SECT. 1. Of mans sinning misery.

FIrst, I say, in Ezekiah we haue a president of mans sinning misery: euery man in his Glasse, may see, and perceiue himselfe, his owne estate, what he is, what his power and ability is in him­selfe, from himselfe, without a superi­or continuall eye of grace watching ouer him, hand of grace corroborating and strengthning him: alas what is the best man liuing, if the Lord leaue him to himself, neuer so little, in a tryall of temptation from Sa­tan, as he did Dauid, when in the pride of his heart hee numbred his people 2 Sam. 14.1. 1 Chr. 21.1.2.: or in a tryall of probation from himselfe, as he did Ezekiah, when in the like pride, in a vaine ostentation he shewed his Treasures to the Ambas­sadors of the King of Babell 2 Chr. 32.3 [...].: oh what can the best man doe, though regenerated by the Spirit, sanctified by grace, renued according to the heauenly Image, cast in a new mould, made a new creature, adorned with the best iewells of sanctified graces, but in such spirituall deser­tions [Page 7] for a time left to Sathans winnowing, and to the corruptions of his owne heart yeelding, to his trecherous flesh, that domestique enemy, betraying; but faile in that which is good, fall into that which is euill: our condition in that reference and relation wee haue vnto God, being significantly expressed, by that reference, which the tra­uellers staffe hath vnto his hand: the weanling child in his first footing, to the hold of the mother, or the Nurse: the Vine, or the Hop, vnto his vpholding prop: for if the Lord vphold vs by his preuenting grace, and his as­sisting Spirit, we stand like the house built vpon the rock, Mat. 7.24.25.26 as the Castle built vpon the mynes of Marble, not to bee vndermined, as the cliffes and rockes in the maine Ocean, or vpon the shore, against all the surging waues, and boi­sterous billowes, and raging windes of sathanicall tempta­tions and suggestions: but if we bee left in any triall or temptation to our selues, as was Peter, Satan desiring to winnow vs Luk. 22.31. v. 60., we fall like the house that is built vpon the sand; or the ruinous tottering building, in an earthquake: euen Ezekiah himselfe here, though adorned with many Graces, though tyed and obliged to the Lord with the golden cords of many and manifold blessings, priuiledges and prerogatiues, aboue most of the sonnes of men, in his time, hauing receiued a peculiar and speciall mercy, euen new, and fresh bleeding in his memory; his restau­ration and miraculous restitution to desired health, in a great and daingerous sicknesse, repriued for a long Lease of life, euen after his summons, yea sentence of expected death: euen this Ezekiah forgets God his Sauiour too soone, is not so mindfull of his mercy as he ought to bee, nor so thankfull as the Lord desired, or as the beneficence required.

SECT. 2. The different effects of prosperity and aduersity.

SEcondly, in Ezekiah see briefly the difference betwixt prosperity and aduersity, or the different carriage and condition of men, yea sometimes of the best men, in these two different estates: Ezekiah in his sicknesse, hauing by no lesse then a Prophet, as the mouth and vnerring O­racle of God, receiued the dismall sentence of death, sets his house in order, and no doubt of it sets his heart in order, turnes himselfe in his bed, 2 King. 20.1, 2, 3. remembers his sinnes, in the bitternesse of his soule mournes like a Doue, chatters like a Craine Esay 38.14., turnes himselfe to the wall and weepes, vers. 2. turns himselfe from man and from humane meanes, (now vnauailable) vnto the might and mercy of God, as the Needle toucht with the Loadstone Apud Alber­tum lib. 2. metal. tract. 3. cap. 6. & Plin. lib. 36. c. 16.26. turnes to the Pole, and so rests reposed: in the soliloquies of his soule, hee poures out his heart and his spirit before the Lord, vnloades his burthened soule in the Lords bosome, vnfolds his griefes, cryes for redresse, with such zealous feruency, and importunity, that his prayers and [...]iaculati­ons darted from faith and feeling, surmount the Clouds, ascend (as fiery meteors Arist lib. 1. & 2. meteor, & Mizaldus lib. 1. Cometog. c. 4.) the highest Regions, penetrate and pierce the Heauens, as importunate sutors and vrgent Ambassadors, haue audience, acceptance, and a comfor­table answer from the God of Heauen, euen to the reuo­king and recalling of that conditionall sentence vers. 4, 5, 6., and ver­dict (as after with the Ion. 3.10. See D. Abbot & B. King in loc. Niniuites) which God himselfe had passed vpon him. And the like demeanor we haue of him, in another strait and exigent, when Senacharib brings such an Army against Ierusalem, as his railing Rabsakah in the pride and presumption of his heart, christned and called, (as once that Armado which threatned this sin­ning Iland) Inuincible 2 King. 18.22, 23, 24.: then hauing (as 2 Chro. 2.12 Iehosaphat said, and did in the like case) no power nor strength in and from himselfe, his people being but as a little flocke [Page 9] of Kids to the troopes of the Assyrians, that were spred as Grashoppers: he betakes himselfe to the Lord, (as an in­dangered child by the ramping of a Lyon, and a Beare) cryes to his father 2 King. 19.15, 16, 17., makes speedy recourse to the God of Hostes, as the Tempest-driuen Ship puts for the shore; in the day of his trouble cals vpon the Lord, makes him (as euery Christian ought to doe in the like extremities) his rocke Psal. 18.1., his refuge, his Asylum, and Sanctuary: spreads the Letter of reuiling Rabsakah before the Lord, intreats the prayers of the Prophet Esay 2 King. 19.2., for himselfe and his di­stressed people; hath a comfortable answer according to his faith vers. 6, 7. & vers. 20, 21.. A promised hooke vers. 28. put in the nostrils of Se­nacharib, an Angell employed in his behalfe, as the organ of Gods wrath, to make riddance of his enemies vers. 35., euen 1085 at one clap: but now here is an alteration in Eze­kiah, Noua rerum facies, a metamorphosis, a strange change; Mutatus ab illo, & Totnam (as the phrase is) turnd French: Ezekiah in his prosperity hath got a cooler, his hot zeale hath caught cold: It is luke-warme, or rather key-cold, or frozen for want of stirring and agitation; as a standing poole in a winters freeze: the next newes wee heare of Ezekiah, he is vnmindfull of that God, who was so mindfull of him, and mercifull to him: he forgets God, he renders not according to the benefit receiued.

Oh thus it was with him, thus it is with vs; Application. thus with most of vs, with best of vs, yea euen generally with all of vs (so farre as corruption and our carnall vnregenerate part preuailes, as it preuailes in many too farre) in our ad­uersity, we seeke the Lord, in the pressures of pouerty, penury, vpon our estates: sicknesse, aches, paines, disea­ses, vpon our bodies: Infamy, scandall, reproach, vpon our names: horror vpon our soules, terror vpon our con­sciences: we perhaps presse hard to the Lord by prayer, petition, supplication: wee wrastle with him, as Ose. 12.4. Iacob, to blesse vs; wee cry to him as the Disciples in the tossed Luke 8.24. ship; as Peter walking on the waters, ready to Mat. 14.29, 30 sincke; [Page 10] or inuironed with our enemies by sea or land, beset with horse and foot, as Dauid once by 1 Sam. 23.26. Saul, hunted and pur­sued by our enemies, as the Partridge by the Hawke; in perill by the fury and force of any of the creatures, ani­mate or inanimate, Fire, Water, Wolues, Dogges, Beares, Lyons: wee cry out as Iehosaphat did in the battell when the Archers shot at him 2 King. 22.32, and put him in perill: yea, in sicknesse chiefly, and the summons of death, wee turne our selues to the wall and weepe, we wash our beds with teares, as Dauid Psal. 6.6.; wee make perhaps many faire hights and vowes, and promises to God, of reformation of much amisse, mortification of many lusts, stricter life and con­uersation, vpon our restitution to health, which we indent with God: we confesse any thing, as men on the Racke, in the tortures of conscience, wee will suffer any launcing for the healing of sinnes wounds, for the asswaging of their rage; wee will couenant and promise any thing, as Schoole-boyes vnder their Masters Ferula: when alas, when the Lord easeth our shoulders from our burthens, which we cast vpon him: when the God of Iacob deliuers vs out of troubles: when he pluckes vs out of the stockes, and sets vs at liberty: puls the strait shooe off our foot, takes vs off the Rackes, leaues smiting and scourging vs, seemes to burne our rods as it were before our faces, turns our stormes into calmes: Alas, then wee forget him, as some man doth his friend, that hath done him most good in his need, perhaps saued him from the Gallowes: wee remember the Lords kindnesses as fooles and children remember good turnes: or as the Oestrich remembers her egges, buried in the sand: Our promises wee keepe with God, as the perfidious Carthaginians and lying Cre­tians Titus 1.12. with men, as the banquerout his word, Bill, or Bond with his creditor: our vowes in sicknesse proue still languishing and sicke vowes, vnperformed, euen in our best health: our deuotions are as hot as some sea mens, who pray aloud and cry out as Ionas Marriners Ionas 1.5. in the [Page 11] storme, and are Reuben-like Gen. 4 [...].4. as light as water in excesse of riot vpon the land: when the Lord turnes our sicknesse into health, our paine into ease, our perturbations into pleasures, our pouerty into plenty, our daingers into de­lights, &c. we then turne praying into playing, fasting into feasting, mourning into musicke, sorrow into carnall solace: yea euen the grace of God, many of vs, into wan­tonnesse: at least we are too forgetfull of God, and of our selues, as were the Israelites, who (as you may see through­out the whole booke Iudg. 3.5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12.15. chap. 4.1, 2, 3. chap. 6.1, 2. of Iudges) when they were in af­fliction, oppressed by the Midianites, Ammonites, Phili­stins, Canaanites, they continually cryed vnto the Lord, and were in outward shew exceedingly humbled; but when the rod was off their backe, when vpon their seek­ing to God, (though with a dissembling and double hart) the Lord sent them deliuerance, and deliuerers: Othoniel, Gideon, Iphtah, Tolah, Sampson, and other victorious and valiant men, to defend and deliuer them in warre, and to iudge them in peace: Psal. 106. per totum. according to the ancient wont of their Fathers, they forgat God, forsooke his lawes, reuol­ted from his couenant, ranne with as fast a contrary bias to their idolatry as euer, committed sinne as greedily, neglected Gods worship as carelesly, fel into idolatry as su­perstitiously, &c. Yea Dauid himselfe, though a man after Gods owne heart, as he confesseth of himselfe, in his pro­sperity sung a requiem to his soule, said he should neuer be remoued, and before hee was troubled went wrong Psal. 119.67., though (Crux dans intellectum) in his trouble hee sought the Lord diligently, yea with his whole heart: and sure this is the case and condition of most of vs, we crouch and bow, and bend to God, cry peccaui, intreat for fauour, beg as it were the Psalme of mercy, as the fellon before the Iudge, when we are in exigents, and dainger of exe­cution, and falling either into the hands of God or man: but if the Lord baile vs, or repriue vs, or absolutely free vs, vpon our humiliation, or let vs escape with some little [Page 12] smart or punishment, as it were with burning in the hand, we then presently, or after some space, when the burning is eaten out, when our former affliction is forgotten, and those sinnes, that caused it, as wee thinke forgiuen: wee as stearne fellons, as bone-bred thieues, felloniously trans­gresse againe, breake his statute lawes againe: steale a­gaine, in purloyning glory from God, by our scandalous sinning, that we should haue giuē him as his due, by a con­stant course of repentance: thus we vse God, as a perfidi­ous man vseth his friend at need; but when our needs and turnes are once serued, wee neglect to obserue him, who hath so well serued vs; wee haue relation to him, as the Spaniell to the water, vse it for a time, for our turnes, then once on the dry land, when wee haue done with it, shake it off.

SECT. 3. The reason of long afflictions: with Application.

