LIBRARY OF PRINCETON OCT 3 2007 THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY \\\Cfyi\ ARBURY ON OBADIAE. COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION. W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh. JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh. THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh. D. T. K. DRUMMOND, SI.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Chm-ch, Edinburgh. WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed Presbyterian Chm-ch, Edinbui-gh. ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh. REV. THOMAS SMITH, M.A., Edinburgh. A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON THE PROPHECY OF OBADIAH, BY EDWAKD ilAKBUKY. LIBRARY OF PRINCETON OCT 3 2007 THEOLOGICAL SEMfNARV EDINBURGH : JAMES NIOHOL. LONDON : JAMES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN : G. HEEBEET. M.DCCC.LXV. EDlNBtTEGH ; FEINTED BY JOHN GBEIG AND SON, OLD PHYSIO GAEDENS. In compliance with current copyright law, Etherington Conservation Services produced this replacement volume on paper that meets ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 and ISO 9706. Preservation facsimile printing and binding by Etherington Conservation Services Browns Summit, North Carolina. www.thehfgroup.com 2007 00 Conserratinii Services sH-Group EDWAED MAE,BURY. ^^.^■c^^ay^r»^i^«y\^y^'^s-^j IF the Prince of Denmark marvelled that a man should not be forgotten two months after his death, and expressed but a faint hope that a great man's memory may outlive his hfe half a year, it is not wonderful that the name of Edward MAfeBURT, who lived two full centuries ago, and who was a good rather than a great man, should be unfamihar to this age, having gone out of sight save in the title-pages of his two quarto 'Commentaries' now reprinted :* and these, we fear, known to but a select few, albeit prized by them as of no common weight and worth. With search and research in every likely quarter, very meagre and grainless are our gleanings of memorials of this Worthy. What little we have to shew, follows. As will be seen on turning to the ' Epistle Dedicatory ' of his ' Obadiab,' it is inscribed to his ' worthy friends the citizens and inhabitants of the parish of St James, Garlickhith, London,' with ' all the blessings of this life and that which is to come.' The ' Epistle ' is a loving, a manly, a winsome one : and it is mourn- ful to read in it of other similar Commentaries on ' Zephaniah and Haggai ' that have apparently perished — unless they be hidden away in some private collection, a thing not improbable, if we may judge from the number of contemporary manu- scripts of the same sort in our own possession, and otherwise known to us. The ' Commentarie ' on ' Habaldutk ' has a dedication to the family of Bishop John King, which reveals, tantalisingly, kinsmanship with not a few historic names. All our endeavours — and these have not been perfunctory, while, being coin- cident with our preparation of the Memoir of Bishop King,t they were some- what prolonged,— have failed to find the Mdnsman' link of our Commentator * The ' Catalogue of our English Writers on the Old and New Testaments 2d Edition, 1668, by Crowe,' by a slip has 1639 for the date of the ' Obadiah,' instead of 1049. It is a mere oversight. + Prefixed to reprint of his ' Jonah ' in this Series. Tl EDWAKD SIAEBURY. with the Kings. Nor has a wearying correspondence and visitation elicited so much as his birth-place, or even birth-county.* Puritan in doctrine, Marbury was a Royalist in sentiment and allegiance : and thus is to be classed -with Thomas Adams and Anthony Farindon, Nehemiah Rogers and Edward Sparke, Richard Maden and, — most loveable of all, — Thomas Fuller and other worthies who suf- fered for their fine loyalty to what they deemed the right. He were a poor bigot who would withhold his tribute to those who stood true to the ' losing side ;' nor is it without emotion, even reprobation, that one reads the deep-shadowed story of their ' depriving ' and beggary. There may have been, perchance, stern necessity for the former ; but it is pity that no provision was made for the right true and good men who could not conscientiously adhere to the new order of things. One mourns to find such men hiding, and skulking, and preaching furtively : and how shall we characterise the monarch for whom they gladly endured all, only to be neglected in better days ? We have said that Marbury was a Royalist. This appears from various authori- ties, e. g. Newcourt in his ' Repertorium Ecclesiasticum Parochiale Loudinense,'"!" whither the reader is referred for a painstaking account of the oddly-named Parish Church, ' St James Garlick-hith,' of which our Expositor was Rector ; J and John Walker, in his 'Attempt towards recovering an Account of the Numbers and Suflerings of the Clergy of the Church of England in the late Times of the Grand Rebellion.' § Besides these, it so happens that we have iu our Library the original broad-sheet containing a list of those who ' suffered ' for their ' loyalty ' in and around London, and in it is found the name of Marbury. The following is the heading of this apparently unknown, and inedited, and singularly useful paper : ' London : A Generall Bill of Mortality, of the Clergie of London, which have beene defunct by reason of the Contagious breath of the Sectaries of that City, from the yeere 1641 to this present yeere 1647, with the severall Casualties of the same. Or, A briefe Martyrologie and Catalogue of the Learned, Grave, Religious and painfull Ministers of the City of London, who have been Imprisoned, Plundered, barbarously used, and deprived of all livelyhood for themselves and their Families in these last yeeres : For their * We had hoped to have traced a connection with the Maiburys of Slarbury, Cheshire. In the ' Historical Sketches of Nonconformity in the County Palatine of Chester. By Various Ministers and Laymen in the County' (1 vol. Svo., 18G4), the name occurs several times; e.g. James Marbury, p. 162, and William, pp. xviii, xix, 401, 426. We have seen 'Sermons ' con- temporary -with our Edward by one Francis Marbury, but whether a brother or other relative does not appear. t 2 vols, folio, 1708 ; an annotated copy of this valu- able work is contained in the Library of Guildhall, Lon- don. t We may quote briefly ; — ' This Church of St James (which is a Rectory) called Garlickhith or Gai'lick-hive, for that of old time, on the river Thames, near to this church, garlick was usually sold, stands on the east side of the street called Garlick-hilL' — Vol. i. page 365. g 1714. Our copy contains manuscript notes and corrections, apparently in the handwriting of the com- piler. BDWAED MARBURY. constancie in the Protestant Religion establisht in this Kingdome, and tlieir Loyalty to their Sovereigne.'* In this suiliciently-spiced ■■ Marty rologie ' or ' Catalogue,' we read this entry : ' Peters Pauls wliarfe. M. Marbury seqnestred.' This placing of his name under another Church is explained by Newcourt. ' I can give/ he says, under St Peter's, Paul's Wharfe, ' but little account of the Rectors of this Church, it being in the collation of the Dean and Chapter, for the reason mentioned in St Anthin's [registers destroyed] ; only that one Ed. Marljury was Rector of this Church, and that of St James Garlickhith, when the return was made in 1636, the latter of which he resigned in 1642, but was turned out of this by Sequestration in the late Rebellion. 'f To this brief account Walker characteristically interpolates in telling of the Se- questration of Richard Freeman, Marbury's successor. ' He was admitted to the former of these livings \i. e. St James Garlickhithe] April 14th 1642, on t\\Q forced resignation of Mr Marbury.' He gives as his authority Newcourt, i. p. 367 : but there is not a syllable about s. forced resignation therein, or in all the work, as any one may see for himself. He continues. ' And therefore, though he [Freeman] was afterwards indeed sequestered from it, yet I can scarce reckon St James's to his account, because I look upon Mr Marbury, who was then living, as the equitable incumbent.' J It never seems to have occurred to Walker, that Marbury might share the scruples of those fellow-Churchmen, as Thomas Adams, who disapproved of double 'livings' or pluralities ; and that, hence, he may have resigned the one and retained the other. Or the 'forced ' resignation may have been of a far different sort from what Walker would insinuate, inasmuch as Laud presented and instituted his suc- cessor Freeman. One cannot help an ugly suspicion that pressure had been used — a pressure quite intelhgible, as the doctrinal teaching and ecclesiastical opinions of Marbury shewed him to have stood at the opposite pole from Laud and his school. Marbury had held 'St James Garlick-hith ' from 1613 : as we learn from Newcourt, who furnishes this memorandum : ' Edw. Marbury A.M. 18 Nov. 1613 per mort. Crowe ;' * This is a large folio, newspaper-like sheet. We i J As before, page 170, part ii. Under St Peter's, have a reprint of it, with large preliminary and appended [ Paul's Wharf (page 173), Walker unblushingly repeats matter under this title :— ' Persecutio Undecima : or The \ his statement, 'He was forced to resign,' again referring Churches Eleventh Persecution. Being a brief of the j to Newcourt, p. 32y, whose whole entry is verbatim this : Fanatick Persecution of the Protestant Clergy of the Church of England. More Particularly within the City of London. Begun in Parliament, Anno Dom. 1641. And Printed in the year, 1648. Reprinted in the year 1681, and are to be sold by AValter Davis in Amen- Corner near Pater-Noster-Row.' Polio, title-page, and pp. 36. t As before, vol. i. page 528. Laud. Ric. Freeman, 14 Apr. 1642 per Resig. Mar- bury.' The double entry of Marbury under 'St James Garbck-hith,' and 'St Peter's, St Paul's Wharfe' by Walker, is a specimen of that multiplication of ' sufferers ' which utterly vitiates his work. Newcourt distinctly places Laud in the margin (as indeed the date tells) as the patron ; and there is, as above, 'per resig: Marbury' — nothing more. Vlll EDWARD JIAEBURY. and under date 1636^ the same authority has this Httle pecuniary statement after a table of the 'income,' shewing the Rectorship to have been a considerable one : — ' More taken by Mr EJ. Marbury (tlie then Rector) out of certain Lands given to the Parish for the Fabric of the Church and increase of Divine Service, £28.'* Our Commentator is designated 'A.M./ and we have been fortunate enough to recover certain little details in his academic career from Cambridge.f Under 'Trinity/ Cambridge, he appears as B.A. in 1Q02-3 2:)robablij — and only probably, as the records of the University and this College at the period are defective. He proceeded M.A. 1606 nou socius. He died 'about 1655/ says Newcourt,J where, or at what exact date, is not recorded. The only other thing, besides his two ' Commentaries,' that proceeded from the pen of Marbury, is one of the elegiac poems on the death of Bishop Cosiu. It occurs in an appendix to a biography, or rather panegyric, of the Bishop by William Barlow, afterwards bishop of Lincoln. The appendix consists of a collection of Greek, Latin, English, and Italian verses in memory of the deceased, contributed by members of the University. The title of the work is, ' Vita et obitus ornatissimi celeberrimiq. viri Richardi Cosin, Legum Doctoris, Decani CuriiB de Arcubus, Can- cellarij sen Vicarij generalis Reverendissimi patris loannis Archiepiscopi Cantua- riensis, &c., per Guilielmum Barlowum, Sacra3 Theologi^ Baccalaureum, amoris sui et officii ergo edita. Lond. 4to, 159S.' The collection of verses bears this separate title : ' Carmina Funebria in eiusdem Venerandi Doctoris triste fatum, a quibus- dam Cantabrigiensibus, illius amicis, multo moerore fusa magis quam condita.' § Marbury's contribution is neither better nor worse than the others. English tears do not fall pathetically in archaic verse. Let the reader judge : — ' In obitum D.D. Cosini viri doctiss. & vtriusq. legis peritissimi, Carmen lugubre. Coniunctis 6 flende luis, 6 flende Britannis Flende viris doctis, docto Cosine iaces : Grata viri pietas, facundse gratia lingure, Ingenium, virtus, inuiolata fides, Cum granitate lepos, & cum grauitate venustas, Larga manus, vitas lumina dulcis erant. Pro quo dum Pallas, dum clarus certat Apollo, Neutrius (inquit) erit Mors, mihi prreda iacet Terra tegit terram, tellus tellure cadaucr ; Enthius|| ast cceli spiritus arce sedet. Ed. M.'^ebuey.' * As before, vol. i. pages 3G6, 367. t I have again to acknowledge gratefully the unfail- ing help of 0. H, Cooper, Esq., of Cambridge. As before, vol. i. p. 528 Cooper's Athena: Caniah. ii. Qu. ? 231. EDWARD :\rARBURY. Of the Commentaries now, after so long a time, reprinted, little need be said. Each bears witness to the author's statement, that he ' had done little or nothing herein without consulting the best authors, both ancient and modern.' * He proves himself to have been familiar with the Fathers, Greek and Latin, as well as with the Schoolmen, and the Philosophers and Poets of antiquity. He works in with no little skill his quotations — never overloading. Throughout also he evidences that he had added to the other ' that light which God by his Spirit revealeth in my understanding, to discern what his will is.' f There is a rich odour of spirituality, as from hidden spices, in most unlooked-for places. If we compare Marbury with Bishop Pilkington on ' Obadiah ' % he has far more substance ; if with Rainolds, § more sprightliness ; if with John Ellis, || more grace. In his ' Habakkuk ' he stands almost alone, in so far as English commentary is concerned. It excels his ' Ol^adiah,' being thoroughly expository, suggestive, ' savoury,' sparkling as the dew on the grass with luminous and refreshing thoughts, and pulsating, like a living human heart rather than a printed volume, with holy passion and fervour. Hitherto both 'Commentaries,' on their rare occurence, have fetched extravagant prices. And so we pay willing tribute to the memory of the good Royalist Rector and Commentator. ALEXANDER B. GROSART. Liverpool. * Ep. Dedy. of Obadiah.' \ Ibid. 11502. gl613. 111641. TO MY WORTHY FRIENDS THE CITIZENS AND INHABITANTS OF THE PAEISH OF ST JAMES, GARLIOKHITH, LONDON, ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THIS LIFE, AND THAT WHICH IS TO COME. IHA^^ not without goocl canse inscribed this com- mentary unto you : First, those sermons were preached amongst you ; secondly, some of you have heretofore often importuned the publication of this and some others of my labours ; thirdly, you were my first fruits, and therefore the first commencement of my labours in this kind doth properly belong to you. As, then, it is justly dedicated unto you, so I desire it may have your favournblo acceptance, and pass under the convoy of your worthy names. I have by me an exposition of three other of the small prophets, viz., Habaklvuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai, which, to- gether with this, are licensed and intended for the press ; but the charge of printing being great, and the number of buyers of books in these times (if we may believe the stationers) very small, I thought fit to send forth this as Joshua did the spies, to see what encour- agement the rest may happily find to follow after it. I am of Saint Austin's mind, who accounted nothing his own but what he did communicate, and professed himself to be of that number, qui scribiwt proficiendo, et scrihendo pivftciHiit, that write what they have learnt, and learn more by writing ; and if the grain be good, it is fitter for the market than for the garner. What entertainment this will find there, I know not; for mine own part, I have taken the counsel of the wise, neither to praise nor dispraise my own doings : the one, he saith, is vanity, the other folly. Others will be ready enough to save me that pains, to whose uncertain censure I submit myself, to stand or fall before them. Yet thus much I will make bold to say for myself, that I have done little or nothing herein without con- sulting the best authors, both ancient and modern, to which I have added that light which God by his Spirit revealeth in mj' understanding, to discern what his will is, and to suggest what I shall preach in his church. As the bee gathereth honey, and storeth her hive out of several sorts of flowers for the common good, so have I out of these collected and gathered sundry honeycombs of truth for the use and benefit of the public. All my desire is, to do all the good I can ; and to that end, my tongue being suspended for some time, I have taken this opportunity to supply the defect thereof by my pen. I am loath to lose our crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord. Anlmii: servater, the saving of souls, will procure us a better garland at the coming of Christ than circs sen-ati, the saving of citizens, did the ancient Romans. EPISTLE DEDICATORY. That is the only mark -sve aim at, and (we be* light and not smoke in the chmxh of Chiist) the only sub- ject and matter of all our preaching and -writing, and the saving of your souls a part of that bounden duty and debt which, by the just bond of thankfulness, I owe unto you especially. Testis est mihi Deiis quomodo citpiam vos omnes in viscerilus Jesu Christi, God is my witness how much I have desired the good of you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ ; and if I have not been able to do for you what I would, yet that I have de- * Qu. ^ be we ' ?— Ed. sired and endeavom-ed it what I could, may deserve acceptance, or at the least will satisfy my own^con- science. In a word, to see the welfare and^happiness of you and yours, how much will it revive his. heart, who professeth himself Your affectionate friend and Servant in the Lord, Edw. Marbuey. A COMMENTAEY OE EXPOSITION UPON THE PEOPHEOY OF OBADIAH. VER. 1. The vision of ObadiciJi. This short pro- phecy calleth to my remembrance the words of David concerning God : Ps. sviii. 26, ' With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure, and with the fro- ■ward thou wilt shew thyself froward.' Ver. 27, ' For thou wilt save the afflicted people ; but wilt bring down high looks.' For in the former part of this prophecy God thun- dereth with the terrors of his judgments ; in the latter part we hear the whisper and still voice of his mercy. Two things set consideration a-work at first : 1. The title, which sheweth (1.) Whose; (2.) What. 2. The prophecy itself. (1.) Whose, Obadiah. 'V^Tiether this were the pro- per name of a man, or a notation only, to express the calling of him that wrote this prophecy, we may doubt ; for Abcul, servus, a servant ; and Jah, domi- niis, (I Joid, may denote this prophet in his function, a servant of the Lord ; and so are all the ministers of the word, in a special service, concerning the building up of the house of God. That which Lj'ranus saith to be the judgment of most ecclesiastical writers, that this was the same Obadiah that was steward of king Ahab's house, 1 Kings xviii. 4, and hid the prophets in the cave, and fed them with bread and water, and was contemporary with Elias ; that, how great authors soever it hath, is so clearly confuted in the words of this prophecy, that we resolve against it. For the prophecy, it mentioneth the taking of Je- rusalem was eight hundred years after Ahab. It is likely that it was the proper name of the pro- phet ; and Dorotheus thinketh him the same that lived in Ahab's time, which cannot be, as I have shewed. It must suffice us that we know this prophecy to have been ever received in the canon of the church. Melito, in his epistle to Onesimus, Euseb. iv. 25,. naming the books of canonical Scripture, doth name one book of the twelve prophets, whereof this is one.. And I never read the authority of this prophecy doubted of in any age of the church : he was one of those ' holy men who wrote and spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,' 2 Peter ii. The maid that came to the door when Peter knocked, Acts xii. 14, knew him by his voice ; and surely the majesty and weight that is in the canonical Scriptures doth declare them to be the voice of God, which wanteth in all the apocryphal assumements, as a reader diligently exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern. These holy writings, addressed to the perpetual light of the church, are spare in their inscriptions. Who wrote the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Esther ? They are -m-itten, they are ours, the wisdom of God is seen in them, the grace of God is confirmed by them, the church of God ever received them, the Spirit;, of God testifieth of them, and God in_all ages hatli been glorified by them. The church of Rome doth attribute to the church a power of authorising books of Scripture, and maketh the church's authority the warrant for the authorising thereof. MARBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1 . St Augustine allowetli the church the reputation of a witness, but not the power of authority herein ; for he saith,* Platoiiis, Aristotelis, Ciceronis libros wide noverint homines, quod ipsorum sint, nisi temporum sibi succedentium contestatione continua ? Therefore, that these books were the canon of Scripture, the tes- timony of all ages in then- successions doth maintain ; but this testimony doth not give them authority, but wituesseth the authority given them by the Spirit of God. We find that even the authority of holy Scriptures hath been denied by heretics. Sadducwi nuUas Scri2}tiiras recipiehant, nisi quinque libros Mosis. Simon proplietas minimi ctirandos dixit, quia a mundifabricatoribus mifjelis prophetias acceperunt. (Iren. i. 20). Saturiiinus totum vetus test, repiidiabat. Ptolemaitie libros 2Iosis. (Epiph. Hfer. xxxiii.) i\ico- laita: et Gnostici, librum Psalmorum. Anabajjt. Cant. Salomonis: Et lib. Job. Porphyrius scripsit volumen Cont. lib. Dauielis. The New Testament hath had many enemies. The chiJdi-en of darliness have ever made war against light. We 9,re better taught ; and seeing the Holy Ghost bath not satisfied us fi'om whence this our prophet came, but hath only given us his name, and his pro- phecy, this contenteth us. The vessel was but of earth which brought us this treasure ; and if we have lost the vessel and kept the treasure ; — The messenger was a man like us ; the message was the Lord's. If the messenger be gone, and the mes- sage do yet remain, the matter is not great. Let us glorify God for his saints, whom God hath used as instruments of our good, and praise him for all his prophets, aud holy men by whom these heavenly oracles were received from him, and communicated to the church. The son of Sirach, Ecclus. iv. Let us now com- mend the famous men in the old time, by whom the Lord hath gotten great glory ; let the people speak of their wisdom, and the congregation of their praise. Of this there is a double use : 1. That we that do leijere, read, may learn degere, sanclorum vitas, to live the lives of saints, and do the church of God all the good service we can. 2. That God may be honoured in Sanctis, in the saints, as St Jerome saith : Honoramus servos, ut honor servorum redundet ad Dominum. This is the honour of God, and this is the praise of the prophet Obadiah ; * Contra Faust, xxxiii. 6. whosoever he was, he liveth in this prophecy, to preach the will of God to you here present, and to let you know both the justice of God against the enemies of bis church, and his mercy to his own beloved people. For, as the apostle doth say of Abel's faiih, Heb. xi. 4, ' And by it he being dead yet speaketh,' so may we say of all this and all other penmen of hoh' Scrip- ture, that by these works of theirs, though the}' be dead, yet they do now speak in the church of God. Abel spake two ways ; for there was, 1. Vo.v sanr/uinis, a voice of blood, which cried for judgment,' Gen. iv. 10; and, 2. Vo.v fidei, a voice of faith, which is example for imitation, Heb. xi. ■!. Thus all ecclesiastical writers do speak ; and we in our studies do confer with dead men, and take light from them. That is the reason that the elect of God do not arise to their full reward before the resurrection of all flesh, because their works do follow them in order as they are done, and then- light goeth not out by night; death doth not quench their candle. Thus the ancient fathers of the church have left living monuments of their holy learning, aud we come after them, and enter upon their labours. They are unthankful and spiteful that despise their names, and refuse their testimonies which they have given to the truth, and blemish then- memory, as if they were unworthy to be named in our sermons, or, to their judgments, to be held in any estimation. It is the only way for a man gloriously to outlive himself, to be the instrument of doing good to the church of God when he is gone hence, and is no more seen. ' Blessed is that servant whom his Master, when he cometb, shall find so doing.' 