompense are mine. This is confessed to be God his due by S. Paul, Rom. 12.19. It is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord; and by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Chap. 10.30. Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord; and by the sweet Singer of Israel, Psal. 94.1. O Lord God the avenger, O God the avenger. The Prophet Nahum, Chap. 1.2. to the terror of the wicked, proclaimeth it: God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth: the Lord revengeth: even the Lord of anger; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his enemies. These places are so many pregnant proofs to make good my propounded doctrine, namely, that It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. Many are the uses of this doctrine. The first. It may lesson us to look heedfully unto out feet, that we walk not in the way of sinners, to partake with them in their sins. Sins are not tongue tied; they cry unto the Lord for vengeance. We read in holy writ of four sorts of sins, which above other, do cry unto God, and do call for his great and quick vengeance. The first is Homicide, murder, or man slaughter; whereof Almighty God, Genes 4 10. thus speaketh unto Cain; The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the earth. The second is Sodomy, the sin of Sodom, the sin against nature, a sin not once to be named among Christians. Whereof thus saith the Lord unto Abraham, Gen. 18.20. Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is exceeding grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry which is come unto me. The third is oppression of the poor, Widows, fatherless, and strangers. Oppression of the poor crieth, Psal. 12.5. Now for the oppression of the needy, and deep sighs of the poor, I will up saith the Lord, and will set at liberty him whom the wicked hath snared. Oppression of the widows and the fatherless crieth, Exod. 22.22. Ye shall not trouble any widow, nor fatherless child: if you vex or trouble such, and so he call and cry unto me, I will surely hear his cry. Then shall my wrath be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. Oppression of strangers crieth, Exod. 3.7. The Lord said unto Moses, I have surely seen the trouble of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, because of their taskmasters; and verse the ninth, Now lo the cry of the children of Israel●is come unto me, and I have also seen the oppression, wherewith the Egyptians o press them. Thus is oppression, whether it be of the poor, or of the widows, or of fatherless children, or of strangers, a crying sin: and this was the third. The fourth is, the keeping back of the labourors hire. Whereof S. james, Chap. 5.4. thus witnesseth: Behold the hire of the labourers, which have reaped your fields, (which is of you kept back by fraud) crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts. You see (dear beloved) four crying sins; murder, Sodomy, oppression, and the detaining, or keeping back of the poor labourer's wages. These are crying sins, and they cry aloud to the ears of Almighty God, and do call for vengeance, to light upon the doers of them. But what of other sins? Do not they cry also? Are they dumb? No, saith Gregory, Moral. 5. cap. 8. Omnis namque iniquitas, apud secreta Dei indicia, habet voces suas. Every iniquity hath a voice to discover itself before God his secret judgements. Not a voice only, but feet also, yea and the wings too, to make way into Heaven for vengeance. Every sin is of a high elevation; Dr. King Bishop of London upon jonas Lecture 2. it ascends above the top of Carmel, it aspireth, and presseth before the Majesty of Gods own Throne. God complaineth of Niniveh, jon. 1.2. Their wickedness is come up before me. He telleth Sennacherib, 2 King. 19.28. and Esay 37.29. Thy tumult is come up into mine ears. The Prophet Oded, 2 Chron. 28.9. saith to the Israelites of their rage, that it reacheth up to heaver. You see as well a sublimity and reach of sin, as a loudness and vocality of it. As it hath a voice, so hath it feet, so hath it wings; as it crieth, so it runneth, so it flieth into heaven; and all to fetch down vengeance against us, the miserable and wretched actors of it. Our wickedness what it is, and in what elevation of height, whether it be modest or impudent; private or public; whether it speaketh or crieth, standeth or goeth; lieth like an Asp in her hole, or flieth like a fiery serpent into the presence of God; yourselves be judges. Recall to your remembrances the judgements of the Lord. The anger of the clouds hath been poured down upon our he●ds, both with abundance, and with violence: b Psal. 93 3. The floods have lifted up; the floods have lifted up their voic; the floods have lifted up their waves; the waves of the Sea have been marvelous. Her surges have broken down her walls, yea have gone over her walls; to the loss of the precious lives of many of our brethren. The arrows of a woeful pestilence have been cast abroad at large, in all the quarters of our Realm, even to the emptying, and dispeopling of some part thereof. Treasons against our King and Country, mighty, monstrous, and prodigious, have been plotted by a number of Lion's whelps, lurking in their dens, and watching their hour to undo us. All these things, and other like visitations, have been accomplished amongst us for our sins, and yet we amend not. Yea we grow worse and worse. We fleet from sin to sin, as a fly shifteth from sore to sore. We tempt the Lord, we murmur, we, lust, we commit idolatry, we serve the flesh, we sit down to eat, and rise to play: of bloodshed, of blasphemy, and rage against God, of oppression, of extortion, of fraud against poor labourers, of anger, of bitterness, of wrath, of strife, of malice, public, infamous and enormous sins, we make no conscience; we commit them with greediness; we draw them on as with cart-ropes, we glory in them, as if we had even sold ourselves to work wickedness before the Lord. Lord! whither will we? Are we frozen in our sins, and grown senseless? Quot vitia homo committit, tot facit passus ad infernum, saith c P●t ●e P●lu de Thes. N. par. astiu●l. ena●r. 2. in Dom. 16. Tri. one: Look how many sins a man committeth, so many steps he goeth towards Hell. Yea, say I, for every sin we commit, we deserve to be thrown headlong into Hell fire. What shall we do, men and brethren? what shall we do? Our Lord God telleth us what is best, Ezech. 18.30. Return, and cause others to turn away from all our transgressions: so shall not iniquity be your destruction: and vers. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why should you die? and 32. I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; return you therefore and live. Can there be a sweeter invitation? Come therefore, join we heart and hand together: and d Ezech. 18.27. turn we away from the wickedness that we have committed; and do we that which is lawful and right, that we may save our souls alive. Come let us e Vers. 28. turn away from all the transgressions that we have committed: so shall we surely live, we shall not die. And this we will the sooner endeavour to do, if we imprint in our hearts my propounded doctrine; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. Thus much of the first use; which was to lesson us to look heedfully to our feet, that we walk not in the way of sinners, to partake with them in their sins. I proceed. Is it true? Is it proper to God to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins? Here then in the second place we are admonished, not to intermeddle in the Lord's office. It is his office to execute vengeance. We therefore may not interpose ourselves. If a brother, a neighbour, or a stranger hath done us any wrong, we must forgive him, and must leave revengement to God, to whom it appertaineth. We must leave revengement to God, to whom it appertaineth, and forgive our enemies. What? Forgive our enemies? How can flesh and blood endure it? Well, it should be endured: and many reasons there are to induce us to so Christian an office. The first is; The forgiveness of our own sins. Whereof thus saith our Saviour, Luk. 6.37. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. f Pet. de Palu. serm. aestiu. en. nr. in Dom. 22. Trin. Ideo libenter debemus dimittere paruum, ut Deus dimittat nobis magnum; we ought willingly to forgive unto our neighbour a small matter, that God may forgive us our great offences. Look what grace and indulgence we show unto our neighbours, the like will God show unto us. What else is said, Luk. 6.38? With what measure you meet, with the same shall it be measured to you again. Whereof I cannot give a plainer exposition than in our Saviour's words, Matth. 6.14, 15. If ye do forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye do not forgive men their trespasses, no more will your Father forgive you your trespasses. A second reason why we should forgive our enemies, is, that when we make our prayers unto God, we ourselves may be heard. For God heareth not the prayers of such as do abide in rancour, and will not forgive their enemies. It is well said of an g Augustin. Ancient: Qui non vult dimittere fratri suo, non speret orationis effectum. Whosoever he be that will not forgive his brother, let him not hope for any good success in his prayer. h Ambros. Another saith: Si iniuriam non dimittis, quae tibi facta est; orationem pro te non facis, sed maledictionem super te inducis. If thou forgive not the injury which thy neighbour hath done thee, when thou prayest, thou makest not any prayer for thyself, but dost bring a malediction, or curse, upon thyself. The most absolute and excellent platform of prayer, that ever was made, and is by the maker thereof, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, commended unto us for our daily use, confirmeth this point unto us. The fifth petition therein, is, that God would be pleased to forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Wherefore, as in all sincerity we desire ourselves to be looked upon with the eyes of grace and mercy, from heaven, without any fraud, or hollowness, or dissimulation in the Lord: so are we taught by that clause, ourselves to deal with others; so truly, so honestly, so hearty, so sincerely, and unfeignedly forgiving ever, as we may boldly say, So Lord, do thou to me, as I to others. Now if these hearts of ours be so sturdy and strong in their corruption, as that they will not relent, and yield to forgive such as have trespassed against us, how can we look that our prayers should take effect? A third reason, why we should forgive our enemies, is, that our good works may be acceptable unto God. Let a man every day do as many good works, as there are Stars in Heaven; yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enemy, God will not accept any one of them. Munus non acceptatur, nisi antè discordia ab animo pellatur, saith Gregory; thy gift is no ways acceptable unto God, unless thy heart be first freed from discord. Let no man circumvent himself, seduce himself, deceive himself. i August serm. 5. de S. Stephino. Whosoever hateth but one man in the whole world, whatsoever he offereth to God in Good works, all will be lost. Witness S. Paul, 1 Cor. 13.3. Though I feed the poor with all my goods, and though I give my body, that I be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. If then we would have our good works pleasing unto God, we must be reconciled to our neighbours. Our blessed Saviour jesus Christ so adviseth us, Matth. 5.24. Go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, then come and offer thy gift. A fourth reason, why we should forgive our enemies, is, that our souls may live: for by hatred and rancour, we slay our souls. Saint john Epist. 1. Chap. 3. vers. 15. avoweth it; that he whosoever hateth his brother, is a . Homicida est, scilicet propriae animae, saith k Pet. de Pal. ubi supra. one, he is a murderer of his own soul. An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed, for as much as it followeth in the same verse; Ye know that no hath eternal life abiding in him. The life of the soul is love; therefore he that loveth not, is dead. So saith the same blessed Apostle, Ep. 1. Chap. 3. vers. 14. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. And greater is the damage by the loss of one soul, than of a thousand bodies. The whole world in respect of one soul, is not to be esteemed. This is proved by our Saviour's question, Mark. 8.36. What shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world, if he lose his own soul? A fift reason why we should love our enemies, is the rejoicing of Saints and Angels. To love our enemies is an infallible sign of our conversion. Now we know by Luk. 15.7. that there shall be joy in Heaven for one sinner that converteth: and vers. the 10. That there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth. Thus whether we respect the rejoicing of Saints and Angels; or the life of our souls; or the acceptance of our good works; or the fruit of our prayers; or the forgiveness of our sins; we must love our enemies: after S. Stephen his example, Act. 7.60. Lord lay not this sin to their charge: after S. Paul his example, 1 Cor. 4.12, 13. We are reviled, and yet we bless: we are persecuted, and suffer it: we are evil spoken of, and we pray: after Christ's example, Luk. 23.34. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Add hereto Christ's Commandment, Mat. 5.44. Love's your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you. Leave ye vengeance to the God of vengeance; so shall ye be the undoubted children of your heavenly Father. And thus fare of the second use, which was to admonish us, not to intermeddle in the Lord's office of executing revengement. A third followeth. Is it true? Is it proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins? Here then in the third place is a treasury of comfort and of terror: of comfort to the godly, of terror to the wicked. For though the Lord do use the wicked to correct the godly; yet will he in due time overthrew the wicked with a large measure of his judgements, and free the godly. God's holy practice in this kind, must be hereof a warrant unto us. The Israelites were kept in thraldom and bondage many years by the Egyptians. The Egyptians, they were but the weapons of God's wrath, wherewith he afflicted his people. They were God's weapons. Were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Witness those ten great plagues which at length God wrought upon them, and their fearful overthrow in the red Sea, at large set down in the book of Exodus, from the seventh Chapter to the fourteenth. This was it which God said to Abraham, Gen. 15. vers. 13, 14. Know for a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, four hundred years, and shall serve them; notwithstanding the Nation whom they shall serve will I judge. Ahab, the most wicked of the Kings of Israel, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and his accursed wise jezebel, were God's instruments to afflict Naboth with the loss of his life and vineyard. Ahab and jezebel were God's instruments: were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Witness both their ends. The end of Ahab, recorded 1 King. 22.38. In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, did dogs lick the blood of Ahab also. And the end of jezebel registered 2 King. 9.35. She was eaten with dogs, all saving her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. It w s a part of Daniel his afflictions, to be cast into the den of Lions; his accusers unto Darius were the instruments of this his affliction. These his accusers were the Lords instruments for this business. Were they therefore to escape unpunished? No. Their fearful end is set down, Dan. 6.24. By the commandment of King Darius, they with their wives and children were cast into the den of Lions; the Lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces, ere ever they came to the ground of the den. Here might I recall to your remembrances, other judgements of God of this quality, written down in the register of God's works, his holy word. How and what he rendered to Haman, to Se●nacherib, to joachim, to the Ammonites, to the Chaldeans, and other wicked worldings for their hard measure offered to the godly: though they were therein God's instruments. But I must hasten; and the aforementioned instances of the Egyptians, of Ahab, and his wife jezebel, and of daniel's accusers, are sufficient to work terror to the wicked, and to the godly comfort: and to assure us, when the Lord shall show himself from Heaven with his holy Angels in flaming fire, that then to the wicked, whose behaviour to the godly hath been proud and dispiteous, he will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition. Thus fare of the first circumstance and doctrine thereupon. The second circumstance is the punishment, I will send a fire] By fire in this place, as vers. 4, 7, 10. learned Expositors do understand, not so much a natural fire, as a figurative fire. For in the name of fire, they understand the sword, pestilence and famine, quodlibet genus consumptionis, every kind of consumption; quamlibet speciem excidij, every kind of destruction; be it hail, or thunder, or sickness, or any other of God's messengers. So large is the signification of fire taken figuratively. The Doctrine arising hence is this; The fire (whether natural, or figurative) that is, the fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. This Doctrine hath heretofore been commended and confirmed unto you. The use of it is, to teach us how to behave ourselves at such times as God shall visit us with his rod of corrections: how to carry ourselves in all our afflictions. We must not so much look to the instruments, as to the Lord that smiteth by them. If the fire, or water, or any other of God's creatures shall at any time rage, and prevail against us, we must remember that it is God that sendeth them to work his holy will upon us. Here he sent a fire upon Teman and upon Bozrah to devour her palaces. For thus saith the Lord: I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. Here have you the third circumstance; the circumstance of the punished: Teman and the palaces of Bozrah. Teman was the Metropolitan, the chief City of Idumaea, so named from Teman, who was son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, Gen. 36. 10, 11. Renowned and famous was Teman for her wisdom; witness the Prophecy of Obadiah, vers. 8.9. and jerem. 49.7. whereby it is credible, she omitted no opportunity, no means to make herself strong by bulwarks and fortresses, against whatsoever incursion or siege of enemies. Yet could she not hereby be secured against the day of God's visitation; when for the compliment of her sins, God should lay his heavy rod upon her. What the wit of man could invent for safety, no doubt but Teman had it. But what can man's wit do against the Almighty? Behold here in my Text, thus saith the Almighty: I will send a fire upon Teman. And can all the water of the huge Ocean quench the fire of the Almighty? This resolution of the Lord for the overthrow of Teman, is excellently set down by the Prophet Obadiah, vers. 8, 9, 10. Shall not I in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding from the mount of Esau? And thy strong men, O Teman, shall be afraid, because every one of the mount of Esau shall be cut off by slaughter. For thy cruelty against thy brother jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. The Prophet jeremy to this purpose, Chap. 49.7. bringeth in the Lord of hosts thus questioning with Edom: Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from their children? Is their wisdom vanished? As if he had said, the wisdom of Teman is become foolishness; their counsel is nothing worth. And why? But because, as my Text saith, God will send a fire upon Teman. The doctrine hence arising is: No wisdom, no counsel, no humane invention can save that City which God will have destroyed. The reason hereof is; because there is no strength, but of God and from God. The use is, to teach us never to trust in any worldly help, but so to use all good means of our desense, that still we rely upon the Lord for strength and success thereby. Again, this fire of the Lord is sent to devour the palaces of Bozrah. This Bozrah was also a Metropolitan and chief City, seated in the confines of the lands of Edom and Moab: and therefore in holy writ it is sometime attributed to Edom, sometime to Moab, here to Edom. Prodigious was the fear, and great the pride of Bozrahs' heart. She dwelled in the clefts of the rock, and kept the height of the his●. But was she thereby safe? No. For thus saith the Lord unto her, jerem. 49.16. Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle, I will bring thee down from thence. This judgement of the Lord against Bozrah, is denounced with an Ecce of admiration, vers. 22. Behold, he (the Lord) shall come up, and fly as the Eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah, and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in travel. Will you have it confirmed by an oath? Then look back to the 13. verse, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall be waste, and for a reproach, and a desolation, and a curse; and all the Cities thereof shall be a perpetual desolation. Thus elegantly is God's fearful judgement against Bozrah described by the Prophet jeremy; which our Prophet Amos thus delivereth, A fire shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. Bozrah, great Bozrah, she who dwelled in the clefts of the rock, and kept the height of the hill, must she be devoured by fire from the Lord? Must she become a reproach, a desolation, a curse, a vastity? We may hence take this Doctrine: It is not the situation of a City upon rock, or hill, that can be a safeguard to it, if God's unappeasable anger break out against it for her sins. The use of this doctrine is the same with the former; even to teach us now, and at all other times, to put our trust only in the Name of the Lord, who hath made Heaven and Earth. It's neither wit, nor wisdom, nor strength, nor height of Teman, or of Bozrah, or of all the best defensed Cities in the world, that can save us in the day of visitation. Wherefore ●et our song be as David's was, Psal. 18.2. The Lord is our rock, and our fortress; he that delivereth us; our God, and our strength; in him will we trust: our shield; the horn also of our salvation, and our refuge. Thirdly, in that the Lord sendeth his fire into the palaces of Bozrah to devour them, we may learn this Doctrine: God depriveth us of a great blessing, when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. A truth experimentally made good unto us by the great commodity or contentment that cometh to every one of us, by our dwelling houses. The use is, to teach us, 1. To be humbled before Almighty God, whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from us. 2. Since we peaceably enjoy our dwelling houses, to use them for the furtherance of God's glory. 3. To praise God day by day for the comfortable use we have of our dwelling houses. Thus is my Exposition of the Prophecy against Edom ended. THE Nineteenth Lecture. AMOS 1.13, 14, 15. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn to it, because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, and with a tempest in the day of the while wind. And their King shall go into captivity, he and his Princes together, saith the Lord. THis blessed Prophet of Almighty God, in this his prophecy against the Ammonites, observeth the same order, as he hath done in two precedent predictions, the one against the Syrians, verse the third, fourth, and fifth, the other against the Philistines, verse the sixth, seventh, and eighth. As in those, so in this are three parts: 1 A preface, Thus saith the Lord. 2 A prophecy, For three transgressions, etc. 3 A conclusion, verse the fifteenth, Saith the Lord. The Prophecy consisteth of four parts: 1 A general accusation of the Ammonites; who are here noted as reprovable for many sins: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four. 2 God his protestation against them for their sins; I will not turn to it. 3 A particular declaration of one sin, which with others procured this Prophecy. This sin was the sin of cruelty, expressed in these words: Because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead: and amplified by the end of so foul a fact: That they might enlarge their borders. 4 A denunciation of judgement, which was to come upon them deservedly for their sins, vers. 14. and 15. This judgement is set down, First in a generality, vers. 14. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. Secondly with some circumstances: as, that it should be full of terror, and speedy. Full of terror in these words; With shouting in the day of battle. Speedy in the words following: With a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. This judgement is further amplified by the extent of it. It was to fall upon, not only the meaner sort of the people, but upon the Nobility also; yea, and upon the King himself. Which is plain by the 15. verse; Their King shall go into captivity, be and his Princes together. These are the branches and parts of this Prophecy. I return to the Preface. Thus saith the Lord] jehovah. This great and most honourable name of God we have many times met with. We have heard what the Cabalists and Rabbins, out of their too much curiosity have thought of it. With them it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a name not to be pronounced, not to be taken within our polluted lips. They call it Tetragrammaton, a name in Hebrew of four letters; of four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by an excellence; because the name of God a Alsted. Lex. Theol. cap. 2. pag. 76. Mi●um certè est, q●odomnes gentes tacito cons●nsu praecipuum Dei nomen quat●or medò lit●is en●ne●ent. Fluxiff●autem id existimatur è nomine jehovah, quod ipsum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Latini dicunt Deus, Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Germani GOTT, Aegyptu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Persae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Magi Orsi, Habraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Arabes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, G●lli Dieu, Jtali Idio, Hispani Dios Dalmatic sive Illyricis est Bogi, Boiemi● Bohu, Mabum tanis Abgd, Gentibus in nou● mundo repe●tis Zimi, Chaldaeu & Syris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Certè hoc fine s●● g●lari Dei O. M. prouident●â factum n●n est. Ego existimo illo significari, nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse. in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of four letters. More they speak of it. You have heard it before. jehovah] b Deut. 10 17. God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a God c Eccles. 43.29. most wonderful; very d Deut. 10.17. great, mighty, and terrible: a God that e Eccles. 43.31. cannot either be conceived in thought, or expressed by word: f Aug. Soliloq. cap. 24. of whom all the Angels in heaven do stand in fear; whom all dominations and g Reuel. 5.11. thrones do adore; at whose presence all powers do shake. A God in greatness infinite; in h August. meditat. c. 21. goodness sovereign; in wisdom wonderful; in power Almighty; in coursailes terrible; in judgements righteous; in cogitations secret; in works holy; in mercy rich; in promise true; always the same; eternal, everlasting, immortal, unchangeable. Such is the Lord, from whom our Prophet Amos here deriveth authority to his Prophecy; Thus saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said, and shall he not do accordingly? hath he spoken it, and shall he not accomplish it? Balaam confesseth unto Balak, Num. 23.19. God is not as man, that he should lie; nor as the son 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 Saviour, Matth. 5 18. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot or one tittle of God's word shall ●scape unfulfilled. Thus saith the Lord] Amos is here a pattern to us, that are Preachers of the word of salvation. We must ever come unto you, with Thus saith the Lord, in our mouths; we may not speak either the imaginations of our own brains, or the vain persuasions of our own hearts. We must sincerely preach unto you Gods gracious word, without all corruption, or depraving of the same. This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth us, 1 Epist. cham 4.11. If any man speak, let him speak as the word of God. For if we, yea if an Angel from heaven, shall preach otherwise unto you, than from the Lords own mouth, speaking in his holy Word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Let him be acccursed; let him be had in execration. This note, beloved, doth also concern you, that are the auditors and hearers of God's word. For if we, the Preachers thereof, must always come unto you, with Thus saith the Lord, then are you to hear us with reverence and attention. And this for the authority of him that speaketh. It is not you that speak, saith our Saviour jesus Christ, to his blessed Apostles, Matth. 10.20. but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And again, Luk. 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me. S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians, 1 Epist. chap. 2.13. for that when they received of the Apostles of Christ, the word of the preaching of God, they received it not as the word of men, but as it was indeed, as the word of God. Well therefore did S. james chap. 1.21. thus to exhort the jews; Receive with meekness the word that is grafted in you, which is able to save your souls. God spoke unto Israel in a vision by night, Gen. 46.2. and said, jacob, jacob. jacob answered, I am here. He was pressed and ready with all reverend attention to hear what his God should say unto him, and to follow the same with all faithful obedience. Such readiness well becometh every child of God, even at this day in the Church where God speaketh. Thus must he think within himself: It is thine ordinance, O Lord, by thy word preached, to instruct me concerning thy holy will: I am here Lord, in all humble fear, to hear thy blessed pleasure, what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the Preacher to deliver unto me: I am here, speak on Lord, thy servant heareth. If a Prince, or some great man of this world, shall speak unto you, you will attend and give ear unto him with your best diligence: how much more than ought ye so to do, when the King of Heaven, and Lord of the earth, calleth upon you by his ministers? Thus fare by occasion of the preface, Thus saith the Lord. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four] Whether these children of Ammon were distinguished from the Ammonites, as Drusius would prove, 2 Chron. 20.1. and as R. David anoweth, filii Ammon unsquam vocantur Ammonitae, the children of Ammon are no where called Ammonites, I hold it needless to dispute in this place. It is out of doubt, that these children of Ammon, or Ammonites, did lincally descend from Ben-ammi, who was Lot's son, begotten in incest upon his younger daughter, Gen. 19.38. Lot was Abraham's brothers son, Gen. 14.12. Whereby it is evident, that the posterity of them both, the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon, the Israelites, and the Ammonites, were linked together by affinity, and alliance. The more to blame were those Ammonites, without all respect of kindred, to exercise such cruelty as they did against the Israelites; for which cause Almighty God here sent his blessed Prophet, to thunder out his threats against them. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four] In the front of this Prophecy you have the general accusation of these children of Ammon: For three transgressions, and for four] Three of these transgressions, if you will believe Albertus Magnus, are Cruelty, Anarice, and persecution; the fourth is, an obstinate pertinacy, a constant stubbornness, ever to dwell in those sins. Again, three of these transgressions, are a coveting of other men's goods, an unlawful seeking for those things that are not our own, and a hardness of heart to retain them so sought for: the fourth is, the unsatiable desire of a covetous man. Many are the expositions of the learned upon these words, three and four transgressions. The most natural, proper, and significant, I take to be, if by three and four, a finite and certain number, you understand a number infinite and uncertain. God as often as he will forgiveth, though we sin ten thousand times. It is but a custom of the Scripture thus to speak. God waiteth for us twice and thrice, that is, a long time, to see if we will return from our evil ways unto repentance: but the fourth time, that is, at length, when he seethe us persist in our impenitency, he reproveth us, casteth us away, and leaveth us in our sins. Thus have you the general accusation of the children of Ammon, for their many sins, for which the Lords protestation against them followeth. I will not turn to it] These words are diversely rendered by expositors: by the author of the vulgar Latin, and by Gualther, Non convertam eum, I will not turn the Ammonite; that is, I will not recall the children of Ammon to the right way; they shall run on to their own perdition. By Caluin, Non ero ei propitius, I will not be favourable to the Ammonites. By Mercer, Non parcam et, I will not spare the Ammonites. According to their deserts so shall it be unto them. By junius, Non avertam istud, I will not turn away the punishment wherewith I have resolved to punish them. I am the Lord, I am not changed. The sum is; if the Ammonites had offended but once, or a second time, I would have been favourable to them, and would have recalled them into the right way, that so they might be converted, and escape my punishments: but now whereas they do daily heap transgression upon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted; but indurate & obstinate as they are, I will utterly destroy them. For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn to it] Here are you to be remembered of a doctrine, sundry times heretofore commended to your Christian considerations; Many sins do pluck down from heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. God is of pure eyes, and beholdeth not iniquity. He hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. The sentence is passed forth, and must stand uncontrollable, even as long as the Sun and Moon: Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil. The soul that sinneth it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath, Deut. 3.2.41. That he will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on judgement, to execute vengeance for sin. His soul hateth and abhorreth sin; his law curseth and condemneth sin; his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast down Angels into Hell; to thrust Adam out of Paradise; to turn cities into ashes; to ruinated nations; to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh. Because of sin he drowned the old world; and because of sin ere long will burn this. Thus do many sins pluck, etc. One use of this doctrine is, to teach us heedfulness in all our ways; that we do not by our many sins provoke Almighty God to high displeasure. A second use is, to move us to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbear these children of Ammon, till by three and four transgressions, by their many sins they provoked him to indignation. These things I have heretofore laboured to lay unto your hearts. Now therefore I proceed to the third part of this Prophecy; wherein you have the declaration of that grievous sin, by which the children of Ammon so highly offended. This their sin was the sin of cruelty; expressed in these words; Because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead; and amplified by the end of so foul a fact; That they might enlarge their border. They have ripped up women with child of Gilead; that, etc.] Women with child; the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is i Pagnin. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mercer Caluin. rendered by some, mountains; by some, cities fortified, and high as mountains: as if the meaning were, either that the Ammonites had made for themselves a passage into the territories of the Gileadites, through the mountains that lay between them; (a thing not impossible: for we read of Annibal, that k Livius lib. 21. he with fire and vinegar made way through a great rock upon the Alps, for his army, and carriage,) or that the Ammonites had vanquished and subdued the fortified cities of the Gilead●●●, to the enlarging of their borders. But I retain our English translation; women with child; as very agreeable to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. They have ripped up women with child] Immane facinus: surely this was an outrageous cruelty: yet such as hath its parallel: we read of the like in 2 King. 8.12. Elizaus telling Hazael King of Syria, of the evil that he should do the children of Israel, saith; Their young men thou shalt slay with the sword, and shalt dash their infants against the stones, and rend in pieces their women with child. The like cruelty did Menahem King of Israel exercise against the inhabitants of the city Tiphsah, & her borderers, even unto Thirtz●, as appeareth, 2 King. 15.16. He ripped up all their women with child. Hoseah also, chap. 14.1. thus prophesieth against Samaria; Samaria shall be desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped. You see (dear beloved) that this outrageous cruelty of ripping up women with child, mentioned in my text, was not altogether unusual. The women upon whom this cruelty was practised, are here said to have been of Gilead. Of this land of Gilead I have heretofore largely spoken in my seventh Lecture upon this prophecy, occasioned by the 3. ver. of this chapter, where it is objected to the Syrians of Damascus, that they threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron. Then I shown, that the land of Gilead was possessed by the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, Num. 32.33. Whereby it is plain, that the Gileadites were Israelites. Here then these women, with whom the Ammonites dealt so barbarously, as to rip them up, when they were great with child, were of jacobs' posterity: they were Jsraelites, the lot and portion of Gods own inheritance. For so prodigious a cruelty, we see Almighty God is here resolved to be avenged on the children of Ammon. The doctrine arising hence is this; Cruelty is a sin very hateful unto God. This doctrine I have heretofore out of this place confirmed unto you: it is also plainly grounded upon my text, and therefore I pass it over. The use of it is to work in us the love of clemency and mercifulness. You may be many ways guilty of cruelty. If you fight with, or beat your neighbour, or maim his body, Levit. 24.19, 20. If by any means you procure the death of your neighbour, Gen. 4.8. If you use your neighbour discourteously, or make him your laughing stock, or taunting recreation, Levit. 19.14. If you use any of God's creatures hardly, Deut. 22.6. If you do wrong to strangers, Exod. 22.21. If you molest fatherless children, and widows, Exod. 22.22. If you be too severe in punishing your servants, or children, Deut. 25.3. If you wrong the poor, either by lending him your money upon Usury, Exod. 22.25. or by not paying him his hire, Deut. 24.14. or by not restoring his pledge, Exod. 22.26. or by withdrawing your corn from him, Pro. 11.26. If you offend but in the least of these, your are guilty of cruelty, and do transgress Gods holy commandments, the sixth commandment, wherein you are forbidden to do murder. Wherefore (beloved in the Lord) put you on the tender bowels of mercy and compassion: let cruelty be fare from you. My exhortation unto you, and conclusion of this point, shall be in the words of S. Paul, Coloss. 3.12, 13. Now as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel to another: as Christ forgave you, even so do ye. These words of my text; They have ripped up women with child of Gilead, do yield us another profitable doctrine. They, that is, the children of Ammon, professed enemies to God and godliness, have raged against the Gileadites, jacobs' posterity, the lot and portion of God's inheritance, even to the ripping up of their women with child. The doctrine is; God often humbleth his chosen children under the rod of the wicked. This truth appeareth in Lot, sore pressed upon by the Sodomites, Gen. 19.9. in the Israelites, hardly dealt with by the Egyptians, Exod. 1.11. in the seventy brethren, sons of jerubbaal, persecuted by Abimelech, most of them to the death, judg. 9.5. in jeremy twice evil entreated, first beaten and put in the stocks by Pashure, jerem. 20.2. and a second time beaten and imprisoned by Zedechias his Nobles, chap. 37.15. in the three children, cast into the fiery furnace by Nabuchodonosor, Dan. 3.21. Many like examples might be extracted out of God's holy reg star for proof of this point: which also may be made further to appear unto you, in those bloody persecutions after Christ his death, by the Roman Emperors, who devised strange torments to keep down religion, and religious professors, men and women. They plucked off their skins quick: they beared out their eyes with wimbles: they broiled them alive on gredirons: they scalded them in boiling liquors: they enclosed them in barrels, through which great nails were driven, and therein they tumbled them down mountains, till their own blood so cruelly drawn out, had stifled and choked them in the barrels: women's breasts were seared off with burning irons, their bodies were rend, and their joints racked. Sundry other, and as strange kinds of torments were endured by the faithful in the time of the ten first persecutions in the primitive Church. This is it which S. Peter hath Epist. 1. chap. 4. vers. 17. The time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God. Yet let not the faithful hereat be discouraged. It is for their good. job, an upright and a just man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil, upon his experience of the afflictions which he endured under the rod of God's correction, chap. 5.17. saith, Behold, blessed is the man whom God correcteth: therefore refuse not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he maketh the wound, and bindeth it up; he smiteth, and his hands make whole. And thus from my doctrine, I proceed to the uses. I will but point at them. Is it true (beloved?) Doth God often humble his chosen children under the rod of the wicked? It may first show us, how great God's anger is for sin, that he punisheth it so severely even in his dearest children, and thereby may work in us a loathing, hatred, and detestation of sin. Never more need than now, to smite our breasts, and pray with the Publican, O God, be merciful unto us sinners. Secondly, it may teach us not to measure the favour of God towards ourselves or others, by the adversities or crosses of this life. Here we see that the women of Gilead of the race of Israel Gods own lot and inheritance, were most barbarously and cruelly ripped up by the Ammonites. Yet are we not to doubt, but that God's favour was great towards them, even in this severe punishment. Thirdly, it may make us pour out our souls in thankfulness before Almighty God for our present estate and condition. It is not with us as in the days of Gilead, we are not threshed with threshing instruments of iron; our women with child are not ripped up. Our days are the days of peace; our King is a King of peace. Peace is in our ports, peace in all our borders, and peace within our walls. l Psal. 144.12. Our sons do grow up as y●ung plants; our daughters are as the polished corners of the temple. Our garners are full and plenteous with all manner of store. Our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands. Our oxen are strong to labour. Here is no invasion, no leading into captivity, no complaining in our streets. Are not the people happy that are in such a case? Yes saith the Psalmist, Psal. 144.15. Happy are the people that are in such a case. The case you see is ours. The God of peace, which maketh an m Psal. 46.10. end of war in all the world, and breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spears asunder, and burneth the chariots with fire, he doth now protect us from war, and slaughter. Quid rependemus? What shall we render unto the Lord, for all his benefits towards us? We will take the cup of salvation, and praise his holy name. O our souls, praise the Lord; for he only maketh us to dwell in safety. Thus fare of the cruel fact of the Ammonites, in ripping up the women with child of Gilead. This their fact is amplified by the end, wherefore they did it; They have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. That they might enlarge their border? What could such cruelty against innocent and harmless women, further them to the attaining of such an end? Very much. For hereby it might come to pass, that there should not be any offspring of the Gileadites to inherit and possess the land; so might the land without any resistance become the possession of the Ammonites. This is by a prophetical contestation touched, jer. 49.1. Unto the children of Ammon thus saith the Lord; Hath Israel no sons? or hath he no heirs? Why then h●th their King possessed Gad; and his people dwelled in his Cities? So might this our Prophet Amos here contest, and make complaint: Hath Gilead no sons? Hath Gilead no heirs? Why then have the Ammonites possessed Gilead? Why have they dwelled in the cities of Gilead? The answer is plain out of my Text; The Ammonites have ripped up the wom●n with child of Gilead, they have left them no sons, no heirs. And so they possessed the land of Gilead; so have they enlarged their borders. We see now the meaning of our Prophet: He objecteth to the Ammonites, not only that they did cruelly rip up the women with child in Gilead, but also, that they did it for this end, that they might enlarge their borders. The Doctrine is, That nation, which is not content with her own borders, but invadeth her neighbour countries, sinneth grievously. The Ethnics of old, taught but in Nature's school, did hold it for a wicked act, detestable, and inexpiable, to remove a neighbours land-marke●. In which respect the old Romans worshipped Terminus for a God. Terminus which signifieth a bound, limit, mere, buttle, or landmark, was in their account a God, God of their bounds, limits, or marks of their several fields, meadows, and pastures; and such a God, as should not give place to jupiter himself. To this Terminus they held a feast in February, and called it Terminalia, as Austin witnesseth in his books De Civitate Dei, Lib. 5. c. 21. & lib. 7. c. 7. Now if the heathenish, blind, and superstitious Romans, trained up in Nature's school, did so highly esteem of the preservation and maintenance of bounds and limits: how are we trained up in the school of Grace, to esteem thereof? In the school of Grace a law is given, Deut. 19.14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbours mark. To obey this law we are charged upon a curse, Deut. 27.17. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's mark. It is Gods own ordinance, that bounds, and limits, and marks are appointed to every man's possessions. This may be gathered out of Deut. 32.8. The most high [God,] divided to the nations their inheritances: he separated the sons of men: he did set the bounds of nations. The meaning is, the Lord pitched the bounds o● Kingdoms, at such time as it pleased him, that the nations should be divided asunder. Yet we see how the covetous ambition, and unsatiable desire of some Princes in the world, have put all out of order, how there is nothing so holy, that can stay them from encroaching upon the bounds of their neighbours and next borderers. Sennacherib King of Assyria was a stout offended in this kind. He boasted of his invasions and victories upon his neighbour countries. But that other Princes may take example by him, he was made a peculiar example of divine judgement. For as he trangressed the bounds of his neighbour Princes to their overthrow, so did his own sons transgress the bounds of nature, to the loss of his their father's life. As it appeareth by Esai. 37.38. As Sennacherib was in the temple worshipping Nisroch his God, Adramelech and Sharezer, his sons, slew him with the sword. And by my Text you see, what judgements God threatneth to the Ammonites, for their unlawful practices to enlarge their borders. So my doctrine is established. The nation that is not content with her own borders, but invadeth her neighbour countries, sinneth grievously. The use of this Doctrine may concern us here assembled. As Princes ought to hold themselves contented with their own bounds, so ought every private man also. God hath also separated their possessions one from another, to the end that all might live and communicate one with another, and that there might be no confused disorder. But (beloved in the Lord) how do we stand to this order, set by Almighty God? Do we not seek daily to pervert it? God would have it kept most holy; but we care not for it. Our covetousness carrieth us away; we would still be greater. We join house to house, and field to field, as it is in Esai. 5 8 that we may be placed by ourselves in the midst of the earth. Were our Fathers so ambitious? They were content with such bounds, as their ancestors left them; but we must have them altered, if not enlarged. The divinely-inspired David tells us, Psal. 37.3. that if we dwell in the land, where God hath placed us, we shall verily be fed. We should learn of S. Paul, Philip. 4 11. in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content. Knowing it to be true, which the same Apostle avoweth unto Timothy, Ep. 1. chap. 6. vers. 6. that Godliness is great gain, if we will be content with that we have. Thus much of the 13. verse. THE Twentieth Lecture. AMOS 1.14, 15. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, and with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. And their King shall go into captivity, he and his Princes together, saith the Lord. HEre we have the denunciation of the judgements of God against the children of Ammon for their sins. This judgement is in the 14. verse set down, 1. In a generality. 2. With some circumstances. First, in a generality; Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. Secondly, with some circumstances, as that it should be full of terror, and speedy, and of l●rge extent. Full of terror: with shouting in the day of battle. Speedy: with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Of large extent. For it was to fall upon, not only the meaner sort of the people, but upon the Nobility also, yea and upon the King himself, which is plain by the 15. verse. Their King shall go into captivity, he and his Princes together. First, let us weigh this judgement of God, as it is set down in a generality, I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. This judgement for substance is no other, than that which you have heretofore heard out of this Chapter, to have been denounced from Almighty God against the Syrians, Philistines, Tyrians, and Edomites. Against the Syrians, vers. 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. Against the Philistines, vers. 7. I will send a fire upon the walls of Azzah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. Against the Tyrians, vers. 10. I will send a fire upon the walls of Tyrus, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. Against the Edomites, vers. 12. I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah. Between those denunciations, and this, you see no great difference. In those, Thus saith the Lord, I will send a fire: in this, thus; I will kindle a fire, I will send a fire, and I will kindle a fire: the substance in both is the same. And therefore as in those I have done, so do I in this; I commend to your Christian and religious considerations certain circumstances. 1 Of the punisher; the Lord, I will kindle. 2 Of the punishment; by fire, A fire. 3 Of the punished; The walls of Rabbah, and the palaces thereof. These circumstances are in this judgement of God, as it is set down in a generality: The first circumstance concerneth the punisher, the Lord; for thus saith the Lord; I will kindle a fire. The note yields this doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This truth hath been often confirmed unto you. divers ●e the uses of it. 1 It may lesson us to look heedfully unto our feet, that we walk not in the way of sinners, to partake with them in their sins. Sins are not tonguetied, they cry aloud unto the Lord for vengeance. 2 It may admonish us not to intermeddle in the Lord's office. It is his office to execute vengeance. We therefore may not interpose ourselves. 3 It may serve for a comfort to the Godly, against whom the wicked have behaved themselves proudly and dispiteously. God in due time, for such their behaviour, will render vengeance unto them, and punish them with everlasting perdition. The second circumstance concerneth the punishment, which is by fire: I will kindle a fire] By fire here we are to understand, not so much a true and natural fire, as a figurative and metaphorical fire. The sword, pestilence, and famine; quodlibet genus consumptionis, every kind of consumption, quaelibet species excidij, every kind of destruction, hail, water, thunder sickness, or any other of the executioners of God his wrath for the sins of men, may be signified by this name Fire. The Doctrine, The fire (whether natural, or figuartive) that is, the fire, and all other creatures, are at the Lords Commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. Of this Doctrine heretofore. The use of it is, to teach us, how to behave ourselves at such times, as God shall visit us with his rod of correction: how to carry ourselves in all our afflictions. We must not so much look to the means, as to the Lord, that worketh by them. If the fire, or water, or any other of God's creatures shall at any time rage and prevail against us, we must know, that God by them worketh his holy will upon us. Here we see, he resolveth to kindle a fire upon the wall of Rabbah, for thus saith the Lord; I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. There was a City of this name (Rabbah) in the Country of Moab called Rabbath-Moab. So saith Drusius. But the Rabbah in my Text, was a City in the Country of the Ammonites, called, 2 Sam. 12.26. Rabbah of the children of Ammon: where it is named the city of the kingdom. For it was their metropolitical & chief city. In the verse following it is called the city of waters, because it was situate near unto the river jeboc. The destruction here threatened to this city, is likewise denounced by two other Prophets, jeremy and Ezechiel. In jeremy, chap. 49.2. Thus saith the Lord; I will cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites, and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burnt with fire. Cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; mourn, and run to and fro by the hedges: for their King shall go into captivity, and his Priests and his Princes likewise. And Ezechiel, Chap. 25.5. I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for Camels, and the Ammonites a sheep coat. By which two places of Jeremy and Ezechiel, the meaning of my Prophet is opened. Here in the person of God he saith: I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. It is, as if he had said. The a jerem. 7.34. voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness shall cease to be heard in Rabbah, the noise of war shall be heard there; and I will make it a dwelling place for Camels, a sheepe-coat, an heap of desolation. Must Rabbah, the chief City of the Kingdom, be measured with the line of desolation? It yields us this Doctrine, It is not the greatness of a City that can be a safeguard unto it, if God his unappeasable wrath break out against it, for its sins. For confirmation of this Doctrine, I need not send you to the old world, to behold the ruins of cities there. There may you see the city which Cain built, (Gen. 4.17.) and whatsoever other cities were erected between that time and the flood, you may see them all swept away with the flood. After the flood, you may see Sodom and Gomorrah, with other cities of that plain, overthrown with brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven, Gen. 19.24. I need not present you with other like desolations of cities, towns, or villages, wrought by Almighty God in the days of old. This one chapter, and first chapter of this prophecy of Amos, yields unto us plentiful proof for this point. Here h●ue we seen desolation upon desolation, not the shaking only, but the overthrow of four states, namely of the Syrians, of the Philistines, of the Tyrians, and of the Edomites. In the state of the Syrians, we have seen the ruins of the house of Hazael, and of the palaces of Benhadad, and of Damascus, and of Bikeath-Auen, and of Betheden, and of Aram, vers. 4, 5. In the state of the Philistines we have viewed the rubbish of Azzah, and the palaces thereof, of Ashdod also, of Ashkelon, and of Ekron, vers. 7, 8. In the state of the Tyrians, we have beheld the waste done upon the proud City Tyrus, and her palaces; vers. 10. In the state of the Edomites, we have considered the destruction of Teman and Bozrah, vers. 12. All which do evidently and strongly proclaim unto us the truth of my propounded Doctrine: namely, that, It is not the greatness of a City, that can be a safeguard unto it, if God his unappeasable wrath break out against it, for its sins. One use of this Doctrine is, to lesson us, that we put not any confidence in any worldly help: but that so we use all good means of our defence, that still we rely upon the Lord, for strength and success thereby. A second use is, to put us in mind of the fearful punishments which God layeth upon men for sin. He devoureth their Cities, throweth down their strong holds, and spares them not. Hath God dealt thus with strong Cities, and shall poor villages escape? If the secure worldling shall here object, that our days are the days of peace, that our King is a King of peace, that peace is in all our ports, in all our quarters, in all our dwelling places; and that therefore there is no need to fear the subversion either of our cities, or of our villages: to such I must answer in the Prophet Esayes words, Chap. 48.22. There is b Esa. 57.21. no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord. No peace to the wicked. For though God, the c Rom. 15.33. God of peace, which d Psal. 46.9. maketh an end of war in all the world, and breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear asunder, and burneth the chariots with fire, doth now protect us from foreign invasion and hostility, yet being e Amos 3.13. Deus exercituum, a God of hosts, he hath armies of another kind at command, to work the sudden subversion and overthrow of all our dwellings. Hereof hath God made good proof in these our days. To say nothing of his arrow of pestilence, which is grandis terror mortalium, the great terror of men, as being Death's chief Pursuivant and Sumner, who in job 18.14. is called Rex Terrorum, the King of fears; to say nothing of this arrow, how it hath for these f This Sermon was preached Ann. Dom. 1610. jan. 13. seven years roved up and down, to marks fare and near, from city to village, and from village to city, to the kill of many thousands of our brethren and sisters, and yet is not put up into the quiver: to say nothing now of this arrow, because it strikes men's persons, and spares their houses: will you be pleased to look back upon those swellings of waters, which of late, g Ann. Chr. 1607. within these four years, broke out into the bosom of the firm land in diverse parts of this Realm? Then must you acknowledge with me, that God hath an army of waters, whereby at his pleasure he can overthrew our dwelling houses. Beloved, I could here make report unto you from beyond the seas out of Germany, of strange and marvelous inundations, deluges, and overflowings of waters; how about h Ann. Chr. 1595. janson. Gallobelg. Tom. 3. lib. 12. p. 173. this time fifteen years in the plains near unto Colen, Mentz, and Frankford, by a sudden flood, non modò horrea, & stabula, nullo firmo nixa fundamento, sed firmissima etiam aedificia, not only barns and stables, which had no firm foundation, but the surest and strongest edifices and buildings were violently c●rried away. I could tell you of much more hame of that years flood; how in i janson. ibid. pag. 180. Berenburg, a town upon the river Sala, in the Principality of Anhalt, k Ibid. p. 183. Centum sexaginta aedes funditù● eversae fuerunt; One hundred and threescore houses were utterly overthrown. But what need we go so fare for examples of this kind, whereof Almighty God hath sent home unto us such plenty? Reflect we our eyes upon our own harms; upon the harms done to many of our neighbours in the late flood to the overthrowing & breaking down l See the Report of floods in England, Ann. Chr. 1607. of whole towns and villages yea of m See, Woeful news of floods, C. 1. a. 26. parishes in one n Monmouth-shire. Shire, and we cannot but grant it for a truth, tha● God hath his armies of waters, whereby at his pleasure he can overthrew our dwelling houses. But what is this to some of us, who are seated upon an hill, fare enough from any dangers by inundations, or ouerfl●wings of waters? Beloved in the Lord, of such mind were they of the old world, who did eat, and drink, and married wives, and gave in marriage, unto the day that Noah went into the Ark. But what became of them? Our Saviour Christ will tell you, Luke 17.27. The flood came, and destroyed them. But God hath made a covenant with man, and will remember it; That there shall be no more waters of a flood, to destroy all flesh, Genes. 9.15. It is true: there shall be no more waters of a flood to destroy all flesh; that is, there shall be no more an universal flood, to cover the face of the whole earth: there shall be no more generale dilwium inundans, & obruens universam terram. But here is no exemption for particular cities, no not for particular provinces, or countries. Almighty God, who once did break up the fountains of the great deep, and did open the windows of Heaven, Gen. 7.11. he is the same God still, Almighty still, his arm is stretched out still. He can at his pleasure command the clouds, and they shall pour forth abundance of waters, to the washing away of our dwelling houses. But say, he will not come against us with his army of waters: yet being Deus exercituum, a God of hosts, he hath armies of another kind at command, to work the sudden subversion, and overthrew of all our dwellings. I yet present you not with lightning, with thunder, with winds, with earthquakes, wherewith the Lord of Hosts, the mighty one of Israel, hath laid waste, and made desolate many the habitations of sinful men; my Text presents you with fire; and let it suffice for this time. Say, I beseech you, is it not a fearful thing, that in stead of the fatness of the clouds, of the greater and smaller rain, of the sweet dews of Heaven, of comfortable showers which God hath engendered in the air, and divided by pipes to fall upon the earth in their seasons, our grounds should be withered, our fruits consumed, our Temples and our buildings resolved into cinders? Yea, and sometimes our skins and bones too, melted from our backs? Yet (Beloved) this sometimes comes to pass, when fire, one of the executioners of God's vengeance, is sent upon us for our sins. What became of Sodom and Gomorrah, and other Cities of that Plain? Were they not turned into ashes by fire from the Lord? The story is known, Gen. 19.24. But what need old stories to confirm so plain a matter; whereof we have daily and lamentable experience? Do not the grievous complaints of many of our neighbours undone by fire, seeking from our charitable devotions some small relief, make good proof hereof? Dear Beloved, learn we by their example to cast away from us all our transgressions, whereby we have transgressed, and to turn unto the Lord our God, lest delighting and treading in the wickedness of their ways, we be made partakers also of their punishments. It is neither care, nor policy, that can stay Gods revengeful hand, when he bringeth fire in it. To this purpose memorable is the example of a countryman of ours, who in King Edward's days was a Professor of the true religion; that religion, which by God's goodness we do this day profess. This man in the o Fox, Martyrolog. p. 1893. Acts and Monuments of our Church is named p A Smith dwelling at Well in Cambridge-shire. Richard Denton, and is there noted to have been an Instructor of one q Of Wisbich in the I'll of Elie, sometime Constable of Well, and dwelling there. William Wolsey in the same his holy religion. Not long after in Queen Mary's days, when fire and faggot were the portion of true Professors, Wolsey was apprehended and imprisoned. In time of his durance, he sent commendations to Denton his Instructor, withal demanding by his messenger, why he tarried so long after him, seeing he had been his first Instructor in the Scriptures. Dentons' answer was, I cannot burn. Cannot burn? You see his policy: he halted between God and man, he dissembled the profession of his Christian faith, because forsooth he could not burn. Well. Q. Mary's days were soon at an end; and God caused the light of the Gospel to shine again under the peaceable government of Queen Elizabeth. Then did our dissembler think himself safe enough from any flame of fire. But behold the hand of God. His house was on fire; and he with two others, venturing to save some of his goods, perished in the flame. Thus you see policy prevails not, when Gods revengeful hand brings fire with it. And think you that ca●e will help? What? Care against the Lord? Fare be it from us (beloved) so to think. Let us rather make our humble con●ession, with King Nabuchodonosor, Dan. 4.34, 35. that the Most High liveth for ever: that his power is an everlasting power, and his Kingdom from generation to generation: that all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing to him: that according to his will he worketh in the army of Heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, nor say unto him; what dost thou? None can stay his hand. This is it which before I noted: namely, that, It is neither care nor policy, that can stay Gods revengeful hand, when he bringeth fire in it: as here it is threatened unto Rabbah: I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah. Thus fare by occasion of my first Doctrine, which was, It is not the greatness of a city, that can be a safeguard unto it, if God's unappeasable wrath break out against it for its sins. And it was grounded upon these words: I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah. It is further added of this fire, that it shall devour the palaces of R●bbah. Which branch repeated in each of the precedent prophecies (as vers. 4, 7, 10, 12.) hath formerly yielded us this Doctrine; God depriveth us of a great blessing, when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. This truth is experimentally made good unto us, by the great commodity, or contentment, that cometh to every one of us by our dwelling houses. The use whereof is, to teach us, 1. To be humbled before Almighty God, whensoever it shall please him by water, by fire, by wind, by lightning, by thunder; by earthquakes, or otherwise, to overthrew our dwelling houses. 2. Since we peaceably enjoy our dwelling houses, to use them for the furtherance of God's glory. 3. To render all hearty thankes unto Almighty God, for the comfortable use we have of our dwelling-houses. Thus fare of the commination, or denunciation of judgement, as it is set down in general. The special circumstances, whereby it is further notified or illustrated, do concern, partly the punishment, and partly the punished. Concerning the punishment; it is full of terror, and speedy. First, full of terror, in these words; With shouting in the day of battle. With shouting] in classico, saith Brentius: cum clangore, saith Drusius; that is, with the sound or noise of Trumpets. The Septuagint do read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the vulgar Latin, in ululatu: Mercer, cum vociferatione; Gualther, cum clamore; Caluin, cum clamore, vel jubilo: that is, with a cry, with a great cry, with a vociferation, with a shout, such as soldiers do make, when on a sudden they surprise a City. In the day of battle] in die belli. The like phrase we have Psal. 78.9. where it is said of the children of Ephraim, that being armed and shooting with the bow, they turned back, in die belli, in the day of battle. David confesseth, Psal. 140.7. O Lord God the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head, in die belli, in the day of battle. Solomon saith, Prou. 21.31. The horse is prepared, in diem belli, against the day of battle. So here the Lord threatneth against Rabbah, a shouting m●●ie belli, in the day of battle. This day of battle, is that day of war, and time of trouble, mentioned by job, chap. 38.23. We see now the purpose of our Prophet in using these words, With shouting in the day of battle. It is to proclaim war against Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites, and consequently against their whole kingdom. This proclamation is more plainly delivered, jerem. 49.2. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause a noise of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites: and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burnt with fire. From this proclamation of war made by our Prophet Amos, as in the Lords own words, saying; I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, we may take this lesson, God sendeth war upon a Land for the sins of a people. For proof of this truth, let us look into the word of truth. In the 26. of Levit. vers. 25. thus saith the Lord unto Israel: If ye walk stubbornly against me, and will not obey me, than I will send a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant. And jerem. 5.15. unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord; Lo, I will bring a Nation upon you from fare. You hear the Lord speaking in his own person, I will send, I will bring, as here, I will kindle. Will you any other witness? Then hear what Moses telleth the Israelites, Deut. 28.49. The Lord shall bring a nation upon you from fare, from the end of the world, flying as an Eagle: a nation, whose tongue thou shalt not understand, a nation of a fierce countenance, which will not regard the person of the old, nor have compassion on the young: the same shall eat the fruit of thy cattles, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: and he shall leave thee neither wheat, nor wine, nor oil, nor the increase of thy kine, nor the flocks of thy sheep, until he have brought thee to nought. By this speech of Moses, we plainly see that war, and all the evils of war, are from the Lord: that war is r Cominaeus Hist. lib. 1. cap. 3. one of the accomplishments of God's judgements, and that it is sent by God upon a Land for the sins of the people, as my doctrine goeth. Let us now make some use of it. Is it true, beloved? Doth God send war upon a Land, for the sins of a people? How then can we look that the happy peace, which we now enjoy, should be continued among us, sith by our daily sinning we provoke Almighty God unto displeasure? Let the consideration hereof lead us to repentance. Repentance, the gift of God, the joy of Angels, the salve of sins, the haven of sinners, let us possess it in our hearts. The Angels of heaven need it not, because they sinne not: the Devils in Hell care not for it; for their judgement is sealed. It only appertaineth to the sons of men; and therefore let us, the sons of men, possess it in our hearts: that is, let us truly and unfeignedly forsake our old sins, and turn unto the Lord our God, so shall this blessed peace, and all other good things be continued among us. But if we will persist in our evil ways, not regarding what the Lord shall speak unto us, either in his holy Word, or by his faithful Ministers, we may expect the portion of these Ammonites, that God should kindle a fire in our Rabbahs; our best fenced cities, which shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the d●y of battle. Thus much of the terror of this judgement. Now followeth the speed in the next circumstance. With a tempest in the day of the whirlwind] Suiting hereto is the reading of Mercer, cum tempestate in die turbinis: and that of Tremelius: cum procella in die turbinis, with a storm or tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Caluin hath, in turbine in die tempestatis: in a whirlwind in a day of tempest: Brentius, in turbine, & in die tempestatis; in a whirlwind, and in a day of tempest: Gualther, cum turbine in die tempestatis, with a whirlwind in a day of tempest. And this reading Drusius rather approveth, than the former. Take which you will; the meaning is one and the same: namely, that the war here denounced to the Ammonites in the former clause, should come upon them, tanquam turbo in die tempestatis, like unto a whirlwind in a tempestuous and stormy day. Turbine nihil celerius; a whirlwind comes suddenly and with speed; so was this war to come upon the children of Ammon. Thus have we the meaning of our Prophet: let us now take a view of such doctrines, as may from hence be taken for our further instruction. First, whereas the punishment here threatened to the Ammonites, is to come upon them with a whirlwind in a day of tempest, in a tempestuous and stormy day, we may learn, that, Storms, Tempests, Whirlwinds, and the like, are the Lords creatures, ready at his command to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrel against sinners. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the primary and principal efficient cause of storms, tempests, whirlwinds, and the like, is God. God as he is the sole maker totius universitatis rerum, of this world, and all that is in it; so is he also a most free and omnipotent ruler of the same. He alone is able to raise tempests, and at his pleasure to allay them again. Who raised the storm, that endangered the ship wherein jonah was? was it not the Lord? Yes. For so it is written, jon. 1.4. The Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Neither was this tempest calmed, till rebellious jonah was cast out of the ship into the sea, as it appeareth, vers. 15. Well therefore is it said of the Psalmist, Psal. 148.8. of fire, and hail, and snow, and vapours, and stormy winds, that they execute God's word; they are all ready at his commandment, to execute what he will have them to do. Winds and tempests, they depend not upon chance, or blind fortune; but on the sovereign power of the Almighty Creator. So true is my doctrine; Storms, Tempests, Whirlwinds, and the like, are the Lords creatures, ready at his command, to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrel against sinners. One use of it, is for our instruction: Whosoever he be, that walketh by land, or passeth by sea, if winds, storms or tempests do hinder his purpose, or disquiet him in his enterprise, he must assign it to the providence of Almighty God. A second use serveth for reproof of such, as are of opinion, that Witches, Sorcerers, Conjurers, and the Devil can s Grynaeus in jon. cap. 1. 4. Lect. 13. pro libidine suâ, at their pleasures, raise up tempests. It is nothing so. Nothing so? Why then doth Saint Paul, Ephes. 2.2. call the Devil, the Prince that ruleth in the air? I answer, S. Paul calleth the Devil the Prince that ruleth in the air, not because he can at his pleasure raise tempests, but because he than doth it, when God gives him licence. I easily grant, that Witches, Sorcerers and Conjurers by the help of the Devil, can raise storms and tempests in the air, though t King james, Daemonolog. lib. ●. cap 5 pag. 46. not universally, yet in such a particular place and prescribed bounds, as God will permit them so to trouble. u Archbishop Abbot in jon. Lect. 3. pag. 51. The Devil and his factors work their exploits only by limitation and by leave; for they depend upon the Lord; and as if they were tied in a chain●, they cannot exceed one hairs breadth of that which is granted unto them. Witness the story of job. The Devil could not raise a wind to overthrew the house wherein jobs children were, but by leave from the Lord, as it appeareth, job 12. And this may be our comfort, that Satan, the Devil, that x 1 Pet. 5.8. roaring Lion, who walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, hath y Esay 37.29. a hook put into his nostrils, and a bridle in his lips, and is bound z jud. 6. with everlasting chains, so that he cannot hurt us, no not so much as by raising of a tempest, vnl●sse Almighty God for our sins do let him lose. Wherefore, let us commend ourselves wholly to the protection of the Almighty, and he will * Esay 49 2. hide us under the shadow of his hand. For it is he only, that maketh us to dwell in safety. Thus much of my first doctrine. Again, whereas the punishment here threatened to the Ammonites, was to come upon them as a whirlwind in a tempestuous, or stormy day, that is, speedily, we may from hence take this lesson. The destruction of the wicked cometh suddenly upon them. This truth is avowed by David, Psal. 37.2. Where to persuade the godly not to fret, or be grieved at the prosperity of the wicked, he brings this reason: They shall soon be cut down like grass, and shall whither as the green herb, which in other words, vers. 20. of the same Psalm, he thus delivereth: They shall perish, and shall be consumed, as the fat of lambs; even with the smoke shall they consume away. They shall be consumed as the fat of lambs;] there is utter destruction for them; they shall be consumed as smoke] there is the suddenness of their destruction. The state of the wicked is very ticklish and uncertain. For as it is, Psal. 73.18. God hath set them in slippery places, and casteth them down into desolation. Their end is there described to be wonderful, sudden and fearful; Quomodo vastabuntur? Subitò deficient, consumentur terroribus. How shall they be destroyed? They shall quickly perish, they shall be consumed with terrors. Solomon speaks to this purpose, as plainly as may be Prou. 6.15. The destruction of the wicked shall come speedily: he shall be destroyed suddenly without recovery. He shall be destroyed suddenly without recovery] that is, to speak in my Prophet's phrase, He shall be destroyed, as if he were carried away with a whirlwind in a tempestuous and stormy day: or in Solomon's phrase, Prou. 1.27. Their destruction shall come like a whirlwind. The holy Scriptures are very plentiful in this point. But this which hath been spoken, may serve for the establishment of my propounded doctrine, that, The destruction of the wicked cometh suddenly upon them. One use of this doctrine is, to admonish us, that we give all diligence to walk in the Lord's way, the sanctified and holy way, the way of perfection, that we be not reputed among the wicked and so partake with them in the suddenness of their downfalls. A second use is to minister a word of comfort. Do the wicked prosper and increase in riches? Is pride a chain unto them? Is cruelty their garment? Do their eyes stand out for fatness? Have they more than heart can wish? Art thou mean while in trouble? Art thou in want? Do they oppress thee? Do they wrong thee? Yet be of good comfort. Say not, I have cleansed my heart in vain; in vain have I washed my hands in innoc ncie: but commit thy way unto the Lord; trust in him; wait patiently upon him: yet a little while, and the wicked shall not appear: thou shalt look after his place, and shalt not find him. For sudden destruction shall befall him, he shall be carried away as with a whirlwind in a tempestuous and stormy day. Thus much of the fourteenth verse. THE XXI. Lecture. AMOS 1.15. And their King shall go into captivity, he, and his Princes together, saith the Lord. IN my last Lecture, I began the Exposition of the fourth part: the commination, or denunciation of judgement: and then I noted, that this judgement was set down, first in a generality: Therefore will I kindle a fire, etc. vers. 14. and secondly with some circumstances, as that it should be full of terror, and speedy, and of large extent. Full of terror: With shouting in the day of battle. Speedy: With a tempest in the day of the whirlwind. Of large extent. For it was to reach unto, not only the meaner sort of people, but to the Nobles also, yea unto the King himself, vers. 15. Their King shall go into captivity, he and his Princes together. Of this judgement, as it is delivered in a generality, as also of the terror and speediness of it, I discoursed in my last exercise. The extent was left untouched; whereof at this time. Their King shall go into captivity; he, and his Princes together] King and Princes, both must into captivity. What shall become of the Priests? They shall be carried away too. The Septuagint in their translation do expressly affirm it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the Kings of Ammon shall go into captivity, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their Priests, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, their Princes. Their King shall go into captivity, their Priests, and Princes likewise. And this the Prophet jeremy precisely avoucheth, Chapter 49 3. where thundering out the threats of God's judgements against the children of Ammon, he saith: Their King shall go into captivity, and his Priests, and his Princes likewise. The vulgar Latin and S. Hierome, for their King, do read Melchom. Melchom shall go into captivity. And what is Melchom? It is the same with Milchom, with Molech, with Moloch. divers words of one signification; though differing in sound, and termination. Be it Melchom, or Milchom, or Molech, or Moloch; all is one. It is but an Idol. So it is called by the Author of the vulgar Latin, Levit. 18.21. De semine tuo non dabis, ut consecretur Idolo Moloch. Thou shalt not give thy children to consecrate them, to offer them to the Idol Moloch. It is the abomination of the Ammonites. So it is called, 1 King. 11.5. where it is said of old Solomon, perverted by his wives, that he followed Milchom, the abomination of the Ammonites; and vers. 7. that he built an high place unto Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. It is the God of the children of Ammon. So it is called, vers. 33. where it is given for a reason, why the Lord would rend from Solomon the kingdom of Israel, because he forsook the Lord, and worshipped Milchom, the god of the Ammonites. You see what Melchom is. It is the god of the Ammonites; not the true God; for he is the God of all the world; but the God of the Ammonites; an abomination, an Idol. Yet did they worship it. But how? Moses tells you, Deut. 12.31. They burned their sons and daughters with fire, and offered them to their gods. This abomination of the Painyme Nations, hateful to the living God, spread itself, even to the corrupting of the Lords people. For to the children of Israel, and to the children of judah, it is objected, jer. 32.35. That they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of Benhinnom, to cause their sons, and their daughters to pass thorough the fire of Molech. And the expostulation of God with the house of Israel, Ezech. 20.30. lays this home unto them: Are ye not polluted after the manner of your fathers? Commit ye not whoredom after their abominations? For when you offer your gifts, and make your sons to pass thorough the fire, you pollute yourselves with your Idols. It is registered among the praises of good King josiah, 2 King. 23.10. that he defiled (or put down, and destroyed) Topheth, which was in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man should make his son, or his daughter pass thorough the fire of Molech. By this which hath been spoken, you see what Melchom is, and how it was worshipped. An Idoll-god worshipped with the effusion of the blood of innocents; men's sons and daughters were consecrated unto it thorough fire. So have you two readings of my text: one, Their King shall go into captivity, he, and his Princes together: the other, Melchom shall go into captivity, etc. Let us now see, what profitable doctrines may be taken from either, for our further instruction, and the reformation of our lives. The first reading is according to the Hebrew, Their King shall go into captivity, he, and his Princes together: according to the Septuagint, Their King shall go into captivity, their Priests, and Princes likewise. The doctrine arising hence, is, When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sins, he spareth neither Priests, nor Prince, nor King. Tha● captivity is an effect, or punishment of sin, I have heretofore made plain unto you, in my 11. Lecture upon this first Chapter of Amos. Solomon saith it, 1 King. 8.46. When a people sinneth against the Lord, and the Lord is angry with them, the Lord delivereth them up to be carried away prisoners into the land of their enemies. It is affirmed, 1 Chron. 9.1. That the Israelites were carried away to Babylon for their transgressions. And Deut. 28.41. among the curses threatened to such, as will not obey the voice of the Lord their God, Captivity is reckoned. Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but shalt not have them; for they shall go into captivity. Look back but to the fifth verse of this Chapter: there shall you find it denounced against the people of Aram, that they shall go into captivity. And why? But for their three and four transgressions, for their many sins, and specially for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of iron? As you have heard out of the third verse. Thus you see again that captivity is an effect or punishment of sin. This punishment resteth not upon the meaner sort of the people, it reacheth to the highest: to the Priests, to the Princes, to the King himself. Of Priests and Princes carried away into captivity, you will make no doubt, when you see the same proved of Kings. Yet may you know by 2 King. 17.27. that the King of Assyria, when he had vanquished Hoseah, King of Israel, did carry into captivity the Priests of Israel. You understand of Priests carried into captivity: see now the like of Kings and Princes. See 2 King. 24.14. It is a very eminent place. There it is affirmed of Nabuchodonosor King of Babel, that he carried away all jerusalem, and all the Princes, and all the strong men of war, even ten thousand, into captivity; and in the verse following, that he carried away King jehoiachim (King of judah) into Babel, and the King's mother, and the King's wives, and the Eunuches, and the mighty of the Land carried he away into captivity, from jerusalem to Babel. And all the men of war, even seven thousand, and carpenters and lock-smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, did the King of Babel bring to Babel captives. I could tell you of the like misery befallen other Kings of judah; of King Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33.11. how he was taken by the host of the King Ashur, was put in fetters, was bound in chains, and was carried to Babel. And of King Zedekiah, 2 King. 25.5. how he was taken in the deserts of jericho by the army of the Chaldees, had his eyes put out, was bound in chains, and carried unto Babel. But what need I amplify this point? By the places already brought, you see my doctrine established: namely, When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sins, he spareth neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King. Is it true, Beloved? Doth God punish a nation with captivity for their sins? Let us make this Christian use of it, even to pour out our souls in thankfulness before Almighty God for his wonderful patience towards us. The sins of such Nations as have been punished with captivity, were they more heinous in God's eyes than ours are? Dear beloved, far be it from us to justify ourselves. Let the example of the proud Pharisee be a warning to us. He for all his smooth prayer, registered Luk. 18.11. [O God I thank thee, that I am not as other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as the Publican: I fast twice in the week, I give tithe of all that ever I possess:] For all this his smooth prayer, he found no favour with God. No marvel. For his heart was swollen with pride: with pride towards God, towards his neighbour, and in himself. Gracias ago, O God I thank thee] there was his pride towards God: Non sum sicut caeteri, I am not as other men] There was his pride towards his neighbour: jeiuno bis in sabbato, I fast twice in the week] There was his pride in himself. O God I thank thee] He is not reprehended for giving thanks to God, but for his proud and presumptuous boasting of himself. The great Patriarch Abraham prayeth leave to speak unto the Lord, and gives a reason of his request, Gen. 18.27. I am but dust and ashes: so lowly was Abraham conceited of himself when he was to speak to God. But this Pharisee puffed up and swollen with pride, boasteth as though he were not made of the same mould with other men: O God I thank thee I am not as other men, etc. But leave we the Pharisee in his pride: he is not to be a pattern of imitation for us. The Publican is he whom we must follow. Gerit typum omnium poenitentium: all that will truly repent, must take him for an ensample. He stood afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven, smote his breast, and said, O God be merciful to me a sinner. He stood afar off] a B. King in jon. Lect. 38. pag. 514. not daring to approach to God, that God might approach to him. He would not lift up his eyes to Heaven] for he knew heaven to be the seat of that Majesty, which by sinning he had provoked unto displeasure. He smote his breast] as the ark of all iniquity, as it were punishing himself with stripes, that the Lord might forbear to punish him. And after all this, with a fearful heart and trembling tongue; he called upon his Saviour, and said, O God be merciful to me a sinner. b Pet. de Palude Dom. 2. post Trin. enar. p. 364. Oratio brevis & valdè fructuosa. It is a short prayer, but full of fruit. O God be merciful to me a sinner; be merciful, I say, not to me thy creature, thy servant, or thy child, but be merciful to me a sinner. My whole composition is sin: whatsoever I am in body or soul, so fare as my manhood and humanity goeth, a Sinner: and not only by mine office and calling, because I am a Publican, but even by nature and kind itself a Sinner. O God be merciful to me a sinner. This Publican is set for a pattern unto us. We must with him confess our sins unto the Lord. Let no man boast himself of his own innocency, integrity, or uprightness. Quando mare sine procellis, tunc nos sine peccatis, saith c Apud Pet. de Palude Dom. 11. Trinit. p. 356. chrysostom: when the sea is without storms, then are we without sins. But the sea is never free from storms, nor we from sins. In vain then is it, O sinful man, that thou exaltest thyself, as if thou were just. Remember what Christ saith at his closing up of this parable of the Publican and Pharisee, Omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur; every one that exalts himself shall be brought low. Adam exalted himself, and death was his recompense, Gen. 3 19 Pharaoh exalted himself, and he was drowned in the red Sea, Exod. 14.28. Dathan and Abiram exalted themselves, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, Num. 16.32. Saul exalted himself, and an evil spirit was sent to vex him, 1 Sam. 16.15. Absalon exalted himself, and he was hanged in an oak, 2 Sam. 18 9 Nabuchodonosor exalted himself, and he was driven to seek his dwelling with the beasts of the field, Dan. 4.29. Antiochus' exalted himself, and he died a miserable death, consumed of worms, 2 Mach. 9.9. Herod Agrippa exalted himself, and the Angel of the Lord smote him, so was he also eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost, Act. 12.23. It is out of all controversy; Omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur: every one that exalteth himself shall be brought low. Let the consideration hereof (beloved) work in us a vigilancy to keep the proud Devil under, that we swell not up through a vain persuasion of fleshly righteousness, that we lift not up our Peacock's feathers, nor extol our eye lids through a conceit of our own deserts, but in all humility pray we ever with the Publican; O God be merciful unto us sinners; and ascribe we unto him all laud and praise for suffering us (notwithstanding our manifold sins) every man to dwell d 1 King. 4.25. under his vine, and under his figtree, to live in our own land in peace, free from all fear of being led into captivity. Thus much of my first use. A second followeth. My Doctrine was, When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sins, he spareth neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King. Will you have a reason hereof? Hear then what Elihu saith, job 34.19. God accepteth not the persons of Princes, he regardeth not the rich more than the poor: He accepteth no man's person, saith S. Paul, Gal. 2.6. No man's person? Then neither the person of the Priest, nor of the King. If these sin like others of the people, these shall be punished as well as others; and if others be carried into captivity, these must into captivity also. The use of this Doctrine is to admonish the great and mighty ones of this world, that they presume not to sin against the Lord, as if they were privileged by their greatness and might. No privilege can serve their turns, when they must e job 21.20. drink of the wrath of the Almighty. Then shall they be as f job 21.18. stubble before the wind, and as the chaff that the storm carrieth away. Consider this all ye who take yourselves to be mighty among your neighbours; ye whom God hath blessed with this world's good above your neighbours. Think not your wealth or authority can protect you, when Gods sore displeasure shall break out against you for your sins: but rather let it ever be written in your hearts, what is written, Wisd. 6.6. The mighty shall be mightily tormented. And remember what is added in that place: He that is Lord over all will spare no person, neither shall he fear any greatness: for he hath made the small and the great, and careth for all alike. But for the mighty abideth the sorer trial. And hence ariseth a third use. It is to minister a word of comfort to the inferior and poorer sort of people. If the mighty shall g Amos 2.6. sell the righteous among you for silver, and the poor for shoes; if they h Amos 2.7. gape over your heads in the dust of the earth; if they i Esa. 3.15. grind your faces; if by violence and oppression they k Habak. 1.4. compass you about; yet be ye of good comfort: God, the judge of all, accepteth no persons. He in his good time will avenge your causes, be your oppressors never so mighty; for when he punisheth a land for the sins of a people, he spareth neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King. There is a fourth use of this Doctrine. It is to warn us not to set our hearts upon the outward things of this world, for as much as God will not respect us for them. Neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King can stand before the displeasure of Almighty God. And shall a mighty man, shall a rich man stand? No. l Psal. 68.2. As the smoke vanisheth, so shall he be driven away; and as the wax melteth before the fire; so shall he perish at the presence of God. Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) let us only and earnestly seek after such things, as may make us accepted with God, as righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. For whosoever in these things serveth Christ, he is acceptable to God, saith Saint Paul, Rom. 14.18. Thus fare by occasion of my first doctrine: which was, When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sins, he spareth neither, priest, nor prince, nor king. And it was grounded upon the first reading of the words of my text; ●fter the Hebrew thus, Their King shall go into captivity, he, and his princes together: after the Septuagint thus, Their King shall go into captivity, their priests, and Princes likewise. I commended unto you another reading out of the Vulgar Latin: Melchom shall go into captivity, he, and his Princes together: and I told you in the beginning of this exercise what Melchom was. I said it was the same with Milchom, or Molech, or Moloch; an abomination of the Ammonites, their Idol, their God, to whom they yielded divine worship, and consecrated their children through fire. All this I made plain unto you out of the sacred Scriptures. The Doctrine, Neither Melchom of the Ammonites, nor any other Idol of any other people, can save themselves in the day of captivity, much less can they save the people that do trust in them and worship them. First, they cannot save themselves. Secondly, nor them that put their trust in them. They cannot save themselves. For what is become of Succoth-benoth, the God of Babel? of Nergal, the God of Cuth? of Ashima, the God of Hamath? of Nibhaz and Tartack, the God of the Auins? of Adrammelech, and Anammelech, the God of Sepharvaim? Their names indeed remain upon record, 2 King. 17.30, 31. but themselves are vanished, they are come to nought. Hezekiah King of judah, he who broke in pieces the brazen Serpent which Moses made, because his people offered incense to it, he put down those Idol Gods; he took away their high places, he broke their images, he cut down their groves, 2 King. 18.4. What is become of Ashtoreth, the Idol of the Zidonians? of Chemosh, the Idol of the Moabites? of Milchom the abomination of the children of Ammon? Their names indeed remain upon record, 2 King. 23.13. but themselves are vanished, they are come to nought. josiah King of judah, that good King, he put down those Idol Gods, he broke their images in pieces, he cut down their groves, and filled their places with the bones of men, 2 King. 23.14. I could here repeat unto you many other Idols and Idol Gods, whose names are particularly recorded in the register of God's holy Word, which also are vanished and come to nought. But the time will not suffer me. Let it suffice what is spoken in a generality of the Kings of Assyria, 2 King. 19.18. that they did set on fire the Gods of the Nations. Gods? And yet set on fire? True. But they were but Idol Gods; and therefore could not help themselves. Not help themselves? Why not? The reason is given in the same place: For they were no Gods, (an Idol God is no God) they were no Gods, but the work of man's hands, even wood and stone: therefore the Kings of Assyria destroyed them. The very same reason is delivered in the very same words by the Prophet Esay, Chap. 37.19. They were no Gods, but the work of men's hands, even wood and stone, therefore the Kings of Assyria destroyed them. The holy Prophets are very zealous in God's cause against those Idols. Esay Chap. 41.29. saith, They are all vanity, their work is of nothing, they are wind, they are confusion. jer. Chap. 10.15. saith, They are vanity, they are the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. I should weary myself, and your attention, would I produce whatsoever the Prophets of the Lord have spoken to the vilifying & debasing of Idols. This which I have already delivered out of Esay, and jeremy, and from out the second book of Kings, doth make good the former part of my propounded Doctrine, namely, that neither Melchom of the Ammonites, nor any other Idol of any other people can save themselves in the day of captivity. Can they not save themselves in the day of captivity? Much less can they save the people that do trust in them and worship them; which was the second part of my Doctrine. And it is pregnantly confirmed out of the 46. Chapter of the Prophecy of Esay, vers. 7. where the Prophet, out of his zeal for the Lord of Hosts against Idols and Images, assureth all people, that though they cry unto Idols and Images, yet can they not answer them, nor deliver them out of their tribulations. jeremy likewise, Chap. 11.12. let's the Cities of judah, and the inhabitants of jerusalem to understand, that though they cry unto their Idols and Images, yet they shall not be able to help them in time of their trouble. Add hereto what S. Austin saith in his soliloquies, or heavenly meditations, Chap. 5. An Idol (or an Image) its m 1 Cor. 8.4. nothing; it hath n Psal. 135.16, 17. & Psal. 115.5, 6, 7. ears, and heareth not; a nose, and smelleth not; eyes, and seethe not; a mouth, and speaketh not; hands, and feeleth not; feet, and walketh not; and all the proportion of members, and yet liveth not; and what help can be expected from such an Idol? such a Nothing? My Doctrine stands firm, Neither Melchom of the Ammonites, nor any other Idol of any other people can save themselves in the day of captivity, much less can they save the people that do trust in them and worship them. Now let us see what use we may make hereof for our further instruction and benefit. First, this doctrine serveth to reprove all Papists, for their blind superstition in worshipping their Idols and Images. For what do they make of their Images but mere Idols, while they fall down before them, and do them reverence with capping, with kneeling, with knocking, with creeping, with crossing, with kissing, with lighting of candles, and with other like beggarly trash and trumpery, as is yet this day in use in the Church of Rome with great observation? The time was, when this Church of England subjected itself to that of Rome, and was drunken with the wine of her fornication. Then were the people of this land defiled with Idols. No Parish Church but was polluted with Images. Then was God's providence and due honour neglected. For the cure of diseases, not God, but Saints, were invocated and sought unto. For the plague, o Rainold. Idol. 1. 6. 7. S. Sebastian; for the Pox, p Homilies Tom. 2. Serm. 3. against peril of Idolatry. F. 8. b. S. Roch; for the falling evil, S. Cornelius; for sore eyes, S. Raphael; for the toothache, S. Apolonia; for other crosses and afflictions, S. Hippolytus, S. Christopher, S. Catherine. Every artificer and profession had a special Saint as a peculiar God. Scholars had S. Nicholas, yea and S. Gregory; Painters, S. Luke; Shipmen, S. Marry; Soldiers wanted not their Mars, nor Lovers their Venus, even among us Christians. Yea our beasts and cattles had their Gods too. S. Loy was the horseleech, and S. Anthony the swineherd. If sometimes we remembered God, yet as if we doubted of his ability and will to help, we used to join to him another helper. The young Scholar was wont to begin his learning with, God and S. Nicholas be my speed. For such as neezed, the prayer was, God help, and S. john. And for the stumbling horse, God, and S. Loy save thee. May not now a godly man justly for zealous indignation cry out: O heaven, O earth, O seas; what madness and wickedness against God were our forefathers fallen into? They took delight in the service of stocks and stones, the works of their own hands, they worshipped and served the creature above the Creator, which is blessed for ever. But what profit had they of such their worship? Found they any help in the day of visitation? No: Those Images themselves could not help themselves; and how then could they help their worshippers? Themselves were broken down and removed from out our Churches; and their worshippers are removed with them. In their stead the light of the glorious Gospel of God now shineth in our Churches; now is superstition exiled, and the true service of God is come in place: and Christ for his mercy's sake touch us, and give us feeling, and make us thankful for this so great a blessing. Thus have you the first use. A second followeth. It serveth for a reproof to us also. For though we have cast off the yoke of Romish superstition, and have kept ourselves unspotted of the adoration and worship of Images, yet are we not free from Idolatry; but are many ways stained therewith. Whatsoever this world hath, visible or invisible, outward or inward, if it displace God of his right, by carrying our heart and hope after it, it is our Idol. Thus is gold, silver, or our money an Idol; if we make it our hope, or say to the wedge, thou art my confidence, job 31.24. In this sense S. Paul. Coloss. 3.5. calleth covetousness, Idolatry, and Eph. 5.5. he calleth the covetous person an Idolater. Thus is our substance an Idol: if as job speaketh, Chap. 31.25. We rejoice, because it is great, or because our hand hath gotten much. Like those Habak. 1.16. Who did sacrifice to their nets, and burn Incense to their flues: where all they are taxed for Idolaters, who because their portion is increased, and their meal plenteous by such instruments and helps, as they use in their trades of life, do forget the right author of their wealth, and arrogate all to themselves and their serviceable means. Thus is our wit and understanding an Idol, when we ascribe unto them our getting of riches, of gold, and silver into our treasures, like the Prince of Tyrus, Ezech. 28.2. who with this conceit exalted in heart, broke out into that most blasphemous challenge: I am a God, and I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the Sea. Such is the Idol of the Politicians (shall I call them? or Atheists) of this age: who take themselves to be wiser than Daniel, as the Prince of Tyrus did: and are persuaded that Moses and the Prophets are not so able to instruct them, as they themselves. Thus is our strength an Idol, if we boast of it, as Sennacherib did, Esay 37.24. who bragged what great matters he had done by the multitude of his chariots; but touching the true Lord of Hosts, as if he were less than nothing, he vaunteth to Hezekiah King of judah, vers. 10. Let not thy God deceive thee. Thus is our belly our God, when walking after the lusts of our flesh, we serve not the Lord jesus Christ, but our own bellies: as S. Paul speaketh, Rom. 16.18. Of such speaketh the same Apostle, Phil. 3.19. Many do walk as enemies to the cross of Christ, whose end is damnation, whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. Whose God is their belly. Thus (beloved) you see what Idols are yet remaining among us, and how we are defiled with them. What remaineth, but that we suffer ourselves to be exhorted in the words of Barnabas and Paul, to the men of Lystra, Act. 14.15. that we would turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from those vain Idols, to serve the living God. Thus fare of my second Doctrine, which was, Neither Melchom of the Ammonites, nor any other Idol of any other people can save themselves in the day of captivity, much less can they save the people that do trust in them, and worship them. Which doctrine I grounded upon the second reading of my Text: Melchom shall go into captivity, he, and his Princes together. Now followeth the third general part of this prophecy against the children of Amm●n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the Lord. This is the conclusion of this Prophecy; and it redoubleth its authority and credit. Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front, and preface, vers. 13. Thus saith the Lord. It is here redoubled: Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken it, and shall he not accomplish it? The Lord, jehovah, the strength of Israel is not as man, that he should lie; nor as the son of man, that he should repent. All his words, yea all the tittles of all his words, are Yea and Amen. Heaven and earth shall pass, before one jot, or one tittle of God's Word shall scape unfulfilled. jehovah, the Lord saith, whatsoever our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites. It is the Lord that saith it: Amos is but the Lord's Minister; the Words are the Lords. Whence we may take this Doctrine; The Author of holy Scripture is neither man, nor Angel, nor any otber creature, how excellent soever, but only the living and immortal God. This truth may likewise be grounded upon the Preface to the ensuing Prophecy: And therefore (sith my hour is almost spent, and your attention well nigh tired) I put off the handling of this doctrine, till God give me opportunity to speak again unto you. Mean time, let this which hath been delivered unto you, Non meis viribus, sed Christi misericordiâ, not by any strength of mine, but by the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ, serve for the exposition of this first Chapter. 1 Tim. 1.17. Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be honour and glory for ever, and ever. Amen. FINIS. A COMMENTARY, OR EXPOSITION UPON THE SECOND Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS. Delivered In XXI. Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocese of GLOUCESTER. BY Sebastian Benefield Doctor of Divinity, and Professor for the Lady MARGARET in the University of OXFORD. JAMES 4.8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. LONDON, Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for JOHN PARKER, and are to be sold in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the three Pigeons. 1629. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God, and my very good Lord, JOHN by the divine providence, L. Bishop of London. Right Reverend & Honourable, ONce more I make bold to present unto your HONOUR a testimony of my most humble observance. It is an Exposition of the second Chapter of the Prophecy of Amos. My labours upon the first it pleased your Lordship heretofore favourably to accept and patronise. If these upon the second may find the like entertainment, they have their end. The beams of that splendour of goodness in you, which long since have shined upon many in this University, and me among the rest, methinks I still behold. How can I then but in memory thereof, offer up to your Honourable Name some Sacrifice of thanksgiving? This is the best I have at this time. Receive it, my good Lord, such as it is, the sincere token of a thankful heart. God Almighty, who hath made you an eminent, and an honourable pillar here in his Church militant, for the comfort of his people, give you herein many days full of honour and comfort, and reward you with a Crown of never-fading glory in his Church triumphant. From my study in Christ Church in Oxford. February 14. 1619. Your Lordships in all duty and service, SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD. A COMMENTARY UPON THE SECOND Chapter of AMOS, delivered in XXI. Lectures. THE FIRST LECTURE. AMOS 2.1, 2, 3. 1. Thus saith the Lord; for three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn to it, because it burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime. 2. Therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth, and Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet. 3. And I will cut off the judge out of the midst thereof; and will slay all the Princes thereof with him; saith the Lord. HOw grievous a burden sin is, you may well perceive, by the heavy punishments, which God layeth upon the committers of sin. Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecy hath yielded unto you. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, and the Ammonites have for their sins been severally repaid with vengeance from Heaven; the fire of the wrath of God hath seized upon them, and devoured them; their Cities are become desolate; their memory is perished from off the earth. As it is befallen them, so it befalleth the Moabites also: against whom Amos in the beginning of this second chapter directeth his prophecy: and to the same purpose, whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed. The a See my sixth Lecture upon Amos 1. reasons why Amos, sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites, doth first prophecy against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, all foreign nations, are three. 1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen, the Israelites. The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharp against the Syrians, and other their enemies, could not but with more quiet hear him, when he should prophesy against them also. Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici: Some comfort it is to a distressed natural man, to see his enemy in distress likewise. 2. That they might have no cause to wonder, if God should at any time come against them in vengeance, seeing that he would not spare the Syrians, and other their neighbour countries, though they were destitute of the light of God's word, and ignorant of his will. 3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecy, when they should see the Syrians and other Nations afflicted, and tormented according to the heinousness of their iniquities. Here might the Israelites thus have argued: Will not God spare the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites? Then out of doubt he will not spare us. They silly people never knew the holy will of God, and yet shall they be so severely punished? How then shall we escape; who knowing Gods holy will, have contemned it? You see now, why Amos sent with a message to the Ten Tribes of Israel, doth first prophecy against foreign Nations. In the last place are the Moabites. This prophecy against the Moabites, Tremellius and junius in their translation of the Bible, do add to the first Chapter, as a part of it. But sith the Hebrew text so divides it not, I will not follow them: but will expound it, as belonging to the second Chapter. The words than which I have read unto you, are the burden of Moab; a heavy prophecy against Moab. And do contain three general parts. 1. A preface, vers. the 1. Thus saith the Lord. 2. A prophecy, vers. the 1. For three transgressions of Moab etc. 3. A conclusion, vers. the 5. Saith the Lord. The preface, and conclusion, do give authority to the prophecy; whereby we learn that the words here spoken by Amos, are not the words of Amos, but the words of the everliving GOD. The prophecy consisteth of four parts. 1. The general accusation of Moab. For three transgressions of Moab, and for four. 2. The Lord's protestation against them: I will not turn to it. 3. The declaration of that grievous sin, whereby they so highly offended God: Because they burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime. vers. 1. 4. A commination, or denunciation of such punishment, as should be laid upon them for their sins. vers. 2. & 3. This punishment is set down, 1. In a generality: Therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth. 2. More especially: Where I observe, 1. The manner of the punishment, as that it should come upon them with fear, trouble, and astonishment: And Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet. 2. The extent of it. None might escape it: neither Prince, nor King. For thus saith the Lord, vers. the 3. I will cut off the judge, (the King) out of the midst thereof, and will slay all the Princes thereof with him. Thus have you the Analysis, resolution, or division of my Text. Return we now to the Preface: Thus saith the Lord; whose name in my Text is jehovah. Sundry are the Names of God in holy Scripture; by which albeit the substance of God cannot aptly, and clearly be defined, yet they serve us thus fare; to bring us to some further knowledge of God, then otherwise we should have. These Names of God are observed by ancient Divines to be of two sorts, Negative, and Affirmative. The negative Names of God, are Uncreated, Incorporeal, Invisible, Incorruptible, Infinite, and such like: and these describe not, what God is; but what he is not; and do evidently declare unto us, that he is bonum quoddam excellentissimum, some most excellent Good, free from all imperfection of any creature. The affirmative Names of God, are ascribed unto him either essentially, or by way of relation, or by a Metaphor. The Names of God ascribed unto him essentially, are either proper to him alone, or common to others also. Among the essential Names of God, proper to him alone, is jehovah, the Name of God in my Text. His other essential Names communicable unto others, as to men, do yet belong unto God, either modo excellentiae, by an excellency: or modo causa independentis; as he is the primary cause of all things. By an excellency, God is said to be Good, Just, Wise, Mighty, Holy, Merciful: and as he is the primary cause of all things, so is he called a Creator, a Redeemer, and hath other like appellations. Now the affirmative Names of God, ascribed unto him by way of relation, are the Names of the Trinity, in which there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, no commeation, no union; each person hath his proper name. Father, Son, & Holy Ghost. The other affirmative Names of God ascribed unto him by a metaphor, are affirmed of him either per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that every man may understand what they mean: as when God is said to be Angry; or per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by analogy or similitude, as when God is called a Lion, a Stone, a River. Of these many Names of God, now repeated unto you, his most proper Name is his Name in my Text: his Name jehovah, a Name that cannot be attributed to any creature in the world, no not by an analogy, or similitude. It is the honourablest Name belonging to the great God of Heaven. I might spend much time about it, would I apply myself to the curiosity of the b See my third Lecture upon Amos 1. Cabalists, and Rabbins. They say it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a name not to be pronounced, not to be taken within polluted lips: they call it nomen tetragrammaton, a name of four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by an excellency: for as much as the Name of God * Abrah. Brovius in festo Circumc. Dom. Conc. 3 Dei nomen significat quaternarius, ea ratione, quia fere omnibus, nomen Dei Quadriliterum Latinis Deus, Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Italis Idio, Germanis Goth, Polonis & Illyrijs Bogh, Gallis Dieu, Hispanis Dios, Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. Garhard lor. Theol. Tom. 1. de Natura Dei §. 26. Observant nonnulli appellationem Dei esse omnibus fere populis quadriliterum. Sic Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs Adad, Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Aegyptis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Magis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Arabibus Alla: Illyricis Bogi: Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Turcis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Hetruscis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Latinis Deus: Hispanis Dios: Italis Idio: Gallis Dieu: Germanis Gott: Polulis novi orbis Zimi: Vide P. Gregor. lib. 6. Synt. art. mirab. c. 2. in all tongues, and languages generally consisteth of four letters: and they observe these four letters in Hebrew to be letters of rest, to signify unto us, that the rest, repose, and tranquillity of all the Creatures in the world, is in God alone: they teach, that it is a powerful name for the working of miracles, and that by it Christ, and Moses have done great wonders. But these their brainsick, superstitious, and blasphemous inventions, my tongue shall not enlarge. Yet thus much I say of this Name, that there is a secret in it. It is plain Exod. 6.3. There thus saith the Lord unto Moses: I appeared unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to jacob, by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and all-sufficient God, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. This secret I have heretofore unfolded unto you after this manner. This great name of God, this name jehovah; first it importeth the eternity of God's essence in himself, that he is yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever; 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 have 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 Memorial of God unto all ages, as himself calls it. Exod. 3.15. The Memorial of his faithfulness, his truth, and his constancy in the performance of his promises. And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophet's God promiseth, or threatneth, any great matter, to assure us of the most certain event of such his promise, or threatening, he adds unto it his name jehovah: as here in my text: Thus saith jehovah. jehovah.] The strength of Israel: who is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man that he should repent. Wicked Balaam is driven to confess as much, Num. 23.19. and there proceedeth by way of question: Hath the Lord said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it? Samuel with boldness tells Saul, 1. Sam. 15.29. that the Lord, who is the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; and he gives 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 firmly ratified, that they cannot be altered; so standing immutable, that they cannot be changed. Our Saviour Christ gives record hereunto. Matth. 24.35. Coelum & terra praeteribunt. Heaven and Earth shall pass away; but God's words, they shall not pass away. The grass withereth, saith the Prophet Esay cap. 40.8. The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Thus are we by this name jehovah led to the consideration of the truth of God. God's truth is his essential propriety, whereby he is most free from all show or shadow of falsehood. This his truth is eminent in himself, in his works, and in his words. In himself, two manner of ways. 1. In respect of his essence, whereby he truly is. 2. Forasmuch as he is the Idea, type, and pattern of all the truth that is in any creature. Now concerning the works of God, they all are Truth? whether they be Internal, or Externall. His Internal works are either personal, or essential: and both nothing but truth. For his personal works: the Father doth truly beget the Son, the Son is truly begotten of the Father: and the holy Ghost doth truly proceed from the Father and the Son: the like must we say of his essential works; Whatsoever God hath decreed, he hath truly decreed it, and doth truly execute it. Besides these Internal works of God, some works of his are called in the Schools Externall. Such are the creation of the world, the conservation of the same, the government of the Church, the covenant with the faithful, and the like, in all which, most constant is the truth of God. As the truth of God is eminent in himself, and in his works, so also is it eminent in his words. This hath but now, been proved unto you by the confession of Balaam, by the asseveration of Samuel, by the record of the Prophet Esay, and of our Saviour jesus Christ. I shut up this doctrine of the truth of God, with the words of the blessed Apostle S. Paul, Rom. 3.3. Let God be true, and every man a liar. Now let us see what uses may be made of this doctrine. Is it true? Is God truth in himself, in his works and in his words? Hereby may every child of God among us be well assured, that our faith in God the Father, in Christ his Son, and in the holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father, and the Son, is most true and most certain: and cannot by any means be deceived itself, or deceive us? For it is grounded, and supported, upon, and by the words of him, who only is the true God, yea truth itself: who hath truly said concerning us, and all other, who believe in Christ, that he hath c Rom. 8.37. loved us * Ephes. 1.4. before the foundation of the world, hath chosen us to eternal life; for our better attaining whereof, he hath d Rom. 8.3. sent into the world his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh; e Galat. 4.4. made of a woman, and made under the Law, that by his f 1. john 1.7. blood we might be cleansed from all sin, and g Rom. 5.9. justified in the sight of God: that by his holy spirit we might be h 1. Pet. 1.3. regenerated, governed, defended from our enemies; and at that great day, the day of the resurrection of all flesh, we may both body and soul be brought into the full possession of eternal life. Which being so, what remaineth on our parts, but that we abide constantly in our holy faith, and persevere therein, even unto the end? Without perseverance our faith will not avail us. For not every one, but such only as are marked in their foreheads with the letter Tau, with the note of perfection, and perseverance, shall enter the inheritance of the blessed. Ezech. 9 4. And not every one, but he only, that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matth. 10.22. And not every one, but he only which is faithful unto death, shall receive the crown of life. Reuel. 2.10. Let the dog return to his vomit, and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire, as the Proverbs are. 2. Pet. 2.22. But let us hold fast our holy faith, till it shall please God to call us to make our final account, how we have spent the days of our Pilgrimage in this present world. So shall he, that is holy, and true; who hath i Reuel. 3.7. the key of David, which openeth and no man shutteth; which shutteth, and no man openeth; open unto us the gates of jerusalem, which is above, and give us full fruition of everlasting happiness. Thus have you the first use of my first doctrine, touching the truth of God. My doctrine was: God is truth in himself, in his works, and in his words. The first use concerneth our faith in Christ, and our perseverance therein. A second followeth. It appertaineth to thanksgiving. For if our salvation, and eternal life do depend upon the knowledge of the heavenly truth; and God brings none to the knowledge of this truth but his elect, and chosen people; how great thankes ought we to give unto God, not only for choosing us, but also for making it known unto us by the revelation of his truth, that we are his chosen people. For he hath not only imprinted in the us image of that truth, which is eternal in himself; but also daily bringeth us to such a measure of knowledge of that his heavenly truth wherein consisteth our salvation, that we may be saved. What greater benefit can there be unto us, than this? What more ample testimony of his eternal good will to us? For this benefit, that is, for the knowledge of God's heavenly truth, the blessed Apostle St Paul never ceased to give thanks unto God. I thank God (saith he 1. Tim. 1.12.) I thank him, who hath made me strong, that is, Christ jesus our Lord: for he counted me faithful, and put me in his service; When before I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an oppressor, but I was received to mercy. From this his thankful heart proceeded those his words, Phil. 3.8. Doubtless, I think all things but loss, for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ jesus my Lord, for whom I have counted all things loss, and do judge them to be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, even dung, that I might win Christ. St Paul's charity was not confined within the Temple of his own body; others had a taste thereof. As the Corinthians; to whom in his first Epistle, cap. 1. ver. 4. he thus manifesteth his affection: I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you in jesus Christ, that in all things ye are made rich in him, in all kind of speech. And in all knowledge. I thank my God always on your behalf, not for your riches, for your honours, for your large possessions, for your flourishing city, but for the grace of God, which is given you in jesus Christ for your free vocation, for your faith, for your reconciliation, for your justification, for your regeneration, for your hope of eternal salvation, 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, fare surpasseth all the treasures of this corruptible world. Shall not we then pour out our souls in thankfulness before almighty God, for bestowing upon us so gracious a blessing, as is this knowledge of the truth of God? Let us with the spirit of blessed Paul, account all things which have been, or are gainful to us in this present world, to be but loss and dung in respect of this knowledge of God's holy truth, forasmuch as hereby we may win Christ. Thus have you the second use of my doctrine. My doctrine was: God is truth in himself, in his works, and in his words. The second use concerneth our thanksgiving for the knowledge of God's truth. The third tendeth to our imitation. Is it true? Is God truth in himself, in his works, and in his words? Why strive we not with all the faculties, and powers of our souls to represent our God in truth? He in the beginning, in the first man, in our forefather Adam, created and made us in his own image, after his own likeness. Gen. 1.26. Then was man invested with glorious robes, with immortality, with understanding, with freedom of will; then was he perfectly good, and chaste, and pure, and just, and true: Whatsoever might appertain to happiness, or holiness, he then had it. For God created him so like unto himself in perfect happiness, and holiness; that he might in some sort bear about with him the image of the great and glorious God of Heaven. But alas, our first Parent continued not long in that his first estate, of purity, innocence, and integrity; by his fall he lost us, that his precious jewel, which, (had he stood fast) would have been unto us a chain of gold about our necks; yea, as it is called Psal. 8.5. A crown of honour, and glory. But by his fall we are become miserable, and unholy, and wicked, and unclean, and false; as unlike to God, as darkness is to light, and Hell is to Heaven. In this estate of sin, and death, we all lay wallowing, till God of his own unspeakable mercy, and goodness raised us up by his grace to a better state; a state of regeneration, and salvation; 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 days of our pilgrimage in this world. In this state we must not stand at one stay, but must always be growing upward. We must day by day endeavour to increase our spiritual strength, and change our Christian infancy with a ripe and constant age; and add grace to grace, till we become perfect men in Christ. To us, now in the state of regeneration belongeth the exhortation of God unto the children of Israel. Levit. 11.44. Be ye holy, for I am holy: And that of Christ to his auditors upon the Mount. Matth. 5.48. Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect: or as it is in St Luke. Chap. 6.36. Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. By which places we are not exhorted to a perfection of supererogation, as Monks would have it, nor to a perfect and absolute fulfilling of the Law; for that is impossible, so long as we carry about us these vessels of corruption: witness St Paul Rom. 8.3. But all that we are exhorted to, is, that we would do our best endeavours to resemble our God, and to be like unto him, in holiness, in perfection, in mercifulness. Be holy, as God is holy: be perfect, as God is perfect; be merciful, as God is merciful; non absoluta aequalitate, sed similitudine: not absolutely, and equally, holy, perfect, and merciful, as God is, but by a similitude. God is our Father: and will not we his children, like good children, strive to be accommodated and fitted to our Father's virtues? Beloved, let us apply ourselves to this imitation of our heavenly Father, to be holy, as he is holy; to be perfect, as he is perfect; to be merciful, as he is merciful; 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. joh. 14.6. We are renewed by the holy Ghost, and he is the spirit of Truth. joh. 16.13. We live in the bosom of the Church; and she is the pillar and ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15. Thus living, 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. joh. 17.17. Add hereto, that we are commanded every one to speak the Truth, Ephes. 4.25. And shall we do our best to resemble God in Truth? To be true as he is true? Dear beloved, sith we are the children of Truth (for God is Truth, and his children we are) let us walk, as it becometh the children of Truth: let Truth be in our thoughts, in our words, in our works: in all our ways. What shall I more say to this point, but exhort you in St Paul's words, Ephes. 4.25. That ye would cast off lying, and speak every man the truth to his neighbour. For as much as the Lord will destroy all such as speak lies. This you know by the fift Psalm, ver. the 6. But how will he destroy them? It is answered. Reuel. 21.8. All liars shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Thus have you the third use of my doctrine. My doctrine was: God is truth in himself, in his works, and in his words. The third use is, our holy imitation of God in truth. There is yet a fourth use of this doctrine of the truth of God. It serves for a redargution, or reproof of such as deny God, and his truth. Deny God, and his truth? Can there be any, endued with a reasonable soul, so void of understanding? Yes. There is a generation of men monstrously misshapen in the powers of the soul, who spare not to break the cords of Religion asunder, and to cast her yoke from them. They dare avouch with those in Tully, Totam de Dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reipub. causâ, ut quos ratio non posset, eos ad officium religio duceret: judging the service of God to be a mere devise of man, for the better government of the Commonwealth; wherein inferiors, sith they will not be ruled by reason, must be ordered by religion. Tell such of the Scriptures, you may as well urge them with Lucian's narrations: tell them of repentance, they cast it behind them: tell them of faith, they regard it not. Speak to them of baptism, they hold it of no greater price, than the washing of their hands. Let them hear of the Resurrection, this feeds them with many a merry conceit. They think pleasantly with themselves, what manner of bodies they shall have at that day, of what proportion and stature their bodies shall be; whether their nails, and hair shall rise again. Impious wretches, thus they make a scoff at God and religion: whom, were they used according to their deserts, the Preachers should pronounce, and the Prince proclaim the foulest lepers, that ever yet sore ran upon; very worthy to be excluded the host, and to have their habitation alone: yea to be exiled the land, and to be expelled from nature itself, which so unnaturally they strive to bring to naught. I say no more against them; but leave them to the God of truth, whom they have denied, that he in due time may repay them home with vengeance. Thus fare am I guided by my first doctrine, grounded upon this essential name of God, his name jehovah: importing his truth in himself, in his works, and in his words: Thus saith jehovah. Thus saith the Lord] Is not this the prophecy of Amos? Are not all the words of this prophecy, chap. 1.1. called the words of Amos the herdsman? What then meaneth this phrase, Thus saith the Lord? As Almighty God in old time spoke to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses, Exod 4.12. So did he in succeeding ages speak unto them by the mouth of other his Prophets, Luke 1.70. Hereto S. Peter beareth record, 2. Epist. 1.20. Know this, saith he, that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion; and he gives the reason hereof, verse 21. For, the prophecy in old time, came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, as they were moved by the holy Ghost. Hence sprang those usual and familiar speeches in the books of the Prophets: The word of the Lord came unto me; The Lord God hath spoken, and this in my Text: Thus saith the Lord. This Lord, who thus spoke in old time by his Prophets, did in fullness of time, when he sent to consummate, and perfect the work of man's redemption, speak by his blessed Evangelists and Apostles. This appeareth by the faithful promise made unto them, Matth. 10.19. Take no thought how, or what ye shall speak: It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you. It must stand ever true, what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16. The whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God. The whole Scripture, and every parcel of it, ha●h inward witness from the Spirit, which is the author of all truth. Sweet then is the harmony, consent and agreement of all the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles, from the first unto the last. Not one of them spoke one word of a natural man, in all their ministeries: the words which they spoke, were the words of him that sent them: they spoke not of themselves; God spoke in them. Whensoever were the time, whatsoever were the means, whosoever were the man, wheresoever were the place, whatsoever were the people, the words were the Lords. Hence ariseth this doctrine: The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angel, nor any other creature, how excellent soever, but only the living and immortal God. This truth is evident, by this which I have but now delired. For if God in old time spoke to our Fathers, by the mouth of Moses, if God spoke by other his Prophets, if God spoke by the Evangelists and Apostles, if all Scripture be inspired of God; than it well followeth; that God is the author of Scripture: and therefore not man, nor Angel, nor any other creature, how excellent soever. I can but point at the uses of this doctrine. The first use is redargution. Is the living and immortal God the author of holy Scripture? Hear are all they to be reproved, who do vilify and debase the sacred Scriptures, and esteem not of them, as of the word of God. Such are they, who bearing in their foreheads, the stamp of Christians, have notwithstanding given their names to that Antichrist of Rome, and the now-false Church there. They shame not to affirm, that, setting aside the authority of that Church, and her head the Pope, the Scripture is no better, than a l Coll●q W●rm●t. doubtful, uncertain and leaden rule, than a m Colloq. R●t●bon. matter of debate, then n Ludovic. Matoranus. dead ink, then o Eskins. inken divinity, than a p Pighius. nose of wax, than a r Colloq. Worm. book of discord, than a s Pighius. dumb judge, than t Hosius. Gretser. Hereof see my second Lecture upon Amos 1. Aesop's fables. Impious wretches; had they not wiped all shame from their faces, they would never have laid such load of disgraces upon Gods holy word. Their Cardinal Hosius stays not here, he proceeds a degree further. He coins a distinction of Scripture, as it's used by themselves, whom he calleth Catholics, and as by us, whom he calleth Heretics. His words are in the end of his third book against Brentius his Prolegomena. The Scripture, quomodo profertur à Catholicis verbum est Dei, quomodo profertur ab Haereticis verbum est Diaboli, as it is alleged by us, so must it be, forsooth, the word of the Devil, but as by them, so only shall it be the word of God. Blasphemous Cardinal, he marcheth not alone. u Syntagm. Disput. Sedan. loc. 2. De origine sacrae Scripturae §. 32. pag. 17. Telenus tells me of a champion of that side, as fare forward as he, who saith; Melius consultum fuisse Ecclesiae, si nulla unquam extitisset Scriptura, that, had there never been any Scripture, the Church had been better provided for, then now it is. Sedens in coelis ridet: there's a God in heaven, that hath these wicked imps in derision: upon whom, for their taunts, contumelies, and reprcches against his sacred word, he will one day pour out his full viols of wrath: then will he crush them with his sceptre of iron, and break them in pieces like potter's vessels. You have the fi●st use. A second followeth. Is the living and immortal God the author of holy Scripture? Hear than is a lesson for us, whom God hat set a part to be Preachers, and Expounders of his will. We must handle his sacred Scripture, as his holy word: we must ever come unto you, as my Prophet here did to the Israelites, with Thus saith the Lord, in our mouths. We may not speak either the imagination of our own brains, or the vain persuasions of our own hearts. We must sincerely preach unto you, God's gracious word without all corruption, or depraving of the same. To this S Peter well exhorteth us in his 1. Epist. and chap. 4.11. If any man speak, let him speak as the word of God. For if we, yea if an Angel from Heaven shall preach otherwise unto you, then from the Lords own mouth, speaking in his holy word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; let him be accursed; let him be had in execration. The third use of this doctrine, is peculiar unto you (Beloved) who are auditors and hearers of the word. Is the living and immortal God the author of holy Scripture? Then (Beloved) it is your part to hear us with attention, and reverence, whensoever we stand before you, to expound Gods holy Scripture. S. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians, Epist. 1. chap. 2.13. For that whensoever they received of the Apostles of Christ, the word of the preaching of God, they received it not as the word of men, but as it was indeed, the word of God. In like sort, if you receive it, it will save your souls. It is able so to do. S. james shall be your pledge, chap. 1.21. Receive it therefore with meekness, that by it your souls may live. God spoke unto Israel in a vision by night, and said Gen. 46.2. jaacob, jaacob. jaacob answered, I am here. He was pressed and ready with all reverend attention, to hear what his God would say unto him, and to follow the same with all faithful obedience. Such readiness well becometh every child of God at this day in the Church, where God speaketh. Thus must he think within himself. It is thine ordinance, o Lord, by thy word preached to instruct me, concerning thy holy will. I am here, Lord, in all humble fear, to hear thy blessed pleasure, what this day thou wilt put into the mouth of the Preacher to deliver unto me, I am here, speak on, Lord, thy servant heareth. If a Prince of this world, or some great man shall speak unto you, you will attend, and give ear unto him with all diligence; how much more than ought ye so to do, when the King of Heaven, and Lord of the Earth, the living and immortal God, calleth upon you by his Ministers? What remaineth but that you suffer a word of Exhortation. It shall be short: in S. Paul's words, Coloss. 3.16. Holy and beloved, as the elect of God, let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdom. This word of God, it is his most royal and celestial Testament, it is the oracle of his heavenly Sanctuary, it is the only key unto us of his revealed counsels; it is milk from his sacred breasts, the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church, the light of our feet, the joy of our hearts, the breath of our nostrils, the pillar of our faith, the anchor of our hope, the ground of our love, the evidence of our future blessedness. Let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdom. So shall your ways by it be cleansed, and yourselves made clean. Yet a very little while, & he that shall come, will come, & will not tarry, even our Lord jesus Christ, who finding your ways cleansed, and yourselves made clean by his sacred word, will in his due time translate you from this valley of tears, into jerusalem which is above, the most glorious City of God. There shall this corruptible put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Even so be it. THE II. LECTURE. AMOS 2.1, 2, 3. Thus saith the Lord; for three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn to it, because it burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime. Therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth, and Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet. And I will cut off the judge out of the midst thereof; and will slay all the Princes thereof with him; saith the Lord. IN the former Sermon I handled the Preface. The Prophecy is now to be spoken unto. The first part therein is: The accusation of Moab; in these words; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four.] Where we are to consider, 1. Who are accused. 2. For what they are accused. The accused are the Moabites; and they are accused of many breaches of the Law of God. First of the accused. Moab was one of the sons of Lot, begotten in incest upon his eldest daughter. Gen. 19.37. From him by lineal descent came these Moabites, a people inhabiting that part of the East, which is commonly known by the name of Coelesyria, but was formerly the possession of the Amorites. These Moabites, like their brethren the Ammonites, were professed enemies to the people of God, and did evermore very grievously afflict, and vex them. In which respect, they were for ever by God his singular commandment excluded from the Church. God's commandment is expressed Deut. 23.3. The Ammonites, and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. And it's repeated Nehem. 13.1. The Ammonites, and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of God. Thus have you the accused; even the Moabites; the posterity of Moab, who was Lot's son; inhabitants of Coelesyria, and borderers upon the Holy Land, the possession of the Israelites. Now what are they accused of? Of many breaches of God's law: in these words, For three, and four transgressions] This phrase we met with five times in the former chapter, and have heard it diversely expounded. The most natural, proper and significant exposition commended to you was; by three, and four, a finite, and certain number, to understand many; a number infinite, & uncertain. For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, that is, for many transgressions of the Moabites. Among the many transgressions of the Moabites, their inhumanity, and pride are specially noted. Their inhuman, spiteful, and cruel dealing against the Israelites, though a people of their own kindred, appeareth diverse ways. First, because when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they met them not with provision. Deut. 23.4. Secondly, because at that time they hired a Deut. 23.4. Balaam, the son of Beor, to curse them. Num. 22.5. Thirdly, because they kept them in servitude under King Eglon eighteen years. judic. 3.12. Fourthly, because without respect of their allegiance to the Kings of Israel, due unto them upon King David's b 2. Sam. 8.2. conquest, they rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2. King. 1.1. Fiftly, because they waged war against jehosaphat King of judah. 2 Chron. 20.1. Sixtly, because they derided the Israelites, upbraided them, and made a jest at them. jer. 48.27. Zephan. 2.8. You see the inhumanity of the Moabites. Concerning their pride, hear the words of jeremy chap. 48.29. We have heard the pride of Moab: (he is exceeding proud) we have heard his pride, his stoutness, his arrogancy, his disdain, and the haughtiness of his heart. Of this pride of Moab you may see more Esai. 16.6. Of the many sins of Moab, you see two specially noted: their inhumanity, and their pride: for which, and others, the Lord protesteth against them, that he will not turn to them. I will not turn to it] That is, as heretofore hath been expounded, I will not be favourable to the Moabites; I will not spare them; according to their deserts, so shall it be unto them: I will not recall them to the right way; they shall run on to their own perdition: I will not turn away the punishment, wherewith I have resolved to punish them: I am the Lord, I am not changed. I will not turn to it] It is in effect, as if the Lord had thus said: If the Moabites had offended but once, or twice, I would have been favourable to them, and would have recalled them into the right way, that so they might have been converted, and have escaped my punishments: But now, sith they daily heap transgression upon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted; but indurate, and obstinate as they are, I will utterly destroy them. For three transgressions of Moab, and for four I will not turn to it. Here may you recall to your remembrances a doctrine sundry times recommended to your religious considerations. Many sins do pluck down from Heaven the most certain wrath and vengeance of God upon the sinners. God is of pure eyes and beholdeth not iniquity. He hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. His sentence is passed forth from him, and stands unalterable: Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil. The soul that sinneth, it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath Deut. 23.41. That he will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on judgement to execute vengeance for sin. His soul hateth, and abhorreth sin; his law curseth, and condemneth sin▪ his hand smiteth, and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast down Angels into Hell, to thrust Adam out of Paradise, to turn Cities into ashes, to ruinated Nations, to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh. Because of sin he once drowned the old world, and because of sin ere long will burn this. Thus do many sins pluck down etc. One use of this doctrine, is; to teach us heedfulness in all our ways, that we do not by our many sins provoke Almighty God to high displeasure. A second Use, is; to move us to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbear these Moabites, till by their three, and four transgressions, by their many sins they had provoked him to indignation. These things I have heretofore laboured to lay unto your hearts. Now therefore I proceed to the third part of this prophecy: wherein you have the declaration of that grievous sin, by which the Moabites so highly offended. This their sin was a sin of cruelty; expressed in these words: Because it burned the bones of the King of Ed m into lime. When this was done, or by which of the Kings of Moab, or against which of the Kings of Edom, it is not expressed in holy Scripture. Some would hither refer that History, 2 Kings 3. Where it is recorded of the King of Israel, that he assisted with two other Kings, the King of juda, and the King of Edom, made war upon the King of Moab. The King of Moab, when he saw the battle was to sore for him, took with him seven hundred stout warriors, and would have broken throw to the King of Edom, but could not. Through indignation whereof c Piscat. Analys in 2 Reg. 3. some think that he took the King of Edom's eldest son, and offered him for a offering upon the wall: for so some will have the last verse of that chapter understood of the King of Edom's son. But I take it more agreeable to that story, there to understand the King of Moabs' own son: that the King of Moab should offer up for a offering upon the wall his own eldest son, thereby to obtain help of his God against his enemies. And so that story appertains not to this my Text. No; though we receive the former interpretation. For it is not here said, that he burned the bones of the King of Edom's son into lime, but the bones of the King of Edom himself. It is a tradition of the Hebrews, that after the burial of the King of Edom (that King, who went up with d 2. Reg. 3.1. jehoram, King of Israel, and e vers. 7. jehoshaphat King of judah, to war against f verse 4. Mesha, King of Moab;) the Moabites, in ultionem doloris, to be revenged upon him for the sorrow, which he wrought them; did dig up his bones, and burn them. Of this tradition S. Jerome maketh mention: They did dig up the King of Edom's bones, and burn them. Great was their rage, great their cruelty. Death appeased them not. The King of Edom's bones were not suffered to rest in his sepulchre, but were taken thence, and burnt into ashes. These ashes some think were used with lime, or mortar for the plastering, pargeting, or roughcasting of their houses: for as much as my Prophet here saith, they burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime. If so; it was done Vindictae maioris, & contumeliae causâ; that they might take full vengeance upon the King of Edom. I may not pass it over with silence, that this cruelty of the Moabites, was against the Edomites, without all respect of blood, and consanguinity. Edom, the Edomites, or Idumaeans were descended from Abraham. Thus: g Gen. 25.25. Edom, the first Father of the Edomites, or Idumaeans, was otherwise called Esau, and was son of Izhac, who was h Gen 21 3. son of Abraham. And i Gen. 19 ●7. Moab, from whom the nation of the Moabites took their name, was son unto Lot, and Lot was Abraham's brothers son, the son of k Gen. 11.27. Haran. There was then between the Moabites, and Edomites nearness of blood, and full kindred. Now we see what is the particular sin of the Moabite●● for which this prophecy is directed against them. Their sin is Cruelty, and a special kind of Cruelty; even their denying of rest to the bones of the dead: and the more odious and intolerable is their Cruelty, because it is against their own kindred. The lesson, which we are to take from hence, is this. All kind of cruelty committed against a man, highly displeaseth God; but that specially, which violateth, and extinguisheth the rites of consanguinity, and natural affection. In my l pag. 74. seaventh Lecture upon the first chapter of this prophecy, I commended unto you this doctrine: God is never well pleased with too much cruelty. In my m pag. 230. 19 Lecture I recommended it unto you; varying my proposition, thus: Cruelty is a sin hateful unto God. Now it comes unto you in another form, though the matter be the same: All kind of cruelty, etc. My proposition hath two parts. The first, All kind of cruelty committed against a man, highly displeaseth God. The second; There is a kind of cruelty, that violateth, and extinguisheth the rights of consanguinity, and natural affection, and that specially displeaseth God. First, to the first. All kind of cruelty committed against a man highly displeaseth God. No marvel. For all kind of cruelty is sin; and every sin must taste of God's high displeasure. All kind of cruelty is sin: For it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a want of conformity to the Law of God, a transgression of the law, a breach of the law. Will you know against which commandment it is? It is against the sixth commandment. The commandment is: Thou shalt do no murder; or, Thou shalt not kill. Where to kill, or to do murder, by a Synecdoche, signifieth any kind of endamaging the person of our neighbours. We may not so much as hurt, or hinder them. We are forbidden to sin against our neighbour, either in heart, or in word, or in countenance, or in deed. And in this last branch is cruelty forbidden us. So is the first part of my proposition confirmed; All kind of cruelty committed against a man highly displeaseth God. The reason is; because it is a sin, against the sixth commandment. The use of this doctrine is to reprove such as delight in cruelty. Man of all living creatures, aught to be the most courteous. His name in Latin is homo, and that n Boskier. Orat. Terrae sancta. Philip. 4. loc. 1. pag. 87. one deriveth from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a word that signifieth unanimity, and concord: And from the Latin homo, is derived Humanitas, a word that signifieth courtesy, or gentleness. So that the very name of man, Homo, showeth that * Hominem natura ad pacem composuit. man is even framed by nature of unanimity, concord, courtesy, gentleness, and peace. Other * Animantia cae●era ad ●●llum. creatures are by nature even armed for war. Some have their horns, as Unicorns, Hearts, and Bulls: some their teeth; as Boars and Dogs: some their nails, as Griffins and Lions: some their poison, either in their tongues, as Serpents, or in their tails, as Scorpions, or in their breath, as Dragons, or in their eyes, as the Basilisk: Some have their hard skins for their coats or coverings, as on land, the Armadillo; in the sea, the Tortoise, the Crab, and all shell fish. All these, and other beasts are armed by nature, partly to defend themselves, partly to offend others. Only Man; he is borne in ermis, tenellus, edentulus; he comes into the world naked, tender, toothless; and hath not wherewith, either to offend another, or to defend himself; to teach us, that man should spend the days of his pilgrimage here in unanimity, concord, courtesy, gentleness, and peace. The more are they to be reproved, who living among men, have, as it were, put off the nature of Man, by their delight in cruel dealing. Such is the racking Landlord, who takes advantage against his poor tenant for every trifle. Such is the greedy Usurer, who ears up his brother's substance with interest. Such is the stonyhearted Physician, or Chirurgeon, that prolongeth his patient's disease, or sore, to wring the more money from him. Such is the troublesome man, who unjustly vexeth his neighbour in the law to his undoing. Such are a l they, who are any way injurious to them, with whom they live. I trust, there is none that hears me this day fit to be reproved for any cruel deed against the dead, as the Moabites here are for their burning the bones of the King of Edom into lime. And that you never may deserve with them to be reproved, let it please you to hear a while, how this kind of cruelty hath in former ages been accounted of. It is o Virgil. Aeneid. 1. written to the dispraise of Achilles, that he dragged the dead body of Hector thrice about the walls of Troy. It is p Liv. Dec. 1. l. 1. written to the dispraise of Tullia, proud Tarquin's wife, that she driven her waggon over the dead body of her Father Seru●●s Tullius the sixth King of Rome. It is q Plutarch in Cicerone, & in Antonio. written to the dispraise of Antony, the Triumvir, one of the three, who bore the sway at the beginning of the Roman Empire, that he caused the right hand, and the head of dead Cicero, that great Orator, to be cut off, and brought before him, that beholding them, he might solace, and sport himself. And was it not a note of too much cruelty in Antony's wife, whether it were r Hieronym Apol: adversus R●ffinum. Fulvia, or that proud Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, that she thrust her needle through the tongue of that dead Orator? Thus have profane Authors Virgil, Livy, Plutarch, and others, conducted only by nature's light, noted, and censured cruelty against the dead. And shall not the light of God's holy word conduct us Christians to alike measure of understanding, even to detest all cruelty against the dead? To this purpose the holy Evangelists, S. Matthew, and S. Mark; St Matthew chap. the 14. and St Mark chap. the 6. have recorded it for a memorial to all ensuing ages; that to the solemnising of Herod's birth day, the head of john Baptist was brought in a platter to Herodias. Cruel Herodias! could not the untimely, and unjust death of that holy man satisfy thy greedy, and blood thirsty heart, but that thou must have his head brought before thee in a platter? and that at such a time, so solemn a time, the birth day of thy Lord, thy King, thy supposed husband, Herod, even then, when he feasted his Princes, and captains, and chief estates of Galilee? A dead man's head, besmered with blood, was very unseasonable, and unfit sauce for such a banquet. Yet then was john Baptists head brought before Herodias in a platter. What did she to it? Doubtless, all the disgrace she could. One thing St Hierome in his second book of his Apollogie against Ruffinus, specifieth, that * Veriloquam linquam discriminal● acu confodit. she thrust his tongue through with a needle. In the 19 of john ver. 34. it is recorded to the memorial of all ensuing ages, that when jesus had by his sufferings upon the Cross, and payment of the price of our redemption given up the ghost; then a jew, a soldier of the jews, with a speere pierced his side, whereout forthwith issued blood, and water. Upon that cruel soldier's fact s Salmeron comment. in Euangel. Tom. 10. Tract. 48. one asketh this question: Quid est, quod filius Dei tormentis in vitae toleratis, non contentus, voluit etiam post mortem vulnera accipere? What is it, that the son of God not content with such torments, as in his life time he endured, would also after his death be wounded? Among many, and they great causes, he gives this for one innotesceret nostra immanitas, & saevitia, qui etiam in mortuum saevimus; that notice may be taken of our immanity, & cruelty, for as much as we spare not the dead. It is the property of a Lion, to spare a man, not only, that is dead, but also that lieth prostrate, and flat upon the ground: What favour a man receives from a Lion, Christ jesus, the Lion of the tribe of judah, the sweet Saviour of mankind, could not receive from man. A soldier with a spear pierceth his side, though he be dead. To exaggerate this St chrysostom homil. 48. upon john, saith; Illudere mortuo, quàm ipsum crucis supplicium, long peius est: It is fare worse to offer any contumely or disgrace to one that is dead. then is the punishment of the cross. In the 79. Psalm ver. 2. the Prophet in Israel's behalf complaineth unto God, against the surprisers of jerusalem, that they gave the dead bodies of God's servants to be meat unto the fowls of heaven, and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the Earth. So he aggravateth their cruelty, and inhumanity. Monstrous was their cruelty, barbarous their inhumanity, to cast the dead bodies, and flesh of God's servants, and Saints here, and there, to the end they might be a prey to dogs, to wolves, to ravens, to vultures, or other beasts, or birds, that live by carrion. You see partly by profane examples, partly by instances out of the sacred Scriptures, how cruelty against the dead hath usually been censured. But what is this to you, who use towards the dead all civility? All civility? I grant you give the dead religious, and solemn burial; And so doing you do well. You do well not to suffer t Lanctantius Jnstitut. lib. 6. figuram & figmentum Dei, the workmanship of God, God's image, to be exposed, and cast out for a prey to wild beasts, and birds. To bury the dead, it is u Ambros ●ib. de Tobia. quotidianum opus, & magnum, it is every day's work, and a great work; and you do well so to account of it. For if the law commands you to cover the naked while they are living, how much more ought ye to cover them, when they are dead? If your friend undertake any long journey, you will take the pains to bring him part of his way; how much more ought ye to afford him your company, when he is going in illam aeternam domum, to his long, and everlasting home, whence he shall return no more unto you? You will say Cadaveribus nullus sensus; dead bodies have no sense; What need then is there of such care of committing them to the earth? I reply in St x Lib 1. de Ciu●tate Dei. cap. 13. Augustine's words, Deo placent etiam talia pietatis officia: such offices of piety, humanity, and civility do please God. The bodies of the dead belong to God's providence. He hath appointed the burial of the dead, to confirm our faith in the Resurrection of the dead. Thus fare by occasion of the first part of my proposition: which was, All kind of cruelty, committed against a man, highly displeaseth God. You remember the reason of it: the reason is; Because it is against the sixth Commandment. The use of it, was a reproof of such as delight in cruelty, whether against the living, or the dead. Now followeth the other part of my proposition: this: That cruelty which violateth, or extinguisheth the rites of consanguinity, and natural affection, specially displeaseth God. For God, the God of nature, cannot in any wise like, that nature's laws be violated. By nature's laws, it's enacted, that there should be, that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, much spoken of in the Schools; a peculiar affection of love from the parent to the child, and from the child to the parent; from a brother to a brother, from a kinsman to a kinsman. Now if cruelty shall be exercised from a parent towards his child, or from a child towards his parent, or from a brother towards his brother, or from a kinsman towards his kinsman, that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I spoke of, is laid aside; the rites of consanguinity, and natural affection are violated, are extinguished. This doctrine may teach us, to carry ourselves peaceably, and lovingly towards our parents, our children, our brethren, our kinsmen, all that are of our blood. There cannot be a greater bond between man and man, as men; then is this bond of blood. I say precisely between man and man, as men, there cannot be a greater bond, then is this bond of blood. For between man and man, as Christians, there is a greater bond; the bond of one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, which is above all, and through all, and in you all, as St Paul speaketh, Ephes. 4.5.6. The strength of the former bond of blood, showeth itself in the Patriarch Abraham, when there was a debate between his servants, and the servants of Lot. All the tales his men could tell him, could not work in him any dislike of Lot. To end that debate, Abraham goeth to Lot▪ Abraham, Lot's elder, and uncle, his better in every respect, yet he stands not upon that; he looks not when Lot should come, and stoop to him; but as in years, so in wisdom, in mildness, in humility, in temperance of affections he● passeth him. Overruled by such sweet virtues, he goes to Lot, tells him of their kindred, and moves him there by as by a strong reason, or a mighty bond, that love and pe●●● might remain betwixt them and theirs. His words, ar●●● the words whereof Solomon speaketh, Prou. 25.11. they are like apples of gold with pictures of silver, they are spoke● 〈◊〉 their place; and are recorded Gen. 13.8. where Abraham thus speaketh unto Lot: Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, neither between thy herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we be brethren. We be brethren:] He might have said we be cousins, or thou art my nephew, my brother's son, but he useth rather apellation of equality, and calls him brother, to manifest his desire of peace and concord. You see the strength of the bond of blood, how forcible it is between man and man, as men. I told you of a stronger bond between man and man, as Christians, and that was the bond of one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, which is above all, and through all, and in us all. So there is a twofold kindred, or brotherhood. The one, by nature▪ the other by grace: the one, by generation, the other, by regeneration. In respect of both, we are tied with bonds of love. First, in respect of the former. After Noah's flood, there was a division of countries made to the remainder of Adam's posterity: some dwelled here, some there; some in one place, some in another, as they best liked; yet one blood remained amongst them, as a knot ever to join them in amity and love, what distance of place soever severed them. Is it not so still, though longer time, and larger increase have spread it further? Yes (Beloved) it is so. And therefore this bond of blood, stock, house, lineage, and kindred in the root, should continue among us, regard one of another, and make us love one another, more than we do. But this kindred, by nature and generation, so many degrees removed from the root, our great grandfather Adam, the first of men, little moveth us; we disdain to take notice of it. Let then the other kindred, that of grace, and regeneration, by its stronger bonds of love, tie & join us together. The just and wise man knoweth (saith y Diuin. Jnstit. lib. 5. c. 23. Lactantius) cunctos ab eodem Deo, & eadem conditione generatos, iure fraternitatis esse coniunctos, that all who are borne of one God, and upon the same condition, are joined together by the right of brotherhood. To which purpose a great z Caluin. Comment. in Genes. 13.8. Divine saith; Hac lege adoptati sumus omnes in Dei s●lios, ut alij alijs mutuo fratres simus, We are all adopted or chosen to be the sons of God upon this condition, that we mutually be brethren, one unto another. Dear Beloved, sith we are become the sons of God upon a condition, let us fulfil the condition; let us be brethren, one to another. That is, let us not be cruel, one towards another; let us do no injury, one to another, let us be merciful one to another, let us love one another. Let good Abraham be the pattern of our imitation. If there be any variance, or jarring among us, let us go one to another, and kindly entreat one another; I pray thee, let there be no variance, no jarring, between me and thee, nor between my men and thy men, for we are brethren. But proud and rebellious flesh and blood will not suffer us to become Abraham's; so wise, so meek, such lovers of concord and unity. Not suffer us? Then is our condition fearful, and we may well expect, that the God of Abraham at his great day of visitation, shall reject us, and cast us from out his sight into the ever-burning lake. There is no entrance into the Heavenly Canaan, for the cruel, injurious, malicious and despiteful man. It's only Love that opens the gates of Heaven; without Love whatsoever you do, it's no advantage to you. S. Paul tells you, 1 Cor. 13. that though you speak with the tongues of men and Angels, and have not Love, you are but as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal: and though you have the gift of prophecy, and know all secrets, yea, if you have all faith, so that ye can remove mountains, and have not Love, you are nothing and though you feed the poor with all your goods, and give your bodies to be burnt, and have not Love, it profiteth you nothing. To be short, alms without Love, prophesy without Love, knowledge without Love, miracles without 〈◊〉, martyrdom without Love, prayer without Love, and 〈◊〉 like very commendable and good works, all are nothing. Love is the fire that purifieth, it is the incense that perfumeth, it is the ointment, or box of Spikenard, that sweeteneth, it is the salt, that seasoneth all our good thoughts, words, and deeds. I conclude with S. john's words in his 1 Epist. cap. 4. vers. 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for Love cometh of God, and every one that loveth, is borne of God, and knoweth God. For God is Love; if therefore we dwell in Love, we dwell in God, and God dwells in us. Now, O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, take from us all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and crying, and evil speaking, with all maliciousness. Raise up in us a desire of brotherly Love, that we may every one have a care to help another, that our Love be not feigned, false, hypocritical, wayward, tedious, disdainful, nor hunting after profit; but that it be unfeigned and perfect, even towards our enemies. Grant, good Lord, that thus retaining the study of concord, and loving one another, we may all meet together in the unity of faith, and knowledge of thee, the Son of God, till we become perfect in thee, our only Saviour and Redeemer. To thee, O Christ, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all praise and power, might and Majesty, dignity and dominion for evermore. Amen. THE III. LECTURE. AMOS. 2.2, 3. Therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth, and Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet. And I will cut off the judge out of the midst thereof, and will slay all the Princes thereof with him. WE are now to consider the fourth part of this burden of the Moabites; namely, the commination, or denunciation of such punishments, as God would bring upon the Moabites for their sins. The punishments are described, first generally, and then more specially. The general description is; Therefore will I send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth. In the former chapter we met with this form of commination a Verse 4.7.10.12.14. five times. We now find nothing new, but new names, Moab and Kerioth. Of Moab you heard somewhat in my last Sermon; that Moab was Lot's son, and that from him lineally descended the Moabites, a people inhabiting that part of the East, which is commonly known by the name of Caelesyria, and was in former times the possession of the Amorites. I now add, that from the same Moab, the son of Lot, a city in Arabia, afterward called Areopolis, was named Moab, and thence the whole province, region, country, or kingdom was likewise named Moab. So saith b De locis. Eusebius. Moab in this branch of my text, may signify either: either the Metropolis, the chief and mother-city of the Kingdom of Moab, or the Kingdom itself. S. Hierome here understands both. The other new name is in the Hebrew, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the vulgar Latin, Carioth; in the English- Geneva translation, Kerioth; in Vatablus, Cerijoth; in Tremellius and junius, Kerijoth; the Septuagint in their Greek translation, take the word for an appellative; they translaate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, her cities. According to them, these words should thus be read: I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the foundations of her cities. But with S. Hierome, and sundry others of the best Expositors, we retain the proper name Kerioth or Carioth. We read in holy writ of two cities thus named. One was belonging to the Tribe of juda, and lay towards the coasts of Edom , mentioned Iosh. 15.25. The other was in the land of Moab; so saith Eusebius in his Hebrew places: Carioth in regione Moabitarum, sicut Ieremias scribit; Carioth is in the country of the Moabites, as jeremy writeth. And where doth jeremy write so? In his fortieth chapter, which is wholly spent in denouncing destruction to the Moabites, vers. 24. it is said, that judgement is come upon Kerioth. And verse 41. that Kerioth is taken. The same judgement is here and there denounced; but here more briefly, there more fully. Here we may observe, 1. The punisher: the Lord; I will send. 2. The punishment: by fire; A fire. 3. The punished: the Moabites; Moab, and Kerioth. The first circumstance concerneth the punisher: the Lord: for thus saith the Lord, I will send a fire. The Doctrine. c See my Lectures upon the first of Amos. It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance upon the wicked for their sins. This truth hath sundry times been recommended unto you. Divers were the uses of it. The first was, to lesson us to look heedfully unto our feet; that we walk not in the way of sinners, to partake with them in their sins. Sins are not tongue-tied; they cry aloud unto the Lord for vengeance. The second was, to admonish us, not to intermeddle in the Lord's office; It's his office to execute vengeance. We therefore may not interpose ourselves. The third was, to minister a word of comfort to the godly, against whom the wicked, do behave themselves proudly and despiteously. God in due time, for such their behaviour will render vengeance unto them, and will punish them with everlasting perdition. The second circumstance concerneth the punishment, which is by fire: I will send a fire. By fire here we are to understand, not so much a true and natural fire, as a figurative and metaphorical fire. The sword, pestilence, and famine, quodlibet gen●●s consumptionis, every kind of consumption, quaelibet species excilij, every kind of destruction; hail, water, thunder, sickness, or any other of the executioners of God's wrath, for the sins of men, may be signified by this word, Fire. Fire in this place is put for the sword, for war, as its plain by the sequel of this text. The Doctrine arising hence is this: The fire (whether natural or figurative) that is, the fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandment, to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked. Of this doctrine heretofore. The use of it is, to teach us how to carry ourselves at such times, as God shall visit us with his rod of correction; how to behave ourselves in all our afflictions. We are not so much to look to the means, as to the Lord, that worketh by them. If the fire, or water, or any other of God's creatures, shall at any time rage, and prevail against us, we must know, that God by them worketh his holy will upon us. Hear we see; God resolveth to send a fire upon Moab, which should devour the palaces of Kerioth: which was the third circumstance. Must Moab and Kerioth, two chief cities of the Kingdom of Moab, through the fire of God's wrath be brought to ruin? it yields this doctrine: No munition, no fortification, no strength can save that city, which God will have destroyed. One use of this Doctrine is to lesson us; that we put not any confidence in any worldly help; but that so we use all good means of our defence, that still we rely upon the Lord, for strength and success thereby. A second Use is, to put us in mind of the fearful punishments, which God layeth upon men for sin. He devoureth their cities, throweth down their strong holds, and spares them not. A third Use is, to stir us up to thankfulness, for that it pleaseth God in mercy to spare, not only our Cities, and strong holds, but also our country villages and poor cottages. It is not to be passed over without observation, that the palaces of Kerioth are here threatened, to be devoured with this fire, sent from the Lord. Were I now to speak before Princes, or great Estates, I could from hence give them an Item, that they set not their hearts overmuch upon their castles, towers, mansion houses, fair palaces, or other goodly buildings, for as much as, if their sins deserve it, the fire of God's wrath will devour all those. But my auditory is of another rank. Yet may you take a lesson hence. Must the palaces of Carioth, for the sins of the inhabitants be devoured with fire from the wrath of God? Your lesson is: God depriveth us of a great blessing, when he taketh from us our dwelling houses. The great commodity or contentment, that cometh to every one of us by our dwelling houses, hath experimentally made good unto us this truth. The Uses of it are diverse. One is, to teach us to be humble before Almighty God, whensoever it shall please him to take from us our dwelling houses. A second is, to admonish us, sith we peaceably enjoy our dwelling houses, that we use them to the furtherance of God's glory. A third is, to stir us up to bless and praise God day by day for the comfortable use we have of our dwelling houses. These things I have heretofore laboured to lay unto your hearts, occasioned by the like general commination or denunciation of judgement (five times repeated) in the former chapter, against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, and the Ammonites. Now we are to consider what is more specially prophesied against these Moabites. For the easier explication whereof, I observed two points: 1. The manner of the punishment. 