ANd here my desire is that all and euery one of vs, chiefly those that are in affliction, and on whose shoulders the rod of correction hath long laid, whom it most concernes, to take notice of the reason why God keepes oft times his dearest children so long vnder the rod or ferula, sometimes vnder one crosse, sometimes vn­der moe, successiuely comming (as seuerall waues or blu­stering windes, or as Iobs Iob 1.14, 16, 18. messengers with crosse newes) one in the necke of another; the end of one, being the be­ginning of another: will any know the reason of this (lea­uing to pry into the Arke, the secret and inscrutable ends that God hath reserued to himselfe, hee being holy in all his wayes, Psal. 51.4. and righteous in all his workes, iustified euer when he is condemned:) wee our selues from our owne experience, if we take true notice of our selues, and of our crooked natures, rotten rebellious hearts, and peruerse [Page 13] dispositions, may easily swim without a corke, and of our selues, in our selues, and from our selues, see sufficient rea­son, of Gods strictest dealings and proceedings with vs. For the Lord knowes what we are, he knowes our mould, and metall, whereof we are made, he knowes our stearne, stubborne, vndomable natures, that we are sturdy heifers, hardly brought to the yoake of obedience, without much bowing and bending: headstrong colts, vnwilling to take the saddle of subiection, without much beating and breaking: flinty cobbles, marble and stony hearted: knot­ty Timber, vnfit to fill any roome, to supply any place in the spirituall building, vnlesse wee bee much and many times squared, and hewen, and fitted with the axe & ham­mer of seuerall afflictions Of the admi­rable vse and effects of these afflictions lege Augustinum in Psa. 21. in Psal. 60. in serm. ad Lippium: et in Psal. 125. Greg. lib. 11. moral, et super Ezek. Iso­dor. de summo bono, l. 3. et soli­loq l. 1. Chrysost. hom. 3. de Iejunio hom. 44. in Mat. et Saluian. de prouidentia Dei lib 6.: our Physitian knows, we haue grosse & full bodies, many glutinous and viscous humors, tumours of Pride, Vaineglory, Selfe-loue, conceit of our selues, formalitie, hypocrisie, emulation at the places and graces of our brethren, with such like, which are so con­glutinate together, that they are hard to be purged, and therefore he giues vs pill after pill, glister after glister, sends crosse after crosse, he sees we will grow grosse, and fat, and corpulent, and sluggish, yea euen lethargicall in security, vnlesse he continually diet vs with the bread of affliction, and the water of our teares: vnlesse he keepe vs in conti­nuall exercise, as Scipio did his souldiers, and vse strict martiall discipline, our generous Generall knowes we will grow luxurious, licencious, cowardly crauens, vnfit for the Christian campe, vnable, as vnwilling, to weeld any spirituall weapons, against that tripartite Cerberus, that common enemy, the alluring world, the insnaring flesh, Our Mr. Down­ham his Christi­an warfare, as also the Tract called Ioy in Tribulation, In my 7. Helpes to Heauen. the deceiuing, destroying Deuill. The Lord knowes wee must as schoole-boyes bee kept at it, held to it, by disci­pline, as well as doctrine, else we will neuer proue profici­ents, but deficients in the schoole of Christianitie; neuer commence Graduates in any farre degrees of Grace: our Vinitor knowes, we are his vines, that must bee constantly [Page 14] lopt, and pruned, or else we will grow rancke in many su­perfluous lusts Hinc illud Lactantij, ex prosperitate lux­uria, ex luxuria vitia omnia: In hanc rem, lege etiam apud Au­gust. de verbis Domini. lib. 2. & cap. 13. cum Greg. lib. 25. Moralium, lib. 1. & Crysologo Curialium Nu­garum: habemus etiam exempla in scripturis in Gi­deone, Iudg. 8.13, 14. Salomo­ne 1. Reg. 10. v. 26.27. Ierobo­am 1 Reg. 12.20.28. in Amaso 1 Reg. 24 v. 7.9 Osia 2. Chr. 26.16, 17. in Israelitis, Ne­hem 4.23. in alijs, Dan. 4. Luk. 12. Luk. 16. Act. 12. in He­rode, &c.: hee knowes wee are a strange kinde of metall, that will neuer worke kindly without the fire: yea that our hearts are indeed as yron and steele, soft and and tender, and flexible, easie to bee wrought any way, in the furnace and forge of affliction; but once out of the fire, they grow hard, and cold, and congealed as euer: yea that as lukewarme water, in the winters frost, they will freeze faster then euer they thawed, and heated, vnlesse they re­taine their warmth, by some heat and reflection from af­flictions fire. If it were thus with Ezekiah, as my Text and Context plainly demonstrates, and with Dauid and the best of Gods seruants; then sure it is and will bee so with vs: our lesse Grace stands need of quickning, our stronger corruptions haue more need of curbing and re­straining by the Bit and Rod of Correction, then euer theirs had.

SECT. 1. The best men subiected to their falls, their failings.

THirdly in Ezekiah so good and so god­ly a man, euen a Phoenix amongst men, yet as the Scripture saith of Elias a man subiect to infirmities Iames 5.17., as wee are, culpable here in a sinne of omissi­on, in ingratitude, in not rendring thanks gratulatory, and Eucharisti­call Praises proportionable to the mercy receiued of life and health: after transgressing in a sinne of commission, in shewing his Treasures in the pride of his heart, to the Ambassadors of the King of Ba­bel: we may see in him the condition of the rest, the best [Page 15] of men: that as the bright Sun is subiect to clouding and eclipsing: the cleare Moone, to her waining, and sha­dowing, and ouercasting; the strongest and healthfullest body, to a sickning, a feauer, an ague, a weakning: the purest lawne to a spotting, and polluting; the nimblest ioynts subiected to falling; the most metald horse, to his stumbling: so the best of men are subiect to sinning: the holiest of men haue their infirmities Vide etiam et testimonia patrū praecipue Augu­stini in Psal. 5. in lib. 1. de nuptijs et concupisc. cap. 25. in tract. 41. in Ioh. et in lib. 1. de peccat. meritis cap. 23., as the purest gold hath his drosse: the best corne his weedes: the fullest eares, their awnes, and their huskes: to begin from the beginning of mans fall, and to reflect euer since on mans frailty, Abrahams denying Gen. 12. v. 13. Gen. 20.2., and twise dissembling his owne wife: Iacobs fraudulency and subtilty Gen. 25.31. Gen. 27.19., in twise de­frauding his brother Esau: Ioseph swearing Gen. 41.15. by the life of Pharaoh: Iudahs incest with his daughter in Law: Gen. 38.25. Rubens incest with his mother in Law Gen. 35.22.: Lots incest Gen. 49.36. with his own daughters: Moses his murmuring Numb. 20.12, 13. et 27.14. and infidelity: Aa­ron his emulation Numb. 12.2., and consenting to Idolatry Exod. 23.5.: Dauid his adultery 2 Sa. 11.4.17., bloodshed, in defiling Vriahs his bed, his blood, his conniuence at his childrens sins 1 King. 1.6., his iniustice 2 Sam. 16.4. towards Mephibosheth, his dissembling 1 Sam. 27.10, 11. with King A­chish, his pride of heart in numbring his people 2 Sam. 24.1.: Salo­mons Idolatry 1 King. 11., concubinary vncleannesse, Polygamy: with the Polygamy of all the Patriarkes: Sampsons Iudg. 16.1, 4. effe­minate folly: Iob Iob 3.3., Ieremie Ier. 20.14, 15, 16., Elias impatiencie 1 King. 19.4.: Zacha­ries incredulity Luke 1.20.: Peters deniall Luk. 22.57., temporizing Gal. 2.12, 13., disswasi­on of Christs passion Matt. 16.22.: Thomas his doubting Iohn 20.25., and strange diffidence: all the Disciples culpable ignorance, want and weaknesse of faith Mark. 16.13.: Iames and Iohns fiery zeale Luke 9.54., and aspiring presumption Mat. 20 20, 21. Paul and Barnabas dissention and diuision Acts 15.39.. Or to come to history: Augustines once Mani­chisme, and luxury Apud Cent. Magd. cent. 5. cap. 10. pag. 1113., Cyprians Funccius fol. 103. et tom. 1. conc. p. 242. Rebaptization, Tertulli­ans Montanisme Magd. cent. 3. p. 235., Origens Idolatry Niceph. lib. 5. c. 12., Chrysostom and E­piphanius [Page 16] hot and hasty bickerings Socrates l. 6. c. 12. et 14. et cent. 3. c. 9., and carnall mutuall reuilings: Ierome and Ruffinus Extant scrip­ta. strange and strong vn­brotherly oppositions, &c. Or to come to neerer times, Beza his once youthfull, light and wanton verses: Luther as also Zwinglius in their heats, and intemperancies euery where breaking out in their writings and disputings: Picus Miradula his wanton effeminacy with the Ladies and Curtizans of Rome De eius vita et morte P. Iouius, colipsing all that glory which he had wonne by his learned and witty writings and dis­putations: together with all these Neui, as Scultetus calls them Passim in me­dulla patrum., these warts, defects and wants, which Illiricus, the Germane Centuries, and our Modernes obserue in the writings of the Fathers, in the Greek and Latine Church Hence haue we the errours o [...] Iustin Mart. apud Magd. cent. 2. pag. 212. Of Ambrose, apud Osiandrum, in Epit. cent. lib. 3. pag. 391. Of Theophilus, apud eundem cent. 4. l. 4. p. 454 Hence read we too, of good Constantine, murthering his sonne Licinius, apud eundem, cent. 4. lib. 2. pag. 143. Of Theodosius bloodshed, lib. 4. pag 442. Of the East and West Churches dis­senting, apud Funccium, folio 101. Et Mag­dab. Cent. 2. pag. 152 ad p. 163.: these & al these, with the experience of al Ages, & Times, in all Countries, Churches, Families, &c. doe plainely and demonstratiuely write vpon the Columnes and Pil­lars of Truth: That as soone shall wee finde the heauens euer without clouds, the ayre without stormes, the Sea that moues, without froth: Corne growing without Chaffe, or huskes; as any meere man, yea the best man, without his sinnes, his frailties, his infirmities: prudently sing one

Nay, nay, posse non peccare, to haue stood in integrity, so farre as to fall or not to fall, was once in the power of A­dams freewill: but now non posse peccare, not to be able to fall at all (since in Adams fall, we haue lost our selues, and our freewill, as Luther De seruo Arbi­trio. learnedly disputes) this is proper onely to God, and the elect Angels, who euen by Christs redemption haue obtained the Grace of Confirmation in the purity of their created integrity, without euer dainger of falling, much lesse falling away, as the Reprobate An­gels and men do: the very heathen Horatius. could see thus much, [Page 17] with the eies of nature, that sine vitijs nemo nascitur, optimus ille, qui minimis vrgetur.

From whence no doubt of it, came also the prouerbs;

As also this; Qui pedibus vadit quat nor, ipse cadat.

And in these specialties enumerated we haue in Ezekiah and the rest, plaine euidences of mans humane frailty, his sinning misery.

SECT. 2. The force of inbred corruption.

NOw if any will be further inquisitiue, in diuing into this mystery, (this misery) of mans iniquitie; and would know the reasons for his further satisfaction of this sinning condition incident to the best of men: they may be referred I thinke to these 3. heads,

• respecting God,
• respecting Sathan,
• respecting Man himselfe.

To begin with the last first. There is in euery man duplex homo, as it were a double man, if hee bee regenerate (for of such we now speak) there is the old man, and the new In me duplex Homo, Caro et spiritus, Iacob et Esau, &c. Hieronimus., (or as diuinity vseth the phrases) the old Adam and the new: the first Adam, and the second: Grace and nature: flesh, and spirit: corruption, and sanctification; these saith the Apostle, lust the one against the other Gal. 5.17.; these haue in their commotions, contrary motions, appetites, desires, inclinations, affects, effects: betwixt these there is a con­tinuall [Page 18] Duell, an irreconciliable ciuill warre, till it be stin­ted by death: their striuings and strugglings within the heart, are as the wrastlings Gen. 25.22. See Downam his Christian Warfare. of Iacob and Esau within the wombe of Rebecca: the Christian soule, the place of this conflict, is oft, as Rebecca, so greatly distressed, distracted, with the broyles & bickerings, shee knowes not oftentimes (she is in such straites) what to say, or thinke of her owne estate, Now, as in all ciuill wars, as we know (as betwixt Romulus and Remus, Scylla and Marius, Caesar and Pom­pey, &c.) now the one party had the better end of the staffe, now the other Of the effects of these and other ciuill wars, vide Dane­um in Aphoris. polit. p. 18. et p. 21. Pezelitos in postillis part. 3. pag 504. et An­tim [...]tchiauellus l. 2. p. 366. 367. 368., (as in a paire of weascales) now the one party went vp, now the other downe: so it is in this spirituall conflict. As it is with two combatants that are weekely in the Field, with Sword, or Rapier, euen the stronger may sometimes be foiled: so how euer corrupti­on be in vs, as Saul in the Field, pursuing Dauid, the grea­ter party, and Grace be in vs, as little Dauid the lesser par­tie, but the stronger because God is with him, and on his side; yet Dauid may feare to fall some day into the hand Saul 1 Sam. 27., his pursuit is so vehement, and violent: and sure by the allurements, and flatteries of the treacherous flesh, that layes in waite, and ambushment continually to betray the soule, as a domesticke inbred Traitor, within the bosome, the soule is often soiled, quelled, ouercome, and caried as a manacled and fettered captiue to sin, by the strength of corruption; as it was with Dauid, when by that poyso­ned bullet of Bethshebahs beauty, 2 Sam. 11. Cur lumina noxia vidi. which his treacherous eye shot into his heart, hee was so hot and lustfully infla­med, that his fire could not be quenched, till he actually committed adultery with her.

SECT. 3. The preuailing power of Sathans Temptations.