2. What ? The vision. Some have confounded these two terms, vision and projiheetj, as both expressing the same act of prophe- tical vocation. I find three of these titles used together: 1 Chron. sxix. 29, ' Now the acts of David the king, first aud last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer;' where, though our Eng- lish translation do use the same word for Samuel and Gad, calling them both seers, the Hebrew distingnish- eth them ; and a learned professor of diviuitj' * doth read, in verbis Samuelis inspicientis, the inspector ; * Dr Hump. Decor, Interpret. lib. iii. Ver. ].] MARBURY ON OBADTAH. Nathan prnphetff, the prophet; Gad videnth, the seer. I do not take these to be three distinct offices, but three parts of the same office ; for, 1. Such must be rideiites, seers ; God must open their e3'es, that they may see what the will of God is. Balaam being to prophesy at the request of Balak against Israel, beginneth thus, Num. xsiv. 3, ' Balaam the son of Beor hath said, the man t\ hose eyes are open hath said : he hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, who had his eyes shut, but now open.' Therefore they must be videntes, seers ; for if the blind do lead the blind, you know where to find them both. 2. Such must be inspicioites, inspectors ; and that both in regard of the suggestion that it be no human phantasy, no Satanical illusion, but a divine and spiritual revelation. As also in regard of the thing suggested, that they may rightly inform themselves in the will of God, and so far as God revealeth it s^i rri /3ouaj5 ro\J 'bsXri/j.arog auroZ, that they may boldly say and maintain, Sic DIGIT DoMiNus, Thus saith the Lord. 3. Thus prepared, tliey may be prophets, that is, the publishers of this will of God to them to whom they be sent. So that vision and inspection belong to preparation, prophecy to execution of that office ; from whence, doccmur, we arc taught, Boot. 1. The faithful minister of the word of God must receive his information and instruction from the Spirit of God before he preach or prophesy. We are ambassadors and messengers from God, and the warrant of our calling is our mission. The apostle saith, 'How shall he preach except he be sent?' for mission iraportotli fit instructions in the errand. God hath laid blame upon them that run unsent ; 'and no rna.i putteth himself in that emploj'ment ' but he that was scut, as was Aaron.' The Son of God himself was sent ; and when he came to do the will of him that sent him, he saith, Lev tita sciipla est in corde inco. He professeth to Nicodemus, John iii. 11, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, wo speak that we know, and testify that we have seen ;' and the Baptist saith, John i. 31, ' I saw and bare record.' Christ giveth this account to his Father in his holy prayer : John xvii. 8, ' I have given them the word which thou gavest mo.' For so St Peter admonisheth : 1 Peter iv. 11, 'If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God ; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth : that God in all things may be glorified.' If any man build upon this foundation of Jesus Christ either timber, hay, or stubble, the fire of God's Spirit will soon consume it. If we build gold or silver, this fire will try and refine it. Surely this vision was not ocuhire, but mentale, a divine revelation of the will of God. The eye is the most noble of the senses, and the most sure of the object, therefore he in the comedy saith, Ociilatns testis miiis pluvis est facicndus qiiiim aui'iti decern. St John, ' That which we have seen with our eyes, that declare we unto you.' The understanding is the eye of the soul, and that seeth much more perfectly than the eye of the body ; for as the poet saith, Fallmit nos oculi vagique seiisus, Ut funis prope qiice quadrata sui'git Detritis procul angulis rotetur. The distance of the object, and the debility of the organ, can make the sight of the eye falhble ; but in- tcUectits rectus, a right understanding, taketh sight from the Spirit of God, which searcheth all things, etiam arcana Dei, even the hidden things of God. Therefore the apostle, desiring to fit Timothy for this holy calling, admonisheth him of his duty, and saith, 2 Tim. ii. 7, ' Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things !' But false prophets had their visions, and did boast of their revelations, and came as boldly amongst the people with Sic dicit Dominus, Thus saith the Lord, as any true prophet of the Lord did. Satan will so transform himself into an angel of light, 2 Cor. xi. 14, that you cannot know him from one of God's holy angels easily ; and he will carry the metamorphosis so cunningly, ' that if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect of God.' Simon Magus called himself ' the great power of God.' Celsus inscribeth his oration for paganism Vera Oratio, a true oration. Manichasns calleth himself ISlanichaus apostolus Jesu Cltristi, the apostle of Jesus Christ; and saith, Here sunt saluhria verba de fonte pierenni. Chrysostom saith that the Macedonian heretics did say, Nos recta fide incedimus. St Augustine, Niillus MARBUEY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. error se aitdct extollere ad coiiyrecjandas sibi turhas im- peritonim, qui non Chrktiani nominis velamenla con- quirai* Faustus saith, Stdas qumn Christus proinistt, ajiud me est; ego dabo. Therefore, that the hearers may be able to distin- guish inter verwn et verisiinile, that which is true and truth-hke ; and as the apostle biddeth, to ' try the spirits whether they be of God or no;' that we may beware of false prophets, and know them from such .as receive their instructions for their message from ■God, observe these notes of difference : 1. Lawful calling. We read of no true prophet ■but he had a mission ; as before. Christ took not this honour upon him to be the great angel of the cove- nant, but was sent by his Father, Heb. v. 5. But fidso prophets run, and are not sent ; God sendeth none such on his errands into his church. But this is not so easily discovered, because none do make more show of lawful calling than the false prophets do, Jer. siv. 14. 2. The application of the prophecy is a clearer sign ; for the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xiv. 3, ' He that prophe- sieth, speaketh to men [to] edification, eshortation, comfort."' This edification is building up of the church of God. False prophets seek the pulling down of God's church, and the diverting of men from all good ways. They seek to hinder the course of the gospel, and to dis- courage the hearts of them that fear God. Here a false prophet m;iy have a true prophecy tending to the good of the church, and the prophecy' is to be received and the prophet refused, as Caiaphas prophesied, John xi. 50, E.vpedit ut iinus inorialur, it is meet one die ; and Balaam prophesied truly, yet was he a false prophet. 3. By observing the aim and end of these prophets ; for such as prophesy aright do say with Christ, Kon ■juaro fjloriam meam, ' I seek not my own glory ;' but false prophets seek either filthy gain, or they seek their own vain glory. The apostle saith, Eom. svi. 18, ' They seek not, they serve not, the Lord, but their own bellies.' 4. God himself givcth this note of dilTerence in the event of their prophecies : Deut. sviii. 22, ' When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the ihing follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously.' - _ '•'' Cent. Fail. lib. xiii. cap. 14. And the name of a vision, given to prophecy, doth declare the certainty of the event, for it is a thing so revealed to the prophet as if he saw it with his eye. 5. The persons of the jirophets and their carriage doth detect them ; for if they be men sanctified and fitted with eminent graces for that service, the graces of God do testify of them, for God doth send none but with all fit preparations for the execution of so great an oflice. 2. This title of vision doth give us assurance of all that foUoweth in this prophecy, for God revealed it, and the prophet saw it. Therefore, so many of you as desire to receive any good from the interpretation of this prophecy, re- member that it is a vision, and therefore bring your eyes with you to this place, not the eyes of your body only, but the spiritual eyes of your understanding, and pray with David, Dtvideain mirabilia tua, 'Lord, open thou mine eyes that I may see thy wonders.' Christ, in opening the eyes of the blind who had lost their sight, and in giving sight to them that were born blind, did declare himself so to be more than man, that his enemies could not tell how to deny his Godhead. He worketh a greater wonder every day in his spiritual illuminations of men's understandings, by which the ignorant and simple do learn knowledge, and poor men receive the gospel, and, as the apostle saith, grace ' rich in faith,' and are declared heirs of that kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him, James ii. 5. Ver. 1. Thus saith the Lord concerning Edoin. The prophecy followeth. This hath two parts : 1. Against Edom, ver 1 to IG. 2. For the Israel of God, ver. 17 to the end. The title of the fii-st part is my text, ' Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom.' Consider here, 1. The subject of the prophec}-, ' Edom.' 2. The author of it, Dicit Dominus, ' Thus saith the Lord.' 1. Of the sulijoc'r, 'Edom.' Isaac had two sons by Kebekah, Esau and Jacob. Esau was called Edom. The reason of that name is thus given : Jacob had made red pottage, and when Esau came home from the field hungry and faint, he said to his brother Jacob, ' Feed me, I pray thee, with that red pottage, for I am faint,' Gen. xxv. ; therefore was his name called Edom, because he so Yeti. 1.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. affected that red colour, being himself also red and very hairy. This name doth maintain the memory of a qnaiTel, for he bought that red pottage dear enough, with the - sale of his birthright. Esau and Jacob are a figure of the church of God and the synagogue of Satan, for they strove in the ■womb of their mother, so that Eebeliah wondered at it, Fa3'ing, ' If it be so, why am I thus ?' ver. 12. The blessing, howsoever usurped by Esau, belongeth to Jacob ; and when Jacob hath his right, Esau is angry. From this natural antipathy between these two brethren, and the grudge that the elder should serve the younger ; From the sentence of this difference, which was, ' I have loved Jacob, and have hated Esau :' there was ever mntnal war and hatred between Israel and Edom in their succeeding posterities, for the posterity of Esau did increase both in number and wealth, and grew both many and strong. Thus doth the world gather riches and strength, and armeth itself against the church of God, and therefore the church is called militant. Concerning Edom is this part of the prophecy, de- claring both God's quarrel against them and his judg- ment threatened. We may take notice here of one point by the waj' : Edom is a mighty people, a strong and rich nation, able to molest the Lord's Israel, that God from heaven undertaketh the quarrel of his church. Do you not see that thoy whom God hafes may have riches, and honour, and strength, and may in- crease, and grow into multitudes. How eometh it then to pass that so many in the world do measure the love and favour of God by these outward things, as one flattered his prince, nimitim clilccte, deo libi militat rcMier ? Y\'hat though their oxen be sti-ong to labour ; what though their sheep bring forth thousands, and though they have the fi'uits of the womb, of the herb, and purchase lands doitec iion sit locus, till there be no room ; what thoagh they have power and high places : all this had EJom, whom God hated ; and doth not our Saviour make it an hard thing for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven ? Outward things are the gifts of God, and he doth not value them at so high a rate as wc do. Ho doth not care if his enemies have them. His own Son, when he took upon him our flesh, had none of them more than for necessity; and his apostle persuadeth us, if we have food and raiment, to he there- with content. For there be snares in these outward things, and if God give not a blessing with them, they be the rods of God to scourge the sous of men, and great impedi- ments to godly life. There is an holy use may be made of them, but they ai'e not our happiness, seeing they whom God hateth may have them in a gi-eater abundance than those whom God loveth best. 2. The author of the prophecy, 'Thus saith the Lord.' This is the assurance of the truth of all that followeth in this prophecy, and it is the ground of our faith to believe what is here revealed ; it is no passionate mo- tion in the heart and affections of the prophet against Edom, but it is the word of the Lord. These be the bounds that are set to the prophets and holy ministers of the Lord ; we may go no fur- ther than the word of the Lord. Christ himself saith often, 'The word which thou gavest me, I gave them." And Balaam did his office and calling right when he told the king of Moab, Num. sxii. 38, &c., ' Lo, I am come unto thee : have I any power to say anything ? the word that God pulteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.' ' Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord hath put in my mouth ?' ' All that the Lord speaketh, that must I do.' 'And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not to thy messengers, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind ; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak.' When God designed Jeremiah to the office of a pro- phet, who did fear to undertake that great employment, God said to him, Jer. xvii., ' Say not I am a child : for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatso- ever I command thee shalt thou speak.' Y\'^hcn our Saviour sent forth his disciples, he so limited them : Mat. sxviii. 20, ' Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.' And accordingly St Paul doth profess, 1 Cor. sv. 3, ' First of all I delivered unto you that which I also re- ceived.' Thus doth the apostle again profess, being accused of the Jews, Acts xsvi. 22, ' I obtained help of God, and continue unto this day, witnessing unto small and MAEBUET OK OBADIAH. [Vee. 1. great, sajing no other things than those which the pro- phets and Moses did say should come.' 1. This limitation we find in the titles of our office, for we arc the Lord's workmen, and we must do his work, not our own; the Iiord's builders, he provideth the materials, we work not by great but by day-work. We arc the Lord's messengers and ambassadors ; we may not digress from our instructions ; the mes- senger of the Lord must speak the Lord's message. 2. This is necessary in respect of those to whom we are seat for the settling of their faith ; so the apostle hath dcclai'ed it : 1 Cor. ii. 4, ' And my speech and my preaching was not in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.' There is nothing that givoth faith firm footing but the word of God. That is the Lord's fan which purgeth away the chatf and trash from the good corn. That is the bread of oui- Falher's house; words of men's brains be the basks that the prodigal gathered up in his famine. That is the two-edged sword that divideth between the bone and the marrow ; that is the medi- cine that searchcth the sores and diseases of the in- ward m:;u. Human wisdom put into the best words is but as a wooden dagger ; it may dry beat, it will never kill the body of sin; it is an unguent, it corrod- eth not. 3. Great is the danger of those that shall speak anything but the word of God to God's people, or sh.iU conceal an} thing of that which is given them to speak. So God iaith to Jeremiah, chap. i. 17, 'Thou there- fore trn.ss up thj- loins, arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not afraid of their faces, lest I destroy ihee before them.' And to Ezekiel, chap. iii. IS, ' If thou sound not the trumpet, nor give warning to the wicked man of his wicked way, his blood will I require at thy hand.' This is not our own trumpet, but the Lord's ; ours giveth an uncertain sound, the Lord's trumpet awaketh men to the battle. From hence both the minister and the people have their lessons. 1. The minister. We are taught to exercise our- selves in the holy studies of the word of God, that we may be able to divide the word of God aright, that we may wisely understand the word of God, to be able to minister the word of God in due season. The ignorant and unlearned man is no fit man for this employment ; to such saith God, Hosea iv. 6, ' Because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee : thou shalt be no priest to me.' For why should any dare to intrude himself into this great service to teach others iu the word, seeing himself untaught ? for, Mai. ii. 31, ' The priest's lips should preserve knowledge, and the people must seek the law at their mouth.' Doth an}' man send a lame man of his errand, or put his message into the mouth of a dumb man ? We are the Lord's messengers. Doth any man set au unskilful man to build, that knoweth not how to use his tools ? We are the Lord's builders. Doth any man set an unexperienced man to take chai'ge of his sheep ? We are the Lord's shepherds of his flock. Jeroboam took the right way to destroy true reli- gion, aud to set up idolatry : 1 Kings xiii. 33, 34, ' He made of the lowest of the people priests of the high places : whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from oif the face of the earth.' Surely such ministers, though they have the out- ward calling of the church, yet do they want the in- ward calling of God ; and being darkness, they possess the place of light, and they are blind leaders of the blind, as Christ calleth them. Two sorts of ministers ai'e here escUidcd. (1.) Those that know not what the Lord saith, and therefore use the holy calling of the miuistry Lut as a means for their maintenance, without care or con- science of feeding the flock of Christ, and woe is to them because they preach not the gospel ; they usurp the wool and milk of the flock, and have no right to the inheritance of God, that is, the tithes of the people. (2.) Those who know not, understand not the word of the Lord, yet, trusting to their own natural parts, do boldly step up aud usurp the chair of Moses, and are imper'Uoruiii iiiaf/istri, teachers of the unlearned, before they have been pcntorum discipuU, scholars of the learned. And these are the more dangerous of the two ; better an unpreaching minister that readeth the word of God distinctly, than an ignorant preacher that presumeth ex puiis naturallhus, from his pure Veu. L] MARBURT ON OBADIAH. naturals to deal with those things which are too high and deep for him. 2. Ministers are taught their great duty of faith- fulness, of which the apostle saith, 1 Cor. iv. 2, ' Moreover, it is required of stewards that a man he found faith Tul.' He must say. Thus saith lite Lord. That is, he must say, 1. Qttod dicil Doininus, what the Lord saitli is the truth. 2. Omne quod dicit, all that, all the truth. 3. Qiinmodn dicit, in the Siime manner, 2'hiis. 1. For wo may not go from our instructions to speak of ourselves anything, but we must first receive from the Lord, and then we must speak that. It was Nathan's error, when David did open to him his pur- pose for building of the Lord's house, that before he had understood the will of God therein, he encouraged him, sayir.g, ' Do all that is in thy heart ;' and there- fore ho Was sent again to him to unsay it. 2. Neither may we suppress anything of that which is put into our mouths. The apostle saith. Acts iv. 20, ' We cannot but speak those things which we have seen and heard.' And Saint Paul saith to the ciders of Ephesus, Acts ss. 2G, 27, ' I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men ; for I have concealed nothing, but have revealed to you all the counsel of God.' For surely, as God told Ezekiel, it is as much as our salvation is worih to leave any part of God's re- vealed will in Scripture untaught. 3. Neither may we change the manner of God's speakings ; for there is a form of doctrine delivered to us, and there is a form of words ; we must not only say this, but tJius saith the Lord. For so Saint Peter admonisheth : 1 Pet. iv. 1], 'If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.' Not mingling human fancies wilh divine doctrines ; not mingling words of human wisdom with holy es- horti'.tious ; not mingling our own spirit of contradic- tion with our confutations of the advcrsai-y ; not mingling any of our own spirit of bitterness and pas- sions with our just reprehensions of sin, drawing against Satan and sin no other sword but ' the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' Thus shall we be ' unto God the sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved,' 2 Cor. ii. 13. We shall meet with many discouragements in this our office, and we shall lose a great deal of labour ; but so did our Master, it is his complaint, though never any were so sufficient for this service as he was. 1. For his calling : Isa. xlix. 4, ' The Lord hath called me from the womb ; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.' 2. For his fitting to that calling : ver. 2, ' Ho hath made my mouth like a sharp sword ; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, a,nd made me a polished shaft.' Yet he complaineth : ver. 4, ' Then I said, I have laboured in vain ; I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain.' Yet his comfort was: 'Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work (or my reward) with my God.' OliJLXt. Here some think thai the limitation of us to Thus saith the Lord, doth so restrain the minister of the word to the word of God, that it is not lawful to mention the names either of the ancient fathers of the church, or of any heathen writers in our sermons. A point touched somewhat to the quick by a great and learned divine even upon this test in priut. To which my moderate and just answer is, 1. That as there is authorilas Scrijjtnrir, the autho- rity of Scripture, which is the ground of faith, so there must be teistimoiiiitm ccclesice, the witness of the church, as Vincent. Lyrinensis wall adviseth,* Quia Seriptu- raiii saciam non una eodomquc sensu. iiniversi aic.-pe- runt. And in this case, not havrngautiqailalem luinistrau- icui, universal consent, and we are put to it to search out what tho most learned and most sincere divines in all ages have taught concerning this point ; and here there is a necessity of consulting and declaring the constant judgment of the church for tho testimony to Ihe truth. 2. In all points of doctrine, it giveth a great assur- ance to our hearers of our fiithfuluess, if we declare ourselves to be such as feed our hearers with the same bread of life which our fathers before us did break to their children. 3. Whereas it is surmised that these citations of fathers be but a pride of our feeding,^ and a vain boast of our learning, it were more charitable to think, 1. That our humility is such, that we are not ashamed to profess by wdiom we learn anything. 2. That we have so unworthy an opinion of our own judgments, that we choose rather to apply the learned judgments of those that have gone before us than our own. •'■' Chap. ii. t Q'l- 'rending'? — Ed. 10 MARBUEY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. And who cfiD denj- but that our proachiug out of tbem is with the warrant of our text ? Sic elicit Do- mintis, Thus s.iith the Lord, if the Lord spake by tbem to his church ? For the use of heathen writers, I only say, with St Augustine, Oiintis scientiu in rjenere boiionim est, in aruiidiiie steriU potest uva pendere. Truth is the lan- guage of God, and if ignorant men, wicked man, devils, do speak truth, we may quote and write them ; and we may say truly. Sic dicit Dominus, Thus saith the Lord. The prophecy of wicked Balaam, and of Caiaphas, was the word of the Lord ; and the confession of devils testifj-ing of Christ is a good confession ; there is no wrong done to the word. Q ti non est contra iitc, inecum est, he that is not against me is with me. 2. The hearer's lesson. You are all taught to re- ceive this wholesome doctrine which the minister preacheth from the mouth of the Lord. ' It is not you that speak,' saith Christ ; ' he that hath ears to hear must hear,' quod Spirilas dicit, ' what the Spirit speakcth.' When we tell the house of Jacob of their L-ins, this is the word of Ihe Lord. When we say unto you, going in an evil way, as Lot to the Sodomites, 'Do not so wickedly,' do not say, Dams est kic seriiio, he railed to-day against swearing, or against drunkenness, &c. I will tell you how you shall receive both comfort and gi'eat profit by onr ministry ; and ' the worl is given to profit withid.' ' Do not my ^Yords do good to him that walketh uprightly ? 'Micah ii. 7. E^ctu jiulicio : ndis inoiibtis. I will give 3'ou a fair example. Israel said to Moses, Deut. v. 27, 23, ' Go thou now near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say ; and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and wo will hear it, and do it.' God took it well, and said to Moses, ' I have heard the voice of this people : they have well said all that they have spoken.' We must tell you that the word of the Lord, v.hich he soLiJetb forth in our miuisti'v, shall not return to him empty, it shall finish the thing for which it was sent. Therefore take you heed how you hear, and con- sider what we say ; hide the word that we preach in your hearts, that yon siu not against God. If we do our dutv, he that heareth us and receiveth us receiveth -Jesus Christ that sent us, and in these earthen vessels rich treasures are brought unto him. He that refuscth ns and our ministry refuseth him that sent us ; and the word of the Lord which we bring to them will prove a rod [of] correction to chastise them ; and although they feel not the pain presently, it will be owing to them till afiiiction or death assault thorn, and then they will remember the word of the Lord with much horror. Yer. 1. We luere heard a rumour from tlie Lord, and an ambassador is sent ainonj the heathen, Arise ye, and let us arise against her in battle. We are now come to the prophecy itself, which holdeth to the end of the sisteeuth verse. The parts whereof arc four. 1. The judgment intended against Edom, vers. 1, 2. 2. All the hopes of Edom despaired, ver. 3-9. 8. The cause provoking God to this severe process against them, ver. 10-14. 4. God's revenge upon them, vers. 15, IG. 1. la the judgment intended, observe, (1.) The discovery thereof. (2.) The eflect of it. (1.) In the discovery, observe, [l.j By whom it was discovered. [2.j How, two ways : first, by a rumour of the Lord ; secondlij, by ambassadors. [1.] To whom this threatened judgment was dis- covered, we have heard. We, that is, the prophets of the Lord ; for although Obadiah writ this present prophesy, yet was not this judgment only revealed to him, but to many more of the holy prophets ; for so saith the prophet Amos, chap. iii. 7, ' Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he re vealeth his secret to his servants the prophets,' not unto one only, but to more. And so fully vras this revealed to Jeremiah, that he doth prophesy even in the same words against Edom, but undt-r the name of^ozrab, which was the name of a principal city in Edom, as appeareth Gen. xxxvi. 33. The words of the prophecy are these, Jer. slis. 13, ' I have sworn by mys-^lf, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall becL»me a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse, and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.' ' I have heard a rumonr from the Lord, an ambassador is sent to the heathen, saying, Gather ye together and come against her,' &c. The margins of the Bibles refer you to that place : Deut. sxiii. 7, Ver. 1.] MARBURT ON OBADIAH. 11 ' The Lord gave great charge to Israel concerning Edom, Thou shalt not ahhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother.' Yet because the Edomite was ever an enemy to Israel, God revealed his judgment against them to many of his prophets. Balaam foretold their subjection to Israel : Nnm. xxiv. 18, 19, ' And Edom shall he a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies ; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that re- maineth of that citj'.' The psalmist prayeth for their punishment : Ps. cxxsvii. 7, ' Eemember, Lord, the children of Edom,' It had not been lawful for the prophet to have pro- voked the ju-tiee of God against Edom, unless God had revealed his purpose of judgment intended against them to him. For David's imprecations be all pro- phecies. ' The burden of Dumah (that is, of Idumea). He calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what was in the night ? ' &c., Isa. xxi. 11. ' The sword of the Lord is filled v.ith blood ; it is made fat with fatness, &o. For the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the bind of Idumea,' Isa. xxsiv. 6. ' Eejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz : the cup also shall pass through unto thee ; thou fhalt be drunken, rind shalt make thyself naked,' Lam. iv. As to the young man. Rejoice, young man, Ironice q. d., make thee merry whilst thou mayest, for thou art like to have sorrow and care enough. Amos also foretold as much, chap. i. 11, ' Thus saith the Lord, For three transgressions, and for four, I will not turn av/ay the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and did tear perpetually, and kept his wrath for ever.' Which causes are after in this prophecy alleged. 'But I will send fire upon Teman, which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.' Ezek. XXV. 12, ' Thus saith the Lord God, Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by tak- ing vengeance, and hath revenged himself upon them ; I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom, and I will cat oil' man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman ; and they of Dedan shall fall bj" the sword. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel : and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger, and according to my fury ; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord.' Chap. xxxv. 2, ' Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I will make thee most deso- late,' &c. I may saj' now as the messengers sent to bring Micaiah to king Ahab said, 1 Kings xxii. 13, but in a contrary. Behold, the words of the prophets declare evil unto Edom with one mouih. And now j'ou see what reason this prophet hath to say, ' We have heard,' for God hath revealed this threatened judgment to his servants the prophets, and with one mouth they declare it. From whence we are taught, Doct. 1. That th,-' decrees of God's judgment upon the wicked are constant a-.d unchangeable. 