2. The extent of it. Order requireth that first I speak to the manner of their punishment, expressed in these words: And Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet. Moab shall dye] Moab is here put for the Moabites, the people of Moab, the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Moab. Moab shall dye] There is a civil death, there is a corporal death, there is a spiritual death, and there is an eternal death. Which of these deaths were the Moabites to dye? The letter of my text is for the corporal death. This corporal death is a separation of the soul from the body: it is called corporal, in respect of the spiritual: it is also called a temporary death, in respect of the eternal. This death corporal, or temporary, is twofold▪ either natural, or accidental; if accidental, it is subdivided into a violent, or a voluntary death: and is common as well to the godly, as to the wicked; inflicted upon them, by God's just judgement for the sin of Adam. This is the wages of sin, and this is the way of all sinful flesh. All must once dye. We may a long time wrestle with the dangers of this world both by Land and Sea: thousands may fall on our right hand, and ten thousands on our left, while we stand we may have so good store of friends, that we may well say with the Shunamite, 2. King. 4.13. I need no speaking for me, either to the King, or to the Captain of the Host; I dwell among mine own people, where I can command: we may walk in the light of the sun, that is, our prosperity may be waxen so great, that we want nothing: we may have sails and oars at pleasure, as Antiochus seemed to have, who thought in his pride to make men sail upon the dry land, and to walk upon the Sea: 2. Mac. 5.21. we may think ourselves to be in league with death, and in covenant with the grave, and so promise to ourselves, many a prosperous, and pleasant day, as many as are the sands of the Ocean: yet a time shall come, when all these things shall prove but vanity: and Moab shall dye. All must once dye. A great d Dr. King B. of London. Lect. 20 upon jonas, pag. 264. Prelate of this Land, for this point, hath well fitted this comparison. As one that shooteth at a mark, sometimes is gone, and sometimes is short, sometimes lighteth on the right hand, sometimes on the left, at length hitteth the mark: so Death shoots at Noble men beyond us, at mean men short of us, at our friends on the right hand, at our enemies on the left; at length hitteth ourselves. The longer her hand is in practice, the more certainly she striketh. Look into the fift of Genesis; there shall you find, that Death was aiming at e vers. 11. Enosh 905. years, and at last smote him: at f vers. 14. Kenan 910. years, at g vers. 5. Adam 930. years, at h vers. 20. jered 962. years, at i vers. 27. Methushelah 969. years, but in the end overthrew them all. Now she strikes sooner; within the compass of fewer years, within 60. years, or 70. she seldom stays 80. years: And sometimes she strikes us in our youthful days; yea, in the day of our nativity. All must once dye. Moab shall dye] All must once dye. Death! It is of all miseries the last, and the most terrible. A holy k Apud Lud. Granatensem Exercit de Orat. & Medit. Father hath made against it this exclamation. O Death how bitter is the remembance of thee? How quickly and suddenly stealest thou upon us? How secret are thy paths and ways? How doubtful is thy hour? How universal is thy signiory and deminion? The mighty cannot escape thee; the wise cannot hide themselves from thee; the strong lose their strength before thee; the rich with their money shall not corrupt thee. Thou art the hammer, that always striketh: Thou art the sword, that never blunteth: thou art the snare, wherein all must be taken: thou art the prison, wherein all must lie: thou art the Sea, wherein all must perish: thou art the pain, that all must suffer: thou art the tribute, that all must pay. In a word; thou art such a one, as Almighty God washeth his hands of thee, and cleareth himself in plain words, by the mouth of the Wiseman, saying, (Wisd. 1.13.) that he never made thee. Surely thou hast thine entry into the world by the very envy, and craft of the Devil. This exclamation against Death is very just in some sense: for Death may be considered in a double respect; one way, as it is in its own nature; another way, as it is changed, and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in its own nature is a punishment of sin, a plague, a curse, or forerunner of condemnation, the very gates, and suburbs of Hell itself: and in this respect the forecited exclamation hath due place. But on the other side, death being changed, and qualified by Christ his death, it is no more such; it is no more a punishment of sin; it is no more a plague; it is no more a curse. For it is become a blessing; it brings an end to all our miseries; it gives full deliverance to all our miseries; it gives full deliverance from all dangers; it is made unto us a passage, a way, an entrance into everlasting life; it is like a portal, or little gate, by which we pass from out this little prison of our bodies into the kingdom of Heaven. The grave mean while is, but a resting chamber, sweetly perfumed by the Death of Christ for our bodies; from whence at the sound of the last trumpet, our bodies shall awake, and rise, and be received into the paradise of heaven, to enjoy the most comfortable presence of Almighty God there. If death now changed and qualified by Christ his death, be a blessing: if it be but a passage from this wretched life to that happiest estate in heaven, why should death be feared? This is a Case of Conscience, and may be resolved. There are two sorts of men in the world: the one of them, who live in their sins, and dye without repentance: the other of them, who with unfeigned repentance and faith in Christ, do leave this world. The first have great reason to fear Death: Death being unto them the very gate, and introduction into the Hell of the damned: of whom we may well say, as Christ said of judas, Math. 26.24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it had been good for them, had they never been borne. The second have no reason to fear Death; Death being unto them, as the gate of Heaven. To such, Optimum est nasci, its best that they are borne; and the next best for them is, mature mori, to dye in a good hour. Their birth is to them a preparation to eternal happiness, whereof their Death gives them full possession. The consideration whereof made King Solomon the wisest of Kings, or men, [praferre diem mortis, diei ortûs;] it made him prefer the day of death, before the day of birth; his words are Eccles. 7.3. Better is the day of death, than the day that one is borne. Hence is it, that most righteous job, chap. 17.14. calls Corruption his father; for as chilrens have fathers for their comfort, so had job death, and rottenness: Corruption itself, as a father, made job fit for his grave and death; which of him was more wished than life: as Origen, and Olympiodor have well observed. And hence it is that blessed Paul, living in this world, and using it, as if he used it not, (for he had his conversation in heaven, and had a true, and lively taste of the joys of the world to come) desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ: and this (he was well assured) was best of all for him, Phil. 1.23. Thus fare (beloved) have I led you by occasion of these words, Moab shall dye: upon which I grounded this general doctrine. All must once dye. In the illustration whereof, I signified that of evils, death was the most terrible. To arm your Christian souls against the terror or fear of death, I told you, that death is to be considered in a double respect; either as it is in its own nature, or as it is changed, & qualified by the death of Christ: in the first respect, it is very fearful to the natural man: in the latter, it is very welcome to the resolved Christian. I further added, that there are two sorts of men obnoxious unto death: the one sort do live in sin, and dye without repentance: the other with unfeigned repentance, and true faith in Christ do leave 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 read, Vatablus, Caluin, Mercer, Gualther; in strepitu, with a noise, so junius, and Drusius; in sonitu, with a sound, so Brentius, and the author of the vulgar Latin. The 70. have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Moab shall dye through imbecility, or weakness. The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & it signifieth a sound, a tumult, an inundation, or multitude of waters, which overrun their banks 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 terror of that judgement, which God would bring upon the Ammonites. The word I expounded in my 20. Sermon on the first Chapter, and shown out of diverse Authorss that it signifieth a sound, a cry, a great cry, a vociferation, a shout, such as Soldiers do make, when on a sudden they surprise a City. To make good this exposition it is added. With the sound of a trumpet.] The use of trumpets in war hath been very ancient. The use of them is commanded to the children of Israel, Num. 10.9. When ye go to war against the enemy, ye shall blow a alarm with the trumpets. After, they were used in the battle against jericho, Iosh. 6.5. joshua saith to the people: When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, ye shall all shout with a great shout, and the wall of jericho shall fall down flat. To this use Ezechiel alludeth Chap. 7.14. They have blown the trumpet, and prepared all, but none goeth to the battle. And S. Paul speaks of it, 1. Corinth. 14.8. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle? The Prophet Zephanie also hath respect unto it, Chap. 2.16. where he calls the great day of the Lord, a day of the trumpet, and a alarm against the strong Cities, and against the high towers. From this ancient use 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 departed this life, and leave this world, not quietly, and peaceably, in their beds, but with a tumult, with a shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet] even in war, or as the phrase is in the 14. verse of the 1. chapter, in the day of battle. The doctrine arising hence is this: War, one of the executioners of God's vengeance, is evermore sent upon a Land, for the sins of the people. That war is one of the executioners of God's vengeance, its plain in Ezech. 14.21. There God himself makes it one of his four sore judgements. The four are; the sword, famine, the noisome beast, and the pestilence; the first is the sword, an instrument for war, for war itself. These four are likewise couched together in Ezech. 5.17. where thus saith the Lord against jerusalem: I will send upon you famine, and evil beasts, and they shall spoil thee, and pestilence and blood shall through thee, and I will bring thee sword upon thee; I the Lord have spoken it. I will bring the sword upon thee: the sword, that is, war; an instrument of war, for war itself: 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 eternal word) these two do speak plainly, that war is one of the executioners of God's vengeance. That it is sent upon a Land for the sins of the people, I made it plain unto you by like evidence of holy Writ in my 20. Sermon upon the former chapter. My proofs were taken from Levit. 26.25. Deut. 28.49. jerem. 5.15. Whence I inferred, that war, and all the evils of war are from the Lord; that war is one of the accomplishments of God's judgements; that war is sent by God upon a Land for the sins of a people. So goeth my doctrine. War, one of the executioners of God's vengeance, is evermore sent upon a Land for the sins of the people. The Use of this Doctrine is, to raise us up to the admiration of the wonderful patience of Almighty God. We grieve the Holy Spirit of that sacred Majesty with our manifold and daily sins: our sins of omission, our sins of infirmity, and our sins of presumption; our sins of ignorance, and our sins of wilfulness; our strife, variance, and debate; our usury, oppression, and cruelty; our uncleanness, wantonness, and drunkenness; our sins multiply as the sands of the Sea, they have pressed into God's presence to fetch down his vengeance upon us. Behold, look about you, and admire his exceeding great patience. The loud crying of our sins hath not yet urged the Lord so fare, as to make him come against us with his sorest judgement of war. He hath out of his fatherly love over us mildly chastised us. Not long since he broke the staff of our bread, and sent among us a dearth and scarcity; yet have we not returned unto him. Not long since he commanded his armies of waters to issue from out their channel, and to over run man and beast for many miles within this land; yet have we not returned unto him. Not long since he let fly his arrows of pestilence, and yet they fly abroad to the kill of many round about us; yet have we not returned unto him. Not returned unto him? What? Can no medicine, that God applieth, mollify our hard hearts? Can none of his corrections amend us? Will we needs try whether he will send a sword upon us? He shaked his sword over us, (many of us may well remember it) when the great Spanish Armada floated on our Seas: but then as S. james speaketh, chap. 2.13. Super exaltavit misericordia iudicio, mercy exalted itself above judgement, and we were spared. Were we spared? What shall we render to the Lord for so great mercy? We will with David, Ps. 116.13. We will take the cup of salvation, we will call upon the name of the Lord, and will offer unto him the sacrifice of praise. Which sacrifice of ours, that it may be acceptable to the Lord, let us cast away from us all our transgressions, whereby we have transgressed; and with a new heart, and a new spirit, return we to the Lord our God. But if we will persist with delight, and go on in our old ways; our crooked, perverse, and froward ways; our ways of wickedness; and will not be turned out of them by any of God his milder chastisements and corrections, what can we expect, but the portion of these Moabites, even fire & a sword from the Lord, and with them to die with a tumult, with a shouting, and with the sound of a Trumpet? Thus fare de modo poenae, of the manner of this punishment to be inflicted upon the Moabites. The extent followeth. I will cut the judge out of the midst thereof, and will slay all the Princes thereof with him.] I] the Lord, the Lord jehovah, yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever; I am not changed; all my words, yea, all the titles of all my words are Yea, and Amen; Exscindam] I will cut off, I will root out, and destroy, judicem] the judge, the chiefest governor and ruler in Moab, the King. Nam Reges quoque populum iudicabant, For Kings also did judge the people, and it is evident by sundry places of holy Scripture, that the state of the Moabites was swayed by Kings. I will cut off, root out, and utterly destroy, the judge, the King, out of the midst thereof] Out of the midst of what? Of Moab? of Kerioth? Both are mentioned vers. 2. David, Camius, and some other, say of Kerioth, which was Sedes Regum, the city of the King's habitation. The meaning is: there was no city in the Kingdom of Moab so strong, but that from out the midst of it, God would fetch the King, and cut him off. I will cut off, root out, or destroy, the judge, the King, out of the midst of the strongest city of the Kingdom of Moab, be it Moab, Kerioth, or any other; I will slay all the Princes thereof with him; together with the King I will root out all the Princes of the land. None shall escape my judgements, neither Prince, nor King. You see the extent of this judgement here denounced against Moab. Not only the meaner sort of people, but the Princes also; yea and King himself, were to have their portion in it: and that as certainly, as if they had already had it. For jehovah, the Lord hath spoken it. For it's added for a conclusion to this Prophecy, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Lord. The Lord hath said it, that neither Prince nor King shall be exempt from his judgements; but shall as well as the lowest of the people be cut off, and come to nought. The doctrine to be observed from hence is this: God exerciseth his judgements, not only upon men of low and base estate, but also upon the great ones of this world; upon princes and Kings. This truth I have heretofore confirmed unto you, in my 21. Lecture, on the former Chapter, handling those words Chap. 1. vers. 15. Their King shall go into captivity he, and his Princes together, I proved unto you this doctrine, When God punisheth a nation with captivity for their sins, he spareth neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King. My now-doctrine for substance is the same, but more general; God exerciseth his judgements not only upon men of low & base estate, but also upon the great ones of this world; upon Princes & Kings. The uses. One is to admonish the great and mighty ones of this world, that they presume not to sin against the Lord, as if they were privileged by their greatness, and might. There is no such privilege. He that is Lord over all, will spare no person. Princes, and Kings must feel the smart of his judgements. A second use is, to minister comfort to such as are of low and base estate. If the mighty by violence, and oppression grind your faces, and compass you about, yet be not ye discouraged; God the judge of all accepteth no persons. He in his good time will avenge your causes, be your oppressors never so mighty. For Princes and Kings must feel the smart of his judgements. A third use is, a warning for ourselves; that we set not our hearts upon the outward things of this world, for as much as God, the Creator of all, will not respect us for them. Dost thou glory in this that thou art a mighty man, or a rich man? For both, might and riches, Princes, and Kings are far beyond thee: yet must Princes and Kings feel the smart of God's judgements. Let us make a fourth use of this doctrine, even to pour out our souls in thankfulness before almighty God, for his wonderful patience towards us. Our sins are as impudent, as ever were the sins of the Moabites, Our three and four transgressions, our many sins do cry aloud to Heaven against us, as the sins of the Moabites cried against them. For their sins God sent a sword upon them, and did cut them off from being a nation; God's wrath against our sins, hath not yet proceeded so fare. We yet enjoy our happy peace. Every man dwells under his own vine, and under his own figtree; and life's in the habitations of his forefathers in peace, free from all fear of the enemy's sword. Such is our condition, through the never-too-much admired patience of Almighty God. O let us not despise the riches of the bountifulness, patience, and long sufferance of our God. St Paul tells us. Rom. 2.4. That these do lead us to Repentance. These do lead us; shall we not follow? Beloved, while we have time, let us betake ourselves to Repentance. It was good counsel which judith gave to Ozias, Chabris, and Charmis the ancients of the city Be●hulia. (judith 8.12.) Quia patiens Dominus est, in hoc ipso paeniteamus, & indulgentiam eius fusis lachrymis postulemus. The counsel is as good for us. Beloved, because the Lord is patiented, therefore let us repent, and with shedding of tears beg of him indulgence, and pardon for our sins past. It's no wisdom for us, any longer to presume upon his patience. It is true Dominus patience, the Lord is slow to anger; but the Prophet Nahum. Chap. 1.3. addeth also, that he is great in power, and surely will not clear the wicked. This long for bearance of God towards us, patientia est, non negligentia: you must call it patience, it is not negligence. Non ille potentiam perdidit, sed nos ad poenitentiam reseruavit. saith St Austin serm. 102. de Tempore: God hath not lost his power, but hath reserved us for repentance: and quanto diu●ius Deus expectat, tanto gravius vindicat: How much the longer God expects and waits for our conversion, so much the more grievously will he be avenged upon us if we repent not. I shut up all with that exhortation of Ecclesiasticus. chap. 5.7. Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord, and put not off from day to day. To move us to this speedy conversion, he adds this reason: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance. What remaineth but that we pray with jeremy? Chap. 31.18. Convert thou us O Lord, and we shall be converted▪ for, thou art the Lord our God. THE FOUR LECTURE. AMOS 2.4, 5. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the Law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their Fathers have walked. But I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. Our Prophet Amos hath hitherto dealt with foreign Nations, with the Syrians, with the Philistines, with the Tyrians, with the Edomites, with the Ammonites, and with the Moabites. Six in number. All borderers upon, and professed enemies unto the people of the Lord, the type of the Church. To each of these you have heard the judgements of God menaced, his punishments threatened: all which are accordingly fallen out. Was not Amos his message from the Lord to the Israelites? Why then doth he first foretell foreign nations their judgements? The reasons are three; First, that he might be the more patiently heard of his Countrymen, friend, and allies, the Israelites. The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharp against the Syrians, and other their enemies, could not but the more quietly hear him, when he should prophesy against them also Consolatio quaedam est, afflictio inimici, It is some comfort to a natural distressed man to see his enemy in distress also. Secondly, that they might have no cause to wonder, if God should at any time come against them in vengeance, sith he would not spare the Syrians, and other Nations, though destitute of the light of God's word, and ignorant of his will. Thirdly, that they might the more stand in awe at the words of this prophecy, when they should behold the Syrians, and other their neighbours, afflicted and tormented, according to the heinousness of their iniquities. Scitum est, ex alijs periculum facere, tibi quod ex usu fiet. It is a principle in Nature's School, that we take example from other men's harms, how to order our ways. From this nature's principle, the people of Israel might thus have argued. Will not the Lord spare the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites? How then can we presume that he will spare us? They silly people never knew the holy will of God; yet shall they drink of the cup of God's wrath? How then shall we escape, who knowing Gods holy will, have contemned it? You see now, good reason our Prophet had, (though sent with a message to the ten tribes of Israel) first to let foreign Nations understand God's pleasure towards them in respect of their sins. From them he cometh to Gods own peculiar people; divided after the death of King Solomon, into two families, or kingdoms; judah, and Israel. First, he prophesieth against judah, in the 4. and 5. verses. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of judah, and for four, etc. Wherein I observe two parts. 1. A Preface, Thus saith the Lord. 2. A Prophecy, For three transgressions of judah, etc. In the Prophecy, we may observe four parts. 1. A general accusation of judah; For three transgressions of judah, and for four. 2. The Lord's protestation against them: I will not turn away the punishment thereof. 3. An enumeration of some particular sins by which the jews provoked God unto displeasure: Because they have despised the Law of the Lord, etc. 4. A commination or denunciation of judgement against them, vers. the 5. But I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. First of the Preface: Thus saith the Lord] It is like that gate of the Temple in a Act. 3.11. And 5.12. salomon's poarch, which for the goodly structure thereof, was called beautiful, Act. 3.2. So is this entrance to my text very beautiful. We have already beheld it six several times: five times as we passed through the former Chapter, and once, at our first footing in this. There is engraven in it, that same Tetragrammaton, that great and ineffable name of God; jehovah. johovah] Curious have the b See Lect. 1. Cabalists and Rabbins been, in their inventions about this name. They will not have it to be pronounced, nor taken within polluted lips. They note, that it is nomen tetragrammaton, a name of four letters; of four letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because the name of God in all tongues, and languages, for the most part, consisteth of four letters: and they add that these four letters in the Hebrew tongue are literae quiescentes, letters of rest: whence they pick this mystery; that the rest, repose, and tranquillity of all the creatures in the world is in God alone. They further say, that this name is powerful for the working of miracles, and that by it Moses, and Christ have done great wonders. These their inventions are partly superstitious, partly blasphemus; but all brain sick, and idle. Yet must we needs acknowledge some secret in this name. We are driven to it by Exod. 6.3. There the Lord thus speaketh unto Moses: I appeared unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to jacob, by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and all-sufficient God, but by my name jehovah, was I not known unto them. The secret is thus unfolded. jehovah, this great name jehovah, importeth, the eternity of God's essence in himself, that he is c Heb. 13.8. yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever, d Apoc. 1.8. which was, which is, and which is to come. Again, it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God, as from whom all creatures in the world have their e Act. 17.28. life, their motion, and their being. God is the being of all his creatures, not that they are the same that he is, but because f Rom. 11.36. of him, and in him, and by him are all things. Thirdly, it is the memorial of God unto all ages: so God himself calls it. Exod. 3.15. the memorial of his faithfulness, his truth, and his constancy in the performance of his promises. And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets, God promiseth, or threatneth any great matter, to assure us of the most certain event thereof, he adds unto it his name jehovah. So here in my text: Thus saith jehovah. Thus saith the Lord] not, Thus saith Amos: but Thus saith the Lord. The Lord than is the author of this Scripture; and not of this only, but also of the whole body of Scripture. The doctrine, The author of holy Scripture is neither man, nor Angel, nor any other creature, how eminent, or excellent soever, but only the living, and immortal God. This doctrine I have heretofore commended unto you in my first lecture upon this Chapter. The uses of it were three. The first concerned us, whom God hath set apart to be the Preachers, and expounders of the Scriptures. We must handle them as the holy word of God. As my Prophet here comes to judah, so must we to you, with, thus saith the Lord, we may not speak, either the imagination of our own brains, or the vain persuasions of our own hearts; we must sincerely preach unto you Gods gracious word, without corrupting, or depraving it. A second use concerneth you, who are auditors, and hearers of the word preached. It is your parts to give ear unto it with attetion and reverence; and like the Thessalonians] commended by St Paul. 1 Thess. 2.13.] too receive it, not as the word of us men: but, as it is indeed, the word of God. A third use concerned the adversaries of the truth; the Papists who do vilify, and debase the sacred Scriptures, and esteem not of them, as of the word of God. How shamefully they have loaded this holy word of God with disgraceful terms, calling it, a doubtful uncertain, and a leaden rule, a poor kind of element, a book of discord, a matter of debate, dead ink, inken divinity, a dumb judge, a nose of wax, Aesop's fables, I have g Lect. 2. in Amos 1. pag. 18. etc. heretofore delivered unto you. But who are they, out of whose mouths, and pens, such bitterness against God's holy word hath been vented? Are they our Countrymen? Are they not rather strangers to us, Papists of other Nations? Pighius, Hosius, Gretser, Canon Lewis of Lateran, the collocutors at Worms, and Ratisbon? What are these to us? It may be our English Papists do esteem of the Scriptures more reverently. More reverently! Let one speak for all. Dr. h Fox Martyrel. vol. 2. l. 7. An. 1513. pag. 735. Bennet, a Lawyer, Chancellor, and Vicar general to Richard Fitz-Iames, Bishop of London, called before him one Richard Butler, for being of that Religion, which we this day, through God's goodness do maintain, and profess. This Butler used much to read the Bible; for which an article was thus framed against him: We object to you, that divers times, and especially upon a certain night you erroneously and damnably read in a great Book of heresy, certain Chapters of the Evangelists in English, containing in them divers erroneous, and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresy. What Christian ear can endure such blasphemy? that the Book of God should be called, a great book of heresy; that some Chapters of the Evangelists should be said to contain in them diverse erroneous and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresy, What Christian care can endure this? Must that Book, to which we are so often sent, by i Deut. 17.11. Moses, by the k Esa. 8.20. M●lac. 2.7. Psal. 1.1. and 119.2. Prophets, by l Joh. 5.39. Christ himself▪ by his holy m Luk. 16.29. Evangelists, and n Act 17. ●1. 2. Tim. 3. 1●. Apostles, must that Book be noted for erroneous, and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresies? St Paul thought much otherwise. He in the 2. Tim. 3.15. speaking of the holy Scriptures, saith; that they are able to make men wise unto salvation. He addeth further, ver. 16. that the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to improve, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect unto all good works. Magnificum testimonium: A most sufficient testimony, for the authority, dignity, and worth of holy Scripture. First, it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, divinely inspired of God; given immediately from God to men. Secondly, it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profitable. Profitable many ways; for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction. Doctrine is of things to be believed; Reproof of things to be refuted; Correction concerneth vices; Instruction virtues. Every way the whole Scripture is profitable, and is able to make men wise unto salvation. And yet must this holy Scripture, be noted for a great Book of Heresy: for containing erroneous and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresy? 2. Pet. 1.19. St Peter thought much otherwise. He in his 2. Epist. and 1. Chapter, having proved the certainty of Evangelicall doctrine, by two arguments, one drawn from his own experience, the other from the testimony of Almighty God in a voice from Heaven, vers. 16, 17, 18. addeth vers. 19 a third argument, drawn from the consent of the Prophets: We have also a most sure word of the Prophets, to the which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. So that ye first know this, that no prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost. Where first, the blessed Apostle calls the writings of the Prophet's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a most sure word. Secondly, he adviseth us to be diligently conversant in those writings: ye shall do well to take heed unto them. Thirdly, he shows the necessity, and use of them, by a comparison: they are as a light, that shineth in a dark place. Fourthly, he prescribeth the time of our diligence: we must take heed unto them, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in our hearts. Fiftly, he noteth their difficulty. Difficultas stimulus debet esse diligentiae; the more hard they are to be understood, the greater must our diligence be: No prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion. It is not in man's power rightly to understand the Prophets. The Treasurer to the Queen of Ethiopia confesseth as much. Act. 8.31. Sixtly, he pointeth at the author of Holy Scripture, not man's will, but the Holy-Ghost; For, the prophecy in old time came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost. What St Peter in this place affirmeth of the Prophetical Books, is true also of the Evangelicall, and Apostolical; what he affirmeth of the old testament, is true also of the new. The new and the old differ not in substance. In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi, & in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris. So saith St Austin lib. de Catechizandis rudibus. cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is tried, and in the new the old is manifested. The like the same good Father hath. Qu. 37. super Exodum: In vetere novum latet, & in novo vetus patet: in the old the new is covered, and in the new the old is opened. Old and new, both do agree in substance. Now make we our collection. The whole Scripture containing both Testaments, old and new, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word: to it we must take heed, as to a light that shineth in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: and this we must know, that no Scripture in either of the Testaments, old or new, is of any private motion: and that neither old nor new Testament came to us, by the will of man, but that holy men of God, have conveyed them unto us, as they were moved by the holy Ghost. And yet must this holy Scripture, be noted for a great Book of Heresy? for containing erroneous, and damnable opinions, and conclusions of Heresy? The first pillars of the Primitive Church, the ancient Father's thought much otherwise. Because I cannot stand long upon this point, one shall serve for all. Sweet Saint chrysostom in his ninth Sermon upon the Epistle to the Colossians, thus speaketh to his hearers: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; ye, my secular and lay auditors, hear me, I beseech you: Get you Bibles, your soul's physic: if you be unwilling, to be at charge for the whole, yet at least buy the new Testament: the Evangelists, and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers. If any grief befall you, make your repair hither, as to an Apothecary's shop, here shall you have variety of medicines, fit to cure you. If any damage, if loss of friends, if death come, here may you find comfort. In a word, the cause of all evil is, not to know the Scripture. You see how far this good Father is, from calling the Bible, a Book of heresies, as some late Papists have done: He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath, and thinks it for you very expedient, to have one of them in your houses, that at every opportunity, you may be reading in it. If any shall here object, I am towards the Law, I am employed about public affairs, I am a tradesman, I am a married man, I have children to maintain, I have a Family to care for, I have worldly businesses to look unto, it is not my part to read the Scriptures; this office belongs to them rather, who have bidden the world farewell: to such St chrysostom shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro. Quid a● homo? What sayest thou man? Is it not a part of thy business to turn over the Scriptures, because thou art distracted with many cares? Immo, tuum est magis, quam ill●rum. Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee, rather than to them, who have bidden the world farewell, because they need not so much the help of Scripture, as you do, who are as it were tossed in the waves of troubles. To conclude this point. Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures; let them debase, vilify, and disgrace them to their own utter confusion and perdition: we, through God's goodness, have learned a better lesson: that the word of God, which we call Scripture, is o Chrysost. hom. 7. de poenitentia. a haven free from raging surges, a well fortified bulwark, a to●re not staggering; an advancement not to be taken from us by violence, no not any way to be diminished; a stable blissfulness at no time languishing; a neverfailing pleasure: whatsoever good a man can speak of, Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ, he shall find it in the Holy Scripture. So saith sweet chrysostom, Homil. 7. De poenitentia. In my first Sermon before you upon this chapter, I delivered unto you the same effect, thus. The word of God (which we call Scripture) it is his most royal and Celestial Testament, it is the Oracle of his heavenly Sanctuary, it is the only Key, unto us, of his revealed counsels, it is Milk from his sacred breasts, the Earnest and Pledge of his favour to the Church, the Light of our feet, the joy of our hearts, the Breath of our nostrils, the Pillar of our faith, the Anchor of our hope, the ground of our love, the Evidence of our future blessedness. Now therefore, as the Elect of God, holy and beloved, let this word of God dwell plenteously in you, in all wisdom: frequent this place to hear it read and expounded unto you▪ and at home teach and admonish your own selves in Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. My exhortation is the same, that S. Paul made unto the Colossians, Chap. 3.16. Thus much of the preface. The prophecy followeth. The first part thereof is a general accusation of judah: For three transgressions of judah, and for four. Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused, in the name, judah. Secondly, whereof they are accused; For three trasgressions, and for four. First of the accused. The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdom of judah. The Kingdom of judah is taken sometimes latè, sometimes strictè: sometimes in a large, sometimes in a strict sense. In the large, it betokeneth all the twelve tribes of Israel: in the strict sense, it betokeneth only two tribes; judah and Benjamin. judah, and Israel at first were but one kingdom, which afteward was divided into two; the Kingdom of judah, and the kingdom of Israel. When, and how this was done, it is expressly delivered in 1 Kings 12. & in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Solomon, and thus. Rehoboam, King salomon's son, censured by Ecclesiasticus, chap. 47, 23. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the foolishness of the people, and one that had no understanding, succeeding in his father's throne, did, upon advice given him by his young counsellors, promise sharp usage and hard measure unto his people: My least part, my little finger shall be bigger than my father's loins: whereas my father did burden you with a grievous yoke, I will make it heavier: my father hath chastised you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges. This his unkind and evil entreating of a people, which of late, in King salomon's time, saw good and peaceable days, did cause a rebellion and revolt. Ten of the twelve tribes much discontented, broke forth into speeches of impatiency. What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Ischai: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So they forsook Rehoboam their rightful Lord, and set up unto themselves a wew King, jeroboam son of Nebat: yet were these children of Israel, who dwelled in the cities of judah, subject to Rehoboam still. Thus you see, Israel divided from Israel: ten tribes from the other two. Two tribes; the tribes of judah and Benjamin continued in their obedience to the house of David: the other ten tribes forsook it, and fell away. The ten revolted tribes have divers appellations in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets: Bethel, Bethaven, Samaria, jezreel, joseph, Ephraim, jacob, Israel: these names are appropriate, to signify the Kingdom of Israel. The other two tribes, judah, and Benjamin, called but one tribe in the 1 King. 11.13. because of the mixture of their possessions, these two tribes settled in their faithfulness and obedience to the seed of David, have likewise in the sacred Scriptures their diverse appellations. Sometimes judah, sometimes Benjamin, sometimes jerusalem, sometimes Zion, sometimes the house of David, are peculiarly designed to signify the Kingdom of judah. judah is one of these appellations, and that is the judah in my text, properly, vers. 5. I will send a fire upon judah, that is, upon the Kingdom of judah. And by a figure, in this first branch of this prophecy, where judah is put for the inhabitants of the kingdom of judah. Thus have you the parties accused, the inhabitants of the kingdom of judah. But whereof are they accused? Of sinning against the Lord. So goeth the letter of my text; For three transgressions of judah, & for four. What are these three and four transgressions? Arias Montanus makes three of them to be, manslaughter, incest, and idolatry: The first is manslaughter. Esay points at it, chap. 1.15. Your hands are full of blood. The second is incest. jeremy points at it, chap. 23.10. The land is full of adulterers. The third is idolatry. Hoseah points at it, chap. 1.2. The land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. The fourth, which of all, is the most flagitious and heinous, is expressed in this text; and it is their rejecting, abolishing, or disannulling of God's laws and commandments. For three transgressions of judah, and for four.] Albertus' the Great, B. of Ratisbon, will have three of these transgressions to be expressed in this text. The first of them is, Legis abiectio, the abjection, or contempt of God's Law: They have despised the law of the Lord. The second is, praeceptorum non obseruatio, the not observing of God's commandments: They have not kept his commandments. The third is, ad Idola conversio: their conversion to Idols: Their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers have walked. These three you see expressed in the text. But what is the fourth? It is Sacrati loci prophanatio, the profanation of the hallowed place. For three transgressions of judah, and for four] Paulus de Palatio doth otherwise descant upon these three and four transgressions. The first he will have to be committed by jehoram, son of jehosaphat, King of judah, who to make himself strong in his Kingdom, slew with the sword six of his brethren, and some of the Princes of Israel, 2 Chro. 21.4. The second by joash, son of Ahaziah, who alured by the flattery of some of his Princes, slew Zacharias, the son of jehoiada: or Barachias, between the temple and the altar, 2 Chron. 24.21. Matth. 23.35. The third, by King Amaziah, who, lifted up with pride for his victory obtained against the Edomites, did provoke the King of Israel to fight, 2 Chron. 25.17. Thus have you three of these transgressions. The fourth, saith this Paulus de Palatio, needs no enquiry. And why so? Amos in this text declares it. The Kingdom of judah from Rehoboams time was most propense unto idolatry: from that time, they cast away the law of the Lord, they kept not his commandments, they served Idols, after which their fathers walked. For three transgressions of judah, and for four] This phrase we met with five times in the former chapter, and once in this. The most natural, proper, and significant exposition, heretofore commended unto you, is this: to understand by three and four, many. A number finite and certain, is put for a number infinite and uncertain. For three transgressions of judah, and for four; that is, for many transgressions. As oft, as he will, God forgiveth, though we sinne many a time. It is but the custom of the Scripture thus to speak: God waiteth for us twice and thrice, that is, a good while, to have us return from our evil ways unto repentance: but the fourth time, that is, at length, when he seethe us persist in our impenitency, he protesteth against us, as here against judah, I will not turn to you, I will not turn away your punishment. I will not turn away the punishment thereof] These words are diversely rendered: by Gualther, non convertam eum, I will not turn judah, I will not recall him into the right way; he shall run to his own perdition. By Mercer: non parcam ei, I will not spare judah: according as his desert shall be, so shall he have. In our English- Geneva translation, I will not turn to it. In our late Church-Bible, I will not spare him. In our newest translation, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. So read junius and Tremellius, according to the Hebrew, Non avertam istud, I will not turn away this punishment, which I have resolved to lay upon judah. The sum of both accusation and protestation is this. If judah had sinned but once, or a second time, I would have been favourable to them, and would have recalled him into the right way, that so they might have been converted, and might have escaped my punishments, but now whereas they do daily heap transgression upon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I have hardened my face against them, I will not turn them unto me, I will not turn to them, I will not spare them, I will not turn away the punishment, which I have resolved to bring upon them; but indurate and obstinate, as they are, I will utterly destroy them. For three transgressions of judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Thus have you the exposition of the two first parts of this prophecy; of the accusation of judah, and the Lords protestation against them. Now let us see what doctrine may be taken hence for our further instruction, and the reformation of our lives. Doth God resolve to punish judah, for three & four transgressions? The doctrine arising hence is this. Three transgressions, and four, that is, many sins, do provoke Almighty God to lay his punishments upon us. God is of pure eyes, and beholdeth no iniquity. He hath laid righteousness to the rule, and weighed his justice in a balance. His sentence is passed forth, and stands, like the law of the Medes and Persians, irrevocable: Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul that doth evil. The soul that sinneth, itself must bear the punishment. God makes it good with an oath, Deut. 32.41. that he will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on judgement, to execute vengeance for sin. His soul hateth, and abhorreth sin; his law curseth and condemneth sin; his hand smiteth and scourgeth sin. Sin was his motive to cast Angels out of Heaven, to thrust Adam out of Paradise, to turn Cities into ashes, to ruinated Nations, to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinful flesh. Sin made him heretofore to drown the old world; and sin will make him hereafter to burn this. So true is my doctrine. Many sins do provoke Almighty God to lay his punishments upon us. Let us now make some use of this doctrine. Do many sin's cause Almighty God to punish us? First, we are hence taught, at what time soever God shall lay his rod upon us, to seek the true cause thereof in ourselves. Malorum omnium nostrorum causa, peccatum est, saith S. Austin, Serm. 139. de Tempore. The cause of all evil is within us: it is sin within us. It is impiety to imagine, that God will punish us without a cause. Non pateremur, nisi mereremur, saith that good Father; We should not undergo any cross or disturbance, unless we deserved it. Wherefore let us, every one of us in particular, when God cometh near to us in judgement, to touch, either our estates with want, or our callings with disgrace, or our bodies with sickness, or our souls with heaviness; let us have recourse to the sins within us, which have deserved this, and turn we to the Lord our God. Water, tears, sorrow, repentance, will better satisfy him, pacify him, move him, altar him, than whatsoever vengeance, or plagues, or blood, or death. Let us enter into a due consideration of our corruptions, our transgressions, our sins, wherewith, as with a heavy burden, we are laden: and return we to the Lord our God: adulterers, murderers, idolaters, the sacrilegious, the ambitious, the covetous, drunkards, railers, liars, the blasphemous, swearers, forswearers, all, who by any their evil ways provoke God to the execution of his justice, must take part in this conversion. Let no man draw back; let not the heinousness of our forepassed sins deter us or keep us, from so holy a course. I dare affirm with S. Austin Serm. 181. de Tempore. Non nocent peccata praeterita, si non placent praesentia. Sin's past hurt not, if sins present please not. Let us even now at this present in detestation of sin resolve to sin willingly no more, and our sins past shall never hurt us. O let not this use slip out of our minds. When God his heavy hand is upon us in any cross or tribulation, seek we out the cause of it in ourselves, in our sins. A second use followeth: and it is to stir us up to a serious contemplation of the wonderful patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbear those inhabitants of judah, till by their three transgressions, and by their four, they had provoked God unto displeasure. The holy Scriptures are frequent in proclaiming God to be merciful, and gracious, and long-suffering, and of great goodness. He cryeth to the foolish, Prou. 1.22. O ye foolish, how long will ye love foolishness? He cryeth to the faithless, Math. 17.17. O generation, faithless and crooked, how long now shall I suffer you? He cryeth to jerusalem, Matth. 23.37. O jerusalem, jerusalem, how often? What could the Lord have done more unto his vineyard, than he had done unto it? He dressed it with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could invent, as appeareth, Esa. 5.2. Such careful dressing could not but deserve fruit. This fruit he required not at the first hour, but tarried for it the full time, even till the autumn and time of vintage; if then it failed, did it not deserve to be eaten up? Look into the 13. of Luke vers. 6. There shall you see the Lord waiting three years for the fruit of his figtree, yea and content, that digging, and dunging, and expectation a fourth year may be bestowed upon it. Doubtless God is merciful, and gracious, and long suffering, and of great goodness. Hereof (Beloved) we have great experience. We have our three transgressions, and our four too, as judah had. Our manifold sins, our sins of omission, and our sins of commission, our sins of ignorance, and our sins of wilfulness, our sins of infirmity, and our sins of presumption, do they not day by day, impudently and saucily press into the presence of God's Majesty, to procure his vengeance against us? And yet we must needs confess it, God is good, and patiented towards us. Beloved, let us not abuse so great goodness and patience of our God. Though some fall seven times a day, and rise again; though to some sinners it pleaseth God to iterate his sufferance, as upon us hither to he hath done; yet should not we hereupon presume to iterate our misdoings. For we well know, that Almighty God punished his p joh. 8.44. I●d. 6. 2 Pet. 2.4. Angels in heaven for one breach, q Gen. 3.17. Adam for one morsel, r Num. 12.10. Miriam for one slander, s Deut. 32.52. Moses for one angry word, t Iosh 7.24, 25. Achan for one sacrilege, u Esai. 35.2. Ezechias for once showing his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel, x 2. Chron. 35.22. josias for once going to war without ask counsel of the Lord, and y Act. 5.5. etc. Ananias, and Saphira for once lying to the Holy Ghost. God is now as able, as ever he was, even for one transgression to cut us of; but if he patiently forbear us, till by three and four transgressions, by our many sins, we grieve the Holy Spirit of that Sacred Majesty, shall we think (as some impiously do) that God takes no notice of the sins, which we commit, or cares not for them? Far let all such conceit be from any Christian heart. Let us rather confess the truth: that God by such his forbearance doth lead us 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 sins. I grant that the justice of God goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, slowly, and in order: but for the most part it recompenseth the slackness of judgement with the heaviness thereof. It keeps the rule full well; to render for ripe sins, ripe plagues; for great sins, great plagues; for grievous sins, grievous plagues. The rule in the Scholes is thus delivered. Culpam poena sequitur, every sin hath a due punishment attending it. God is without exception just: and therefore Gravitas supplicij, gravitatem peccati denotat; grievous punishments wheresoever God shall lay them, do argue grievous sins of those places, and persons. Let no man then, that groaneth under any cross, affliction, or tribulation, complain of his hard hap, or ill fortune; all such visitations are from God, and for our sins. And if we will stay God's hand from correcting us, we must stay ourselves from sinning, and offending him. I conclude with S. Paul's exhortation to the Romans, chap. 6.12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies; obey it not in the lusts thereof; give not your members, as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin; but, as men alive from the dead, give yourselves unto God, that being freed from sin, and made Gods servants through jesus Christ, you may have your fruit in holiness, and the end everlasting life. THE V LECTURE. AMOS 2.4. Because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments. THe third part of this prophecy against judah is now to be examined: namely the enumeration of some particular sins, whereby the inhabitants of judah provoked their God unto displeasure. The first passage in this part is: They have despised the law of the Lord. Where we have, the sin of judah, and the object thereof; the sin, contempt; the object, the law of the Lord. They have despised: there is the sin. The law of the Lord: there is the object. First of the sin, of the contempt. They have despised] * Zanch. de oper. redemp. lib. 1. cap. 18. Thes. 2. Contempt is an action of the mind, by which we nothing at all, or very lighty esteem of a thing, and therefore do reject it. This action, which I call contempt, is partly from the understanding, partly from the will. First the understanding esteems a thing to be nothing or little worth; then doth the will reject it, and casts it away. A thing may be contemned two manner of ways; either simply, or in respect of some other thing. First simply. So we may contemn a vile fellow, one that hath no virtue, no goodness in him; one that is altogether vicious, given up a Rom. 1.28. to a reprobate sense, to drunkenness, to wantonness, to work all kind of wickedness, even with greediness. Such a fellow, is simply unworthy to be had in any the least estimation. Such we may, we must contemn. In like sort, if a tyrant command, that which is unjust, any thing that is derogatory to the glory of God, and threatneth grievous punishments, unless he be obeyed: in this case a good Christian, must be of a stout courage; he must despise the unjust command, and the proud threats of the tyrant; his zeal must be only for the glory of the Lord. The story of the three children, Dan. 3. is not unknown to you. The King of Babylon, Nabuchodonezor b Dan. 3.1. set up a golden image, and commanded it to be worshipped. His decree was, that c vers. 10. every one, that should hear the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harp, shawme, psaltery, dulcimer, and other instruments of music, should fall down, and worship the golden image: who so fell not down, and worshipped, he should be cast into the midst of a hot fiery furnace. This unjust decree of the King, the three children, Sidrach, Misach, and Abednego, regarded not: they could not be brought to worship this golden image; they feared not his hot fiery furnace; they knew, God was d vers. 17. able to deliver them from thence; if God would not, yet were they resolved in no wise to worship that image: they would not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry; so zealous were they for the glory of God. A worthy example for my present purpose, to show, that the unjust commands of Tyrants, are very justly contemned and rejected. So are the commands of Magistrates, Parents, and other superiors in authority, if they deprive God of his glory. If they diminish, remit, or abate any thing of the glory of God, they are simply to be contemned. You see now; a thing may be contemned simpliciter, simply. It may also be contemned secundum quid, in respect of some other thing: as when a man esteems more of his pleasure, or profit, then of the law of the Lord. Such an one may be said secundum quid, in respect of his own pleasure, or profit, to contemn the law of the Lord. And this contempt is a sin. The contempts, were not sins. A contempt may be a sin, or not a sin. You may discern it by its object, or the thing contemned. If the object, if the thing contemned be evil, then is the contempt good; it is a virtue, it's no sin. It is no sin to contemn a vicious fellow, in whom there is no spark of piety: it's no sin to contemn the impious and unjust commands of men placed in authority above us, as you have already heard. But if the object, if the thing contemned be good, then is the contempt evil, it is a vice, it's a sin. Such was this contempt of juda, for they despised the law of the Lord. You see their sin, Contempt. Now see the Object. The law of the Lord.] The LXX. have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the natural law of the Lord. But the law of the Lord, as usually it is divided in the schools, is either e Danae●● Isag. Ch●. par. 3. lib. 3. cap. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; it's either moral, or ceremonial, or judicial. The word in my text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word repeated in one Psalm, Psal. 119 four & twenty times: it signifieth not only the Moral law of God, expressed in the Decalogue, or ten Commandments, but the Ceremonial law also, yea and the judicial too: and generally f Moller in Ps. 1.2. totam Doctrinam à Deo patefactam, & Ecclesiae traditam: whatsoever doctrine is revealed from God, and delivered to the Church. Such was the contempt of these inhabitants of judah; whatsoever they were taught from God, by his holy Prophets, or by the reading of the Law, or by the light of nature, they despised it. They have despised the law of the lord] Though this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generally signify, whatsoever God any way teacheth; yet may it specially be taken for the Moral law, contained in the Decalogue, or ten Commandments; which for the excellency thereof is called the law of the Lord: and surpasseth all others for many reasons. 1. This Law was made by God himself, written by God himself, first in the hearts of men; afterwards in two g Deut. 4.13. & 5.22. & 10.2. Bellarm. Christ. Doctr. tables of stone. 2. This is the most ancient of all others: it is as the fountain of all the rest. 3. This is the most universal Law, that is, It bindeth not only Christians, but jews also and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, Princes and private men, the learned and ignorant. 4. This Law is immutable, it cannot be taken away, it cannot be dispensed with. 5. The promulgation of this Law was more solemn, then of any other. It was promulgated with the greatest solemnity, that could be in Mount Sinai, h Exod. 20.18. with sound of angelical trumpets, with great thunder, with lightning from heaven, in the presence of all the people of God. 6. This Law is, of all laws, most neccssarie. Necessary, for the preserving and maintaining of discipline both in and without the Church. Necessary, to convict man of sin, and to disrobe him of that pride, which makes him to presume of his own natural strength. Necessary, to repress and keep under the obstinate and self-willed sinner, with fear of punishments. Necessary, to inform and instruct the regenerate in the true service and worship of God. This law of the Lord so far surpassing all other laws for the excellency thereof, these inhabitants of judah did despise; they contemned it. You see the sin here laid unto their charge; Contempt of the law of the Lord. They have despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine arising hence is: The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grievous sin. This truth will be plain, if you will consider, what punishments God in his holy word threatneth and layeth upon the despisers, or contemners of his Sacred Majesty, of his ceremonies, of his commandments, of his holy word. Such despisers, or contemners, are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 3.32. The Lord will despise them, 1. Sam. 2.30. The Lord will scorn them, Prov. 3.34. The Lord will bring upon them terrors, consumptions, burning agues, and sorrow of heart, Levit. 26.15. The Lord will send a fire upon them to devour them, Amos 2.5. and having so done, He will laugh at their destruction, Prov. 1.26. For this contempt, Pharaohs chariots, his chosen Captains, and his host were covered in the deep; they sank to the bottom of the Sea, as a stone: they were all drowned, Exod. 15.4, 5. For this contempt, Saul was rejected from being King over Israel: he became his own executioner; he fell upon his own sword; 1. Sam. 31.4. For this contempt, salomon's kingdom was i 1. King. 11.11, 12. to be rend from him, and to be given to his servant: it was accomplished in his son's days, in the days of Rehoboan: the Israelites made unto themselves a new King, even jeroboam, son of Nebat, 1. Kings 12.20. What was it, but this contempt, that brought k 2. Chr. 28.13. ruin to the state of Ahaz? What but this contempt, hath brought to nought many ancient and flourishing kingdoms, and nations? What else, hath laid their honour in the dust? Infinite should I be, would I produce all, that is delivered in the Sacred Scriptures concerning this contempt of the Lord, and his holy laws. The little which I have already brought out of that invaluable treasury, may serve for the establishment, of my propounded doctrine; namely that The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grievous sin. You see the doctrine. Let us now make some use of it to ourselves. Is it true beloved? Is it a grievous sin to despise the law of the Lord? Let this be a motive to us to gauge the very depth and bottom of our hearts, there to see, whether we have sinned this sin: whether we have carried ourselves contemptuously towards the law of the Lord. Can we say concerning this law of the Lord, as that sweet singer of Israel, that holy man of God, King David once said; that we have not l Psal. 119.61. forgotten it; that, we have not m vers. 51. declined from it; that, we have n vers. 55. kept it; that, we o verse 113. love it; we p vers. 70 & 174 delight in it; our q vers. 97. meditation is in it all the day; that its better unto us, than r vers. 72. thousands of gold and silver? Can we thus truly say? Then doubtless are we free from this sin of Contempt of the law of the Lord. But if we wilfully break the law of the Lord: if we have no fear, nor feeling of the judgements threatened in that his holy law: if we run on securely in our courses: if we prostitute ourselves to all uncleanness: if we be filled with s Rom. 1.29. unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness: if we be puffed up with error, murder, debate, deceit, malignity: if we walk according to the t Ephes. 2▪ 2. course of the world, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, taking delight in doing the u Galat. 5.19. works of the flesh; then are we out of doubt guilty of this sin, of despising the law of the Lord. Wherefore let us, let every one of us, enter into the closet of our own hearts: examine we ourselves, how we have heretofore stood, and how we do now stand, affected to the law of the Lord. judge we ourselves, that we be not judged of the Lord; condemn we ourselves, that we be not condemned of the Lord. If we find ourselves hitherto to have been x 2. Tim. 2.26. entangled in the snares of Satan, to have fashioned ourselves to the manners of this sinful world, to have spent our days in vanities, and our nights upon the beds of wantonness, without any due regard of God's holy laws enacted in the high Court of Heaven to the contrary: our best way will be to betake ourselves to the throne of mercy, there to beg of Him that sitteth upon the throne, the grace of unfeigned repentance: that sorrowing with a godly sorrow for our sins past, for our rebellion and disobedience to the law of the Lord, expressed in the wicked conversation of our forepassed lives, we may now at length become new creatures, creatures of new hearts, and new spirits, resolving for the time to come to yield all obedience to the Law of the Lord, to frequent his Sanctuary, where this law is usually read and expounded to us, that God thereby may be glorified, and our souls saved. Thus fare of the sin of judah, as it is expressed in the first branch of this third part of my text: They have despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine grounded thereupon, was this: The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grievous sin. The use made thereof unto ourselves, was to stir up in us a desire of conforming our obedience to this law of the Lord. The sin of judah, is further expressed in the next clause: They have not kept his Commandments. Commandments] The word in the original, and Hebrew fountain is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; a word repeated, Psal. 119. two and twenty times. The Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: the vulgar Latin, and S. Hierome, mandata, just as we do, mandates or commandments. Tremellius and junius have statuta, statutes: some have Ceremonias, Ceremonies; which soever of these translations we receive, it will be consonant to the analogy of faith, and the precedent clause. For whosoever despiseth the law of the Lord, he observeth not his ceremonies, he keepeth not his statutes, he keepeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his mandates or commandments. So, this clause is but an exposition of the former. The same thing is twice said: 1. They have despised the law of the Lord. 2. They have not kept his commandments. Is the same thing twice said? Let it be true, that by the laws of the Lord, and the commandments of the Lord, one and the same thing be understood: is it likewise all one, to despise, and not to keep? or doth not our Prophet say less against the people of judah, where he saith, They have not kept the commandments of the Lord, then when he saith, They have despised the law of the Lord? He may seem to say less. But if we consider the force of the Hebrew phrase, we shall find it to be otherwise. It is a rule, y Drus●us. Hebraei per negationem contrarij vehementiùs affirmant: the Hebrews by denying the contrary do the more vehemently affirm. It may thus appear. Solomon in his Proverbs, chap. 17.21. saith, Non gaudet stulti pater, the father of a fool rejoiceth not. This may seem to be but coldly and slenderly spoken, not sufficiently to express that grief, which fathers do conceive at the disobedience of their sons, which the Wiseman there calleth foolishness. But the phrase is very forcible; Non gaudet stulti pater; the father of a fool rejoiceth not. Nemo quisquam unquam ita dolet, quin idem aliquando gaudeat, saith o Drus. obseruat. lib. 1. c. 22. a learned writer. There is scarce any man ever so grieved, but that at some one time, or other, he rejoiceth: but if a man at all times, and every moment of time be grieved, of him we may truly say, Non gaudet, he rejoiceth not. Non gaudet stulti pater: It is very fitly englished in our new translation: The father of a fool hath no joy. Here you, you who live under the rule of your parents, be ye sons, or daughters, living under father, or mother, if you behave yourselves disobediently towards your Parents, in salomon's account you are fools; and your Parents can have no joy in you. And, tell me, of whom should your Parents have joy, if not of you their children? S. Paul's exhortation is not lightly to be esteemed by you. Hear therefore what he saith unto you, Ephes. 6.1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. and vers. 2. Honour thy father, and mother. To the first he persuadeth you by a reason drawn from the school of nature, It is right so to do. To the second he allureth you, by an argument drawn from your own good, v. 3. So shall it be well with you, and you shall live long upon the earth. and ever remember this same, Non gaudet of Solomon: Non gaudet stulti pater; The father of a fool, of a disobedient child, hath no joy. A like phrase the same Solomon hath, Prou. 10.2. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: The treasures of wickedness profit not. This may seem to be spoken but jeiunely, and slightly, not sufficiently to express the hurt & mischief, that shall befall a man, for his goods unlawfully, and dishonestly gotten. But the phrase is very forcible, Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickedness profit not. Quod in omni tempori nocet saith p Drusius, ubi suprà. one, de eo verissimè enuntiatur, non prodest. Name any thing, that at all times is hurtful, and of it we may truly say, Non prodest, it doth not profit. Solomon hath named it: Thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickedness. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: It is very fitly englished in our new translation, The treasures of wickedness profit nothing, It is worth the marking: they profit nothing. Hear you, you who heap unto yourselves, Thesauros improbitatis, these same treasures of wickedness, by your avarice, extortion, oppression, usury, false-dealing with your neighbours, or otherwise unlawfully. You may know, that these your treasures of wickedness can profit nothing. They may be unto you obstacles, and impediments, to keep you for ever without the gates of Heaven. What meaneth else our blessed Lord, and Saviour jesus Christ, in that his constant asseveration to his Disciples, Mat. 19.23. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of Heaven? And again, where he saith, ver. 24. It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God? And who is this rich man? Qui divitijs, cor apponit; he that setteth his heart upon his riches, and trusteth in them: and not only he, but he also that getteth his goods unjustly, he that getteth thesauros improbitatis, those same treasures of iniquity: whereof for the present I say no more, than what our Saviour saith to his Disciples, Mat. 16.26. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Only I wish from my heart, that in your hearts were written this same; Non prosunt: Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickedness do profit nothing. Will you now look back to my text, for the explication whereof I have expounded to you a Non gaudet, and a Non prosunt. The first, Non gaudet, concerneth the Father of a disobedient child, and importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gaudij, the privation of joy: the Father of a disobedient son hath no joy at all. The other, Non prosunt, is spoken of goods ill gotten, and importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utilitatis, the privation of profit: Non prosunt, goods ill gotten profit nothing at all. My text hath answerable to those two, a Non obseruârunt. Non obseruârunt mandata eius, They have not kept the commandments of the Lord. This may seem to be but coldly and slightly spoken, not sufficient to express the disobedience of the people of judah, towards the commandments of the Lord. For there is no man living upon earth, that can keep his commandments. And if the people of judah in this, sinned, but as other men ordinarily sinned, what great matter is it, that our Prophet here objecteth to them? But the phrase here is very forcible. Non obseruârunt mandata eius: They have not kept his commandments. Here is implied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observantiae: a privation of observance. They have not kept the commandments of the Lord in any one point. Covenant-breakers and apostates, as they were, they refused to be under the Lords commandments, and audaciously framed to themselves a new kind of worship, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a will worship, a worship of their own invention; cultum plenum sacrilegijs, a worship full of sacrilege. We see now, what it is, that our Prophet in this branch of my text, reproveth in the people of judah; It is a Non obseruârunt a non observance, an universal neglect of the commandments of the Lord. They took licence to themselves, to innovate, to frame unto themselves a new kind of divine worship; such as the Lord never approved, yea, such as was contrary to the express will of the Lord, and was forbidden by him. From this reproof of judah, we may take this lesson: Obedience to the commandments of the Lord, is a duty which the Lord requireth to be performed by every child of his. This truth is made as plain, as the light at noon day, by the words of blessed Samuel to king Saul. 1. Sam. 15.22. Hath the Lord as great delight in offerings, and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice: and to hearken then the fat of Rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity, and idolatry. In which words of Samuel, we have the nature of two contraries, obedience, and disobedience, excellently deciphered. The one to be better than sacrifice: the other to be as witchcraft and idolatry. Obedience is better than sacrifice. For z Per victimas aliena caro, per obedien ●am vero voluntas propria mactatur. Greg. Mor. lib. 35. cap. 10. he that offereth a sacrifice, offereth the flesh of a beast: but he that obeyeth, offereth his own will, as a quick and reasonable sacrifice, which is all in all. Disobedience is as witchcraft and idolatry. For what else is disobedience, but when the Lord hath imposed some duty upon us, we then confer with our own hearts, as Saul consulted with the woman of a 1. Sam. 28.7. Endor; or as Ahaziah King of Samaria, with b 2. King. 1.2. Baalzebub, the God of Ekron, whether the word of the Lord, shall be hearkened to, yea, or no. Thus we set up an Idol, within our own breasts against the God of Heaven, and despising, forsaking, not keeping his commandments, we follow the voice, and persuasion of our own devices. To this place of Samuel (though of itself it be sufficient for the establishment of my propounded doctrine: Namely, that Obedience to the commandments of the Lord, is a duty which the Lord requireth to be performed by every child of his) let us add some other passages of holy Scripture, wherein the Lord to draw us to this duty of obedience, promiseth us blessings. Memorable is that protestation of Moses to the children of Israel. Deut. 11.26. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing, and a curse. A blessing if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God; a curse, if ye obey them not. As if he had thus said. Bethink yourselves, O ye children of Israel. Seeing God hath commanded me to publish his law unto you, it is not for you to fall asleep. He showeth you, how you may prosper all your life long, namely, if you will obey him. Obey him, and prosper all your life long. Is not this a great blessing? But if you obey him not, the curse will overtake. This doth Moses more particularly deliver, Deut. 28.1. If, saith he, thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and keep all his commandments: that is, if ye harken to the Lords voice, to obey his commandments, and be careful to keep them, then shall you be blessed all manner of ways; you shall be environed through God's favour, with all manner of welfare, and prosperity. Will you a Catalogue of such blessings, as shall be conferred upon you for your obedience to the commandments of the Lord? It is ready gathered to your hands, Deut. 28. Obey ye the Commandments of the Lord, so blessed shall ye be c Ver. 3. in the city, and blessed in the field: d Ver. 4. Blessed in the fruit of your bodies, and in the fruit of your grounds, and in the fruit of your cattles, and in the increase of your kine, and in the flocks of your sheep: e Ver. 5. Blessed in your baskets, and in your kneading troughs: f Ver. 6. Blessed at your coming in, and blessed at your going out: g Ver. 8. Blessed in your barns, and in all that you set your hands to. These and many other blessings recited in that Chapter, are plainly promised, and shall as faithfully be performed, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God. But if you be stubborn, perverse, and disobedient to the Commandments of the Lord, then shall cursings as fast follow you: Then Cursed shall ye be in the city, and h Deut. 28.16. Cursed in the field: i Ver. 18. Cursed in the fruit of your bodies, in the fruit of your ground, in the fruit of your cattles, in the increase of your kine, and in the flocks of your sheep: k Ver. 17. Cursed in your baskets, and in your kneading troughs: l Ver. 19 Cursed at your coming in, and cursed at your going out: m Ver. 20. Cursed in your barns, and in all that you set your hands to. These, and many other curses, recited in that Chapter, are plainly threatened, and shall as faithfully be performed, if you obey not the commandments of the Lord your God. I will not too fare presume upon your patience. You have heard of maledictions, or cursings against such as disobey the Commandments of the Lord. You have heard also of benedictions, or blessings to such as obey the commandments of the Lord. May it please you then to acknowledge this for an irrefragable truth; that, Obedience to the commandments of the Lord, is a duty which the Lord requireth to be performed of every child of his. What use shall we now make of this Doctrine? This needs no great consultation. The use is plain: Is obedience, a duty, which God requireth to be performed by all, who will be accounted in the number of his children? Then it is a duty required to be performed by us. For who is there among us, that desireth not to be in the number of God's children? Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) let us betake ourselves to the School of obedience: And strive we every one to go beyond his neighbour, in the offices of this Christian duty. Obedience! It hath praise with God and man. Obedience? It is the offspring of the righteous! Obedience! It is, saith n In scala paradisi. gradu de obedientia. Climacus, animae propriae perfecta abnegatio, spontanea mors, securum periculum, tuta navigatio, iter dormiendo confectum, sepulchrum voluntatis, excitatio humilitatis. It is, saith he, an absolute denial of ourselves; it is a voluntary death, it is a security from danger, it is a safe navigation, it is a journey performed as it were in a sleep, it is a sepulchre of our will, it is the stirrer up of humility. The obedient man, he absolutely denieth himself; but, that he may o Mat. 16.24. follow Christ: he dyeth voluntary, but p 1. Pet. 2.24. unto sin, that he may live unto righteousness: though he be on every side environed with perils, yet is he secure, and feareth nothing: though he sail in the sea of this world, yet is his sailing safe: though he iourneyeth in this valley of peregrination toward the Heavenly jerusalem, yet he doth it, as it were in a sleep, without molestation: he burieth the unruly affections of his will; and spendeth the remainder of his abode here in the exercises of sweet humility. Thus shall the man be blessed that is obedient to the Commandments of the Lord his God. It is said of the just. Psal. 112.6. In memoria aeterna erit iustus; The just shall be in everlasting memory. It may be likewise said of the obedient; In memoria aeterna erit obediens. The obedient shall be in everlasting memory. The Rechabites shall never want a testimony of their obedience, unless the book of jeremy the Prophet, be again cut with a penknife, and burnt, as in the days of q jerem. 36.23. Zedechias. jonadab their Father commanded them to drink no Wine, and for that commandments sake, they would drink none: they, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters, jere. 35.8. A worthy pattern of obedience. God himself commends it, and objects it for a reproof of the disobedience of his own people, the inhabitants of judah. For vers. 13. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of judah, and inhabitants of jerusalem: The words of jonadab, the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early, and speaking, but ye harkened not unto me. This complaint of the Lord is redoubled, vers. 16. The sons of jonadab, the son of Rechab, have performed the commandment of their Father, which he commanded: but this people hath not harkened unto me. May not the Lord now as justly twit us, and hit us in the teeth, with this example of the Rechabites? He may without doubt. The Rechabites kept the commandment of their Father jonadab, a mortal man, & now dead: but we keep not the commandments of our Father, our heavenly Father jehovah, the immortal, and the everliving God. Beloved, let us remember it. Disobedience hath never yet escaped the hands of Almighty God. It cast r Gen. 3.22. Adam and Eve out of Paradise; s Gen. 19.26. Lot's 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 kingdom; x jon. 1.15. jonas out of the ship: the children of Israel out of their native soil, yea, and from the natural root which bore them: whereof there is no other reason given, but their disobedience, jere. 35.17. I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; I have called unto them, but they have not answered. Is not the case just ours? God hath spoken unto us, but we have not heard him: he hath called us, but we have not answered him. He hath called us per beneficia, by his benefits, but we have not answered him per y Hugo Card. in jerem. 35. gratitudinem, by our thankfulness: he hath called us per flagella, by his chastisements and scourges, but we have not answered him, per patientiam, & correctionem, by our patience, and amendment: he hath called us, per exempla, by examples, but we have not answered him, per imitationem, by our imitation: he hath called us per praedicatores, by his Preachers; but we have not answered him, per obedientiam, by our obedience to his word preached. He hath spoken to us, but we have not heard him, he hath called us, but we have not answered him. Men and brethren, what shall we do? When a multitude of jews pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter, thus bespoke Peter, and his fellow Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter's answer for himself, and the rest, was, Repent, Act. 2.38. This same, Repent; is the best lesson that we can learn. We have not kept the commandments of the Lord our God, we daily transgress them: and hereby are Heaven gates fast shut against us. The only way for us to have them again opened, is to Repent. Repentance is the most sovereign medicine, that we can apply to the bitter wounds made in our souls through the sting of sin. Oh! Let us not defer, and put off this necessary 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 us, if we Repent, hath not promised us, that to morrow we shall repent. Wherefore let us, laying aside all excuses: delays, and prolonging of the time, let us even this day, while it is called to day, with touched hearts and consciences resolve upon Repentance. Let us even now have settled purposes, and willing minds to forsake all sin, and to turn to the Lord our God: this will be a good beginning of true conversion, and Repentance. Let us follow it with perseverance. Let not any idle sports, let not any houses of misrule, or disorder keep us from the Church, and this place of sound instruction. Here shall we all be taught of God, and by the mighty operation of his holy Spirit, shall be enabled to love his holy Laws, and in some measure to keep his commandments: that passing the remainder of our days in this land of our soiournings in all possible obedience, to his holy Laws and Commandments, we may at length be translated into that better Country, that Heavenly one, that city of God, wherein our eldest brother and sole Saviour, jesus Christ hath provided places for us, that where he is there may we be also. THE VI LECTURE. AMOS. 2.4. And their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked. IN my last Sermon I began the exposition of the third part of this prophecy against judah, and passed over the two first branches. You than heard the people of judah reproved, for contempt, and rebellion: Contempt of the law of the Lord, and rebellion against his commandments. They have despised the law of the Lord, they have not kept his commandments. What! judah! judah, a Lament. 2.1. the daughter of Zion; she that was great among the Nations, and b Lam. 1.1. a Princess among the Provinces: judah! That was the Lord's c Esai. 19.25. inheritance, the Lords d Exod. 19.5. peculiar, the Lords e Psal. 114.2. Sanctuary, the f Esai. 61.9. blessed seed of the Lord, the g Esai. 5.7. plant of the Lords pleasure: judah, to whom the h Rom. 3.2. oracles of God were committed; is judah become rebellious? Hath judah despised the law of the Lord? Hath not judah kept his commandments? What may be the reason of it? The reason followeth in my Text: Their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked.] In steed of lies, the vulgar Latin hath Idola, Idols. So hath S. Hierome: Deceperunt eos Idola eorum; their Idols have deceived them. What Idols? Even such as their fathers followed, while they lived in Egypt. They fashioned unto themselves, the semblance and counterfeit of the Egyptian Ox; they adored Beelphegor, they worshipped Astaroth and Baalim. Beelphegor, Astaroth, Baalim; these were the Idols, as S. Hierome commenteth, by which the inhabitants of judah were deceived: Deceperunt eos idola eorum; their Idols deceived them. For Idols, our English translation readeth Lies. the Hebrew fountain is our warrant: the word there signifieth Lies. Their Lies caused them to err. Lies are of two sorts: some are in commercijs; some in cultu divino: some in commerce with me; some in the service or worship of God. Lies in commerce with men, are committed 3. manner of ways, in words, in manners, in things. A Lie in words is, when we speak one thing, & think another: and this is either iocosum, or officiosum, or perniciosum; it is either a lie in jest, or an officious lie, or a pernicious lie; not one of these can be excused: no, not the lie in jest, though S. Austin call it otiosum, an idle lie; and exempteth it from blame: as also some do officiosum, the officious lie. A Lie in manners you may call simulation, dissimulation, counterfeiting, dissembling. This is seen in false-christs', false-Prophets, false-Apostles, false-Teachers, such as make a fair show of honesty, or for a i Luc. 23.14. pretence make long prayer, or k Math. 7.15. wear sheep's clothing, but are hypocrites, devourers, wolves. These lie in their manners: of these it is said, frons, oculi, vultus persaepe mentiuntur: the forehead, the eyes, the countenance, do often lie. The lie 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 broom twigs for balmewood, or alchemy for silver, or copper for gold. But these lies obvious and frequent in commerce with man, I must pass over. They are not intended in my text. The lies intended in my text, are lies in cultu divino, lies in the service and worship of God. Their lies caused them to err.] These lies in the service and worship of God, what are they? Lyranus will tell you. Quaecunque fiunt, aut cogitantur sine Dei verbo; Whatsoever things in divine worship are done or devised without the warrant of God's word, they are lies. So saith, that learned Professor of Paris, Mercer; Omnia humana figmenta, qua contra Dei verbum, in Dei cultu excogitantur; All humane inventions in divine worship devised contrary to the word of God, they are lies. Summarily thus I say: By lies in this place we are to understand, fictitios cultus, whatsoever worship of God is forged or counterfeited; l Coloss. 2.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all will-worship, all superstitious and blind worship. These are the lies, that caused judah to err. Their lies caused them to err.] First, they betook themselves to the Idolatry of the Gentiles, they made their sons to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the Heathen, 2. Kings 16.3. Secondly, they forsook the service of the Lords house, his holy Temple at jerusalem, and sacrificed, and burnt incense, in high places, on hills, under every green 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, even for such their superstition sake, to demerit unto themselves the favour of God, though they were utterly void of faith, and repentance. These were the lies that deceived judah; these their lies caused them to err. Commenta falsi cultus: their new-devised, feigned, and forged worships of God, were the lies, that caused them to err. This appellation of lies is also given to false worship, Rom. 1.25. where S. Paul chargeth the Gentiles, with changing the truth of God into a lie. They changed the truth of God into a lie, that is, the true worship of God they perverted, and changed into false worship. The reason why false worship there is called a lie, is, because it's opposed to truth. n Drusius. Quicquid veritati contrarium est, mendacium est; Whatsoever is contrary to truth, that is a lie. And therefore our Prophet here in this text opposeth lies, to the law of God; because Lex Dei veritas, Psal. 119 142. the law of God is truth. This antithesis between the law of God, and a Lie, we find, Psal. 119.163. Mendacium od●, immo detestatus sum; legem tuam diligo. I hate a Lie; yea I abhor it, but thy Law do I love. We see now, what these lies were, which caused judah to err: they were humane devices, and inventions in the worship of God, defiling and infecting the sincerity of that worship, which God only approveth. And yet is the Holy Spirit here pleased further to notify unto us these Lies of judah, in these words: After the which their fathers walked. Their Lies caused them to err; after the which their fathers have walked.] What fathers meaneth he? Those, which o Psal. 106.19. made them a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image, and turned their glory, even their God, into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass? of whom we read, Exod. 32.4. Or meaneth he those which served strange Gods in Vr of the Chaldees? of whom we read, josuah 24.2. Whatsoever the Fathers were, here meant by our Prophet; they were to these inhabitants of judah their ancestors; they were their forefathers: such as took delight in the service of false Gods. Their Lies caused them to err after the which their fathers walked.] It is no new thing, no strange thing, for children to strive to imitate their fathers, that they may be like unto them. This doth S. Stephen, Act. 7.51. object to the successors of these jews: Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye. Your Fathers were a stiffnecked people; so are ye. Your Fathers were of uncircumcised hearts and ears; so are ye. Your Fathers resisted the Holy Ghost; so do ye. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always 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 forefathers. What? Are these words of S. Stephen extended to all the ancestors of the jews? Were they all a stiffnecked people? Were they all of uncircumcised hearts and ears? Did they all resist the Holy Ghost? This may not be imagined. The many and glorious titles, and appellations bestowed upon that people in Sacred Writ do evidently 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, jacob, and all the faithful, that issued out of their loins: these are not the Fathers, whom S. Stephen meaneth. Other some there were notoriously infamous for their impiety, for their bloody tyranny towards the Lords Prophets, for their idolatrous service of false Gods. And these S. Stephen in his speech intendeth. These are they who in the 78. Psal. vers. 8. are called, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright; a generation, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. These are they, who S. john the Baptist meaneth, Matth. 3.7. where he calleth the pharisees, a Generation of Vipers. These are they, whom our blessed Saviour also intendeth, Matth. 12.33. & 23.33. where he styleth the pharisees, as john Baptist did; a Generation of Vipers. And what is this generation of vipers, but as p Comment. in Act. 7.51. Lorinus saith, pessimorum parentum pessimi filij, wicked sons of as wicked parents. Such were these Fathers in my text: of whom it is further said, that they walked after Lies.] They walked after Lies.] To walk, in the Scripture phrase is metaphorically taken, and hath diverse significations. For the understanding of the phrase in my text, you may know; there is a walking after truth, and a walking after Lies; or which is all one, there is a walking after God, and a walking after Idols. We walk after truth, or God, when from the bottom of our hearts, we think upon, and do those things, which God hath prescribed unto us in the word of truth; when we live a godly life, in this present world. On the other side, we walk after lies, or after Idols, when we worship that which is not God; or when we worship the true God, but upon a false foundation, polluting and defiling his sacred worship, with the foolish imaginations and inventions of our own brains. Thus did the ancient jews walk after Lies; which is here laid unto their charge: Their Lies cause them to err, after which their Fathers walked. Hitherto have you heard the exposition of the text. Give ear now I beseech you to such lessons as may from hence be taken for our further instruction, and the reformation of our lives. The first lesson I take from these words, Their Lies caused them to err; their lies, that is, their idolatrous and false worship of God, hath caused them to err, hath deceived them. The doctrine is: When men decline or swerve from the prescript of God's word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; and cannot but err. I thus explicate it. If we embrace not the truth of God, if we despise his holy Laws, if we keep not his commandments, we must of necessity fall into supine and gross lies. For so God permitteth. Whosoever believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness; whosoever receive not the love of the truth, that they may be saved, to such shall God send strong delusion that they shall believe lies, 2. Thess. 2.11. Now Almighty God to keep his elect and beloved ones from such efficacy of error, from such strong delusions; how oft doth he admonish them, that in no wise they depart from his holy word. q Deut. 12.32. Prov 30.6. Reuel. 22.18, 19 Add not to my word, neither diminish aught from it, Deut. 4.2. r Deut. 5.32. & 28.14. Iosh. 23.6. Esai. 30.21. Turn not from my word, to the right hand or to the left, Iosh. 1.7. Lay up my words in your heart and in your soul; bind them for a sign upon your hand, let them be as frontlets between your eyes, Deut. 11.18. What more obvious in holy Scripture than those Mementoes from the Lord? s Deut. 4.1, 6. Harken unto my statutes, and unto my judgements, keep them, do them: Remember t Num. 15.39. my commandments, u Deut. 6.17. keep them diligently, x Prov. 3.1. lay them up y Prov. 3.1. in thy heart: forget not my law, z Prov. 3.1. a Prov. 4.2. forsake it not: b Prov. 4. ●0. attend to my words, c Prov. 7.1. keep my words, d Prov. 4.20. incline thine ear unto my sayings. And why I pray is the Lord so earnest to have his statutes, his judgements, his commandments, his laws, his words, his sayings to be kept by us? Is it not, because he well knoweth, that if we ever so little decline or swerve from these, or from any one of these, we are forthwith enwrapped, and involued in deceit, and cannot choose, but err? Statutes, judgements, commandments, laws, words, sayings. Here are multa verba, many words, but res una, they all signify one thing, and that is expressable in one word, even the word; the w●rd of God mentioned in my doctrine, from whose prescript if we decline or swerve, we are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; we cannot choose but err. A reason hereof I may give you, out of Psal. 119.105. where the word of God is compared to a lamp, or a light: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. You know the use of a lamp, or light. It is to direct us in the dark, that we err not. Now what is this world, but a place of darkness? Here the natural man sitteth in darkness, Luk. 1.79. he walketh in darkness, Psal. 82.5. his eyes are blinded with darkness, 1. joh. 2.11. his understanding is darkened, Ephes. 4.18. he is subject to the power of darkness, Coloss. 1.13. he hath fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, Ephes. 5.11. he is even darkness itself, Ephes. 5.8. How then can he choose but err, if he have not this lamp, or light of God, the word of God, to direct him? It was not unusual, with the jews, to seek to them, who had e Esai. 8.19. familiar spirits, and to peeping and muttering wizard's. To reclaim them from this error, the Prophet Esay cap. 8.20. calls them ad legem, & ad testimonium, to the law and to the testimony, that is, to the word of God. And why doth he so? He tells you why, in the words following: If (saith he) they speak not according to this word, it is, because there is no light in them: What can be more plain? Where the word of God is not, or directeth not, there is no light, there is nothing but darkness▪ nothing but error. You have enough for the confirmation and illustration of my doctrine, which was, When men decline, or swerve from the prescript of God's word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit, and cannot but err. Is it so beloved? If we leave the word of God, are we forthwith in error? Let this be a strong motive to us, to give more diligence to the word of God, then hitherto we have done. Let us as we are exhorted by S. Peter in his 2. Epist. cap. 1. vers. 18. Let us take heed unto it, as unto a light, that shineth in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the daystar arise in our hearts. Let us not think any time misspent, that we bestow upon this word of God, either to hear it, or to read it, or to keep it. Young men, wherewithal will you cleanse your ways, but by taking heed unto your ways according to the word of God, as you are advised, Ps. 119.9. All men I know would be blessed; but then must they delight in the word of God, and make it their meditation day and night, as it is Psal. 1.2. If we leave the word of God, which is the lamp and light of God, then are we forthwith in darkness; we are in error. Is it so, beloved? Then secondly let us bring and offer to our gracious God, the calves of our lips, the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for that it pleaseth him for our direction in this valley of darkness and shadow of death, to give us the light of his most precious word. He hath not dealt so with many nations of the earth. Many there are, that have not the light of his word. And where this light is not, there can be nothing but darkness. Is it so, beloved? Then thirdly is the Church of Rome very injurious to the people of God, to withhold and keep from them this light of the word of God. Is it not plain, they do so, when they forbidden the Scriptures to be translated into any Vulgar tongue, and so seal them up from the understanding of the ignorant and unlearned? They willingly send the Scriptures abroad in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues: but what are the common people of any Nation hereby benefited? Do they understand the Hebrew, Greek, or Latin? A Papist will answer; there is no necessity that the vulgar sort should understand those ancient & sacred tongues. The f Ra●ford. Directory cap. 56. Church hath appointed learned men always to instruct the simple out of the book of God, with such histories and lessons, as may be most fit to edify and help them, in the way to Heaven. I grant, there is no necessity, yea it cannot be, that the common people should understand, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues: but I add; it is therefore necessary that the Holy Scripture should be translated into vulgar and known tongues, even for the understanding of the common people: as this day (through God's goodness) we have them in our English tongue, nor dismembered, and very much corrupted, as Radford would bear the world in hand; but more perfectly rendered, then ever was that old vulgar Latin edition, obtruded to the Christian world for Authentical by the g Sess 3 cap. 2. Trent Fathers. The exception taken against the translation of the Scriptures into vulgar, and known tongues, is vain and ridiculous. They say, that great, and marvelous inconveniences and discommodities have fallen out through such translations. How prove they this? They will seem to prove it by sundry instances. 1. They tell us of a h Staphylus de Bibliorun translatione pag. 492. Painter of Prussia, who, because he had in Luther's German Bible read of Lot his incest, adventured to abuse his own daughter. 2. They tell us of a i Idem ex Joh. Gastio Brisac. lib. de Catab●p●●siu. woman of k Monastrij. in Westphalia, who, having diligently perused the history of judith and Holofernes, attempted by the example of judith, secretly to kill the Bishop of Munster. 3. They tell us of l I●hannes ●ugdunensis, Sarcinater B●tavus. john of Leiden, who would be as a King, because m Staphylus ubi suprà. p. 494. ex Sleidan. lib. 10. josuah was such: and would have the toleration of many wives, because the Patriarches had many. 4. They tell us of n Idem ex Aenea Sylvio in historia ●●emorum. Grubenheimer, who, because he had read in Genesis, Increase and multiply, approved that in their night conventicles, their lights extinguished, they might commit filthiness not to be spoken. These four instances are brought by Frid. Staphylus in his treatise of the translation of the Bible into vulgar idomes. 5. They tell us of David George, a Batavian, who by reading the Scriptures in his mother tongue, was persuaded of himself, that he was the son of God, and the Messiah. 6. They tell us of an English woman, who hearing the Minister of the Parish where she lived, read out of Eccles. 25. somewhat against wicked women, which pleased her not, rose up from her seat, and said, Is this the word of God? Nay, rather it is the word of the Devil. These two latter instances are brought by Cardinal Bellarmine lib. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 15. To these, and the former, urged by Bellarmine, and Staphylus, to show the inconveniences, and discommodities of having the Bible in vulgar, and known languages, I thus briefly reply. Shall sober men be forbidden the use of meats and drinks, because many surfeit of them? This you will grant to be very absurd and unreasonable. So absurd is it, and unreasonable, that the people of God should be forbidden the use of the book of God in their vulgar & known languages, because a few, unstable persons, such as were the aforenamed, the Painter of Prussia, the Cobbler of Leyden, Grubenheimer, David George, and two silly women, the one of Westphaelia, the other of England, abused so rich a treasure to their own overthrows. This my reply agreeth with that answer, which o Animaduers. in Bellarm. Controu. 1. lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 63. junius giveth unto Bellarmine: Non convenit, ut propter eos qui abutuntur malè, praecludatur, aut eripiatur Scriptura eyes, qui sunt usuri benè. It's not convenient, that for their sakes who do to ill purpose abuse the Scriptures, the Scriptures should be sealed up, and barred from such, as would use them well. The reason, which Dr Bucknham, sometimes Prior of the Blackfriars in Cambridge, for this very purpose brought against Mr Latimer, is altogether as vain, and frivolous. The danger of having the Bible in our English tongue he proved after this manner. The ploughman hearing that in the Gospel by St Luke, Chap. 9.62. No man that layeth his hand on the plough, and looketh back, is meet for the kingdom of God, may peradventure cease from his plough: likewise the baker hearing that, Galat. 5.9. A little leaven corrupteth a whole lump of dough, may per-case leave our bread unleavened, and so our bodies shall be unseasoned. Also the simple man, hearing that, Math. 5.29. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, may make himself blind, and so fill the world full of beggars. This friarly and bald reason of Dr Bucknham, is not worthy any other answer, than the wish of Latimer. p Fox Martyrol. pag. 1904. Edit. Lond. An. 1570. Latimers' wish was, that the Scripture may be so long in our English tongue, till English men be so mad; the ploughman, not to look back; the baker, not to leaven his bread; the simple man, to pluck out his own eye. See you not (Beloved) how injurious the Papists would be towards you, were they Lords over you? The light of God's word, the incomparable and heavenly treasure, they would seal up from you in an unknown tongue. This was not the practice of old. Of old time, in the primitive times of the Church, the Holy Scriptures had their free passage. All sorts of people might read them, might search into them, might judge of them. The unlearned, as the learned; the laity, as the clergy; women, as men; base, as noble; young, as old; all had their shares in reading, in hearing, in meditating, in practising the sacred doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures. There can be no just reason to the contrary. For as S. chrysostom in his first Homily upon S. Matthew saith: The Scriptures are easy to the slave, and to the husbandman, to the widow, and to the slave, and to him, that may seem to be very simple of understanding. To which purpose S. Austin Epi. 3. ad volusian: affirmeth, that Almighty God in the Scriptures speaketh, as a familiar friend without dissimulation, unto the hearts both of the learned, and also of the unlearned. The like S. Basil avoucheth upon the 1. Psal. The Scripture of God is like an Apothecary's shop, full of medicines of sundry sorts, that every man may there choose a convenient remedy for his disease. Upon this ground S. chrysostom Hom. 2. in johan, would persuade his auditors, not only in the Church to be attentive to the word of God, but that at home also, the husband with the wife, and the father with the child, would talk together thereof; and would to and fro inquire, and give their judgements: and would to God, saith he, they would once begin this most approved, and most excellent custom. Theodoret in his fift Book de curatione Graecarum affectionum, seemeth much to rejoice at the knowledge which the Christians generally had in the sacred Scriptures. Our doctrine, (saith he) is known not only of them, who are the doctors of the Church, and Masters of the people, but also even of Tailors, and Smiths, and Weavers▪ and all Artificers: of women too, not such only as were learned, but also of labouring women, and Sewsters, and servants, and handmaidens. Neither only Citizens, but Country folks also do very well understand the same: Ditchers, deluers, Cowherd's, gardiner's, can dispute of the Trinity, and the creation of all things. Thus was it of old, and why should it not be so now in our days? The Holy Scriptures are the same now, that then they were. Now, as in the days of q Sermon. de Confessorib. sive Dispensat. p. 610. Fulgentius, In Sacris Scripturis abundat, & quod rebustus comedat, & quod parvulus sugat, There is in the Scriptures plenty, whereof the strong may eat, and the little ones may suck. Now, as in the days of r Epist. ad leandrum. Gregory, Scripturae flumen sunt, in quo agnus ambulet, & Elephas natet, the Scriptures are as a great River, wherein a Lamb may walk, and an Elephant may swim. Now, as in the days of s De Lazar●. Theophylact, Scripturae sunt, Lucerna quo fur deprehenditur. The Scriptures are as a lantern, whereby you may descry, and discover that great thief, the Devil, who is ever ready to steal away your hearts from God. Let us (deavely beloved) follow this lantern. Let this Lamp of God's word direct your footsteps. So shall we be safe from error. But if we will not follow it; if we will decline, if we will swerve from it, we shall be suddenly involued, and enwrapped in deceit, and cannot choose but err: This was my first doctrine. I can but touch the second. Their lies caused them to err, after which their Fathers walked.] You have understood by my precedent exposition of these words, that the Inhabitants of judah are here blamed, for adhering to the blind superstitions of their forefathers. The doctrine arising hence is this; In matters of Religion we are not tied to follow our forefathers. This truth is plainly derived from my text, for if we will make it our rule in Religion, to follow our forefathers; their lies, that is, their blind superstitions, and idolatrous worship of God, may deceive us, and cause us to err. Were not the elders of Israel, thus deceived, and brought into error? The twenty Chapter of the prophecy of Ezechiel makes it plain, that they were so: there shall you find it objected to them; that they were polluted after the manner of their fathers, and committed whoredom after the abomination of their fathers, ver. 30. And to draw them from adhering to the ill courses of their fathers, the Lord himself is pleased ver. 18. 19 thus to speak unto them: Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgements, nor defile yourselves with their Idols, I am the Lord your God: Walk in my statutes, keep my judgements, and do them. What will you more for the confirmation of my propounded doctrine? You have already the warrant of Almighty God from heaven for it, that in matters of Religion we are not tied to follow our forefathers. It is backed with another text, Zach. 1.4. Be not as your Fathers: your Fathers they heard me not, they harkened not unto me, saith the Lord. Be not you therefore as your fathers. Your fathers tempted me in the desert, Psal. 95.9. Will you also tempt me? Be not as your Fathers. Your Fathers were a stubborn and rebellious generation, Psal. 78.8. Will you also be stubborn, and rebellious? Be not as your Fathers. It is out of doubt; Our fathers must not be followed in evil. Yea, in matters of Religion we are not bound to follow our Fathers. If our fathers in their religion were blinded with superstition, and worshipped God otherwise, than they were directed by God's holy word, we are not to follow them: yea, we are plainly charged, not to be as they were: Thus briefly of my Doctrine: In matters of religion we are not tied to follow our forefathers. This truth serveth for a reproof of jesuits, Priests, Recusants, and all other popishly affected within this our country, who are so strangely devoted to the Religion whereof their fathers were, that they purposely shut their eyes against the light of God's word, & will not suffer it to shine upon them. To whom shall I liken them? They are like to certain jews, that dwell in Pathros in the land of Egypt: who when jeremy, in the name of the Lord, dehorted them from their Idolatry, did as it were, defying the Prophet, thus protest, jerem. 44 17. We will not hearken unto thee; We will do what seemeth good to us, as we have done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, so will we do. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven, we will pour out drink offerings unto her. For so long had we plenty of victuals, we were well, we saw no evil. Do not our popelings in England now sing the same song? Call them t Esa. 8.20. ad l●gem, & ad testimonium: call them to the word of God. Their answer is ready at their tongues end: we will not hearken to it: we will do, what seemeth good to us: as we have done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and Princes before us, s● will we do. We will persevere in the Religion professed by our Fathers, and revived in Queen Mary's days. For so long, as that religion was on foot, we had plenty of victuals, we were well, we saw no evil. Wretched 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 given in charge to the Prophet, to be conveyed to the jews, be not in every point appliable unto you: Make the heart of this people fat, make their ears heavy, shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, & understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Will the u jerem. 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 firm resolution to live and dye in the religion of their fathers, is made apparent by their x An. D. 1603. supplication, to the most puissant Prince, and orient Monarch, our gracious Lord, King JAMES; one branch whereof, is this: We request no more favour at your Grace's hands, then that we may securely profess that Catholic religion, which all your happy predecessors professed, from Donaldus the first converted, unto your Majesty's peerless mother. To this purpose doth y Preface to the King, before his Survey. Dr Kellison recite unto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors, to move him, if possible, to embrace their Religion. But (God his holy name be blessed for it) all in vain. When Fridericke the iv Elector of the Sacred Roman Empire, and Count Palatine of the Rhine, was by a certain Prince advised, for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis; his z Polan. come. 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 only the will of God. And for this resolution he alleged the forecited testimony of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel: Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgements, nor defile yourselves with their Idols. I am the Lord your God; walk ye in my statutes. I doubt not, but that our gracious Sovereign, King JAMES, hath ever had, and will have a like answer in readiness, to stop the mouths of Kellison, and all others, who have dared, or shall attempt, to move his royal Majesty for his religion to be like his predecessors. God give our King the heart of a Iosh. 24.15. joshua; a heart steadfast and unmoveable in the true service of the Lord our God. Though some of his Predecessors have been deceived to fall down before the beast in the Apocalypse, and to worship his image, yet good God, so guide our King, and bless him with a religious people, that He and we, and his people, may now and evermore fear thee, and serve thee, in sincerity and truth, to the glory of thy great name, and the salvation of our own souls, through jesus Christ our Lord. THE VII. LECTURE. AMOS 2.5. But I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. THree former Sermons have carried me past the preface, and the three first parts of this prophecy against judah: the fourth, which is the Commination, or Denunciation of the judgements of the Lord against judah and jerusalem, remaineth to be the subject of this my present discourse. But I will send a fire etc. These words are no strangers to you. You have met with them five times in the first Chapter, and once before in this. Their exposition, their division, the Doctrines issuing from them, the Uses and applications of the Doctrines, have diverse times from out this place sounded in your ears. Yet now, (the order, observed by the Holy Spirit in delivering this prophecy, so requiring it) they are once more to be commended to your religious attentions. May it please you therefore to observe 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 means he 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 Kingdom of judah, and the chief City thereof, jerusalem. I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. 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 jews, Gods own friends, and children. I will send a fire upon judah.] I] Who a Amos 4.13. form the mountains, and create the wind, and declare to man what is his thought, and make the morning darkness, and tread upon the high places of the earth; I will send. I, who b job 12.14. break down, and it cannot be built again; who shuts up a man, and there can be no opening; I will send. I, who c Psal. 33.9. speaks, and it is done, who commands, and it standeth fast. I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. This fire, which the Lord sendeth upon judah, is not so much a fire properly taken, as a fire in a figurative understanding. It betokeneth that desolation, which was to betide the kingdom of judah, and the chiefest City thereof, jerusalem, from hostile invasion. I will send a fire. This commination began to be fulfilled in the days of Zedechias, King of judah. The history is very memorable; and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and jerem. 39 & 52. In those places you may read, how d 2. King. 25.1. Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon, came against jerusalem, pitched against it, besieged it, took it. You may read how he e vers. 6. took King Zedechiah prisoner, slew his sons before his face, put out the Kings own eyes, bound him with brazen fetters, and carried him away to Babylon: you may read, how f vers. 8. Nebuzaradan, Captain of the guard, and chief Marshal to the King of Babylon dealt with jerusalem. He g 2. Chro. 36.19. 2. Reg. 25.9. broke down the wall thereof, and burnt with fire the house of the Lord, the King's house, every great man's house, all the houses, and palaces there. Say now; did it not fall out to judah and jerusalem, according to this commination? I will send a fire upon judah and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. This desolation being thus wrought upon judah, and jerusalem, by the Chaldees; the jews, such as escaped from the sword, were carried away to Babylon, where they lived in servitude and bondage, to the Kings of Babylon for ʰ threescore, 2. C●ro. 36.21. and ten years. This was that famous deportation, commonly styled the Captivity of Babylon, from which unto CHRIST are numbered, (Matth. 1.) fourteen generations. When the years of this captivity were expired, and the Monarchy of Persia was settled upon King Cyrus, King Cyrus stirred up by the Lord, made a proclamation, whereby he permitted the jews to return into their country, and to i ●●ra 1.3. re-edify the Temple of the Lord at jerusalem. The jews now returned from their captivity, wherein they lived threescore and ten years, without a King, without a Prince, without a sacrifice, without an Image, without an Ephod, without Teraphim, (as it is witnessed, Hos. 3.4.) could not but with much joy, and great alacrity, under the government of their new Prince, k Ezra 3.2. Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and their new Highpriest, jesbuah, son of jozadak, betake themselves to the building again of the Lords house in jerusalem. The building was begun; it proceeded; but was soon hindered, by the decree of l Ezra 4.23, 24. & 1. ●sar. 2.30. Artaxerxes, King of Persia. So the work of the house of God at jerusalem, m Ezra 4.24. & 1. Esar. 2.30. ceased for some ten years, till the second year of the reign of Darius [son of Hista●pes] King of Persia: by whose gracious n Ezra 6.8. decree for the advancement of the building, the building was again set on foot, and so diligently attended, that in the o vers. 15. sixth year of the reign of the same King▪ King Darius, it was finished; as it is delivered, Ezra 6.15. Thus was the house of God, the Temple of the Lord in jerusalem, after p johan. 2.20. 46. years consummate, and dedicated. Now once again was the Lord of hosts jealous of jerusalem, and for Zion, q Zach. 1.14. & 8.2. with a great jealousy: now again were r Zach. 8.4, 5. old men, and old women, to dwell in jerusalem, and boys, and girls to play in the streets thereof: now again was jerusalem to be called s Zach. 8.3. a City of truth, the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the holy mountain; and the jews, which in former times were t Zach. 8.13. a curse among the heathen, now became a blessing: now again were they u Zach 8.8. the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God, in truth, and in righteousness. Thus were the people of judah, through God his special goodness, blessed with joy and enlargement: for so much we find registered, Zach. 8. What did the people of judah, for so many streams of God's bounty derived upon them, render unto the Lord their God? Did they (as meet was) x Ps. 116.13, 14. take up the cup of salvation? did they call upon the name of the Lord? did they pay their vows unto the Lord? Did they, as they were commanded, Zach. 8.16? did they speak the truth every man to his neighbour? did they execute the judgement of truth and peace within their gates? did they imagine no evil in their hearts, one against another? did they love no false oaths? What saith the Prophet Malachi to this? He confesseth chap. 2.10, 11. that the people of judah dealt treacherously every one against his brother; that they violated the covenant of their fathers; that they committed abomination in jerusalem; that they profaned the holiness of the Lord; that they married the daughters of a strange God: and chap. 3.5. that they were sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, oppressors: and vers. 7. that even from the days of their fathers they departed from the ordinances of the Lord, and kept them not. Is not enough said against them? Then add yet further; they corrupted the Law, they contemned the Gospel, they beheaded john Baptist, they crucified Christ, they persecuted the Apostles. Impiety of such an height and elevation could not but presage a fearful downfall. This their downfall is in a figure foretold by the Prophet Zacharie, chap. 11.1, 2. Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy Cedars. Howle Fir tree, for the Cedar is fallen, howl ye Okes of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage is come down. What Zacharie doth in a figure, that doth Christ foretell in words proper and significant, Luk. 19.42. where beholding the City of jerusalem, and weeping over it he saith: The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side: and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children with thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this utter desolation of the City jerusalem, foretold by Zacharie, and by Christ; by the one in a figure, by the other in plain terms, was brought upon that stately City by Titus, son of Vespasian, after the incarnation of Christ, threescore and eleven years, as Genebrard, threescore and twelve, as Funccius, threescore and thirteen as y Pedro Mexia in vitis Imperat. in Vespasiano pag. 126. others, in the second year of the Emperor Vespasian. It was besieged for the space of five months: in which time there passed many assaults, many skirmishes, much slaughter, with wonderful obstinacy and resolution. The famine mean while afflicting the City was such, as no history can parallel. When their ordinary sustenance was spent, the flesh of z Pedro Mexia ibid. horses, asses, dogs, cats, rats, snakes, adders, seemed good unto their tastes. When this food failed, they were driven to eat even those things, which unreasonable creatures will not eat. a Fam● impellebantur ut vel equ●rum lora, & suos baltheos, & calceos, & coria c●mederent, Pontan. Bibliothec. Conc. Tom. 4. ad Domin. 10. Trinit. Of their leather; leather bridles, leather girdles, leather shoes, and the like, they made for themselves meat. b Fame impellebantur ut comederent stercora beum, & quodcunque stereus reperiebatur, illiu● partum p●ndus quat●or nummis ve●debatur. Pont. ibid. Ox dung was a precious dish unto them. Purgamenta olerum, the shred of potherbs cast out, trodden under foot, and withered, were taken up again for nourishment. c Egesippus de exci●io Hieroslym. lib. 5. c. 21. Miserabilis cibus, esca lachrymabilis: Here was miserable meat, lamentable food, yet would the child d Rapiebant parentibus filij, parents filijs, & de ipsis fan●●bus c●b●s proferebatur. Egesip. ibid. snatch it from his parent, and the parent from his child, even from out his jaws. Plerisque etiam vomitus esca fuit, saith Egesippus; some to prolong their lives would eat up that, which others had vomited. Among many other accidents in this famine at jerusalem, one is so memorable, that I cannot well pass it over. e De bello judaico lib. 7. cap. 18. josephus, an eye-witness of this their misery, tells us of a woman, a mother, Marry, Eleazar's daughter, who took from her own breasts, her own child, a harmless suckling, a silly infant, did kill it, and did eat thereof. My author saith; that this unnatural mother took her tender babe, as it was sucking, from her breast, and thus spoke unto it. f Miserun te, infans in bello, & fame, & seditione, cui te seruavero? Little infant, poor wretch, in war, in famine, in sedition, for whom shall I preserve thee? for whom shall I save thee alive? If thou live, thou must be a slave to the Romans: but famine prevents thy servitude; yea and the mutinous jews are more cruel, than either the Romans, or the famine Be thou therefore mihi cibus, seditiosis furia, humanae vitae fabula: Be thou meat to me, a fury to the mutinous, and even a mock of the life of man. When she had thus spoken, she embrued her hands in the blood of her own son; she boiled the dead body, and eat the one half: the remainder she reserved for another repast. The mutinous jews drawn by the g Contaminatissimi nidoris odore capti. scent and savour of this meat, broke into this woman's house: they threatened to kill her, unless she would show them, where her meat was laid. She told them, she had meat indeed, and had reserved it for herself; notwithstanding, sith they so urged her, she would show it to them. So she brought them to the relics of her son. At the sight thereof, they shrunk back with fear, horror, and astonishment. Then the mother, merciless mother, with great boldness said thus unto them: This meat, which you see, is indeed part of my own son: it was my h Facinus meum. deed to kill it: eat ye of it: for I have eaten. Will you be more tender than a woman? more pitiful than a mother? eat ye of it: I have eaten. If you will not eat it, it shall remain for me his mother. A mother! No mother, but a monster she was, that could act such a prodigy. Well: What with the extremity of this famine, what with the fury of the sword, what with sickness during the time of this war against jerusalem, there i See Pedro Mexi ● in the life ●f Ve●pa●ian. perished in jerusalem, and the Province adjoining, as k In Chr●nic●● An. Do. 73. Eusebius, l Lib. 7. cap. 9 Pag. 594. Orosius, and m C●rne●●us & Suetonias apud O●●siam loco citato. other Authors affirm, six hundred thousand men able to bear Arms. But if we will believe n De bello judaic lib. 7. cap. 17. Vndecies centum millia. & Euseb. Histor. Ec●l●s. lib. 3. cap. 7. josephus, a jew, and present at that war, there died eleven hundred thousand, or a million, and one hundred thousand. And josephus his report is subscribed unto by o Apud Lipsium n●●u ad Tacitum lib. 5. pag. 539. Zonaras and jornardes'. Besides these now dead fame, morbo, ferro, partly by famine, partly by sickness, partly by the sword, there were taken captive to the number of p Ios●ph. ubi sup●a. Cassiodor chronic. Tit●s filius Vesp●siani judea cap ta centum mil●ia caphit●r●m publice v●●n●ndedit. Abbas V●sperg. Chronic. ad An 29. Chr. 73. 97. thousand, or as q some one hundred thousand, sold, and dispersed in the wide world. The jews thus dead, and scattered, what became of their glorious city jerusalem? The holy Temple there was burnt, their strong and high walls were thrown down; all the city became waste and desolate, and so it remains to this day. Certainly it is befallen judah and jerusalem, according to this commination in my text: I will send a fire upon judah, and it shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. Thus fare have you the words of my text expounded. Now to the doctrine. You have heard Gods judgements against the kingdom of judah, and the glorious City jerusalem denounced in the same words, as his judgements were against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel, they were strangers from the covenant of promise; they had no hope, they were without God in the world. But these jews, these Inhabitants of judah and jerusalem, were of the Common wealth of Israel: God made his covenant with them; they were not without hope; they were the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God: yet because they sinned against the Lord, as the forenamed Gentiles did, the Lord was pleased to deal with them, as with the Gentiles; even to send a fire upon judah, which hath long since devoured the palaces of jerusalem. The doctrine which from hence I commend unto you, is; Whosoever do imitate the Heathen in their impieties, they are in the Lords account no better than the Heathen, and shall be punished as the Heathen. God is absolutely unpartial both in mercy, and judgement, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, without respect of persons, he judgeth according to every man's work, 1. Pet. 1.17. jew or Gentile, it's not material; if they be obedient, they shall live and flourish; if they be rebellious, they shall die & perish. Sundry other r Deut. 10.17. 2. Chro. 19.7. job 34.19. Esai. 11.3. Mat. 22.16. Mar. 12.14. Luc. 20.21. Act. 10.34. Rom. 2.11. Galat. 2.6. Eqhes. 6.9. Coloss. 3.25. places there are in both Testaments, old and new, which I might allege to show, that with God there is no respect of persons. By Persons I mean, not the substance of man, or man himself, but his outward quality or condition; as Country, sex, parentage, wealth, poverty, nobility, wisdom, learning, and the like. According to these, God in judgement respecteth no man. Whosoever he be, jew, or Gentile, male, or female, poor and rich, bond or free, learned, or unlearned, that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, he is accepted with God, Act. 10.35. but let jew, or Gentile, male, or female, poor or rich, bond or free, the learned or unlearned, work wickedness before the Lord, and he shallbe without partiality punished, job 34.19. Such hath ever been the practice of the Lord. Lazarus his poverty did not hinder him from salvation, neither did the rich man's abundance free him from damnation. It was no impeachment to Cornelius, that he was a Gentile, nor immunity to judas, that he was a jew; Saules throne could not shield him from the wrath of God, neither did David's sheepfolds avert from him the blessings of God; Esau was the elder brother, yet God hated him, jacob was the younger, yet God loved him. Never did any perish in obedience, never did any prosper in rebellion. Certainly God hath no respect of any man's person, for his outward estate, quality, or condition. God spared not the Angels for their excellency, nor the old world for their multitude; nor Saul for his personage, nor Absalon for his beauty, nor the jews for their prerogative, nor jerusalem for her goodly buildings. From this unpartialitie of God in his works of justice, my proposition stands good, Whosoever do imitate the Heathen in their impieties, are in the Lords account no better, than the Heathen, and shall be punished as the Heathen. Will you a reason hereof? It is because the Lord takes impiety for impiety wheresoever he finds it, and for such doth punish it. And he finds it every where. For the eyes of the Lord s 2. Chr●n. 16.9. run to and fro throughout the whole earth, and are in t Pr●u. 15.3. every place to behold as well the evil, as the good. His eyes are u jere. 16.17. upon all our ways; he seethe x job 34.21. all our doings, he y job 31.4. counteth all our steps, no iniquity is z jere. 16.17. hid from him. This doth the Prophet jeremy, Chap. 32.19. wall express; Thine eyes, O Lord, are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. This the very Ethnics, guided only by Nature's light; have acknowledged. Sibylla in her Oracles could say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The Almighty and invisible God, he only seethe all things. Hesiod could say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God hath an Allseeing eye. Plautus could say, a Caped ivi. Est profecto Deus, qui, quae nos gerimus, auditque & videt; Doubtless, there is a God, who both heareth and seethe whatsoever we do. And b Metamorph. lib. 13. Ovid could say, Aspiciunt oculis superi mortalia iust●s: There is a God above, who hath just eyes, beholdeth all the doings of mortal men. c Thales interregatus an furta ●●m●●um Deos fallerent: Nec cogi●ata, ●nq●it. Valer. Mar. lib. 7 cap. 2. & Dioge. Laert. lib. 1. in Thal s. Thales of Miletum, the wisest of the seven, being asked, whether men's evil deeds could be kept close from God No, said he, nor their evil thoughts. The Hieroglyphic, the mystical, or enigmatical letter whereby the Egyptians would have God to be understood, was an eye. And why so? But as d Hier●glyph. lib. 33. Pierius saith, because Deus ille optimus maximus, the great God of Heaven, is mundi oculus, the eye of the world. It may be such was the conceit of that ancient e Augustin. Father, who said of God, that he was totus oculus; wholly an eye? He gives his reason, quia omnia videt; because he seethe all things. All things are to the eyes of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naked and opened [seen 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 unto the Lord: he seethe them all, and for impieties will punish them. Well saith f De constantiâ lib. 2. cap. 16. Lypsius: Culpae comes, iustissimè poena semper est; Pain is always the companion of a fault. And g Jbid. cap. 14. again, Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri, sceleris supplicium; Every wickedness brings a punishment with it. As the work is, so is the pay; if the one be ready, the other is present. h Lipsius' de constant. lib. 2, c. 13. Never did any man foster within his breast a crime, but vengeance was upon his back for it. If there be impiety, there cannot be impunity. Witness the blessed Apostle S. james, chap. 1.15. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. And S. Paul, Rom. 6.23. The wages of sin is death. Many are the texts of holy Scripture, which I might allege 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 do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. From these now-touched considerations (first that Almighty God in judgement accepteth no persons; then, that his All-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoever impiety is done, not only in our works and words, but also in our most retired thoughts; thirdly, that in justice every impiety is to receive a due punishment) from these considerations my position stands firm and unmoveable. Whosoever do imitate the Heathen in their impieties, they are in the Lords account no better than the Heathen, and shall be punished as the Heathen. Here let all good Christians be admonished, with their greatest carefulness to look unto their ways, that they walk not in the bypaths of sin, to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam, non potest effugere poenam, saith i Comment. in Hebr. 12. Hugo Cardinalis. Think not that thy prerogative of being a Christian can be a shield unto 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 heir to the name of Christ, and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holiness. A Christian (saith S. Austin, if he be the Author of the Book m Lib. 1. cap. 6. de vita Christianâ) A Christian is a name of justice, of goodness, of integrity, of patience, of chastity, of prudence, of humility, of courtesy, of innocence, of piety. A Christian is he, who is a follower of Christ, who is holy, innocent, undefiled, unspotted, in whose breast there is no wickedness; who hurts no man, but helpeth all. He that can truly say: I hate not mine enemies, I do good to them that hurt me, I pray for them that persecute me, I do wrong to no body, I live justly with all men, hic Christianus est, he is a Christian. But, if in the profession of Christianity, a man life's the life of a Heathen, the name of a Christian shall do him no pleasure: If he take delight in the n Galat. 5.19. works of the flesh, in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, drunkenness, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, or any like sin, God will forsake him, the holy Angels will fly him, the blessed Saints will detest him: the Reprobate shall be his company, the Devils his fellows, hell his inheritance, his soul a nest of scorpions, his body a dungeon of foul spirits; and at last both body and soul shall eternally burn in fire unquenchable. Wherefore (dear beloved) suffer a word of exhortation. o Ecclus. 21.1.2.3 Have you sinned? Do so no more. Flee from sin as from the face of a Serpent. For if you come too near it, it will bite you: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lion, slaying the souls of men. So saith Ecclus chap. 21.2. Flee from sin as from the face of a Serpent. Sin? It's like a leaven that will leaven the whole lump: It's like a scab, that will infect the whole flock: It's like a flaming fire, that will burn the whole house: it's like a wild Horse, that will cast his rider into hell; it's like a wild gourd, that will poison the whole pot; it's like a plague, that will destroy the whole city; it's like a p Ecclus. 21.3. two edged sword, the wounds thereof cannot be healed. Fly therefore from sin, as from the face of a Serpent. And ever remember what befell judah and jerusalem for their sins. They despised the Law of the Lord, they kept not his commandments, their lies caused them to err, after which their fathers walked; therefore hath the Lord sent a fire upon judah, which hath devoured the palaces of jerusalem. Thus fare of my first doctrine. A second followeth. I take it from the condition of jerusalem. She had fair appellations. She was called the Virgin, and the daughter of judah. Lament. 1.15. The daughter of Zion. ver. 6. the city, that was great among the nations, and a Princes among the Provinces. ver. 1. The holy City. Mat. 4.5. The City of the great King. Mat. 5.35. The Lord he chose it, he desired it for his habitation, he said of it: This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein, Psal. 132.14. And yet notwithstanding, jerusalem is razed from the foundation, she is utterly destroyed. It is befallen her according to this commination in my text, I will send a fire upon judah, which shall devour the palaces of jerusalem. My doctrine is; God will severely punish sin, even in his dearest children. This S. Peter avoweth, 1. Epistle 4.17. saying: judgement must begin at the house of God, Hi● meaning is, that the punishment and chastisement of sins beginneth with the Saints and servants of God, in whom as it were in a house, or Temple God dwelleth. If they who are most familiar with us, do sin against us, we fret and grow discontented. The most familiar with God are his faithful ones, who fill the house of God, which is his Church. If these sin against God, can God take it well? He cannot. He will punish even his faithful ones. So saith St Austin, Epist. 122. Ad victorianum; Propter peccata sua etiam sancti flagellantur, the very Saints of God are scourged for their sins. You see my doctrine confirmed; God will severely punish sin even in his dearest children. The reason is given by S. Austin in his Book of fifty Homilies, Homil. 21. because justitia est, ut puniat peccatum, it is a part of God's justice to punish sin, a part of his Active justice; So do the Schools call the justice of God, by which he judgeth and punisheth offenders. Of this justice of God it is said in our English Liturgy: It belongeth to God justly to punish sins. Yea, so doth it belong to God, that God is not just, unless he punish sin. The use of this doctrine is urged to us by S. Pet. 1. Epist. Chap. 4. vers. 17.18. If God will severely punish his own children for their sins; If judgement must begin at the house of God; what shall become of strange children, children of Belial? What shall be the end of them, that obey not the Gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the and sinner appear? To this purpose is that of our blessed Saviour jesus Christ Luk. 23.31. If they do these things to a green tree, what shall be done to the dry? It is, as if he had said more plainly thus; If God, my Father, suffer me, who am innocent and without sin, who am like a green and a fruitful tree, so grievously to be afflicted, and to be hewn down, as if I were a dry tree, how much more will he suffer you, who are sinful, and rightly compared to dry and barren trees, to be afflicted, and to be hewn down? The like argument doth the Lord bring against Edom. jerem. 49.12. Behold they whose judgement, was not to drink of the cup, have assuredly drunken, and shalt thou altogether go unpunished? Thou shalt go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. What shall I more say? Let us diligently weigh, what hath already been said. Lay we it to our souls and consciences. We have seen, that the infinite justice of God repayeth vengeance for sin, even upon the heads of his dearest children. The inhabitants of judah, God's inheritance, great jerusalem, the city of God, the glorious temple there, the house of God, for sin's pollution have been brought to destruction. Christ himself, the only begotten son of God, the well-beloved son of God, he in whom alone God is well pleased, because he q 2. Cor. 5.21. served with our sins, and was r Esai. 53.5. made sin for us, he was wounded for our transgressions; he was broken for our iniquities; his back was loaden with stripes, his head with thorns, his body with crossing, his soul with cursing. Thus sweet Saviour hast thou suffered for our rebellions, for our transgressions, for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon thee, and with thy stripes we are healed. It fell out happily for us (beloved) that Christ, who knew no sin, should be made sin for us, that we, who bore about with us, a s Rom. 6.6. body of sin, might be made the righteousness of God in him. Being thus by Christ reconciled to God, and washed, and cleansed from our sins through his precious blood, take we heed, that it happen not to us t 2. Pet. 2.22. according to the true Proverb: The dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Let us not henceforth be u Rom. 6.6. servants unto sin; let us not yield our members as x Ver. 13. instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Why should we y Heb. 6.6. crucify to ourselves the son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame? Let us rather yield ourselves, our souls, and our bodies, servants unto God; for so, shall our z Rom. 6.22. fruit be in holiness, and our end everlasting life. So be it. THE VIII. LECTURE. AMOS. 2.6, 7, 8. Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor; and turn aside the way of the meek, and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy Name. And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge, by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God. FOr Israel's sake, Amos the peculiar Prophet of Israel, hath hitherto made known unto Israel, what God his pleasure was, concerning their neighbour-Nations. The judgements of God against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites were first manifested: then followed his judgements against judah. These might have served Israel in stead of so many mirrors, or looking glasses, wherein they might have beheld the judgements, that hung over their heads also. From the judgements of God denounced to foreign nations, the people of Israel might thus within themselves have reasoned: Our God All his a Deut. 32.4. ways are judgement; he is a God of truth, without iniquity; just and right is he. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, must they, for their misdoings, be punished? How then shall we escape? They silly people, never knew the holy will of God; and yet, must they be measured with the line of desolation? What then shall be the portion of our cup, who knowing Gods holy will, have not regarded it. Again, from the judgements of God pronounced against judah, the people of Israel might thus within themselves have argued: God b Psal. 9.7. ministereth his judgements in uprightness. He threatneth destruction to our brethren, the people of judah: that people, whom all that saw them, acknowledged to be the c Esa. 61.9. blessed seed of the Lord; that people, that was the d Esa. 5.7. plant of the Lords pleasures; that people, with whom God placed his e Psal. 114.2. sanctuary; upon that people will the Lord send a fire, to devour them? What then shall be the end of us? They our brethren of judah, have preserved among them Religion, the worship and fear of the Lord, in greater purity than we have done; and yet will the Lord send a fire upon them, to devour them? Certainly, our judgement cannot be fare off. Amos having thus prepared his auditors the Israelites, to attention, maketh no longer delay; but beginneth to deliver his message to them, in the words, which I have now read unto you: For three transgressions of Israel and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, etc. Herein, for our more direct proceeding, may it please you to observe with me, 1. Autoritatem sermonis; The authority of this Prophecy: Thus saith the Lord. 2. Sermonem ipsum; The Prophecy itself: For three transgressions of Israel, etc. In the Prophecy, as fare as this Chapter leadeth us, we have, 1. Reprehensionem; A reproof of Israel for sin, vers. 6, 7, 8. 2. Enumerationem; A recital of the Benefits, which God had heaped upon Israel, vers. 9.10.11. 3. Exprobrationem; A twitting of Israel with their unthankfulness, vers. 12. 4. Comminationem; A threatening of punishment to befall Israel for their sins, ver. 13. to the end of the Chapter. The Reprehension is first; and first by us to be considered. In it we may note, 1. A general accusation of Israel: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four. 2. A protestation of Almighty God against them: I will not turn away the punishment thereof. 3. A rehearsal of some grievous sins, which made a separation between God and Israel: Because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; and so forward to the end of the eight verse. You have the division of my Text. Now followeth the exposition. The first thing we meet with, is, Autoritas sermonis, the authority of this prophecy. Thus saith the Lord] jehovah. Now the thirteenth time is this great Name of God, jehovah, offered to our devoutest meditations. We met with it in the first chapter of this book nine times; and thrice before in this: and yet, by this name jehovah, is not God known to us. We know him by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and All-sufficient God, but by his Name, jehovah, we know him not. Abraham, Isaac, & jacob, by this Name knew him not: it is so recorded, Exod. 6.3. Nor can we by this Name know him. For this Name is a Name of Essence. It designeth God unto us, not by any effect of his, but by his Essence: and who ever knew the Essence of God? who was ever able to define it? The f Pet. Galatinus de arcanis Cathol. verit. lib. 2. cap. 1. schoolmen say, there are three things whereof they can give no definition: One is, that first matter, out of which all things were produced: The second is, Sin, that hath destroyed all: The third is, God, who preserveth all. The first, which is the Philosophers Materia prima, they define not obsummam informitatem, because it is without all form: The second, which is man's bane, Sin, they define not ob summam deformitatem, for its exceeding deformity: The third, even God, the prime cause of all his creatures, they define not ob summam formositatem, for his transcendent beauty. It pleaseth the Schoolmen sometimes thus to play with words. For the matter they are in the right. It is true: g Aquin. par. 1. qu: 1. art. 7. ad ●●. De deo non possumus scire, Quid est: We cannot attain to so great a measure of the knowledge of God, as to define what he is. When the Poet h Cic. de Nat. Deorum. lib. 1. Simonides was asked of K. Hiero, what God is? He wisely for answer desired one days respite, after that two, then four; still he doubled his number: at last; of his delay he gave this for a reason: Quanto diutiùs considero, tanto mihi res videtur obscurior; the more I consider of this matter, the more obscure it seemeth unto me. Cotta in i Ibid. Tully said not amiss, Quid non sit Deus, citiùs quàm quid sit, dixerim; I can with more ease tell, what God is not, than what he is. This goeth for a truth in the schools. k Aquin. par. 1. qu: 3. in principio De Deo scire non possumus quid sit, sed quid non sit: we cannot know of God what he is; but what he is not. So saith Saint l In psal. 85. Augustine; Facilius dicimus quid non sit, quam quid sit Deus; We can more easily say, what God is not, than what he is. And what is he not? The same father in his 23. Tract upon the Gospel of S. john will tell you: Non est Deus corpus, non terra, non coelum, non luna, non Sol, non Stellae, non corporalia ista. God is not a body, he is not the earth, he is not the Heaven, he is not the Moon, he is not the Sun, he is not the Stars, he is not any of these corporal things. From hence sprang those Negative attributes of God, which we meet with, either in the sacred volumes of the New Testament, or in the writings of the ancient Fathers: from hence is God said to be m 1. Tim. 1.17. immortal, invisible, n Rom. 1.23. uncorruptible, o Bernard serm. 6. Supra Cantica. incorporeal, p Aug. de verb. Apostoli. Serm. 1. ineffable, inestimable, incomprehensible, infinite, q Bernard paruorum sermonum serm. 51. immense, undivided, unvariable, unchangeable. All these show unto us, not what God is, but what he is not. And whosoever thus thinketh of God, as he is set forth in these his Negative appellations, though hereby he cannot altogether find out what God is, piè tamen cavet, quantum potest, aliquid de eo sentire, quod non sit, saith S. Austin de Trin lib. 3. cap. 1. yet his religious care is, to conceive somewhat of God, that he is not. You see, it is easier for us to say, what God is not, than what he is: easier for us to conceive of him by his Negative attributes, then by his affirmative. Yet by his affirmative attributes are we brought to some knowledge of God. For hereby we know, that he is the r Gen. 21.33. everlasting God, the s Psal. 83.18. most high God, the t Rom 16.27. only wise God; that he is u Gen. 17.1. omnipotent, and x Apoc. 15.4. holy, and y Deut. 32.4. just, and z Exod. 34.6. merciful, and gracious, and long-suffering, and good, and true. Whatsoever is verified of God in either sort of his Attributes; Affirmative or Negative, it is all comprised in this one name of God in my text; his name jehovah. For this name jehovah, is the name of the Essence of God: and whatsoever is in God, it is his Essence. It was one of a De Deo Not. ad Disp. 3. p. 209 Vorstius his foul errors to deny the truth of that vulgarly received Axiom: Nullum omnino in Deo accidens esse. It is simply and every way true: There is no accident at all in God. God he is primum ens, his being is from all eternity; he is forma simplex, a pure form, no subject; there is nothing in God, which is not God; there is nothing in God really divers from the essence of God; there is nothing in God obnoxious to imperfection, separation, or change; therefore it followeth against Vorstius, there is no accident at all in God. God he i● jehovah: he is absolutely and totally essence. Thus saith jehovah] By this name jehovah, we are taught three things. First, that God of himself, and through himself, hath always been, now is and ever shall be. So is this name by a Periphrasis expounded, Reuel. 1.4. Grace be unto you, and peace from him, which is, which was, and which is to come. And, Reuel. 16.5. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and waste, and shalt be. This exposition of this name Iehou●●h, is given by b Str●mat. lib. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus, and c In Exod. qu. 15 & Epist. Divinorum dogmatum. Theodoretus Cyra●sis, that jehovah, for its signification is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He that is. Secondly, we are taught by this name jehovah, that the essence, or being of all things created is from God; according to that, Acts 17.28. In him we live, and move, and have our being; and that, Rom. 11.36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Thirdly, we are taught by this name jehovah, that God doth give Esse real, a real being to his promises & threatenings: that he is veracissimus and constantissimus, most true and most constant, in doing whatsoever he hath promised or threatened. This consideration of this great Name, jehovah, may yield much comfort to all the Elect of God, and his faithful ones. Though they seem to d Esa. 51.17. drink the dregs of the cup of trembling, a Rom. 8.35, 36 and to be even swallowed up of ᶜ tribulation, of distress, of persecution, of famine, of nakedness, of peril, of the sword; though they be as killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter; yet hereby, they may be well assured, that all the good things promised to them in the holy word of God shall in their due time be accomplished. For God who hath promised, he is the Lord, he is jehovah. Again this consideration of this great name jehovah, may strike a terror into the hearts of the reprobate and unbelievers. They f Psal. 73.12. prosper in this world, they increase inriches, they have more than heart can wish, their eyes stand out with fatness, they are clothed with violence, as with a garment, they are compassed with pride, as with a chain, they are not in trouble, they are not plagued like other men: yet may they hereby be assured, that all the evil threatened to them in the holy word of God, shall in due time overtake them. For God, who hath threatened he is the Lord, he is jehovah. Thus saith the Lord] jehovah. Sundry other observations upon these very words in so many syllables delivered five times in the first chapter of this book, and twice before in this second chapter, have heretofore been commended to your Christian considerations. They are in part published to your view: therefore I need not spend time in repetition of them. By this which hath this time been spoken, you see whence this prophecy against Israel hath its authority. The authority of it, is from the Lord, jehovah: whom once to name unto you, should be enough to procure your most religious attentions. Proceed we therefore to the prophecy itself. The first thing therein is the Accusation of Israel in a generality, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four.] By Israel here we are to understand those ten tribes of Israel, who after King salomon's death, forsook the King's son R●hoboam, and subjected themselves to the rule of jereboam, son of Nebat. Those ten tribes, from the time of that rent, were commonly called the Kingdom of Israel. These in Holy Scripture are called sometime g Hos. 10.15. Bethel, sometime h H●s. 10.5. Bethaven, sometime i Amos 3.9. Samaria, sometime k Hos 2.22. jesreel, sometime l Amos 5.6. joseph, sometime m Hos. 10.11. Ephraim, sometime n Hos. 12 2. jacob, sometime o Hos. 10.1. Israel. Israel is, their most common name, and their name in my text. For three transgressions of Israel, and for four] Divers are the opinions concerning these four transgressions of Israel. Nicolaus de Lyra saith, their first transgression was, their p Gen. 37.26. selling of joseph; the second, their q Exod. 32.4. worshipping of the Calf; the third, their r 1 King. 12.16. forsaking of David; the fourth, their selling of Christ. Paulus de Palatio saith, the first transgression was, their defection from the house of David, and the King of judah; the second, their defection from the worship of God, to the worship of Idols; the third, their defection from the law of Moses, which was God's law; the fourth, their defection from the law of nature, which is the light of God's countenance sealed in our hearts. s Domini. 8. post Trin. Con. 1. Abraham Bronius saith, the first of these transgressions was their idolatry; the second, the slaughter of the Prophets; the third, the murder of Christ; the fourth, their contempt. They made a trade of transgressing. These expositions seem to be fare fetched. Albertus Magnus finds them nearer hand, in the letter of my text. The first transgression he will have to be, the selling of the just; the second, the oppression of the poor; the third, their perverting the way of the meek; the fourth, the violation of matrimony. These are but so many descants upon the words of my text, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four. Three and four make seven. It seemeth then, that Israel transgressed against God seven times. Seven times! It is plain by Scripture, that they transgressed Saepiùs ac saepiùs, as Mercerus speaketh, many a time & oft: yea, from the division of their Kingdom under jeroboam, son of Nebat, their first King, unto Hoshea, son of Elah, their last King, they did nothing but transgress against the Lord their God, what by Idolatry, and what by other wickednesses. Hear then, by three and four, which make seven, we are to understand many. The rule holds true in Divinity: A finite number is oftentimes put for an infinite. S. Austin hath observed it, lib. 3. de doctrina Christi, cap. 35. I thus explicate it. In Levit. 26.18. to the rebellious and disobedient, thus saith the Lord: If ye will not yet, for all this, harken unto me, than I will punish you seven times more for your sins. Seven times more, that is, many times more, will I punish you. Hannah in her song, 1 Sam. 2.5. hath this strain; The barren hath borne seven children. By seven there, you are to understand many: She that was barren, hath borne many children. David in Psal. 119.164. saith; Seven times a day do I praise thee. Seven times, that is, many times; as if had said, Semper laus eius in ore meo, All the day long am I in the praises of my God. Solomon in Prou. 26, 25. adviseth us not to believe the gracious words of an enemy, because, saith he, there are in his heart seven abominations. Seven abominations, that is, many abominations, many sly purposes lie hidden in the heart of an enemy. What need more examples? By these few the phrase in my text is plain. The seven transgressions of Israel (for three & four are seven) the seven transgressions of Israel, are the many transgressions of Israel. In this phrase than doth the Lord object unto Israel innumera peccata, the multitude of their sins. For which he is unwilling any longer to forbear them: whereupon followeth his protestation against them, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof] The meaning is; if once, if twice, yea, if a third time only the Israelites had offended me with the grievousness of their transgressions, I could have tolerated them, and would not have cast them from out my sight: but now; whereas a fourth time, s●piùs & sapiùs, again and again, they relapse and fall back to their impieties, and with a shameless forehead, make no end of sinning; certa stat sententia, I am resolved, no more to recall them to my favour, but to leave them to themselves: that obstinate and indurate, as they are, in the multitude of their abominations, wherein they have so deeply plunged themselves, they may suddenly be cast into the pit of destruction. Now from these two first parts of this prophecy, the general accusation of Israel for sin, and the Lords protestation against them for the same, ariseth this lesson, God is ever in open hostility with sinners. A sinner overvaluing the vanities wherein his delight is placed, first neglecteth God, then hateth him. Thus affected, he would, if possible, disarm God of his authority, pull his power from him, and cast him out of his state. He could wish, there were no immortality of the Soul, no account to be made of our actions, no reward, no revenge, no judge to punish. So willing is he to bathe himself in the imaginary contentment and pleasures of sin. I can put no great difference between this sinner and an Atheist. The Atheist thinketh, there is no God; this sinner wisheth, there were no God. Now God, who feeleth the pulse of this sinner's heart, and searcheth his inmost thoughts, & seethe his traitorous affection, can he be at peace with him? King joram said to jehu, 2 King. 9.22. Is it peace jehu? jehu answered, what peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother jezabel, and her witchcrafts are so many? This sinner happily will look to be at peace with God: but he is soon answered, What hast thou to do with peace? What peace with God dost thou look for, so long as thou castest away his fear, and liest wallowing in thy sins? I must grant it: God is the God of peace; the Scripture saith it more than once, Rom. 15.33, and chap. 16.20. and in * 2 Cor. 13.11. Phil. 4.9. 1 Thess. 5.23. 2 Thess. 3.16. Hebr. 13.20. other places. But what is this to the sinner? Nothing at all. For the same Scripture will assure him, there is no peace to him; Esai 48.22. and 57.12. To the sinner the Lord will show himself, quasi bellator fortis, as he is called, jerem. 20.11. he will show himself as a stout warrior. And for such he is described, Deut. 32.41. There thus saith the Lord concerning sinners: If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgement, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with their blood, and my sword shall devour their flesh? To like purpose is that, which we read of Gods dealing with sinners, Psal. 7.12. He whets his sword, he bends his bow, and makes it ready, he prepareth for them the instruments of death, he ordaineth his arrows against them. So have you my doctrine established, God is ever in open hostility with sinners. Is God ever in open hostility with sinners? Consider this all ye that fear God; remember it all ye, that bear the image of the Almighty. The sinner, that is overtaken with three transgressions, and with four, that lieth in his sins, and walloweth in his iniquities, his case is fearful, his estate lamentable. God proclaimeth against him open war, most certain destruction, and will not turn away his punishments from him. Let it (Beloved) rouse us up from that sleep of sin, wherein we have too long rested. All the good gifts, and benefits of God, which God hath bestowed upon us for our good, we have abused to sin. God hath given us understanding to meditate upon his holy laws, but our understanding we have perverted to the transgression of his holy Laws. God hath given us the will to love him above all things, and our neighbours, as ourselves; but we have diverted our will to the contempt of God, and the hate of our neighbours. God hath given us the tongue to pour forth his praises, but our tongues we have defiled with impure oaths, and ugly blasphemies. God hath given us hands for instruments to feed the poor, and to defend them, but the strength of our hands we have wasted in cruelty and rapine. In a word, God hath given us our souls, and our bodies, all the faculties of the one, all the members of the other, all, to do him service; but we have employed all to his dishonour. Dear beloved, what shall we do? The best advice I can give, is that, which Christ giveth his Spouse in the Canticles, chap. 6.13. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may behold thee. I thus paraphrase it: Return, O my Spouse, daughter of jerusalem return, return to me, return to thyself, return to thy former feeling of my Grace, return, that both my s●lfe and all the company of Angels, may see thee, and rejoice in thee. This Spouse of Christ is the mother of us all, the holy Catholic Church, in whose bosom we are nourished, Take we then the advice given unto her, for an advice unto ourselves. Return we from our evil ways, return we from our three and four transgressions, return we from all our sins, return we to the Lord our God, that both he and all the company of Angels may see us, and rejoice in us. Mutet vitam, qui vult accipere vitam, saith S. Augustine Serm. 1. de tempore: if we will enjoy the blessed life of Heaven, we must change our wicked life on earth. If we will not change it, but will still bear about us whorish looks, thievish faces, proud hearts, covetous thoughts, malicious minds, lustful eyes, slandering tongues, bloody hands, and drunken desires (from which God Almighty defend us all) our portion must be the accursed death of Hell. God will not turn away his punishments from us Thus far of the general accusation of Israel, and the Lords protestation against them; in those words, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. It followeth, Because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. Here beginneth the rehearsal of those grievous sins, which made a separation between God and Israel. In these words two sins are specified; Cruelty, and Covetousness. Their Cruelty I note in selling of the righteous, and the poor: their Covetousness, in as much as they did it for silver, and for a pair of shoes. I take the words in their order. They sold the righteous for silver] A man may be said to be righteous, either by imputation, or by virtue, or by comparison, or by course of law. The righteous man by imputation is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 2.4. The just shall live by his faith. There the just or righteous man is he, to whom the Lord imputeth not his sins, which he hath committed. The righteous man by virtue is he, whom David- speaketh of, Psal. 11.3. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? There the righteous man is he, whom we call virum bonum, a good man. The righteous man by comparison is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 1.13. Wherefore holdest thou thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man, that is more righteous, than he. There the righteous man is he, that is the less wicked: the jews, though wicked, are yet called righteous in comparison of the Chaldaeans, who were more wicked. The righteous man by course of law is he, whom Esay speaketh of, chap. 5.23. woe unto them which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. There the righteous is he, that hath a righteous cause: and this is the righteous man in my text; whom the Israelites are said to have sold for silver. They sold the righteous for silver] For silver, that is, for money. The like phrase we have in Micah, chap. 3.11. where it is said of the Prophets of Israel, they divine for silver, that is, they divine only for money's sake. For money's sake to condemn the righteous, it is ingens piaculum; it is a very heinous offence, not to be purged without deep satisfaction. And therefore in the forecited place of Esai, chap. 5.23. a woe is denounced to such offenders. Solomon saith they are an abomination to the Lord, Prou. 17.15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just: even they both are abomination to the Lord. I may not now enlarge my notes. You understand, what it is, to sell the righteous for silver It is, to to take away the righteousness of the righteous from him; and that is, to be hired by money, bribes, or rewards, to give sentence against the man, whose cause is just, and righteous. They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes] By the poor here we may understand the cause of the poor: as in Amos 5.12. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate. They turn aside the poor in the gate] that is, they turn the poor man out of his right: they overthrew the poor man's cause in judgement. Again, by the poor here, we may understand the man, that is in misery; the man, that is unworthily afflicted; the man, that is tossed, turmoiled, grievously disquieted by some mighty wicked man. This poor man, the Israelites did sell, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Septuagint; pro calciamentis, saith the Vulgar Latin: they sold him for shoes. The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the dual number. It signifieth, two shoes. Our new English translation well rendereth it, A pair of shoes. They sold the poor for a pair of shoes] If they sold, some bought. Such buyers we find, Amos 6.8. They took order to buy the needy for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. There they are bought, here they are sold: and all for a pair of shoes. For a pair of shoes] It is a proverbial speech; a speech fit to be used, if we would signify a thing to be little or nothing worth, of small estimation, of vile price. The like proverbial speech we have, Prou. 28.21. There it is said of the man, that respecteth persons, that he will transgress for a piece of bread. For a piece of bread, that is, for the vilest gift, for the basest commodity. In which sense Cato said once to Coelius: frusto panis conduci potest, vel ut taceat, vel ut loquatur: A man may hire him with a piece of bread, either to speak, or to hold his peace. We now understand what our Prophet meaneth in these words; They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. They] The Israelites, the * Micah 3.11. heads of Israel, the judges of Israel; they sold] they circumvented, they beguiled, they betrayed the righteous] him, whose cause was righteous, and just: they sold the righteous for silver] for money, for a bribe, for a reward: and they sold the poor] the needy man, the man afflicted, or his honest cause, for a pair of shoes] for a morsel of bread, for any base commodity, for a trifle. They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes] Hear the judges of Israel are taxed for Cruelty, and Covetousness: for Cruelty, because they sold the righteous, and the poor: for Covetousness, because they sold them for silver, and for a pair of shoes. The lesson which we may take from hence, is this, Cruelty and Covetousness in judges and Magistrates, are two of the sins, for which God bringeth States to ruin. You see it plain in my text. God would not turn away his punishments from Israel, because of the Cruelty and Covetousness in the judges of Israel. These sins are most eminent in judges and Magistrates, but are reprovable in all sorts of men. The Cruel and the Covetous, be they of whatsoever rank in a Common wealth, they are very burdensome to God himself. God himself in this chapter vers. 13. cries out against them: Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves. The time will not suffer me to enlarge my meditations upon the discovery of these two sins; Cruelty and Covetousness. I shall have occasion to meet with them again in the beginning of the next verse; where they are amplified, and may hope for the benefit of your new attention. For the present, let us be admonished, that we suffer not ourselves to be overcome of these or any other sins. Sin! It produceth very sad and doleful effects. It blindeth our understanding, while it taketh from us the supernatural light of divine grace; it staineth and defileth our consciences, with its filthiness; it accuseth us before the Lord of grievous injuries done against his Majesty: it impoverisheth us, when it spoils us of all spiritual good; it dishonoureth us, when it diffameth us in the sight of the Angels, and the whole Court of Heaven; it holdeth us captive, and depriveth us of all liberty of well-doing; it bindeth us with the chains of evil custom; and brings us within the danger of falling daily from bad to worse; vulnerat nos in bonis naturalibus, occidit in gratuitis, saith Cornelius Mussus B. of Bitonto: it woundeth us in all the good faculties of our nature, and slayeth us in the free graces, wherewith God hath beautified our souls. You see (dear beloved in the Lord) you see what a tyrant Sin is. It stoppeth up the fountains of Grace, and hindereth the streams of heavenly comfort from coming to us. Yet; yet our life is nothing, but a trade of sinning. In us, in our flesh, there dwelleth no good. Day by day, yea many times a day, we transgress Gods holy Commandments, we heap sin upon sin, and repent not. What remaineth, but that we pour forth our prayers to Almighty God, that he will be pleased to give us true repentance for the wickedness of our forepassed lives, and in his good time to lose us from this body of sin, and to couple us to himself in Heaven: where we may with the whole multitude of Saints, sing unto him an Halleluiah: Blessing, salvation, honour, glory, and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. Even so be it. THE IX. LECTURE. AMOS 2.7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane my holy Name. And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge, by every Altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God. OF those grievous sins, with which the people of Israel are in this Chapter charged, two were touched in the former verse: their Cruelty, and their Covetousness. They sold the righteous and the poor, this was Cruelty: they sold them for silver, and for a pair of shoes; this was Covetousness. Now in the beginning of this 7. verse are those two sins amplified: Their Covetousness thus: They were never satisfied, till they had cast down the righteous and the poor to the dust of the earth: Their Cruelty thus: They were not content thus to have exhausted and spoilt them, but did also conspire against, and gape after, their lives; for They panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. Before we take a further view of these sins, Cruelty and Covetousness; let us for a while examine the words themselves. They may seem to be very intricate and perplexed, by the diversity of the readings. The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagint do render it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that tread under foot upon the dust of the earth the heads of the poor. The Vulgar Latin hath Qui conterunt, that break, or bruise upon the dust of the earth, the heads of the poor. The Chaldee Paraphrast hath, Qui contemnunt, who despise, as it were the dust of the earth, the heads of the poor. But these express the sense, they render not the word. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth to fetch wind, to draw breath, and by a metaphor, to swallow down, to sup up, to devour; or earnestly, fervently, and with pleasure to desire to do any thing. By this phrase then our Prophet giveth us to understand, that the Israelites, the rich and the mighty among them, did with delight behold the dust of the earth upon the heads of the poor; that to them it was a pleasure, to see the poor by unjust exactors oppressed, thrown to the ground, trodden under foot. Which sense our English Bibles seem to point at. The Geneva Bible hath, They gape over the head of the poor in the dust of the earth. The late Church Bible, They gape for breath over the head of the poor in the dust of the earth; or They press upon the head, or, They tread upon the head of the poor in the dust of the earth. The new translation, That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. This variety varieth not the sense. Howsoever for the the first word we read, They gape, or gape for breath, or press, or tread, or pant, over, on, or upon the head of the poor, yet is not the sense varied. The mention of the dust of the earth, keepeth that entire. The dust of the earth] Old a Drusius Obseruat. lib. 15. cap. 5. Samaeus in b Cap. 44. joseph Ben-Gorion, tells us of an ancient custom among the Hebrews concerning such as were impleaded or arraigned before their judges: They were to stand at the bar in mourning attire, with dust upon their heads. If ●● that custom our Prophet here alludeth, as Drusius thinketh, then are the Magistrates of Israel here nipped, and checked for selling the cause of the poor to their rich adversaries, thereby making to themselves unlawful, and excessive gain, and lucre. The dust of the earth on the head of the poor] The casting of dust or earth upon the head, was of old and long time a ceremony, whereby men in sad and doleful plight were wont to express their grief. Mention is made of it, Iosh. 7.6. There it is said, that joshua, and the elders of Israel, to testify their grief for the overthrow given them by the men of Ai, rend their clothes, fell to the earth upon their faces, and put dust upon their heads. They put dust upon their heads. So 1. Sam. 4.12. the Beniamite that brought the heavy news of the Ark of the Lord taken by the Philistines, and of the death of Hophni & Phinehas the two sons of Eli, in token of his grief came to Shiloh, with his clothes rend, and with earth upon his head. He came with earth upon his head. The like we read, 2. Sam. 13.19. Tamar, the sister of Absalon, because she was hated of Amnon, by whom she had been ravished, to signify her grief, she rend her garment, and put ashes upon her head. She put ashes on her head. Other like c job 2.12. Ezech. 27.30. Apoc. 18.19. places of holy writ I might produce, yet further to show, that the aspersion or sprinkling of earth, dust, or ashes upon the head was a ceremony in use with such, as had in themselves just cause of grief, heaviness, mourning, or lamentation. But this is by the places already alleged, sufficiently declared unto you. If to this ceremony of besmering the head with earth, dust, or ashes, our Prophet here alludeth, then are the rulers of Israel, and the rich among them here taxed for their hardheartedness towards the poor, for their covetousness and cruelty, whereby they oppressed the poor; to this sense: They pant after the dust of the earth, on the head of the poor] They] the rulers of Israel, and the rich men there, They pant after the dust of the earth] they greedily desire to see the dust of the earth sprinkled, on the head of the poor] they make it their pleasure, to give the honest poor man, just cause of grief, and mourning. They pant after the dust of the earth] The dust; sometime it betokeneth a low and base estate, 1. Sam. 2.8. Hannah in her song of thankfulness, praising the Lord for his beneficence towards the humble & despised, saith, He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. So, in so many words saith the Psalmist, Ps. 113.7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. In both places the latter phrase is a repetition, or exposition of the former. The Lord raiseth up the poor out of the dust, that is, the Lord lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill. The meaning is: The Lord through his Almighty power, and of his goodness, exalteth the poor and abject amongst men from their vile & contemptible estate to some degree of honour. Hitherto may we add that of David, Psal. 7.5. Let him lay mine honour in the dust. Let him lay mine honour in the dust! What's that? If (saith David, I have rewarded evil to him, that was at peace with me, let the enemy lay mine honour in the dust; that is, let mine honour be so put out, that there may be no more remembrance of it in the posterity to come; let me ever be held for a base, vile, and contemptible wretch. If to this signification of Dust, our Prophet here alludeth; then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them, here censured, for their cruel and unsatiable desire to grind the faces of the poor. Thus, They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor] That is, though the poor do already sit upon the dust of the earth, and are thereby in the eyes of the world, base, vile, and contemptible, yet do the rulers of Israel, and the rich among them, still pant after the dust of the earth upon their heads, their delight is to behold them ever wallowing in the dust of the earth, to see them yet more base, more vile, more contemptible. Yea, they can be contented that the dust, whereof David speaketh, Psal. 22.15. The dust of death be upon their heads, that the d Psal. 49.15. grave have power over them, that the e Psal. 69.15. pit shut her mouth upon them. Hitherto (dear beloved) you have had variety of interpretations. Which will you admit? You cannot choose amiss. They are all agreeable to the analogy of faith. They all check Israel, the heads of Israel, the Magistrates, Rulers, and Governors of Israel, the rich of Israel, for their cruelty, their covetousness, and their oppression of the poor of Israel, and they yield unto us this lesson. God pleadeth the cause of the poor against the cruel, the covetous, and oppressors. By the poor in this proposition, I understand all, that be in any need, necessity or want; widows also & fatherless children, that have lost their head; strangers likewise and exiles out of their country for religion, and good causes. All these if they behave themselves meekly, and seek to live peaceably with all men, and put themselves wholly into the hands of God, God receiveth into his protection, and pleadeth their cause. Concerning strangers the commandment is, Exod. 2●. 