SEcondly, as the Apostle saith, we are not ignorant of the wiles of Sathan, he goes about (saith St. Peter) as a [Page 19] roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour 1 Pet. 5.8.. He is the serpent that deceiued Eue, saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 11.3., the old Dragon Reu. 12.3. in the Reuelations of S. Iohn: this Lyon, this Dragon, this Deuil, this Serpent, this Sathan, this Tempter Math. 4.1., (as hee was to Christ) this accuser Reu. 12.10. of the brethren (as he was to Iob 1.9. See Zanchius de sex operibus de malis Angelis. Casman his An­gelographic: and Smalcald of the nature of An­gells. As also Wierus, de prestigijs De­monum. Delrius. l. 2. Disquis. Psellus de De­monibus, Cycogna de Magis, with Augustine de ciuitate Dei. Of the nature, power and im­ployment of wicked spirits. Iob) is another cause of the sinnes of the Saints: he was chiefe author of, chiefe actor in, the fall of the first man, as an en­uious man whose house being on fire, fires his neighbours too; or hauing the plague vpon himselfe, seekes to infect a whole towne: Sathan falling from heauen himselfe, plots and practiseth mans fall on earth: by the meanes of the woman, he effects it: This roaring Lion, this Cerberus, or dog of hell, as a slouth-hound being flesht then, euer since seekes the blood of soules: and for that purpose, as he is a spirit, and so restlesse; as he is a Deuill, and so wicked; as he is Sathan, so enuious; as a Lyon, so powerfull; as a serpent, and so subtill: with continuated incessant motion, cir­cling & compassing the earth ^f out of his wicked and de­uillish disposition, he improues all his power and his pol­licie, his might, and his malice, his force, and fraud, vses all his trickes, his traps, his engines, by himselfe, by his instruments, by outward obiects, by inward suggestions, by iniected Temptations, from pleasure, profit, and the like, to insnare mens soules in sinne, and so to bring them to desired destruction: and as his malice is against all man­kind in generall, so chiefely against the Elect, in whom the Image of God is most resplendent, Grace most emi­nent: his hatred being mainly and immediately against God, against his Christ; it is most extensiue against the best seruants of this Lord, against the dearest children of this Father The Deuill is like a Panther; who when he cannot deuoure a man, teares his picture, saith Basil. exem. hom. 10. et ex­pressius hom. 50., hating (as is the manner of his impes in their inueterate malice) euen the children, for the fathers cause. Rich preyes, (soules richliest loaden with precious iewels, lustrous Iems: iustifying faith, liuely hope, ardent zeale, feruent loue, the spirit of prayer, Doue-like innocency, in­uincible patience, &c.) are the most desired booties of [Page 20] this infernall Pyrate. Therefore he doth not onely fill the heart of Ananias and Saphira with hypocrisie Acts 5.3., possesse the hart of Iudas by the lusts of Treason Iohn 3.2., and couetous­nesse, &c. but seekes euen to winnow Peter, a disciple Luke 22.31., a chosen vessell; riseth vp against Israel 1 Chron. 21.1., tempts euen Dauid himselfe the sweet singer of Israel, the man after Gods owne heart: neither are the best free from his temptati­ons; no person free, not Dauid, not Peter, not Ezekiah, no not Christ himselfe in the dayes of his flesh: no place free, not Paradise Gen. 3., not the wildernes Matth. 4. To all these is Sathan oft al­luded by Ber­chorius in Re­ductorio Mora­li, and by Ge­minianus in summa exem­plorum virtutū, et vitiorum., not the Chamber, not the Temple: no time free, day, nor night; no truce with this Tempter: no weapons vnweilded by him, to be victo­rious in his warfare: for he hath, as a skilfull Archer, ar­rowes for euery mark; as a Nimrodian hunter, Gins for eue­ry beast; as a deceiuing fowler, lures, & whistles, & glasses, and nets for euery Bird; as a skilfull fisher, baites for euery fish. Temptations different for euery man, accordingly suted, to his Nature, Nurture, Inclination, desires, dispo­sition, calling, education: yea accommodated (by this best obseruing Physiognomist, that the world hath beside) according to euery mans humor, complexion, constituti­on; Ioyning his suggestions euer so, as hee by fiue thou­sand yeares obseruance, together with his still retained, created knowledge, coniectures our inclinations: vex­ing Sauls Melancholly 1 Sam. 16.14., and deiected sadnesse, to force his desperation: Inflaming Dauids Sanguine 1 Sam. 16.12., to luxu­rious prouocations 2 Sam. 11., and so of the rest: Insomuch that considering Sathans nimblenesse in motion, and our sen­suality and sluggishnesse; he a spirit, and we flesh; he euer watching as a waking Dragon, we for the most part sleepy as were the Disciples Luk. 22.46., euen in the greatest perils of his plottings and practises: considering his aduantage, he in the ayre as inuisible How the spi­rits were dis­persed in the fall, some in the aire, some in the earth: whe­ther they be a­ny way corpo­reall, or no: how they worke on our bodies, minds, fanta­sies: read Aug. l. 9. c 8. l. 10. c. 6. de civit. et l. 5. c. 9. l. 8. c. 22. Amb. epist. l. 10. epist. 8. et. 84. Chrys. hom. 53 in 12. Gen. Bartho. de propriet. l. 2. c. 20. Zanch. l. 4. c. 10, 11. de malis Angelis. (to whom yet wee are visible in the workes wee doe, and audible in what wee vtter, or mutter,) and we on the earth: the enemies Cannonry planted on the hill, and wee exposed in the vaile below: [Page 21] considering his wiles and our weaknesse, his might and our imbecility, his courage (as long flesht with victories) our cowardize; all these paralleld and laid together, wee shall not so much maruell when we see euen strong oakes fall, strong pillars in the Church or Common wealth sha­ken with the violent blasts of his temptations; but wee shall much more admire that any one stands, be his graces neuer so eminent, or is kept from euen scandalous falling: we shall not so much bee offended at those which sinne through frailty, but we shall blesse God that the violent streames and torrents of his temptations driue not euen all downe along before him.

SECT. 4. Gods permission of the falls of the Elect.

THirdly, the Lord himselfe permits the fals and sinnes of the Saints, he permits Sathan to tempt them: as a master that lets loose his chained mastiffe vpon a beast, to try the courage and valour of the beast: hee leaues his children in the tryall, sometimes to themselues, as he did presumptuous Peter; as a mother sometimes leaues a da­ring aduenturous child, to goe without hold, till it fall and breake the nose, and cry, and bleed, that it should make more of the mother afterwards, and take heed of being so foole hardy the next time: or as the Nurse suffers the child to singe and burne the finger in the candles flame a little, that it may euer after dread burning: in this sense it is said that the Lord was angry with Israel; and he stir­red vp Dauid to number Israel, 2 Sam. 24.1. not that God tempted Dauid, or prouokes, or stirres vp any to sinne, for the Lord tempts no man, saith S. Iames, but euery man when he is inescate, (as the fish by the bait) or inti­sed, is led away by his owne lusts Iames 1.13. Hinc Augusti­nus allegans hunc locum in respons. ad artic. sibi fal­so impos. art. 10. & art. 13. Dete­standa, inquit, est opinio quae Deū malae voluntatis aut actionis facit authorem.. As well may wee say that darknesse comes from the Sunne, cold from the fire, as euill from God: it is false which Bellarmine obiects to [Page 22] Caluin and Melancton, that they make God the author of sinne Caluin and Luther are clea­red by D. Feild De Ecclesia, and by D. White in his Way to the true Church, &c.: no, the iust God is neither author nor fautor of any iniquity, which his soule abhorres, and hates: what then, how doth God stirre vp Dauid? He leaues him to the temptations of Satan, and the corruptions of his owne heart: and therefore it is said, 1 Chron. 21.1. that Sathan stirred vp Dauid to number Israel; how can that be, that God and Sathan concurre in one action of sinne? Yes very well: for in sinne, Sathan, Man, and God, all con­curre: 1. Sathan temptingly, as in Dauids adultery, Peters winnowing. 2. Mans will, yeelding consentingly, though sometimes with reluctance and resistance: (Sathans feed of temptation being as the father, mans yeelding heart as the mother, by which this monstrous issue, this deformed spurious brat of sinne is produced.) 3. God concurs two wayes: 1. Permissiuely: 2. Disposingly. 1. Permissiue­ly (not operatiuely,) for God that is liberrimum agens, a free agent, not obliged or tyed to giue grace to any, fur­ther or longer then he will, in the temptation, as he did Adam and Eue, and his Saints euer since, permits their fals. Why will he doe so? were it nor better for him to keepe and vphold them euer in the fiery tryall, then suffer them to be conquered? No. Why so? (and thus comes in the second, that as Oedipus dissolues the knot, and re­solues all,) because he knowes wisely how to dispose of sinne (which he permits) when it is perpetrated and com­mitted, to his owne glory, and his childrens good. To his owne glory? how is that? either to the glory of his mercy in pardoning sinne, as he did the sinnes of Dauid, Peter, Sampson, Salomon, vpon their true and vnfained re­pentance, and satisfaction of the scandalized Church; or to the glory of his Iustice, in punishing sinne, first here in outward plagues vpon the body, as hee did the Sodo­mites Gen. 19.24., the Aegyptians Exod. 7.8, 9, 10. chap., the Philistims 1 Sam. 5.7., Herod: second­ly, in inward plagues vpon the soule, as he did on Cain, Iudas, Saul: thirdly, and in eternall hereafter. And so [Page 23] God that doth none euill actually, operatiuely; workes yet in the euill wisely, prouidently, dispositiuely Non agit mo­lum, nec male, sed agit in mal.

SECT. 1. God glorified in his mercy in the sinnes of his Saints.

ANd indeed (as worthy our discussing) mee thinkes the Lord in permitting the faults and falls of his seruants, or their failings in good duties, as here in Ezekiah, hath a fourefold speciall reference and relation.

• 1. To himselfe permitting.
• 2. To his seruants sinning.
• 3. To his Saints that yet stand.
• 4. To the wicked that stumble.

All which being considered, first wee shall with more caution looke to our selues; secondly, with more charity censure our brethren; thirdly, with lesse carnality reioice in their infirmities; fourthly, with more deuotion glo­rifie God.

First, I say the Lord in the sinnes of the elect hath a spe­ciall reference to his owne glory; that glory of his (to which as to a center euery thing tends Ioshuah 7.19. Psal. 12.1. Mat. 6.9. Iohn 9.24. Acts 3.12. & 12.23. 1 Cor. 6.20. & 10.31. Philip. 1.20. &c. in heauen, earth, and hell,) shines as the bright starres in the darkest night, yea as the Sunne, through the clouds of the sinnes of his Saints: he brings good out of euill, light out of darknes: and this as I said, is the glory of his mercy, in pardoning vpon their repentance: oh this mercy of his which is his chiefe attribute, in which he most delighteth De hac diuina misericordia lege fusius apud Gre­gor. Moral. lib. 2. & Bernard. Ser. 88., that shines amongst the rest, as the Sunne amongst the Planets: that is eleuate aboue his truth, as the heauens aboue the clouds Psal. 103.11, 12.: that triumpheth and reioyceth ouer Iustice: Euen this Mercy that is ouer all the Lords workes, is most [Page 24] resplendent in the sinnes of his Saints, in pardoning vpon their humiliation sinnes great for quantity, hainous for qualitie, many for number, crying for nature, crimson and bloody in hue and colour Esa. 1.16, 17, 18. Ezek. 18.21. Mic. 7.18. Ioel 2.13. Exod. 34.6. Psal. 86.111.112.145., as many of these former­ly enumerated: oh not onely the skill, but the good will of our blest Physitian is wondrously magnified; the vertue of his Balmes of Gilead, the vigour of his mercies mithri­date deseruedly extolled, that is able and willing euen with application of his owne blood, (as the Pellican Alciat. in Em­blem. for her young) to cure great gastly and vlcerous wounds, to pacifie and settle distressed consciences; yea euen to re­uiue those that were seemingly dead in sinnes and trespas­ses: And sure if there were no sinners on earth, where should be the chiefe exercise of the Lords mercie? Yea, if his Saints should not sinne (for we know the Repro­bates neuer taste of his sealing, assuring, sauing, sanctify­ing mercie; vnlesse with the out-lip, or the tip of a finger; they neuer drinke of the fountaines of Shiloh, those are onely open for Iudah Zachar. 13.1. and Ierusalem) if there were none wounded, what need were there of any skilfull Surgeon? and if there were none sicke and diseased, what occasion were there either of the practice or praise of the most ex­quisite Physitian? What should we regard either the knowledge or vse of the most excellent drugs and simples in nature? What reckoning should we make of the most exquisite extractions, the most vigorous quintessence of herbs, plants, mineralls, &c. And if there were no sinners, no sinnes committed by the Saints, the Lord should want the greatest power and praise of his mercy, which is chiefly exercised where sinning misery is the obiect: and therefore as the Lord hath daily exercise of his proui­dence euen to this day, and of his wisedome in the gu­bernation and gouernment of the world, in disposing of all actions, euents, causes, effects, contraries, contrarie­ties, euils, good; creatures, animate, inanimate, reaso­nable, vnreasonable; to excellent ends and vses: as hee [Page 25] doth still inuisibly in the soules and consciences; visibly vpon the bodies, goods, good names, and families of Atheists, swearers, drunkards, riotous and profane per­sons, exercise his iustice: so in pardoning, couering, con­cealing, passing by the sinnes and culpabilities of his ser­uants, vpon their confessing, godly sorrowing, returning, (conditions to which grace is annexed) he doth daily ex­ercise his mercy, and will to the end of the world.

SECT. 2. The Saints much bettered by their sinnes.