1. For God is -without variableness and shadow of alteration. Hos. xiii. 14, ' The word is gone out of my mouth, it shall not return empty, but it shall finish the thing for which it is sent; repentance is hid from mine eyes.' ' God is not as man, that he should repent ; he hath sworn in his wrath they shall not enter into his rest.' And, ' The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent.' 2. From the nature of the wicked, against whom he throateneth judgment, for they have hearts that cannot repent, and therefore they heap up wrath against the day of wrath. God's hatred doth deprive them of all the means of grace, and none can be effectual in them or to them ; and he hath said, ' I have hated Esau.' Sin is folly, sinners are fools. ' Bray a fool in a mortar, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.' Therefore they are under the rods and scorpions of wrath, and cannot avoid the same. 3. From the faithfulness of his prophets ; for the prophets of the Lord, that threaten these judgments from his mouth, shall not be found liars ; seeing their prophecies are no self-given notions, but inspirations of his Spirit, v/hich is the Spirit of truth. You know how Jonah was troubled to bo a mes- senger of judgment to Nineveh, when he was per- suaded that God would shew them mercy, and so his prophecy fall to the ground. He could rather have looked on to see the utter destruction of Nineveh, than that his prophecy should be found unperformed; therefore he went another wnj at first, and would not 12 MAEBURT ON OBADIAH. [Vee. 1. come to Nineveh, and when be had j'l'ophesied he went out of the city, and there expected the event of his prophec}', and was angry that it succeeded not. Qiicr. We find that in that example God changed, and repented him of the evil which he had threatened against Nineveh ; how then do v^'e say, that the judg- ments of God against the wicked be unreversible ? Jonah iii. 10, ' And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way ; and God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them, and he did it not.' Sol. To this we answer, that God's repentance was no change of his mind, or auy alteration of his coun- sel or decree, but a deferring of the execution of his judgment. The change was in Nincvuh, and the repentance was in them. They bumbled themselves before God, and they both did the works of mortification, and they also believed God, chap, iii, 5. This was not a justi- fying faith, which is credere in Demii, to believe in God, but an historical, which is credere Deo, to believe God. And God would have his chm-ch see, that if Ahab bumble himself and go in sackcloth, if Nineveh give over evil works and repent them of their sins, he will tarn from the fierceness of his wrath, all to encourage repentance. But Jonah was a true prophet of God's judgment ; their repentance was not jncidtentia noii Ijunitmda, a repentance not to be repented of, for they resumed their evil ways ; and Nahum doth renew the threatenings of Jonah, and declareth the Lord's judgments against Nineveh. For the repent- ance of the wicked is but for a season, and as it is temporary so it removetb judgment for a time ; but they returning to their sins, ho returneth also to the execution of his intended punishment. So Ahab was forborne for a time upon his humiliation, but he escaped not the hand of judgment ; for God cannot lie. His prophets speak sure words, as the apostle saith, 2 Pet. i. 19, ' We have a more sure vi'ord of prophecy, to which yun do well if you take heed, as to a light,' &c. Quer. V/hen Abraham had heard the decree of God against the transgressing cities, did not he know that God"s decrees of judgment were immutable ? How then did he solicit God for the reversing of the same? Did he well in so doing ? Sol. Abraham's plea doth clear this point ; for upon the first notice from God of his intended judg- ment, he pleaJeth for Sodom, Gen. xviii. 23, not to turn away the wrath from the ungodly there, but he saith, ' Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ? ' &c. The care of Abraham was for the place and for the persons of the righteous ; he doth not solicit God for the wicked there. Again, to pray for the ungodly and wicked, to divert judgment from them, when God hath revealed his displeasure against them, is not unlawful. 1. Because Christian charity ' hopeth all things, believeth all things.' 2. Because many of God's judgments are temporal, and his auger against the sous of men contiuueth not long ; so that we may hope that either God may divert the evil, or mitigate the same, or give patience to bear it, or sanctify' the chastisement, ad diijnam emendationem, for their amendment, for only the Lord knoweth who are his. When Saul was rejected, and Samuel was the mes- senger of that heav}' judgment, yet ' Samuel did not cease mourning for Saul until the day of his death," 1 Sam. XV. 35. That is the most effectual manner of praying, even that which the Holy Ghost uscth in us, with sighs and groans. Plus flelit, qiiam cifflatn. Thus when Abraham saw Ishmael cast out for a scorner and per- secutor of Isaac, yet he prayed, ' Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight.' And God said, ' I have heard thee also concerning him,' somo.vhat is obtained. Therefore let us still be praying for all men, espe- cially seeing God doth not make us uf his counsel so far as to declare to us whom he accepteth, and whom he rejecteth. From this lesson of the certainty of tho judgments of God upon the wicked ; certain, whether we con- sider the nature of God, without change, or the weak- ness of man, without any possibility of resisting, or the nature of the reprobate, without any ability of repenting, we are taught, 1. To rest in the decree of God. Let us know that he cannot deny himself ; and therefore though wrath go not out from the Lord presently, and although his judgment is delayed, yet let us resolve that upon the wicked he will rain snares, and he will break the impenitent with rods of ii-on. He was an hundred and twenty ye.irs preaching to the old world, and they repented not, so long was he ere he would pluck his hand out of his bosom ; j-et at last he smote the world with a great slaughter, and drowned all but eight persons. Vee. 1.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 13 Tvro errors do grow in us, if we do not wisely weigh this doctrine. 1. An error in judgment. ' These things hast thou done, and I kept silence : thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself,' Ps. x. 21. As Augustine, Dewn quia iron jmteris vUorem, vis habere participem, quia malefacia tua phicent tihi, tu jiuta^ etiam ea placere mihi. 2. An error in manners. ' Because sentence against an evil work is not exe- cuted speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil,' Eccles. viii. 11. For, indeed, what maketh men to walk so uncon- scionably on earth, blaspheming the sacred name of the highest Majesty, polluting his holy Sabbaths, making their belly, their penny, their pleasure their god, but this corrupt opinion of God's either not seeing, or not caring, or pardoning of sins, the pre- suming on his mercy ; not knowing this, that the judg- ments of God, howsoever deferred, will surely light where they are threatened. Therefore let every man, in hearing and reading of the word of God, observe his own sins, how they are threatened ; and let him know that he hath no way nor means but by his serious repentance to escape that judgment. 1. Let us take heed of dallying with the almighty God, for be not deceived, God is not mocked ; they that think to find him when they list, know not that there is a time when he will be found, and they that neglect that time do lose their season of him. 2. But especially let men take heed of abusing his patience, and making that a motive to and a strength of sin : for te« pntientia fit furor, patience abused turns to fury ; when men sin agaiiLst the mercy of God, they spill the medicine that should heal them, they cut the bough that they stood on ; for it is that which keepeth our heads above water and standeth in the gap. 3. To conclude, let men take heed of falling so far from God, as to make a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell, that is, to make peace with Satan ; for this bed, the prophet saith, is too short, and this covering is too narrow to cover us. We are taught here not to repine at the present prosperity of the wicked. This hath much disquieted very godly persons. David confesseth it to have unrested him, and his foot had almost slipped, Ps. Ixxiii. It made some wise men among the heathen doubt, an sit providenlia, whether there be a providence ; and no human wisdom can maintain providence, be- cause, iionis malcfit, good men suffer. There is a parting of the Red Sea, and then it will appear who be Israelites, and who be Egyptians. What if it last prosperous all their life long ? At the parting of the soul and body, Lazarus and the rich man shall feel a change ; therefore grudge not the wicked their pleasures of sin for a season. [2.J By what means this intelligence of the judg- ment against Edom was given. The means sre two : First, By a rumour from the Lord. Secondly, By the ambassadors sent from the heathen. First, The rumour from the Lord. Jeremiah useth the same word, chap. xlix. 14, the interlin.* Auditum audivimus a cum domino. His meaning is, as before is expressed, that God hath put this prophecy in the mouth of many of his prophets, so that it is not a particular instinct by revelation to some one, but a rumour, that is, a general opening of the same, filling the mouths of many, which declareth the consent of the prophets in this prophecy. Doct. It advanceth the message of God amongst men, when the Lord's trumpet doth dare sonum cer- ium, give a certain sound, when they all agree to- gether as one man in the ministry thereof. The messenger that came from Micaiah to bring him to the two kings, Jehoshaphat and Ahab, 1 Kings xxii. 13, thought he had used a great argument to persuade Micaiah to prophesy good success to that intended expedition against Pvamoth-Gilead, saying, ' Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth : let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them,' &c. These false prophets all joined together to flatter that expe- dition. God revealeth the secret hereof by Micaiah : there was an evil spirit offered his service to God, saying, ' I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And God said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also.' The prophets and ministers of God do consent in their message ; and Satan, that studieth the ruin of the church, doth his best to make his false prophets aaree all in a tale, to make the fairer show of truth, that he may deceive many. It is one of the great objections of the papists * That is, an inteiiineal Latin version. — Ed. 14 MAEBUEY ON OBADIAH. [Vee. 1. against our religion, that it cannot be the truth of God, because we ministers do not agree in the preaching thereof. To whom we answer, that the church of England in all points, both of religion and disciphne, is as a city which is at unity within itself: if some particular persons in the ministry leave the way of the church, and go in their own way, that is no fault of the church, but the schism of private men. Such as they are discovered, so are they restrained and separated from the rest : to room then* Parents ista viris tameii ohjicienda memento, personal opposi- tions do not fasten imputation upon any entire church of God. And we say to the Koman church, Novimus el qui te, &c. For we have good evidence even from their own writings, that the church of Eome hath in later times dissented from those tenets which in former times it hath maintained, not in matters of light moment, but in the main points of Christian religion. 1. For the books of canonical Scriptm-e, the learned of former times did refuse all those books which we call Apocrj-phal, as well as we ; yet the Council of Trent hath since placed them in the canon, and given them equal authority with the canonical Scriptures. 2. For the sufficiency, their own best learned have heretofore acknowledged the same as much as we. 3. The vulgar translation hath been by their learned refused, the original preserved. 4. For the conception of the Virgin Mary without sin, it is not yet determined in the church, but con- tradictories are allowed. 5. The distinction of mortal and venial sins. 6. The doctrines of merit, of supererogation, of the seven sacraments, of transubstantiation, of purgatory, of praying to saints, worshipping of images, indul- gences, pope's supremacy, all refused. Therefore let them no longer charge us with dif- ferences ; our church doth maintain one truth in all these things with the former church of Kome, against this that now is. Therefore let us observe the settled doctrine of the church in which we live, and receive that, against the perverse oppositions of all schismatical coiners of new doctrines, and that is the safest way for us to walk in, for this minor Domini is no rumour of the Lord. Bocl. 2. Because it is auJidcs a Domino, heard from the Lord ; whence we are taught to distinguish * Apparently a misprint. — Ed. between the rumours which we hear from men, and those rumours which we hear from the Lord. Let us judge them by the word of God, and let us learn of the church, the spouse of Christ, who best disoerneth these spiritual things, because they are deposited with it, and the Spirit of God is with it, and abideth with it for ever. How holy Scriptm-es must be interpreted. Let every man put his own particular fancies and humom's to silence, and as the apostle saith, ' let us receive with meekness the word of God, and let it be graffed in us.' For the word of the Lord endureth for ever, that is, like him that gave it, without variableness ; there is in it no shadow of change. It was David's rest, Audiam quid loquatur Dens, I will hear what the Lord speaketh. And that we may hear this rumom- of the Lord profitablj', ' the word is given to profit withal,' let me shew you who they be that receive the word of God profitably ; these, namely, who, 1. Receive it in their understanding. 2. In their judgment. 1. In their understanding, knowing what the Lord speaketh in his word, for the word is the revelation of the good will of God. To this is necessary, (1.) A preparation to this understanding. (2.) An use of the means. (1.) For the preparation of our understanding, two things are necessaiy, as Saint Paul speaketh. [1.] ' Be not conformed to this world,' Rom. xii. 2. This world is our enemy ; we must shake ofi' all ac- quaintance with it : it is the serpent's fair fruit, wherewith be tempteth us ; he setteth the eye and the heart a-lusting, and filleth us with the pride of life. Christ first separated his disciples from the world, then he fitteth them to his service. They deceive themselves that think they may em- brace true religion and the world too, following the vanities of fashion, and surfeiting in the pleasures of life : for godliness and vanity cannot dwell together ; and the god of this world blindeth the eye of the understanding, that they which love the world cannot love God, and the secrets of the Lord are revealed to none but such as love and fear God. [2.] ' Be ye transformed by the renewing of the mind : ' that is, be ye new creatures, casting oil' the old man which is corrupt ; for this new wine must be put in new casks. Ver. 1.] MARBURY ON OCADIAH. 15 We must sing a new song, Canticwn novum, novus Jiomo, a new man ; none else can sing it. TLierefore David desired cor novum, a new heart ; and spiritum rectum, a right spirit. It is the only new fashion, as in many of ours, to renew the old fashion, the image of God stamped in ns in our creation, which is decayed, and repaired anew by the imago of the new Adam who came to restore us. (2.) A use of the means, which are, [1.] Delight in reading of the word ; give atten- dance to reading, 1 Tim. iv. 15. What though thou understandest not what thou readest ? No more did the eunuch : but God sent Philip to him ; he was in the way of illumination. Idle and wanton books take up too much of our time from the reading of God's book, Eiimor iMpuli, a rumour of the people takes us from reading this rumor Domini, this rumour of the Lord. Yet these things are written for our use, and only these things make the man of God wise to salvation. [2.] Meditation, for that helpeth the understanding, and layeth up what we read in the memory, that we may know where to have it again when we have need of it. It is said of Mary, Luke ii. 51, that ' she kept all these sayings in her heart.' The wise son of Sirach saith well,"'' 'The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel, and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth.' Truly the cause of all our sins and frailties is want of meditation in the word, want of keeping it in our heart. We see in ourselves, how we are affected here in hearing of the word of God ; if we did meditate on it, we should have the same aflections still. [3.] Hear the word preached, for this is God's ordinance for the saving of souls. Ezra had a pulpit of wood made him ; he stood up, he read the law, and gave the sense, and all the people wept when they heard the wonderful things of the law, Nehem. viii. But it is said, all the people were attentive, both men and women, yet he preached not by the glass, but from morning till midday. And Paul preached from evening till midnight, for ' it pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe.' Be swift to hear. [4.] Meditation is necessary also afterhearing the word in the public ministry ; for the minister speaking to a mixed auditory, if he divideth the word aright, he hath a portion for eveiy hearer, milk for some, stronger * Ecclus. xxi. 14. meat for others ; some have need of information in things unknown, some of comfort, some of resolution iu doubts, some of confutation of errors, some of chid- ing, some have need to have their dullness spurred, others their deadness quickened, others their weakness strengthened, others their young and hopeful begin- nings encouraged, others their zeals inflamed. [5.] Conference is another good means to increase our knowledge, for one man's memory maj' help another's, so one man's understanding may bo more clear than another's. For as we are many members of one body, so have we many graces bestowed upon us to make us useful and helpful one to another. Conference one with another, especially with our minister, doth call to mind that which might else have slipped away from us ; and the very purpose of con- ference doth add a desire to learn by the word, that we maj' rather teach than be taught. 2. We must receive the word of God in our judgment. This is the wisdom that teacheth us to make use of it ; for knowledge is not for itself, but for use. We shall know whether we have wisely heard the word by two things : (1.) By the increase of our faith. (2.) By our new obedience. (1.) By the increase of our faith. For faith cometh from the saving hearing of God's word. The word is not the power of God to salvation, but only where it begetteth faith. The word never profiteth where it is not mixed with faith in them that hear it, Heb. iv. 2. So soon as Satan shook the faith of Eve, and made her doubt of the word of God, the word had lost the power of God in her to preserve her. (2.) By our obedience. Many boast of their know- ledge ; the apostle saith, ' He that doth think he knoweth anything,' that is, proud of his knowledge, and loveth his knowledge for itself, ' knoweth nothin" yet as he ought to know.' For in religion be knoweth no more than he practiseth. What is it for a man to get a clear and go^jd glass, and to behold his face in it, and to forget presently what his form is ? Such arc the knowers of the word, as Saint James saith, that are not doers of the same. And what piofit is it to us to know our master's will, and not to do it, but the gain of many stripes ? Doci. 3. Here is a great judgment threatened. The prophet's intelligence is rumor Domini, a rumour of the Lord. There is great cause of fear when God doth give 16 MARBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. out what his judgments shall be, and how he will punish, for his word is like the sword of Saul, 2 Sam. i. 12. It never returned empty from the blood of the slain. We have no particular prophecies that do point out our nation, as this and many more did point out Edom for judgment, but yet we must not neglect the voice of God ; for as faith layeth hold on the general promises of God to his church, and applieth particular examples in Scripture to the building of us up in comfort, so fear layeth hold on the general threatenings of God's judgments, and applieth them to the begetting and in- creasing of terror. So that when you shall hereafter see what sins Edom committed, we shall perceive how those sins provoked God's anger, aud how severely God threatened them, you may say, Audituiii audivi a Domino, We have heard a rumour from the Lord : that if the land we live in, or we that live in this land, be guilty of these sins, we have no qidelns est, no dis- cbarge against these plagues ; for these two go to- gether, ' Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.' The drunkard may see in Noah and Lot, who sinned but once that way, how God did punish that sin. Miriam's sin resisting Moses. The adulterer may see in David, that God spareth not his own beloved chil- dren, he maketh their sins smart upon them. But the examples of his judgments upon the reprobates are full of terror ; Cain, aud Saul, and Judas, Korah and his company. This is rumor Domini. The Scripture dealeth plainly with us to tell the church these things, ne veniant in locum tormenti, that they come not into the place of torment. Doct. 4. To comfort the hearts of such whose con- sciences are tender, and who do join, with care and fear, revenge upon themselves, and all to destroy the body of sin. Many of these do too much discomfort and deject themselves about giving themselves over, as if they were vessels of wrath, or doomed to destruction. Satan useth fiery darts to such, and by all means tempteth such to despair ; he saith unto them. Nan est tihi sahis in Deo tito, there is no safety for thee in thy God. Therefore to such I say. Take heed, and examine well the - suggestion, hearken diligently, si yumor sit a Domino, if it be a rumour from the Lord. Satan laboureth most against our faith, for that is the victory by wljich we overcome the world. Christ told Peter, ' Satan hath desired to winnow thee.' He knew which way he bent his strength. Oravi ne deficeret fides tua, ' I have prayed that thy faith fail not,' Luke sxii. 32. Our own fear is another great enemy to our peace, for when we do consider ourselves, and how weak our faith is, we do presently apply to ourselves all the judgments of God. Yet this is rumor a Domino, a rumour from the Lord. The Lord hath delight in this broken heart, he will repair aud build up the branches thereof; the ground that is thus broken up is fittest for the immortal seed of his word, and of his grace to be sown in it, to bear fruit. What a woful case was David in, when his foot had almost slipped, when he feared that God would no more be entreated, and hearkened to the rumour of his conscience, till God, who is greater than the eon- science, refi-esbed him with his sweet consolations. And saint Paul hearkening to the rumour of his conscience, crieth out, ' wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me ? ' &o. But the sweet and com- fortable voice of joy is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous, as there, ' Thanks be unto God through our Lord Jesus,' &c. Therefore as he saith, ' When you hear of wars, and rumours of wars, be not afraid ; ' that is, fear not servilelj' nor despairingly, ' for the end is not yet.' Ver. 1. An ambassador is sent amongst the heathen: Arise ye, and let us arise aijainst her in battle. 2. Means of the iutelhgence, 'an ambassador is sent amongst the heathen.' This is rumor popidi, a rumour of the people, for commonly rumour of war doth go before war, seeing the preparation of war cannot be concealed. ^_ Concerniug this ambassador, the learned expositors of this prophecy are not well agreed. Some think he is some prophet of the Lord sent to stir up a war between Edom and other nations. Others, that one nation doth by ambassadors stir up another against Edom. The LXX read ij a.yyi'Koui il; 'ihri a'^ieriiXtv,* whereupon some understand that God sent his angel to provoke this war. The point material is agreed on by all, that God * This is probably from son'.e other Greek version. That of the LXX is xxi •n^io^^hi' tU ra Uvn ilaviffruXiv, — Ed. Ver. 1.] MARBTJRT ON OBADIAH. 17 hath an hand in this judgment, and he useth the nations for a rod to scourge Edom. This rumour of war is terror Domini, the terror of the Lord ; and it stirreth up and awaketh those that are in danger to look to themselves : which doth shew that this judgment threatened against Edom shall not surprise them suddenly ; they have warning to stand upon their guard, and to arm themselves against in- vasion. This is therefore declared, as I conceive, to shew the careless security of Edom, that would take no warning, for that is expressed in the prophecy of Isaiah in the burden of Dumah, contempt and scorn of their warn- ing : for ' he calleth unto me out of Seir, Watchman, what was in the night ? watchman, what was in the night?' as deriding the prophet, who had foretold their night of calamity, which should put out their candle, and leave "them darkling ; for if the voice of the prophets will not move them, how will they take it when they shall hear the nations sending ambassadors one to another to confederate against them ? But the wicked are despisers, they will take no warning. The old world made a scorn of Noah's preaching and building, and thereby vexing his righteous soul, even to the day that the flood came and swept them all away. They of Sodom, even the sons-in-law of Lot, when he warned them of the wrath to come, did despise the warning. Yet God, to make their judgment more heavy when it Cometh, ana to make their scorn more inexcusable, thi-eateneth them with the rumour first, before he smiteth them. The pride and vanity of these times, the drunken- ness and profaneness, the contentions, and all the clamorous and loud-voiced sins which overgrow into excess ; they do all arise from the contempt of the word of God, and from a negligence in observing the course of God's justice in the punishing of these sins, and from a scornful undervaluing of those ambassadors whom God doth send into the world to reconcile the world to himself. The apostle saith, ' We as ambassadors from God do beseech you.' But the ministers of God's word have very harsh welcome in the world, for the pro- fane despise them all, and will not hear their message; the precise will bear but some of them, they despise others ; they that be for Paul will not hear Apollos ; and they that be for Peter will hear neither Paul, nor Apollos, nor Jesus Christ himself. But consider, ambassadors are not sent but upon serious occasions. This is such, to awake and stir us up against our common enemies, the flesh, the world, and the devil, and to tell us of our great danger, for we shall not fight against flesh and blood only, but against powers and principalities. If we despise the noise of this rumour, these enemies may take us at advantage. Edom would take no warning ; no more will they whom God hath delivered over to the guidance of their own lusts. 