21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him. It is repeated, Levit. 19.33. If a stranger sojourn with thee, ye shall not vex him; he shall be as one borne amongst you, and thou shalt love him as thyself. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather with their churlish and unkind words and deeds torment the a king heart of the stranger? If they do so, the Lord is ready to avenge the stranger's cause, and to execute vengeance upon his oppressors. For so much the Lord undertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If thou afflict [the stranger] in any wise, and he cry at all unto me, I will surely hear his cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword. You see God pleadeth the stranger's cause. Again, God pleadeth the cause of the widows and fatherless children. The commandment concerning them is, Exod. 22.22. Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. It is repeated, Zach. 7.10. Oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather add affliction to the afflicted fatherless, and widow? Do they not oppress, wrong, vex, and grieve them? If they do so, God is ready to right their cause, and to lay vengeance upon their oppressors. For so much God undertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If you afflict the widow, or fatherless child, in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. This protection over the fatherless and widows is also ascribed unto the Lord, Deut. 10 18. The Lord doth execute the judgement of the fatherless and widow. It is very comfortably delivered, Psal. 68.5. God in his holy habitation is a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows. You see God pleadeth the cause of the widows and the fatherless. So also he pleadeth the cause of the poor, whatsoever he be. The commandment concerning him is, Levit. 25.35. If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen into decay with thee, than thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner. It is repeated, Deut. 15.7. If there be among you a poor 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 unto him, and shalt lend him g vers. 8. sufficient for his need. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Do they not rather harden their hearts, and shut their hands against the poor? Do they not h Prou. 22.22. rob them, i Ezech. 22.29. vex them, k Amos 4.1. oppress them, crush them? Do they not even now as bad as the Israelites in my text did? Do they not sell the poor, for silver, for shoes, for a trifle? Do they not even now pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor? If they do so, the Lord is ready to do them right, and to punish such as oppress them. For so much God undertaketh, Amos 4.2. where, to such as oppress the poor and crush the needy, the Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that lo, the days shall come upon them, wherein he will take them away with hooks, and their posterity with fishhooks. This Solomon by the spirit full well knew, and therefore Prou. 22.22. advising us not to rob the poor, brings this for a motive, vers. 23. The Lord will plead the cause of the poor, and will spoil the soul of those, that spoil them. And chap. 23.11. dissuading us from wronging of the poor, he brings the like motive, Their redeemer is mighty, he shall plead their cause with you. You see now God pleadeth the cause of the poor, whatsoever he be. But against whom doth he plead it? My doctrine saith, the Cruel, the Covetous, and Oppressors. These are they, whom the holy Spirit in this place taxeth. Their cruelty and covetousness, were touched vers. the 6. They sold the righteous, & the poor. This was Cruelty. They sold them for silver, and for shoes; this was Covetousness. Those two; Cruelty and Covetousness, joined together, make Oppression, which is the sin reproved in the beginning of this 7. verse. They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor. With these, (the Cruel, the Covetous, and Oppressors) the Lord hath a l Hos 4.1. controversy, against these he m Micah 6.2. pleadeth. First: He pleadeth against the Cruel. Against the Chaldeans, Esai. 47.5, 6. Sat thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, thou shalt be no more called the Lady of kingdoms. For thou didst show my people no mercy, thou hast very heavily laid the yoke upon them. Secondly: He pleadeth against the Covetous. Against the men of judah, Esai. 3.14, 15. Ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor. 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; ye break 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 poor, against the cruel, the covetous, and oppressors. Now let us see what benefit we may make hereof unto ourselves for our further instruction, and the amendment of our lives. First: Doth God plead the cause of the poor against the cruel, the covetous, & oppressors? This may serve to reprove the cruel, the covetous, & the oppressors of this age. With us now it is, as once it was with the state of Israel. Cruelty, and Covetousness, much worse than nettles and brambles, have overrun our land. These two, Cruelty and Covetousness, that boundless, this unsatiable, like the two daughters of the horseleech, Prov. 30.15. have been so long used to cry, Give, Give; that they will never be brought to say, It is enough. The first borne of these two, Cruelty, and Covetousness, is Oppression, that loud-crying sin, under which this our land in every corner almost groaneth: and she hath her mates too; Usury, and Extortion. All these, Cruelty, Covetousness, Oppression, Usury, and Extortion, walk hand in hand, and seek about, (like that n 1. Pet. 5.8. roaring Lion, the Devil, of whom they are begotten) whom they may devour. Many God knows, they have devoured already, but that contents them not. Dear beloved, how shall I work in you a loathing & a detestation of these foul sins. Can I do it better, then by setting before your eyes the deformity and ugliness of the men, in whom they reign? And who are they? will you have their character, and picture? It is drawn by Solomon, Prou. 30.14. There is, saith he, a generation, a generation of men, whose teeth are as swords, and their o job 29.17. jaws as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. They are as David's Lions, Psal. 57.4. Their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. They are as the kine of Bashan, Amos 4.1. Oppressors of the poor, crushers of the needy. See you not in the shape of men, Monsters, Kine, Lions, with teeth like spears and arrows, with jaws like knives, with tongues like swords? Will you yet converse with them? will you have any further fellowship, any further acquaintance with them? You will say; How shall we shun them, unless we more particularly know who they are? Behold therefore a Catalogue of them, out of a p R●inold upon Obadiah pag. 84. learned and judicious Divine. They are such, as eat and devour us up with Usury; such as spoil us by monopolies, by engrossing, by false wares, by subtle bargain●s; such as wrong us, by enclosing of Commons; such as wring us, 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 detaining their tithes; such as thrust husbandmen out of their liuings, & in their steed place a shepherd with his dog; such as join q Esa. 5.8. house to house, land to land, living to living, as though they meant alo●e to live upon the earth. These are they whose character and picture I but now showed unto you; (men! will you call them men? nay) monsters of men, kine of Bashan, Lions, whose teeth, jaws, and tongues are as spears, and arrows, and knives, and swords, to eat & devour the needy and the poor. These are they whom you commonly call devouring Caterpillars, greedy Cormorant's, cruel Cambals, and not amiss: So unsatiable are they, and such merciless 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 lick their blood, as once they did, the blood of Ahab, 1. Kin. 22.38. or the fowls of heaven shall feed on their carcases, as they once did, on the carcases of those of Ahabs' house, that died in the field, 1. King. 21.24. Or the ground shall cleave asunder, and swallow them up alive, as once it did Dathan, and Abiram, and the rest, that perished in the s jud. ver. 11. gainsaying of Corah, Num. 16.32. But say they are visited t Num. 16.29. after the visitation of other men; say they dye the common death of all men; say, they seem to dye the u Num. 23.10. death of the righteous, x Gen. 35.29. full of days, and in peace to go down into their graves: yet behold; there is a day to come, and come it shall upon them: y 2. Pet. 3.20. the day of the Lord; that day, wherein the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also & the works that are therein shall be burnt up. At that day shall these men, men of z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps●● 5.7. blood, bloodthirsty and cruel men, standing among the Goats before the tribunal of the great judge, receive that sentence of damnation; Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil, and his Angels. There is no evasion for them. For if by that sentence they are damned, who have not done the works of Mercy, Rainold upon Obadiah. p. 85. much more shall they be damned, who have acted the works of Cruelty: if by that sentence they are damned, who have not succoured and relieved the poor, much more shall they be damned, who have oppressed, and crushed the poor: That sentence thus proceedeth: a Mat. 25.41. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not, sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. O then! how fearful, how lamentable shall their case be, against whom the judge may thus proceed in sentence! Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil, and his Angels. For I had meat, and by force you took it from me: I had drink, and you spoilt me of it: I had a house, and you thrust me out of it: I had clothes, and you pulled them from my back: I was in health, and ye driven me into sickness: I was at liberty, and you imprisoned me? O that we were wise to consider this, while it is time. b Mathes. in Mat. 25.42. Nam si isti paenas luent, qui proximo suppetias non tulerunt; quid fiet de istis, qui miserum insuper expiliârunt, & despoliârunt? If they who help not their poor and needy neighbours, shall eternally be burnt in Hell fire, much more shall they be there burnt, who rob and spoil their poor and needy neighbours, who like the Israelites in my text, do sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes, and do pant after the dust of the earah on the head of their poor brethren, What shall I say more to such? I can only wish that some remorse and penitency, may be wrought in their hearts through the remembrance of my present doctrine, God pleadeth the cause of the poor against the cruel, the covetous, and oppressors. Is it so? Then in the second place, may this doctrine serve for the consolation, or comfort of the poor and needy, who now lie groaning under the tyranny of the cruel and covetous oppressors of this age. God c Prou. 22.23. pleads their cause, God is their d Prou. 23.11. Redeemer, God righteth their wrongs, God spoileth their spoilers, God takes the care, God takes the tuition of them. May they not well be comforted? Hear ye then, ye that are poor and needy e ●sa. 35.3. Let your weak hands be strengthened, let your feeble knees be confirmed; f Ver. 4. Be ye strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, your God will come with recompense; he will come in due time, and will deliver you from out the paws of the bloodthirsty, and cruel man. Though ye be scorned of the world, and pointed at with the finger, and triumphed over by such, as tread you underfoot; yet comfort yourselves in this your affliction, God pleads your cause. I speak not this to give encouragement or comfort to such of the poor, as are profane and wicked. They can make no claim to God's protection. The stranger, that behaveth himself more proudly, than he would at home in his own Country, and among his friends, he is out of God's protection. The widow, that playeth (as g S●rm. 73. upon Deutron. pag. 450. Calvin speaketh) the she-devill, that troubleth & vexeth her neighbours, with whom there is more to do, then with many a man, she is out of God's protection. The fatherlesse-childe, that gives himself to naughtiness, shakes of the yoke of piety, becomes an unthrift in spite of God, and the world, he is out of God's protection. The poor, whosoever they be, that h Psal. 54.3. have not the fear of God before their eyes, that are given over to work wickedness, and that greedily; that lie wallowing in sensuality, in wantonness, in drunkenness, in any filthiness, they are all out of God's protection. I speak only to comfort the stranger, the widow, the fatherless child, every poor soul, that is religious, and godly: such as i ●om. 12.18. live peaceably with all men, such as are truly distressed before the Lord, such as k james 4.10. 1. P●t. 5.6. humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, such as l 1 Pet. 5.7. cast all their cares and sowrowes upon the Lord. Such are the poor, that may receive true comfort from my propounded doctrine; God pleadeth the cause of the poor against the cruel, the covetous, and oppressors. We have not yet done with oppressors, the holy Ghost will not so let them go. They are further described unto us in the next clause. They turn aside the way of the meek.] For the meek, the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word, Psal. 10.17. is rendered in our new translation, the humble. So it is translated by the m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Seaventie, and the vulgar n Humilium. Interpreter. Some translate it, the poor, some, the miserable; some, the afflicted. The original word well beareth every of these significations: the meek, the humble, the poor, the miserable, the afflicted. The way of these men may here be taken properly, or figuratively. If it be taken properly; then we are here to understand, that the richer sort of the Israelites, did make the poor to turn aside out of their way to give them place, or, did make the poor even for fear of them, to keep out of their sight. But if the way here be figuratively taken, as well it may by a metaphor, for their cause, their right, their business, their trade or course of life; then are we here to understand, that the richer sort of the Israelites did pervert the right of the poor, did hinder their purposes, did disturb their courses, and did so confound them, that they were not able to make any provision for themselves. This metaphorical signification of a way we meet with, Exod. 18.20. There Moses is counselled by jethro, to show his people the way wherein they were to walk. We meet with it also in the Book of job, Chap. 17.9. There job saith, the righteous shall hold on his way. We meet with it in many other places of holy writ, which I must now let pass; in all which, as in this place, the way betokeneth, the cause of a man, his right, his business, his trade, or course of life. A●ter this figurative signification some do thus expound these words: They turn aside the way of the meek; or, They pervert the way of the poor: that is, the Israelites their rulers, and governors, the rich among them, do take in ill part what so ever the poor say, or do. All their words, all their deeds are found fault with. Some malicious invention, or surmise, is ever at hand to lay the blame upon them. This I take to be the fittest exposition for this place. Here than we have the fourth sin wherewith the Israelites are here charged. It is Caluninia; their false accusing of the poor, a sin that evermore attendeth upon Oppression. For the cruel, and covetous wretch, who is persuaded that his greatness chief consisteth in the oppression of the poor, will be sure so to provide, to keep the poor under, that they shall never be able to revenge the wrongs done unto them. Let the poor man slip but unadvisedly or ignorantly, the laws must by and by take hold on him: whereas the Rich man, the laws are but as Cobwebs: he breaks throw them all. Hence is that common saying: the poor man doth nothing well; the rich man nothing ill. Yea let the poor man do all things well, yet will some rich calumniator ever be ready, to give an ill construction of his best ways; or, as the phrase in my text is, to turn aside the way of the meek, or, to pervert the way of the poor. The lesson which we are to take from hence for our instruction is this; The poor man, which useth any honest trade or course of life, is not to be turned out of his way: his words and actions are not to be misinterpreted. The reason of this doctrine is plain in the sixth verse of this Chapter: The Lord will not turn away his punishments from the offenders in this kind; from such, as turn aside or pervert, the way of the meek, and the poor. The use of this doctrine concerneth all those, whom God hath blessed with the wealth of this world. It is their duty not to be careless of the poor, not to grieve them, not to hinder them in their honest courses, not to turn them aside out of their lawful ways. You that have wherewith to maintain yourselves abundantly, you may not exempt yourselves from doing service unto God with your abundance. Yea you must strain yourselves to the uttermost of your powers to relieve and secure such as are in scarcity, and in want. This is a sacrifice that God requireth at your hands. Offer it willingly, and you shall have a reward. Your reward it shall not be a corruptible Crown. It shall be a Crown of eternity. It shall be the possession of Heaven itself. The poor shall carry you thither. There is to this purpose a sweet meditation of S. Austin. Serm. 245. de Tempore. There he b●ingeth in God thus speaking to the rich man: Te divitem feci; tibi, quod dares, dedi, laturarios tibi pauperes feci: I have made thee rich: I have given to thee, that thou mightest give to others; I have made the poor to be thy porters; to be the Carrier's of thine alms, and thee, into Heaven. To this sense doth the same S. Austin Serm. 25. de verbis Domini, call the poor man, viam Coeli, the way to Heaven. Via Coeli est pauper, per quam venitur ad Patrem. The poor man is the way to heaven, by which we come unto the Father. Incipe ergo erogare, si non vis errare: Begin therefore to errogate, to distribute, to lay out upon the poor, if thou wilt not wander or stray from the way to Heaven. Lose thou the fetters of thy patrimony in this life, that hereafter thou mayest have free access into Heaven. Cast away the burden of thy riches, cast away thy voluntary bonds; cast away thy anxieties, thy irksomeness, wherewith for many years thou hast been disquieted; Da p●tenti, ut possis ipse accipere: Give to him that asketh of thee an alms, that thou mayst thyself receive mercy. Tribue pauperi▪ si non vis flammis exuri, Give unto the poor, if thou wilt not be burnt in the flames of Hell fire. Da in terrâ Christo, quae tibi reddat, in Coelo; Give to Christ on earth, and Christ will repay thee in Heaven. The like hath the same good father, Serm. 227. de Tempore: Si aperueris pauperibus manus tuas, Christus tibi aperiet januas suas, ut Paradisi possessor introeas: If thou wilt open thy hand unto the poor, Christ will open his gates unto thee, that thou mayst enter the possession of Paradise; the Paradise of Heaven. It is a Paradise for pleasure, but a City for beauty, and a Kingdom for state. There is God in his fullness of glory, and reigns in justice. The company there are all triumphant; they are all invested with glory, crowned in majesty, clothed in sincerity. Their faces shine with beauty, their hearts are filled with piety, their tongues extol the Lord with spiritual alacrity; in their hands they bear palms in token of victory. No tongue can utter, no heart can conceive the boundless and endless happiness that shallbe enjoyed there. This we know that our corruption shall there put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. Even so be it. THE X. LECTURE. AMOS 2.7. And a man and his father will go in unto the same maid to profane my holy name. THey who have begun to go beyond the lines, and the limits prefined unto them in the word of God, do by little and little proceed from evil to worse, from one wickedness to another. This you have seen verified in these Israelites. You have seen their cruelty, their covetousness, their oppressions, their calumnies. They were cruel; they sold the righteous, they sold the poor, ver. 6. They were covetous; they sold the righteous for silver: they sold the poor for a pair of shoes, in the same verse. They were oppressors; they panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, vers. 7. They were calumniators; false accusers of their needy brethren; they turned aside, they perverted the way of the meek, in the same verse. Now are the bars and bounds of all shame broken; now are the raines of all modesty let lose; given up to their vile affections, they fear not to commit detestable Inc●st. For A man and his father, will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name. Before we enter into a particular discourse of that abominable sin, wherewith the people of Israel are in this text charged, it will not be amiss to take a brief view of the words as here they lie. A man and his Father] that is, A son and his Father; The original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a man; for it the Septuagint read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the vulgar Latin, Filius; A son. A son and his Father— will go in.] The vulgar Interpreter hath Iêrunt, have gone; the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, did go in. The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will go. It is very familiar with the Hebrews to put one tense for another; the future for the present; the time to come, for the time that is instant. An instance hereof we have, Psal. 1.2. There it's spoken of the blessed man; He a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall meditate in the law of the Lord day and night. He shall meditate, so goeth the text: the meaning is; he doth meditate: Blessed is the man that doth meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night. In Psal. 2.1. it is spoken of Christ's enemies; they b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall imagine a vain thing. They shall imagine; so goeth the text: the meaning is; they do imagine. Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? In Psal. 5.3. The Prophet David earnest and vehement in Prayer, thus speaketh of himself; In the morning will I pray unto thee. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will pray unto thee; so goeth the text: the meaning is; I do pray unto thee. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning do I direct my prayer unto thee. It is the very Hebraisme, that we have in my text; A man and his father d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will go in unto a maid, to profane my holy name. They will go in; it is the letter of my text: the meaning is, that resolutely without shame, without fear; They go in, or they use to go in. Do they use to go in? Then may each reading be admitted: they have gone in, they did go in, they do go in, they will go in. A man and his father will go in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto a maid] What maid? any maid? No. But a known maid, a certain maid. So much is employed by the Hebrew Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which here is connotative, or discretive. The Greeks' say distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to the same maid. Our now English so readeth it; and well. For so the sense of this place requireth. A man and his Father will go in unto the same maid.] By this maid S. Hierome understandeth the son's wife, or the father's wife; so do others also, as Ribera observeth. Mercer, of late the King's professor of the Hebrew tongue, in the University of Paris; by this maid understandeth, one, that is affianced, or betrothed to either, the son, or the father. Of like mind is Arias Montanus. By this maid (saith he) we understand non meretricem, not a common strumpet, one that makes gain by the prostitution and abuse of her body; sed viro sponsam, but one that is betrothed to a man, aut certè nubilem, or at , one that is marriageable and is in her father's house appointed for wedlock. Some are of opinion, that by this maid, you may understand, any maid; the daughter of any other man, to whom yet this man and his father use to resort to satisfy their lusts. Now, if we will collect, as Montanus doth, the Father knew his own daughter, his son knew the same, though she were to him, his sister: or the father knew his son's wife, his daughter in law: or the son knew his father's wife, his mother in law: or both, the father and the son were naught with some other man's daughter: or all these wickednesses were in that corrupt state of Israel usually acted. Of that state we may say with Brentius: Qualis pater, talis filius: pater fornicatur, filius scortatur, pater adulterium committit, filius incestum; pater libidinem exercet prohibitam, filius turpem sequitur luxum. It is a father's part, by his example of chaste living, to invite his son to chastity. With these Israelites there was no rule, so good observed. Here was like father, like son: the father a fornicator, the son a drabber: the father an adulterer, the son incestuous: the father delighting in unlawful lust, the son wallowing in sensuality: yea the father and the son did oftentimes fasten their impure and unchaste love upon the same maid: which is the very thing avowed in my text: A man and his father will go in unto the same maid. It followeth, To profane my holy Name.] What? Did this man and his father go in unto the same maid, with a mind to profane Gods holy Name? was this their end? No doubtless, it was not their end. Their end was to enjoy their carnal pleasures. And yet it's here expressly said; they did it, to profane Gods holy Name. For the removing of this scruple, that old Canon of an ancient e Chrysostom. Father, will serve. It is proper to the Scripture, to put that for a cause, which indeed belongeth to the event. Ribera thus explicats it: It is the manner of the Scripture sometime so to speak as if it considered only, what a man doth, and not at all, with what mind he doth it: as if it only considered what men do vulgarly and usually collect and judge of any action by the event thereof. For the Scripture many times speaketh as the custom of the common people is. This rule the jesuite f Tom. 4. p. 654. Pererius in his Comment upon Genes. chap. 43.6. thus plainly delivereth. When upon the deed of any one, any thing falleth out besides the purpose and will of the doer, it is commonly believed, and said to be done, as if the doer had of purpose willed it. Will you have this rule made plain by examples? Then thus. A man sinneth. His sin draweth upon him the loss & destruction of his own soul. Now he that sinneth doth not intent any such matter; he intends not the loss, or destruction of his own soul. Yet because he doth that, from whence followeth, the loss and destruction of his soul, he is said to will and seek the perdition of his own soul. This Canon rightly understood, much helpeth for the explanation of diverse Scripture places. In g Hebr. Psal. 11. Psal. 10.6. according to the vulgar Latin, we read, Qui diligit iniquitatem, odit animam suam; he that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul. Did ever man hate his own soul? We may not imagine it. Yet because he that loveth iniquity, liveth for the most part as if he little cared for his soul's health, it is there absolutely said: He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul. In Genes. 43.6. the vulgar Interpreter makes Israel thus to speak to judah, and other his sons, In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, ut indicaretis ei, & alium vos habere fratrem; you have done it to my misery, that ye told the man, that you had another brother. It's true: jacobs' ten sons, when they were in Egypt to buy corn, told joseph (whom then they knew not to be joseph) that their youngest brother was living. But did they do it with a mind to bring misery upon their aged father jacob: jacob himself could not think so, and the story clears them from that imputation. Yet because by that their deed, misery might have fallen upon their father jacob, jacob saith unto them after a vulgar custom of speech, In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, you have done this to make me miserable. In 2. King. 4.16. the good woman of Shunem, that was by Elisha promised a son, notwithstanding herself was by nature barren, and her husband also old, said unto Elisha: Nay my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. Do not lie! What! Elisha a Prophet, a man of God, could he, or would he lie? No; it beseemed him not. Yet because he promised, what was not in man's power to perform, (a son to a woman that was naturally barren, and her husband also old) some might think, that he went about to deceive the woman. The woman therefore after the common kind of speech, saith unto him; Nay my Lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. Other like instances I might allege for the further explanation of the Canon or rule which even now I proposed, But I need not. The kind of speech is familiar in our English tongue. If you see a sick man intemperate, or refusing to follow the advice of his learned Physician, you will strait way say, this man seeks his own death; he will kill himself; When your meaning is, not that he hath a purpose to seek his own death, or to kill himself; but, that if he continue intemperate, and will not follow his Physicians wholesome counsel, death will soon lay him in the pit. Now let this rule be laid unto my text, and the scruple, whereof I but now spoke, is gone. A man and his father will go in unto the same maid 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 use to speak: His meaning is, that with the Israelites it was an ordinary matter for a man and his father, to commit filthiness with the same maid, and that by their so doing, (though themselves had no such purpose in so doing) the holy name of God was profaned. This profanation of God's holy name was not the final cause, it was not the end, why such filthiness was committed in Israel. It was rather the event, or consequent of it. Filthiness was acted in Israel, and thereof followed the profanation of the holy name of God. A man and his father, etc. To profane my holy name] My holy name. The Hebrew hath, the name of my holiness: where the substantive is put for the adjective, the Abstract for the Concrete: which in that holy tongue is very usual. In the 3. of Exod. ver. 5. The Lord saith to Moses: Put of thy shoes from of thy feet for the place, whereon thou standest, is ground of Holiness. It's ground of Holiness, that is, its holy ground. In the 12. of Exod. vers. 16. Moses and Aaron are charged to say unto the people of Israel: In the seaventh day there shall be a convocation of holiness unto you. A convocation of holiness, that is, a holy convocation. In the 22. of Exod. ver. 31. The Lord saith unto the same people of Israel: Ye shall be men of Holiness unto me. Men of Holiness, that is, Holy men. Were it needful I could show unto you, that the a Esai 63 11. Spirit of God's holiness, the b Esai. 52.10. arm of his holiness, the c Psal. 3.5. mountain of his holiness, the d Psal. 11.4. temple of his holiness, the e Deut 26.15. habitation of his holiness, are put for his holy Spirit; his holy arm, his holy mountain, his holy temple, his holy habitation. I could yet show unto you; that f Exod 24.4. garments of holiness, g Num. 3.51. vessels of holiness, h Lamen. 4.1. stones of holiness, i 1. Sam. 21.4. bread of holiness, k jerem. 11.15. flesh of holiness, and l Num. 35.25. oil of holiness, are in the holy Bible, put for holy garments, holy vessels, holy stones, holy bread, holy flesh, holy oil. But I have said enough, to show what I intended, namely, that usually in the Holy tongue, the Abstract is put for the Concrete, as holiness, for holy: as in this my text. A man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane the name of my holiness; that is, to profane my holy name. Can God's holy name be profaned 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 we are taught to pour forth unto God, is, that his name may be sanctified, Hallowed be thy name: The name of God is holy in itself, it needs not to be hallowed by us; its impossible for us to add unto it any purity or holiness, which it had not before. Yet m Scala coeli, Serm. 9 Caput votorum, the first petition of our prayer is, Hallowed be thy name. Our desire therein is, that God's name which is holy of itself, may be so accounted off by us, may be holily used by us, and may, by our holy usage of it, be manifested to the world, that it is holy. Now then, as the name of God is Hallowed, when for our holy and unstained lives, men bless the name of God, and praise him: so when for our impure and spotted lives, men blaspheme the name of God, and dishonour him, the name of God is profaned. Well then, doth our Prophet Amos here charge the people of Israel with profanation of God's holy name, for as much as their lives were very impure and much spotted. It was with them no strange matter, for a man and his father to commit filthiness with the same Maid. Thus have you the words of my text expounded. A man and his father] A son and his father, will go in unto the same maid] do ordinarily, without fear or shame, commit filthiness with the same young woman, and so doing, do profane my holy name] they cause my name to be blasphemed, and ill spoken of. Two things are herein remarkable. One is, the sin here objected to the Israelites: the other is, the consequent of this sin. The sin is pointed at in these words, A man and his father will go in unto the same maid: the consequent in these, to profane my holy name. The sin is unlawful pleasure, taken either in incest, or in adultery, or in fornication, or in any other uncleanness: the consequent is, the profaning of the holy name of God. The doctrine arising from both, I deliver in this one position. Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, & otherwise shameless sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God. Incestuous persons, adulterers and fornicators, all are stark naught: but the first are the worst. Incest, adultery and fornication, each of them is a sin, that throweth the sinner into the ever-burning lake; yet the most grievous of them is incest. Incest! It is one of the grossest vices of lust. Every mixture of man and woman of the same kindred, within the degrees forbidden by the law of God, is Incest. It is forbidden in the seventh Commandment, wherein, although adultery be only mentioned, yet under that kind of uncleanness, are comprehended and noted, Sodomitry, incest, rape, simple fornication, all the rest, together with their causes, occasions, effects, antecedents, and consequents. But more precisely is incest forbidden, in the eighteenth of Leviticus, from the sixth verse to the eighteenth. In the sixth verse, the inhibition is general: None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord. It is then the Lord that speaketh to you: None of you shall come near to any of your kin, to uncover their shame. But what kindred meaneth he? There is a kindred by society of blood; it is called consanguinity: there is also a kindred by marriage; it is called Affinity. And to both these kindreds will the Lord have his inhibition to extend: You shall not approach to any that is near of kin to you, to uncover their nakedness, that is, you may not marry with, or otherwise lustfully abuse any of your kindred, be they of your kindred, either by Consanguinity, or by Affinity. Now to treat of all these degrees, that are in the eighteenth of Leviticus forbidden, were needless at this time. One above the rest will fit my text. It's that in the eighth verse. The nakedness of thy father's wife thou shalt not uncover. Thy father's wife, that is, thy stepmother, not thine own mother. Her nakedness, though she be but thy mother in law, thou shalt not uncover. This might have been the sin of these Israelites in my text. Hear you see, A son and his father went in unto the same maid. If this maid were wife unto the father, than was she stepmother to the son, and the son was incestuous. This uncleanness the very Heathen have detested. S. Paul acknowledgeth as much, 1. Cor. 5.1. It is reported commonly, that there is fornication among you, and such fornication, as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. Not so much as named amongst the Gentiles? What? do not Heathen histories yield examples of this uncleanness? They do. They give us to understand of n Plutarch. in Demetrio. Antiochus son of Seleucus; how he burning with the incestuous love of his mother in law Stratonice, got her by his Father's assent to be his wife: They tell us of o Plutarch. in Artaxerxes. Darius, son of Artaxerxes, how he obtained of his father by request, that he might take to wife, his mother in law, Aspasia. They relate unto us, how p Aelius Spartianus in Antonino Caracalla. Peretius in Mellificio historico parte 2. pag. 202. Antoninus Caracalla Emperor took to wife his mother in law julia. Antoninus bewitched with her beauty, and desiring to marry her, with sighs said unto her, Vellem, si liceret, Mother, if it were lawful I would make you my wife. She; monster as she was, shamefully replied: Si libet, licet; An nescis te Imperatorem esse, & leges dare, non accipere. Son, you have called me mother; if you list to make me your wife, you may. Know you not that you are Emperor? you give laws, you take none: With this her answer Antoninus inflamed, matrem duxit uxorem, he married his mother. Other examples of this uncleanness Heathen histories have afforded us. How then is it, that S. Paul in the but now-alledged place, saith; that this uncleanness, is such as is not so much as named among the Gentiles? We need not fly to an Hyperbole to excuse the Apostles assertion. His meaning is, that though such uncleanness were sometime practised among the Gentiles, yet that among the very Gentiles laws were made against it: and that the better sort of the Gentiles did detest it, as a filthy, strange, and monstrous villainy. Was this uncleanness held in such detestation by the Gentiles, who were guided only by nature's light? No marvel then is it, if the Lord, here in my text, do so sharply reprove Israel for this uncleanness among them. Israel! They were the people of the Lord, they were his inheritance, they had the lamp of the word of God to be their guide. Yet Israel, rebellious and disobedient Israel, hath played the harlot: A man and his father went in unto the same maid. Under this one kind of incest are comprehended all the rest; And not incest only, but adultery also, yea, and fornication too. So that indeed the Israelites are here reproved in general for their filthy lusts. They were so inordinately vicious, and so dissolute, that they blushed not once, to pollute themselves with fornication, with adultery, with incest, with all manner of filthiness: and hereby was the holy name of God profaned. It is true. Peccatorum turpitudine violatur nomen Dei sanctum: such is the filthiness of sin, that through it, the holy name of God is often violated. It was violated by David's sin. David the man after Gods own heart, yet convicted of murder, and adultery. Of murder, for q 2. Sam. 12.9. killing Vriah the Hittite with the sword; and of adultery, for taking to wife the wife of Vriah, is by the Prophet Nathan reproved for profaning the name of the Lord. In 2. Sam. 12.14 they are the express words of Nathan unto David, By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. David (you see) was the sinner; others thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of God. The name of God was likewise blasphemed for the sins of the Israelites. The Israelites r Ezech. 37.23. defiling themselves with the Idols of the Heathen, with their abominations, with their iniquities, are in the Books of the Prophets reproved for profaning the name of the Lord. It is the complaint of the Lord himself, Esai 52.5. My name continually every day is blasphemed: and Ezech. 36.20.22.23. The Israelites living among the Heathen have profaned my Holy name. The Heathen there could say: Hi; populus jehovae these are the people of the Lord; these are come out of the land of the Lord. A holy people sure. The Israelites, you see, sinned: the Heathen thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord was likewise blasphemed through the sins of the jews in S. Paul's time. The then-Iewes, notwithstanding they made their s Rom. 2.17. boast of God, and t Vers. 18. knew his will, and were u Vers. 19 confident, that they were guides of the blind, the light of them which were in darkness, x Vers. 20. instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, that they had the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law; yet forasmuch as they were spotted with theft, with adultery, with sacrilege, with other enormities; they are by S. Paul reproved, for profaning the name of the Lord. The reproof is, Rom. 2.21. etc. Thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest, a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest, a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest Idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking of the law dishonourest thou God? It followeth, vers. 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. The jews, you see, were the sinners: The Gentiles thereby took occasion to blaspheme the name of God. Thus is my doctrine confirmed unto you: Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy Name of God. Let us now a while consider, what Use we may make hereof unto ourselves. Is it true? Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are they oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God? Then (dear beloved) let us from hence be admonished, so to spend the remainder of our pilgrimage in this present world, in all holy conversation, that no boiling, inordinate or unruly motions, no vicious or unchaste affections, no act of uncleanness, may so far have dominion over us, as to cause the holy name of GOD through us to be profaned. S. Austin Enarrat. in Psal. 146. speaketh plainly: Cum blasphematur Deus de malo opere tuo, opere tuo blasphemas Deum: that is, When God for any evil work is blasphemed, thou by thine evil work blasphemest God. To the same purpose saith the same Father, Tract. 27. in johan. Rarò iam inveniuntur, qui linguâ blasphemant Deum; sed multi, qui vitâ: Seldom now adays do we find any that with their tongue blaspheme God, but many that blaspheme him with their life. Such were they in S. Paul's time, of whom the blessed Apostle, Tit. 1.16. saith: They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him. And will we be such? Fare be it from us. We profess that we know God, we profess ourselves his servants; walk we therefore worthy of our profession, as it becometh the servants of God. And how shall we so walk? We so walk if we walk in holiness. For (as St Paul speaketh) this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. And therefore as the same Apostle adviseth the Ephesians, Chap. 5.3. so advice I you: Fornication and uncleanness let them not be once named amongst you, as it becometh Saints. Not once named! How then is it that the Apostle nameth them? How is it, that in this exercise I have named unto you incest, adultery, fornication, and other sins of uncleanness? Yes beloved; you may name them; but it must be out of detestation to shun them; and not out of delight to nourish them. From hence may you make this Collection: If I may not once name fornication, but with detestation, then may I not commit it. If I may not commit fornication, much less may I commit adultery; much less incest; much less some other sins of uncleanness; sins against nature; monstrous and prodigious sins. Now that we may not commit fornication, it is evident by these reasons. First, it is unlawful by the law of Nature. The very Heathen, who hold no other light for their guide, but the glimmering light of Nature, have so accounted of it. Memorable is the saying of Demosthenes, concerning the y Dimidium talentum unius pretium noctis. great price that was set him, by the notorious strumpet Lais: z Macr●b. Saturnal. lib. 2. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I like not to buy Repentance so dear. Doth he not thereby intimate, that dishonest pleasure, & the unbridled desires of the flesh, have evermore for their companion, Repentance? Diogenes, the Cynic, resembled a Laertius lib. 6. in vitâ Diogenis. beautiful harlots to sweet wine, tempered with deadly poison. What else doth he thereby intimate, but that unchaste lusts, howsoever to a carnal man, they may at first seem sweet, they are notwithstanding full of bitterness, and are attended with perpetual sorrow? Crates, the Philosopher, beholding at Delphi, the golden image of the harlot Phryne broke forth into this exclamation, b Plutarch. de fortuna Alexandri lib. 2. The like Laertius reporteth of Diogenes lib. 6. vit. Diog. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: this is the trophy, the monument of the lose lives of the Greeks'. Doth he not thereby intimate, that incontinency is even by Nature's law unlawful? I might here produce many goodly sentences, many notable examples of Ethnics, and Pagans, to show unto you the just punishment, which for the most part followeth this detestable vice hard at the heels; which might also stir us up to hate it, and to fly from it with all our might. But its time that I return to the Book of God. Therein also do we find, that this filthy sin, the sin of fornication, is reputed unlawful by the very law of Nature. In Rom. 1.29. it is expressly named among the sins of the Gentiles, who were merely natural men. And Leuit. 18.24. it is laid to the charge of the Canaanites, Gentiles too, that with such uncleanness themselves were defiled, and the land, wherein they lived was defiled: and therefore are they in that place threatened, that the land should spew them out. You have now the first reason, why we may not commit fornication. The reason is, because it is unlawful by the law of Nature. Secondly, it is forbidden in holy Scripture. In Ephes. 5 3. And in 1. Thes. 4.3. In the latter place we are commanded to abstain from c 1. Cor. 6.18. fornication, and in the former, not once to name it. Thirdly, it is malum lubricum, a sin full of great danger: So meaneth Solomon, Prou. 23.27. where he saith, A whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow d Prou. 22.14. pit. The comparison is plain; A Harlot to a deep ditch, and to a narrow pit. The meaning of the holy Ghost is: As a man that falleth into a deep ditch, or, into a narrow pit, breaketh either an arm, or a leg, and with much ado getteth out again: so is it with them, that are overtaken with this vile sin of fornication: the woman e Eccles. 26.7. whose heart is as snares and nets, and her hands as bands, will be to them more bitter than death; with much ado shall they escape from her. Fourthly, it stoppeth the passage into Heaven. S. Paul affirmeth it, 1. Cor. 6.9. Fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and again, Ephes. 5.5. No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. S. john, Revel 21.18. saith as plainly: Whoremongers shall have their part in that lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Thus have you, of many, four reasons, why we may not commit fornication. 1. It is unlawful by the law of Nature. 2. It is forbidden by the law of God. 3. It is full of great danger. 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heaven. Now see the validity of my former inference. We may not commit fornication, for the reasons now specified; much less may we commit adultery; much less incest; much less other sins of uncleanness, sins against Nature, monstrous and prodigious sins. All these S. Paul, 1. Cor. 6. hath even chained together, to cast them into Hell. And that you may take notice of it, he hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you vers. 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Thus fare hath the first use of my doctrine led me. The second followeth. My doctrine was, Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God. This in the second place serveth for the reproof of such as suffer themselves to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousness, or carnal lusts. And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned. f Caietan. in Aquin. 2. 2. qu. 154 Art. 9 §. Respondeo. Emanuel King of Portugal married his wife's sister: g Caietan. ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicily married his father's h Joannam. sister: Philip the second King of Spain married his sister's i Annam. daughter: Henry the eight King of England married his brother's k Catharinam. wife. All these were incestuous marriages, and are by this doctrine condemned. But some may say; these marriages were not concluded, but by the Pope's dispensation. Why then say I, they are condemned? I say so; because they are precisely against the law of God written, Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law? What! Dispense against the law of God We are not ignorant, that the chief patrons of the Pontificial law, howsoever they grant l In cap. Mennan. 2. q. 5. Annotat. mark Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare, that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like; do notwithstanding expressly affirm, m Gloss. in Cap. Post translationem Extra, de Renuntiatione. & 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam. Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum; that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle. n Rainold. Thes. 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant unto the Pope this power of dispensing, only in causes pertaining to the positive law of man, (with which colour they now paint over that same flagitious gloss of dispensing against the Apostle) but also in matters ratified by the law of God. I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations, that have been granted by the Pope; as that o Cap. ad Apostolicae in Sexto de Sentent. & re iudicat. Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae. subjects may be discharged of their oath and fealty, and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince, yea, to take arms against him, yea to lay violent hands on him; that p Concil. Constans. Sess 19 Cap. Quòd non obstantibus C●luis conductibus. promise may be broken, with God and man; that most horrible q Rainold. Thes. 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations, may be committed; that all things, divine and humane, may be perverted; right and wrong, Heaven and earth, lawful and unlawful may be confounded together. But I may not so far digress from my present purpose. Let it suffice for this time, that you see the impiety of the Pope's dispensations, (or rather dissipations, as r De Consid. ad ●ug●n. lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them) in his allowing of incestuous marriages, that a man may marry his wife's sister, or his father's sister, or his sister's daughter, or his brother's wife: all precisely against the law of God. Here might we stand amazed and wonder, that such irregular and shameless dispensations, should pass with the approbation of the Pope, who bears a face, as if he were most holy, yea Holiness itself. Speak we to him, or write to him, our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime, most holy Father; and Sanctitas Tua, your Holiness. But knowing him to be that s 2. Thess. 2 3. man of sin, that son of perdition, that grand Antichrist, who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, was to be revealed in these latter times, we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties, that may be. Can we t Matth. 7.16. gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit? Can we expect that the Pope, who u 2. Thess. 2.4. opposeth himself against God, and exalteth himself above all that is called God, should either himself live, or cause others to live, according to the holy law of God? For the Pope's themselves (would the time and your patience permit) I could rip up their lives, and show unto you how they have been stained and defiled with all manner of fearful, notorious, and abominable sins. But my text will not suffer me so fare ●o range. The sins of uncleanness, wherein those holy fathers have, to the astonishment of the world, wallowed, are the sins in my present text and doctrine smitten at. What shall I tell ●ou of the incest committed by many of them? by john the 13. with Stephana, his father's concubine? by john the x Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brother's wife? by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces? by Pius the 5. with his own sister, by y Joan. jovian. Pontan. Alexander the 6. with his own daughter. I could make true report unto you of many of them very infamous for their beastly Sodomy, for their filthy adultery, for other their unclean lust. So holy were those holy Fathers. Neither were they themselves alone given over to such filthiness, but they also took order to have others like unto them. They could not alone be wicked. z SZeged. Spec. Pontif. Alexander the sixth gave leave to Cardinal Mendoza to abuse his own bastard son in incestuous Sodomy. a Downam de Antich. lib. 1. cap. 6. Orm●rod. Pict. Pap. SZ●ged. spec. Pont. Vescel Kroning Tractat. de Indulgentijs. Sixtus the fourth gave licence to the Cardinal of S. Lucy, and to all his family, that they might in the three hot months of the year freely use Sodomy. johannes a Casa a Florentine, Archbishop of Beneventum, Legat for julius 3. at Venice, set forth a book in Italian Metre in commendation of this Diana of the Papists, this abominable sin of Sodomy. Will you hear more of Sixtus the fourth? He to incite and encourage others to be as filthy as himself, built in Rome a famous stews, not only of women, but also of males. The female stews, how advantageous it hath been to the Pope, and gainful to his coffers, may from hence appear, that the Pope hath received from them a yearly pension, amounting sometimes to three thousand, sometimes to four thousand Ducats. It is said of Paulus the third, that in his tables he had the names of 45000 Courtesans, which paid unto him a monthly tribute. Now that the Pope need not to lose so great a revenue; some have bestirred themselves to patronise his stews by argument and by authority. Their chief reason is: that common Courtesans in hot countries are a necessary evil. Harding Confut. Apol. jewelli par. 4. cap. 1. thus speaketh of it, It is common in all great Cities in hot countries, not to banish from among them, the filthy generation of harlots for the avoiding of a greater mischief. Dr Bishop in his second part of the Reformation of a Catholic deformed, in the treatise of repentance, saith, The stews in some hot Countries, are tolerated to avoid a greater mischief. The chief authority they bring is S. Austin's, out of his second book de ordine cap. 4. Aufer meretrices de rebus humanis, turbaveris omnia libidinibus: Take harlots from among men, ye shall disturb all things with lecherous lusts. To their reason, that Courtesans in hot Countries are a necessary evil: we say, that the heat of a country is no sufficient warrant for the popish stews. The land of Israel is a hotter climate, then that of Italy, yet saith God unto the jews, Deut. 23.17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sons of Israel. For S. Austin's authority, we acknowledge it to be great and reverend. But withal we say, that S. Austin, when he wrote those words, was not S. Austin. When he wrote that tract of Order, himself then lived in disorder; a young gallant, a novice in the faith, not well instructed, not yet baptised in the name of Christ; himself than kept a concubine, and lived in whoredom. But the same Saint Austin, afterward fully instructed and baptised, said thus: Istam, in usu scortatorum, terrena civi●as licitam fecit turpitudinem. The words are De Civit. Dei lib. 14 cap. 18. The city of the world, not the Church of God hath made this filthiness of harlots to be lawful. So doth not Saint Austin's authority hold up the stews. Saint Paul beats them down flat, Rom. 3.8. they who say, Let us do evil that good may come thereof; their damnation is just. In a word, the toleration of the stews, is an occasion of uncleanness to many a young man and woman, that otherwise would abstain from all such kind of filthiness. What an abomination is it, for a brother and his brother, a father and his son, a nephew and his uncle, to come to one and the same harlot, one before or after the other? Is it not the very abomination, which the Lord reproveth in my text: A man and his father will go in to the same maid, to profane my holy name? I have held you too long. May it please you to remember my doctrine. It was, Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other unclean sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God. A twofold Use I made of it. One was; to stir up ourselves to a holy conversation. The other, to reprove such as are given over to uncleanness. I conclude with that exhortation of Saint Peter, 1. Epist. chap. 2.11. Dear beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts. They may seem unto you a Paradise to your desires; but they will prove a Purgatory to your purses, and a Hell to your souls. Do you love your bodies? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they are rottenness to your bones. Do you love your souls? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they war against your souls. Do you love your credits? Abstain from fleshly lusts; for they are dishonourable. The heat of carnal lusts, what is it but an infernal fire, whose fuel is fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness; whose sparks are evil communication, whose smoke is infamy, whose ashes are pollution, whose end is Hell. Dear beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts; have your conversation honest among all men, that they beholding your good works, may glorify God in the day of visitation. Now gracious Father, so work in us, thou and thy power, thou and thy mercy, so bring it to pass, that we may so spend the remainder of our days here in all holy conversation, that after this life ended, we may have our inheritance in thy kingdom. Grant this for thy son Christ jesus sake. To whom with thee etc. THE XI. LECTURE. AMOS 2.8. And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned, in the house of their God. IT is a great height of impiety, whereto men are grown, when by unlawful means, or pretences, or allurements, they add sin to sin. A man may sinne once and a second time; and may do it through infirmity: but if he go on with a third transgression, and with a fourth; if he be obstinate in heaping sin upon sin, lamentable is his estate. A woe must be his portion. It's denounced by the Prophet Esay, cap. 5.18. Woe unto them, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin, as it were with a cart-rope. Was there ever a people, so far given over to work impiety? Behold, such were the people of Israel, they to whom this prophecy of Amos was directed. Their cruelty, their covetousness, their oppressions, their calumnies, their filthy lusts reproved in the two precedent verses, do proclaim as much. And yet they have not done sinning. They would, I grant, make fair weather; they would make a fair show, as if their desire were to serve God. For that purpose they came unto the house of their God, his temple; they drew near unto his Altars: but even then did their hearts work iniquity. My text convinceth them. They lay themselves down [or they lie, or they sit down] upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar: and they drink the wine of the condemned [or of such as they have fined, or mulcted] in the house of their Gods. The words import thus much. The people of Israel to cloak and cover their manifold sins, make a show of religion: they go unto their temples, the temples of their Idols; there they offer their sacrifices, there they feast it sumptuously. They are at great charges. But whence do they defray them? Is it out of their own substance, which either is descended to them by inheritance, or is gotten by their just and honest labour? No such matter. The fines, the mulcts of the poor, their pawns, their pledges, their pewter, their garments, their bedding, their goods pay for all. The words do specially concern the Peers, the Nobles, the judges, the Magistrates, the Rulers of Israel. They may also concern the rich among them: but cannot be understood of the poor, the base, and vulgar sort. The words are not many; yet many are the sins they smite at. The taking of pawns, the detaining of them, unrigheous judgement, superstition, idolatry, riot and excess are the sins, they smite at; as may in part appear in the now-ensuing explication. They lay themselves down] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word, They bow down themselves, they stretch out themselves. St Hierome renders it by the verb Accumbere, intimating their sitting down, as at a feast or banquet. They lay themselves down; they lie down, or they sit down upon clothes] This manner of sitting or lying down at meat was very ancient. The old Romans used it; so did the Greeks'. Non sedebant, sed accubabant. They sat not as we do now a-dayes, but they lay down. In some parlour, chamber-garret, or other convenient room, a low round table was placed. This table for the common sort of people was made of ordinary wood, and stood upon three feet. For men of better fashion, it was made of better wood, of the Limon tree, or of the Maple tree, and was sometimes inlaid with silver, it stood upon one whole entire foot made of Ivory, in the form of a Leopard or a Lyon. a Lipsius' antiq. lect. l 3. c. 1. Hieronym. Mercurialis artis Gymnast: lib. 1. cap. 11. Rosin. antiq. Rom. lib. 5. cap. 28. About this round table were placed three beds, covered with tapestry, with purple, or with some other kind of carpet, according to the wealth and ability of the feast-maker. Each bed contained three guests, sometimes four, seldom more. And thus the guests were placed. The first & uppermost lying at the bed's head, rested the upper part of his body at his left elbow, & disposed his feet behind the seconds back: the second rested his head in the others bosom upon a cushion, and disposed his feet behind the thirds back. The rest did likewise. Such was the custom of sitting or lying down at meat among the old Greeks and Romans. This very custom of sitting or lying at meat was also among the jews. We gather it from the Scripture phrase in the New Testament. b Mark. 2.14. Luk. 9.27, 29. Levi, called also c Matth. 9.9. Matthew, that blessed Evangelist, made in his own house a great feast for jesus, whereat were many publicans, and others. At that feast jesus lay down. So saith S. Matthew, chap. 9.10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as he lay down. S. Mark saith, chap. 2.15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as he lay down. jesus lay down at meat. So did his disciples: so did publicans and sinners too. S. Matthew and S. Mark in the now-alleaged places do affirm it: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they lay down with Itsus. Publicans and sinners lay down with jesus. S. Luk. chap. 5.29. thus expresseth it; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a great company of Publicans, and others, lay down at meat with jesus and his disciples. The time was when jesus fed with d Matth. 14.17. five loaves, and two fishes, about e vers. 21. five thousand men, besides women and children; then he commanded the multitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to lie down on the grass, Matth. 14.19. Another time he fed with f Math. 15.36. seven loaves, and a few little fishes g vers. 38. four thousand men beside women and children: then he commanded the multitude, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to fall down on the ground, Mat. 15.35. At both times, jesus his words had reference to that ancient manner of sitting, or lying down at meat. Which manner of sitting, or lying down at meat, jesus himself seemeth to have observed at his celebration of his last Paschall supper. For we find, joh. 13.23. that at that supper one of the Disciples of jesus, the Disciple whom jesus loved, even john the Evangelist, leaned on the bosom of jesus. jesus lay down. john did likewise; and leaned on jesus his bosom. You see, that in the time of the new Testament, even among the jews, it was a custom to lie down at meat. Even among the jews, it was a custom long before. Eight hundred years before the incarnation of the Messiah, the posterity of jacob used it. My text affirmeth it. The Israelites, the offspring of jacob, laid themselves down upon clothes. Did they lay themselves down upon clothes? And why might they not do so? Was not the common custom of so doing, a warrant for them so to do? Out of doubt it was. It was no fault of theirs to lie down at meat, and upon clothes. But herein were they blame worthy; first, that the clothes whereon they lay, were not their own, secondly, that they lay upon them unseasonably. First, they were not their own; they were the pawns, they were the pledges of the poor: they were clothes laid to pledge. Secondly, they lay upon them unseasonably; even before their Altars. The first argueth their cruelty towards the poor: The second their Idolatry in respect of God. First of the first. They lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge] We shall the better understand what that sin is, which our Prophet here reproveth in the Israelites, if we will have recourse to the Law concerning pledges. That Law is written, Exod. 22.26. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the Sun goeth down: The Law is repeated, Deut. 24.10, 11, 12, 13. When thou lendest any thing to thy neighbour, thou shalt not enter into his house to take his pledge. But thou shalt abide without, and the man to whom thou lendest, shall bring the pledge out of the doors unto thee. And if the man be poor thou shalt not sleep with his pledge. But shalt restore him the pledge when the Sun goeth down. The ground of this Law is mercy: the Lawgiver, is the God of mercy: it's given, to stir us up to mercy. If at all thou take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou must deliver it unto him by the going down of the Sun. That is the Law. Thereof, Exod. 22.27. have you two reasons: One is taken from common humanity. The poor man's raiment! It is his only covering; It is his raiment for his skin. Take that from him, and wherein shall he sleep? Restore therefore his pledge before the Sun goeth down. The other reason is taken from the judgement of God. If the poor man cry, God will hear him, for he is gracious. Restore thou therefore his pledge before the Sun goeth down. In the 24. of Deut. ver. 13. three reasons are brought to the same purpose. The poor man's pledge; See that in any case thou deliver it, when the Sun goeth down. First, that he may sleep in his own raiment. Secondly, that he may bless thee, may pray for thee, may testify unto God the sense and feeling he hath of thy humanity, and kind dealing. Thirdly, that it may be righteousness unto thee, even before the Lord thy God. See therefore, that in any case thou restore the poor man's pledge, when the Sun goeth down. You have the law, and the reasons of the Law. This Law these Israelites violated. They took to pledge poor men's clothes, they detained them, they used them, they lay upon them, as if they had been their own. The sin then here laid unto their charge, is Detentio pignoris pauperum, the keeping back of the poor man's pledge. The doctrine which we may take from hence, is this, The pledge of a poor man, such as is necessary for his use, is not to be withholden from him. I say, such as is necessary for his use. Moses, in the alleged places of Exodus and Deuteronomie, makes mention of his raiment. The raiment of the poor man! it is operimentum, his covering; it is vestimentum, his clothing: he hath nothing else, wherewith to hide his nakedness: nothing else, wherewith to save himself from cold. Such a pledge, as is the poor man's raiment, his coat, his doublet, his bed, his covering, or any other thing, that is necessary for the preserving of his life, God will have it restored. Yet it will please him well, if such a pledge be never taken. The Law runs thus in the 22. of Exodus. If at all thou take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou must deliver it unto him by the going down of the Sun. It is as if the Lord had thus said: I shall like it well, if thou lend unto thy poor neighbour without taking any pledge of him; but if thou be so cruel, and hard hearted, as that thou wilt not be induced to lend without taking of a pawn, yet see in any case, that thou restore unto him his pawn before the Sun goeth down. The Lords desire to have no pawn at all taken of the poor man, is more plainly manifested, Deut. 24.6. The Law there is: No man shall take the two millstones, or the upper millstone to pledge. Mention is made first of two millstones, and then of the uppermost. It is all one as if the Lord had said: You shall not take to pledge both millstones, no nor one of them. As good take both, as one. There is no grinding without both. If thou take one and leave the other, how shall the poor man grind? Millstones are named: under them by a Synecdoche you may comprehend all kind of utensils, or instruments, with which a poor man gets his living. In this rank I place the Husbandman's plough, the Smiths anvil, the Tailor's shears, and every other handicraft's man's tool, which is necessary for the exercise of his trade or occupation. None such may you take to pawn. Moses add the reason: For, he that takes such a pawn of a poor man, takes the poor man's life to pawn. May not such a pawn be taken by the h Deut. 24.6. Law of the millstones, and for the reason specified? Then out of doubt whosoever is so cruel and hard of heart, to take such a pawn, he is bound by the i Exod. 22.26. Deut. 24.13. Law of the poor man's raiment, to restore it ere the Sun go down. Thus is my doctrine established. The pledge of a poor man, such as is necessary for his use, is not to be withholden from him. This doctrine hath its use in this wring world. It may serve to reprove the wealthy, the great devourers, the Sea-gulfs of this age. No money shall out of their purses to the poor without a pawn. Tell them it is cruelty. They will say; No. He comes to borrow of me; I may deny him if I will. I lend him my money; I look for no profit; I take no usury. Shall I have no assurance? Shall I not be suffered to take a pawn? Foolish man! Why pleadest thou so? It is the will of God, that thou lend without a pawn: or if thou lend upon a pawn, that thou restore it before the Sun go down. This is the will of God: Why wilt thou not obey it? Say; thou lendest a poor man thy money, and he buyeth bread therewith, & eateth; and in the mean time through want of his raiment, which thou hast to pawn, the poor man be frozen to death: how hast thou relieved him? What difference is there, whether he die for hunger, or for cold? If thou slack his hunger, and starve him with cold, thou dost but change his torment; thou dost not secure him. In like sort: if thou lendest a poor man thy money, and for thy security takest to pawn the tools, those necessary tools, with which he getteth his living, thou dost not relieve him, but dost, as much as in thee lieth, cut the poor man's throat. Flatter not thyself (beloved) whosoever thou art, that hast accustomed thyself to secure the loan of thy money by taking of pawns. If the course be simply and absolutely lawful, what meaneth the Law, Deut. 24.17. Thou shalt not take a widow's raiment to pledge? And why doth job, Chap. 24.3. reprove them, who take the widow's ox for a pledge? It is in thy power I grant, to take a pledge of thy debtor, to assure thyself, that thou mayest receive thine own again: but if in taking thy pledge, thou transgress the Law of charity; if thou take such a pledge, as thy neighbour cannot spare without the hazard and peril of his livelihood, it is thy sin; and thou art bound with speed to restore it. If thou restore it not, what then? Ezechiel chap. 18.13. will tell thee: Moriendo morieris, thou shalt surely die, thy blood shall be upon thee. But here thou wilt apologise, defend thyself, & plead that for thy taking of pawns, thou hast thy warrant out of Prov. 20.16. I must confess, thou art there permitted to take a man's garment as a pledge or pawn, for the assurance of thy money. But of whom? of him, to whom thou lendest thy money? No. But of him, who rashly, unadvisedly, and lavishly becomes surety unto thee, for the man he knoweth not. And what is this to the poor man, that borroweth of thee? Of him if thou take any such pledge, thou mayest be strained with the abomination of Usury. I put thee a case: Thou lendest ten pounds, upon a pawn of bedding, or linen, and thou lendest it freely: but as the borrower useth thy money, so thou usest his pawn. This is Usury in thee. For the bedding or linen, which thou hast in pawn is the worse for the wearing: so is not thy money in the borrowers hand. I know the very name of Usury is detested of thee, and thou hatest to be called an Usurer. Take heed then, that by thy taking of pawns, thou become not one of that damned crew. If therefore you have taken any pawn of a poor man, any such pawn, as by the Law thou oughtest not to have taken of him, restore it unto him according to the Law, even before the Sun go down. So shall the poor man, to whom thou hast showed mercy in lending thy money, bless thee, and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God. Hereof art thou assured, Deut. 24.13. Yea, Vivendo vives, thou shalt surely live. The Lord God hath said it, Ezechiel. 18.9. Hitherto (Beloved) you have heard of the cruelty of the Israelites, towards the poor; their cruelty in detaining the pledges of the poor: they laid themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge. And this they did unseasonably, even before their Altars, which argueth their Idolatry; the next thing to be considered. By every Altar] Multa erant altaria Idolorum; altar autem Domini non nisi unum. It is a Bishop's note; the note of Albertus Magnus upon my text. Many were the Altars that were erected for the service of Idols, but for the worship of God, there was but one Altar: but one Altar, whereon to offer sacrifice. This one Altar at first was to be made of earth, or of stone rough and unhewen, as appeareth, Exod. 20.24.25. Such an Altar was fittest for the then-estate of the children of Israel. They were then in the desert journeying toward the holy Land, and were to remove from place to place. An Altar of earth would soon be made: so would an Altar of stone, rough, and unhewen. They might make their Altar of earth, that when they should change their station, they might with ease destroy it, Ne aut abusui aut superstitioni esset, that it might not be superstitiously abused. Or, they might make it of rough and unhewen stone tumultuarily, Ne sollicitaret quemquam ad conservationem religionemque constantem illius altaris, that it might not allure any one to a constant reverence, and dread of the holiness of that Altar. In the 27. of Exod. ver. 1. there is a prescription of an Altar of better fashion. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Altar of Holocaustes, of offerings, of sacrifices, is there described according to the matter, the measure, the form, the instruments and vessels thereof. Thou shalt make an Altar of wood, of the choicest Cedar. An Altar, not Altars, It was but one Altar. And why would God have but one Altar? He would have but one, quod unum atque eundem cultum inter omnes esse vellet. Because he would have but one & the same worship among all, therefore would he have but one Altar: so saith k See Willet upon Exod. 20.24. Galasius. He would have but one Altar, to note unto us l Babington upon Exod. 20.24. one truth, one religion. But one Altar m Marlorat. in Esa. 1.29. vinculum esset sacrae unitatis, that it might be unto the rude people, a bond of sacred unity. That one and the same religion might remain among them inviolable. God would have but one Altar. It was therefore sin in jeroboam to set up two other Altars, one in Bethel, the other in Dan, 1. King. 12.29. It was sin in Vrijah, the high Priest, when to please the idolatrous King Ahaz, he caused a new Altar to be set up after the pattern of the Altar of Damascus, 2. King. 16.11. It must needs be a sin in the children of Israel, to multiply their Altars according to the multitude of their fruit, Hos. 10.1. And I may not excuse the Israelites, whom my text concerneth, they laid themselves upon clothes, laid to pledge by every Altar. They had there many Altars too. But, Altar Domini non nisi unum: For the worship of God there was but one Altar. And that one Altar was a type of our blessed Saviour; a lively figure, or representation of Christ crucified. In regard whereof, Heb. 13.10. Christ is called an Altar; yea, our Altar: We have an Altar. We have an Altar, whereof they have no right to eat, that serve at the tabernacle. Christ is this Altar; he is our Altar; Christ with all his benefits. Which his benefits are nothing available, nothing profitable for them which are under the Law, who yet are in bondage under the rudiments, under the ceremonies of Moses Law. Those benefits of Christ are spiritual; Regeneration, faith, remission of sins, justification, the favour of God, security against our enemies, (the world, the Devil, death, and hell) life and eternal glory: these are the benefits, which Christ through his most glorious death and passion hath purchased for his elect. This purchase he wrought not by the blood of Goats, and Calves, but by his own blood, whereby he entered in once into the holy place, and so obtained for us eternal redemption, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 9.12. Thus hath Christ, the sacrificer, the sacrifice, and the Altar made full satisfaction to God for all our sins. Now a●e we not to rely upon our own good works, upon the merits of Saints, or upon their mediation. For this were nothing else quàm aliud novum Altare praeter Christum instituere; It were to appoint another new Altar beside Christ. And that Christians may not do. May not Christians do it? How then is it that in Popery there are so many Altars? It is (Beloved in the Lord) one of the blemishes, one of the shames of that religion. They have their many Altars, some of n De consecrat. Dist. 1. C. Altaria. stone, sumptuously built, and dedicated with the unction of oil, and the o Altaria placuit. Priest's benediction: as appeareth by the decrees of two Counsels, the one called Apaunense, the other Agathense, Stone-Altars they make for steadiness and continuance; and why so? But, Quia Petra erat Christus, because the Rock was Christ? It is the devise of Durandus. A profound reason sure. The wit of fore-ages could not reach unto it. The Primitive times of the Church knew no such Altars of stone, no nor of wood. Then there were no Altars at all. Origen may witness it. He flourished in the year of Christ 230. Then it was objected unto him by p Lib. 6. contra Celsum: & lib. 8. Celsus, that the Christians had neither Altars, nor Images, nor Temples. Arnobius flourished after Origen in the year 290. and q Arnob. lib. 4. contragentes. Babington in Exod. 27.1. pag. 403. Hospintan. Hist. Sacram. lib. 2. pag. 54. in his time the Heathen accused the Christians, for that they had neither Churches, nor Altars, nor Images. So for two hundred and ninety years, there were no Altars in the primitive Church. None for 290. years? Yet Martin of Polonia sometimes an Archbishop, and Penitentiary to Innocent the fourth, affirmeth in his Chronicle, that Pope Sixtus did institute, missa super Altare celebreter: that the Mass should be celebrated upon an Altar. r Hospin. ibid. pag. 121. Sixtus of whom he speaketh was Bishop of Rome Anno Christi 125. So by Martin's opinion, Altars should have been in the Church above a hundred years, before either Arnobius, or Origen were writers. But what small credit is to be given to this Chronicler Martin, let Bellarmine tell you. Fuit Martinus vir simplex & fabellas pro historijs obtrudit. This censure he giveth in his Book of Ecclesiastical writers upon the year 1250. Martin was a simple man, and one that obtrudeth fables for histories. If Martin be false in this point of the institution of Altars, how shall we find out the truth? Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 3. will seem to deliver it. There reproving Kemnitius for making Felix the fourth to have instituted the consecration of Altars, calleth that a lie, and saith; s § Octavum est. Constat, Sylvestrum autorem huius ritûs fuisse. It is manifest that Sylvester was the author of this rite, of the consecration of Altars. Now Sylvester ascended to the Popedom in the year 314. So by Bellarmine's opinion, (and what writer among the Papists is of greater authority than Bellarmine?) by Bellarmine's opinion there were no Altars of use in the Church before the year 314. So my proposition stands good: The primitive times of the Church knew not the use of stony, or wooden Altars. Which truth, as it hath served to condemn the Papists of blind superstition, for creeping unto, and worshipping before, their Altars, whereof they have out of God's book no warrant: so may it be a motive to us to lift up our hearts unto the Lord, and to give him thankes, for that it hath pleased him to deliver us from the more than Egyptian darkness of Popery, wherein our forefathers living, committed abomination before stocks and stones. We have not now an Altar properly so called, no material Altar: our Altar is metaphorical, it is spiritual. As our sacrifices are, which we are to offer up unto the Lord, so is our Altar: our sacrifices are spiritual; our Altar therefore must be spiritual. There were under the Law many kinds of sacrifices: t Exod. 20.24. Burnt offerings, u Num. 6.11. Sin offerings, x Vers. 15. Meat offerings, Drink offerings, y Exod. 20.24 Peace offerings. All are reduceable to two heads; they were either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, either propitiatory, or Eucharistical; either expiatory, or gratulatory; either sacrifices of satisfaction, or sacrifices of thanksgiving. The first sort of sacrifices, which I call propitiatory, expiatory, or satisfactory, had their end in the death of Christ: the other which I call Eucharistical, gratulatory, or sacrifices of thanksgiving do remain for ever; but without legal rites and ceremonies: that which was legal in them is done away; there remaineth only that which was Evangelicall, that which was Spiritual. These sacrifices gratulatory, these sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving are the sacrifices, which we can, and must, offer unto Almighty God. Of these sacrifices I observe three sorts, according to the three sorts of goods which man usually enjoyeth. The z Arist. Eth. lib. 1. cap. 8. Philosopher divides them into goods of the mind, goods of the body, and external goods. By external goods, you may understand a Arist. Magn. Moral. lib. 1. cap. 3. riches, rule, honour: by the goods of the body, you may understand health, beauty, comeliness: by the goods of the mind, you may understand virtues, and virtuous actions, functions, and operations, together with all the powers and faculties of the soul. All these goods must we offer up unto the Lord in sacrifice. First, we must offer up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our external goods, the goods of this world. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wisheth us not to forget it, chap. 13.16. To do good and to distribute forget not. And to make us remember it the more willingly, he gives this reason: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. It is true, God accepteth, and taketh in good part, as bestowed upon himself, whatsoever is bestowed upon the poor. Give meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, cloth the naked, visit the sick, yield comfort to the poor prisoner; thou dost all to Christ. The day shall come wherein Christ will tell thee so, Mat. 25.40. Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Do good to the poor, you do it unto Christ. Say not; if I give, I shall want myself. Give, and it shall be given to thee. The promise is, Luk. 6.38. Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over. So your giving will be but a lending, and good payment will be made unto you. Solomon bears record hereunto, Prou. 19.17. He that hath mercy upon the poor, dareth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given, will he pay him again. Thus must we offer up unto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our external goods, the goods of this world. Secondly, we must offer up unto the Lord in sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the goods of the body. The goods of our body we may offer up in sacrifice two manner of ways, patiendo or faciendo, by suffering, or by doing; by dying for the Lord, or by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord. This sacrifice of suffering or dying for the Lord is a precious sacrifice; according to that, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. It is acceptable with God. St Peter affirmeth it, 1. Epi. chap. 2.20. If when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. In the verse following he exhorts us to this suffering: Christ hath suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. Christ hath suffered for us: we must if need be, suffer for him. Martyrdom! It is so pleasing a sacrifice, as that it made Ambrose say of his sister: Appellabo Martyrem, & praedicabo satis: I will call her Martyr, and so shall I be sure to commend her enough. S. Hierome in his Ep. to Heidibia saith, Triumphus Dei est passio Martyrum: The suffering of Martyrs is God's triumph. What do I? In time of peace exhort to Martyrdom? Why not? Though through God's goodness (blessed be his name for it) there is not now among us any occasion of persecution, habet tamen & pax nostra Martyrium suum, as Gregory the Great spoke of his time, Homil. 3. in Euangelia, yet hath our peace her Martyrdom. Albeit we do not yield carnis colla ferro, our necks to the iron, or our bodies to the stake, yet do we gladio spirituali, with the spiritual sword slay the carnal desires within us. You have seen what it is to offer up unto the Lord the goods of our body patiendo, by suffering, by dying for the Lord. Now let us see what it is to offer them up faciendo, by doing that, which is acceptable to the Lord. It is that, whereto S. Paul exhorteth us, Rom. 12.1. even our reasonable service of God. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Our Bodies a sacrifice! How may that be? S. chrysostom Hom. 20. in Ep. ad Rom. doth elegantly express it. Let the eye behold no evil, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the eye is a sacrifice: let the tongue speak no evil, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the tongue is an oblation: let the hand do no evil, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the hand is a offering. So that sweet Father. We may enlarge the meditation; let the ear hear no evil, and the ear is a sacrifice: let the arm embrace no evil, and the arm is a sacrifice: let the foot follow no evil, and the foot is a sacrifice. In a word, let all other parts of the body be preserved from evil, and they are all sacrifices. The eye that is b 2. Pet. 2.14. full of adultery, is no fit offering; the tongue that is c Psal. 120.3. deceitful, is no fit offering: the hand that is ever shut against the poor, is no fit offering: the uncircumcised ear, the wanton arm, the cruel foot, they are no fit offerings: neither is any part of our body, that is unsanctified, a fit offering for the Lord. Wherefore (dear beloved in the Lord) let it be the care of every one of us, to present our bodies unto the Lord a living and a holy sacrifice; for that only will be acceptable unto him. Now that our sacrifice may be living and holy, and so acceptable to the Lord, it is not enough for us to d Psal. 34.15. And 37.27. abstain from doing of evil, but we must willingly and cheerfully betake ourselves to the doing of good: and this must we do betimes. You deceive yourselves if you think to offer your youthful years unto the Devil, and to lay your old bones upon God's Altar. God's sacrifice must be the fattest; it must be the fairest. He must have both head and hinder parts; to teach you, that your duty is to remember your Creator, as well in the days of your nonage, as in the days of your dotage; as well while you are young, as when you shall be old. For if you defer your offerings till the last hour, till sickness, deaths-Bailiffe, shall arrest you, your offering may prove sick, it may prove dead, it may prove an unholy sacrifice. Receive therefore S. Paul's word of exhortation, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies, a living and an holy sacrifice unto God. You have heard, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our external goods, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the goods of our bodies, are to be offered up in sacrifice unto the Lord: the same I am now in brief to show concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the goods of our mind. The goods of our mind I called virtues, and virtuous actions, functions, and operations; together with all the faculties and powers of the soul: all these we must offer up unto the Lord. But how shall we offer them up? devotione & contritione: by devotion and contrition. For as it is, Psal. 51.17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart is such a sacrifice, as God will not despise. Whosoever by divine meditation, and devout prayer, beateth down the proud conceits of his rebellious heart, he killeth, and offereth up, as it were, his son Isaac, that which is most ne'er unto him, that which is most dear unto him: he offereth up a broken spirit: and that is Sacrificia Dei, the sacrifices of God. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. Sacrifices in the Plural number: because this one sacrifice of a broken spirit, is instar omnium, in steed of all; its worth all other sacrifices in the world. And well may it be so: for it is the sacrifices of God: of God, that is, accepta Deo, acceptable, and well pleasing unto God. But what is this broken spirit I speak off? It is animus contritus, commut●●●, & abjectus propriae infirmitatis ac indignitatis conscientiâ. It is a mind contrite, beaten as it were to dust, or powder, broken in pieces, and cast down with the conscience of its own infirmity and unworthiness. It is a mind, that is void of any conceit of its own worth, that thinketh itself worthy of any punishment; that esteemeth all its own goods most base, that followeth the word of God upon any occasion, that is comforted at the least sign of God's favour; that is cast down at any token of his displeasure; that is easily moved with affections of love, fear, joy, and hope; that is always full of pity to others; that maketh conscience of the smallest transgression. The man that is of such a broken spirit, and so contrite a mind, he may well be said to offer up in sacrifice unto the Lord, the goods of his mind. Thus you see that we are, and how we are, to offer up in sacrifice unto the Lord the goods of this world, the goods of the body, and the goods of the mind. But whereon shall we offer them? where is our Altar? Our Altar is within us: even our heart: that is our Altar. Durandus in his e Lib. 1. cap. 7. N. 18. Rational of Divine offices deduceth it out of the first to the Corinthians, Chap. 3.17. The Temple of God is holy, which ye are. Ye are the Temple of GOD. Si Templum Dei sumus, Altar habemus. Altar nostrum est cor nostrum. Hoc enim est cor in homine, quod Altar in Templo. If we are the Temple of God, we have an Altar. Our Altar is our Heart. For the Heart is that in man, as the Altar is in the Temple. Our Heart then is our Altar: no Legal Altar, but an Evangelicall Altar. Answerable to our Altar must our sacrifices be: Evangelicall too. Now saith Lactantius Divin. institut. lib. 6. cap. 24. Now the Lord requireth not of us any sacrifice of a dumb beast, of death and bloodshed, but Victimam hominis & vitae, the sacrifice of man and his life. In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Vervim, nor the inwards of beasts, nor turffs of earth, but such things only, as proceed from the inner man, righteousness, patience, faith, innocence, chastity, abstinence; such are the sacrifices to be offered up upon God's holy Altar, placed in our hearts. In the Chapter following, Chap. 25. his observation is, that there are two things to be offered up unto God; donum & sacrificium, a gift and a sacrifice; the one perpetual, the other temporal. According to some, the gift is, whatsoever is made of gold, silver, purple, or silk; and the sacrifice is a beast slain, or whatsoever is burnt upon the Altar. But God hath no use of these. These are subject to corruption, but God is incorrupt. We must therefore offer both, gift and sacrifice, in a spiritual manner; so shall God have use of both. Our gift must be integritas animi, the uprightness of our mind: our sacrifice, laus & hymnus, praise and thanksgiving. That I may conclude (Beloved brethren) let me sum up together the Evangelicall sacrifices, which the giver of the new law requireth of us. A broken spirit, obedience to the will of God, love towards God and man, judgement, justice, mercy, prayer, thanksgiving, almsdeeds, our bodies, and our souls; these are the Evangelicall sacrifices, the sacrifices of Christianity, to be offered up unto the Lord upon the Altar of a faithful heart. A faithful heart, I say. For if the heart be unfaithful, the sacrifices will not be acceptable; they will not be esteemed above the sorceries of Simon Magus. Call them not sacrifices, they are sacrileges, if the heart be unfaithful. But let the heart be faithful, and the sacrifices which it offereth up, will be as the beneficence was, Phil. 4.18. which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus unto Paul: they will be odours of a sweet smell, acceptable sacrifices, and well pleasing unto God. Neither did that precious ointment, that ran down Aaron's beard. Psal. 133.2. nor that, that the woman poured upon Christ's head, Mat. 26.7. nor that sweet incense, Exod. 25.6. nor that wine of Lebanon, Hos. 14.7. yield so pleasant a savour, as do the sacrifices of Christianity, that ascend from a faithful heart. O! the sweet savour of a good life, that springs and sprouts from a true belief, fare surpasseth all other sweets in the world. O! Let our sacrifices be such. Let them spring from a true belief, let them proceed from a faithful heart, so shall our minds when we think on God; and our wills, when we obey God; and our souls, when we love God; & our tongues when we praise God; and our feet, when we walk with God; and whatsoever else we have, when we use it for the glory of God, be an odour of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacrifice, and well pleasing unto God. I end. Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, so throughly to sanctify us with thine holy Spirit, that all our sacrifices, our preaching, our hearing, our prayers, our praises, our thanksgivings, our deeds of mercy, and pity, and charity, may ever be acceptable in thy sight. Grant this dear Father, for thy best beloved Son, jesus Christ his sake: to whom with thee, in the unity of the holy Spirit, be all praise, and power, might, and majesty, dignity, and dominion, for evermore. Amen. THE XII. LECTURE. AMOS 2.8. And they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God. THis is the last branch in the enumeration of the sins of the Israelites. It concerneth the judges of Israel, and the Rulers of that state; them principally. It is appliable to others also, to the richer sort. The words are a reproof of the gross superstition of that people. They thought their duty touching the service of God, well discharged, so they repaired to their temples. Such holy places they thought were of themselves sufficient to cleanse them, albeit they should even there betake themselves to inordinate eating, to unmeasurable drinking, to infamous luxury, yea, to every kind of villainy. For my more plain 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 reproved; it is a drinking of wine. They drink wine. Secondly, whose wine it is, they drink. It's not their own; its vinum damnatorum; it's the wine of the condemned. They drink the wine of the condemned. Thirdly, where they drink it. They drink it not at home, which were more tolerable; but in domo deorum suorum, in the house of their Gods. They drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods. The first convinceth them of riot, and excess. They drink wine immoderately. They are so given to it, that they abstain not even then, when they are in their temples, and would seem most religious. For they drink it in the house of their Gods. The second convinceth them of oppression. The wine they drink, is vinum damnatorum; it is the wine of the condemned: it is vinum mulctatorum, the wine of such as they have fined or mulcted: wine, bought with the money of them, whom they have in their unrighteous judgements spoilt of their goods. The third convinceth them of idolatry. They drink their wine in the house of their Gods; not in the Temple at jerusalem, that once glorious Temple of the true and living God, but in the temple of their gods, in Dan and Bethel, and other places, before their golden calves and other their Idols. They drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods. First, They drink 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 used with thanksgiving? God himself gives it to the obedient, to them that love and serve him, Deut. 11.14. I will give you the rain of your land in due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayst gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. That thou mayst gather in thy wine. Christ his miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, joh. 2.11. is evidence enough that he allowed the drinking of wine. Yea, himself drank wine. Else the people would never have called him a wine-bibber, as it appeareth they did, Matth. 11.19. S Paul, 1. Tim. 5.23. wisheth Timothy no longer to drink water, but to use a little wine for his stomaches sake. Wine hath its praises in the Scripture. It makes glad the heart of man, Psal. 104.15. It cheereth God and man, judg. 9.13. How then is it, that the Israelites are here reproved for drinking wine? I answer, not for drinking wine, but for the abuse in drinking are the Israelites here reproved. It is with wine, as it is with every 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 prevent, or to reform in the Ephesians, thus speaketh to the Ephesians, chap. 5.18. Be ye not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. It is as if he had said: Take heed of wine; be not overcome of it. In vino luxus. Consider the man that is given over to drunkenness. His life its profuse, its dissolute, its unclean, its luxurious, its unworthy a Christian. Take heed of wine. Solomon, Proverb 20.1. saith: Wine is a mocker. It is so: wine taken immoderately deceives him that takes it. He takes it to be sweet and pleasant, but will find it in the effect exceeding bitter. What more bitter than drunkenness? and what causeth drunkenness more than wine? Aufert memoriam, dissipat sensum, confundit intellectum, incitat libidinem, omnia membra debilitat, vitamque exterminat. It is b Drusius Prou. Class. 2. li. 1. 257. said to be S. Austin's. Drunkenness! it takes away the memory, it consumes the senses, it confounds the understanding, it provoketh lust, it weakeneth the body, it drives life away. The drunkard is notably deciphered by the same Father in his book de poenitentiâ. Quùm absorbet vinum, absorbetur à vino; the drunkard while he devoureth his wine, is devoured of his wine: abominatur à Deo, despicitur ab Angelis, deridetur ab hominibus, destituitur virtutibus, confunditur à daemonibus, conculcatur ab omnibus. God detesteth him, the Angels despise him, men deride him, virtues forsake him, the Devils do confound him, all do spurn him. The ancient Fathers generally are eloquent in beating down this sin of drunkenness. c Hom. 14. in ebrietatem. Basil calls it a voluntary Devil, the mother of naughtiness, the enemy of virtue. chrysostom, Homil. 57 ad populum Antiochenum saith: where drunkenness is, there is the Devil. Drunkenness, it's a disease remediless, a ruin without excuse, the common reproach of mankind. The drunken man, he is a voluntary Devil, a dead-living man: d Chrys st. Hom. 58. in Math. worse than an Ass, worse than a dog, worse than any brute beast. The brute beast cannot be compelled to drink, when he hath no thirst: but this drunkard is so intemperate, that when he is replete, even to the mouth, yet will he pour in more. He will verify the saying of the Prophet, Esay 28.8. Your tables are full of filthy vomitings, no place is clean. S. Ambrose in his book de Elia & jeiunio, cap. 17. to work in us a detestation of this sin, saith: Ebrietas fomentum libidinis, ebrietas incentivum insaniae, ebrietas venenum insipientiae. Drunkenness, it's a cherisher of lust, a provoker of madness, the poison of folly. Hereby are men strangely affected. Vocem amittunt, colore variantur, oculis ignescunt, ore anhelant, fremunt naribus, in furore ardescunt, sensu excidunt. They lose their voice, their colour is changed, their eyes are fiery, at the mouth they fetch breathe a pace, in the nostrils they snore aloud, they are fierce in their fury, they are deprived of their sense. They have for their attendants, dangerous frenzies, grievous pains of the stone, deadly crudities, frequent castings. Mentior, saith Ambrose; I lie, if the Lord hath not said as much by his Prophet jeremy, chap. 25.27. Drink ye, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more. I may not pass by S. Hierome. He in an Epistle of his, which he wrote to that noble virgin Eustochium, to persuade her still to continue a Virgin, warneth and exhorteth her, to fly from wine, as from poison. He tells her, the Devils have not a better weapon wherewith to conquer or corrupt youth. Youth! Covetousness may shake it, pride may puff it up, ambition may delight it; but drunkenness will overthrew it. Other vices we may in time forsake: hic hostis nobis inclusus est. If this enemy once get possession of us, it will along with us, whither soever we go. Wine and youth! each of them is incendium voluptatis, fit to set lust on fire: young men and young women, fly from wine. Quid oleum flammae? why cast we oil upon the flame? Quid ardenti corpusculo fomenta ignium? why bring we tinder, why touchwood, to a fire already kindled? So discourseth that good Father to persuade the Virgin Eustachium to hate wine as poison. The discommodities of wine he briefly toucheth in his Comment upon Galat. 5. Vino, hominis sensus evertitur, pedes corruunt, mens vacillat, libido succenditur: by wine, a man's sense and feeling is impaired, his feet do fail him, his understanding is abolished, his lust is inflamed. It were infinite to relate, how e Super Genesin Homil. 6. cap. 19 super Levit. hom. 7. cap. 0. Origen, how f Pet. Ravennus in Serm. quodam. Chrysologus, how g De modo bene vivendi Sir 25. Bernard, how h Hilarius in Psal. 125. Hugo de S. Victore. Clemens Alex. Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. others have painted out this vice, with the mischiefs which it bringeth. But what need any such relation? Why hear we the Fathers speak, when the Scripture is plain? Solomon, Prou. 23. propoundeth a question. It is verse 29. Who hath we? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without a cause, who hath redness of eyes? His answer is, vers. 30. They that tarry long at the wine. You see a troop of mischiefs at the heels of a drunkard. Solomon well weighing this, in the next verse, in the 31. he prescribeth a remedy against drunkenness. Look not thou upon the wine, when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Let not the pleasant colour of the wine, glorious and fair to thine eye, let it not deceive thee. If it do, what then? Then, as it is, vers. 32. it will bite thee like a serpent, it will sting thee like an adder, like a cockatrice, like a viper. And as it is, vers. 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women] thou wilt become shameless and unchaste: or, Thine eyes shall behold strange visions] Bina, pro singulis putabis te videre: Every thing will seem double to thee. Thou wilt think thou seest two candles, when there is but one in the room. And thine heart shall utter perverse things] Out of the abundance of thine heart, openly, in the presence of others, thou shalt speak things filthy and unseemly: out will thy greatest secrets. Yea, saith he, vers. 34. Thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the Sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast] careless and secure in greatest danger. It followeth, vers. 35. Though thou be stricken, though beaten grievously, yet wilt thou not feel it; so dead thou art in the sleep of thy drunkenness: and which is to be admired, when thou awakest thou wilt to thy wine again. So excellently doth Solomon give the picture of a Drunkard. Beloved in the Lord, I hope there is none of you that heareth me this day, given over to this vile sin. If any one hath at any time through infirmity been overtaken with it, let him be wary for the time to come, that he fall so no more. This sin, it is morbus regius, as i Dist. salutis ● Bonaventure calls it. It's a costly sin. Costly indeed. For he that draweth his patrimony through his throat, eating and drinking more in a day, than he is able to earn in a whole week, his end must needs be beggary; according to that of the wise man, Prov. 23.21. The duunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. You have heard of many other inconveniences that do accompany this sin. They may move the mere natural man, the man whose Heaven is here on earth, to take good heed, that this sin have no dominion over him. Much more should the true Christian, he, who hath his Heaven above, withstand the rage and fury of this sin. It is a work of the flesh. So it's called, Galat. 5.21. and there the Apostle hath passed his doom upon it: They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Parallel to which is that of the same Apostle, 1. Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God. I shut up this point with a word of exhortation. I borrow it from Luk. 21.34. The words are the words of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, to his Disciples: Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and so the last day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them, that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy, to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the son of man. Thus fare of the first general part, the action of these Israelites, their drinking of wine. Now in the second place we are to consider, whose wine it was. It was not their own; it was vinum damnatorum, the wine of the condemned. They drink the wine of the condemned. By this wine of the condemned, some understand the wine, that was of custom given to condemned persons, to refresh and comfort them, when they were to suffer execution, for their offences. Of this custom a certain Hebrew in a book of his entitled, k See Nichol. de Lyra in Math. 27.34. Liber iudicum ordinariorum, maketh mention, after this manner: It is the advice of Lemuel the King, Prov. 31.6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Upon occasion of these words the Seniors of the jews made this constitution, ut condemnatis ad mortem daretur vinum aromaticum ad bibendum, ut faciliùs tolerarent passionem: that sweet and odoriferous wine should be provided for such as were condemned to death, which they might drink, and so the more easily endure their suffering. This constitution was put in practice by the jews. At the time of Christ's suffering, there were in jerusalem certain devout Matrons, full of compassion, who did out of their devotion bestow this wine. This wine so provided, for Christ, and those that suffered with him, some cruel jews took unto themselves, according to these words of Amos, They drink the wine of the condemned. This wine they took unto themselves, and in the place thereof they did put vinegar mixed with gall, as S. Matthew saith, chap. 27.34. If vinegar mixed with gall might serve Christ's turn, so it was: the jews would have the wine: They would drink the wine of the condemned. This custom of giving wine to such as were condemned to dye, you see was very ancient. The learned l Mus●ulus, Aretius, Hunnius, Muthesius. expositors of the Gospel in their Commentaries upon the 27. of S. Matthew do generally remember it. Lucas Brugensis very precisely: Moris erat, qui & hodie apud nos in usu est; It was a custom, and is this day in use with us, that to malefactors, brought to the place of execution, wine should be given them, and that of the best, partly to refresh their thirsty, and wearied bodies; and partly to exhilarate and cheer up their hearts, that they might the less think of death, and with more ease endure it. If to this custom our Prophet here alludeth, then are the Israelites here reproved for their cruelty, for taking to themselves; to their own private use, what was of custom belonging to poor condemned prisoners. But I take it more agreeable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place, if we understand by the wine of the condemned, wine bought with the money of such as the judges of Israel had in their unrighteous judgements put to the worse. This wine the Septuagint do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vinum de calumnijs, wine gotten by deceitful dealing, by malicious surmises, by false accusations. The Chaldee Paraphrast terms it vinum rapinae, the wine of oppression, of pillage, of robbery. Luther styles it vinum mulctatorum; and Castalio, vinum mulctatitium, wine issuing from mulctes, from fines. In our now English translation, it is the wine of the condemned: cast your eye but to the margin, and you will find it to be the wine of such as were fined or mulcted. Here then by the wine of the condemned, we are to understand, that the judges of Israel laid upon the poor men unjust penalties, by which they might be provided of wine and other delicates, and so spend their days in jollity. You see now, what sin it is, whereat this second general part doth aim. It is an oppressing sin; the sin of oppression: when judges, rulers of states, and men in authority make havoc of the poor. Of this sin I spoke at large in my Ninth Lecture upon this second chapter of Amos; at what time I delivered this doctrine. God pleadeth the cause of the poor, against their oppressors. The less need have I now to spend my time upon it. Yet a word of it. My now-doctrine I deliver in this position: It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. Oppression I call every injustice, used of the mightier, either by violence, or by colour of law, or by any other cunning dealing, against such as are not able to withstand them. This description of oppression, I gather from Levit. 25.14. from Micah 2.1, 2. and from 1. Thess. 4.6. In each place the unlawfulness of oppression is manifested. The first place is, Levit. 25.14. The commandment there is: If thou sell aught unto thy neighbour, or buyest aught of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another. Whether you sell or buy, you may not oppress: the very forbidding of oppression, is a sufficient argument, that oppression is unlawful. The second place is, Micah 2.1, 2. Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hands. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away. So they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. where you have an imprecation against oppressors, a woe thundered out against them. It is enough to prove oppression to be unlawful. The third place is, 1. Thess. 4.6. This is the will of God, that no man oppress, or overreach his brother in any matter. Is it Gods will? Then surely it is not lawful for you to oppress or overreach one another in any business. Men of trade may not gain by their false weights, false measures, false speeches, or false oaths; neither may men in any other course of life gain by violence, or by colour of Law, or by any other cunning dealing. Thus is my doctrine confirmed, It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. First, it may serve for a reproof of the Oppressors of this age, who make gold their hope, and the wedge of gold their confidence, as job speaketh, chap. 31.24. S. Paul, he taught, 1. Tim. 6.6. that Godliness is great gain: but these men suppose the contrary, that gain is great godliness: and therefore they fear not to gain with the hurt of others. They build their houses, as the moth. So saith job, chap. 27.18. As the moth! How is that? The moth is made full by spoiling the barks, and books wherein it liveth. So is it with these men; they make themselves full, by spoiling others, with whom they live, and have to deal. I express it in jeremies' phrase, chap. 22.13. They build their houses by unrighteousness, and their chambers by wrong: and in Habakkuks' phrase, chap. 2.12. They build them towns with blood, and establish their Cities by iniquity. Against these is that complaint of the Lord, Esai. 3.14, 15. Ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? Woe to these men; a woe from Micah, a woe from jeremy, a woe from Habakkuk in the now-alleaged places; a woe from Esay too, Chap. 5.8. Woe upon woe and yet will they not cease from joining house to house, and laying land to land, as if the way to the spiritual Canaan were all by Land, and not through a red Sea of death, as one wittily speaketh. From this contempt of the Prophets of the Lord, or rather, of the Lord himself speaking by his Prophets, it is now come to pass, that many a poor tenant is thrust out of his house; that Villages are depopulated, that those streets which were wont to be sown with the seeds of men, are now become pastures for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep, as Esay speaketh, chap. 7.25. Now may Hythlodaeus his complaint have place: m Mori Utopia lib. 1. Our sheep in England were sometimes the meekest beasts of the field, and contented themselves with a little: but now are they become so fierce and greedy, that they devour men, and Towne-fields, and houses, and villages, and lay all waste. Alas, silly sheep, it is no fault of yours; you are as meek as ever you were. Whose then is the fault? It is yours, ye grinding oppressors: yours, whose hearts are like the vast Ocean, fit to swallow up every base commodity, that the earth is able to afford you. O that these men would at length call themselves to a strict account of the oppressions, wherewith they have oppressed the poor, either by depopulating, or by raising rents, or by hoisting fines, or by interest, or otherwise: and would once begin to make some restitution. Did they but know in what estimation they stand in Church and Commonwealth, they would remit somewhat of their Cruelty. The Church heretofore denied them Christian burial. It's apparent in the Canon Law: Extra de Vsuris, Cap. Quia in omnibus. How the Commonwealth brooketh them, they may perceive by two instances. Catillus a British King 170. years before Christ, did hang them up: He hung up all oppressors of the poor. My n Stow in his summary. Chronicler writes in the margin; A good example. Long after him, King Edward, commonly called good King Edward, banished them his Land. So writeth Glanvil lib. 7. de Leg. & consuet. Angliae c. 37. The same author in the same book cap. 16. affirmeth; that by the most ancient laws of England, the goods of a defamed oppressor, dying without restitution, were escheated unto the King; and all his lands unto the Lord of the town. Wherefore let the oppressor now at last forsake his oppressions. What can all the wealth, all the muck of the earth avail him, if for it he lose the kingdom of Heaven? Momentaneum est, quod delectat; aeternum, quod cruciat. The wealth he here heapeth up may for a time yield him some delight: but what is a moment of delight to the eternity of sorrow that must follow? Must follow! Yea it must follow, if amendment hinder it not. If he amend not, I say, as God is God, so certainly shall the oppressor be destroyed, though not in the red Sea, as the oppressing Egyptians once were, yet in a Sea, a black Sea of Hellish deeps, where he shall be pained unspeakably, tormented intolerably, both everlastingly. Thus have you the first use of my doctrine. My doctrine was, It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. The use was a general reproof of our now-oppressors. A second use may be to admonish judges, justices, and other Magistrates and Rulers, that they suffer not themselves to be stained with this sin of oppression. It is the o Pilkinton exposit. in Nehem. cap. 5. fol. 80. A. duty of the Magistrate to deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor. This duty is laid upon him, jerem. 21.12. There thus saith the Lord to the house of David: Execute judgement in the morning, and deliver him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor. It is likewise laid upon him, Esai. 1.17. Seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and defend the widow. Where first Gods commandment is, that Magistrates should execute judgement in the morning. In the morning: Therefore they are not to use delays in doing justice. Secondly, God's commandment is, that Magistrates should seek judgement. Must they seek judgement? Therefore in cases of oppression they are not to stay till they be called for. Thirdly, God commendeth unto Magistrates, all that are oppressed, but specially the fatherless and widow: the fatherless, because they want the defence of their parents; and the widow, because she is destitute of the help of her husband; and we know, every man goeth over, where the hedge is lowest. Therefore are Magistrates to take upon them the defence of the fatherless, the defence of the widow, the defence of every one, that is oppressed. Is it so? Then are Magistrates to take special heed, that themselves be neither principals, nor accessaries, in the sin of Oppression. They must abhor the practice of the Princes of jerusalem, who Esay 1.23. are styled companions of thiefs, because they loved gifts, and followed after rewards. They are to detest the corruption of the rulers of Israel, who Hos. 4.18. love with shame to cry, Bring ye, Bring ye. They must hate the ways of samuel's sons, who 1. Sam. 8.3. turned aside after lucre, took bribes, and perverted judgement. They must loathe the courses of cursed Balaam, who 2. Pet. 2.15. Loved the wages of unrighteousness. Happy is the land that is ruled by such Magistrates. Such may with boldness stand up, and make protestation with just and uncorrupt Samuel, 1. Sam. 12.3. Behold, here we are; witness against us: whose ox have we taken? whom have we defrauded? whom have we oppressed? of whose hand have we received any bribes to blind our eyes therewith? and no man shall be able to accuse them. Are ours such? I stand not here to plead against them. Only this I say: If ours be not such, but are of another stamp: if they love the wages of unrighteousness, if they love gifts, if they follow after rewards, if they turn aside after lucre, if they take bribes, if they shame not to cry, Bring ye, bring ye; I may rank them with these Israelites in my text: They will sell the righteous for silver; they will sell the poor for a pair of shoes; they will pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor; they will turn aside the way of the meek, and they will drink the wine of the condemned. Thus have you the second use of my doctrine. My doctrine was, It is not lawful for any man to oppress another. The use was an admonition to Magistrates, rulers, and other officers, that they suffer not themselves to be stained with the sin of oppression. A third use followeth. It reacheth to the poor oppressed. They may from hence receive consolation; from hence they may be comforted. Is it not an exceeding great comfort to a poor oppressed wretch, to know, that God taketh notice of the oppressions, under which he groaneth? That God doth so, I have already made it manifest in the proof of my doctrine, in the reproof of oppressors, and in the Magistrate's admonition. It is clear also in the letter of my text. Here God taketh notice of the oppressions of the poor in Israel, in as much as the judges, the Rulers, and great men there did drink the wine of the condemned. Hereto I add that Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise (saith the Lord) I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him, from him that would ensnare him. Behold here, first God's readiness to help the poor, and secondly, how forcible with God the poor man's prayers are. Are not both these to a poor oppressed man points of singular comfort? Out of doubt they are. But some poor man pressed down with the burden of oppression, may here say unto me. Hath God promised to deliver me from mine oppressors? Why then am I still oppressed? Stay a while, and thou shalt behold the goodness of the Lord. It's not for thee to make haste, or to seek by vile, and unwarrantable courses to wind thyself out of thine oppressors hands. Until it shall please the Lord to put an end to thy present grievances, it's thy duty to possess thy soul in patience. Prescribe not thou unto the Lord, what he shall do. Let his grace, let his favour be sufficient for thee, whatsoever it bring with it; be it want, or poverty, or adversity. One drop of his favour is better worth unto thee, and more of value, than this whole world. If thou have but a taste, but a touch of it, it will make thee sing with David, Psal. 119.71. It's good for me that I have been afflicted: good, that I have been in want, in poverty, in adversity, under the griping hand of the oppressor. O! how sweet is the quiet fruit of righteousness, that springeth forth from the bitter root of tribulation! I have done with the poor oppressed, when I shall have given them a Caveat. The Caveat is, that they themselves oppress not themselves. There is no oppression to the oppression, that one poor man exerciseth towards another. For a poor man that oppresseth the poor, is like a sweeping rain, that leaves no food. Solomon avoweth it, Prov. 28.3. A poor man] a man of mean estate, if he oppress] by force, by fraud, by bargaining, or otherwise, a poor man] such as he himself is, whom he should tender and pity, because by him he may be put in mind of his own estate, he is like a sweeping rain] like a flood that riseth through abundance of rain, or he is like a great storm and tempest of rain, that suddenly carrieth away corn, hay, and whatsoever it meeteth with, and leaves behind it no food for men or cattle to live on. A poor man if he oppress the poor, is like a sweeping rain, that leaves no food. A poor man, and yet an oppressor! Such a one is much more intolerable than a rich man, that oppresseth. For, whereas by the law of God, every oppressor is bound to make actual restitution for the wrongs he hath done, the rich man may be in case to do it, the poor man never. My exhortation is, to rich, to poor, to all; that all would be of the same mind one towards another. So S. Paul exhorted the Romans, chap. 12.16. Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Recompense to no man evil for evil. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Sith here we have no continuing city, Heb. 13.14. sith here we are but pilgrims and strangers, 1. Pet. 2.11. sith here is not our rest, Micah 2.10. why use we fraudulency and forgery in our contracts? why bribery in justice? why cruelty in our dealings? why ouer-beare we right by might? why grind we the poor like corn with the millstones of oppression? why eat we them up like bread? yea, why do the poor grind themselves? why oppress they one another? Will we never leave crushing one another? Dear beloved, we forget ourselves: we think we are at home, but are not. Our home is above; it is Heaven. Here we are but strangers: and say; Is it fit that strangers, when they are but passing through a strange country, should devour and consume one another? Beloved in the bowels of jesus Christ, let us for the time to come so live and love together, whilst we shall be here iornying towards our wished-for-home, that Celestial Canaan, that when it shall please God to call us to our accounts, how we have here carried ourselves, we may with blessed Paul, 2. Cor. 7.2. boldly make our profession: We have wronged no man, we have consumed no man, we have defrauded no man. Thus far of the second general part, whose wine it was that these Israelites did drink. It was the wine of the condemned. I can but salute the third; it noteth the place where the Israelites drank their wine: it was in domo deorum suorum, in the house of their Gods. They drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods. In the house of their Gods. The Septuagint have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. In the house of their God. So readeth the author of the Vulgar Latin: So Luther, and Calvin, and Munster, and Castalio, and Gualther, and so our new English. The reading I disallow not. Yet because the Israelites, the ten tribes of Israel, they to whom this prophecy of Amos was directed, went not now up to jerusalem, to the Temple there, there to worship the true and living God; but had Temples of their own, Temples in Dan, in Bethel, in other places, to which they repaired for the worship of their golden calves, and Baal, and other their Idols; I rather read (and the Hebrew text will well bear it) in the house of their Gods. Mercer so readeth it; so doth Vatablus, so Drusius, so Tremellius and junius. jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast he reads; In the house of their Idols. He hath respect to the purpose of the Holy Ghost. His purpose in this place is to tax the Israelites for their superstition, for their idolatry, for their riot and excess in spending their goods, gotten by the oppression of the poor in the houses, Temples, or Churches of their Idol Gods. The doctrine, we may take from hence is this, Goods gotten unlawfully are not fit to be employed in the service of God. No, nor in the service of Idols. Not in the service of God. They are rejected by Ecclesiasticus, chap. 34.18. He that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is ridiculous. Ridiculous! And will you think a ridiculous offering fit for God's service? In the 20. vers. of the same Chapter Ecclesiasticus saith further: Who so bringeth an offering of the goods of the poor, doth as one that killeth the son before the father's eyes. Can a father be pleased to have his son slain before his eyes? You will say, no. No more will it be pleasing to God to have an offering of ill gotten goods presented to him. Solomon Prov. 15.8. saith, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. He saith it again, chap. 21.27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. It's true. Whatsoever Sacrifice the wicked man offereth to the Lord, be it offered never so solemnly, never so sumptuously, it will be an abomination to the Lord, the Lord will abhor it, he will detest it. Much more will he abhor and detest any offering that shall be made of goods ill gotten, of the goods of the poor. Of such sacrificers he saith in Esay, chap. 66.3. He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man: he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that cut off a dog's neck, he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's flesh, he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an Idol. You acknowledge the truth of the first part of my doctrine. Goods gotten unlawfully are not fit to be employed in the service of God. But may they be employed in the service of Idols? No, they may not. My reason is: The Idolater having no perfect knowledge of the true and living God, takes his Idol to be his God, and worshippeth him as God. Now ●en worship him amiss, if carelessly, if with goods of oppress with illgotten goods, he dishonoureth the true and living God: and the true and living God will be the avenger of such dishonour done unto him. This is the very reason why our Prophet here reproveth the Israelites for bringing into the Temples of their Idols, their illgotten goods, the wine of the condemned. They thought thereby to do service, not so much to their Idols, as to the great God of Heaven, whom by their Idols they represented. Thus have you my whole doctrine established, Goods gotten unlawfully are not fit to be employed in the service of God: No, nor in the service of Idols. 1. This may serve to admonish such, as shall hereafter found Colleges, build Hospitals, erect Schools, ordain Aniversaries, that they endow them not, that they every them not with lands and possessions, purchased with illgotten treasure. 2. Here is a lesson for all such as have heaped up unto themselves abundance of wealth by oppression, by extortion, by usury, by deceit, or otherwise unlawfully. Such may here be put in mind to make actual restitution in their life time. Happily they will by their last Will and Testament bequeath part of their illgotten wealth to the Church, and part to the poor, and will leave but a portion to their heirs. A poor shift. Can they think that God will be so mocked? He will not. What remaineth then, but that every one, who hath increased his substance by wrong, do while he is living, make actual restitution. Zacheus the Publican professeth unto Christ, Luk. 19.8. Behold Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man, by forged cavillation, I restore him fourfold. Zacheus of jericho, he being converted to Christianity was content to restore fourfold. It is a good consequent, they are scarce half Christians, that will not restore the principal. Thou wilt say, what need restitution? I will repent for my oppressing sins, and God is gracious; he never turns away the sinner that repenteth. Take heed, deceive not thyself: if thou be able to make actual restitution, and dost it not, poenitentia non agitur, sed fingitur. S. Austin tells thee so, Ep. 54. which is to Macedonius. Thy repentance is no repentance; thou dost but feign repentance. It will never procure thee pardon for thy sin. Make thou therefore actual restitution. Thus far of the 8. verse. THE XIII. LECTURE. AMOS 2.9.10.11. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the Cedars, and he was strong as the Oaks, yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. And I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? MY meditations have been heretofore five times exercised in discoursing unto you of the sins, wherewith the people of Israel in the precedent verses stand charged. Their sins were, Covetousness, Cruelty, Oppression, False dealing, Filthy lusts, Incest, Idolatry, Riot, and Excess. Gross and palpable enormities. My endeavour was by the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, to arm you against them, that ye give them no passage, no not a little; that ye suffer them not by any means to have dominion over you. From their sins we come to their Blessings; those blessings wherewith God had blessed them. Four are here mentioned. One is, the ruin of the Amorites, set down verse 9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the Cedars, and he was strong as the Oaks, yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. The second is, their deliverance from the servitude of Egypt. ver. 10. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt. The third is, their safe passage through the desert, touched in the same verse; I led you forty years through the wilderness. And why so? but, to possess the land of the Amorite. These were three great blessings; yet were they but temporal. The fourth passeth; It is spiritual, ver. 11. I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. The confirmation of all followeth in the same verse: Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? Say O ye children of Israel; Have I not done so and so for you? Have I not destroyed the Amorite for your sake? Have I not freed you from your Egyptian yoke? Have I not guided you through the desert? Have I not given you Prophets and Nazarites of your own sons, and of your own young men for your instruction in the true service and worship of your God? Is it even thus, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? You have now the scope of my Prophet, and the sum of this Scripture. My present discourse must begin with the first mentioned benefit bestowed by God upon that people. It is the ruin of the Amorites for their sake, thus expressed, ver. 9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, etc. Herein I commend unto you three principal parts; The first hath a general touch of the ruin of the Amorites: Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them. The second hath a description of that people. They are described, from their stature, and from their valour. Each is set forth unto us by way of comparison: their stature or tallness by the Cedar, their valour or strength by the Oak; Their height was like the height of the Cedars, and he was strong as the Okes. The third hath a particular explication or amplification of their ruin; It was not any gentle stripe that they received, not any light incision, not any small wound; but it was their extermination, their contrition, their universal overthrow, their utter ruin. Their root and fruit; Princes and subjects; Parents and children, young and old, were all brought to nought: Yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Of the first of these three parts at this time. It hath a general touch of the ruin of the Amorites. Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them. Yet.] The Hebrew letter is Vaughan; it is most usually put for a Et. And: It is here so rendered by Leo juda, by Calvin, by Gualther, by Brentius, and by Drusius. The b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Septuagint, the author of the c Autem. Vulgar Latin, and Vatablus do translate it But. d Quamvis. Tremellius and the e Licet. Translator of the Chaldee Paraphrase have Although. Our English Bible hath Yet. Be it either And, or Although, or But, or Yet, it varieth not the meaning of the holy Ghost. The meaning of the holy Ghost, is, by this enumeration of God's benefits upon Israel, to tax Israel of Ingratitude. God showered down his benefits upon them, yet they returned no thankes. So much is here enforced by this particle, Yet, to this sense: Notwithstanding all the good I have done unto Israel, whether for their temporal, or for their spiritual estate; for their temporal, by destroying the Amorite before them, by freeing them from their servitude in Egypt, and by guiding them through the wilderness: and for their spiritual estate, by giving unto them Prophets even of their own sons: yet Israel, f Hos. 11.7. my people Israel, have g Hos. 13.6. forgotten me. Cruelty, Covetousness, Oppression, False dealing, Filthy lusts, Incest, Idolatry, Riot, and Excess, these are the fruits wherewith they repay me: Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them. Here we are to take out a lesson against unthankefulness. It is this, unthankefulness is a sin very odious in the sight of God. This truth you will acknowledge to be very evident, and out of question, if you will be pleased to consider three things. The First is, that God doth seriously forbid unthankefulness. The Second is, that he doth severely reprehend it. The Third is, that he doth duly punish it. First, God forbiddeth unthankfulness. It is forbidden, Deut. 6.12. Take heed, that thou forget not the Lord thy God when thou art full. h Deut. 6.10. When the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he swore unto thy Fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to jacob, to give thee, and shall have given thee great and goodly Cities, which thou buildest not: i V●●s. 11. And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and Wells di●g●d which thou diggedst not; vineyards & olive trees planted, which thou plantedst not, k Deut. 8.10.11.12. when thou hast eaten and be full, l Deut. 6.12. Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Take heed that thou be not unthankful. Secondly, God reprehendeth unthankfulness. He reprehendeth it in the jews, Esa. 1.2. I have nourished, I have brought up children, but they have rebelled against me. He reprehendeth it in the Gentiles, Rom. 1.21. There are the Gentiles said to be without excuse, Because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful. He reprehendeth it in the proud Christian, 1. Cor. 4.7. The proud Christian he boasteth of his dignity, of his good works, of his merits. Unthankful man, what hast thou, that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory, why boasteth thou as if thou hadst not received? It is a reprehension of Unthankfulness which you have, Mat. 25 26. There the servant that received of his Master one Talon to be employed to the best advantage, and employed it not, is thus checked: Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knowest that I reap, where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers. I may not pass by jesus his censure, which he giveth of the Lepers, Luk. 17.17. It is a reprehension of their Unthankfulness. Ten were cleansed: only one, and he a Samaritane, returned to give thankes. It drew from jesus this expostulation: Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Let me recall you to review that reproof of unthankefulness, Esa. 1.2. How gins it? Hear o men, harken o Angels? No. A greater Auditory must yield attention. Hear o Heavens, and hearken o earth. Why? What is the matter? I have nourished, and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. What? Children! and they rebel! If servants had done it, if bondmen, if the sons of Agar, of whom it was said of old, m Gen. 21.10. Cast out this bondwoman, and her son, if these had rebelled against me, it were the less to be marvelled at: but they are children, mine own children, children of mine own education, nourished and brought up by myself: That these should rebel against me! Hear o Heavens, and hearken o earth, stand ye hereat astonished. Mark, I beseech you, how the Lord goeth on to amplify this unthankefulness of his people, ver. 3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his Master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. See you not, how God setteth his people, as it were to School, to the Ox, and to the Ass, to learn of them what their duty is? And no marvel is it, saith a good n Calvin. Interpreter. For it often times falleth out, that bruit beasts do make a greater show of humanity, than man himself doth. It is a commendation given unto dogs, that they are fidelissimi dominis, & gratissimi, most faithful, most grateful unto their Masters: that by night they watch and ward, and keep their Master's houses; that by day they attend their Masters abroad; that they fight for them, ye and sometimes o Bosqui●r s●cundâ naufragij tabulâ Conc. in d●dicativis Templi pag. 158. die for them too. The Dog that in K. Pyrrhus' his p Theat●●m mundi Launaei lib. 1. sub finem. Camp in the midst of his armed soldiers invaded the parricide and murderer of his Master, is recorded for a pattern of thankfulness. So is that Merchant's dog, that in the Island Teos, lay upon a bag of money of his Masters, which his Master's boy had by negligence left behind him in a by-way: and so long he lay upon it, that at his master's return to seek what he had lost, tùm custodiae finem fecit, tùm caninam efflavit animam, saith my q Elias Cretens, comment ad ●rat. 2. Naziazenus de Theologia. p. 60. Author, he yielded up the custody of the bag, and died. I could tell you of as great thankfulness in Lions. It was a thankful Lion that spared Androclus a runagate from his Master, put into Circus Maximus at Rome, to be devoured by the Beasts there. The kindness he had done to the Lion was in Africa: and it was nothing else but the plucking of a thorn out of his foot, It was a kindness, and the Lion forgot it not. It's registered by Gellius Noct: Attic. lib. 5. cap. 14. It was a thankful Lion, that followed Gerasimus the Abbot to keep his Asses: the kindness that the Abbot had done to the Lion, was done at the river jordan. It was nothing else, but the removing of a little bramble from the Lion's foot; It was a kindness, and the Lion did him service for it. It's reported by johan. Moscus in his pratum spirituale c. 107. And Fran. Costerus the jesuite cities it to be true, in his r Pag. 255. Sermon upon the thirteenth Dominical after Pentecoast. It was a thankful Lion that followed a certain soldier that went with Duke Godfrey of Bullein to the Conquest of the Holy land. The kindness that the soldier had done to the Lion, was done not fare from jerusalem. And what was it? A serpent that had gotten this Lion at the advantage, and was like to be his executioner, was slain by this soldier: This was a kindness, and the Lion was thankful for it. It is storied by Bernardus Guidonis in his Chronicle: And Philip Diez, a Friar minorite of Portugal in his Summa predicantium at the word, Ingratitude, takes it for true: and upon the relation thereof breaketh out into this exclamation: s Pag. 4●5. O magnam bestiae gratitudinem, & ingentem hominum ingratitudinem! Quare haec audientes vos, non confunditis! O the great thankfulness of a beast, and the exceeding great unthankfulness of men! How is it that you hear this, and are not confounded. Solomon, the wisest among the sons of men, Prov. 6.6. sends the sluggard to the Ant, to learn of her to labour. Go to the Ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise. She t Prou. 6.7. having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. Go, learn of her, do thou likewise. Is the sluggard sent to the Ant to learn? Then well may the Unthankful man be sent to the Lion, to the dog, to the ox, and to the ass. He may learn to be thankful of the Lion, and of the dog: I have showed it unto you by humane testimonies. The ox and the ass may also teach it them: divine demonstration makes it good. Remember, I beseech you that same exaggeration of the ingratitude of Israel: The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. And let this suffice to show, that God doth severely reprehend unthankfulness. Now in the third place, I am to show, that he doth punish it. The punishments wherewith God repayeth unthankfulness are of two sorts. They are either Temporal or Eternal. Among Temporal punishments I rank the loss of the commodities of this life. Such a punishment, a temporal punishment it was, wherewith God repaid the unthankefulness of the Israelites in the wilderness of Pharan, at Kibroth-hattaavah, or the graves of lust, their thirteenth mansion, so called because there u Num. 11.34. they buried the people that lusted for flesh. This punishment, Psal. 78.30, 31. is thus described: While their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen of Israel. In the 11. of Numbers, ver. 33. thus: While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. A temporal punishment it was, wherewith God repaid the mother x Hos. 2.5. that played the Harlot, Hos. chap. 2. for her unthankfulness. She knew not, that the Lord gave y Ver. 8. her Corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver, and her gold. For she said verse 5. I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. You may see her punishment resolved upon, vers. 9 I will return, saith the Lord, and will take away my Corn in the time thereof, and my wine, in the season thereof, and I will recover my wool and my flax. Mine saith the Lord. They are all his. It was the Harlot's unthankefulness to call them hers. But she was punished with the loss of them. A temporal punishment it is, which is threatened to fall upon every Unthankful wretch, Prov. 17.13. Who so rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not departed from his house. Plagues and punishments from God shall be his portion. Thus is unthankefulness repaid with temporal punishments. It is repaid likewise with Eternal. An Eternal punishment it is, which is adjudged to the unthankful, and unprofitable servant, in the parable of the talents, Matth. 25.30. Cast him into utter darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Eternal is the punishment, which judas suffereth for his unthankfulness. He fell z Act 1.18. headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, all his bowels gushed out, and so he went into his own place, Act. 1.25. His own place! Ex proprijs meritis damnationis locum, suum effecit, saith Caietane, judas by his own deserts made the place of damnation, his own place. His own place, not by any desire or affectation of his own, but by God's ordination. He went into his own place: Abijt in Infernum, saith Lorinus, he went into Hell: and there he suffereth the a Reuel. 21.8. second death; a death after death, a death and yet everlasting. For as Hell is large, so its long, and strong too. Between us and you saith Abraham in Paradise to Dives in hell, there is a great gulf fixed, b Luk. 16.26. so that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Ex inferno nulla redemptio: there is no getting out of Hell: and therefore judas his punishment is Eternal. St Paul 2. Tim. 3.2. sets down a catalogue of the wicked: Among them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the unthankful have their place. They have their place among the wicked; and therefore the portion of the wicked, must be their portion. And what shall become of the wicked? S. Paul saith, 1. Cor. 6.10. They shall not inherit the kingdom of God. He saith it again, Gal. 5.21. They shall not inherit the kingdom of God. S. john in his Revelation, Chap. 21.8. saith, They shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone. The Unthankful therefore, as wicked, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, but shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Their punishment shall be Eternal. Hitherto you have heard; First, that God doth seriously forbid unthankefulness. Secondly, that he doth severely reprehend it. Thirdly, that he doth duly punish it. From hence is the lesson, which I commended unto you, made good. unthankefulness is a sin very odious in the sight of God. The consideration hereof should work in us a resolution to give thankes unto our God for all his benefits. And although Dignas Deo gratias agere non sufficimus, though we be not able worthily to give God thanks; yet let every one of us profess with S. Bernard, in his second Sermon c Domin. 6. Pentac. pag. 230. h. de septem panibus: Ingratitudinem prorsus odit anima mea, my soul doth hate unthankfulness. Peremtoria siquidem res est Ingratitudo. unthankefulness! its a kill sin, it's an enemy to grace, it's a black friend to salvation. I tell you, saith that Father, quoniam pro meo sapere, I tell you, that to my understanding, there is nothing, that so much displeaseth God, especially in the children of Grace, and men of Conversion, as unthankfulness doth. His reason is: Vias obstruit gratiae; & ubi fuerit illa, iam gratia accessum non invenit, locum non habet. Unthankfulness, it stops, it dams up the passage of grace. Let unthankefulness be any where, the good graces of God will have no access thither; much less will they reside there. The same sweet Father Serm. 51. in Cantica d Pag 719 h. speaketh to like purpose. unthankefulness! its the soul's enemy; it's a burning wind, siccans tibi fontem pietatis, rorem misericordiae, fluenta gratiae. It drieth up the fountain of piety, the dew of mercy, the rivers of grace. He may seem to have reference to that Heavenly meditation of S. Austin in the 18. chapter of his e Tom. 9 fol. 159. ●. Soliloquies: Lord I will recount in my mind all the good which thou hast done for me all my life long, even from my f Psal. 71.5. youth. For I know right well, that unthankfulness doth much displease thee, as being the root of all spiritual wickedness. It is ventus quidam desiccans, & urens omne bonum; It is a certain wind, that drieth and burneth up whatsoever good is, and stoppeth the fountain of thy heavenly mercies, o Lord. Such should be our every day's meditation. Every day should we recount in our minds, all the good things which God hath done for us all our life long, even from our youth. Here to are we exhorted by S. Paul, 1. Thes. 5.18. In every thing give thankes. His exhortation is made strong with a reason annexed. For this is the will of God in Christ jesus concerning you. The like exhortation is made to the Colossians, chap. 3.15. Be ye thankful, and ver. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord jesus, giving thankes to God, and the Father by him. The Ephesians are in like sort exhorted, chap. 5.20. Give thankes always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. In this Apostolical exhortation to thanksgiving four circumstances are principally remarkable, Quando, pro quibus, cui, per quem. One is, Quando; When we are to give thankes. We are to do it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, always, at all times. The second is, pro quibus; for what we are to give thanks, We are to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for all things. For all things which God sendeth upon us, or our neighbours, be they prosperous or otherwise. For even adversity g R●m. 8.28. worketh for the good of them, that love God. The third is, cui; to whom we are to give thankes. We are to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to God and the Father, because he is God and Father: God in greatness, and Father in goodness: God, for his creation and general government of the world, and Father, for his election, redemption, and justification of the faithful. The fourth is, Per quem; By whom we are to give thanks, we are to do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. Not in our own name, for there is no h Rom. 7.8. good in us. Of ourselves we cannot so much as i 2. Cor. 3.5. think a good thought; much less can we speak a good word, or do a good deed. Nor in any Angel's name, for the Angels are but k Heb. 1.14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they are but ministering spirits. Nor in any Saint's name: for this were to mingle the blood of Thomas with Christ's blood, as l Luk. 13.1. Pilate mingled the blood of the Galileans with their own sacrifice: Christ, he alone is our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Mediator, our Advocate: in his name alone are we to give thankes. Give thankes always for all things to God the Father, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. This is our duty, beloved, even to give thankes always for all things to God the Father, in the name of our Lord jesus Christ. Is it our duty? Let us then embrace it. Ascendant gratiae, ut descendat gratia: let our thankes ascend up to God, that his grace may descend down upon us. For cessat decursus gratiarum, ubi non fuerit recursus, saith Bernard Serm. 1. in capite ieiunij. The course and descent of the graces of God ceaseth, and the spring is dried up, when there is not a recourse and tide of our thankfulness. O! Why should so good an exercise be a burden and grief to any Christian soul. Let the unrighteous vanish away in their graceless unthankfulness, and become as the dung of the earth: but let the righteous always rejoice in the Lord, m Psal. 33.1. for it well becometh the just to be thankful. Early and late let us praise his holy name, though not with the harp, nor with the psaltery, nor with an instrument of ten strings, as the Psalmist adviseth, Psal. 33.2. Yet let us do it with the best members, and instruments we have, with our bodies, and with our souls. An eminent n B. King in Jon. lect 25. p 328. pillar of our Church, hath for this place a sweet meditation: Let us never turn our o Eze. 8.16. backs to the Temple of the Lord, nor our faces from his mercy seat. Let us not take without giving, as unprofitable ground drinketh and devoureth seed without restoring. Let us neither eat nor drink, nay, let us neither hunger nor thirst, without this condiment to it, The Lord be praised. Let the frontlets between your eyes, the bracelets upon our arms, the guards upon our garments, be thankes. Whatsoever we receive to use or enjoy, let us write that posy & Epiphoneme of p Chap. 4.7. Zacharie upon it; Grace, grace unto it: for all is grace. To shut up this point, let our daily devotion, be the same that David's was. Psal. 103.1, 2. let it be our daily song: Bless the Lord o my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord o my soul, & forget not all his benefits. Thus fare hath the unthankfulness of Israel, noted in the particle Yet, carried me. I now go on with the explication of the first benefit here mentioned, to have been bestowed by God upon that unthankful people. I destroyed the Amorite before them. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Septuagint, I have taken away; Exterminavi, the Vulgar, Calvin, and Gualther, I have cast out; Delevi, Leo, juda, and Castalio, I have wiped away; Excidi, O●colampadius, I have cut off; Perdidi, Vatablus, Tremellius, and junius, I have destroyed; Drusius expounds it, Delevi, Perdidi, profligavi; Mercerus, Disperdidi, abolevi. The word in the original signifieth, so to abolish and wipe away a people or a nation, that there be not any memory left of it. I destroyed the Amorite. The Amorites were descended from Canaan the fourth son of Ham. In Gen. 10.16. Canaan is said to have begotten, the jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Gargasite. He begat the Amorite. I destroyed the Ammorite] What? The Ammorite alone? Not so: But the Ammorites and other nations of the land of Canaan: whom, when they had fulfilled the measure of their iniquity, God did cut of, that he might give their land for an habitation to the posterity of jacob, the people of Israel, according to his covenant made with Abraham, Gen. 15.18. Unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. The Kenites and the Kenizites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgasites, and the jebusites. The Amorites you see were not alone. According to this covenant with Abraham, a promise is made to the Fathers in the desert, Exod. 23.27. I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people, to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out from before thee. Whom? The Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite? It's true. But they are not all. Look back to the 23. verse. There shall you find the Lord thus to speak. Mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the jebusites: and I will cut them off. You see again, the Amorites were not alone. I peruse the Catalogue of the Nations, whom the Lord hath cast out before Israel. It is Deut. 7.1. There I find, that he hath cast out, the Hittites, and the Girgasites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hevites, and the jebusites, seven Nations, greater and mightier than Israel was. Seven Nations? Then the Amorites were not alone. Were they seven Nations, that were driven out before Israel? How then is it, that the Lord here in my text recounting unto Israel this great benefit, nameth only the Amorite, saying, Yet destroyed I the Ammorite. The jesuite Pererius in his third Tome of Commentaries upon Genesis, writing upon the 15. Chapter, ver. 16. these words, The iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full, moves this very doubt, but thus: The reader may here wonder, why mention is made only of one Nation of the Amorite, sith it is plain by other places of holy Scripture, that there were seven Nations, which the Lord drove out from before the Israelites. His first answer is: It may by a Synecdoche. A part may be put for the whole; one Nation of the Amorites for all the seven. A like Synecdoche there is, Iosh. 1.4. There thus saith the Lord unto joshuah: From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great Sea, toward the going down of the Sun, shall be your coast. All the land of the Hittites, shall be your coast; The Hittites only are named; and yet within the bounds described all the seven had their habitations. It is therefore a Synecdoche. A part is put for the whole: One Nation of the Hittites for all the seven. It's so here: One Nation of the Amorites for all the seven. This answer admitting a Synecdoche is approved by Piscator, Tremellius, and junius. Yet Pererius thinks to give a better. And therefore his second answer is: that the Amorites are praecipuè & singulariter, chief and principally, named above all the rest, and for them all; because for the largeness of their Nation, and for their height of stature, and for their strength of body, and for their excessive cruelty, and impiety, they were above all, famous and much spoken of. Mercerus, that great Professor of the Hebrew tongue in the University of Paris, is of opinion, that the Amorite here, and elsewhere, is above all, and for all mentioned, because he of all was the most terrible, the most mighty, and the strongest. The like is affirmed by Arias Montanus, that learned Spaniard; Amorrhaeum potissimùm appellat, The Amorite he especially nameth, because that Nation & multitudine, & copijs, atque potentiâ, in multitude, in forces, and in power, excelled all the rest of the Nations, that were cast out before Israel. Here then, where the Lord hath said, Yet destroyed I the Amorite, in the Amorite we are to understand also, the rest of those seven Nations, which the Lord drove out from before Israel: the Hittites, & the Girgasites, and the Canaanites, and the Perezzites, and the Hivites, and the jebusites. Seven they were in number, greater and mightier than Israel was. All seven were cast out by the Lord from before Israel: and so much are we to understand by this, that the Lord here saith, Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them. Before them] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Septuagint. They well render the Hebrew, which word for word is a faciè ipsorum, from their face. Mercerus saith, a conspectu eorum, from their sight; that is, saith he, corum causâ, ad eorum adventum, for their sake, or at their coming. Albertus Magnus renders it, à praesentia eorum, from their presence. Our English, before them, hits the sense. The sense is: God struck such a terror into those seven Nations, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan; that at the coming of the Israelites, at the hearing of the name of Israel, they vanished, they fled away, they forsook their ancient habitations; or else were suddenly slain without much resistance. Thus have you the exposition of the first branch of this ninth verse, which containeth a general touch of the ruin of the Amorites. Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them.] The Israelites, their unthankfulness towards me is very notorious, yet have I destroyed the Amorite before them. Yet I] the Lord their God, who have freed them from their bondage in Egypt, and have led them forty years through the wilderness, I have destroyed] have overthrown, have driven out, have brought to ruin— The Amorite] not only the Amorites, but also the rest of the Nations, six other mighty Nations, whose dwelling was in the land of Canaan: all these have I destroyed before them] for their sake, for Israel's sake; that Israel might without resistance take quiet possession of the land of Canaan, the land that floweth with milk and honey. The lesson which we may take from hence is this: God is all in all, either in the overthrow of his enemies, or in the upholding of his children. For further proof hereof we may have recourse to the 15. chapter of the Book of Exodus. There Moses sings a song unto the Lord, a song of thanksgiving, wherein he acknowledgeth the Lord to be all in all, in the overthrow of his enemies, Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea. His acknowledgement is, vers. 6. Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy: In the greatness of thine excellency, thou hast overthrown them: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which hath consumed them as stubble. With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together: the floods stood upright as an heap: the depths were congealed in the heart of the Sea. The enemy feared not to enter. But thou Lord, didst blow with thy wind: the Sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord? Who is like thee? God is all in all in the overthrow of his enemies. He is also all in all in the upholding of his children. Moses in the same song avoucheth it, vers. 13. Thou, Lord, in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thine holy habitation. It was not their q Psal. 44.3. own sword that delivered them, neither did their own arm save them. But the Lord, He and his mercy He and his strength delivered them, God is all in all in upholding of his children. Is it thus dear beloved? Is God all in all in the overthrow of his enemies? Then for the overthrow of that great Navy, called the invincible Navy, the great Armada of Spain, which * This Sermon was preached A gust. 27. 1615. twenty seven years r Au. Ch. 1588. since threatened desolation to the inhabitants of this I'll, let God have the glory. It was the right hand of the Lord; not our virtue, not our merits, not our arms, not our men of might, but the right hand of the Lord it was, that brought that great work to pass. Their s Exod. 15.4.5. chosen Captains were drowned in the Sea: the depth covered them; they sank into the bottom as a stone. Some of them that were taken from the fury of the waves, and were brought prisoners to the honourablest city in this land, in their anguish of mind spared not to say, t Letter to Mendoza. pa. 17. that in all those fights, which at Sea they saw, Christ shown himself a Lutheran. Sure I am, that Christ shown himself to be little England's u Psal. 18.1. rock, and fortress, and strength, and deliverer. Quid retribuemus? What shall we render? nay, what can we render, unto the Lord for so great a deliverance? Let our song begin as the Psalm doth, the 115. Psalm. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis: Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. With like affection recount we the deliverance of our King and State, from that infernal and hellish exploit of the powder treason. The contrivers thereof I now name not. What could they expect, but upon the least discovery of so execrable an action, to incur an universal detestation, to have all the hatred of the earth poured upon them and theirs, to be the outcasts of the Common wealth, and the Maranathaes' of the Church, they and their names for ever to be an abhorring to all flesh. Yet they so fare proceeded in that their Diabolical machination, that they were at the point to have given the blow; that blow, that should have been the common ruin of us all. But God, our God, who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the Greeks' describe him, Psal. 9.9. A helper at opportunities, in the needful times of trouble, when we were thus x joh. 4.35. albi ad messem, white for their harvest, ready to be cut down by them; then, even than did our God deliver us. Quid retribuemus? What, what shall we render? nay, what can we render unto the Lord for so great a deliverance? Let our song be as before: Non nobis Domine, non nobis: Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. God, you see, is all in all in the overthrow of his enemies: So is he, all in all in the upholding of his children. Of his children, that is, of such, as live by faith in Christ, and do serve the Lord their God in spirit and in truth. Such if they be oppressed, if they be in need, if in trouble, have God for their refuge, Psal. 9.9. God will be the same God to them, as he was to David, Psal. 18.2. He will be their Rock, their Fortress, their Deliverer, their God, their Strength, their Buckler, the horn of their salvation, and their high Tower. Here are they to be admonished, who, neglecting the strong God of their salvation, put their confidence in the transitory things of this world. They, who trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, they are here reprooveable. How can their wealth, how can their riches profit them in the evil day? Will they serve for a ransom unto God for thee? Look to the 49th Psalm, and the 8. verse, and you shall find, that the redemption of a soul is much more precious. And they who rely upon great men, thinking themselves safe in the shadow of their wings, are here reprooveable. They have their warning, Psal. 146.3. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in any son of man. And why not? There is no help in them: and why no help? Their breath goeth forth, they return to their earth, and their very thoughts do perish. They also who make any other creature their confidence, are here reprovable. They for their instruction may have recourse to the 33. Psalm, at the 16. verse, thereof they may thus read: There is no King saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. What? Is a horse a vain thing to save a man? Is much strength vain? Is there no safety for a King in the multitude of an h●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 transitory things of this world? Quid nos? What shall we then do, beloved? Let us say with the confidence, that the Church hath in God's 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 vain and transitory, 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 Israel; is now all in all in upholding us, his Children by adoption and grace, against the fury of all our enemies, that have had evil will at our prosperity. I conclude with the words of the Psal. 146.5. Happy is he, that hath the God of jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is. To this Lord our God, Father, Son, and holy Ghost, one true and everliving God, sing we an Hallelujah. Hallelujah, salvation and glory, and honour, and power, be unto the Lord our God for evermore. THE XIIII. LECTURE. 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 Oaks, yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. OF the benefits here mentioned to have been bestowed by God upon his people, the people of Israel, in the first place we have the overthrow of the Amorites. It is delivered, vers. 9 Therein I propounded to your religious attentions three principal parts. In the first, we have the overthrow 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 unto us by way of Comparison: their stature or height by the Cedars; their valour or strength by the Oak. 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 overthrow of the Amorites. It was not any gentle stripe that they received, not any light incision, not any small wound; but it was their extermination, their contrition, their universal overthrow, their utter ruin. Fruit and root, Prince and people, Parents and children, old & young, were all brought to nought: Yet destroyed I their fruit from above, and their root from beneath. The first of these three principal parts, delivering in a generality the overthrow of the Amorites, was the subject 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 judah, giveth testimony hereunto. His message is, 2. King. 19.23. With the multitude of my chariots, I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall Cedars thereof. Succidam altitudinem Cedrorum eius, so he speaketh in the Hebrew, I will cut down the tallness of the Cedars of Lebanon. The words are repeated, Esa. 37.24. I will cut down the tallness of the Cedars of Lebanon. The tallness of the Cedars] out of doubt they are very high. The Cedars of Lebanon, Esa. 2.13. are said to be sublimes & elevatae, high and lifted up. In Tremellius his translation, they are celsissimae & elatissimae, most tall and towering. Out of doubt they are very high. If humane authority may be added to divine, Theophrastus in his fift Book of his history of Plants, chap. 9 saith, that the Cedar for its length or height is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, its worthy admiration. Rovillius in his History of Plants, lib. 1. cap. 11. affirmeth, that the Cedar of Phoenicia or Syria beareth a body straight and very tall, mounting above all other trees. Arias Montanus saith as much: Cedrus ubicumque fuerit, the Cedar wheresoever it groweth, it overtoppeth all other trees, and is above all pre-eminent and conspicuous. To prove it, he bringeth those words of the spouse concerning her Beloved, Cant. 5.15. His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars: that is, his Heroical proceritie and the majesty of his countenance is like unto the Cedars of Lebanon. The Spouse thus comparing the countenance of her beloved, to mount Lebanon and the Cedars there, intimateth, that the increase of the knowledge of God and his worship shall be so great, as that the open profession of Christ, for its durableness & stability, may well be likened to mountains: and that the Cedars of Lebanon do not so much overgrow other trees in tallness; as true Christian religion for its reverend majesty shall overgo whatsoever blind, bushy, and thorny superstitions. It is out of doubt. Cedar trees are very high. So high, that never man, never Giant was so high. How then is it, that my text thus speaketh of the Amorites, Their height was like the height of the Cedars? It is by a figure, which the Greeks' call Hyperbole. Whereof many instances may be alleged out of holy Scripture. In the 2. of Sam. 1.23. it is said of Saul and jonathan, They were swifter than Eagles, they were stronger than Lions. Swifter than Eagles, and yet the Eagle of birds is the swiftest; stronger than Lions, and yet the Lion of Beasts is the strongest. They were swifter than Eagles, they were stronger than Lions: they are two Hyperboles, or proverbial speeches. By them the holy Ghost lets us understand, that Saul and jonathan, were exceeding swift of foot, and strong of body. In Psalm 107.26. it is said of the waves of the Sea in a great tempest; They mount up to Heaven, they go down again to the depths. They are two Hyperboles. By them the Psalmist setteth as it were before our eyes, the greatness of the danger, wherein they often times are, that trade by Sea. In Genes. 13.16. The Lord said to Abram, I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. I will make 〈◊〉 seed as the dust of the earth, saith the Lord. It is an Hyperbole. S. Austin so takes it, the Civ. Dei lib. 16. c. 21. And well. For who seethe not, how incomparably greater the number of the dust is, than the number of all the men, that ever have been, are, or shall be, from the first man, Adam, to the end of the world, can be? And therefore where the Lord saith, I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; we are not to imagine that the posterity of Abram, was to be in number as the dust (all the people of the earth put together cannot stand in this comparison) but we are given to understand, that they were to be a very great people. I pass over with silence, many instances of like nature, and return to my text, where it is said of the Amorites, Their height was like the height of the Cedars. The speech is proverbial, its hyperbolical. We may not from it collect, that the Amorites were as high as the Cedars, but this only that the Amorites were a people very tall and high of stature. Never did any man equal the Cedars in height: yet show me a man, that is of a body, and of an unusual proceritie, I may take up this Scripture phrase, and say of him; His height is like the height of Cedars. Thus you see the Amorites for their height or talnes are likened to the Cedar. For their strength or valour they are resembled to the Oak, in the next words: He was strong as the Okes. The figure of speech is, as before. It's proverbial. The Oak you know, is a hard kind of wood, strong, firm, and durable. Hence is the proverb, Quercu robustior, or robore validior, stronger than the Oak. Never was there man of so firm a constitution, that he can properly be said to be stronger than the Oak: Yet show me a man of extraordinary strength, I may take up this Scripture-phrase, and say of him, Fortis ipse quasi quercus, he is strong as the Okes. And in this sense it is here said of the Amorite, He was strong as the Okes. That the Amorites were of an unusual and extraordinary height and strength, as they are here described by our Prophet Amos, you may further know by the relation which the Spies made unto Moses after their return from the search of the Holy land. Their relation is, Num. 13.28. The people be strong that dwell in the land; we saw the children of Anak there. At the 32. verse they speak more fully: All the people, that we saw in it, are men of great stature. And there we saw the Giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the Giants, and we were in our own sight, as grasshoppers, and so were we in their sight. By this relation of the Spies you see, that the Amorites, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, were more, then ordinary tall and strong. The tallest and strongest of the Amorites (of these Amorites, which the Lord destroyed before Israel) was Og the King of Basan. Of his height and strength, the jews make strange reports. For his height they say▪ he was in his cradle and swaddling clouts thirty cubits high, and as he grew in years, so grew he in tallness. For his strength they say, when he had heard that the tents of the children of Israel, took up the space of three miles, he rooted up a mountain of like space, and set it on his head, with purpose to cast it upon the tents of Israel: but as he carried it, Aunts made a hole through the midst of it, and so it descended and rested upon his neck: whence by reason of his teeth excessively increasing and running into the holes of the mountain, the mountain stuck so fast, that he could not remove it, to cast it, as he had purposed, upon the camp of the Israelites. This the jews do write in their book of Benedictions; and Lyra in his Postill upon Num. 21. makes mention of it: but withal censures it to be so absurd, that it needs no other refutation: yet he makes mention of it, that we may see quanta coecitas est in Iudaeis, how blind the jews are, to believe such fables. It is, I grant, one of those jewish fables, whereto S. Paul wished Titus, chap. 1.14. not to give any heed: and I believe it no more, than I do, that the Giant Antaeus was threescore cubits high, because Gabinius in the 17. book of Strabo his a pag. 960. Geography affirms it: or that in Scythia in a rock by the river Tires, there was to be seen the print of Hercules his foot of two cubit's length, because Herodotus in his b pag. 110. Melpomene is the relator of it. Yet believe I, that Og the King of Basan was of more than ordinary tallness and strength. And you will believe it too, if you will estimate a monument of his, which was to be seen in Rabbath, the Metropolitical City of the children of Ammon, now called Philadelphia. The monument was a bedstead of his. It is described, Deut. 3.11. His bedstead was a bedstead of iron: nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man. Of a man of reasonable stature; not of a Giant, nor of a dwarf. Nine cubits long was his bedstead, and bedstead usually exceed the common stature of men by two feet: therefore the stature of Og was about seven cubits and a foot. So he was about three yards, two foot, and six inches high. Such an unusual tallness could not but be accompanied with strength answerable to it: and therefore Og the King of Basan was of extraordinary tallness and strength If the rest of the Amorites were any thing like unto Og, then might the relation of the Spies be just: c Num. 13.28, The people of the land are strong; d vers. 32. they are men of a great stature: and my text saith well, Their height was like the height of the Cedars, and he was strong as the Okes. Thus have you the description of the Amorites, They were tall of stature, and strong of body. Tall and strong. Yet, were they not thereby the more acceptable to the Lord. The Lord, notwithstanding their talnes, and their strength brought them to ruin. For so it followeth: Yet destroyed I their fruit from above, and their root from beneath. The lesson which we are to take from hence is: God respecteth not, the tall man for his talnes, nor the strong man for his strength. It's true. e 1 Sam. 16.7. God seethe not as man seethe. Man indeed looketh on the outward appearance; but God looketh on the heart. Man usually esteems of a man, by the beauty of his face, by the fairness of his countenance, by the comely feature of his body. God doth not so. Saul, the first of the Kings of Israel, was a choice young man, and a goodly: there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher, than any of the people. He is so described, 1. Sam. 9.2. So is he, chap. 10.23. Saul, when he stood among the people, was higher, than any of the people, from the shoulders and upward. In the next verse Samuel asketh the people: Do you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? What is the people's answer? They shout, and say; God save the King. They saw him a goodly man of person; and therefore judged him fit to be a King. But the Lord, who seethe not as man seethe, and respecteth not man's outward appearance, rejected him from being King. His talnes, and the goodly proportion of his body were no privilege unto him. You are to believe it upon the Lords own words, 1. Sam. 16.1. There the Lord tells Samuel, that he hath rejected Saul from reigning over Israel. Upon the rejection of Saul, the Lord f 1. Sam. 16.1. provided him a King among the sons of jesse the Bethlehemite, and Samuel was to anoint him. Samuel for that purpose went unto g vers. 4. Bethlehem, and called for jesse his h vers. 5. sons. i vers. 6. Eliab the eldest, came first in place. Him would Samuel have anointed. His motives were two. Abulensis quaest. 22. in 1 Sam. 16. sets them down. One was, the prerogative of birth in Eliab; the other was, his fair countenance and goodly stature. Eliab had the prerogative of birth: he was the firstborn son. Some of the prerogatives of the firstborn son are couched by old jacob in his prophecy concerning his eldest son, Reuben, Gen. 49.3. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Prior in donis, maior in imperio; so the vulgar Latin concludes that verse. Prior in donis] There is the first prerogative belonging to the eldest son; it concerns his profit. Prior in donis; he was first to be respected in the division of his Father's inheritance; he was to have a double portion of all his substance, according to the Commandment, Deut, 21.17. The Father shall give to his eldest son a double portion of all that he hath. The reason is annexed: For he is the beginning of his strength: the right of the first borne is his. Mayor in imperio] It is the second prerogative of the eldest son. It concerns his honour and state of authority. He had a certain regal principality & rule over his brethren. It appeareth by the blessing which Isaac bestowed upon jacob, who had gotten the birthright from his brother Esau, Gen. 27.29. Be Lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Onkelos paraphrasing the prophecy of jacob concerning Reuben, mentioneth a threefold prerogative of the eldest son. Reuben, it was thy right to have received three better portions, than thy brethren; the priesthood, the birth right, and the kingdom. Now, if the eldest son had such prerogatives; if he were prior in donis, and was to have the best respect in the division of his Father's inheritance: if he were mayor in imperio, and had regal principality and rule over his brethren, if the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power were his; if his were the priesthood, the birthright, and the kingdom; why might not Samuel, think Eliab, jesses' eldest son, to be the man, whom the Lord had chosen to be King over Israel, rather than a younger brother? A second motive, why Samuel might think Eliab fit to be the anointed king of Israel, was Eliabs fair countenance, and his goodly stature. Euripides could say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, beauty, its worthy an Empire. Atheneus the Dipnosophist, k Cap. 7. pag. 366. § 18. lib. 13. affirms it, and Porphyry in the second Chapter ˡ of his Introduction cities it. Beauty, its worthy an Empire. Priamus in Homer, admiring the beauty of Agamemnon, saith unto Helena, m Iliad. ● 16● with these mine eyes I never yet beheld man so fair; and adddeth n Vers. 170. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In his countenance he is like a King. Many Nations (saith Athenaeus in the same place) have chosen for their Kings the fairest among them. And well. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Beauty, it best of all beseemeth Kings. Now if Eliab were of a fair countenance, and of a goodly stature, why might not Samuel think Eliab to be the man, whom the Lord had chosen to be King over Israel, rather than any other of his brethren, who could not be compared unto him, either for fairness of face, or for goodliness of stature? Thus, what for priority of birth, and what for comeliness of person, Eliab was by Samuel thought to be the man, whom the Lord had chosen for his King among all the sons of jesse. It seems, Samuel thought so. For when Eliab was brought before him, he looked on him, and said of him: Surely the Lords anointed is before him, 1. Sam. 16.6. Surely, Eliab is the man, whom the Lord hath designed to be his anointed. But the Lord, the Lord who seethe not as man seethe, who respecteth not man's outward appearance, he refused Eliab. Eliab was no King for him. For thus saith the Lord to Samuel concerning Eliab. 1. Sam. 16.7. Looks not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him. Eliab, notwithstanding the priority of his birth, and notwithstanding the comeliness of his person, he is refused: and David, little David, little in his father's eyes, and little in the eyes of his brethren, neglected and despised of all (for he was the youngest of all) he is chosen to be the Lords anointed. He is taken o Psal 78 70.71.72. 1. Sam. 16.11. 2. Sam 7.8. from the sheepefolds, from following the Ewes great with young, and is placed in rule and government, to feed jacob the people of the Lord, and Israel the Lord's inheritance. Thus much may serve for the confirmation of my propounded doctrine: God respecteth not the tall man for his tallness, nor the strong man, for his strength: You may add, nor the great man, for his greatness, nor the rich man for his wealth, nor the wise man, for his wisdom. The reason I have already touched. It is expressed, 1. Sam. 16.7. The Lord seethe not as man seethe. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. He looketh on the heart: and therefore he chooseth not as man chooseth, the tall, the great, the strong, the rich, the wise; but the low man, the little man, the weak man, the poor man, the foolish man. Whereto else tendeth the Apostles speech to the faithful among the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 1.26. You see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things that are mighty: and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. And what is the end of all? It's this: that no flesh should glory in the presence of God. It is the use we are to make of the doctrine now delivered. We are urged unto it, jerem. 9.23. There thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. In like sort say we: Let not the tall man glory in his tallness, neither let the strong man glory in his strength, though the height of the one be like the height of the Cedars, and the other be strong like the Oaks, yet let them not glory therein: but let them glory in this, that they understand & know God to be the Lord, which exerciseth loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth: that is, in the Apostles phrase, 1. Cor. 1.31. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And again, 2. Cor. 10.17. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. All other glorying is vain. Glory not in thy tallness; what can it avail thee? Glory not in thy strength; it cannot help thee. Say thou wert as tall as the Amorites in my text, and thy height were like the height of the Cedars; say thou wert as strong as they, strong as the Oaks: yet notwithstanding the one, or the other, height or strength, thou mayst perish and come to nought, as they did. Glory thou therefore in the Lord. Here may the man that is low of stature, or weak of body, be comforted; for as much as God seethe not as man seethe, nor chooseth as man chooseth. Be thou little, or be thou weak, thou art never a whit the further from the grace & favour of God. No further than Zacheus was. Zacheus was a very little man. In the 19 of Luke, ver. 3. it is said of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that he was little of stature. jesus passed through jericho. Zacheus was very desirous to see him, but could not, for the press of the people; because he was little of stature. To supply this defect of his, he gets him up into a tree, and seethe jesus. jesus for it spoke graciously unto him: Zacheus, make haste, and come down, for to day I must abide at thy house. You see, jesus respected Zacheus for all his little stature. He was of little stature] Statura brevis, & magnus in opere; S. p T●m. 8. fol. 310. H. Austin saith it, Enarr: in Psal. 129. Zacheus was in deed little of stature, but was great in good works. Great in his love toward jesus, whom he was so desirous to see; and great in charity towards men, to whom he was ready to make a fourfold restitution, if he had done wrong to any. Zacheus, little of stature! Chrysologus Serm. 54. thus meditates upon it: q Pag. 225. Satis hic animo magnus erat, qui pusillus videbatur in corpore. Nam ment tangebat coelos, qui corpore homines non aequabat. Zacheus was great enough in mind, albeit he was but little in body: in body he was no match for men, and yet his mind reached up to Heaven. Whereupon he frames this exhortation: Nemo de brevitate corporis, cui addere nil potest, curet; sed ut fide emineat, hoc procuret: Let not any man be grieved, because he is little of stature, whereto he cannot add one cubite, but let every man's care be, to be eminent above others in faith. You have hitherto heard of the variety of men's statures: you have heard of the Amorites, that their height was like the height of the Cedars: Of King Saul, that he was higher than any of his people, from the shoulders and upward; of Eliab, that he was high of stature; of Zacheus, that he was low of stature: This variety of men's statures is by every day's experience confirmed unto you. And why is there such variety of men's statures? One reason may be to stir us up to this consideration; that God is the most provident author of every man's stature. It is not in man, to add any thing to his stature: not one cubite, saith our Saviour, Mat. 6 27. He saith it again, Luke, 12.25. Which of you with taking thought, can add one cubite to his stature? No man. No man can do it. Nay, it is not in man, to amend the imperfections, wherewith he is borne into the world. The man that was borne blind confesseth it, joh. 9.32. Since the world began was it not heard, that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind. We cannot supply any defect wherewith we are borne into this world; much less can we add any thing unto our stature? It may thus fare serve for our instruction, ex illo capite neminem contemnamus, vel exagitemus, saith Franzius Disp. 2. in Deuter. Thes. 92. that we despise not any man, nor speak ill of him for his stature, be it great or little, or for any defect he hath in nature from his nativity. A second reason, why there is such variety of statures in the world, may be to let us understand, that a man's stature of itself is not to be reckoned as a part of his felicity or glory. For if a great and a goodly stature be as common, nay, more common to the wicked, then to the godly, as S. Austin seems to prove, De Civit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 9 why should a godly man boast himself of his great and goodly stature? Especially, sith for the most part, men that are conspicuous for their elegant and well featured bodies, are defective for understanding, wisdom, and piety. Baruch observes it, Chap. 3. ver. 26.27.28 There were (saith he) Giants, famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in war. Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way of knowledge unto them. But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom, and perished thorough their own foolishness. His observation is: there were giants, men of great stature, yet were they without knowledge, without wisdom. Great men, and yet fools. Whereas pumiliones, dwarves, little men, men of very little stature, sometime scarce a cubite high, do excel in fortitude, understanding, and wisdom, as the but now cited Franzius hath noted. Tydeus corpore, animo Hercules. It's an old proverb. Tydeus was a man of very little stature, but (as Menander the Historian saith) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he was Hercules for his mind. The proverb, appliable to such as being of little stature are of an undaunted courage, showeth, that many a little man is such. Many a man of little stature is of the livelier wit. So it pleaseth God, our most wise, and provident God, to temper the gifts of the body and mind in men of diverse statures. He doth not always give all to one; but for the most part he recompenseth the defects of the body with the endowments of the mind. Give me the endowments of the mind; what care I for the stature of my body. Aequè enim brevis, & longus vivit, saith Musculus Comment. in Matth. 6. As long life's the short man as the tall man. Nihil detrimenti habet brevis statura, nec plus aliquid habet longa: The short stature hath no loss, neither hath the long stature any advantage for Heavenly affairs. Be my stature what it will; let me be transformed by the r Rom. 12.2. renewing of my mind I am well; For so shall I prove what is that good, that acceptable and perfect will of God, which is our s 1. Thes. 4.3. sanctification. Blessed is that man, whatsoever his stature be, that shall be so transformed by the renewing of his mind, that he may prove what is that good, that acceptable and perfect will of God: which is his sanctification. I have stood long upon the second part of this verse, the description of the Amorites: the time requireth, that I go on with the third part. It is the explication, or the amplification, of the ruin of the Amorites. The words are, Yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. The words are proverbial, they are figurative, they are metaphorical. I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. The meaning is, exterminavi eum totum, t Drusius. quantus, quantus erat: I have wholly cast him out, I have utterly destroyed him. The like phrase we meet with, job 18.16. It's there said of the wicked man: His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off. The comparison stands between a wicked man, and a dry tree. A dry tree may seem to be firmly rooted, and may have fair and wide spreading bows, when its good for nothing, but to be cut down and cast into the fire. So it is with the wicked man. All his pomp, all his power, all his excellency, all his honour, all his glory (which are to him as the fruit and the roots are unto a tree) shall more than suffer an Eclipse, they shall utterly vanish. His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branches be cut off. I cannot give you an easier or plainer exposition of the Allegory, than Bildad the Shuhite doth in the same chapter of the book of job, and the verse following: His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. He shall have no name in the street! What's that? It's this: His old friends and acquaintance shall not so much as speak of him but to vilify him; as to say, He was a wicked wretch, an adulterer, an usurer, a thief, a drunkard, a slanderer, a swearer, a blasphemer, a man, that neither feared God, nor loved his neighbour. Upon such a man, the wicked man, Solomon hath passed his censure, Prov. 2.22. He shall be cut off from the earth, he shall be rooted out of it. This also may serve for an exposition of the Allegory: His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off. The like Allegory you see is in my text: I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. Fruit and roots] That is, saith Lyranus, patres & filios, fathers and their sons. Paulus de palatio by the fruit and the roots understandeth viros, mulieres, parvulos; men, women, and the little ones. The little ones are the fruit, men and women are the root. Albertus Magnus will have the fruit to be divitias, aedificia, culturam; their riches, their buildings, their husbandry; and the roots to be, tribus, familias, & successionem filiorum & nepotum; their tribes, families, kindreds, and the succession of their sons and nephews. Arias Montanus takes the fruit and the roots to signify omnem illius gentis familiam, posteritatemque, all the lineage of that nation and their posterity. I pass by other like interpretations: these few may give us the true meaning of the words we have in hand. The words are an explication or rather an amplification of the first part of this verse, concerning the destruction of the Amorites. There the Lord saith, I destroyed the Amorite before them: here he saith, I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. From hence we know, that it was not any gentle stripe which the Amorites received, not any light incision, not any small wound, but that it was their extermination, their contrition, their universal overthrow, their utter ruin. Fruit and root, Prince and subject, Parents and children, old and young, they were all destroyed. For thus saith the Lord, I destroyed their fruit from above, and their root from beneath. But when did this great destruction befall the Amorites? It befell them in the days of Moses, when the Lord delivered over into the hands of Israel, t Deut. 2.33. Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan. Then did Israel smite both those Kings, u Num. 21.34. Deut. 3.3. Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan. Them they smote with the edge of the sword, them and all their people; and took their Cities, all their Cities, and utterly destroyed the men, the women, and the little ones of every City: they left none alive, They destroyed their fruit from above, and their roots from beneath. These famous victories, gotten by Israel over those two mighty Kings, are described Num. 21. and Deut. 2. & 3. Is Israel now the conqueror? Is it the sword of Israel that smiteth Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan, them, and their people, their men, women, and little ones? How then is it, that the Lord in my text takes it to himself, and saith, I destroyed the Amorite, I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath? The answer is easy. Israel indeed smote the Amorites; but it was by the power of the Lord, not by any power of their own. Moses confesseth it of Sihon, King of the Amorites, Deut. 2.33. The Lord our God delivered him unto us, and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. He confesseth it likewise of Og King of Bashan, Deut. 3.3. The Lord our God delivered into our hands Og the King of Bashan, and all his people: and we smote him until none was left to him remaining. Israel could not smite till God had delivered. God first delivered, than Israel smote. Israel smote the Amorites, not by any power of their own: they did it by the power of the Lord. And what is done by the power of the Lord, may well be said to be done by the Lord. In regard hereof it is, that the Psalmist, Psal. 135.10. ascribeth the victory, whereof we now speak, immediately unto God: Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in Heaven and in Earth, in the Seas, and in all deep places. He smote great Nations, and slew mighty Kings; Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og King of Bashan: and all the kingdoms of Canaan. And gave their land for an heritage, even an heritage unto Israel his people. The like he doth in the next Psalm: and in the like words, Psal. 136.17. O give thanks unto the Lord, To him, which smote great Kings, and slew famous Kings: Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan, and gave their land for an heritage, even for an heritage unto Israel his servant. In both Psalms you see the destruction of the Amorite ascribed to God himself, and his sole power. So is it, Psal. 78.55. but more generally: The Lord! He cast out the heathen before Israel, he cast out the Amorites, and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tabernacles. But no where so plainly is this great work of casting out the Amorites and other the heathen before Israel, attributed unto God, as Psal. 44. There the people of God groaning under their affliction in the midst of their enemies, do thus begin their confession, vers. 1. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. What this work was they express vers. 2. Thou didst drive out the Heathen with thine hand] Thou with thy hand didst drive out the Amorites, and other the Heathen, and in their rooms didst plant our forefathers. This was a great work, and it was Gods work. That it was Gods work and his alone, they yet further acknowledge, vers. 3. Our forefathers, they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, O God, did establish them. God was all in all in the overthrow of the Amorites, and the rest of the Heathen. By his strength, by his might, by his power only were they overthrown. And therefore albeit Israel smote with the sword Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan, them and their people, their men, their women, and their little ones, sith they did it only by the strength, might, and power of the Lord, the Lord in my text doth rightly challenge the whole glory of this overthrow unto himself; saying first, I destroyed the Amorite before them: and again, I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. From hence we may take a profitable lesson. It's this, Though God use means for the performance of his counsels, yet the accomplishment and glory of them, belongeth to him alone. This truth is so evident, that it needs no further proof. Israel, the people of Israel, they were the means which God used for the performance of his counsels upon the Amorites, even to destroy them, and to root them out from being a people, but the accomplishment and the glory of that great work was the Lords alone. The people of Israel, had they had much ado to overcome their enemies, the Amorites, they might happily have imputed somewhat to their own force. They might have said; Shown we not great power in the battle? Behaved we not ourselves like men? Did not we fight valiantly? But when their enemies were driven like chaff with the wind; when they, who erst were stour, and strong; were tall as the Cedars, and strong as the Oaks; when they should extraordinarily be dismayed; should have no more heart than a silly sheep hath; but should be scattered at the first onset; should be so cowardly, as that their enemies might at their pleasure slay them, till they were weary of slaying them; what can be said of it? what can be thought of it? This is all. The Lord, who is Lord of battles, though he use means for the performance of his counsels, and for the achieving of his victories, yet will he have the accomplishment and the glory of all to be peculiar unto himself. Thus is my doctrine illustrated. Though God use means for the performance of his counsels, yet the accomplishment and glory of them belongeth to him alone. The reason hereof is, because all power is Gods: and whatsoever power man hath to execute or perform what the counsel of the Lord hath appointed, it's all derived from God. The use is, to teach us, to yield God the honour of all the victories, that he giveth us against our enemies. The honour of all victories must be his. When I say, all victories, I meone not only the victories of Princes, when they make war, or win a battle in the field, but even our private victories too: as, when we have been assailed by some particular man, and are escaped from his hands; this is a victory, and the honour of it must be the Lords. If a neighbour, an unkind neighbour, hath done us any wrong, or hath put us to some trouble, & we are delivered from it, we must assure ourselves, it is God that hath given us the upper hand, to the end, that we should always have our mouths open to give him thanks for it. This must we do; but this is not all. We must with the mouth give thanks to God for giving us the upper hand against those that have wrongfully molested and vexed us; and beside, we must endeavour by our whole life to show forth, how much we are bound to God for our deliverance. This is the scope, this is the end of our redemption and salvation, (according to old Zacharies prophecy, Luk. 1.74.) that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. Thus far of the 9 verse. THE XV. LECTURE. AMOS 2.10. Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. IN this tenth verse are recounted two other benefits, which Almighty God was pleased to bestow upon his people, the people of Israel. One was, Their deliverance from Egypt. The other, Their protection and preservation in the wilderness. Their deliverance from Egypt is set down, in the first clause; Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt. Their protection and preservation in the wilderness, in the next: And led you forty years through the wilderness. The end of both followeth in the end of the verse: To possess the land of the Amorite. They were delivered from Egypt, and were for forty years protected in the wilderness, that at length, and in their appointed time, they might possess the land of the Amorites. We are to begin with their deliverance from Egypt. It's in the first clause of the verse: Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt. This deliverance of theirs out of Egypt was before the Amorites were destroyed, and yet the destruction of the Amorites is specified in the former verse. Why is the order of God's benefits so inverted? Why is the benefit, that was first collated upon Israel, spoken of in the second place? Some think it was advisedly and of purpose done, to preoccupate and prevent an objection, which otherwise Israel might have made. In the former verse, ver. 9 it is said, that the Amorites were destroyed, root and fruit, utterly destroyed before Israel. Now that Israel should not boast of that overthrow, or ascribe it to the prowess and valour of their ancestors, their deliverance out of Egypt is nex set down, in this 10. verse, to put them in mind of the miserable estate and condition, wherein their forefathers lived in Egypt: to this sense: Think ye, O ye children of Israel, that the Amorites were destroyed by the prowess and valour of your forefathers? Think it not. Remember Egypt. Remember how there they groaned under the heavy yoke of oppression, and were not able to help themselves, and must of necessity have perished, had not the Lord with his stretched-forth arm delivered them. Others are of opinion, that this deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, is in the second place, and after the destruction of the Amorites, set down, only by a custom of the Scripture. Of this opinion I find S. Hierome to be. His rule is: The Scripture in setting forth the praises of God, doth not always observe the order of the History: but it often comes to pass, quae prima facta sunt, extrema dicantur, & quae novissima, referantur ad prima: Things first done are last spoken of, and things last done are first recited. This he will have us to learn out of two Psalms, the 78. and 105. in which signorum potentia, non ordo describitur, the power of God's wonderful works, and not their order is described: and out of two other Psalms, the 3. and 52. Vbi, quae priùs facta sunt, narrantur extrema, & quae extrema, referuntur in principio: What is first done is last spoken of, and what is last done is first mentioned. The third Psalm was composed by David, when he fled from Absalon, his son: the 52. when Doeg the Edomite came unto Saul, and told him, that David was come to the house of Abimelech. That of Absalon is registered, 2. Sam. 15.14. This of Doeg, 1. Sam. 22.9. The relation of Doeg is first chronicled, and long after that, David's flight from Absalon: & yet David's flight from Absalon is first mentioned in the Book of the Psalms, and long after that, the relation of Doeg unto Saul. The order of the History is not observed. Nor is it observed in this our text. The order of the History is: first God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, Exod. 12.51. He made them to pass through the midst of the red Sea, as upon dry land, Exod. 14.22. And when they had finished their two and forty journeys, through diverse wildernesses, than gave he them victory over Sihon King of the Amorites, Num. 21.24. The Amorites were last of all destroyed, and yet are they here first mentioned. Non est obseruatus ordo, saith Mercer; the order of the History is not observed. Ribera also notes it. Mathurinus Quadratus here frames a rule, like to that of St. Hierome, Scriptura in recensendis Dei beneficijs curiose non seruat ordinem. The Scripture in rehearsing Gods benefits doth not curiously keep the order, but oftentimes it falls out by a figure, which the Greeks' do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that what was first done, is last of all rehearsed; and what was last done is first of all recited. From hence we may deduce this conclusion: Though it be our duty carefully to remember the manifold blessings and benefits, which God in mercy from time to time hath bestowed upon us; yet is it not necessary, that we ever curiously observe their order, and the time when they were bestowed. You see the custom of Scripture is our warrant, to speak of that first, which was last done for us; and of that last, which we first received. But, first or last, we must remember all. Hereto belongeth holy David's admonition, Psal. 103.2. which he there proposeth under the form of an exhortation. He exhorteth himself to bless the Lord: Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Forget not all his benefits! Nay: Forget not any of his benefits. So much the Hebrew phrase intendeth. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not any of his benefits. A necessary admonition. We forget nothing sooner than a benefit, whether we receive it from God or man. But iniuriarum tenacissima est memoria; our memory for injuries, is very tenacious; it's a holdfast. Let an injury be done us, we will not forget it. Yea let one of us bestow upon another any benefit, be it never so little, the knowledge whereof should not be imparted from the right hand to the left, as our Saviour Christ speaketh in his Sermon upon the Mount, Matth. 6.3. how long, how long will we retain the memory of it? Our nature! its corrupt. Our disposition! its perverse. Who seethe not, what need there is, that we exercise ourselves in retaining the memory of God's benefits? Wherefore let every one of us stir up himself to so holy an exercise, as David did himself: Let us daily sing unto our souls: Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Forget not All! Nay; Forget not any of his benefits. Remember them all, either first, or last. Now from the non-obseruance of the order of the History in this enumeration of God's benefits upon Israel, we are particularly to speak of the benefit mentioned in the second place. It is their deliverance out of Egypt. The words are, Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt. I] jehovah. It is his name, ver. 6. & 11. I] jehovah, the only true, everlasting and Almighty God; I, a Trinity in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I, who destroyed the Amorites before you and for your sakes; I also brought you up from the land of Egypt. I brought you up. It well expresseth the original, which word for word is, ascendere vos feci, I made you to ascend. Nam ex Aegypto ascenditur judaeam versus, saith Drusius: from Egypt to judaea you must ascend: and it is a tradition of the Hebrews, judaea est altior Egypto: judaea stands higher than Egypt. It's affirmed, Deut. 10.22. It's there said, that jacob with threescore and ten persons went down into Egypt. jacob with his family went from Canaan, from judaea; and went d●●ne into Egypt. Canaan therefore and judaea stood higher than Egypt. I brought you up [or, I made you to ascend] from the land of Egypt. From the land of Egypt. a Maginus in descrip. Aegypti pag. 203. a Egypt is a most noble region, and famous, much spoken of by writers, sacred and profane. Some would have it to be one of the parts of the world, a divers part from Asia and Africa; and to be between them both. Others supposing the river Nilus, the great river of Egypt, to be the fittest bound to part Asia from Africa, do make Egypt to partake of both, Asia and Africa. One part of Egypt they place in Asia, the other in Africa. The jesuite Lorinus, Comment. in Act. Apost. cap. 2. 10. makes it a part of Asia Maior. He saith it is a well known region of Asia the greater near unto Africa. But b Lib. 4. Geogr. cap. 5. Tab. 3. Aphricae pag. 98. Ptolomee, and the greatest part of Geographers, and other writers, holding the gulf of Arabia, or the Red Sea, to be the fittest bound to sever Asia from Africa, have placed Egypt in Africa. This is the most received opinion, and worthiest to be embraced. The land of Egypt is in Africa, and is by an c Georg. Abbot the description of the world. I. 4. b. Isthmos, or a narrow strait of ground, joined to the Holy land. It was of old a land very fruitful, as fruitful, as any almost in the world: though in these days it doth not answer to the fertility of former times. From the land of Egypt] The Hebrew calls it the land of Mizraim. It's so called in my text, and elsewhere generally in the holy Scriptures: and hath its name from Mitzraim, one of the sons of Ham: of whom we read, Gen. 10.6. He first inhabited that part of Africa, which was afterward called Egypt. When it first began to be called Egypt, it's not easily defined. Some say, it was first called Egypt in Moses his time: when Ramesses surnamed Egyptus, son of Belus, and brother of Danaus, was King of the land. Ramesses, otherwise called Aegyptus, began his reign in the 29 year from the going of Israel out of Egypt. Of this opinion is d Ad annum Mundi 2482. Funccius in his Chronologie. S. e Willet upon Gen. c 10. p. 120 Per●t. in Gen. Tom. 2. lib 15. Disp. 1. p. 412. Augustine lib. 18. de civ. Dei. cap. 11. following f Ad annum Mundi 3720. Eusebius in his Chronicle, saith, this happened in josuahs' time, more than eight hundred years after the flood. According to the computation of Manethon an Egyptian Chronographer, cited by josephus in his g Pag. 451. b first book against Apion. It was three hundred ninety and three years after Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. Whensoever it was first called Egypt, it's not much material. Were it first so called in Moses his time, or after, in josuahs' time; or yet after 393. years from Israel's going up from thence, it was many a year so called before our Prophet Amos wrote this his Prophecy. And yet our Prophet here retaineth the old Hebrew name Mizraim. Also I brought you up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the land of Mizraim, it is in our Language, from the land of Egypt. But what benefit was it for Israel to be brought up from the land of Egypt? Had they not there a sweet habitation? Were they not planted in the best of the land? in the land of h Gen. 47.11. Ramesses, in the land of i Vers. 6. Goshen? It may not be denied, but that Egypt of itself was a very goodly, fruitful, and commodious country: yet was it very beneficial to the Israelites, that they were thence delivered: and that in two respects: one was, because the people of the land were superstitious. the other, because they were full of cruelty. First, the Egyptians were a superstitious people. They had as the Greeks, and Romans had, their Gods maiorum gentium, and their Gods minorum gentium. Gods of greater authority, and Gods of less. They had for their Gods many a beast. Athenagoras a Christian Philosopher, in his embassage or apology for the Christians to the Emperor's Antoninus and Commodus, witnesseth, that they bestowed divine honours upon Cats, and Crocodiles, and Serpents, and Asps, and Dogs. Arnobius in his first Book against the Gentiles, saith; they built stately Temples felibus, scarabaeis, & buculis, to Cats, to Beetles, to Heifers. Cassiodore in his tripartite history lib. 9 cap. 27. tells of the Image of an Ape, which they adored: and cap. 28. he saith, that a nest of Rats was their God. Many other k Accipitres Noctuas Hircos, Asinos Hieronym. in Esai 11. Tom. 5. p. 51. a Cironius Hieron. in joel. 3. Tom. 6 pag. 67. d. beasts did they adore. Here their superstition rested not: it proceeded to the plants of the earth, to base plants; to leeks, and onions. Leeks and onions were to them for Gods. Porrum & l Hieron. in Esai 46. Tom. 5. pag. 172. a caepe nefas violare— juvenal. Sat. 15. could note it. O, it was a wicked and detestable act, to do any hurt to a leek or onion. At such their ridiculous superstition he by and by scoffeth, O sanctas gentes, quibus haec nascantur in hortis Numina? Surely, they are holy Nations, that have such Gods growing in their gardens. Mad Egypt. So the Poet styles it in the beginning of his Satire. And could it be less than mad, when it was besotted and bewitched with such foul and monstrous adoration? Well might Minutius Felix in his Octavius call those Gods of the Egyptians, non numina, sed portenta God they were not, they were monsters. Well might m Geverharl Elmenhorst. come. ad Minutium Felicem. pag. 41. Salisberiensis in his first Book de nugis curial. cap. 10. call Egypt, Matrem superstitionis, the mother of superstition. For, as n Tom. 5. pag. 170. c. S. Hierome in his Comment. upon Esay 45. witnesseth: Never was there any Nation so given to Idolatry, or worshipped such a number of monsters, as Egypt did. This notorious superstition and Idolatry of the Egyptians, so much spoken of by Christian writers and others, is also in the sacred volumes of Holy writ censured and controlled. In Exod. 12.12. the meanacing of the Lord is against them: Against all the Gods of Egypt I will execute judgement, I the Lord. The gods of Egypt, that is, the Images, and the Idols which the Egyptians adored and worshipped. Concerning which o De quadraginta duabus mansionibus Man's. 2 Tom. 3. pag. 42. S. Hierome in an Epistle of his to Fabiola, reporteth out of the Hebrew writers, that in very same night the Children of Israel departed out of Egypt, all the Temples of Egypt were overthrown, sive terrae motu, sive iactu fulminum; either with earth quakes, or thunderbolts. These Hebrew writers say further, eâdem nocte lignea idola putrefacta fuisse, metallica resoluta & fusa, lapidea comminuta: that in the same night all the wooden Images were rotten, all the mettle Images were dissolved and molten, all the stone Images were broken. If so it were, it was doubtless a great work, a great judgement of God upon those Egyptian monsters. In Esay 19.1. their confusion is again foretold. Behold, saith the Prophet, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt, and the Idols of Egypt shall move at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. Where the Idols of Egypt are the heart of Egypt. They are called the heart of Egypt; because the heart of the Egyptians did wholly depend upon them, for relief and succour. The Lord rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt: and the Idols of Egypt shall move at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. The Idols of Egypt shall move and melt at the presence of the Lord. In jerem. 43.13. their desolation is likewise denounced. There the Lord threatneth to send Nabuchadnezzar, the K. of Babylon, his servant into Egypt. What shall he do there? He shall break the Images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt, and the houses of the Gods of the Egyptians shall be burnt with fire. Thus you see it confirmed not only by Christian writers, and others, but also, by the sacred volumes of holy Scripture; that the Egyptians were a superstitious and an Idolatrous people. Superstitious were they, and Idolatrous? Happy then wast thou, O Israel, that the Lord brought thee up from the land of Egypt. Live in Egypt thou couldst not with a good conscience, nor would the Egyptians willingly suffer thee to worship God, otherwise then themselves did. To have worshipped as they did, must needs have been a Hell unto thy soul: and to have done otherwise, must needs have brought certain danger to thine outward estate. Acknowledge it therefore for a great benefit and blessing of God upon thee, that he brought thee up from the land of Egypt. God in reckoning up this favour of his, his bringing up Israel out of the land of Egypt, teacheth us, what an intolerable thing it is, to live among Idolaters; and what a special favour it is, to be delivered from amongst them. And this should stir us up to a thankful recognition of God's goodness towards us, who hath delivered the Church, wherein we live, from the Babylonish and Romish Idolatry; wherein our ancestors were nuzz and trained up, to worship and adore, not the true and living God, but Angels and Saints, damned ●●●les it may be; silver and gold; stocks and stones; Images and Idols; and what not? From such gross and palpable Idolatry we are by God's goodness delivered: and now do (as a long time we have done) enjoy the bright Sunshine of the p 1. Tim. 1 11. glorious Gospel of the blessed God, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Being now delivered from the q Colos. 1.13. power of darkness, under Antichrist, and translated into the light of Christ's Gospel, Let it be our daily care (for it is our duty) to walk worthy the light, h Ephes. 5.8. as children of light; to walk in truth, Ep. 3. joh. ver. 3. to walk in love, Colos. 5.2. to walk in newness of life, Rom. 6.4. to walk, not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Rom. 8.1. If we walk after the flesh, we shall mind the things of the flesh; we shall be carnally minded, and our end shall be death; but if we walk after the spirit, we shall mind the things of the spirit, we shall be spiritually minded, and our end shall be life and peace. The choice is not difficult. Life is better than death. If you choose life, you must abandon and forsake the i Gal. 5.19. works of the flesh, which cause death. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, k Vers. 20. hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, l Vers. 21. envyings, murders, drunkenness, revel, usury, extortion, oppression, and such like, are works of the flesh, and do shut you out from life. Yet may life be yours, if you will be m Vers. 18. led by the spirit. n Vers. 22. Love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, are the fruit of the spirit. Let these dwell among you, and life shall be yours. The God of life shall give it you. Hitherto you have the first respect, why it was beneficial & good for the people of Israel, that they were brought up from the land of Egypt. It was good for them because the people of the land were superstitious and idolatrous, and among such there is no good living. The other respect now followeth. It was beneficial and good for the people of Israel, that they were brought up from the land of Egypt; because the people of the land were full of cruelty, and held Israel in subjection and servitude. Egypt was long a harbour to the Israelites, but at length it proved a Gaol unto them. The posterity of jacob finds too late, what it was for their forefathers, to sell jacob, a slave into Egypt. There arose up a new Pharaoh, a new king over Egypt: he knew not joseph. Then, then were the Israelites contemned as drudges. o Exod. 1.11. Task masters must be set over them, to afflict them with their burdens. Why so? How had they offended? They prospered too fast. For thus saith Pharaoh to his people, Exod. 1.9. Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they join also v to our enemies, and fight against us. For this cause, because they prospered too fast, were taskmasters set over them, to afflict them with their burdens. But, the more they were afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew. This did not a little grieve the Egyptians. The Egyptians therefore made the children of Israel to serve p Vers. 13. with rigour, q Vers. 14. and held them in bondage without mercy: and made their lives bitter unto them in that cruel bondage, in clay, and brick, and all manner of work in the field. All their bondage wherein they served them, was full of tyranny. The cruelty of the Egyptians here stayeth not. The hopes of succession for Israel must be prevented. Women, midwives must be suborned to be murderers, to kill every man-child that should be borne of an Hebrew woman. A prodigious cruelty, that a man should kill a man for his sex's sake! yet would Pharaoh have done it. The r Vers. 17. fear of God taught the midwives to disobey the unjust command of Pharaoh. They disobeyed it; they well knew it was no excuse for so foul a fact, to say, we were bidden to do it. God said unto their hearts, Thou shalt not kill. This voice was louder, and more powerful, then Pharaohs. What the midwives would not, that must Pharaohs people do; they must s Vers. 22. cast into the river and drown, all the sons that were then borne. They did it. The cruelty which did but smoke before, doth now flame up: it's become so shameless, that now it dares proclaim tyranny. All the male children are cast into the river. Nor could Pharoahs' fury here be appeased. He will have the t Exod. 56.78. task of the Children of Israel to be increased. They must make brick as before, as much as before; yet shall they not have any allowance of straw, as they were wont to have. While possible tasks were imposed, there was some comfort; their diligence might save their backs from stripes. But, to require tasks not possible to be done is tyrannical, and doth only pick a quarrel to punish. They could neither make straw nor find it, yet must they have it. O cruelty! O tyranny. For such cruelty and tyranny, practised against the children of Israel by the Egyptians, Egypt itself is in holy Scripture, styled, The house of servitude, or bondage. Exod. 13.3.14. Exod. 20.2. Deut. 5.6. And in sundry u Deut. 6.12. And 7.8. & 8.14 & 135.10 Iosh. 24.17. judg. 6.8. other places. It is styled likewise the iron furnace, Deut. 4.20. 1. Kin. 8.51. jerem. 11.4. Egypt (you see) was the house of bondage, it was the iron furnace, wherein the children of Israel were x Act. 7.19. evil entreated, suffered affliction, and endured much misery. You will confess, that therefore it was beneficial and good for them that they were from thence delivered. And well may you. For the Lord himself reckons up this their deliverance for a benefit unto them, and by them to be remembered. From hence issueth this doctrine: Temporal benefits, and bodily favours are not to be forgotten. I will not now stand to amplify or enlarge this doctrine. In the beginning of this exercise, I exhorted you, that you would not forget any one of God's benefits bestowed upon you. Temporal benefits, and bodily favours, have been plentifully shewred down upon us by almighty God. It is y Psal. 100.3. He that hath made us, not we ourselves: it is He that provideth for us, not we ourselves. S. Austin in his 21. chap. of his Soliloquies, sweetly meditateth hereupon: From Heaven, from the Air, from the Earth, from the Sea, from light, from darkness, from heat, from shade, from dew, from rain, and winds, and showers, and birds, and fishes, and beasts, and trees, and from the diversity of herbs, and fruit of the earth, and from the service of all creatures, which serve for man's use, Thou, O Lord hast provided, to comfort man withal. St Austin's Lord is our Lord, the Lord of all the world. He hath preserved us, our bodies, and all our limbs, to this very hour: he hath delivered us from many dangers, and distresses: He hath so blessed our going out, and coming in, when we have traveled from home, that we have returned home in good health, and disposition: whatsoever good we have had, we have had it from the Lord. Offer we therefore unto him, the sacrifice of praise. Hitherto you have seen the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was an exceeding great benefit unto them, that they were thence delivered: First, because the Egyptians were Idolaters, and to live among Idolaters is a very Hell. Secondly, because they were kept under by the Egyptians with extremity of servitude and bondage. The servant in the z Plautus Captivis Act. 1. Sc. 2. vers. 10. Poet could say, Omnes profectò liberi lubentiùs Sumus, quam servi: Every man preferreth freedom before slavery. The Israelites could do no less: they could not but account it a great favour of God towards them, that they were by him freed from the slavery they endured in Egypt. God when he begins a good work, will perfect it. He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt: if he had then left them, he had left them a prey and spoil unto their enemies. It was against God's goodness so to do: and therefore he protected and preserved them in the wilderness, which is the next benefit in this verse mentioned to have been bestowed by the Lord upon his people, the people of Israel, in these words, I led you forty years through the wilderness. A wonderful benefit. Wonderful: whether we consider the multitude that were led; or the place, through which they were led; or the time, wherein they were led. Every circumstance is wonderful, and proclaimeth the great power of the Lord. The multitude, that was led, was very great; the place, through which they were led was very barren: and they were a long time in leading. The first circumstance, is of the multitude, which were led. The number of this multitude is set down, Exod. 12.37. They were six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. A most wonderful increase from seventy souls. Old jacobs' seventy souls which he brought down into Egypt, in spite of their bondage and bloodshed, go forth six hundred thousand men, besides children. Tyranny is too weak, where God bids increase and multiply. The Church of God shall increase, maugre the malice of man, or Devil. In affliction, in oppression, in tyranny the good herb overgrowes the weeds: the Church outstrips the world. Had the Israelites lived in case and delicacy, while they were in Egypt, would they have been so strong, so numerous? Who can say it? This I am sure of; never did any true Israelite lose by his affliction. Six hundred thousand men, besides children, go up out of Egypt. All Israelites. But these were not all. For there went up also with them, a mixed multitude: and flocks and herds, even very much cattles; as you may read, Exod. 12.38. This mixed multitude what it was, it is not certain. It is probable, that it consisted of Egyptians, and other Nations, sojourning in Egypt, who being moved and prepared with those mighty wonders and miracles which they saw in Egypt, might thereupon resolve to join themselves to Israel, to the people of God. Whatsoever they were, this mingling of diverse other Nations with the people of God, was a lively type and evident demonstration of the calling of the Gentiles. Six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children; and a mixed multitude, a multitude of sundry sorts of people, went out from Egypt with Israel, and flocks, and herds, even very much cattles. But which way went they? They went through the wilderness: It is the second circumstance I am now to point at. I led you through the wilderness. Through the wilderness! A sandy and an untracked wilderness! There they might err: there they might starve for want of food, and other provision. But against all such accidents and casualties, they were secured. God himself a Exod. 13.21. went before them. How could they but cheerfully follow, when they saw, God led them? God led them by b Num. 14 14. Deut. 1.33. Psal. 78.14. pillars: by a pillar c 1. Cor. 10.1. of cloud, and by a pillar of fire. Pillars they were for firmness: they were of Cloud and fire, of visibility and use. The greater light obscureth the less; therefore in the day time he led them, not by fire, but by a Cloud. In the night nothing is seen without light; therefore in the night time he led them not by a cloud, but by fire. The cloud defended them from heat by day: the fire digested the rawness of the night. God put himself into those forms of gracious respects, which might best fit their then necessities. But where did God show himself so graciously present unto his people Israel in the cloud, and fire? or in what wilderness was it? It was in the wilderness of Etham, which was a great and a sandy desert, lying from the land of Goshen in Egypt, to the Red Sea and beyond it. This is plain by, Exod. 13.20. where we read, that the Children of Israel took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in d Num 23.6. Etham in the edge of the wilderness And the Lord went afore them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. From e Vers. 7. Etham they removed, and encamped before Pihahireth, between Migdol and the Red Sea, over against Baalzephon: so we read, Exod. 14.2. From hence, from Pihahiroth they removed again and passed through the midst of the f Exod. 14.22. Red Sea. Through the Red Sea, and not drowned? It was even so. The Lord caused the Sea to go back by a g Vers. 21. strong East wind, a whole night, and made the Sea dry land: And the Children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them, on their right hand, and on their left. Were the waters a wall unto them? O, the never toomuch admired protection of the Almighty. That, the Sea, the Red Sea, which they feared would be their ruin, became their preservation. I now see, God can easily make the cruelest of his creatures to become our friends, and patrons. The Israelites were safely passed through the Red Sea: they passed by h H●b. 11.29. faith. The Egyptians pursued after them i Exod. 14.23. to the midst of the Sea, and were drowned; for they had not faith. It was God's pleasure to get him honour upon them: k Vers. 17. upon Pharaoh, upon all his host, upon his charrets, and upon his horsemen. The Sea was ready to work his will; she shut her mouth upon the Egyptians, she swallowed them up in her waves, and after she had made sport with them a while, she cast them up upon her sands for a spectacle of triumph to their adversaries. Let our contemplations be lifted up to those walls of waters, which gave Israel safe passage, and overwhelmed the Egyptians: we shall see the condition of the children of God, and his enemies in this world. In this world the children of God are beset with walls of waters too: on the right hand with the waters of prosperity; on the left hand with the waters of adversity: and yet, through a true faith they walk through both, they are hurt by neither, they arrive on the other side at their wished-for harbour in safety: whereas the enemies of God, the sons of unbelief and impiety, are confounded in midst of the waters. The waters of prosperity make them forget God, the waters of adversity make them curse God. Both, the waters of prosperity, and the waters of adversity, do overwhelm them with confusion. We are not yet out of the wilderness of Etham. For from the Red Sea, Israel went three days journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah. The story is so, Num. 33.8. In the 15. of Exodus, vers. 22. it seemeth to be called the wilderness of Shur. For there you may thus read: Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days journey in the wilderness. From hence many think this wilderness of Shur, to be the same with the wilderness of Etham. Some will have Etham to be the general name of the whole wilderness, and Shur only a part of it. Others will have Shur to be the general name of the whole wilderness, and Etham only a part of it. But neither can be so. The wilderness of Shur, and the wilderness of Etham are not the same: they are altogether divers. The wilderness of Etham was a part of Egypt, as hath already been showed: the wilderness of Shur was not a part of Egypt: therefore the wilderness of Etham, and the wilderness of Shur were not the same. That the wilderness Shur was no part of Egypt, I gather from the first of Samuel, Chap. 15. vers. 7. where I read, that Shur is over against Egypt. It's over against Egypt; therefore it is no part of Egypt. The like collection I make from the 25. of Genesis, ver. 18. there I find, that Shur is before Egypt, as a man goeth to Assyria. It's before Egypt; therefore not in Egypt, nor any part of Egypt: therefore Shur is not Etham. Why then doth Moses in the places now alleged, seem to make Shur and Etham all one? I answer, if we rightly understand Moses, Moses doth not make them all one. The words of Moses I thus explicate: Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, that they might go forward into the wilderness of Shur: but before they came thither, they spent three day's journey in the wilderness of Etham. We have almost lost ourselves in these two wildernesses, Etham, and Shur. We must make more haste through the rest. I will not much more than name them. The next wilderness they came unto was the wilderness of l Num. 33.11. Sin, Exod, 16.1. After that they pitched in the wilderness of m Vers. 15. Sinai, Exod. 19.1. From Sinai they came to the wilderness of Paran, Num. 10.12. thence to the wilderness of n Vers. 36. Zin, which is Kadesh, Num. 20.1. and then to the wilderness of o Vers. 44. Moab, Num. 21.11. Here at jeabarim they finished their 38. iouraey. They had four more to make. They soon made them; and last of all they pitched in the plains of Moab by jordan near jericho, Num. 33.48. You have now heard of many wildernesses. They are all contained in the wilderness mentioned in my text: I led you through the wilderness. The wilderness. Not the wilderness of Etham only; but the wilderness of Shur too, and the wilderness of Sin, and all other the wildernesses, through which the Children of Israel travailed in their way to the land of promise. They were many wildernesses; yet my text speaketh as of one, I led you through the wilderness. So speaketh the Psalmist, in that his remarkable exhortation, to give thankes to God for particular mercies. It is Psal. 136.16. O, give thankes p Psal. 136.1. unto the Lord, unto the q Vers. 2. God of Gods, unto the r Vers. 3. Lord of Lords, to him, who led his people through the wilderness. So also he speaketh, Psal. 78.52. The Lord! He guided his own people in the wilderness like a flock. In both places, you hear only the sound of a wilderness: and yet were they wildernesses, through which the Lord led and guided his people Israel. Let it be our comfort. God never forsakes his people. When he hath led them through one wilderness, he will lead them through a second, through a third, through all: He will never leave them, till he see them safely arrived in the place, where they wish to be. No expense of time can make him to relent. If we shall need his protection for forty years together, for forty years together we shall be sure of it. Israel had it. My text avows it. I led you forty years through the wilderness. It is the third circumstance I noted in God's protection of his people in the wilderness; the circumstance of Time. Forty years. Forty years were the people of Israel in the wilderness. From Egypt to the wilderness of Sinai, where their s Num. 33.15. Exod. 19.1. twelfth mansion was, they came in seven and forty days. There they continued almost a year. From thence, from the wilderness of Sinai, by many journeys they came to mount t Num. 20.22. & 33.37. Hor, where was their four and thirtieth mansion, in the wilderness of Zin or Cades. In coming thither they spent nine and thirty years. There in mount Hor, u Num. 20.23. & 33.38. Deut. 32.50. died Aaron their priest. He died in the fortieth year after the Children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fift month. Now had they but few journeys to make: they had but eight to make; all eight with good success they made in the remainder of that fortieth year: and they pitched in the plains of x Num. 33.48. & 22.1. Moab by jordan near jericho, where was their two and fortieth, and their last mansion. Well might that be their last mansion. For now they had gotten the possession of the land of the Amorite: which in my text is put for the end, why they were brought up out of the land of Egypt, and were led forty years through the wilderness: I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, To possess the land of the Amorite. HEre was the fulfilling of that promise, which was long before made to Abraham. The promise was first made to Abraham, when from Haran he was come into the land of Canaan, Gen. 12.7. Unto thy seed will I give this land. It was renewed unto him after his return from Egypt to the land of Canaan, Gen. 13.15. All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. It was once more renewed, Gen. 15.18. Unto thy y Gen 26.4. Deut. 34.4. seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. The z Gen. 15.19. Kenites, and the Kenizites, and the Kadmonites, a Vers. 20. and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, b Vers. 21. and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgasites, and the jebusites. Ten sundry Nations are rehearsed, whose countries are promised to the seed of Abraham. Among them are the Amorites. The Amorites country is by promise given to Abraham's seed, and Abraham's seed in the posterity of jacob possessed it; but, some four hundred and seventy years after the promise. From the promise to their going forth out of Egypt, were four hundred and thirty years: to which if you will add, their forty year's journey in the wilderness, you have the full number of four hundred and seventy years, the space between the promise, and the performance. Abraham, he believed the promise so many years before it was to take effect. Great was his faith. He leaving his own country, his kindred, and his father's house, comes unto a people who knew him not; (and he knew not them) takes possession for that seed which he had not, which in nature he was not like to have; of that land, whereof he should not have one c Art. 5.7. foot, wherein his seed should not be settled for almost five hundred years after. O, the power of faith! It prevents time: it makes future things as present. If we be the true sons of Abraham, and have but one grain of his faith, we have already the possession of our land of promise the celestial Canaan: though we sojourn here on earth, as if we sought a country, yet have we it already: we have it by faith. The seed of Abraham, the children of Israel, after their forty year's travail in the wilderness, got possession of the land of the Amorite, which long before was promised unto them. It may teach us thus much. In whatsoever God promiseth, he approveth himself most faithful, both in his ability, and performances. At the very time prefixed, and not before, he unchangeably performeth what he promised. If so: then when we are in any distress, and have not speedy deliverance according to our desires, we must wait the Lords leisure, and must expect with patience till the time come, which is appointed by him for our ease and relief. We must ever trust our God on his bare word: we must do it with hope, besides hope, above hope, against hope. For the small matters of this life we must wholly rely upon him. How shall we hope to trust in him for greater matters, for impossibilities, if we trust him not for smaller matters, for probabilities. How can I depend on God for raising my body from the grave, and for saving my soul from Hell, if I will distrust him for a morsel of bread towards my preservation. The Lord, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and led them forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite, and all that while nourished and fed them; not with bread nor wine, nor strong drink, but miraculously with water out of the hard rock, with Quails, with Manna from Heaven; and so blessed the very clothes and the shoes they wore, that neither their clothes nor shoes all that while were waxen old; he is the same Lord still: still, as ready to be to his faithful ones a present help in all their troubles. He hath brought us out of Egypt too. Attendamus ergo nos, fratres; so S. Austin bespoke his Readers, Tract. 28. in johan: and so let me conclude: Attendamus ergo nos fratres: Brethren, and the rest dear beloved, let us diligently observe it, and make we it the matter of our daily meditation: Educti sumus de Aegypto, we are brought out of Egypt. There were we in bondage to the Devil, as to a Pharaoh; there Lutea opera in terrenis desiderijs agebamus, dirty works in the earthly desires of our flesh were the fruits of our labours. Let it suffice that we have been such, that we have been servants, Luteis operibus peccatorum, to the dirty works of sin, as to the tyranny of the Egyptians. Now are we passed through Baptism as through the Red Sea, therefore Red, because it is consecrated with the Blood of Christ. In this Sea, the Red Sea of Baptism, the Egyptians our enemies, even all our sins, are drowned. Now are we in the wilderness, in cremo huius vitae (saith the same Saint Austin lib. 50. Homil. 20.) we are in the wilderness of this life. Here Christ is with us. He protecteth us, he preserveth us, he feedeth us with his Word and Sacraments. His word is a light unto our steps, to guide us that we err not. His Sacraments are two: that of Baptism assureth us, that the Blood of Christ, applied to our souls, cleanseth us from all our sins: the other, of his Supper, is a sign, a seal, a pledge unto us, of him, our Saviour, Christ jesus, given for us, and to us. Thus passing through the wilderness of this world, we shall in the prefixed time, the due time apppointed by the Lord, Patriam promissionis ingredi; We shall have the full fruition of the promised land, of the supernal jerusalem, of the land of the living, of the Kingdom of Heaven. To which God bring us all. THE XVI. LECTURE. AMOS 2.11. And I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? THe blessings and benefits which Amos in this Chapter remembreth to have been bestowed by Almighty God upon his people, the ten tribes of Israel, are partly Corporal, and partly Spiritual. Of their Corporal benefits I have heretofore in your hearing discoursed in my two former Sermons. They were the destruction of the Amorites before them, and for their sake, vers. 9 their deliverance out of Egypt, their protection and preservation in the wilderness for forty years, to the end that they might at length possess the land of the Amorite, ver. 10. These were notable benefits, though they were but Corporal. But the benefit, whereof I am now to speak, is Spiritual. It is the doctrine of the sincere worship of God, and of eternal salvation, together with the free use and passage thereof: or if you will, it is the ordinary ministry of the Word, thus expressed, vers. 11. And I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites, etc. In these words I commend unto you two general parts. One is, A description of the now mentioned Spiritual benefit: I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. The other is, A testification, that such a benefit was bestowed; Is it not even thus, o ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? In the description we may note: 1. Quis: Who was the bestower of this benefit, I, the Lord. 2. Quomodo: How it was bestowed; by a raising up. I raised up. 3. Quid: What was bestowed: Prophets and Nazarites. 4. Quibus auxilijs; what help was used; No stranger, no foreigner had here aught to do: they were their own sons, and their own young men, that were employed. I raised up of your sons, etc. The testification followeth: you may also call it an asseveration. It's set down in the form of a question: where you may observe, who moves the question, to whom it is moved, and what the question is. The Lord is he, that moves the question; the children of Israel are they, to whom it is moved: the question is, Is it not even thus? Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? Such is the division of my text. I might handle each part precisely: but that happily would seem overcurious. I make choice therefore, to apply myself, after my old and wont fashion, to fit an exposition to the words, as here they are conveyed unto us, by the ministry of Amos: and this with all brevity and plainness. And I] I, the Lord. I, who destroyed the Amorite before you, and for your sake; I, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, I, who for forty years together led you through the wilderness, that you might possess the land of the Amorites; I, who thus blessed you with corporal benedictions, have not been wanting to you in Spiritual; I also raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. I raised up] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word for word: feci surgere, or feci ut surgerent, I made to arise, I made Prophets to rise out of your sons. I made them to rise; that is, feci ut existerent, I made them to be. In this sense I find the word used, Deut. 34.10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses. There arose not, that is, there was not. There was not a Prophet since like unto Moses. So Mat. 11.11. where the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Vulgar Latin hath, Non surrexit. Our now English renders it, There hath not risen. Among them that are borne of women, there hath not risen a greater than john the Baptist. There hath not risen, that is, there hath not been. Among them that are borne of women, there hath not been a greater than john the Baptist. So here; I have raised up, that is, I have made to be. I have made your sons to be Prophets. I have raised up of your sons] aliquot è filijs vestris, saith Mercer, some of your sons; such your sons as joel speaketh of, Chap. 2.28. I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons, and your daughters shall prophesy. Or, of your sons] de hominibus vestri generis, saith Peter à Figuero, of men like yourselves; of your brethren; so they are called, Deut. 18.15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me. Of your sons] or of thy brethren. The signification is one saith Drusius. Of your sons] not strangers, or foreigners, but such as were home bred, and of your own lineage, saith Brentius. Of your sons] that is (say some Hebrews, R. David, and R. Solomo) ex parvulis, of your little ones; such as were Samuel and jeremy. I raised up of your sons. For Prophets] Such, as should, not only preach my will unto you, and instruct you in the way of righteousness, but also admonish you, and foretell you, what was to come to pass in future times. Prophet's] I read in the old Testament of two sorts of Prophets. Some were taught in Schools under the discipline of other Prophets; who were heretofore called Filij Prophetarum, sons 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 above, and so were sent forth to the exercise of their holy function. Of both these Amos chap. 7.14. maketh mention. There he saith unto Amaziah: I was no Prophet, neither was I a Prophet's son, but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit. This he speaketh of himself, as he was before his calling. I was no Prophet, immediately called of God; nor was I the son of a Prophet; I was not trained up or taught in any of the Schools of the Prophets: but I was an herdsman, and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit. He had no other calling, till the Lord was pleased to advance him to the dignity and office of a Prophet: and then was his calling extraordinary. Amos tells, how it was, vers. 15. The Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go prophecy unto my people Israel. The Prophets mentioned in my text, may be of both sorts: such as had their institution in the Schools of the Prophets, and such as were called of God immediately and extraordinarily. God was the raiser up of both. Yet especially by Prophets here, I understand, such as had their calling of God immediate, and extraordinary. And these were fitted to their holy function sundry ways: as, by dreams, by visions, by inspiration of the holy Spirit, by express word, uttered by some Angel representing God; and by God himself, speaking to them face to face. That they were fitted to their Prophetical function by dreams and visions. We know by, Num. 12.6. where the Lord thus speaketh unto Aaron, and to Miriam: Hear now my words. If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. We know it likewise by Elihues' words unto job, chap. 33.14. God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed: Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. It may also be gathered out of the even-now cited place of joel, chap. 2.28. I will pour of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Dreams and visions, you see, were means by which Almighty 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 saith it, Epist. 2. chap. 1. vers. 21. Holy men of God in old time spoke, as they were moved by the holy Ghost. So were they, by the express word of some Angel representing God; as, Gen. 19.13. There shall you find two Angels instructing Lot concerning the overthrow of Sodom. And sometime they were enabled to their holy calling by God himself, speaking to them face to face. So was Moses. The Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. Exod. 33.11. Now whether Prophets of old time, were enabled to the exercise of their sacred function by God himself, speaking unto 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 dreams, it was out of doubt a great blessing unto Israel, to have Prophets sent unto them: and therefore saith the Lord unto them, I raised up of your sons for Prophets. It followeth, And of your young men for Nazarites. Of your young men] It is emphatically spoken. For though young men for the most part are addicted unto pleasures, yet did God raise up of them, some, that should withdraw themselves from the pleasures of this world, either for a time, or for ever; 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 modern interpreters, by Benedictus, Castalio, and Caluin, by junius and Tremellius in their Bible printed by Wechell at Francford A. C. 1579. But the same junius 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, even to distinguish them from Nazarites. Christ is called a Nazarite, Matth. 2.23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is by many translated Nazaraeus, a Nazarite. He dwelled in a City 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 jesus, Marc. 1.24. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Nazarene. Nazaraeus and Nazarenus, each name is derived from Nazareth the City, wherein jesus 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 deceived. Some, I grant, are of opinion, that S. Matthew doth allude to those voluntary and vowed Nazarites, of whom we read, Num. 6. and some, that S. Matthew hath reference to Samson, who was a Nazarite by God's singular ordination. But in these opinions I find no solidity: for they have no ground either in the name of Nazarite, or in the matter. Not in the name. The name of Nazarites in the old Testament is Nezirim, by the letter Zaijn, from the root Nazar, which signifieth to separate: but the name in S. Matthew according to the Syriack Paraphrast is Notzraia, by the letter Tsadi, from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to keep. There is therefore no ground in the name, why any should think, S. Matthew alludeth to the Nazarites of the old Testament. Nor is their any ground in the matter. For Christ did, what was not lawful for Nazarites to do. It was not lawful for Nazarites to a Num. 6.3. drink wine; Christ b Math. 11.19. drank it. It was not lawful for the Nazarites to come near c Num. 6.6. unto a dead body: Christ came near unto the d joan. 11.38. dead, and touched them. It was not lawful for the Nazarites to suffer a e Num. 6.5. razor to come upon their heads; they were to let the locks of the hairs of their head grow: but its likely that Christ did not wear long hair; it may be gathered from 1. Cor. 11.14. and from the common custom of the jews. There is therefore no ground in the matter, why any should think, that S. Matthew alludeth to the Nazarites of the old Testament. The Nazarites of the old Testament, I told you, were for distinction sake called by junius, Tremellius and Vatablus, Nezirites, and by Drusius and Pagnine, Nazarites. It is according to the Hebrew points. The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The right of this appellation is approved by the Septuagint, judg. 13.5. where the Angel of the Lord tells Manoahs' wife, that she shall conceive and bear a son, on whose head no razor shall come, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the child shall be called a Nazarite unto God. Some in that place for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, do read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Nazir or a Nazarite of God; and this reading is approved by f Not. in editionem LXX. Eusebius. Likewise judg. 16.18. Samson tells Delilah all his heart, and saith unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for I am a Nazarite of God. In that place for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Eusebius witnesseth in his 7. book of Evangelicall Demonstration, chap. 5. A Nazirite. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith he, is according to the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, holy; according to Aquila, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a separation; according to Symmachus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, untouched: from hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Nazirite, signifieth either one that is holy, or one that is separate, or one that is untouched, integrious and unspotted. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Nazarite is one, that is holy, according to the Septuagint. Whence they have a threefold reading of my text: I raised up of your young men; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for a sanctification: or, I raised up of your young men, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for men sanctified; or I raised up of your young men, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for Nazirites. For Nazarites] Certainly they were so called of Nazar, which signifieth to separate. For they were separated from the vulgar sort of men, by a certain course of life, whereto they were to be tied by vow. The law that concerneth them is in the sixth of Numbers. The law hath sundry branches. One is, Whosoever shall separate himself to vow the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself unto the Lord, he shall not drink wine or strong drink, or any thing that shall make him drunken: he shall not eat grapes moist or dried, he shall not eat any thing that is made of the Vine tree from the kernels to the husk. This branch you have vers. 3. & 4. The second branch of the Law is: Whosoever shall separate himself to vow the vow of a Nazarite, there shall no razor come upon his head, the locks of the hair of his head shall be suffered to grow. It is in the 5. verse. The third branch is: He shall not defile himself with the dead: that is, He shall not come into the house where a dead man is, neither shall he follow a dead corpse to the grave. This you have vers. 6, 7, 8. The fourth branch is: If he that hath vowed the vow of a Nazarite, shall very suddenly and unawares come near unto a dead body, he shall renew his Naziriteship; thus: first he shall shave his head: secondly, he shall offer up sacrifices. These sacrifices were two Turtles or two young Pigeons, and a Lamb of the first year. One of Turtles or Pigeons was to be offered for a sinne-offering, the other for a offering; and the Lamb for a trespass offering. This you have vers. 9, 10, 11, 12. The fift branch is: When a Nazarite shall have fulfilled the vow of his Naziriteship, four things are to be performed; three of them by the Nazirite, the fourth by the Priest: First, the Nazirite shall offer up certain sacrifices, verse. 14, 15, 16, 17. Secondly, he shall shave his head, vers. 18. Thirdly, he shall burn the hair of his head in the fire which is under one of the sacrifices, vers. 18. Fourthly, the Priest shall take certain parts of the sacrifice, and shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord, vers. 19, 20. I have given you the law of the Nazarite in five branches. It is the law, to the observance whereof the Nazirites in my text were obliged. I raised up of your young men for Nazirites. Nazirites] You now see what they are. They were young men consecrated to the study of the word of God, and trained up thereunto, even from their childhood, under a severe discipline, and an austere course of life, that at length they might be able to go before the people, as well by soundness of doctrine, as by the example of a good life. I raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites.] Prophets, and Nazirites. Some have put this difference between them: that the Prophets indeed taught the people the law of God, and withal foretold things to come: whereas the Nazirites did only teach the law. Be it so or otherwise; the meaning of my text is this. God would have the ministry of his word to be ordinary, and perpetual, among the Israelites, and for that end, he gave them Prophets of their sons, men of riper years; and Nazirites of their young men, who were to be trained up in Schools among them, there to be fitted for the holy ministry. Such is the blessing (and it is a very great one) which is here mentioned to have been bestowed by the Lord upon Israel. It is (as I said in the beginning of this exercise) it is the doctrine of the sincere worship of God, and of eternal salvation, together with the free use and passage thereof: or, if you will, it is the ordinary ministry of the word. The doctrine which hence I would commend unto you, I deliver in this position; The ministry of the word of God freely exercised in any nation, is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value. I need not be long in the proof of this truth; you already give your assent unto it. The word of God, it's a jewel, than which nothing is more precious, unto which any thing else compared is but dross; by which any thing else tried is found lighter than vanity: it's a trumpet, whereby we are called from the slippery paths of sin into the way of Godliness. It's a lamp unto our feet, it's a light unto our paths, Psal. 119.105. It's the g Matth. 4.4. Luk. 4.4. jerem. 15.16. Ezech. 3.3. Revel. 10.9. Ezech. 2.8. Wisd. 16.26. food of our souls; by it our souls do live, Deut. 8.3. It's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 1. Pet. 1.23. incorruptible seed. Seed committed to the earth, taketh root, groweth up, blossometh, and beareth fruit. So is it with the word of God. If it be sown in your hearts, and there take root, it will grow up, blossom, and bear fruit unto eternal life. In which respect S. james, chap. 1.21. calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an engrafted word, engrafted in your hearts, able to save your souls. Sith the word of God is such, doth it not follow of necessity, that the ministry of it, freely exercised in any Nation, will be to that Nation a blessing of an inestimable value? Can it be denied? The Prophet Esay, chap. 52.7. with admiration avoucheth it: How beautiful upon the mountains are the h Nahum 1.15. feet of him, that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth? S. Paul is so resolved upon the certainty of this truth, that Rom. 10.15. he resumeth the words of the Prophet. How beautiful are the feet of them, that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things? Confer we these two places, one with the other, that of Esay, with this of Paul, and we shall behold a heap of blessings showering down upon them, to whom God sendeth the ministers of his Gospel; for they bring with them the word of salvation, the doctrine of peace, the doctrine of good things, and the doctrine of the kingdom. Such is the Gospel of Christ. First, it is the word of salvation. The Gospel of Christ is called the word of salvation, first, because it is the power of God unto salvation, as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 1.16. It is the power of God unto salvation, that is, it is the instrument of the power of God; or it is the powerful instrument of God, which he useth to bring men unto salvation. And secondly, because it teacheth us concerning the author of our Salvation, even Christ jesus. An Angel of the Lord appeared unto joseph in a dream, and saith unto him: joseph, the son of David, fear not to take unto thee Marry thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name i Luk 1.31. jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins, Matth. 1.21. He shall save his people, that is, he shall be their Saviour. jesus, he is the Saviour of his people, merito, & efficacia, by merit and by efficacy. By merit; because he hath by his death purchased for his people, for all the elect, the remission of their sins, and the donation of the holy Spirit, and life eternal. And by efficacy; because by the Holy Spirit, and by the preaching of the Gospel, he worketh in the elect true faith, by which they do not only lay hold on the merit of Christ in the promise of the Gospel, but also they study to serve God according to his holy commandments. An Angel of the Lord relating the nativity of Christ unto the Shepherds, Luk 2.10, 11. saith unto them. Fear not, For I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is borne this day, in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Unto you is borne a Saviour: where you have, what you are to believe of the Nativity of Christ. He is borne a Saviour unto you. Unto you: not only to those shepherds, to whom this Angel of the Lord speaks the words; but unto you. Unto you: not only to Peter and Paul and some other of Christ's Apostles and Disciples of old, but unto you, unto you: unto every one of you in particular, and unto me. When I hear the Angels words, Christ is borne a Saviour unto you, I apply them unto myself, and say, Christ is borne a Saviour unto me. In this persuasion and confidence I rest, and say with S. Paul, Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I now, but Christ liveth in me, and that life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Christ is borne a Saviour unto me. Peter filled with the Holy Ghost seals this truth, Act. 4.12. There is no Salvation in any other, then in the name of jesus Christ of Nazareth. There is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, than the name of jesus Christ of Nazareth. Again Act. 15.11. he professeth it: We believe, that through the grace of the Lord jesus Christ, we shall be saved. It must be our belief too, if we will be saved. We, we in particular must believe, that through the grace of the Lord jesus, we shall be saved. We shall be saved! What's that? It is in S. Paul's phrase, we shall be made alive, 1. Cor. 15.22. As in Adam all dye, so in Christ shall all be made alive. St Austin 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 kingdom of death there is no man without Adam, so in the kingdom of life, there is no man without Christ: as by Adam all men were made unrighteous, 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 mortal in punishment, were made the sons of this world: so by Christ all men immortal in grace are made the sons of God. Thus have I proved unto you, that the Gospel of Christ is the word of Salvation, as well because it is the power of God unto Salvation, as also because it teacheth us of the author of our Salvation. Secondly, it is the doctrine of Peace. The Gospel of Christ is called the doctrine of peace, because the ministers of the Gospel do publish and preach Peace. This Peace which they publish and preach is threefold: Between God and man. Man and man. Man and himself. First, they preach Peace between God and man: that Peace, which Christ hath procured us by the blood of his Cross, Coloss. 1.20. In which respect he is called our Peace, Ephes. 2.14. For in him hath God reconciled us unto himself, 2. Cor. 5.18. Secondly, they preach Peace between man and man. They exhort you with the Apostle, Rom. 12.18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, have peace with all men, and 2. Cor. 13.11. Be of one mind, live in Peace. Live in Peace, and the God of Peace shall be with you. Thirdly, they preach peace between man and himself: between man and his own conscience. It is that Peace, whereof we read, Psal. 119.165. Great Peace have they which love thy Law, O Lord, and nothing shall offend them; they shall have no stumbling block laid in their ways: though outwardly they be assaulted by adversity, crosses and troubles, yet within they are quiet: they have the Peace of conscience; they are at Peace with themselves. From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of Christ may well be called, the doctrine of Peace. Thirdly, it is the doctrine of good things. The Gospel of Christ is called the doctrine of good things. Of good things! The name of Gospel in the Greek tongue imports as much. The Greeks' call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the word signifieth a good message, that is, a happy, and a joyful message of good things. What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that, which you call the Gospel, but a celestial doctrine, which God first revealed in Paradise, afterward published by the patriarchs and Prophets, shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies, and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Son? God who is only good, yea, is goodness itself, is the author of the Gospel, and therefore the Gospel must needs bring with it a message of good things. The message it bringeth is this; that mankind is redeemed by the death of Christ, the only begotten Son of God, our Messiah and Saviour, in whom is promised and preached to all that truly believe in him, perfect deliverance from sin, death, and the everlasting curse. Can there be any more happy or welcome tidings to mankind, than this was? Out of doubt the Gospel of Christ is the doctrine of good things. Fourthly, it is the doctrine of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdom. It's so called, Luk. 4.43. where Christ saith of himself, I must preach the kingdom of God to other Cities also. So is it, Mark 1.14. there the Evangelist saith of Christ, that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee. This Kingdom is twofold; of Grace, and of Glory: of Grace here on earth, and of glory hereafter in Heaven. Of grace here: here Christ reigneth in the souls of the faithful by his word and holy Spirit. Of glory hereafter, when Christ shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God the Father, as Saint Paul speaketh, 1. Cor. 15.24. If so it be: if the Gospel of Christ be the word of Salvation: if it be the doctrine of Peace, of Peace between God and man, between man and man, between man and himself: if it be the doctrine of good things, of our deliverance from sin, from death, and from the curse of the Law: if it be the doctrine of the Kingdom; the Kingdom of grace, and the Kingdom of glory. then must it be granted, that the Ministers of the Gospel do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value. And such is my doctrine; The ministry of the word of God freely exercised in any nation, is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value. The use hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospel, and their auditors. First, the Ministers of the Gospel. They may here be put in mind of their duty, which is willingly and cheerfully to preach the Gospel. This their duty 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 unwise. Therefore as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel 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 debtor was his Apostolical calling: his debt was, to preach the Gospel: the persons to whom he was indebted, were Greeks and Barbarians, the wise and the unwise. His good conscience to discharge his debt, appeareth in his readiness to do it: I am ready, as much as in me is, to preach the Gospel. S. Paul may be unto us a pattern 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 ministerial calling. Our debt is, to preach the Gospel. The persons to whom we are indebted, are our own flock, our own people, the people over whom the Lord hath made us overseers. Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appear in our readiness to do it. I, and every other minister of the Gospel must say, as S. Paul doth, I am ready, as much as in me is, to preach the Gospel to you. So fare forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you. Nothing hath hitherto, or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt, but only the impediments which the Lord objecteth. Secondly, the use of my doctrine concerneth you, who are the hearers of the word. You also may here be put in mind of your duty, which is patiently and attentively to hear the word preached. Of your readiness in this behalf I should not doubt, if you would but remember what an unvaluable treasure it is, which we bring unto you. Is it not the word of Salvation, the Salvation of your souls? Is it not your peace inward, and outward, your peace with God, your peace with man, your peace with your own consciences? Is it not the doctrine of good things, your deliverance from sin, from death, and from the curse of the Law? Is it not the publication of the Kingdom of God, his kingdom of gra●e, wherein you now may live, than hereafter you may live in the Kingdom of glory? Is it not even thus? Can it be denied? Beloved in the Lord, the Lord who raised up unto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sons for Prophets, and of their young men for Nazarites, he raiseth up unto you of your son's Ministers, Prophets, and Teachers; and of your young men, such as may be trained up and fitted in the Schools of the Prophets, in our Naioths, in our Universities for a present supply, when God shall be pleased to remove from you, those which have laboured among you, and are over you in the Lord. It's an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God, to speak unto man, not in his own person, and by the voice of his k Exod. 20.18, 19 thunderings and lightnings, or with the noise of a trumpet, as he did upon Mount Sinai, when he gave the Law (for then should we run away, and cry unto Moses, or some other servant of God, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die) but by Doctors, Pastors, and other Ministers, men of our own nature, flesh of our flesh, & bones of our bones, men subject to the same l James 5.17. passions, whereto we are. Admirable and gracious is this dispensation. God thus borrowing, and using the tongues of men to speak unto men, doth it quasi imperans, non quasi mendicans, (as Bernard speaketh Serm. 5. upon the Canticles) he doth it not begging, but commanding: and in that he doth it, indulgentia est, non indigentia; it is not from any want in himself, but it is from his indulgence and favour unto us: and in doing it non efficaciam quaerit, sed congruentiam, he seeks not any strength to his own words, but congruence and proportion to our infirmities? It's even so. For we were not able to bear the glory of that Majesty, if it did not in some sort hide and temper itself under these earthly instruments. Now therefore when we take the counsels of God from the lips of our sons, and of our young men, from the lips of our Brethren, from the lips of the Ministers of the word of God, we may say of them, as the men of Listra once said of Paul and Barnabas, but renouncing the idolatry of the speech, Act. 14.11. God is come down to us in the likeness of men. God is he that speaketh from above, that blesseth and curseth, that bindeth and looseth, that exhorteth and dehorteth by the mouth of his Ministers. For this respect and relations sake between God and his Ministers, whom it hath pleased him to dignify and honour in some sort with the representation of his own person upon earth, they have ever heretofore been holden in very reverend estimation. Such was the estimation holden of S. Paul by the Galatians. S. Paul himself confesseth it, Gal. 4.14, 15. where he bears them record, that albeit through infirmity of the flesh, he preached the Gospel unto them at the first, yet they despised him not, or rejected him, but received him as an Angel of God, even as Christ jesus: yea, that if it had been possible (Nature and the Law forbidding it) they would have plucked out their own eyes, and given them to him. But why speak I of the reverend regard given to Saint Paul, or to any other the Ministers of the word of God in the primitive times of the Church? Look ye but to the days of late, to the days of your Fathers; and you will see them in very high esteem. Then, though your Priests, were but Lignei sacerdotes, wooden priests, priests of Babylon, that were your leaders and your guides, you highly honoured them. You bestowed upon them your eareings, and your frontlets, your lands and revenues to maintain them in their Covents, and Cloisters. To every Friar that drew you aside to confess you, you submitted yourselves, with Pater meus es tu, you are my Father, my ghostly Father. So fare were you from despising or rejecting them, that ye received them as Angels of God, yea as Christ jesus himself. Such honour had the Priests in your forefather's days. No marvel, will some say. For than Religion had eaten up Policy, the Church had devoured the Commonwealth, Cloisters were richer in treasure, than King's houses, all the wealth & fatness of the Land was swallowed down into the bellies of Frieryes and N●neryes. No marvel if then Priests were held in high esteem. But now the times are changed, and we with them. True, I grant: the times are changed indeed. For as a worthy Prelate yet living (Lect. 34. in jonam) speaketh: Now Policy hath eaten up Religion, the Commonwealth the Church, and men rob God, as God expostulateth, Malac. 3.8. Men rob God against all equity and conscience. But wherein do they rob him? In tithes and offerings. His tithes and offerings are translated to strangers: they eat the material bread of the Prophets, who never give them spiritual food: and they that serve not at the Altar, do live by it: whereas many a Minister, that serveth at the Altar, hath not whereon to live. Hence is the Ministry grown into contempt; and they who should be honoured for their calling sake, are for their wants sake very basely thought of. I speak not this to tax you of this place: you rob not God, but do duly pay your tithes and offerings; the Church here hath its right; and ever may it have to your comfort. But I do it to move you to lift up your hearts to the throne of grace, and to bless the Lord, for as much as when the tithes and offerings of some of your neighbour Villages are made appropriate, yours are by God's goodness exempted from the spoil, and reserved to their proper use: whereby you may in all ages be provided, though not of Prophets and Nazirites, such as God raised up unto Israel, but of Pastors and Teachers, such as may be able to break unto you the bread of life, and to preach unto you the Gospel of Christ, which is the Gospel of Salvation, the Gospel of Peace, the Gospel of good things, and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Hitherto you have heard, that God bestowed a benefit of inestimable value upon the ten tribes of Israel, in raising up unto them of their sons for Prophets, and of their young men for Nazirites. Now followeth the Testification that such a benefit was bestowed; you may call it an asseveration. It's propounded by way of question, wherein you may observe, Who moves the question. To whom it is moved, and What the question is. The Lord is he, that moves the question, the children of Israel are they to whom the question is moved: the question is, Is it not even thus? Is it not even thus, o ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? Neither the time, nor your patience will give way to the several handling of these particulars: nor is there any need of enlargement, the words are so plain and without obscurity. The question is vehement, it urgeth the Israelites, it calls their consciences to witness. Is it not even thus, o ye children of Israel, saith the Lord? Say, O ye children of Israel; have I not done so and so for you? Have I not bestowed such and such benefits upon you? Can any of you deny it? Vtique nemo, saith Rupertus: there's none of you can be so impudent as to deny it. I, the Lord, who destroyed the Amorite before you and for your sake; I, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorites; I, even I, also raised up of your sons for Prophets, and of your young men for Nazirites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? I, the Lord, ask you the question, Is it not thus? The points of doctrine from hence to be collected are diverse; 1. God will have the blessings and benefits which he bestoweth upon us, ever to be had in remembrance. 2. We must acknowledge, that whatsoever good we have, we have it from the Lord. 3. The blessings which God bestoweth upon us, are nothing inferior to those he bestowed upon the Israelites. I make this plain by a brief collation of the blessings bestowed by the Lord upon them and us. The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, the house of bondage, with a mighty hand, and he overthrew Pharaoh in the red sea: the same Lord hath delivered us from as great a bondage, hath freed us from the house of Hell, and hath spoilt that infernal Pharaoh, the Devil. The Lord gave unto the Israelites the land of the Amorites for their possession, when he had driven out the Amorites from before their face: the same Lord hath given us a good land for our possession, and hath from out our Churches expulsed the spiritual Amorite, Antichrist, Balaam of Rome. The Lord raised up unto Israel of their sons for Prophets: the same Lord hath raised up unto us of our sons for Prophets; he gives us orthodoxal and sound interpreters of his holy word, and Pastors, to declare unto us, what his sacred will is. The Lord raised up unto Israel of their young men for Nazirites: the same Lord hath given us Schools and Nurseries of good literature for the training up of our young men, as Nazirites, in knowledge and in piety; yea, he hath given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, one most holy Nazirite, even Christ jesus; in whom he maketh us all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, Nazirites, that is, Christians, sanctifying us by his Holy Spirit in Baptism, wherein we promised to forsake the Devil, and all his works, and to give up ourselves wholly to the obedience and service of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ. Haec frequenter & seriò cogitemus fratres. Dear beloved, let us frequently & seriously think of these things. So shall we the more esteem God's benefits bestowed upon us, and shall the less abuse them, and shall the longer enjoy them. Which God of his infinite mercy grant unto us through jesus Christ our Lord. THE XVII. LECTURE. AMOS 2.12. But ye gave the Nazirites' wine to drink, and commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not. IN this prophetical Sermon written by Amos concerning the Israelites, I have heretofore in my eight Lecture upon this Chapter, observed four principal parts; A Reprehension. An Enumeration. An Exprobration, and A Commination. The first is, a reproof of Israel for sin, vers. 6.7.8. The second, a recital of the benefits which God hath bestowed upon Israel, vers. 9.10.11. The third, a twyting of Israel with their unthankfulness, vers. 12. The fourth, a threatening 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 have at sundry times already heard. Now are we to proceed to the Exprobration, contained in the words at this time read unto you. For our easier understanding whereof, we are to cast back an eye upon those benefits which in the precedent verses are mentioned to have been bestowed by the Lord upon his people Israel. They were either Corporall or Spiritual. Corporall, as the destruction of the Amorites before the Israelites, and for their sakes, vers. 9 their deliverance out of Egypt, their protection and preservation in the wilderness for forty years together, that at length they might possess the land of the Amorite, vers. 10. And Spiritual, as the doctrine of the sincere worship of God, and of eternal salvation, together with the free use and passage thereof, expressed, vers. 11. by the raising up of their sons for Prophets; and of their young men for Nazirites. These were very great benefits, and worthy all thankful acknowledgement. But the people of Israel, were so fare from giving thankes for them, that they a Ruffinus. vilely esteemed them, and too too contemptuously rejected them. This appeareth in this 12. verse, which I therefore call an Exprobration, an upbraiding, or twyting of Israel, with the foulness of their b Albertus Magnus. ingratitude. Two things here are said unto their charge: one is, Their soliciting the Nazirites to break their vow. The other is their hindering the Prophets in the execution of their function. The first in these words, ye gave the Nazirites' wine to drink. The second in these, ye commanded the Prophets, saying Prophecy not. Of these in their order. The first is, their soliciting the Nazirites to break their vow: Ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink. Of the name of Nazirites, and of their institution, I spoke in my last exercise out of this place. I will not now spend time upon the repetition of that, I then delivered. It shall suffice, if I add 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 young men, separate from the ordinary course of men, and bound to a certain peculiar course and profession of life. They were Ecclesiae ornamenta, saith d Harmon. in 4 〈◊〉. Moses. Calvin, ornaments of the Church, and God would in them, as in a glass make his honour and glory in some sort to appear. They were, quasi pretiosae gemmae, to shine as rich jewels among the people of God. They were, tanquam signiferi, ante signani, & duces, as standard-bearers, ringleaders, and chieftains to show the way of divine worship unto others. Singular was the honour and dignity of this order and calling of Nazirites. jeremy in his Lamentations chap. 4.7. thus sets them forth. Her Nazirites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than Rubies, they were like polished Saphires. The author of this order and calling is God. This appeareth by the verse next before my text. There the Lord hath said, I have raised up of your young men for Nazirites. The first branch of the Law, that concerneth this order and calling is accurately described, Num, 6.3, 4. Whosoever shall vow the vow of a Nazirite, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink, he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall be drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes nor dried. All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree from the kernels even to the husk. These Nazirites for the time of their Naziriteship were to apply themselves wholly to the study of the law of God, and therefore was abstinence from wine and strong drink enjoined them. God would have them refrain all things that might trouble the brain, stir up lust, and make them unfitly disposed for so holy a study: of which sort are wine and strong drink. Solomon so accounts of them, Prov. 20.1. For there he saith, Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Salomons Mother doth likewise so account of them, Prov. 31.4. There her counsel to her son is: It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine, nor for Princes to drink strong drink: left they being drunken, forget the Law, and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted. For this cause also were the Priests forbidden wine, when they were to go into the tabernacle of the Congregation, and that upon pain of death. The prohibition is, Levit. 10.9. There thus saith the Lord to Aaron; Do not drink wine, nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, lest ye die. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. Hitherto I refer that, Exech. 44.21. No priest shall drink wine, when he entereth into the inner court. From the places now alleged ariseth this position: Sobriety is a virtue 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 speak foolishly, or to do any thing undecently. Yet can they not but offend both in the one and the other, if they suffer themselves to be overcome with swilling of wine or strong drink. Secondly, it is for Ministers, to be vigilant in their vocations; to be diligent in their ministerial employments, in reading, in study, in meditation to be devout in their prayers unto God for themselves & the people, over whom God hath made them overseers; to handle the word of life reverently, and to dispense it in due season to every weary soul. Yet must they needs fail in the performance of these duties, if they give themselves to the drinking of wine and strong drink. Here may all that serve at the Altar be admonished, evermore to be mindful of their calling, and of the hatred which God hath of excess in men deuouted to his service, above all others; as also of the fearful judgement, that will in the end without all fail ensue. For if of all it be true, that the drunkard shall never enter into the kingdom 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 up in the conscience of any Minister, that a Minister through his excess in drinking causing the holy things of God to be despised, shall never, never come within the gates, of that eternal joy, but in stead thereof shall reap the reward of his sin in everlasting torments, both of body and soul. But this by the way. The thing wherewith the Israelites in my text stand charged, is, their giving the Nazirites' wine to drink. The Israelites knew full well, that it was the peremptory mandate and express commandment of the Lord, that the Nazirites should abstain from wine, and strong drink: yet did they contrary thereunto give unto the Nazirites' wine to drink. Gave they the Nazirites' wine to drink? was this such an offence, that God should take displeasure at it? To what end then serves the precept of giving wine to him, that is ready to perish through the anxiety and bitterness of his mind, that thereby he may be cheered and comforted? The precept is, Prov. 31.6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. In vain were this precept, were the drinking of wine an offence, whereat God should take displeasure. And S. Paul doth amiss, 1. Tim. 5.23. to wish him to drink no longer water, but to use a little wine for his stomaches 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 kingdom of God consisteth not in meat and drink, thereby giving them liberty, not only to eat, but also to drink what they would, even to drink wine? To this I say: It is not of itself any offence to drink wine, or to give others wine to drink; but herein consisteth the offence of the Israelites, that they gave the Nazirites' wine to drink contrary to the Law of God, and his holy commandment. Tolle verbum Domini, et liberum est vinum bibere: add verbum Domini, & vinum exhibere aut bibere, tam grande est nefas, quàm adulterium aut latrocinium. So Brentius. Let there be no law, no commandment of God against the drinking of wine, and you may at your pleasure drink wine: But if God's law and commandment be against it, then for a man to drink wine himself, or to give others wine to drink, it's as great a sin, as adultery, or robbery. Adam in Paradise had a law given him, that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The law is expressed, Gen. 2.17. Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. To eat an Apple was of itself 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 observance of his commandment, and the obedience thereunto, that he required. Saul had a commandment given him, that he should go down to Gilgal, and tarry there seven days, till Samuel should come, and direct him what to do. The commandment is expressed, 1. Sam. 10.8. Thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, and behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do. According to this commandment, Saul went to Gilgal, and tarried there e 1. Sam. 13.8. seven days according to the set time that Samuel had apppointed. The seaventh day a little before Samuel came, Saul f Vers. 9 offered a ofring. g Vers. 10. As soon as he had made an end of offering the offering, Samuel came. Saul understanding thereof went out to meet 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 commandment of the Lord his God, which he commanded him: and withal foretells him of a heavy judgement to befall him, i Vers. 14. Thy kingdom shall not continue. The offering of the Holocauste or offering to the Lord, was it not of itself a good work? Yet because Saul offered it out of due time, namely before Samuel was come, it was sin unto him, and the loss of his kingdom. Did the Lord care for the preoccupation, or prevention of so little time, as if it were a matter of itself to be regarded? No: it was the observance of his commandment, and the obedience thereunto, that he required. So for my text I say: The giving the Nazirites' wine to drink, was not of itself a matter that the Lord much regarded: but it was the observance of his commandment, and the obedience thereunto, that he required. The commandment I even now repeated unto you out of Num. 6. The sum of it is, The Nazarite shall abstain from wine and strong drink. Contrary to this commandment, did the Israelites here give unto the Nazarites wine to drink: which is the thing, wherewith they are here twyted, to this sense: Ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink: in so doing you made proof of your contempt of my Law, and your disobedience thereunto. I looked you should have been thankful unto me, for bestowing so great a benefit upon you, as is the order and calling of the Nazarites, for the training up of your young men in piety and religion: but you, unthankful you, have repaid me with contempt, and disobedience, you have solicited the Nazarites to break their vow and contrary to my Law, ye gave them wine to drink. The doctrine we are to gather from hence, is, Disobedience against God's holy laws and commandments, is a sin, carefully to be eschewed by every child of God. As by the knowledge of light we may know what darkness is, and by the knowledge of good what evil is, so by the knowledge of obedience towards God, we may know what disobedience against him is. Of obedience towards God I entreated in my fift Lecture upon this Chapter. I then handled this conclusion. Obedience to the commandments of the Lord, is a duty, which the Lord requireth to be performed by every child of his. Whence by the Law of contraries followeth my now-conclusion; Disobedience against the commandments of the Lord, is a sin, which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by every child of his. For the illustration of this conclusion we are to note in man a twofold disobedience; one in the state of corruption, the other in the state of regeneration. Disobedience in man in the state of corruption, is an evil quality inbred in him by nature, whereby he is made of himself altogether unable and unwilling to live in subjection unto God, to hear his voice to obey his will, or to do what he commandeth. By this disobedience man is not able to do any thing, but hate God, his word, his will, and whatsoever is pleasing to him. He ever rebels against God, he ever resisteth the will of God, he ever despiseth the commandments of God, and embraceth with all his might what God forbiddeth. How great this disobedience is, the holy Scripture doth evidently demonstrate, when it describeth the nature of man, his thoughts, his counsels, his affections, his desires, his actions in the state of corruption, and before his regeneration. So it calls us k Num. 20.10. rebels, Ezech. 2.3. impudent children, and stiffe-hearted, vers. 4. God's adversaries and his enemies, Esay 1.24. Children of l Ephes. 5.6. C●l●s. 3.6. diffidence and incredulity, Ephes. 2.2. Children of wrath, ver. 3. Children of darkness, Ephes. 5.8. Children of the m 1. joh. 3.8. joh. 8.49. Devil, 1. john, 3.10. It saith of us, Gen. 6.5. that every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil continually. It saith of us, job 15.25. that we stretch out our hands against God, and strengthen ourselves against the Almighty. It saith of us, Ephes. 4 17. that we walk in the variety of our minds; that having our understanding darkened, we are alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in us, b cause of the blindness of our hearts, that as men past feeling, we have given ourselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness, even with greediness. Such is the disobedience that is in man, while he is in the state of corruption before he is regenerate. There is another kind of disobedience in man, when he is in the state of Regeneration. This disobedience is common to every child of God, while he liveth in this world, albeit in some it be greater, in some l●sse, as regeneration is perfecter in some, then in others. This I thus describe: disobedience in man in the state of regeneration, is an evil quality inbred in him by nature, whereby he is made unable to yield due subjection unto God wholly on every part, with all his heart, and all his might, or, so to obey his holy will simply in all things, and always without tergiversation, as never to decline from the rule of true obedience. By this disobedience we are all made guilty of the wrath of God, of damnation, and of eternal death. The consideration hereof made David Psal. 130.3. to cry out unto the Lord: If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand? It drew from him that humble supplication, Psal. 143.2. O Lord, Enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. It wrested from him that same confession, Psal. 32.6. namely, that the very godly, have need to pray for the remission of their sins. There speaking of the remission of sins he saith; For this shall every one that is godly prey unto thee. For this, for the remission of sins, shall every one that is godly prey unto thee, O Lord. From hence is it, that our blessed Lord, and Saviour jesus Christ taught his Apostles, the most perfect Christians that ever were, and therefore the most godly, to pray for remission of their sins. This disobedience, which as yet resideth in us, in the best of us, S. Paul elegantly describeth, Rom. 7.14. where thus he speaketh in his own person as a man regenerate: we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. n R●m. 17.15. For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. o Vers. 16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. p Vers. 17. Now then, it is no more I, that do it, but sin, that dwelleth in me. q Vers. 18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me: but how to perform that which is good, I find not. r Verse 19 For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil that I would not; that I do, etc. I am not ignorant, that the Pelagians of old, and divers of late, as Erasmus, Ochinus, Castellio, Faustus, Socinus the Samosatenian, jacobus Arminius, and their adherents do affirm, that S. Paul speaketh these words, not of himself, as a man regenerate, but doth in them describe a man that is a profane, incontinent, sensual, unregenerate, or doth describe the nature of man after his fall, what and how much he is able to do without the grace of God. This their opinion is erroneous. The truth is, that S. Paul in the place alleged, speaketh not of any other but of himself, not as he was in Pharisaisme, under the law; but as he was now, when he wrote this Epistle, in the state of grace, a man regenerate. This great combat in S. Paul, now regenerate; between the s ●●m. 7.23. law of his mind, and the law of his members, between the t Vers. 22.25. law of God and the law of sin, between the u Vers. 22. inward man and the outward, between the x Vers. 18. flesh and spirit, doth clearly show, that the holiest man living hath a tincture of disobedience against the Lord his God. This is the second kind of disobedience, which I noted to be in man, as he is in the state of regeneration: and serveth for the illustration of my propounded doctrine, which was, Disobedience against God's holy laws and commandments, is a sin, which the Lord requireth to be eschewed by every child of his. Disobedience, not only that, which is in every man that is yet in the state of corruption, but that other too, which is incident to the truly regenerate, is a sin carefully to be eschewed by every child of God. Every child of God should be unwilling to displease God: and what can more displease him then disobedience? Disobedience! God's curse is upon it. The curse is, Psal. 119 21. Maledicti, qui declinant a mandatis tuis; cursed are they that do err from thy commandments. Maledicti, a Deo scilicet, Cursed of God are all they, of what estate or condition soever they are, that do err, in their life and conversation, from his commandments, which he hath prescribed as footsteps and paths for men to tread in. Cursed are they that do err, he saith not, they that have erred; for they that have erred, may have repent; but cursed are they that do err from thy commandments. And here by erring we understand, not, every offence indifferently, but an unbridled licence to offend; we understand, not every slip, but a falling away from God. We understand, not every disobedience, of ignorance, or infirmity, but the disobedience of pride and presumption. Maledicti, Cursed are they, that do err from thy commandments. The like Curse is, Deut. 27.26. Maledictus, qui non permanet in sermonibus legis huius, nec eos opere perficit. Cursed be he that continueth not in the words of this law to do them. It is cited by S. Paul, Gal. 3.10. Cursed is every one, that continueth not in all things, which are written in the Book of the law to do them. In both places the end of the Law is pointed at. It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much contemplation, as action, for the Law was given, not only to be known, but also to be performed: and therefore, Rom. 2.13. it is avouched, that not the hearers of the Law are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified. The covenant of the Law requireth from us absolute obedience. In this obedience these things must concur according to the tenor of the Law. 1. It must be performed by ourselves; for the law reveals not the Mediator. 2. It must be inward, as well as outward. 3. It must be perfect in parts and degrees. 4. It must be constant and continual from the first moment of our conception, without the least interruption through the whole course of our lives. The least thought dissonant to the law inuolues us in disobedience, and lays us open to the Curse. Maledictus, Cursed be he, that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law, to do them. Vae vobis is no better than a Curse, and that shall you find denounced to the disobedient, Ecclus. 41.8. Vae vobis impij Viri qui dereliquistis legem Altissimi; scilicet per inobedientiam, saith Antoninus Sum. part. 2. Tit. 4. cap. 2. Woe be unto you, men, which have forsaken the law of the most high God, through your disobedience: Vae vobis, woe be unto you. And why so? The reason is added: For if you increase, it shall be to your destruction: And if you be borne you shall be borne to a curse: and if you die, a curse shall be your portion, Vae vobis, woe be unto you, ye men, which have forsaken the law of the most high God, through your disobedience. Is disobedience thus cursed? Then must it be punished. For as Dicere Dei is facere, so Maledicere Dei is malum poenae facere. If God saith a thing, he doth it: and if he curseth he punisheth. He curseth disobedience, and therefore he punisheth disobedience. He punisheth it, saith Antoninus, three manner of ways. First, per afflictionem corporis, by afflicting man in his body. Secondly, per impugnationem orbis, by setting the whole world against man. and Thirdly, per privationem numinis, by depriving him of the vision of God. First, God punisheth disobedience, by laying affliction upon man in his body. For the disobedience of Adam, he saith unto Adam, Gen. 3.17. Maledicta terra in opere tuo. Cursed be the earth for thy work, for the work of thy transgression, for thy sin, for thy sake. Cursed be the earth of thy body, for thy body is but earth: cursed shall it be, and many ways afflicted. Thorns and Thistles, divers passions and infirmities, shall it bring forth unto thee. All the evils of punishment, whereto these weak bodies of ours are subject, hunger, and thirst, and heat and cold, and travail, and trouble, and misery, and calamity, and weakness, and diseases, yea, and death too: together with that never-ceasing rebellion of the flesh against the Spirit, called in Scripture, the Concupiscence of the flesh, wh●ch cleaveth fast unto us all our life long, and is the fountain and root of all our evil deeds, all these are upon us for disobedience. Secondly, God punisheth disobedience by setting the whole world against man. For as it is Wisd. 5.21. Pugnabit cum illo orbis terrarum contra insensatos. The world shall fight with him against the unwise; the world shall take part with God against the disobedient. The world, that is, all the creatures in the world whereof we read, vers. 18. Armabit creaturam ad ultionem inimicorum; The Lord, he shall take to him his jealousy for complete Armour, and make the y Wisd. 5.17. creature his weapon, for the revenge of his enemies. Where by the creature, I understand z Lorinus. universitatem creaturarum, the university of Creatures, all the Creatures in the world; orbem terrarum, even the whole world of Creatures. God shall make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. The thunderbolt is his weapon against the disobedient, vers. 21. Then shall the right aiming thunderbolts go abroad; and from the clouds as from a well drawn bow, shall they fly to the mark, They shall fly to the mark, as from a bow: therefore are they called the Lords arrows, Psal. 18.14. The Lord thundered in the Heavens, and the highest gave his voice: he sent out his arrows, and she shot out lightnings; so did she scatter and discomfit the wicked. The like sentence you have, job 27.2. where the thunder is called, the noise of this voice of the Lord, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth, a job 37.4. the voice of his excellency, the voice wherewith he thundereth b Vers. 5. marvelously. This his voice, the thunder, he c Vers. 3. directeth under the whole Heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. The thunder, the Creature of the Lord, is the Lords weapon wherewith sometimes he revengeth the wicked and disobedient. So is the Hail: so is the water; so is the wind. These also fight with the Lord, against the disobedient. Their fight is described, Wisd 5.22. Hailstones full of wrath shall be cast as out of a stone-bow against the wicked, and the water of the sea, shall rage's against them, and the floods shall cruelly drown them. Yea, a mighty wind shall stand up against them, & like a storm shall blow them away. Hail! It was one of the great plagues of Egypt, Exod. 9.23. Hail with Thunder, and fire mingled with hail, a very grievous hail was upon the land of Egypt: it smote all that was in the field, d Exod. 9.25. both man and beast: it smote every herb of the field, and broke eu●ry tree thereof. With Hail stones the Lord fought for josuah, when he went up to the rescue of Gibeon against the five Kings of the Amorites, josh 10.11. The enemies were discomfited, and a great slaughter was made of them: yet more died with e Ecclus 46.6. hailstones, than were slain with the sword. The Lord hath a treasury of Hail, for the time of his battles. You may read of it in the Book of job, chap. 38.22. There the Lord thus questioneth with job: Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? I could yet farther tell you out of the Revelation of S. john chap. 16.21. of a Hail, a great Hail, that fell from out of Heaven upon men every stone thereof was about the weight of a Talon, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the Hail: for, the plague thereof was exceeding great. But I have said enough to prove that the Hail, the creature of the Lord, is the Lords weapon, wherewith sometimes, he revengeth the wicked and disobedient. From the Hail come we to the Water. Of the fifteen signs, that shall be before the last judgement, and are by f J● 4. Sent. D●●. 48. Dub. 3. Bonaventure, Holkot, g In ●undem D●●●. qu. 3. Richardus de Mediâ Villâ, and h ●orinus c●m. in Sup. 5.23. others cited out of S. Hierome (though Eusebius Emissenus in his Sermon upon the second Dominical of Advent citeth them out of the Annals of the jews) the first is, that the Sea shall swell fifteen Cubits high above the tops of mountains, and shall not run back, but there consist like unto walls. For the truth whereof I can say nothing. But thus much Christ telleth us, Luk. 21.25. that before that great day, the Sea and waves shall roar. Granatensis in his exercises thus meditateth upon the words: Most of all other elements, the Sea shall at that time show greatest rage and fury, and the waves thereof shall be so high and so furious, that many shall think, they will utterly overwhelm the whole earth. Such as dwell by the Seaside shall be in great dread and terror for the incredible and unusual swelling and elevation of the waters: and such as dwell farther off shall be wonderfully afraid, and even astonished at the horrible roaring and noise of the waves, which shall be so extremely outrageous, that they shall be heard for many a mile off. But what speak I now of waters, that shall be hereafter? There was a flood of waters in the days of Noah, that prevailed upon the earth for an hundred and fifty days together; you all know it, Gen. 7.24. The Waters then prevailed against man for the sin of man, the fruit of his disobedience. And they shall again prevail, if God's pleasure be such; and the disobedience of man shall so require. For the Almighty, he, who shut up the Sea with doors, when it broke forth as a child issueth forth of his mother's womb, as job speaketh, chap. 38.8. and made the clouds to be a covering for it, and swaddled it with a band of thick darkness; and established his decree upon it, and set bars and doors unto it, and said: Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed, he, the Almighty, can easily unbarre those doors, and let the waters lose to fight his battles. Hereof we have had a late woeful and lamentable experience. i See my twentith Lecture upon Amos 2.14. pag. 241. The woeful news and report of floods in this Country of ours nine years since, may hereof be your remembrancers. It shall ever stand for good, that the water, the creature of the Lord, is the Lords weapon, wherewith sometimes he revengeth the wicked and disobedient. The wind is next. The wind! The Lord bloweth it out of his mouth, job 37.10. it is called the breath of his mouth, job 15.30. he bringeth them out of his k jerem. 10.13. treasuries, Psal. 135.7. He flieth upon the wings thereof, Psal. 18.10. and walketh upon the wings thereof, Psal. 104.3. He weigheth the winds job 28.25. He l Mark. 4.39. Luk. 8.24. rebuketh the winds, Matth. 8.26. he commandeth the winds, and they obey him, Luk. 8.25. Memorable was the victory of the Emperor Theodosius, against the traitor, and rebel Eugenius. Eugenius was like to have had the upper hand. It pleased the Almighty upon the prayers which the Emperor made unto him for aid and assistance, to work a strange act. He sent a Wind to take part with the Emperor. It was a most unusual and mighty Wind. It blew with such force and violence, that it broke the array of Eugenius his soldiers; did beat back their arrows, their darts, and their javelinings, upon themselves; did strike their targets out of their hands; did bring upon them incredible abundance of dust and filth: and d●d drive the arrows of the Emperor's side, with such forcible flight against them, that they soon gave the field for lost. The story is Ecclesiastical, written by Socrates lib. 5. cap. 24. by Theodorite lib. 5. cap. 24. by Sozomene lib 7. cap. 24. by Nicephorus lib. 12. cap. 39 and recounted by Cassiodore in his Tripartite lib. 9 cap. 45. and by Claudian the Poet in his Panegyricke to Honorius. I could here tell you how the winds fought for us against that great Armada and invincible Navy, that was provided for our overthrow: but I may not now stand upon amplifications. It's out of doubt: the wind, the creature of the Lord, is the Lords weapon, wherewith sometimes he revengeth the wicked and disobedient. Every other creature of the Lord, hath his place, to fight the Lords battles against the disobedient. To avenge God's quarrel against the disobedient, the Heaven, that is over our heads, shall become as brass, and the earth that is under us, as iron, Deut. 28.23. Heaven and earth shall fight for him. m Levit. 26 22. Ezech. 5.17. Wild beasts, evil beasts, all the beasts of the field shall fight for him, Esay. 56.9 Every feathered fowl shall fight for him, Ezech. 39.17. The silliest of creatures etiam vermes, & pulices, & muscae, & araneae, saith n Summa Theol. part. 2. Tit. 4. ●ap 2 §. 1. Antoninus, worms, and fleas, and flies, and spiders, shall all fight for him. So true is that which in the second place I affirmed; God punisheth disobedience per impugnationem orbis, by setting the world against man. Thirdly, God punisheth disobedience per privationem Numinis, by depriving man of the vision of God. This appeareth by the severity of that sentence which the judge of all flesh, the judge of quick and dead, shall at the last day pronounce against the Reprobate for their disobedience to God's holy Laws and Commandments. The sentence is expressed, Mat. 25.41. Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Depart from me] There is prevatio numinis; a separation from the face of God, an exclusion from the beatifical and blessed vision of God. Depart from me ye cursed] Cursed are ye, and therefore departed. Cursed, because ye have not obeyed the Law of the Lord: Cursed, because ye have contemptuously rejected the holy Gospel: Cursed, because ye have trodden under foot the sweet grace of God freely offered unto you: Cursed, because ye have been so fare from relieving the weak and poor members of Christ, as that ye have rather oppressed and crushed them with wrong & violence. Cursed are ye and therefore departed. Depart from me ye Cursed, into everlasting fire] Behold, the torment, where into the disobedient shall be cast, and the infinity of it. It's fire, and fire everlasting. But why fire? Are there not other kinds of punishments in Hell. Yes, there are. Dionysius the Carthusian in his third Novissimum art. 6. reckoneth up eleven kinds: the Centuriators in their first Centurie lib. 1. cap. 4. nine kinds. Durandus de S. Porciano in 4. Sent. Dist. 50. qu. 1. divers kinds. Why then doth the judge in pronouncing the sentence of the damned speak only of fire? Caietane saith it is, propter supplicij vehementiam; for the vehemency of the punishment: because, of all the punishments in Hell that shall torment the body, the fire is the sharpest. So saith o In Mat. 25. qu. 403. Abulensis, In afflictivis, nihil est nobis tam terribile, quam ignis; of things that may afflict our bodies, there is nothing so terrible unto us, as fire. So Durandus in the place now cited, §. 9 Of all the punishments in Hell, wherewith the body shall be tormented, the punishment of fire is the greatest; quia, quod est magis activum, est magis afflictivum; the more active any thing is, the more it tormenteth: but the fire is maximè activus, and therefore maximè afflictivus; the fire is the most active, and therefore it most of all tormenteth. For this cause, when other punishments are in Scripture passed over with silence, the sole punishment of fire is expressed, because in it, as in the greatest of all, all other punishments are understood. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels] Prepared of God the Father by his eternal decree of absolute reprobation. Prepared for the Devil and his Angels] God from everlasting determined concerning such Angels, as should fall, not to confirm them in good, but to turn them out of heaven, and to exclude them from eternal beatitude, together with their head & prince, the Devil. The Devil and his Angels] Horrenda societas! Such shall be the companions of the cursed and damned after this life ended. I must draw towards an end. Dear beloved, you have hitherto heard concerning Disobedience, that it is a foul sin; that God curseth it, and doth punish it: that he punisheth it, first per afflictionem corporis, by laying affliction upon man in his body: secondly, per impugnationem orbis, by setting the whole world against him, and thirdly, per privationem numinis, by depriving him of the beatifical and blessed vision of God: which of all the punishments of Hell is fare the greatest, fare greater than the punishment of fire. What now remaineth for us, but that we labour to eschew and to fly from so damnable a sin? and to embrace the contrary virtue, due obedience to the holy will of God? Let not the pleasures of sin, the lusts of the flesh, the riches, the snares, the cares of this world, nor any transitory delight that may tickle man for an hour, but will wound him for ever, let not all these, nor any one of these, involve us in the gulf of disobedience against the holy Gospel of Christ, and the eternal will of God. But think we, oh think we ever, that there is a Heaven, a God, a jesus, a Kingdom of glory, a society of Angels, a communion of Saints, joy, peace, and happiness, and an eternity of all these: and strive we with all humility and obedience to the attainment of these; so shall God in this world shower down upon us his blessings in abundance, and after this life ended, he shall transplant us to his Heavenly Paradise. There shall this corruptible put on incorruption, and our mortality shall be swallowed up of life. THE XVIII. LECTURE. AMOS 2.12. But ye gave the Nazirites' wine to drink; and commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not. THat these words are an exprobration, an upbraiding or twiting of Israel with the foulness of their ingratitude, I signified in my last exercise out of this place. I then observed in the words a double oversight in the Israelites: the first was, that they solicited the Nazirites to break their vow; the second, that they hindered the Prophets in the execution of their holy function. The first in these words, Ye gave the Nazirites' wine to drink: The second in these, Ye commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not. Of the first then. Now of the second. My method shall be first, to take a view of the words: then, to examine the matter contained in them. The words are, Ye commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not. Ye commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in Pihel, from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifieth, to give in charge, to will, to command. If it be joined in construction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it properly signifieth to forbid, as upon this place the learned Parisian Professor of the Hebrew tongue Mercer, hath observed. So shall the words sound thus: You, unthankful Israelites, you to whom I have raised up of your sons for Prophets, you have taken upon you authority over my Prophets, to forbid them to prophesy in my name, and to threaten them, if they obey you not, that it shall far the worse with them. With this exposition agreeth that of Calvin; whose note is, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in my text signifieth Praecipere vel iubere, to give in charge, to will, or to command, vel statuere, quùm intercedit publica autoritas, to appoint or to ordain by public authority. Hereto assenteth Petrus Lusitanus. By the word mandabatis or praecipiebatis, which in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he understandeth edicta publica, public edicts or proclamations against such, as should dare to preach true doctrine unto the people. So shall the words sound thus: You, unthankful Israelites, you, to whom I have raised up of your sons for Prophets, you have not only in secret corners, in your private conventicles, murmured against, repined at, or cried out upon my Prophets, but also by public order and proclamation you have enjoined them silence. Ye commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not, The Prophets] What Prophets? We are to distinguish betwixt the Priests of the Sanctuary, and jeroboam priests: between Stars in the right hand of Christ, fixed in their stations, and planets of an uncertain motion; between shepherds and hirelings. There was an Aaron, and there was an Abiram; there was a Simon Peter, and there was a Simon Magus; there was a jude, and there was a judas. Not every one that calls himself a Prophet, is by and by a Prophet; for even the woman jezebel calleth herself a Prophetess, Revel. 2.20. Baal had his four hundred and fifty Prophets; not one of them a true Prophet; all of them against Elias, the Prophet of the Lord, 1. Kin. 18.22. Ahab had his four hundred Prophets; not one of them a true Prophet; all of them against Micaiah, the Prophet of the Lord, 1. King. 22 6. Against such intruders, seducers and lying Prophets we are armed with an admonition from the Lord, jerem. 23.16. There thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Harken not unto the words of the Prophets, that prophesy unto you; they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. In this rank of seducers and lying Prophets, I place those upholders of the man of sin, Priests & jesuites, who from the Seminaries beyond the Seas come over hither into this our Country, here to sow the seeds of disloyalty and blind superstition in the hearts of the people. God hath not sent them, yet they run; God hath not spoken to them, yet they prophesy: as jeremy speaketh of the false Prophets in his days, chap. 23.21. They prophesy lies in the Lord's name, and cry, I have dreamt, I have dreamt, verse. 25. Dreams they have: but what truth, what true vision? I answer in the words of jeremy, chap. 14.14. They prophesy unto you a false vision, a divination, a thing of naught, and the deceit of their own hearts. Their sweet tongues utter unto you as deadly poison, as is a Deut. 32.33. the poison of Dragons, or the venom of Asps. They will allure you with plausible notes of Peace, Peace. But take heed, you can expect no peace from them. No peace, either to the weal public, or to the private conscience of any man. Not to the weal public: for, their conspiracies are nefarious and bloody. Not to the private conscience of any man: for, to be reconciled to that unsound Church of theirs, the Church of Rome, to partake of their formal, and counterfeit absolution of sins, to hear and see their histrionical Masses, to visit the shrines & relics of the dead, to say a number of Paternosters, or Ave-maries' upon beads, to invocate Saints, to adore Images; can these, or any such forgeries yield any peace to a distressed conscience? No, they cannot. Yet care not these false teachers and seducers, so they may with such their vntempered mortar of unwritten traditions, daub up the walls of their Antichristian synagogue. Now, will you know what shall be the portion of such intruders, seducers, and lying Prophets? jeremy will tell you chap. 23. that the Lord is b jerem. 23.30, 31, 32. against them: that the c v rs. 19 whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth against them in a fury, even a grievous whi●lewinde, which shall fall upon them grievously: that the d vers. 20. anger of the Lord shall not return, until it have executed his will upon them: that the Lord will bring upon them an e vers. 40. everlasting reproach, and a perpetual shame. Their cup is tempered with no less gall and bitterness by the Prophet Ezechiel chap. 13. There, for following f Ezech. 13.3. their own spirit, for resembling g vers. 4. the foxes in the deserts, for neglecting h vers. 5. to go up into the gap, to make up the hedge for the house of Israel, & to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord, for seeing i vers. 6, 7. vain visions, for speaking lying divinations, for building and k vers. 10. daubing up walls with vntempered mortar, they are accursed. Their curse, what for the head thereof and for the foot, is full of unhappiness. It entereth with a Vae proph●tis insipientibus, woe unto the foolish Prophets, vers. 3. and it bids farewell with an Anathema, with a cursed excommunication, vers. 8, 9 I am against you, saith the Lord God. Mine hand shall be upon you; ye shall not be in the assembly of my people, ye shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel; ye shall not enter into the land of Israel. A heavy sentence! Will you have the plain meaning of it? It's thus: The Lord is against all false Prophets; He will come unto battle, and will fight against the wicked crew, even with that sharp two edged sword, which proceedeth out of his mouth. His hand shall be upon them, for their destruction and ruin. They shall not be of the number of Gods elect. They shall l Psal. 69.28. be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. They shall never enter into that Celestial Jerusalem which is above, and is the habitation of the blessed. You have heard in general of Prophets, true and false. I should now speak somewhat more distinctly. There are two sorts of false Prophets: Some have no calling at all; some have a calling, but without efficacy. Of the first sort were these Priests in judah, who were neither chosen by man, nor called of God; of whom the Lord complaineth jerem. 14 14. m jerem. 14.15. & 27.15. & 29.8, 9 I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I unto them, yet they prophesy: and chap. 23.21. I sent them not, yet they ran, I spoke not to them, yet they prophesied. Of the second sort, were those Prophets in Israel, whom men chose, but God called not. Of such some would have these words, Hos. 9.8. to be understood, The Prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. In opposition to these, there are of true Prophets two sorts also. Both of them are lawfully called to their holy function; some by God alone, some by God and man. The holy Prophets in the Old Testament, and the blessed Apostles in the New, had their calling from God alone: but Timothy, Titus, and the seven Deacons, and the residue of religious and godly Doctors and Pastors of the Church, had and have their calling, both from God and man. This distinction thus given, it is now easy to define, who the Prophets are, that are meant in my text. They are true Prophets, such as had their calling immediately from God, and from him alone: even those holy men of God, who lived in the time of the old Testament; some of which had the honour, to be the blessed penmen thereof. Such were the Prophets, whom the Israelites commanded, saying, Prophesy not. Prophesy not] Speak not any more unto us in the name of the Lord. What? No more! Can there be any one so execrably audacious, as utterly to forbid the passage of the word of God? any forehead so brazen, as simply and precisely to reject it? It's not to be imagined. The most wicked dare not do it. Yet would they by their wills have less liberty of speech permitted to God's Prophets, Ministers, and servants: they would have their tongues somewhat tied, that they might not by their crying out against sins, vex and gall their seared consciences. Hitherto we have taken a view of the words. It followeth, that we examine the matter contained in them. Ye commanded the Prophets, saying, Prophesy not. Hoc nimirum erat, saith Rupertus, non solum loqui, sed etiam agere contra Spiritum Sanctum, qui loquebatur per os Prophetarum: This indeed were not only to speak against, but also to do against the holy Ghost, who spoke by the mouth of the Prophets. He noteth the disordered and frantic humour, that was in the people of Israel, to vility and neglect those Prophets and teachers, which the Lord out of the abundance of his mercy had sent unto them, to be their guides and directors in the way of true piety and religion. The lesson we are to take from hence, I give in this proposition, The wicked are evermore in a readiness to do all the disgrace and despite they can to the true Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers. This truth grounded upon my text, and thereby sufficiently warranted, may further be illustrated by other places of this volume of the Book of God. In the seaventh Chapter of this Prophecy we see what course entertainment our Prophet Amos receiveth from Amaziah, a Priest of Bethel. He there forbids Amos to prophesy any more in the kingdom of the ten Tribes; and adviseth him to get him away by flight to the kingdom of judah, where the Lords prophets were better welcome and more regarded: and tells him that in Israel, they needed no such Prophets, nor cared for them, nor would suffer them to preach so plainly to their King jeroboam. Will you have Amaziah● own words unto Amos? They are in the twelfth and thirteenth verses. O thou Seer (for he that is now n 1. Sam 9 9 called a Prophet, was before time called a Seer) O thou Seer, go, flee thee away into the land of judah, and there eat bread, and Prophecy there. But Prophesy not again any more at Bethel: For it is the King's Chapel, and it is the kings Court. Was the entertainment, of the Prophet jeremy found in jerusalem, any whit better? Not a whit. In the 18. chapter of his Prophecy, vers. 18 I find the men of judah plotting against him. Come, say they, let us device devices against jeremiah: Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. In the 30. Chapter, ver. 2. I find him smitten and put in the stocks by Pashur, the chief governor of the Lords house. In the 26. Chapter, verse, 8. I see him again apprehended; threatened with death, and arraigned. In the 33. chapter, vers. 1. I see him shut up in the Court of the prison. In the 38. Chapter, vers. 6. I find him let down with cords into a miry and dirty dungeon. And all this befell him, because he prophesied in the name of the Lord. The usage of Micaiah the Prophet is likewise memorable. King Ahab, K. of Israel o 2. Chro. 18.7. hateth him, 1. King. 22.8. Zedekiah p Vers. 23. smiteth him on the cheek, vers. 24. and Amon, the governor of the City is commanded to put him q Vers. 26. in prison, and to feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vers. 27. There was a Seer, a Prophet, called r 2. Chro. 16.7. Anani. He had a message from the Lord to Asa King of judah, and did faithfully deliver it. But for so doing the King was in a rage with him, and put him in a prisonhouse, 2. Chron. 16.10. As ill affected to the Prophets of the Lord were the people of judah for the most part of them. And therefore is Esay chapter 30.8. commanded to write it in a table, and to note it in a Book, that it might be for the time to come for ever and ever an evidence against that people, that they were a rebellious people, lying children, children, that would not hear the Law of the Lord: such, as blushed not, to say to the Seers, See not, and to the Prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things: but if you will needs be Seeing, or Prophesying, or Preaching, or speaking unto us, then speak unto us smooth things, Prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way; turn aside out of the path: cause the Holy one of Israel to cease from before us. Strange that there should be in the people of the Lord, such contempt, such a detestation of the Prophets of the Lord! But you see the lot of God's Prophets under the old Testament. Were they more regarded in the time of the New? It seems not. For it could not but fall out with them according to that prediction of our Saviour Christ, Mat. 23.34. Behold, saith he, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and Crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. According to this prediction it came to pass. Some they killed. They killed s Euseb. Histor. Eccles. lib. 2. ca 9 james, the brother of john, with the sword, Act. 12.2. Some they crucified. They crucified Christ himself, the Lord of life, Act. 3.15. Some they scourged. They scourged Paul. He shall testify for himself, 2. Cor. 11.24. Of the jews five times received I forty stripes save one. and vers. 25. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Some they persecuted from city to city. So they dealt with Barnabas, Act. 13.50. Some they vexed with many kinds of cruelty. S. Steven may be one instance. They gnashed on him with their teeth, Act. 7.54. They smote him with their tongues, saying, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God, Act. 6.11. They came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, vers. 12. They cast him out of the city, Act. 7.58. and they stoned him, vers. 59 In a word, they made such t Act. 8.3. havoc of the Church in those prime days thereof, as that the messengers of God were enforced through the bitterness of their spirit to complain with the Apostle, Rom. 8.36. u Psal. 44.22. For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep apppointed for the slaughter. And thus you see what is the portion of God's Ministers under the new Testament. Under both New, and Old, they are liable to the disgraces and vexations of this wicked world. So true is my proposition. The wicked are evermore in a readiness, to do all the disgrace and despite they can to the true Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers. Yet not to them only, not only to the true Prophets of the Lord, and his ministers; but to you also of the laity, to as many of you, as have a true desire to live in the fear of God, and to die in his favour: to as many of you, as are willing to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that ye may live x Tit. 2.13. soberly justly, and piously in this present world. Your lot will be the same with ours. The wicked will be evermore in a readiness, to do unto you also, all the disgrace and despite they can. You must put on the Livery and cognisance of Christ, as well as we. The most principal and royal garment, which he wore, while he lived upon the earth, was affliction. Affliction! It must be your coat too, it must be your livery. You will hold him for an undutiful, and an ungracious child, that is ashamed of his father: you will take him for a malapert and a saucy servant, that refuseth to wear his master's livery; Christ is your Father; he is your Master. Take heed then, that you show not yourselves undutiful, ungracious, malap●rt, or saucy, in refusing to be, as he was, clothed y Reuel. 19.13. with a vesture dipped in blood. The z Mark. 3.17. sons of Thunder, james and john, would needs be advanced in the Kingdom of Christ, to sit, the one on his right hand, the other, on his left. But what doth Christ? Doth he grant their request? He doth it not. He thus speaks unto them: a Mat. 20 22. Mark. 10.38. Are ye able to drink of the cup, that I shall drink of, and to be baptised with the baptism, that I am baptised with? Upon their answer which is affirmative, we are able, Christ farther saith unto them, ye shall indeed drink of the cup, that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptised with, shall ye be baptised. But to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. It is as if Christ had said in fewer words, ye must of necessity bear the Cross, before ye can wear the Crown. But you will say; james and john were of the number of the twelve Apostles; and that they indeed by their calling were to take up their cross, and to follow Christ: but what is that to us? to us, who are not of the rank? who are not Prophets? nor Apostles, nor Ministers? S. Paul shall answer you for me, 2. Tim. 3.12. All that will live godly in Christ jesus, shall suffer persecution. Thu● have you my doctrine enlarged: The wicked are evermore in a readiness, to do all the disgrace and despite they can, not only to the true Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers, but also to the true servants of God; of what vocations estate, or condition soever they be. Now let us a little examine the reason why the wicked should stand thus affected towards the godly. The reason is, because they hate the Godly. They hate the Godly: and therefore will they do them all the disgrace and despite they can. The wicked hate the Godly. It is no new thing: It's no rare thing. No new thing; for b Gen. 27.41. Esay hated jacob, c Gen. 21.9. Ishmael Isaac, and d Gen. 4.8. Cain Abel. It's no rare thing; for it is exceeding common at all times, in all places. The consideration whereof made S. Peter thus to speak unto the faithful in his days; Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing were come unto you. Think it not strange; it's no strange thing. It is Epistle 1. chap. 4.12. So S. john, Epist. 1. chap. 3.13. Marvel not my brethren, if the world hate you. Marvel not. It's no point of wisdom to wonder at that which is neither Magnum, nor Novum, nor Rarum. If it be not a great thing, or new, or rare, marvel not at it. A Father of the Schools, e Comments in 1. Johan. 3. Aquinas avoucheth it, that there is no cause of marvel, if it be not either great, or new, or rare. Now that the world, that is, amatores mundi, the lovers of the world, wicked, carnal, irreligious, and profane men living in the world, should hate the Godly, non est magnum: it is no great matter. The Physician that binds a frantic man, if he be bitten by him, non reputat magnum, he counts it not any great matter; but excuseth his patient for his frenzies sake. The wicked are as this frantic man; the Godly as the Physician: whence it is, that upon those words, Gen. 4.8. Cain rose up against Abel; for against Abel, the gloss saith, f Contra medicum. against his Physician. Thus you see, it's not magrum, no great matter, that the wicked do hate the Godly. Nor is it Novum, nor is it Rarum; it's neither new, nor rare, as you have already heard. It's no great matter, nor is it any new thing, or rare that the world should hate you, therefore marvel not, if it hate you! Yea, say I: it were much to be marvelled at, if it should not hate you. For such are the contrary dispositions of Saints, and worldlings, of the wicked and the Godly, that of necessity there will ever be occasioned contentious oppositions between them. The consideration hereof drew from S. james those words, chap. 4.4. Know ye not, that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Know ye not, that is, saith Aquinas, Ignorare non debetis, ye ought not to be ignorant of this, that the amity of the world is enmity with God; and that whosoever is a friend of the world, he is the enemy of God: I may add, yea, and of the Godly too. Hereto agreeth that demand of S. Paul 2. Cor. 6.14.15. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial? God is righteous, the world is wicked, and g 1. John. 5.19 lieth altogether in sin, therefore there can be no fellowship between God and the world. God is h 1. I ha●. 1.5. light, he is the i jam. 1.17. Father of lights; in him there is no darkness at all: The world what is it but k Ephe. 5.8. darkness, what but a receptacle of the unfruitful l Vers. 11. works of darkness? therefore there can be no communion between God and the world. Christ is holy, altogether holy, and immaculate; Belial is wicked, he is the Prince of wickedness: therefore there can be no concord between Christ and Belial. Now if there can be no fellowship, if no communion between God and the world; can we look there should be any fellowship, any communion, between Saints & worldlings, between the godly, and the wicked, between such as love God, and such as love the w●rld? If there be no concord between Christ and Belial, can we expect there should be any concord between true Christians and Belialists, between the followers of Christ, and the sons of Belial? It cannot be expected. These, whom I call Belialists or the sons of belial, worldlings and the wicked, are such as love the world: the other, whom I call true Christians, or followers of Christ, Saints, & the godly, are such as love God. The repugnancy that is between the qualities of these two, is elegantly delivered in holy writ. The lovers of God are m Rom. 8.14. Galat. 5.18. led by the Spirit of God; they n Galat. 5.16. walk in the Spirit, and bring forth the o Vers. 22.23. fruits thereof, as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and such like; but they that love the world, are invested, with p Ver. 19.20.21 adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions; heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revel, and such like. What greater repugnancy can there be then this? Again, they that love God, are q 2. Tim. 2.22. of pure hearts, and of r 1. Tim. 1.5. good consciences, they s Coloss. 1.22. present themselves holy, unblameable and unreprovable in the sight of God; they serve the Lord t Johan. 4.23. in Spirit and in truth: but they that love 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. deceitful from the womb, they are altogether a Psal. 14.3. become filthy, their service of God is but a flattering of him; for they b Psal. 78.36. lie unto him with their double tongue. What greater repugnancy can there be then this? Once more. They that love God, cast all their c 1. Pet. 5.7. care upon him; they are d Vers. 8. sober and vigilant: for they know that their adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking, whom he may devour: but they that love the world, like the fool in the Psalm e Psal. 14.1. & 53.1. & 10.4. say in their heart, there is no God. Sobriety they care not for, vigilancy, 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 serve their own belly, h Philip. 3.19. their God is their belly, their glory is their shame, their end is damnation. What greater repugnancy can there be then this? Will it now please you to collect with me? the qualities of the wicked, the sons of Belial, worldlings, such as love the world, are wholly repugnant and contrary to the qualities, of the Godly, the followers of Christ, Saints, such as love God: and therefore there can be no agreement between them: No better than was between Cain and Abel. And that you know was bad enough. For Cain slew Abel. And wherefore slew he him? S. john gives you the reason, 1. Epist. 3.12. Because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous. Thus fare of the hatred of the wicked against the Godly, the true reason of my doctrine, which was: The wicked are evermore in a readiness, to do all the disgrace and despite they can, not only to the true Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers, but also to the true servants of God, of what vocation; estate, or condition soever they be. Let us now make some use of that which hath been hitherto delivered, for the bettering, and the amendment of our sinful lives. First, the Ministers of God's word, may from hence learn, not to take it unto heart, if such, as are bound by the Law of God and nature, and by all good order, to yield them due love and reverence, shall in pride and contempt insult over them, to disgrace and to despite them. They may well remember, that it's neither great, nor new, nor rare thing, that they meet with such course entertainment 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 gives them encouragement and comfort, john. 15.18. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. The argument is drawn ab exemplo, from Christ's own example. The world hateth me, you know it to be so, you see it. It needs 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. Austin propounds the question Tract. 88 in johannem. Why doth a member extol itself above the head? Recusas esse in corpore, si non vis odium mundi sustinere cum capite: thou refusest to be in the body, if thou wilt not with the head sustain the hatred of the world. A second argument of encouragement and comfort to us against the hatred of the world; is drawn from the nature of the world, vers. 19 If ye were of the world the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. This argument is evident even to the common sense of men; who cannot but know, that between contraries there is no agreement, and between men of unlike qualities, no full consent of minds. It is then as if Christ had thus said: The world love's none but his own; none but those that are addicted, devoted, and wholly given over to it: but you are not of the world; therefore it love's not you. You are not of the world; for you are mine; and i johan. 8.23. and 17.14. I am not of the world. I have separated you from the service of the world, to do me service; and therefore the world hateth you. A third argument of encouragement and comfort to us, is vers. 20. Remember the word, that I said unto you: The servant is not greater than the Lord: if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. This argument is like the first: It's drawn from Christ's own example, as that was. All the difference is: the first specifieth the hatred of the world; this the effect of that hatred, Persecution. Thus stands the argument. The world persecuteth me; you are my witnesses it doth so. Think it not much then, if it also persecute you. Remember the word that I said unto you; The k Matth. 10.24 johan. 13.16. servant is not greater than the Lord. l Salmeron Tom. 9 Com. Tract. 60 Si me Dominum, Regem, caput, magistrum, persecutisunt, vos quoque servos ac subditos meos, membra mea, atque discipulos meos persequentur. If they have persecuted me your Lord, your King, your head, your Master, they will also persecute you, my servants, my subjects, my members, my disciples. If they have called me a m johan. 10.20 mad man, one that hath a Devil, n Mat. 27.63. a seducer, o Mat. 26.65. a blasphemer, p Mat. 11.19. a glutton, a wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners, will they not much more speak of you reproachfully? q Mat. 10.25. If they have called the Master of the house Belzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household so? Turpe profectò est, & dedecore plenum, Rege in castris vulnerato existente, milites cius sine vulnere in civitate epulantes manner, saith Salmeron: It were very base and shameful, for soldiers to remain in the City at ease without hurt, while their King lies wounded in the Campe. Pudeat, saith Saint Bernard Serm. 5. in Festo omnium Sanct. pudeat sub spinato capite, membrum fieri delicatum: It were a shame for us to live deliciously and in pleasures, saith our head, Christ, was crowned with thorns. I conclude the first use: Let the wicked fret, and fume, and stamp, and stare, and grudge, and murmur against us, let them forbid us to prophesy, let them refuse to hear us, let them lay upon us all the disgrace and despite they can; yet will we possess our souls in patience, knowing it to be a faithful saying, which S. Paul hath. 2. Tim. 2.11.12. that, if we die with Christ, we shall also live with him, and if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. A second use is for all other the true servants of God, of what vocation, condition, or estate soever they be: for as much as the wicked lie in wait for them also, to do them all the disgrace and despite they can, as hath already been proved unto you. The use is to admonish you, that ye take it not to heart, if they, who are bound by the law of God and nature, by the bond of neighbourhood, and our Christian profession, to love you, and to tender your good, shall in pride and contempt insult over you, to disgrace and to despite you. The arguments for your encouragement and comfort in such a case, may be the same with those, which I but even now produced for the encouragement and comfort of ourselves in the like: will you have them summed up unto you? Then thus. You find but course respect and entertainment in the world, because the world hateth you. It hateth you. Marvel not at it, nor fear it. For first it hated Christ, before it hated you. Secondly, the world would love you, if you were his own. But you are not. You are not of the world, and therefore the world hateth you. Be of good comfort: you are not of the world, for Christ hath chosen you out of the world, to be his beloved. Thirdly, the world from hating you proceedeth to persecute you. Let not this discourage you. For it persecuted Christ first. They have persecuted Christ, and therefore will they persecute you. r Math. 10.25. It is enough for the Disciple, that he be as his Master, and the servant as the Lord. Christ is your Master, he is your Lord: you are his disciples, you are his servants. Let his s 1. Pet. 2.21. example be your rule; be it our rule too, (for herein we are all equal) be it the rule of direction to us all; the rule of all our sufferings. t vers. 23. When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed his cause to him, that judgeth righteously. Here is matter worthy our imitation. The resolved Christian hereupon thus sweetly meditateth. Shall Christ lie in the manger, and we ruffle it out in our palaces? Shall he mourn in sackcloth, and we bathe in pleasure? Shall he fight in our defence, be wounded and crucified among thiefs; and shall we disport and solace ourselves with fond and vain delights? Shall he be pierced through with the sword of God's justice for our sins, and shall we be unwilling to suffer any thing for ourselves? This were tootoo unnatural and unkind. Let not therefore the cross adventures that may betide us, dismay us: Let not the cruelty of our enemies, the sharpness of our miseries, the continuance of our afflictions, daunt us: but let us (following the advice of S. Peter 1. Ep. chap. 4. vers. 13.) Let us rejoice, in as much as we are partakers of Christ's sufferings. So when his glory shall be revealed, we shall be glad also with exceeding joy. Thus much of the second use. A third followeth. You remember the doctrine. The wicked are evermore in a readiness, to do all the disgrace and despite they can, not only to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers, but also to all other, the true servants of God, of what vocation, estate, or condition soever they be. The use is, to reprove those, who esteem not aright of the sufferings of the godly. Let a godly man be humbled under the cross, let him feel the hand of God upon him; how will some wonder at him, as at a u Ps. 102.6, 7. Pelican of the wilderness, as at an Owl of the desert, as at a sparrow that sits alone upon the house top? They will hold him for a great sinner, and will measure his condition by the chastisement, that he endureth. Did not Eliphaz deal so with job? From the afflictions, the miseries, the calamities, that job suffered, Eliphaz concludeth, that job is no innocent man, no righteous man, but a deep dissembler, and a hollow-hearted hypocrite. His censure of job you may find chap. 4.7. Remember I pray thee, saith Eliphaz to job, Remember I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? It was Eliphaz his error, to collect, because job was afflicted, and that most grievously, that therefore he was to perish, or to be cut off utterly. God suffereth not his elect children, such as job was, utterly to perish, or to be cut off. He afflicteth them, but with a purpose to deliver them; his hand is sometimes upon them, but it is for their good, not for their ruin. For albeit they may seem to us to perish, when in the fire of their calamities and trials, they are surprised by death, yet they perish not; the Lord, he receives them into his glory, and to a more happy life. Wherefore to Eliphaz his question, Who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? I answer; If Eliphaz take the words of perishing, and cutting off, in the strict sense and properly, I answer, never did the innocent perish, never was any righteous man cut off. But if he take the words in a larger sense for wallowing in misery, or lying in affliction; my answer then, is the same that S. Gregory hath lib. 5. Moral. cap. 14. Saepè quippe hîc & innocentes pereunt, & recti funditùs delentur. Surely here in this world the innocent do oftentimes perish, and the righteous are utterly cut off: sed tamen ad aeternam gloriam, pereundo seruantur: yet in perishing, and in being cut off, they are reserved to eternal glory. Si nullus innocens periret, if no man should perish, that is innocent, why should the Prophet Esai say, chap. 57.1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart! Si rectos, Deus providendo non raperet, if God in his providence should not take away any righteous man, why should the wise man, chap. 4.11. say, The righteous was speedily taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul? Si iustos, animadversio nulla percuteret, if no punishment should smite the just, why should S. Peter say, 1. Ep. 4, 17. The time is, that judgement must begin at the house of God? Now, dear beloved, sith it may in some sense be truly said of the man that is innocent, that he perisheth; and of the righteous man, that he is punished, is taken away, is cut off; and of the faithful of God's house, that judgement must begin with them: let it ever be our care to esteem aright of the afflictions of our neighbours, and to judge of them, with a righteous judgement. Though they be judged, be plagued, be smitten of God, it is not for us slightly to regard them, to despise them, or to hide our faces from them: it is our parts rather to have a fellow-feeling and a tender compassion of their trials. It were an , an uncharitable, yea a hellish conceit, thus to infer: My neighbour, such a man, or such a man, is exercised under the Cross, and is sensible of the scourge of God upon him, therefore he is in Gods disfavour, and a very grievous sinner. No such inference is allowable in Christ's school. In his school, these Maxims pass for good. Where God purposeth to heal, he spareth not to lance. He ministereth bitter sirupes to purge corrupt humours: he sends embassies of death and revenge, where he meaneth to bestow eternal life. I conclude with that blessing which S. james chap. 1.12. bestoweth upon the afflicted. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. THE XIX. LECTURE. AMOS 2.13, 14, 15, 16. Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself. Neither shall he stand, that handleth the bow, and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself, neither shall he, that rideth the Horse, deliver himself. And he, that is courageous among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. WE are now come to the fourth part of this first Sermon of Amos, concerning the kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel. I heretofore called it a Commination. So I call it still. For here are the Israelites threatened with punishment for the enormity of their sins, expressed, vers. 6, 7, 8. and for the foulness of their ingratitude, laid to their charge, vers. 12. In this Commination we may observe two things. First, how the Lord, in respect of the sins of Israel, and of their unthankfulness for benefits bestowed on them, esteemeth of them, vers. 13. Behold, I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves. The other is, a menacing or threatening of punishment to befall them: I may term it, A sending of defiance unto them; a denouncing of war against them, vers. 14, 15, 16. Wherein we may note three things. The first is, impotentia fugiendi, their unableness to escape the flight in the day of battle: thus set down in the 14. verse. The flight shall perish from the swift. And vers. 15. thus: He that is swift of foot, shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. The second is, Debilitas in resistendo, their weakness in resisting the enemy thus set down, vers. 14. The strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself, and vers. 15. thus: Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow. The third is, Fugae fortium: the flight of the valiant, and stout of heart, set down in the last verse, and there amplified by the adjunct of nakedness: He that is courageous among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day. Then followeth the confirmation of all, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Lord: the Lord, who is the truth, and is omnipotent. He is the Lord of Hosts; if he a Esa. 14.27. 2. Chro. 20.6. I●b. 9.12. Pro 21.30. Dan. 4.32. purpose to do a thing, who shall disannul it? if his hand be stretched out, who shall turn it back? My meditations for this time will be confined within the limits of the 13. verse. Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheanes. In the handling whereof, my order shall be first to run over the words; then to draw from them, some profitable note of doctrine. Behold. THis particle, set in the front of this verse, is as it were a watchword to stir up our attentions, for as much as we are to hear of some important matter. A learned Divine in his exposition upon the fift of Nehemiah hath alike note: This word Ecce, Lo, Mark, or Behold, ever betokeneth throughout the Scripture some notable thing very good, or very ill, that is spoken of immediately afterward, and such a one as commonly falleth not out among men: and the holy Ghost of purpose useth to mark such notable things, with this word Ecce, Lo, Mark, or Behold, to put men in remembrance, and to awake them to the consideration of the weighty matter that followeth, that they should not lightly pass over it, but deeply mark and consider it. The jesuit Lorinus Comment. in Act. Apost. observeth out of holy Scripture, divers acceptions and uses of this particle, Ecce, Behold. First, it noteth rem novam, ac inopinatam, atque mirabilem: some thing that is new and unlooked for, and wonderful: as Act. 1.10. while the Apostles looked steadfastly toward heaven, at the time of Christ's ascension, Ecce, Behold, two men, or two Angels in the form of men, stood by them in white apparel. So is it used by the blessed Virgin in her Magnificat, Luk. 1.48. Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Where Ecce, Behold, rem magnam, novam, & admiratione dignam, designat, saith Alfonsus Salmeron. Behold! it designeth and pointeth out unto us, some great matter, new, and admirable, such as is, creaturam in lucem edere creatorem famulam Dominum generare, Virginem Deum parere. What greater, what newer, what matter more wonderful, then that a Creature should conceive in her womb and bring forth her Creator, a handmaid her Lord, a virgin, God? It is so full of wonder, that the Prophet Esay foretelling it, chap. 7.14. stamps it with an Ecce, Behold, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. The Evangelist S. Matthew, chap. 1.23. reciting the Prophet's prediction, leaves not out this stamp, Behold: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. The Angel Gabriel, who was sent from God to the virgin Mary, to report unto her, this great wonder, omits not this stamp, Ecce, Behold. See the Angel's words, Luk. 1.31. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name jesus. This the Postillers do call Ecce admirativum, an Ecce of Admiration: and it is the first use of the particle Behold, observed by Lorinus. Secondly, it betokeneth propinquum tempus, some time near at hand, as Esai 41.27. The first shall say to Zion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold, behold them, or behold these things, and I will give to jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. The place I understand of Christ, who is Alpha, or primus, the first; and Euangelista, he that bringeth the good tidings: him God giveth to Zion, and to jerusalem, and in him, Ecce ecce ista erunt: Behold, behold all the promises of God shall come to pass, and that speedily. This is true of Christ, who saith in the Revelation, chap. 22.7. Behold, I come quickly; and Vers. 12. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. If I would imitate the Postillers, I could call this Ecce Admonitivum, an Ecce of Admonition, a warning word for every one to be in a readiness to embrace Christ at his coming. Thirdly, Ecce, Behold, is a note of asseveration, or certainty, and is put for Sanè or Certè, verily or certainly. Such it is jere. 23.39. Ecce, Behold I, even I will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and cast you out of my presence, And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten. Behold I will do it; I will surely do it. Fourthly, Ecce, Behold, is a particle, ordinarily used by God in his Comminations, when he threatneth some great and heavy punishment to come as Ezech. 5.8. Thus saith the Lord against jerusalem, Behold, I, even I am against thee, and will execute judgements in the midst of thee, in the sight of the Nations, And, chap. 6.3. Thus saith the Lord against Israel, Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And against Tyrus, chap. 26.3. Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many Nations to come up against thee, as the Sea causeth his waves to come up. And against Zidon, chap. 28.22. Behold, I am against thee, O Zidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee. And against Pharaoh, chap. 29.3. Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh, King of Egypt, I will put hooks in thy jaws. Many other like places I might allege yet farther, to show unto you, the frequent use of this particle, Ecce, Behold, in the Comminations of God's punishments. But I will not hold you any longer with this discourse. Sufficient shall it be for you at this time to be advertised, that as often as you meet with this word Ecce, Behold, in the sacred Volume of the word of God; so often you have a watchword, to stir up your attention, to listen to the matter that ensueth, for its weight and worth. Such is it in my text. Behold. Your attention is called upon, to give ear to that which followeth. I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. I am pressed] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is in Hifhil, the root of it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in Hifhil is sometimes Transitive, sometimes Intransitive or Neutral: from whence there is a twofold Interpretation of this place. One is, I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves; the other, I will press your place, as a Cart full of sheaves presseth. That is our textual reading, this our Marginal. Some incline to that; some to this. Each hath a proper, and a profitable understanding. First of the first. Behold, I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves. THis meaning the Vulgar Latin seemeth to express; Ecce, ego stridebo subter vos, sicut stridet plaustrum onustum foeno: which I find thus handsomely translated in an old English Manuscript (some take it to be Wickliphes) Lo, I shall sound strongly under you, as a wain charged with hay soundeth strongly. S. Hierome thus glosseth it. As a cart or wain, that is full laden with stubble or hay, maketh a noise, soundeth out, and bowleth: so I, not any longer enduring your sins, but as it were committing stubble to the fire, shall cry out. With this exposition of S. Hierome, agreeth that of Gregory the great, Moral. 32.6. Who there takes these words of my text to intimate, that God under the burden of sins maketh a noise and cryeth out. Aliquando (saith he) etiam insensatis rebus propter infirmitatem nostram altâ condescensione se comparat: God sometimes condescends to our weak capacities, and for our infirmities sake compares himself to things void of sense: as here: Behold, I shall skreeke, or cry out under you, as a cart or wain full-laden with sheaves skreeketh or cryeth out. For, because fenum est vita carnalium, the life of carnal men is as hay, according to that, Esa. 40.6. Omnis caro fenum, All flesh is grass, the Lord patiently enduring the life of carnal men, testifieth of himself, more plaustri fenum se portare, that likeunto a cart or wain he is charged with hay. Now for him, Sub feni onere stridere, to skreeke out under a load of hay, it is nothing else, but pondera & iniquitates peccantium cum querelâ tolerare, with complaint to tolerate the burdens and iniquities of sinful men. This his construction seems probable to Ribera. Probable to him: but it is good with Brentius, good with Gualther, good with Drusius, good with Winckelman, good with others with Remigius, with Albertus, with Hugo, with Lyra, with Dionysius, as Castrus hath observed. According to whom; the true meaning of my text is, as if the Lord should thus have said: Behold, O ye Israelites; a A●●s 3.2. you, whom only of all the families of the earth I have known; you, whom I have borne, b Deut. 1.31. as a man doth bear his son; you, whom I have carried in my bosom, c Num. 11.12. as a nursing father beareth the sucking Child; You, once my d De●●. 9.26.29. people, and mine inheritance, whom I brought forth out of Egypt, by my mighty power, and by my stretched out arm, Behold: Behold such hath been, and is your e Deut. 9.29. stubbornness, such your wickedness, such the multitude of your sins, that I am f Isa. 1.14. weary to bear them: Behold, I am pressed under you, as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. As many sheaves, as much hay or stubble is unto a cart, so are you to me, in regard of your sins you are so to me; so troublesome, so grievous, that I even faint under you, and am not able any longer to bear you. It's a very grievous complaint; and may teach us thus much: that our sins are sometimes burdensome and grievous unto God. It is my doctrine: Our sins are sometimes burdensome and grievous unto God. Such were the sins of the old world, we know it by, Gen. 6.5, 6. For God saw, that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repent the Lord, that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. It repent him, and grieved him at his heart. Such were the sins of judah. We know it by the first Chapter of the Prophecy of Esai. The complaints which God maketh there, do prove it: vers. 21. How is the faithful City become an Harlot? It was full of judgement, righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine is mixed with water. Thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of thiefs: Every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. And verse 14. Your new moons, and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth, they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them. You see; the sins of judah were a trouble unto God, he was weary to bear them. They were burdensome and grievous unto him. Such were the sins of Israel, we know it by the 43. chap. of Esai. There verse 24. thus saith the Lord to Israel: Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins; thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. What! Was God made to serve with the sins of Israel? Was he wearied with their iniquities? It's more than evident: the sons of Israel, were burdensome, and grievous unto God. Are not the sins of the whole world such? Are not our sins such? Sweet jesus, thou knowest they are such. The labours, the troubles, the miseries, the griefs, the torments which in the days of thy flesh, from the first hour of thy Nativity, to the last moment of thy suffering upon the Cross, thou hast endured for us, are so many demonstrations, that our sins are such; that they are burdensome and grievous unto thee. Dear beloved, behold we Christ jesus in the g Phil. 2.7. form of a servant, laid in a h Luk 2.7. manger, exiled i Matth. 2.14 from his country, k Mat. 13.55. reputed for a Carpenter's son, yea for a l Mark. 6.3. carpenter; m Mat. 4.2. hungering, n I●b. 4.7. & 19.28. thirsting, o I●●. 8.23. etc. reviled, railed upon, p 〈◊〉 22.63. shamefully abused; and in an agony, q ●e●s. 44. sweeting great drops of blood; we must confess our sins to have been the cause of all. Behold we his glorious head crowned r Mat. 27.29 with thorns; behold we his sweet face s Mat. 26 67 Mark 14 65. buffeted and spit upon; behold we his harmless t I●h 20.20, 25 hands distilling forth gore blood; behold we his naked side u ●●h. 19 34 37 pierced through with a sharp spear; behold we his undefiled feet, which never stood in the way of sinners, dented through with cruel nails; we must confess our sins to have been the cause of all. Our sins the cause of all ●. Esay confesseth it, chap. 53.4 Surely, He [Christ jesus] hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: he was wounded x Esa. 53.5. for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. S. Matthew repeats it, chap. 8.17. Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses. So doth S Peter, 1. Epist. chap. 2.24. Christ his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree: by his stripes are we healed. S. Paul speaks as plainly, Rom. 4.25. Christ was delivered for our offences: and 1. Cor. 15.3. Christ died for our sins. Our sins are the cause of all Christ's sufferings. Our sins the cause of all Christ's sufferings! It's even so. S. Augustin Meditat. cap. 7. doth thus elegantly deliver it: The sinner offendeth, the just is punished; the guilty transgresseth, the innocent is beaten; the wicked sinneth, the godly is condemned; that which the evil deserveth, the good suffereth; the servant doth amiss, the master maketh amends; man committeth sin, and God beareth the punishment. So true is my doctrine, Our sins are sometimes burdensome and grievous unto God. So burdensome, so grievous, as that he is enforced to complain, as here he doth against Israel, I am pressed under you, as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves. Stands it thus Beloved? May our sins be burdensome and grievous unto God? May they press him, as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves? Make we hereof this use; to hate sin, to detest it, to fly from it, as from the Devil, who is the Author of it. Syracides in his Ecclesiasticus, chap. 21. to incite us to the hatred of sin, to the detestation of it, and to fly from it, compareth sin to a Serpent, to a Lion, to a two edged sword. To a Serpent, vers. 2. Flee from sin, as from the face of a Serpent; for it thou comest too near it, it will bite thee. To a Lion in the same verse, Flee from sin as from a Lion; the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lion, slaying the souls of men. To a two edged sword, vers. 3. Flee from sin as from a two edged sword; for all iniquity is as a two edged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be healed. But what is a two edged sword? what the teeth of a Lion? what the face of a Serpent? what the Devil himself, to the love of God? Flee from sin for the love of God, that with thy sins thou be not burdensome and grievous unto God. If we cannot but sin (as, the truth is we cannot, such is our imperfection) yet let us not increase the measure of our sin, by any wicked malice. If we cannot stay ourselves from going in the paths of sin, yet let us stay ourselves for going on therein. Stop we the course of our sins, as the Lord shall enable us; and let us not, by the fullness of their measure, pull vengeance from Heaven, whether God will or no. A heavy day and hour will it be to you, to me, to any, if the Lord shall once say unto us, as here he doth to Israel, I am pressed under you, as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves. Again, stands it thus, beloved? May our sins be burdensome and grievous unto God? May they press him as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves? Make we then here of a second use, even to admonish such sinners as are obstinate and impenitent. They may from hence be remembered, that if they be burdensome and grievous unto God, [with their obstinacy and impenitency] God will be burdensome and grievous unto them with his plagues. Obstinacy, impenitency! O let sins of such an elevation be fare from our Coasts. If we drive God to call a convocation of Heaven and Earth, as Esa. 1.2. Hear O heavens, and give ear O earth: I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me; if we drive him to call on the mountains & the foundations of the earth to hear his controversy, as Micah 6.2. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lords controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and will plead with them: if we drive him to his old complaint, Hos 4.1. There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land, By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring ye break out, and blood toucheth blood: if we thus and thus force God, what shall become of us in the end? Will he not again force us, to cry out, howl, and repent, that ever we thus and thus forced him? Yes, without all controversy he will. He will pour out x Nahum 16. his fury like fire, he will throw down rocks before him; and shall we then be able to stand? It's impossible we should, unless truly and unfeignedly renouncing all show of obstinacy and impenitency, we become dutiful and obedient children to the Lord our God. O how desirous, how earnest is our sweet Saviour, we should be such? How pathetically doth he persuade our, and the whole Church's reformation? Cant. 6.13. Return, return O Shulamite; return, return. Let our reply be, with Saint Austin, Domine, da quod jubes, & jube quod vis, Lord, give us ability to return to thee, and then command us to return: or with jeremy chap. 31.18. Turn thou us unto thee, o Lord, and we shall be turned; thou art the Lord our God. Thus have you my doctrine, and the uses thereof. My doctrine was: Our sins are sometimes burdensome and grievous unto God. My first use was; an incitement to the detestation of sin in general. My second was, a caveat against the foulest of sins, obstinacy and impenitency. My doctrine branding our sins with burdensomeness and grievousness in respect of God; I grounded upon the complaint, which in my text, God maketh against Israel; I am pressed under you, as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. God is pressed under our sins; therefore our sins are burdensome unto him, they are grievous unto him. But here it may be questioned, how God can be said to complain of our sins, to be burdened with them, to be grieved at them, sith in himself he hath all pleasure and content? He dwelleth in such y 1. Tim. 6.16. light, such brightness of glory, as never mortal foot could approach unto: the sight of his face is to us on earth unsufferable; no mortal eye ever saw him, nor can see him: he z Esa. 57.15. inhabiteth the eternity, is the a Esa. 44.6. first, and is the last, and b Mala. 3.6. changeth not; yea, hath not so much as a c jam. 1.17. shadow of change. How then is it, that he oft complaineth? how can he be burdened? how grieved? Complaints, we know, are the witnesses of a burdened, and grieved soul. God here complaineth of pressure, that he is pressed under Israel, as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves: from whence the collection is, that the sins of Israel are burdensome and grievous unto God. But can this be so indeed? Can our sins be burdensome unto God? Can they be grievous unto him? or can God complain that they are such? What can be said unto it? Will you, that I speak properly, without a figure? Then thus I say: God cannot complain, because he cannot be burdened, or grieved. Can he be burdened or grieved, he could suffer: But he cannot suffer. Every blow of ours, though we were as strong and high, as the sons of Anak, light short of him. If some could have reached him, it had gone ill with him long ere this. But God cannot suffer. So true is that axiom of the Schools: No passion can befall the Deity. Aquinas 1. qu. 20. art. 1. thus delivers it: Nulla passio est in Deo; there is no passion in God: and lib. 1. Contra Gentiles cap. 89. In Deo non sunt Passiones affectuum; there are no affective passions in God. By affective passions be understandeth the passions of the sensitive appetite, which therefore are not in God, because God hath no such appetite, as Ferrariensis hath well observed. Well then, if these passions of complaining, of repenting of grieving, of fainting, and the like, cannot properly be said to be in God, how are they so frequently in holy Scripture ascribed unto him? My answer is, they are ascribed unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, abusively, by an Anthropopathy. It is Athanasius his golden rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Say God complaineth; say he repenteth; say he grieveth; say he fainteth, or is wearied; all these are spoken of God for our capacities, but are to be understood, as its fit for God. God in holy Scripture speaking of himself as if these passions were familiar with him, he appears as transfigured into the likeness of our nature, and in our own familiar terms speaketh to our shallow understandings. As an old man speaking to a child, frames his voice in a childish phrase. So God speaking to us men, speaks as the manner of men is to speak. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (saith Athanasius Disput. contra Ariam in Niceno concilio) for our imbecility God thus speaketh: he descends to our capacities: and that men may in some measure know him, he will be known as man; by passions or affections, by complaining, by repenting, by grieving, by fainting. By these he signifies not what he is indeed, but what is needful for us to know of him. For we well acquainted with the use of these natural passions in ourselves, may the better guess at the knowledge of that God, to whom we hear them ascribed by translation. By translation, not properly: or as one well saith, per figuram, non naturam, by a figure, not by nature: or as the Schools speak quoad effectum, non quoad affectum, in the effect, not in the affection; So Aquinas Par. 1a. qu. 21. art. 3. C. But having entreated else where of this question, Whether there be any affection or passion in God, in my 17. Sermon upon Hoseah chap. 10. I now say no more of it. Only I conclude it affirming with Gregory Moral. lib. 20. cap. 23. that God is, Sine Zelo Z●lans, sine irâ irascens, sine dolore & poenitentiâ poenitens, sine misero corde misericors, sine praevisionibus praesci●ns: that God is zealous without zeal, angry without anger, grieving without sorrow, repenting without penitency, pitiful without pity, foreknowing without foresight. There is no passion at all in God. Thus have you my answer to the question even now propounded. The question was: How God may be said to complain of our sins, to be burdened with them, or to be grieved at them, sith in himself he hath all pleasure and content? My answer is, He cannot be said so to do in a proper sense and understanding, because God is not obnoxious to any passion, but improperly, in a figure, abusively, metaphorically, by an Anthropopathic, and metonymically, he may well be said so to do: he may well be said to complain of our sins, to be burdened with them, and to be grieved at them. So he complaineth against Israel, here in my text; I am pressed under you, as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Hitherto have I stood upon the first Interpretation of these words, depending upon the intransitive or neutral signification of the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am pressed. The other Interpretation growing upon the transitive signification of the same verb, is put in the Margin of our newest English translation, and thus it is, I will press your place, as a Cart full of sheaves presseth. It is the very reading of Tremellius and junius. jonathan doth not much from it; nor R. Abraham, and other Hebrew Doctors, nor the wise men of Spain, as Pagnine hath observed. Our new expositors for the most part do mention it, Calvin, and Danaeus, Brentius and Winclelman, Mercerus and Quadratus, Christopherus à Castro, and Petrus à Figuiero, I will press you. In an old English Bible, It may be Taverners translation) I find this place thus Interpreted; I will crash you in sunder, like as a wain crasheth, that is full of sheaves. I will crash you, or, I will press you: the meaning is the same: and thus I paraphrase it, I] the Lord, jehovah, your Lord God, will press your place, wheresoever it shall be; But how? Either as a cart full loaden with sheaves presseth] the earth, and whatsoever else it passeth over; or as a cart full loaden presseth the sheaves in the threshing floor: or as a cart full loaden with sheaves is itself pressed. I will press you, as a cart full of sheaves presseth, or is pressed. By this second Interpretation of my text, my text is comminatory. The Lord threatneth to punish Israel for their sins; to punish them non levi manu, aut viribus languidis, not with a light hand, or languishing force, sed magno nisu acrobore, but with great endeavour and strength. I will press you, as a cart full of sheaves presseth, or is pressed. God ever just, and immutable, assigneth to like sins like punishments. We for sinning come not short of the Israelites. May we not then well expect their punishments? Yes doubtless, we may: and this Commination may be aswell to us, as to them; I will press you, as a cart full of sheaves presseth, or is pressed. From this Commination we may take this lesson: God will never suffer sin to escape altogether unpunished. He will not. His commination of punishment given in Paradise to the transgressor of his law, i● a proof of this truth. The Commination is, Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof, [of the tree of knowledge of good and evil] thou shalt dye the death. Adam transgressed the Law; it was his sin; the punishment of it, in him and his whole posterity, is death. Hitherto belongeth that malediction, Deut. 27.26. which is repeated, Gal. 3.10. Cursed is every one, that continueth not in all things, which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them. Now God is ever true in his sayings, and he ever performeth, what he saith. If thou then fail in the performance gf any one Commandment of his Law, or of any branch thereof, the Curse layeth hold on thee, and obligeth thee to punishment. In the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Rom. vers. 32. we know it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Law of God, his righteous and just Law, his Law of Nature, that, they which do such things, (as are there rehearsed) are worthy of death. Art thou filled with unrighteousness, with fornication, with wickedness, with covetousness, with maliciousness? Thou art worthy of death. Art thou full of envy, of murder, of debate, of deceit, of malignity? Thou art worthy of death. Art thou a whisperer, a backbiter, a hater of God? Thou art worthy of death. Art thou despiteful, or proud or a boaster, or an inventor of evil, or disobedient to thy parents? thou art worthy of death. Art thou without understanding, or without natural affection? Art thou a covenant breaker, or implacable, or unmerciful? Thou art worthy of death. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Law of God, his righteous and just Law, his Law of Nature, that they which commit such things, are worthy of death. They are worthy of death: and death must be their wages. It must be so. So true is my Doctrine, God will never suffer sin to escape altogether unpunished. For the further illustration of this truth, I might produce the suffrages of the ancient; of Austin, and of Gregory. But having elsewhere done that in my 18. Sermon upon the 10. of Hoseah, I will not now again do it: and what need I draw from the Rivers, when I am full of the fountain? Yet may I not end, without making some use hereof. My first use shall be, to reprove such as teach otherwise, as Socinus Osterodius, Gittichius, and other the enemies of Christ's satisfaction. They will thus argue: if God will never suffer sin to escape unpunished, then belike he casteth all men into Hell, there to be punished with infernal torments. I answer, No. Sed quosdam infernalibus poenis punit, caeteris peccata remittit: Fare be it from God, that he should punish all, the Elect as well as the Reprobate, with infernal torments. Some, all the Reprobate, he so punisheth: but to others, to all the Elect, he forgives their sins. Their reply here is: Doth God forgive the Elect their sins? Why then it is likely, he leaves them altogether unpunished. Our answer is: Not so. God doth not leave the sins of the Elect altogether unpunished; but doth punish them all, by translating their sins from them, to his own son, Christ jesus: according to that, Esay 53.6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities. The sum of all is; Our transgressions, our iniquities, our sins God punisheth in Christ, and for his sake forgives them us. Thus fare the reproof. My second Use is, a short word of exhortation. Will not God suffer any sin to escape altogether unpunished? What then shall become of us, beloved? Our sins! Are they not impudent and unblushing? Are they not acted with lifting up the hand, and he'll against God? The hand in opposition, the heel in contempt? Our sins! They keep not low water; the tide of them is ever swelling: they are objects to the eye of the world, and are proud, that they are observed. I have read of two ladders, by which me● climb to Heaven; prayers and sins: the godly by their prayers; the wicked by their sins. By this la●ter ladder did Sodom and Niniv●h climb. O let not our sins be such climbers! Rather than they should press into the presence chamber of Heaven, and grow acquainted with God, let us keep them down, and here punish them. For they must be punished. Must be! Yea, saith S. Austin Enarrat. in Psal. 58. Iniquitas omnis, parva magnáue fit, puniatur necesse est: Every sin, be it great, or be it little, must of necessity be punished. Must it! By whom? He there tells you, aut ab ipso homine poenitente, aut a Deo vindicante; either by man repenting, or by God revenging. For quem poenitet, scipsum punit, who so repenteth of his sins, he punisheth himself for his sins. Ergo, fratres, puniamus peccata nostra: therefore brethren, let us be our own punishers: punish we ourselves, our sins, that God may have mercy on us. He cannot show mercy upon workers of iniquity, quasi blandiens peccatis, aut non eradicens peccata, as if he flattered men in their sins, or had no purpose to root out sin. Prorsus aut punis, aut punit. Believe it either thou must punish thyself, or God will punish thee. Vis non puniat, puni tu. Wilt thou that God should not punish thee, then punish thou thyself: and wash away thy sins with the salt and bitter tears of unfeigned Repentance, through a lively faith in the blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ: So shall not thy sins be laid unto thy Charge: but they shall be as a bundle that is bound up and is cast into the bottom of the Sea: they shall never rise up against thee. If thou thus punish thyself, God will not complain of thee, that he is pressed under thee as a Cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves: nor will he threaten, to press thee, as a Cart full of sheaves presseth, or is pressed. Now forsaking the ladder of our sins, climb we to Heaven with the ladder of our prayers. O Lord, our God, the giver of all grace, grant, we beseech thee, that we may unfeignedly bewail our sins, be they never so small, and may amend all without excuse, as well our secret sins, as those that are known, that we may in thy good time be translated from this valley of sins, to that thy blessed habitation above, where we may with all Saints for ever sing: Halleluja, Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God for evermore. Amen. THE XX. LECTURE. AMOS 2.14, 15, 16. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself. Neither shall he stand, that handleth the bow, and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself, neither shall he, that rideth the Horse, deliver himself. And he, that is courageous among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. THE defiance is set, the trumpet is blown, the war is proclaimed from the Majesty of heaven, against the Kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel. Such was the height of their impieties, discovered, vers. 6, 7, 8. such the foulness of their ingratitude, blazed vers. 12. that they could not look for less, than a dissipation, a dispersion and overthrow by war. The proclamation you heard of, of late, out of the 13. verse, it was made, either by way of a grievous complaint, Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed, that is full of sheaves: or by way of a terrible commination, Behold, I will press you, as a cart full of sheaves presseth, or is pressed. The success and event of this war now followeth, vers. 14, 15, 16. wherein three generals have been observed: Impotentia fugiendi, Debilitas in refistendo, and Fuga fortium. The first was, their impotency and unableness to escape by flight in the day of battle: the second, their debility and weakness in resisting the enemy: the third, the flight of their most valiant and stout of heart. Three generals they are, and are by our Prophet divided into seven several branches: in which he describes gravitatem tribulationis, as Castrus speaketh, the grievousness of their tribulation; or as Quadratus, summam calamitatem & angustiam, the extreme misery and anguish, whereinto they were to fall. He showeth God's judgements to be ineluctable. If he will the punishment of any, there is no place for refuge, no evasion, no means to escape. Neither he that is of an expedite and agile body, nor the strong man, nor the mighty, nor the bowman, nor the swift of foot, nor the horseman, nor the courageous and stout of heart, shall be able to help himself in that day, in the day of God's revengement. Thus have you summarily the scope of our Prophet in this Scripture, and the meaning thereof. I must now descend to the particulars. The first of the seven miseries, here foretold to betide the Israelites, is in the beginning of the 14. verse. The flight shall perish from the swift. IT is an Hebrew phrase. I meet with the like, Psal. 142.4. Perijt fuga à me. So David in extreme danger in the Cave, complaineth: The flight perished from me, or Refuge failed me; or, I had no place to fly unto: that is, I saw not which way I might escape; all hope of evasion was gone from me; I was in mine own eyes, of necessity to have perished. Perijt fuga à me, The flight perished from me. The like form of speech is, jerem. 25.35. Peribit fuga à pastoribus, & saluatio ab optima●ibus gregis: The flight shall perish from the shepherds, and safety from the chief of the flock: that is, The shepherds shall have no way to flee, and the principal of the flock, the Rams of the flock shall have no way to escape; Peribit fuga, the flight shall perish from the shepherds, and safety from the chief of the flock. So, job 11.20. it is part of the infelicity of the wicked, Peribit fuga ab cis, flight shall perish from them, that is, they shall not escape. The meaning of this phrase is well expressed, Amos 9.1. Non erit fuga cis qui fugient, & non saluabitur ex cis, qui fugerit. He that fleeth of them, shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them, shall not be delivered. Surely from such peribit fuga, flight shall perish; flee they may, but by their flight they shall not escape. Peribit fuga, the flight shall perish from the swift. As the flight perisheth, so may other things be said to perish, the Law, and Counsel, and the Word; the Law from the Priest, and counsel from the wise, and the word from the Prophet. jer. 18.18. So, Ezech. 7.26. it is said, The law shall perish from the Priest, and counsel from the Ancients. And jerem. 49.7. Counsel is perished from the prudent. And Esai. 29.14. the wisdom of the wise men shall perish. Now for the law, and the word, and wisdom, and counsel to perish from the Priest, from the Prophet, from the Wise, from the Prudent, and from the Ancient, what else is it, then for such men to be destitute of such things; the Priest of the Law, the Prophet of the Word, the wise, the prudent, and the ancient, of wisdom and counsel? So touching my text, I say, for the flight to perish from the swift, it is nothing else, then for the swift to be destitute of flight, to be deprived of flight, to be altogether unable to flee away, when he would. The flight shall perish from the swift. The swift! Who is that? The old Hebrews say, it is jeroboam, son of Nebat a 1. King 11.40. , who fled from Solomon into Egypt, as S. Hierome, and after him b Christ●ph. à Castro. Remigius, Rupertus, Albertus, Hugo, and Dionysius have observed. This jewish conceit is in this place enlarged: As by the Swift they understand jeroboam, son of Nebat, who fled from Solomon; so by the Strong, they understand c 1. King 15.16. Baasha, that warlike King, who all his days had war with Asa King of judah; by the Mighty, King d 1. King. 16.16. Omri; by the Bowman, e Cap. 19.16. jehu, the son of Nimshi, who slew King joram with an f 2. King. 9.24. arrow; by the Swift of foot, King g 2 King. 15.19. Menahem; by the Horseman, King h Cap. 15.25. Pekah, the son of Remaliah; and by the Courageous and stout of heart, K. i Cap. 17 1. etc. Hoshea, son of Elah, the last of the Kings of Israel. But these are Hebraeorum somnia, as Lyra calls them; or, as Mercerus, Nugamenta: they are jewish dreams and toys, unworthy the majesty of holy Scripture. I therefore pass them over: and do understand this branch, of the flight perishing from the swift, with the other six that follow, of the utter subversion of the state of Israel, and the final captivity of that people when they were carried away by Salmanassar into Assyria. In that day (a heavy day to them) neither he that was of a swift, an expedite and an agile body, nor the strong man, nor the mighty, nor the archer, nor the swift of foot, nor the rider, nor the courageous and stout of heart, found any means to save or help himself. From the first of these seven miseries thus expressed in this first branch, The flight shall perish from the swift, we may take this lesson, When God resolveth to punish man for sin, there is no refuge for him, no evasion, no escaping by flight, though he be of a swift, an expedite, and an agile body. This truth Albertus would ratify with those words, Prov. 92. Velox pedibus offendet. He that is swift of foot offendeth, stumbleth, hitteth against some stone, or stump, and so falleth, and is overtaken. But the allegation is impertinent. The words are against rash and unadvised actions in the course of man's life; and do bear with them this sense: As he that runneth hastily, if he look not to his feet, that he may choose the good way, and leave the bad, is in great danger of continual falling: so he, that hastily and without due deliberation goeth about this or that, may easily transgress before he be ware. This sense is natural to the words, as we render them: He that hasteth with his feet, sinneth. If thou run hastily to evil, thou sinnest against God and thine own soul. The other place alleged by Albertus to prove, that there is no evasion, no escaping for the swift, is more pertinent. It is in Esay chap. 30.16. Velociores erunt, qui persequentur vos. Think you not by flight to save yourselves: for they, that shall pursue you, shall be as swift as you, or swifter. As pertinent is that of the Preacher, Eccl. 9.11. There is no race to the swift, or, in running it helpeth not to be swift. The meaning of it the Chaldee Paraphrase thus expresseth: though men be as swift as Eagles, yet shall they not by running help themselves, or deliver themselves from death in the day of battle. The Hebrews refer this to Hasahel, one of the sons of Tzeruiah, who though he were an exceeding swift runner, as light of foot as a wild Roe, as he is described, 2. Sam. 2.18. yet could he not escape, but he must be slain k 2. Sam. 2.23. by Abner. We read of diverse, swift of foot beyond admiration: of Atalanta in the l Ovid. Metam. lib. 10. fab. 14. Poet, who seemed Scythicâ non segniùs ire sagittâ, to run as fast, as an arrow flieth from a strong bow: of Camilla in an other m Virg. Aeneid. lib. 7. Poet, that she did cursu pedum, with her swift feet, outrun the winds; that she flew over standing corn, nec teneras cursu laesisset aristus and did no hurt to the ears thereof; that she journeyed upon the restless and swelling Ocean, and never dipped the sole of her foot therein. Of Iphictus in n In sacro sermone. Orpheus, o Dionysius lib. 28. Nonnus, and p Hesiodus. Demaratus. Hygin. Astrom. lib. 2. in Orione. others, that he likewise ran over standing corn without hurt unto the ears, and walked upon the Sea: of Orior, Neptune's son in Hyginus, that he could run upon the waves of the Sea: of Arias, Menecles his son, in the Greek q I●●. 1. Epig. 3. Antipater. Epigram, that running in a race from the beginning to the end no man could see him, so swift he was of foot. But these I take to be either fabulous, or hyperbolical. Yet say, there were such; say, there are such; I say, neither was there for them, neither is there for these, any evasion, or escaping from God. No, not any at all. My Prophet in the next verse, the 15. of this Chapter, speaks it in plain terms; He, that is swift of foot, shall not deliver himself. Not deliver himself! and yet swift of foot. It is even so. Why may he not attempt to flee? Perchance he may: yet shall his attempt be frustrate: for thus saith the Lord, Amos 9.1. He, that fleeth, shall not flee away, and he that escapeth, shall not be delivered. Yea, saith he, though they dig into Hell, thence shall mine hand take them: though they climb up to Heaven, thence will I bring them down. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the Sea, thence will I command the serpent and he shall bite them. And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them. In this Hyperbolical exaggeration, (for such it is in the judgements of S. Hierome, Remigius, Albertus, Hugo, and Dionysius) he showeth, how impossible it is for man, by seeking to flee, to lurk, or to hide himself, to exempt himself from the power or wrath of GOD. This impossibility of hiding ourselves from the power, or wrath of God, either in Heaven, or Hell, or Sea, or dark place, or any where else, is elegantly and fully illustrated by the sweetest singer of Psalms, David, Psal 139.7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall fly from thy presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in Hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea, Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me: even the night shall be light about me. Yea the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. You see, nor Heaven, nor Hell, nor Sea, nor darkness could hide David from the presence of God. Can they not hide David, and shall they be able to hide others? They shall not. God makes it good by that his vehement asseveration, jerem. 23.23. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God a far off? Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him, saith the Lord? Do not I fill Heaven, and Earth saith the Lord? You see again: At hand or further off, in Heaven, or Earth, in places of most secrecy, our Lord he is God, he seethe all things, he fills both Heaven and Earth. Thus have you the confirmation of my doctrine, which was, When God resolveth to punish man for sin, there is no refuge for him, no evasion, no escaping by flight, though he be of a swift, an expedite, and an agile body. Is there no refuge for us, no evasion, no escaping by flight, when God will punish? No, there is none. How can there be any? sith our persecutors shall be swifter than the Eagles of the Heaven to pursue us upon the mountains, and to lay wait for us in the wilderness: according to the moan that the daughter of Zion maketh, Lament. 4 19 Flee we, as we may, to mountains, to the wilderness, to hide ourselves; our flight shall be in vain: for our persecutors shall be swifter than the Eagles of the Heaven; they whom God will employ, to be the executioners of his displeasure towards us, shall still have means to overtake us, and to find us out. Will there be no refuge for us, no evasion, no escaping by flight, when God will visit for our sins? What shall we then do beloved? What? Vis audire consilium? Wilt thou hear counsel, saith S. Austin in his sixth Treatise upon S. john's Epistle, Si vis ab illo fugere, ad ipsum fuge; If thou wilt flee from him, flee to him. Ad ipsum fuge confitendo, non ab ipso latendo. Flee to him by confessing thy sins, but hide not thyself from him. Latere enim non potes, sed confiteri potes. For its impossible thou shouldst lie hid from him, yet mayst thou confess thyself unto him. Say unto him, r Psal. 91.2. Refugium meum es tu, Lord thou art my refuge and my fortress: my God, in thee will I trust. Refugium meum es tu, Lord thou art my refuge. To like purpose the same S. Austin upon Psal. 71. saith, Non est quo fugiatur ab illo, nisi ad illum, there is no flying from God, but by flying to Him. Si vis evadere iratum, fuge ad placatum, if thou wilt flee from him, as he is angry, flee to him as pacified. So upon Psal. 75. Non est, quo fugias à Deo irato, nisi ad Deum placatum; there is no flying from God angry, but to God pacified. Prorsus non est, quo fugias, believe it, there is no flying from God. Vis fugere ab ipso? fuge ad ipsum. Wilt thou needs flee from him? then flee to him. Flee to him! From whence and whither? Can I flee from any place where God is not, to some place where he is? Or is he not every where? Fills he not Heaven and Earth? How then can I flee to him? Understand not any local flying de loco ad locum, but a flying de vitâ ad vitam, de actu ad actum, de bonis ad meliora, de utilibus ad utiliora, de sanctis ad sanctiora, as Origen speaketh, Homil. 12. in Genesin, and so mayst thou flee to God. Flee from life to life, from an evil life to a good life; from act to act, from an evil act to a good act; from good to better; from profitable courses to more profitable; from sanctified thoughts to more sanctified; and thou dost flee to God. The performance of this thy flight must be, non passibus pedum, sed mentis profectibus, not by the agility or swiftness of thy feet, but by the increase or bettering of will and understanding. Thus to flee to God, is nothing else, then to draw near unto him, to have access unto him, to come unto him. To draw near unto him we are exhorted, jam. 4.8. Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh to you. Draw nigh to God but how? Pedibus, aut passibus corporis, with your bodily feet or paces? No, sed cordis, but with the feet and paces of our heart. Per bona opera, saith the Gloss, by good works: per morum imitationem, saith Aquinas, by honesty of life and conversation: fide, affectu, pijs precibus, saith another, by true faith, by sincere affection, by godly and devout prayers. Such are the feet, such the paces of our hearts; by which, if we are contrite, broken, and sorrowful in spirit, for our sins already past, and are careful to prevent all occasion of sin hereafter, we draw nigh to God; yea, we have access unto him. To have access to God we are invited, Psal. 34.5. Accedite ad cum & illuminamini, & facies vestrae non confundentur. Let your access be to God, and be lightened, and your faces shall not be confounded. And this access to God, according to S. Austin upon Psal. 145.16. is to be, animo, non vehiculo; affectibus, non pedibus; with the mind, not with a chariot; with our affections, not with our feet. So the same Father upon the 59 Psalm. Our access to God must be, non gressu pedum, non subvectione vehiculorum, non celeritate animalium, non elevatione pennarum, not by running with our feet, not by hurrying in a coach, not by riding upon the swiftest of horses, not by mounting up with feathered wings; sed puritate affectuum, & probitate sanctorum morum, but with purity of affections, and sanctity of behaviour. This our access unto God, is nothing else, than our coming unto God. The invitation to come unto him is general, Matth. 11.28. It is there made by our Lord s Rom. 1.3, 7. jesus Christ, our t Matth. 1.21. Saviour, and u Galat. 3.13. Redeemer, the x Revel. 17.14. Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the head of all principality and power, the joy and crown of all Saints, the assured trust and certain y Coloss. 1.27. hope of all the faithful: and it's made unto all: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come, Come unto me. Quibus gressibus ad semetipsam nos veritas vocat? Christ the Truth, calls us; but how shall we come unto him? Quibus gressibus? by what steps or paces? Gregory frames the question, Moral. lib. 21. cap. 4. and there gives this answer: Ad se quippe venire nos Dominus praecipit, nimirùm non gressibus corporis, sed profectibus cordis: its true; the Lord commands us to come unto him, not with the motion of our bodies, but with the proceed of our hearts. Thus I have made plain unto you, what it is Ad Deum fugere, to flee to God. It's nothing else, then Deo appropinquare, ad Deum accedere, ad Deum venire: to draw nigh to God, to approach unto him, to come unto him: but whether we flee, or draw nigh, or approach, or come unto him, the understanding of all must be spiritual. Our wings, our chariots, our coaches, our feet, wherewith we are to fly, to draw nigh, to approach, to come to God, are all spiritual. And what are they? They are contrition, faith, and obedience. With these we approach, we draw nigh, we fly, we come to God. miseri ad misericordiam, ut nudi ad divitem, ut famelici ad panem, ut infirmi ad medicum, ut serui ad dominum, ut discipuli ad magistrum, ut caeci ad lumen, ut frigidi ad ignem; as the wretched to the merciful, as the naked to the rich, as the hunger-starven to bread, as the sick to the Physician, as the servant to his Lord, as the scholar to his Master, as the blind to the light, as the cold to the fire: so Hugo Cardinalis upon the 4th of S. james. Now with these three, Contrition, Faith, and Obedience, the inseparable companions of true and unfeigned Repentance, let us make haste to God, and fly we with all speed from the wolf to the shepherd, from death to life, from our sins to our Saviour, from the paths of Hell, full of all darkness and horror, to the way of Heaven, full of all true joy and pleasure. So will God draw nigh to us, Liberando ab angustijs, gratiam dando, & de virtute ad virtutem promovendo, saith the same Hugo: he will free us from distress, will give us of his grace, and will promote us from virtue to virtue. Thus shall it be with us, if with the affection of the spouse in the Canticles we call upon the Lord. Her affection is seen Chap. 1.4. Draw me, saith she, and we will run after thee. Say we with like affection, Lord draw us and we will run after thee. Draw us and we will run. That we may begin zealously to run after God, we have need to be drawn, and that with great force. For unless he draw us, we cannot z Joh. 6.44. come to him, we cannot follow him. But if he once draw, Lo, than we hasten, than we run, than we wax hot. Wherefore let the Lord draw us, let him pull us out from the bondage of our sins, let him deliver us from this wicked world; let him powerfully incline our wills and affections towards him, let him give us strength to cleave unto him; and then we, and all the faithful, will at once with speed and earnestness, fly unto him, draw nigh unto him, have our access unto him, and come unto him. Hitherto of the first branch of this fourteenth verse, expressing the first of the seven miseries here foretold to betide the Israelites, that, the flight should perish from the swift. Now followeth the second, and it concerneth their strong men; And the strong shall not strengthen his force. THE strong, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whom is strength; strength not of mind, but of body; he shall not strengthen his force] though he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, very strong and lusty, yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he shall not retain his force: so daunted shall he be in heart, and his courage so abated, that he shall not dare for his own defence to use the strength he hath. He shall be, as if he had no strength at all. The lesson to be taken hence, is: When God means to punish, a man's strength will not help him. It will not. For as it is in the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, 1. Sam. 2.9. By strength shall no man prevail. No man against God. For God is Almighty. He removeth the mountains, and they know not: He overcometh them in his anger. He shaketh the Earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. He commands the Sun, and it riseth not: and sealeth up the Stars. He alone spreadeth out the Heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea. He maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the South. He doth great things past finding out: yea, and wonders without number. He is the Almighty: Who ever hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? So devout job, chap. 9 4. It is as if he had thus briefly argued: God is Almighty: and therefore there is no contending against him, no withstanding him, by any strength of man. Here may the strong be admonished, that they glory not in their strength, nor put their trust in it. I would wish them to listen to the words of S. Austin in his Enarration upon the 33 Psalm: Ad Dominum omnes, In Deo omnes: Get ye all to the Lord, trust ye all in God. Spes tua Deus sit, fo●titudo tua Deus sit, firmitas tua Deus sit, exeratio tua ipse si, laus tua ipse sit; finis, in quo requiescas, ipse sit; adiutorium, cûm laboras, ipse sit: Let God be thy hope, let him be thy fortitude, let him be thy strength, let him be thy reconcilement, let him be thy praise, let him be thy end, wherein thou mayst pleasure and solace thyself, let him be thy refuge in time of trouble. Ad Dominum omnes, in Deo omnes: Get ye all to God, rest ye all in God. Trust not in thyself, nor in thine own strength. But thou wouldst still be reputed for strong and valiant. wouldst thou so? Then be thou so: but take this for thy character; Thou strong and valiant man, be thou the master of thyself; subdue thy passions to reason; and by this inward victory work thou thine own peace. Be thou afraid of nothing, but of the displeasure of the Almighty, and run away from nothing but from sin. Look not on thy hands but thy cause; not how strong thou art, but how innocent. Let goodness ever be thy warrant, and I assure thee, though thou mayst be overmastered, yet shalt thou never be foiled. For Deus fortitudo tua, God will be thy strength. Thus have you heard in brief of the second misery, here foretold to betide the Israelites, that, the strong should not strengthen his force. The third is, Neither shall the mighty deliver himself. THE mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibbor. He that excelleth in strength; in strength, not of body only, but of mind too. This stout and douty man is called by the Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a man of arms, a fighter, a warrior; such a one as hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as S. Cyrill speaketh, and is skilful in military affairs. This man for all his skill, strength, and valour shall not deliver himself. Himself] The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naphscho, his soul or life. His soul, that is, his life. Well. For what is life, but as the Philosopher defineth it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the composition and colligation of the soul to the body. The soul for life! It is often so put in holy Scripture. As 1. King. 19.4. Elias, in the wilderness, requesting for himself, that he might dye, said, It is enough now, O Lord, take away my soul from me. My soul, he meant his life. So jonas, chap. 4.3. O Lord, Take away my soul from me. That by his soul, he meant his life, it is plain: for he addeth, It is better for me to dye, then to live. Satan, job 2.4. thus saith unto the Lord; Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his soul. For his soul, that is, for his life: and so the Greek Scholia upon the first of S. james do expound it: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The soul is also called life, as in these words; All that a man hath will he give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for his soul or life. God telleth the rich man in the Gospel, who was talking of larger buildings, when the building within him was near pulling down, and thought he had goods enough for his soul to delight in, when he had not soul enough to delight in his goods, Thou fool, this night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this night do they require and redemaund thy soul of thee, Luk. 12.10. Thy soul, that is, thy life, for the meaning is, this night thou must dye. S. Austin in his second Book concerning Christ his Sermon upon the Mount, upon these words, Nun anima plus est, quàm esca? Is not the soul more than meat? saith, Anim● hoc loco pro istâ vita positam noverimus, know we, that the soul in this place is put for this life, whose retinacle or stay, is the corporal sustenance we daily take. According to this signification is that also spoken, joh. 12.25. Qui amat animam suam, perdet illam, he that loveth his soul shall lose it. In each place, the soul is put for life; and accordingly is it rendered in our newest English: in the one place, Is not the life more than meat? in the other, He that loveth his life, shall lose it. As in these now-cited places, and a 〈◊〉 31.13. Act. 20 24. in 〈◊〉. etc. many other, Anima pro Vitâ, the soul is put for the life; so is it in my text: The mighty shall not deliver his soul, that is, his life. The meaning is, He shall not save his life; he shall not save himself. The doctrine to be taken from hence is this, No man can be privileged by his might, against the Lord. No man can. The Wiseman affirmeth it, Eccles. 9.11. There is no battle to the strong; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laggibborim; to the mighty, to the man of arms there is no battle, no victory in battle. The Psalmist speaks it plainly, Psal. 33.16. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gibbor, a mighty man is not delivered from the danger and power of his enemies, by much or great strength, of himself, or others for him. This mighty man in the Vulgar Latin, is styled a Giant: Gigas non saluabitur in multitudine virtutis suae; A Giant shall not be safe in the multitude of his strength. Little David, but a b 1. Sam. 17.42. youth, without c vers. 39 armour, only with d vers. 50. a sling and a stone, slew the Philistim, great Goliath. It is true; No man is privileged by his might against the Lord. The reason hereof is that, 1. Sam. 2.2. Non est fortis, sicut Deus noster: There is none strong, like our God. None so mighty, none so potent, as our God. Men of this world, may seem to be mighty, and of great power: but, our God in Heaven is mightier, and doth whatsoever pleaseth him, even upon the mighty here on the Earth. From hence may the mighty man take instruction; the instruction that is given him, jerem. 9.23. Let not the mighty man glory in his might: But if he will needs glory, let him glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth the Lord. Upon this Lord, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, e judeth 9.12. creator of the waters, and King of every creature, let us wholly depend; being well assured, that none of these outward things, agility of body, strength, might, or the like, can be any way available to us, if God's special blessing be not upon them. Thus much of the third misery, here foretold to betide the Israelites, which hath ended the fourteenth verse. The fourth followeth, and is expressed in the first branch of the fifteenth verse: these words, Neither shall he stand, that handleth the bow. HE that handleth the bow, is in the language of the Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the bowman, the archer, the shooter. He shall not stand] He shall not dare to abide his ground: or, if he abide it, he shall not be able to bend his bow; so through fear shall the f Dan. 5.6. joints of his loins be loosed, and his knees shall smite the one against the other. This anguish or perplexity shall betide him, according to jonathan in his Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bicrabha, in time of skirmish and fight, even then, when his bow should stand him most in steed. By this bow. I understand, not the bow alone and arrows, but every other weapon and instrument of war. From hence ariseth this doctrine, It's not the bow and arrows, or sword, or any other instrument of war, that can any whit avail us, when God will punish. For proof hereof I produce the judgement of God upon Gog, the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal, Ezech. 39.3. where thus saith the Lord, Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Bow and arrows! There is no help in them. None at all: nor in the sword; nor in any other military engine. Therefore doth the Psalmist, Psal. 44 6. renounce all trust in them. His words are, I do not trust in my bow, neither can my sword save me. His bow and sword, he doth not much care for. Wherein then is his trust? It is in the might and strength of God. God's power was his buckler, whereto he trusted for his own defence, and for the discomfiture of his enemies. It is the Use we are to make of the doctrine now propounded. We must not repose our trust in any external help, the bow, the sword, or the like, for this were indeed, to rob God of his glory, and to run to the creature for help. Our help is but one; and that is the Lord of Hosts. Dominus Deus auxiliator meus: Esay proclaimeth it twice in one chapter, chap. 50. First vers. 7. The Lord God is my helper: secondly, vers. 9 Behold, the Lord God is my helper. The Lord God is my helper, behold, he is my helper. Surely Esay looked for no help, but from the Lord his God. Nor did jeremy look for any, but from the same eternal fountain of help: and therefore, chap. 20.11. he saith: Dominus mecum est, quasi bellator fortis: the Lord is with me, as a stout or mighty warrior. Nor did David look for any, but from the same. He Psal. 18.2. acknowledgeth the Lord, and him only, to be his strength, his succour, his fortress, his deliverer, his God, his rock wherein he trusteth, his buckler, the horn of his salvation, and his high tower. The like he doth, Psal. 144.1, 2. Where, what is his strength, but the Lord? What his goodness, his fortress, his high tower, his deliverer, his shield, but the Lord? The Lord alone is he, in whom David trusteth. The bow, the sword, the spear, and every other military weapon, he knew to be mere vanity without help● from the Lord: and therefore the Lord was to him in steed of all. And let the Lord be to us in steed of all, in steed, of bow, of sword, of spear, of buckler, of shield, of fortress, of tower, and of every other military engine, and under g Psal. 36.7. the shadow and h Psal. 61.4. covert of his wings, we i Psa. 119.117. shall be safe. Must the Lord be unto us in steed of all? In steed of bow, of sword, of spear, and the rest? Ergóne omnis armorum usus abijciendus? What? Shall we therefore condemn, cast away, or neglect, the bow, the sword, the spear, all kind of artillery, furniture, or munition that men do use, either for the private defence of themselves, or for the public of the Country? No, in no wise. This were too too anabaptistical. And I am no Anabaptist, that I should maintain it to be unlawful for a Christian, either to make weapons for the use of man, or to use them being made. They deny it to be lawful to use the sword. I affirm it to be lawful. My assertion is; All men into whose hands God putteth the sword, may use the sword, even to strike and kill, if need be. Now God putteth the sword first and principally into the hand of the public Magistrate, who when just occasion serves, may draw it out. And sometime he putteth it into the hand of a private man. A private man when he is assailed of his enemy, may take the sword in way of his own defence, and may (if there be no other help) kill his enemy therewith, so he do it not upon any malice, but only because he cannot otherwise escape, and save his own life. Now to the question: My answer is; Non reijcitur usus, sed fiducia. The bow, the sword, the spear, and other instruments of war, are not to be condemned, not to be cast away, not to be neglected, but to be used. Non reijcitur usus, sed fiducia; their use is not forbidden, but our trust in them. The use of all kind of weapons is common as well to the wicked as to the godly: the difference is in the trust. The wicked, they use them, and trust in them; the godly, they use them too, but their trust mounts higher, even to the Lord of Hosts. The distinction then here to be observed is, usus creaturis fiducia verò creatori deputetur. Use the bow, the sword, the spear, and every other martial weapon when then shalt have just occasion; but see that thy trust be ever in the Lord. S. chrysostom upon those words of the 44. Psalm, I trust not in my bow, neither shall my sword save me, saith: Why then dost thou use them? Why art thou armed? Why handlest thou the bow? Why the sword? The answer there is returned; Because our God hath so commanded, therefore I use them: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yet I cast my whole care on him; in him I do wholly trust. Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thus fortified & fenced with power from above, we are to fight against our visible enemies: and thus fortified and fenced with power from above, we are to fight against our Spiritual enemies. The chief of them is the Devil. Our fight against him is a daily fight. For our direction in this fight, we have S. Chrysostom's direction. When thou art to combat with the Devil, say, I trust not in my weapons. I trust not in mine own strength, or mine own righteousness, but in the mercy of God: say with Daniel, chap. 9.18. O my God, incline thine ear and hear: open thine eyes, and behold our desolation; we present our supplications before thee, not for our own righteousness, but for thy great mercies. Save us, O Lord, save thy people, from the power and fury of this immortal enemy. Though as a roaring Lion he walketh about seeking whom he may devour, yet shall we, placing all our hope and confidence in thee our Lord and God, be safe under thy protection. Protect & keep us, O Lord, among the manifold dangers of this life, and in thy good time, by the conduct of thy favour, bring us home from this valley of misery and mourning, to that our hoped for country of eternal glory, where we may with all Saints sing unto thee a perpetual Halleluiah. Salvation and glory and honour unto the Lord our God. THE XXI. LECTURE. AMOS 2.15, 16. And he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself, neither shall he, that rideth the Horse, deliver himself. And he, that is courageous among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. I Now bring you the remainder of the fourth part of Amos his first Sermon. I called it heretofore a Commination. I still call it so. It containeth menacings, or threats against the kingdom of the ten tribes, the children of Israel for the foulness of their ingratitude. These menacings or threats proceeding from him who only is omnipotent, and all-sufficient to effect what he threatneth, even from the Lord, jehovah, do plainly demonstrate, that God's judgements are ineluctable, not to be avoided. If God will the punishment of any, there is no place for refuge, no cuasion, no means to escape. Neither he that is of an expedite and agile body, nor the strong man, nor the mighty, nor the bowman, nor the swift of foot, nor the horseman, nor the courageous, and stout of heart shall be able to help himself in that day, in the day of God's vengeance. Seven particulars are here disabled from helping themselves, in that day, when the Lord will be pleased to execute vengeance for sin. Of four of them, you heard at large in my last Lecture out of this place, that, neither he that is of an expedite and agile body, nor the strong man, nor the mighty, nor the bowman, can any way help themselves. Let it please you now to give ear; and you shall hear as much of the other three; of the swift of foot, of the horseman, of the courageous and stout of heart. Begin we with the swift of foot. It is the next branch that followeth, vers. 15. And he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself. THe original is; the swift of foot shall not deliver. Shall not deliver! What shall he not deliver; Supply the defect according to the last clauses of this and the former verse: and the full shall be, Velox pedibus, non liberabit animam suam, the swift of foot shall not deliver his soul; His soul, that is, his life, or himself. The Author of the Vulgar Latin here readeth, Velox pedibus suis non salvabitur the swift of foot shall not be saved. So doth S. Hierome; so the Septuagint; so an old a In Biblioth●câ Nicolsonianâ in aede Christi Oxon. English Manuscript. Some read thus: The swift of foot shall not escape, as the Caldee Paraphrast, and Montanus, and Munster, and our late Church Bible. Admit of which reading you will, you cannot miss of the true understanding of the place. Read if you will; the swift of foot shall not be saved, or, shall not escape, or, shall not deliver himself; you will forthwith understand, that, a man cannot by the swiftness of his feet outrun God. This is the very marrow of that lesson, which we are to learn from hence. The lesson is: The swift of foot hath no advantage above others, for the saving of himself, if God do once resolve to punish. This agreeth with that which I have observed upon the first clause of the 14. verse: The flight shall perish from the swift. With that, this which we have now in hand is coincident. The flight shall perish from the swift, and, The swift of foot shall not deliver himself; these two, to the understanding are but one, and do yield unto us one and the same observation. The observation is, When God resolves to punish man for sin, there is no refuge for him, no evasion, no escaping by flight, though he be of a swift, an expedite, and an agile body. This truth stands ratified with that in the ninth Chapter of this Prophecy, vers. 1. Non erit fuga eyes, qui fugient, & non salvabitur ex eyes, qui fugerit. He that fleeth of them, shall not flee away; and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. And with that Eccles. 9.11. There is no race to the swift, or, In running it helpeth not to be swift: that is, as jonathan expounds the place; Though men be as swift as Eagles, yet shall they not by running help themselves, or deliver themselves from death in the day of battle. The many evidences of holy Writ, which are usually brought to prove, that God is every where present, and in all places at once, may serve for a further ratification of my propounded doctrine. For if God be every where present, if he be at once in all places, then certainly there is no refuge for man against him, no evasion, no escaping by flight. Nor the caves of the earth, nor the secrets of walls, nor the darkness of the night, nor the distance of place by land or by sea, can hide us from his presence. Can they not? How then may that be excused which we read of Adam and his wife, Gen. 3.8. that they HID themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden? How that which we read of Cain, Gen. 4.16. that he went out from the presence of the Lord? How that which we read of jonah, chap. 1.3. that he, when he was sent to Ni●iveh, rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. These scruples I am now to remove: The first concerneth Adam and his wife, their hiding themselves among the trees of Paradise. Some say; Adam hide himself through fear, not as if he could flee from God, but because he thought himself unworthy to come into God's sight. So Irenaeus lib. 3 adversus haereses cap. 37. He seems to take in good part this flight of Adam, and his endeavour to hide himself, as if it proceeded from a pious and profitable fear and dread of an humble and repentant soul. Other say, that Adam exceedingly troubled in mind, much ashamed and afraid, that he had transgressed the commandment of God, like unto a mad man, that knows not which way to turn himself, went about to hide himself. So S. Austin lib. 11. de Genesi ad literam cap. 33. A third opinion there is, that taxeth Adam and Eve of infidelity and impenitency, for hiding of themselves: as if guilty of transgression, they had thought simply to hide themselves from the presence of God. Of this opinion I find Rupertus, who Comment. in Genesin lib. 3. cap. 12. thus expresseth himself. Abscondendo se, uterque de Deo malè sensit, & sibi insipienter providit, tanquam impaenitens, tanquam infidelis. Adam and his wife in hiding themselves thought amiss concerning God, and provided foolishly for themselves, as if they had been impenitent and unbelieving. It is no ill or idle opinion, to say that, Perhaps Adam and his wife, for want of experience (for they had never fallen before) might think, that by running among the trees of Paradise they might hide themselves. But when God had once found them out (and quickly he found them out) they could not any longer so think. Then they could not but be resolved upon this; that there is no fleeing away, no hiding of ourselves from the presence of God. Thus is the first scruple removed. Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of a garden. They hide themselves, that is, they would have hid themselves, they would but could not. The second scruple, concerneth Cain his going out from the presence of the Lord. If Cain could go out from the presence of the Lord, how is the Lord every where present? For answer hereunto we are to note, that the presence of God doth sometime in holy Scripture betoken the place of his presence; the place where God was first worshipped by sacrifice, and shown visible signs of his presence: And that it doth sometime signify the grace of God, his favour, his care, his providence, and protection. In both these respects may Cain be said to have gone out from the presence of the Lord. For first he was expelled from the land of his nativity, from that land where God was wont to show his face, and under the visible form of humane nature, to talk with man familiarly: and secondly he was excluded from God's grace and favour. Thus much doth Cain himself confess, vers. 14. Lord, saith he, Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, that is, Thou expellest me from my native soil, which to me is most dear & sweet, wherein I was borne, have been bred up, and have lived with my parents and kinsfolk even unto this day: thou drivest me out from a most fruitful and pleasant land, a land, that is next to the Paradise of the earth; a land, which thou hast consecrated to thyself, to be the land of thy sacrifices oblations, and holy worship; a land wherein thou art wont to manifest thyself unto men, and to instruct them by thy sacred oracles, and answers. From this land, the land of my nativity, thou drivest me out. And from thy face shall I be hid] I shall for ever and every where, find thee displeased with me, angry at me, and mine enemy, to the intolerable horror and amazement of my mind: thou wilt not deign to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy, but wilt for ever hide thy face from me, and so deprive me of thy singular benevolence, care, tutele and protection. So was Cain hid from the face of the Lord, and so went he out from his presence. Otherwise he could not be hid, he would not go out from the presence of the Lord. The third scruple concerneth jonah his fleeing to Tarshish. from the presence of the Lord. If jonah could flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, how is the Lord every where present? Of this fleeing of jonah from the presence of the Lord, there is a twofold understanding. Some thus understand it; that he left the whole border and ground of Israel, where the presence of the Lord, though it were not more then in other places, was yet more evident by the manifestations of his favours and graces towards them. There was the ark of the covenant, and the sanctuary, there the Lord gave them answer by dreams, and oracles: there were other more special favours of the Lords abode there. Others by this fleeing of jonah from the presence of the Lord, do understand his turning his back upon the Lord, his shaking off the yoke of the Lord, his wilful renouncing the Commandment of the Lord; his departing from his duty and from the execution of his office, enjoined him by the Lord. In the language of the Scripture, they are said to be in the Lord's presence, or to stand before the Lord, who do carefully attend his pleasure, and are ready to receive and execute whatsoever he imposeth. In the 10. of Deut. vers. 8. The Tribe of Levi is separated by the Lord, to stand before the Lord. To stand before the Lord, that is, as it is there expounded, to minister unto the Lord, and to bless in his name. So is the phrase used by Elias, 1. King. 17.1. Where thus saith he, unto Ahab: As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. The Lord God, before whom I stand; that is, the Lord God, whom faithfully I do serve. And so is it by Elizeus in those his words to Naaman the Syrian. 2. King. 5.16. As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, I will receive no blessing of thee. As the Lord liveth before whom I stand, a witness to my actions, the searcher of my heart, whose honour and service I tender more than mine own gain, I will receive no blessing, no reward of thee. Now if they, who duly serve the Lord, are said to stand before the Lord, and to be in his presence, then may they who cast off the yoke of the service due unto him, well be said to hide themselves from the face of the Lord, and to flee from his presence. We see now what this phrase of fleeing from the presence of the Lord doth mean. It gives us to understand, that jonas, as a fugitive and refractory servant ran from the Lord, breaking his bonds of duty, and making no conscience or care to do him service. Thus are the scruples done away and my doctrine stands good, There is no refuge, no evasion, no escaping, no hiding, no fleeing from the face of the Lord, from his presence, from his judgements, no not for the swift of foot. Well. What if the footman for all his swiftness cannot save himself; fares it not better with the horseman? Cannot he deliver himself? No. He cannot. He is disabled in the next words, Neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself. This rider of the Horse is in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the horseman. Cyrill calls him so. So doth Castalio, and Taverner, in his English translation. In the Vulgar Latin he is Ascensor equi. So is he in S. Hierome. The appellation pleaseth Luther, and Calvin, and Osiander. Nor doth Gualther dislike it. For he hath, Qui ascendit super equum. Ascensor equi, or qui ascendit super equum, he that mounts on horseback. He is with Tremellius, and junius, insidens equo; so is he with Vatablus, with Mercer, and with Piscator: Insidens equo, he that sits on horseback. With Drusius he is Vector equi, with Brentius Vectus equo. Vector equi, or Vectus equo, he that is carried on horseback. With Oecolampadius, he is equitans Equum, he that rideth the horse. This last reading is that which the learned translators of our now English Bible have made choice of. He that rideth the horse. This rider of the horse, this horseman, mounting, sitting, or, carried on horseback shall not deliver himself. Shall not deliver himself. In the Hebrew it is, he shall not deliver his soul. So is it in the Chaldee. The reading is retained by Brentius, Calvin, Drusius, Vatablus, and Mercer. In the Septuagint it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he shall not save his soul. It is the very reading of S. Hierome, and S. Cyrill, and the author of the Vulgar Latin: and is followed by Luther and by Munster. He shall not deliver, he shall not save his soul. His soul, that is his life. Whence some do read: He shall not save his life; so Castalio, so Osiander, and so our countryman Taverner in his old English translation. Let the reading be Soul, or Life, man himself is meant: and therefore some have read, He shall not deliver himself. So Tremellius and junius, and Piscator: and so we read in our newest English Bible, He shall not deliver himself. Thus have you the Grammatical sense and understanding of these words, He that rideth the horse shall not deliver himself: This rider of the horse, this horseman mounting, sitting, or carried on horseback, shall not deliver, shall not save his soul, his life, himself. The lesson we are to learn from hence, is, He that is mounted on horseback, hath no advantage above others, for the saving of himself, if God do once resolve to punish. Be thine horse every way answerable to that Horse (of which thou mayst read in the Book of job chap. 39) whose neck is clothed with thunder, the glory of whose nostrils is terror; that paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength, and goeth on to meet the armed men; that mocketh at fear and is not affrighted, and turns not back from the sword: no, though the quiver rattle against him, though the spear and shield do glister, yet swalloweth he the ground with fierceness and rage. The sound of the trumpet terrifieth him not, but rather rejoiceth him: for he smelleth the battle a fare off, the thunder of the Captains, and the shouting. Be thine horse every way answererable to this horse, yet repose not any confidence in him for thy safety: for he will fail thee. He will do so. What else is it that thou readest, Psal. 33.17. An horse is a vain thing to save a man, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Let S. Austin instruct thee, Mentitur tibi equus, quandò promittit salutem: if thy horse promise thee safety, he lieth unto thee. The promise of a horse! Nunquid equus alicui loquitur, & promittit salutem? Doth a horse speak to man? doth he promise him safety? It cannot be. Yet when thou considerest the comely feature and proportion of thy horse, his stout courage, his admired swiftness, ista omnia, velut promittunt tibi de illo salutem, all these things do, as it were promise thee safety by him. Sed fallunt, si Deus non tuetur, but without the especial blessing of God all these things will fail thee. For, Mendax equus ad salutem, an horse is a lying thing for safety, a vain thing to save a man, and shall not deliver any man by his great strength. This is it, which you may read in the Book of Proverbs chap. 21.31. The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. Let the horse be made ready, let him be throughly furnished for the war, yet rely not upon him for thy safety. For safety, all safety is of the Lord, and of him alone. Let the Lord rebuke, yea, let him but speak the word, both the chariot and horse shall be cast into a dead sleep. So we read, Psal. 76.6. The meaning is: By the only word of the Lord it often comes to pass, that they who trust in their Chariots and Horses, do vanish & come to naught, like a dream, yea, like the shadow of a dream. Pharaoh, proud and cruel Pharaoh, sorry that he had let the children of Israel go, would needs go fetch them back again. He assured himself before hand of success, either to spoil them, or to reduce them to bondage. In the strength of this conceit, furnishing himself with horses and chariots of war, six hundred chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, accompanied with his nobles, captains, and soldiers he marched furiously and pursued the Israelites, even to the midst of the Red Sea: To the midst of that Sea they came, & no one wave rose up against them, to wet so much as the hooves of their horses. When they were come so far (too fare to return) they were suddenly stricken with their last terror. Their chariots and horses, in which they trusted, failed them, as having done them service enough, to carry them into perdition. For the Sea shut her mouth upon them, and swallowed them up in her waves: you know it to be so, Exod. 14.26. Where is now the safety, which they promised themselves by their Horses and Chariots? I must again say, Mendax equus ad salutem, A horse is a lying thing for safety, a vain thing to save a man. Thus is my doctrine confirmed; He that is mounted on horseback, hath no advantage above others, for the saving of himself, if God do once resolve to punish. Now let us make some use of this doctrine. It may first serve for reproof of such, as for the time of war do glory in the multitude and strength of their horses, and presume that they shall prevail and get the victory by the valour of their horsemen. The holy Scripture would have them to be of an other mind, and to be persuaded, that victory is ever from the Lord, and from him alone, and that without him the horse and the rider can do nothing. But they will not change their mind, they will not be thus persuaded. To these therefore thus saith the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, Esa. 30.15. In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and confidence, shall be your strength; and ye would not. But ye said; No, for we will flee upon horses, and will ride upon the swift. Will you flee upon horses? therefore shall ye flee. Will ye ride upon the swift? therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. A thousand of you shall flee at the rebuke of one: or at the most at the rebuke of five shall ye flee till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill. Against these there is a curse gone forth, Esa. 31.1. Woe be unto them that go down to Egypt for help, and trust in horses, and comfort themselves with chariots, because they are many; and with horsemen, because they are lusty and strong: but look not unto the holy one of Israel, nor seek the Lord. Concerning these I now say no more. I go on with a second use: and that is, to admonish ourselves, that we put no trust, no confidence in horse, chariot, horsemen, or like external means for safety. Sith it is evident, that these cannot deliver us, from any the least judgement, that God in his displeasure shall lay upon us. Let us for ever trust in the Lord alone, and his power. It is a sweet strain which the faithful have in their song, Psal. 20.7. Hi, curruum, & illi equorum; nos vero nominis jehovae Dei nostri recordamur. Let it be the matter of our meditation in the day of trouble and distress. Say we in faith and a sure hope; Some trust in Chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. We will remember him, to put our trust in him, and to settle our hope on him alone. So shall a blessing attend us. It is promised, jerem. 17.7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Blessed is he! What is that to say? It followeth: He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her roots by the river, whom the heat, when it cometh, cannot hurt, whose leaves are always green, that is not careful in the year of drought, and never ceaseth from yielding fruit. In this comparison between a faithful man, that trusteth in the Lord, and a tree planted by the water's side, we may note the steadfastness and stability wherewith the faithful people of God are supported, so, that they can never fall away from faith, and from the grace of God: whereby is condemned the doctrine of doubting, that Popish doctrine, very pernicious, yea, deadly to every soul, that shall drink it in. But I will not here make any excursion. Let that which hath already been delivered suffice for the explication of the 15. verse. The sixteenth followeth. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord. HE that is courageous among the mighty] This courageous man is in the Hebrew thus described, the stout of heart among the mighty. In the Vulgar Latin thus: Robustus corde inter fortes, the strong of heart among the stout. This reading is embraced by Brensius, and Osiander, and Luther, and Calvin, and Gualther. Some vary the phrase; as thus; fortis animo inter robustes, the stout of courage among the strong; so Drusius. Some thus, fortis animo inter potentissim●s, the stout of courage among the mighty; so Tremellius, junius, and Piscator. Some thus, qui roborat cor suum inter robustos, he that strengtheneth his heart among the strong, so Vatablus Munster thus translates it, qui inter fortes virili est cord, he that is of a manly heart among the stout. In Taverners translation thus I read; He that is as manly of stomach as a Giant. In our late Church-Bible thus; He that is of mighty courage among the strong men. The reading of the Septuagint is fare different. They thus: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It is so in the Frankford Edition. S. Hierome thus renders it; Inventum cor eius inter potentes, his heart is found among the mighty; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, some have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so it must be, inventum cor eius in potentatibus, his heart is found in potentates or dominions. It's obscure enough. S. Cyrill unfolds it: he finds his heart mightily oppressed with terrors, and without resistance gives the victory to the spoiler. The former readings, Latin and English, are more natural, and do better express the original. Ours is good; He that is courageous among the mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bagibborim in potentibus, or inter potentes, among the mighty. The Hebrews by the particle ב In or Inter, do use to signify the highest degree, the superlative. Ia●l the wise of Heber the Kenite, judg. 5.24. is styled, benedicta inter mulieres, blessed among women. The phrase is used by the Angel in his Ave Maria, Luc. 1.28. Benedicta tu in mulieribus. Elizabeth repeats it, vers. 42. Benedicta tu inter mulieres. Benedicta in mulieribus or inter mulieres, Blessed in, or among women, that is, Benedictarum benedictissim●, of women, that are blessed, the most blessed; blessed above all. Such is the exposition that Petrus Lusitanus gives of these words, robustu● cord inter sorts, the strong of heart among the stout, that is, saith he, robustorum corde robustissimus, & fortium fortissimus, of the strong of heart the strongest and of stout men the stoutest: or as Castalio hath it, militum anim●sissimus, of soldiers the most courageous & hardiest. With us, he is the courageous among the mighty. Of this courageous man, courageous among the mighty, notwithstanding his strength, his mighty, his manhood, his valour, his stoutness, his hardiness, his courageousness, it is said, that he shall fly away. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ianus, he shall flee away. Shall he flee away? How is it possible? Is not the contrary already confirmed by all the passages of the two precedent verses, the 14. and the 15? Yes it hath. I therefore understand by this flying away, not simply a flying away, but only a desire, or an endeavour to fly away. He shall fly away, that is, he shall desire to fly away, or, he shall endeavour to fly away; yet to his little or no advantage, though his desire or endeavour be to fly away naked. He shall flee away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hharom naked. A man is sometimes said to be naked, when he wanteth necessaries for the supply of present occasions. It is said of Saul, 1. Sam. 19.24. that he stripped off his clothes, and prophesied, and was all that day and all that night naked. I cannot imagine, that Saul was indeed altogether naked, but he is said to be so, because he had laid aside his princely robes; as R. Chimchi thinketh; or because he had put off his military apparel, and was now as another common person, as junius supposeth; or because he was sine pallio prophetico, because he had not on a Prophet's cloak, as Drusius affirmeth obseruat. lib. 14. c. 14. So is Esay said to have gone naked, chap. 20.2. because he was nudatus veste suâ propheticâ, because he had loosed the sackcloth from off his loins, and had put off his prophetical attire. In the second of Samuel, chap. 6.20. Michal telleth David, that he had uncovered himself, or made himself naked. And why? but because he had put of his princely apparel, and danced in a linen Ephod. Naked also may they, be said to be, that have no good apparel, no good clothing on. So are the Apostles said to be naked, 1. Cor. 4.11. Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place. We are naked, that is, saith Drusius, non ita bene vestiti, we are not very well clothed. No more were that brother and sister, of whom S. james speaketh, chap. 2.15. They were naked: Naked, that is, male vestiti, or necessario vestitu destituti; they were ill clothed, or wanted necessary apparel. By the places now alleged you see, that he may be said to be naked, that is not simply and altogether so. So of the courageous man in my text it is said, that he shall flee away naked. Naked, that is, unarmed, without armour: having cast away his weapons, and all other instruments of military discipline; content to escape with life, if he may be so happy; but shall not: for there is no escaping, as you well know by that you have already heard. But when shall this courageous man be in such a straight, as that he shall be fain to flee away naked? It shall be, saith my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baijom habu, in that day. In that day, the day of God's judgement: in that day, when God will exercise his judgement against the rebellious, and refractory. This day may be called the day of the Lord, whereof we read, Esai. 13.6. Howle ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand: it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. It is so called, joel 1.15. Alas for the day: for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. This day, the day of the Lord, for the horror thereof, is by our Prophet Amos called darkness, chap. 5.18. Woe unto you, that desire the day of the Lord: to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light. A day, and yet darkness! a day and no light in it! It's even so: and is repeated by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vers. 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light? even very dark and no brightness in it. I cannot better set forth unto you the state of this day, than the Prophet Zephaniah doth, chap. 1.15. Read him, and you shall find this day, the day of the Lord, to be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm. No marvel then if our courageous man, the courageous among the mighty, shall endeavou or desire to flee away naked in that day. But shall he endeavour, or shall he desire to do it? Yes. He must be fame to do it. For it followeth by way of confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum jehovah, saith the Lord. Saith the Lord. THis is the conclusion and confirmation of all. The Lord, the a Deut. 32 4. God of truth, who b Num. 2●. ●9. Tit. 1.2. Ha●. 6.18. lieth not nor deceiveth, whose words are c 2. Cor. 1.20. yea and amen, who ever d Num 23.19. doth according to that he saith, and accomplisheth what he speaketh, he it is, that here threatneth the courageous among the mighty, that they shall flee away naked in the day of their visitation. And so out of doubt it came to pass. It came to pass in the days of Peka K. of Israel, at what time Tiglath Pilesar K. of Assyria came up against the Israelites, took diverse of their Cities, the whole Region that was beyond jordan, the possession of the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, yea all the land of Nephthali: and carried some of their inhabitants captive into Assyria. 2. King. 15.29. After that in the days of Hoseah son of Elah, the last of the Kings of Israel, this prediction was fulfilled, at what time Salmanasser King of Assyria invaded Israel, the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, took Samaria, and carried much people away into Assyria. Of this we read 2. King. 17.6. In that day, that day when Tiglath Pilesar prevailed against Israel, and that day wherein Salmanasser was conqueror, he that was courageous among the mighty, was fain no doubt to run away, and that naked, according to this prediction, He that is courageous among the mighty, shall flee away naked in that day. My observation from hence is this: It is not a stout courage, a valiant heart, or a bold spirit, that can steed a man in the day of God's vengeance. Believe it, it is not. For in that day, the stoutest, the most valiant and bold, shall be stricken with astonishment of heart, Deut. 28.28.29. and shall grope at noon days, as the blind man doth in darkness. It shall then be with him, as it was with Belshazzar the King, Daniel 5.6. His countenance shall be changed, his thoughts shall trouble him, the joins of his loins shall be loosed, and his knees shall smite one against the other. Yea then (for then will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth) then shall he go into the holes and clefts of the ragged rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty. So saith Esay elegantly, chap. 2.19, 21. And say you now, what can a stout courage, a valiant heart, a bold spirit steed a man in that day, in the day of God's vengeance? You must needs confess, it can steed him nothing. Nothing! Let us then for our good make some profitable use hereof. We shall the better make it if we will sum up together those natural abilities, which our Prophet Amos hath here disabled, from yielding any help unto us in the day of God his revengement: If neither he that is of an expedite and agile body, nor the strong man, nor the mighty man, nor the bowman, nor the swift of foot, nor the horseman, shall in that day be able to deliver or help himself: if he that is courageous among the mighty, shall be fain to run away naked in that day, whence then shall we in that day look for safety? It must not be from any aid of man. Now the Use we are to make hereof is, that we trust not in man, or in any thing that is in or about man. To this duty we are advised by the Prophet Esai, chap. 2.22. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? If you will be safe and without danger in the day of trouble, Cease from man; See that ye have no confidence, no affiance in him, as though against God or without God he were able to help you. His breath is in his nostrils; his soul, his vital spirit, his life is but a blast, and is gone with a puff. Then where is his help? Weak, frail, and brittle man, wherein is he to be accounted of? Is he to be accounted of for any thing that is in him? for his activity, for his dexterity, for his valour, for his wisdom, or the like? No: for if he be gone, all these are likewise vanished. But may he not be accounted of for somewhat that is about him? for his riches, for his munition, and weapons of defence, for his honour, and the reputation he holdeth in the state wherein thou livest? No, no. For what cares the Almighty for these? The Psalmist was not ill advised, Psal. 146.3. Where he thus adviseth us: Put not your trust in Princes, nor in any son of man, in whom there is no help, his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish. See man here pictured and drawn forth in lively colours: Put not your trust in Princes] not in Princes? Why? Is not their authority and pre-eminence here exceeding great? Yes. But they are sons of men] Well. Be it so. The sons of men are creatures not fare inferior to the Angels. True. But there is no help in them] no help in them? Why so? Their breath goeth forth] They die. What if they dye? Is there no place for them in Heaven among the stars? No, they return to their earth] there to participate with rottenness and corruption. What if corruption be in their flesh, may not their intendments and devices be canonised and kept for eternity? No, they may not. For in that very day their thoughts perish] their thoughts are as transitory as their bodies, and come to nought. And therefore put not your trust in them; not in Princes, nor in any son of man. Wherein then shall we put our trust? Even in the Lord our God. To this trust in the Lord, we are invited, Psal. 118.8, 9 It is botter to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord, then to put confidence in Princes. Is one better than the other? Why, then both may be good, and it may be good to put confidence in man. Not so. You may not take the word better in this place to be so spoken. For if you put any confidence in man, you rob God of his glory; which to do can never be good. I therefore thus expound the words: It is better] by infinite degrees, absolutely and simply better, to trust in the Lord] to trust steadfastly in him alone, then to put any confidence] any manner of trust or confidence, in man] of what estate or dignity soever he be, though he be of the rank of Princes, who have all the power and authority in the world. It's every way better to trust in the Lord, then to trust in such, ever good to trust in the Lord, but never good to trust in man. Trust we in the Lord, and blessed shall we be: but cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm; the Lord himself hath said it, jerem. 17.5. Now therefore, O Lord, since thou hast from hence taught us, that from the aid of man there is no safety to be expected, neither from him, that is of an expedite, and agile body, nor from the strong man, nor from the mighty man, nor from the bowman, nor from the swift of foot, nor from the horseman, nor from the courageous among the mighty, nor from any thing else that is in man, or about him, give us grace we beseech thee, that in thee alone we may place all our hope and confidence. In thee alone our God and Father of mercies do we trust: and do thou according to the multitude of thy compassions look upon us. Hear the supplications of us thy poor servants, living far, as banished men in a savage Country. Protect, we beseech thee, and keep our souls among the many dangers of this mortal life, and bring us by the conduct of thy gracious favour into that thy sacred habitation, and seat of eternal glory. Grant this unto us, most dear Father, for thy best beloved Son jesus Christ his sake. FINIS. A Table of such particulars as are contained in this Commentary. A Abraham, his mild speech to Lot. 29 Access to God. 347 No accident in God. 114 Adam, 287. 360 Adultery, 148 Adulterers. 148 Natural Affection. 28 Affliction. 254 Alexander the sixth. 157 An Altar, of earth. 169 of stone. of Holocausts. ibid. There was but one Altar. 169 The Altar a type of Christ. 170 Popish Altars. 171 none such in the Primitive Church ibid. Our Altar now, not material. 172 It is our heart. 177 The Ammonites, enemies to the people of God. 18 Excluded from that Church. 18 The Amorite 214 Destroyed. ibid. Amorites, they were tale and strong. 226 They were destroyed. 236 Amos. 307 Amos, why he first prophesied against Foreign nations. 2. 47 Antaeus. 226 Antiochus. 149 Antonius Caracalla. ibid. Arias. 344 Asaphel. 343 Aspasia. 149 Assurance of our faith. 7. Atalanta. 343 Atheists, denying God and his truth. 12 B Men of Base estate comforted. 45 Beast worshipped for Gods. 247 Beauty. 229 Behold. 322 Benefits, the order of God's Benefits Not observed. 242 We must remember God's Benefits. 252 The Bible the greatest treasure. 54 The Bible must be had. ibid. The Bible to be read. ibid. Men Blaspheme God. 152 Gods name Blasphemed. 150 Our Bodies a sacrifice. 174 The goods of our Bodies, must be offered. ibid. The Bond of blood. 28 of christianity. ibid. The greatest Bond between men. ibid. A Broken spirit. 176 D. Bucknham. 89 The Burial of the dead. 27 C Cain. 360. 361 Camilla. 343 A Calumniator. 138 A Calumny. ibid. Carioth. 33 Cedars. 223 They grow high. ibid. Cerijoth. 33 We have been Chastised of God. 42 Christ, our altar. 170 His benefits towards us. ibid. His death and passion. ibid. A Christian in name. 106 A Christian who. ibid. The Church of God. 253 A City not safe against God by munition etc. 35 Consanguinity. 27 Contempt. 64 Contempt of the law of the Lord. 67 Contempt may be a sin and not. 65 Covetousness. 133 The causes of our Crosses is sin. 60 Cruelty. 23. 133 Cruelty against the dead. 25 Cruelty displeaseth God. 23. 37 D Darius. 98. 149 The natural man in Darkness. 86 David chosen king. 230 David George. 89 The Day of the lord 134. 371 Cruelty towards the Dead. 25 Burial of the Dead. 27 Death of 4. sorts. 36 Death terrible. 37 Death considered in a double respect. 38 Death to be feared, of whom. 39 Death welcome to the penitent. 38. 40 Of three things no Definition. 112 The Denying of a contrary is sometime an affirmation. 70 All must once Die. 36. 37 Disobedience. 74. 77. 289. 292 Dispensations Popish. 155 Dogs thankful. 207 Draw nigh to God. 347 A Drunkard. 182. 286 described. 182 Drunkenness: the effects of it. ibid. etc. Our Dwelling houses a blessing unto us. 35 E Eagle: swifter than Eagles. 224 The Edomites descended from Abraham. 22 Egypt, 345. 250 Where situate. 245. The Egyptians superstitious. 246 Their Gods. ibid. Their cruelty. 251 The Israelites brought up from the land of Egypt. 244. 245 Eliab: jesse his eldest son. 228 liked by Samuel. 229. 230 fair of countenance and of goodly stature. 229 refused. 230 No Escaping from God. 342 Etham. 255 No Evasion from God. 342 The cause of Evil is sin. 60 Extortion. 133 God wholly an Eye. 105 The Eyes of the Lord, behold all things. 104 F Faith: the power of it. 260 Assurance of our Faith 7 Perseverance in our Faith. 8 Faithful: their steadfastness and stability. 368 Our first parents Fall. 10 The Famine of jerusalem. 100 Fathers. 83 Our Fathers not simply to be followed in matters of religion. 92 The Papists follow their Fathers in religion. 93 Fire. 34. 97 No Fleeing from God. 342. 360 Flee to God. 346 The father of a Fool rejoiceth not. 70 Fornication. 149 152 abstain from fornication. 152 name not Fornication. ibid. Fornication unlawful by the law of nature. 153. Fornicators. 149 Freedom. 253 Fridericke the fourth. 94 Fruit. 237 G Gentiles their calling. 254 Their Gods. 247 Giants. 234 Glory only in the Lord. 231 God: his counsels. 238 all power is his. 239 the honour of victories is his. 239 is present every where 344 seethe all things. 104. 345 is all in all in the overthrow of his enemies. 218 and in the upholding his children. 218. 219 faithful in his promises. 260 a present help. 261 What God is. 113 No accident in God. 114. God's attributes, negative. 113 Affirmative 114 God is unpartial. 103 Goods external we must offer up in sacrifice. 173 Goods of the body must be offered. 174 Goods of the mind to be offered. 176 Goods unlawfully gotten, not fit to be employed in God's service. 200 nor in the service of Idols. ibid. The Gospel of Christ. 272 it's the word of salvation. ibid. the doctrine of peace. ibid. the doctrine of good things. 275 Great personages punished by God. 44 Grubenheimer. 88 H Hail. 295 Hanani. 308 Hearers of the word, must be attentive. 16, 50 A faithful Heart. 178 Our Hearts must not be set on the outward things of this world. 45 Heaven. 139 Hell. 210 Hercules: the print of his foot. 227 A Horse a vain thing. 366 A Horse described. 365 The Horseman 364 Hyperbole. 224. 225 I K. james. 94 Idols. 80 Idolaters: It's a blessing to be freed from them. 249 jehovah. 5. 49. 112 jeremy. 307 jews: their captivity. 98 their return from captivity, ibid. The jews a stiffnecked people. 83 The destruction of the jews foretold. 97 jerusalem. ibid. 107 had fair appellations. 99 107 Afflicted with famine. 100 The destruction of jerusalem. 101. 102 the desolation foretold. 100 Impiety taken for Impiety by God wheresoever he findeth it, 104 Like Impieties like punishment 105 Incest. 148 Incestuous persons. ibid., Incestuous marriages. 149. 155 Incestuous marriages among the heathen, 149 Incontinen 153 john of Leyden, 88 john the thirteenth. 156 john the three and twentieth. 157 johannes de Casa. ibid. jonah. 360. 362 Iphictus. 343 Israel. 150 their sins. 161 their prerogatives. 150 Israel's unthankfulness, 207. 209 The people of Israel: their number when they went out of Egypt. 254 judah. 55, 80. 111 The kingdom of judah. 55. 97 judas. 2●● judges admonished. 19● judgement beginneth with God children. 108 The judgement of God exercised upon great ones. 44 The last judgement. 296 julia. 149 Gods justice goeth on slowly. 62 justices admonished. 195 K Kerioth. 33 Kindred. 29, 148 L The Law of the Lord. 66 The Law of the Lord not to be contemned. 67 It surpasseth all other Laws. 66 A Lie in words. 81 in manners. ibid. in things. ibid. Lies. 81 in the worship of God, ibid. of two sorts, ibid. in commerce with men of three sorts. ibid. An exhortation to Love.. 30 The praises of christian Love.. ibid. Lying down at meat. 162 Lions thankful. 208 stronger than Lions. 234 Carnal Lusts. 159 Fleshly Lusts. ibid. M Magistrates. 195 their duty. ibid. Man should be courteous. 24 Men of two sorts. 39 Martyrdom. 174 in peace. ibid. Martin of Polonia. 171 Means used by God. 238 Ministers of the Gospel 272 Their duty. 276. 286 The Ministry of the word. 271 Micaiah. 308 Mirraim, 246 Moab. 18. 32. 36 The Moabites: 22 there inhumanity. 19 their pride, ibid., their cruelty. 22 A cruel Mother. 101 Munition. 35 N Naked. 370 The Names of God. 4. 114 how profaned. 146 how sanctified. 147 Nazarene. 268 Nazarites. ibid., their law. 270, 284 Nazirites. 268 Nazirites. 268 O Obedience. 76 Obedience better than sacrifice. 73. 74 Obedience to the commandments of the Lord. 73 Og K. of Bashan. 226. 236 height and strength. 226 his bedstead. 227 Oak, strong as the Oaks, 225 Oppression, 133, 187. 188 unlawful. ibid., Oppressions of this age. 187, 188 Oppressors hated, 194 Oppressors of the poor God seethe, 197 One poor man may not oppress another. ibid. The Order of God's benefits inverted. 242 Orion. 343 P Paine the companion of a fault. 105 A Painter of Prussia. 88 The Paradise of Heaven. 139 The Patience of God. 21, 42, 45, 61 Paulus the third. 157 Taking of Pannes. 165 We enjoy Peace. 45 Perseverance in faith, 8 Persons. 103 Persons not respected by God, ibid. Pharaoh, 366 Pius the third. 157 Pledges. 165 A Poor man's Pledge not to be taken, 166 Poor: God pleadeth their cause. 130. 135 do good to them, 138 they will carry thee to heaven, 139 For the Poor oppressed consolation, 135 The Poor not to be turned out of his way. 138 The Poor that are wicked, 136 Popes wicked. 156 incestuous, ibid. Pope's dispensations, 155 Powder treason. 219 Promises of God. 260 Preachers, must deliver the word of God, 15, 50 God Present every where. Prophets, 265, 303 how instructed. 266 True Prophets two sorts, 306 False Prophets two sorts, 305 Lying Prophets. 303 Punishment followeth wickedness. 103 R To Raise up. 264 Rechabites, 76 Rehoboam. 56 Repent. 46 Repentance. 46, 78, 202 Restitution. 201 The Rider. 364 Root. 235 S Sacrifices under the law. 172 of two sorts. 172 Propitiatory, Expiatory, or Satisfactory. 172 Eucharistical or gratulatory. 172 Eucharistical of three sorts. 173 Evangelicall. 177 The Sacrifices of God. 176 Gods Sacrifice must be the fattest. 175 Salmanasser. 372 Saul. 288 Saul: a good man of person. 228 rejected by the Lord. ibid. God the author of Holy Scriptures. 14 50 Speaketh in the Scriptures 13 The holy Scriptures of no private motion. 13 The Scriptures vilified by Papists. 14 51. magnified. 54. 55 Easy. 90 had free passage in old time. ibid. diversely resembled. 91 In the Scriptures Christians generally had knowledge. 94 The red Sea. 255 Sheep in England cruel. 193 A Shouting. 40 Shur, 255 Sihon K. of the Amorites. 236 Sin a grievous burden. 1 punished by God in the Angels. 21 The cause of our crosses. 60 to be punished. 104 resembled. 106 the effects of it. 124 Grievous Sins, have grievous punishments. 62 Elee from Sin, 106 God will punish Sin, in his dearest children. 107 s a part of God's justice, to punish It sin. 108 The filthiness of Sinne. 150 An exhortation against Sinne. 60 Our Sins press into God's presence. 42 God punisheth for one Sinne. 62 Every Sin is to be punished. ibid. Our state of Sin and death. 10 Sinnes procure God's wrath. 20 Sins hated of God. 20. 59 Sixtus the fourth. 157 Sobriety. 286 Sons. 265 The eldest Sons prerogative. 14 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 28 The Spanish invasion. 298 Stand before the Lord. 363 Stature. 233 Our States of regeneration and election. 11 Stratonice. 149 Stwes in Rome. 157 patronised. ibid. confuted. 158 Swift of foot. 359 T Testament. the Old. 53 the New. ibid. Thankfulness in dogs. 207 in Lions 208 An exhortation to Thankfulness. 211 Three and four Transgressions. 57 116 Thunder. 295 Tiglath Pileser. 372 The Translations of the Scriptures into vulgar tongues, withstood by Papists. 88 their exceptions. ibid. Treasures of wickedness, profit not. 71 God is True, 6 We must strive to be True, as God is True. 11 Trust not in wealth nor in any worldly help. 220 Trust not in external helps. 367 Trust in the lord 368. 374 Trust not in man. 373 Trumpets used in war. 40. 41 God is Truth in himself, in his words and in his works. 6 We must be thankful to God for our knowledge of the Truth. 8 We must strive to represent God in Truth. 10. 12 A Tumult. 40 An exhortation to Turn to the Lord 46 Tydeus. 234 Tyranny. 253 V The execution of Vengeance proper to the Lord. 33. Victories. 239 Villages depopulated. 193 unthankefulness. 205. 211 Odious before God. 205. 211 forbidden. 206 reprehended. ibid., punished. 209 Usury. 133 W To walk. 84 how we are to walk. 249 The Water, 296 War the executioner of God's vengeance, 41 A Way taken properly & figuratively 137 Wealth: trust not in it. 220 The wicked man, 235 Wilderness of Etham. 254 of Shur. 256 The Wind. 297 Wine allowed, 181 to be avoided, 184 forbidden to the Nazirites, 285 to Priests, 286 to Kings. 285 Wine given to the condemned, 186 of the condemned, ibid. The abuse of Wine. 181 A Woman of Munster. 88 An english Woman. 89 The Word of God praised, 16, 272 magnified, 54, 55 not to be declined from, 85 to be embraced with diligence, 87 compared to a lamp or, light, 86 We must be thankful for having the Word of God. 87 The Church of Rome withholds the Word of God. ibid., The Works of God internal and external. 7 Z Zacheus, 201, 232 Zedechiah K. of judah. 97. FINIS. A Commentary OR EXPOSITION UPON THE THIRD Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS. Delivered In XVII. Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocese of Gloucester. BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD Doctor of Divinity. 2 COR. 12.14. I seek not yours, but you. LONDON, ¶ Printed by John Haviland, and are to be sold by Hugh Perry at the Harrow in Britain's Burse. 1629. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL THINGS contained in the Exposition of the third Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS. A ABimelech. 184 Absolom. 309 Actions of God. 297 Adovai. 146 Affliction, of the lord 142. 281 Alexander the Great. 212 All. 30 Ashdod. 180 Azotus. 181 B BEnefits temporal remember. 17 Benefits upon Israel. 24 Bethel. 289. 292 Bethschemites. 240 Builders, Of houses. 307 Of Babel. 307. 308 Building stately. 306 C CAlamities from God. 281 Cham. 182 Children. 4 Choice of God. 22 Christ patiented. 286 City. 140 Cloisters. 214 Cockatrice. 98 Comminations. 61 Conversion. 213 D DAuid, patiented. 286 Decree of God. 76 Devil: a fowler. 78 Discord. 76. ●●. 97 Divinity. 131 E EGypt. 182 Election of God. 22 Enemies: their reproaches. 183 Evil: two ways. 134 Two kinds. 135 F FAith. 265, 266 Fool: the Atheist. 312 The rich man. 309, 310, 311 A Fox. 98 The Fowler. 73 G GEdeon. 240 Gilgal. 292 The Grace of God. 76 God: A Fowler. 79 A Lion. 59 61 God: he is good. 133 His Name. 130 Seethe all. 214 God of Hosts. 258, 259, 260 Of Sabaoth. 258, etc. God: the principal Agent. 298. 300 The goodness of God: general. 133 Special. 133 H Hear the word of God. 8 Hearers of the word. 265. 270 Of diverse sorts. 13 Hearing twofold. 265 Heart: to be kept. 101 Our Hearts our houses. 312 Hosts: God of Hosts. 258. etc. Houses spiritual. 312 Stately. 306 I Idolatry. jehovah. 130, 131 jehovih. 147 Ignorance of God. 199 Instruments: how regarded. 299, 300, etc. job. 299 His patience. 286 Israel: Prerogatives. 23 K To KNow. 21, 2● Knowledge of God. 19 21 199 Known of God. 2● L Leaven. 9● Lions roaring. 5● Their names. 16● Comparisons from them. 59 60. 16 M MAgistrates. 213 Man. 77 A Fowler. 79 A Lion. 60 Ministers: their calling. 240 Mitzraijm. 18● N Name's of God. 130 Numbers changed. 290 P PAlaestina. 180 Patience in trouble. 285 Whence? 286 Places of Idols. 291. 292 Poor: rich men's barns. 309 Powder Traitors. 214 Power: all of God. 283 Prophets. 42 Providence of God. 75. 80 Of two sorts. 81 General. 81 Special. 84 Particular. 86 Over his Church. 85 Punishment: all of God. 31 The Author of it. 136 Evil of punishment. 135. 139 God punisheth all sin. 34 His own servants. 33 R REligion; true. 294, 295 Rich man; his barns. 309 S SAbaoth: God of Sabaoth. 258, etc. Samaria. 191 Saul. 184 Scripture praised. 130 Selfe-killing, a sin. 185 Serpent. 98 Shimei. 299 Similitudes. 75 Sin: Evil of sin. 135 Sinners. 76 Smite: God smiteth. 16 Snare. 74. 76 Snares, Of Punishment. 78 Of Sinne. ibid. Sodom. 281, 282 Sons. 6 T Threaten of God not in vain. 61 Accomplished. 63 Absolute. 65 Conditional. 66 Tongue, to be tamed. 99 Troubles from God. 281 Endured with patience. 285, 286, etc. Trumpeters. 42 Trumpets. 117 V VAriance. 76. 94. 97 Visit. 29 Our Visitations of God. 281 God visiteth for evil. 278, 279 For good. 278, 279 In judgement. 278, 279 Vzzah. 240 W Walk with God. 47 Watchmen. 43. 117 Water of bitterness. 98 Will of God: is one. 69 Word of God: a jewel. 25. 45 To be heard. 8 Appropriate to the jews. 27 A two-edged sword. 106 Effectual. 94. 102. 105 Y YOungling of Babylon. 99 Ivory houses. 303. 304 Z ZEchariah. 4 Zerubhabel. 4 THE First Lecture. AMOS 3.1. Hear this word, that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family, which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Having heretofore, by the gracious assistance of the Almighty, finished my Exposition upon the first and second Chapters of this Prophecy of Amos, I do now adventure upon the third, in a sure hope and confidence, of the continuance of the same assistance unto me, not doubting, but that the Lord will enable me to go forward in this course, if he shall see it to be to his glory, and to the good of his Church. This third Chapter is Amos his second Sermon against the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, the Kingdom of Israel. It was made, as it seemeth, when their then King, jeroboam son of joash, the thirteenth King of Israel, though wicked for his life, yet happy in war, had vanquished and subdued many of the Syrians, and had recovered the coast of Israel from the a 2 King. 14.25. entering of Hamath, unto the Sea of the plain; and had taken b Ve●s 28. Damascus and Hamath. Then the people of Israel, grown insolent with victories, and rich with spoils, became lascivient and wanton, and spurned at the preaching of the Word of God. It was now high time for Amos to bestir himself, and to remember them of the fickle estate wherein now they were. He was their Prophet, peculiarly sent to them from God; and it lay upon him, to call upon them. He doth it in this his second Sermon. The parts are three: 1 An Exordium, or an entrance into the Sermon, vers. 1. 2 A Proposition, containing the sum of that whereof he admonisheth them, vers. 2. 3 An Enarration, a Declaration, an Exposition, or an Expolition of the matter in hand, from the third vers. to the end of the Chapter. We are to begin with the Exordium or entrance to the Sermon. It is an invitation to attention: and containeth certain arguments of persuasion. Three they are; all of weight, and in themselves available. The first is taken from the authority of the Word, to the hearing whereof they are invited. It is Verbum jehovae, the Word of johovah, the only true and everliving God. Hear this Word, non meum somnium, not any dream of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortal wight, but the Word of the Lord, Hear this Word, that the Lord hath spoken. The second is taken from the quality of the parties invited. They are Flij Israel, the children of Israel. By this compellation they are put in mind of their stock and lineage that they were sprung from, and came out of the loins of jacob, whose name was changed to c Gen. 32.28. & 35.10. Israel; whereby they may well be admonished, either to insist in the steps of that holy Patriarch, or like disobedient and degenerate children to expect punishment from the Lord: Hear this Word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel. The third is taken from the memory of their greatest deliverance, their deliverance out of Egypt. By this benefit, had there been nothing else, were the Israelites deeply obliged to give ear to the Word of the Lord their Redeemer and deliverer. Hear this Word, that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying. In the handling of these words, I purpose to hold this course: first, to expound the words; and then to observe out of them such instructions as they naturally offer unto us, and may be for our good. Hear this Word that the Lord speaketh against you. Hear, Listen unto it, not only with the outward sense of your ears, but yield unto it also willing assent in your minds. Hear it interiori auditu: so Albertus Magnus expounds it, Hear with your inward hearing. In the phrase of the Gospel, it is Audite & intelligite, Matth. 15.10. Hear and understand. Hear this Word] This word is with Castalio, dictum, a saying; with Albertus it is, something signified by voice, which remaineth in the heart of the hearer, after the voice is gone. It may be the decree of God and his ordinance, touching that he will do unto Israel; and so jonathan in his Chaldee paraphrase seems to take it; Hear this Word, that the Lord hath decreed. In the Vulgar Latin I read, Audite verbum, quod locutus est Dominus; Hear the Word that the Lord hath spoken. Our now English is right: Hear this Word that the Lord hath spoken. Hath spoken! To, or against whom? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hhal●e●m, To you, or against you: so Drusius. The original is, Super vos, over you or upon you: Drusius well renders it, to you, or against you; and Petrus Lusitanus not amiss, contra vos, vel de vobis, against you, or concerning you. You children of Israel. The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benei jischrael, sons of Israel. Children of Israel, or sons of Israel, the Israelites are meant. Each phrase may be paralleled in the Greek tongue. First, the children of Israel, for the Israelites: So speak the Greeks', d Herod. l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the children of the Aethiopians, for Aethiopians themselves. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the children of Philosophers, for Philosophers themselves. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the children of Physicians, for Physicians themselves. Again, the sons of Israel, for the Israelites. And so speak the Greeks', 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the sons of the Grecians, for the Grecians themselves. It's very frequent in e Jliad. & 162.237 240.276.368. etc. Homer. I meet with one place in the Greek Bible, wherewith I will for the present content myself. It is joel 3 6. The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; the sons of juda, and the sons of jerusalem, ye sold to the sons of the Grecians; where the sons of juda are put for the people of juda, and the sons of jerusalem for the inhabitants of jerusalem, and the sons of the Grecians for the Grecians themselves: just, as it is here, the sons of Israel for the Israelites themselves. Sons of Israel] It is an Hebrew Proverb; f Drusius Adag. Hebruir. Drwia. 2 8. ex R. Heuna. Filij filiorum cece sunt ut filij; Sons sons, behold they are as sons. You may understand thus: The sons of sons are accounted of as sons; or, they are truly sons; sons not in name only, but in very deed. In the name of son, sometime the Nephew is to be understood. So it is, Haggai 1.1. Zerubbabel is there called the son of Shealtiel; whose son he was not, but Nephew, for he was son of g Chron. 3.19. Pedaiah, and Pedaiah son of Schealtiel. And so is it Ezra 5.1. Zechariah the Prophet is there called the son of Iddo, whose son he was not, but Nephew; for he was the son of Barachiah, and h Zachar. 1.1. Barachiah the son of Iddo. Now as a son is sometimes put for a Nephew, so are sons for a posterity; So in my Text, the sons of Israel are put for the posterity of Israel. The sons of Israel, Secundum carnem, non secundum spiritum, as Petrus à Figuciro speaketh; the sons of Israel after the flesh, not after the spirit. Sons of Israel, such as were lineally descended from the loins of jacob, who was surnamed Israel. These sons or children of Israel are here further described to be that whole family which the Lord brought up from the land of Egypt. Hear this Word, that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family, which I brought up from the land of Egypt. Against the whole family] The Hebrew word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mischpachah, and signifieth a family. So it's translated by Brentius, and Caluin, and Drusius, and Gualther, and junius, and Piscator: and so is it in our newest English; against the whole family. A family, to speak properly, is of them that are contained in one and the same house: it is a household consisting of persons of diverse sexes, ages, statures, strengths, and abilities. But this narrow signification of a family will not serve for this place. For it was not only a household that the Lord brought out of Egypt, it was more than so. The Author of the Vulgar Latin gives here a larger scope. Familia contents him not; Cognatio is his word. Not a family, but a kindred must serve his turn. His reading is Super omnem cognationem. It pleaseth Luther, and Mercer, and Vatablus. Against all the kindred. A kindred we know may contain many families: and many were the families which the Lord brought up from the Land of Egypt; yet is not this word kindred of extent sufficient to comprehend the great multitude that was brought up from the land of Egypt. Nation is a fit word with Castalio: Hear this word, that the Lord pronounceth to you, to the whole Nation, which I brought up from the land of Egypt. It was indeed a Nation that the Lord brought up. A Nation, and therefore many kindreds, and more families. Yet need we not refuse either the word kindred or family as unfit for this place; for each of them may well be used to signify a Nation. The reason whereof Kimhi giveth, quia ab initio gentes singulae ab uno aliquo viro defluxerunt; because at first Nations had their beginning from some one man that was head of a family or kindred. A Family for a Nation you have, Mic. 2.3. Behold, saith the Lord; behold, against this family do I device an evil. Against this family, that is, against this Nation of the Israelites. So have you, jerem. 8.3. Death shall be chosen rather than life, by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family. This evil family is the nation of the jews. I read of the family of Egypt, Zach. 14.18. and there the family of Egypt, is the nation of the Egyptians. Such is the signification of the word family in my Text; against the whole family, that is, against the whole nation of the Israelites. By this whole family of the children of Israel, some do understand all the people which the Lord brought up from Egypt, which afterward was rend into two Kingdoms, the Kingdom of judah, and the Kingdom of Israel. So Saint Hierome, and Remigius, and Hugo, and Lyra, and Dionysius. Some by the children of Israel do understand the Kingdom of Israel, the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, and in the whole family brought up from the land of Egypt, they will have included the Kingdom of judah, the other two Tribes; the Tribes of Benjamin and judah. So Theodoret, and Albertus, and Montanus, & Quadratus, and Christophorus à Castro. Petrus à Figueiro takes this whole family to be here used Appositoriè, by Apposition, to express what is meant by the children of Israel. The children of Israel, that is, the whole family, kindred, or nation of the Israelites which the Lord brought up from the land of Egypt. The like doth Taverner in his English Bible; his Translation runs thus: Hear what the Lord speaketh unto you, O ye children of Israel, namely unto all the Tribes whom I brought out of Egypt. I take them to be in the right, who by the children of Israel, do understand the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, and by the whole family brought up from Egypt, the other two Tribes: the Tribes of judah and Benjamin: to this sense, Hear this word, this sentence, that the Lord pronounceth against you, O children of Israel, and not against you alone, but even against all those whom I brought up from the land of Egypt. All that are in the same fault do well deserve the same punishment. If judah sin as well as Israel, judah shall be punished as well as Israel. Hear therefore this word, not only you of Israel, but you of judah too, all you whom I brought up from the land of Egypt. All, which I brought up from the land of Egypt] How can this be? Of those which the Lord brought up out of Egypt, all that were of i Numb. 14.30. & 32.11, 12. twenty years old and upward, all save two, Caleb the son of jephunneh, and joshua the son of Nun, died in the Wilderness. They died there, and therefore they came not into the Holy Land. Again, the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt was about k An. M. 2454. seven hundred years before the l Which was An. M. 3158. time that this Prophecy came by the ministry of Amos unto Israel. What? Seven hundred years before this time! It's then to be presumed, that all, which so long before were brought up from Egypt, were long ere this time dead. And so out of doubt they were. How then is it, that here so long after it is said to the children of Israel from the Lord, Eduxi, I brought you, your whole family, up from the Land of Egypt? The Israelites, to whom this speech is, had for the place of their nativity and habitation the land of judaea. Never had they been in the land of Egypt, and yet may there be a good construction of what is here said unto them; Eduxi, I brought you, your whole family, up from the land of Egypt. Albertus makes the construction; I brought you up, vos in patribus, you in your Fathers. So doth Petrus Lusitanus; I brought you up, vos utique in parentibus, you in your parents. And so Piscator, I brought you up, vos in maioribus, you in your Ancestors. You, in your Fathers, in your Parents, in your Ancestors, I brought you up from the land of Egypt. I brought up from the land of Egypt] The words we met with before, Chap. 2.10. There they were by me expounded; and haply you will not think it fit, I should say the same again unto you. Wherefore for a full exposition of these words, and the profit to be taken by them, I refer you to my fifteenth Lecture upon the second Chapter of this Prophecy of Amos. Hitherto have I dwelled upon the opening of the words of my present Text. I gather up all in brief. Hear] not only with the outward ear, but also with the assent of mind; hear and understand,— this word] this thing, this sentence, this decree,— that the Lord] jehovah, the only true everlasting and Almighty God— hath spoken] hath pronounced— over you] upon you, to you, against you; against you O children of Israel] ye the sons, the posterity of jacob, and not against you only, but also— against the whole family] the whole Nation of you, them of judah too, against you all, whose Fathers, Parents, and Ancestors— I brought up] and delivered with a mighty hand and outstretched arm— from the land of Egypt] that land, wherein they lived in great slavery and bondage,— saying] after this manner as it followeth, vers. 2. You only have I known, etc. The words you see are expounded. It remaineth now, that we gather from hence such observations as are here naturally offered unto us, and may be for our instruction. Of the three perswasory arguments here used by Amos to move the Israelites to attention, the first is taken from the authority of the Word to the hearing whereof they are invited, it is verbum jehovae; Hear this word, non meum somnium, not any dream of mine, not my word, nor the word of any mortal wight, but verbum jehovae, the Word of jehovah, the only true and everliving God. Hear this word that the Lord speaketh against you. My observation is: The Word of the Lord is diligently to be harkened unto. Were it not so, never would the holy Prophets have been so frequent in that their invitation; m Isa 1.10. & 28 14. I●rem. 2.4.7.1. c 2●. 10.1.27.20. ●9 3.21.11.29.20.31.10. Audite verbum jehovae, Hear ye the Word of the Lord. That same general Proclamation, Mat. 11.15. Whosoever hath ears to hear, let him hear; repeated in n Matth. 13 93. Mark. 7 91. & 23. Luk. 8. 8.13.3●. Reuel. 2.7, 11.17.29.3.6, 13 22. sundry others places of the New Testament, what else implieth it, but that all are bound to hear? The voice that spoke out of the cloud at the time of Christ his transfiguration, Matth. 17.5. it said no more but this, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. Hear him, saith that voice, as if in hearing were comprised all the duties of man. Christ jesus in the tenth of Luke, the nine and thirtieth verse, speaking of one thing that is necessary, speaks of nothing but of hearing the word. Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and troubled about many things: But one thing is necessary, and Mary hath chosen that good part. One thing necessary, and Mary hath chosen it! what is that? She sitting at jesus feet did hear his Word. See now, to hear the Word of God is so necessary a thing, that all other necessities should give place unto it. It makes much for this necessity of hearing, that the Word of God is called meat, Heb. 5.12. and the want of this word, a famine, Amos 8.11. What can from hence be collected, but, that it is as necessary for us to hear the word of God, as it is to eat? Much more might be spoken to show the necessity of this duty of hearing the word of God; but I have said enough for the confirmation of my doctrine: The word of the Lord is diligently to be harkened unto. One reason to enforce this duty, I take from the person of him, from whom this duty is enjoined us. He is in my Text called jehovah, the Lord: Hear this word that jehovah the Lord speaketh. jehovah, he is our o Deut. 32.18: Creator, we are his creatures; he is our p Psal. 23.1. Shepherd, we are his Sheep; he is our q Mal. 1.6. Master, we are his Servants; he is our Father, we are his children; he is our r Psal. 44.4. King, we are his Subjects. Say now, is not the creature bound to obey his Creator, the sheep his Shepherd, the servant his Master, the child his Father, the subject his King? The Scripture showeth it: yea nature teacheth it. If then the Lord speak unto us, we are to hear him. A second reason to enforce this duty, I take from the great value and high price of obedient hearing. Obedience in this kind is better worth than any sacrifice, yea than all the sacrifices that can be offered. Samuel avoucheth it, 1 Sam. 15.22, 23. where he that reproveth Saul to his face: Hath the Lord as great delight in offerings and sacrifices, as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice: and to hearken, than the fat of Rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. See here how elegantly Samuel deciphereth two contraries, Obedience and disobedience? He maketh the one to be better than sacrifice; the other to be as witchcraft and idolatry. Obedience is better than sacrifice: for he that offereth a Sacrifice, s Gre●. Moral. lib. 35. c. 10. offereth the flesh of some beast: but he that obeyeth offereth his own will, as a quick and reasonable sacrifice, which the Lord well accepteth. Disobedience is as witchcraft and Idolatry. If, when the Lord imposeth some du●y upon us, we then confer with our own hearts, as t 1 S●● 2●. 7. Saul consulted with the woman of Endor, or as u 2 〈◊〉 1.2. Ahaziah with Beelzebub, whether we shall hearken unto the voice of the Lord, or not; this is disobedience, and disobedience in a high degree; as prodigious as witchcraft and idolatry. Now this second reason I thus frame. God liketh of obedience, and preferreth it before sacrifice; he hateth disobedience as he doth witchcraft and idolatry; therefore it is our duty, refusing this, to embrace that: and when the Lord shall speak unto us, to hearken unto him, and obey his Word. A third reason to enforce this duty of hearing the Word of God, I take from the consideration of the punishment that shall betide the disobedient. The disobedient shall be sure to be punished. Our warrant for this we have, Deut. 28.15. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his Commandments and his Statutes which he commandeth thee; then shall all these curses come upon thee, and overtake thee. Cursed shalt thou be x Deut. 28.16. in the City, and cursed in the field: Cursed in thy basket, and cursed in thy store: Cursed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy land, in the increase of thy kine, and in the stocks of thy sheep: Cursed when thou comest in, and cursed when thou goest out. With these and the like curses, how sly soever thou be, thou shalt always be environed, it will not boot thee to seek starting holes. If thou go into thine house, and shut the door, and double bar it, yet shall the y Amos 5.19. serpent come in and sting thee there. If thou go into the field, and seek means to escape, thou shalt meet with a Lion upon the way: if thou slip aside from the Lion, a Bear shall meet thee. Be thou assured, God hath his storehouse full of rods, nor of three or four sorts only, but of infinite to pay thee home, if thou wilt not hearken unto his voice. But if thou wilt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, z Deut. 28.1. to observe and to do all his Commandments which he commandeth thee, then shall blessings come as thick upon thee. Blessed shalt thou be in the City, and blessed in the field: blessed in thy b●sket, and blessed in thy store: blessed in the fruit of thy body, in the fruit of thy ground, in the fruit of thy Cattles, in the increase of thy kine, and in the flocks of thy sheep: blessed when thou comest in, and blessed when thou goest out. With these and other like blessings shalt thou be compassed about, if thou give ear unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Now this third reason I frame thus: If the obedient shall be blessed and rewarded for hearing, and the disobedient cursed and punished for not hearing the voice of the Lord our God, than it behoveth us with all diligence to give ear unto his holy Word. From the reasons enforcing the duty of hearing the Word of God, I come now to make some use of the doctrine delivered. It may serve first for reproof. For the reproof of such as refuse to ●●are the Word of God. Such, as if they had no soul to save, yea, as if they believed, that there is neither God nor Devil, neither Heaven nor Hell, do stop their ears, that they may not hear. Very desperate is their disease. The a Mat. 12.42. Queen of the South shall rise up in judgement and condemn them. She thought it worthy her labour, to make a long journey to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and yet, behold, more than Solomon is here. Here, not fare hence, in this place, and present with you is Christ our Lord. Solomon, a man. Christ is God. Solomon a mortal King, of the Kingdom of Christ there is no end. Solomon a King by humane succession, Christ by divine eternity. Solomon a sinner enwrapped in the allurements of lasciviousness, Christ b 1 Pet. 2.22. without sin, without guile, Heb. 7.26. harmless and undefiled. Solomon gave his Parables only in Jerusalem; Christ gives his voice throughout the Christian world, he gives it us in our streets, in our Temples, in this his house wherein now I stand. Inexcusable therefore art thou O man, O woman, O child of understanding, whosoever thou art that refusest to hear the word of Christ, thy Lord and God. For such your refusal you shall be sure to give an account at the great day of God's vengeance. Against such refusal the voice of wisdom cryeth out, Prou. 1.24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded, I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Parallel to this is that, Esa. 65.12. There thus saith the Lord; Because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not, therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter. Hereunto may that be added, jerem. 7.13. Because I spoke unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye answered not, therefore will I do unto you thus, and thus: I will cast you out of my fight: I will pour out mine anger and my fury upon the place of your habitation, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground: I will cause to cease from your streets the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. Thus and thus shall it befall them, that refuse to hear, when the Lord speaketh; the d jer. 14.12, 16. famine shall pinch them, the e jer. 15.3. sword shall slay them, the f jer. 21.9. Ez●h. 6.11. & 7.15. pestilence shall waste them, g Ie●m. 15.3. dogs shall tear them, wild beasts shall destroy them, and the Fowls of Heaven shall devour them. You have the first use. The second use may be for reproof too; for the reproof of such as come to hear, but hear not as they should. I have read of a generation of such hearers. Some, saith my Author, harken after news; If the Preacher say any thing of beyond Sea matters, or of court affairs at home, that is his lure. Some harken whether any thing be said, that may be wrested to be spoken against persons in high place, that they may accuse the Preacher. Some smack of eloquence, and gape for a phrase, that when they come abroad in company, they may have a fine word to grace their talk. Some sit, as Malcontents, till the Preacher come to gird some, whom they spite: then prick they up their ears to listen, and it shall go hard, if they remember not something of what is spoken. Some come to gaze about the Church: their eyes are evil eyes, they are wanton eyes, they are evermore looking upon that, from which holy job turned his eyes away. Some sit musing all the Sermon time, some of their Lawsuits, some of their bargains, some of their journeys, some of some other employments. The Sermon is ended before these men think where they are. Some that come to hear, so soon as the Prayer is done, or soon after, fall fast asleep; as though they had been brought into the Church for corpses, and the Preacher should preach at their funerals. You see now a generation of hearers: seven sorts of them; not one of them heareth as he should. If they come to the Church, and do remain there for the Sermon time, they think their duty well and sufficiently discharged. But much more than so is required at their hands. Outward service without inward obedience is but Hypocrisy. The naked hearing of the Word of God, is but an halting with God. If thou keep from him thy heart, he cares not for thy presence, nor for thy tongue, nor for thy ear. Cares he not for our presence, nor for our tongue, nor for our ear, unless he have our heart too? Then may that Caveat, which Christ giveth his Disciples, Luk. 8.18. when he had expounded unto them the parable of the Sour, be a seasonable caveat for us. The Caveat is, Take heed how ye hear. This same take heed, ever goeth before some danger. Some danger there is in hearing: for you may easily hear amiss. You may easily hear amiss, and therefore take heed. Take heed how you hear. When you sow your seed in the field, you will tak● h●ed how you sow, lest your seed should be lost. Your care herein is commendable. Let not your care be less to further the growth of God's seed. God's seed! it is immortal seed, even his holy Word; O take heed how you hear, that none of this seed be lost. No seed groweth so fast as this, if it be received in good ground, in an honest and good heart: for so it groweth in a moment as high as Heaven. Take heed therefore how ye hear. Would ye now know how ye should hear? The Prophet jerem. shall teach you, Chap. 13.15. Hear and give care. So shall Es●●, Chap. 28.23. Give ye ear and hear, harken and hear. He●re, give ear and hearken! Why is this multiplying of words, but to teach you, that you are to hear and mere th●n hear? More than hear! What is that to say? It is to hear interiori auditu, with the inward hearing, as before I noted out of Albertus. It is audire & intelligere, to hear and understand, as in the phrase of the Gospel already alleged. It is to hear for the after time, as Esay speaketh, Chap. 42.23. It is to mark, and understand, and remember, and believe, and follow that which you hear. This duty of hearing as we should, we shall the better perform, if as Moses at the commandment of the Lord did put off his sho●es, the shoes from off his feet, because the place wherein be stood was h lie ground, Exod. 3.5. so shall we, as oft as we come to this or the like holy place, the House of God, to hear his Word read and preached unto us, put off our shoes too; not our shoes from off our feet; but our much fouler shoes, our lusts, our thoughts, our cares, our fancies, our businesses, even all that corruption and sin wherewith in this life we are clogged: which, as the dust to the shoe, and the sh oe to the foot, cleaves fast to us. If thus prepared we come to hear the Word of God, we shall be sure of a blessing. When the woman said to Christ, Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked, Christ replied, Luk. 11.28. Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. By this his reply, he showeth that his Disciples were more blessed for hearing him, than his Mother for bearing him. Yet hereby he denieth not his Mother to have been blessed even for bearing him: but insinuates only that she was more blessed in being his child, than in being his Mother. Saint Austin, De Sancta Virginitate, cap. 3. well expresseth it; Beatior percipiende fidem Christi, quàm concipiendo carnem Christi; The blessed Virgin, the Mother of Christ, was more blessed by receiving the faith of Christ, then by conceiving the flesh of Christ. Christ said unto his Disciples, Matth. 13.16. Blessed are your ears for you hear; showing, that they were more blessed than all the world beside, because they had this one blessing to hear the truth. This is the blessing which you come hither for. God in the abundance of his goodness brings it home unto you. And well may you call it a blessing. For the word which we bring unto you is verbum regni, Mat. 13.19. The word of a Kingdom; it brings a Kingdom with it: It is verbum vitae, joh. 6.68. the word of life: it brings life with it. It is not only a word of authority, to command and bind the conscience, nor only a word of wisdom to direct you, nor only a word of power to convert you, nor only a word of grace to comfort and uphold you, but the word of a never-fading Kingdom, and of eternal life to make you perfectly and for ever blessed. Thus fare hath my first Doctrine carried me. The Doctrine was delivered in these words: The word of the Lord is diligently to be harkened unto. It was grounded upon the first branch of my Text, wherein is contained the first perswasory argument of attention drawn from the authority of the word to be harkened unto. Hear this word that the Lord speaketh against you. The next argument of persuasion to enforce attention in the hearer, is drawn from the persons of them who are here invited to give ear. They are Filty Israel, the children, the sons, the posterity of Israel; a people descended from the holy Patriarch jacob, chosen above all other nations to be Gods peculiar people, with whom God had made a covenant, and had on his part most absolutely performed it, preserving them from their enemies, and multiplying upon them all his benefits. So graciously did God deal with these sons of Israel, not only whilst they loved him, kept their conjugal faith with him, and served him according to his word, but even then too, when they had despised him, and forsaken him, had violated their faith with him, and committed spiritual whoredom with false gods. Yet, when those their impieties, disobediences, and rebellions were grown to the height, God was resolved to come against them in judgement, and to punish them. This his resolution appeareth in the many menaces and threats, which from time to time the Lord sent unto them by his holy Prophets. One of which is in my Text, Hear this word that the Lord speaketh against you, O children of Israel; Against you, to punish you, O children of Israel, even you. My observation here is: God will not spare to smite his dearest children, when they sin against him. One reason hereof may be, that the Lord may declare himself an adversary to sin in all men without partiality. A second is, that the Lord may reduce his children from running on headlong to perdition with the wicked. And the uses may be two: One to teach us, to magnify the righteousness of God, as generally in all his works, so particularly in the afflictions of his people. The other to admonish us, that we look not for any certain earthly peace, though we are by faith the children of Israel, but that we prepare ourselves for a continual succession of crosses and calamities. The third argument of persuasion to move attention in these children of Israel, is taken from the commemoration of their greatest deliverance, their deliverance out of Egypt; Hear this w rd that the Lord speaketh against you, O children of Israel; against the whole family, which I brought up from the land of Egypt. My observation is: The temporal benefits and manifold deliverances, which the Lord bestoweth upon his people, are ever to be had in remembrance, and in thankful acknowledgement. This very doctrine for the substance of it, I have heretofore in your hearing propounded and proved, in my fifteenth Lecture upon the second chapter of this book, occasioned thereunto by the tenth verse, wherein this great deliverance out of Egypt is mentioned. I will not therefore at this time stand to enlarge it. Only let me now tell you, that this delivery of the Israelites out of Egypt, is not appropriate only unto them, but that in some sort it appertaineth to the Church of God in all ages: for as much as it was a type of a more surpassing delivery from that fearful Kingdom of sin and darkness. It appertaineth even unto us, whom God of his infinite goodness and mercy, through the precious blood of his Son, and our Saviour, Christ jesus, hath delivered from this spiritual Egypt, the Kingdom of sin and darkness, and will in his good time give us safe passage from hence, to that heavenly Canaan, the true Country and Inheritance of all Saints. Whither, most gracious God, vouchsafe to bring us all. Amen. THE Second Lecture. AMOS 3.2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. THis second verse is the second part of Amos his second Sermon concerning the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, the Kingdom of Israel. It is the proposition, and containeth the very substance of the whole Sermon: which is to let the Israelites understand, that, for as much as the Lord hath been good unto them above all the Nations of the earth, and they have returned unto him nothing but unthankfulness, the Lord will surely punish them for all their iniquities. The parts are two: 1 A Commemoration. 2 A Commination. The Commemoration is of benefits, the Commination is of punishments. The Commemoration is for words short, yet for matter very copious. It hath reference to the many singular and exceeding great benefits, which the Lord hath bestowed upon his people, Israel. You only have I known of all the families of the earth. The Commination is sharp, but very just. It may serve thus fare to instruct the Israelites, that if the Lord should at any time with his strong hand a job 30.21. oppose himself against them, and make their b Vers. 15. welfare to pass away as a cloud, and lay terrors upon them, yet they should not calumniate, and c job 1.22. charge God with folly, but should lay the whole blame thereof upon themselves and their own deservings. Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Of both in their order. First, of the Commemoration. You only have I known of all the families of the earth. You only! Only you! How can this be so? Did not the knowledge of God extend itself to other Nations, as well as to the Israelites? It may not be denied. It extends itself, not to men only, but to whatsoever else is in the world. You may consider it two manner of ways: either in itself, or as it hath reference to things known. If it be considered in itself, it is most certain, and is ever the same: as necessary and immutable, as is the very divine Essence; from which it differeth not indeed, but only consideration. For that axiom of the Schools is true, Quicquid est in Deo, est ipsa Dei Essentia; Whatsoever is in God, is Gods own Essence. And therefore the knowledge of God is his divine Essence, and God is his own knowledge. Whence it followeth, that wheresoever God is and his holy Essence, there is his knowledge. Now God is every where, his Essence is every where: his knowledge therefore must be every where. It's impossible that any thing should be concealed from it. Again, the knowledge of God may be considered, as it hath reference to things known: and so also nothing can be hid from it. For it knoweth itself, and every thing else. Things universal and singular; things past, present, and to come; things which neither are, nor have been, nor ever shall be; things necessary and contingent, natural and voluntary, good and evil, achieved and thought upon, finite and infinite, all, are known unto him. So saith the Apostle, Heb. 4.13. There is no creature that is not manifest in the sight of God. No creature! Nay, unto his eyes all things are naked and open. All things! How then is it, that here he saith to the Israelites, You only have I known of all the families of the earth? For the clearing of this doubt, we are to note, that knowledge attributed unto God in holy Scripture, doth not ever betoken a bare and naked knowledge, but sometimes his love, his favour, his care, his providence, his choice, his approbation, his allowance, his acceptance, or the like. As Psal. 1.6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. He knoweth, that is, he loveth, he approveth, he accepteth, he is well pleased with, and graciously directeth, the way of the righteous. And so are we to expound that of the 37. Psal. Verse. 18. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright. He knoweth, that is, He doth not only foresee, but also he alloweth, he careth and provideth for the life of the upright. So I understand that branch of David, prayer which he made in the cave, Psal. 142.3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, than thou knewest my path. Thou knewest, that is, thou didst approve and allow of the order of my life, and innocent conversation. In the book of Exodus, Chap. 33.17. the Lord said unto Moses, Thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. I know thee by name, that is, I have respect unto thee, I approve thee, I care and provide for thee. In the first Chapter of the Prophecy of Nahum, vers. 7. it is said of the Lord, that he knoweth them that trust in him. And there to know, is to love, to defend, to approve, to regard. Them that trust in him he knoweth, he suffers them not to perish. In the second Epistle to Timothy, Chap. 2.19. we read of a foundation, a foundation of God, a sure foundation, the seal whereof is, Novit Dominus, q●● sunt ejus: The Lord knoweth those that are his. The Lord knoweth; understand not only a knowledge in general but a special knowledge; such a knowledge as is joined cum applicatione cordis ac voluntatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as a learned Divine well speaketh, such a knowledge as is associated with the applying of the heart, and will, and good pleasure of the lord The Lord knoweth who are his: He so knows them, as that they d joan. 10.28. shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand. Other like places I could produce yet further, to show this idiotism of the holy tongue, that verba notitiae, words of knowledge, do not ever betoken a bare and naked knowledge, but sometime such a e Mat. 7.23. Luk. 13.27. Mat. 25.12. Rom. 7 15. knowledge, as is joined with some f Vorflius a●ica Duplicat. cap. 4. pag 225. decree of him that knoweth, with some action of his will, with his approbation. But I shall not need to do it. From the Texts of Scripture before alleged, ariseth a distinction of the Schoolmen: their distinction of the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God, say they, is twofold: the one is the knowledge of his g Aquin. ●●. 2●. qu. 188. 5. 1. apprehension; the other, the knowledge of his h Ripa in 1. Th. qu. 14. Art. 13. Dub. 4. cap. 4. fol. 83. col. 3. & Wendalin. Suppl. in 4. Sentent. Dist. 50. qu. 1. approbation. That they call his absolute and speculative knowledge; this his special, and practical: and this, not that, is the knowledge to be understood in the places even now by me expounded. And this, not that, is the knowledge intended in my Text. Thus is the doubt resolved. The doubt was; How it is here said, that the Lord only knew the Israelites above all the Nations of the Earth? The answer is: He knew them, not only as he knew other Nations, by his absolute and speculative knowledge, but also by his special and practical; not only by the knowledge of his apprehension, but also by the knowledge of his approbation. Some there are, that by knowledge here, do understand a possession. To know, say they, is to possess, to have in our power, to enjoy as our own. For proof whereof they bring that, Psal. 50.11. I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine. The words are the words of God unto his people Israel. Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel. I am God even thy God. I know all the fowls of the Mountains. I know them, I so know them, that I can count them, and call them when I list; they are in my power, I enjoy them as mine own, they are mine own possession. And so they expound my Text: You only have I known of all the families of the earth. I have known you only. Vos tantummodò mihi in viros cultores assumpsi, aut possedi, saith Illyricus. You only have I taken to be the men for my worship: you alone have I possessed. For I have known you, the Chaldee Paraphrast hath, I have chosen you. I have chosen you. Not amiss: if by this choice, you understand not, that special election i Ephes. 1.4. and choice of God, by which he hath ordained to life eternal those, whom of his free good will and pleasure he hath decreed to endow with a celestial inheritance. For it's not to be denied, but that among the people of Israel, there were many, that had no part in this eternal election and choice of God. Many of them had no part in it, and therefore this election and choice is not here to be understood. But there is another election and choice of God, an election and choice more general; an election, a choice, whereby God preferreth some one Nation above others, graciously to manifest himself, and to reveal his saving word unto them. And thus may God be said only to have elected and chosen the people of Israel. You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth. That the people of Israel were alone thus elected and chosen of God, Moses confesseth, Deut. 4.7, 8. What nation, saith he, is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things, that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous, as all this Law is, which is set before us this day? It is as if he had thus said: Let us be compared with the rest of the Nations of the world, and we shall find that God is good and gracious unto us above them all. As soon as we pray unto our God, and resort unto him, we feel him near us by and by. It is not so with other Nations. Again, we have his Laws and Statutes, and righteous Ordinances: other Nations have not so. This doth the same Moses more plainly deliver, in sundry places of the same book of Deuteronomy, Chap. 7.6. Chap. 10.15. Chap. 14.2. Chap. 26.18. In all which places his purpose is to fasten it in the memories of the people of Israel, that they were an holy people unto the Lord their God: that the Lord their God had chosen them to be a peculiar people unto himself above all people that were upon the face of the earth. In the three first places is expressly said, that the Lord did choose Israel to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that are upon the earth: in the fourth, that the Lord avouched them to be his peculiar people. He chose them, he avouched them to be his peculiar people; and all for his promise sake. The promise is, Exod. 19.5. Ye shall be a peculiar or chief treasure unto me above all people, though all the earth be mine. A peculiar, or a chief treasure! The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah, which signifieth once own proper good, which he loveth and keepeth in store for himself, and for special use. You shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah, a peculiar, a chief treasure unto me above all people. The meaning of this promise is, that, although the whole earth be the Lords by the right of creation, yet this people, the people of Israel, should above all other have a special interest in him. Or the meaning is, that the Lord would commit unto this people, his people Israel, as a chief and principal treasure, his Laws and Statutes, which he would not do to any other people in the world beside. So much is acknowledged, Psal. 147.19, 20. He showeth his word unto jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any Nation. Certainly hereby the Lord showeth how dear and how precious the people of Israel were in his eyes; and what prerogatives they were to have above other people. A chief prerogative of theirs, is, that the Oracles of God were committed unto them. Saint Paul affirms it, Rom. 3.1, 2. What advantage then hath the jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chief, because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God. Many other, and very excellent prerogatives had they. They are heaped up together, Rom. 9.4. They were Israelites; to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises: Theirs were the Fathers, and of them as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. So many preeminences, are so many evidences and demonstrations, that of all the nations of the Earth, the Israelites were known of God, were chosen by him, and were his possession. They were known of him by the knowledge of his approbation: they were chosen by him, and were separated from among all the people of the earth to be his inheritance. So Solomon confesseth, 1 King. 8.53. and the Lord himself here in my Text avoucheth: You only have I known of all the families of the earth. You will now confess with me, that these words are, as in the beginning I said they were, a Commemoration of God's benefits upon Israel. Every prerogative of theirs was a benefit, a blessing of God upon them. It was God's blessing upon them, that to them were committed the Oracles of God. It was God's blessing upon them that they were Israelites, that to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises. It was God's blessing upon them, that theirs were the Fathers, and that of them, concerning the flesh, Christ came. These great benefits, these blessings of God upon the Israelites, Albertus Magnus in his Enarration upon the words of my Text, reduceth to the number of five. Thus: You only have I known of all the families of the Earth, per beneplacitum. Only you of all the families of the Earth have I known by my good pleasure: Quia me vobis revelavi, lege● vobis posui, promissiones adhibui, pramiis remuneravi, prophetiis illuminavi. I have revealed myself unto you, I have given you the Law, I have made to you the promises, I have recompensed you with rewards, I have illuminated you with Prophecies. Then adds he that of the Psalm, Non taliter fecit omni nationi: He hath not dealt so with every Nation. With every Nation! Nay he hath not so with any Nation. Upon this first part of my Text; this Commemoration of God's benefits bestowed upon Israel, I grounded my first observation. It is this: It is an excellent privilege to be known of God by the knowledge of his approbation; to be chosen of him to be his people, to be in his love and favour; to be under his care and providence. The excellency of this privilege appeareth in this, that the Lord here calls Israel to the remembrance of it, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth. This excellent privilege, the true service of the living God thorough the free use of his holy Word and Sacraments wheresoever it is found among any people, is a sure pledge that the Lord knoweth that people with the knowledge of his approbation, that he hath chosen them to be his peculiar people, that they are in his love and favour, and that he careth and provideth for them. How much then (Beloved) how much are we indebted to the Majesty and bounty of Almighty God, who hath graced us with so excellent a blessing as is the Ministry of his holy Word? His holy Word! It is a jewel, than which nothing is more precious; to which any thing compared is but dross; by which whatsoever is tried, will be found lighter than vanity. The true estimate of this jewel may be had out of the 19 Psalm. At the 7. vers. it is Perfect, nothing may be added to it, without marring of it: it converteth the soul, and turneth it from evil to good. It is sure; you may build upon the truth of it, as well for the promises of mercy, as for the threatenings of judgement. It giveth wisdom, the wisdom of the spirit, even unto the simple, to the humble and lowly of mind. At the eighth verse, It is right, without any injustice or corruption. It rejoiceth the heart, with true and sound joy. It is pure, pure in all points, and giveth light to the eyes, the eyes of the mind, that we may securely trace the way to Heaven: At the ninth verse, It is clean, without spot or show of evil, and endureth for ever without alteration or change. It is truth without falsehood, and is righteous all together, there is no error in it. Is your desire for profit, or for pleasure? This jewel yields you both. At the tenth verse; for profit, it is compared to Gold, for pleasure to Honey. For profit it is more to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold: for pleasure, it is sweeter than honey or the honey comb. Moreover, at the tenth verse. It will make you circumspect; it will show you the danger of sin, and will teach you how to avoid it, and may encourage you to obedience, for as much as in the keeping of it, there is great reward. Great reward; yet through God's mercy, and not of your merit. Now dear beloved, is the holy Word of God a jewel so precious? of such an estimate? Then give ear to the exhortation of wisdom, Prou. 23.23. Buy it, and sell it not. Buy it, what ere it cost you, seek by all means to obtain it; and when you have gotten it, sell it not at any hand: depart not from it for any price, for any cause. But let it (according to the exhortation, that Saint Paul made to the Colossians, Chap. 3.16. Let it dwell in you plenteously in all wisdom. It is, as one wittily speaketh, God's best friend, and the King's best friend, and the Courts best friend, and the City's best friend, and the Country's best friend, and every man's best friend. Give it therefore entertainment, not as to a foreigner or stranger, but as to your familiar, as to your best friend, let it dwell in you. And sith it comes not empty, but brings with it, as well pleasure, as profit, as you have already heard, Let it dwell in you plenteously. Plenteously; Yet in all wisdom. Let us hear it in all wisdom, read it in all wisdom, meditate upon it in all wisdom, speak of it in all wisdom, and preach it in all wisdom; not only in wisdom, but in all wisdom, that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts may ever be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our strength and our Redeemer. Thus fare of my first observation, grounded upon the Commemoration of God's blessings upon Israel; You only have I known of all the families of the earth. You only! My second observation is: that, this great bl●ssing of the true service of God, and the free use of his holy Word, was in the days before Christ appropriate to the people of the jews. This appeareth by some of those places before alleged, Deut. 4.7, 8. and Psal. 147.19, 20. for the further illustration of the point, that of the 76. Psalm, vers. 1, 2. may well serve: In judah is God known, his name is great in Israel, in Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwelling in Zion. In which words, the Psalmist giveth unto the land of judah and Israel this prerogative above the rest of the Nations of the whole earth, that there God was known, and his name was great, but especially in Salem, that is, in Jerusalem, and in Mount Zion, the place which he desired for his habitation. Psal. 132.13. There was God known; his name was great there. Elsewhere it was not so. It was not so among the Nations. For (as Barnabas and Paul told the men of Lystra, Acts 14.16.) in times past God suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways. The way of God they then knew not. The then state of the Nations Saint Paul, Ephes. 2.12. elegantly decyphereth in five circumstances. He bids them remember what they were in time past: as that first, they were without Christ; secondly, they were aliens from the common wealth of Israel; thirdly, they were strangers from the covenants of promise; fourthly, they were without hope; fifthly, they were without God in the world. Enough is said for the confirmation of my second observation, which was, that in time of old, in time past, in the days before Christ his coming in the flesh, the true service of God, and the exercise of his holy word, was appropriate to the people of the jews, to the children of Israel. Now the reasons of this appropriation, are two. One is, God's undeserved and special love; the other is, the truth of his promise. Both are expressed, Deut. 7. At the seventh verse the false cause is removed; at the eighth the true is put. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people: for ye were the fewest of all people. There the false cause is removed. The true cause is put in the words following: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath, which he swore unto your fathers, therefore hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt: and hath given you the rich treasure of his true service and holy Word. To you only hath he been so gracious, not for any dignity or worth of yours, but for his own love's sake, and for his promise sake. One use of this observation may be to show, that heretofore Grace was not so universal, as Papists now would have it to be. The knowledge of the means of salvation was denied to the Nations. A second use may be, to admonish us, that we hold it for a singular blessing, that the Lord hath reserved us for these last days, wherein the word of God of old time limited to the coasts of judaea and Palaestina, is now published unto us of the Gentiles. Ephes. 2.13. Now in Christ jesus, we who were sometimes fare off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now therefore we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-heires with the Saints, Psal. 107.8. and of the household of God. O that we would therefore praise the Lord for this his goodness, and declare this wonder that he hath done for us. It is time, that from the Commemoration, we descend to the Commination. The Commination is in these words: Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Therefore! Why? Because the Lord hath known Israel above all the families of the earth, will he therefore punish them for all their iniquities? Is not the sequel absurd, You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities? Were it not better thus; You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will spare you, I will pardon you, I will not punish you for all your iniquities. For removing of this scruple, we must have recourse to that Covenant which the Lord made with Israel in Horeb. Deut. 5.2. The form of the Covenant is extant, Exod. 19.5. If you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, than ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. This Covenant is more at large described in Deut. 7. and 28. The sum of it is: If thou wilt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his Commandments which he commandeth thee, then blessed shalt thou be; but if thou wilt not, accursed shalt thou be. The Covenant you see is upon a condition. If the condition be broken on Israel's part, God is no longer on his part tied to any performance. This sequel than may be good: I have chosen you by Covenant above all the nations of the earth, that ye should keep my Law; but you have failed in the condition; you have not kept my Law. Therefore I will punish you; and will punish you for all your iniquities. Therefore] because you having been graciously received by me into favour, do run headlong into all iniquity, I will punish you: therefore I will punish you. In the Hebrew it is Visitabo super vos, or contra vos, I will visit upon you, or against you. The Vulgar Latin hath Visitabo super vos, I will visit upon you all your iniquities. I will visit.] To visit, is sometimes in the holy Scripture taken in the evil part, for to visit in anger or dispeasure, whence by a Synecdoche of the Genus for the Species, it betokeneth to punish. So is God said to visit, when with some sudden, and unlooked for scourge or calamity, he taketh vengeance upon men for those sins, which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of. In that part of David's Prayer, Psal. 59.5. O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake thou to visit the heathen, to visit is to visit in anger, it is to corroct, it is to punish. In the 89. Psal. vers. 32. to such as departed from the Law of the Lord, and from that rule of righteousness which it prescribeth them to walk in, the Lord threatneth, that he will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. And there to visit, must needs be to visit in anger, for as much as it brings a rod and stripes with it. It is to correct, it is to punish. In the thirteetnh of Esay, vers. 11. the Lord saith, I will visit the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. And there also to visit, is to visit in anger: it is to correct, it is to punish. Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleged places, so doth it in my Text, I will visit you, I will visit you in mine anger: it is to correct, it is to punish. Now as to visit signifieth in the now alleged places, so doth it in my Text, I will visit you, I will visit you in mine anger, I will correct you, I will punish you. But for what? It followeth, For all your iniquities. For all, either universal, or indefinitely. For all universally; so the gloss takes it, so Albertus the Bishop of Ratisbone; so Rupertus the Abbot of Tuitium. I will punish you for all, sit nihil impunitum, that nothing be unpunished. I will punish you for all, Instant judicio, remote â misericordiâ, summâ cum severitate; with instant judgement, without mercy, with greatest severity. I will punish you for all. For it is a just thing even with men, that he that makes a Law, should punish according to the Law. Or, All, may here be taken indefinitely, for some of all. It is Drusius his observation; Omnes dixit, pro omne genus, vel plerasque. All, he hath said for all sorts, or for the most part. I will punish you for all your iniquities; that is, for the sorts of your iniquities, or for the most part of them. For the Lord of his clemency and mercy remitteth unto his some of their iniquities. Or these two expositions for this place I prefer the former. So shall this second branch of my Text bear with it this understanding; Therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Therefore] because you, having been respected by me, and received into my favour above all the Nations of the earth, have notwithstanding forsaken my Laws, and corrupted my service, I will visit upon you all your iniquities. I will punish you for all; for all, universally; for all your iniquities; not one of them shall escape unpunished. I will punish you for all your iniquities. I] there is the Agent. Will punish] there is the Action. You] there is the Patient. For all your iniquities] there is the Cause. I will punish you for all your iniquities. From the Agent and his Action, ariseth this observation; Whatsoever punishment befalleth any one in this life, it is from the Lord. The Lord! He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he is efficiens primarum, he is the primary and principal actor in all punishments. He is a sure revenger of all impiety, as he is the maintainer of his holy Law. This office of punishing, the Lord assumeth to himself, Esay. 45.7. I am the Lord, and there is none else: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. I create evil. In this place, by Evil, we are not to understand malum culpae, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not robbery, not covetousness, nor any like wickedness; but malum poene, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Saint chrysostom speaketh, Homily 23. upon Matthew, the stripes or wounds that we receive from above. Gasper Sanchius doth here reckon up, whatsoever disturbeth our tranquillity or quiet, whatsoever external or domestical vexation we have, whatsoever taketh from us the faculty and opportunity of those things that are necessary for our life; as war, and exile, and depredation, and servitude, and want, and the like. Of all these it may be truly affirmed, that the Lord createth them; the Lord doth them all. Of such evils is that also to be understood, which our Prophet Amos hath in the sixth verse of this Chapter: Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? The interrogation is used, the more to urge the point. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? There shall be none. No evil of punishment, no calamity, no misery, no cross, no affliction shall be in any City, or in any other place of the world, but the Lord is the actor of it: he doth it. Hereof was holy job well advised. The check he gives his Wife shows it. She seeing him all smitten over with sore biles from the sole of his foot unto the crown of his head, falls a tempting him: Dost thou yet retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. jobs reply unto her is, Chap. 2.10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh: What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive Evil? Shall we not receive Evil? By Evil he meaneth the Evil not of sin, but of punishment: as calamities, miseries, crosses, afflictions, and the like: which he calleth evil, not because they are so indeed, but because many think them so to be. For things may be termed Evil in a twofold understanding. Some are indeed Evil; such are our sins, and of them God is not the cause. Some are not indeed Evil, but only in regard of us, in regard of our sense, of our feeling, of our apprehension, of our estimation. Such are the punishments, the calamities, the miseries, the afflictions, whereto we are in this life subject: and of these God is the cause. This is it which job acknowledgeth in the reproof of his wife's folly; Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive Evil? and it fitly serveth for the establishment of my doctrine. Whatsoever punishment befalleth any one in this life, it's from the Lord. The reason hereof is: because the Lord is the principal doer of all things. He is the primary agent, the chiefest actor in all things, and therefore in all the punishments which do befall us in this life. The uses of this observation are two: One is to reprove some Philosophers of old, and some ignorant people now adays, for a vain opinion of theirs, whereby they attribute to accident, chance, and fortune, all those their afflictions, from the least to the greatest, whereof they fee not any apparent cause. The other is, to admonish us, that when any affliction is upon us, we take it patiently as coming from the Lord; and repine not at the instruments, by whom we are afflicted. They without him could do nothing against us. Whatsoever they do, they do it by his permission. The hand of his particular providence is with them to appoint the beginning, and end, and measure, and continuance of all our afflictions. Wherefore in all our afflictions let our practice be, as holy David's was, Psal. 39.9. even to hold our peace, and say nothing, because the Lord hath done it. From the Agent and his Action, I pass to the Patient: You. I will punish You. You, mine own possession; You, my peculiar treasure; You, my chosen people above all the Nations of the earth, I will punish you. My observation from hence is: The Lord doth punish his servants in this life above others. This truth I further prove out of Saint Peter, Epist. 1. Chap. 4. Vers. 17. He there saith, The time is come, that judgement must begin at the house of God. At the house of God it must begin. His servants therefore must have the first taste of it: and the time is come for them to have it. Is the time now come? Was it not before? Yes; it was ever. Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron's sons, they offer strange fire before the Lord: and a fire comes out from the Lord, and devours. This is it, that the Lord spoke saying, In propinquis meis sanctificabor, Levit. 10.3. I will be sanctified in them, that come nigh me. If they that come nigh unto me transgress my laws I will not spare them; they, even they shall feel the heaviness of my hand. So saith the Lord, jerem. 25.29. Lo, I begin to bring evil on the City, in which my name is called upon. And there you see: It is not the service of God, not the calling upon his holy Name, that can exempt a place from punishment if it be polluted with iniquity. Begin at my Sanctuary. It is the Lords direction for the punishment of jerusalem, Ezech. 9.6. Go thorough the City, and smite, Let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young: yea, maids and little children, and women. But come not near any man upon whom is the mark; the rest slay utterly old and young, Spare not, Pity not, and begin at my Sanctuary. Now lay we all this together: Begin with them, that are nigh unto me: begin at my City, at my house, at my Sanctuary, spare none; pity none, smite all. You see my observation made good: The Lord doth punish his servants in this life above others. I say in this life. One reason hereof may be; because the Lord, out of his love to his servants, will not suffer them to go on in sin. A second may be; eternal punishments are prepared for the wicked hereafter, and therefore here in this life are they the less punished. And the uses may be two: One, to lessen us, that in the multitude and the greatness of our afflictions, we acknowledge Gods great mercy, and endeavour to bear them all with patience and contentment. Whensoever God's hand shall be upon us, in judgement for our sins; let that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11.32. be our comfort, When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. A second use may be, to show unto us, how fearful their case is, who pass all their time here in this world without any touch of affliction. Affliction! it is the badge of every son of God. Whosoever hath no part herein, he is a bastard, he is no son. So saith the Apostle, Heb. 12.8. I have done with the Patient; with the parties punished. Now a word or two of the cause of their punishment, which is the last circumstance, in these words; For all your iniquities. I will punish you for all your iniquities; for all your sins; for all, not only original, but also actual: and for all actual, not only of commission, but also of omission; not only of knowledge, but also of ignorance; not only of presumption, but also of infirmity: I will punish you for all your sins. For all. The observation is: The Lord will not suffer any sin to escape unpunished. Sin! It is causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it is the impulsive cause of punishment. It plucks down vengeance from the Majesty of Heaven. It's true of every sin, even of the least sin: Cognatum, immo innatum omni sceleri, scelaris supplicium. The wages of sin is death. As the work is ready, so the pay is present. Nec aufertur, nec differtur. If impiety, no impunity. It's impossible, any sin should be without punishment. Impossibl. The reasons are two: One is taken from the justice of God. It is a part of God's justice to punish sin, and therefore he cannot but punish it. The other is taken from the truth of God. God who is ever true, hath threatened to punish sin, and therefore he will not leave any sin unpunished. The consideration of this point, Beloved, should be unto us a bar to keep us in, that we be not too secure, too presumptuous of our own estate. We cannot be ignorant, for we have learned it out of God's Word, that we have whole armies of enemies to encounter withal, not only out of us, in the world abroad, but also within us lurking within our own flesh, even our sins. These sins of ours are our cruelest enemies. They are ever hurrying us on to punishment. Wherefore let us be at utter defiance with them; and use we all holy means to get the victory over them, by the daily exercises of prayer and repentance, and by a continual practice of new obedience to Gods most holy Will, according to that measure of grace which we have received. So shall our sins, all our sins, lie drowned in the most precious blood of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, as in a bottomless Sea, from which they shall never be able to rise up against us for our hurt. THE Third Lecture. AMOS 3.3. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a Lion roar in the Forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young Lion cry out of his d●●, If he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a sna●e upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? OF the three parts, which heretofore I have observed in this third Chapter and second Sermon of Amos concerning the kingdom of the ten Tribes, this is the third, and is continued from this third verse to the end of this Chapter. I termed it an Enarration, a Declaration, an Exposition, an Expolition. Call you it as you will. Here shall you find the Proposition, whereof you heard in my last Lecture, powerfully and elegantly made good. The substance of the Proposition was; God having been good and gracious to a people, if he be repaid with unthankfulness, will assuredly visit that people, and punish them for all their iniquities. For the polishing and adorning hereof we have here diverse similitudes, by diverse Interpreters, diversely expounded. I find among them five different expositions. Some will have all these similitudes, all six, to be brought to prove one and the same thing; namely: That no evil can befall any city, except the Lord command it. Of this exposition Saint Hierome makes mention. It is the exposition of Theodoret, and Remigius: and may run thus. As it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed; or that a Lion should roar in the forest, when he hath no prey; or, that a Lion's whelp should cry out of his den, if he have gotten nothing; or, that a bird should fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him; or, that a Fowler should take up his snare from the ground, before he have taken somewhat; or, that the Trumpet should sound an Alarm in the City, and the people not fear: so it cannot be, that there should be any evil, any evil of punishment, any plague in a City, except the Lord command it so to be. Some there are that expound these similitudes, of God's agreement with his Prophets for the denouncing of some evil that is eminent and near at hand. Lyra, Hugo, and Dionysius, do so expound them. Their exposition runs thus: As it cannot be, that two should walk together for the dispatch of a business, except they be first agreed; or, that a Lion should roar in the forest when he hath no prey, and so forth of the rest; So it cannot be, that God's Prophets should forewarn us of any judgement that shall befall us, except they be first agreed with God, and God speak in them. This exposition Christophorus à Castro takes for good, because it is said vers. 7. of this Chapter, Surely, the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets. By his servants, the Prophets, the Lord roareth as a Lion, he layeth his snares as a Fowler, he soundeth an alarm as with a trumpet, and proclaimeth evil to a City. Others there are, that refer these similitudes to the disagreement that is between God and Israel. Albertus, Rupertus, and Isidore, do so refer them. Their exposition may run thus: as it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed; so it cannot be, that God should walk with Israel. The time indeed was, when God walked with his people Israel, and Israel with God. It was then, when they of Israel were desirous to please God, to do his holy will, and to depend upon him. But afterward, when they forsook God, and betook themselves to the service of strange gods, Idoll-gods, Devils, it could not be, that God should walk any longer with them, or they with God. No marvel then, if upon this disagreement, the Lord by his Prophets do roar at Israel, as a Lion roareth at his prey: nor marvel, if he lay a snare for them, as a Fowler doth for birds: no marvel, if he sound an alarm as with a Trumpet, and proclaim against them. There is yet a fourth exposition; the exposition of Arias Montanus. He understands these similitudes of the disagreement, that was between the two peoples, of Israel and judah. Notorious was the revolt of Israel from judah: notorious the rent of the ten Tribes from the other two. By this revolt, or rend, of one kingdom were made two: the kingdom of Israel, and the kingdom of judah. Here was much a do, much contention, which kingdom should be the chief, which should have the preeminence. Notwithstanding this their variance, yet was there a concord between them: a concord, to forsake the Law of the Lord and his holy worship: a concord to tread the paths of superstition, and to embrace the service of Idols. Herein they were agreed. Agreed among themselves, but not with God. The more they were agreed among themselves, the further off they were from any agreement with God. Now this exposition is: As it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed: so it cannot be that God should walk either with Israel or judah: As well judah, as Israel, being at odds with God, as having left his holy Law, and polluted themselves with superstition, must taste of the severity of God's displeasure. God will be unto them as a Lion that roareth at his prey; and as a snare that is spread by the Fowler; he will cause an alarm to be heard among them, and will summon them to battle, whereby their ruin shall be wrought: ruin upon Israel through Salmanasser, and ruin upon judah through Nabuchodonosor. I cannot pass by a fifth exposition. I have it from Saint Hieroms relation; from his reading Legi in cuiusdam commentario, rem difficilem persuadere cupientis, I have read, saith he, in a Commentary of one, that is willing to persuade a hard matter; that here are eight comminations, answering to eight precedent impieties. Those eight impieties are these: the first of Damascus; the second of Gaza, and other Cities of Palaestina; the third of Tyre; the fourth of Idumaea or Edom; the fift of the children of Ammon; the sixth of Moab; the seventh of judah, or of the two Tribes; the eight of Israel, or, of the ten Tribes. Five of them are discovered in the first Chapter, the other three in the second. To these eight impieties, eight comminations are here rendered; to the first, the first; to the second, the second; to the rest, the rest in their order. Quod utrum rerum sit, noverit ipse, qui scripsit: But whether this be so, or not, let him that wrote it, look to it. So doth Saint Hierome put by this fifth exposition: neither do I see any reason to admit it. The four former are more pertinent to this place, and of them the two first are most of all, as Castrus supposeth. But which is indeed the most pertinent, it will appear by the particular consideration of each similitude in its order. I begin with the first. The first similitude is taken from way-faring men, from travellers: vers. 3. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So Saint Cyrill gins his exposition of this verse. We have here a profound riddle, and an obscure saying; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yet will we speak of it, we will expound it, as we may. Can two walk together, except they be agreed?] The translation of the Septuagint is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Will two walk wholly to the same purpose, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unless they know one the other? The Vulgar Latin hath Nunquid ambulabunt duo pariter, Will two walk together, nisi convenerit eyes, unless they be agreed? Tremelius and junius, and Piscator; their translation is; An ambulaturi essent duo unà. Would two walk together, nisi convenirent, unless they could agree? Drusius he reads: An ibunt duo simul, Will two go together, nisi convenerint, unless they meet in some certain place? Taverner, an ancient English Translator, he hath, May twain walk together, except they be agreed among themselves. Will two, Would too, May twain, Can two walk or go together, unless they know one the other, unless they be agreed, unless they could agree, unless they meet together, except they be agreed among themselves? Some difference you see there is in the translations, but the understanding of the place is not thereby much varied. I follow our newest and best approved English. Can two walk together, except they be agreed?] Can they? The answer must be negative; No. They cannot. Can they not? How so? Carthusian says they may. For a man may be compelled to walk with another. And its plain by that, which our Saviour in his Sermon, in the Mount, says to his Auditors, Mat. 5.41. Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Now where compulsion is, there is no agreement: and therefore may two walk together, though they be not agreed. May they so? To what end then serves this Interrogation; Can two walk together, except they be agreed? I answer with Carthusian, that our Prophet here speaketh, secundum communem cursum, according to the common course: and communiter verum esse, that it is commonly true, that two cannot walk together, except they be agreed. Commonly it is true, yet not ever so. Drusius hath a Solent, to express the meaning with: Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Minime solent, they use not so to do. Mercerus hath likewise his Solet, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Ferè fieri non solet: it is not usual they should do so: For the most part they do it not. This is it, that Paulus de Palatio hath: Solent, qui volunt iter simul facere, priùs secum de eo itinere convenire; they who undertake any journey together, do use first to agree upon it. Should they not first agree, how could they come together, how walk together? Commonly and for the most part they could not. You see now what answer is to be made to the interrogation here; Can two walk together, except they be agreed? The answer is, They cannot, Commonly they cannot, for the most part they cannot; usually they cannot. They cannot walk together, except they be agreed. It is a known rule: Interrogatio quandoque vim habet negandi: An Interrogation hath sometimes the force of a Negation. So hath it, Gen. 18.14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? The answer must be, No; there is nothing too hard for him. The Angel Gabriel well renders it, Luke 1.37. With God nothing shall be impossible. In the seventh Chapter of Saint Matthew, vers. 9, 10. you have a twofold Interrogation: What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? The answer must be, No. You will not give any son of yours, a stone in stead of bread, or a serpent in stead of fish. You will not. You know how to give good gifts unto your children. In the same Chapter, vers. 16. the Interrogation is, Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? The answer must be, No. They do not. It is against the course of nature, that either thorns should bring forth grapes, or thistles figs. Such is the Interrogation here. It hath the force of a Negation. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? The answer must be, No. They cannot. Two cannot walk together, except they be agreed. Hitherto you have had the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the proposition of this first similitude; now followeth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the reddition of it. Hitherto hath been rei extrariae consideratio, now followeth rei praesentis accommodatio: hitherto the explication of the former part; now, the application of the latter. Thus: As it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed: so it cannot be, that the Prophets of the Lord should forewarn us of any judgement, that shall befall us, except they be first agreed with God, and God speak in them. This is the second of those five expositions, whereof you heard in the beginning of this exercise. It was the exposition of Lyra, Hugo, and Dionysius: and is embraced by later Expositors; by Paulus de Palatio, Marthurinus Quadratus, and Christophorus à Castro, by Brentius, and Winckleman, by Caluin and Mercer. The observation is: The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarn us of any judgement that shall befall us, except they be first agreed with God, and God speak in them. This truth Saint Peter expressly delivereth, Ep. 2. Chap. 1. vers. 20, 21. No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation: for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spoke, as they were moved by the holy Ghost. The Prophets of the Lord spoke not of their own heads; God spoke in them. Prophets! They are criers: and criers speak nothing, but what is put into their mouths. Esay is a crier. He makes a noise after the manner of a crier, Esay 55.1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. The Lord bids him cry, Esay 40.6. and he saith, What shall I cry? Then are the words put into his mouth: All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. john Baptist is a crier. So he styles himself, joh. 1.23. I am the voice of a crier in the wilderness. And how crieth he? Even as the words are put into his mouth: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Prophets! They are Trumpeters. Their voice is like a Trumpet. Esay 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, show my people their transgression, and the house of jacob their sins. They must set the trumpet to their mouths, Hos. 8.1. They must blow the trumpet, joel 2.1. But they must blow it with the breath of the Lord: Otherwise it giveth but an uncertain sound, and a false alarm. Prophets! They are Watchmen. Their office is, to hear the Word at the Lords mouth, and then to warn the people. The charge is given them, Ezech. 3.17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the Word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. This their charge is reiterated, Ezech. 33.7. O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear the Word at my mouth, and warn them from me. You see; they are not to speak a word, but they have it from the Lord, and accordingly must they warn the people. jeremy, a Prophet. He eats the words of the Lord, Chap. 15.16. and is thereby fitted to his function. Ezechiel, a Prophet. A hand is sent unto him, and lo, a roll of a book therein. The roll is spread before him, and is written within and without. Within is written, Lamentations, and mournings, and woe. This roll he is commanded to eat. He eats it. So he goes and speaks unto the house of Israel, Ezech. 3.3. Saint john the Divine a Prophet too. He sees an Angel with a little book in his hand, and begs the book. The Angel gives it him, and bids him eat it. He takes it and eats it. Then is he fit to prophesy before many people's, and nations, and Kings, and tongues, Revel 10 11. The Prophets profess of themselves, that they speak nothing besides the pure word of God. joshua, he saith to the children of Israel: Come hither and hear the Word of the Lord your God. Chap. 3.9. The words which I shall deliver unto you concerning what shall come to pass hereafter, they are not my words; they are the words of the Lord your God. Esay calls upon Heaven and Earth to hear, Chap. 1.2. Hear O Heavens, and give ear, O Earth, for the Lord hath spoken. The words, which I now speak unto you, they are not my words, they are the words of the Lord. Amos our Prophet: he likewise calleth upon the children of Israel in the beginning of this Chapter. Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel. Hear it. It is not my word, it is the word of the Lord; the Lord hath spoken it. What more familiar in the writings of the Prophets, than these forms of speech, Thus saith the Lord, Saith the Lord, the burden of the Word of the Lord; the Word of the Lord came unto me? They all make for the authority of the Prophets of old, and their prophecies. From hence, as also from that they are Eaters of the Word of God, and are Watchmen, and are Trumpeters, and are Criers, its evident, their prophecies were not of their own wills: they spoke not of their own heads; God spoke in them. Thus the truth of my Doctrine stands inviolable: The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarn us of any judgement that shall befall us, except they be first agreed with God, and God speak in them. Here first is a lesson for us, who succeed the Prophets in the Ministry of the Church. We may not deliver any thing unto you, but what we have gathered out of the Word of God. Every Minister of the New Testament, should be as Moses was of the Old. Moses his charge was not to conceal any thing, but to speak all, Exod. 7.2. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee. It is our part to do the like. It is our part to speak in the Name of God, and in his Name alone, to feed the flock of Christ with his pure word, and with his word alone: and to do it as learnedly, as faithfully, as sincerely, as constantly as we may; leaving the success of all to him that hath sent us, and disposeth of all men's hearts at his pleasure. So running our race, we shall one day be at rest in eternal comfort, fully delivered from this vile world, from wicked men, from evil natures: from such, who are ever ready to take our best endeavours in the worst sense, and to require our honest affections with their foul disgraces. Here secondly is a lesson for you. For you, Beloved: for all such as are the Auditors and hearers of the Word of God. This duty of hearing is to be put in practice; not dully, but with diligence; not heavily, but with cheerfulness, as to the Lord. There is a generation of hearers, that would seem desirous to hear the Word preached, but they would have it of free cost: they like not the charges it bringeth with it. O let not any such repiner, any such grudger be found in the assembly of the Saints. Such, if they confer any thing to the maintenance of the Ministry, they do it not for conscience sake, but of necessity; not for any love they bear unto the Word preached, but by compulsion of Law: not as a free will offering to God for the recompense of his Kingdom among them, but as a taxation, which they cannot resist. To such the preaching of the Word is not a benefit, but a burden. So fare are they from taking any delight therein, as that by their good wills they would wholly shake and shift it off. Carnally minded men, careless and prodigal of the salvation of their own souls. The horsekeeper that dresseth their horses, the shepherd that watcheth their sheep, the herdsman that looketh to their swine, the Cobbler that clouteth their shoes, shall willingly be considered for their pains: but the Minister or Pastor that breaketh unto them the bread of life, shall have no supply from them to the relief of his necessities. No supply! Nay, well were he if he could hold his own, even that portion of maintenance, which is allotted to him by the Word of God. But I hope there cannot be found in this assembly, any one so sacrilegiously affected. I have good reason to be persuaded much better of you all. Yet you, as well affected as you are in this behalf, are to be admonished, that to these exercises of our religion ye come willingly and joyfully. Willingly for your own duties sake, and joyfully, because from hence you may carry home with you a jewel of an invaluable price, even the precious Word of God: wherein quicquid docetur, veritas; quicquid praecipitur, bonitas; quicquid promittitur, felicitas est, as Hugo lib. 3. de Anima speaketh: Whatsoever is taught, its truth; whatsoever is commanded, its goodness; whatsoever is promised, its happiness. Nam Deus veritas est, sine fallaciâ; bonitas, sine malitiâ; felicitas, sine miseriâ: for God is truth, without falsehood; goodness, without malice; happiness, without misery. O come ye then hither, as willingly for your duties sake, so also joyfully for your profits sake. Willingly, and joyfully. It is somewhat, I grant, to come hither, to this house of God to divine service; but to come willingly and joyfully, it is a double virtue, and that which giveth life unto your coming. If you come unwillingly or grudgingly, if you be drawn hither, either for shame of the world, or through fear of Law, you come as men more than half dead, without either operation of the spirit, or desire of profit, or feeling of comfort, or increase of faith, or bettering of obedience. Wherefore, dear Beloved, let your care be, ever willingly and joyfully to present yourselves in these Courts of the Lord, in his holy Temple. Be ye well assured, that as he is accursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently; so is he also accursed that cometh into the house of the Lord either unwillingly or grudgingly, as if he were discouraged with the tediousness either of the way, or of the word. It is recorded of the people of God, Psal. 84. that they travelling towards the place of God's worship, passed through many dangers, endured much heat, suffered wants in the wilderness, and all for the delight they took in his service. The delight that they took in the service of God, did swallow up all their wants, their travel, their labour, and their pains. It made them say; A day in thy courts is better than a thousand. And, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. A day in thy courts is better than a thousand.] A day] one day only, and no more, in thy courts] in the courts of God, in his Temple, and the public meetings and assemblies there, is better] is more sweet, more comfortable, more profitable, than a thousand] elsewhere, yea, though the place be never so full of pleasure. And, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God] I had rather be of the meanest account in the Church, the place where my God, the only true and everliving God is served; than to dwell in the tents of wickedness] then to make my abode in most stately and gorgeous Palaces, wherein wickedness is practised and professed. O! how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! How excellent was this zeal of God's people? how great their forwardness to do him service? We would be accounted God's people, as well as they. But where is our zeal? Were ours as theirs was, certainly neither blasts of wind, nor fear of rain, nor heat of Summer, nor cold of Winter, nor a Lion in the way, nor any like trifle should stop us from coming to the house of God, his Temple, the place where by his Ministers he speaketh to his people. Thus fare by the occasion of my first observation, which was grounded upon the second of those five expositions, whereof you heard in the beginning of this exercise. My observation was: The Prophets of the Lord cannot forewarn us of any judgements that shall befall us, except they be first agreed with God, and God speak in them. I proceed. A second application of this first similitude to the matter here intended by the Holy Ghost, may be thus: As it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed; So it cannot be that God should walk with Israel, for as much as there is a disagreement between them. The time indeed was, when God walked with Israel, and Israel with God. Then it was, when the people of Israel were desirous to please God, to do his holy will, and to depend upon him. But afterward, when rebelliously they forsook God, and applied themselves to the service of false gods, it could not be, that God should any longer walk with them, or they with God. This is the third of those five expositions, whereof even now you heard. It was the exposition of Albertus, Rupertus, and Isidore; and is embraced by later Expositors, by Franciscus Ribera, by Petrus Lusitanus, by Oecolampadius, Danaeus, Gualther, Tremellius, and junius, and Piscator. The observation is: When man through his evil courses leaveth off to walk with God, or forsaketh him; then will God no longer walk with man, but will also forsake him. To walk with God is lovingly to adhere unto him, and to please him. So is the phrase used in the Prophecy of Micah, Chap. 6.8. What doth the Lord require of thee, O man, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself to walk with thy God. To walk with thy God, that is, jonathan translates it, to walk in the worship and fear of God. Petrus Lusitanus saith, it is to live according to the Law and will of God. And this doubtless is to please God. It is said of Enoch, Gen. 5.22, 24. that he walked with God. He walked with God, that is, he pleased God. So doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews expound the place, chap. 11.5. Enoch before his translation, had this testimony, that he pleased God. The testimony which he had was, that he walked with God; and therefore to walk with God, is to please God. Syracides in the 44. of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 16. saith to the same effect. Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations. Enoch pleased the Lord, saith Ecclesiasticus; in Genesis it is, Enoch walked with God: and therefore to walk with God is to please God. Onkelos saith it is, to live in the fear of God; surely he that so liveth pleaseth God. It is said of Noah, Gen. 6.9. that he walked with God: Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, and walked with God. He walked with God, What's that? He lived a solitary life, and professed Monkery? No: He left the concourse of the world, and got him aside into some wilderness? Nor so. He lead a single life, and therefore no marvel if he pleased God? Nor this. What is it then, he walked with God? It is this: He served God, as was fit he should, in his vocation; he lived piously, and without blame: he composed himself, not to man's beck, to man's example, to man's applause, but wholly to the holy Will of God: in a word, he led a life acceptable and pleasing unto God; and so he walked with God. That which God saith to Abram, Gen. 17.1. Walk before me, and be thou perfect, is all one, as if he had said, Walk with me, and be thou perfect. To walk with God, or to walk before God, is all one. It is not Foris simulare pietatem, hypocritarum more; it is not to make outwardly a show of piety, as Hypocrites use to do; but it is Sincere Deo fidere; it is to trust in God sincerely, to depend upon him wholly, to serve him alone, and to obey him according to his will. Such are those servants of the Lord, of whom Solomon speaketh, 2 Chron. 6.14. that walk before the Lord with all their hearts. Such are they that walk in the Law of God, Exod. 16.4. Such they, that walk after the Lord their God, Deut. 13.4. where they are further described to fear the Lord, to keep his Commandments, to obey his voice, to serve him, and to cleave unto him. In the language of Canaan you see it is all one, to walk in the Law of God, to walk before God, to walk after God, and to walk with God. The Metaphor is very elegant: and may serve thus fare to instruct us; that, as when we walk, we stand not still, but are ever in motion, and do go forward: so in the way of piety, in the course of godliness, when we walk either in the Law of God, or after God, or before God, or with God, we are not to stand still, but are ever to be in motion, in a spiritual motion, and to go forward: to go forward, as Origen speaketh in his twelfth Homily upon Genesis, De vita ad vitam, de actu ad actum, de bonis ad meliora, de utilibus ad utiliora, de sanctis ad sanctiora. Our going forward must be from life to life, from action to action, from good to better, from profitable to more profitable, from sanctified actions to more sanctified: and all this must be, Non passibus pedum, sed mentis profectibus, not with the steps of our feet, but with the profit of our understanding. Our motion in this our walk must be perpetual. Hominis, quâ Christianus est, proprium est, non quiescere: it is the propriety of a man, as he is a Christian, not to be at quiet, not to rest, not to stand still, not to be at a stay. For in Schola Christi non progredi est regredi: in the School of Christ, not to go forward, is indeed to go backward. Saint Bernard in his 341. Epistle thus expresseth it; In the School of Christ, Non proficere, sine dubio deficere est: not to proceed and profit, without doubt it is to retire and to faint. And therefore let no man say, Satis est, sic volo manner, sufficit mihi esse, sicut heri & nudius tertius: It is enough for me; thus will I abide; its sufficient for me that I am as I was yesterday and the day before. Let no man say thus with himself. In viâ residet, qui huiusmodi est; he that is such a one sits him down in the way. He goes not forward: he walks not, as he should, either in the Law of God, or before God, or after God, or with God. Thus fare hath this Metaphor of walking led me. Yet may I not leave it without giving some rule of it. The rule is: Solet Scriptura verbo Ambulandi consensionem animorum explicare: it is the custom of the Scripture, by this word of walking to express the agreement and consent of minds. It is the voice of wisdom to her son, Proverb. 1.15. My son, if sinners shall say unto thee, Come with us, cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse, Walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path. Walk thou not in the way with them, that is, ne acquiescas eyes, ne illis assentiaris, yield not to them, agree not with them. This exposition is good by that, vers. 10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Syracides in his Ecclesiasticus, Chap. 7.38. according to the vulgar saith, Non de sit plorantibus in consolation, & cum lugentibus ambula. Fail not to be a comfort to them that weep, and walk with them that mourn. Walk with them that mourn, that is, Idem sentito, quod illi, think as they think; Eo animo esto, ac si tua essent illa mala: be thou affected, as if their losses were thine. The Psalmist, Psal. 1.1. pronounceth the man blessed, that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked. There is therefore a walking in the counsel of the wicked. But what is it so to walk? To walk in the counsel of the wicked, is to yield thine assent, to agree unto, to join thyself in naughty practices with the wicked. Blessed is the man that so walketh not. Enough for the rule. The rule was: It is the custom of the Scripture by this word of Walking to express the agreement and consent of minds. It's justified by my Text: Can two walk together except they be agreed? and may conclude the truth of my observation: When man through his evil courses leaveth off to walk with God, then will God no longer walk with him. When man forsaketh God, then will God also forsake him. Then, and not before. The ancient Fathers are frequent in avowing this truth. Saint Augustine in his book, De bono Perseverantiae, cap. 6. gives it for granted; Voluntate suà quemque deserere Deum, ut meritò deseratur à Deo; that a man of his own will first forsakes God, that God may well forsake him. The same Father in his 88 Sermon De Tempore, exhorts his then Auditors, faithfully and firmly to believe, that God never forsakes man, nisi prius deseratur ab homine, unless he be first forsaken of man. In his Soliloquies, cap. 14. he brings in the soul in her private talk with God acknowledging as much: Quocunque jero, tu me Domine non deseris, nisi prior ego te deseram: O my Lord, go I whither I will, thou wilt never forsake me, unless I forsake thee first. To this purpose writeth Saint Prosper in his answer to the objections of the French, his sentence upon the seventh objection: Although the omnipotency of God could have given to them that would fall, strength to stand, Gratia tamen eius non prius eos deseruit, quàm ab eis desereretur; Yet did not God forsake them, before he was forsaken of them. Saint Bernard in his devoutest Meditations, cap. 7. speaks home to this point. God fidelis socius est, he is a faithful companion; nec deserit sperantes in se, nisi ipse prior deseratur, and forsakes not them that trust in him, unless he be first forsaken of them. Neither the time, nor your patience will suffer me to allege, what a Hom. 4. in 1. cap. ad Rom. chrysostom, what b Hom. 4. Qui deficiunt a Deo, ab eo deseruntur. Macarius, what others of the ancient have in their books delivered concerning the point in hand. Sufficient hath been said already, not only for the confirmation, but also for the illustration of my second observation; which was, When man, through his evil courses, leaveth off to walk with God, then will God no longer walk with him. When man forsaketh God, then will God also forsake him. But why is it thus? Why is it, that man first leaves off to walk with God, ere God leaves off to walk with man? Why is it, that man first forsakes God, ere God forsake him? The reason hereof may be taken from the promise of God. His promise is to joshua, chap. 1.5. I will not leave thee nor forsake thee. Not to joshuah alone is this promise made, but to all; to all the godly. The Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews so applies it, chap. 13.5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He brings it for a motive against Covetousness; against the unsatiable greediness after the Mammon of this world, which is to many their delight, their love, their solace, and to some their God. Let your conversation be without Covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, God hath said it, I will never leave it, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. God is ever as good as his word. He hath said it, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Nor will he. Look what care he had of joshuah, the like he hath of all that trust in him. He will never leave them, he will not forsake them. If they leave God, if they leave off to walk with him, if they forsake him, so it is: the fault is their own, God is no way to be blamed. Now let's make some use of my second observation: I can but point at it. If it be thus, Beloved. If God leaves not off to walk with us, till we leave off to walk with him; if he forsake not us, till we forsake him: O then let it be our care, never to leave off to walk with him, never to forsake him. Our sins they are, that break off our walk with God, and cause us to forsake him. To what purpose make we a show of walking with him, of delighting in him, if in the mean time we hold fast by those funes peccatorum of a Prou. 5.22. Solomon, the cords of sin, those vincula plaustri of b Cap. 5.18. Esay, the Cart-ropes of sin, and so drive God from us? If by our sins, our drunkenness, our luxury, our uncleanness, our covetousness, our oppression, our uncharitableness, and other our sins no less odious, which indeed are the very diet and dainties of the Devil, we feast the foul fiends of Hell, we drive God from us. He can no longer walk with us, he cannot but forsake us. What shall we then do, Beloved? What? Certainly, Ne Deum moveamus, ut nos deserat, opus est ut inter nos & ipsum conveniat: that we cause not God to forsake us, there must be between him and us an agreement. Agreement there can be none, if we go on still to provoke him with our impieties. Wherefore that there may be between us an agreement, tread we the way scored out unto us by Saint Paul, Titus the second Chapter and the twelfth Verse, which is, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we live for the time to come soberly, righteously, and godlily in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour jesus Christ. So doing, we shall be at agreement with God and walk with him. But here, Beloved, Magna custodia tibi necessaria est, as Bernard speaketh in the sixth Chapter of his Meditations: It's necessary that thou keep a diligent watch and ward over thyself, that thou neither do, nor say, nor think any thing that is unlawful, and may offend. For thou livest before the eyes of the judge that seethe all things. Cum illo tamen semper et securus, yet with him, with so allseeing a judge, thou art secure and safe, if thou so behave thyself, that he may vouchsafe to be with thee. What said I? So behave thyself that he may vouchsafe to be with thee? Nay however thou behave thyself, he will not fail to be with thee. Si tecum non est per gratiam, adest per vindictam; if he be not with thee by his gracious favour, he will assuredly be with thee in vengeance, to pay thee home for thy misdoings. Sed vae tibi, si ita tecum est: but woe is thee, if he be so with thee. What then remaineth for thee, for me, for every one of us, but that we all endeavour so to spend the residue of the days of our pilgrimage here in this life, in all righteousness and true holiness, that God, our good God, be not at any time provoked to be with us, per vindictam, by his vengeance, who is ever most willing to be with us per gratiam, by his gracious favour. So having finished our course here, in this mortality, we shall be advanced to a state immortal in the Paradise of Heaven, where we shall with all Saints sing perpetually Hallelujah, Salvation, and Honour, and Glory, and Power, unto the Lord our God. To this state immortal, the immortal, invisible, and only wise God vouchsafe to bring us all, for jesus Christ his sake. Amen. THE Fourth Lecture. AMOS 3.4. Will a Lion roar in the Forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young Lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? THat a people, chosen by God himself to be his peculiar, above all the Nations upon the earth, honoured with many singular and supereminent privileges, advanced to the custody of God's holiest Oracles, should be so stiffnecked, so uncircumcised of hearts and ears, so disobedient, so rebellious, as to set at nought the threatenings of the Lord, to account them vain, to esteem of them as of sports, could it ever be imagined? Yet thus stood the case with the people of the ten Tribes, the children of Israel, with whom this our Prophet Amos was to deal. Amos, to meet with such their gross stupidity, and to reform their erroneous conceits of those fearful threatenings, which the Almighty by the mouth of his holy Prophets useth to give forth against sinners and wicked men, instructeth them by similitudes. The similitudes which here he bringeth, are in number six. They are all taken from vulgar experience, and such as is incident to a Shepherds walk. Of the first, taken from way-faring men, from two travellers upon the way, I spoke in my last exercise, occasioned thereunto by the third verse of this Chapter. This fourth verse, now read unto you, will yield us two other, taken from the custom of Lions, old and young. From the custom of the old Lion in these words; Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? From the custom of the young Lion, in these; Will a young Lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing at all? Of both in their order: and first of the old Lion. Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey?] The answer should be negative; No; he will not. Will he not? It seems he will. Else how may that be understood which is spoken of our adversary, the Devil, 1 Pet. 5.8. that he, as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour? There it seems the Lion roareth before he have his prey. That he doth so, many of the Ancient have affirmed it. It's affirmed by R. David, he saith; When the beasts of the forest hear the Lion's voice, they by and by through fear stand still, and the Lion taketh for his prey, which of them he will. So saith Lyra; Ad rugitum Leonis praeda sequitur; the Lion roareth, and then he takes his prey. So Dionysius the Carthusian; Leo cum famem patitur, mox ut bestiam viderit, rugitum dat, quo audito territa bestia gradum figit, & capitur. The Lion, saith he, when he is hungry, if he see a beast, roareth: the beast, terrified with the Lion's voice, stands still and is taken. Saint Basil says as much for substance. His words are in his ninth Homily upon the Hexaemeron: Nature hath bestowed upon the Lion, such organs or instruments for his voice, that oftentimes beasts fare swifter than the Lion are taken, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, only by the roaring of the Lion. The Lion roars; the beast stoops, and is taken. Saint Cyril likewise, he that was Archbishop of Alexandria, he hath the like observation, and he takes it from those, who with much curiosity and diligence have sought into the nature of wild beasts. The observation is, that the hungry Lion, espying some beast fit for his food, through his hideous and uncouth roaring seizeth upon it for his prey. Now if a Lion will roar before he have taken his prey, as by the now produced authorities it seems he will, to what end serves this interrogation, Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? I must answer as I did out of Carthusian to the former similitude, that Amos here speaketh, secundum communem cursum, according to the common course, and communiter verum esse, that its commonly true that a Lion will not roar in the forest, when he hath no prey. Commonly it is true, yet not ever so. Mercerus hath a Solet to express the meaning with: Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Non solet haud dubiè; Without doubt he useth not so to do. Drusius hath likewise a Solent for the saluing of this question; Leones non solent rugire, nisi praedam ceperint, capturine sint; Lions, they use not to roar, unless they have taken some prey, or are ready to take it. They use it not, though it may be sometime they do it. But why will a Lion roar when he hath gotten his prey? Should he not then rather be quiet, and fall to the devouring of his prey? Plutarch in a treatise of his, concerning this question, Which creatures have more reason, they that live on the earth, or they that in the water? thus speaketh of the Lion: The Lion, when he hath gotten a prey useth to roar, thereby to call his fellow-lions to be his partakers in the prey. But I will not now dive into the secrets of nature. Why the Lion roareth when he hath his prey, it much skilleth not: it is plain, he roareth. It is plain by the 22. Psalm, where David complaining of the cruelty of his enemies under the name of the Bulls of Bashan, saith of them, vers. 13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring Lion. It is likewise plain by the 31. of Esay. At the fourth verse of that Chapter, you may see the Lion roaring on his prey. In the 22. of Ezechiel, verse 25. you may behold in jerusalem a conspiracy of Prophets like a roaring Lion, ravening the prey. Well then is it demanded by Amos in my Text, Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Thus fare of the old Lion. It followeth of the young. Will a young Lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? This young Lion in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chephir, Leo-iwenis, ●unculus; in the Septuagint, he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: in the Vulgar, Catulus Leonis, the Lion's whelp. The property of this young Lion or Lion's whelp is, to lie close in his den without making any noise at all, till such time as the old Lion brings him a booty for his food; then doth this whelp rouse up himself, gives forth his voice, cryeth and roareth. It is Saint Cyrils' observation. Petrus Lusitanus likes it well. He thus delivers it: Leunculus in latibulo suo jaceus, tacet; The Lion's whelp couching in his den makes no noise: at ubi praedam à Leone adductam ceperit, tunc vocem dat, & exultat; but when he hath taken his prey, brought unto him by the old Lion, then for joy he leapeth, than he gives forth his voice, cryeth and roareth. Now to the question, as it is made by Taverner, Cryeth a Lion's whelp out of his den, except he have gotten some thing? or as it is in our newest English, Will a young Lion cry, or give forth his voice out of his den, if he have taken nothing? My answer must be, as it was to that of the old Lion, and out of Mercer too, Non solet haud dubiè, Out of doubt, the young Lion, or Lion's whelp useth not, as he lieth in his den, to give forth his voice, to cry or roar except he have gotten somewhat. He useth not so to do. Some Expositors there are, that will have these two branches of the Lion, and the Lion's whelp to be all one; and the latter to be but a repetition of the former, mutatis verbis, in other words. So R. David, and Lyranus. But Saint Cyril is of opinion, they are not all one, but are different; So is Saint Hierome. So R. Abraham. So Albertus, Rupertus, Carthusian, and others: and with these accordeth our present exposition. The exposition thus given, descend we to the application, that we may understand what this Lion is, and what the Lion's whelp. Will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? The Lion is God, the forest the world, the prey of the Lion the people of the world, the roaring of the Lion God's threatenings by his Prophets. You may thus apply it: As a Lion will not roar in the forest, unless he have a prey; So neither will God by his Prophets threaten any evil, unless he be thereunto urged by the sins of the people. Such commonly is the application of this second similitude. With Rupertus likewise this Lion is God; but the Lion's prey is omnis electus, every one of the Elect: who, wheresoever he be, because he is predestinate unto life, ab ipso Deo requiritur, is sought for of God himself, that at his voice, whether it be uttered by an Angel, or by a Prophet, or by the Scriptures, he may tremble, may be humbled, may repent him of his sins, and be saved. The application which he maketh is after this manner: Nunquid rugiet Leo in saltu, nisi habuerit praedam? Will a Lion roar in the forest, unless he hath a prey? Idem est, ac si dicet, It is as if he said, Is it worthy of God, there to speak, or thither to send a Prophet, where he knoweth there is none worthy of eternal life? Is it seemly, is it any way fit, that God should there utter his voice, or send his Messengers thither, where he knoweth, there is not any one ordained unto salvation? By all congruity of reason the answer must be negative; No, it's altogether unseemly; it's not any way fit. The Lion in the forest roars not, unless he have his prey. This exposition of Rupertus is by Ribera mentioned with some approbation: but Petrus à Figueiro saith, it is nimis violenta, too violent, too far fetched. And well may it be so. Arias Montanus by this Lion, and Lion's whelp, understandeth Sennacherib and Nabuchodonozor, two Assyrian Kings, two mighty enemies to the state of the Kingdom of judah. According to him thus must the application be: As a prey, that is between the Lion's teeth, or within his paws, cannot escape away; so shall not the people of judah escape from out the hands of Sennacherib, or Nabuchodonozor. But this application of his is not so fit for this place, because whatsoever is here spoken, it is spoken not to the people of judah, but to the people of the ten Tribes. If great Albert must be followed, this Lion must be vel Deus comminans, vel meliùs inimi us invadens, vel homo, vel Diabolus. This Lion must be either God threatening, or rather some enemy invading, be he man or Devil. The Devil must be this Lion in the construction of diverse, as Carthusian hath observed, for as much as the Devil like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour, Semperque sitit animarum damnationem, & rugit ut eas deglutiat, and ever thirsteth of the damnation of the souls of men, and roareth that he may swallow them up. I may not deny, but that the Devil for his extreme fierceness and cruelty joined with force and hurt to annoy mankind, is by Saint Peter likened to a Lion, to a roaring Lion; yet I cannot think that he is the Lion in my Text; no, though this in my Text be a roaring Lion. But may not some man, an enemy, a tyrant, an oppressor, one or more, be meant by this Lion, this roaring Lion in my Text? It's not to be doubted, but that such are diverse times in the holy Scriptures compared to Lions. The wicked man, who is evermore an enemy to the godly, is likened to a Lion, Psal. 10.9. He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor. David's enemies are as Lions; He so speaks of them, Psal. 22.13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring Lion. Tyrants and oppressors of the Church are as Lions. Such a one was Nero, Saint Paul calls him a Lion, 2 Tim. 4.17. I was, saith he, delivered out of the mouth of the Lion. The Lion, not the Devil, as Ambrose saith; nor Festus the Precedent of judaea, as Primasius affirmeth: but Nero, proud and cruel Nero, persecuting Nero, as it's expounded by chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius, Aquinas, and Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 22. Be it then granted, that Men, enemies to the godly, Tyrants and oppressors are in holy Scripture sometimes compared to Lions; yet can it not thence be inferred, that therefore by this roaring Lion in my Text, Men are to be understood. It remaineth then, that God either solely or principally be here intended. Sic communiter omnes intelligunt, saith Christophorus à Castre. So do all Expositors commonly understand this Text: that God should be this Lion. And not only the old Lion, but the young one too. God is compared to both, as well to the young Lion as to the old. To both he is compared, Hos. 5.14. There thus saith the Lord: I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion, and as a young Lion to the house of judah. I, even I will tear and go away: I will take away, and none shall rescue him. So likewise, Esay 31.4. Thus hath the Lord spoken: Like as the Lion and the young Lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of Shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion and for the hill thereof. In both places you see, God is compared not only to the old Lion, but to the young one too, to the Lion's whelp. So is he here in this Text of mine. Now the meaning is; As a Lion will not roar in the forest, except he hath a prey, nor the young Lion cry out of his den, except he hath gotten somewhat: No more will Almighty God roar from Zion, or utter his voice from jerusalem, except there be a prey ready for him: He will not by his Prophets and Ministers give forth his threatenings, except there be just cause for him, to be avenged upon a people for their sins. My observation is: If by our sins we provoke God's wrath against us, we shall find that his threatening of us will not be in vain. The threatenings of God, they are not vana dunt axat puerorum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula, as Quadratus hath well noted, they are not only as scarecrows or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people; but are certain evidences of God's resolution for the punishment of sin. Never are they in vain. Of two sorts they are: for either they concern a spiritual and eternal punishment; or a punishment, that is temporary and corporal. Of the first sort is that commination, Deut. 27.26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them. The punishment there threatened is spiritual, it is eternal. Saint Paul so expounds it, Gal. 3.10. where he saith: As many as are of the works of the Law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them. The curse there spoken of is no temporal, no corporal matter, it is spiritual, it is eternal. The reason is, because the curse is opposed to the blessing. Now to be blessed with faithful Abraham, is to be justified, to be absolved from sin and death, to be in favour with God, to obtain eternal salvation, and therefore to be accursed, is to be condemned for sin, to be cast out from God, to be adjudged to everlasting death and Hell. The blessing is spiritual and eternal, and therefore must the curse also be spiritual and eternal. Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obvious. If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to do his Commandments, but will despite his statutes and abhor his judgements, then will the Lord do thus and thus unto you. In the 26. of Levit. vers. 16. he will visit you with vexations, consumptions, and burning agues, that shall consume your eyes, and cause you sorrow of heart. Verse. 17. he will set his face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. Verse. 19 He will break the pride of your power, and will make your Heaven as iron, and your Earth as brass: and your strength shall be spent in vain; for, neither shall your land yield her increase, nor your trees their fruits. Verse. 22. He will send wild beasts among you which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattles, and make you few in number. These and other like threatenings against the wilful contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleged 26. Chapter of Leviticus, and 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy, and other places of holy Scripture, than I can at this time stand upon to relate them. They are many: they are fearful. Many and fearful are the punishments, though but temporary and corporal, which the Lord threatneth to the wilful contemners of his holy Will. Thus you see, God's threatenings are of two sorts; either of spiritual and eternal punishments, or punishments that are temporary and corporal. These threatenings of punishments, corporal or spiritual, temporary or eternal, are by the Lord himself accomplished at times certain and unchangeable. When the old world in the days of Noah had grown to much impiety and wickedness, the Lord appointed a certain space, the space of 120. years for their repentance and conversion, Gen. 6.3. My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Though he saw, that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil, was only evil, was evil continually, so that with great justice he might forthwith have swallowed them up with a flood, yet would he not, but would yet forbear longer, and look for their amendment. A hundred and twenty years yet would he give them, to see if they would return and avoid his wrath. But they would not return, and therefore at the very end and term of those hundred and twenty years he brought the flood upon them. Then, then, and not before, he brought the flood upon 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 find, that the inundation of waters came upon the earth at the very point of time before determined. Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the jews, jerem. 25.11. Because you have not heard my voice, behold I will take from you the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the Millstones, and the light of the candle: you shall be a desolation, and an astonishment, & shall serve the King of Babylon seventy years. The sum of the Commination is, that the jews for their sins should be led captive, & serve the King of Babylon seventy years. Now if we take the just computation of time, it will appear that so soon as those years, those seventy years were expired, the foresaid threat was accomplished. And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophecy of jeremy, exactly setteth it down, Chap. 5.30. saying, The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain, the same night, the very night wherein those seventy years came to their full period, was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain. To these fearful examples of Noah's flood, and the carrying away of the jews into Babylon, may be added the burning of Sodom by fire and brimstone, the destruction of the ten Tribes, the ruin of jerusalem, and the Kingdom of judah, the desolation of the seven Churches of Asia; all which, besides many other calamities upon many other places, and persons, accomplished and come to pass according to the threatenings of the Lord, may well assure us, that whatsoever he hath threatened, will certainly take effect. And certainly, if we by serious and true repentance do not prevent the execution of his threats, he will not fail to prevent us, and take us away suddenly. Thus is my observation made good; If by our sins we provoke God's wrath against us, we shall find that his threatening of us will not be in vain. No, it will not. If God threaten, and no repentance followeth, then certainly the threatenings pronounced will come to pass. He threatens not in vain; he terrifies not without cause; no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey, or the Lion's whelp cryeth out of his den if he have gotten nothing. Is it thus, Beloved? Shall we find that God's threatenings will be effectual and powerful against us, if we by our sins go on still to provoke him to displeasure? It seems then, that if we repent us of our sins, and cease any further to grieve Gods holy Spirit, his threatenings will be vain and without effect. Understand we therefore, that the threatenings and denuntiations of God's judgements are either absolute or conditional. If absolute, then are they irrevocable, and must take effect: but if conditional, then upon humiliation and repentance they will be changed, they will be altered. Absolute was the denunciation that concerned the eating of the forbidden fruit, Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. This threatening was absolute and peremptory, not to be revoked. If Adam had prayed all his life long that he might not die, but return to his former condition, yet the sentence of God had not been reversed. Peremptory and absolute was that threatening of the Lord against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 20.12. Because ye believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Moses and Aaron, both are threatened that they shall never enter into the land of Canaan. Moses understanding the threat conditionally, besought the Lord that he might go over jordan into that good land. But the Lord was wroth with him, and would not hear him; but said unto him, Deut. 3.26. Let it suffice thee, speak no more unto me of this matter. Speak no more: the sentence was peremptory and might not be reversed. As absolute and peremptory was that threatening by Nathan from the Lord unto David, 2. Sam. 12.14. Because by thine adultery thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is borne unto thee shall surely dye. The child shall surely die. David's hope was, that this threat was but conditional, and therefore with fasting, weeping, and prayer he besought God for the child, and said; Who can tell whether God will be gracious unto me, that the child may live? Yet, as the Prophet had denounced, the child died. So peremptory was the sentence, and not to be reversed. So then its evident, that some of God's judgements denounced against the sons of men are absolute and peremptory, not to be reversed. O●hers are conditional, to be understood with this exception, except they repent and amend. The condition is sometimes expressed; sometimes it is not. The condition is expressed, jerem. 18.7, 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down, and to destroy it: If that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. It is likewise expressed, Ezech. 33.14, 15. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Each of these Comminations is with an express condition. The first was: Such a Nation, such a Kingdom, I will pluck up, I will pull down, I will destroy. The Nation, the Kingdom performs the condition; repenteth and turns from evil, and God reverseth his sentence; I will not pluck up, I will not pull down, I will not destroy it. The second was; The wicked man shall surely die. The wicked man performs the condition, repenteth, and turns from evil, and God reverseth his sentence; He shall surely live, he shall not di●. Sometimes the condition is not expressed, but only to be understood. So is it, jerem. 26.18. There we read of Micah the Morushite, that he in the days of Hezekiah King of judah, prophesied and spoke to all the people of judah saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Zion shall be ploughed like a field, and jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house, the high places of a forest. Fearful is the Commination; it threatens ruin to their Temple, desolation to their City, the utter overthrow of their whole Kingdom. How did the King and his people hereupon behave themselves? Did they fall into desperation? No, they did not. Did they conclude an impossibility of obtaining pardon? Nor did they so. How then? They conceiving aright of the commination, as fearful as it was, that it was unto them a Sermon of repentance, they feared the Lord, they besought the Lord: and the Lord repent him of the evil which he had pronounced against them. So was the Commination conditional, though the condition was not expressed. The like we meet with, Esay 38.1. There is a comminatory message from the Lord unto the but-now-named Hezekiah; Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. The good King conceives aright of the message, that it was no otherwise unto him, than as a Sermon of repentance; and therefore he turns his face unto the wall, prays, and weeps sorely: and the Lord repent him of the message he had sent; and sends him a new message, vers. 5. Go and say to Hezekiah: Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father; I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And so was the commination conditional, though the condition was not expressed. And such is that in the Prophecy of jonah, Chap. 3.4. Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. The King of Nineveh, though an heathen and an idolatrous King, yet conceives aright of this threat, that it was to him and his people, no otherwise than a Sermon of repentance. The King therefore touched with repentance, unseateth himself, unthroneth himself, cometh as low as the meanest, strips himself of his kingly robes, puts on sackcloth, sits in ashes; causeth it to be proclaimed and published through Niniveh, that there be a general fast kept by man and beast, that man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God, and turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands: for, saith the King, Who can tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? Who can tell? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repent of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not. So also was this commination conditional, though the condition was not expressed. But why are these and many other threatenings of the Lord against sinners conditional? Why are they with condition of amendment? Why is the condition either expressed, or suppressed and only inclusively understood? It's thus, First, because Repentance, if it follow after God's comminatory sentence pronounced against sinners, it procureth forgiveness of sin, and taketh away the cause of punishment. The cause of punishment is sin; remove the cause, and the effect must cease. Let sin be washed away with the tears of unfeigned repentance, and punishment shall never hurt us. This is it, which but even now you heard out of Ezech. chap. 33.14.15. They were the words of the Lord; When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if he restore the pledge, and give again that he hath rob, and walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Secondly, the threatenings of God against sinners are for the most part conditional, because he is a God of mercies, a gracious a Psal. 86.15. Exod 34.6. Numb 14.18. Psal 103.8. Psal. 145.8. God, a God of long suffering, and much patience, a God of unspeakable kindness, ever ready to receive us to mercy, as soon as we return unto him. This is it that the Lord commandeth to be proclaimed by jeremy, chap. 3.12. Return thou back-sliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep mine anger for ever. Thirdly, the threatenings of God against sinners are evermore conditional, because in his threatenings God aimeth not at the destruction of them that are threatened, but at their amendment. Their amendment is the thing he aimeth at. It's plain by that, Ezech. 18.23. Have I any pleasure at all, that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God? and not, that he should return from his ways and live? This by way of question. But it's out of question and confirmed by oath, Ezech. 23.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Why will ye die? Return and live, I take no pleasure in your death. Hitherto you have heard of God's threatenings, that they are of punishments either corporal or spiritual; either temporal or eternal: and that they are either absolute or conditional; and if conditional, that then the condition is either expressed or only understood; Expressed or understood, and that for three reasons: first, because repentance washes away sin, the cause of punishment: secondly, because God is merciful, and will not keep his wrath for ever: thirdly, because he aimeth especially at the amendment of the wicked. It is now time that we make some profitable use hereof. Our first use may be, to consider that in the greatest and most fearful threatenings of Gods heavy judgements there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found, life in death, and health in sickness, if we repent and amend. Thus did the Princes of judah profit by the threatenings of jeremy. jeremy, chap. 26.6. comes unto them with a threatening from the Lords own mouth: I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. He threatened desolation to the Lords house, and destruction to their city: and therefore the Priests and the people would have put him to death. But the Princes of judah were better advised: they pleaded the practice and example of King Hezekiah for the comfort of himself and the people of his time; and thereby stirred up themselves to fear the Lord, and to turn from their evil ways. And thus did the same King Hezekiah profit at the threatening of Esay, and the King of Nineveh at the threatening of jonah, as you have already heard. They repent of their evil ways, and God repent of the evils which he threatened to bring upon them; and he brought them not upon them. Here we are to meet with an objection. The objection is: If God threaten one thing, and doth another, if he threaten to bring evil upon any one, and reputes him of the evil, it may seem his will is changeable, or he hath two wills. For answer I say, The will of God is ever one and the same, as God is one: but for our capacities and for the weakness of our understandings, who cannot conceive how God doth after a diverse manner will and not will the same thing; the will of God is called sometimes secret or hidden, and sometimes revealed, as the Church is called sometimes visible, and sometimes invisible, yet is but one Church. Deut. 29.29. The secret will of God is of things hidden in himself, and not manifested in his word: the revealed is of things made known in the Scriptures, or by daily experience. The secret will is without condition; its absolute, its peremptory, it's always fulfilled; no man hindereth it, Rom. 9.19. no man stoppeth it: the very reprobate, yea the Devils themselves are subject unto it. His revealed will is with condition; and therefore for the most part is joined with exhortation, admonition, instruction, and reprehension. Now to the objection, my answer is: Though God threaten one thing and doth another, though he threaten to bring evil upon any one, and reputes him of the evil, yet is not his will therefore changeable, nor hath he two wills: but his will is ever one and the same. The same will is in diverse respects hidden and revealed: It's secret at first before it be revealed: but as it is made known to us either by the written Word of God, or by the continual success of things, so it is called the revealed will of God. Our duty in regard of the will of God, as it is secret or hidden, is not curiously to pry into it, but reverently to adore it. Whatsoever this secret, this hidden will of God is concerning us, whether to live or die, to be rich or poor, to be of high estimation or of mean account in this world, it is our part to rest in the same, and to be contented, and give leave to him that made us to do with us and dispose of us at his pleasure; and then aftewards, when by the continual success of things it shall be revealed unto us, what our lot, our portion, our expectation here must be; much more are we to be therewith contented, and to give thankes to God, howsoever it fareth with us. The objection thus answered, our recourse should be to the profit, that is yet further to be made by the threatenings of God's judgements. You have heard that in the greatest and most fearful, there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found; health in sickness, and life in death, if we repent and amend. I proceed to a second use. It concerns the duty of the Minister. It's our duty to propound unto you the threatenings of the Lord with condition. Should we propound them without condition, we should be, as if we went about to bring you to despair, and to take from you all hope of mercy and forgiveness. We therefore propound them with condition, with condition of repentance and amendment of life: and do offer unto you grace and mercy, to as many of you as be humble and . Thus we preach not only the Law, but also with the Law the Gospel: thus we bind and lose, Mat. 16.19. thus we retain and forgive sins. We preach, and by our preaching we shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against the obstinate sinner, but do open the same to every one that is truly penitent. The third followeth. It concerneth you, You Beloved, you and every one that hath this grace and favour with God, to be a hearer of his holy Word. It's your duty whensoever you hear the threatenings of God's judgements against sinners, to stir up yourselves to repentance and to the amendment of your lives. So shall you prevent his wrath and stay his judgements. O! take heed beloved, that you rush not on, as the horse in the day of battle, to your own destruction. If the Lord God from out of Zion shall roar, as a Lion roareth in the forest when he hath taken a prey; if he shall utter his voice from Jerusalem, as a young Lion couching in his den, cryeth out when he hath gotten somewhat; will it not then be too late for us to return unto him? Never is it too late to return to God, so it be done truly, seriously, and from the ground of the heart. But this be we well assured of, that if there be no change in us, it will be in vain for us to look for a change from God. It's certain, God will never change his threatenings, except we change our lives and conversations. Wherefore (dear beloved) suffer we a word of exhortation for conclusion of all. I will deliver it in the Lords own words, his words to Israel in jeremy chap. 4.1, 4. If thou wilt return, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skinnes of your hearts, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved; how long shall thy vain thought lodge within thee? O come, see and taste, how good and gracious the Lord is unto us, how seriously he exhorteth us, how sweetly he inviteth us to turn unto him, how lovingly he calls us to repent, and amend our lives that we may be saved. Beloved, nothing is wanting, but what is wanting on our parts: and that is the real performance of true and unfeigned repentance through a lively faith in Christ jesus: Concerning which let me give you a rule, a rule that is grounded and infallible; Without repentance there is no salvation, without sorrow for sin there is no repentance; without earnest prayer there is no sorrow, no godly sorrow, and without a due feeling of the Lords wrath, there is no prayer that can pierce the sky or move the Lord. O therefore let us pray for repentance, let us sue for repentance, let us work for repentance, let us bestow all we have upon repentance. All we have! It's nothing to thee, O Lord. We feel, O Lord, such a benumbedness in our hearts, such a dulness in our souls, that albeit we see our sins, and know them to be exceeding great, yet cannot we so bemoan them, so lament them, so grieve at them, so detest them as we should. Smite, O gracious God, smite we beseech thee, our flinty hearts, make them even to melt within us at the sight of our own transgressions, that so being cleansed from the filthiness of sin, we may grow up unto full holiness in thy fear through jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. THE Fifth Lecture. AMOS 3.5. Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? THat the comminations, the menacies, and threats, which the Almighty by the ministry of his holy Word giveth forth against the sons of men for their impious and evil courses in their peregrination here upon the earth, are not in vain, like scarecrows and bugs, for the terrifying of little children, and the ruder sort of people, but are certain evidences of God's resolution for the punishment of sin, I have heretofore out of the former verse made plain unto you by a twofold similitude taken from the custom of Lions; the old Lion and the young. This fifth verse yields us two other to the like effect: and these are taken from the manner of fowlers or birders, whose practice is to lay snares, and set begins, and spread nets to catch birds with. The first is in the first branch, the second in the second. In the first there is an adumbration of the providence of God, by which he ruleth all things: In the second there is an illustration of the certainty, the stability, the efficacy of his judgements, which he foreshoweth and foretelleth by his Prophets. Of both in their order. The first is: Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Can he fall? The Vulgar Latin is, Nurquid cadet, shall he fall? So read the Septuagint, so the Chaldee Paraphrast. Nunquid cadit, doth he fall? So Winckleman, and so our Countryman Taverner in his English translation, Au casura esset, could she fall? So junius. Can a bird, could a bird, shall a bird, doth a bird fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hall patch haaretz, in laqueum terrae, word for word, into a snare of the earth: so is it in the old Latin. This laqueus terrae, is with junius laqueus humilis, a snare lying low by the ground; with Mercer and Vatablus it is laqueus in terrâ dispositus, a snare placed on the ground. Albertus Magnus expounds it to be laqueus in terrâ absconditus, a snare hidden on the ground. Into such a snare can a bird fall, where no gin is for him? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vmokesch ein lah. This same mokesch is by some taken for a gin. With junius and Drusius it is tendicula; with Mercer it is offendiculum; with Vatablus it is laqueus. These, as our late Translators, take mokesch for a gin. Others take it for him that layeth the gin, for the fowler. So do the Septuagint; so doth the Author of the Vulgar Latin, so doth Saint Hierome take it. With the Septuagint this mokesch is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a birder, one that catcheth birds with birdlime; with the author of the Vulgar Latin and Saint Hierome it is Auceps, a Fowler. So is it with Taverner in his translation; Doth a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no fowler is? Be it a gin, or he that layeth the gin, the birder, the fowler, it much skilleth not: for both readings have their warrant: as well this, where no gin is for him, as that, where no fowler is. Now to the interrogation, Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him, or where no fowler is? The answer must be negative; No, he cannot. And so is the answer made by Nicolaus de Lyra, and the Author of the Interlineary Gloss. So is it by Petrus Lusitanus; so by Mercerus, so by others. Can a bird fall! No; it cannot be that a bird should fall in a snare upon the earth, where by the fowler's art no gin is set for him. O quàm 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 observe in his shepherds walk. Such is that in the first Chapter, vers. 2. The Lord will roar from Zion: and that in the same verse, the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn; and that in the verse before my text, will a Lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey; and this in my text, Can a bird fall in a snare upon the ground, where no gin is for him? All you see are pastoral. Sufficiunt coelesti magisterio res non solùm piscatorum, verùm etiam pastorum, ut per eorum similitudines docti sint & doceant convenienter gloriam rerum caelestium. Things that fall within the knowledge not only of fishers, but also of shepherds, are available to divine instruction, that by the similitudes of both, fishers, and shepherds, the glory of things celestial may be manifested. Such is this pastoral similitude: this similitude of birds not falling into a snare upon the earth, unless by the fowler's art some gin be set for him. It serveth for the adumbration of God's wonderful providence: thus. As snares, wherewith birds are catched, fall not on the ground at all adventures and by chance; but are laid by the skill, industry and foresight of the fowler: so the calamities and miseries of this life, wherewith men are usually taken and snared, come not by chance, but are sent among us by the certain counsel of God, by his just judgement, by his divine providence. I know that this similitude is by others otherwise applied. Saint Hierome will have it to belong to the punishment of such as liu● in discord and variance; to this sense: They who through charity are as birds, and do fly aloft in the liberty of the holy Spirit, through discord do lose their wings, fall down upon him earth and are a prey unto the fowler. Did they still soar aloft with the wings of love; they should not need to fear the fowler's snares. For as Sal●mon saith, Prou. 1.17. Surely in vain the net is spread in the eyes of every thing that hath a wing. Keep then thyself above in the air, as if thou hadst the wings of a dove, and thou art from danger: but if through variance, through strife, through hatred, and other like impieties thou be over-burdened and pressed down, down thou fallest to the ground, and art by thine own default ensnared. justa enim est ruina peccatorum: for just is the fall of sinners. Two Hebrew Rabbins, Abraham and David, apply this similitude to the execution of the decree of God and his sentence: thus: If men whose dwellings are upon the earth, can by their cunning and industry cause the birds of the air to descend upon the earth, and so fall into their snares, from whence there is no evasion for them: how much more shall I, I the Lord, who have my habitation in the Heaven of Heavens, bring men themselves 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 understand a sinner, and by the snare his sin. Their explication is: As a bird shall not fall into a snare upon the earth, unless some gin be laid for him; so shall not sinners fall into punishment, unless they themselves make snares of their own sins to catch themselves withal. So may they quickly do; and so saith Solomon, Pro. 5.22. The wickedness of the shall catch himself, and with the snares of his own sins, shall he be trapped. What then? Vis non capi laqueo? wouldst thou not be taken with the snare? rump ac frange laqueum: the advice is good; tear and break the snare. But how? Tolle peccatum, & fregisti laqueum; take away the sin, and thou hast broken the snare. Rupertus so understands this similitude, that he will have 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 soul of man. His conceit runs thus: As that a bird falls into a snare upon the earth, it is to be attributed to the care and diligence of the fowler, that laid the snare; so, that the soul of man cometh to be ensnared in the word of salvation, which it neither can resist, nor is willing so to do, 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 wand'ring and restless bird, the soul of man, is caught and brought into the hands of the Lord her God, and so escapeth the jaws of the Devil. This his exposition well meeteth with the Arminians, with those new Prophets, who at this day pretending a more moderate divinity, then ours is, as if they came out of Coelestius his School, have with their sophisms and subtleties much disquieted the State of the Belgic Churches, chief for the point of divine 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 join; and thus we explain our meaning: Man is to be considered in a twofold respect; in respect of himself, and in respect of God. If he be considered in respect of himself, as he is unregenerate, and according to his inbred pravity, so is grace by him too too resistable: for as much as man of himself, in his pure naturals, governed 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 natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. To the like purpose the same Apostle, Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God: for it is not subject 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 himself. But ex parte Dei it is otherwise. In respect of God, and his good pleasure, it may well be said to be irresistible. I speak of that grace of God, which is his moving and effectual grace, against which there is no resistance. For to say, that the effectual grace of God can be resisted, is to deny it to be effectual. It implieth a contradiction, and it is blasphemy to affirm, that God with his effectual grace is subject to man's resistance. That of Saint Paul, Rom. 9.19. Who hath resisted the will of God? being an Interrogation of a denier, implying that no man hath or can resist it, is in very reason itself most certain. For the superior cause can never suffer of the inferior: therefore if man's will should go about to resist or frustrate the will of God, it were even against reason itself: for than should God's will suffer of man's will; which is an impossibility. Saint Augustine hath a fit saying for the establishing of this truth: It is in his book De corrept. & great. cap. 14. Deo volenti saluum facere, nullum hominum resistit arbitrium; If God be willing to save a man, no will of man can resist him. Sic enim velle & nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate, ut divinam voluntatem non impediat, nec superet potestatem; for to will, or not to will, is so in the power of him that willeth or willeth not, that it neither hindereth the will of God, nor overcommeth his power. Thus much by occasion of Rupertus his exposition. Let us go on, Can a bird] Dionysius the Carthusian will tell you, that this fowler, according to the Expositors, is either the Devil, or man, or God: and that their snares are either Laquaei culpae, or Laquaei poena; either snares of sin, or snares of punishment. That the Devil is in holy Scripture compared unto a fowler, I deny not: for I read of his wiles, Ephes. 6.11. where we are advised to put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. I read likewise of the snares, 1 Tim. 3.7. & 2 Tim. 2.26. His snares are the snares of sin, by which he entrappeth men, and leads them captive. But that the Devil is the fowler in my text, I affirm not. Nor may it be denied, but that man also is in holy Scripture compared to a fowler. To a fowler he is compared in a twofold respect, in respect of others, and in respect of himself. Man is a fowler in respect of others. He hath snares, and cords, and nets, and grins to catch others with. Such fowlers were King David's enemies, his proud enemies, Saul and Doeg, of whom, Psal. 140 5. he thus complaineth: They have hid a snare for me, and cords, they have spread a net by the ways side, they have set begins for me. And such are they, those wicked men, jerem. 5.26. They lay wait, as he that setteth snares, they set a trap, they catch men. And such are they, of whom the complaint of the faithful is, Lament. 3.52. Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird, without cause. They chased me like a bird. It is true then, Men are fowlers in respect of others; fowlers they are to catch others. Yea: and fowlers they are in respect of themselves, even to catch themselves. Such a one is he, Psal. 7.15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. And he, Psal. 9.15, 16. In the net which he hide, is his own foot taken: he is snared in the work of his own hands. And he, Prou. 5.22. His own iniquities shall take himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. Not amiss then hath Carthusian affirmed, that men sometimes do fall, in laqueum culpae, into the snare of sin, by their own inclination, or naughtiness. For as Origen witnesseth; Quamuis non essent Diaboli, adhuc homines concupiscentijs pulsarentur: though there were no Devils at all, yet should men be ensnared with their own lusts. Thus we see, Man is a fouler; a fouler to catch others, and a fouler to catch himself: and his snares are laquei culpae, the snares of sin. Yet, that man is the fowler in my text, I affirm not. It remaineth then that by this fowler God must be intended. For God is a fouler too; and he hath snares too: but his snares are laquei poenae, they are snares of punishment. Of snares of this kind he hath no want. He pours them forth like rain. This is that we read, Psal. 11.6. Upon the wicked shall the Lord rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a burning tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. Behold a rain of snares upon the wicked. King David devoting his enemies to destruction, Psal. 69.22. Wisheth their table to become a snare unto them, and that which should be for their welfare to become a trap unto them. The place Saint Paul allegeth with some little difference, Rom. 11.9. Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them. And here behold, a man's own table, and that which should yield him much comfort, becomes a snare and a trap for God to entangle, and catch the wicked with. Remarkable is that of the Prophet Esay chap. 8.14. where it is said of the Lord of Hosts himself, that to both the houses of Israel he shall be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offences; and to the inhabitants of jerusalem for a gin and for a snare: and that many of them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. And here again behold: The Lord of Hosts, he that is ever to the faithful a rock of refuge and salvation, he is to the wicked and the unbelieving a gin and snare to ensnare and take them with. It is not to be denied, but that God may very well be resembled to a fowler. And him I take to be the fowler in my text. Now the resemblance between God and a fowler stands thus: As snares wherewith birds are catched, fall not on the ground at all adventures, and by chance, but are laid of purpose by the skill, industry, and foresight of the fowler: so the calamities and miseries of this life, wherewith men are usually taken and snared, come not by chance, but are sent among us by the providence of God. So this text is, as before I intimated, an adumbration of the providence of God, by which he ruleth all things. The point of doctrine which from hence I would commend unto you, is this, Nihil accidere, nisi à Deo provisum, that nothing falleth out in this life, no calamity, no misery, nothing, good or evil, but by God's providence. Aquinas 1. quaest. 22. art. 2. makes this demand; Vtrum omnia sint subiecta divinae providentiae? whether all things are subject to the providence of God? For the resolution whereof his conclusion is: Sith God is of all things the prime cause, and knoweth all things in particular, it is of necessity that all things are subject to his providence, not tantùm in universali, sed etiam in singulari; not only in gen●rall, but also in particular. I speak not now of the providence of God, as it is potentialis, & immanens; but as it is actualis, & transiens; not as it is the internal action of God, but as it is external; not as it is his decree of governing the world, but as it is the execution of that decree. This providence of God, this his actual and transient providence, this his external action, and the execution of his inward and eternal decree, is nothing else than a perpetual and unchangeable disposition and administration of all things: or to speak with Aquinas, it is nothing else, than ratio ordinis rerum ad finem; it is nothing else, than the course which God perpetually holdeth for the ordering of the things of the world to some certain end. Such is the providence of God, whereof I am now to speak: which is by some divided into a general, and a special providence: by others into an universal, a special, & a particular providence. God's universal or general providence, I call that, by which he doth not only direct all creatures according to that secret instinct, or inward virtue, which he hath given to every one of them, at the time of their creation, but doth also preserve them in their ordinary course of nature. Of this universal or general providence of God, Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus, in his first Sermon concerning this argument, discourseth copiously and elegantly: You that say in your hearts there is no providence of God, consider the things that are visible, and are obvious to your eyes, consider their nature, their site, their order, their state, their motion, their agreement, their harmony, their comeliness, their beauty, their magnitude, their use, their delight, their variety, their alteration, their continuance; and then, if you can, deny God's providence. God's providence is manifest in every work of creation: you may behold it in the Heaven, and in the lights thereof, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. You may behold it in the air, in the clouds, in the earth, in the sea, in plants, in herbs, in seeds. You may behold it in every other creature, every living creature, reasonable, or unreasonable, man or beast: and in every beast, whether it goeth, or flieth, or swimmeth, or creepeth. There is not any thing, but it may serve to magnify the providence of God. But why run I to the Fathers for the illustration of a point, wherein the holy Scriptures are so plentiful, so eloquent? The 104. Psalm containeth an egregious description hereof, a fair and goodly picture, and a lively portraiture of this providence of God, drawn with the pencil of the holy Ghost. I see therein the air, and clouds, and winds, and water, and the earth, and the like, so ruled and ordered by the immediate hand of God, that, should he remove his hand but for a moment, this whole universe would totter, and fall, and come to nothing. I go on to the 147. Psalm; There I see God numbering the stars, and calling them by name: I see him covering the Heavens with clouds preparing rain for the earth, giving snow like wool, scattering the hoar frost like ashes, casting forth his ice like morsels, making grass to grow upon the mountains, giving food to beasts, to Ravens: all this I see, and cannot but acknowledge his universal providence. I look back to the book of job, and Chap. 9 I find God removing mountains, and overturning them; I find him shaking the earth out of her place, and commanding the Sun to stand still: I find him alone spreading out the heavens, and treading upon the waves of the sea: I find him making Arcturus, O●ion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the South: I find him doing great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number. All this I find, and cannot but admire his universal providence. Infinite are the testimonies which I might produce out of the old Testament for this point: but I pass them over, contenting myself with only two out of the new. That of our Saviour Christ, john 5.17. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work, is fit to my purpose. The words are an answer to the jews, who persecuted our Saviour and sought to slay him, for doing a cure on the Sabbath day, upon one that had been diseased 38. years. They held it to be unlawful to do any work upon the Sabbath day: Christ affirms it to be lawful. The ground of their opinion was; God the Father rested the seventh day from all his works. This Christ denieth not, but explicates the meaning of it. It's true; My Father rested the seventh day from all his works: yet true also it is, Pater meus usque modò operatur; My Father worketh hitherto. He rested the seventh day from all his works, and yet he worketh; how can this be so? It is thus according to Aquinas: He rested the seventh day à novis creaturis condendis, from making any new creatures; yet notwithstanding he ever worketh, creaturas in esse conseruando, preserving his creatures in their being. It may be thus enlarged: Requievit die septimo, God rested the seventh day from creating any new world, or from making any new kinds of creatures, but nor then rested he, nor at any time since hath he rested from providing for, and caring for, and ruling, and governing, and sustaining the world. Never resteth he, but causeth his creatures to breed and bring forth after their kinds, and restoreth things decaying, and preserveth things subsisting to his good pleasure. This is that saying of our Saviour's, Pater meus usque modò operatur, my Father worketh hitherto. My Father worketh hitherto! Hom. 37. in joan. 5. Saint chrysostom well discourseth thereupon. If, saith he, thou shouldest ask; How is it, that the Father yet worketh, sith he rested the seventh day from all his works? I tell thee, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. He provideth for, and upholdeth all things, that he hath made. Behold the Sun rising, and the Moon running, and pools of water, and springs, and rivers, and rain, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and the course of nature in seeds, and in the bodies of man and beast; behold, and consider these, and all other things, whereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this universe consisteth, and thou wilt not deny the perpetual operation of the Father, but wilt break forth into the praises of his universal providence. That branch of Saint Paul's Sermon to the Athenians, Act. 17.28. In him we live, and move, and have our being, is also fit to the point we have in hand. In him, that was to the Athenians the unknown God, but is indeed the only true and everliving God, we live, we move, we have our being. Saint Ambrose in his book De bono moutis cap. 12. thus descants upon the words, In Deo movemur, quasi in vià, sumus quasi in veritate, vinimus quasi in vitâ aeternâ: In him we move as in the way, we have our being as in the truth, we live as in the life eternal. S. Cyprian, or whosoever was the Author of that Treatise de Baptisms Christi, thus: In Patre sumus, in Filio vinimus, in Spiritu Sancto movemur & proficimus: We have our being in the Father, we live in the Son, we move in the Holy Ghost. S. Hilary in his E●arrat, upon Psal. 13. seemeth to assign all these to the holy Ghost: S. Cyril. lib. 2. in johan. cap. 74. ascribes them all to the Son. S. Augustine lib. 14. de Trinit. cap. 12. refers them to the whole Trinity. Of the whole Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, he will have it to be true, that in him we live, and move, and have our being: and he gives for a reason hereof, that, Rom. 11.36. because of him, and through him, and in him are all things. All things are of him, and through him, and in him, and therefore in him we live, and move, and have our being. Homil. 38 in ●●l. Apol. See, saith S. chrysostom, how all things are his; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, providence is his, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and preservation is his; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our being is from him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our activity is from him; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and from him it is that we perish not. In him we have whatsoever we have, in him we live, in him we move, in him we have our being. Who hears this, and stands not in admiration of the universal providence of God? From this universal or general providence of God, I descend to his special providence. The special providence of God, is that, by which he ruleth every part of the world, and all things in every part, even the things that seem most vile and abject; all their actions, all their events. Every part of Heaven he ruleth: Not so much as a little cloud ariseth, or moveth, or changeth, or vanisheth, but nutu Dei, by the pleasure and appointment of God. Euery part of the earth he ruleth. There is not the man, that either is conceived, or is borne, or liveth, or is preserved, or moveth, or doth any thing, or dieth, nisi ex nutu & voluntate Dei, but by the will, pleasure, and appointment of God. There is not so much as animalculum, not any the least living creature, nor beast, nor fly, nor worm, that is engendered, or fed, or sustained, nisi à Deo, but by God. There is not so much as herbula, not any the least flower or grass, that either springeth, or blossometh, or withereth, sine manu Dei, but by the hand of God. God's special providence is over all his works; but more peculiarly is it over his Church. His peculiar providence over his Church appeareth in the wonderful preservation thereof from its first beginning, but more evidently from the time that Noah's Ark floated upon the waters until these our days. But of all most famous, and to be admired, was that his preservation, his protection of the Church among the people of Israel; when they, a Gen. 15.13. Act. 7.6. sciourning in a strange land, in the Land of Egypt, were for four hundred and thirty years held in slavery and bondage, and were very ill entreated. Then, then at the time appointed God sent b Act. 7.35. Moses to be their ruler and deliverer, who led them from out of Egypt into the wilderness. In the wilderness, a place of desolation, could their necessities be supplied? They could be, and were supplied. When they needed guide, God went before them; He went before them c Exod. 13.21. in a pillar of a cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. So day and night was God their guide. When they wanted bread, flesh, or drink, mercy and miracle did concur for their supply. d Psal. 78.24. Heaven gave them bread, the e We s 26. wind quails, the f Vers. ●5. rock waters. Of apparel they felt no want: for g Deut. 29.5. forty years together neither the upon their backs, nor the shoes on their feet, were waxen old. For the direction of their consciences h Exo. 20.2 etc. a Law was given them from mount Sinai; and for the resolution of their doubts, they had the oracles of God, from between the i Exod. 25.22. Cherubins. They needed not to fear the force and fury of their enemies: for they found by experience that the k Ios. 10.13. Sun and Moon, and l Exod. 9.23. Psal. 105.32. fire from Heaven, and vapours from the clouds, and m Exod. 2.20. water, and n Exod. 8 6. Psal. 105.30. frogs, and o Psal. 105. ●1. louse, and flies, and p Vers. 34. locusts, and caterpillars took their parts. Yea, the Lord himself q Exod. 14.14.25. fought for them. Very special was the providence of God, for his Church in Israel. As special is his providence for his Church among us. Here should I set the mercies of our Land to run along with Israel's; we should win ground of them, we should outrun them. Be i● that in God's actual and outward mercies they might outstrip v●● yet in his spiritual and saving health, they come short of us. For, as one well saith, they had the shadow, we the substance; they the candlelight, we the noonday; they the breakfast of the Law, fit for the morning of the world, we the dinner of the Gospel, fit for the high-noon thereof. They had a glimpse of the Sun, we have him in the full strength: they saw per fenestram, we sine medio. They had the Paschall lamb, to expiate sins ceremonially; we have the Lamb of God to satisfy for us really. Unthankful we, thrice unthankful are we, if we acknowledge not the providence of God over his Church among us to be very special. Now followeth the particular or singular providence of God. It is that by which he provideth for every particular creature. That there was r jonah 1 4. sent out a great wind into the sea to raise a tempest against a ship that was going to Tarshish; that there was a preparation of a great fish s Vers. 17. to swallow up jonah, and of a Gourd t jonah 4.6. to be a shadow over his head against the Sunbeams, and of a worm u Vers. 7. to smite that Gourd, it was wholly from the particular providence of God. From the same providence it is, that the Sun riseth on the evil and the good, and that the rain falleth on the just and on the unjust, Mat. 5.45. From the same it is, that the Lilies of the field are so arrayed, as Solomon in all his glory was not so, Mat. 6.28. From the same it is, that the hairs of our head are all numbered, Mat. 10.30. What? Are the hairs of our head numbered? Serm. de Martyr. Are they all numbered? Quid timebo, saith Saint Augustine, quid timebo damna membrorum, quando securitatem accipio capillorum? Surely I that have security for the hairs of my head, will not fear the loss of any member I have. Yet if it shall please God to smite me in any member I have, in arm, or in leg, Psal. 22.14. or in all, so that I be, as if all my bones were out of joint; I shall ever acknowledge the hand of God, and his particular providence, without which not so much as a little sparrow falleth on the ground, as it is testified by our Saviour Christ, Mat. 10.30. So true is my propounded doctrine, Nihil accidere, nisi à Deo provisum: that nothing falleth out in this life, no calamity, no misery, nothing, good or evil, but by the providence of God. The objections, 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 groundwork of some other meditation. For the present, that I be not over-troublesome unto you, I will add but a word of use, and application. The first use may be, to stir us up to glorify God for all his mercies. For sith we know, that whatsoever befalleth us in this life, it is by the providence of God, what should come out of our mouths, and hearts, but that of holy job, Blessed, Blessed be the name of the Lord for it? In the time of our prosperity, when the face of the Lord shineth most cheerfully upon us, what should pierce the inward parts of a child of God, but these or the like motions? O Lord! Lord! that the hearts of these men my righteous friends or others, are turned unto me, it is of thee alone. Of thee alone it is, that I have their love, their favour, their benefits: thou alone art the fountain, they are but the instruments. Thy instruments they are, such as next after thee I will thankfully regard, but never before thee, nor without thee. Also what any other creature yields 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 ever. A second use may be to work patience in us, even through our whole life, and in our greatest afflictions. For sith we know, that whatsoever befalleth us in this life, be it to the flesh never so sour, it cometh to pass by the providence of God; why should any one that is the child of God murmur or repine, when he is fed with the bread of tears? Psal. 80.5. O then! when we are pinched with adversity, let us not imagine, that God is our enemy; believe we rather, that, of his good and fatherly purpose, he chasteneth us for the remnant of sin, abiding in this corrupted nature of ours, thereby to stir us up to the exercise of true Christian patience. Upon this belief I am resolved never to look so much at any ill, that shall betide me, as at the blessed hand, that shall be the guide thereof. A third use, which for this time shall be my last use of the doctrine now delivered, is to drive us to our knees early and late, to beg and desire at this our good God's hand, the continuance of his ever sweet providence over us, and for us, that by his good guidance we may quietly sail over the sea of this wicked world; and when his blessed will shall be, we may arrive in the haven of eternal comfort, even his blessed, and glorious, and everlasting Kingdom; to which the Lord grant us a happy coming, for his dear beloved Son jesus Christ his sake, to whom with the Father in the unity of the holy Spirit be all praise and power. Amen. THE Sixth Lecture. AMOS 3.5. Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? YOu may at the first blush think it a needless labour for me to stand upon 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 fouler; yet I doubt not even from hence to gather some good and profitable fruit for our instruction in the way of piety and godly living. My custom hitherto requireth that first I clear the reading; and then proceed to some wholesome observation. If the Hebrew be rendered 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 removed. Laqueus ascendit, quum tollitur: a snare ascendeth from the earth, when it is taken thence. For this same ascendet, the Septuagint have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; Shall a snare be loosed from the earth, shall it be broken upon the earth? Herewith agreeth the Chaldee Paraphrast. The Vulgar Latin 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 junius, and by Caluin; the rest that express him not, must of necessity understand him. Shall a fowler remove his snare from the earth, Et capiendo non c●piet? and in taking shall he not take? It is an Hebraisme: for which the Greeks' have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, without taking somewhat; the old Latin hath antequam quid ceperit, before he have taken somewhat; Caluin and Brentius, priusquam capturam ceperit, before he hath taken a prey: Gualther, si omnino nihil ce●e it. It he hath taken nothing at all. Those hit the sense of our Prophet, though they leave his Hebraisme: and herein I reprehend them not. For I descent 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 medulla, non in sermonum folijs, sed in radice rationis. His saying is, that the Gospel is not in the words of the Scriptures, but in the sense; not in the outside, but in the mar w; not ●n the leaves of the book, but in the root of reason. Well then have the Greeks', and the Vulgar Latin, and Caluin, and Brentius, and Gualther, left the word, to give the sense. So hath our countrym●n Taverner, whose reading is, Takes a man his snare up from the ground, afore he catch somewhat? The meaning he well expresseth. So do our newest Translators; but the better, by how much the nearer they cleave unto the words: Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have tak●n nothing at all? Shall be? To this interrogation, as to the former, the answer should be negative; No, he shall not. Shall he not? How so? A fowler may be deceived; he may miss of his prey, and so may be driven to take up his snares, his begins, his nets, though he have taken nothing. Luther for the removing of this scruple here respecteth the intention of the fowler, not his labour, nor the event thereof. The fowler lays his snares, sets his begins, spreads his nets with an intent, with a mind to catch somewhat, though sometime it may fall out he catcheth nothing. Petrus Lusitanus here observeth it to be the custom of fowlers, non facilè laqueos amovere, not willing to remove their snares, till they catch somewhat. The like doth Mercerus, Haud saue id moris est, surely it's not the custom, that a fouler should take up his snares, if he have taken nothing. So doth Drusius: Non tollitur, A snare is not taken up, before somewhat be catched. Non tollitur, that is, non tolls solet communiter, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, commonly and for the most part a snare useth nor to be taken up, till somewhat be catched. And so saith Carthusian: A net spread to catch birds, is not taken up till some be catched; Hoc communiter ita est, so commonly it falls out. It is now easy to give answer to the interrogation. The interrogation is, Shall one, a man, a fowler, take up his snare from the ground, and have taken nothing at all? The answer is, Surely no. Commonly, and for the most part he doth it not: he useth not, it's not his custom to take up his snare from the ground, if he have taken nothing at all. The reading is cleared, the interrogation is answered; and now let us see whereto this similitude taken from this custom of the fowler is appliable. It may serve, as in my former Lecture I signified, for the illustration of the certainty, the stability and the efficacy of the judgements of God, which he threatneth to bring upon the wicked for their sins; thus. A fowler useth not to take up his snares, till he hath catched somewhat: no more is it Gods use, when he maketh show of his judgements, to withdraw his hand, till he hath put them in execution. God gives not forth his threats in vain, nor gathers he up his nets, nor takes he up his snares, till he hath taken what he would; till he hath effected what he threatened by his Prophets. The sum of all is; Verbum Dei non cadere fine efficacia. The word of God falleth not without its efficacy; what he speaketh, that he doth. Such is the application of this present similitude. Saint Hierome applies it, a● he doth the former. He applies it to such as live in discord and variance. Their punishment it is, ut capiantur laqueo, to be taken in a snare; in a snare, that is placed not in the air but on the ground; from which whosoever is delivered, good cause hath he to rejoice; and to say as it is, Psal. 124.7. Our soul is escaped, as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are delivered. This is contritus ille laqueus, that same broken snare, whereof the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 16.20. Deus conteret Satanam sub pedibus vestris velociter; God shall bruise, he shall break Satan under your feet shortly. And hitherto he bringeth that, Psa. 140.5. juxta simitam scandulum posuerunt mihi, they have spread a net for me, by the wayside. By the way side have they done it. For they are not able any other way to deceive the simple, then by propounding unto them the name of Christ, dum putamus nos Christum invenire, pergamus ad Antichristum: the while we think we are in the way to find out Christ, we go on the high way to Antichrist. Thus hath Saint Hierome applied this similitude: and he is followed by Strabus Fuldensis, the Author of the ordinary Gloss. The doctrine which that good Father would from hence commend unto us is this; Discordiae poena, in laqueum incidere. It is the punishment of discord to fall into a snare. I thus explicate it. The man that life's in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him, as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare. Must calamity be the guerdon, the recompense of the man that liveth in discord and variance? It must needs be so. The foulness, the leprosy of this sin will nor suffer it to be otherwise. How foul and leprous this sin is, it may appear, first by the detestation wherein God holdeth it. Six things there are which the Lord hateth, yea the seventh his soul abhorreth. A proud look, a dissembling tongue, hands that shed innocent blood; an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that be swift in running to mischief; a false witness, that speaketh lies: These are the six which the Lord hateth: the seventh which his soul abhorreth is, He that soweth discord among brethren, Prou. 6.16. And no marvel is it, that he should with his soul abhor such a one. Non enim est dissentionis Deus, sed pacis, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 14.33. For God, he is not a God of tumult, of unquietness, of conjusion, of dissension, of discord, but a God of peace. Again, this sin appeareth to be very foul and leprous, in that it excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven. That it doth so, Saint Paul proveth, Gal. 5.19. because it is a work of the flesh: among which he numbereth, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, and seditions: and concludeth, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. A third way to find out the foulness and leprosy of this sin, is, to take a view of the appellations, which in holy Scripture are given to this kind of sinner. He is carnal, he is froward, he is proud, he is foolish. First, he is Carnal. Saint Paul avoucheth it, 1 Cor. 3.3. Ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? Are ye not carnal? Deny it not. For you are carnal, and ye walk as men. You are carnal, you follow the force and provocation of your flesh, your sensuality, your concupiscence, and ye walk as men: Ye walk not after God, not after the Spirit, 1 Pet. 4.6. Rom. 8.4. Gal. 5.16. Colos. 1.10. not in the Spirit, not worthy of the Lord, not worthy of the Gospel; as long as there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions. Secondly, the sinner in this kind is froward. So doth Solomon style him, P●ou. 16.28. A froward man soweth strife. This froward man, in the Hebrew, Vir perversitatum, A man of frowardnesses; a man given altogether to frowardness, soweth strife between man and man, between neighbour and neighbour, and is a very batemaker. Will you a fuller description of him? you may have it, Prou. 6.12. There shall you find him to be a naughty person, a wicked man, one that waketh with a froward mouth, that winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, that teacheth with his fingers, that hath frowardness in his heart, that continually deviseth mischief, that soweth discord. Believe it: it is a sure mark of a naughty, a wicked, a froward man, to be the Author of contentions and strife. Thirdly, this kind of sinner is a proud man. For, as it is, Prou. 13.10. Only by pride cometh contention. Only by pride? The meaning is not, that pride is the only cause of contention, but one of the chiefest. So is that place by some expounded. But well may it without gloss or exposition pass for a truth, that only by pride cometh contention, if Saint Augustine in his book de Nat. & Grat. against the Pelagians be not deceived. Out of the 26. Chapter of that book, I thus frame his argument. Every contempt of God is pride; but every sin is a contempt of God; Therefore every sin is pride; according to that of Ecclesiasticus, chap. 10.15. Initium omnis peccati est super●●a, The beginning of every sin is pride. Now if every sin, if the beginning of every sin be pride, then certain it is, that contention, variance, strife, debate, and the like, are all from pride. Fourthly, the sinner in this kind is a fool. For a fool he is taken, Prou. 18.6. Where it is said; Labia stulti miscent se rixis, A fool's lips are ever brawling. The words which a fool uttereth with his lips, have always strife annexed unto them, as an inseparable companion. Thus you see the account wherein the Spirit of God holdeth brawlers, make-bates, and sowers of discord, in that it styleth them carnal, and froward, and proud, and foolish. It was the third way, I propounded, to find out the foulness and leprosy of this sin. There is yet a fourth way: and that is by the effects thereof, as Busaeus the jesuite in his Panary hath observed. One effect thereof is to increase our sins. Well then doth Ecclesiasticus exhort us to abstain from strife. His exhortation is, Chap. 28.8. Abstain from strife, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and thou shalt diminish thy sins. If by abstaining from strife we diminish our sins, then surely by living in strife we increase our sins. A second effect of strife he maketh to be the subversion of the hearers: according to that charge which Paul giveth to Timothy, 2 Epist. 2.14. Charge them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. A third effect is, that it disturbeth the quietness even of a wise man, saith Solomon, Prou. 29.9. A wise man, if he contend with a foolish man, there is no quietness for him. A fourth effect is, that it bringeth ruin, destruction, and desolation, not only to houses or families, but to Cities also, yea to Countries, yea to Kingdoms. This our Saviour Christ showeth by a proverbial saying, Mat. 12.25. The saying is, Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation: and every City, or house divided against itself, shall not stand. Such, Beloved, are the effects of this sin of discord, and may well discover unto you the foulness and leprosy of it. For if it increase our sins, if it be the subversion of those that hear us, if it disturb our quietness, if it bring ruin, destruction, and desolation to all estates, then surely it is a soul and a leprous sin. And thus have I led you in four several paths to find out the foulness, and leprosy of this sin. The first was by God's detestation of it. His soul abhorreth it. The second was by the gates of Heaven fast shut against it; They that sinne this sin shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. The third was by the titles given to those sinners; they are carnal, and froward, and proud, and foolish. The fourth was by the effects which this sin produceth: it increaseth our faults, it subverteth our hearers, it disturbeth our quietness; it brings desolation upon all, upon family, upon nation, upon Kingdom. You now see the foulness; you see the leprosy of this sin; and will yield your assents to the truth of my propounded doctrine: which was, The man that liveth in discord and variance, shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare. Is it thus, Beloved? Must the man that life's in discord and variance fall into calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him? Must he? Our best way than will be, ever to bear about with us, that same Antidote or preservative which Saint Ambrose hath prescribed, Offic. lib. 1. cap. 21. Caveatur iracundia, aut si pracaveri non potest cohibeatur. Take heed of wrath, beware of discord, or if thou canst not before hand provide against it, keep it short, bridle it. But first, Caveatur, Beware, or take heed of it. This is the counsel which Paul giveth in his first book concerning the remedy of love; Principijs obsta, serò medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras. Withstand beginnings; thy medicines may come too late, if thy disease be grown strong. And this is the third remedy prescribed by Busaeus against this malady: Resist contentionum principijs, Resist the beginnings of discord. If thou be to talk with any man, keep under the first motions of thy mind, that they break not forth into indignation; and so thou give the occasion of discord. Discord is a Serpent. This serpent, like Goliath, must be smote dead in the a 1 Sam. 17.49. forehead, he must be crushed in the head, lest if he get in the head, as he did into b 2 Cor. 11.3. Eve, he bring in the whole body, and when sin is finished, he leave from his tail, the c 1 Cor. 15.55. sting of death in our souls. Discord is a Cockatrice. This Cockatrice must be crushed in the d Esay 59.5. Egg; If we suffer it to be hatched, and to grow a Basilisk, it will be our poison. Discord is a Fox. We must take this Fox, e Cant. 2.15. this little Fox before he do any hurt. If we let him grow till he be great, then like f Luk. 13.32. Herod the Fox, he will become bloodthirsty and ravenous, or like Samsons g judg. 15.4. Foxes, he will set all on fire. Discord is as Leavens, whereof it is said, h 1 Cor. 5.6. Gal. 5.9. Paullulò fermenti tota massa fermentatur, If we purge not out this little leaven, it will sour the whole lump. Discord is i Num. 3.18, 19 Aqua amaritudinis. We must give this water of bitterness no passage, k Eccles. 25.25. no not a little, lest like that in l Cap. 47.3, 4, etc. Ezechiel, it grow from the ankles to the knees, and from the knees to the loins, and prove a river that cannot be passed over without drowning. Discord is Paruulus Babylonis. We must betimes take this youngling of Babylon, and m Psal. 137.9. dash him against the stones, lest after growth he should cry against us, down with them, down with them even unto the ground. Thus, and thus, are we to deal with this youngling of Babylon, with this water of bitterness, with this leaven, this little leaven, with this fox, this little fox, with this Cockatrice, with this serpent; we are to resist discord even in the beginning. And this was Saint Ambrose his Caveatur; Cau●atur iracundia, beware of discord, take heed of it. But if we cannot before hand provide against it, then follows his Cohibeatur, Keep it short, bridle it. But how shall we keep it short? how shall we bridle it? The same good Father will for this point instruct us. Si pravenerit & praeocupaverit mentem tuam iracundia, non relinqua as locum tuum. If anger, if wrath shall prevent thee, and prepossess thy mind, leave not thou thy place. Thy place! What's that? Locus tuus patientia est, locus tuus sapientia est, locu● tuus ratio est, locus tuus sedatio indignationis est. Thy place is patience, thy place is wisdom, thy place is reason, thy place is the asswaging, the quieting of thine anger. By patience, by wisdom, by reason, thou mayst assuage and quiet anger. But my neighbour is so sullen, so froward, so self-willed, that I cannot choose but be moved. In this case what shall I do? The Father's reply unto thee is, Reprime linguam tuam, Restrain keep under, tame thy tongue. For so it is written, Psal. 34.13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guilt. Restrain, keep under, tame my tongue, keep my tongue from evil. The advice I confess to be very good. But how shall I be able to follow it? S. james seemeth to imply an impossibility in this performance, Chap. 3.8. where he saith, The tongue can no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. No man can tame it: How then shall I? It is an unruly evil; how shall I rule it. It is full of deadly poison; how shall I cleanse it? It were blasphemy to gainsay, what Saint james hath said. He hath said, the tongue is an unruly evil; and so it is. It is an evil, and an evil of a wild nature, it is an unruly evil. An unruly evil it is, Saint Bernard in his Treatise De triplici custodia, saith of it; facile volat, atque ideo facilè violate; It flieth quickly, and therefore it woundeth quickly. Speedy is the pace it goeth, and therefore speedy is the mischief it doth. When all other members of the body are dull with age, this though it be but little, this tongue alone is quick and nimble. An unruly evil it is; an unruly evil to ourselves, an unruly evil to our neighbours, an unruly evil to all the world. And it is full of deadly poison. Poison! What? is there poison in the tongue? Poison, that is contrary to the nature of a man, is it in the tongue of a man? Yes. But it may be this poison is no mortal poison, but such a poison, whose venom may without much ado be expelled. Nay, saith Saint james, it is mortal, it is a deadly poison. Say it be a deadly poison; peradventure there is but little of it, and so the danger is the less. Nay, saith Saint james, it is full of it; it is full of deadly poison. The tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison; who can tame it? No man, saith the Apostle. No. Man hath no bridle, no cage of brass, no bars of iron to tame the tongu● withal. And yet you see, the Psalmographer calleth upon us to tame this tongue of ours, to keep it from evil. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile. In this case what shall we do, Beloved? Whether shall we have recourse for help in this time of need? Whether but to the throne of grace, even to him that sitteth thereon? He made the tongue, and he alone can tame the tongue. He that gave man a tongue to speak, can give him a tongue to speak well. He that placed that unruly member in the mouth of man, can give man a mouth to rule it. He can give us songs of Zion for loves-sonnets, and heavenly Psalms for the Ballads of Hell. Wherefore let us move our tongues to entreat of him help for our tongues. David hath scored out this way for us, Psal. 141.3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. Da Domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis, It was Saint Augustine's petition, and be it ours. Give Lord what thou commandest, and then command us what thou wilt. Thou commandest that I keep my tongue from evil, and my lips that they speak no guilt: Lord keep thou my tongue from evil, keep thou my lips, and my lips shall speak no guile. Yet Beloved, we must not be idle ourselves. The difficulty of keeping our tongues from evil, should spur us on to a greater diligence. I know you would keep your house from thiefs, your garments from moths, your treasure from rust: See that ye be as careful to keep your tongues from evil. Give not over your hearts unto security, and your tongues will be the better. As fare as the heart is good, so fare will the tongue be good. If the heart believe, Rom. 10.10. the tongue will confess. If the heart be meek, the tongue will be gentle. But if the heart be angry, the tongue will be bitter, james 3.6. A tongue set on fire of Hell, to tell tales; to speak evil, to backebite, to slander, to curse, to brawl, to revile, discovers a heart as foul, full of all maliciousness: according to that which our Saviour told the Pharisees, Matth. 12.34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It is a polluted heart that maketh a foul mouth. Wherefore, dear Beloved, make clean within, and all will be clean: hate evil cogitations, and there will proceed from you no evil communication. Foster charity in your hearts; and your lips will be like the Spouses lips in the Canticles; they will be like a thread of scarlet, Chap. 4.3. and your talk comely; the speech that proceeds from you will be gracious in itself, and such as may administer grace unto the hearers, Ephes. 4.29. full of gravity, full of discretion, full of zeal, full of love. So shall all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And ye will be kind one to another, you will be tenderhearted one towards another, you will forgive one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Happy are ye that are in such a case. You shall not need to fear any calamity that hangeth over the heads of such as live in discord and variance: concerning whom, my doctrine was: The man that life's in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities, out of which there is no escaping for him, as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare. I have with some prolixity insisted upon this argument of discord and variance, the rather being persuaded of the truth of that which S. Augustin. Serm. 57 de verbis Domini hath delivered in these words, Non potest concordiam habere cum Christo, qui discors voluerit esse cum Christiano: It cannot be that he that is at variance with a Christian, should have any agreement with Christ. The motive that now drew me to entreat of this argument, was Saint Hieroms application of my Text to such as live in discord and variance, whereupon his collection was, Discordiae poenam esse, in laqueum incidere, that it is the punishment of discord, to fall into a snare. Thus far I have been his. I must now leave him, and look back to the other application of my Text, wherewith I acquainted you in the beginning of this exercise. My Text is: Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all. The application is: A fowler useth not to take up his snares from the earth; till he hath catched somewhat; No more is it Gods use, when he maketh show of his judgements, to withdraw his hand, till he hath put them in execution. God gives not forth his threats in vain, nor gathers he up his nets, nor takes he up his snares, till he hath taken what he would, till he hath effected what he threatened by his Prophets. The sum of all is, Verbum Dei non cadere fine efficacia: The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy. And it is the Doctrine, which I would now further commend unto your Christian and devout attentions. The Word of God falls not out without its efficacy. I thus explicate it. The Word of God is a certain, a sure, a faithful word. All the prophecies, all the predictions of future things therein propounded, are wonderfully made good in their accomplishment and event. All promises therein made, all threats therein denounced are ever true in their performance. That the prophecies, the predictions of future things propounded in the Word of God are ever true, and have their due accomplishment, I shall make plain in few words. In the days of Noah the world was grown so foul with sin, that God would needs wash it with a flood. With this his purpose to wash the world with a flood, he acquainted Noah one hundred and twenty years before he sent the flood. When that time had its period, when those one hundred and twenty years were expired, then, even then, and not before, he brought in the flood, as it appeareth by the collation of Genesis 7.6, 11. with 1 Peter 3.20. In the fifteenth of Genesis, vers. 13. God saith unto Abram: Know of a surety, that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Here is a prediction unto Abram concerning his posterity; that they should go into a strange land, should live in thraldom, and should from thence be delivered at the end of four hundred years. According to this prediction it came to pass. But first I note here, that this time of four hundred years, must begin at the birth of Isaak; though from his a An. M. 2049. birth to the deliverance of the children of Israel b An. M. 2454. out of Egypt were four hundred and five years, which few years in so great a sum maketh no great difference. Again, I note here, that by this land, not theirs, is meant not Egypt only, but Canaan too. And thirdly I note, that where the Text rehearseth these three, they shall be strangers, they shall serve, they shall be afflicted; we must jointly, not severally, apply them all to the time limited of four hundred years, that this whole time of four hundred years, they were either strangers, or served, or were afflicted. And so Saint Augustine, quast. 47. in Exod. understandeth this place. But you see the accomplishment of the prediction. Christ the Messiah, the Saviour of mankind was promised to our first parents, even upon the beginning of the world, Gen. 3.15. where God tells the Serpent, that the seed of the woman should bruise his head. He was promised unto Abram, Genesis 12.3. In thee shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. This promise unto Abraham is seven times reiterated. The seventh repetition of it is, Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. He was promised unto Isaac, Gen. 26.4. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed. The time of his coming is noted by jacob the Patriarch, Gen. 49.10. The Sceptre shall not departed from judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come. It is noted likewise by the Angel Gabriel, Dan. 9.25. Who there wisheth Daniel to know and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build jerusalem, unto the Messiah, the Prince shall be seven weeks. All these promises, prophecies, and predictions touching Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of mankind, we believe and know, they have had their due accomplishment. I could here remember you of prophecies or predictions, wherein certain persons were by name expressed long before they were borne. Such is that, 1 King. 13.2. O altar, alter, thus saith the Lord, Behold a child shall be borne unto the house of David, josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the Priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee; and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. josiah, you see, is named: but it was c An. M. 2971. three hundred and thirty three years before josiah was d An. M. 3304. borne, and before the e An. M. 3330. execution of this prediction three hundred fifty and nine years. The execution of it we have, 2 King. 22.15. Such is that, Esa. 44.28. There thus saith the Lord of Cyrus, He is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying to jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the Temple, thy foundation shall be laid. The prediction is, that Cyrus should take order for the re-edifying of the City of jerusalem, and the Temple there. Cyrus is the man that must give leave for this great work to be set on foot. Cyrus, Cyrus is named, and yet at this time Cyrus was not borne. Nor was he borne within one hundred years after this time. Nay, saith josephus, Antiq. judaic. lib. 11. cap. 1. the prophecy of Esay was written two hundred and ten years before Cyrus his time. Yet was the truth of this Prophecy f An. M. 3426. fulfilled in Cyrus, as it appeareth, 2 Chron. 36.22. and Ezra 1.1. Thus have I briefly, and in a few instances made it plain, that the prophecies, the predictions of things to come, propounded in the Word of God, are ever true, and have their due accomplishment: that all the promises made therein, all the threats denounced therein, are ever true in their performance. So, true is my doctrine. The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy. True; For God himself hath said it, Esay 55.10. As the rain cometh down, and snow from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth, and bud, that it may give seed to the sour, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. By this similitude taken from the rain and snow, the Lord giveth us to understand that his Word hath ever an effective power. It is ever working one way or other. It either mollifieth or hardeneth: it either converteth or convinceth: it either cureth or killeth. None ever heard it, but they were either the better or the worse by it. We preach, saith Saint Paul, 1 Corinth. 1.23. We preach Christ crucified, unto the jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks' foolishness: and these are the worse by the preaching of the Word. But unto them which are called, both jews and Greeks', it is the power of God, and his wisdom; and these are the better by it. After that heavenly Sermon made by our Saviour, joh. 6. in the 66. verse, Some went back and walked no more with him; these were the worse by his preaching. Others stuck more close, saying vers. 68 Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life: and we believe, and are sure, that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God: and these were the better by his preaching. At Paphos in the I'll of Cyprus, Barnabas and Saul upon the request of the Deputy preached the Word of God. By their preaching Sergius was converted, Elimas' was the more obdurate; the Deputy was the better by it: the Sorcerer much the worse, Act. 13.7, 8. This word of God is called a sword, Heb. 4.12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a double edged sword. It hath an edge, and an edge: alijs ad salutem, alijs ad perditionem. It hath an edge for some unto salvation; an edge for others unto perdition: an edge for receivers unto redemption, an edge for contemners unto rejection. This is it that our Saviour saith, joh. 12.48. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day. The word which he hath heard and contemned, the same shall be his judge. Shall it be his judge? Tell us then, Vbi nam iste talis judex sedebit? Where shall this judge, a judge of this nature, the Word of God, where shall it sit? Quali de solio suo voces aut sententias iudicij sui dabit? From what bench, from what tribunal shall it give sentence? Lib. 10. Com. in joan. ad cap. 12. Rupertus shall make the answer: Propè aderit, intùs sedebit, in conscientià cujusque iustas sententias terribiliter personabit. It will be near unto thee, it will have a seal within thee, even in thy conscience: and there it will terribly pronounce just judgement against thee, if thou be a contemner of the word of God. Believe it, dear Beloved believe it, The Word of God preached among us, shall either save us or judge us. It shall be either a copy of our pardon, or a bill of our indictment at the last day. For non cadit fine efficacia, as my doctrine goeth: The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy: it effecteth whatsoever it promiseth, whatsoever it threatneth. This is it which Saint Austin hath, Enarrat. in Psal. 94. Sicut verum est quod promisit, sic certum est quod minatur: As it is true what God in his holy Word hath promised, so certain is it what therein he threatneth. And as thou shouldest be certainly assured of thy rest, of thy welfare, of thy felicity, of thine eternity, of thine immortality, if thou be obedient to this Word of God; so must thou be certainly assured of thy molestation, of thy vexation, of thy ruin, of thy burning in eternal fire, and of thy damnation with the devils, if thou be disobedient hereunto. Thus have you as well the illustration, as the confirmation of my second doctrine; which was, The Word of God falleth not out without its efficacy. The uses may be two. One for terror, the other for comfort. The terror is for the wicked, the comfort for the godly. I can but point at them. The first is terror to the wicked. The wicked when he shall consider, that the threatenings of God against sinners denounced in the Word of God, are ever true in their performance, and must therefore be performed upon him, how shall he stand affected? Shall not a fear seize upon him, jer. 49.24. shall not anguish and sorrow environ him about? Shall not his heart be as the heart of a woman in her pangs? His agony will be no less, than was Belshazzars, Dan. 5.6. His countenance will be changed, his thoughts will be troubled, the joints of his loins will be loosed, his knees will smite one against the other. Such will be his agony, when the threatenings in God's Word are brought home unto him, and laid unto his conscience: as that, Psal. 11.6. Upon the wicked the Lord shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and a burning tempest; this shall be the portion of their cup. And that Rom. 2.9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil: And that Matth. 5.10. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewed down and cast into the fire: And that Matth. 25.30. Cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. O, what terrors shall affright the wicked when he shall behold such an army of sorrows coming on against him with due vengeance from the Lord? Those terrors that are upon the wicked may be profitable unto us sundry ways. First, they may teach us rightly to poise the weight of our sins in the balance of the Sanctuary: and by the fearful issue and after-claps that they bring, to judge how heinous they are in the sight of God. Secondly, they may rouse us up to a due consideration of our natural misery. Thirdly, they may provoke within us an appetite, even to hunger and thirst after reconciliation by Christ. Fourthly, they may deter us from the practice of sin. And so passing from the terrors of the wicked, let us have an eye to the comforts of the godly. The godly man, he that is the child of God, when he considereth that the promises of God made in his holy Word are ever true in their performance, and therefore will be performed in his particular, how great cause hath he of exultation and rejoicing? Sweet is that promise made by Christ, Matthew 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. As sweet is that, john 6.35. He that believeth on me shall never thirst; and that, vers. 37. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Turn but to the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and there shall you find a promise of glory, honour, peace, and eternal life, to such as with patience continue in well doing. Rest from labour, the asswaging of spiritual thirst, an irrevocable admission into the fellowship of Christ, glory, honour, peace, and life eternal! Such is the issue of our obedience, the end of our well-doing. Of this issue, or end, to speak as it deserveth, what tongue of men or Angels is able? A very small quantity hereof here in life obtained, O, how passeth it all understanding! And who is he that can utter the sweetness of that peace of conscience, and spiritual rejoicing in God, which himself hath here in this life tasted? And if the beginning be so sweet, how sweet shall the fullness be? Of which fullness vouchsafe most gracious Father in thy good time to make us all partakers, for jesus Christ his sake. THE Seventh Lecture. AMOS 3.6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the City, and the people not be afraid? OF the six similitudes here brought by Amos, this is the last. The first was from travellers upon the way, Vers. 3. The second and third were from Lions, Verse. 4. The fourth and fifth, from Fowlers, Verse. 5. This, the sixth and the last is from Warriors, Verse. 6. All do serve for the polishing and adorning of the proposition set down in the second Verse of this Chapter, the substance whereof is, God being good and gracious to a people, if he be repaid with unthankfulness, will assuredly visit that people, and punish them for all their iniquities. My method for the handling of this sixth similitude shall be no other, than what it was for the other five. I will first clear the reading, and then proceed to such observation, as may be for the amendment of our lives. For the reading first. Shall a trumpet be blown in a city, and the people not be afraid? This Trumpet with the Vulgar Latin is Tuba, but with Tremelius and junius, with Mercerus and with Drusius it is Buccina. Tuba is the Hebrews a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. joseph. Antiq. judaic. l. 3. cap. 11. Chatsotsrah; Buccina is their b Sophar, Gracè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hier. Hos. 5 8. Schophar, and so are these two, Chatsotsrah and Schophar translated by the author of the Vulgar Latin, Hos. 5.8. Claugite buccinâ in Gabaâ, Tubâ in Româ. Saint Hierome upon that place puts a difference between Buccina and Tuba. Buccina pastoralis est, & cornu recurno efficitur, Tuba autem de aere efficitur, vel argento. According to this distinction Buccina is the Cornet, and Tuba the Trumpet. So is that place Englished in our newest translation: Blow ye the Cornet in Gibeah, and the Trumpet in Romah. And so my text should speak of a Cornet, not of a Trumpet. Shall a Cornet be blown in a City, and the people not be afraid? Shall a Cornet be blown? The Hebrew is Schophar. But this distinction of these two is not perpetually observed. The old interpreters of the Bible do sometime confound them: and do render c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schophar by Tuba, the Trumpet, and d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chatsotsrah by Buccina, the Cornet. And therefore the reading here will be indifferent either way, whether you read Cornet, or Trumpet. But I take the Trumpet to be the fittest for us now to follow; because the Translators of our new Church Bible, following the ancient Interpreters, do prefer the Trumpet. That which followeth, admitteth a twofold reading: One is, Shall not be people be afraid? the other is, Shall not they run together? Each reading is commended unto you by our late Translators: the first in the text; the second in the margin. The difference ariseth from the Hebrew word e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charadh, which signifieth either to be afraid, or, to run together. Shall a trumpet be blown in a city, and shall not the people either be f Pavere, expavescere. afraid, or g Properè accurrere. run together. We shall the more easily understand what this interrogation intendeth; and what answer is to be made unto it, if we consider what the ancient use of Trumpets was. The ancient use of Trumpets is delivered by a writer of greatest antiquity from Gods own prescription. Moses in the tenth of Numbers is commanded to make two Trumpets of silver, which were to be for present use, and for use in time to come. For the present they were to serve h Numb. 10.2. for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. There is a double use of them commanded for the time to come; one in time of war, the other in time of peace. The use of Trumpets in time of war was, to assure them, that God would then remember them for good, and save them from their enemies, Verse 9 The use of them in time of peace, was, for their times of joy, and appointed festivities. In the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your mouths, ye shall blow with the Trumpets over your offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God, Vers. 10. O● this double use of the Trumpet Saint Hierome maketh mention, in his Comment upon Hos. 5. Tubâ in bellis ac solonnitatibus concrepabant: they blew with the Trumpet in time of war, and in their solemnities. So doth Isidore in the eleventh book of his Etymologies, chap. 20. Tuba adhibebatur, non solum in pratijs, sed in omnibus festis diebus: The Trumpet was used not only in war, but also upon their feast-days. Whence is that, Psalm. 81.3. Blow up the Trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast-day. And why was the Trumpet to be blown upon the solemn feast-day, but to call the people together to their holy assemblies? So saith D●usius; Ad sonum buccinae accurrebat populus, cùm ad sacra vocaretur: At the sound of the Trumpet, the people met together for the hearing of divine service. The Trumpet then called them together, as now the Bells call us. This use of the Trumpet was merely Ecclesiastical. There were also civil uses of it even in the time of peace; as when the people were to be called together, to hear some charge given them; or to give or take advisement concerning the affairs of the Commonwealth. These uses of the Trumpet, as well Civil as Ecclesiastical, Drusius hath touched in his sacred observations, lib. 14. cap. 18. There he saith, that at the sound of the Trumpet, the people were wont speedily to come together, Vel ad audiendum aliquid, vel ad orandum, vel denique ad agendum sine consultandum de republicâ: they came together, either to hear somewhat, or to pray, or to deliberate and consult about public matters. You see, what anciently were the uses of the Trumpet. Now it will not be any hard matter for us to give an answer to the Interrogation, which way soever it be made. If it be made according to the reading in the margin, [Shall a Trumpet be blown in a city, and the people not run together?] the answer must be negative, No; a Trumpet shall not be blown in a city, but the people will run together. They will assemble themselves, they will come together at the sound of the Trumpet, either to hear what shall be delivered to them from the Magistrate; or to enter into consultation about the affairs of the city; or to prostrate themselves in devotion before the Lord in his holy Temple. If the Trumpet be blown, they will run together. This our marginal reading, Tremelius and junius have embraced as the chiefest, yet so that they reject not the other. Nay, so fare are they from rejecting the other, as that they join both together. They make the interrogation to be thus: Shall a Trumpet be blown in a city, and populus trepidè non accurrerint? shall not the people tremblingly run together? The interrogation thus framed, may have an answer affirmative: A Trumpet may be blown in a city, and the people shall not need tremblingly to run together. For why should here be any trembling where there is no cause of fear? There was a feast of Trumpets yearly to be observed in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, Levit. 23.24. It was a day i Numb. 29.1 of blowing the Trumpets unto the people. The Trumpets were blown and the people ran together, but without fear, without trembling. There was a year of jubilee every fiftieth year to be hallowed. Every fiftieth year on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Trumpet of jubilee was to sound, Levit. 5.19. The Trumpet sounded; the people met, but without fear, without trembling. You will say these were set times of festivity, times of joy, and the blowing of Trumpets at these times was ordinary, and therefore the people now had no reason to be afraid at the sound of the Trumpets: but say, the sound of the Trumpets were extraordinary; would not the people then be afraid, and tremblingly run together? No; not ever then. Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets, when David with great solemnity fetched the Ark from Kiriath jearim. He brought up the Ark from thence with songs and with Harps, and with Psalteries, and with Timbrels, and with Cymbals, and with Trumpets, 1 Chron. 13.8. The Trumpets were blown. Here was much joy expressed; here was no show of fear at all. Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets at the dedication of Solomon's Temple. Then besides the Levites who had their Cymbals and Psalteries and Harps, there were an hundred and twenty Priests sounding with Trumpets, 2 Chron. 5.12. The Trumpets were blown; much joy was thereby expressed, there was no show of fear at all. Extraordinary was the sound of the Trumpets at the restitution of religion by Hezekiah King of judah; and then were the Levites present with their Cymbals, their Psalteries, and their Harps, and the Priests with their Trumpets, 2 Chron. 29.26. The Trumpets were blown, joy was expressed, no fear appeared. Thus we see Trumpets have been blown, not only at ordinary times, but also at times extraordinary, and yet have the people had no cause of fear. What shall we then say to this interrogation, as it is made by Tremelius and junius? Shall a Trumpet be blown in a City, and shall not the people tremblingly with fear run together? The interrogation thus framed, for the substance of it, well agreeth with our new translation; Shall a Trumpet be blown in a City, and the people not be afraid? and therefore we may alike resolve for both. Our resolution may be thus: This Trumpet must be blown, not in time of peace when all is quiet; but in time of war, when all is in combustion: and it must be blown, not in the streets of the city, but from the watchtower: and it must be blown not at an ordinary time, but when men least think of it, to give warning of the sudden approach of the enemy unto the city. To this understanding we are directed by jonathan, the Chaldee Paraphrast, who adds unto my text non suo tempore, to give the meaning of it: Shall a Trumpet be blown in a city, non suo tempore, out of its ordinary time, and shall not the people be afraid? So, our Prophet here speaketh de clangore buccinae extraordinario, of an extraordinary blowing of the Trumpet; of its being blown alieno tempore, at a strange time. Such a blowing of the trumpet, at such a time, was ever a sure token, adventantis hostis, that the enemy was not fare of: Vnde pavor & metus, saith Drusius; whence fear and trembling were upon the people. Now to the interrogation, Shall a trumpet be blown in a city, and the people not be afraid; or, shall they not tremblingly run together? Our answer is negative; No. It cannot be, that in time of war a trumpet shall be blown in a city at an extraordinary, an unusual and a strange hour, but the people will be afraid, and will tremblingly run together. Hitherto hath the reading been cleared, and the interrogation answered: and now let us see whereto this sixth similitude taken from warriors is appliable. Saint Hierome applies it, as he doth the former. He applies it to such as live in discord and variance. He makes it to be their punishment; in civitate Domini constituti, tubae sonitu terreantur: that being placed in the city of the Lord, they be terrified with the sound of the trumpet. By this city of the Lord, he meaneth the holy Catholic Church, and by this trumpet, the word of God sounding in the Church. For thus he addeth, Whatsoever is spoken in holy Scriptures, it is tuba comminans, a threatening trumpet, that with a mighty voice penetrateth the ears of believers. If we be righteous, this Trumpet of Christ calleth us unto blessedness; but if wicked, unto torments. With the sound of this trumpet shall they be terrified that live in discord, and variance. Of the foulness and leprosy of which sin, I spoke at large in my last Sermon out of this place. Now therefore I leave it, and proceed to some other application of this sixth similitude. Saint Cyril applies it to the Prophets of the Lord, and his Ministers, thus: If a trumpet be blown in a city, to give warning of the approach of the enemy, who is there so without all sense of grief, as not to conceive exceeding fear of future evils? But you, you the people of Israel, are so void of all sense and feeling, that though my trumpets cease not continually to sound aloud in your ears, and to fore-warne you of evils, that shall come to pass, you receive no profit thereby. Though you understand by the sound of my trumpets, that your cities which are now inhabited, Ezech. 12.20. shall be laid waste, and your Land shall be desolate; yet you take courage to yourselves against such terrors, Amos 6.3. you put far away from you the evil day, you say within yourselves, Ezech. 12.27. the vision which this man seethe, is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. To this purpose Saint Cyril. With him agree three great Rabbins, R. David, R. Abraham, R. Selomo. They make the Lord here to speak after this manner: If a trumpet be blown in a city at an unseasonable hour to give warning that the enemy is coming, the people will exceedingly tremble and be afraid. Why then, are not you afraid? why tremble ye not at the voices of my Prophets? My Prophets are my trumpeters: by them I give you warning of the evils that hang over your heads, and will ere long fall upon you. Why are you not afraid? why tremble you not? To this application of this sixth similitude, our new Expositors for the most part have subscribed. They understand by this City the Church of God, by the Trumpet the Word of God, by the people the bearers of the Word: and so, thus stands the application: When a trumpet giveth a sudden sign by the sound of it out of a watchtower, all the people hearken, and are troubled, and prepare themselves this way or that way, according as the trumpet giveth the token: So at the voice of God founding by his Ministers, we ought to give ear and be attentive, and be moved at the noise of it, and as he giveth warning, prepare ourselves and look about us while it is time, lest afterward it be too late. Now the lesson which we are to take from hence is this, The word of God uttered by his Ministers, deserveth more reverence, fear, and trembling, then doth a trumpet sounding an alarm from a watchtower. For the word of God is a trumpet too, and a trumpet of a fare shriller sound. The blowers of this trumpet are the Ministers of the Word, who in this regard are called sometimes Tuba Dei, and sometimes Speculatores. They are God's trumpet, and they are watchmen. They are Tuba Dei, God's trumpet: and hereby are they put in mind of their duty; even to denounce perpetual war against the wicked; and to excite men, even to fight against the Devil, and to bid defiance unto sin. And they are Speculatores, they are Watchmen, placed by God in his holy City, the Church, Velut in speculâ, as in a Watchtower, to watch for the safety of the people, and to blow the trumpet unto them, when any danger is at hand. Both appellations are met together in jerem. 6.17. Constitui super vos speculatores; audite vocem tubae: I have set over you watchmen: harken to the sound of the trumpet. Bishops, Pastors, Ministers; they are these watchmen: and we are to hearken to the sound of their trumpets. Their trumpets? True. For Ministers have trumpets. Their trumpets are two. One is Territoria, the other is Consolatoria. One is a terrifying trumpet; the other trumpet is comforting. Of the former God speaketh by his Prophet Esay chap. 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of jacob their sins. So doth he by Zephania, chap. 1.16. A day of the Trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers: And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord. This trumpet you may call tubam legis, the trumpet of the Law: because by if the Minister denounceth the curses of the Law, the wrath of God, misery, and calamity to every unrepentant sinner. Of the other trumpet of the ministry, we may understand that, Esay 27.13. The great Trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come, which were ready to perish in the Land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the Land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy Mount at jerusalem. This trumpet you may call tubam Euangelij, the trumpet of the Gospel: because by it the Minister pronounceth the blessings of the Gospel; the love of God, a quiet conscience, and true felicity to every true believer. These two trumpets, terrifying and comforting, that of the Law, this of the Gospel, are still of use in the Church of Christ, the Minister sounding sometimes woe, sometimes weal, according as our sins shall give him cause. But why is it, that the ministry of the Word, and the preaching thereof, is compared to a trumpet? Hector Pintus in his Comment upon the eight and fiftieth of Esay giveth hereof two reasons. One is, because, as the material trumpet calleth and encourageth unto war; so this spiritual trumpet, the preaching of the Word, calleth and encourageth us to fight valiantly against the world, the flesh and the Devil. The other is, because as the material trumpet is blown at solemnities to betoken joy: so this spiritual trumpet, the preaching of the Word, should stir us up ad laborem in praesenti, & ad gaudium in futuro: to labour in this life, and to joy in that to come. For as he addeth, hic est locus vincendi, ibi triumphandi: hic brevis laboris, illic sempiterna quietis: hic poenae transeuntis, ibi gloriae permanentis. Here is the place for overcoming, there for the triumph: here of some little labour, there of eternal quiet: here of pain that passeth away, there of glory that endureth. The comparison standing thus between the preaching of the Word, and a trumpet, warranteth the truth of the doctrine propounded; which was, The word of God uttered by his Ministers deserveth more reverence, fear, and trembling, then doth a trumpet sounding an alarm from a watchtower. This representation of the word of God by a trumpet should ever sound, and as it were, go before us, in all our actions, in war, in peace, in all meetings and joyful feasts, that all our doings may be acceptable to the Lord our God. The doctrine now delivered, standing upon the comparison that is between the preaching of the Word and a trumpet, may in terms absolute be thus; The preaching of the word of God is to be hearkened unto with all reverence. It is the point I handled in my first Sermon upon this third Chapter of Amos. My Thesis then was, The word of God is diligently to be hearkened unto. What proofs and reasons out of Scripture I then produced for the confirmation of that truth, and what use was made thereof, I now stand not to repeat. Nor need I so to do. The holy Scripture being as the Ocean of waters which can never be exhausted, yields us great variety of matter, though we speak again and again to the same point. I proceed then with my Thesis, as it is given in terms absolute, The preaching of the word of God is to be hearkened unto with all reverence. I urge this duty, 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 hearkened unto with all reverence for the honour's sake of him that speaketh. For the honour's sake of him that speaketh? Why? Who is he? Is he not some Prophet, some Apostle, some Priest, or Minister; one whom we know to be of mean descent, some a Amos 1.1. Herdsman, some b Matth. 4.18. Fisherman, some c 1 Thess. 2.9. Act. 18 3. Tentmaker, some d Matth. 13.55. Carpenter's son. Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren james and joses, and Simon, and judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? How then is it that you urge us to give ear with reverence to the preaching of the Word, for the honour's sake of him that speaketh? Our blessed Saviour Christ jesus, untieth this knot for me. He to comfort his Apostles against the time of persecution, thus saith unto them, Matth. 10.19, 20. Take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in the same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you. In the thirteenth of Mark, Verse 11. thus. It is not ye that speak, but the holy Ghost. In the twelfth of Luke, verse 12. thus. The holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye 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, ye are with reverence to give ear to them, when they preach unto you, for the honour's sake of him that speaketh. Qui vos audit, me audit, saith Christ unto his Disciples, Luke 10.16. He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. He that heareth you heareth me! It is an admirable and gracious dispensation from God, to speak unto man, not in his own 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 own nature, flesh of our flesh, and bones of our bones, by men of our own shape and language, james 5.17. by men subject to the same passions, whereto we are subject. God is he that speaketh from above, that blesseth and curseth, that bindeth and looseth, that exhorteth and dissuadeth by the mouth of man. For this respect and relations sake between God and his Ministers, whom it hath pleased of his mercy in some sort to dignify with the representation of his own person here upon the earth, the world hath ever held them in very reverend estimation. Remember the Galatians. Though Saint Paul preached the Gospel unto them through infirmity of the flesh, Galat. 4.13. without the honour, without the ostentation, without the pomp of this world, rather as one that studied to bring his person into contempt, than otherwise; yet were they so fare off from despising or rejecting him, that they rather received him as an Angel of God, yea, as Christ jesus. And he bore them record, that if it had been possible, they would have plucked out their own eyes, and have given them to him. If it had been possible, that is, if Nature and the Law of God had not forbidden it: or, if it had been possible, that is, if they might have done it sine suo dispendio, as Haymo and Remigius do interpret it, if they might have done it without their own utter undoing: or if it had been possible, that is, if it might have been ad Ecclesiae utilitatem, so speak Aquinas and Gorran, if it might have been for the good of the Church, they would have plucked out their own eyes, and have given them to Paul. Would they have plucked out their own eyes? Nihil habet quisquam charius oculis suis: There is nothing more dear unto a man than are his eyes. And yet if it had been possible, would the Galatians have plucked out their own eyes, and have given them to Paul. When the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, Moses said unto them, Exod. 16.8. The Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him; and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. What are we, but Serui & Ministri, the Servants and Ministers of the Lord? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. This is that, which the Lord saith concerning his Prophet, Deut. 18.19. Whosoever will not hearken to the words which he shall speak in my name, Ego ultor existam, I will require it of him, I will be his avenger. Whereupon Didacus Stella: Hominem non debes aspicere, sed Deum, Enarrat. in cap. 10. Lucae. qui in eo loquitur; Look not upon man, set not thy thoughts upon him, but upon God that speaketh in him. For the words which he speaketh, he speaketh in the name of God. But say the Preacher be a naughty, a wicked man; what shall I then do? Deum qui per ipsum loquitur, debes respicere. Thou must have regard to God, that speaketh by him. God divinâ & admirabili suâ virtute, God of his divine and marvelous power, is able to bring to pass excellent and divine works by evil instruments. God fed Elias by the ministry of Ravens. Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning; and bread and flesh in the evening, 1 King. 17.6. Did Ravens bring him food? Cur ita? Why so Lord? Couldst thou not command Doves, and other clean birds to feed thy Prophet, but thou must provide for him by Ravens? Note here the mystery. God useth many times to give unto his people the spiritual food of their souls, sound and wholesome doctrine, by evil and wicked men, as he gave good bread and flesh to Elias by Ravens: tu vero comede, only eat thou, and receive thou from the hand of God what he sendeth: and be not curious to know, whether he that brings thee thy soul's meat, be a Raven or a dove, a wicked or a good man, so the food he bringeth thee be sound and come from God. By this time you see, you are to give ear with reverence to the preaching of the word of God for the honour's sake of him that speaketh. You are now in the second place to be urged to the performance of this duty, from the danger of him that heareth negligently. The danger is great. Saint Augustine discovers 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, quàm qui Corpus Christi in terram cadere suâ negligentiâ permiserit: Whosoever shall hear the word of God negligently, shall be no less guilty, than he that by his own negligence shall suffer the Body of Christ to fall upon the ground. And therefore with what solicitude and care we take heed that no part of Christ's body which is given to us by the Minister, do fall unto the ground; with the like we should take heed, that no part of God's word that is offered unto us by the Preacher, do either by our wandering thoughts, or our irreverent talking fall from out our hearts and perish. But say, this solicitude and care be wanting in us; what then? Then the danger is, our very prayers will be an abomination to the Lord. So saith the holy Ghost, Prou. 28.9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be an abomination: where by turning away the care from hearing, he meaneth not only the open contemning and despising of the word of God, but also every negligent, careless, and unprofitable hearing thereof. And so it is true: He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law, his prayer shall be an abomination to the Lord, the Lord will loathe and abhor the prayer he maketh, and will not hear him. There is yet a further danger of our negligent hearing, and that is the loss of the word of God from among us. Negligent hearing deserves no less: for it is a rebellion against God, and God will tie the tongues of his servants, that they shall not preach his Word to such. So tied he the tongue of Ezeckiel, chap. 3.26. O son of man, I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shall not be to this people a reprover, for they are a rebellious house. Whereupon Great Gregory; Propter ma●●● auditores bonis sermo doctoribus tollitur: for ill hearers God sometimes stoppeth the mouths of good teachers. So stopped he the mouth of Saint Paul, that he should not teach in jerusalem, Act. 22.18. Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. The Apostles that would have preached in Asia, could not, for the Spirit would not suffer them, Act. 16.7. Christ forbids us dare sanctum canibus. Matth. 7.6. Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Who are those dogs, who these swine, but men living in incurable impiety without all hope of amendment, and wallowing in the mire of unbridled luxury? who if they vouchsafe to come to this Watchtower of the Lord to hear the sound of the Trumpet, they give ear but negligently, but unprofitably, but contemptuously? Such are they whom this inhibition concerneth, Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. For what is this holy thing, that we must not give unto them, what these pearls, but veritatis mysteria, the mysteries of truth enclosed within the profundity of the Scriptures, as pearls within shell-fish? These holy mysteries be kept back from them, that will be negligent, unprofitable and contemptuous hearers. And thus you see, you are to give ear with reverence to the preaching of the word of God, for the dangers sake of him that heareth negligently. You will now in the third place be persuaded to the performance of this duty, for the profits sake of him that heareth diligently. Here is a threefold profit for him. 1. His heart hereby shall be softened. 2. It shall be sweetened. 3. It shall be cleansed. Enarrat. 1. Dom. 5. post. Trin. pag. 237. That the preaching of the Word softeneth the heart, Petrus de Palude would prove by the confession of the Spouse, Cant. 5.6. Anima mea liquefacta est, ut dilectus locutus est; As soon as my beloved spoke, as soon as I heard the voice of my Saviour, my soul even melted. But fit to our purpose is the example of Ahab, 1 King. 21. Elias comes unto him with the word of God in his mouth: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine, O King, vers. 19 and vers. 21. I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, all thy posterity. Ahab hereupon rends his , puts sackcloth upon his flesh and lies therein, fasteth, and goeth comfortless, vers. 27. See you not the heart of Ahab humbled, his hard heart softened by the word of God. In the second Chapter of the book of judges, a Messenger of the Lord comes up from Gilgal to Bochim, with words of reproof against the people of Israel, and saith, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brou ht you unto the Land, which I swore unto your Fathers, and I said, I will never break my covenant with you; and ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this Land; you shall throw down their Altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice; why have ye done this? This was the word of God unto them: they heard it, and cried out, and wept. Their hearts were humbled: their hard hearts were softened. This is it that the Lord hath said, jerem. 23.29. Is not my sword like fire? and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Yes Lord: thy Word is like fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces: It mollifieth and softeneth the hard stony and flinty heart. A second profit that the Word preached bringeth unto us, is, that it sweeteneth the heart. For the word of God is Manna, habens in se omne delectamentum saporis, it is as the Celestial Manna, that Angel's food, that bread from Heaven, Wisd. 16.20. very pleasant and well gusted. David esteems is to be sweeter than Honey, and the dropping of the honeycomb, Psalm. 19.10. And Psal. 119.103. out of the admiration thereof, he saith, O how sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea sweeter are they than Honey to my mouth. Fau● mellis verba composita, Prou. 16.24. Fair, pleasant, and well composed words are as an Honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Quae verba composita, dulcia sunt, si tua non sunt? So Claudius Aquaviua in his Meditations upon the 119. Psalm: What fair, what pleasant, what wellcomposed words are sweet, Lord, if thine be not? Thy words, Lord, de melle coeli mellea, & de lumine tuo luminosa animam non dulcorant modò, sed dulcedine inebriant. Thy words, Lord, sweet as is the Honey of Heaven, and full of light through thy light, do not only sweeten the soul, but do even inebriate it with sweetness. The third profit that the Word preached bringeth unto us, is, that it cleanseth the heart. It maketh clean the heart, according to that saying of Christ, john 15.3. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. Clean are ye, Non propter baptismum, quo loti estis, Not for the Baptism wherewith you have been baptised, sed propter verbum quod locutus sum vobis, but for the Word which I have spoken unto you. You are clean, not for your Baptism, but for the Word. So Saint Augustine Tract. 80. in johannem, Detrahe verbum & quid est aqua nisi aqua? Accedit verbum ad elementum & sit sacramentum: Take away the Word, and what is the water but water? the Word cometh to the element, and it is made a Sacrament. You are clean then, not by your Baptism, but by the Word. And you are clean by the Word, Non quia dicitur, sed quia creditur. You are clean by the Word, not because the Word is preached unto you, but because you believe it when it is preached. The Pharisees and other hypocrites did hear the Word of Christ, yet were they not thereby made clean, because they did not believe the Word of Christ. And so doth Rupertus expound these words. You are clean. You are clean, because you believe that which I have said unto you, concerning my death and resurrection, how I must die for your sins, and rise again for your justification, and go away to provide a place for you. You have not only heard, but also have believed the Word which I have spoken unto you, and therefore are ye clean. The fruit then, and the profit, that ariseth unto us from our reverend hearing of the Word preached is by our faith. It is faith that purifieth our hearts, saith Peter, Act. 15.9. Faith it is, by which we apprehend the blood of the Lamb of God, and are thereby cleansed from all our sins. But I may not hold you overlong with the prosecution of this point. Let it please you to be remembered, that we have hitherto been moved to the performance of a holy duty, even to the reverend hearing of the word of God: and this, first for the honour's sake of him that speaketh; secondly, for the danger: sake of him that heareth negligently; thirdly, for the profits sake of him that heareth diligently: and that we understand this profit to be threefold, that it softeneth our hard hearts, that it sweeteneth them, that it cleanseth them. What now remaineth, but that we pray God to dismiss us with a blessing? We humbly beseech thee, most gracious God, so to open our hearts, and to unlock the cares of our understanding, that now and ever hearing thy Word profitably, we may observe, learn, and embrace such passages therein, as are necessary to the confirming of our weak faith, and the Amendment of our sinful lives. Grant this dear Father, for thy best beloved Son jesus Christ. AMEN. THE Eighth Lecture. AMOS 3.6. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? THis short sentence you may call the Conclusion or the explication of the similitudes that went before. The similitudes were six; all taken from vulgar experience, and such as is incident to a Shepherds walk. The explication, as it is given by Theodoret and Remigius, stands thus: As it cannot be, that two should walk together, except they be agreed; or that a Lion should roar in the forest, when he hath no prey; or that a lion's whelp should cry out of his den, if he have gotten nothing; or that a bird should fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him; or that a fouler should take up his snare from the ground, before he have taken somewhat; or that the Trumpet should sound an alarm in the City, and the people not fear: so it cannot be, that there should be any evil in a City, except the Lord command it so to be. This dependence of these words upon the former is approved by Christophorus à Castro in his Paraphrase. Conrade Pelican and others, look not so fare back for the coherence of these words, but confine them within this sixth verse; thus: As a trumpet is not blown in a City, but that the people thereof should be afraid, and run together: so neither is there any evil sent by the Lord to any place, city, or country, but that the people thereof should repent and amend their lives. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the reddition, suiting with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with the proposition of the similitude here drawn from the sound of the trumpet, should be thus: Shall a Prophet in the name of the Lord foreshow any future evil, and shall not the people be afraid? But, because whatsoever evils a Prophet foretelleth, he foretelleth from the Lord; and the evils which he foretelleth, fall not out but by the Lord; therefore Amos here omitting the Antecedent, sets down the consequent: Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Shall there be evil, etc. Some years have passed away since I handled this Text in the chiefest assembly of this Diocese. My then endeavours were to arm myself, and that devout auditory with patience against the day of affliction. And because that day, is a day, which every child of God must look for, I was induced to publish what I then delivered, if it might be, for the comfort of such as then heard me not: and I did it, under the title of the haven of the afflicted. What need then is there, that I should at this time recommend the same Text unto you? What the wise son of Syrach in the eighteenth of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 6. saith of such as search into the works of God, is true of us, whose office is, to search into the words of God, Cum consummauerit homo, tunc incipiet: When a man hath done what he can, he must begin again. For as Saint Hierome hath well observed in his Comment upon the 90. Psalm, Singula verba Scripturarum, singula Sacramenta sunt: every word in Scripture is a Sacrament, and containeth a mystery. Every word a Sacrament! The Rabbins stay not here: they say as much of every letter; Nullum est iota in Scripturâ, à quo non pendeant mont es doctrinarum: there is not an iota, any the least letter in the Scriptures, but thereon do depend mountains of doctrines. Saint Hierome in the second book of his Commentaries upon the Epistle to the Ephesians yet goes further; Singuli apices, singula puncta in divinis Scriptures, plena sunt sensibus: there is not a tittle, not a point in the divine Scriptures, but its full of spiritual meaning, full of senses. Not a word, but it's a Sacrament! not a letter, but it yields mountains of doctrines! not a point, but its full of senses! Well then may the words which I have now read unto you, yield variety of matter, fit for our deepest meditations a second time: and because they follow in course in this Chapter, the exposit on whereof I have for this place undertaken, I may not in silence pass them over, but must take a review of them, and recommend them to your Christian and devout attentions. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? Herein observe with me three circumstances; Quis, Quid, Vbi. Quis, the Agent; Quid, the Action; Vbi, the place of performance. The Agent, is the Lord; the Action, is a doing of evil; the place of performance is a City. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? You see the bounds of my present discourse. I will go over them with as much brevity and perspicuity as I may, God's holy grace assisting me, and your Christian and accustomed patience giving leave. The first point I am to handle is Quis: it is the Agent. His name in my Text is jehovah, and it is the most proper name of God. Is his name jehovah? How then is it that jacob the Patriarch, Gen. 32.29. ask after the name of God, receives answer in the Vulgar Latin, Cur quaeris nomen meum, quod est mirabile? Wherefore is it, that thou dost ask after my name, seeing it is wonderful? And how comes it to pass, that the like answer is given unto Manoah, judges 13 18. Cur quaeris nomen meum, quod est mirabile? Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret? And why doth Agur inquire with admiration, Prou. 30.4. Who hath ascended up into Heaven? or who hath come down from thence? Who hath gathered the wind in his fist? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? Quod nomen eius? What is his name? Canst thou tell? as if it were impossible to find out a fit name for God. Much disputing is there in the Schools about the name of God, which they reckon up by a threefold divinity. The first is a Salmeron Disp. 4. in 1. Ephes. Tom. 15. pag. 187. Et in 1. joan. 1. Disp. 5. Tom. 16. pag. 170. Theologia affirmativa, an affirmative Divinity: the second is, Theologia mystica sive negativa, a mystical or negative divinity: the third is, Theologia Symbolica, a symbolical divinity. In the affirmative divinity, God is called by such names as do sound out his perfection, such as are, b Gen. 17.1. Omnipotent, c Gen. 21.33. Everlasting, Good, d Rom. 16.27. Wise, e Apocal. 