SEcondly, euen the Saints themselues are bettered by their sinnes: for if all things, according to the Apostles consolation, Rom. 8.28. worke together for the good of those that loue God, (as all the Planets worke together by their influence, euen the malignant as well as good and benigne, for the benefit of these sublunaries Couper in loc,, as all the simples in some compounded Physicke, euen bitter Aloes, as well as Ho­ney, worke together for the health of the Patient) then why not sinne? Sure, as an exquisite Physitian or Apo­thecary, that out of venomous Toads, Aspes, Nutes, Cicutaes, &c. He that reads Gesner de qua­drupedibus, & de Serpentibus, &c. Dioscorides and Dodonius Herbals, shall see there is some medici­nable extracti­ons from the worst of Ani­mals or Vegi­tables. extracts an Antidote against poyson, and out of stinking despicable foot-trodden weedes, drawes some excellent and soueraigne waters, from their leaues and roots, for very vsefull cures, in inward and outward diseases; so the wise God, euen out of the worst, the vilest, the most scandalous transgessions of his seruants, can ef­fect his owne gracious ends, can both heale them of all their present sores, preuent their future diseases, and make them more healthfull and stronger then euer: yea, as ex­perience shewes in some, and as the Apostle plainly deli­neates in the renewed repentance of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.11., the Saints come out of the bed of their sinnes, as Ezekiah out of his sicke bed 2 King. 20. Esay 38., more humble, more holy, more pious, [Page 26] more penitent: as the Eagle that is wearied comes out of the water, into which she dips her wings Plin., with a stron­ger flight, with a more surging ascent towards heauen then euer: with greater care to please God, to walke be­fore him; as a wrong wandring Traueller, with a more heedfull attention, stronger desires to runne the right, the strait, the straight way to Sion; once returning right from his bemoned wandring, with a greater hatred and indignation against sinne; as a man against an impostor or deceiuer that hath deceiued him; as Sampson against Dalilah, or any other penitent person against a harlot that hath betrayed him, with greater feare to offend for here­after; like the burnt child that dreads the fire, or feares the water out of which it hath beene extract and saued from drowning. Yea, more zealous then euer for God, desirous to restore that glory againe to God by all meanes, by priuate or publike confessing Iosh. 7.19., as the nature of the of­fence shall require, that was taken away by scandalous sin­ning: and thus are the Saints bettered by their sinnes, God perhaps suffering them once foully to fall, that they may rise for euer Periissemus nisi periissemus O amici, inquit olim Themo­stocles post exi­lium.: As those that are Bell-founders deale with their old iarring Bels, the Lord breakes them in pie­ces, by contrition and godly sorrow, melts them anew in the furnace of affliction, that they may after ring a more sweet and melodious peale of his praises: By marring them once, the Lord euer after mends them and makes them: by pulling them downe, he builds them vp: by losing their credit with men, they better their conscience with God: yea aboue all, as spirituall pride is the last ene­mie that grace subdues Cum bene pug­naris, cum cun­cta subacta pu­taris, Que magis in­festat bincendae superbiarestat., as holding out the siege the lon­gest: liuing (like that messenger which came with newes to Iob) when the rest of sinnes are dead, breeding (as Ser­pents out of the reines and marrow of a dead man Plin. lib. 10. cap. 66. Vt ex venire Bubulum. Vespae. Idem. lib. 11. c. 20.) out of the very death and mortification of other lusts; euen this master Deuill is subdued and cast our of his possessi­on, eiectione firma, as it were by strong hand, by Gods per­mitting [Page 27] his proud patient whom he meanes to cure, to fall into some other sinnes: for so it is, when the Lord hath bestowed excellent gifts vpon some of his children, com­mon or speciall graces, as the spirit of prayer, wisedome, learning, eloquution, prophesying, or the like, and these gifts come to be exercised in some eminent place, in some high and eminent calling, as in the Ministery, Magistra­cy, or by the chiefe in the Oeconomy, and the subiects of these gifts, besides their too speciall notice they take of themselues, Narcissus De Narcisso vide expositio­nem Ethicam, ex Textoris Theatre lib. 8. pag. 866. like, becomming enamoured of themselues for them, be further puffed vp (as bladders with winde) by the daingerous applauses of the admiring multitude Which ap­plauses once puft vp S. Au­gustine when he was Rhetoricke Lecturer at Millane: and Demosthenes, when they pointed at him, Hic est De­mosthenes., so farre, that they make these gifts that are Gods, as lent them, their owne by vsurpation, yea their Idols by adoration, still looking at their best, as the Pea­cocke Plin. lib. 10. cap. 20. & Aeli­anus lib. 5. c. 19. at his proud spred traine, and the Swan at his faire feathers, in so much that they forget all duty, all homage to the Doner; The Lord by suffering this inbred corrup­tion of pride, to breake out into some great kibe, and vi­sible foule vlcer of other sinnes, conspicuous to the very eyes of the obseruing world, and obnoxious to the lash of their whipping tongues, brings them some pegs lower, lets them downe by true and serious humiliation, lets them see their foule feet, causeth them to detest and abhor themselues, makes them stoope to admonition, makes them weepe at his correction, opens their eares to receiue instruction, and euery way betters them, in what euer they were (but did not see) amisse, by a thorow reformation; and so, as one naile driues out another, the Lord by other sinnes driues out this lordly lionly pride, and selfe exalta­tion, and riuers in the place this so much loued and ap­proued humiliation.

SECT. 3. The good vse which those that stand, make of the sinnes of those that fall.

THirdly, the permitted fall of some Saint may bee a good caueat and caution to others, that as yet stand firme and fixt in the o [...]be of grace, according to the A­postles rule, to take heed lest they fall: it may be to all o­thers, Preachers and Professors, as Senecharibs Epitaph Luthere Com­ment. in Genes. cap. 33. pag. 504.:

since, Quod cuiquam contigit, id cuivis: That which hap­pens to any one, may happen to euery one. Hodie mihi, cras tibi:

It sorts as well the funerall of our credit, as of our corps. Sometimes the Dogs are beaten, that the Lyons may feare; but when the Lyons themselues fall so deiected, their heroicke spirits so farre daunted, that euery Mouse may runne ouer them, euery Frog friske vpon them, the crow of euery dung-hill Cocke affright them; oh what need haue the lesser beasts to feare the hunters Gynn, and ensnaring trap! When tall Oakes fall, the strong pillars come downe, the one by violent blasts, the other by earth-quakes, the little tender striplings may easily bee borne downe, the thinne dawbed walls may soone bee washt away: oh the example of an eminent man in zeale, place, grace, &c. as it is an excellent light, set on a bea­con, so long as it shines bright, and burnes; so euen when the light of his good life and doctrine is eclipsed, and his [Page 29] day gone, euen his darker twinkling may serue as candle in a lanterne, to shew a wise passenger the way in the night: yea it may serue perhaps as the light on some high lanterne, at the mouth of the Hauen, to the seaman, to auoid the dangerous rocks, and steare aright into the Port. As in vindictiue iustice, so perhaps in permissiue sins, the Lord propounds good ends: vt poena ad paucos, exemplum ad omnes perueniat, that some few may fall, that the rest may feare; that some few may be corrected by the mulct of sinne, all bettered and directed aright, from the consi­deration of the fearfull example of the sinner: Similies. and indeed who (that hath either Art, or heart in Nauigation) being in a little pinnace, will not steare as fast as hee can, from some Gulph, in which he sees some goodly shippe before his eyes swallowed: from some Rocke on which he sees her split: from some quickesand on which she is grauel­led. Who that sees a nimble footed man, walking on the yee perhaps with a Pike staffe in his hand, falling for want of heedfull footing, and breaking an arm, or a leg, or some ioynt, wil not, being to passe the same slippery place, looke very carefully, curiously & circumspectly to euery foot he sets, for feare of falling, and harming; euer poysing the yee, for feare of breaking, and drowning.

Without stretching the Metaphor, it is knowne, the world is the Sea Illustrat Re­neccius in Claui scripturae., the places on which we walke, are full of yee, brittle, slippery: the Passengers ouer this glassy sea, these slippery yce, are the Saints: their slippes, are falls, wounds in their credit and conscience, now hee, that sees, the strongest, the nimblest, the most cautelous of his foot­ings, to slippe, trippe, stumble, yea fall and tumble before him: and is not cautelous and circumspect ouer his owne station and standing, hath little wit, lesse Grace; hee is worse then the horse and Mule without vnderstanding, for all the switching and spurring which can be vsed, will not cause the trauelling horse to enter into the quagmire, into which hee sees another plunged before him, nor all [Page 30] the beating make the sluggish asse, descend the craggie and rockie passage in which he sees his fellow asse, impro­vidently falne before him: Neither will the bird come into the net, in which shee sees another flackering before her; and therefore the Fouler must kill, or take out those already caught, ere hee catch more: neither will the Rat come into the trap, in which shee sees and heares another squeake, and cry: yea some haue thought it a good means to rid the house of all these vermine, by burning one of them quicke: the rest auoyding as frighted by her cry, and from her smell. But leauing beasts (which yet as Tutors and Schoolemasters may read many good Morall, yea Theogicall lessons, to imprudent and improuident men, as they doe in many places of Scripture Prou. 6.6. Prou. 30.24, 25, 26, 27. Iob c. 37, 38, 39. Ier. 8.7. Esay 1.4. Math. 10.18. Math. 23.37. See also M ^r. Topsel epistola dedicatoria, be­fore Gesner translated.) what man is so vnwise that going ouer a narrow bridge with his fellow and friend, more youthfull perhaps and nimble then him­selfe, seeing him for want of circumspection fall in the ri­uer before him, either to his drowning, or indangering: will not looke more carefully to his owne feet, goe more softly, without that precipitate haste, which perhaps was preiudiciall to his fellow, hold him by the railes, or the rope, that is drawne by the side, for the safer passage: yea what souldier seeing his foole-hardy fellow-souldier, by his vnaduised, vnnecessarie, presumptuous advauncing of himselfe vpon the besieged walls, strucke pat in the pate, with a bullet, will presently without any need or warrant, in a rash humour, doe the like desperate deed, vnlesse hee be weary of his life? or what seruant seeing his fellow seruant fall down instantly dead before him, by the tasting of daingerous & deady poyson (mistooke perhaps by the likenesse for sweet sugar, Mastick, Olybanum, White Rice, or the like) will so well loue his dead fellow, or so ill loue himselfe, as to eare of his banefull drugs? or pledge him in his poysonfull dregs? The application is easie to those that are ocular, and vnderstanding, and consider my scope in inlarging the point, by these Parables. A word, yea a [Page 31] wincke is enough, to a wise man: Praemonitus, Praemunitus, he forewarnd, is forearm'd: hee sees his face in another mans Glasse, reads lectures to himselfe out of other mens Tragedies, growes more wise, by others follies, more lear­ned, as tutored and instructed by other mens errors, keeps his right course the better by others wandrings: the righteous will consider and lay to heart his owne frailties, by others failings: as the Princes son, that is any thing in­telligent, will see his owne deseruings, when hee see [...] other Boyes bett & bricht, for lesse irregularities thē he hath fal­len into: wheras on the contrary, bray a foole in a mortar, & he will not vnderstand: All the examples of the sins or sor­rowes of the Saints, preacht and prest to him, are as musick to a deafe man Surdo narra­tur fabula. Iudg. 16.27.; meats to a distempered sicke man; colors to a blind man: they moue him as much either to com­passionate the sinner, or his owne soule, as the cracke of a fallen Oake moues a rocke, or a stone. Scilicet id curet po­pulus: what is that to them? vnlesse to make sport with, as the Philistins with that despised Sampson, nay they grow more proud, more presumptuous by it, as the Pro­logue to the Tragedy of their ensuing, approaching ruine

SECT. 4. The Reprobates more hardned by the sinnes of the elect, and their repentance hindered.

FOurthly and lastly, Gods permission of the falls of his seruants, hath also no small relation and reference euen to the wicked and reprobate themselues: for as all things worke together for the good of the elect, and for the fur­therance of their saluation Rom. 8.28. See with Parr the Scoth Cowper in locum; so all things (and so amongst the rest, euen the sinnes of the elect themselues) co-work together to the furthering & setting forward of the dana­tion of the reprobate: those that out of their own wicked inclination, & peruerse disposition are so procliue & pro­pense [Page 32] to sinne, that they run headlong into sinne, as the horse into the battell, with a vehement precipitation, haled with the swinge and sway of their vnbridled affections and driuen with the whirlewinde of Sathans temptations that they cannot be bridled, in their outragious courses, by the bitt and curbe of the word, and spirit; stinted or stayed by mercies, or iudgements threatned, felt, or feared, from running to hell, their center, more then a stone or bowle, or great Milstone, from running downe a hill, till it come to the bottome, drinking vp iniquity with greedi­nesse, and sinne like water; scorning counsell, hating cor­rection, snuffing vp a [...]l admonition, as the wilde asse doth the winde: all the meanes that God vseth for their refor­mation being as oyle spilt vpon the ground, as plaisters spent or misspent on an vncurable wound Vulnus insana­bile c [...]se rese­candum.. It is iust with God euen to send these packing faster, that make such speed to their perdition, to lay as it were the Rod and spur to them, and let them haue the head, and the bridle loose, that of their owne voluntary thus gallop and poste with speed to destruction: giuing them vp as the Lord did the morally wise, really foolish Gentiles Rom. 1.21, 24., euen to the lusts of their own harts, hardning their hearts further in iustice by the substraction of his grace, and by the scandalous liues of some professors, when they first harden their own hearts like Pharaoh Exod. 8. et Ex. 9., and will not be softned in mercy: to such, the sins of the Saints are as stumbling blockes layd in the way, on w ^ch they stumble, & fal, & breake their necks: for they, as blind Beetles, and Owles, delighting onely in their darke; seeing clearliest in the night of their sinnes, but shutting their eyes, and seeing nothing (or at best, but purblind) in the clearer day and light of the rest of their good life, and sunne of their Graces, as scarabaean fleas fee­ding only on the dunghill In stereore vi­uunt, et semen in Globum ibidem emittunt, Aelia­nus, l. 9. c. 16 et Clemens, lib. 5. Stromaton. &c., and delighting in the ill sent of their scandall; as swine euer rooting in their weedes, not regarding their flowers, taking their branne and reiecting their Wheat; casting away the whole Cup or Plate, for [Page 33] one rent or flaw; blemishing the whole body (though ne­uer so sound) as vlcerous & leprous, for one wart or some few blisters or blaines that breake out; contemning and condemning the whole life of the most sanctified Christi­an, as sensuall and sinfull, for some few infirmities, and fai­lings in some particulars: their corruption by this means helped forward, by the deuils delusion, is more quickned, animated, fleshed and incouraged, in all profane and irre­gular courses? Yea by the sinnes of the Saints they are faster chained in their voluntarie prison, further bound prentice to Sathan, for the whole terme of life, resolutely contracted and married to their beloued sinnes, neuer to forsake them, till death them depart, made ten fold more the children of the deuill then before: for besides their former preiudice already specified; as from particulars (like bad Logitians, worse Diuines) concluding generalls, condemning all the Disciples for one suspected Iudas; all proselites and professors for one detected Ananias Act. 5.1, 2, 3., or Sa­phira; reuiling and hating all profession, all religion for the frailties or faults of some professors formerly reputed reli­gious, & held as holy ones: to their owne confusion, they from these false premises make this conclusion, with out-cries, clamours and vociferation: Nay fie vpon them all, these Puritans, these precisians, &c. soule shame take these puritanicall preachers with their disciples, these holy bre­thren, these professors, these Bible-bearers, wee may see what they are, vile hypocrites, all birds of a feather, no bar­rells of them better Herring, they are all alike: hath not such a one done thus, and thus. &c. nay, and this bee their profession, Lord keepe me from being one of them, if this be their religion, &c. And thus from staring they runne starke mad, from being before profane, they turne flat A­theists, hickscorners of God, of Grace, of all religion: growing by this meanes, from somthing to starke nought; whereas before by some good motions cast into their hearts, they were houering and wauering, sometimes as a [Page 34] feather that hangs in the ayre, whether they should better their liues or no; in some flashes perhaps at a Sermon, as sermon-sicke (as some are sea-sicke) halfe perswaded to be Christians like Agrippa Acts 26.28.: now by this meanes, their sparkes are quencht, they freeze faster then euer, like Mo­ab, they are frozen euen in their dregges, and purpose to continue in their sins as they do without any reuolution, in a setled resolution: and thus these sonnes of Beliall (as spiders from weedes) sucke and draine their poison from the sinnes, and slips of the best: yea as in the same pasture in which the oxe findes good pasture, the sheepe good grasse, the Bee good flowers for honey, the Toade findes matter of poyson; so in the best, and worst of the life, and conuersation of a professour of religion, whereas a good and a wise hearted Christian, finds a spur and president of vertue, and an Antidote and preseruatiue against vice, the wicked man on the contrary finds a Remora, and an ob­stacle to any good; an Incendary to his lusts, yea a pleader, and a proctor for his profanenesse; and this comes to passe, by the iust iudgement of God, vpon the reprobate, that when they will not trace the vpright steps of the godly, & insist in their courses, they should stumble vpon their sins, and frailties, as on so many stones of offence, and rockes of irrecouerable ruines. The vse of this point I should now vrge, but the time hauing ouertaken me, being swifter, then my tongue: I referre them, till the afternnoone.