2. The efiect of the message and rumom-, being the judgment itself : ' Arise ye, and let ns arise against her in battle.' When I compare these words with those of Balaam's prophecy, — Num. xxiv. 18, 'Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies ; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city,' — I find here from whence the ambassador cometh, even from the house of Jacob : ' And Israel shall stir up the heathen against Edom, and Israel shall have dominion over them.' This appeareth in Ezekiel's prophecy : Ezek. XXV. 14, 'And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom, by the hand of my people Israel ; and they shall do in Edom according to my anger, and accord- ing to my fury, and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.' So the people of God shall stir up the heathen nations against Edom. From whence we do learn these lessons : 1. That all wars are ordered by God. 2. That God punisheth one evil man by the hand of another, and so one evil nation. 3. That war is one of God's punishments, by which he chasteneth men for sin. 4. That the people of God may lawfully make war. Doct. 1. All wars are ordered by God. It is the word of the Lord that these nations shall come together in war against Edom : Prov. xxi. 81, ' The horse is prepared for the day of battle ; but the victory is of the Lord.' Ps. cxliv. 1, ' He teacheth my hands to fight, and my fingers to battle.' Mel- chizedec saith to Abraham, after his victory in the rescue of Lot, Gen. xiv. 20, ' Blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.' When Israel prevailed against Benjamin 18 MARBURY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. for abusing the Levite's concubine, Judges sx. 35, it is said, ' The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel.' Gideon's cry was, Judges vii. 20, ' The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.' The reason hereof is in sight. 1. By the general providence of God, who ruleth all things and all persons ; for ' He abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and in earlh,' Ps. csiii. 6. 2. By the particular interest that God hath in wars, for he is called Dominus cxercituum, the Lord of hosts. The uses follow. Use 1. In all wars, to have respect unto the cause, not to put ourselves into an unjust quarrel ; let the ■cause be God's, and -we may promise ourselves to have God on our side. The wise man saith, Prov. XX. 18, ' By counsel, wars must be enterprised ;' Prov. xxiv. G, ' By wise counsel thou shalt make thy war prosperous.' If Jehoshaphat join with Ahab against Piamoth in Gilead, he shall speed accordingly. The sword of the Lord first, then of Gideon. Use 2. The cause being good and warrantable, we must not trust to our strength, neither must we neglect the means, presuming on the defence of God. 1. Not trust our own strength ; for some trust in chariots, and some in horses, as Benhadad did in the multitude of his men, so great, that the land against which he fought was not enough to give every one of them an handful. But David saith, Ps. xxxiii. 17, ' A king is not saved by the multitude of an host, neither is the mighty man delivered by much strength : an horse is a vain help.' 2. It is another extreme to cast all upon God, and not to use the means : first, the sword of the Lord, and then with it the sword of Gideon. Use 3. This serveth to take off all fear from our hearts when we fight the Lord's battles. It was a cheerful speech of Joab, encouraging the people when he had divided his army, part against the Syrians and part against Ammon, 2 Sam. x. 12, ' Be of good courage, and let us play the men, for our people, and for the cities of our God ; and the Lord do that which ■seemeth him good.' It was David's resolution, Ps. iii. G, ' I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about : Arise, Lord, save me, my God : for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek bone.' Use 4. This teacheth us our duty, before the war, in the war, and after the war. 1. Before the war, and in the war, to join prayers with our preparations and our attempts ; for God declared, in the wars of Israel with Amalek, that Moses praying on the hill with Aaron and Hur, and Joshua fighting below in the valley, were both of them the forces of God, Exod. xvii. And that prayers were the better fighting ; for when Moses ceased praying, Amalek prevailed. 2. After the war, we are taught to whom to attri- bute the victory and good success of the war ; that is, to give the glory thereof to the Lord, and so say with David, ' The right hand of the Lord hath done vali- antly ; the right hand of the Lord briugeth mighty things to pass.' So the daughter of Jephthah, Judges xi. 36, came out with timbrels to meet her father, and confessed to her father, ' The Lord hath taken ven- geance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.' Yet may we not herein smother the well- deserving prowess and valour of valiant commanders and sol- diers, but give them their due honour ; so even the women meet Saul returning from the slaughter of the Philistines, and they answered one another in their song, saying, ' Saul hath killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands,' 1 Sam. xviii. 7. Doct. 2. Whereas Israel saith to the heathen, ' Arise ye, and let us arise,' making use of the power and strength of the heathen against Edom, we are taught, that God doth use one evil man and one evil nation to punish another. The Lord did smite the Moabites by the Ammonites, and took from them some part of their land. Chedorlaomer maketh war against other kings, and taketh awaj- their substance. The Midianites were their own conquerors : Judges vii. 22, ' The Lord set every one's sword against his fel- low throughout all the host.' The children of Israel did call the heathen here to them ; the}' joined in one war against Edom, as if at this day princes of the popish religion should join themselves with a protestant prince, to maintain him in his kingdom against the emperor, the pope's eldest sou. Is not this sottiug Egyptians against Egyptians, and defending the church by the enemies of the chm-ch ? The reason why God doth this, is not for want of other strength, for he is Lord of hosts ; but to declare him to be King and Lord over all ; he doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth, and in the sea, and all deeps. What doth more declare his absolute sove- reignty than his power to whip and scourge the enemies Ver. 1.] MARBTJRT ON OBADIAH. 19 of his church by one another of them, which is to make Satan cast out Satan ? This sheweth that Satan's kingdom is subordinate to the kingdom of God ; there is but one kingdom of which it may be truly said, Et imperils ejus non est finis, ' There is no end of his kingdom.' Christ shall one day make this good, when he shall have put down all his enemies ; for then he shall deliver up the kingdom to God. In the mean time, the subjects of Satan's kingdom are the vassals of God, and Satan himself shall be and is at his command, to be the rod of God for execution of his wrath where he pleaseth. 2. God useth to punish the wicked, to declare to the church that there can be no true love but where there is love of the truth ; only true religion doth unite the hearts of men, and all that embrace not that want the bond of peace. They may cry a confederacy, and give one another the right hand of fellowship for a time ; but if God be not the knot of their union, all other respects will come short of settling a constant concurrency. We see this clearly in the vicissitudes of confederacies and wars amongst the enemies of true religion ; temporal respects make their leagues, tem- poral respects do again dissolve them. The uses of this point. Use 1. This doth serve to reform onr judgments, and to settle our hearts in our great vexation ; for did not the foot of David almost slip when he saw the prosperity of the ungodly, and compared it with the main and great troubles of the church ? For seeing God doth make this use of them, to be his sword, marvel not that he keepeth his sword by his side, that he keepeth it in his sheath, that he keepeth it bright. And David saith, Ps. svii. 13, ' Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword.' That is one cause why God rewardeth the wicked with some temporal favours, because he maketh use of them to punish his enemies. This is fully expressed : for thus saith the Lord to the prophet, Ezek. xxix. 18, 19, ' Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled, yet had he no wages, nor the army for Tjtus that served against it : therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will give the land of Egypt into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take her multitudes, and take her spoils, and take her prey, and it shall be the wages for his army.' This may satisfy us, that we grieve not at the pros- perous estate of the wicked, for God hath use of them, and he will not let them serve him for nothing. The elect of God have fairer hopes ; let them stay their stomach, and let them wait the Lord's leisure. Use 2. We may see in this example in my text, and in many more, that God maketh use of the wicked in the behalf of his church, and therefore we must not give the glory of God's justice to the means, but to God. The wicked know not what they do when they fight the battles of the Lord ; yet God doth put such metal into them that they do most valiantly perform his will. A full example hereof is, Jer. xxxvii. 8, ' The word of the Lord to Zedekiah king of Judah, by his prophet Jeremiah : The Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fii'e. Thus saith the Lord, Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall depart from us, for they shall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there re- mained but wounded men amongst them, yet should they rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.' This must needs be the hand of the Lord, and there- fore the glory must be given to God only. The means are weak, but the Lord is strong ; he alone must be exalted, and all the glory of victory must be ascribed to him. The church may use the help of the heathen and of idolaters in the Lord's battles, for they are the sword of the Lord, as you have heard. Use 3. We are taught that though Israel and the heathen do come together, though the godly do use the help of the wicked to execute the will of God upon God's enemies, yet they must be very careful not to join with them in their wickedness and idolair}'. We may use the help of papists for the maintenance of the Lord's cause, but we must take heed that we fall not into the sin of Israel : Ps. cvi. 35, ' They were mingled with the heathen, and learned their wickedness, and served their idols, which were their ruin.' Let us not make the covenant with them that Ruth the Moabitess made with Naomi, Euth i. 16, ' Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.' 3. The third doctrine. War is one of the jjunishments wherewith God doth punish his enemies : Lev. xxvi. 26, ' And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant.' It is one of the four sore judgments, 20 MAEBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. as God himself doth call it, Ezek. xiv. 21, and it is first named ; used to cut off man and beast. When Israel was, by the favour of God, put into possession of the promised land, they sinned against God in contempt of religion, in idolati-y, theft, and whoredom, for which God punished them with war ; for the Amorites, Philistines, MiJianites, Moabites, Canaanites, and Ammonites fought against Ihem, and opposed them three years, as appeareth in the book of Judges. The misery of war is great, as Moses doth express it : Deut. xxviii. 50, 51, ' They shall not regard the person of the old, nor have compassion of the young, they shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, they shall consume the profit of thy land, they shall besiege thee within thy walls, they shall drive thee to eat thy children, the fruit of thy body, during the siege, and straituess wherewith they shall compass thee in thy cities.' God hath a quiver; it is full of arrows ; this is one of them, Ezek. V. 16, 17. The reason hereof is because they that make no conscience of their duty to God, nor of obedience to his word, have put themselves out of God's protection, and he is become their enem}-. The protection of God is the fence of the vine ; if that hedge be once broken up, not only the foxes will come in and devour the grapes, but the wild boar will also come in and root it up. 2. They that make no conscience of charity to their brethren, in the just judgments of God are delivered into the hands of men, and as one saith, Nullum ani- vial moroiiiis, so Nullum animal feivcius. Oh, saith David, ' Let me not fall into the hand of man.' Let men fall softly and easily when they fall into thy hands, so shalt thou fall gently into their hands, for God is love, and the merciful man shall not want mercy. But, as in the natural body, sometimes it is whole- some to open a vein and let out blood ; so it is in the body politic ; the sword must sometimes draw blood, to purge the body of noxious and offensive humom's. And wheresoever this punishment lighteth as medicinal, it amendeth many faults; where it lighteth as a judgment of indignation, it cutteth off evil doers from the face of the earth. The uses of this doctrine foUow. Use 1. Let us consider the lamentable estate of those that profess the same faith with us, who have no other outward means of safety to presei-ve their liberty and rights but by the sword, against whom great and mighty princes do say one to another, ' Ai'ise ye, and let us arise against them in battle.' You know who is at this time thus endangered, even some of the branches of that vine under which we sit. The forward, fi-ee, and cheerful offerings of your hands have testiiied your good affectious to that rightful cause ; let lifting up of yom- hands secure that free opening of them, that is, let your prayers fight for them, and give God no rest till he hath settled peace in these walls, and prosperity within these palaces. Surely they shall prosper that love it ; for our brethren and companions' sake, the worshippers of the same God, the professors of the same faith with us, let us wish them now prosperity ; for the house of God's sake, which they seek to enlarge and advance, let us seek and study to do them good. Use 2. Let us thankfully consider our own peace. We are filii pads, children of peace, born and brought up in times of peace : the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled in our land, chap. viii. 4. We have old men and women dwelling in our towns, even men with staves in their hands for very age, and the streets of our cities and towns full of boys and gWs playing in the streets thereof. And that promise of God to the obedient, Lev. xxvi. 6, is performed in us, ' I will send peace in the land, and ye shall sleep, and none shall make you afraid ; and the sword shall not go through your land.' The happy days of the long reign of Queen Eliza- beth, of everlasting memory, the mother of our peace, were crowned with peace, and she left a legacy of peace in the commonwealth in her succession. Our Solomon, her heir, hath maintained peace under his happy government, both at home and abroad. What nation is there now under heaven which saith. Arise ye, and let us arise against England in battle ? We may say, ' This is the Lord's doing,' and we must give him the glory of it ; for, as David saith, Ps. xlvi. 9, ' He maketh wars to cease, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, and burneth the chariots in the fii'e.' The use. ' Be still, and know that I am God ; I will be exalted in the earth.' Use 3. Seeing we have outward peace from foreign enemies, and none riseth up against us in battle, we must be tender of maintaining peace one with another : ' Take heed ye bite not one another, lest ye be de- voured one of another.' Better it were we had wars Ver. L] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 21 abroad than that we should fight one with another of us at home b}' uncivil contentions, by fraudulent and cunning underminings, by slanderous and lying calum- niations, or b}' any other uncharitable means of mo- lestation to breed unjust wars amongst ourselves. For by this cursed crossness we do provoke God to draw his sword against us. Use 4. Seeing God hath delivered us from the calamity of war, and given us the blessing of peace, let us know that this is the fittest time for semination of the gospel of peace ; this is the seed-time for the word of God. In such a time was Christ born, in the peaceable reign of Augustus Cresar. Then vfere swords turned into scythes, and spears into plough- shares, and so the noise of our redemption, and the sound of the gospel, went over all the world. We see that those years of peace have made learn- ing and arts flourish in our land ; and for the light of religion, it never shined clearer than now, and the light thereof still increaseth. Let us know that now God hath so fenced in his vine in our land, and be- stowed such cost on it, he looketh that it should ' bring forth grapes ; not fair and spreading branches only, not large and green leaves, not shows and semblances, and seemings of godliness, but grapes ; not lahniscns, not sour grapes, but fructus dignos panitenlia, fruits worthy of repentance. These be the best presents we can make to God, the best en- signs of our peace. Otherwise the calamities of peace will fall on us worse than those of war, idleness, wan- tonness, fulness of bread, drunkenness, and all the worms of prosperity which will destroy our vine. Doct. 4. Because Jeremiah saith, Arise ye, stirring up others to battle, and addeth, ice u'ill arise, I con- clude, — That it is lawful for the children of God to make war. For a defensive war nature providoth, for that is no more but se tiicri, to defend himself. But this is an offensive war against Edom, their enemy, and this is lawful. The land of promise, though given so many years before to the sons of Shem, in the line of Jacob, j'et ■was possessed by the sons of Ham, of whose son Canaan took name, and Israel came into the posses- sion of that land by the sword. They had God's own warrant for it : Deut. vii. 2, ' When the Lord bringeth thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and shall root out many nations before thee, then thou shalt smite them, thou shalt utterly destroy them,' &c. Yea, he doth not only allow of a just war, but David saith, Ps. xviii. 34, ' He teacheth my hands to fight.' Moses, from God, saith to Israel, Num. sxv. 17, 'Vex the Midianites, and smite them.' 1. Because, as I taught before, war is one of the judgments of God, one of the arrows of his quiver, one of his rods wherewith he doth chasten the wicked, therefore the faithful may and must arise when they . are called forth into battle. In such a case it was said, Jer. xlviii. 10, ' Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently ;' Judges v. 23, ' Curse ye Meroz, curse ye Meroz, saith the angel of the Lord ; curse ye the inhabitants thereof bitterly, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.' There it is called helping the Lord, because men be the bands of execution in these lawful wars, by whom God doth punish his enemies, and because God is holpen in those that are by just means maintained. 2. Because an offensive war is revenge of injuries, and God hath said, ' Vengeance is mine,' so that the Lord is called ' Lord of hosts ;' and just w-ars are called ' the battles of the Lord.' They that fight in such wars, God covereth their heads in the day of battle. The wars of Israel against Amalek were offensive ; they were the Lord's vengeance against Amalek for smiting the hindermost and weakest of them in their passage to the promised land. This war against Edom was such, as it followeth God's revenge upon Edom for their cruelty towards Israel. 3. We find that when the Israelites* came to John Baptist and asked, ' What shall we do ?' he did not bid them leave the profession of arms, but only said to them, Luke iii. 13, ' Do violence to no man, ac- cuse no man falsely, and be content with your wages.' Wherein he required of them fair wars without injury to any; for none but unjust violence is there for- bidden. And we shall find in the catalogue of the faithful, Heb. xi. 32, 33, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, ' which through faith subdued kingdoms,' &c. The uses follow. Seeing the faithful may make lawful wars ; Use 1. We are taught to satisfy our conscience, be- fore we undertake any war, that it is lawful and just, for * Qu. 'sofdiers'?— Ed. 22 SIARBUET ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 1. else we cannot either promise ourselves good success, or solicit God for his aid. (1.) It is a lawful war to preserve our right against them that invade it, as was ours in '88 against the Spaniard, then our enemy, who prepared himself for the invasion of this kingdom. (2.) The judges of Israel did redeem Israel from then- oppressors that had invaded them, and redeemed then- own right. So Abraham made a just war against those that had wronged the king of Sodom, and took Lot prisoner. (3.) To chasten and destroy the common enemies of intercourse and trade between nation and nation ; such is the sea-war intended against the pirates and sea-thieves, that hinder the trade of nations by then' piracies ; wasps and drones that rob the hives of pain- ful bees. (4.) To defend confederate nations from the oppres- sion of their enemy ; for so Joshua will not suffer the Ammonite to vex and wrong the Gibeonites, because the oath of God is between them. Thus, for the common peace, it is lawful for Chris- tians to confederate with Turks and infidels, for pro- testants to make leagues of peace and civil society with papists, eathohcs with heretics. And when the league goeth no further than the just defence of them in their rights, we may borrow and lend help each to other ; for the common love of humanity teacheth us to do as we would be done to ; and the apostle bid- deth, Kom. xii. 19, ' as much as in us, to have peace with all men.' But to assist infidels and heretics in their unjust wars, it is utterly unlawful ; so Jehoshaphat joined with Ahab against Ramoth in Gilead, and the prophet of the Lord reproved him for it : 2 Ghron. six. 2, ' And Jehu the sou of Hauani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Wouldst thou help the wicked, and love them that hate the Lord ? Therefore, for this thing is the wrath of the Lord upon thee.' If the league between the godly and ungodly nations have these bonds, 1, to assure one another against injury from each other; 2, to defend each other's rights, without prejudice of religion ; 3, to maintain commerce between them ; I see no cause why it may not be lawful for Christians and infidels to confederate. 1. For defence against injury of others. If the ox of an infidel, or his ass, should fall into a pit, ought I not to shew him mercy in his beast, and to save him if I can ? Shall I do this to his beast, and shall I not do it to him ? If thieves would rob him, shall I pass by and see him rifled, and shall I not give him aid ? What duty one man oweth to another, that doth one nation owe to another; this is preservation of justice, suum caique. 2. For binding ourselves not to do infidels any hurt unjustly. It is the law of God ; we must not only ab- stain from robbing them, but we must preserve their right ; we may not take away fi-om them their fives, their wives, their goods, or anything of theirs ; we may promise interchangeably to do them no wrong. 3. For commerce. Some of our late divines* aifirm it unlawful to sell to infidels, or heretics, any commo- dity which they maj' abuse to any idolatrous use. For example, to sefi to the papists was, because they make candles thereof, which they do use in their false worship of God ; so frankincense, cloth, &c. ; this is made a breach of the second commandment. But this rule is too strict and unwarrantable ; for what provi- dence can prevent abuse of all the commodities that any land aflbrdeth ? We seU wheat, of which they may make their wafer-gods ; we exchange gold with some of them, they may gild their images with it. Some of them send us in wine, which is much abused to drunkenness ; and silks of all sorts, which is abused to pride, &c. This is nbiua sapientia, nimia jusUtia, to be over-wise, over-just. Use 2. Seeing the godly and faithful may lawfully make just wars, we are taught to exercise arms, and to study military discipline, and to value the worthy soldier as a necessary member of the commonwealth, and to give him all good encouragement. That peace which rusteth the armour, and despiseth the soldier, and disuseth arms, is dangerous ; it weakeneth the hands and hearts of men of action, it disableth the commonwealth, it provoketh the adver- sary to assault, and putteth all into hazard. As John biddeth the soldiers to be content with their pay, so he alloweth them a pay, and imposeth the charge of their maintenance upon the common- wealth. Let not daring aud worthy spirits complain, as * Perk. Arm. Aur. in 2 Pr.Tcept. — [This is scarcely a fair statement of tbe doctrine of Perkins. He does not forbid the selling of articles which may be used for idolatrous pur- poses ; but of those which the seller knows to be bought for such purposes. What be says is forbidden, is ' Societas contractus, qua quis scieus, spe lucri et mercedis, idololatris ea vendat, quce idolis sciat subveuire.' — Ed.] Ver. 1.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 23 Tbemistocles diil, that they are like to the platanes ; in a storm, men fly under them for shelter; in fair weather, vellicant, pluck off their leaves. Cfse 3. We are taught, when just occasions of war arise, to gather courage, as being helpers to our God in his battles. When Hczekiah saw that Sennacherib was come to fight against Jerusalem, he said to his commanders and soldiers, ' Be strong and courageous, fear not, nor be afraid, for the king of Ashur, neither for all the multitude that is with him : for there is more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, for to help us, and to fight our battles,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 7. So Nehemiah encouraged the people against Tobiah and Sanballat, when they came to hinder the building of the walls of Jerusalem : ' Be not afraid of them, remember the great Lord, and the fearful, and fight for your bre- thren, 5'our sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.' There be that have said, that true reli- gion doth make men cowards, and destroyeth fortitude and true valour. It is not so. 1. Because true religion doth settle the conscience in the goodness of the cause, which the heathen did not respect. 2. True religion casteth us upon the protection of almighty God, which also the heathen regarded not, but trusted to them that were no gods. Therefore, let us say to our soldiers in the wars of God, as we read it said by the officers to the people by the commandment of Moses, Deut. xx. 8, ' What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted ? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart do faint, as his heart fainteth.' For it was a base and unkingly answer that Ahab sent Benhadad, who said, ' Thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy women and thy children are mine.' He answered, ' My lord king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.' They that put their trust in the Lord do not fear what man can do unto them. Use 4. Seeing wars are lawful, we conclude that it is lawful also to use all witty means of circumven- tion to ensnare the enemy ; those are called stratagems of war. So Joshua may lie in wait, and come against Ai on the back side of the city. Josh. viii. 2. So Abraham may divide his company, and smite the enemy in the night, when he attempteth the rescue of Lot, Gen. xiv. 15. So the Israelites may use advice to draw the men of Gibeah out of their city, and so take ad- vantage against them unawares. Judges xx. 29. Use 5. Seeing just wars may be undertaken by the servants of God, let them prepare themselves as God's servants to them. Deut. xxiii. 