15.4. Holy, f Deut. 32.4. Just, and g Exod. 34.6. True. In the mystical or negative divinity, no certain name is given him, to describe him, what he is, but to show what he is not. Such appellations are these, h 1 Tim. 1.17. Immortal, Invisible, i Rom. 1.23. Incorruptible, k Bernard. Ser. 6. Super Cantic. Incorporeal, l Aug. Tom. 10. de verbis Apost. Serm. 1. Ineffable, Inestimable, Incomprehensible, Infinite, m Bernard paru. Serm. 51. Immense, Vndivided, Vnuariable, Unchangeable. In the symbolical divinity any name may be given him: he may be called n Salmeron. D●sp. 5. in 1 joan. 1. To. 16. p. 170. a Lion, a Lamb, a Worm, a Calf, Light, Heaven, a Star, any thing else, by o Trelcat. instit. lib. 1. pag. 20. Analogy or similitude, Nulla p Salmeron. in Ephes. 1. Disp. 4. pag. 187. Apud. Aquin. 1. q. 13.11. in C. siquidem res est, quae in aliquo Deum non referat: for there is not any thing, but in somewhat it resembles God. To the first of these three belongeth this name of God in my Text; his name jehovah, jehovah is among the affirmative names of God; and is of them the most principal. So saith Damascene lib. 1. Orthodox. fidei cap. 12. And well. For it comprehendeth totum, all in itself, Velut qu●ddam pelagus, as a Sea of substance, infinite and indeterminate. jehovah! It is the essential name of God, the name of his essence, for three reasons. First, because God is of himself, not of any other. Secondly, because other things are from God, not from any thing else, nor from themselves. Thirdly, because God gives Esse real, a real being to (and is ever true in) his promises, and his threats. All this is confirmed, Esay 43.10. Ye are my witnesses, saith jehovah, that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God form, neither shall there be after me. I, even I am jehovah; and besides me there is no Saviour. Yea, before the day was, I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? It is from hence plain, that the Lord, jehovah, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he is of himself alone, and ever of himself and of no other, the beginning and fountain of all things else, that have any being. See then here his Essence, vers. 10. I am he, vers. 11. I, even I, am the Lord, vers. 12. Ye are my witnesses, that I am God, verse. 13. I am he. See here his Eternity, vers. 10. Before me there was no God form, neither shall there be any after me: and vers. 13. Before the day was, I am. See also his Omnipotency, vers. 13. Beside me there is no Saviour: verse. 13. There is none that can deliver out of my hand. Again in the same verse, I will work; and who shall let it? Great is the comfort that this name of God, his name jehovah, may administer unto us. Our God is jehovah; of himself, eternal, and omnipotent: and therefore will not fail to give unto us the good things which he hath promised in his holy Word. Much too blame then are the jews, who through their vain superstition, holding this name of God, this great name, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they call it, to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ineffable, and not to be pronounced, do neither write it, nor read it, nor speak it: but as oft as they meet with it in holy Scripture, they either read for it Elohim, or Adonai, or do only name the four letters of which it consisteth, Iod, He, Vaughan, He: whereas yet God hath therefore made known this his name to men, that men might read it, and pronounce it with a reverend and an holy fear. This our God the Lord, jehovah, who is of himself alone, and giveth a real being to all things else, who is ever true; true in himself, true in his works, and true in his words: this our God is a good God. Good in himself, and good out of himself. Good in himself of his own essence, and the highest degree of goodness. He is suâ essentiâ bonus, good of his own essence. For his goodness is not by participation of good from any other, but naturally of himself from everlasting: nor is his goodness accidental, but he is suâ ipsius bonitas, He is his own goodness. And he is Summè bonus; he is good in the highest degree o● goodness. For he is that same Summum Bonum, that same chiefest good, that is of all men to be sought for. He is good also, Extrase, out of himself. For he is the Author of all good, as well in making so many good creatures, as in doing good to them being made. And this his goodness is either general or special. His general goodness extends itself to all his creatures: not only to such as have continued in that goodness, wherein they were created; but also to such as have fallen away from their primigenial goodness, even to evil Angels, and to wicked men. Of this goodness I understand that, Psal. 33.5. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. His special goodness I call that, by which he doth good to the holy Angels, confirmed in grace, and to his elect children among the sons of men. Such is that, whereof we read, Psal. 73.1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. He is good, that is, he is gracious, favourable, and full of compassion to Israel, to his elect and holy people, his holy Church, yet militant upon the earth, delivering her from evil, and bestowing good upon her. Now if honey of its own nature and essence sweet, hath no bitterness in it; if the Sun of its own nature and essence light, hath no darkness in it: then out of doubt it cannot be, that our God the Lord, jehovah, who is ever good; good in se, and good, extra se; good of his own nature and essence, and good towards all his creatures, should have any evil in him. No, Lord, We confess before thee with thy holy servant David; Psal. 5.4. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. Thus you see, Quis, who this Agent is. He is our God, the Lord, I●houah. He, who is his own being, and giveth a real being to all things else; He, who is absolutely good, good of his own essence, and good to all his creatures; He, in whom there is no stain of evil. This is He, the Agent. Now followeth his Action, which seemeth to be a doing of evil, and is my second circumstance. For my Text is, Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? Mat. 7.18. It is an observation in Nature, that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. And there is an axiom in Philosophy, Omne agens agit sibi simile, Every Agent produceth the like unto itself. God, the Agent here, being absolutely good; good in se, good extra se; good in himself, good to all his creatures, cannot but produce a like action, even very good. How then is it, that here he is said to do evil? For the untying of this knot, I will produce a few distinctions; from them I will gather some conclusions; and the doubt will be cleared. My first distinction is; Things may be termed evil two manner of ways: some are evil indeed, and of their own nature: in this rank we must place our sins: some are evil not indeed, and in their own nature, but in regard of our sense, apprehension and estimation; and in this rank we must place whatsoever affliction God layeth upon us in this life for our sins. This distinction is Saint Basils', in his Homily, wherein he proveth, that God is not the Author of evils. The next distinction is out of Saint Augustine, chap. 26. against Adimantus the Manichee: There are two sorts of evils; there is malum, quod facit homo, and there is malum, quod patitur. There is an evil, which the wicked man doth; and there is an evil, which he suffereth. That is sin; this, the punishment of sin. In that, the wicked are Agents; in this, they are Patients: that, is done by them; this, is done upon them. They offend God's justice, and God in his justice offends them: This is otherwise delivered by the same Father, De fide ad Petrum, cap. 21. Geminum esse constat naturae rationalis malum: unum, quo voluntariè ipsa deficit à summo Bono, creatore suo: Alterum quo iwita punietur ignis aeterni supplicio; illud passura iustè, quia hoc admisit iniustè. It is, saith he, manifest, that there is a twofold evil of the reasonable nature, that is, of man. One, whereby man voluntarily forsaketh the chiefest good, God, his Creator: the other, whereby he shall against his will be punished in the flames of everlasting fire. So shall he justly suffer, that unjustly offended. In his first Disputation against Fortunatus the Manichee, he speaketh yet more plainly. Sith, saith he, there are two kinds of evil Peccatum, & poena peccati; Sin, and the punishment of sin; the one, namely sin, pertains not unto God: the other, the punishment of sin belongs unto him. Tertullian lib. 2. contra Marcionem, cap. 14. more than a hundred years before Saint Augustine's time, delivers this distinction with much perspicuity. There is malum delicti, and malum supplicij: or, there is malum culpae and malum poenae. There is an evil of sin, and an evil of punishment: and of each part he nominateth the Author; Malorum quidem peccati & culpae, Diabolum; malorum verò supplicij & poenae Deum creatorem: Of the evils of sin or default the Devil is the Author: but of the evils of pain and punishment, he acknowledgeth the hand of God, the Creator. This second distinction of evils, Rupertus well expresseth in other terms: There is malum, quod est iniquitas, and there is malum, quod est Afflictio propter iniquitatem: There is an evil of Iniquity, and an evil of Affliction. So he agreeth with the ancient Fathers. My third distinction is of the evils of punishment. Of these there are two sorts. Some are only the punishments of sin, either eternal in Hell, or temporal in this world: and some are so the punishments of sin, that they are also sins and causes of sins. My fourth distinction is, De malo culpae: it concerns the evil of sin. The evil of sin may be considered three manner of ways. First, as it is a sin repugnant to the Law of God; and so only is it malum culpae, the evil of sin. Secondly, as it is a punishment of some precedent sin, for God useth to punish sin with sin. So did he punish it in the Gentiles, when he gave them over to a reprobate mind, Rom. 1.28. to uncleanness, to the lusts of their own hearts, to do such things as were not convenient, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, Rom. 1.12. Thirdly, as it is a cause of some subsequent sin: such as was excoecatio in Iudaeis, whereof we read, Esay 6.10. Excoeca cor populi huius, Make thou the heart of this people blind, or make it fat; make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed. This same excoecation or blindness in the jews, was the punishment of a precedent sin, namely, of their infidelity towards Christ; and it was a sin, because every ignorance of God is a sin; and it was the cause of other sins: so Saint Augustine teacheth, lib. 5. cap. 3. contra julianum. And this distinction is found in Saint Greg. Moral. lib. 25. cap. 9 My fifth distinction concerneth also the evil of sin. In sin there are two things to be observed: there is Ens, and there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; there is Actio, and there is Actionis malitia: or, there is Actio, and there is Actionis irrectitudo, which is, declinatio à rectitudine voluntatis Dei in lege revelatae. In every sin there is an entity, being, or action; and there is of that entity, being, or action, a crookedness, obliquity, or naughtiness. Every entity, being, or action, as such is good from a good author, Act. 17.28. God Almighty, in whom we live, move, and have our being. But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the crookedness, obliquity, and naughtiness of our Actions, the swerving of them from the line of Gods revealed will, as such, is wicked, from a wicked Author, Gen. 6.5. man's decayed nature: All the imaginations of the thoughts of man's heart, are only evil continually. Thus have you my distinctions. I promised to draw from them some conclusions. The first is: God is the Author of every evil of punishment. Every such evil God willeth. The will of God is the primary efficient cause thereof. It may thus be proved. Every good thing is of God. Now every evil of punishment, every punishment, is a good thing; for it is a work of justice, by which sins are punished, and so a just work; and therefore every punishment is of God, and God willeth it. The second conclusion: The evil of sin, as it is a punishment of some former sin, God willeth and inflicteth. This is that same received and much used axiom in Divinty; God punisheth sins with sins. In so doing he doth no more, than what becometh a just judge to do. Hereof Saint August●ne, Contra adversarium legis & Prophetarum lib. 1. cap. 24. thus speaketh: It is a fearful judgement, when God takes course, crimina criminibus vindicantur, & supplicia peccantium non sunt tormenta, sed incrementa vitiorum. Fearful is the judgement, when God taketh course, that sins be revenged with sins, and the punishment of evil doers be no torment to them, but additions to their evil doings. O, this is a fearful judgement, which Saint Gregory, Moral. lib. 25. cap. 9 expresseth after this manner: Hoc quippe agitur, ut culpae culpis feriantur, quatenus suplicia fiant peccantium ipsa incrementa vitiorum: It is the most admirable judgement of God, and most dreadful of all other, when he taketh course that sin be stricken with sin, so as that the increase of sin is the punishment of the sinner: it being ordered by disposition above, but yet by reason of the confusion of iniquity beneath, both that the former sin is the cause of the latter, and the latter is the punishment of the former. This of all the judgements of God is the most admirable, the most dreadful. My third conclusion, The evil of sin as it is an Action God willeth; he worketh it, he doth it. For whatsoever God properly willeth, the same he worketh, he doth it, either immediately by himself; or Sua virtute, through his power, by others. Now if Quaecunque voluit, fecit, as it is Psal. 115.3. if God hath done whatsoever he hath willed, then surely, Quaecunque fecit, vult, whatsoever he doth, that he willeth. And the truth is, not in Philosophy only, also in the holy Scriptures, that God is the primary cause of all actions, whatsoever they are, as fare forth as they are actions. This is that which Saint Paul affirmeth, 1 Cor. 12.6. God worketh all in all. For though he speaketh concerning the gifts of the holy Ghost, yet is his proposition general, God worketh all in all: like to that, Rom. 11.36. God is he, of whom are all things, through whom are all things, and to whom are all things. All things? He meaneth not only all substances, but also all the actions of all things. For as all actions are governed by him, and do tend unto him; so also are they all of him, as of the first mover; according to that, Act. 17.28. In him we live, and move, and have our being. The fourth Conclusion: The evil of sin, as it is sin, God properly willeth not, neither indeed can he will it. For Sin, as it is sin, is that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof I spoke in my fifth distinction: it is the crookedness, the obliquity, the naughtiness of an action; it is the swerving of an action from the line of the will of God revealed in his holy Word: whereof to make God a doer, or author, is execrable and blasphemous impiety. Non Deus volens iniquitatem tu es, Psal. 5.4. is a description of God according to his proper nature; God is not a God that willeth iniquity. It is proper unto him Nolle inquitatem, Not to will iniquity. Habbakkuk avoucheth it, Chap. 1.13. O Lord my God mine holy one, thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity; Mundi sunt oculi tui, thine eyes are pure, free from all spot and uncleanness; that thou canst not behold evil, to approve it; nor canst look on iniquity, to allow it. So true is my fourth Conclusion: The evil of sin, as it is sin, God properly willeth not, neither indeed can he will it. Now out of these conclusions, and the fore-alleaged distinctions, I frame the resolution to the doubt propounded. The doubt was, How is it that God absolutely good, good in Se., and good Extra see: good in himself, and good to all his creatures, is here in my Text said to do evil? The resolution is: The evil in my Text is not malum culpae, delicti aut iniquitatis; it is not the evil of default, the evil of sin, or the evil of iniquity: but it is malum poenae supplicij sine afflictionis: It is the evil of pain, the evil of punishment, the evil of affliction. Not of that, but of this, is my Text to be understood. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? No there shall be no evil in a City; no evil of pain, punishment, or affliction, but the Lord hath done it. And thus you are to understand that Esay 45.7. I, the Lord, create evil. And that, jerem. 18.11. I, the Lord, frame evil against you. I create evil; I frame evil. By evil in both places, Tertullian against Martion, lib. 2, cap. 24. understandeth mala non peccatoria, sed vlt●ria; he understandeth, evil not of sin, but of revengement. So likewise are we to understand by the name of evil in all those places of holy Scripture in which God either a 1 King. 9.9. judg. 9.56. 1 Sam. 6.9. Dan. 9.13. bringeth, or b 1 King. 14.10. 1 King. 21.21. 2 King. 21.12. 2 King. 22.16. threatneth to bring evil upon any. By evil in all such places as here in my Text, we are to understand the evil of revengement; the evil of pain, punishment, or affliction. The evil of revengement! The evil of pain, punishment, or affliction! But why evil? Surely every revengement, every pain, every punishment, every affliction that befalleth us in this life, is good. It is good. First, because it is laid upon us by God, who is of himself, and absolutely good. Secondly, because it is just, and whatsoever is just must needs be good. Thirdly, because it hath a good end; the glory of God and the salvation of the elect. For these reasons it cannot be denied, but that every revengement, pain, punishment, and affliction is good. Why then is it in my Text, and elsewhere called evil? I answer according to my second distinction. Revengements, pains, punishments, and afflictions are called evils, not because they are evils indeed and of their own nature, but only in regard of our sense, estimation and apprehension. The very torments of Hell, eternal fire, and outer darkness are not indeed and of their nature evil: Mala sunt, his, qui incidunt in ea, saith Irenaeus adversus haereses, lib. 4. cap. 77. they are evil to such as fall into them; but Bona, ex justitia Dei, good they are, as they are from God's justice. What Irenaeus saith concerning Hell-torments, the same is true of the adversities, the crosses, the scourges, the afflictions that befall men in this life. Evils they are called, and God is said to do them. But how evils? Saint Hierome, lib. 4. Com. in jerem. will tell us how: they are called evils, non quòd per se mala sint, not because they are of themselves evil, sed quod patientibus mala esse videantur, but because they seem evil to us who suffer them. With these two, Irenaeus and Saint Jerome, do agree c Contr. Ad●mantum Manich. cap. 27. & contr. Epist. Manich. c. 38. & lib. 1. contr. adverse. legis & Prophet. c. 23. Saint Augustine, d Serm. 16. in Psal. 118. Saint Ambrose, e Lib. 3. Moral. cap. 7. Gregory the Great, f Lib. 1. in Gen. cap. 7. Eucherius Bishop of Lions, g Cap. 4. de Divinis nominibus. Dionysius the Areopagite, h Lib. 1. & 10. Recognit. Clemens the Roman, i In Dialogo & lib. de Monarchia. justin Martyr, k Homil. Quod Deus non sit autor malorum. Great Basil, and l Lib. 4. in Esaiam cap. 45. Cyril of Alexandria, even all the ancient and Orthodoxal Fathers. All these with one consent do teach, that the adversities, the crosses, the scourges, the afflictions, which befall men in this life, though in the Scripture they are called Mala, Evils; yet indeed they are not Mala, they are not evils suá naturâ, simply & of their own nature, but only are mala nobis, evil in respect of us, evil in regard of our sense, estimation, and apprehension. And such is the evil in my Text: improperly evil, but indeed good: good in its own nature, but evil, only, as we call evil, whatsoever liketh us not, or is not for our ease. I have long stood upon the second circumstance, the Quid, the Action, which was a doing of evil. I must be the shorter in the third, the Vbi, the place where this Action is performed. In my Text its called a City. Shall there be evil in a City; In a City! In civitatibus, in Cities; So Nicolaus de Lyrâ expoundeth it. In civitate aliquâ, in any City; So Mercerus. In habitatoribus civitatis; among the inhabitants of a City; So Petrus à Figueiro. In populi communitate, among the people of the world; So Albertus Magnus. I have expounded it, In civitate huius mundi, in the City of this world. This universe and admirable frame of nature, wherein jehovah, the Lord our God, the m 1 Tim. 6.15. King of Kings n Psal. 97.1. & Psal. 99 reigneth, consisteth of two Cities, the one is o Augustin. Retract. lib. 2. c. 43. Civitas Dei, the City of God, the other is p Idem de Temp. Serm. 106. Civitas hujus mundi, the City of this world. The one is q Idem de Civitate Dei, lib. 14. cap. 28. celestial, the other is terrene. The one is of r Idem de Catech. Rud. lib. 1. cap. 19 Saints, the other is of the wicked. The one is s Idem in Psal. 61. jerusalem, the other is Babylon. In the first, that most glorious City, the City of God, and his Saints, the celestial jerusalem, all tears are wiped away from the eyes of the inhabitants; there they neither weep nor lament; there is neither death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain; there is no evil there, no not the evil of affliction: So saith the Spirit, Revel 21.4. And therefore that City, cannot be the City in my Text. In the other City, the City of this world, the terrene City, the City of the wicked, Babylon, great Babylon, the City of confusion, there is no sure repose for the godly there. There may they become a reproach to their t Psal. 44.13. & Psal. 79.4. neighbours: there may they be a scorn and derision to them that are round about them: They may be a byword u Psal. 44.14. among the Heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. There they may x Hebr. 11.37. be tempted, they may be stoned, they may be slain with the sword, they may be sawn asunder: There may they daily y Psal. 88.9. mourn by reason of affliction: For even the godly, who are z August. de Civit. Dei. lib. 15. cap. 1. by grace Cives sursum, Citizens above, Citizens of the supernal and celestial City of God; they are also by grace peregrini deorsum, pilgrims or strangers here below in this terrene City, the City of this world. Here they must be cut, 1 Pet. 2.5. hewed, and squared with sundry tribulations, sicknesses and diseases before they can be made fit, and as lively stones for the Heavenly jerusalem. And this is the City in my Text, my third circumstance, the Vbi, the circumstance of the place, where the Agent, jehovah, performeth his Action, a doing of evil: Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? Thus is my Text for the understanding thereof made easy; as thus: Shall there be evil] any evil of revengement, pain, punishment, or affliction, In a City] in the terrene City, in the City of this world; Shall there be any such evil, any where, and the Lord hath not done it? or as the Marginal reading is, Shall not the Lord do somewhat? The point of observation is: There is no affliction any where in the world, but it's from the Lord, and either he doth it, or doth somewhat in it. By affliction in this my Thesis, I understand the suffering of any thing, the sense or cogitation whereof our nature shuneth. Whatsoever is any way grievous or offensive to our humane nature I call affliction. The temptations of the flesh, the world, and the Devil; the diseases of the body; a froward husband or wife; rebellious children; unthankful friends; loss of goods; reproaches, slanders, war, pestilence, famine, imprisonment, death; every cross and passion, bodily and ghostly, proper to ourselves, or pertaining to our kindred, private or public, secret or manifest, either by our own deserts gotten, or otherwise imposed upon us, I call afflictions. To be short, the miseries, the calamities, the vexations, the molestations of this life, from the least to the greatest, from the pain of the little finger to the very pangs of death, I call afflictions. Of every such affliction, whatsoever it betideth any one in this life, God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he is the primary efficient cause thereof, he doth it, or doth somewhat in it. Upon the proof of this point I have now no time to spend: nor needs it any proof, it is so firmly grounded upon my Text. Nor will I recount unto you the many uses it affordeth. Let one suffice for the shutting up of this exercise. Is it true, Beloved. Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world, but it's from the Lord? Here than we have wherewith to comfort ourselves in the day of affliction. Whatsoever affliction shall befall us, it's from the Lord. The Lo●d whose name is jehovah, who is himself and of none other, whose being is from all eternity, who only is omnipotent, who is good in himself, and good to all his creatures, he will not suffer us to be tempted above our abilities, but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to bear it, Saint Paul is our warrant for it, 1 Cor. 10.13. And 2 Cor. 4 8. he showeth it by his own experience. We are troubled on every side, yet are we distressed: We are perplexed, yet are we not in despair: We are persecuted, yet are we not forsaken: we are cast down, yet are we not destroyed. In such a case was Saint Paul. What if we be in the like? If we be troubled, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down, what shall we do? We will support ourselves with the confidence of David, Psal. 23.4. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet will we fear no evil; for thou, Lord, art with us. Thou Lord, art with us! Quis contra nos? Who shall be against us? We will not fear, what man can do unto us. I draw to a conclusion. Sith there is no affliction, that betideth any one any where in this world, but it's from the Lord; and as the Author to the Hebrews speaketh, chap. 12.8. He is a bastard and not a son, that is not partaker of afflictions; let us, as Saint james adviseth, chap. 1.2. account it exceeding joy, when we are afflicted. The patriarchs, the Prophets, the Evangelists, the Apostles, the holy Martyrs, have found the way to Heaven, narrow, rugged, and bloody, and shall we think that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walk thither? He that is the door and the way, our blessed Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, hath by his own example taught us, that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. There is but one passage thither, and it is a straight one. If with much pressure we can get thorough, and leave but our superfluous rags as torn from us in the throng, it will be our happiness. Wherefore whensoever any adversity, cross, calamity, misery, or affliction shall befall us, let us with due regard to the hand of the Lord, that smiteth us, receive it with thankes, keep it with patience, digest it in hope, apply it with wisdom, bury it in meditation, and the end thereof will be peace and glory: the peace of our consciences in this life, and eternal glory in the highest Heavens. Whereof God make us all partakers. THE Ninth Lecture. AMOS 3.7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the Prophets. GOds dealing with his own people, the people of Israel, was not as it was with other Nations. Others he punished, and gave them no forewarning. The Idumaeans, the Ammonites, the Egyptians, the rest of the Heathen, drank deeply of the viols of his wrath, though thereof they received no admonition by any Prophet of his. It was otherwise with the Israelites. If the rod of affliction were to light heavy upon them, they were ever foretold thereof. God ever prevented them with his Word. He sent unto them his servants, jerem. 35.14, 15. the Prophets: he rose early and sent them, with the soon, to let them understand of the evils which hung over their heads, that returning every man from their evil ways, and amending their doings, they might be received to grace and mercy. This difference between God's care and providence, towards his own people and other nations, is thus expressed, Psal. 147.19, 20. God He showeth his word unto jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel; He hath not dealt so with any Nation, neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Laws. Yet was he known to the Heathen. He was known to them partly by his works, by his creatures, in which the power and Deity of God shined: and partly by the light of Nature, and power of understanding which God hath given them. Both ways their Idolatry, their Atheism, their disobedience were made before God unexcusable. But to his own people, the people of Israel, was he known after another manner. To them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, Rom. 9.4. and the service of God, and the promises. To them were committed the oracles of God. To them at sundry times, Rom. 3.2. Hebr. 1.1. and in diverse manners God spoke by his Prophets. He gave them time and space to repent them of their sins, and was ready to forgive them, had they on their parts been curable. Uncurable though they were, yet did God seldom or never, send among them any of his four sore judgements, either the sword, or the famine, Ezech. 14.21. or the noisome beast, or the pestilence, or any other, but he first made it known unto his holy Prophets, and by them forewarned the people. This our Prophet, Amos, here avoucheth. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the Prophets. The words according unto some, are an Exegesis, and exposition, or a declaration of what was said before. Before it was said, There shall be no evil in a city, but the Lord doth it; no evil of pain, punishment or affliction, but the Lord doth it. The Lord doth it, as well for that he sendeth just punishments upon men that are obstinate in their evil courses; as also for that he revealeth those evils to his Prophets, that by them they may be published. Or, the words are an Aitiologia, and do contain a reason of what was said before. Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely no; there shall be none. All evil of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppress his people unawares; but long before with holy premonitions he provideth for them by his Prophets; and either by promises he keepeth them in good courses, or by threats he recalleth them from bad. Be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an exposition or a reason of what was said before, it is all one for the matter. But if we respect the form of the sentence, as it standeth in our now- English translation: Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets, it may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Asseveration. For such it is: and is of a revelation: concerning which three things are to be observed, 1. Who is the Revealer. 2. What is Revealed. 3. To whom. The Revealer is the Lord God, His secret is the thing revealed. They to whom the revelation is made are his servants, the Prophets. Of those in their order. The Revealer is first, and is here set forth by two names of his: Adonai jehovih, Lord God. The first place of Scripture, wherein these two names are joined together, is Gen. 15.2. in the complaint made by Abraham for want of an heir: Lord God, what wilt thou give me, if I go childless? Lord God. Lord in Hebrew is Adonai, which signifieth My Lords; or my stays, or pillars: implying in it a mystery of the holy Trinity. Matth. 11.25. It is one of the proper names of God, the Lord of Heaven and earth, who as a base sustaineth his faithful children in all their infirmities. It is written here with kametz or long A in the end, and so is proper to God, having the vowels of jehovah: when it is written with Patach or short A, it is applied to creatures. In the form singular Adonis, Lord or sustainer, is also ascribed unto God, the Lord of all the earth, Psal. 97 5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord: at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The Lord of the whole earth, he is Adonis, Adonim in the form plural is likewise ascribed unto God; Malac. 1.6. If I be Adonim, If I be a Lord where is my fear? The other name of God in this place is jehovih. jehovih? It is usually so written when it is joined with Adonai: and it hath the consonant letters of jehovah, and the vowels of Elohim. And where one Prophet writeth Adonai jehovih, as in the prayer of David, set down, 2 Sam. 7.18. another writing of the same prayer, saith jehovah Elohim, 1 Chron. 17.16. Say jehovih, or jehovah, the signification is the same. But jehovih, as Tremelius and junius have noted upon the 15. of Genesis, is the more pathetical, the fit to move affection: and is therefore used in passionate speeches, and prayers that are very earnest, by a Gen. 15.2, 8. Abraham, by b Deut. 3.24.9.26. Moses, by c Cap. 4.14. etc. Ezechiel, and others, as if they were sighing and sobbing. So writeth Amandus Polanus in his Commentary upon Ezechiel, chap. 4.14. But Alsted in his Theological Lexicon is of another mind: and thinks there is no more passion showed in saying jehovih, than in saying jehovah. Yet may it be otherwise. Adonai jehovih, the Lord God. The first of these two names betokeneth his Majesty, his sustentation of all things, and his dominion over all: the second, his Essence, his existing or being. The first, Adonai, Grammarians derive from Eden, which is as much as Basis or Stylobates, the base or footstool of a pillar, the foundation thereof: giving us thereby to understand, that the Lord our God is the sustainer, the maintainer, the upholder of all things; that he is most properly, primarily, and of himself Lord; that he is the only true prime and supreme Lord of all things, yea, the Lord of Lords; that he alone hath absolute, full, free, and eternal right over all things that are contained within the circuit of Heaven and Earth. The second, jehovih, they derive, as they do jehovah, from Havah, which signifieth, He was. The force of this name is opened in the Revelation of Saint john, chap. 1.4. in that his salutation to the seven Churches of Asia: Grace be unto you and peace from Him, which is, and which was, and which is to come: that is, from God the Father, jehovah; from him that is eternal, immortal, and unchangeable; from him who hath his being of himself, and giveth being to all creatures. In the same chap. vers. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. The words are the conclusion or shutting up of the salutation, and are a confirmation of that grace and peace that was to come unto the seven Churches from jehovah God alone: from him who is the first and the last, our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, besides whom there is no God. Who was; who was before all, and gave to every creature the being. Who is to come; who is to come, continueth for ever, and supporteth all: even the Almighty, who exerciseth his power and providence over all. This same who is, who was, and who is to come, as before in the distinguishing of the Persons of the Trinity it was used to express God the Father; so here it is used to declare the union of substance in the whole three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is likewise used, Reu. 11.17. where those four and twenty Elders which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thankes O Lord Almighty, which art, and which waste, and which art to come. So is it by the Angel of the waters, Reuel. 16.5. where he saith, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and which waste, and which shalt be. Thus in the Holy Revelation of Saint john is the force of the name jehovah, opened four several times, and implieth thus much: 1. That God hath his being or existence of himself before the world was. Esay 44.6. 2. That He gives being unto all things. For as much as in him all things are and do consist. Act. 17.25. Exod. 6.3. Esay 45.2. Ezech. 5.17. 3. That He giveth being to his Word, effecting whatsoever He speaketh. We met with this name of God, jehovah, in the first Chapter of this Book nine times, in the second seven times; and twice before in this: Now by the change of a vowel it is jehovih. This change of a vowel changeth not the name: jehovah, or jehovih! the name is the same: the most proper name of God; of God, whose true Latitude is his Immensity, whose true Longitude is his Eternity; whose true Altitude is the Sublimity of his Nature; whose true Profundity being sine fundo, without bottom, is his incomprehensibility. Bernard in his fifth book de Consideratione, cap. 13. hath a discourse to this very purpose, but with some variety. The question there propounded is, Quid est Deus? What is God? The answer is, Longitudo, Latitudo, Sublimitas, & Profundum: God, he is Length, Breadth, Height and Depth. He is Length for his Eternity; Breadth for his Charity; Height for his Majesty, Depth for his Wisdom. Length He is for his Eternity. Dan. 7.9. Esay 57.15. Psal. 90.2. He is the Ancient of days, and inhabiteth Eternity. Before the Mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were form, even from everlasting to everlasting. He is God. Breadth he is for his Charity, for his Love. Wisd. 11.24. He loveth all the things that are, and abhorreth nothing which he hath made. Neither would he have made any thing if he had hated it. He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and the good, Matth. 5.45. and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. The Gulf, or rather the Sea of this Love of God is exceeding broad. Height He is for his Majesty. His Majesty! Prou. 25.28. it is inestimable. He that searcheth into it, shall surely be oppressed with the glory thereof. From the glory of this Majesty in the day of the Lord of Hosts, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth, Esay 2.19, 20. will the proud man, the lofty man, every wicked man, seek to hide himself in the clefts of the rocks, Psal. 72.19. and in the caves of the earth, but all in vain: for all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. In regard of this his Majesty, He is * Gen. 14.18. job 31.28. Psal. 7.18. & 9● 2. etc. Psal. 147.5. often in holy Scripture styled Altissimus, the most high. So for his Majesty he is Height. Depth he is for his wisdom. His wisdom! it is infinite; there is no end thereof; It is invariable, incomprehensible, ineffable. Finding no fit words, to express it with, I betake myself to the Apostles exclamation, Rom. 11.33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, O the depth▪ of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out. Thus fare of my first general the Revealor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adonai jehovih, the Lord God. The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. He will do nothing] The original is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo jahaseh dabar, he will not do a word. A word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth sometimes any thing or matter, that is either said or done. In the 18. of Exodus, vers. 16. Moses in his reply to jethro his Father in law, saith, when they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar, a word, they come unto me, and I judge between them. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dabar a word, with the Greeks' it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a controversy; with the old Latin Interpreter it is Disceptatio, a contention; with Tremelius it is Negotium, a business; with our late English Translators, it is a matter. So Moses saith in effect thus much: If there happen any business or matter of controversy or contention between a man and his neighbour, they come unto me, and I judge between them. In the 24. of Exodus, vers. 14. Moses with his Minister josuah going up to the Mount of God, saith unto the Elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and behold Aaron and Hur are with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mi bahal debarim, who so is a master of words, let him come unto them. And here words with the Greeks' are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a judgement, or controversy; with the old interpreter, quastio, a question; in our now English, they are matters; if any man have any matters to do: The meaning is, who so hath any question or controversy, let him come unto Aaron and Hur for a resolution. In the 39 of Esay, vers. 2. it is recorded of Hezechiah King of judah, that when Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan King of Babylon, had sent messengers to visit him and to congratulate his recovery; He was glad of them, and shown them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures. It is added in the end of the verse, Lo hajah dabar, there was not a word in his house, nor in all his dominions, that Hezechiah shown them not. Not a word! A word for a thing according to the custom of the Hebrew. It is Saint Hieroms note upon the place. It is well rendered in our new Bibles; There was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominions, that Hezechiah shown them not. This Hebrew custom of putting verbum pro re, a word for a thing, frequent in the old, hath place likewise in the New Testament. In the first of Luke, vers. 37. The Angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that with God no word shall be impossible, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, no word. His meaning is, with God no thing shall be impossible. In the same Chapter vers. 65. The Evangelist having set down what had passed concerning Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all these words were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of judaea, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all these words, that is, all these things were dinulged and made known. In the second of Luke vers. 15. When the Angels who related to the shepherds Christ's Nativity, were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this word, that is, come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. This word? that is, this thing, this whole business, whereof we have heard by the Angels. It is the Hebraisme which I have hitherto observed; whereby, that I may speak as Logicians do, the Abstract is put for the Concrete, taken either actively or passively: as Verbum pro re dictâ, a word for a thing that is spoken of. Or to speak as a Rhetorician would, it is Metonymia adiuncti; the Adjunct is put for the Subject. Still it is Verbum pro re, a word for the thing or matter, whereof the speech is. So it is in this text of mine; Surely the Lord God, non faciet verbum, he will not do a word; that is, he will do no thing; no such thing as the verse before speaketh of; no evil of pain, punishment, or affliction, He will do no such thing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. He revealeth his secret. I am come to my second general, concerning the thing revealed: it is the secret of the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodh●, his secret, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Septuagint, translated Eruditionem suam, his instruction or chastisement. Saint Hierome expounds it Correptionem suam: the interlineary Gloss, Correctionem suam, his reproof or correction. Theodotio no ill Interpreter of old turned it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his counsel: and Drusius seethe no cause, why it may not well be so turned; for as much as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sodh signifieth as well confilium as secretum, as well counsel, as secret. But the current of Translators is for his secret. His secret] By this secret of his, Albertus Magnus understandeth praeordinationis divinae absconditam voluntatem, the hidden will of God's preordination. Arias Montanus expounds it to be, futurarum rerum cognitionem, the knowledge of things to come; so doth Mathurinus Quadratus. Such a knowledge they mean, whereof no Mathematician, no ginger, no Magician, no Chaldaean, no Wizard is made partaker. Only the holy Prophets, the servants of our Lord God, have the privilege and prerogative thereof. We may not deny that God's counsels and decrees, things hid from the understanding of all men, and known only unto God, jerem. 25.9. are the secrets of God. But this secret of his whereof my text speaketh, is the decree and purpose of God to bring evil upon a Land and the inhabitants thereof: to take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the Bridegroom, and the voice of the Bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle; to make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. The decree and purpose of God to punish a people for sin is his secret; and this he evermore revealeth. Yet not this alone. For of the secrets which God revealeth there are three kinds. One is of things supernatural, such as are the mysteries of Religion, the incarnation of the Son of God, the resurrection of the dead, and the life to come. These are secrets, to the knowledge of which a man cannot attain, unless it be revealed unto him from God. The second is of those things, which are called arcana cordium, the secrets of the heart, such as are the proper actions of the will and understanding: Secrets they are; and save to the spirit of man, which is in man, are known to none, but God, 1 Cor. 2.11. Act. 1.24. who is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and knoweth every corner and crevice of the heart. The third is of those things, which the Schools do call futura contingentia, such things as are not, nor ever have been, but may hereafter be. And these are secrets, secrets indeed, only manifest unto him, by whom all things, past, present, and to come, are acted and governed. Of these three kinds of secrets, the last is that whereof my text speaketh, the secret of things to come. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. He revealeth his secret] he openeth it, he telleth it before hand, he makes it known before it come to pass. The lesson to be taken from hence is, God is the only revealer of secrets. He only revealeth things to come. This truth is avouched by the Prophet Daniel, in his second Chapter the 22. verse: his assertion is: God is He, that revealeth the deep and secret things. At the 28. verse he telleth King Nabuchadnezzar; Though the wisemen, the Astrologians, the Magicians, the soothsayers, cannot show unto the King the secret which he demandeth, yet there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the King what shall be in the latter days. He saith it again, vers. 29. He that revealeth secrets maketh known unto thee, O King, what shall come to pass. Once more, vers. 45. The great God hath make known to the King, what shall come to pass hereafter. The King acknowledgeth as much; and thereupon saith, vers. 47. Of a truth, Daniel, your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of Kings, and a revealer of secrets. It is true: God is the only revealer of secrets. Is it true? What shall we then say to sundry predictions in Gentilism? What to those dreams which the Heathen often had? What to their Oracles? Hier. Comment. in Esai. 41. What to Apollo Delphicus and Loxias, and Delius, and Clarius? What to other their Idols, which made fair show, as if they had the knowledge of things to come, and could reveal secrets? Our answer is; they were mere shows; no substance of truth was in them. Saint Hierome in his twelfth book of his Comments upon Esay at the 41. Chapter thus reasoneth against them: If they could foretell things to come, why foretold they nothing of Christ? Why nothing of the twelve Apostles? Why nothing of the ruin, and abolition of their own Temples? If they could not foretell their own destruction, how could they foretell either good or evil, that should betide others? But you will say; many things were foretell by the oracles of old. Know then, that from those oracles the Devil, the Father of lies, that he might not be reproved of falsehood, did evermore give his answers doubtfully, that you might expound them both ways, either for good or evil. Such was his answer given to Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes, when he took part with the Tarentines against the Romans. C●c. 2. de Diuin. ex Enyo. Aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse: I tell thee Pyrrhus, thou that art of the lineage of Aeacus, I tell thee, te Romanos vincere posse: the words are ambiguous, and may be rendered, either for Pyrrhus; thou shalt overcome the Romans: or against him, the Romans shall overcome thee. The like answer was given unto Croesus, when he consulted the Oracle at Delphos, about his expedition into Persia, Herodotus. Croesus perdet, Halim transgressus, maxima regna. Croesus, when he is past the river Halis, perdet maxima regna; the words are ambiguous, and may be rendered, either for Croesus, He shall destroy great kingdoms of his enemies; or against him, He shall lose great kingdoms of his own. With such ambiguities the Devil in those oracles of old, evermore deluded such as sought unto him. But you will say, those Oracles did sometimes take place; and as they foretell, so things came to pass. Be it so. Yet very few of them did hit; which might be by chance, and hap-hazzard, as we say, a few only of a great number falling out: or the Devil by the subtlety of his nature, and quickness of his understanding, might by some antecedent signs foresee the effects and events which should follow: or he might foretell such things, as by God's permission, he should effect himself. Now to the dreams, which it is said the Heathen often had, whereby they knew things to come, we say; many of them were devised either by them, who affirmed they had such dreams; or by the writers to win the more credit thereby. Yet deny we not, but they had their dreams. Their dreams! Of what sort? There are three sorts of dreams. Some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, divine dreams; some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural; some are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Diabolical. The Heathen were not much troubled with the first sort, with divine dreams: Gen. 41. Dan. 2. yet we read that Pharaoh and Nabuchodonosor had such. Et Pharaoh & Nabuchodonosor in iudicium sui somnijs futura cognoscunt, & tamen Deum non intelligunt revelantem, saith S. Hierome upon the first of jonas: Both Pharaoh and Nabuchodonosor to their own condemnation do by their dreams know things to come, and yet they understand not God the revealer. Dreams of the second sort are Natural; and such, no doubt, the Heathen in their sleep had, as we in ours have. But in these there is no divination; no foreknowing of things to come. The third sort is of dreams diabolical, Hieron. Comment. in Esai. Distinct. 7. part. 2 art. 1. q. 3. lib. 2. such as the Gentiles sought for in the Temple of Aesculapius. Bonaventure calls them, Somnia, quae fiunt ex illusione Diabolicâ; Dreams which happen to men in time of sleep by the illusion of the Devil. Dreams of this sort, as they were ever uncertain, so were they as uncertainly interpreted. Such was the Dream that Darius had before he encountered with Alexander: Curtius' lib. 3. some expounded it to signify the victory that he should have against him: some gave a contrary sense, Curtius lib. 3. Tully gives another instance. One going to the Olympic games had a dream, that he was turned into an Eagle. One Visard interpreted it, that he should overcome, because the Eagle is supreme to all other fowls: another turned it the contrary way, that he should have the worse, because the Eagle driving other birds before her, cometh last of all. Such dreams, as these, are well censured by Siracides in the 34. of his Ecclesiasticus, vers. 5. Divinations, and sooth-sayi●●●, and dreams are vain. Dreams are vain. If they be not sent from the most High in thy visitation, set not thy heart upon them. For dreams have deceived many: and they have failed, that put their trust in them. For who so regardeth dreams, is like him that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind. Thus finding no sound ability either in the dreams of the Heathen, or in their Oracles, to reveal secrets, or foretell things to come: we must ever acknowledge it for a truth irrefragable, and not to be gainsaid, that God is the only revealer of secrets: that he only foretelleth things to come. And let this suffice to have been spoken of my second general, the thing revealed, the secret of God. The third followeth, and is of them, to whom the Revelation is made: they are his servants the Prophets. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. The Prophets, that were the servants of the Lord God, were of three sorts: Some were extraordinarily raised up by God, for the government of the Church in the infancy thereof. Their office was in the common necessities of the Church to consult God, as occasion should be given; and to give answers concerning things to come. These from the inward counsel of God uttering oracles, were wont to be called a 1 Sam. 9.9. Amos 7.12. Seers. Others extraordinarily also raised up by God, were ordained for the instruction of the Church. Their office was to interpret and apply the Law, and to foreshow the sufferings and glory of Christ. These continued from b Act. 3.24. & 10.43. 1 Pet. 1.10.11. Samuel unto Malachi. Malachi was the last of them. The third sort is of the c Ephes. 4.11. 1 Cor 12.28. Prophets of the New Testament; such as were endued with a singular dexterity and readiness, and wisdom to interpret the Scriptures of the Prophets, and to apply them. In this third rank every d Luke 4.24. 1 Cor. 14.32. true Minister of the Gospel hath a place. Of all these Prophets Christ is the head, he is the chief of all. To him e Deut. 18.15. Act. 3.22. & 〈◊〉 7.37. Moses, yea and all the Prophets; all the f Act. 3.24. Prophets from Samuel, and all those that follow after, as many as have spoken, give witness. But the Prophets of which my text speaketh are of the two first sorts of Prophets, those whom God extraordinarily raised up, as well for the governing, as for the instruction of the Church. Both are here styled the servants of the Lord God. His servants] Not only because they served God in the common profession of godliness, but also because they served him in their particular functions and callings. To be the servants of the Lord God, it is certainly a notable dignity and prerogative. How do men delight to shroud themselves under the liveries of great men? and how much do they take themselves to be honoured thereby? How much more ought we to labour to approve ourselves in the presence of the Lord our God, and to show ourselves every man in his several vocation and course of life to be his faithful servants. And thus have you the particular exposition of this my text; Surely the Lord God will do no thing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets. I may not leave untouched the main observation which this text affordeth. It is this. God never bringeth any grievous judgement upon any people or nation, nor upon any private person, but he doth always first forewarn the same and foretelleth it. God always teacheth before he punisheth: he warneth before he striketh. When he was resolved to wash the World with a Deluge of waters for the sin thereof, he foretell it unto Noah, Gen. 6.13. Though the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah were great, and their sin very grievous, yet would not God destroy them, till he had made known his purpose unto Abraham, Gen. 18.17. and to Lot, Gen. 19.13. The seven years of famine, that should consume the Land of Egypt, seven years before he foretold to joseph, Gen. 41.25. So he revealed the intended subversion of Niniveh to jonah; jonah 3.1. the famine that should be in the days of Claudius Caesar unto Agabus: Act. 11.28. the captivity of the ten Tribes to this our Prophet Amos. Amos in the full assurance of this truth, saith with boldness: Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the P ophets. Will he do nothing, but he revealeth it? We may not so take it, that God revealeth to his Prophets, all things which he hath a purpose to do, all things simply, all his secrets: But with a certain limitation, that he revealeth omnia utilia nobis, as Hugo de S. Charo out of the Gloss hath observed; that he revealeth all things profitable for us: or, that he revealeth, Omnia, quae bonum communitatis concernunt, as Carthusian speaketh, that he revealeth all things, which concern the common good. All things which either concern the common good, or are profitable unto us, such as are the judgements of God to be laid upon a multitude or a private person, God revealeth. This is the substance of the doctrine even now delivered. God never bringeth any grievous judgement upon any people or Nation, or upon any private person, but he doth always first forewarn the same, and foretelleth it. The reasons hereof are two. One is in regard of the godly: the other in regard of the wicked. The first is in regard of the godly. God is unwilling at any time to take them at unawares. He loveth them, and would not have any of them to perish, but would have them all come to repentance, as Saint Peter witnesseth, 2 Epist. 3.9. God would have them all come to repentance, that so they might prevent his judgements. And therefore he never striketh, but first he warneth. The other reason is in regard of the wicked: namely that the wicked might be without excuse, their mouths might be stopped, and the justice of God cleared, they having nothing to answer for themselves, or to accuse God of any unjust dealing. If I had not come, saith our Saviour Christ jesus, joh. 15.22. If I had not come, and spoken to them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak, nor excuse, for their sin. Wherefore let these men, wicked men, learn, as oft as the rod of God lieth heavy upon them, to accuse themselves; because when God gave them warning, they would not be warned: when God would have healed them, they would not be healed. You have the reasons; The uses follow. I can but point at them: the time will not suffer any enlargement. Is it so, beloved? Doth God never bring any grievous judgement upon any people or Nation, or any private person, but he always first forewarneth the same and foretelleth it? Here then acknowledge we Gods great mercy, and his wonderful patience. Thus God needeth not to deal with us. For upon our own peril we are bound to take heed of his judgements before they come. Yet so good is our God, so loving, so merciful, so patiented, that he is desirous we should prevent his judgements before they fall, by sending our prayers unto him as Ambassadors, to treat of conditions of Peace with him. A subtle enemy would steal upon us at unawares, and take us at the advantage: but God, our good God ever forewarneth before he striketh. He doth so, saith Carthusian, emendemur & ab imminentibus eripiamur tormentis: he ever forewarneth us, that our lives may be amended, and we delivered from the torments that hang over us ready to fall upon us. Again, doth God never bring any grievous judgement upon any people or Nation, or any private person, but he always first forewarneth the same, and foretelleth it? Let us then, whensoever we see any overtaken with any grievous judgement, confess with Saint Augustine de verâ & falsâ poenitentiâ, cap. 7. Qui verus est in promittendo, verus etiam est in minando: that God is true, as in his promises, so also in his threatenings. If his desire were not, that we should prevent his judgements, doubtless he would never give us warning of them. If he had a will and purpose to destroy us, he would never tell beforehand, how we should avoid his judgements. Let no man say, that the silence of God, and the holding of his peace, is a cause of his security. No, it cannot be so. God never cometh with any judgement, but he always sendeth a warning piece before. He sendeth unto us his servants the Prophets. Prophets we have among us; and Apostles we have among us: and God giveth us his Ministers, Pastors, and Preachers, as it were to put life again into the dead Prophets and Apostles, even to open and declare unto us those things which they delivered. Wherefore, when we shall be admonished by his Ministers, that such and such judgements shall come; when they shall threaten plagues according to the general directions, which they have in the word of God, let us not withstand the Spirit speaking in them. It is the wonderful goodness of God, that he vouchsafeth to send them unto us, and to tell us before of his judgements. THE Tenth Lecture. AMOS 3.8. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? IT was a thing too common with the Israelites, if their Prophets or Preachers did at any time speak sharply against their evil courses, evermore to find fault and quarrel them. What mean these men? Why do they so fare urge us? Why do they not suffer us to be quiet? Will they ever provoke the wrath of God against us? Sic enim solent homines: surely so worldlings use to do. If Prophets, if Preachers be austere in their reprehensions, they will command them to hold their peace, as you have heard by occasion of the twelfth verse of the precedent Chapter. If Amos foretell jeroboam, King of Israel, Amos 7.9. that the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, that the Sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; that jeroboam house shall perish with the sword; there will be an Amaziah to forbid him to prophesy any more in Bethel, Amos 7.12. If Hanani, the Seer, reprove King Asa for not relying on the Lord his God, Asa will be in a rage with him, and will put him in a prison house, 2 Chron. 16.10. If Micaiah foreshow unto King Ahab the evil that shall befall him, the King will hate him for it, 1 King. 22.8. Zedechiah will smite him on the cheek, vers. 24. Amon the Governor will put him in prison, and will feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, vers. 27. If jeremiah foreshow unto the jews their desolation for their sins, some will device devices against him, and will smite him with the tongue, jeremy 18.18. Some will smite him with the fist, and put him in the stocks, chap. 20.2. Some will apprehend him, threaten him with death, and arraign him, chap. 26.8. Some will shut him up in prison, chap. 32.2. Some will let him down with cords into a miry and dirty dungeon, chap. 38.6. It is the lot of the Prophets of the Lord, the portion of his Preachers, Esay 30.10. Levit. 19.17. if they speak not placentia, pleasing and smooth words unto the people, but do rebuke them and not suffer them to sin, it is their lot and portion never to have want of enemies that shall make war against them. This ill custom in the people, Amos here finds fault with, and condemneth for unjust, saying, The Lion hath roared, etc. as if he had said, You take me for your enemy, because I foreshow unto you the judgements of God which shall light upon you, and therefore you contend, you chide, you quarrel with me: but all in vain; for I may not hold my peace. If I should, the voice of God will of itself be terrible enough unto you. The evil whereof I tell you, proceedeth not so much from my mouth, as from the Mandate of God. Will I, nill I, I am constrained to obey my God. God he hath chosen me to be his Prophet, and hath put into my mouth what I speak unto you. The Lion hath roared, and I cannot but fear: The Lord God hath spoken, and I must prophesy. Thus have you the scope and drift of our Prophet in the words I have now read unto you. Wherein for my easier proceeding, may it please you to observe with me first a Similitude; secondly, the application thereof. The Similitude it from a Lion, the Application is to God. The Similitude in these words, The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Application in these, The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? First, of the Similitude. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? Of all four footed beasts the Lion doth bear away the chief price. He is, saith Cyril, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the strongest of wild beasts. This wild beast, the Lion, the King of beasts, excelling all others in courage and strength, full of fierceness and violence, given to destroy and devour, is in holy Writ called by sundry names according to his effects and properties. Sometime he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi, that is, hearty or courageous, joel 1.6. Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kephir, that is, lurking or couchant, abiding in covert places, Ezech. 19.3. Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schachal, that is, ramping and fierce of nature, job 10.16. Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lajisch, that is, subduing his prey, Esay 30.6. Here he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arieh, that is, a plucker, a renter, a tearer: and so was he called in the fourth verse of this Chapter. So many names have the Hebrews to call the Lion by, according to his several properties. The Lion's voice is his roaring. The Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schagg, hath roared. The word, as Dones son of Labratus hath noted, is proper to the Lion, whose roaring is very shrill, dreadful, and full of ire. No marvel then is it, if at his roaring all the beasts of the forest do tremble. That they do so it's acknowledged by Saint Basil, in his ninth Homily upon the Hexameron, where be saith, that Nature hath bestowed upon the Lion such organs or instruments for his voice, that oftentimes beasts fare swifter than the Lion, are taken, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, only by the roaring of the Lion. The like hath Saint Ambrose in his Hexaemeron, lib. 6. cap. 3. Naturally there is in the Lion's voice such a terror, that many beasts which might by their swiftness escape the Lion's assault, do faint and fall down before the Lion, astonished and stricken as it were with the hideousness of his roaring. The like hath Saint Cyril; the like R. David; Lyra, and Carthusian the like; as I shown in my fourth Lecture upon this Chapter. The Lion hath roared] He roareth before he hath his prey, when he hath it in pursuit, and after he hath gotten it. Before he hath his prey he roareth. Psal. 104.21. The Lions, the young and lusty Lions, roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. 1 Pet. 5.8. there is a Lion that roareth, seeking whom he may devour. When he hath his prey in pursuit, he roareth. So roareth the ravening Lion, Rugientibus praeparatis ad escan. Psal. 22.14. and so roar those Lion's ready to devour, Ecclus. 51 4. Af●er he hath gotten his prey he roareth. Esay 31.4. The young Lion roareth on his prey. And above in this Chapter, vers. 4. Will a Lion roar in the forest when he hath no prey? So, the Lion roareth before he hath his prey, when he hath it in pursuit, and after he hath gotten it. But of all, his roaring is most terrible, when he is hungry and in the pursuit of his prey 〈◊〉 albeit when he is devouring his prey he roareth very terribly, as Bolducus in his Comment upon job, cap. 4. hath out of Aristotle, Pliny, and Aelian observed; making the Lion so roaring to be the express image of ravenous rich men and mighty oppressors. Pierius Hieroglysh. lib. 1. From this fearful roaring of the Lion, one of the four Evangelists, Saint Mark is hieroglyphically figured by the image of a Lion, because as a Lion in the wilderness sends forth a terrible voice, so Saint Mark in the beginning of his Gospel, mightily thundereth out vocem clamantis in deserto, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. It is the observation of Saint Ambrose upon Luke, of Remigius upon Mark, and of Eucherius. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear?] Frequent and familiar are the comparisons drawn from the Lion in holy Scripture. The Lion for his good properties is a symbol of good men, yea of Christ himself; but for his bad, of bad men, yea of the Devil. Habet Leo virtutem, habet & saevitiam, says Gregory, Moral. 5. cap. 17. The Lion hath courage, and he hath cruelty. For his courage he betokeneth Christ; for his cruelty the Devil. So Augustine Serm. 46. de diversis: Christus Leo propter fortitudinem, Diabolus propter feritatem: Christ and the Devil may both be called Lions, Christ for his fortitude, the Devil for his fierceness. Christ may be called a Lion, not only for his invincible courage and fortitude, but also for his great might and power in defending his flock from bodily and spiritual enemies: so is he the Lion of the Tribe of juda, Revel. 5.5. that same victorious Lion, our true Shilo and Messiah, who is Non minus belluo animarum ad illas saluandas, quàm Diabolus ad perdendas, as Salmeron speaketh in his eighth Disput. upon the first Epistle of Peter: Christ the Lion of the Tribe of juda, doth no less greedily hunt after souls to save them, than the Devil doth to destroy them. Christ's a Lion. So are Kings and mighty Princes that rule over others called Lions. judah is a Lion's whelp,— He stooped down, he couched as a Lion, and as an old Lion; who shall rouse him up? Gen. 49.9. where David, Solomon, and other Kings, that were lineally descended from the Tribe of judah, are compared to the roaring Lion, because through the fame of their Empire, they were a terror to many of their neighbour Nations. Kings and Princes are Lions. Every godly person is a Lion. So saith the Holy Ghost, Prou. 28.1. The righteous are bold as a Lion. They are bold in all their afflictions, how great soever they be, and their boldness is, not from any trust in themselves, but by the faith they have in God: and they are bold as a Lion, fearing nothing. For as a Lion feareth no other beasts, so the righteous fear not whatsoever crosses may befall them. They know that all things work together for good to them that love God: Rom. 8.28. they know that without the will of God, no ill can betide them: they know if they lose this life, they shall find a better: and for this cause in their greatest extremities are they quiet in mind, ever giving a fiat to the will of God; Gods will be done. The righteous man for his boldness is a Lion. The wicked man, every tyrant and violent oppressor is a Lion. A Lion for cruelty. David avoucheth it, Psal. 10.9, 10. He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den, he lieth in wait to catch the poor, he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net. He coucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his authority. So the wicked man for his cruelty is a Lion. So Nero, tyrannising and oppressing Nero; Nero, that was the bloody persecutor of the Christians in the infancy of the Church, is called a Lion, 1 Tim. 4.17. I was delivered, saith Paul, from the mouth of the Lion. It's no doubt, saith justinian, but that Paul pointeth at the cruelty and immanity of Nero. The like Metaphor I meet with, Prou. 28.15. As a roaring Lion, so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. It's plain, Every tyrant and violent oppressor is a Lion. And the Devil himself is a Lion. You know Saint Peter styles him so, 1 Epist. chap. 5.8. Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. For as the Lion delighteth in blood, gapeth over his prey, and roareth hideously: so doth the Devil; than whom, saith Fenardentius, Nihil truculentius, nihil tetrius, nihil terribilius, nihil infestius hominibus; There is nothing more fierce, more cruel, more spiteful, more malicious against men, than the Devil is. He thirsteth after the blood of men, to spill it; he gapeth over the souls of men, to devour them, he is a roaring Lion. Thus have you heard, that the Lion, for some properties of his is a symbol of good men, yea, and of Christ himself; and for some a symbol of bad men, yea and of the Devil, himself. Now the Lion in my Text is God; and that he is so, it is the joint agreement of Expositors. Upon those words of Daniel 6.22. My God hath sent his Angel, and hath shut the Lion's mouths, in Midras tehilim in the Hebrew exposition of the Psalms, at the 64. Psalm, there is a remarkable sentence for our present purpose, Venit Leo, & liberavit Leonem de ore Leonis: A Lion came and delivered a Lion from the mouth of a Lion. Venit Leo, a Lion came; this Lion is God, holy and blessed, as it is said in the third of Amos, Leo rugijt, the Lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who will not prophesy? A Lion came, Et liberavit leonem, and he delivered a Lion, this other Lion is Daniel, who came from judah, as it is said, Gen. 49. Catulus Leonis judah, judah is a Lion's whelp. A Lion came and delivered a Lion, de ore Leonis, from the mouth of a Lion: this third Lion is Nabuchodonosor, as it's said, jerem. 4. Ascendit Leo de cubili suo; the Lion is come up from his thicket. By this exposition of the Hebrews the Lion in my Text is God. So is he in the understanding of Saint Hierome; so Lyranus takes him to be; so doth Hugo de S. Charo; so doth Dionysius Carthusianus; so many a Rab. David Cyril. others; most of the b Pet. à Figueir. Caluinus. Gualterus. Oecolampadius. Brentius. Ostander. Pappus, etc. modern. The Glossator saith, that because Amos, whilst he lived a shepherd's life stood in fear of the Lion, therefore he here compareth the fear of the Lord to the roaring of the Lion. I am not ignorant, that some by this roaring in my Text do understand the Devil, and by the Lord God here speaking Christ our Saviour; that, as the Devil is heard of the reprobate to their condemnation, so Christ is heard of the Elect to their salvation. But this opinion being singular, I pass it by, and following the current of Interpreters, do take this roaring Lion here to betoken God, to this sense: If at the roaring of the Lion all the beasts of the forest do tremble; how much more shall men tremble if God roar against them by his Prophets? The stoutest courage of man, Mascula virtus, the manliest prowess upon the earth, when it hath girded up her loins with strength, and decked itself with greatest glory, what can it avail where the fortitude of God is set against it? Pitchers that are fashioned of clay, how is it possible they should not break and fall asunder, if ever they come to encounter the brass of God's unspeakable Majesty? The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, and commanded us to cry aloud, and spare not, to lift up our voices like trumpets, and to show his people their transgressions, who dares be silent? And thus f●om the similitude, the Lion roaring, I am come to the application thereof, God speaking: The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? Wherein I note, 1 Who speaketh. 2 How he speaketh. 3 What is the sequel of his speech. He that speaketh is the Lord God. He speaketh after diverse manners. And if he speak, man must prophesy. The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? The Lord God He is Adonai jehovih. They are the very names wherewith God was named in the precedent verse; and were there discoursed upon at large. I will not now trouble you with any tedious repetition of what was then delivered. Only be pleased to remember, that the first of these two names, Adonai, betokeneth the Majesty of God, his sustentation of all things, and his dominion over all: the second, jehovih, his essence, his existing or being. The first, Adonai, is with Caluin, Occolampadius, and Brentius, Dominator, ruler or Governor; with the rest, its Dominus, Lord. The second jehouth, is retained by junius; it's jehovah with Caluin, Mercer, and Vatablus; with the rest, its Deus, God. The first, Adonai, Ruler, Governor, or Lord, putteth us in mind that God alone is absolutely Lord, Ruler, and Governor of all things; yea, and our Lord. Our Lord, not only by the common right of creation; for thereby he is the Lord of all created things in Heaven and Earth, yea and of the very Devils. Nor is he our Lord only by the right of his universal providence, or government; for thereby he ruleth over sin and death, and sets them bounds. But our Lord he is by the right of redemption; Tit. 2.14. for thereby he hath made us, through Christ, a peculiar people unto himself, zealous of good works. Such is the use of this first name, Adonai. The second, jehovih, or jehovah, which we now translate God, may be our remembrancer, that of himself, and by himself a Reuel. 1.4. & 16.5. he ever was, is and shall be; that of him all creatures have their b Act 17.28. Rom. 11.36. being; and that he giveth a real being to all his promises and, threats. This same jehovah, Adonai, jehovih, God Almighty, is he that speaketh. But how speaketh He? How to men, himself being incorporeal, without the instruments of speech? First, God speaketh unto men, either by himself immediately, or by some messenger. This messenger is either an Angel, or a man. If a man, then is he either a Prophet, or a Priest; the Priest, Exod. 28.30. that hath in the breastplate of iudgemement the Vrim and the Thummim. Again, God speaketh unto men by a voice, either sensible or spiritual; if with a sensibl● voice, than he striketh the outward ears; if with a spiritual, than the inward: as well the left ear, which is the Fantasy, as the right, which is the Understanding. Thirdly, God speaketh unto men, either sleeping or waking. So Serarius Quaest. 1. in cap. 1. joshuae. What the ancient Fathers have thought of this point touching God his speaking unto man, I have long since delivered out of this place in my third Lecture upon the first Chapter of this Prophecy. What was Saint Basils' opinion, what Saint Augustine's, what Saint Gregory's, you then heard. Later Writers have reduced all the speakings of God to two heads; Deeds and Words. Christophorus à Castro upon the first of Zachary, Et factis loquitur Deus & verbis, God speaketh both by Deeds and by words. Franciscus Ribera upon the same Chapter, Deus ita rebus, ut verbis loquitur; God speaketh as well by things as by words. A learned and a very orthodox Divine, David Pareus, in his Commentary upon Genesis at the third Chapter, well liking of Saint Gregory's opinion, thus resolveth upon the point: God speaketh either by himself, or by some Angelical creature. By himself God speaketh, when by the sole force of internal inspiration the heart is opened: or God speaketh by himself, 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 ears, and yet hath no sound. Such was the speech of God unto the Apostles, at what time they were filled with the Holy Ghost, Act. 2.2. Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house, where they were sitting: and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it su●e upon each of them. Per ignem quidem Dominus apparuit, sed persemet ipsum locutionem interius fecit: By the fire indeed God appeared, but by himself he spoke 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, he shown what he did within, and that he spoke to the heart. Those outward things, the fire and the sound, were only for signification, to show that the Apostles hearts were taught by an invisible fire, and a voice without a sound. Foris fuit ignis, qui apparuit, sed intùs, qui scientiam dedit: the fire, that appeared, was without; but the fire that gave them knowledge, was within. So may you judge of the sound: the sound that was heard was without; but the sound that smote their hearts, was within. So God's speech, is a speech to the heart without words, without a sound. Such was that speech to Philip, Act. 8.29. Go near, and join thyself to yonder Chariot. It was the Spirit said so to Philip. Bede expounds it of inward speech. In cord spiritus Philippo loquebatur, The Spirit said to Philip in his heart. The Spirit of God may then be said to speak unto us, when by a secret or hidden power, it intimateth unto our hearts, what we are to do. The Spirit said unto Philip, that is, Philip was by the Spirit of God inwardly moved to draw near, and join himself to the Chariot, wherein that Aethiopian Eunuch sat reading the Prophecy of Esay. A like speech was that to Peter, Act. 10.19. Behold three men seek thee. It was the Spirit said so to Peter. And here Bede, In ment haec ab spiritu, non in aure carnis audivit: Peter heard these words from the Spirit, in ment, in his understanding, non in aure carnis, not by his fleshly ear. The Spirit said unto Peter, that is, Peter was by the Spirit of God inwardly moved to departed from joppa, and go 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 whensoever we are inwardly moved, and do feel our hearts touched with an earnest desire, either to offer up our private requests to God, or to come to the place of public prayer, or to hear the preaching of the word, or to receive the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, or to do any good work, we may be assured, that God by his holy Spirit, God by himself speaketh unto us. Thus you see, how God speaketh unto us by himself. He speaketh unto us also by his creatures. By his creatures Angelical, and others. And he doth it after diverse manners. 1 Verbis, by words. By words only; as when nothing is seen, but a voice only is heard: as joh. 12.28. When Christ prayed, Father glorify thy name, immediately there came a voice from Heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. Here was Vox Patris, the voice of God the Father, yet ministerio Angelorum formata, it was form by the ministry of Angels. 2 God speaketh Rebus, by things; By things only, as when no voice is heard, but some thing only is objected to the senses. An example of this kind of Gods speaking is that vision of Ezechiel, chap. 1.4. He saw a whirlwind come out of the North, with a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself; and in the midst 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 jehovae ad Ezechielem; the Word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezechiel. The word of the Lord came, and I looked, and behold a whirlwind. 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 objected to the senses. So He spoke 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 jacob in his dream saw a ladder set upon the earth, the top whereof reached to Heaven, and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it, Gen. 28.12. So Peter in a trance saw Heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth, wherein were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air, Act. 10.10. So Paul in a vision in the night saw a man of Macedonia standing by him, and praying his help: Come over into Macedonia, and help us, Act. 16.9. 5 God speaketh imaginibus & ante corporeos oculos ad tempus ex aëre assumptis; he speaketh by some images, shapes, or semblances, for a time assumed from the air, and exhibited to our bodily eyes. So he spoke to Abraham in the plains of M●●●re, Gen. 18.2. Three men, saith the Text, stood by Abraham; yet were they not three men that stood by him, but three Angels in the shape of men, with true bodies for the time; palpable and tractable bodies for the time. One of the three more eminent than the rest, to whom Abraham did reverence above the rest, with whom he talked, calling him Lord, vers. 3. who is also called jehovah, vers. 17. was Christ the second person in the Trinity. And so God spoke unto Lot, by Angels in the likeness of men, Gen. 19 Two Angels they were, vers. 1. Men they are called, vers. 10. Angels, and yet men. Angels in nature, and men in their habit. By them God spoke to Lot of the destruction of Sodom. 6 God speaketh Coelestibus substantijs, by celestial substances. By Celestial substances I mean not only the Heavens with the works therein, but also the two superior elements, the fire and the air. So at the Baptism of Christ, D● nube vox sonuit, a voice was heard out of a cloud, as it was also at his transfiguration upon the mount, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. 7 God speaketh terrenis substantijs, by terrestrial substances. So to reprove the dulness of Balaam, In ore Asina humana verba formavit, he enabled Balaams own Ass to speak, Num. 22.28. Saint Peter, 2 Ep. 2.16. thus delivers it; The dumb beast speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the Prophet. Once more, God speaketh simul & terrenis, & coelestibus substantijs, both by terrestrial and celestial substances: as when he spoke to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, Exod. 3.2.4. The fire I call the celestial, the bush the terrestrial substance. Last of all, God speaketh by his Angels, when Secretâ eorum praesentiâ, by a secret presence of theirs he infuseth the power of his influence to the hearts of men: and thus may you understand that, Zach. 1.9. Angelus qui loquebatur in me, the Angel of the Lord that spoke in me said unto me. The Angel that spoke in me, to my heart. And thus you see, how God of old at sundry times and in diverse manners did speak to man. He spoke either by himself, or by his Creatures. By his Creatures many ways: sometimes by words, sometimes by things, sometimes by both words and things; sometimes by shapes exhibited to the eyes of the heart, sometimes by apparitions to the eyes of the body; sometime by celestial substances, sometimes by terrestrial, sometimes by both celestial and terrestrial: and last of all, by some secret presence of an Angel within man to the heart of man. Thus from time to time hath God been used to speak. Now followeth the sequel of his speech, Quis non prophetabi●? Who can but prophesy? If the Lord God hath spoken, frendent quasi Leunculas, grinding his teeth as a lusty young Lion, against his people even ready to be devoured, Quis non prophetabit? What Prophet is there that dares contain himself from prophesying? that dares keep silence from denouncing the revengeful threats of God? The Lord God hath spoken, Quis non prophetabit? Who will not prophesy? Who will not? Anselmus Laudunensis, the Author of the Interlineary Gloss, saith, Panci viri sunt, few such men there are: Hugo Cardinalis; Nullus, vel rarus est; There is not a man, or scarce a man that dares hold his peace, if God bid him prophesy. Moses may go about to excuse himself, that he be not sent to Pharaoh; Exod. 4.10. O my Lord, I am not eloquent, but am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue; I pray thee send some other; but his excuses will not be received. Esay 6.5. Esay may complain, Woe is me, I am undone, because I am a man of polluted lips: yet so he cannot put off his commission. jerem. 1.6, 7. jeremy may cry out, Ah, Lord God, behold I cannot speak, for I am a child. Yet must he follow his calling. Say not, saith the Lord, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Ezech. 3.7. Ezechiel is sent unto a people stiff of forehead, and hard of heart, a people that would not hearken unto him, by whom he might well fear to lose his life: yet might he not withdraw himself. Behold, saith the Lord, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an Adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead. Fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Amos 7.14. Amos, this our Amos, now our Prophet Amos, once no Prophet, nor a Prophet's son, but an herdsman, and a gatherer of Sycomore fruit, taken by the Lord, as he was following the flock, receives his commission from the Lord; Go, Prophesy unto my people Israel. So he goeth, and prophesieth. The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? Who can but prophesy? The observation is, The office of prophesying when God enjoineth it, is not to be declined. The proposition holds true, as well of the Prophets of the New Testament, as of the Old. The Prophets of the New Testament are the Ministers thereof: who though they have not the gift of prediction, to foretell things to come, yet are they called Prophets, Mat. 10.41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward. Prophets they are called. First, because their function, sacred and Ecclesiastical, is in place and stead of the Prophetical office of the Old Testament. Secondly, because their office is to expound and interpret the writings of the Prophets. Thirdly, because they are to preach what is written in the Scriptures of the Prophets, of the day of judgement, of the rewards of good men, and of the torments prepared for the wicked in the life to come. Of such Prophets speaketh Gregory 2. part. Pastoralis Curae cap. 4. Prophetae in sacro eloquio nonnunquam Doctores vocantur, qui dum fugitiva esse praesentia indicant, quae futura sunt manifestant. Doctors or teachers are oftentimes in holy language called Prophets, because while they declare things present to be fugitive and transitory, they do manifest the things that are to come. Thus are Doctors or Teachers, the Ministers of the New Testament, Prophets in their kind; and the observation even now made concerning the office of prophesying reacheth them. The office of the Ministry of the Word, when God sendeth, is not to be declined. It's not to be declined. He that hath once begun to run in this race, must run on with perseverance, even unto the end. He that hath put his hand to this Plough, may not look back, lest he prove unfit for the Kingdom of God. Luk. 9.62. In this race and course of life we are to contend and strive with the whole earth. Though we be despised, despighted, hated, cursed of every man, because we preach what the Lord hath bidden us, and proclaim his vengeance against sinners, yet will we not be discouraged. Our hand against every man, and every man's hand against us: Our tongue against every vice, and every tongue walketh & rangeth at liberty through our actions. The Disciple is not above his Master, Math. 10.24. nor the Servant above his Lord. If our Master and Lord, Christ jesus, have suffered such things, we his Disciples and servants must possess our souls in patience. If we be thought too clamorous against the disorders of common life, if too busy, if too severe in striking at offences; forgive us this fault. A necessity is laid upon us: The Lord God hath spoken, and we cannot but prophesy. Is a necessity laid upon us? That's not all. For a Woe is due unto us if we preach not. Vae mihi, saith Paul, 1 Cor. 9.16. Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel. If I preach not the Gospel! What then shall become of the Law? We must preach both, as the Gospel so the Law. As we are to publish the tidings of joy to those that rejoice in our message, so are we to denounce the terrors of judgement to those that contemn it. As we are to preach liberty to captives, so are we to threaten captivity to libertines. As we are to pipe to those that will dance after us, so are we to sound a trumpet of war to those that will resist us. As we are to build an Ark for those that will be saved, so are we to pour out a flood of maledictions against those that will be damned. Finally, as we are to open the doors to those that knock and are penitent, so are we to stand in the doors with a flaming sword in our mouths, against those that are obstinate. Thus you see a necessity is laid upon us to preach unto you; to preach not the Gospel only, but the Law too. Yet is not this necessity, necessitas coactionis, a necessity of coaction, constraint or compulsion, but necessitas obligationis & mandati divini, a necessity of obligation and divine Commandment. It is our vocation and conscience that imposeth this necessity upon us. If then we preach unto you, we have not whereof to glory or boast ourselves. For we do no more than we are of duty to do. Now if we of duty preach unto you, then are you of duty likewise to hear us: and a necessity of hearing is laid upon you: I say not, a necessity of coaction, constraint or compulsion, but a necessity of obligation and divine Commandment. A necessity is laid upon you to hear the word of God, God commandeth you to hear it. And Vae vobis, Woe unto you if you refuse to hear it. Yet when you hear, take heed how you hear. Quid juvat auditus verbi, si non datur usus? What advantage is it to you to hear the Word of God, if you make no good use thereof? Ideo audis, ut agas. Therefore you hear, that you may put in practice what you hear. Sweetly Saint Augustine upon Psal. 104. Valdè malè digerit is, qui bene audit, & non bene operatur: Surely he very ill digesteth, that heareth well, and works not well. Now gracious Father, we most humbly beseech thee to open our hearts, and to unlock the ears of our understanding, that whether we preach, or hear thy Word, we may preach it and hear it profitably, that we may observe, learn, and embrace such things as are necessary to the confirming of our weak faith, and the amendment of our sinful lives. Amen. THE Eleventh Lecture. AMOS 3.9, 10, 11. Publish in the palaces of Ashdod, and in the palaces of the Land of Egypt, and say: Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria: and be hold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. For they know not to do right, saith the Lord; who store violence and robbery in their palaces. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; An adversary there shall be even round about the Land: and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. THe equity of God's judgements is such, that if strangers see them, they cannot but approve them. It appeareth to be so, by this passage of Amos his second Sermon to or against the people of Israel. This passage is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or an Exornation, pertaining to the proposition, which was in the second verse of this Chapter. It amplifieth the iniquity of the Israelites from the testification of foreign Nations, thus: You, you of Israel, your sins are so notorious, so gross, so palpable, that the Philistines and Egyptians may behold them; sith you of yourselves are not touched with a conscience of your evil deeds; them, the Philistines and Egyptians I call as witnesses and judges of your impurity and uncleanness. This is the scope of the words now read unto you. The parts are two: An Accusation, vers. 9 and 10. A Commination, vers. 11. The Accusation is delivered by an Apostrophe, by a turning of the speech from the Israelites to others, vers. 9 Others are called upon to make a proclamation, in these words, Proclaim in the Palaces of Ashdod, and in the Palaces of the Land of Egypt, and say: the tenor of their proclamation is in these, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. The sins pointed at in this proclamation are two, Cruelty and Covetousness. Cruelty in their great tumults; Covetousness in their oppressions. Both are amplified vers. 10. from two places, à genere, & à specie. First from the general, They know not to do right. Secondly from the special, They treasure up violence and robbery in their Palaces. Their violence argueth their cruelty, their robbery is a demonstration of their Covetousness. The truth hereof is not to be questioned. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum jehovah, the Lord hath said it. For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their Palaces. We have a large field for discourse to travel in: we will begin at the gate or first entrance into it, which is, the injunction for the proclamation: Proclaim in the Palaces of Ashdod, and in the Palaces of the Land of Egypt, and say. At the entrance into this field the Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haschmignu, and is as much, as, make to hear. The old Interpreter puts for it, Auditum facite, make a hearing; so doth Saint Hierome: these keep near unto the word. The Septuagint with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, are not fare from the meaning, nor is Oecolampadius with his annunciate, for which our countryman Taverner hath Preach: Preach in the Palaces at Ashdod. Caluin. junius. Brentius with his Clamate; Gualther with his Diwlgate; Vat●blus. Marcer, Drusius, and others, with their Promulgate, are all for the Proclamation: Cry, Diuulge, Publish, or Proclaim. Proclaim. Where? In Ashdod, and in the Land of Egypt. First in Ashdod. P●laestina, the Country of the Philistines, was divided into five Provinces, Dutchies, or Lordships, mentioned Iosh. 13.3. the Provinces of Azz●h, of Ashdod, of Askelon, of Gath, of Ezron. Those five, the chief and most famous Cities of Palastina are recorded also, 1 Sam. 6.17. where the Philistines are said to have returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord, five golden Emerods; one for Ashdod, one for Azzab, one for Askelon, one for G●th, and one for Ekron. Ashdod! In the first division of the holy Land, it was in the lot of the Tribe of judah, and is so described, Iosh. 15.47. Afterward it tell to the lot of the Tribe of the Children of Dan, who had their inheritance, as the Children of Simeon had, within the inheritance of the Children of judah; I sh. 19.1. & is accordingly described by Adrichom and Schrot in their tables of the Holy Land. The more familiar name of it is Azotus. In it were left Giants, those that were called Enakim. It is to this day a famous City of Palaestina. Apud Hieron. T●●. 3. So saith Eusebius lib. de locis Hebraicis. Another learned Author writing of the Hebrew places in the Acts of the Apostles, saith, Azotus, is a famous town of Palaestina, called in Hebrew Ashdod, and is one of the five cities of the Allophyli of the Philistines. For the Etymology of the word, Saint Hierome saith, it signifieth as much as ignis uberis, or ignis patrui, the fire of an udder, or of an uncle. The words are in his Commentary upon Amos, chap. 1. where he refuteth those that say, it is ignis generationis, the fire of generation. And well: for they mistake Resch for Dealeth; taking it for Aschdor, when it is Aschdod. The Author of the book De nominibus Hebraicis upon joshua, saith, Asdod is dissolutio, vel effusio, sive incendium, a dissolution, or an effusion, or a burning. A little after, ignis patrui mei, vel incendia, my uncle's fire or burnings. Ignis patrui, so I read with Drusius obseru. 6. 8. not Gens patrui, as it is in the old books by the like mistake of Resch for Daleth. Buntingus in his itinerary upon the old Testament, saith it is, Ignis dilectus, a beloved fire. There is no agreement between these Etymologiz●rs. The more familiar and Greek name of this City, Azotus, is by Stephanus in his book of Cities derived from Az●, a woman, that was the Foundress of this City. But I rather think that Azotus is so called from the Hebrew Asdod by the change of some letters; Azotus for Asdotus, as Ez●as for Esdras, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the Doric Dialect. This same City Asdod, or Azotus, was made famous by the Ark of the Lord brought thither, when it was taken by the Philistines; and by the house of the Idol Dagon there, 1 Sam. 5.2. This is that Azotus, where Philip the Deacon was found after he had baptised the Aethiopian Eunuch, Act. 8.40. And this that Asdod, whereof you heard in my thirteenth Sermon upon the first Chapter of this book, upon the eight verse, these words, I will cut off the inhabitant from Asdod. Yet I take it not, that Ashdod is here put so precisely for the City, but that it may by a Synecdoche comprehend the whole region or Country of the Philistines. Commonly it is so understood by Ancients, Saint Hierome, Remigius, Albertus, Rupertus, Hugo, Lyra, Isidorus, and by modern Writers, Montanus, Christophorus à Castro, Petrus Lusitanus, and others. But I must from Ashdod, and go on to the Land of Egypt: for there is this proclamation likewise to be made. Proclaim in Ashdod, and in the Land of Egypt. To this Land of Egypt we came twice before in our view of this Prophecy; Cap. 2.10. & 3.1. and therefore need not at this time stand long upon it. Yet may we not leave it altogether unsaluted. It is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eretz Mitzrajim, the L●nd of Mitzrajim. Saint Hierome Comment, in Esai. cap. 18. saith, that with the Hebrews an Egyptian man and an Egyptian woman and the Country of Egypt have all one name Mefraim: Obser. l●b. 5. c 25. for so Drusius readeth out of a Manuscript of Saint Hieromes Works, Apud Ebraeos & Aegyptius, & Aegyptus, & Aegyptia, uno vocabulo nuncupantur, M●sraim. But this cannot be so. For the Egyptian man, he is Mesri, the woman Mesrith, the Country only Mesraim. And if by the name of Mesraim, the Egyptians be sometime signified, it is by a figure of speech, as when judah is put for the jews, or Ephraim for the Ephraimites. josephus in his first book of the Antiquities of the jews, cap. 7. saith, that Egypt was called Mesr●, and the Egyptians M●sraei: he alludeth to the Hebrew name Mitzraj●m. And Egypt was so called from Mitzrajim one of the sons of Chum, his second son, as we find him, Gen. 10.6. He first inhabited that part of Africa, which was afterward called Egypt, from Aegyptus, son of Belies, King of that Land. Now because this same Mitzrajim was one of the sons of Cham, the Land of Mitzrajim, or of Egypt, is in the Psalms of David entitled the Land of Cham; Psal. 105.27. & 106. 2● as Psalm. 105.23. jaacob was a stranger in the Land of Cham; and in other places. And for the same reason is Cham put for Egypt. Psal. 78 51. He smote all the first borne in Egypt, even the beginning of their strength, in the tabernacles of Cham. The latter part of that verse being an exposition of the former, makes it manifest, that Cham is there put for Mitzrajim, or Egypt. Enough for this time of Egypt. The Palaces of both Ashdod and Egypt are here specified: not barely the houses, as the Vulgar Latin here readeth, but the Palaces: to show, that this proclamation was to be made not in obscure houses, or poor Cottages, but in their Prince's Courts. And quoth in aulis principum diwlgatur, latere non potest; what is published in Prince's Courts, it will abroad There is the greatest confluence of honourable persons and men of note; who have evermore some about them, that will not spare to tell abroad what is either said or done by the Princes themselves in their most secret closerts. Their very vices cannot be hid. So Honorius the Emperor in the Panegyricke tells his son Theodosius, Claudian. de 4. Cons. Honorij, vers. 271. — cunctis tua gentibus esse Facta palam: nec posse dari regalibus usquàm Secretum vitijs. Whatsoever thou dost, it is known abroad; nor can any place be of sufficient secrecy to conceal the vices of Kings. Now if King's secrets done in Court, if their secret vices be made known; much more shall it be known, that is proclaimed in Court. And therefore is the Proclamation here enjoined to be made in the Palaces of Palaestina and Egypt, in their Prince's Courts, that the same thereof flying abroad into all the coasts of those dominions, the rest of the people might understand thereof, and bear witness to the judgements of God, which he executeth upon his people for their sins, that they are very just. By this injunction for the Proclamation now expounded, you see, that Heathens, the Philistines and Egyptians, aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and utter enemies to that State, are invited to be spectators of the evils which God in judgement was to bring upon that his people, the Israelitish Nation. And this was to make the evils, which the Israelites were to suffer, the more grievous unto them. Hence ariseth this observation: The calamities, or miseries which the Lord in justice layeth upon us for our evil deeds, will be the more grievous unto us, if our enemies be made privy unto them. This is it the Lord saith to jerusalem, Ezech. 5.8. Behold, I, even I, will execute judgement, in the midst of thee, in the sight of the nations thine enemies. In the sight of thine enemies will I do it. It could not be but an exceeding great grief to the Virgin daughter of Zion; that the Lord had caused her enemy to rejoice over her, and had set up the horn of her adversaries, Lament. 2.17. The reproach and ignominy that cometh from an enemy in time of misery is to some fare more grievous than death itself, who rather choose to die, though it be by their own hands, or the hands of a friend, than they will endure dishonour from an enemy. Examples of such a resolution there are many in profane Histories, as in Plutarch of a Tom. 3. vit. in Catone. Cat● Minor, b In Antonio. Antonius and Cleopatra; in c Annal. lib. 16. Tacitus of Thraseas: These of the Heathen killed themselves through impatiency, as not being able to endure the reproach and shame, which they feared, the one from Caesar, two of them from Augustus, the fourth from Nero. Nor is the Sacred story void of examples of this kind. Abimelech son of d jerubesheth. 2 Sam. 11.21. jerubbaal, he, whom the Sichemites e judg. 9.6. made their King, when at an assault of his given to the tower of Theber he had his scull broken by a piece of a Millstone which a certain woman had cast upon his head, he called hastily unto a young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw my sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his youngman thrust him thorough, and he died, judg. 9.54. Such was the end of that ambitious and cruel tyrant. He is slain of a woman, and when he sees he is to die, he is desirous to blot out that infamy: he will not have it said of him, that a woman slew him. That a woman, of the enemy's side, slew him, he will not by any means have it said of him: Kill him rather than it should be said, A woman slew him. Such was the impatience of Saul, Saul, he that was the first King of the Israelites, when the Philistines had gotten the day against him, 1 Sam. 31.2. 1 Chron. 10.2. had slain three of his sons, jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, and himself was wounded by their archers, he thus spoke unto his Armour-bearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me thorough therewith, lest these uncircumcised come, and thrust me thorough and mock me. Which vile act his Armour-bearer refusing, Saul became his own executioner, took his own sword and slew himself, 1 Sam. 31.4. He takes his own sword and slays himself. And why so? Lest, saith he, these uncircumcised Philistines come and thrust me thorough, and mock me. See, he will die, that he may not die: he will be thrust thorough, that he may not be thrust thorough; he will kill himself, that the Philistines may not kill him. He will not endure to come within the power of his enemies. I commend not Saul for his valour in killing himself, nor Abimelech for his in causing his Armour-bearer to thrust him thorough. It was not valour in them, but cowardice, or impatiency. For if they could with patience have borne and endured their troubles, they would not have hastened their own death. Selfe-killing is a sin so grievous, that scarce there is any more heinous before the Lord. Many reasons may be alleged to show the unlawfulness of this fact; and I hold it not amiss to bring a few, especially in the iniquity of these times, wherein wretchedness hath so fearfully prevailed in some persons, and almost daily doth prevail, that they dare plunge themselves into this pit of terrible destruction. My first reason shall be; because it is forbidden in that Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. Exod. 20.13. In that Commandment is forbidden the kill of any man without lawful authority. But no man hath authority over himself, because no man is superior to himself: and therefore no man may kill himself: Out of S. Augustine lib. 1. de Civit. Dei, cap. 20. I thus frame the reason: Thou shalt not kill, that is the Law. The Law is not, Exod. 20.13. thou shalt not kill thy neighbour, limiting it as it were to some, but indefinitely; Thou shalt not kill, extending it largely to all: and therefore a man may not kill himself. My second reason I take from that other Law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. It is given in the Old: Levit. 19.18. Matth. 5.43. & 22.39. Rom. 13.9. Galat. 5.14. james 2.8. and is oft repeated in the New Testament; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Where the love of ourselves, is made measure for the love of our neighbours. Thou oughtest to love thy neighbour, but as thou lovest thyself. The example of thy charity is drawn from thyself at home. Thy soul, thy preservation, the good wished to thyself, should be the true direction of thy deeds unto thy neighbour. But it is unlawful for thee to lay bloody or murdering hands upon thy neighbour; and therefore thou mayest not make away thyself. It is more unnatural for thee to shed thine own blood, than thy neighbours. Thy neighbours thou mayest not shed, much less mayest thou shed thine own. Thirdly, for a man to kill himself, it is an injury to the Commonwealth wherein he liveth; for thereby he maimeth the Commonwealth, and cutteth off one of her members. The King thereby shall want a man, when he hath use of him. This is an injury to the State, & therefore a man may not kill himself. Fourthly, our life is given us of God. God hath placed us in this world, as in a watch or standing, from whence we may not stir a foot, till God call us and command us to remove. josephus' a noble Captain in the war of the jews, after the loss of the City jotapata, which Vespasian the Roman General took, being assembled with diverse of his soldiers in a cave, where for a while they lay hid from the fury of the Enemy, when they would take no way, but that they would kill one the other, rather than they would be taken by their enemies the Romans, useth unto them a very pathetical speech, as Egesippus lib. 3. the excidio-Hierosolymitano hath recorded it; Thesaurum nobis optimum Deus dedit, The Almighty God hath given unto us our life, as a most precious treasury: he hath shut it and sealed it up in this earthen vessel, and given it us to be kept, till himself do ask for it again. And were it not a fault now, as on the one side to deny it, when he shall require it again: so on the other side to spell, and cast this treasure forth, which was thus committed to us, before he do demand it? If we should kill ourselves, Quis nos admittet ad illa sanctarum animarum consortia? Who is he, that shall admit us into the company of good souls? Shall it not be said to us, as once it was said to Adam, where art thou? so, where are ye? Where are ye, who contrary to my commandment are come, from whence yet you should not, because yet I have not loosed you from the bonds of your bodies. Where are ye? Where? The same josephus in the same speech of his, as himself hath delivered it, lib. 3. de bello judaico cap. 14. will tell you, where it is most likely they are; Quorum manus in seipsos insanierunt, eorum animas tenebrosior Orcus suscipit; the souls of them who have killed themselves are descended into Hell. And so much Saint Hierom seems to affirm in an Epistle of his to Paula concerning the death of her daughter Blaesilla, where he makes God thus to speak, Nullam animam recipio, quae me nolente separatur à corpore, I will receive no soul, which against my will goeth out of the body to which I have committed it. Beloved, without God's exceeding mercy, whereof no man can presume, nay great and mighty prejudice is to the contrary, it will be very ill with them, who do adventure to slay themselves. Let then those of the Heathen, whom even now I mentioned, Cato Vticensis, Antony, Cleopatra and Thraseas; let Abimelech and Saul, let others be famous for killing themselves; let it be said of them, that it was not blood, but honour that gushed out of their sides, yet are they not warrants for us Christians to do the like. We have a better Master Christ jesus, the Righteous: He hath taught us a better lesson; namely, that adversity and bitter affliction must be borne with patience: that in our miseries and calamities, we are to expect what end God will make, and not to hasten the issue in ourselves. Mayor animus meritò dicendus est, qui vitam aerumnosam magis potest far, quàm fugere, August. de Civit. Dei lib. 1. cap. 22. He is worthily said to have true fortitude, that can with patience bear the sorrows which are assigned and allotted out for his portion; whereas he that fearfully flieth from them, is no better than a coward. Quis enim ignorat foemineae timiditatis esse, Cequaeus Comment. in August. de ciu. Dei lib. 1. cap. 24. & muliebris formidinis, ne moriare, mori velle? josephus in that his Oration now cited out of * De Excid. Hieros'. l. 3. c. 18. Hegesippus: Who knows it not to be effeminate timorousness and woman-like faintheartedness, to be willing to die, that thou die not, to kill thyself, that another kill thee not. So is it, beloved. This same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this same selfe-killing, at the best, is no better than the badge of an abject and a base mind. None of the Saints in their greatest miseries, nor joseph, nor job, nor David, nor Daniel, nor other, thought of any such way to rid themselves out of trouble. No. Though they felt the sharpness of poverty, the sting of infamy, the pains of diseases, and the horror of death, yet their courage quailed not, but they spurned aside all manner of despair. And for the sweetness they found in the favour and grace of God, they were well content not only to be deprived of all worldly delights, and earthly pleasures, but also to embrace the rod of their heavenly Father, and patiently to endure the weight of the cross laid on them. These, beloved, these are fit patterns for our imitation. Wherefore, let us not be dismayed with any cross or affliction. Let not the extremity of the pain, nor the sharpness of the misery, nor the continuance of the sickness, daunt our courage, no, though these calamities befall us in the sight of our enemies. Nay, though we be given up into the hands of our enemies, who will triumph and rejoice at our downfall, yet will we not offer violent hands unto ourselves; we will not cut asunder that which God hath joined, we will not seek for ease by shortening of our lives. Whatsoever ill shall betide me, I will say with jeremy, Chap. 10.19. Truly this is my grief, and I will bear it. And my grief will be the more, if in time of misery, mine enemy insult and triumph over me. This is a case, that hath much troubled Gods holy ones, as in part you have already heard. It much troubled holy David. And therefore he prayeth against it, Psal. 13.4. Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God: and why? Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice, when I am moved. The like ejaculation he hath, Psal. 38.16. and his reason there is the same; Lest mine enemies should rejoice over me; who, when my foot slippeth, do magnify themselves against me. The same David, upon the news of the death of King Saul and jonathan his son, willing to prevent the opprobrious and disgraceful insultations and upbraid of the enemy, gives a charge for secrecy, as much as might be, 2 Sam. 1.20. Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. The little flock of the righteous, the holy Church herself, is sensible of the insolency of an enemy, Micah. 7.8. O thou enemy of mine, rejoice not at my fall; for I shall get up again. Upon these particulars, and the like, dependeth the truth of the observation propounded: The calamities or miseries which the Lord in justice layeth upon us for our evil deeds, will be the more grievous unto us, if our enemies be made privy unto them. Will they be the more grievous unto us, if our enemies be made privy unto them? What is the reason? The reason is; because it is a property of wicked men, enemies to piety, wonderfully to insult over the godly that are afflicted, and the more these are afflicted, the more insolent are they. Great was the insolency of those enemies of David, of whom he complaineth Psal. 35.15. In mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yea, the very abjects, [the offscouring of the people] gathered themselves together against me; made mows at me, and ceased not. As great was that of Nabal, in his answer to David's messengers, 1 Sam. 25.10. Who is David? and who is the son of jesse? There be many servants now adays that break away every man from his Master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, when I know not whence they be? Churlish Nabal; he is not content only not to give any thing to David, but also raileth at him, and revileth him. And was not the insolency of Shemei of as high a strain? Shemei, a man of the family of the house of Saul, comes forth from Bahurim, and curseth still as he comes, meets David, casts stones at him, and revileth him; Come out, come out thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial, 2 Sam. 16.7. See, see; it is the property of the wicked exceedingly to insult over the Godly, when they are in misery: and for this cause will our miseries be the more grievous unto us, if the wicked take notice of them. Now the uses which we are to make of this observation, are these. First, it showeth, how vile our nature is, that hath no more remorse in it towards them that are in misery. Secondly, it teacheth us when we are in misery to look for no better from profane persons, than insultation and rejoicing, and therefore in that case to arm ourselves with patience. Thirdly, we may learn from hence how to behave ourselves towards our enemies, when they are fallen under the cross, we may not triumph over them. We must do unto them, as we would be done unto: this is the Law and the Prophets. But when we are in misery, we would not have our enemies insult over us: and therefore neither must we insult over them, when they are in misery. This is that the Lord so severely commandeth in the Prophecy of Obadiah, vers. 11, 12. Look not, rejoice not, speak not proudly in the day of thy brother, in the day of his peregrination, in the day of his perdition, in the day of his anguish, in the day of his ruin, in the day of his calamity, in the day of his tribulation. And this is that, whereto Solomon exhorteth, Prou. 24.17. Rejoice not, when thine enemy falleth; and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. So Ecclesiasticus admonisheth, Chap 7.11. Laugh no man to scorn in the bitterness of his soul. Holy job, Chap. 31.29. in the Catalogue of his comforts, reckoneth up this for one; that he never rejoiced at the hurt of his enemy, nor was ever glad that any harm happened unto him, nor ever-suffered his mouth to do such a sin as to wish him evil. And now (beloved) if neither the precept of the Lord, nor the exhortation of Solomon, nor the admonition of the wise son of Syrach, nor the example of holy job, can move us to the performance of this Christian duty, namely, not to rejoice at any that are in adversity: What shall I say? Will the fear of punishment any whit amend us? Then remember we what the Wiseman saith, Prou. 17.5. He that rejoiceth at the harm of another, shall not himself escape unpunished. And thus much be spoken by occasion of the injunction for the proclamation, these words, Proclaim in the palaces of Ashdod, and in the palaces of the Land of Egypt, and say. Now followeth the tenor of the Proclamation, in these: Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. Wherein three things are principally to be observed: One is, the calling of an assembly. Secondly, the place for the assembly. Thirdly, the end of their meeting. The calling of the Assembly is first. You that are the Prophets of the Lord, dicite, say plainly and with a loud voice; say to the Princes of Palaestina and of Egypt, Congregamini, Be ye gathered together; assemble yourselves, Come and meet together upon the mountains of Samaria. The mountains of Samaria, are the place for this assembly. Samaria, for the most common use of the name, is the City registered, 1 King. 16.24. to be built by King Omrie, upon a mountain purchased by him of one Semer, called in the allegory, Ezech 23.4 Aholah, sister to Aholibah, named to be the head of Ephraim, Esai. 7.9. It was a royal city of Israel, the Metropolis, the mother city of that kingdom. From it the coast adjoining, situate betwixt Galilee and judaea, was named Samaria, and is accordingly described by Cosmographers, Ptolomee, Ortelias, Maginus and others: and from hence the kingdom of Israel came to be called the kingdom of Samaria, as 2 King. 17.24. Where the King of Assyria is said to have brought nations out of Babylon, and other places of his dominions, and to have seated them in the cities of Samaria, that is, in the cities of the kingdom of Israel. Thus may Samaria be either the whole Province, or the chief City thereof. And so may the mountains of Samaria be either the whole Province, because the whole was mountainous, as josephus affirmeth, Lib. 3. de bello judaice, cap. 2. or they may betoken the chief City thereof, because it was seated on a mountain. And then our Prophet saith, the mountains of Samaria, as we say in Latin, flumen Euphratis, Vrbs Romae, and herba Lapathi. As we say, the River of Euphrates for Euphrates, the City of Rome, for Rome, the herb of Patience, for Patience: so may our Prophet here say, the Mountains of Samaria, for Samaria. That by these Mountains of Samaria the whole Province is to be understood, it is the opinion of Saint Hieroms, Remigius, Rupertus, with some other, with whom agreeth Petrus Lusitanus. Yet to Castrus it seemeth more probable, that the very City be here meant, as in the midst whereof many detestable villainies and enormities were acted. But both expositions may well take place. For if the chief city of the Country were so flagitious, the rest of the Country could not be blameless. Thus have we the place for this assembly. But what is the end of their meetings? It is to behold the great tumults in the midst of Samaria, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. Et videte, And behold. You, the Princes of Palastina and Egypt having gathered yourselves together upon the mountains of Samaria, Videte, Look about you. It will be a pleasant spectacle for you to see the great disorder of a people, whom you have a long time hated. Videte, look about you therefore, Behold, see, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mehumoth rabboth, What's that? Insanias multas, saith the old Interpreter; so Saint Hierome; See their many madnesses, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Septuagint, many miraculous and strange demeanours: Oecolampadius saith, Stupenda multa, many prodigious deportments. Drusius, Strages multas, many slaughters: Caluin, Concussiones multas, many concussions, violent and public extortions. Vatablus and Mercer, Contritiones multas, many Contritions, bruisings, or cursings of the afflicted. junius and Piscator, Vexationes plurimas, very many vexations: Gualther, Tumultus multos, many tumults: Brentius, Tumultus magnos, great tumults; Great tumults! It's our translation. See; See then, many madnesses, strange and prodigious behaviours, slaughters, concussions, contritions, very many vexations, many and great tumults. All these see. In medio ejus, in the midst of Samaria. Yet is not this all, you are there to see. For see also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaschukim, the oppressed in the midst thereof. For the oppressed Caluin hath Oppressiones, the oppressions; it is the marginal reading in our now-Bible. Brentius hath Calumnias; so hath Oecolampadius; Saint Hierome, and the Vulgar Latin, Calumniam patientes. Their meaning is, that in Samaria, in the midst thereof, in penetralibus eius, in the in most parts thereof, there were many that were calumniated, were accused falsely, were appeached wrongfully, were charged maliciously, were reproached unjustly, were reviled injuriously. Such doing was there in Samaria, not only in the country abroad, but also within the walls thereof. Every where did cruelty advance itself, and so did Covetousness. And thus have I expounded the Proclamation; the words thereof; in which the Philistines and Egyptians, Gentes extra Oeconomiam Dei, profane Nations, are cited to be witnesses, yea and judges too, of the impurity and uncleanness, that was in the Lords own people, the people of Israel. My observation is, God sometimes convinceth his own people of impiety, by comparing them with foreign Nations. Such a comparison is that, jerem. 2.10. Pass over the Isles of Chittim, and see, and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be any such thing. Hath any Nation changed their Gods, which are yet no Gods? But my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit. It is a vehement expostulation, and in the paraphrase may be thus: You, my people of the jewish Nation, pass ye over unto Chittim, to the Macedonians and Cyprians, see of what Religion and constancy they are: and send ye unto Kedar, to the Hagar●ns, observe them, mark them diligently. Can you find, think you, any Nations so like yourselves? so inconstant, so mutable? Is there any Nation in the whole world, that so rashly changeth her Gods? Gods! Gods of the Nations! They are no Gods, but Idols, the froth and scum of man's brain. And yet are the Nations constant in the worship of these their false Gods, their no Gods. But you, you of the jewish Nation, mine own people; you have changed your Glory. Me, the true, faithful, and everliving God, in whom alone you should have gloried, Me have you changed for a thing of nought. Be astonished, O ye Heavens, at this: be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. A like comparison is that brought by our Saviour in the Gospel, Matth. 12.41. Where from the example of the Ninivites, he inferreth the condemnation of the jews. The men of Niniveh shall rise up in judgement with this generation, Luk. 11.33. and shall condemn it: because they repent at the preaching of jonas; and behold, a greater than jonas is here. The Ninivites were Gentiles and Barbarians; the jews were Gods own people: the Preacher to the Ninivites was jonas, a mere man and a stranger, but Christ God and man, of the line and race of David, was the Preacher to the jews: jonas his preaching continued burr for three days, and the Ninivites repent; Christ preached for three years together, and the jews blasphemed. Therefore shall the men of Niniveh rise up in judgement with the jews, and shall condemn them. Saint Paul likewise presseth the example of the Gentiles, the more to accuse the Corinthians of grievous sin among them, 1 Cor. 5.1. It is reported commonly, that there is fornication among you, and such fornication, as is not so much as named among the Gentiles. The Gentiles, who know not God, nor have heard of the faith of Christ, will not commit so foul a sin: and will you, Christians, you who hope for salvation by faith in Christ, will you defile yourselves with such abomination? For the love of God, for the love of your own souls, fly from fornication. And thus have you the confirmation of my second observation, which was: God sometimes convinceth his own people of impiety, by comparing them with foreign Nations. The use of this observation may be, to teach us, who profess the faith of Christ, that the glorious name of Christianity is but vain and idle, if a man's life through his corrupt and dissolute behaviour, be not answerable. Saint Augustine in his time propounded this question to an Auditory of his, in his second Sermon upon the thirtieth Psalm: Quam multos putatis, fratres mei, velle esse Christianos, sed offendi malos moribus Christianorum? My brethren, how many, think ye, there are, that would willingly become Christians, but that they take exception at the evil lives of the Christians? Long after him great Gregory, Moral. lib. 25. cap. 10. complained: Nonnulli fidem medullitèr tenent, sed vivere fideliter nullatenùs curant; Many there are that make profession of the faith of a Christian, but they take no care at any hand to live the life of a Christian. The life of a Christian, if you take it in its full perfection, is not such a kind of life, as the Christians use to live at this day in the world; but such a life, as our Saviour Christ lived, such as his Disciples lived, such as the holy Martyrs under the Primitive Church did live: a life that is a continual cross and death of the whole man; whereby man thus mortified and annihilated, is fit to be transformed into the similitude and likeness of God. But where is the Christian, that now adays liveth such a life? Hath not dissimulation and hypocrisy in a manner covered the face of the Earth? Christi nomen auditis, you hear the name of Christ, but where shall you see the man that liveth the life of Christ? Crepamus Euangelium, we cry, the Gospel, the Gospel; but where is he that yields obedience to the Gospel? Doctrinam fidei ebuccinamus, we trumpet out the Doctrine of faith, but the discipline of a Christian life we exterminate, we banish. Multa passim fides absque operibus, every where there is much speech of the efficacy of faith without works; but where is the man that showeth me his faith by his works? Beloved, what shall I say more? If we have a delight to be called the people of God, if we take any joy in the name of a Christian, let it be our care to live as it becometh the people of God, as it becometh Christians. If we shall so lead our lives, that our lives shall be to the unbelieving Atheist, and blind Papist, a horror and a scandal, shall they not both, Atheist and Papist, rise up in judgement with us and condemn us? If under the cloak of Christian liberty, we live petulantly, lasciviously, dissolutely, in gluttony, in drunkenness, in chambering, in wantonness, in whoredom, in luxuriousness, in strife, in maliciousness, in cruelty, in covetousness, and in other like enormities, shall they not both, Atheist and Papist, rise up in judgement with us, and condemn us? Wherefore (dear beloved) these enormities and the like, let them not once be named amongst us, Ephes. 5.3. as it becometh Saints. But put we on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercies, Coloss. 3.12. kindness, sanctimony and holiness of life, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, (if any man hath a quarrel against any) even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us. O! Let us thus do, and our souls shall live. And that all of us may do thus, God Almighty grant us of his grace for his well-beloved Son JESUS CHRIST his sake. THE Twelfth Lecture. AMOS 3.10. For they know not to do right, saith the Lord; who store up violence and robbery in their Palaces. MEn are as fishes of the Sea, that have no ruler over them: it is the complaint of the Prophet Habakkuk, Chap. 1.14. Fishes of the Sea! It is their property to devour one another: the stronger and the greater devour the weaker and the less; so saith the Emperor justine the second, in Cedrenus his Annals. Saint Ambrose in his Hexameron, lib. 5. cap. 5. showeth this to be true in two kinds of fishes; in the Scarus, which some call the Guilt-head or Goldeneye, which cheweth like a beast; and in the Silurus, the Sheath-fish, or Whale of the river. Among these, Minor esca majoris est, the lesser is food for the greater, and the greater is set upon by a stronger than he, and becometh his food. So fares it with men. Great men set upon their inferiors, and mightier than they upon them. Such men, men for quality like fishes, devourers one of another, cruel and covetous men, bore the sway in Samaria. It is plain by this passage of Amos his second Sermon to the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, the people of Israel. Of this passage there are two parts: An Accusation, vers. 9, 10. A Commination, vers. 11. In the ninth verse, a part of the accusation, two things have been observed: An injunction for a proclamation: Publish in the palaces, etc. The proclamation itself, Assemble yourselves, etc. In the proclamation two sins were controlled: Cruelty and Covetousness. Their Cruelty appeared in their great tumults; their Covetousness in their oppressions. I gave a touch at both in my last Sermon. I now go on with the tenth verse, wherein these two enormities; Cruelty and Covetousness, are amplified by two Topickes; à genere, and à specie. From the Genus thus, They know not to do right: and thus from the Species, They store up violence and robbery in their palaces. That so it is God is witness, for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum jehovah, the Lord hath said it. I begin with the amplification from the Genus; They know not to do right. Saint Hierome readeth according to the Hebrew, Nescierunt, they have not known. So do they who have either non noverunt, as Caluin, Gualther, and Brentius; or non norunt, as Vatablus, Mercer, and Piscator: They have not known. Tremelius and junius have, ut ignorent, how they are ignorant; Drusius hath, Nam nesciunt, for they know not. There is our translation. They have not known, or they are ignorant, and know not, Facere rectum, to do right. So all save jonathan, who in his Paraphrase hath Facere legem, to do the Law. The meaning is good; for whosoever knoweth not to do according to the Law of God, he knoweth not to do right. They know not to do right] Omninò rectum facere nesciunt, saith Saint Hierome; they have no knowledge at all to do what right is; no knowledge to do any good at all. So then, they of Samaria, the people of Israel, are accused of Ignorance. Ignorance of the Law of God, and of doing thereafter, is here laid unto their charge. It yields unto us this observation: Ignorance of God and his revealed will, is a sin that is damnable and to be avoided. It is so. I prove it: 1. Because it is against the Commandment. 2. Because God expressly reproveth it. My third proof shall be from the foulness of this ignorance. First, it is against the Commandment, against the first Commandment, which is, Thou shalt have none other Gods but me, Exod. 20.3. The Commandment is negative. And the rule is, In the negative the affirmative must be understood, and in the affirmative the negative. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me, that's the negative; the affirmative to be understood is, Thou shalt have me alone for thy God: where our knowledge of God is commanded. We are to acknowledge him, that is, we are to know and confess him to be such a God, as he hath revealed himself to be in his word, and in his Creatures. Now as in this affirmative part the knowledge of God is commanded, so in the negative is the ignorance of God forbidden. This ignorance of God, is not only not to know, but also to doubt of such things as God hath revealed in his word. And such is the ignorance of God that is forbidden in that first Commandment. It is likewise forbidden, if Polanus deceive not, in the 32. Psalm, vers. 9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding. It's forbidden in the Epistle to the Ephes. cap. 4.17, 18. Walk not from henceforth as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Walk not on in ignorance; For as the knowledge of God is the true life of the soul; so on the other side, the ignorance of God is the death of the soul. Hence is that of Saint Paul, 1 Thes. 4.13. I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. It seemeth the Thessalonians were in great heaviness, and mourned out of measure when they beheld the persecution of the Church among them. In this their heaviness and mourning they grew towards mistrust, and to be like the Heathen, which had no hope. This abuse of theirs grew of ignorance, for that they knew not the happy estate of such as die in the Lord. Saint Paul to reform this their error, saith, Brethren, I would not have you ignorant concerning them which are asleep. Be ye not ignorant what is become of them; what God hath done for them. God hath tried them as gold, and made them worthy for himself. It's ignorance that makes you heavy, because you know not what is become of the dead. Be ye not ignorant concerning them, and your heaviness will be turned into joy. And let this suffice to have been spoken to show, that in respect of the Commandment, Ignorance of God, and his holy Will, is damnable, and to be avoided. So is it in regard that God hath expressly reproved it. There is a sharp reproof of it, Esay 1.3. The Ox knoweth his owner, and the Ass his master's Crib, but Israel hath not known, my people hath not understood. Quid stolidius 'bove, quid stupidius asino? What is more foolish than the Ox, what more stupid than the Ass? Yet those bruit beasts do know them, by whom they are fed and nourished; but Israel, the Lords own people, know not the Lord their God. Not much unlike is that, jerem. 8.7. The Stork in the air knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming, but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord. My people, Israel, is more ignorant of my judgements, than those birds are of their appointed seasons. Both these reproofs are comparative. In the first, is Israel compared unto beasts; in the second, to birds. Beasts and birds have more knowledge than Israel. But the reproof is absolute, jerem. 4.22. My people is foolish, they have not known me: they are foolish children, and have no understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do well they have no knowledge. As absolute is that, jerem. 9.3. They proceed from evil to worse, and have not known me, saith the Lord. They have no understanding, they have no knowledge, they have not known me, saith the Lord. These, and the like reproofs of the ignorance of God, from Gods own mouth, may serve for my second proof, that the ignorance of God is damnable, and to be avoided. My third proof I take from the foulness of this ignorance. The foulness thereof I discover in one position. The position is; The ignorance of God, and of the things revealed in his holy Word, is a punishment of sin, a cause of sin, and sin in itself. The position hath three branches. I shall endeavour to speak of each in their order. The first branch is: Our ignorance of God and of things revealed in his holy Word, is a punishment of sin. It is a punishment of that sin, which by the default of our first Father, Adam, was from him derived down to us; and that is original sin; by reason whereof we are all borne blind: blind in our understanding, blind in our will, and blind in our affections. There is no faculty of our soul which is not disabled by this sin. The chiefest faculties of our soul are three, men's, Voluntas, Affectiones; the Understanding, the Will, and the Affections. Mens, Our understanding is by this sin disabled: For it labours with a defect, or want of light or knowledge, and with a want of sanctity or holiness; that quality, by which light or knowledge in the understanding should be seasoned, as indeed it was at man's first creation. That in the often repetition of the names of light and knowledge I seem not tedious, may it please you to take what I shall speak of the one, as spoken of the other also. For between light & knowledge in the understanding. I put no essential difference. Now I note in the understanding a twofold light; the one natural, the other Spiritual. The Natural is defective and wanting, not universally, but in part only. For notwithstanding our first father's fall, there do yet remain in the unregenerate man, certain general notions of good and evil things commanded or forbidden in the Law of God. And these notions are such, that they make man unexcusable, sith they are both maimed and corrupted. The defect or want of this Natural light is proved, Rom. 1.21. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God. They knew God, there is the light of their understanding: they glorified him not as God; there is the defect and want of that light, the maim, the corruption of it. The spiritual light of the understanding, that is likewise defective and wanting, not as the natural light in part only, but universally. This is proved, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The natural man, man of himself in his pure naturals, ruled only by nature, reason, and sense, without grace, without the Spirit of God, man unregenerate, is altogether destitute of the spiritual light of the understanding. Besides this want of light in the understanding, whether natural or spiritual, there is also carentia sanctitatis, a want of holiness, wherewith the forenamed light ought now to be, as once it was, seasoned. The want of this holiness is manifested, Rom. 8.7. where you shall find, that whatsoever light or knowledge is in man, it is all unclean, impure, and profane; the Apostles words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Not subject to the Law of God, nor can be subject to it! What! Can man exempt himself from subjection unto God? No: be he never so rebellious, he must abide under God's dominion. But the meaning of the Apostle is, to note such a rebellion of man's corrupt nature, as is not subject according unto order, as gives not orderly subjection unto God. Thus there is in man a want of that holiness wherewith the light of his understanding should be seasoned. What I have now delivered de ment, concerning the mind or understanding, which is a speculative faculty of the soul, the same may be spoken De voluntate & affectionibus, of the will and affections, which are practical faculties of the same. And therefore as in the understanding there is a defect of light and sanctity, so is there in the will and affections, even the absence of created holiness. Nor is there in these faculties of the soul only an absence of light, knowledge, and sanctity; but also the presence of their contrary qualities, as darkness, ignorance, and sinfulness. If the light be put out, darkness comes in place; if knowledge be departed, ignorance succeeds; if holiness be lost, sinfulness will domineer. Proofs hereof there are many in holy Scripture. But in this sunshine I need not light a candle. I have said enough to show, that ignorance of God and his will is in all the powers and faculties of the soul of man, a punishment of sin, of original sin. But this punishment of sin is general, its common to all men, for as much as all men have sinned in Adam. I add further, that Ignorance is also a punishment of actual sin. Sometimes it's so. Then it is so, when a man for some particular offence is more and more blinded, and deprived 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 gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. So they became vain in their imaginations; and professing themselves wise, they became fools. And so God punished the wicked among the Thessalonians, 2 Thes. 2.10. Because they received not the truth, that they might be saved, therefore God did send them strong delusions, that they should believe lies. Thus is ignorance the punishment also of actual sin. And now is the first branch of my position clear: Ignorance is a punishment of sin; evermore of Original, and sometimes of Actual sin. The next branch is: Our ignorance of God and his truth is a cause of sin. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 76. art. 1. Ignorance is a cause of sin. For whosoever knoweth not God, he cannot worship God, he cannot but serve strange Gods. We see that in the Galatians, chap. 4.8. who therefore did service 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 Psalm, that therefore men seek not God because they know him not. There is none that understandeth, 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 seek not God, oquin. 1. 2. qu. 84. art. 1. 2. but serve strange Gods. Thus is ignorance a cause of sin, I say, a cause of sin, as one sin may be a cause of another. And one sin may be a cause of another diverse ways. 1 One sin is the cause of another, in as much as for a sin committed, the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit leaveth and forsaketh us. It being departed, we cannot but run into foul and filthy sins. If our stay by which alone we are supported in the way of godliness be taken from us, how shall we stand? 2 One sin is the cause of another, in as much as God punisheth sin with sin; as when God gave up the Gentiles to their own hearts lusts, to uncleanness, to defile their own bodies between themselves, Rom. 1.24. as even now you heard. 3 One sin is the cause of another, in as much as by committing of any sin, we are drawn on again to do the like, and to ingeminate and double action upon action, until at length we make the sin habitual unto us. 4 One sin is the cause of another, in as much as it cannot be, that a sin should be committed without attendants. In which sense the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6.10. saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; he saith that Covetousness, or the love of money, is the root of all evil. 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 love of money is the root of all evil, which while some lusted after, they erred from the faith, and pierced themselves thorough with many sorrows. 5 One sin is the cause of another, in as much as for one, the other is committed. Pilat for ambition condemned Christ, judas for money betrayed his Master, and Balaam for a like reward cursed God's people. So many ways may one sin be said to be the cause of another. Now our ignorance of God is a cause of sin the fourth way, namely as it is not without attendants. You heard even 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 proem of his to the Virgin Eustochium before his Commentaries upon 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 wisdom of God, and he that knoweth not the Scriptures, knoweth not the power of God, nor his wisdom, 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 sin. The third branch is: Our ignorance of God, and his truth, is in itself sin. Here the Schoolmen do distinguish. Aquin. 1. 2. qu. 76. Art. 2. Lombard. Sent. lib. 2. dist. 22. c. est autem. There is one kind 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 wilfulness, the second by negligence, the third by necessity. The first and second they hold for sins: the third they excuse, yea they deny it to be a sin. To their judgement concerning the two former kinds, we give our assent. It is a malicious sin, a sin of commission, a very heinous sin, when men may know and will not. It is a negligent sin, a sin of omission, yet a grievous sin, when men may know and care not. But their opinion touching the third kind 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 prevail against it: whosoever knoweth not what he ought to know by the Law of God, he is holden in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he transgresseth the Law of God. And every transgression of the Law of God is sin. This truth is sealed by the holy Spirit in the mouth of Saint john, 1 Epist. chap. 3.4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Every transgression of the Law is sin. The Text of Scripture which they allege for their opinion is, joh. 15.22. There saith Christ, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they should not have had sin, but now have they no cloak for their sin. My answer is: These words make nothing for them. For Christ by saying so, doth not absolutely excuse the jews from sin upon the condition that they had not been able to have heard Christ. The excuse which Christ fitteth to them serves only to excuse them from the greatness and grievousness of sin, as if he had thus said, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they should not have had sin; sin, that is, so grievous sin as now they have, since they have heard me, and yet do continue in their obstinacy, refusing to give assent to the truth, which I have told them from my Father. They should not have had sin; Sin in comparison they should not have had. Their sin of ignorance should have been none in respect of their sin which now they have. The place may receive light from Christ's own mouth, Luk. 12.47. Our Saviour there affirmeth, that the servant which knoweth his masters will and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; with more stripes than he shall that knoweth not his masters will, and therefore doth it not. Where we are put in mind of two sorts of sinners: Some there are that know the will of their Lord; and some that know it not. Both are sinners, and are to be beaten for their sins; they with more stripes; these with fewer. And these to whom fewer stripes are assigned, are of three sorts. For either they know not their Lords will, because they will not know it: or they know it not, because they care not to know it; or they know it not, because they cannot know it. They which know not their Lords will because they will not know it, their ignorance is, as the Schoolmen call it, Biel. Sent. 2. Dist. 22. qu. 2. Ignorantia affectata, an affected ignorance. These shut their ears when God calleth, and being housed in their security, will not step to the door to see if the Sun shine. This ignorance resideth rather in their will and affections, than in their understanding part. These are wilfully ignorant, saith Peter, 2 Ep. 3.5. They know but will not know, and they run with broad eyes unto destruction. They which know not their Lords will because they care not to know it, their ignorance is Ignorantia crassa vel supina; a gross, idle, reckless, and negligent ignorance. And they that are thus ignorant, do also trace the high way to the pit of destruction: and there shall they be sure to be beaten with many stripes. They which know not their Lords will, because they cannot know it, their ignorance is called Ignorantia invincibilis, an invincible ignorance, and it's called invincible, saith Biel, Sent. 2. Dist. 22. not because it is simply so, but because it remaineth, after a man hath done all he can to remove it: and this ignorance, saith he, doth simply excuse a man from sin, Non solùm in tanto, Conclus. 1. sed in toto, it excuseth wholly from sin. So he and the rest of the school. But by their leaves it is their error; and stands convicted by that laying of our Saviour already produced, The servant that doth not his Master's will, by reason he knows it not, shall be beaten with stripes, though fewer. But say an ignorance is invincible, an ignorance of necessity, an ignorance that a man would, but cannot remove: shall not such an ignorance excuse? No, it shall not, For all men are bound by the Commandment to know God. That some men know him not, nor can know him, it is not God's fault, but the fault of their own parents, and consequently their own fault. Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature: but through his own default he lost the same for himself and his posterity. A man may not for this complain against God's justice, since that our first sin hath deserved a greater punishment. I say then, that this invincible ignorance cannot excuse à toto; it may à tanto. It may be some excuse for the degree and measure of the sin, but not for the sin itself. And this may serve for the illustration of the third part of my position, wherein I affirmed, that our ignorance of God and his truth is of itself sin. Now the whole together stands good: Our ignorance of God, and of the things revealed in his holy word, whether it be an affected and a wilful ignorance, or a negligent and careless ignorance, or an invincible and a necessary ignorance, is an effect and punishment of sin, it is a cause of sin, and is in itself sin. It was bred by transgression, it doth breed transgression, and is no less than transgression of its own nature. So foul a thing is ignorance. And therefore in this respect also its true, that Ignorance of God and his revealed will is a sin that is damnable and to be avoided. My observation thus established; Let us now see what profit may from hence redound unto us. First, this may serve to warn all Ministers of the Word, that they be careful to root out ignorance out of the minds of the people, and to plant the knowledge of God among them. The Minister that neglects his duty, and either through insufficiency or idleness, suffereth the people to go on in the ways of darkness to their perdition, he becometh accessary, yea a principal cause of their destruction. Secondly, this may teach us all to detest this ignorance of God and his revealed will, and to seek by all means to know God. They that content themselves to live in their ignorance, and voluntarily submit themselves to be led by blind guides, such as cannot inform them in the ways of the Lord, their estate is lamentable. Beloved, it is every man's duty to have care of his own soul, though others should neglect it. You shall do well to account this one thing necessary, to be instructed in the knowledge of God's truth, and prefer it before your worldly affairs. Should you want this precious pearl of God's Word, you would rather sell all you have to purchase it, than content yourselves to be without it. Now you have it brought home unto you, will you not make the best of it? Thirdly, it may serve to reprove a Popish practice, by which they endeavour by all means possible to keep the people in blindness and ignorance, by taking away from them the light of God's Word both read and preached; that so keeping them blindfolded, they may do with them at their pleasure, and like carrion Crows having picked out their eyes, may make a prey of them. What else mean they, when they teach, that Ignorance is the mother of devotion? Pag. 18. I know that N. D. in his Wardword denieth this to be taught by any Catholic. He saith it is forged by some Minister of ours, and laid upon them. But he seemeth to have been past shame in denying that, which is so openly known. A Deane of Paul's, Doctor Cole by name, one chosen not only to maintain the assertions of the Papists against the Protestants in a disputation at Westminster, but appointed by the Bishops and other his Colleagues, to be the mouth for them all; whose speech in the end, they all being asked, did avow to be the mind and saying of them all: even he in that honourable assembly of the Council and Nobles, and frequent concourse of the Commons, did with great vehemency maintain this position in these words: I say, Ignorance is the mother of devotion. See, this Popish Doctor, appointed by the consent of Popish Bishops and other his Colleagues to be their mouth, and avouched, to have spoken nothing, but what was the mind and saying of them all, saith peremptorily, that Ignorance is the mother of devotion; yet the Author of the Wardword shamelessly denieth, that the Papists have any such assertion. All the harm I wish them, is, that they had no such. But it appeareth by the whole practice and policy of that side, that they are fully persuaded, that without deep Ignorance of the people, it is not possible for their Church to stand. Therefore as B. jewel in his Reply to Master Harding, Art. 37. hath well observed, they chase the simple from the Scriptures; they drown them in ignorance, and suffer them utterly to know nothing; neither the profession they made in Baptism; nor the meaning of the holy Mysteries; nor the price of Christ's blood; nor wherein, nor by whom they may be saved: nor what they desi●e of God, either when they pray together in the Church, or when they privately pray alone. Verily it is with them, as it was with the Scribes and Pharises, those Hypocrites, unto whom a woe is denounced by our Saviour, Matth. 23.13. They shut up the Kingdom of Heaven b●fore men. For they nei●her go in themselves, neither do they suffer them that would, to enter. For all the fair shows they make, for all they curiously paint over this rotten post with the colours of their devotion; yet the truth is, by depriving the people of knowledge, they deprive them also of salvation, and make them subject to utter destruction: and so by consequent they make themselves guilty of the sin and ruin of the people of both which they have been the principal causes. I have purposely been liberal in setting before you the amplification from the Genus: nor need I beg pardon for prolixity. It was necessary for this Text; no less for these times. Now followeth the amplification from the Species; who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haotzerim in the original is from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atzar, which signifieth to treasure up, to hoard up, to store up, to lay up as in a store house. And accordingly run the translations: the Greek, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, who treasure up. So the old Latin, Thesaurizantes; Drusius, qui thesavirzant; Tremelius, Piscator, and Buxtorfius, qui thesauros faciunt: all these are for the gathering or making of treasures. Vatablus and Mercer have, qui recondunt, who lay up: Targum hath Implentes cellaria sua, filling their Cellars or storehouses. Our English translation is for storing up. But what is it that is thus treasured, laid or stored up? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamas vaschod. Chamas with the Greeks' is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Unrighteousness; with the old Interpreter, Iniquitas, its Iniquity; with Caluin, Oecolampadius, and Gualther Rapina, its Ravine; with Brentius Iniuria, its Injury; with Tremelius, Drusius, and Piscator, Violentia, its Violence; and so it is with us. So, see stored up in the first place, Unrighteousness, Iniquity, Ravine, Injury, and Violence. Next is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schod: and that is likewise diversely translated: with the Greeks' it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Misery; with the old Latin it is Rapina, Ravine; with Caluin and Gualther, Praeda, a prey, booty, or spoil; with Brentius, Devastatio; with Tremelius and Piscator, Vastatio; with Drusius and Oecolampadius, Vastitas, a wasting, a spoiling, a ransacking; with Vatablus and Mercer, Direptio, a polling, pilling, or robbing; with us it is Robbery. So, see stored up in the second place, Misery, Ravine, Preys, Booties, Spoils, Wasting, Ransacking, Polling, Pi●ling, Robbery. But where is all this to be seen? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in their places, so the Septuagint: in aedibus suis, in their houses, so the Vulgar: in palatijs suis, in their palaces, so all the rest; and this last best agreeth with the Hebrew. Thus have you the exposition of these words from their diverse readings. The manner of speech which our Prophet here useth would be observed: They store up violence and robbery in their palaces.] But how can violence and robbery be stored up? In their effects they may. By violence and robbery understand the effects of violence and robbery; goods, riches, and treasures gotten by violence and robbery; and these were too familiarly stored up. They store or treasure up violence and robbery, that is, they gather together treasures of violence and robbery. And we say, treasures of violence and robbery, as Solomon saith, treasures of iniquity, Prou. 10.2. The treasures of iniquity profit not. By treasures of iniquity, Caietan. jansen. Rodolphus. Salazar. he meaneth such treasures as wicked men do get by wicked means, contra jus fasque, against right and reason. The like phrase our Saviour useth, Luk. 16.9. Make to yourselves De mammona iniquitatis, of the Mammon of unrighteousness, or of the riches of unrighteousness. By the mammon or riches of unrighteousness, he meaneth such riches as unrighteous men do get by unrighteous or unlawful means. Stella. So here may we call the treasures of violence and robbery, such treasures as violent and cruel men, such as covetous men and robbers do gather together by pilling, by polling, by robbing, by wasting, by spoiling, by ransacking the poor, fatherless, widows, and other distressed persons. And these riches thus gathered together they lay up in palatijs suis. In their palaces] By mentioning their palaces our Prophet here taxeth and twiteth the great ones of Israel, as if they had built stately and sumptuous houses, Ex pauperum sanguine, saith Mercer, of the blood of the poor; yea saith Quadratus, Ex pauperum visceribus, of the very bowels of the poor; Ex bonis rapto partis, by goods gotten from the poor by catching and by pillage. And he further intimateth that all this covetous and cruel dealing against the poor was from their great ones, Kings, Princes, Nobles, and Magistrates, whose duty it was, not only nor to have committed such enormities, but also to have defended the poor from all such violence and wrong: as Petrus Lusitanus hath well observed. Here then are the rulers of Samaria accused of violence and robbery, just as the rulers of jerusalem are, Esay 1.23. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thiefs: Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. Whence my observation is: Magistrates, rulers, men in authority, such as grow to wealth by oppression, bribery, and unjust dealing, may from hence be noted to be men of violence and robbery. What? can Magistrates be robbers? Yes, they can be and are so, if they deal unjustly. Sweetly Saint Augustine, De Civitate Dei, lib. 4. cap. 4. Remotâ iustitiâ, quid sunt regna, nisi magna latrocinta? Away with justice, and what are Kingdoms but mighty robbings? Elegantly and truly did the pirate reply to Alexander the great. Alexander asked him, Quid ei videretur, ut mare haberet infestum? What he meant to be so troublesome at Sea to rob all that passed by? The Pirate freely and stoutly replied; Quid tibi ut orbem terrarum? Nay, what mean you Alexander, to be so troublesome to rob all the world? What I do, I do it but with one ship, Et latro vocor, and must be called a thief: you do the like with a fleet, with a number of ships, and you must be called Emperor. The only difference between us is: I rob out of necessity to supply my wants; you out of your unmeasurable covetousness. Of Magistrates in Courts of justice, if they be corrupt, Saint Cyprian Ep. 2. ad Donatum gives this censure: Qui sedet crimina vindicaturus, admittit, & ut reus innocens pereat, fit nocens judex. It is significantly Englished by Democritus junior: See a Lamb executed and a Wolf pronounce sentence; Latro arraigned, and Fur sit on the bench; the judge severely punish others, and do worse himself. Such judges may justly be noted for men of violence and robbery. But my speech is not to such, for they hear me not. It is to you, beloved. Shall I say, that among you there are men of violence and robbery? I avow it not; yet flatter not yourselves. He that filcheth or pilfereth, the least pin, Mark. 10.19. point or stick of wood from his neighbour, Prou. 22.18. he that moveth ancient bounds, the ancient bounds which his fathers have made, with a purpose to encroach upon his neighbour's land; he that stealeth another man's wife, child or servant; 1 Tim. 1.10. Ios. 7.19. he that committeth sacrilege in detaining the rights of the Church; he that transgresseth thus, or thus, he may go for a man of violence and robbery. Dear beloved, if any of you hath been overtaken with these or the like transgressions, look into your own hearts; examine yourselves in what measure you have or do transgress. For we must not fear to tell you, you do offend. And if your conscience tell you, your offence is great, run not headlong into Hell without returning. De Conuers. cap. 1. Vita non est nisi in Conuersione, saith Saint Bernard; There is no hope of life, but by turning to the Lord. And your turning to the Lord must be by true and unfeigned repentance. So turn unto him; and if thou be a Publican, thou mayst become an Evangelist; if a blasphemer, an Apostle, if a thief and robber, a possessor of Paradise. And so much be spoken of my second part, the special amplification of cruelty and covetousness, the sins of Samaria, taken from their violence and robberies, treasured up in their palaces. My third part is the ratification of the whole accusation. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum jehovah, the Lord hath said it. They know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palace●. Saith the Lord. See, the Lord's not idle in the Heavens, as some imagine, but takes notice of what is done here below. He beholdeth the great tumults that are in Samaria, and the oppressions there, their violence and robberies he beholdeth. My observation here shall be that, job 34.21. The eyes of the Lord are upon the ways of man, and he seethe all his doings. He seethe all. He seethe our sins in the book of Eternity, before our own hearts conceived them. He seethe our sins in our hearts, as soon as our inventions have given them form. He s●eth our sins in action on the Theatre of this earth, quite through the scene of our lives: and he seethe them to our pain, when his wrathful eye takes notice of them, and his hand is lift up to punish them. He seethe them all. There is nothing so secret, nothing so abstracted from the senses of men, creatoris aut lateat cognitionem, aut effugiat potestatem, that it may either lurk from the eye, or escape the hand of God; August. de Civit. Dei, lib. 22. cap. 20. As plain is that, job 34 22. There is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. The Powder-traitors in the mine and Cellar, were not unseen to the revenging eye of God. The villains of the cloisters were all naked unto him. As dark as their Vaults were, his allseeing eye descried their filthiness, and laid waste their habitations. The obscurity of their Cells and Dorters, the thickness of their walls, the closeness of their Windows, with the cloak of a strict profession, covering all, could not hide their sins from the eye of Heaven. Nor can our sins be hid, though done with greatest secrecy. Sin as closely as thou canst, there will be witnesses of thy sin; Videt te angelus malus, videt te angelus bonus, videt & bonis & malis major angelis Deus; Bernard. de convers. ad Clericos cap. 16. The bad angel sees thee, and the good sees thee, and he that is better than the Angels, fare above all principalities and powers, God Almighty, he sees thee. Wherefore dear beloved, let our conversation with men be, as in the sight of God. And sith in this mortality we cannot but sin, let us endeavour to see our sins, to know them, to confess them, to bewail them, and cry we to God to give us grace to lay hold upon jesus Christ his Son, that believing we may be saved by his righteousness. Good God pardon our sins, give us faith, change our lives to the better, for thy blessed name and mercy's sake; even for jesus Christ his sake. Amen. THE Thirteenth Lecture. AMOS 3.11. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, An adversary there shall be even round about the Land: and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. THis third part of this third Chapter, but second Sermon of Amos to the kingdom of the ten Tribes, I styled an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an Exornation, pertaining to the proposition delivered in the second verse. It amplifieth the iniquity of the Israelites from the testification of foreign nations: as thus; You, you of Israel, your sins are so notorious, so gross, so palpable, that very strangers, Philistines, and Egyptians, may take notice of them. Sith you of yourselves are not touched with a conscience of your evil deeds, them, the Philistines and Egyptians, I call as witnesses and judges of your impurity and uncleanness. It is the scope of this passage. The passage consisteth of two parts, An Accusation, vers. 9, 10. A Commination, vers. 11. In the ninth verse, a part of the Accusation, two things have been observed: An Injunction for a Proclamation, Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the Land of Egypt, and say. The Proclamation itself; Assemble yourselves upon the Mountains of Samaria: and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. In the Proclamation, two sins were controlled: Cruelty, and Covetousness. Their Cruelty in their great tumults; their Covetousness in their oppressions. In the tenth verse, the other part of the Accusation, those two enormities, Cruelty and Covetousness, are amplified from two Topickes; à genere, & à specie; from the Genus, thus: They know not to do right. From the Species, thus: They store up violence and robbery in their palaces. That so it is, God is produced for witness, for Neum jehovah, The Lord hath said it. These particulars yielded materials for my two former Sermons. Now from the Accusation I proceed to the Commination, vers. 11. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, An adversary there shall be even round about the Land: and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. The words are a denunciation of punishment: concerning which we may observe, The Cause. The Author. The Punishment itself. The Cause is implied in the particle, Therefore. The Author is the Lord God. The Punishment, is a conquest by war, and is described, 1 By the Siege. 2 By the Victory. 3 By the Spoil. An adversary there shall be even round about the Land: there is the Siege, the whole Land beset round about. And he shall bring down thy strength from thee: there is the Victory, the overthrow of their strong men. And thy palaces shall be spoiled. The Spoil is at the lust of the conqueror. An adversary there shall be even round about the Land, and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. I have showed you the limits and bounds of my future discourse. I will handle them as they lie in order, beginning with the cause of the punishment, implied in this particle, Therefore. Therefore] It is a particle befitting a Commination. It hath relation to the former verses, and pointeth to the sins there touched: to the great tumults in the midst of Samaria, and the oppressions there, vers. 9 to the ignorance of God, and his will; to their violence and robbery stored up in their palaces, vers. 10. The relation that this particle hath to those sins, showeth that those sins are the cause of the punishment here denounced: as if our Prophet had thus spoken: Because you, that are the Princes and Potentates of Samaria, do oppress the poor and needy, Therefore will I bring against you mightier than yourselves, that shall oppress and spoil you. Therefore! The observation is, Sin is the cause of all the evil that befalleth man in this life. In this my Thesis, by evil I understand malum poenae, the evil of punishment, or the evil of affliction. Affliction or punishment, whereof sin is the cause, is two fold, internal or external; either inward or outward. The inward pertaineth to the mind, the outward to the body. For the punishment of sin is to be measured and defined, not only by the torments of the body, or by the mortality of this life, but also by the most grievous affliction of the soul: as by the crookedness, obliquity, and blemish of the soul, by an evil conscience, by the wrath of God which is importable; by the guilt of sin, whereby we are obliged to punishment; by vicious habits whereby we are inclined to a multitude of sins. Foecundum est peccatum; non ibi definite, ubi incipit. Sin is fruitful; if it once begin, it leaves not there; the worst thing of it is behind, even the extreme anguish and horror of the soul. Again, affliction or punishment, whereof sin is the cause, is either public or private. Pubike afflictions, I call such whereof many men at once have a sense and feeling: Such are the floods of great waters; the ruin of Cities by earthquakes; the waste done in them by fire, war, evil beasts, pestilence, famine, tyranny, persecution, the death of good Princes, heresy, schism, every common misery. All these are public. Private afflictions are such, as private men in their own particular do suffer; as sickness, grief, infamy, poverty, imprisonment, death. Of all these afflictions or punishments, whether public, or private, or outward, or inward, sin is the cause. Sin! It is causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it is efficiens impellen●; it is the impulsive cause of all afflictions or punishments: it fetcheth down vengeance from the Majesty of Heaven. It brought that same universal deluge upon the whole world, Gen. 7.17. It brought down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19.24. It caused the Land of Canaan to spew out her inhabitants, Levit. 18.25. It will make any Land sit mourning like a desolate widow, or a distressed mother, rob of her children, and spoiled of all her comforts. It is avouched by the Psalmist, Psal. 107.34. A fruitful Land God turneth into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. It is that, whereof the Prophet jeremy complaineth, Chap. 12.4. How long shall the Land mourn, and the herbs of every field whither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? Turn to the Prophecy of Micah, Chap. 1.4. Behold there, the mountains melting as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place, for no other cause, but for the transgression of jacob, and for the sins of the house of Israel. Thus fare for the confirmation of my doctrine: Sin is the cause of all the evil that befalleth man in this life. Saint Augustine Serm. 139. de tempore, thus delivers it: Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est: Sin is the cause of all our evils. Non enim sine causâ homines mala ista patiuntur; It is not to be imagined that men suffer affliction without cause. God is just; he is omnipotent. Nullo modo ista pateremur, si non mereremur. Surely, no evil could befall us, if we deserved it not. There is not a man that sinneth not; and the least sin that he committeth, deserveth all the misery that can be laid upon him. This truth may teach us, First, in time of affliction to acknowledge our sins to be the cause thereof, and to profit thereby unto amendment. Secondly, it may teach us to justify God, whensoever he shall afflict us, and to bear his visitation with patience. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Lament. 3.39. A man for the punishment of his sins, wherefore doth he complain? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord; we have transgressed, and rebelled against him, and therefore he afflicteth us. My resolution shall be in the words of Micah the Prophet, Chap. 7.9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. And let this suffice to have been spoken of my first general, the cause of the punishment here denounced, implied in this particle, Therefore. I proceed to my next general, the Author of this punishment, the Lord God. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord] It is a note wherewith the Prophets for the most part do begin their preachings, and prophesyings, to show that they deliver nothing, but what is of divine credit and authority. Thus saith the Lord] Dicit Dominus, saith the Lord. Dicere, with the Prophets, signifieth consilium certum, certámque sententiam, as Arias Montanus upon this text observeth. To say, signifieth a certain, a determined sentence or judgement: it implieth, not so much any verbal speech, as the strength and efficacy of reason and cogitation. Saith the Lord, that is, the Lord hath in his secret and infallible counsel decreed and determined to effect what is by the Prophet here denounced. Thus saith Adonai jehovih, the Lord God. With these two names of God, Adonai jehovih, we have met twice already in this Chapter, verse 7. and 8. Sith they are here again, they are again by us to be saluted: but briefly. Adonai, the Lord. The name is found in holy Scripture 134. times. It is the observation of the Massorets. R. Mosche been Maimon. Rambam maketh this name to be equivalent to the name jehovah: so doth the Talmud. Yet is there a difference between them. Lib. K●dd●sch in cap. Esre jochasin, etc. Adonai is the name of God of his sustentation and dominion; but jehovih is his name of existing or being. By Adonai we know that God alone is absolutely Lord, Ruler and Governor of all things; yea and our Lord. By jehovih, that of himself and by himself, He ever was, is, and shall be: Reuel. 1.4.16.5. Act. 17.28. Rom. 11.36. that of him all creatures have their being; and that he giveth a real being to all his promises and threats. Adonai jehovih, the Lord God, he that is iudex iustissimus, the most just judge, and suffereth not a sin to pass without due punishment, He is here presented unto you for the Author of the punishment here denounced. The observation is, Of all the evil that befalleth man in this life, God is the Author. And here by evil I understand as in my former observation, the evil of punishment, or the evil of affliction, private or public, internal, or external: God is the Author of all. It is proved above in this Chap. vers. 6. Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? No, there shall be none; no evil of pain, punishment or affliction, but the Lord doth it. This is it, the Lord assumeth to himself, Esai. 45.7. I the Lord; I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil; I the Lord do all these things. It is thus in the Paraphrase: I am the Lord; and there is none else. I send into the world light and darkness, prosperity and adversity: I give peace, and with it tranquillity and abundance, and I give that which is contrary to peace, evil, war, and misery, and perturbation, and poverty: I, the Lord do all these things. It is no more than what he takes unto himself, jer. 18.11. For there also, thus saith the Lord, Behold, I frame evil against you, and device a device against you: where by evil understand with Tertullian lib. 2. adversus Marcionem cap. 24. Mala non peccatoria, sed ultoria, Evil not of sin, but of revengement. In which sense we are to take evil in all those places of holy writ, wherein God either bringeth or threatneth to bring evil upon any. By evil in all such places, as in this my Thesis, we are to understand the evil of revengement, the evil of punishment, or the evil of affliction. Of every such evil God is the Author. God is the Author of punishment. I say of punishment, non quòd poena sit ens quoddam, not as if the evil of punishment had a being, as other things have which God made. For God is improperly said to be the efficient of punishment; sith punishment of its own nature, Aquin. 1. qu. 48. Art. 1. C. is nothing else than privatio boni, the privation, or absence, of that we call good; or the withholding of God's blessings from us. The Father of the Schools thus delivers it: Idem 1. qu. 49. Art. 2. C. Cum summum bonum perfectissimum sit, mali causa esse non potest, nisi per accidens. God being the chiefest good and most perfect, cannot be the author of evil but by accident. The author of evil by accident! How is that? Why thus? When God withdraweth from the earth his heavenly benedictions, forbidding the clouds to give their rain, or the Sun his influence, and taking from us our health, our peace, or any other temporal blessing, he is the author of evil. And this may serve for the proof and explanation of my second Doctrine, which was, Of all the evil that befalleth man in this life, God is the Author. The reason hereof is, because nothing is done in the world, but God is the principal doer of it: and therefore no evil can befall us, but God is the author of it. Is it thus? Hence then in the first place, are they to be reproved, who think, that the Lord doth only suffer many things to be done. He is not only a sufferer, but an orderer, guider, and governor of all things and actions. Secondly, from hence may be confuted, the vain opinion of Fortune, whereunto many Philosophers and carnal ignorant people use to ascribe those things whereof they see not an apparent cause. What more casual in this world than Lottery? Yet, therein nothing falleth out by fortune, but all is wholly and altogether directed by the infinite and eternal providence of Almighty God: Solomon expressly affirmeth it, Prou. 16.33. The lot is cast into the Lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Thirdly, from hence we learn that all our afflictions are from God; and are therefore by us to be borne with patience. God verily loveth those that are his, and yet notwithstanding he suffereth them to be afflicted, because it is expedient for them so to be: yet in their afflictions he yields them comfort. Saint Paul blesseth God for it, 2 Cor. 1.3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation; he saith not, who suffereth us not to be afflicted, but who comforteth us, while we are afflicted. It is the observation of S. chrysostom and Theophylact. God though he suffer us to be afflicted, yet he comforteth us when we are afflicted. Our afflictions, they are Emendatoriae potiùs, quàm interfectoriae, as Saint Augustine speaketh, lib. 3. de lib. Arbit. cap. 25. They tend rather to amend us, than to destroy us. And sweetly Saint Cyprian. Ep. 8. Deus quem corripit, diligit: quando corripit, ad hoc corripit, ut emendet, ad hoc emendat ut seruet: Whom God correcteth, him he loveth: when he correcteth him, he doth it to amend him, and he amendeth him that he may save him. And thus much be spoken of my second general, the Author of this punishment, The Lord God. My third followeth, the punishment here denounced; which is a conquest by war; and is described by the Siege, by the victory, and by the spoil. Of the Siege first, for it is the first in order. The words are, An adversary there shall be even round about the Land] The old Interpreter translates it, Tribulabitur & circuietur terra; the Land shall be troubled and compassed about. Brentius, Obsidebitur & circumdabitur terra, the Land shall be besieged and beset round about. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsar in the original is rendered Arctator by Montanus; Tribulator, by Oecolampadius; Aduersarius, by Caluin and Drusius; Host, by Tremelius, Piscator, and Gualther; It is Tribulatio with Vatablus and Mercer; but Angustiae with jonathan. Well; be it either Arctato●, or Tribulator, or an Adversary, or an Enemy; or be it Tribulation, or be it Anguish; it is not in a little part or corner of the Land, but in circuitu terra, it is in the circuit of the Land, it environeth the whole Land. The Septuagint have a reading by themselves, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Tyre shall be made desolate; round about shall thy Land be wasted. Saint Cyril will have them thus to be understood: From Tyre and the Land thereabout the whole country shall by the incursions of robbers be brought to desolation. Tyrus is in Hebrew Tzor; so is it in the first Chapter of this prophecy, vers. 9 It seems the S ptuagint did in this place read Tzor, Hieron. as also Aquila once did read. But now the common reading of this place is Tzar: and Tzar is an enemy or adversary, and hath other significations, whereof even now you heard. Thus our English translation is cleared, it is good. An adversary there shall be even round about the Land] This adversary is the Assyrian, the King of Assyria, Salmanassar; He with his armies is to come against the City and Kingdom of Samaria: he shall so beset and beleaguer the whole country round about, that there shall be no escaping for any of the inhabitants. According to this prediction it came to pass some sixty five years after, Es●y 7.8. 2 King. 18.10. in the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah King of Israel, as it is, 2 King. 17.6. An adversary there shall be even round about the Land] Now from this circumstance of the Siege of Samaria so long before threatened, ariseth this observation, Gods threatening to punish long before he punisheth, are invitations to repentance. Origen lib. 4. contra Celsum, saith, God punisheth no man, but whom he doth first warn, terrify, and advertise of the peril. And surely, herein appeareth God's mercy, that he threatneth before he punisheth, that by his threatening men might learn to amend. He threatneth, saith S. chrysostom, Hom. 12. in Genes. nobis correctis, minas ad opus minimè perducat, that we being amended, his menacing need not take effect. If this were not the end of God's threatenings, why doth Zephaniah Chap. 2.1, 2. thus exhort the jews? Gather yourselves together, yea gather together, O Nation not desired. Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you; before the day of the Lords anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be, ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger. He calleth upon the jewish Nation to return from their evil ways by true repentance. Where behold (saith Saint Hierome) the clemency of God, Quia non vult inferre supplicia, sed tantum terrere passuros, ipse ad poenitentiam provocat, ne faciat quod minatus est. Because God's will is, rather to terrify them, than to lay punishments upon them, he incites them to repentance, that he be not driven to do, as he hath threatened. This is that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it is the goodness, the forbearance, the long suffering of God, whereof Saint Paul speaketh, Rom. 2.4. Despisest thou, O man, the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? It leadeth to repentance. It is vouchsafed unto us to the amendment of life. And thus is my observation established, God's threatenings to punish, long before he punisheth, are invitations to repentance. One reason hereof is; because if after threatening repentance follow, it procureth the forgiveness of sin, and taketh away the cause of the punishment. Sin is the cause of God's judgements; this we heard even now. If the cause be removed, the effect will cease. For so saith the Lord, Ez●ch. 33.14, 15. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. A second reason I take from the end of God's threatenings. The end whereat he aimeth, when he threatneth, is not the destruction of them that are threatened, but their amendment. For thus saith the Lord, Ezech. 18.23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, and not that he should return from his ways and live? This by way of interrogation. But it is by way of assertion, Ezech. 33.11. and is backed with an oath; As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. As I live, it is so. Here may we say, as Augustine somewhere said of Christ: Felice's nos, propter quos ipse Deus iurat; Happy are we for whom God himself sweareth. But infoelices, si ne iuranti quidem credimus; Wretched are we, if we believe him not upon his oath. I shall but point at the uses of this doctrine, because I have handled them at large in my fourth Sermon upon this Chapter. The first is to teach us, that in the greatest and most fearful threatenings of God's judgements, there is comfort remaining, hope of grace and mercy to be found, health in sickness, and life in death. The second is a warrant for us of the Ministry to propound unto you the threatenings of God with condition of repentance: and thus we offer unto you grace and mercy, to as many of you, as shall be of humble and contrite hearts. The third is a warning unto you, to all that have this grace and favour with God to be hearers of his holy word. It is your parts whensoever you shall hear of the threatenings of God's judgements against sinners, to stir up yourselves unto repentance, thereby to prevent the wrath of God and to stay his judgements. The fourth is to assure us, that if God threaten and no repentance follow, then certainly the threatenings pronounced will come to pass. God threatneth not in vain, nor doth he terrify us without cause. If we prevent not his threatenings by true repentance, his threatenings will prevent us by just execution. And so much be spoken of the first doctrine arising from this circumstance of the siege of Samaria, foretold so long before it took effect. A second doctrine arising from the same, is, H●stes divinitùs à Deo excitari, ad regum & populorum peccata punienda: Enemies are by God himself raised up to invade a land for the punishment of the sins of Prince and people. Unless God send them, they cannot come near our Cities, they cannot besiege us. God doth raise them up. He raiseth up the Medes against the Babylonians, Esay 13.17. I stir up the Medes, who shall not regard silver, nor shall they delight in gold. Their bows shall dash the young men to pieces; they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children; Babylon the glory of Kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. He raiseth up the Chaldeans against the kingdom of judah, Habac. 1.6. I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty Nation, which shall march thorough the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. He raiseth up the Romans against jerusalem, Luke 19.43. The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side; and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another. God is he that raiseth up enemies against a Land to invade it. Did not God send them, they could do nothing against us. The reason is, because they have no power against us, except it be given them by God. So Christ told Pilate, joh. 19.11. Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. The uses follow. One is to teach us not to fear man, but God, that gives power unto man. A second is to admonish us, that we be not like the dog that snatcheth at the stone that is cast at him without regard unto the thrower. If God send an enemy to invade us, our eye must be upon God that sendeth him. A third is to advice us, to labour to be at one with God. It will be our best bulwark against an invader. And so I come to gather a third doctrine from this circumstance of the siege, An adversary there shall be even round about the land. In circuitu terra: He shall so beset the land round about, that there shall be no evasion for any of the inhabitants. My observation shall be that of Brandmyller in his Typical Analysis, In Regni amplitudine non esse gloriandum: Men ought not to glory in the greatness of the Kingdom wherein they live. The extent or greatness of the Kingdom whereof thou art, what can it avail thee? He that once for sin covered the whole earth with an army of waters, can now for sin environ the greatest kingdom of the earth with an army of warriors. And flagellum inundans cum transierit, eritis ei in conculcationem, Esay 28.18. When the overflowing scourge shall pass thorough, than ye shall be trodden down by it. Eritis ei in conculcationem, that is, saith Saint Hierome, you shall suffer all those torments, which you thought you should never have suffered. The threatenings which you thought should never come to pass, shall come to pass upon you. An adversary there shall be even round about the Land. Shall be! But yet there is none. O let us therefore with a sweet feeling acknowledge the infinite love and compassion of God towards this Kingdom, in so long preserving it from all hostile invasion. There was indeed an invasion in the year 88 intended against this Kingdom by a supposed invincible Armado. It gloried in strength, munition, ships, preparations and confederates. It was the Lord's mercy towards us to cross, to curse that proud attempt. The winds and seas by his appointment fought against them, and we were delivered. For that deliverance, we then sang songs of thanksgiving: then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with joy. Now sith it hath pleased God to continue unto us hitherto our peace and plenty; and we sit every one under his Vine, and under his Figtree, whilst our neighbour-nations are shaken and tossed with the tempest of wars, and all things round about us are in an uproar; Let us bless Gods holy name for it: and pray we for the continuance of this our happiness: that there be no taste of the sharpness and misery of war among us, that there be no assaulting of our Cities, that there be no sorrow of heart, nor weeping of eyes, nor wring of hands, nor shrieking of voices among us. Will you take direction for your prayer from the royal Prophet? Pray then as he hath directed, Psalm. 144.12. Pray, that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace, that our garners may befull, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: that our Oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. O happy is that people that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. I have done with the Siege, and am come to the Victory. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehoridh mimmek gnuzzek, word for word, and he shall cause thy strength to come down. Dejiciet à te robur tuum, He shall cast down thy strength from thee, so Tremelius, Piscator, Drusius, and Gualther; Tollet, he shall take it away from thee, so Caluin; Detrahet, he shall pull it down, so Vatablus; Deducet, he shall bring it down, so Oecolampadius. The Vulgar Latin turns it passively, Detrabetur ex te fortitudo tua, thy strength shall be brought down from thee. So doth Brentius with his Dejicietur, thy strength shall be thrown down. By this same strength, be it robur, or fortitudo, junius understandeth that, whereby they heaped up the treasures of violence and robbery. Drusius understandeth their strong Castles and fortified Cities. Some understand Riches. And so qui opibus valent, potentes vocantur, they that excel in riches, are called mighty men. Albertus Magnus will have this strength to be, whatsoever it was wherein they put their trust, as in some fortification: whether it were the substance of their riches, or the munitions of their Cities, or the multitude of their soldiers, or the armies of their adherents. Whatsoever it be, down it must. When God meaneth to give victory to an invader, no strength shall be able to withstand him. My observation here shall be that of Albertus, Vltioni divina nulla obsistere potest fortitudo: No strength shall be able to withstand divine revengement. For there is no strength against the Lord. No strength! None at all. So saith Esay, Chap. 2.12. The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, upon every one that is lifted up; upon all the Cedars of Lebanon, upon all the Oaks of Bashan; upon all high Mountains and Hills; upon every high Tower, and upon every fenced wall; upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all Pictures of desire: the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be made low. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. In that day when the Lord shall send a power against a Land, for the iniquity thereof, all strength shall fail before him. This is that we read, Esai. 26.5. In the Lord jehovah is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty City he layeth it low; he layeth low even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. There is no strength against him. Erit fortitudo vestra, ut favilla stupae, your strength shall be as the imbers of tow, & opus vestrum, and the work of your strength shall be as a spark; they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them, Esai. 1.23. There is no prevailing by strength against the Lord: it is the acknowledgement of Hannah in her song of thanksgiving, 1 Sam. 2.9. Our Prophet Amos, Chap. 2.14. hath thus delivered it; The strong shall not strengthen his force. And thus is my observation confirmed; No strength shall be able to withstand divine revengement. One reason is, because God overthroweth the greatest strength that man can erect, even at his pleasure. A second is, because there is no strength, but it is of God and from God. Vastatum superrobustum roborat, Amos 5.9. God above is he that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, and maketh the spoiled to come with might against the fortress. I will but name the uses. One is, to teach us, never to put any affiance in our own strength, but so to use all good means for our defence, that still we rely upon the Lord for success. A second is, to stop us from glorying in our strength. There is a caveat against it, jerem. 9.23. Let not the strong man glory in his strength. If he will needs glory, let him glory in the Lord. Let his glorying be in imitation of the royal Prophet, Psa. 18.2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. The Lord is my strength. A third is to admonish us of a duty of ours, which is, in trouble sometimes, yea always, to approach unto the throne of grace by humble prayer, to beg of God his protection against all the assaults of our enemies, that they never prevail against us to take away our strength. I am come to my last circumstance, the circumstance of the spoil, in these words, Et diripientur palatia tua, And thy palaces shall be spoiled. The Vulgar Latin saith, Diripientur aedes tuae, thy houses shall be spoiled. Petrus Lusitanus preferreth Palaces, as best agreeing with the Hebrew. He is in the right. palaces are named, because Conquerors when they have won a City by assault, do enter into the fairest, stateliest, and most princely houses, presuming to find in them the greatest booties. These Palaces are by some taken Metonymically to signify either the goods heaped up in them, Albertus Magnus. or the possessions belonging to them. We shall not do amiss if we follow the letter, and take these Palaces, as they are, for the Palaces of Samaria, wherein the Princes, Magistrates, and Rulers of Samaria, did store up the treasures of violence and robbery, as we saw upon the former verse. So the meaning may be thus: Palatia tua, Thy Palaces, O Samaria, which were as the receptacles, caves, or dens, in which thou didst treasure up thy goods gotten from the poor by violence and wrong, diripientur, they shall be spoiled: thou hast spoiled others, therefore shalt thou thyself be spoiled. Sic erit poena sceleri consentiens; so shall the punishment be agreeable to the offence. Observe here, Punishments are most usually in the like; proper and proportionable to the offences. This is that which is vulgarly said, In quo quis peccat, in eo punitur; as a man offendeth, in the same manner will God punish him. They who sought the life of Daniel, sinned in causing him to be cast into the Lion's den. How were they for so sinning punished? God might have revenged himself upon them by his own immediate hand, but would not. They were punished the same way: they were cast into the Lion's den, and so perished, Dan. 6.24. It was David's sin to commit adultery with Vriahs' wife, and to slay her husband with the sword of the Ammonites. How was he for so sinning punished? He was paid home and punished in his own kind. To reward and serve him, as he had served others, God as a just judge raiseth up evil against him out of his own house. 2 Sam. 12.10. His own sons break out into the same sins; they rise up against him, and one against another. A tent is spread for Absolom upon the house top, and he lieth with his father's Concubines in the sight of all Israel, 2 Sam. 16.22. Amnon deflowreth his sister Tamar, 2 Sam. 13.14. to revenge this, Absolom causeth his brother Amnon to be slain, vers. 28. Blood requireth blood. Hereof are we assured, Gen. 9 6. Who so sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his bleud be shed. So saith our Saviour in the Gospel, Matth. 26.51. All they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. The like is that in the Revelation, Chap. 13.10. He that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword. Blood requireth blood. And though peradventure a murderer do escape the hand of the Magistrate, yet will the vengeance of God find him out. We see this in joab: he shed innocent blood, the blood of Abner, and Amasa, two Captains of the Hosts of Israel. He escaped a long time, as if his murders had been forgotten, but at length vengeance came home unto him, and suffered not his hoar head to go down to the grave in peace; for his blood was shed, 1 King. 2.34. Memorable is the example of Adoni-Bezek, who being taken by judah and Simeon, had his thumbs and great toes cut off. Herein he confessed that the justice of God had found him out, and requited him in his kind, according to his own cruelty. For saith he, Threescore and ten Kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me, judg. 1.7. Thus was cruelty repaid with cruelty in the same kind. A like example is that of Agag, King of the Amalekites. He having made many a woman childless, is repaid in the like; and is himself hewed in pieces by Samuel, with this Item; As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women, 1 Sam. 15.33. If Haman set up a gallows to hang up Mordecai, Haman may be the first that shall be hanged thereon, Esther 7.10. It is the law of equality and equity, that men suffer the same things of others, which they have offered unto others. Our Saviour Christ in his Sermon upon the Mount thus delivers it; With what measure ye meet, Luke 6.38. it shall be measured to you again, Matth. 7.2. Whereupon one saith after this manner; He that rashly and unjustly censureth others, feeleth at one time or other the smart of it in the like kind. For God doth justly raise up others to censure him, that thereby he may be recompensed. According to this law of equity it is said, Reu. 3.10. He that leadeth into captivity, shall be led into captivity: And Esay 33.1. They that deal treacherously with others, shall have others to deal treacherously with them; and they that spoil others, shall themselves be spoiled. This last is the very measure, that is in this my text threatened to the ten Tribes. They spoilt the poor, treasuring up in their palaces the goods taken from them by violence and robbery, and therefore shall their palaces be spoiled. Thus fare is the confirmation of my doctrine, which was, Punishments are most usually in the like: proper and proportionable to the offences. Are punishments proportionable to the offences? One reason hereof may be, because the justice of God is hereby cleared, and the mouth of iniquity stopped. When God retaileth us according to the sin that we have committed, what can we allege or answer for ourselves? Surely, we cannot have any excuse, pretence or allegation for ourselves, but must confess with our own mouth, and against ourselves, that God is righteous, and that ourselves are wicked. A second reason may be taken from the equity of this kind of proceeding. It is meet that malefactors have their deserts; nor can they complain of injustice, so long as they receive their own. God will give to every man according to his works: he will give them wages according to their deservings. Upon this equity is grounded the Law of retaliation, by which God requireth of the hands of Magistrates, that they recompense life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe, Exod. 21.23. The Law is repeated, Levit. 24.19, 20. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour: as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. Now if God hath made a law for Magistrates to recompense the sinner according to the manner of his sin, we may not doubt but that God himself will measure his punishments according to the rule of justice and equity. Upon the ground of these reasons, my doctrine standeth, Punishments are most usually in the like; proper and proportionable to the offences. Now one use of this doctrine is to teach us, to set a watch over ourselves, to keep out the practice of sin, that carrieth such a tail and train after it. The sinner shall ever find a punishment answerable to his sin. This is a notable bridle to induce us to abstain from all kind of sin: to abstain from whoredom and drunkenness, the sins that rage among carnal men. Because Magistrates are slack and careless in punishing of these sins, God bringeth upon such as continue in them very loathsome and noisome diseases; meet punishments for such filthy sins. And if we be wise to commit new sins, God only wise, will catch us in our wisdom; he will be wise enough to find out punishments that shall be proportioned to our transgressions. Pro mensurâ peccati erit & plagarum modus; Deut. 25.3. Vulg. as our sin is, so shall be our punishment. Again, from hence we learn to be patiented under the punishments that do befall us. Sith God doth punish us in that wherein we have offended, when we feel that God hath found us out, and that neither ourselves, nor our sins can any longer be hidden from his eyes, let us humble ourselves under his mighty hand, and hold our peace, because he hath done it. Psal 39.9. Thirdly, this may serve to check all cruel and merciless oppressors, such as grind the faces of the poor, Es●y 3.15. and spoil the needy by their covetous and corrupt dealing, pulling from them, that which is their own, without conscience of sin, or feeling of judgement to come. God suffereth such to have their time, while he holdeth his peace, and letteth them alone, to fill up the measure of their sins. Yet hath God his seasons too, and hath determined what to do, and how to deal with such offenders: the spoiler shall be spoiled, the robber shall be rob, the oppressor shall be oppressed: and they that deal violently with others, shall have others to deal violently with them. Wherefore, whatsoever you would that men should do unto you, even so do unto them, for this is the Law of equity. THE Fourteenth Lecture. AMOS 3.12. Thus saith the Lord, As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a piece of an ear; 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. THis verse belongeth to the Commination that went before. The Commination was a denunciation or a menacing of the judgement of God against the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, the people of Israel. The judgement was a conquest by war, and that was described by three circumstances, the siege the victory, and the spoil: all which were handled in my l●st Sermon. Now is the conquest amplified, from the sad and fearful event thereof, which our Prophet here delivereth by a Similitude taken from the experience of a Shepherd. Such shall be the conquest of the Assyrians against the Israelites, that the Israelites shall be no more able to resist the Assyrians, than a silly Sheep is able to resist a Lion. The Israelites trusted in the multitude of their people, in the valour of their soldiers, in their fenced Cities, among which the chief were Samaria and Damascus; for they had enlarged their territories even unto Damascus. Therefore it seemed to them impossible, that any foreign power should prevail against them. To beat down this vain confidence of theirs, Amos here bringeth this rural and pastoral Similitude, assuring them, that those things, whereupon they rely for safety, shall be so fare from doing them any good, that few, very few of them shall escape the hand of the enemy. For our more easy proceeding at this time, let it please you to observe with me two things: 1 An introduction to a similitude, Thus saith the Lord. 2 The similitude itself; As the Shepherd taketh out, etc. The Introduction gives credit and authority to the Similitude. The Similitude hath two parts, the two usual parts of a Simile. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Proposition. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Reddition. The Proposition: A Shepherd taketh out of the mouth of a Lion two legs or a piece of an ear. The Reddition: So shall 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 Sheep, and the Children of Israel. Thirdly, some fragments of a devoured sheep; two legs, or a piece of an ear, and the small number of the Israelites that should escape. These Israelites are here described ab ipsorum securitate, from their security or lack of care. They live nicely a●d delicately in all pleasure and delight, full of confidence, that no evil 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 unto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest: They thought themselves safe, and out of danger, by the aid and secure of City's so well fenced: but were deceived. For thus saith the Lord, As the Shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a piece of an ear: 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 division of this Text. I now descend to a special 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 book five times, Vers. 3, 6, 9, 11, 13. Vers. 1, 4, 6. in the second, thrice; and once before in this: and therefore the less need is there, that now I insist upon it. Yet may I not leave it unsaluted, sith our Prophet here repeateth it. And he repeateth it to justify his calling: to show, that albeit he formerly lived the life of a Shepherd, yet now he ha●h his calling to be a Prophet from the Lord, jehovah. Whence my observation is: It is not lawful for any man to take upon him ministerial function in the Church without assurance of calling from God. This truth is by the Apostle, Hebr. 5.4. thus delivered: No man taketh this honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was. Now that Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the Priest's office by the authority and appointment of God, it is plain by the eighth Chapter of Leviticus, wherein are set down the sacrifices and ceremonies used at the Consecration, together with the place and time thereof. Thereby it appeareth, that the office of holy Priesthood was not of man, nor from man; but God Almighty did first institute and ordain it by his own express commandment. Then being ordained, he confirmed the honour and reputation of it, by that great miracle of the budding of Aaron's rod, Num. 17.8. The rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded Almonds. Thus was the institution of holy Priesthood from God alone. This honour the holy men of God, of old time, took not to themselves. Nor Esay, nor jeremy, nor Ezechiel, nor any of the residue, took this honour to themselves, but were all called of God, and in the name of God they declared unto the people his visions and his words: which is intimated by those passages, very obvious in the writings of the Prophets; as a ●say 1.1. the vision of Esaiah, b Cap. 1.1. the vision of Obadiah, the burden of Nineveh in the book 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 joel, to jonah, to Micah, to Zephaniah, to Haggai, to Zachariah. d Esay 1.2. The Lord hath spoken; e jerem. 10.1. Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord; Saith the Lord. By these and the like passages they show their calling to have been from God; Not one of them took this honour to himself. Nor did Christ himself take this honour to himself, but with warrant of his Father's calling. For so I read, Heb. 5.5. Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee, He, even God the Father, gave him this honour. And hereunto doth Christ himself bear witness, in all those places of the holy Evangelists, wherein he acknowledged himself to be * Matth. 10.40. Mark. 9.37. Luk. 4.18, 43. joh. 3.17, 34, etc. sent of God. The holy Apostles of Christ, whence had they their calling? were they not all openly ordained by Christ himself? Never did any of them execute that office, but with protestation, that they had their calling from God, and therefore their writings begin: Rom. 1.1. Paul a servant of jesus Christ called to be an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by jesus Christ, and God the Father. james a servant of God, Gal. 1.1. and of the Lord jesus Christ: Peter an Apostle of jesus Christ: Cap. 1.1. jude the servant of jesus Christ: the revelation of jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servant john. Thus had Christ's Apostles the assurance of their calling from God. So had the blessed Evangelists. So, all those, whom Christ gave unto his Church for the instruction thereof, Ephes. 4.11. He gave some Apostles; and some Prophets; and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers. It is true, that Christ himself is the chief builder; for so he saith, Matth. 16.18. Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam; upon this rock will I build my Church, and he builds it through his holy Spirit; yet he doth use Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelists, and Pastors, and Teachers, as underwork men for this building, even unto the end of the world. And all these have 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 Evangelist, or Pastor, or Teacher: for he is an Intruder. And great is the danger of Intrusion. Every Intruder was to be put to death. The Law for it is, Num. 1.51. Every stranger that cometh nigh unto the Tabernacle, shall be put to death: The stranger, any one that is not of the tribe and family of Levi, that breaketh into the Levites function, and meddleth with holy things beyond his calling, he is to be put to death. An example hereof we have in the Beth-shemites, 1 Sam. 6.19. who, because they had looked into the Ark 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 have in Vzzah son of Abinadab, 2 Sam. 6.6. who because he touched the Ark of God contrary to the Law, was punished with sudden death, and stricken with the immediate hand of God that fell upon him, to the terror of others, and to work reverence in the hearts of all men toward the sacred things of his service. Add hereto the example of Vzziah, King of judah, 2 Chron. 26.16. He for invading the Priest's office, for burning Incense upon the Altar of Incense in the Temple of the Lord, Carthus. in Num. 1. was stricken with a leprosy. And Gedeon that valiant man, who judged Israel for forty years, intermeddled too fare with the Priest's office, when he made the golden Ephod, judg. 8.27. All Israel went a whoring after it, and it became a snare to Gedeon himself, and to his house. Now from the danger of intrusion, thus laid open, we may infer the unlawfulness of meddling with ministerial function in the Church, without assurance of calling from God. The same may be inferred upon the blame which God layeth upon false Prophets, jerem. 14.14. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I unto them, yet they prophesy. And Chap. 23.21. jerem. 29.9. I have not sent these Prophets, yet they run: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. They have prophesied? What; but lies, though in my name? they have prophesied false visions, and divinations, things of naught, and the deceit of their own heart. Thus have they done, but I sent them not, nor commanded them, nor spoke unto them. This blame thus laid by the Lord upon wicked and false Teachers for running before they are sent, and preaching before they are called, enforceth the acknowledgement of the point hitherto delivered, that It is not lawful for any man to take upon him ministerial function in the Church without assurance of calling from God. This calling, the assurance whereof we are to have, is either immediate and extraordinary, or mediate and ordinary. The first is, where God calleth immediately without the ministry of man; so were the Prophets and Apostles called. The other is wherein God useth the ministry of man, as at this day, in the designment of every Minister unto his function. Both these callings, as well the mediate as the immediate, the ordinary as the extraordinary, are of God: that of God alone; this of God by man: and of this especially is the doctrine hitherto proved to be understood: we cannot expect a blessing upon our labours, except G●d hath called us: so necessary is God's calling to the ministry of the Church. The point hitherto handled serveth for the confutation of the Anabaptist, and other fanatical spirits, who run without calling, and preach though they be not sent: contrary to that of Saint Paul Rom. 10.5. How shall they preach, except they be sent? And yet will these men, if they meet with a Minister that is lawfully and orderly called, demand of him, Quis te elegit? Sir, Who hath chosen you? though themselves have no calling at all; no, not from their blind Church: as Gastius hath observed in his first book of the errors of the Catabaptists. Yea, their assertion is; that, if a man understand the doctrine of the Gospel, be he either Cobbler, or Butcher, or Carpenter, or what else, he is bound to teach and preach. This is observed of them by Chemnitius in his Treatise of the Church, Chap. 4. With these Anabaptists I may join the Photinians, who deny the nec ssity of vocation in the Ministers of the Church. Socinus in his Treatise of the Church, Theophilus Nic●laides, in his defence of that Treatise, a Institut. ●ap 42 Osterodius, b ●n Notis ad lib. S●●g●●●●ip 3. Radeccius, c In ●●●ut Thes. D. Frantz p. 2. Di●p. 4. Shemalizius', and the d ●it. de Eccle●. ca●. 2. Catechist of Racow: all these are against a necessity of calling in the Ministry, and do here stand convicted of that their error. So do all those lay people, men or women, who in the case of supposed necessity do adventure to administer the Sacrament of Baptism, which together with the preaching of the word, the Lord hath invested in the persons of Ministers duly called, Mat. 28.19. Go ye and teach all Nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Go ye, teach and baptise. Go ye. It is our Saviour's precept to his Apostles, and in them to their successors, Ministers duly called. None of the Laity, nor man, nor woman, hath part in this function. And how can it be imagined, that women, whom Saint Paul hath excluded from preaching, 1 Cor. 14 34. should be permitted to administer any Sacrament? They may not so much as Baptise. It's objected: women may teach their families; therefore they may also baptise. Our answer is, that the Consequent holds not. Women may teach, as they are private Christians, but not as Ministers: Baptise they cannot, but as Ministers; this being every way, in every respect and manner proper to a Minister. It is further objected from the example of Zipporah, Exod. 4.25. Zipporah. Moses wife, circumcised her son. In the place of Circumcision, Baptism hath succeeded; why then may not women now adays Baptise? I answer: Circumcision was not of old so appropriated to the Levites, as Baptism is now to the Ministers of the Gospel. And therefore it's no good Consequence; Some that were not Levites did Circumcise; therefore some that are not Ministers may Baptism. Again, what if Zipporah sinned in Circumcising her child? Must she be a pattern to other women to Baptise? Caluin is not afraid to prove she sinned, and his proof is sound, in the fourth of his Institutions, chap. 15. §. 22. Lib. 1. de Sacr. Baptismi. c. 7. §. 11. though Bellarmine labour to refute him. It was doubtless an unexcusable temerity ●●her to circumcise her child in the presence of her Husband, Moses, not a private man, but a prime Prophet of the Lord, than whom there arose not a greater in Israel, which was no more lawful for her to do, than it is at this day for a woman to Baptism in the presence of a Bishop. And how can she be excused from sin in that her act, sith she murmured against the ordinance of the Lord, and reviled her husband? weigh but the bitterness of her speech: Surely, a bloody husband art thou to me, because of the Circumcision. Thirdly, say she sinned not in circumcising her child (which yet I may not grant) than I say, the fact might be extraordinary, and therefore not to be imitated without like dispensation. Fourthly, some think she was only the hand of her husband in his weakness; and so the fact shall be not hers, but her husbands. For these reasons, the example of Zipporah doth not advantage the a Bellarm. ubi supra. Salmeron in Mat. 28. Papist, or b Eckhard fascit. contr. c. 19 qu. 4. Gerhard Loc. Theol. 23. n. 24, etc. Lutheran, in their error about Gy●aecobaptismus, or women's Baptism. But may they not Baptism in case of extreme necessity? No, not then. Why then, the child may die unbaptized, and so be in certain danger of damnation. We make a great difference between want of baptism and the contempt thereof. The contempt ever damneth; so doth not the want. By want I mean, when God so preventeth by death, that Baptism cannot be had according to the manner allowed in the holy Word of God. In this case the child that dieth unbaptized is not in any danger of damnation. For as Comestor in his Evangelicall History, cap. 197. saith, Sine Baptismo saluatur homo cum eum excludit articulus necessitatis, non contemptus religionis: A man may be saved, though he be unbaptized, if Baptism be excluded through the instant of necessity, and not by contempt of religion. So before him taught Saint Bernard, Baptismat●s fructu privatur, qui baptizari contempsit, non qui non potuit: It is in his Epistle to Hugo de S. Victore, Ep. 77. He is deprived of the benefit of Baptism, that despiseth Baptism, not he that cannot have it. This truth he supporteth by two chief pillars of the Christian Church, Saint Ambrose, and Saint Augustine. Saint Ambrose in his funeral Oration of the death of the Emperor Valentinian, doubteth not to say, that Valentinian was Baptised, because he desired Baptism, not because he had it. Certè quia poposcit accepit, doubtless because he desired it, he had it. God accounts us to have, that we unfeignedly wish. Saint Augustine, lib. 4. de Baptismo contra Donatistas', cap. 22 saith that faith is available to salvation without the visible Sacrament of Baptism, but then, Cùm ministerium Baptismatis non contemptus religionis, sed articulus necessitatis excludit; When the ministry of Baptism is excluded not of contempt, but of necessity. I could here show unto you from the testimonies of our learned adversaries, that the absolute necessity of Baptism is not justifiable by the practice of primitive antiquity: but I stand not in this Mount of God to read a Controversy. I shut up this Discourse with the words of Saint Bernard in the Epistle above alleged; Nequaquam omnino possum des●erare salutem, si aquam non contemptus, sed sola prohibeat impossibilitas: I cannot altogether despair of the salvation of such as departed this life without Baptism, if it be not done of contempt, but when as Baptism cannot possibly be had. Now of the souls of Infants, who live nor to desire Baptism, what shall I say? May not the desire of others be theirs as well as the faith of others believing, and the mouth of others confessing is theirs? Here it is safe to suspend, and dangerous to pass judgement. Secret things belong to God. He that made all souls knoweth what to do with them, neither will he make us of his counsel. Our resolution must be to honour good means and use them; to honour Baptism and use it if we may; and in the necessary want thereof to depend upon God, who can work, beyond, without, and against means. You see how fare I have been carried with the objection drawn from women baptising in case of necessity, whereby they are intruders into that function which is appropriate to the Ministers of the Word. If they will needs be meddling with a calling, I will show them a calling of their own, wherewith they may busy themselves. As the Minister holds, his calling from God, so doth every other member of the Church. There is not a member of the Church, man or woman, but holds a particular standing and function from God, and is ranked in order by God's special providence and calling. And it is to great purpose, that you all know this in your own particulars. For First, it enforceth diligence. If God hath set thee in thy calling, than it stands thee upon to discharge the duties of thy calling with all sedulity and alacrity. Secondly, it may admonish thee not to pass the bounds of thy calling. Seeing thou art in thy place by the Will of God, thou must take heed that thou go not beyond thy limits, either by using unlawful courses, or by intruding into other men's functions. Thirdly, it may teach thee that thy particular calling is to serve the general. Every Christian hath two callings; a particular, and a general. The particular, which is also personal, is the external designment of a man, to some outward service in the Church or common wealth, to the discharge of special duties in regard of the distinction between man and man. The general calling is the calling of Christianity; it is the singling out of a man by special sanctification to glorify God, and to seek out his own salvation in the things of the Kingdom of Christ: this is common to every member of the Church, to all believers. Both these callings, general and particular must be joined together in our life, as the body and soul in man. Where they are not joined together, there may be a show of Christianity, but the substance will be absent. Mat. 6.23. Christ's Commandment, that men seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, is a demonstration, that men ought not so to follow their outward business and employments, as to omit the means of knowledge and grace. The particular calling must serve the general. Fourthly, from this consideration, that we hold our particular callings from God, we are to learn contentment in the willing undergoing of the daily molestations, troubles, and crosses, that do befall us in our several courses and kinds of life. It is a lesson, in the practice whereof Saint Paul had well profited. I have learned, saith he, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content, Philip. 4.11. He knew how to be abased; and he knew how to abound. Every where and in all things he was instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Let us set him for the pattern of our imitation, and we will be content with what we have, be it much or little. If we have little, our account shall be the less; if more, we are bound to do the more good. I have done with the Introduction to the similitude: It is time that I proceed with the similitude itself. As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a piece of an ear, 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. Hereof I find diverse expositions. Some will have this similitude to signify, that few of the Israelites shall be delivered from the spoil of Samaria, and those such as shall be sick, weak, and feeble, and therefore shall be despised and left behind as unprofitable, and of no use to be carried into captivity. And this is the exposition of Theodoret, Vatabius, Isidore, Rupertus, and Montanus. Christophorus à Castro thus gives it in his paraphrase: As when a Lion hath eaten his fill, and hath satiate his hunger, the shepherd findeth two legs, or a leg, or a piece of an ear, to show that the sheep hath been worried: so of the whole body of Samaria, one or other, a few, a very few shall be delivered from the slaughter of the enemy, and they unprofitable, as being wretched and sick, lying by couples in the side of a couch, as well in Samaria as in D●mascus. O●hers will have this similitude to be understood by a Sarcasme or Irrision, as if our Prophet here scoffed at the Israelites for their vain confidence which they put in Samaria, and D●mascus, thus: As a shepherd useth to save from the mouth of a Lion that hath devoured a sheep, one or two legs, or the tip of an ear: so surely shall the children of Israel save themselves from the mouth of the Assyrians, trusting in the strength of Samaria, and in the help of Damascus or of the King of Syria, in whom they think, as a wearied man is refreshed in his bed, so themselves to be safe from their enemies: whereas indeed it shall be nothing so. And this is the exposition of Saint Hierome, Remigius, Albertus, Rupertus, Hugo and Dionysius. The third exposition is Lyraes'; He will have this similitude to signify, that very few of the Israelites shall be delivered, and they such, as shall escape by flight either to King Ez●kiah, to the Kingdom of judah, to save themselves there in plagú lectuli, in the side or corner of a bed, that is, in jerusalem, where the Temple was Dei lectulus, God's bed, as it's called, Cant. 1.16. Lectulus noster floridus, our bed is decked with flowers; or to the Kingdom of Syria, to save themselves there in Damasci grabuto, in a couch at Damascus. Of these expositions I prefer the second, which I touched in my division of the Text. Now let us a little look upon the words. The Proposition is, A shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a piece of an ear] This he doth according to the Law, Exod. 22.13. If a sheep be torn in pieces by wild beasts, the shepherd is to bring it, or the remnants of it, a leg, or an ear, or the like, to the owner for a witness that it is torn, and he shall not need to make restitution thereof unto the owner, so he did his best to rescue it. For a shepherd is of duty to rescue his flock. David did it valiantly. As he kept his father's sheep, there came a Lion, and took a Lamb out of the flock; and he went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when the Lion arose against him, he caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him, 1 Sam. 17.34. My shepherd here is not so happy to save his sheep: but his sheep being devoured, he findeth some part of it, two legs, or a piece of an ear, whereby he may excuse himself to his Master for his lost sheep. These parcels, leg or ear, he taketh Ex ore Leonis. Out of the mouth of the Lion] Non ex ore Lupi, sed ex ore Leonis. He saith not, out of the mouth of the wolf, but out of the mouth of the Lion. For a thing is recovered with more difficulty and with greater danger from a Lion than from a Wolf. johannes Leo in his description of Africa: Credat qui volet, quicquid Leo prehenderit, etiamsi Camelus foret, rostro aufert; Believe it he that will, whatsoever a Lion catcheth, though it be a Camel, he beareth it away in his mouth. Hence it's proverbially said, Ex ore Leonis, out of the Lion's mouth, for, out of extreme danger: and it's used when a man hath deliverance beyond hope. Saint Paul useth it, 2 Tim. 4.17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion: the Lion, not the Devil, as Ambrose saith, nor Festus the Precedent of judaea, as Primasius affirmeth; but Nero, proud and cruel Nero, persecuting Nero, as it's expounded by chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, Oecumenius, Aquinas, and * Hist. Eccles. l. 2. cap. 22. Eusebius. The royal Prophet hath it, Psal. 22.21. Serua me ex ore Leonis. The words are a part of Christ's Prayer, Save me from the mouth of the Lion. Some will have that Lion to be the Devil; some Pilate, some Caiaphas, some Herod. Lorinus will have him to betoken Principes & potentes, all the chief Priests, Scribes, the Elders of the people, all that were the crucifiers of Christ. Here it is in proper terms, without a metaphor, The shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs, or a piece of an ear. Yet will Albertus have this Lion to be, either the King of Babylon, or the Devil. He addeth by way of explication, Os tyranni violentia est, os Diaboli peccatum: the mouth of a Tyrant is violence, the mouth of the Devil is sin. This Lion Carthusian in his moral explanation expoundeth by the Devil, so doth Salmeron in his Tropology. And I deny not but that the Lion doth many times in a moral and tropological sense signify the Devil. But if we will follow the letter of my Text, this Lion doth well resemble the King of Babylon, or the King of Assyria, Salmanassar. It is not unusual for a Lion to resemble a King. This resemblance is, Prou. 19.12. The King's wrath is as the roaring of a Lion. The roaring of a Lion is fearful and terrible to the beasts of the forest, so is the wrath of a King to his subjects. The like is that, chap. 20.2. The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lion. The fear of a King; the terror which the anger or wrath of a King striketh into his subjects, is as the roaring of a Lion, very terrible. The Lion hath a Bear for his associate, Prou. 28.15. As a roaring Lion and a ranging Bear; so is an Prince over the poor people. An Prince is unto the people over whom he ruleth, as a roaring Lion or a ranging Bear to a Lamb or Kid. Thus doth a Lion resemble a King, either in good or . Not amiss then is it, that Salmanassar, King of Assyria, 2 King. 17 3. 2 Esdr. 13.40. that great and mighty King, who was to carry away into captivity the ten Tribes of Israel, is here compared unto a Lion: according to the sense above given. Such shall be the conquest of the Assyrians, under the conduct of Salmanassar against the Israelites, that the Israelites shall be no more able to resist the Assyrians, than a silly sheep is able to resist a Lion. Now to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Reddition, the other part of this Similitude. 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. Of both these Cities, Samaria and Damascus, I have heretofore entreated out of this place: Of Damascus upon the first Chapter of this, vers. 3. and 5. Of Samaria upon the ninth verse of this Chapter. 1 King. 16.24. Samaria was the City royal of the ten Tribes. King Omri bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built a City thereon, and called it after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. It remained the chief seat of the Kingdom, as long as the Kingdom endured. Damascus was the Metropolitical, the chiefest City of Syria. Chap. 7.8. Esay calls it the head of Syria. julian in his Epistle to Sarapion styles it the City of jupiter, and eye of the whole East, Holy and Great Damascus. Tzetzes upon Lycophron, the Trophy of jupiter, because jupiter there conquered the Titans. These two Cities, Samaria and Damascus, Cities of strength and fortification, were unto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest: Nehem. 9.25. here they thought themselves safe, did eat, were filled and became fat, living nicely and deliciously in full ease and pleasure. So much is meant by this their dwelling in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. In the corner of a bed, in a couch.] Sermo est de lecto discubitorio sive tricliniari, saith Villalpandus in Ezech. 23. The speech is of a triclinary or parlor-bed, of such a bed, whereon of old time men used to take and eat their meat. It was the use of old to have a dining room, Chamber, or Parlour, wherein stood three beds whereon they sat at meat, compassing the table on three sides; the fourth side was left free and clear for waiters. To this ancient custom our Prophet here alludeth: as also he doth, Chap. 6.4. They lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the Lambs out of the flock, and Calves out of the midst of the stall, and Chap. 2.8. They lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar. When I handled those words, I spoke at large of this custom. Amos now again alluding to it, giveth us to understand, that the Israelites desiring to lie in angulo lecti, that is, in capite lecti, at the bed's head, in the chiefest place, feasted it sumptuously and deliciously as well in Samaria, as in Damascus: Little thought they of going into Captivity. Now take the similitude to the full. As when a Lion hath eaten his fill, and hath satiate his hunger, the shepherd findeth two legs, or the tip of an ear, to show unto the owner, that his sheep was worried: so the children of Israel, here a man, and there a man, few of them, very few, shall be taken out of the mouth of the Lion, King Salmanassar, though they trust in the strength of Samaria, and in the succour of Damascus, thinking thereby to be safe, as in a bed of rest or feasting. We have gone the greater part of our journey; let your attentions bear me company, for the little that is behind. Our Prophet here deriding or scoffing at the Israelites, for their confidence in the multitude of their people, in the valour of their soldiers in their fenced Cities, in the strength of Samaria, in 〈◊〉 succour of Damascus, teacheth us, that All confidence in creatures, strength of man, or munition of Cities, is vain and sinful. All such confidence is with all diligence to be shunned. Divine prohibition is against it, Psal. 118.8. Put no confidence in man, no not in Princes: and Psal. 146.3. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in any son of man. The prohibition is divine: Put no confidence in man; and therefore all such confidence is to be shunned. Now the reasons why no confidence is to be put in man, are diverse. One is, because it is manifest idolatry so to do. To withdraw and remove the affections of the heart from the Lord, and set them upon other things, cannot be less than Idolatry. A second reason depending hereupon, I take from the description of confidence. It is described to be indubitata spes futuri auxilij; It is the undoubted hope of future succour, which is due to God alone. And therefore to put our confidence in man, is to deny God his due. A third reason is taken from the condition of man, in whom some put their trust. The condition of man! What is that? David breaks forth into admiration of it; Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? And then shapes unto himself an answer; Homo vanitati similis factus est; Man is like to vanity, Psal. 144.4. Like to vanity! Well were it for him were he only like unto it; Veruntamen universa vanitas, omnis homo vivens; Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity, Psal. 39.5. Every man at his best state altogether vanity! Surely, men of low degree are vanity; and men of high degree are a Lie. Lay them in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity, Psal. 62.9. What! Man, who hath an admirable feature, and aboundeth with created excellencies, is he made like unto vanity? Nay, is he altogether vanity? Nay, is he lighter than vanity? What then can his life be? Pa●● ●●ies, it's but a tabernacle, 2 Cor. 5 4. and if a tabernacle stand a year, it's much. Peter calls it grass. Epist. 1. Chap. 1.24. and grass grows but a Summer. David calls it a flower, Psal. 103 15. and a flower hath but his month. Esay describes i● by a day, Chap. 21.12. and a day hath but a morning and an evening. job compares it to a shadow, Chap. 14.2. and a shadow hath neither year, nor summer, nor month, nor day, but an hour. Mose● likens it to a thought, Psal. 90 9 and of thoughts there may be an hundred in an hour. So short a life what else doth it argue, but that man is vanity? And what so little a creature is there, that yields not an argument to prove man's vanity? A little a Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. 7. c. 7. hair in milk strangles Fabius: the stone of a Raison Anacreon; a fly Pope Adrian the fourth. The Myuntines were chased from their habitations by b Pausan. in Ac a●●. lib. 7. Gnats; the Atariotes by frogs, some Italians by mice, some Medians by c ●●od. S●culus lib. 4. cap. 3. sparrows, the Egyptians oftentimes by grasshoppers. And if d Exod. 5.2. Pharaoh ask, who is the Lord? Frogs, and Lice, and Flies, and other the basest vermin shall be his Challengers, and Conquerors, and jailors; and ask, who is Pharaoh? so vain a thing is man. The fourth reason against confidence in man, I take from the dangerous effects thereof. First, it bringeth upon us the curse of God: for thus saith the Lord, jerem. 17.5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm. And he whom God curseth, shall be accursed. Secondly, it makes us liable to God's just vengeance. So were the people of judah, for the confidence they had in Rezin and Remaliahs' son, Esay 8.6. So they, who strengthened themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and trusted in the shadow of Egypt. The strength of Pharaoh was their shame, and the shadow of Egypt their confusion, Esay 30.3. And so (to omit many other) the Israelites in my Text, for relying upon the multitude of their people, the valour of their soldiers, their fenced Cities, the strength of Samaria, and the succour of Damascus. Thus have 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 〈◊〉 ●s. The use is to admonish us, that we depend not upon the vain and transitory things of this life, but upon God alone, who only is unchangeable and unmoveable: that we resign ourselves wholly into his hands, and confess before him, in the words of the Psalm 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 upon the place: Let others pretend merit, let them brag that they have borne the burden and heat of the day, let them tell of their fasting twice a week, 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 cleave fast unto God, to put my hope in the Lord God. Sperent in ali●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 cleave fast unto God, to put my trust in the Lord God. Dear beloved; if we shall sacrifice to our own nets, Habak. 1.15, 16. burn incense to our own yarn, put our trust in outward means, either riches, or policy, or Princes, or men, or mountains, forsaking God, God will blow upon these means and turn them to our overthrow. Wherefore though we have all helps in our own hands to defend ourselves, 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 us to cleave fast unto God, to put our trust in the Lord God, who alone gives the blessing to make all good means effectual. There is not much remaining. The small number of the Israelites that were to be delivered from the fury of the Assyrian, resembled by the two legs, or the tip of the ear taken by the shepherd out of the Lion's mouth, yields us this observation: that In public calamities God evermore reserveth a remnant to himself. When God punished the old world, the world of the , 1 Pet. 2.5. bringing the flood upon them, he saved Noah the eighth person, the preacher of righteousness. When God condemned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with an overthrow, turning them into ashes, making them an ensample unto those that after should live wickedly, he delivered just Lot from among them. There is a remnant left, Esay 1.9. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. You see a remnant reserved, though it be very small. Yea sometimes there is a reservation of so small a remnant, as is hardly visible; as in the days of Eliah, who knew of none but himself. I only am left, saith he, 1 King. 19.14. Yet God tells him, vers. 18. of seven thousand in Israel, which never bowed their knees to Baal. I find, joel 2.32. deliverance in mount Zion, deliverance in jerusalem, and deliverance in the remnant, when the Lord shall call. There is then a remnant to be called, even in greatest extremity. Wherefore you, the Elect and chosen children of God the Father, be ye full of comfort: take unto you, beauty for ashes, Esay 61.3. the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, rejoice ye, be glad together and be ye comforted. Let the Prince of darkness, and all the powers of Hell, assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals upon the Earth, join together to work your overthrow, they shall not be able to effect it. For God, even your God, will reserve unto himself a remnant. And what is this remnant, but pusillus grex? It's a little flock, the chaste Spouse of Christ, the holy Catholic Church. Extra came nulla est salus: Out of it there is no Salvation, for he that hath not the Church for his Mother, shall never have God for his Father. So much for the explanation of this twelfth verse. And God's blessing be upon it. THE Fifteenth Lecture. AMOS 3.13, 14, 15. Hear ye and testify in the house of jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts. That in the day, that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the Altars of Bethel, and the horns 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 ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. THe words of the Lord are just, by whom soever they are uttered: and the authority of the holy Spirit is wonderful, by whom soever he speaketh. Non minùs de ore pastoris, quam de ore Imperatoris pertonat: he thundereth, or he speaketh with as much Majesty from the mouth of a shepherd, as from the mouth of an Emperor. 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 Egypt. Now he comes with a Contestation to the house of jacob. Hereafter you may hear his message to the King of Bashan, that are in the mountains of Samaria, Chap. 4.1. If Amos had from a shepherd been advanced to the Majesty of a King, as David was, what could we wish should have been added to the greater majesty 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 upon his Priests and Prophets to give ear unto him, and to bear witness of the calamities which he was purposed to lay upon the house of jacob: that when he should punish them for their evil 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 observed: 1. Who it is that gives the mandate? It is he that best may do it, Even the Lord. The Lord God, the God of Hosts. 2. To whom he gives it: Sacerdotibus, & Prophetis, to his Priests and Prophets: for to them is this by an Apostrophe directed. 3. How he gives it; thus, Audite & contestamini, Hear and testify. 4. The place where this testification is to be made, In domo jacob, In the house of jacob. Hear ye, and testify in the house of jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of Hosts, Vers. 13. In the other part, which is of the matter to be testified, we may observe, 1. That God is fully resolved to punish Israel for sin: A day there is wherein the Lord will visit the transgression of Israel upon him, Vers. 14. 2. That this punishment, so resolved upon by the Lord, shall reach unto their holiest places, to their houses of Religion, to their Altars in Bethel: the horns of the Altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground, vers. 14. 3. That this punishment shall extend to the palaces, the chiefest places of their habitation, even to their demolition and ruin. The winter-house shall be smitten, so shall the summer-house: the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, vers. 15. 4. The seal and assurance of all, and that we have in the end of this Chapter, in two words, saith the Lord. In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the Altars of Bethel, and the horns 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 ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, Saith the Lord. Thus have you the division of this text: the branches are many; all observable, and worthy your attention. Order requireth that I begin with the first part, which was the mandate for the testification: the first branch whereof was of the giver thereof: and that was He, that might best do it, even the Lord, called here Dominus jehovih, Deus exercituum; The Lord God, the God of Hosts. These names of God have no small weight. They serve to seal the truth of this Prophecy. Amos might have said in brief, Saith the Lord, or the Lord God, as he had said oft before: but not content therewith, he now addeth a third title or appellation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohei hatzebaoth, the God of Sabaoth. He is called also jehovatzebaoth, 1 Sam. 4.4. the Lord of Sabaoth. In your Te Deum, that excellent Canticle of Ambrose and Augustine, he is styled the Lord God of Sabaoth, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. This name of Sabaoth is retained by Saint Paul, Rom. 9.29. and he hath it from Esay 1.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and made like unto Gomorrah. Saint james hath it in his Epistle, Chap. 5.4. Behold, the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and their cry is entered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, into the cares of the Lord of Sabaoth. There are of the Ancient, who have taken this name, Sabaoth, for one of the names of God. Saint Hierome Epist. 136. writing to Marcelia of the ten Hebrew names of God, saith, the fourth is Sabaoth. Quartum nomen Dei est Sabaoth, quod Septuaginta virtutum, Aquila exercituum transtulerunt: The fourth name of God in Hebrew is Sabaoth, which is by the LXX. translated Virtutum, by Aquila, Exercituum. Both words Virtutes and Exercitus, signify the same thing, military forces, an host or band of armed soldiers. Isiodore Bishop of Hispalis, Orig. lib. 7. cap. 1. agreeth with Saint Hierome; Quartum nomen Dei, dicitur Sabaoth, Psal. 24.10. quod vertitur in Latinum, exercituum sive virtutum; de quo in Psalmo ab Angelis dicitur, Quis est iste Rex gloriae? Dominus virtutum? The fourth name of God is Sabaoth: turn it into Latin, it will be Exercitus, or Virtutes, hosts or bands of armed soldiers: whereof the Angels in the Psalm do speak; Who is this King of glory? Dominus virtutum, the Lord of Hosts, he is this King of glory. The Author of the Looking-glass in the ninth Tome of Saint Augustine's works, the tenth Chapter of that book speaketh thus unto the Lord: Tu mitis & benign, fortis & zelotes, & Sabaoth invictissime: O thou meek and gracious, strong and jealous, and most invincible Sabaoth. Origen. Hom. 4. in Esaiam, upon those words of the Song of the Seraphins, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, saith, Sabaoth is by Aquila's interpretation Dominus militiarum, the Lord of Hosts. But in this place he seemeth to be maimed and unperfect. Drusius in his 23. Epist. corrects him by adding Adonai unto Sabaoth; thus: Adonai Sabaoth is by Aquila's interpretation, Dominus exercituum, the Lord of Hosts. So the meaning is good, and is confirmed by Epiphanius lib. 1. haeres. 26. Aquila every where in the old Testament, for Adonai Sabaoth, hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and that is, Dominus exercituum, the Lord of Hosts. As for Saint Hierome and Isidore, and the Author of the Looking-glass; Drusius is of opinion they were deceived, in taking Sabaoth for a name of God. Believe me, saith he, Sabaoth is never said of God, but it is either Deus Sabaoth, or Dominus Sabaoth, either the God of Sabaoth, or the Lord of Sabaoth. And he is in the right. For indeed Sabaoth is no name of God; nor is it ever found alone, if it be spoken of God. Elegantly to this purpose saith Epiphanius lib. 1. Haeres. 40. against the Archontici: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the name of Sabaoth hath the interpretation of Hosts: and therefore the Lord of Sabaoth is the Lord of Hosts. It is well known to every one that is conversant in holy Scripture, that the Scripture, where it useth the name of Sabaoth, speaketh not after this manner, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Sabaoth hath said unto me, or Sabaoth hath spoken; but thus, Dicit Dominus Sabaoth, saith the Lord of Sabaoth; and that is, if you will interpret, the Lord of Hosts. Saint Ambrose his interpretation of this name Sabaoth, I may not well pass by. It is Lib. 4. de fide ad Gratianum, cap. 1. There upon those words of the 24. Psalm, Dominus Sabaoth, ipse est Rex gloriae, the Lord of the Sabaoth, he is the King of glory, he saith, Sabaoth interprete alicubi Dominum virtutum, alicubi Regem, alicubi Omnipotentem interpretata sunt. Interpreters have rendered the name of Sabaoth, sometime by the Lord of Hosts, sometime by the name of King, sometime by the name of Almighty. But the place is manifestly vicious. For Sabaoth no where signifieth a King: nor have Interpreters any where so rendered it. To correct that error, Drusius for Regem readeth exercituum; and he proves his correction out of Eucherius, whose words are Sabaoth, exercituum, sive virtutum, an't ut aliqui volunt, omnipotens. Sabaoth is for signification as you would say, of armies; or of hosts, or omnipotent. Sabaoth is rendered Omnipotent, or Almighty, by the Septuagint, as in other places, so in this text of mine, wherein for Elohe hatzebaoth, the God of Sabaoth, they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God Almighty. Whence is that rule of Saint Hierome to Damasus, Epist. 142. We are to know, that wheresoever the Seventie Interpreters have expressed Dominum virtutum, and Dominum omnipotentem, the Lord of Hosts, and the Lord Almighty, there in the Hebrew it is Dominus Sabaoth, which is by Aquila's interpretation, Dominus militiarum, the Lord of Hosts. The Lord of Hosts, by Aquila's interpretation, is God the Almighty by the interpretation of the Septuagint. Well. Elohe hatzebaoth, the God of Sabaoth; Be he with the Greeks', 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; or be he with the Latins, Dominus, or Deus virtutum, or Militiarum, or Exercituum; all will be well expressed in our language with one title, The Lord, or God of Hosts. But what are these Hosts whereof God is the Lord? There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an host of Heaven, Act. 7.42. And what that is, Saint Hierome expoundeth to the noble Lady Algasia, Epist. 151. quaest. 10. The Host of Heaven, is not only the Sun and Moon, and glistering Stars, but also the whole multitude of Angels, and their armies: called in Hebrew Sabaoth, which is in Latin Virtutum or Exercituum. Hispalensis for this host of Heaven, doth reckon up in the place above alleged, Angels, Archangels, Principalities and Powers, and all the Orders of the armies celestial, of whom God is the Lord. For they are all under him, and subject to his sovereignty. It is true what those Ancients have said of the Host of Heaven. True it is that the Angels are of this army. Micaiah tells King Ahab so, 1 King. 22.19. I saw the Lord sitting on his Throne, and all the Host of Heaven standing by him, on his right hand, and on his left. There the Host of Heaven are the Angels, who attend the Lord, to put in execution whatsoever he shall command. At the birth of jesus Christ our Saviour the Angel that appeared unto the shepherds, had with him a multitude of the Heavenly Host, Luke 2.13. and that multitude was of Angels: and they were (by likelihood) created in the first day with the Heavens, because those sons of God did shout for joy, when God laid and fastened the foundations of the earth, job 38.7. These the sons of God, the Angels, Bartas 1 day, 1. Week. sweetly described by the Nightingale of France to be, The sacred Tutors of the Saints; the Guard Of Gods elect, the Pursuivants prepared To execute the counsels of the Highest: The Heavenly courtiers, to their King the nighest, Gods glorious Heralds, Heaven's swift Harbingers, Twixt Heaven and earth the true Interpreters; these, the Sons of God, the Angels, are of the glorious Host of Heaven. So are the Stars, the Sun, the Moon, the goodly furniture of the visible Heavens; they are all of the Heavenly host. So shall you find them called, Deut. 4.19. The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, even all the Host of Heaven. Of this host of Heaven it is prophesied, Esai. 34.4. All the Host of Heaven shall be dissolved, and the Heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their host shall fall down, as the leafe-falleth off from the Vine, and as a falling fig from the figtree. As for the Stars, they in their courses fought against Sisera, judg. 5.20. The Sun and the Moon stood still; the Sun upon Gibeon the Moon in the valley of Ajalon, till the people of Israel had avenged themselves upon their enemies, the Amorites, jos 10.12. The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, all the twinkling spangles of the firmament, you see, are of God's host. Nor is G●ds host only of Celestial creatures, but also of all other creatures in the world. In the second Chapter of Genesis v. 1. where it is said, the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, by all the haste of them, we are to understand all creatures in the Earth and Heavens, which stand as an army servants to the Lord, Psal. 119.91. Esay 45.12. and are by him comm●nded. That all things are Gods servants is avowed, Psal. 119.91. The Heaven and Earth continue to this day according to the ordinances of the Lord, for they are all his servants. Heaven and earth and all things therein contained Continue] safe, sound, and sure, even to this day] wherein we live, and so shall do to the world's end, by the ordinance and appointment of God, for all are his servants; all creatures yield obedience to him, as servants to their masters. They are all by him commanded. For thus saith the Lord, Esai. 45.12. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands have stretched out the Heavens, and all their host have I commanded. The innumerable Hosts of creatures both in Heaven and Earth are all by God commanded. Now from this which hath hitherto been delivered, the reason is plain, why this title of God Elobe hatzebaoth, the God of Sabaoth, or the God of Hosts, is by our Prophet added to the two former appellations, Adonai jehovih, the Lord God. It is, the more lively to set forth his rule, dominion, and sovereignty over all. It showeth that as an army or an Host of soldiers obeyeth their. Emperor or commander; so all things, all creatures, celestial, terrestrial, and infernal, are of God's host, and do yield unto him, as to their Emperor and commander, all obedience. They all stand ready in martial order and battell-ray, pressed to do whatsoever God willeth: and therefore is the Lord God, the G●d of Sabaoth, or the God of Hosts. From this consideration, that our Lord God is the God of Hosts, we are taught the fear of so great a Majesty. For who is he, that will not fear him, by whom he shall find himself to be beset and compassed about with very many and potent armies; above, beneath, before, behind, on the one hand, and on the other, that there can be no evasion, no escaping from him? Our God, is the God of Hosts. Man, sinful man, how shall he consist, if God once arm his hosts against him? The fear of God will be his surest refuge. Fear him, and all his Hosts shall be on your side, and fight for you. Fear him, and both floods and rocks shall fear you: all winds shall blow you happiness: ship wracks shall avoid the place where your foot treadeth; & as to the apples of Gods own eyes, so shall all his creatures yield to you reverence: they shall not dare to approach the channel where your way lieth. Hills shall fall down, & mountains shall be cast into the sea: but who so feareth the Lord he shall never miscarry. This fear of the Lord will both land your ships in an happy haven, and after your travels upon the earth, will harbour your souls in his everlasting Kingdom. And thus much be spoken of the first thing observed in this Mandate, even the Giver 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 given, 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 giving the Mandate; it is given in two verbs Imperative, Audite & Contestamini, Hear ye, and testify: and it further appeareth by the specification of the parties, concerning whom the Mandate is: they are of the house of jacob. The house of jacob, is the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, or the Kingdom of Israel. Understand then by the house of jacob, the people of Israel; to whom Priests and Prophets were ordinary messengers from the Lord. And thus have I couched together three particulars of the Mandate. 1. To whom it is given: to Priests and Prophets. 2. The manner how it is given, Audite & contestamini, Hear and testify. 3. The place, which, or the parties, whom it concerneth, the house of jacob. Hear and testify in the house of jacob. Saint Hierome and Lyra do take this Mandate to be of a larger extent, than to Priests and Prophets. They will have it to be given unto all: to all people: as if all people were here commanded to hear what the God of Hosts saith, concerning the subversion of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes, and thereof to bear witness to the house of jacob, that they hearing, might be converted from their evil ways. Eman. Sa. Christ. à Castro. But Remigius, Albertus, Hugo, Dionysius, Vatablus, Montanus, and others, do affirm more truly, that Priests and Prophets are here called upon, to hear from the mouth of the God of Hosts, the destruction that is eminent and ready to fall upon the house of jacob, and thereof to bear witness unto them, ut credant & resipiscant, that they may believe and repent them of their sins, and so be delivered. 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; Hear and testify. First hear, and then testify. Whence the observation is, The Minister of the Gospel is to hear what God speaketh before he presume to deliver his message to the people. He is first to hear, and then to testify what he heareth. Nemini licet prophetare, nisi quae priùs à Domino audierit, saith one: Mercer. It is not lawful for a man to prophesy, I say, it is not lawful for a man to preach, but such things as he hath heard of the Lord. But doth the Lord now adays speak that he may be heard of his Ministers? Yes. And I untie the knot by a distinction. There is a twofold hearing of God when he speaketh, or a twofold hearing of the word of God, Auditus externus and internus, an outward, and an inward hearing. These two are sometimes severed, and sometimes they are joined together. For some there are that do hear only outwardly, but within they are deaf. Of those it may be said, as it is of the Idols of the Heathen, Psal. 115.6. They have ears but they hear not. They hear but understand not what they hear, These are they that receive the seed by the ways side, Matth. 13.19. Others there are that hear not with the outward ear: all their hearing is within; it is in the heart; there they hear 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 hear both outwardly and inwardly, with the ear and with the heart. Such a hearing is peculiar to the faithful: of whom I understand that, Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith cometh by hearing; that is, faith is bred in the hearts of the elect by the external hearing of the Word, the holy Spirit working in them. The Preachers sound unto their ears the doctrine of the Word. The ears convey it to the mind: but that is blind to conceive divine matters. Wherefore comes God's holy Spirit, who through the doctrine received in at the ear, illuminateth the understanding, openeth the heart, and inclineth the will, to conceive what the Preacher hath delivered, to give assent unto 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 persuasion of the mercies of God merited by our Lord jesus Christ: and we attain unto it, by the Spirit of God, giving us this true persuasion through the doctrine of the Gospel. Now the hearing, whereby the Minister of the Gospel heareth the word of God, or God speaking to him, is a mixed kind of hearing: it is partly inward, by the secret operation of the blessed Spirit; and partly outward, by the revealed word of God, expressed in the Sacred Scriptures. Exod. 33.11. Numb. 12.8. For God in the Scripture speaketh unto us, as it were face to face, or mouth to mouth, as plainly as he spoke out of the cloud, Matth. 17.5. when that voice was uttered; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And surely, if God were now to give his voice from Heaven, he would speak no otherwise than he speaketh in the Scriptures. And therefore are we commanded, joh. 5.39. to search the Scriptures. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, search the Scriptures, he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, read the Scriptures, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, search them. The truth and sense of the Scripture is profound and deep; it is as gold, that lieth, not upon the face and outside of the Earth, but in the veins thereof: it is as the marrow, the pith, the heart of a tree, that is not in the bark, but is covered with the bark. Off must the bark, if we will have the pith: and we must dig deep in the ground, if we will have any gold: so must our search be with diligence, beyond the bark and outside of the letter, if we will partake of the treasure that is hidden under it, and hear God speaking unto us. Christ confuting the Sadduces for the point of the Resurrection, Matth. 22.29. saith unto them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: You err, not knowing the Scriptures; implying, that, if they had been diligent in the search of them, God would therein have spoken to them, and directed them in that truth. Saint Peter Ep. 2. Chap. 1.19. commending the faithful of his time, for their diligence in the Scriptures, saith unto them, we have a most sure word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a prophetical word, whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light, that shineth in a dark place; intimating, that, that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that same prophetical word, or word of prophecy, or word uttered by the Prophets, is nothing else but the word of God, conveyed unto us by ministry of his Prophets. That so it is, we are assured by the Protestation that God himself maketh, Hos. 12.10. I, that am the Lord thy God, I have spoken by the Prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by hand or by the ministry of the Prophets. The like phrase is used by Haggai, Chap. 1.1. to show that his prophecy was the very word of God: In the second year of the reign of King Darius came the Word of the Lord by the hand, or by the ministry of Haggai the Prophet unto Zerubbabel. Haggai was but a conduit to convey the Word; the Word was the Lords. This is that we read, Hebr. 1.1. that God at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time passed unto the Fathers by the Prophets. Hence appeareth the harmony, consent, and agreement of all the Prophets even from the first unto the last. Adam, Seth, Enoch, No, Abraham, Moses, David, Esay, and the rest, not one of them spoke one word of a natural man in all their ministry; but only the words of him that sent them: they spoke not of themselves; it was God that spoke in them. Whensoever was the time, whosoever was the man, wheresoever was the place, whatsoever was the people, the words were Gods. God spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets. And for this cause when we preach unto you, we say not, you are to believe us in what we 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 known that our sayings are the Lords sayings, we answer it is known ex Scriptures, by this or that place of Scripture. To the Scriptures we are tied, as the Levites 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 we 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 dumb thing. The Bishop of Poitiers, in the infamous conventicle of Trent, was of this mind, Scripturam esse rem inanimem atque mutam, that the Scripture is a dead and a dumb thing, Controu. 3. de Eccles. as are all other Politic Laws. Albertus' Pighius before that time had discovered his opinion of the point: Esse Scripturas mutos iudices, that the Scriptures are dumb judges: and therefore unfit to have matters of controversy put over to their judgement. Petrus à Soto saith as much in effect, Scholar de Euchar. & Defence. 3. calling the Scripture, Literam mutam, non respondentem, a dumb letter that gives no answer. This is but one of the many blasphemies which Papists have uttered to the disgrace of holy Scripture: against whom to the honour thereof, we maintain this assertion, Scripturam non esse mutam, ac vocis expertem; the Scripture is not dumb and speechless, but hath a voice, a clear voice, easy to be heard, except we be deaf. For the confirmation of this our assertion, I produce that of Saint Paul, Rom. 3.19. Whatsoever things the Scripture saith, it saith to them that are under the Law: the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it speaketh to them that are under the Law. It speaketh, therefore it is not dumb. 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 speak? If exhortations of holy writ do speak, why may not precepts, prohibitions, expostulations, and other passages speak as well? There is an exhortation that speaketh unto you as children, Hebr. 12.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it speaketh, and thus it speaketh: My son, despise not thou the chastning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. The Scripture every where speaketh: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a phrase often iterated in the New Testament, is a sure evidence that the Scripture is not dumb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 4.3. What saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God; and it was counted unto him for righteousness. That Scripture is Gen. 15 6. and therefore the Scripture in Genesis speaketh, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 9.17. The Scripture saith unto Pharaoh. What? Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee: that Scripture is Exod. 9.16. and therefore the Scripture in Exodus speaketh. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 10.11. The Scripture saith; whosoever believeth in him, in jesus 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 Covenant, I may conclude for the whole Scripture, that it hath a voice and speaketh: and therefore that it is neither dead nor dumb, as the above alleged Popish Authors have imagined. It hath a voice and speaketh. This voice is the voice of God. For God in the Scriptures speaketh with us 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 us; and he speaketh plainly to the heart, as well of the unlearned, as of the learned, to the heart of every one of us. Now as God in the Scriptures speaketh to us, so we cannot but acknowledge that he speaketh, unless we be without his holy Spirit. Sic enim loquitur nobiscum, ut nos eius sermonem intelligamus, Ambrose to Irenaeus Epist. 5. So God speaketh with us, that we may understand his speech. And this that, which above I undertook to prove, that God now adays speaketh, that he may be heard of his Ministers. And sith he so speaketh, my doctrine will thereupon follow: The Minister of the Gospel is to hear what God speaketh, before he presume to deliver his message to the people. He is to hear what God speaketh, before he make his contestation to the house of jacob. It is the order prescribed in my text: Hear first, then testify, Hear and testify in the house of jacob. The use of the point now delivered is twofold: one concerneth the Preachers of the Gospel; the other the Hearers. The Preachers are to hear what God speaketh, and then to testify and bear witness thereof to the house of jacob, to the people of God. They must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 2 Cor. 5.20. Ambassadors of God in Christ's stead: and that to them is committed the ministry of reconciliation: and therefore they may not broach or publish any v●in imaginations of their own, but those things only which God g veth them in charge. They must hear what God saith, and that alone must be their message. Again, they must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, joh. 15.27. and Act. 1.8. they are witnesses for Christ. They are to bear witness to the truth of Christ's person; to his threefold office, his Priestly, Princely, and Prophetical office, and to the benefits that do flow from thence for the edification of the Church. All this they are to hear from the mouth of God speaking in his holy Word, and thereof to make their contestation in the house of jacob, to bear witness thereof to God's people, not by their preaching only, but if need be, by their dying too. The other use is for hearers. For if the Preacher be first to hear what God speaketh, and then to testify the truth thereof to the house of jacob, the people of God; then are the people of God, all the house of jacob, to give attentive care to the Preachers message. Hearers in hearing are to know that they are to deal with God, and are to receive the Word delivered by the Minister, not as the Minister's word, but as the Word of God. Such Hearers were those Thessalonians commended by S. Paul. Epist. 1. Chap. 2.13. For this cause, saith he, thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. The example is well worthy our imitation. Beloved, if an earthly Prince speak or send a message to us, we give all show of reverence, and hear him with diligence. This Word whereof we now entreat, is not of flesh and blood; it proceedeth not from Kings or Emperors, or Parliament, or from Counsels of men, but from God the Father, and from our Lord jesus Christ. When this Word is read, Princes and Emperors stand up, and lay down their sword, and uncover their head, and bow their body in token of reverence, because they know it to be the word of God, which God himself hath uttered, that it should be as the a Deut. 32.2. dew of Heaven to moisten our dry souls, as a b joh. 4.14. Well of water springing up to everlasting life, as a c 2 Cor. 2.16. savour of life unto life, and the very d Rom. 1.16. power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Without this Word we are undone, we perish: we receive no comfort, we see not the light; we grow not in faith, we abide not in the Church of God. Wherefore, suffer ye a word of exhortation. It shall be in S. Peter's words, 1 Epist. 2.2. As new borne babes desire ye the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby. Be ye so affected to the word of God, as new borne infants are to their mother's milk. You know well how that is: A little infant even by the instinct of nature, almost as soon as it is borne, seeketh that nourishment; it is not long well without it; when nothing else will, that will still it. So, even so be ye affected; long ye after the word of God, as your spiritual nourishment, rejoice in it, place your happiness in the use of it; let it be your chiefest comfort. This indeed hath been evermore the right disposition of Gods holy ones. O, how great was the felicity that David felt in this word of God? In one Psalm, Psal. 119. He preferreth it before profit, before pleasure, before glory. Before profit, V 127. I love thy Commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold. Before pleasure, vers. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste? yea sweeter than honey unto my mouth. Before glory, vers. 57 Thou art my portion, O Lord, I have determined to keep thy words, and vers. 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart. Now because in a spoil all those things do meet together, Profit in the treasure, Pleasure in the overthrow, and Glory in the conquest or triumph, he addeth vers. 162. I rejoice at thy Word, as one that findeth great spoil. Thus was holy David determined and resolved to content himself with the word of God in stead of all profit, pleasure and glory. For his profit, was his support in trouble and adversity; his pleasure, was the peace of a good conscience; his glory, was to be in the favour of God. All which is wrought by the precious and unvaluable word of God. This word of God was unto jeremy, Chap. 15.16. the joy and rejoicing of his heart. And ezechiel's roll, the symbol of this word, was in his mouth as honey for sweetness, Chap. 3.3. And john's little book, which he received from the Angel, the badge of this word, was in his mouth sweet as honey, Reu. 10.10. When Philip was gone down to the City of Samaria, and had preached Christ unto them, the text saith, there was great joy in that city, Act. 8.8. When the same Philip had taught the mystery of Christ to the Eunuch, the Eunuch went on his way rejoicing, in the same Chapter, vers. 39 The Angel relating to the shepherds the Nativity of Christ, said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people, Luk. 2.10. Good tidings of great joy! Happy shepherds to hear so good tidings from an Angel! Prince's would have been glad to have heard it: but they heard it not. Yet to Princes as well as to others this good tidings of great joy belongeth. Good tidings of great joy! Great joy it is, first in respect of the matter thereof, which is very great; even our reconciliation with God. Secondly, it is great joy for the diuturnity and stability thereof; it abideth and continueth constant for ever. Thirdly, it is great joy for the universality of it: it reacheth unto all; generibus singulorum, to all kinds of people, though not singulis generum, to all particulars of all kinds, but only to such as shall receive it by a true faith. Last of all, it is great joy, quia spirituale, because it is spiritual, and belongeth to the salvation of the whole man, body and soul. And the good tidings of this great joy is derived unto us in these our days through the ministry of the word of God. Wherefore, dearly beloved, let me again put you in mind of your Christian duty concerning this word of God, that as new borne infants ye desire the sincere milk thereof to grow thereby. Long ye after it; it is your spiritual nourishment: rejoice in it; place your happiness in the use of it: Let it be your chiefest comfort. Whensoever you shall hear this word of God read, or preached, remember whose Word it is you hear: and think ye thus every man with himself: Surely this is the word of my gracious God. My God openeth his mouth from Heaven above and speaketh to me, that he might save me. He speaketh to me to keep me from error; to comfort me in the troubles and adversities of this life, and to guide me to the life eternal. If you stand thus affected to the word of God; if you desire the sincere milk thereof for your spiritual food, as the little infant doth the mother's milk for its bodily food: if you find yourselves truly to love it, carefully to desire to understand it, and to take comfort in the exercises of it; thank God for it; it is a good sign; and pray God to increase it. But if this word of God be a burden to thee; if like a potion it go down against thy stomach, if thou carest not how little thou be acquainted with it; if thou esteemest not the exercises of it; take heed, bewail thine estate; it is a fearful token; pray God, if thou love thine own soul, to remove such thy dulness from thee. And let this suffice to have been delivered upon my second observation: which was, The Minister of the Gospel is to hear what God speaketh, before he presume to deliver his message to the people. It was grounded upon those words of the Mandate, Audite & contestamini. Hear and testify. First hear what God speaketh, and then make your contestation, testify and bear witness of that you have heard. Cry aloud, spare not, Esay 58.1. lift up your voices like trumpets: show unto the house of jacob the calamities which I have resolved to bring upon them: Hear ye, and testify in the house of jacob. Hereupon I ground my third observation: it is this: God evermore useth to denounce grievous calamities, before they come to pass. He foreshoweth them before hand. The universal deluge was a very grievous calamity. God foreshowed it unto Noah, the Preacher of righteousness, long before he brought in the Flood, Gen. 6.13. The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great, their sin was very grievous, and therefore was God resolved to destroy them: yet would he not do it, till he had told Abraham and Lot thereof: the one, Gen. 18.17. the other, Gen. 19.13. The seven years of famine which were to consume the land of Egypt, God foretold to joseph, seven years before they came, Gen. 41.25. A man of God is sent to Eli, to foretell him of the evil that should befall his house, 1 Sam. 2.27. The Prophet jeremy is sent to the jews to foretell them of the seventy years of their captivity in Babylon, jer. 25.12. And here in my text, Priests and Prophets are called upon, to foretell to the house of jacob the miseries that were ready to fall upon them. Thus stands the doctrine firm; God evermore useth to advertise us of miseries, before they do befall us. Our Prophet expressly and confidently avoucheth it, vers. 7. of this Chapter. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants, the Prophets. In my exposition of those words, I gave of the point in hand a larger prosecution, than the remainder of this hour will afford. As now, so than I proved from the evidence of the word, that God never bringeth any grievous calamity upon any people or nation, or private person, but he doth evermore first forewarn the same and foretelleth it. And hereof I gave two reasons: one in respect of the godly; the other, in respect of the wicked. For the Godly. God is unwilling at any time to take them at unawares. He loveth them: he would not have any of them perish, but would they should all repent, and so prevent his judgements. He is prone to do good, but slow to punish; and therefore praedicit flagella, ut peccantes resipiscant; He foreshoweth his judgements, to draw us to the amendment of our lives. Now for the wicked. He forewarneth them also of his future judgements, Rangol. 1 King. ●. 27. ne dicere queant, se illa eventura non audivisse, that they may not be able to say for themselves, they had no forewarning. So are they left without excuse; their mouths are stopped, and God's justice is cleared. Wherefore, beloved, let us acknowledge the great mercy, and wonderful patience of our good and gracious God, in that he vouchsafeth so to deal with us, to retire us from sin. He needs not, nor is he bound to deal so kindly with us. For it is our part upon our own peril to take heed of his judgements that they overtake us not. Yet so good is the Lord, so loving, so merciful, so patiented, so desirous is he, we should escape the misery, which we have deserved, that he sends unto us his letters of love, the holy Scriptures, by his Ministers, to fore-warne us of the evil day. A sly and subtle adversary, would steal upon us when we should least think of him, and take us at any advantage: but our loving God seeks not for advantages against us. He rather provideth us means for our safety. The means are the letters of his love, as even now I called them, the sacred Scriptures. Them he conveyeth to us by his servants, his Ministers, by whom he invites us to good, and deters us from evil: propoundeth rewards for well doing, and punishments for ill; threatneth unto us the torments of Hell, if we continue in sin, and so bridleth our wantonness; promiseth the joys of Heaven if we turn unto him by repentance, and so spurs on our slothfulness. So gracious a God forewarneth ever before he striketh. And now most gracious and loving Father, we most humbly beseech thee, not only to fore-warne us, before thou strike; but also to give us grace to take heed by thy warnings that thou strike us not. So will we arise, run, and open unto thee: arise by faith from the sepulchre of sin; run with hope, to the gates of thy mercies; and open with love our broken and contrite hearts, that thou mayest come in and dwell with us. Even so be it most merciful Father, for thy sweet Son our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ his sake. Amen. THE Sixteenth Lecture. AMOS 3.14, 15. That in the day, that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the Altars of Bethel, and the horns 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 ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. THis passage of holy Writ is a Prosopopaeia. The Almighty is here brought in, calling upon his Priests and Prophets to give care unto him, and to bear witness of the calamities which he was resolved to lay upon the house of jacob. His resolution was, when he should punish the Israelites for their evil deeds, then to visit their Temple and stateliest buildings with ruin and desolation. The words I heretofore divided into two general parts▪ One was, A mandate for a Testification. The other, The matter to be testified. That was vers. 13. this vers. 14. and 15. For the first these particulars have been observed; 1 Who it is that gives the Mandate. Even the Lord; the Lord God, the God of hosts. 2 To whom he gives it: Sacerdotibus & Prophetis; to his Priests and Prophets. For to them is this passage by an Apostrophe directed. 3 How he gives it: Audite, & contestamini, Hear and testify. 4 The place where this testification was to be made, in domo jacob, in the house of jacob. Hear and testify in the house of jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of Hosts, verse. 13. In the other part, which concerneth the matter to be testified, we may observe: 1 A resolution of God, to punish Israel for sin: There shall be a day, wherein the Lord will visit the transgression of Israel upon him, vers. 14. 2 That this punishment so resolved upon by the Lord, shall reach unto their holiest places, to their houses of religion; to their Altars in Bethel: the horns of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground, vers. 14. 3 That this punishment shall extend to the chiefest places of their habitation; even to the demolition and ruin of their dwelling houses: The winter house shall be smitten, so shall the summer house: the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, vers. 15. 4 The seal and assurance of all, in the two last words of this Chapter, Neum jehovah, saith the Lord. In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will also visit the Altars of Bethel, and the horns 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 ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. Such are the parts of this Scripture. Of the first general, which was the Mandate for the testification, and of the particulars therein, I discoursed in my last Sermon out of this place. Now I am to descend to the second general, which is of the matter to be testified. The first branch therein is, of God's resolution to punish Israel for sin: and that is in the beginning of the fourteenth verse. In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him.] By the words its plain, that a day should come, wherein God would punish Israel for his transgressions. R. David. R. Abraham. That day some ancient Rabbins refer to the earthquake, that was in the days of Vzziah King of judah, whereof we find mention made in the first Chapter of this Prophecy, verse 1. and Zach. 14.5. Some refer it to the time of King josiahs' reign, when he broke down the Altar that was at Bethel, and the high place there, 2 King. 23.15. Others hereby do understand that day, wherein Samaria was captivated by the Assyrian King, Salmanassar, 2 King. 17.6. Whensoever that day fell out, it was the day of the Lords visitation, the day wherein the Lord visited Israel for his iniquities. This word, to visit, signifieth a remembrance, providence, care and performance of a thing spoken, be it good or evil: and it belongeth unto God to visit both ways, either for good or for evil, either in mercy or in judgement. It was for good that the Lord visited Sarah, Gen. 21.1. The Lord visited Sarah, Gen. 17.19. & 18.10. as he had said; and the Lord did unto Sarah, as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time, of which God had spoken to him. This was a visitation for good; a visitation in mercy. Such is that whereof dying joseph tells his brethren, Gen. 50.24. I die: and God visiting will visit you, and will make you go up out of this land, unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaak, and to jacob. God visiting will visit you. He meaneth a visitation in mercy; God will surely visit you in mercy. And so he did when they had been bondslaves in Egypt four hundred and thirty years. Exod. 12.41. For at the end of those years, even the self same day that those years were ended, it came to pass, that all the Hosts of the Lord, the Tribes of Israel, went out from the land of Egypt. Out they went with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. And so God visiting visited his people Israel, Numb. 33.3. according to his promise made by Moses, Exod. 3.16. This was a visitation for good; a gracious and merciful visitation. But gracious and merciful above all was the visitation of our Lord jesus Christ, when with a true and everlasting redemption he redeemed all true Israelites from sin, and death, and Satan. It is the visitation for which Zachary in his Canticle blesseth God, Luk. 1.68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. And why blessed? for he hath visited, and redeemed his people. He hath visited his people; visited in the better part; visited in mercy; in exceeding great mercy. Beloved, sith Christ hath visited us in our persons, Math. 25.40. Luk. 16.1. it is our parts to visit him in his members. We are all his Stewards; and the good things he hath lent us are not our own, but his: if the goods of the Church, we may not appropriate them: if of the Commonwealth, we may not enclose them. You know it is a vulgar saying: He is the best subject, that is highest in the subsidy book. Let it pass for true. But I am sure he is the best Christian that is most forward in Subsidiis, in helping of his brethren with such good things as God hath bestowed upon him. Besides this visitation for good, and in mercy; there is also a visitation for evil and in judgement. Thus to visit, is to visit in anger or displeasure. And so by a Synecdoche of the Genus for Species, to visit is to punish. Thus is God said to visit, when with some sudden and unlooked scourge or calamity, he taketh vengeance upon men for their sins, which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of. So God visited the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, Exod. 20.5. He visiteth, not only by taking notice of, and apprehending children in their father's faults, but also by punishing them for the same; in as much as they are given over to commit the transgressions of their fathers. David in his devotions calleth upon the Lord to visit the Heathen, Psal. 59.5. O Lord God of Hosts, the God of Israel, awake thou to visit the Heathen. Where, to visit, is to visit for evil, to visit in judgement, in anger and displeasure, it is to correct, it is to punish. To such as departed from the Law of the Lord, and from that rule of righteousness which it prescribeth them to walk in, the Lord himself threatneth, that he will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, Psal. 89 32. And there to visit is taken in the worse part, for, to visit in judgement, in anger or displeasure, for as much as it bringeth a rod and stripes with it. It is to correct, it is to punish. There is, Esay 10.12. a commination against the King of Assyria, that same rod of hypocrites, that his pride should be broken. It is thus delivered: I will visit upon the fruit of the proud heart of the King of Ashur, and the glory of his high looks. And there also to visit is in the worse part, for, to visit in judgement, in ire, anger, or displeasure: It is to correct, it is to punish. As in the now alleged places to visit signifieth in the worse part, to visit in judgement, in ire, anger, or displeasure, and by a consequent, to correct or punish; so doth it in my Text. And therefore for Visitabo, junius hath animaduertam. This same visiting is with him a punishing. In the day that I shall visit] or punish. What? Pravaricationes Israel, saith the Vulgar Latin. The prevarications of Israel. The prevarications of Israel are his swervings from truth, reason, and honesty. junius translates them, Defectiones, the revoltings or slippings of Israel. Our English hath the transgressions of Israel, by which name sins are called, because they exceed the bounds and marks which God by his Law hath appointed unto us, Drusius. Caluin. O●aller. Bre●ti●s. for the moderating of our desires and affections. Some here have Scelera Israel, the wickedness, lewdness, or naughtiness of Israel. These general appellations do direct us to particular sins, to covetousness, to pride, to cruelty, to unjust exactions, to robbing and spoiling of the poor; these were the sins that reigned and raged in Israel; in the Kingdom of the Ten tribes, or the Kingdom of Israel, called in the precedent verse, The house of jacob: and these were the sins, for which the Lord was resolved to punish Israel; as it is also signified in the second verse of this Chapter. There is a Visitabo as well as here: Visitabo super vos omnes iniquitates vestras. I will visit upon you, or I will punish you, for all your iniquities: Visitabo, I will do it; I will visit, I will punish. I, the Lord God, the God of Hosts, will visit the transgressions of Israel upon him. Whence ariseth this observation: Whatsoever visitation or punishment befalleth any of us in this life, it is laid upon us by the hand of God, by his good will and pleasure. The Visitabo in my Text doth warrant this truth. A day there shall be, wherein Visitabo, I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him. I shall do it. When the world was grown so foul with sin, that it deserved to be washed with a flood, God himself undertook the visitation, Gen. 6.7. I will destroy man, whom I have created from the face of the earth. And vers. 17. Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. Concerning the sin of the people, that great and grievous sin, when they made them Gods of gold, the Lord saith unto Moses, Exod. 32.34. In the day when I visit, then will I visit their sin upon them: When I see good to punish them, I myself will punish them. For the disobedient and despisers of the will of the Lord, the Lord hath a Visitabo too, Levit. 26.16. Visitabo vos velociter; I will visit you quickly with terrors, with consumptions, with burning agues, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence. Visitabo vos velociter, I will quickly visit you. I will do it. Monstrous and grievous were the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, that were to be revenged by so fearful a judgement, as is a rain of brimstone and fire. But how fell that rain upon them? The Text is, Gen. 19.24. The Lord reigned upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven. The Lord reigned, saith the Text. Than not man, not devil, not necromancy, not any thing in nature was the cause that this befell those Cities; but the very power and wrath of God, of a displeased God, at so great abomination as was there committed, sent down that rain upon them. The Lord was he that gave that rain. Prodigious were the plagues wherewith the land of Egypt was visited. I look into the Sacred story, and there I see above them, a Exod. 9.23. thunder, hail, lightning, tempests: one while b Exod. 10.22. no light at all, another while such fearful flashes as had more terror than the darkness. I see under them, c 7.20. the waters changed into blood; the earth swarming with d 8.6. frogs and e 10.13. grasshoppers. I see about them f 8.24. swarms of flies, by which the land was corrupted. I see their g 9.23.10.15. fruits destroyed, their h 9.6. cattles dying, their i 12.30. children dead. Turning mine eyes unto themselves, I see them very loathsome with k 8.17. louse; and deformed with l 8.10. scabs, boiles, and botches. Grievous indeed were these visitations, but who was he that wrought them? It was the Lord. For so the Text runneth, Exod. 7.5. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt. Who was it but the Lord that smote Nabal, that he died? 1 Sam. 25.38. Ask of Esay, who it is that formeth the light, and createth darkness; that maketh peace, and createth evil? he will tell you it is the Lord that doth all these things, Chap. 45.7. It is the Lord doth all. Light and peace are the symbols of prosperity; darkness and evil, of adversity; so the meaning of the place will be, that the Lord is a doer, not only in the prosperity, but also in the adversity, wherewith this life is seasoned. Thus have you the confirmation of my observation, which was, that Whatsoever visitation or punishment befalleth any of us in this life, it is laid upon us by the hand of God, by his good will and pleasure. One reason hereof is; because nothing is done in this world, but the Lord is the principal doer of it. Nothing is done without him: no, not in the carriage of a lottery, which in man's judgement seemeth of all things to be the most casual; yet therein doth God's hand appear. Solomon avoucheth it, Prou. 16.33. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Let Lots be cast into the lap, some hat, or cap, or pot, or box, some secret and close place, from whence the drawing of them forth may seem to be merely accidental: yet it is nothing so. For God by his infinite and eternal providence doth both generally and particularly, wholly and altogether direct and order them. Now if God's hand be found in the disposing of Lots; shall it not be found in the ordering of the visitations and punishments that are incident to us in this life for our evil deeds? Another reason hereof may be, because all power is of God and from him alone. There is no creature in the world, devil, man, or other, that hath power any way to hurt or molest us, but from the Lord. All power is his. He alone makes the earth to open her mouth, and a Exod. 15.12. Numb. 16.32. swallow up his adversaries. He alone b job 9.5. removeth mountains and overturneth them. He it is, that saith to the North, c Esa. 43.6. Give up; and to the South, Keep not back; and to the Deep, d 44.27. Be dry. He divideth the e 51.15. roaring Sea, measureth the f job 28.25. winds and waters; g Dan. 4.25. ruleth in the kingdoms of men. Whatsoever he is pleased to do, h Psal. 135.6. that doth He in Heaven and in Earth: in the Seas, and all deep places. There is no power, but from him. And therefore for this reason also it is true, that Whatsoever visitation or punishment befalleth us in this life, it is laid upon us by the hand of God, by his good will and pleasure. From the reasons of this observation, proceed we to see what profit we may reap from hence, for the bettering and amendment of our sinful lives. First, from hence we learn in all our troubles and calamities to look up to God, as the chief and principal Author of them, from whom they come; and upon ourselves and our sins, the sole procurers of them, and for whose sake they are sent. Eliphar among his advertisements given unto job, hath this for one, Misery cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground, job 5.6. Warning job thereby to have an eye to God, as the Author of his affliction. It's very true, affliction comes not upon us at all adventures: it proceedeth not from the Earth, or the Air, or the Heaven: it is the hand of God that is heavy upon us for our sins. Great is our folly, that we gaze about here and there, wand'ring up and down in our own imaginations, and searching all the corners of our wits to find out the causes of our calamities without us, whereas indeed the true and right cause of them is within us. We are evermore accusing either heat or cold, or drought or moisture, or the air, or the ground, one thing or other to be the cause of our miseries, but we will not be brought to acknowledge their true and proper cause, even the sin that reigneth in us. I deny not, but the Lord hath secret causes, whereof we know not, either the manifestation of his own works, or the trial of our faith; yet the revealed and original cause of all our miseries, hath his beginning and springhead from within us; from our iniquities. The Prophet jeremy, Lament. 3.39. makes this enquiry: Wherefore should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sin, wherefore should he complain? Whereunto he fits this answer, man suffereth for his sins: implying thus much, that it is mere folly for a man to vex his soul, in misjudging of his estate, and seeking by-paths to wind himself out of miseries; sith miseries befall no man, but for his sins. Whereupon sweetly Pelican, Non murmuret afflictus contra Dominum, Let not the man that is in affliction murmur against the Lord, for the Lord doth all things well. Sed si quid patitur imputet peccatis suis, quae Deus impunita non sinit: But if he suffer any thing, let him lay the blame thereof upon his sins, which God leaveth not unpunished. Our blessed Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, having cured the man that had been diseased eight and thirty years, and finding him in the Temple, advised him to consider the cause of his so long and lamentable a visitation; saying unto him, Behold, thou art made whole, sinne no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee, joh. 5.14. intimating, that his disease of so long continuance was laid upon him for his sins. Out of doubt this diseased man thought himself happy, when he was restored to health: yet lest he should rest therein, our Saviour telleth him, he must change his heart, and sin no more, lest a worse thing should befall him. Sciebat Dominus ei quem salvum fecerat, meritis peccatorum illum etiam carnis accidisse languorem: Augustine de fide & operibus, cap. 20. The Lord knew, that that same infirmity of body upon the man, whom he had healed, befell him for his sin's sake. I need not press other instances of holy Writ for the further illustration of the point in hand, sith my Text is plain for it. By my Text its plain, that the visitation which the Lord was resolved to lay upon the house of jacob, was for the prevarications thereof; it was for their revoltings, and transgressions, and wickedness: it was for the sins of Israel. The sins of Israel were the cause of God's visitation upon them. Wherefore, Beloved, let every visitation of God upon us, be unto us a Sermon of repentance, to put us in remembrance of our sins, and to admonish us, not to sow any more upon the furrows of unrighteousness, lest we reap a more plentiful harvest of affliction, and whensoever any visitation shall be upon us, let us desire God to sanctify the cross unto us, that it may consume sin in us, and provoke us to a more holy conversation. Thus have you your first use. Now in the second place, the consideration of this truth, that whatsoever visitation or punishment befalleth any of us in this life, it is laid upon us by the hand of God, may teach us to have patience in our troubles, not to repine or grudge when we are under the rod of affliction. Sith it is the hand of God that doth visit us, we are to take it patiently, as a dutiful child beareth the chastisements of his loving father. This was the practice of holy David, Psal. 39.9. where he saith, Obmutui & non aperui os meum, quoniam tu fecisti; Lord I was dumb and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it: Quoniam tu fecisti, because thou didst it: this was the fountain, whence he drew his patience. To the revile of the wicked, to their reproaches, to their malicious detractions, to their scoffings, to their injurious speeches, Obmutuit, he answered not a word, but was as the man that is dumb, as he that hath no tongue, as he whose mouth is shut: he excused not himself, he returned no evil language, but he held his peace and bore it patiently. The fountain of this his patience was, Quoniam tu fecisti, because thou didst it. Lord, thou didst it: But thou art a Father, I am thy son: therefore what thou didst, thou didst it for my good; and therefore I hold my peace. Out of this fountain job drew his patience. When he had lost his children, and was deprived of all his goods, he murmured not, nor charged he God foolishly. All he said was, Dominus abstulit, the Lord hath taken away, and he hath done so by good right, Quia etiam dedit, for first he gave it, job 1.21. The ground of this his patience was, Domine tu fecisti; Lord, thou hast done it. Thou Lord hast taken from me my children, and all my substance; and therefore I hold my peace. Out of this very Fountain Christ himself drew his patience; when commanding Peter to put up his sword into the sheath, he asked him this question, Calicem, quem dedit mihi Pater, joh. 18.11. non bibam illum? The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Domine tu fecisti; my Father hath tempered this cup for me, and I will drink it. This cup is the cup of the Passion of Christ, the cup of his sufferings, which God gave unto him, Pater, non ut judex, saith Rupertus. God gave this cup unto him, as a Father, not as a judge: and he gave it to him, Amore, non irâ; voluntate, non necessitate; gratiâ, non vindictâ. It was of love, not of wrath; it was voluntary, not of necessity; it was of grace, not for vengeance, that this cup was given him. But how did he drink it? Here may we with Cornelius Mussus, Bishop of Bitonto, in his Passion Sermon cry out; O infinitam dulcis jesu nostri patientiam! O the infinite patience of our sweet jesus! Dedit illis carnem suam, ut tractarent eam pro suâ libidine; he committed unto the jews his flesh, to do with it at their pleasure. They insulted over him, and he resisted not; they threatened him, and he answered not: they loaded him with injuries, and he sustained them; they bond him fast, and he withstood them not; they smote him, and he endured it; they flouted him, and he held his peace; they railed against him, and he defended not himself; they cursed him, and he prayed for them. O the infinite patience of our sweet jesus, which he drew from this fountain, Domine tu fecisti; Lord, thou hast provided this cup for me, and I refuse it not! Domine tu fecisti; Lord thou hast done it: It is the bottomless fountain of patience, never to be exhausted or drawn dry. If thy wife, thy children, thy kinsfolks, thy friends or others be taken from thee by the stroke of death; if thou lose thy goods by water, by fire, by war, or otherwise, thou mayst refresh thy languishing soul with the water of this fountain; Domine tu fecisti; Lord thou hast done it. If thyself be visited with sickness, and so, that there is no soundness in thy flesh, nor rest in thy bones; Psal. 38.3. yet if thou draw from this fountain, the sorrow and bitterness of thy visitation will be assuaged. It must needs be a great comfort to every child of God to meditate hereupon, that our sickness, yea that every pang and fit of our sickness is from God; that the manner of it, the measure of it, the time of it, and the matter of it is of God. And it may give us good assurance that God will be merciful and gracious unto us, seeing he that striketh us is our loving Father, and in the stroke cannot forget his former compassions, but will make all things fall out to further our salvation. God is faithful; he layeth not upon us more strokes than we are able to bear, 1 Cor. 10.13. but maketh a way for our escape. Psal. 41.3. He strengtheneth us upon the bed of languishing, and maketh all our bed in our sickness. He putteth our tears into his bottle. Psal. 56.8. Cant. 2.6. Are they not all in his book? His left hand is under our head, and his right hand embraceth us. Beloved Christians, we should comfort one another in these things. Thirdly, is it true, Beloved? Are all our visitations and punishments in this life laid upon us by the hand of God? Here then may we take direction, whither to make our recourse in the day of visitation. And whither may that be, but to the same hand of God that visiteth? God smiteth, and no man healeth; God maketh the wound, and no man restoreth. No man healeth! no man restoreth! Therefore put not thy trust in man; for there is no help in him: but put thy trust in God; for as he killeth, so he maketh alive again; as he bringeth down to the grave, so he raiseth up again. So sings Hannah, 1 Sam. 2.6. The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. What then shall become of the Physician? May I not seek to him in time of sickness? Seek not first to him, as Asa did, 2 Chron. 16.12. lest thou be condemned, as Asa was, for seeking not to the Lord, but to the Physician. But seek thou first unto the Lord. First, be thou reconciled to him, who is the chief Physician of soul and body, and then take thy course. For my part I have no hope, that the Physician's help shall profit me, and prosper with me, until I be at peace with God, and have renewed my repentance from dead works for my daily sins. And let this suffice to have been spoken of the first branch of my second general part, which was, the resolution of God to punish Israel for sin. Now followeth the second branch: and that is, that the punishment so resolved upon by the Lord, shall reach to their holiest places, to their houses of religion; in these words: I will also visit the Altars of Bethel, and the horns of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. Visitabo super Altaria Bethel] Here is a Visitabo like the former; a visiting in the worse part, a visiting for evil, and in judgement. Visitabo, I will visit upon the Altars of Bethel, that is with Petrus Lusitanus, Destruam illa, ut meum sentiant furorem: I will destroy those Altars: they shall feel my fury. The like phrase is that, Exod. 12.12. In cunctis Dijs Aegyptifaciam judicia: Against all the Gods of Egypt will I do judgement; and that, Num. 33.4. Dominus in Diis eorum exercuerat ultionem; Upon the Gods of the egyptians, the Lord hath executed vengeance. In both places the Gods of Egypt, are the Idols of Egypt; and the Lords doing of judgements, or executing of vengeance upon them, is all one with the Visitabo here. I will visit the Altars of Bethel, that is, I will do judgements, or I will execute vengeance upon the Altars of Bethel. Bethel] Some jews, as R. Kimhi, and R. Esaias are of opinion, that there were two Towns of this name; the one belonging to the Tribe of Benjamin, as appeareth Iosh. 18.22. the other in the Tribe of Ephraim, as it is manifested, judges 1.22. This opinion of two Bethels, Cap. 16.2. & 18.13. Andrew Masius in his Comment upon joshuah rejecteth as needless. Bethel here is that, which in former time was called Luz, which name it had from the abundance of Nuts or Almonds which grew there, Hieron. cue Heb. in Gen. Tom. 3. for Luz in Hebrew signifieth a Nut or an Almond. near to this City jacob slept, when he saw the vision of Angels ascending and descending upon the ladder, from whence he called the name of that place Bethel, Gen. 28.19. and Bethel is by interpretation the house of God. This Bethel is not jerusalem, nor is it the mountain of Moria, as some Hebrews, and Lyranus, and Catetan do affirm: but as Abulensis, Adrichomius, and others, it is a City distant from jerusalem some eighteen miles, situate in the Lot of the Tribe of Ephraim, near unto Sichem. Here in this City, King jeroboam, he that was the son of Nebat, set up a calf of gold to be worshipped by the revolted Tribes, 1 King. 12.26. that they need not be at the pains to go up to jerusalem to worship. Thus the place, whereof faithful jacob said, Surely this is no other, but Bethel, the house of God, Gen. 28.17. is by faithless jeroboam turned into Beth-aven, the house of an idol, and is named Beth-aven by the Prophet Hoseah, chap. 4.15. and in other places. Hos. 5.8. & 10.5. Such is the Bethel, the visitation of whose Altars the Lord here undertaketh: Visitabo super Altaria Bethel, I will visit the Altars of Bethel. The Altars!] What Altars? The words immediately following make mention but of one Altar, and that whose horns should be cut off: and the sacred story, 1 King. 12.32. speaketh but of one Altar in Bethel. How then is it that the Altars of Bethel are here to be visited? It may be, here is Enallage numeri, one number for another, which is in use sometimes with the Latin; as when they say, Flumina Nili, or Montes Zion, the rivers of Nilus, for the river Nilus, or the mountains of Zion, for Mount Zion: Or rather in progress of time, other Altars were erected for other Idols, when the Calf of gold was worshipped but upon one. And this is the conjecture of Drusius, because he findeth, Hos. 8.11. that Ephraim had made many Altars to sin: and Hos. 10.1. that Israel had increased Altars according to the multitude of his fruit. And it is not unlikely, but that in course of time, they had multiplied and increased their Altars: to which this visitabo casts an eye; I will visit the Altars of Bethel. It followeth: And the horns of the Altar shall be cut off] Cornua altaris maximi & principalis: so Lusitanus, the horns of the Altar; of the greatest and most principal Altar. For of the rest it was said but now, Visitabo super altaria Bethel, I will visit the Altars of Bethel. The horns of the Altar shall be cut off] The Altar of offering, Exod. 27.2. had four horns upon the four corners thereof. These horns were Elevationes quaedam, as Abulensis speaketh in his fourth quest. upon Exod. 29. they were pieces of wood ascending above the Altar, made like unto horns, of the very wood of the Altar over-laid with brass, and were with the Priest's finger anointed with the blood of the sacrifice, to betoken Quatuor Euangeliis velatam Christi passionem, Levit. 4.7, 9 as Cyrillus or rather Hesychius upon Leviticus hath observed; the four horns of the Altar besprinkled with blood, betokened the passion of Christ covered in the four Evangelists. Salomon's Altar, Ezech. 43.15. had likewise four horns. These Villalpandus taketh to be quatuor tanrorum cornua, four bulls horns, which rose upward from the four corners of the Altar to the height of a cubit, as if they grew from the head of a bull. These horns were not only for ornament, but they also served to keep up the sacrifice from falling off. Such were the horns of this Altar of Bethel, made in emulation of salomon's Altar, as * In Psal. 78.27. 474 B. Salomonici altaris aemulabatur formam. Lorinus affirmeth: and upon these is the sentence of the Lord here gone forth, Amputabuntur, they shall be cut off and fall to the ground, utter desolation shall betide them. Thorns and thistles shall grow upon them, as the Prophet Hosea speaketh, Chap. 10.8. A dissipation there shall be, both of Idol and Idolater. And now, O ye miserable and wretched Israelites, Dii, qui neque se, neque altaria sua tueri possunt, Ribera. quomodo vos tuebuntur? The gods which can neither defend themselves, nor their Altars, how shall they defend you? The Lord will take your Idols from you, will overthrew your Altars, the very places of your delight: yea the horns of your Altars, speciefissima instrumenta voluptatum, the fairest and goodliest spectacles, wherein you take pleasure, shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. According to this prediction it fell out, either through the Earthquake in the days of Vzziah King of judah, Zach. 14.5. 2 King. 17.6.23.15. or when Salmanasser King of Assyria carried Israel into captivity, or under the reformation of josiah, as already it hath been touched. Now from this commination of judgement against Bethel and the Altars there, namely, that the Lord will visit the Altars of Bethel, and that the horns of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground, ariseth this doctrine: Places of Idols, together with the Idolaters, shall be punished with desolation and confusion: the places with desolation, the Idolaters with confusion. Places of Idols shall be punished with desolation. Gilgal, once famous Gilgal, ennobled by many accidents, which happened there, became afterwards through the Idolatry there committed, so infamous, and of such bad note, that the people of judah are forbidden to resort unto it, Hos. 4.15. But where is she now? Lieth she not under the ruins of desolation? And Bethel once famous too, for that she was the house of God, by the like abuse became Beth-aven, the house of an Idol. But where is she now? Doubtless she is measured with the line of desolation, according to this prophecy. As the places of Idols are punished with desolation: so are the Idolaters with confusion. Idolaters, whilst they flourish with prosperity, they flatter themselves in their sins, and become hereby more obstinate in their superstitions, imagining that they are privileged from God's judgements, and have the fruition of all his blessings for their false worship sake: and if the hand of God hap to lie heavy upon them, then do they double their devotions to their Idols, that by their help they may be delivered. But when they find their hope frustrate, and themselves forsaken of their Idols when most they need their help, then overwhelmed with confusion, they bewail their former folly, that they spent upon them so much unrewarded cost and bootless labour. Of this confusion or shame, the portion of Idolaters, I thus read, Psal. 97.7. Confundantur omnes, qui adorant sculptilia: Confounded be all they that serve graved images, that boast themselves of Idols. And Esay 42.17. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graved images, Esay 1.29.44.9.45.16. jerem. 51.47. Hos. 4.19, etc. and say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. Other places I might produce to warrant this confusion and shame of the Idolater, but the time forbids me. Yet an example hereof you have in Baal's Priests, 1 King. 18.29. who were confounded with shame, when they were in the sight of the people abandoned of his help, when they most needed, and implored it. Thus is my doctrine confirmed. Will you now see how useful it is? Here then see condemned all such, as do religiously worship for God, that which is not God: such are Infidels, who worship devils, men, and other creatures, erecting to their honour graved and carved images, pictures, and statues. From this Idolatry we may not exempt the now-Church of Rome, for that she yields religious worship to creatures, Angels, and men: and to men not such only, as have been held for Saints in respect of their faith and holy life: but also such as have been noted for their wicked conversation, as their Saint George, Saint Francis, Saint Dominick, Ignatius Loiola, and the like: yea such as never had any being in the world, as their Saint Hippolytus, Saint Christopher, Saint Catharine, fictitious and counterfeited Saints: to such they have set up pictures, images, and statues, and those forsooth must be worshipped, and that with religious worship. And do they not, think you, deserve it, sith they are so wondrously decked and adorned? Garlands and Coronets are set on their heads, precious pearls hang about their necks, their fingers shine with rings beset with precious stones; their bodies are clothed with garments stiff with gold. And are not these worthy to be adored? If you should see the images of their men Saints, you would believe they were some Princes of Persia, by their proud apparel: and the idols of their women-saints you would take to be some nice and well trimmed harlots, tempting their Paramours to wantonness. The Churches and Chapels that are thus bedecked and trimmed, are they not as this Bethel with her golden calf? Yes. And if there be no reformation, a time will come, when the lot of Bethel shall be theirs, even to those Idoll-houses, desolation, and confusion to the Idolaters. Secondly, shall idolatrous places and persons be punished, they with desolation, these with confusion? Let the consideration hereof inflame our hearts to be more zealously thankful to the Lord, for that having freed us from Heathenish and Antichristian darkness, from idolatry, and the service of graved images, he hath given us the clear light of his gracious Gospel, through the illumination whereof we may be brought to the right knowledge of the true worship of him, the only living God. For so, by his sole goodness are we delivered from all fear of the punishment allotted to Bethel, and the worshippers of the Idol there. Thirdly, from this consideration we are to be admonished, that abhorring and renouncing idols, and all manner of idolatrous superstition, which will leave us without help and hope in our greatest extremities, we do cleave fast unto the true jehovah, performing unto him such faithful and sincere service as he requireth in his Word, without the mixture of humane inventions: so shall we in the day of visitation be preserved from all evil. But say, that the Lord for his glory and our trial will bring us to the touchstone of adversity, and suffer us to taste of some calamity and misery, yet will he give us such a comfortable feeling of his favour, and will so arm us with power and patience to bear our troubles, that we shall not need to fear confusion. There is no fear of confusion or shame where true religion is. No: there is none, True religion cleansed from all dregs of Idolatry, maketh not ashamed. So saith the kingly Prophet, Psal. 34.5. They shall look unto him, and run unto him, and their faces shall not not be ashamed. They, the truly religious, the humble and faithful, shall look unto the Lord, shall diligently and carefully attend for aid and secure from him: they shall run unto him with haste in their troubles, in assurance of finding ease; and their faces shall not be ashamed. They shall not hang down their heads and countenances for shame, as they were wont to do, but shall lift up their heads, shall look on high, and shall go with confidence to the God of their salvation. That promise of the Lord, joel 2.26. My people shall never be ashamed, repeated in the verse following, My people shall never be ashamed, is a promise to the religious; for the religious only are his people. My people, saith he, shall never be ashamed. O what a marvelous benefit a man hath by religion, which he cannot have by any other thing in the world? There is nothing in all our life, whereof we have not need to repent, except it be our religion, the fear of God. Our words, our works, our get, our spend, our wanderings up and down, our negligence in our vocations, our sleeping, our eating, our drinking out of measure; of all these we have need to repent. Our thoughts, our toys, our trifles, our wantonness, our lust, our hatred, our wrath, our malice, our many other enormities; of all these we may well be ashamed: but of true religion and the fear of the Lord, we neither need to repent, nor to be ashamed. If thou forsakest the world, and hatest Idols, and believest in the Lord, and mournest for thy sins, and studiest the Scriptures, and hearest the Preachers, and obeyest the Gospel, and prayest, and watchest, and fastest, and endurest many troubles, and art ready to die if need be; and all for love of the Lord jesus: thou needest not to repent, or to be ashamed hereof. For happy art thou. Thou hast fought a good fight. Go on with courage; finish thy course, keep the faith Henceforth there is laid up for thee a Crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give thee in that grea● day of his visitation: and not unto thee only, but to them also that love his appearing: even to us all, holy Father, let that Crown be given for thy sweet Son jesus Christ his sake. Amen. THE Seventeenth Lecture AMOS 3.15. And I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. WHen God punisheth the sins of a Nation, he useth such severity, that he spares not the very places, wherein the sins were acted. Hereof this Scripture yields a demonstration. It presents unto us a resolution of God to punish the sins of Israel. The places where they sinned, were either religious or profane. Religious were the places of their public assembly for the worship of their Gods. Profane places were all other of ordinary and common use, as their edifices and houses of habitation of all sorts. Both places, religious and profane, had their parts in the punishment here resolved upon. The resolution for the punishment is in the beginning of the fourteenth verse; there it is intimated, that a day should come, wherein the Lord would visit the transgressions of Israel upon him. In this visitation or punishment their religious places, or houses of religion, were to have a portion. It is plain by by the latter part of the fourteenth verse, I will visit the altars of Beth-el: and the horns of the Altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. Nor were their religious places only to partake of this visitation; but other places also, profane and civil, their places of ordinary and common vse● their edifices and dwelling hou●● Their doom is forespoken in the beginning of the 15. verse. The winter house shall be smitten; so shall the summer house▪ one houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shave an end. For the seal and assurance of all, the conclusion of this Chapter is Neum jehovah, saith the Lord. Of God's resolution to punish the sins of Israel, together with the visitation of their religious places, I entreated in my last Sermon. Now am I to proceed with the punishment inted to their profane and civil places, to their places of ordinary and common use, to their edifices and dwelling houses, thus delivered, in this fifteenth verse, And. I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end. For the easier handling of these words, I am to speak of an action, and of the object thereof: of a smiting, and of the thing to be smitten: The smiting is the Lords, the the things to be smitten belong to the Israelites. Of both in their order. First for the Action, for the smiting, which is Gods. Persecution, I will smite. The actions of God and two sorts Immanent, or Transcient. Immanent, are those, that remain within himself, as to understand, to will to love. For always, and from all eternity God in himself understandeth, willeth, and loveth. The Transient actions of God are such as he, in ●●me produceth without himself. So he created the world he ●●●leth it, and worketh all in all: he justifieth, he regnerateth, he punisheth. And of this rank in his action of smiting. Persecution, I will smite. God in holy Scripture is said to smite, either immediately of himself, without means; or mediately, when he useth means; as Angels, good or bad; or men, godly or wicked, or other creatures. God immediately, of himself and without means, smote all the firstborn in the Land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive, that was in the dungeon, Exod. 12.29. God of himself smote them all. And though he ofttimes uses means, the ministry of Angels, men, or other creatures for the smiting of transgressors, yet is God justly said to smite them. For the axiom of the Schools is, Actio non attribuitur instrumento propriè, sed principali agenti: Tho. 1.2. qu. 16. 1. c. si. the action is not properly attributed to the instrument, but to the principal agent. The building of a house is not to be ascribed to the axe, but to the Carpenter that useth the axe. Angels, men, and other creatures are to God but as the axe is to the Carpenter, but as his instruments. Whensoever therefore through their ministry any evil shall betide us, we are to acknowledge God to be the pricipal doer therereof. He it is that smiteth us. 2. King. 19.35 It is true, that an Angel in one night smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand, Esay 37.36. The Angel smote them, that is the letter; But it was Angelus Domini; it was the Angel of the Lord. The Lord sent that Angel to cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the Leaders and Captains in the camp of King Sennacherib. The Lord sent him. The Lord then was agens principalis, he was the principal doer in that slaughter, the Angel was but his messenger to put in execution the work of the Lord. So the Lord was he that smote the Assyrians. Israel under the conduct of Moses smote two mighty Kings, Sibon of the Amorites, and Og of Bashan, Numb. 21.35.— There Israel smote them; yet Psal. 136.17. the Lord is said, to have smitten them; percussét Reges magnos, He smote great King, and slew famous Kings, Sibon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Bashan. The Lord smote them. The Lord then was Agens principalis: he was the pricipal doer in this great overthrow; Israel did but execute what the Lord would have done. So the Lord was he that smote those Kings If a a 1 King. 20.36. Lion smite us upon the way: if either b Esay 49.10. hunger, or thirst, if the heat or the Sun smite us: if our Vines c Psal. 78 47, 48. be smitten with hail, our Sycomore trees with frost, our flocks with hot thunderbolts, our d Deut. 28.22. corne-fields with blasting and with mildew: if ourselves be smitten with consumptions, with fevers, with inflammations, with extreme burnings, with the e Vers. 27. botch of Egypt, with the emrod's, with the scab, and with the itch, whereof we cannot be healed: if we be smitten with f Vers. 28. madness, with blindness, with astonishment of heart: if we be any way smitten, whatsoever the means may be, it is the Lord that smiteth us. Percutiet te Dominus, the Lord shall smite thee. Vers. 22, 27, 28, 35. It is in one Chapter, in the 28. of Deuteronomie four times repeated, to show unto us that if we be smitten with any the now mentioned miseries, or any other, it is the Lord that smiteth us. The Percutiam in my text serves for the corroboration of this truth. Percutiam, I will smite the winter house with the summer house. If then but a house be smitten, be it a winter house, or a summer house, the Lord is he that hath smitten it. So from this percutiam, I will smite, I, I, the Lord will smite, ariseth this doctrine: In the miseries or calamities, that do befall us in this life, we must not look to the instruments, but to the Lord, that smiteth by them. Thus have the godly ever done. Holy job in his time did it. The loss of all his substance and children by the Sabeans, job 1.15. Chaldeans, fire from Heaven, and a great wind from beyond the wilderness, could not turn away his eyes from the God of Heaven to those second causes. Those he knew to be but instruments; the Lord was agens principalis; he was the chief doer. This he acknowledgeth, and blesseth God for it: Dominus abstulit, The Lord that gave me all, hath taken all away, blessed be the name of the Lord, job 1.21. Such was the practice of King David, Shimei, 2 Sam. 16.5. a man of the family of the house of Saul, comes forth from Bahurim, Vers. 6. curseth still as he comes, meets the King, casts stones at him, raileth upon him, calleth him to his face a man of blood, Vers. 7. and a man of Belial, a murderer and a wicked man. At so high a strain of insolency, Vers. 9 how bears the King himself? Doth he suffer the railers' head to be cut off? or, makes he any show of impatiency? No, His eye is to him, that is agens principalis, or Primus motor, even to the Lord, the Principal agent and first mover in all this business. Shimei, he knows, is but the instrument to work the will of the Lord. And therefore he saith to Abishai, 2 Sam. 16.10. Let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? Suffer him to curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. Not unlike was the carriage of the blessed Apostles, Peter, john, and the rest, Act. 4.27. Though Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, had crucified and put to death the Lord of life, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ; yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage, or bitter speeches against them. In that great execution of the Lord jesus, there was upon the hand of God. They knew, that Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the jews were but instruments. So their acknowledgement before the Lord, vers. 28. Of a truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, & the Gentiles, & the People of Israel were gathered together against thine holy Child jesus, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. Thus according to the examples of holy job, King David, and the blessed Apostles, we are in the miseries and calamities that do befall us in this life, to look not so much to the instruments, as to the Lord that smiteth by them. And why so? The reason is, because all instruments are second causes; Angels, men, or other creatures have no power at all against us, but what is given them of God. So jesus told Pilate, who had proudly said unto him, Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? No, saith jesus, thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from above, Io. 19.11. I will but touch the uses. One is, for the reproof of such, who are of opinion, that God doth only suffer many things to be done. If he be agens principalis, the principal Agent in all actions, and all other agents are but his instruments, then is he not only a sufferer, but also an orderer, guider, and governor of all actions. The second is for the confutation of such as in their vain thoughts imagine, that the miseries and calamities which befall men in this life, are but their misfortunes. If God be agens principalis, if he be the principal agent in all that is done upon the earth, then wretched man blear not thine own eyes to ascribe that to haphazzard wherein the strokes of God's hand appear. The third is for the admonishing of us all, that in our miseries, or calamities, we behave ourselves with patience toward the instruments, wherewith God smiteth us. It will very ill beseem a man to be like unto the dog, that snatcheth at the stone thrown at him, without regard unto the thrower. The fourth is for consolation. It will be a comfort to us in misery and distress, to remember that God is agens principalis, that he hath a chief hand in all our troubles, and that others, of what rank soever, are but his instruments; and therefore they can no further prevail against us, than the hand and counsel of God gives them leave. This our comfort may rest upon that of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 10.13. God is faithful: he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear, but will even give an issue with the temptation, that we may be able to bear it. Qui enim dat tentanti Diabolo licentiam, ipse dat tentatis misericordiam; Pet. Lomb. upon the place: For God who gives the devil leave to smite, gives also his mercy to them, that are smitten. And thus from the Action, the smiting, which is the Lords, we are come to the object of the Action, to the thing to be smitten, which do belong to the Israelites. The things to be smitten were their houses: which are here described from their use, and precious matter whereof they were; and state. For use they had their winter houses and summer houses. For precious matter, they had their houses of ivory. For state they had their great houses. We will first take a view of their houses for use, their winter houses, and their summer houses. Of them it is here said, in the first branch of this fifteenth verse; Percutiam domum hyemalem cum domo aestiuâ: I will smite the winter house with the summer house. Princes and great Lords of the East of old time had their change of houses: a house for winter, and a house for summer. The winter house was turned toward the South, Hieron. Rupe●t. Cyrill. and open to the heat of the Sun for warmth. The summer house was turned toward the North from the Sun, and lay open to the cool air. So, for the variety of seasons they would be provided either for cold or heat. jehoiakim, King of judah, had his winter house. For so we read, jer. 36.22. The King sat in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire on the hearth before him. And it is likely he had his summer house. Else why is this called his winter house? His summer house may be that, jer. 22.14. where the King saith, Aedificabo mihi domum latam, coenacula spatiosa: I will build me a wide house, & large chambers. Those chambers R. David calls coenacula ventosa, junius. P scator. windy chambers, others, perflabilia, chambers with thorough air; chambers with windows made of purpose to let in the air. Look the place and you will find them sieled with Cedar, and painted with Vermilion. And this might well be his summer house. But if you will have a summer house in precise terms, turn ye to the book of judges, Chap. 3.20. There shall you find Eglon King of Moah sitting alone in a summer Parlour. Our English Bible in the margin calleth it a Parlour of cooling: just as junius doth, coenaculum refrigerationis, a chamber or parlour of refrigeration. The old Latin calls it aestiwm coenaculum, a summer chamber or parlour: the Septuagint. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a summer garret in the highest part of the house. Our Prophet here speaketh of both houses together, the winter house and the summer house, and threatneth the demolition or ruin of them both. Tossarius thus delivers it in his Paraphrase, Demolibor domum hyemalem simul & aestivam, in quibus rex cum suis lascivire consuevit: I will demolish both winter-house and summer house in which the King was wont with his minions to play the wanton: I will overthrew them both. It is not to be doubted, but that Amos by these winter and summer houses noteth the places of Princes and great ones of the State of Israel. As for the poorer sort, it is enough for them, if they have but a cottage for their shelter as well in the winter as in the summer season. They have no change of houses, nor change they parts of their houses to dwell more warmly in the winter, and more coolly in the summer. Non est ea commoditas pauperibus. No, the poor are not so accommodated. One habitacle or mansion house sufficeth them for all their life time. And therefore is this passage directed to the rich, to the Princes and chief states of the kingdom of the ten Tribes, to check them for their cost & pomp in building, & to assure them, that their spacious and magnificent houses shall not stand them in any stead, when the vengeance of God shall show itself against them. That the rich are here intended, it is yet more plain by the second branch of this fifteenth verse, which now followeth. Et peribunt domus eburneae, and the houses of ivory shall perish] Thus are their houses described ex materiâ pretiosâ, from the precious matter, whereof they were. They were domus eburneae; houses were they of ivory. The Hebrew calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Batte hasschen, the houses of a tooth, meaning the tooth of the Elephant: and therefore these houses with the Greeks are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, houses of the Elephant, that is, of the tooth of the Elephant, which is ivory. Theophrastus affirmeth that there is a mineral ivory found within the ground as well black as white. Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. 36. cap. 18. But this is not of that. This is of the tooth, and white. The teeth of Elephants were of a very high price, Plin. lib. 8. c. 10. for that they yielded the matter of greatest request, and most commendable for the making of the statues and images of the Heathen gods. In their Temples were to be seen Elephants teeth of the greatest size; and yet in the marches of Africa where it confineth with Aethiopia, the very principals and corner posts of their houses were made of ivory, yea therewith they made mounds and pales both to enclose their grounds, and also to keep in their beasts within their parks, if it be true which Polybius reporteth from the authority of King Gulussa. If Gulussa his testimony be true, it seems they had in those days no want of ivory. In the Sacred volume of God's word, I read of benches of ivory, Ezech. 27.6. of beds of ivory, Amos 6.4. of a Tower of ivory, Cant. 7.4. of a house of ivory which King Ahab made, 1 King. 22.39. of Palaces of ivory, Psal. 45.8. Why then may not the houses of ivory in my text stand according to the history? Saint Hierome thinks they may. But the stream of Expositors runneth another way. They will have these domus eburneas to be but eburatas: Those houses of ivory they will have to be only houses covered with ivory. With jonathan in his paraphrase, they are not aedes eburneae, houses of ivory, but aedes ebore tectae & caelatae, houses covered and engraved with ivory. Nor doth Mercerus think, that these houses of ivory were so called, as if they were all of ivory, but because they were ebore tessellatae, decked with ivory checkerwise. Homer when he extolleth and setteth out in the highest degree the most stately palaces of Kings and Princes, P●in. lib. 36 c. 6. for the matter, wherewith they were wont to be adorned, he nameth brass, gold, amber, silver, & ivory. ivory than was rather for ornament, than for a main building. And therefore well may these domus eburneae be but Eburatae, these houses of ivory may be but houses chequered, decked, inlaid, or trimmed with ivory. And though they were but such, yet such they were, that the poor could not compass; so that from hence also it is evident, that this passage is directed to the rich, to the Princes and chief States of the kingdom of the ten Tribes, to check them for their sumptuous and proud buildings, and to assure them that their houses of ivory shall not stead them, when the vengeance of God will show itself against them: For Peribunt domus eburneae, their houses of ivory shall perish. There is yet a third branch of this 15. verse, which makes it probable that this passage is directed to the rich, to the Princes and chief States of the kingdom of the ten Tribes; and that is, Et deficient domus magnae; and the great houses shall have an end. And how should the poor come by great houses? With junius and Piscator, they are domus amplae, large, wide, lofty houses, and of great compass: and are such houses for the poor? With the Hebrew Schools they are not only amplae, but also splendidae & magnificae, they are gorgeous and magnificent. They are houses, not only of commodity and use, such as the houses of the Vulgar and common sort use to be, but such as have in them superfluity, splendour, and pomp. And experience teacheth that rich and great men use to exceed, not only in their diet and apparel, but also in their palaces and dwelling houses. Thus are the houses of the Israelites described from the state; they are Domus magnae, great houses they are. Great! yea, and many. For so the Vulgar Latin here readeth, Dissipabuntur aedes multae, many houses shall be brought to nought. Many houses! The reading is embraced by Luther, Oecolampadius, Brentius, Pelican, Vatablus, Mercer, and Drusius. Nor will I reject it, sith the word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbim, signifieth both great and many. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great houses or many houses shall be brought to nought, shall a Oecolamp. cease, shall b Drusius. Vatablus. Mercer. junius. Piscator. have an end. But is all this to be so for certain? Yes. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum jehovah, the Lord hath said it. I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses, or many houses, shall have an end, Saith the Lord. Saith the Lord] It is the seal and assurance of all, and makes for the authority of this passage. Authority it had enough from the 13. verse, Saith the Lord God, the God of Hosts. It is here redoubled, Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it? Then surely he will do it. Hath the Lord spoken it? Then out of doubt he will accomplish it. Numb. 23.19. For he is not, as man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should repent. All his words, yea, all the titles of all his words are Yea, and Amen; Heaven and Earth shall perish, before one jot or one tittle of his words shall pass unfulfilled. Matth. 5.18. He hath said it, and he will not fail to make it good: I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end. Thus much be spoken for the exposition of the words. Now let us see what point of observation may from hence arise for our further profit. In that our Prophet here seemeth to reprove and tax the rich men, Princes, and others in the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes for their variety, cost, and state in their buildings, by threatening destruction to their winter houses and summer houses, to their houses of ivory, and to their great houses, this question is propounded: Whether it be lawful for Kings, Princes, and other men of state to build such houses? Petrus Lusitanus thus resolves it. If Kings, Princes, and other men of state be otherwise godly and faithful, and studious of God's worship, and mindful of the poor, they may without sin build such sumptuous and magnificent houses and palaces, according to their own revenues and estate. Such houses King Solomon built, and is not reproved. He was building of his own house thirteen years. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon: 1 King. 7.1. and he made a house for Pharaohs daughter. All these houses were of precious stones according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with Saws within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, 1 King. 7.9. These doubtless were costly and magnificent houses, yet is Solomon commended for building them. And yet nevertheless is all such building blame-worthy, and to be reproved, if it exceed the measure of the ability and dignity of the builder. For then there is a necessity of oppressing the poor. Against such builders there is a woe gone forth, jer. 22.13. Woe unto him that buildeth by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong. Again, though a builder exceed not the measure of his ability and dignity, yet may his building be reprovable through the vanity of his intention; if his intendment be not God's honour, but his own praise; for haughtiness and pride of mind makes the best action faulty. So much for the question: proceed we to the observation. From the demolition and overthrow here threatened, and after in due time brought to pass upon the winter house, with the summer house, upon the houses of ivory, and upon the great houses in the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, we may make this observation: that All the aid and secure a man hath from his buildings whatsoever, is vain, if once the wrath of God break forth against him. If once the wrath of God break forth against us, alas, what shall fair, rich, and great buildings avail us? If these might have yielded any succour in the day of the Lords visitation, the Israelites might have found it. But they together with their buildings, thoughfull of state and pomp, are perished and come to nought. And is it not in like sort fallen out with other most flourishing common wealths, and most mighty Kingdoms? The daily change of things doth abundantly evict, that there is nothing in this world perpetual. Here then may Filii huius seculi, this world's darlings, some rich men, be reproved for a vanity of theirs. They see that death comes alike to all; to the rich, as to the poor; and yet they dream of nothing else, than of a perpetuity of life here. For so they order all their ways, as if they were to live here for ever. They build them houses, great and goodly houses, and spare no cost to adorn and deck them gorgeously, supposing hereby to continue a perpetuity of their name. This vanity of theirs the Psalmist of old hath very well discovered, Psal. 49.10, 11. They see that wise men also die and perish together, as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other. And yet they think, that their houses shall continue for ever: and that their dwelling places shall endure from generation to generation: and call their lands after their own names. By which their vanity they seem to acknowledge no other life but this; Whatsoever we preach unto them of that better life, that heavenly and eternal life, they believe it not; but rather they deride it as fabulous. But if at any time they are convinced in conscience, that there remaineth after this a better life, yet they desire it not. Their only desire and wish is, to dwell here for ever. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations: and for this purpose, they call their lands after their own names. They will no other Paradise but this. As vain were they that built the Tower of Babel, Gen. 11.4. Go to, say they, Let us build us a City, and a Tower, whose top may reach unto Heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. Let us build us a City and a Tower! One reason is a desire of dominion. Hugo saith, Gen. 10.10. Factum esse cupiditate regnandi: that Nimrod set forward the work, that it might be the beginning and chief of his Kingdom. Another reason is, Ne dividaemur, lest we be scattered. They built them a City and a Tower to maintain society that they might dwell together, and not be scattered upon the face of the whole earth. Antiq. jud. lib. 1. cap. 5. josephus thinks they did it of purpose, to oppose themselves against the ordinance and commandment of God, who would have them dispersed into diverse parts, that the world might be replenished. A third reason is, celebremus nomen nostrum, to get us a name. They built them a City and a Tower to grow famous thereby. De confus. ling. 468. Philo saith, they did write their names in this Tower, to revive their memory with posterity. In this their proud enterprise they sinned grievously. They sinned through their impiety towards God. Erigebant turrim contra Dominum, saith S. Augustine, De Ciuit, Dei l. 16. c. 4. they erected a Tower in despite of God. The Prophet Esay, according to this pattern bringeth in the King of Babel thus vaunting himself, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the most high, Chap. 14.14. Secondly, they sinned through vanity. For what more vain than to neglect Heaven, where only immortality is to be found, and to seek to be famous on earth, where there is nothing that is not vain, and transitory? See, saith chrysostom, the root of evil, they seek to be famous, aedificiis, non cleemosynis, by buildings, not by alms. Thirdly, they sinned through disobedience. For knowing, that it was God's ordinance, that the earth by them should be replenished, they did wilfully oppose themselves against it. They would live together, and would not be dispersed, as even now I told you out of josephus. Fourthly, they sinned through impudence. Philo cries out upon it; O insignem impudentiam! O notorious impudence! whereas they should rather have covered their sins, they proclaim their pride, their tyranny, their voluptuousness, to all posterity. Absalon was a vain builder too. Too much given to ambitious ostentation, he built him a pillar to be a monument of his fame unto posterity. And why did he so? because forsooth he had no son to keep his name in remembrance, 2 Sam. 18.18. Carthusian gives the reason, because he was cupidissimus laudis humanae, most desirous of the praise of men. But how fared he with this his pride? The vengeance of God did soon attach him. For besides that, he was smitten through with darts, as he hung by the hair of the head, so was he also stoned by God's just judgement, by whose Law, they which were disobedient to their parents, were stoned to death: and now in stead of that pillar, he lieth shrouded under a heap of stones. I have yet one builder more to acquaint you with, and he is as vain as those that are gone before. It is the rich man in the Gospel, Luk. 12.16. When his ground had brought forth plentifully, he said within himself: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? This will I do: I will pull down my Barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Out of doubt this man thought himself passing wise, in his resolution to build new barns. But let us a little examine his care. I have, saith he, no room where to bestow my fruits. Mentitur, saith Stella. He lies; Had he not the houses of the poor and their bodies, where he might bestow his fruits? These were the Barns provided for him by the Lord, where if he would lay up his fruits, neither moth nor rust could hurt them. Thou canst not any way better preserve thy fruits than if thou distribute them among the poor. Herewith agreeth that of Solomon, Prou. 3.9. Give unto the poor of the first fruits of thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty. But the rich man cares not what Solomon says. He holds on his resolution: Destruam horrea mea & majora faciam; I will pull down my barns, and build greater. He speaks, saith Stella, as if he were mad, and as one fit to be purged with Hellebor. I will pull down my barns and make greater! He should rather have said, Aperiam horrea mea, & dabo indigentibus: I will open my barns, and give to them that want: or, as Saint Ambrose elegantly enlargeth it; Aperiam horrea mea; ingrediantur, qui famem tolerare non queunt; veniant inopes, intrent pauperes, repleant sinus suos, etc. I will open my barns; if any cannot endure famine, let them come in; let the needy come, let the poor enter, let them fill their bosoms: down with the walls which exclude the hungry. Why shall I hide that wherewith God abundantly enableth me to relieve others? Why shall I with lock and bolt shut up the Corn, which God maketh to grow and abound in the common fields without a keeper? Thus should the rich man have said. But his note is of another strain: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and over-ioyed with the abundance of his increase, he thus flattereth his soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. For many years! O coecit as avari! It is Saint Augustine's exclamation, Homil. 48. O the blindness of a covetous man I una nox ei supererat, & de multorum annorum vitâ satagebat: he had but one night to live, and yet he was as careful, as if he were to live many years. And in this vein he cheers up his soul: Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. It is the voice of some Sardanapalus, or, of some Hog of Epicurus his herd. Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry! 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉! O the folly of this covetous wretch, saith Basil; If thou hadst had a Swine's soul, what else couldst thou have said unto it? Of mercy, of alms, of charity, of virtue, here is not a word; All here is for jollity: Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But what is the issue, what the end hereof? It is no more but this, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee, than whose shall those things be which thou hast prouded? Thou fool! It is all the commendation he hath for his overmuch care and solicitude. And a fool he is called for diverse reason's. First, he is a fool, because in his own eyes he seemeth to be wise. He will seem to be liberal and magnificent, Prou. 28.11. whereas indeed he is greedy of money and a niggard. Solomon hath a fit censure of him, Prou. 26.12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. Secondly, he is a fool, because he keepeth those things which are lost by keeping, and by losing are preserved. Such is your corn. If you keep it, it will be lost; if you lose it, that is, if you sow it and spread it abroad upon the earth, it will be multiplied, and will return home unto you with increase. Whence the advice of Ecclesiasticus is, Chap. 29.10. Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend: and let it not rust under a stone to be lost. You see there is a losing that there be no losing. Thirdly this rich man is a fool, because he taketh no care for a house or mansion, wherein he may dwell for ever, and yet builds him great houses and palaces, where he is to abide but for a night. For, if this life be compared with that which is to come, it may well be styled a night. Vana nox est, it is a night that soon vanisheth. So is the hope of this rich man: it passeth away as the rembrance of a guest, that tarrieth but a day or a night, Wisd. 5.14. Fourthly, he is a fool, because though he hath no power over days or times, yet he promiseth unto his soul the enjoying of many years. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. For this, and other reasons, God himself puts the fool upon this man; for God said unto him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee. What! A rich man a fool! And that, by the sentence of God Luk. 12.21. So is every one that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God. And so are these other vain builders, of whom even now you heard: who erecting cities, towers, pillars; winter houses, summer houses, houses of ivory, great and goodly houses, only for monuments to continue a perpetuity of their names here upon earth, as if there were no other life but this, do evidently declare, that in heart they say, there is no God. And are they not fools that say so? The royal Prophet in express and plain terms saith, they are, Psal. 14.1. The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. Is it not all one, as if he had said, Whosoever saith in heart there is no God, he is a fool? Now that it may appear to be no sudden, or rash censure of his, but a thing well conceited and meditated by him, he iterateth the same again, Psal. 53.1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. In Prosolog c. 3. T●m. 3. But why saith he so? Cur, saith Anselme, nisi quia stultus & insipiens est? Why is it, that the fool doth say there is no God? Surely, even for this reason, because he is a fool. But why saith he so in heart, In Psal. 51. rather than in mouth? Saint Hilary will tell you why: Because if he should utter it in his words, as he smothers it in his thoughts, Stultus esse (sicut est) publici assensus iudicio argueretur, he should publicly be taken to be a fool, as he is, even by general consent. But leave we these fools, these Cosmopolites to their heaven upon earth, sith they look for no other heaven. Leave we them to their planting, transplanting, building, rebuilding, studying for room to lay up their fruits, non in visceribus pauperum, not in the bowels of the poor, but in their enlarged barns. We are sure they will build neither Church nor Hospital, either in cultum Christi, or culturam Christiani, either to the service of Christ, or to the comfort of any Christian. Wherefore leave we them, and reflect we our eyes for a while to our own houses, to see how we may build them fair to the Lord. These our houses whereof I now speak we build, and God buildeth: Nos, bene vinendo; Deus, ut bene vivamus, opitulando, August. de Civit. Dei l. 17. c. 12. We build by living well; and God by assisting us by his grace, that we may live well. For Nisi Dominus aedificaverit, Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it, Psal. 127.1. These our houses are not material, but spiritual, they are our hearts; Domus nostrae, corda nostra sunt, so the same Father upon the 74. ●●. Vulg. Psalm: Our houses are our hearts. Here is good dwelling, if they be cleansed from iniquity. If we love the Lord jesus, and keep his words, his Father will love us, & they both will come unto us, and make their abode with us, joh. 14.23 their abode will be by grace in these houses of ours, our hearts Yet may they in a spiritual understanding be those same houses of ivory, Psal. 45. Houses of ivory, great and regal houses the tabernacles of God, are corda sanctorum, Aug. in. Psal. 44. they are the hearts of the Saints. Other houses we have for our solace as that, Cant. 1.17. The beams of our house are Cedars, our galleries are of Fir. Such houses are the congregations of the Saints; the places where we do sweetly converse and walk together. They are firm and during like Cedars among the trees, not subject through God's protecting grace to utter corruption: and they are like to galleries of sweet wood, full of pleasure & contentment, through the favourable acceptance of God & his word Those beams of Cedar and Galleries of F●●e, ha●● respect unto the buildings and places of Kings, covered ●●at with battlements, with galleries on the top: and do show to us▪ by the similitude of these two odoriferous and not putrifying trees, that the joining and coupling of the Bridegroom, Christ jesus, and his Spouse, the Church, withdraweth us from the stench and corruption of this vile world, and maketh our souls and bodies, so many houses and Temples, dedicated unto God. And for this reason's S. Paul calleth you the Temple of God, 1. Cor. 3.16. Know ye not, that ye 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 destroys for the Temple of God, is holy, which Temple ye are. In the same Epist. Chap. 6.19. Ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost. What? Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify 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 living God, & he proves it from the testimony of God himself: I will dwell in you, Levit. 26.12 Ezek. 36.26, 27. and walk in you: and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Is the testimony of God himself produced by the Apostle to prove that ye are Templum Dei vivi, the Temple of God, of the living God, and that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost? O, look ye to the trimming up 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 thyself for thine own sake, yet spare thyself for God's 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 have yet another house in store for the fulfilling of our joy? For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle we dissolved, we have a building of God, and house not made with hand, but eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5 1. This same, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this house not made with hand whether it be the glory of the soul and life eternal, as a Photius. Auselm. Thomas. Lyran. some do understand 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 have it. c Lombard. Habemus spe, habebimus re: we have in hope, we shall have it in possession. We have it, saith the Apostle, because we shall as certainly have it, as if we had it already in full fruition. To this fullness of contentment and beatitude God in his good time, bring us all for Christ jesus sake. FINIS.