SECT. 1. Charitable censuring of our sinning brethren, prescribed and perswaded.

AS you may remember, besides other points, (which I pretermit) wee haue lately seene the Lord permit­ting the sinnes of his owne Saints, for his owne glory pardoning: for the good of the sinner repenting: for the good of others that stand sincere, for their cautelous preuen­ting: for the further obduration of the reprobate stum­bling: The vses from the point as obuious, to our selues, are these:

First, to be charitable in our censures, towards those, 1. Ʋse. of whose sincerity wee haue beene well perswaded, though in some things we finde them to haue failed, though in euery thing they haue not answered our expectation, yea though at sometimes, in some temptations, the Lord haue far left them to themselues, and to the farpreuailing of their corruptions: let vs take heed of rash, false and vncharita­ble iudging of our brethren, in respect of some speciall [Page 36] sinnes, or sufferings: the iudgment of veritie belongs vn­to God, Ier. 17.9, 10. who as the trier of the heart, and searcher of the reines, knowes what is in man, his better, and his worse, his gold, and his drosse; his measure of sanctification and corruption, yea his present, and finall estate, to whom hee riseth and falls, as to his owne master: the iudgement of charity belongs vnto vs, Deut. 29.29. secret things belong vnto God, reuealed things vnto vs: It is hard to discerne an hypo­crite or hypocrisie, till God doe himselfe discouer it, as he did the hypocrisie of Iudas, Demas, Ananias, Saphira, and diuers others: we cannot attaine to that which Momus Apud Valeri­um Maximum. wisht, to haue windowes in mens hearts: the heart is the Sanctum Sanctorum, into which God himselfe enters, and sometimes his Priests, his Ministers; when God reueales vnto them, the heart of an Hypocrite, as hee did Iudas to the Disciples Iohn 13.26., Demas to Paul 2 Tim. 4.10., Simon Magus and Ana­nias to Peter Act. 8.21, 22, 23. et Act. 5.3, 4., which is rare and extraordinary: but to call or hold a man an hypocrite, whose generall course of life and conuersation hath beene conscionable, painefull, and sincere in his speciall; zealous, and deuout in his ge­nerall calling, for some few failings, and aberrations; for some errours in iudgement, or corruptions in life, yea, though perhaps once or twise in his course or race of Christianity, Similies. very wide wandring, very offensiuely falling or stumbling; from hence to conclude that he neuer had, more then common Grace, or that his heart was neuer sincere with God, is as for a man to conclude against both the rules of Physicke and experience, that a man is vn­found at heart, in a consumption in his lungs, or rot at li­uer, because of some kibes, blames, or carbuncles which now and then breake out in the flesh or skin: or as though a tree were festred at the root, and rot in the sappe, because the barke in some places is pild and falne off, the fruits dwined with the easterne winde, blasted or worme eaten: or that a horse were heart sicke, because of some wind gaules, splints, or spauins he puts our, or because his backe [Page 37] is galled, his feete ouer-reacht or enterfere, or his fetlocks haue the scratches? No certainly, one Swallow makes no Spring, saith experience Ʋna Hirundo non facit ver. Erasm. in Ada­giis.; one act makes no habit, saith Philosophy V [...]a actio non facit habitum. Beda ex Aristo­tele.; a vertigo or megrim in the head, or cramp & convulsion in the sinews, or scyatica in the hip, or ache in the bone, or gout in the ioynt, (which is farre enough from the heart) argues not a man heart-sicke, saith Phy­sicke; and some failings, though perhaps in some things scandalous, argue no hypocrite, saith Diuinity: for if this were a demonstrance of an hypocrite, had our ridged Ca­toes, or seuere censurers liued in the dayes of Abraham, Iacob, Iudah, Ioseph, Lot, Moses, Dauid, Ely, and the rest of the Patriarkes; of Peter, Thomas, Iames, Iohn, and the Apostles; of Augustine, Epiphanius, Tertullian, Ierom, a­mongst the Fathers; and so in the best and purest times, in which we haue shewne the failings of the best, none being able to say, his heart is cleane; then sure those that were Saints in their times in earth, and now are Saints in heauen, by the computation of these iudgers (which will needs enter into a premunire against God, and take his of­fice out of his ha [...]d) euen these had beene ranged and rancked in the beadrole and catalogue of Hypocrites, and in their censure, as sure excluded heauen, as vnmercifull rash hypocritical iudgers must be, without repentance, ex­truded into hell, Mat. 7.1. Iames 2.13.

Nay certainly it hath beene alwaies my opinion, if not iudgement, (and perhaps I haue beene taught something, as Adam knew good and euill by experience) that as the very hypocrite and naturall man by the helpe of nature, conuersation, good company, a powerfull Ministery, re­straining grace, common gifts, may for the matter per­forme euen the strictest duties of Christianity, publique and priuate, in the Church and family, which the Ortho­doxe Christian doth in sincerity, as appeares by Esaus weeping Heb. 12.16., Iudas his repenting Mat. 27.1, 2., Sauls confessing 1 Sam 15.24., the Pharises praying Luke 18.13., Simon Magus his baptisme ^r, Herods [Page 38] hearing Mark 6.20., and reuerent respect of the Ministery, Demas his conuersing with Paul 2 Tim: 4.10., and professing, with the like; and yet but all a faire threed, a cobweb Lawne, spunne by this Spider Hypocrisie: So on the contrary, euen the true sincere seruant, the deare child of God, by the strength of temptation, by the traps and plots of the wic­ked, by a desertion for a time, God leauing him to himselfe (as the Nurse or Mother doth the childe without hold, or as the Generall retires from some fighting Souldier, as Ioab 2 Sam. 11.16, 17. did from Vrias) he may fall for the matter into the very same sinne with the naturall man, hee may act the very same materiall part, and sympathize in very many grieuous circumstances: as for instance, Gehezi lies and dissembles with his master Elishah 2 King. 5.25.; Abraham lies and dissembles twice, once with Pharaoh Gen. 12.18, 19., another time with Abimelech concerning Sarah Gen. 20.2.: (for the child of God may fall twice into the very same sinne, not onely as Peter did, in one heat, as they say, and one passion Luke 22.58. Vno ictu, vno actu., but euen in spaces and times interuenient, in seuerall spaces, places, with seuerall persons, yea after some caueats and warnings from God, or from man, as Sampson in his effeminate fol­ly with the harlot of Azzah Iudg. 16.1., and after his faire escape vers. 2, 3., after that with trecherous deluding destroying Dalilah vers. 4, 5, 6.,) so Herod we know commits incestuous adultery with his brother Philips wife Mat. 14.4., and after that (as the vsuall fruit of such filth, A malo ad peius, from euill to worse) being re­proued, seales it with the blood of a great Prophet vers. 10., ioy­ning murther to vncleannesse: did not Dauid 2 Sam. 11. parallell him as iust, (or rather as vniust) in wickednesse, for the outward acts, (we leaue the repented effects) as euer Plu­tarch paralleld the Greekes and Romanes in worthinesse: for Dauid defiles the bed of Ʋrias, in his adulterizing with his wife, and after in carnall policy to salue all, (Oh the salue farre worse then the sore) defiles his hands and his heart with Vrias his blood: yea, the child of God may haue many failings, yea scandalous fallings, such as may [Page 39] euen exasperate the Lords iustice, procure wrath, (at least rods and scourges in temporary chastisements) after his serious humiliation in some repented transgression: for leauing what in charity might be vrged from Abraham and Sampson against our Didimists and Sceptiques in this disputable point: did Dauids repented lust and blood­shed, so absolutely mortifie and kill euery lust, in the root, that it neuer sprouted into any superfluous sprigs any more: was he then so washed that he neuer was further po­luted? I say as Samuel 1 Sam. 15.15. to excusing Saul, What then meanes the bleating of the sheepe? how is it we heare after of his most vnequall partiality, his strange credulity, his pal­pable iniustice, vpon the suggestion and wrong informa­tion of a trecherous flattering Ziba, without examination of circumstances, (a great fault in a Iudge, more in a King) that he giues away halfe the lands of true, honest, humble hearted Mephibosheth, the sonne of that fidus Achates, his deare Ionathan, vnto a perfidious Sycophant 2 Sam. 16.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. &c.; yea, (omit­ting his dissembling 1 Sam. 21.13, 14., and lying 1 Sam. 27.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. in the Court of the King of Achis, his partiality & Ely-like 1 Sam. 3.13. conniuence at the faults of his cockered children 1 King. 1.6., his neglect of Iustice vpon the house of Saul, for Sauls bloody perfidious zeale in mur­thering the Gibeonites, for which euen Israel smarted 2 Sam. 21.1, 2, his rash infringed vow 1 Sam. 25.22. for bloody reuenge vpon Nabal, &c.) did he not in the pride of his heart by his instrument Ioab 2 Sam. 24.1, 2 1 Chron. 21.1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11. &c. number the people of Israel, from Dan to Beershe­bah, in which, resting more in the arme of flesh and the strength of Israel, then in the Lord, whom hee had euer found his Rocke, his refuge, his Asylum, his Sanctuary, &c. making him victorious ouer the Beare, the Lyon 1 Sam, 17.34., Goliah, Saul, the Philistins, all his enemies, &c. the Lord was so displeased, that he sent him as harsh a message by Gad as before he had done by Nathan, and as terrible in the execution, cutting off by the plague and pestilence in a trice 70000 of his people 2 Sam. 24.: so that from these instan­ces, to iudge the childe of God an hypocrite, for particu­lar [Page 40] sinnes, when in the generall course of his life he walks with God, as did Enoch Heb. 11.5. and Elias; is as though a skilfull Lawyer should be esteemed no better then a Pettifogger, or an Ignoramus, because perhaps he may misse it in some pleadings, or mistake it some booke Cases: as though an expert experimented Physitian should be held a Quack­saluer, because he failes in the symptomes, causes, or cures of some diseases: as though we should estimate an exqui­site Musitian no better then a Fidler, that by the vntune­ablenesse of his instrument, or the hoarsenesse or ouer-straining of his voice, should misse it in some strains, in vo­call or instrumentall musicke: yea as though a Laureat Poet should be held a Poetaster, as a Bavius or a Mevius, because he is not so obseruant in euery quantity of euery syllable in an Hexamiter, Saphicke, or Iambique verse: yea or to conclude it with a homely simily, as though a well metald nimble footed horse, should bee accounted a stumbler, when he stumbles but very seldome, perhaps but once or twice in a dayes riding, though hee seldome fall downe right, or if he do by accident, vpon some stone, or slip-shod, yet neuerthelesse speedily recouers himselfe againe, without any great dammage to his master, and lookes better to his feet euer after: Sure hee were as the horse without vnderstanding that would make those con­clusions. Saint Iames makes the application, In many things we sinne all Iames 3.2.; and saith holy Iob Iob 4.18., The Lord hath found folly in Angels, how much more in the sons of men: yea Adam sinned in the state of integrity Gen. 3., how much more wee in the state of corruption? Oh Lord if thou shouldest be se­uere to marke what is done amisse, oh who may abide it! who can answer thee one for a thousand Iob 9.2, 3.? not I: but ab­horre my selfe in sackcloth and ashes Iob 42.6. 2 King. 20.. Dauid, a man af­ter thine owne heart, had his frailties; yea Ezekiah, an ex­cellent instrument of thy glory, after thou hadst humbled him on the bed of sicknesse, raised him, when there was but a step betwixt him and death, did too soone forget [Page 41] thee and thy mercies, that so mercifully, so mindfully re­membred him: yea and after that wrath came vpon him and Iudah and Ierusalem for his pride, and was remoued vpon his humiliation, as though his sore had beene but skinned ouer, superficially healed, and ranckling at the bottome, it breakes out againe in the very same place and leaues a second a greater scarre then the former; for in the same pride of heart, 2 Chron. 32. as the originall of another prouoca­tion, he shewes his treasury to the Ambassadour of the King of Babel: as an vnaduised Traueller shewes his purse, or vaunts his gold to a greedy thiefe. Oh Lord what is man, saith Dauid, that thou art mindfull of him Psal. 8.4.? Nay Lord, what is man if thou beest not mindfull of him? what is man when he is vnmindfull of thee? forgetfull of thy mercies, not fearing thy iudgements? Oh, what is the little Chicken or Goseling, that regardlesse of the clocke, or the wings of the dam, wanders alone, till the Puttocke or the Hen-arrow swaps and deuoures it? What is the Lambe or silly Sheepe, that straggling from the rest of the flocke, or from the eye and rod of the Shepheard, eats Rot-grasse, falls into the ditch, as leaping into for­bidden pastures, or is seized vpon by the fangs of the Dog, or the wiles of the wilde Dog-Fox? Oh who is he but may say, with thy seruant Dauid in some particulars? Lord, I haue done very foolishly, now I beseech thee for­giue the sinne of thy seruant 2 Sam. 24.10.: Oh I am in a great strait, but let mee fall into thy hands, not into the hands of men, not into the mouthes of men, for mans mercies are cruelties.