9, ' When thou goest out with an host against thine enemy, then keep thyself from every wicked thing. The Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the camp to deliver thee, and to give thee thine enemies before thee ; therefore let thine host be holy, that he see no filthy thing in thee, and turn away from thee.' Amongst the heathen, it was wont to be said that the camp was the school of virtue ; much more ought it to be so amongst Christians, for there is a terror of death, and we know that immediately after death Cometh judgment. How ought men to sanctify them- selves, and to repent them of their sins, and to purge their hearts from all wickedness, that serve under almijfhty God in his battles ! God hath threatened : Lev. xxvi. 14, 17, ' If you will not obey me, nor do all these commandments, I will set my face against you, and ye shall fall before your enemies ; and they that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall fly when none pursueth you.' Surely such are of the forlorn hope that come not to serve the living God ; therefore the strongest army is of them that are religious, and make conscience of doing any wicked thing to dis- please God. Use 6. Seeing it is lawful to make just wars, there must be a willing yielding to the charge thereof; moneys are the sinews of war, Eom. xiii., 'and for this cause pay we tribute.' ' Give unto Ca}sar that that is Caasar's.' God hath given our lawful princes an interest in our goods for the common good, and the apostle allegeth this cause of tribute and subsidy to our princes. ' For they are God's ministers ap- pointed for this very thing,' that is, to execute wrath upon them that do evil, and to defend their own right. Use 7. This reproveth those that sensually sjid securelj' play and sleep out their time, without care of their own safety, till the enemies come on thens and make them a prey. This was the ruin of Laish : Judges xviii. 7, ' The children of Dan sent five men who came to Laish, and behold, the people that were therein dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zido^ nians, quiet and secure.' This gave encouragement to the children of Dan to assault them. 24 MAKBURY ON OBADIAH. [Vek. 1. Use 8. This doctrine of the lawfulness of just wars doth seem to confute the Manichees and Marcionites of old times, and the Anabaptists and those of the ' family of love' in later days, who have maintained it unlawful for Christians to make any either offensive or defensive war, or so much as to wear a weapon. Obj. 1. Christ saith. Mat. v. 39, ' Resist not evil ; if one smite thee on one cheek, turn the other: if one sue thee for thy coat, give him thy cloak.' Sol. 1. This must not be literally understood, for Christ himself, who gave this precept, did not so ; he was smitten in the high priest's hall, and he turned not the other cheek, but reproved him that smote him, saying, John xviii. 22, 23, ' If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil ; but if well, why smitest thou me?' This, then, is spoken by our Saviour to forbid pri- vate revenge, that no man should be the judge of his own wrong, but should bear it with patience. It is St Augustine's answer, Ohedientia ista non in oslentalione corporis est, sed in preparatione cordis. And he saith, Noii maxillam tantum obtulit, sed totum corpus deditfir/enduin cruci. And he addeth, Quanta melius et respondit vere placatus, et ad perferenda graviora paratus est. He could have withdrawn his cheek from the smiter, but he would fulfil the prophecy : Lam. iii. 30, ' He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him ; he is filled with reproaches.' Private revenge Christ forbiddeth us. Christ did not take it against his adversary that smote him ; he reproved it in Peter ; he amended the maim that he made, and healed his smiter. But war is a public revenge, and the magistrate beareth the sword to that purpose, ' to execute revenge upon evil doers.' Ven- geance is God's, and where he committeth the trust of execution thereof, as he doth to the magistrate, there it is lawful. This cleareth many other like objections, as that. Qui gladio ferit, gladio iieribit, he that smiteth with the sword shall perish by the sword ; we must recom- pense to no man evil for evil. For all this is meant of om- revenge, but the revenge of the magistrate is the vengeance of God, because he is God's minister. Obj. 2. The prophet Isaiah foretold, chap. ii. 4, that in the time of the gospel, ' They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and then- spears into prun- ing-hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.' Sol. These words bear three interpretations. 1. That this was a sign of the coming of the Mes- siah into the world. He was born in a time of cessa- tion fi'om wars, when the Roman monarchy had leisure to levy a taxation by the poll. So when David had rest, then he thought of numbering his people. 2. That this was fulfilled in the spiritual peace and unity of the church, collected now out of all nations of the world, Jew and Gentile made one. 8. That this is the proper efiect of the gospel, where it was embraced faithfully, to make peace. Under the name of Edom, we may understand all the enemies of the truth of God and Christian religion : such as are schismatics and heretics, who, understand- ing not the mystery of godliness and peace, do set their wits against the church, to corrupt the truth therein deposited and professed, or to disturb the q^uiet professors thereof. 1. Heretics. These are our- brethren by outward profession, calling themselves Chi'istians ; but thej see that we have gotten the birthright and the blessing from them, and therefore they hate us, and are com- forted against us to destroy us. The church is God's Israel, the children of the pro- mise, Jilii rcgni, filii thalaini, jilii lucis, children of the kingdom, of the bridechamber, and of the hght. The ambassadors that are sent to stir up to war against those, be the ministers of the word of God ; for to this purpose we are sent forth, to confirm the brethren against those, to reconcile these to God. And we are commanded to arise against these in battle. The war, and so the weapons with which we fight against these are not carnal, but spiritual ; the clear light of the gospel, which is the power of God to salva- tion to them that believe, and the truth of God which is strong, and prevaileth against them that believe not. It is time for us to join together as one man in battle against these : Especially the papists, whose religion is ambition, whose piety is worldly policy, whose zeal is combustion, whose faith is fury, who hide the word of light in the darkness of an unknown tongue, to keep the people ignorant, that they may not know God's right hand from his left, to emplunge them in the flames of their imagined piu-gatorj', that they may be well paid to release them thence. They mingle the sacrament of baptism with their own inventions, which they make equivalent in virtue to the power of God's ordinance. They mangle the sacrament of the Lord's supper, Ver. 1.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 25 by robbing the people of one half thereof, taking the cup from them. Thej disable the sacrifice of Christ's sufficient satis- faction for sin, by adtlition of human merits, of eroga- tion, and supererogation. They weaken the sole intercession of Christ, by intrusion of more mediators, angels, the mother of our Lord, and saints. They shorten the free and full grace of God, which Christ himself from heaven told Paul was sufficient, by their lying doctrine of free will. They flatter and abet some by their doctrine of in- dulgences, which attributeth to the pope power of par- doning sins past and to come. They dishonour the holy, sufficient word of God, by equibalancing with the same human traditions and false legends. They destroy true and saving faith, by their false doctrine of implicit faith, teaching that [it] is enough to believe as the church belicveth, not declaring what the church believeth, and upon what ground their faith is built. They maintain flat idolatry, by teaching the wor- shipping of images, and praying to saints. And for the power which they give to the pope against God in dispensing with the breach of his covenants, in coining new articles of faith, in defining the interpretation of Scripture, in usurping authority over temporal princes, to enthrone and to dethrone at pleasure, to arm their natural subjects against them ; to animate incendiaries, to abet treasons, to blow up states. All these things, and many more, call upon us to take arms and join our strengths against this Edom, this red, and hairy, and bloody enemj', whose mercies are cruel. The best weapon against this kingdom of darkness is the light of truth ; the more we carry this light about us, the more will the ignorant amongst them know how they are abused and misled. For our war is spiritual, not against their persons, but against their heresies. 2. Schismatics. These also call us brethren, but they break the unity and uniformity of the church. All the children of peace must arise against these in battle. This also is a spiritual war, and the sword of the Spirit must be drawn and used against these, to cut them oflf, as St Paul wisheth, ' I would they were cut off that trouble you ;' or if the word of God cannot prevail with them, to convert them to peace, the dis- ciphne of the church, which St Paul calleth his rod, must be used against them, to cut them off from our congi'egations. The apostle calleth them leaven, and saith, that ' a little leaven soureth the whole lump.' So do schismatics ; for a few of them do corrupt man)', and divert them fi'om the congregations whereof they are members, and distaste the established minis- try to them, and set them in opposition to authority, and at last tempt them to separation. Mr Perkins, upon the article of the holy catholic church, doth learnedly handle this point. First, saith he, they object that our assemblies are full of grievous blots and enormities. He answereth, the defects must be either, 1, in doctrine ; or, 2, in manners. 1. Defects in doctrine. (1.) Either errors prceter funclamentwn, besides the foundation. (2.) Or contra fnndamenlum, against the foundation. He maintaineth that our Church of England doth teach no doctrine ar/riinst the foundation of Christian religion. 2. For corruption in manners he declareth, that it cannot make a church no church, but an imperfect church ; therefore Christ commandeth to hear them which preach well and live ill, as the scribes and Pharisees which sit in Moses's chair. Again, he findeth it objected that the church of England doth hold Christ in word, but denieth him in deed. Answer : Denial of Christ is either in judgment or in fact. To deny Christ in judgment, which obstinacy is against the foundation, and maketh a Christian no Christian. To deny Christ in fact only, sheweth us to be weak and imperfect in our profession of the gospel ; and the best of God's servants cannot keep out of this rank, because it is impossible for them that carry a body of sin, who do the evil that they would not, to hold conformity of life and conversation with their knowledge and good desires. And truly the authors or the actors of schism do shew much uncharitableness in their separation from our church, for the apostle's rule is, 2 Cor. vi. 14, ' Be not unequally yoked with infidels ; what concord hath Christ with Belial ? what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? Wherefore come out from among them, and separate yourselves, saith the Lord.' 26 MAEBUHT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 2. And do tliey judge tbcii- brethren to be infidels, the sons of Belial, idolaters, that they do sepai-ate from us ? Again, the same apostle saitb, 2 Tim. fi. 3, ' If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctriue which is according to godliness, from such separate yourselves.' Can any lay this to the charge of our church, that wo offend in this kind ? It is true that nothing is more easy than to accuse, but men and devils cannot prove this against our church. The chm-ch of the Jews, in the times immediately after Christ's ascension, was the church of God, neither did Christ forsake that church in his time, nor the apostles after him. Acts xii. 9, ' But when certain men hardened and disobej'ed, speaking evil of the ways of God,' Saint Paul departed from them, and separated from them, and separated the disciples of Ephesus. From certain schismatics he separated, but not from the church. Therefore arise against such iu battle, detect them to public authoritj', seek their amendment; or if that cannot be compassed, prosecute the ridding them out of the church ; for those Edomites do not love the welfare of our Jerusalem, and they will not know those things which belong to peace : ' The wa}' of peace they have not known.' Under the name and title of Edom we may under- stand the whole kingdom of Satan ; and Israel, the church of God, stirred up by the ambassadors, the ministers of God, to arise against it in battle. \ For this is our life called a warfare, because we fight against Satan, the professed enemy of the church, and against all his forces ; both his outward forces in the world, and his inward forces, corpus jJ^ccati, the body of sin. The holy apostle Saint Paul, knowing the danger of the elect, doth not only awake us to fight, and glveth us his own example, ' So fighting, not as one that beateth the air,' but he prescribeth to us a fit armour, and tcacheth us how to put it on, that we may be able to defend ourselves, and to resist Satan, Eph. vi. 19, &c. This is no power of our own, but our strength in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 3. To come nearer home. As God told Rebekah when Jacob and Esau were yet iu her womb there striving, There be two nations in thy womb ; so Saint Paul will tell you that there is iu every regenerate man two opposite forces, the flesh and the spirit, and these strive. The spirit hath G-od put into us to rvde; ' the flesh rebelleth against the spirit.' ' There- fore to will is present with us, but we are not able to do the good that we would ; ' j'ea, he confesseth that he cannot do the good that he would, and that he doeth the evil that he would not. The Spirit of God is God's ambassador, calling upon our spirits to arise against the flesh in battle ; and that is the true use of all doctrines of mortification, and of godly life, to strengthen the spirit against the flesh, to weaken the power of the body of sin. And for this Saint Paul did bring his body in subjection ; for such is the nature of this fight, that the more we resist our natural and sensual desu'es, the more we advance the force of our spirits against our flesh. And it is a most gloiious conquest for any servant of God to overcome himself. Ver. 2. Behold, I hare made thee small amonrj the Iieatheii : thuu art (jreathj despised. 2. The effect of this judgment. (1.) From God, ' I have made thee small,' &c. (2.) From God and man, ' Thou art greatly de- spised.' (1.) From God. Three cu'cum stances aggravate the judgment. [1.] Edom id made small. [2.J Made small among the nations. [3.] I have done it. (2.) From God and man. Two circumstances. [1.] Thou art despised. [2.] Thou art despised greatly-. Before I handle these parts, two things offer them- selves to consideration, which make easy way unto the understanding of the prophecy. 1. The preface to this prophecy. Behold. 2. The phrase thereof. 1. The preface. Behold. Whereby he opeueth the eyes of the Idumeans, to look into their future state. It is a word much used in holy Scripture, and ever maketh way to some worthy and considerable matter. Here the Lord would have the Idumeans take notice of the judgment and wrath to come ; not that they should repent them of their sins and turn to God, for God hated them, and set his face against them, and they had hearts that they could not repent ; but hence we learn, Vee. 2.] MARBUKY ON OBADIAH. ■ll Doct. It is God's manner to give warning of his jndgments, even to those who will not take warning, that they may he without excuse ; and Ezekiel must prophesy to those that will not receive him : chap. ii. 7, ' And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forhear, for they are most rehellious.' He giveth a reason be- fore : ' Yet they shall know that there hath been a prophet amongst them.' Use. God will have the ungodly know that ha hath tendered to them the means of escape from his judg- ments by the ministry of his word, that they may have nothing to plead for themselves in the daj' of judgment, that they may see and perceive and confess that their perdition cometh from themselves. From whence we conelade, that to the reprobate all the means of grace are altogether ineffectual to salva- tion. The light that is in them is darkness ; their knowledge swelleth them, their faith is presumption, their fear is despair, their joy is carnal, their hope temporal : Tit. i. 15, ' Their mind and conscience is defiled, abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.' Of this justice of God against the reprobate I can give no other account than that which the apostle doth yield : Rom. ix. 18, ' He hath compassion on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.' Or if we would hear the same from the Son of Gcd himself : Mat. xiii. 11, ' To them it is not given' ; and, chap, xi. 26, ' Even so, Father, because thy good plea- sure was stioh.' So he saith Belwld to them whose eyes in his justice he hath shut ; and he saith Hear to such whose oars in justice he hath stopped ; and he giveth warning of his judgments to them whom he hateth, as in my test. ' Lord, how unsearchable are thy judgments, and thy ways past finding out !' Use. Therefore let them use their eyes that can see, and let them hear that can hear, and let them take notice of the judgment and wrath to come. The elect of God shall find many impediments, and shall feel a great reluctation of the flesh against the spirit ; let not such be faint-hearted, but let them so fight, not as they that beat the air, and let them so run that they may obtain. 2. The phrase of this prophecy of judgment is, ' I have made thee small, thou art greatly despised ;' for God saith that is done already which yet is not exe- cuted. But consider the ground laid in the beginning, ' Thus saith the Lord.' The Lord, to whom all time is present, and whose decrees give present resolution of all things, though he suspend the execution thereof. But it was not long before this commination was fulfilled upon Edom : ' I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith. We are impo- verished, but we will return and build the desolate places. Thus saith the Lord of hosts. They shall build, but I will throw down ; and they shall call them the border of wickedness, and the people against whom God shall have indignation for ever.' Concerning the fulfilling of this prophecy, it was long ere it was perfectly accomplished ; for this was the work of sundry nations, to effect the judgment here denounced. For first they were wasted by the Chal- deans, and carried into cnplivity ; yet it is clear that they returned many of them back again : then was it fulfilled that is spoken before : ' An ambassador is sent amongst the heathen. Arise ye,' for first the hea- then arise. Then in the time of the Maccabees* Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, at Arabatine, because they besieged Israel, and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage and took their spoils. And again, after this, the Idu- moaus having gotten into their hands the most com- modious holds. &c. : ' Then they that were with Macca- beus made supplication, and besought God that he would be their helper, and so they run with violence upon the strongholds of the Idumeans ; and assault- ing them strongly, they won the holds, and kept ofi" all that fought upon the wall, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand. 'f There was an escape then of nine thousand, who had taken a strong castle ; these many of them by corruption of money made an escape, which cost the blood of more than twenty thousand ; and so was fulfilled that other part of this prophecy, ' We also will arise against her in battle.' Yet did not the Idumeans sink, for they recovered strength, and did vex the city Jerusalem, + and came against it with a great army, being by letters, and by a set oration of one called Jesus, entreated first to help their brethren the Jews, then to lay down arms, and not to fight against them. They brake * 1 Mac. V. 3. t 2 Mac. X. 15, 16. X Josephus de Bello Jud. lib. iv. c. vi. 2S MAKBURY ON OBADIAH. [Vkr. 2. into Jerusalem in the iiiglit with fury of war, and he saith,* Templum redundavit sanguine. Oclo ■millia et quingcntos moiiuos dies invenit; duodecvii millia iwbiUum periere ah Idumcca trucidata, after the destruction of Jerusalem f and the dispersion of the Jews that remained of that cruel massacre, wherein the conqueror left no cruelty undone. He saith,i Honiin fworis amuU etiain Idumwi Juere : illi e)tim scelenitissimi pereniptis pontijicibiis, ne qua pan coiiservaretur picUdis in Deum, totwn quod ex civitatis facie supererat abscideie. Thus the Jews that remained after all these bloody wars were dispersed, and do yet continue in dispersion, but with promise of being recalled before the end of the world ; but the Edomites are now perished from the face of the earth ; no mention of their names is left in the world, no promise of their restitution ; so that this prophecy is at last fulfilled, and hath been many years accomplished. So long was it before the performance hereof, and judgment began at God's house, yet in the end it was executed in their final ruin upon the earth. This test calleth all this done, for no length of time could evacuate the truth of God herein ; which teachelh us to look assuredly for all these things which God hath said shall come to pass, especially the fall of anti- christ, the calling of the Jews, the resurrection of the dead, the last judgment, and everlasting life. Let us come now to the parts of this text. 1. The effects of this judgment from God. (1.) Edom must be made small. Edom or Esau, though he lost the first blessing after he had sold his birthright, yet he obtained a bless- ing of his father : Gen. xxvii. 39, 40, ' Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above ; and by thy sword thou shalt live, and shalt serve thy brother ; and it shall come to pass, when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from ofi' thy neck.' This blessing was a prophecy of the greatness of Edom, whose increase was such that Moses doth rehearse that he was fain to depart from his brother Jacob, and dwell in Seir : Gen. xxxvi. 7, ' For their riches were more than that they could dwell together ; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.' Verse 31, 'They had many dukes and kings of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.' So that in greatness * Cap. vii. t Lib. v. c. i. % Lib. vii. c. xxviii. they outstripped Jacob. This greatness continued seven hundred years after the prophecy of Isaac till Daniel's "" time. 2 Sam. viii. 15, ' And he put garri- sons in Edom : throughout all Edom put he garrisons ; and all they of Edom became David's servants.' There God made them small. Again, 2 Kings xiv. 7, ' Amaziah," king of Judah, prevailed against them : he slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war.' This made them small. They suffered many changes, yet this is noted of them, that, 1. They were grown often very great, yet still God made them small. 2. That they were great before Jacob, and continued so after Jacob's posterity were gone into dispersion. 3. That now their memory is so extinguished on earth, that their posterity is not known. Let no man measure the favours of God hy the access of his possession, by the territories of his dominion, by the multitude of his men, by the force of his strength. God gave all these things to Esau, whom he hated. Kather let men fortunate and prosperous in their ways, who have the deshes of theu' hearts satisfied, and whose hearts be anointed with butter, suspect that God hath set them in slippery places, Vieuiit inter laqueos. Let them know that their fulness doth come of God's open hand, apeiit el implet ; and let them know that the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, and therefore let them take out Saint Paul's lessons : ' I have learned how to abound, and how to want.' We are not to seek in our own times of examples of smalluess turned into greatness, and of greatness again made small. It is a judgment that David complained of: ' Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.' How much more peace have they in their bosoms, that were ever small, than they who have risen above others, are stooped beneath themselves, and laid so low that the foot of pride treadeth on them. Down, stout heart, there is no perpetuity in things temporal. Great Edom is made small; rough and boisterous Edom, that carries all by strong hand, is made meek and tame. (2.) Made smaU amongst the heathen. These were numbered among the heathen, and amongst them they were great. They separated from the church of God, like the sons of sober and reli- * Qu. ' David's ' ?— En. Ver. 2.] MAEBURY ON OBADIAH. 29 gious parents that turn gallants and roarers ; and amongst these they shine a while. Amongst these Edom was made small. Abraham had an Ishmael that was east out among the heathen. Isaac had an Esau that put himself in amongst them ; all the sons of Jacob were x'^triarchs, gTeat father's of the church. Esau, where he rose to glorj' and greatness, there he sunk into smallness ; the eyes that saw him in his shining saw him eclipsed. (3.) God hath done this ; there be few that look so high when they are down, but they do rather complain of evil fortune, or of some great wrong done to them here below, failing of means, desertion of friends, or injustice in superiors. The heathen look to second causes, and to natural agents ; they consider not that it is God who lifteth up and casteth down. But God taketh it upon himself, aud would have Edom know that this is dc.vlra JehoviT, the right hand of the Lord. Others look high at first, and upon every degree of downfall do charge God with hard measm'e, and mur- mur at his nneven hand, as if he had not done them right, which, as Job saith, is to ' charge God foolishly.' But let men take it how they will, God is the author of the rising and falling of the sons of men, of their growth and withering. Can God hate, and his hatred sit idle and look on ? As his love is operative, so is his hatred. Such is his love, that all things work to- gether for the best to them whom he hath called. Saint Augustine addeth, etiam peccata, even their sins ; another, etiam ndversa, their adversary ;* and such is his hatred, that all things work contrary, to the ruin, of them whom he hateth ; etiam ]»-osperitas, even their prosperity, for ' the prosperity of fools doth destroy them.' 2. This judgment is aggravated by two cu-cum- stances from God and man : (1.) Thou art despised. (2.) Greatly despised. (1.) Despised. The children of Edom had two great temptations to swell them, that is, riches and power; these they in- solently abused to oppression of their neighbours. God, who ' poureth contempt upon princes,' covered them with contempt. This is the severest vengeance that pride feareth. Edom, that was highest, and bore * Qu. ' adversity ' ? — Ed. rule over the nations, and lived by the sword, is now made small. After this fall foUoweth contempt. God hath said it, ' They that despise me shall be despised.' (2.) Despised greatly. Pride will have a fall ; it never falleth lower here on earth than when it falleth into great contempt. 