Secondly, from hence also let the Nouations De istis Noua­tianis cum eorū haresibus, vide fusius apud Funcciū fol. 103 Euseb lib. 6. cap. 43. Epiphanium Philastrium, Magd. Cent 3. p. 99 586. & in Tom. 2. Concil. pag. 227., Catha­rists, Anabaptists and all perfectists, that dreame of any absolute perfection here in this life in any Church, or in any member of the Church militant, stay their precipitate haste, and wait Gods leasure, seeke it not per saltum, by such high and hasty leapes, but come to it gradatim, as Graduates to their Academicall graces, by degrees, they [Page 42] may haue golden dreames of perfection in earth, but ne­uer attaine it till they be triumphant in heauen.

SECT. 2. Cordials of consolations to be applyed to the sorrowfull sinner.

THirdly, from hence also let me whet the exhortation of the Apostle, that if any man sinne of frailty, let him be restored with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1.: as wee would be willing to improue our best skill to the setting and ioynting of a bone that is broke, to asswage the paines of the Gout, Stone, Stranguary, Tooth-ache, of any friend, neighbour, brother, by any oyles, vnctions, lenitiues, or any good meanes we could vse; so much more in charity and Christianity, let vs labour the reioyning and reioyn­ting against of a member of Christ, that by sinne is bro­ken for a time from the visible Church, the body of Christ: Similies. Oh if we would pluck a horse or an oxe out of a ditch Cadit Asinus est qui subleuat, cadit anima non est qui subleuat. &c., or to help vp an ouerloaden pack horse from the ouer-whelming pressure of his loade, vnder which he lies, and grones: how much more mercy should wee shew to the soule of our brother, grieuing and groning vnder the insupportable burthen of sinne, which lies so sadding vp­on the conscience, as the Liuer vpon the Heart in the dis­ease called the Nightmare Ephialtes., that the poore patient can neither stirre hand nor foot, but lye, and cry, and dye in the distresse of despaire, vnlesse helpe be afforded? Oh that we were ready (chiefly those that haue the tongue of the learned) Esay 50.4. to speake a word to the weary in due season, that with that good Samaritan wee would poure in the oyle and wine of spirituall consolations, Luke 10.30, 31 32, 33. into those that are sinne-wounded, falling into the hands of these Thieues and Pyrates of the soule, the Flesh, the World, the Deuill. Oh that we were as willing to improue our best Talents to administer heauenly comforts out of the Treasury and Fountaine of all comforts, the Booke of God, as Seneca, [Page 43] Plutarch, Boetius, our late Lipsius, and others, In libris de Con­solatione. haue beene ready to prescribe Morall and Philosophicall comforts in all humane crosses.

Oh this mourning with those that mourne Rom. 12.15. 1 Thess. 5.14., this sym­pathizing with one anothers miseries, as the members 1 Cor. 12.26. 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3 of one body (the head that feels the grieuance of the foot, the heart that feeles the dolours of the hand) this bearing one anothers burthen, as it is commanded by the Apostle, so it is an excellent point and part of Christianity; it is a no­table expression and intimation of loue, which is the bond of perfection; the very vigour, and life and soule of a Christian, the exercise and improuing to the best of euery grace; without which a Christian is but key-cold, or at best but luke-warme; and his gifts and talents of learning, knowledge, wisedome, zeale, vnused, nor imployed to the edification and instruction of the ignorant, the conso­lation especially of the weake and weary Christian, the erection and lifting vp of the deiected and drooping soule; are but as candles set vnder a bushell, as talents wrapt in a napkin, or buried in the ground; or as Gold, rusty and imprisoned in the Misers purse; yea, but as tinckling Cymballs.

SECT. 3. The vnwarrantable strictnesse and stearnnesse of some indiscreet­ly zealous, censured.

VVHat then shall we say to those that thinke them­selues something, that hold their penny good siluer, as they say; that haue a name like the Church of Sardis, to be aliue Reu. 3.1., yet shew as much loue as there is fire in a dead coale. How many be there, that after their bre­thren be falne through frailty in any sinne, (though once whilst they stood, more eminent in place and grace then themselues,) yet when their Sunne is something clouded [Page 44] and eclipst, they stand aloofe off them, as Iobs friends did from distressed Iob Iob 2.12, 13.; they keepe a distance from them, as the proud Pharisee Luke 18.11. in the Temple from the penitent Publican; they say as it is in the Prophet, Come not neere me, for I am holier then ye: they wonder at them, as at Arabian monsters, they looke at, gaze at them as an ama­zed Deere, they view them wistly, as a man looks through his fingers at something: they looke at them with astonish­ment, as men looke at the Sunne or the Moone when it is eclipsed, or at a faire house when it is set on fire; and how euer perhaps they are not so gracelesse as the Babylonians, to triumph ouer captiued Israel Psal. 137.3., and to say as the Edo­mites, and as Dauids enemies, There, there, so would we haue it, there goes the game; as the profaner sort iubilize and reioyce; yet they will howt and showt in detestation, not onely of the sinne which is tolerable, but of the per­son Odi peccatum non personam, vitium non vitum., which is vnwarrantable and vncharitable: As the lesser birds fly and cry after the hated Hawke and Owle; (they will not come in his company, though he be both willing and desirous to giue all satisfaction possible to the scandalized Church, both publicke and priuate,) they fly his house, his abode, his presence, as if he had the plague sore; nay as some haue tried the stearne inhumanity, and almost Scythian and barbarous cruelty of some indiscreet austere zealists, as though they were hewen our of Cau­casus, and had drunke the milke of Tygers, they are as wonderously grieued and exasperated, that any good man or great man of place, giue them countenance, good look, or good word, or houseroome, as the Pharisees were grie­ued and vexed that our Sauiour Christ feasted with Mat­thew the Tole-gatherer Mat. 9.11., and lodged with Zacheus Luke 19 7., and eate and drunke with Publicanes and Sinners: yea, if he be such an one, that hath beene imployed in the Ministe­ry, and hath any way transgressed As the Darby Minister, who wrote The vn­burthening of a loaden soule., (though neuer so se­riously repented) they maruell how he dare be so bold and impudent as to be seens in a Pulpit, though his zeale [Page 45] and desire to doe good, and to bring glory to God, after his peace made with God, bee more feruent then euer it was: as though Dauids practice were no president, either for a penitent preacher or professor, where hee desires the Lord to restore vnto him the ioy of his saluation, and then would hee teach Gods wayes vnto the wicked, and sinners should be conuerted vnto him Psal. 51.12, 13., though it seemes they either know not, or acknowledge not any such Text; but espe­cially for any comfort or consolation by word, writing, conuersing, conference, that a distressed soule gets now a dayes from most men, chiefly from some that would bee counted most strict; in some places, it is as oyle got out of a stone, or water out of a flint: it is such as Iudas got of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 27.3, 4., vnlesse this bee all the cold comfort, grauatis addere grauamina, to adde burthen to burthen, griefe to griefe, affliction to affliction: when one is downe, as the Italian prouerbe and practize is Prescribed by the Florentin [...] Matchauill., to set their foot vpon their neckes: too many alas know where the shooe pincheth and wrings them in this kind, that too iustly may complaine of their Swallow friends, that fly from them in the winter of affliction, and as Da­uid said of his kinsfolkes and acquaintance, stand a loofe off from them; as he in the heathen cryes, Oh friends, no friends [...]: to expostulate a little this case, with those that I here iustly taxe, in this culpable cariage towards some that are falne.

SECT. 4. The restitution and restauration, of the repenting sinner perswaded.

FIrst, Is here any expression, and demonstration of loue, which who wants, is destitute of euery sauing grace? can there be a fire without heat, a Sun without light, a li­uing soule without motion, or loue without action, mo­tion, [Page 46] or manifestation, if it be at all? this loue saith one, it is actiue, or else it is not Amor si sit magna operatur. Greg..

Secondly, is this according to the precept of the Apo­stle, that commands the incestuous Corinthian to bee comforted after his deiection, least hee bee swallowed vp too much of sorrow 2 Cor. 2.6, 7.?

Thirdly, is it any thing consonant to the Apostles prac­tice, who himselfe comforted, commended and encoura­ged the Corinthians by a Consolatory letter, after their godly sorrowing, with enumerated effects? 2 Cor. 7, 8, 9, 10, &c.

Fourthly, is this consonant to the precept of Christ himselfe, that we should bee mercifull as our heauenly Fa­ther is mercifull Luke 6.36., threatning iudgement mercilesse, to them that shew no mercy Iam. 2. v. 13.? Now are nor the chiefe and principall mercies spirituall? is not a sinne-burthened-soule, a greater obiect of mercie to bee relieued, then the feeding of a hungry, cloathing of a naked, visiting of a diseased body Multo miseri­cordius operatur, qui circa animas infirmorū, quam erga corporum agrotantium: qui panem esurienti­bus tribuit. Au­gustin. et Bern. serm. 4.?

Fiftly, did not our Sauiour Christ himselfe not onely in­uite and excite Mat. 11.28., but euery where receiue and graciously entertaine repenting sinners Luke 15.1., euen publicans & harlots Mat. 8.11. Luke 7., when they came vnto him, as appeares in many passages in the Gospell? Now shall hee entertaine such vpon their humiliation, and shall wee disdaine them? shall hee accept them as the head, and shall the Church his body reiect them? shall he open his armes to imbrace thm, and shall his members shut their hands and their hearts too against them? and open their mouths to deiect them, to disgrace them? Strange to see the head moue one way, and the body another.

Sixtly, is it not Christs precept, I will not say an Euange­licall counsell, but an expresse command to Peter, and so consequently to euery Peter, euery Pastor, to forgiue his offending brother vpon confessing and acknowledging, not onely vntill seuen times, but vntill seuenty times se­uen [Page 47] times Mat. 18.21, 22.? and if euery member is bound to this, much more the whole Church.

Seuenthly, as Christ himselfe with his owne mouth ex­horted, and dismissed Ioh. 8.10, 11. the woman taken in the act of A­dultery, and comforted the weeping, washing penitent woman Luk. 7.48., so he sent Ananias with his owne commission to comfort euen whilome bloody persecuting Saul, now three dayes mourning disconsolate Acts 9.111 12, 13, &c.: how much more ought those to bee comforted of the Church that haue mourned not onely three dayes with Paul, but thirty times three, as a Doue in the Desart, or a Pellican in the wilder­nesse, that haue eaten the bread of affliction longer then Daniel, more then twenty one dayes Dan. 10.3., and that euery night doe water their bed with weeping, and their couch with teares Psal 6.6.?

Eightly, if God himselfe turne away euen deserued wrath from his children, vpon their humiliation, as here from Ezekiah and Iudah in my Text: shall the Church continue her wrath against repentant sinners, where God stints his? will not the Church wade after, where God breakes the yee?

Ninthly, hath not the Church alwaies euen from the be­ginning, as a mercifull mother opened her armes, yea her brest and bowels to receiue her repenting, returning sons, as that mercifull Father in the Gospell Luk. 15.20., did his humbled prodigall? Was not the Incestuous Corinthian receiued in Pauls Time 2 Cor. 2.6, 7.? The Emperour Theodosius after his Thes­salonian massacre receiued in St. Ambrose his time Le [...]c historiam apud Theodor. l. 6. c. 18 et So­zom. lib. 7 c. 24.? and other penitents admitted, first as penitentiaries after as communicants in all the Primitiue times Eccles. hist. passim ex So­crate, Eusebio et Zozomeno.? and shall our Church now degenerate from a louing mother, to an vn­iust step-mother? God forbid.

Tenthly, is not the heresie of Novatus and his strict, stearne Nouatians pluckt vp by the roots long since by Augustine, and Epiphanius Cyprianus eti­am concilium congregauit, damnans Noua­tianos vt constat l. 1. epist. Cypr. 2 apud Euseb. lib. 6 c. 43 et Magd. cent. 3. p. 192. et pag. 205., that there is no sprigs remai­ning in our dayes? haue we any so rough and rigorous as [Page 48] to deny euer admission to the Cōmunion, or fellowship to those that haue publikelie, scandalously sinned: if there be any such leauened yet with this leauen, I wish him as a zealous Emperor once wisht to one of these Nouations Tu scalam eri­ge, et ad coelum solus asconde., euen to make himselfe a ladder and to climbe vp to hea­uen alone, for I know none that can follow him.

Eleuenthly, besides is this stearnnesse strangenesse and heartednesse against remorsefull sinners (for of such I still speake, and for such as the mouth of the rest I still plead) agreeable to the law of nature? is it consonant to that epi­tome of all morall equitie, which Alexander Senerus so much esteemed? namely that which thou wouldest not haue another doe to thee, doe not to another Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feoeris.: Doe as thou wouldest be done vnto, saith the naturall Country­man, by the instinct of nature: Now wouldst thou lie languishing all alone on the sicke bed, much lesse in the bryers and prickes and stings of a sinne-guilty conscience, vnuisited, vnvalued, nay deiected, reiected, and more and more discouraged? wouldst thou haue more weight laid vpon thy backe, when thou art almost prest to death alrea­die? wouldst thou haue thy wound deeper pierced, and more blood exhaust, when thou hast almost bled to death already? Make the case thine owne: mutato nomine de te Fabula narratur Tantale, wouldst thou haue God seuere a­gainst thee for euery sinne? &c Si quoties pec­cant homines sua fulmina mittat Iupiter, exiguo tempore inermis erit..

Obiect. But it may be, I shall bee answered, that in this case I fight with mine owne shadow, and contest where there is no enemy: All these arguments and expostulati­ons will be granted as Achillaean, and vnanswerable in the behalfe of the repenting sinner; but sub Iudice lis est: here is the question, how the Church should know, that a scandalizing sinner, which hath scandalized euen profes­sion (which the Ciuilians say, is the greatest scandall) is truely humbled, as was here Ezekiah, and is willing to giue satisfaction.

Answ. First I say, that the contrite and broken heart [Page 49] is especially knowne to the maker and breaker of the heart Ier. 17.9, 10.. Man knowes my sin, but God knowes my sorrow, ille vere dolet, qui sine teste dolet, he weepes with a witnesse that weepes without a witnesse: it would goe better with many an afflicted soule then it doth, if men were but as well acquainted with their saluing sorrow, as with the sore of their sinne.

Secondly, that soule that is willing in euery place, in euery company, euer in the fellowship of the Saints, to take that course which Ioshua prescribes to Achan Iosh. 7.19., to con­fesse his sinne, and giue glory vnto God: nay, to confesse and forsake it, that hee may haue mercy Pro. 28.13., to desire the prayers of Gods Children in his behalfe, yea to shame himselfe if it were in the publickest places, where God might haue glory, and the Church satisfaction, if it were euen by taking the course of Salomon Eccles. 1.1., Dauid Psal 51., and Au­gustine; by writing, and publishing publicke recantations, &c. this out-strippes all hypocrisie, Augustine in his bookes of Confessions and Recanta­tions. and is a note and de­monstrance of humbled penitencie: this is all that the Lord doth, that man can require, or the strictest Church exact, for satisfaction, or the humbled heart can doe to the vtmost for consolation; which the Lord grant to euery burthened conscience for his mercy sake.

SECT. 1. The same subiect that sinnes, the same must be punished.

ANd so I come now to the second maine point at first propounded, and by the Text naturally afforded, and that is Ezekiah's castigation: In which we are to consider, first the primary subiect of it, Ezekiah: wrath came vpon Ezekiah: and then secondly, the extent [Page 50] of it: the Inhabitants of Ierusalem, wrath came vpon the In­habitants of Ierusalem: thirdly, the castigation it selfe, here intimated by this phrase wrath: fourthly, the cause, pride of heart. And first for the first, the subiect of this correction; (for I call it a correction, rather then a plague or iudgement, since what euer is sent to the elect, is a loue-token from a Father, not a vengeance from a se­uere Iudge) It is briefly considerable; First, that the par­tie sinning is the partie suffering; the very same indiuidu­all subiect sinning, is the very same that smarts for sinne: he that is an actor willingly, in all the obscene sceanes of the pleasing Comoedie of sinne, must act, will he nill he, in the blacke and dismall Tragedy of suffering: He that saies what he will (the very heathen could tell vs) must heare againe, what he would not Qui dicit quod vult, audit quod non vult., and hee that doth what hee will, must suffer what he would not: The soule that sinnes shall die the death, saith Ezekiel Ezek. 18. v. 4., whether the soule of the father, or the soule of the childe, the soule of the Prince, or the soule of the subiect, &c.

Application.I wish we could lay this to heart, and consider when we are tempted to sinne, that if we will needs be Sathans fac­tors, and agents in sinning, wee must whether we will or no, bee the Lords Patients, in suffering: if wee will not doe according to the Lords owne heart, hee will make vs to feele his hand: if like truantly boyes we will not bee lored and tutored by his doctrine, we must bee instructed by his discipline: if as stragling sheepe wee will not bee fetcht in by his whistle, we must be compelled by his dog or sheepe-crooke: the rod of bands must effect that, as here with Ezekiah, which the rod of beauty could not: looke as we sow, Zach 11.7. so we shall reape Gal. 6.7., our crop shall answer our seed time, as we bake so we shall eate, and as we brew so we shall drinke. The very heathen could see and sing in their numbers, that pleasure and paine are lincked to­gether in one chaine; and so I say it is with sinne and sor­row; if sinne he at the one end, sorrow is at the other, the [Page 51] last linkes depend on the first, draw the first the last will follow, as Iacob followed after Esau Gen. 25.26. Hos. 12.3. and supplanted him.

SECT. 2. God spares not the great ones when they sinne.

SEcondly, see Ezekiah a great man, nay the greatest man vpon earth, a terrestriall God, Gods Vicegerent, Gods Leiutenant ouer his people Israel, is not spared: if he sinne God spares him not: No, Gods Iustice can encounter with Scepters & Crownes Sceptra ligoni­bus aequat., as well as with spades & mattocks, and sheep crooks: Gods iustice, like death Gods purseuant, or summoner, is as impartiall as imperiall: it is not to be bri­bed, not to be corrupted, preuented it may bee by repen­tance (as in the case of the Ionas 3.10. Niniuites) peruerted it cannot be: Pauperum Tubernas regum (que) turres aequo pulsat pede.

In mans Lawes & strictest Statutes, either frō ignorance in enacting, or negligence in executing, the little flyes (the meaner sort transgressing) are caught, but the greater per­sonages, the stronger flyes, more potent in friends, fauour, meanes, break from the intangling webs Similitude Anacharsis apud Stobaeum.: but this impu­tation can neuer be fastned iustly vpon Gods lawes, or the execution of them in remuneratiue iustice, they fasten vp­on one as well as vpon another; vpon Kings as vpon Mer­chants; vpon Princes, as vpon Pesants; vpon great Caesar, as vpon poore Conon. Pharaohs first borne is no more spared in the destroying Pestilence Exod. 12.29., then the child of the meanest subiect: the plague rageth in the Kings Court, as in the Country: Iabin and Sisera are swept away by the riuer Kishon, yea that ancient riuer the riuer Kishon Iudg. 5.21., as Deborah sings, as were his common souldiers. God spares Senacherib no more then his ordinary subjects, nay as hee sinned more, his iudgement was greater, hee was vnnatu­rally [Page 52] murthered by his owne sons euen in the middest of his superstitious Orizons 2 King. 19.37.: the Lord hath a muzzle for the mouth of blacke Cerberus, reuiling Rabsakah, as he hath a hooke for the nose of his master ver. 7. v. 28.. God spared not Se [...]on King of the Amorites, nor Og King of Basan, nor the fiue Kings which Ioshua killed in the Caue Iosh. 10.22., nor Agag, whom Samuel hewed in pieces 1 Sam. 15.33., nor the rest of the Kings of Ca­naan, more then he did the country Canaanites themselues whom in his wrath he caused the land to spue out as the sea casts out her froth 2 Chro. 33.2.. In that vniuersall conflagration of Sodom, (a type of the burning of the world & worldlings in the last Iudgement Luk. 17, 28, 29.,) the flesh and bones of the aged burning first with lust, escaped the sulphur and brimstone no more then the riotous youth Gen. 19.24.: in the deluge of the old world, Noah might haue beene a dolefull spectator of the reuerent aged, the lordly great ones, the proud poten­tates, the stately dames, floating in the waters Gen. 7.23., as so ma­ny drowned rats or cats, as well as the numerous multi­tudes of the Plebeians: In Israels effeminate follie with the daughters of Moah, ioyning (as sinne seldome goes alone to hell) Idolatry to adultery, by the pestilent plot of Balaam Numb. 31.16, Zimri and Cosbe, an Israelitish Prince, and a Moabitish Princesse led the dance to destruction Num. 25.7, 8.: yea a thousand of the Peeres and Princes were hanged vp be­fore the Lord ver. 4., and they had Gods martiall Law, as seuere if not more seuere, then the common people: yea after­wards Balaam for all the hope of preferment he had swal­lowed and gulped downe by complotting with Balack against Israel (that the Lord may show to all posterity that he detests the plotters of any mischiefe more then the actors, the spinners of spiders webbs more then the wea­uers) his plot brings him to the pot Numb. 31.8., with that brand of infamie vpon his couetousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15., as was vpon Cain for his murther Iude ver. 11.: and so it were easie to run thorow the whole body of Scripture, of Diuinity, of History, for the illustra­tion of this very particular: that there is no respect of per­sons [Page 53] with God Acts 10.34., no partiality, no such conniuence of his Iustice, as may be in some Ciuil and Ecclesiasticall Courts: he spares neither Ezekiah for his regality, nor Herod for his pompe, nor Senacherib for his power, nor Nebuchad­nezzar for his pride, nor Nabal for his wealth, nor Goliah for his strength, nor Absolom for his beauty, nor Achito­phel for his policy, nor Salomon for his wisedome, &c. nay, potentes potenter, &c. the mighty shall bee mightily tormented, vnlesse their great and crying sinnes be repen­ted: The Lord hath gynnes for Nimrodian hunters, that bloodily hunt others; whips and rods in steepe for those that whip and scourge his people, the enemies to his Son, to his Sion, will he breake with a rod of iron, and crush them in pieces as a Potters vessell, Psal. 2.9.

SECT. 3. Let the meaner feare, when the great ones are not spared.

LEt euery soule be wiser by Gods seuerity: doth not God spare Kings in his wrath, but vexe them in his sore displeasure Psal. 2.5.? (more then Gideon Iudg. 8.16, 17, 18. did the Princes of Succoth and Zalmunna) nay, will not God spare Ezekiah here a great King, but whips him in himselfe, in his peo­ple, as hee did also Dauid, for the pride of their hearts? alas then what sinner can hope for immunity, impunity? What shall become of such as Christ calls Dogs Mat. 7.6., and Swine, despising and despiting holinesse and holy things, when euen these Lyons are whipt, from whose line lineal­ly descended euen the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah, Christ, the Sauiour of sinners? Oh if the fierce windes of wrath blast and blow and shake such strong oakes, what shall become of the vnder-wood, the vnprofitable rubbish, the bryers and thornes, meane men in gifts and grace, nay silly ignorant beasts, as many of the common people are in the things of God, and yet prophane vitious varlets [Page 54] in all abominable courses, what can they expect without better fruits, but deserued burning, euen to be fuell to the fire of that wrath, which burnes to the very bottome of Hell. Oh let men of all sorts imagine with themselues, that (as a zealous man wisht to heare Augustine wisht to see Christum in car­ne, and to hear Paulum toni­truantem. Paul thundring) they heare Christs forerunner thundring, that now is the axe layd to the rootes of the trees, (the Ministery of the Word laid to mens hearts) and that euery tree which brings nor forth good fruit is cast into the fire Mat. 3.10.: is cast; the word is to be marked, is cast already into the fire: for iudgement is begunne here with the impenitent and vnbeleeuer, as heauen is begunne here in grace to the be­leeuer: he that beleeues not is condemned already Iohn 3.18.: al­ready? in Gods decree for ought he knowes; already in the Ministery of the Word, that bindes on earth what is bound in heauen Mat 18.18.; already in his owne conscience 1 Iohn 3.20., (God being a thousand times greater then his conscience) and the extent of the commination is further considerable: euery tree that is vnfruitfull shall bee cut downe, euery ground that receiues the first and latter raine, and brings not forth fruit, is neare vnto cursing Heb 6.7.8.: euery ground? eue­ry tree? the Lord spares not any tree, neither the Oake for his strength, nor the Ash for his sap, nor the Cedar for his talnesse, nor the Lawrell for his greennesse, nor the Oliue for his fatnesse, &c. neither the aged man for his age, nor the learned for his learning, nor the Scribe for his knowledge, nor the Pharisee for his long Phylactery, nor the Lawyer for his pleading, nor Saul for his Magi­stracy, nor Iudas for his Ministery, nor Tully nor Tertullus for their oratory, nor the strong man for his strength, nor the wise man for his wisedome, &c. nor any man, of Iew and Gentile, for any other morall part, for any common gift, for any priuiledge of birth, nature, production, edu­cation, place; nay not for the most glorious outside of Religion, for the most formall profession Mat. 7.22, 23. Mat. 8.11., if he want the salt, the soule, the seasoning of sauing grace; if this tree [Page 55] want the true sap of the Spirit, that comes from the root of Iesse, if it be not transplanted out of the barren soyle of nature, and planted in the true Vine Iohn 15.1.2. See M. Hierons Sermon on Mat. 3.10. also the Sermon called The doome of the barren tree., and as a Tree of righteousnesse brings not fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life, shall be for all his faire leaues cut downe and throwne into the fire: neither shall blossomes, and buds, and leaues, and seeming fruit, as had that cur­sed Fig-tree Mark 11.13, 14., or long standing in the Garden Luke 13.7. pruned, dunged, watered, by a powerfull Ministery, be any plea that it should stand: neither shall the former fruits that it whilom hath brought forth, stand it in any stead, if for the present it be dead at the root, in the sap, and barren in the boughes; according to that fearfull and terrible threat­ning in Ezekiel Ezek. 18.24., that whē the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations of the wicked, all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his sinne that he hath sinned shall he die. His former seeming holinesse shall no more a­uaile for the saluation of the hypocrite, then the reall im­piety, be it what it will be or can be, of the truly conuert sinner, shall be preiudiciall to his destruction, Ezekiel 18.27, 28.

SECT. 1. God scourgeth his owne children when they transgresse.