1. Of God, that he turneth away from them, or setteth his face against them. 2. Of man, and that, (1.) When the prophets of the Lord do set their faces against them, as in this case, Ezek. xxxv. 2, ' Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy figainst it.' It is no small matter to have the messengers of God against us, which do carry his sure word of prophecy ; for they speak from the mouth of the Lord, and where they denounce the judgment of God against impenitent sinners, ' Who- soever's sins they retain, they are retained.' (2.) When the Lord hath expressed his hatred, and pronounced his judgment, the church of God dcspis- eth their power, and dcrideth their malice, saying, ' Thou, God, seest it ; for thou beholdest ungodli- ness and wrong, to take the matter into thy hand.' 3. This maketh it a great and full contempt, when they that served them shall he lords over them, and their sword can no longer help them ; so is Edom de- spised among the heathen. This is great contempt, to have the contempt of God and man. You see their punishment. These points of doctrine do follow by just conse- quence. 1. That God's enemies, though for a time they prosper and thrive in the world, yet they shall by little be at last consumed. The whole course of holy story runneth very clear this way : Cain, a runagate, and, many learned do think, after killed by Lamech ; Ishmael, every man's sword against him ; Pharaoh, drowned in the Ked Sea, Exod. xiv. 28 ; Sennacherib, slain by his own sons, 2 Kings xx. 37 ; Haman, hanged on his own gallows, Esther iv. 9, which the poet calls arte perire sua ; Nebuchadnezzar turned beast, Dan. iv. 30 ; the Jews have Christ's blood on them and their children ; Herod, eaten with worms. Acts xii. 23 ; Judas went to his own place. But in the execution of judgment, God doth not all at once always. 30 MARBURY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 2. Moses telleth Israel, Dent. vii. 21, ' God will root out these nations before thee by little and little : thou must not consume them at once.' As Amos prophesieth, chap. iv. 9, blasting and mildew, then the palmer- worm, then the pestilence, then the sword, and at last as Sodom and Gomorrah. So he destroyed Egypt with ten plagues, one succeed- ing another. He doth not empty his quiver all at once ; so here are two points considerable. 1. He doth destroy them. 2. Not all at once, but by little and little. 1. The reason why he doth destroy them : 2 Thess. i. 6, 7, ' It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you.' 2. ' When he maketh inquisition for blood, he re- membereth the complaint of the poor. His mercy endureth for ever,' Ps. cxxxvi. 13. 3. The enemies of the church are God's enemies. Exurgat Dens et dissipentui- inimici sui, ' Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered.' ' Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mayest still the enemy and avenger.' The use. 1. It teacheth us to exercise our patience in all afflictions, as Christ saith, ' Fear not them that can kill the body,' &c. ' Patience bringeth forth ex- perience, and experience hope,' Piom. v. 3. ' Here is the patience of the saints,' Rev. xiv. 12. Use 2. It stoppeth any course of revenge that we may think upon ; that is God's title. ' Lord God the avenger, God the avenger, shew thyself clearly,' Ps. xciv. 1. ' Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,' Rom. xii. 19. Use 3. It ministereth matter of joy to the church, and of thanksgiving to God, when the ungodly fall. The feast of Purbn was kept with joy for the fall of Haman and the delivei7 of the church, Esther ix. 17. There is great joy at the fall of Babylon. Use 4. This ministereth matter of terror to the un- godly, to hear that the Lord Jesus cometh with thou- sands of his angels. He will render vengeance unto them with flaming fire, and punish them with ever- lasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Rev. xix., 2 Thes. i. 6-8. Isa. viii. 9, 10, ' Gather together on heaps, ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces ; hearken, all ye of far countries, gii'd yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces ; take counsel together, yet shall it be brought to nought ; pronounce a decree, yet shall it not stand ; for God is with us.' Judges v. 31, ' So let all thine enemies perish, Lord ; but they that love him shall be as the sun when he riseth in his might.' 2. But this is not done all at once; God doth judge the wicked by little and little ofttimes. The reason is, (1.) In respect of the wicked themselves, that they might finish their unrighteousness : ' Suffer ye the tares to grow till the harvest.' When the harvest is yellow, then he putteth in the sickle ; and tarrieth, as David saith, till their abominable wickedness be found worthy to be punished. (2.) In respect of his chm'ch, that he may exercise the patience of his saints. Prov. xxiv. 10, ' If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.' Therefore God said he would not cast out before Israel any of the nations that Joshua left, ' that through them he might prove Israel, whether they wiU keep the way of the Lord to walk therein or not,' Judges ii. 20. (3.) In respect of himself, for the glory of his jus- tice ; for his justice is not speedily executed upon them that do evil. AU the world shall see that God hath awaited the repentance of the wicked, and given them time for it ; and because they will not repent, ' he doth whet his sword, and he prepareth instru- ments of death.' the. This teacheth us to tarry the Lord's leism'e. The sons of thunder were too quick with Christ, to ofi'er to pray to God for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans. This is our common fault when any one ofi'endeth us, that we straight fall to cursing, wishing the pox and the plague, the vengeance and curse of God upon them. If our fury had the managing of God's vengeance, who should hve ? Take heed of provoking the patience of God : that justice that thou dost awake by thy cm'ses, owes thee a punishment for thy impatience and uncharitableness. 2. We are taught that the reward of pride is fall and contempt. So David saith, ' Thou wilt bring down high looks :' no sooner doth God make the great ones of the world small, but they are greatly despised. It needs no proof, where examples of great falls do fall so thick as they have done on this side the Alps within these few years. Never ran the stream and current of suitors more strong to rising, and growing, and gi'own greatness, than it ran away from the fall thereof, and sought another channel. And they that flattered these in their spring, and tendered them Vee. 3, &c.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 31 service, aud made them their gods in their fair weather, in their fall of leaf forsake them, and then humble petitions turn to scornful libels. I may say of our times truly, as Hecuba,"' Non iinquam tulit Dociimenta fors raajora, (juam fragili loco starent supeibi. Thus men lay by the walls the ladders that they climb by, and like those people of whom Boemus writeth, they bless the rising, but curse the sotting sun. Every man seeks the face of the ruler ; so again, low hedges are trodden on. This is the language of this prophecy, and Edom is ono example hereof. This point is thoroughly pressed afterwards. Thoi'efore ' let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.' There is a natural evil eye, which behokleth the prosperity of rising men with much envy ; that eye is glad of the fall of great ones ; observe the text, how soon it follows, ' I have made thee small ; thou art greatly despised.' So soon doth contempt follow after a fall. Let Edom be Satan, and let God bind him in chains, and give us faith to resist and overcome him ; how do we despise him and scorn him disarmed ! Let the world be Edom, and let God declare the vanity and casualty that is in all these things that Satan tempteth men withal, aud we shall see the ser- vants of God will despise it, and use it as though they used it not. Let a man's own corruptions be the Edom, the lusts of the flesh that fight against the soul, that make a man forget his piety to G-od, his charity to his brother ; but let God by his word reveal to us the body of sin, and by his law humble us under the mighty hand of God : we shall despise and con- temn the desires of our heart, and we shall say, ' I will go and return to my first love, for then I was better than now.' This making small is ruin to the ungodty ; it is medicine to the just ; the narrow gate that leadeth to life is easily entered by them whom God hath made small in their own eyes and estimation of them- selves. Christ made himself of no reputation, not only ad sacrificiuw, to a sacrifice, but ad e.wmphtm, to an example, that we might walk as he walked. Small threads will pass through Ja needle's ej'e, great cables are too big. God resisteth the proud. A * Sen. Troas. small womb containeth us ; a small tomb burieth us ; and never doth the favour of God shine more on us, or the attending service of angels more minister unto us, than when the world despisoth our low growth, and our contentment with our daily bread. There is much difl'erence between those that be humiles, humble, and those that be hiimiliati, humbled; and between those that be hiimiliati ad vindictam, humbled to punishment, and those that be InnniUati ad mcdicinam, humbled to medicine. This prophecy is full for it, that ' God resisteth the proud,' and pride shall have a fall ; and afttr the fall foUoweth contempt. And what reward have they of all those things ? ' The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, that saith in his heart. Who shall bring me down to the ground ? Though thou exalt thyself as an eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.' 2. Now he forctelleth how all the hopes of the children of Edom are dispersed. 1. They had hope in their own pride, ver. 3. 2. In the safety of their situation, ver. 3-6. 3. In the strength and assurance of their con- federates, ver. 7. 4. In the wisdom, ver. 8. 5. In the strength, of their own men, ver. 9. For the first, ' The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee.' Thou didst think better of thyself than there was cause. Self-opinion is the bane of all virtue ; for by it men become their own flatterers, and build castles in the air. It is tumor cordis, the swelling of the heart ; this is of the world, and one of that cursed trinity which undoes the world, ' the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,' 1 John ii. 16. The cunning serpent breathed this poison in our first parents ; for when Eve heard him say. Similes eniis Deo, you shall be like unto God, she soon ate of the forbidden fruit, and gave of the same to Adam. Pride swelleth the heart, that it is not capable of grace ; it filleth it full of itself, and leaveth no room for Christ in that inn. Therefore one saith to a proud man, Deus pnrsio est largiri sapientiam, sed tu non hahes vM earn recipias. Pride is contrary to humility, for humility is not only virtue, but vas virtutiim, the receptacle of virtue. ' God giveth gi-ace to the humble ; ' but pride, like the woman that had filled all MAEBUET ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 3, &C. lier vessels with oil, and at last vas dcfuit, there •wanted a vessel, it so fiUeth the heart with the oil of self-flattery, that there is no room left, no vessel to receive any grace. It filleth the firkins up to the brim. Whatsoever good parts are in a man or woman, pride spoils all, and turns them into vice, as one long ago truly and facetely rhj'med, Si tibi gratia, si sapientia, formaque detur, Inqiiiuat omnia sola superbia, si comitetur; • This is esteemed the queen of vices, ' Woe to the crown of pride,' Isa. Ixxxii. 1. It is one of the late repentances of the damned, beholding the happiness of the just, and feeling the misery of their damnation. What hath our pride profited us ? or what good bath riches with our vaunting brought us ?* Satan is called a prince ruling iu the air, the god of this world, and that leviathan who is a king over all the children of pride. This vice opposeth God, and transgresseth and trespasseth the majesty of God ; it began to all the other sins, it infected glorious angels, and turned them into devils. One observeth that pride is no recusant ; it will come to church. A man that lives in the light of religion, and hath any moral goodness in him, will lay down his covetousness, gluttony, luxury, idleness, envy, anger, for service time ; but the proud person will bring pride to church along with him : ' Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a proud pharisee.' Pride mingleth itself with our best actions, and claimeth share with God in many of our good works. It also filleth us with contempt of our neighbour, ' not as that publican,' noii ut alii, not as other men. Edom lived by his sword, and awed men with his power, and this did fill his heart with pride. Eiches unsauctified make men proud ; so Jack be- comes a gentleman, and mechanicals find some false pedigrees to enable them, or pvu-chase places of emi- nency, to put them before their betters. Power un- sauctified makes men boisterous, and heavy to the poor. Learning unsauctified, and the very knowledge of religion, doth breed pride; and that maketh contention, for pride is the root of schism and heresy. This turns faith into presumption in some professors of religion, but it turneth it into contention in others ; in others into separation ; in the profane, it breedeth contempt of God and of his word. » \A'i3d. v. Wisdom, knowledge, honour, riches, power with humility, no pride to corrupt them, they are the orna- ments of life, and the faculties of vhtue, and the fac- tors of grace, and the fear of God. It is a good say- ing of Hugo do Sancto Victore, Si(pei-hia mild Deum mifert, invidia proximum, ira meipsum ; pride de- priveth me of God, en\-y of my neighbour, anger of myself. Behold his soul, which is lifted or pufled up in him, is not upright in him ; ' but the just shall live by faith,' Hab. ii. 4. Pride in the wicked taketh room and place of faith ; for as faith in the elect doth lay hold on all the gra- cious promises of God which do concern this life and a better, so pride in the wicked maketh them believe that they are worthy of all favours of the time, and of all temporal graces ; therefore the prophet setteth them in opposition. Therefore God beginneth to tas this people of their pride, teaching us that pride is abominable to God. Here we are compassed with a cloud of witnesses : it was pride that cast down the angels, that deceived Eve, that made Cain a murderer, Lamech a boaster, Nimi-od a hunter, Ishmael a scorner, Edom an oppressor, &c. And the pharisee, that could put ofi" the aspersion of other sins, extortion, injustice, adultery, he could not add pride ; of this every one hath a share. Diogenes wanted not his part, as Plato taxed him most justly, for it is so insinuating a vice as that they which labom- most to express humihty cannot but take some pride, even in that. This pride of Edom deceived Edom. Faith buildeth upon a rock ; no storm can shake it ; it is fortified by the prayer of Christ : ' I have praj-ed that thy faith may not fail.' Pride buildeth on sand ; the founda- tion is false ; every wash and wave that beats on it shakes it and ruins it. There is no creature that comes into the world more naked and more disarmed than man doth, yet none so proud, and therefore none so promising to itself as man is ; for as one saith, ColUfjit de vite spinas, pro uvis ti-iiulos, for out of the good blessiugs of God he maketh matter of self-opinion and false glory. This is a monstrous bhlh, ex bono malum. Lumen quod in te est tenehra sunt : when thou thinkest thy- self more happy than others, and goest in this tran- sport far, at last thou seest that thou hast been thine own impostor. It is a good saying of Saint Gregory, that he that boasteth, and is proud of any of God's gifts, se inter- Ver. 3, &c.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. 33 Jicit viedicamine, the medicine tbat should heal kills him. That which all this while supported the glory of Edom, which was Edom's pride, proves Edom's ruin ; it hath deceived him. The doctrines of the church of Rome do maintain this pride of the heart, therefore they are deceitful ; for, 1. They say we have free will to do good. 2. They teach that a man iu this life may fulfil the whole law of God. 8. They teach that a man may be justified before God by the merit of his works. 4. That a man may overdo the law, and do works of supererogation, which may increase the treasure of the church, and may help out them that come short in good works, by mending their store. All these doctrines seem to maintain the pride of the heart, and to give flesh wherein to rejoice, against which we oppose the doctrines of humility. 5. That the sacraments do confer grace ex opere operato, and therefore whosoever is made partaker of them hath the grace whereof they be seals. First, So in baptism ; they affirm that original sin is quite done away, so that infants baptized are cer- tainly saved ; and such as depart the world without baptism are separated from the sight of God. Whosoever receiveth their sacrament of the altar doth verily, and really, and carnally feed on the same body of Jesus Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary, and sufiered death upon the cross. Secondhj, Neither do they only attribute this vir- tue to the sacraments which Christ ordained in his church, but unto those five which they have since added and equibalanced with the holy ordinances of God. (1.) For their sacrament of penance. They hold that the grace of baptism may be finally lost; and so, to recover man again from that downfall, they have de- vised this sacrament. This is Trent divinity, Sess. xiv. cap. 1. Si in regeneratis omnibus gratitudo erga Deum esset, nt justitiam in hiipHsmo ipsius gratia et henejicio susceptam tuerentur, non fuisset opus aliud sacramentum instituere. But because this serves not, penance doth come in ; for how else should they bring in their auricular confession, by which they dive into men's hearts, and their imposed power, by which they dive into men's purses, for satisfaction ? And this concludes with Ego te absolve, I absolve thee ; which doth wash them as clean from all sins past, as if they had never sinned. (2.) For the sacrament of marriage. They do that but a little honour, save only in belying it to be a sacrament, and pronouncing anathema to all that do deny it io be a sacrament ordained by God himself in paradise. First, But neither do they make it the means to convey any spiritual grace, which is the chief use of a sacrament, but only make it a bare sign of the con- junction between Christ and his church. Secondly, Neither do they leave it at large for all persons, but curse those that allow it to priests. Thirdly, Neither do they honour the state of matri- mony with equal honour to virginity, but pronounce anathema to them that prefer it befuro virginity. (3.) For the sacrament of orders ; they make the priest some amends, for therein he hath a sacrament which the lay partake not in. To this they attribute the power of absolution, the power of binding, the power of turning bread into the body of Christ, the power of conferring grace. (4.) For confirmation. That is another help to bap- tism, to relieve the imperfection of Christ's ordinance, novam gratiam tribuit. (5.) For extreme unction. As the sacrament of bap- tism is sacramentum introeuntium, the sacrament of entrance, so this is sacramentum exeuntium, of going out. This makes c.rpeditiorem. ad ccelum. viam, a quick way to heaven, and is to be administered in articulo mortis, the point of death, and it carries the soul to heaven directlj'. May we not behold the pride of the church of Rome in all these, how they have taken to their own hands the keys of David ? The}' open, and no man shutteth; they shut, and no man openeth. It is iu the power of the priest to give, it is in the power of the people to take salvation, and I do not see any great need of Jesus Christ in these doctrines ; neither can I find that they have left him any absolute, but only given him a dependent, power over them, that he cannot save without them. Surely all this pride deceiveth them that put trust therein, for, 1. Against free will we oppose 1 Cor. xv. 12, ' In Adam we all die, in Christ made alive ; ' and that this stretcheth to a corporal, spiritual, and eternal death, hoar the same apostle : Eph. ii. 2, ' We are by nature children of wrath.' Saint Paul was a vessel of elec- tion, he had the Spirit of God, he received the ofiice of his apostleship immediately from God, yet he saith: Rom. vii. 15, ' The good that I would do, I do not; C 34. JIARBUIIY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 3, &C. the evil that I would not do, I do.' Wlieuoe is then this free 'wiU ? 2. Against the fulfilling of the law of God in this life : Eccles. vii. 20, ' There is not a just man upon earth, who doeth good and sinueth not;' and James iii. 2, ' He that hreaketh the least of the command- ments is guilty of all ; ' that is, he is found a trans- gressor, Lefjis, of the law ; but in miiltis qlj'eiuliinus ri)>iiies, in many things wo all offend, Justus caJit septies, Prov, xxiv. IG. 3. Against merit of works Christ salih, Luke svii. 7, &c., ' They that have done all that is commanded, have done but their duty;' scivi iniitileti, unprofitable servants. And what proportion is there, liniti ad iii/iiiituiii, of the finite to the infinite ? The works of men be finite, the glory of God is infinite : Isa. Ixiv. C, 'All our righteousness is like defiled cloihs.' . 4. Against supererogation, that pride deceiveth them, for there is nothing to be done in obedience, or in love to God, which is not commanded in his law, that requireth all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength of both these. He that can find anything more to do, and can do it, may supererogate. 5. Concerning their sacraments, they dishonour baptism, and make ii of uo account, when they teach that the grace of baptism may be lost, and devise three sacraments to help it, confirmation to strenglhen it, penance to renew it, extreme unction to perfect it. We acknowledge God powerful in his own ordi- nance ; we hold that the grace given to the elect in baptism is sealed and imprinted an indelible character. Confirmation is uo more but a watering of the plants which the ordinance of God hath graifed. Penance is no more but a stirring up of the grace given in baptism ; extreme uuctiou is of no necessity, it was a temporal practice in those times when the gift of healing was in the chm-ch, instead whereof we Lave prayers both iu private and in public congrega- tions. The grace of baptism we hold sufficient for the whole life to sanctify it, and in the elect of God it is not, it cannot be, lost. The true sacrament of confii-mation is the Lord's supper, for that representeth to us the body that was brolien for us, and the blood that cleanseth us from all our sins. That is often repeated, to call us to repen- tance, and to strengthen om- faith. If we flatter our- selves that the act of receiving dolh sanctify us, that is a deceiving of our own hearts ; for ' the flesh pro- fiteth nothing, it is the Spirit that quickeueth.' We know that it may be eaten to condemnation ; if there were carnal presence of Chi-ist, none could eat of it but he must be jomed so with Christ as he could not perish. Lastly, for the sacrament of orders, they deceive themselves in the pride of their hearts, thinking I hat God hath given them the kingdom _^of grace and of glory, to bestow where they will. We axe the ministers of God, sent forth as God's ambassadors, to carry his pardon to such as are penitent. The pardon doth set forth who are capable of it ; we are the ministers of God, to make tender of the means of grace to such as are capable of them. We cannot make a man capa- ble either of grace or salvation, yet none can have either but by our ministry, except God will shew his prerogative and say, Ecce ego creaho mm novain in terra, 'Behold I create a new thing upon earth.' Humility deals truly with us ; for if I be humble, I am content v.ith that I have, and think it more than I deserve. I do not envy either greater graces in others, or higher places, for I know mine own wickedness, and ' my sins are ever before me ;' and therefore I think it happy with me, and acknowledge it a great mercy that I am not consumed. I do not glory in mine own knowledge, but with Agur the son of Jakeh, Prov. XXX. 2, 3, 1 say and confess, ' Surety I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man : I have neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.' I do not glory in mine own righteousness, but looking to my heart within, and into my ways without, I say with Saint Paul, ' Of sinners I am chief.' An humble man hath this advantage of a proud man, for he cannot fall ; his estate may grow both higher and fuller, but his heart keepeth one point of elevation, and is fixed at that ; he never graspeth for wind to hold it ; he hunteth not after opinion ; he doth not flatter himself with vain hopes. Well may an humble man sufl'er from others, but he will keep so good a watch upon his own heart, that that shall never deceive him by any information of self- wisdom. But I commend a vu'tue that but half keeps a living man in the earth, saith the gallant. True, but as the root is deep embosomed in the earth, which makes a tree bear a storm the better. But this keepeth men from putting forth themselves where they may exercise their other virtues. Ay, but it joyeth all well afl'ected, that church and common- Ver. 3, &c.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. oO wealth abonndeth so in choice that there is no need of me. And those whom pride pntteth forth have an evil edition. 2. Their next confidence was in the sitnation of their dwelhng, resembled to an eagle's building her nest in the clefts of a rock on high ; so there meets to make up their confidence, strength and height of dwelling. That is their confidence, and that is dispersed in the fourth verse, ' Thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.' This opinion of the strength of an impregnable habi- tation hath deceived many. ' After David had reigned seven j'ears in Hebron, 2 Sam. v. G, ' The king and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites, the in- habitants of the land, which spake nnto David, saying, Except thon take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither, thinking David cannot come hither.' The Hebrews have made a figurative construction of these words, namely, that the Jebusites did preserve two images, the one of Isaac, who was blind, the other of Jacob, who was lame ; these two, Isaac and Jacob, made a covenant with Abimelech, in which league they comprehended the Jebusites ; therefore the league must be broken which was made with Isaac and Jacob if they did come thither to remove the Jebusites. But this is vain and fabulous. The true meaning is, that the Jebnsites did think their hold so strong that so long as there were any men therein (though blind and lame), they would be able to defend the place against David. But that hope was despaired, for, ver. 9, ' David dwelt in that fort, and called it the city of David,' &c. The like example we have of Babylon. Hear her in her ruff and in the pride of her heart : Isa. xiv. 13, ' Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne among the stars of God : I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north : I will ascend above the heights of the clouds : I will be like the Most High.' Which pride of heart smarteth in them, for it followeth, ' Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit' I deny not but this is literally to be understood of Babylon ; but it troubleth me that any learned man of our days* should charge so many gi-eat judgments as have applied this to the fall of the angels with unskilful * Dr Kainolds on Obad. [See our Edition, p. 8. — Ed.] application thereof. I know the learncdst and gravest judgments have gone that waj', as far as we have any- thing written of the fall of angels ; and men of yester- day do not well to impute unskilfulness to such expert scribes. But in the posthumous writings of great learned men, the publisher may shuffle in some of his own bran amongst their wheat. For understand this either literally of Babylon, or allegorically of the angels that fell, either of them thought their dwellings impregnable, and therefore safe. Jerusalem, called the joy of the whole earth, was compassed so with mountains, that the prophet, to ex- press the safety of the church, resemblelh it to Jeru- salem : Ps. exxv. 2, ' As the mountains are about -Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about his people,' &c. ' They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion.' Yet we know how it was destroyed. David was gone far that way in presuming upon the safety of his person and state: Dixi, Nunqimm movehoi; ' I said I shall not be removed ; thou, Lord, of thy goodness hast made my mountain so strong.' All which examples and all experience meeteth in one point of doctrine, that it is a vain confidence to trust in the strength of our state and dwelling on earth. A full proof of this truth we find in the example of the Philistines' garrison, 1 Sam. xiv. 4, for ' Between the passages by which Jonathan fought to go over to the Philistines' garrisons, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side. Yet Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armour-bearer after him, and they fell before Jona- than,' &c. The reason of this is given by God himself : ' I will bring thee down, saith the Lord.' The Lord taketh on him to bring down high looks, and whosoever bo the instrument and means of their overthrow, it is the Lord's doing. In this very example in my text, God claimeth the glory of Edom's ruin ; for the prophet asketh who it is that cometh from Edom, and why his garments be red? Isa. kiii. 1. It is answered, 'I have trod the wine-press alone, there was not one with me.' Which prophecy looketh two ways, both to the destruction of Edom in the letter,'which God assnmeth to himself as his own work, and specially to the kingdom of Satan, which Christ in the blood of his passion did alone conquer. We had a fair example hereof in '83 ; the invin- cible armada of Spain, then our enemy, now our re- 36 MARBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 5, 6. conciled friend, came forlli in the strengtla of sliips, and ordnance, and men, and promised themselves the conquest of this land. They said, ' We will rejoice and divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Suc- coth.' God gave us victoiy, and declared that no strength prevaileth against the Lord. Therefore let no man trust in the strength of his dwelling ; we have an island encompassed and moated about with the sea, walled in with sands, and rocks, and shelves, which maketh the passage to us full of dangers, and is a gi-eat security to our land, yet have the Komans, the Danes, and the Normans conquei'ed this land. Therefore our trust is not in the strength of our dwellings, but God is our rock. On the cliffs of this rock we dwell safe ; so that faith, and not pre- sumption, do build our nest. To him if we address our prayers, to him if we give the sacrifices of praise, if to him we perform the duties of obedience, who can harm us ? God of his goodness hath made our moun- taui so strong, that we need not fear what man can do against us. The ti-ust of Edom was vain, and the vanity there- of is described in the miserable waste that was made therein. Ver. 5, 6, If thieves come to thee, if robbers by nii/lit (how art thou cut off!), uould they not have stolen till they had enouyh? If the grape-gatherers come to thee, uould they not leave thee some grapes ? How are the things of Esau searched out I how are his hid things sought up ! The words do express the full ruin of Edom, for aU his strong habitation. Thieves that rob an house by night do not carry away all, and they that gather grapes nearly, the law requires to leave some clusters for the poor, the fatherless, and the widow, Lev. six. 10. But in the sacking of Edom there should be a carrying away of all in sight, and a curious search for all hidden things ; there should be nothing left. Neither men nor goods should be concealed, but the eye of search should find them out all. There should neither be a satiety in their enemies nor a compassion, neither fulness nor pity should exempt any from spoil. That maketh the prophet so pathetical, that he inter- poseth this admiration, How art thou cut oft'! In the prophecy of Jeremiah, chap. slix. 10, it is added for an interpretation of this text, ' I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered bis secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.' This is not to be understood so as if the nation and name of Edom should cease for ever upon this vasta- tion, but for a time ; for they were again to build, and were again to pluck down, as Malachi prophesied. But in the end there should be nothing left of Edom, his very name should be forgotten upon earth, even as it is at this day ; for who can say. This is the seed of Esau? From hence, 1, we are taught that where God Cometh to the spoil there is no secret and close recep- tacle, either for the persons or for the wealth and trea- sures of men, but he will search it out and lay it open. Their bellies be full of hid treasure ; those bellies w ill he rip up, and into those secret parts shall his search penetrate ; nothing shall be safe from it. As in the fury of the wars of the Jews, we rend that some of the Jews, having no other means loft to preserve some- thing to relieve their wants, swallowed certain pieces of gold, to keep them from the hand of the euemy, which coming to the ears of the Roman soldiers, they ripped up many of the Jews' bellies to seek for gold. Edom dwelt in mount Seir amongst the rocks, and many of their dwellings were in rooms hewed out of the hard stone, yet all their secret cabins were searched and spoiled. Ishboshelh is not safe on his bed, nor Ehud in his parlour. ' Whither shall I fly from his presence ? ' saith David. God himself hath spoken to this purpose : Amos ix. 1-4, ' I will slay the last of them with the sword : he that flieth shall not fly away ; and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall my hand take them ; though they climb up to heaven, thence shall my hand bring them down : and though they hide themselves in the top of Cannel, I will search and take them out thence ; and though they may be hid fi'om my sight in the bottom of the sea, or go into captivity, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them : and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.' Those searchers of Edom be of God's sending, and they are his pri^'y search; he will bring to light things hidden in darkness. Use. Trust not to the secret treasures of ungodliness, Ver. 5, 6.] MAEBURT ON OBADIAH. 37 not to the goods thou hast laid up for many years to come ; there is nothing so secret but shall be laid open. God's search is not liUo Laban's ; he searched all the places but where Kachel sat, but God loaveth ]io place unsought. If the secret store escape,/»res pcifodiitiH etfnranlw, yet there is tinea et arugo, the moth and the rust ; and if nothing else, tempus edax rerum, time, the consumer of all things. For so saith the wise man, ' There is a time to gather, and a, time to scatter.' Let us not be too much in love with those things that we possess here. We know that when our Augustus Cajsar began his reign here over us, all neigh- bouring and remote nations offered him peace, and he accepted it, and turned all our swords into sighs.* I need not speak figuratively. Much armour was turned into utensils for domestical uses, and then there was no noise abroad of hostilitj\ Even then, in the peaceful time of the church and commonwealth, the religion of Borne stirred up certain searchers, that digged into the bowels of the earth, and their hunger after protestant blood brake through strong walls, and there heaped up such instruments of massacre as would have searched our hidden things. Those thieves would never have had enough, those grape-gatherers would have left never a cluster to relieve the poor church ; they would have rooted up vine and all, and have laid the vineyard of the Lord of hosts desert and waste. These were papists, the ministers of hell ; this was religion, falsely so called, the zeal of furies. Such thieves lurk in many several corners of the land, such grape-gatherers hide themselves under the shade of our vine. Lot all that love the peace of .Jerusalem take heed of them ; our houses, closets, nay, our cellars, are not safe from them ; they will seek out our hidden things if they can take advantage against ns. Against this Edom let us bend our forces, and the idolatry, and superstition, and ignorance, and imposture of that religion let us search out and detect. It is his majesty's express command, that in every parish the sworn men do search for recusants, that forsake all our churches, and for our own malcontent professors, that love any church better than their own. He would separate the clean from the vile, and the peaceable from the factious, Edom from Israel ; for we hold nothing in safety, we can hide nothing out of sight, so long as those searchers and underminers be * Qu. ' scythes ' ?— Ed. abroad ; the peace and honour and safetj' of the church is their prey they hunt after. 2. We are taught what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God ; when he pluckoth his band out of his bosom, he smiteth home, as he saith, ' Affliction shall not arise a second time ;' he calleth himself in his law ' a jealous God,' his jealousy burns like fire. He can give Edom high and strong mountains for his habitation ; he can give him the fat of the earth, and the dew of heaven, and let him multiply on the earth exceedingly ; he can forbear him in his wicked- ness and cruelty for a long time. But when he Cometh to execute judgment, his right hand will find out all his enemies, he will not leave a place or corner unsearched, but he ' will cut off head and tail, branch and root, in one day, for his hand is not shortened, but is stretched out still.' Why, then, doth the pride of our hearts deceive us, flattering us that all shall be well with us, though we walk in the lusts of our own hearts ; though pride dis- guise us in our clothing, though gluttony fill us up to the throats, though drunkenness stagger ns, and our oaths and blasphemies fly up as high as heaven. Hath God forgotten to be righteous, and is his jadg- ment-seat turned all to mercy, that we dare him with our crying sins, and awake his vengeance with our abominable impieties ? Can we sin the sins of Edom, and not smart with their punishment ? He hath a curious and searching eye, he bath looked upon our works, he hath set our sins before him, our secret sins in the sight of his countenance. First, his eye searcheth out the sins of men, then his right hand searcheth out all his enemies ; ' If he be angry, yea, but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him.' ' They shall say one to another, Come and see what desolations he hath made in the earth ;' and, as it is in my text, ' How are they cut ofiT but 'peace shall be upon Israel.' 3. Out of the manner of speech and phrase of this prophecy against Edom, I observe the use that all ages of the church must make of the examples of God's judgments upon other persons and nations be- fore us, recorded in Scripture, or in story registered, for the benefit of after times. For, (1.) He interposeth this clause of admiration, ' How art thou cut off!' as declaring an admirable judgment to be executed upon them, enough to strike all that see it or hear of it with fear. 38 MARBURY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 5, 6. (2.) By a comparison of dissimilitudes he slle^YeUl that tliieves and Yine-robbers shall be merciful men in comparison of them that shall fight the Lord's battles against Edom. For they shall leave somewhat behind them, these wasting depopulators of Edom shall leave nothing. (3.) He saith not categorically and positively, ' The things of Esau are searched out, his hid things are sought up ;' but in a more pathetical language of am- plification, by way of question, ' How are the things of Esau searched out!' and resuming the matter, but with addition and amplification, ' How are his hid things sought up !' Which questions do put it upon us to take the judg- ment of God upon Edom into a serious consideration. It is a question amongst great learned divines of former ages, which was the greatest miracle that ever Christ wrought whilst he lived upon earth ? St Jerome answereth, Some think the raising of Lazarus ; others the giving sight to the blind ; others the voice that was heard at bis baptism ; others his transfiguration ; but he, for his own judgment, he thinks that the whipping of men that bought and sold in the temple, twice by him performed, was the greatest of all his miracles. For that a man so weak in his own person, so despised of men, so opposed by the merchants of the temple, should play Rex in the temple, and should there execute judgment, and sub- due the hearts of so many men, who thought they did well, and had some colour to defend what they did, and that they should without resistance sutler the lash, and abandon the place ; — St Origen doth admire this miracle of his justice, as declaring him to be God, as David saith. God is known by executing judgment, quo domantur Jiomininn ingenia, whereby the wits of men are subdued. Therefore, when the judgments of God are preached, let men fear. The doctrines of Paul were soft and gentle, when he spake of righteousness and tempe- rance ; but when he spake of the judgment to come, Fehx trembled ; but it is probably thought that that last doctrine of judgment to come put him into that quaking and shaking fit, and made the earth to quake within him. Therefore the prophet David, having shewed what search God maketh for sin, addeth, Ps. 1. 22, ' Now consider this, you that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.' His judgments are over all the earth ; it is a medi- tation for the Sabbath,* it is proper for the day. And David saith, Ps. xcii. 4, ' Thou hast made me glad through thy work.' (One of his works is of judg- ment.) ' When the wicked spring as grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever.' ' For lo, thine enemies, Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish ; all the work- ers of iniquity shall be scattered.' This is matter of comfort for the church of God ; it is joy in the tabernacles of the righteous ; for they say the right baud of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. It serveth also to mingle some trembling with their joy, and some fear with their faith, to keep it from overgrowing to presumption ; therefore the elect of God, upon consideration of the severe judgments of God, do feel in themselves a renewed fear of the majesty of God, which humbleth them, as Habakkuk confesseth : chap. iii. IG, ' When I heard, my belly trembled ; my lips quivered at the voice : rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble.' This is the sweet fruit of that consideration, for it prepareth rest for the souls of them that fear the Lord. Therefore let fortune's and time's delicate minions, the daughters of ease and plenty, which study nothing but trim and braverj', and waste the precious moments of time, which should be spent in the contrite repent- ance of their sins, in the curious di'ess of their bodies ; let them read the judgment of God upon the daugh- ters of Sion, Isa. iii. 16. See how fine they were, and how God threateneth them with the scab, with dis- covery of their nakedness, with stink, with baldness, with divesting, with sackcloth. Let the drunkards of our time hear what God threatened Ephraim : Isa. xxviii. 3, ' The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trod under foot.' Let the schismatical resisters of authority, which despise Moses their king and Aaron their priest, Num. xii. 1, and think much to be subject to the ordinances which are set down, remember Miriam the sister of Moses, who, resisting Moses, was punished with a leprosy, and though Aaron besought God for her, could not be healed till she had been shut out of the camp seven days. Read and study holy Scriptures ; whatsoever is * That is, it occurs iu Ps. xcii. the title of which is, ' A Psaliu or Soug for the Siihhath-day.' — Ed. Ver. 7.] MAEBUKT ON OBADIAH. S9 there written is for onr learniug. Our God is the same, and his j-ears fail not ; he hath the same eye that once he had to find out sinners ; he hath the same hatred that once he had to sin ; he hath the same justice that once he had to censure it, and the same right hand to execute his wrath. All Scriptures will tell you that he doth it severely, his sword is sharp and his arm is strong. ' Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.' Ver. 7. AH the men of thy avifcderacij have hi-oiir/Jit thee even, to the border : the men that were at peace nitli thee have deceived thee, and prevailed ar/aiiist thee; they that eat thy bread have laid n n-onnd under thee, there is no understanding in him. The third confidence of Edom disappointed. This point is rhetorically amplified, 1. In the persons in whom Edom trusted. 2. In the failing of them. 1. The persons are called, (1 .) Men of their confederacy, such as had entered into league with them, saying, Your friends shall be our friends, your enemies shall be our enemies, we will engage our strength mutually with you, we will seek our good in the common good of both ; as in the Proverbs, one purse, one army. (2.) The men that were at peace with her, that had promised them love from themselves, and all offices of humanity. (3.) They that eat thy bread : such as did com- municate with them in the necessities of life, as Judas did with Christ, commensales con viva', table guests. 2. Their failing is also amplified. (1.) They have brought thee even to the border; that is, whilst Edom trusted to their help, they came forth of their strongholds to meet with their enemies in the borders of their territories, who but for their trust in them might have been more safe in their own fortresses. For, trusting to their help, whom they found perfidious, they left their habitations and strong castles empty, to keep the enemy from coming upon their borders ; whilst their false friends expose them to invasion, and their gates to direptiou, in their absence, lielinquentcs et ■prodeiites. Thus they gave their enemies advantage against them, to keep them from returning again into their strongholds . (2.) They have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee. For they that were trusted as friends to Edom, betrayed them to their enemies, and fought against them and prevailed. (3.) They have laid a wound under thee ; that is, they have secretly conveyed under thee an instrument to wound thee ; therefore others read posnerunt insidias snhter te, declaring how cunningly their false friends had concealed their malice, and how dangerously they had kid their plot for the overthrow of Edom, so near as under them, even to blow them up : like our powder traitors, for they laid wounds under the Parliament House, instruments and means to wound and to destroy all. And therefore he concludes of Edom, ' there is no understanding in him ;' that is, Edom was blinded and befooled with this vain confidence, to trust in the perfidious friendship of their false friends. From this place these doctrines arise : 1. It was Edom's sin against the first command- ment to put confidence in man, and therefore God punisheth them by those whom they trusted. From whence ariseth this doctrine. That God punisheth one sin by another ; the siu of injury and oppression of Israel b}' the sin of false confidence in men. 2. Consider against whom Edom offended, even against Israel their brother ; for was not Esau Jacob's brother ? Therefore God punisheth their perfidious- ness to their brother with the perfidiousness of their friends to them. From whence we conclude. That God requiteth the wicked with the same measm'o which they have meted to others. 3. Whereas the friends and confederates of Edom turn enemies and traitors to them, we conclude that, There can be no true peace nor bonds of love be- tween wicked men. 4. From all these antecedents, we may conclude that those who trust in men have no understanding. Doct. 1. God punisheth one sin by another. Edom first sinned against the second table of the law in wrong and violence ; and then he sinned, in vain confidence in man, against the first table, and God bj this severe * sin punished the first. It is the manner of Satan, after a speeding tempta- tion to one sin, to suggest another to hide, or to de- fend and bear up the other ; our lying comes in to conceal fraud, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. And so cursing and swearing come in to maintain the * Qu. ' second ' ?— Ed. 40 MARBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 7. credit of a lie, as in Peter's denial of his Master. So there needs a great many lies to maintain one, if in- terrogatories do press the liar far. If it were no more but so, that one sin doth drive us into another, even in this consideration one sin doth punish another, because the more sin is com- mitted the more punishment is deserved ; but this is much more, the sin is punished with sin. Thus Edom first breakelh the second table of the law in doing wrong to his brother, and fearing that this will one day cost blows, he sinneth another sin against the first table, and forsaketh the confidence in God, and putteth his trust in men, which turneth to his utter ruin aud destruction. So even the saints of God fall, as David ; for his adultery began to defile him, and then he stained himself with the blood of his well de- serving and faithful subject. This is the plot of David in the matter of Uriah. The reason why sin should be the punishment of sin, is because, nature being once corrupted, and grace ■withdrawn, we are then prone to those defections from God which do more and more corrupt us. And that is a great punishment ; St Paul clearly shevreth it in the degrees thereof, Eom. i. 21 : 1. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God; 2. They were not thankful ; 3. They became vain ; 4. Their foolish heart was darkened. Thus did they run out of one sin into another, and at last, ' Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies be- tween themselves.' ' For this cause God gave them np to vile affections, God gave them up to a reprobate miud, to do those things which are not convenient.' Sin in the heart is a fire in the bosom : Prov. vi. 27, ' Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt ? Can a man go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt ?' St Gregory hath a good description of sins. 1. Some are simple, in themselves sins ; such is every thought, word, and work against the law. 2. Some sins are causes of more sins, as surfeiting and fulness causeth luxury and uncleanness of the flesh. 3. Other sins are the punishment of former sins, as in my text. Edom his former sin is punished by a latter. 4 Other sins are the punishment of former sins, and the causes of latter, as in David. His idleness was punished by his adultery, and that adultery was the cause of mm'der. Qucrij. But here is a query. If sin be a punishment, it is of God ; for all pun- ishment is just, and is of God ; but God is not author of sin, therefore sin is no punishment. Sol. To this our answer is, that sin may be con- sidered two ways. 1. As it is a pollution of man. 2. As it is in the effect thereof the just punishment of man. God is not the author of sin as it is a pollution, but being committed, God in the even course of his jus- tice turneth it into punishment of man. And man is punished, saith Thomas Aquinas, three ways. 1. Ill pracedentibuSjhecoMse God withdraweth his preserving grace from a sinner, and maketh the means of his preservation ineffectual. For to the just be saith, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee ; but to the reprobate he shutteh up their eyes, ne videant, he stoppeth their ears, lie audiant ; he hardeneth their hearts, aud leaveth them to their own corruptions to be wrought upon. 2. /)(. concomitanlibus, these are either, (1.) Inward, the pollution of the heart. (2.) Outward, in the calamities of life. 3. Ill subsequentibus, that is, the unrest of the con- science and the distraction of the mind. Excellent and full to this purpose is the example of the prodigal ; for, 1. God withdrew his grace from him, and left him to take his vicious and luxurious courses in the world, till he had spent all and was cast forth. 2. God punished him in his mind, by giving him over for a time to the pollution of sin ; he outwardly punished him with contempt, and beggary, and famine. 8. He punished him in his conscience with the re- morse of his sin, which wrought with him so effec- tually that he repented him of his sin and returned to his father ; so this punishment was not ad amanda- tionein, but ad emendationem. Et qua pctna Juit facta est medecina. Thus sin in the elect may be the punishment of sin, to their great good, and the recovery of them again to God, as in David's example, and in the example of Peter. But the reprobate are forsaken of grace, polluted in their minds, and tormented in their consciences, and feel crosses and afflictions in the flesh ; and these be rods of their own making, wherewith God scourgelh them, sending the angel of Satan to buffet them. The most dangerous and damnable estate is of those Vkr. 7.] MARBURT ON OBADIAH. 41 who, when they have sinned, do not love the word of God which should restore them ; like those froward sick persons, that refuse the physic that should heal them. The word of God is plain dealing, and telleth every one of his faults, and revealeth to them the justice of God. When men begin to take exceptions at the word, and quarrel with the food and medicine of life, and to say. Dams est hie sermo, this is an hard saying, then sin groweth an heavy punishment to them, and work- eth their destruction. Use. Therefore, let all those that would not be their self-tormentors, hear what the Spirit speaketh to the churches : Let them not consult with flesh and blood, but let them order their ways according to the word of God. Let no burden seem so heavy to them as the weight of their own sins. Let no annoyance seem so stenching as the turpitude and pollution of their own sins. And then. Come unto me, ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will ease you. Come to me, you that are defiled and polluted with your manifold corruptions, and I will wash you clean in my blood, saith the Redeemer of men. When our sins have broken our hearts, and made us contrite, and the smart of them hath made us wearj' of them, then shall we see them fastened to the cross of Christ, and the grace of God will be sufficient for us. Doct. 2. God requiteth the wicked with the same measure which they have meted others. Edom dealt perfidiously and treacherously with Israel, therefore their confederates and professed friends deal so with them. It is Christ's rule of justice. Mat. vii. 22, ' With what measure 3-ou mete, it shall be measured to you again ;' proved Isa. xxxiii. 1, 'Woe to thee that spoilest, and wast not spoiled, and dealest treacher- ously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee : when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled ; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.' It is the threatening of God, Exod. xxii. 22, ' Ye shall not afflict the widow or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their voice : and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword ; and your wives shall be widows, and j'our children father- less.' David smarted in this kind. He defiled the wife of his faithful servant Uriah. Absalom, his son, de- filed his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. Cain feared this judgment so soon as he had killed bis brother Abel, Gen. iv. 14, for be said presently, ' It shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.' Adoni-Bezek confessed this justice of retaliation executed on him, for they took him, and cut off his thumbs and great toes, and he said, Judges i. 6, ' Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and toes cut off, gathered their meat at my table : as I have done, God hath requited me.' So saith God to the Chaldeans : Hab. ii. 8, ' Be- cause thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee.' And God made this judgment good against Amalek, for they sought to destroy Israel, and God by Israel destroyed them. Samuel said to Agag their king, 1 Sam. xv. 33, ' As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among other women : so he hewed him in pieces before the Lord.' Ahab slew Naboth, and himself was slain, 1 Kings xxi. 19, Jezebel shed Naboth's blood. ' Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick even thy blood also. The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the walls of Jezreel.' As Solomon threateneth, Prov. i. 31, ' They shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.' The apostle calleth this righteousness in God : 2 Thess. i. 6, ' It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble J'ou.' The word is decomposite, avra-rohoZvai, and signi- fieth a retribution contrary to them, that in the same they shall be patients wherein they have been agents. From this fountain of justice cometh that law judicial : Exod. xxi. 24, ' x\.n eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' Which law Christ did not abrogate, but interpret, and put it into the power of the magistrate, where it ought to be, taking it awaj' from private persons. Use. Let us all lay this justice of God to heart, and let us look for it at the hands of God, that he will avn/i/rfcTv to us our iniquities unrepented. Let the adulterer hear Job : chap. sxxi. 9, 10, ' If my heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at the door of my neighbour, let my wife grind to another, and let other men bow down upon her.' Let the cruel oppressor of his brethren look to be oppressed in himself, or in his posterity: Ps. cxxxvii. 8, If the daughter of Babel oppress, ' blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.' 42 MAEBURT ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 7. It is God's own word, ' He that hononretli me, him will I honour ; but he that despiseth me, shall be despised . Doct. 3. There is no true love and peace between the ungodly. Here hath been much confederacj' between Edom and other nations ; they were men of peace, they did eat and drink together, yet even those turned perfidi- ous to Edom, and betrayed him. Christ in his legacy of peace said, John siv. 27, Pacem mcani do vohls, noii sicut viundus dat, ' My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth.' For either it is pax cidulutionis, the peace of adulation, of which David saith. Oleum peccatoris non covfriiiget caput meum. Ravenna's note is that in all sacrifices to God salt was used, for God cannot be flattered ; when we say the most we can of him, we come short. Adulatio quam slmills est amiciiitc, non inii- tatur tauluni., sed pracodit. Poor men have the advantage of the rich in this, for who flattereth them ? Sinners say we need not this waste. Why should we bestow it on them that cannot requite us ? We will save it, and give it to them which are mighty. 2. Or it is ^;fl.c malci' coiifedcialiunis, the peace of evil confederacy, such as is between thieves, we will all have one pm-se. These be, as old Jacob said of Simeon and Levi, /rnfres /;; nudo, brothers in evil. St Augustine calleth this nefariam ainicitiain, a wicked friendship ; into their secret let not my soul come. These tares bind themselves in bundles for the fire. 3. Pax simuhtionis, a dissembling peace, when men hide malice under a show of peace, that they may sub amki fallere nomcii, that they deceive under show of friendship. So Judas kisseth and betrayeth, Amasa entreateth and stabbeth. 4. Pax temporalis, a temporal peace, when men maintain love and friendship, and exchange gi-eat gifts and tender love and service to serve a turn. So men set up the ladders that they climb by as high as they can; but when their turn is served, they lay them along upon the ground. This is the peace which the world giveth, and there is no true friendship in it, for, Prov. xvii. 17, ' A friend loveth at all times.' Nee uUis (livulsus querimouiis Suprema citius solvit amor die. True peace is like the dew of Hermon, none but the elect of God have it. ' My peace I give to you :' it is not like the light of the sun, that shines on good and bad. This is like the light that sbined on Goshen, when all Egypt else was in palpable darkness. This is like ' the precious oil poured on Aaron's head, and running down to the skirts of his raiment ; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, and life for ever- more,' Ps. cxxxiii. 2, 3. Aristotle held that friendship contracted either by pleasure or profit could not hold ; for the cement and glue that should tie them together is but weak. This continuation is but hujus ad hoc, of this to that. But the union of the faithful is li ujus in hoc, of this in that ; for they be incorporate in one body, and they are made members of Christ, and members one of another — one flesh, one bodj'. We see men in their greatness followed, and served, and petitioned, observed, and presented with choicest and richest gifts ; if we see them decline in favour or power, we see them forsaken of their servants. We see young prodigals frequented with company, courted with compliments, feasted and swelled with all delights ; but when the fountain of this friendship is drawn dvj, and the means fail, who calleth those men friends, or seeketh theu- conversation ? This yet appeareth more plainly in the Idumeans of Eome, that have long persecuted the true church of God ; for though they have laboured ever since the first corruption of the church to maintain their hereti- cal opinions, yet could they never be at anj' perfect peace amongst themselves. And this offer our church may boldly make to them, that there is no tenet in our religion we maintain against them but we will re- nounce it, if we do not find it averred by some one, or most of eminent learning amongst themselves. And because it will take up too much time to give instance in all particulars of our ditiereuce from the Trent chm'ch, for a taste let me refer so many as are desirous of better satisfaction to read that learned proof of this truth in the reverend Dean of Gloucester's thu'd book of the church, at the end of it, where he nameth the agreement of our church with their best learned in points wherein the Jesuits at this day ac- cuse us of heresy. Therefore, one observed well that the religion of Rome was like Nebuchadnezzar's im- age ; the height of it was sixty cubits, and the breadth was but six, that is, without any proportion, for never could they make the parts of it symmetrical. Ver. 7.] MARBURY ON OBADIAH. Therefore, first, we are comforted against all the enemies of our religion. Their strength mny be great, and their malice greater, but the}- cannot imite them- selves with the bond of true peace, and the God of peace is not their tutelary God. In the damnable conspiracy of the powder traitors, God, by one of themselves, diverted the treason. I deny not but Turks have had many great prevailings against Chris- tians, papists against protestants, and their confede- rates have held fast with them. So had Moab and Ammon, Gebal, the Assyrians, Philistines, the Chal- deans against Israel. But God found a time to con- sume these nations by their ovra strength, and their own confederates were the ruin of them. We have heard that war is one of the sore judg- ments wherewith God scourgeth oflenders. At this time a great part of the proteslaut church is hostilely attempted with war. We have many of our countrymen, noble, generous, and valiant volun- teers engaged in that cause. I hope we shall do a charitable Christian duty to God and them, to pray God to cover their heads in the day of battle, to be- seech him whom Job calls the preserver of men to save them fi-om all evil. Thou, Lord, preservest man and beast ; do thou save them : let their eye have its desire upon their enemies. And for ourselves, we saj', ' Lord, be gracious unto us ; we have waited for thee : be thou their arm every morning, our sal- vation also in the time of trouble,' Isa. xxxiii. 2. God is called Lord of hosts, and so he can master his enemies ; the stars in their courses by their in- fluences ; the elements : fire, as in Sodom ; air, as in the pestilence in David's time; water, as in the deluge; earth, as in Korah's transgression, to smite sinners. He can punish man by frogs, by flies, by lice, by grasshoppers, and such like armies of his. Yet he chose to destroy (he army of the Midianites by them- selves, rather than by any other means : Judges vii. 22, ' The Lord set every man's sword against his fel- low throughout all the host.' He could have em- ployed other executioners to have done vengeance upon blaspheming Sennacherib, king of Assyria, but he would shew that no bonds of society or nature can hold them together whom God hath not joined : Isa. xxxvii. 38, ' Therefore, it came to pass, as he was worshij^ping in the house of Nisroch his God, that Adrammcleoh and Sharezer his sons smote him with a sword.' 2. We are therefore taught to unite ourselves in the Lord by the bonds of true love ; for all other bonds will be like the new cords wherewith Samson was tied, break in sunder, and we shall cast them from us. The great friendship that is made by bribes cannot be sincere ; for, 1. The receiver of them knows that his love is a dear pennyworth to his friend ; it is not a gift, but a perquisite, and therefore he cannot call it sure. 2. The giver knoweth his money, and not his love, made the friend ; and if this friendship bear him out of the hands of justice, his conscience will still tell him that his money, not his innocency, acquitted him ; if this friendship prefer him, his conscience within him will say that his money, not his worthi- ness, had advanced him. Therefore, the friendship thus made is not sincere. But thej' whom religion and the fear of God doth unite are of one heart and of one soul. Here is no lack of anything, if any of them may supply it. Acts iv. 32. The wounded man shall have both the oil and wine of the Samaritan out of his vessels, and the help of bis hand, and of his beast, and of his word, and of his purse. Our Saviour Christ saith, ' Go thou and do the like.' How can we say we are neighbours, when we are so far from healing our brethren's wounds, that we rather set them into a fresh bleeding, and open them wider ; we rather make more in the whole and sound flesh ; we rather take away their oil and wine, and beast, and money, wherewith they should help them- selves ; and instead of putting them into an house, we take their houses over their heads, and expose them to storms ? The God of peace sanctify us throughout, that his peace may knit us together in him ! Doct. 4. Those who trust in men, have no under- standing. Here on earth we do much value the wisdom and judgment of man, by his choice of adherence and de- pendence ; and we judge them unwise that, address themselves to such as cannot either support them as they are, or put them on farther. But the word of the Lord saith, there is no understanding in Edom to trust in man ; and the psalmist, non rclhiquat homi- nein. He adviseth, ' Trust not in princes, nor in any sou of man, for there is no help in him ; ' God goeth farther in my text, ' there is treason in him,' mhducet au.rUinm, super inihicH e.vitinm. He will bring thee to thy uttermost borders, and there he will leave thee. Junius reads, ciijus ruhieris non eril intclUgcntia, as 4t MAEBURY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 8. pointing out so great a plague upon Edom, ut ipsam nequoat mens huinana cumprehendere, nedum curare arte et intellvjentia. Joannes Draconites readeth the test thus, ante pro- deris Jwstibus quam animadvertas. But the sense is easy, God censureth them for fools that put their trust in man; for God himself saith, Jer. ii. 13, ' they commit two great evils, they forsake God the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.' The Philistines, 1 Sam. svii. 10, trusted in their great champion Goliath, and they defied the host of Israel, and despised David ; the Aramites sent Israel word, 1 Kings xx. 10, that ' the dust of their land should not be enough to give every one of their axmy an handful.' The reason of this folly is, 2 Cor. iv. 4, ' the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not ; for Satan worketh strongly in the children of disobedience,' he hath strong illusions for them, to make them believe hes. ' They that trust in lying vanity,' saith Jonah, ' do forsake their own mercy.' It is a lying vanity to trust the false gods of the heathen. God upbraideth the apostate Jews so, Deut. xxxii. 38, ' Let them rise up and help you, let them be a refuge.' It is a lying vanity to trust in any confederacy against God, it is God's woe : Isa. XXX. 1, 'Woe to the rebellious children, that take counsel, but not of me ; that cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin unto sin ; that walk to go down into Egypt (and have not asked at my mouth), to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egj'pt your confusion.' He declareth this folly iu the next chapter, Isa. xxxi. 3, ' Now the Egj'ptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit. AVhen the Lord shall stretch out his hand, he that helpeth shall fall, aud he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.' This sheweth want of faith, when we trust in the vain help of friends. It is true, that we must use all good means to fur- ther God's providence, but we must not put any trust in these means ; there may be help by them, there is no help in them. David setteth these two in opposition, and declareth the diifering success of them : Ps. XX. 7, 8, ' Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of our Lord. They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen, and stand upright.' Is it not folly for man to run himself upon the curse of God ? God hath said it ; Jer. xvii. 5, ' Cursed be the man that trusteth iu mau, and maketh flesh his arm, aud withdrawelh his heart from the Lord.' The poets, the prophets of the heathen, can tell us what ill success the giants of the earth had, with their confederacy against the gods. Non est consilium contra Domimim. The use of this point is, let us all labour and pray for understanding, 1. To know the impotency of the creature, that we mny not trust to it. 2. To know the omnipotency of our Creator, that we may not oppose it, but seek our rest under that shadow. This will change our vain confidence into a strong faith ; aud faith is a shield in all our wars. Ver. 8. Sltall I not in that day [saitJi, the Lord) even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau? Their fourth hope despaired. Doct. They trusted to their wisdom ; God doth threaten to destroy both the wisdom and the wise men of Edom. In this passage consider we, 1. The judgment upon Edom : Destruam sapientes, ' I will destro}' the wise men.' 2. The assurance: Dicit Dominus, ' saith the Lord.' 3. The time : ' in that day.' 1. Concerning the judgment, we are taught that human wisdom and counsels without God are no fence for a state. Here is the mother disease of human nature. Eve heard that wisdom was to be gotten by eating the for- bidden fruit, aud she aspired in the pride of her heart to be like God, knowing good and evil ; ever since, man hath much afl'ected wisdom ; therefore God, who hath revealed the true wisdom to his church, hath ever professed himself an enemy to the wisdom of this world : it hath two titles, inimicitia: apud Deum, et stuhitiic, enmity and foil}'. The true and saving wisdom is Christ; he is ' made unto us of God wisdom,' and his word is sufiicient to make the man of God wise unto salvation : Eccles. ix. 14, ' There was a little city, and few men within Ver. S.] MARBURT ON OB AID I AH. 45 it ; and there came a great king against it, and be- sieged it, and built a bulwarlv ag:iinst it. Now there ■ffas found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wis- dom delivered the citj'.' This little city is the church of God, the few men in it be the little flock of God's chosen, the enemy that assaulteth it is Satan, the prince of darkness, the god of this world. The poor wise man in it is Jesus Christ, the carpenter, the son of poor Mary, of whom the scribes and priests said, ' Is not this the carpenter ?' He by his wisdom saved his churcli. This wisdom directeth to the whole armour, and teacheth how to fit it to us, that we may be able to resist Satan, Eph. vi. But the wisdom that is of the world, that studieth how to carry tilings on without God, sometimes against God, for God is not in all their ways ; and this was ever a broken reed, it doth both deceive and wound him that leaneth on it. For, Eom. viii. 7, ' The wisdom of the flesli cannot be subject to the law of God.' Yet it striveth in vain ; for, Prov. xxi. 3, ' there is no wisdom, nor under- standing, nor counsel against the Lord ; ' for it is written. Job. v. 13 and 1 Cor. iii. 19, ' He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.' 1. The reason is given by the propliet, Isa. sxxi. 2, ' Yet he also is wise,' meaning there the wisdom of direction and counsel, for that belongs to him only ; the wisdom of obedience and sequence is that which we most* seek. Therefore God resisteth and destroyeth all those that usurp his wisdom, but take counsel, and not of him, and cover with a covering, but not of his Spirit, Isa. XXX. 1 ; that is, seek protection and coverture against evils, but not consulting his Spirit, who alone claimeth right in that title to be custos Iwminum, the preserver of men. 2. ' God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to destroy the wise,' 1 Cor. i. 17 ; the reason is given, ver. 19, ' That no flesh shonld glory in his presence.' God is the only subject of glory properly in himself; we give it to him in our Lord's prayer, Tuinn est regniiw, potentia, ct gloria, ' Thine is king- dom,' &c. He is a jealous God, he hath sworn that he will not give his glory to any creature. Wisdom is one of his glories, for ' the foolishness of God is wiser than men,' 1 Cor. i. 25. And for this cause God will destroy the wise men of Edom, both their persons * Qu. 'must'?— Ed. and their wisdom, as he did Ahithophel, the oracle of those times ; he defeated him, for he turned his wis- dom into folly, and left him not wisdom enough to save liimself from the halter. TJae. Therefore by Edom's example let us learn not to trust to human wisdom, flattering ourselves that we can do anything without God ; for even the wicked, when the}' oppress the cliurch and hurt the saints, do it not without the counsel and wisdom of God ; so he saith before, ' Thus saith the Lord, an ambassador is sent to the nations, arise ye against him in battle.' It is God that maketh their confederates forsake Edom, and the men of their peace be the sword of God drawn out against Esau. Reviling Rabshakeh, the general of Sennacherib's forces against Jerusalem, could say, Isa. xxxvi. 10, and he said truly, ' And am I now come up without the Lord against this land ? The Lord said unto me. Go up against this land.' For God stirred them up, and animated them to fight his battles against Israel. The wisdom of the world is not worth the seeking, because it may be lost and taken from us. The wisdom of God, which is from above, God giveth to his chosen, and he cannot take it away from us, because the gifts and calling of God are without re- pentance. But the wise men of the world, when they have most cause to use their wisdom, then it faileth them ; like the seaman's cunning in a violent storm, it is gone, saith David, Ps. cvii. 27. The wisdom of God in man is ever at the best in the greatest tempest of danger and sense of sin. The disciples, when they are brought before kings and rulers, are promised, Daho vohis. sapientiam, I will give you wisdom ; and further, Dahitur ilia hard, it shall be given in that hour. Stephen at the hour of his death, not distracted with the fury of them that stoned him, died calling upon God, calling on him for them that killed him. God takes away wisdom from them that know not how to use it ; such as are wise to do evil, but to do good have no understanding. Wisdom in an ungodly man is armata nequitia, armed wickedness ; and therefore David prayeth against it, ' Let not their wicked imagination prosper.' It was David's wisdom, Audiam quid loquatur in me Deus, ' I will hear what the Lord will say.' For he will speak to our hearts peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. He will uphold us with his counsel ; the fear of the Lord is the beginning of our wisdom. 46 MARBURY ON OBADIAH. [Ver. 8. 2. The assurance, ' Thus sfiith the Lord.' For the trust in wisdom is so confident, that the holy projjhet, though he had called his prophecy his vision, and though he had begun his whole pi'ophecy with Thus saith the Lord, yet the more to assure the events threatened, he resumeth this authority. (1.) Ho bringeth in God himself dispersing their first hope, ' I have made thee small, the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee.' (2.) In their second hope, which was in the strength of their habitation, he bringeth in God speaking to Edom, ' I will bring thee down, saith the Lord.' (3.) Now again, in this third hope of theirs, in the wisdom of their wise men, two things do meet in this verse to fortify the assurance. [l.J The authority of him that saith and doth those things, ' Thus saith the Lord.' [2.] His appeal to them ; for ho doth not say, I will desti'oy the wise men out of Edom, but he ap- pealeth to their own hearts, saying, ' Shall I not destroy them ? ' (/. d. Do you think that I will be over-reached by your wise men ? No; they shall not have wit enough to save themselves, much less to save j-ou, ' For I will destroy them.' Which peremp- tory declaration of the will of him who is judge of all the world, doth leave no place for evasion ; for the psalmist saith of him, that ' He doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth, and in all deep places.' By virtue of this certain word of God, we do gather this assurance against all the enemies of the church, in all ages thereof ; for he hath said it by the mouth of Job, chap. xxi. 17, ' How often is the caudle of the wicked put out ! and how often cometh their destruc- tion upon them ! God distributeth sorrows iu his anger.' What though the execution of this WTath bo deferred ? He addeth, ver. 19, ' God layeth up his iniquity for his children,' that is, the punishment of his iniquity. As there is a decree against them in the counsel of God, and word against them, declaring the decree of God, so die!i crit, there shall be a time. 3. The time, ' in that day.' Our days and times be all in the hand of God, and they be hid in his own power, who in his secret wis- dom hath appointed them. When that day should come, ho hath not yet revealed to Edom in this pro- phecy. God is so patient and longsuffcring that he doth not punish presently ; for vengeance is his, he may take his time when he will, and no man can resist him. The point here considerable is, that God in his secret wisdom hath designed a particular day for every execution of his will ; yea, the Scripture goeth so far as to the hour, even to a moment, the least fraction of time. This declareth that the wisdom of the world and of flesh hath but its time ; there is a period fixed wherein it must determine. Ahithophel's counsels went for oracles till this day, then God tm-ned his wisdom into folly and destruction. So God, Isa. iii. 2, threatened Jerusalem with a day in which ' the Lord would take away from them the mighty men, and the men of war, the judge and the prophet, the prudent and the ancient.' This he doth two ways. One, bj- tm-ning all their knowledge into ignorance, and their wisdom into folly. Another, by destroying their persons, either by his sore judgments, or by leading into captivity. Here both are threatened, for he will destroy both 2yriidc'}ites, wise men, and pynilcntiam, their wisdom, in that day. This may remember us of that great day of which St Paul preached to the Athenians, Acts svii. 31, that ' God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world iu righteousness, by that man which he hath appointed.' For as the day of Jerusalem, and the day of Edom, and the time of God's particular judgments, is set and fixed, so is the day of the last judgment, iu which every man shall give an account to God of himself, and all our works shall come to judgment. What manner of men, then, ought we to be, ex- pecting this day, and providing for it ? This doctrine of the set day of particular execution of God's threatened wrath against sinners, doth teach, 1. Hoty patience in waiting the Lord's pleasure ; and as the apostle admonisheth, Heb. x. 35-37, ' Cast not away therefore your confidence, for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise. For a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. And blessed is he that endureth to the end.' This living under the rod of the ungodly, and this beholding the prosperity of the wicked, doth much disquiet even the saints of God on earth, as in the example of David we see. Therefore we have need of patience, to sweeten the sorrows of life to us, and to clear our eyes, that we may not mourn as men without hope. 2. It teaoheth faith ; for the same author saith. Ver 9.] MAEBURY ON OBADIAH. 47 ver. 38, ' Now the just shall live by faith,' for he that hath promised is faithful, and no word of his shall fall to the ground unfulfilled. ' Faith Cometh by hearing,' let us then use it as the best remedy against the oppressions of the ungodly, to be swifc to hear the word of God, that we may get the shield of faith to bear off all the darts of Satan. So David in that disquiet went to the house of God, there he was taught the end of those oppressors. 3. It teucheth holiness ; for, seeing the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against the enemies of the church ; there is no safety but in the church of God, and that is the congregation of saints. These are safe in that day, he hideth such under his wings, ' his faithfulness and truth is their shield and buckler.' ' There shall no evil happen to them, neither shall any plague come nigh their dwelling.' So long as we make conscience of our words, and thoughts, and ways, and labour our sanctification, and strive against sin, we need not fear in the evil day. Holiness is our door mark, and our forehead mark, the destroying angel shall pass over. Ver. 9. And thij mightij me>i,