THirdly, see further the strictnesse of Gods se­uerity against sinne and sinners, in Ezekiah, as in a cleare and Christall glass. God brings wrath vpon Ezekiah, a King, a great man, nay on Ezekiah a good man, a gracious man, a holy man, a zealous man, a sincere seruant, a strict wor­shipper of the true God: Oh obserue it, and let it be for [Page 56] euer engrauen on the tablets of euery memory, that is wil­ling to treasure vp any thing that is physicall and whole­some for the soules health. That God as a Father spares not the sinnes of his owne children, but as he said of Sa­lomon 2 Sam. 7.14, 15. Psal. 89.31, 32., and verifies it further on Ezekiah, if they sinne a­gainst him, though his mercy and louing kindnesse hee wil not take from them, though he will not depriue them of their inheritance in heauen, their part and portion in the spirituall Canaan, where their lot is falne vnto them in a faire ground: yet hee will visit their offences with rods, and their sinnes with scourges: he will not winke at the frailties and follies of any of his children, (as is some­time the fault of some cockering parents, as was seene in old Ely 1 Sam. 3.13. and in good Dauid 1 King. 1.6.;) neither will he be partiall in making, as they say, fish of one, and flesh of another; curbing one in some ill course, and cherishing another; but as Iacob is strict against all his sinning sonnes, euen a­gainst incestuous Reuben his eldest, and against cruell per­fidious Simeon and Leui his next eldest, in his propheticall sicke bed Gen 49.3, 4, 5, 6, &c., so is the Father of Spirits zealous against the sinnes of all his children, (be otherwise their graces and indowments neuer so great,) yea it is very obseruable, that how euer the child of God, after the perpetration of some great and grieuous sin, (such as the Schooles call peccatum vastans conscientiam, a sin making great hackes and gashes and slashes in the conscience) may vpon his repentance and sincere humiliation, make so far his peace with God, (whose grace is able and willing to pardon euery sinne, except that sinne vnto death, that vnpardonable (because vnrepented) sinne against the Holy Ghost, See Sonnius in Thesibus: & Kymnitius in locis, de peccato in Spi­ritum Sanctum: as also M. Deui­son his Sermon.) that he may redeeme his soule from death, and his darling Doue from the power of the Lyon, the Lord sealing to his heart so far his loue, that he smelling the sacrifice of a broken spirit, a bleeding and a beleeuing heart, hee shall not dye the se­cond death: neuerthelesse, howsoeuer the guilt and pu­nishment of sinne may so farre be remoued by Christ, that [Page 57] the soule shall be freed from euerlasting damnation, and saued in the day of Christ: yet the deare childe of God, euen for some scandalous lamented repented sinne, in temporary rods and castigations may haue Gods hand vpon him euen to his dying day: he may by sicknesse on his body, reproach vpon his good name, or other dome­stique personall crosses, yea sometimes by trouble of mind and grieuous perplexities in conscience, hee may weare a strait and a pinching shooe, euen to his very graue: this is plaine here in Ezekiah; no doubt his repentance had made his atonement with God, thorow faith in his expected Messiah, his humiliation had made vp the breach so farre, and procured his peace in the Court of heauen, that there is no progresse nor proceeding against his saluation; hee hath his Quietus est for that, yet notwithstanding wrath comes vpon him, and vpon Iudah: (either in some sick­nesse and infirmity on his body, or some griefe & trouble of his mind, or in some death and cuttings off of his peo­ple, or the like, was this wrath expressed, (though here it be not reuealed in the manner:) but more perspicuous is the example of Dauid, who vpon the confession and acknowledgement of his sinne to Nathan, heard the par­don instantly from the Prophet, as from the mouth and oracle of God 2 Sam. 12.9, 10, 11, 12, &c., yet neuerthelesse wee know what was both threatned and executed in rods proportioned to his offence: as hee had smit vnlawfully with the sword, in killing Vriah, so the sword neuer departed from his house: Absolom kills his incestuous brother Amnon 2 Sam. 13.29., Ioab the Kings great friend, his instrument in the blood of Ʋrias 2 Sam. 11.13., euen this Ioab (oh iust Nemesis) whether the King will or no 2 Sam. 18.5., kils his darling, how euer then his rebell Absolom vers. 14., and Adoniah, (Gallinae filius albae, another of his faire sonnes) is cut shorter by the head, in being too heady a­gainst his King-brother Salomon 1 King. 2.25.. So as Dauid was pol­luted by adultery, adultery and vncleannesse, together with the sword, did cleaue to his house and seed, like Ge­hezies [Page 58] leprosie: the spurious off-spring of his lust dyed in the infancy 2 Sam. 12.18., Amnon his owne sonne commits incestuous fornication, aggrauated by all circumstances of trechery and tyranny, with his owne faire sister, Dauids owne daughter Tamar 2 Sam. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c.; Absolom himselfe, as a filthy Bird de­filing his owne nest, (his fathers blood in his thoughts,) his bed in his acts, lyes with his fathers Concubines, (so shamelesse, impudent, and imprudent is lust) in the sight of all Israell 2 Sam. 16.22.. Other instances may bee giuen; and no doubt of it, the bleeding too deare-bought experience of many of Gods children, which for some momentany sin are pursued and prosecuted iustly in themselues, or their blood, by the hand of God or man, in perpetuated sor­rowes, too truly proue this assertion.

SECT. 2. The reasons of the former Doctrine.

NOw leauing secret and inscrutable iudgements vnto God, which though they may bee hidden and ab­struse from vs, yet can neuer be vniust S [...]creta esse possunt iudicia Dei, iniusta esse non possunt. Augustinus.. The reasons of these thus proceedings of God with his children, may be these, besides others: (that we may not intermeddle or reflect in the least measure vpon any Popish satisfactions, which we onely with the Scriptures include and conclude in Christ: as though, according as they dreame, (and but dreame) that these continuated castigations were humane satisfactions Against Po­pish satisfacti­ons, reade Kym­nitius his Exa­men Concilii Tridentini: and Pelargus his Iesuitismus: with D. Willets Synopsis of this controuerted subiect, &c. to Gods iustice.)

First, the repentance of Gods seruants reiterated and renewed after some great and scandalous sinne, is neue [...] so true and sincere for the qualitie of it, so great and ve­hement for, the quantity, (either in that attrition or con­trition which the Schooles speake of) or so extensiue in degrees, or so constant and permanent in the continuance▪ but the Lords pure eyes sees it in many particulars de­fectiue [Page 59] and heteroclite, either in the matter, manner, mea­sure, meanes; grounds, or ends: for which cause he may still continue his rod vpon the shoulders of his children, to make their repentance more perfect and exact in all the true and requisite qualifications.

Secondly, our nature is soone weary of well-doing, we would faine haue ease, though by carnall meanes, (as Saul by Dauids Harpe 1 Sam. 16.23.) when the Lord hath wounded our consciences with spirituall weapons; wee are prone too soone to cast off the Lords yoake, and to throw downe his burthen, ere wee bee thorowly tamed, and our rebellions subdued, and therefore the Lord knowing our flitting and fugitiue natures, our false and fickle hearts, by continua­ted crosses still holds vs to it, and keepes vs still strict and strait to the tackling and taske of true penitents.

Thirdly, we are subiect, as stall-fed Oxen, to grow too fat and lazy; as pampered horses, to grow too skittish; as that Iesurum Deut. 32.15., to kicke against the rider; by too much ease, as Moab, to freeze in our dregges, and as standing pooles to grow corrupt without motion and stirring: yea as grosse and corrupt bodies, to abound with bad humors, the originalls of diseases, without continuated physicke and purging: yea to returne perhaps euen to our former sicknesse and distemperature, vnlesse the Lord keepe vs strait laced, in continuall exercise and diet, by his succes­siue castigations.

Fourthly, by these after-corrections, as by so many stakes and railes and pales, the Lord would keepe vs in, within the parkes of obedience; as Sheepe, impale and barre vs within his fold, from after-wandrings: as by cur­bing bits, hold in our rebellious natures, euer subiected without these restraints to continuated apostasies, tergi­uersations, relapses againe, more daingerous then euer, euen to the sinnes so seriously, as we thinke, already repen­ted. Euen as a man without carefull looking to himselfe, is subiect to relapse into the same Tertian, Quartan, or [Page 60] Quotidian Feuer, out of which he is with much dainger and difficulty recouered.

Fiftly, the Lord as it were by continuall phlebotomi­zing and blood-letting, will preserue vs from this dainge­rous plurifie of pride: for as it is the Lords mercifull and gracious dealing vsually with his children after their seri­ous humiliation, to shine vpon them againe with the light of his countenance, to restore vnto them the ioy of his saluation: so he giues them renewed graces, (as wee may see plainly in the example of Zacharias Luke 1.20. & 64., Ionas Ionas 2.9, 10., the Co­rinthians 2 Cor. 7.11., Martha Luke 10.41. compared with Iohn 11.20, 21., and some say Peter Fidelior fa­ctus est Petrus postquam fidem perdidisse se de­fleuit, &c.) more then euer they had before; euen as gifts are giuen betwixt once disagreeing, perfectly reconciled louers, as pledges and tokens of more pure and perfect loue then euer: as the bone that is broke, and once knit, oft proues stronger then euer: now as by the new fluxe of blood in the body at the Spring of the yeare, there is oft an occasion and origi­nall of a new Ague; so by a new addition and increment of grace, corruption helpt forward by Sathan, is excee­ding prone to be proud; for the preuention of which ab­horred and hatefull humour, the Lord still administers his castigations: he leaues something euer as the buffettings of Sathan, (that prick in the flesh to his inspired Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7, 8.) to hold vs low, and keepe vs vnder, from being superbi­ent, and too high exalted in our selues: he stygmatizeth vs in our flesh or spirits, which as the scarre in the body of a souldier, may continually put vs in minde and memo­rie both of the great wound of our sin, to keep vs stil more humbled, as also of the skill and good will of our hea­uenly Physitian, in curing that which once wee despai­red as incurable, to make vs truly continually thankfull.

SECT. 3. God is more strict with his owne Children in this life, then with the reprobates.

SIxtly and lastly, the Lord hath also by these corrections of his repenting Saints, an ayme and an end, at the conuiction and instruction of vnhumbled impenitent sin­ners: First for their conuiction, the Lord by this meanes puts a muzzell vpon their blasphemous mouths, when they are ready as Aegyptian dogges, to barke against the Moone, as their father the deuill Ioh. 8.44., to accuse God Gen. 3.4, 5. of partiality, that he lightly passeth by, and sleightly passeth ouer the sinnes of some, as an accepter of persons; but layes load on others: that he toucheth some hardly with a finger, others hee crusheth with his whole hand: wags not the rodde at his owne, but whips the wicked with cords of yron, &c. that the Lord may be true when hee is iudged, and righteous when he is condemned Psal. 51.4., he makes it plaine and perspicuous to the whole world, that hee is as strict and seuere with his elected ones, as any naturall father is with his owne children; nay, that he often is ra­ther more resolute, and vehement against the sinnes of his Saints in temporary proceedings, then against the repro­bates themselues: for whereas, the wicked and impious oft escape for a time scot-free, as repriued like fellons, till the Assizes of the Generall Iudgement, walking in the meane space vnder the bond of a guilty conscience, to doe, say and thinke what they please; liuing as libertines, and voluptuaries, wallowing as swine in the mire, fatted as Bulls of Basan against the day of slaughter Psal. 73.17, 18 Iob. 20.5.5, 6. Iob 21.16, 17.: his owne sheepe in the interim he sheares, and shaues, keepes them in a narrow fold, salues their fores, giues them Potions to preuent their rotts: his owne children vpon her least misdemeanours, he whips and corrects, humbles here the [Page 62] pride of Ezekiah; as after, Dauids for the numbring of the people; reproues Asa 2 Chr. 16.12., for seeking first to the corporall before the spirituall Physitian in his sicknesse; brings Ie­hosophat into a great strait, to the in dangering of his life, for his taking part with wicked Ahab in his vnwarrantable warre 1 King. 22.32.; shamed Noahs drunkennesse with the flouts and scoffes of his owne sonne Gē. 19.36, 37. The Moabites and Ammon [...]ts being after prickes in their eyes, & goads in their sides., (as the folly of some Pastour is scourged by his owne hearers, as some man is wounded with his owne weapons;) makes Lot infamous by the two incestuous bastards which hee had by his owne daughters ^b, Moab and Ammon, whose off-spring were after the plagues to Israel *; depriues Sampson of his strength, his good name, his bodily lights, yea his life, by the intemperancie of his lusts Iudg. 16. v. 21.30.; casts Ionas into the Sea, and imprisons him in the bowels of the Whale, for his dis­obedience Ionas 1.15.; depriues Iosias of his life by the sword of Pharaoh Necho 2 Chr. 35.22, 23., for reiecting of Counsell; teares in peices his owne Prophet by a Lyon 1 King. 13.24., for being disobedient in one particular command (though tempted and seduced;) excludes Moses out of temporarie Canaan so much desi­red Deut. 32.50., for his once distrustful diffidence Numb. 20.23, 24.; reproues Aaron Num. 12.5, 6.; makes Miriam leprous ver. 12., for their emulation & muttering against Moses; strikes Zachary dumbe, for his increduli­tie Luk. 1.19, 20.; yea, excludes Adam & Eue out of Paradise Gen. 3.23, 24., for their too much credulity to Sathan, and their infidelitie in di­strusting the threat ioyned with rebellious disobedience in so small an iniunction, as the forbearance of one Fruit. Thus God keeps corrections for his own, & as the Apostle speakes, Iudgements begin (and haue begunne you see euer since the beginning) at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17.: yea, rather at the house of God at Bethel, then at Bethauen the house of vanity, rather at Shiloh, at Sion, then at Sodom: The Fa­ther of Spirits herein imitating an earthly father, who if his sonne bee robbing an Orchard Similitude Stellae in Lucam., or playing waggish trickes in the street, with other straying children, he takes home his owne child, reproues him, corrects him, admo­nisheth [Page 63] him to remember for euer doing the like, hee layes on a Memorandum to cause him to remember for euer af­terwards: seemes to bee very rigorous and seuere with him; whereas a strange childe, his neighbours sonne, cul­pable in the same fault, hee neuer so much as intermeddles with him, neuer once opens his mouth to reproue him, but passeth by heedlesse, and regardlesse of him: why so? because he loues his owne better then the other, the one is part of himselfe, therefore his loue descends, so is not the other; hee purposeth to bestow on his sonne, all his lands, his liuings, his inheritance, so doth hee not intend towards the other; therefore hee is more iealous, more zealous and carefull of the good of the one, then of the other. Thus the Lord when his owne sonnes, and the sonnes of Beliall, the righteous, and the reprobate, com­mit perhaps materially one and the selfe same sinne, (as Dauid and Herod iumped in the same sinnes of Lust, and Murther; Dauid and Augustus Caesar Luke 2.1. iumped in the same sinne of numbring their subiects, &c. He corrects his owne whom hee loues, and chastiseth euery sonne whom he receiues: hee brayes them as pepper or spice in a morter, for it makes them fitter for vse; hee softens their hearts as waxe▪ and purgeth out their drosse and tinne Esay 4.7. by the spirit of burning. by the fire of affliction; hee fit [...] them by this meanes in purging and purifying their corruptions, for that inheri­tance hee hath predestinated them vnto Rom. 8.30. Esphes. 1.4., and reserued for them in the heauens 1 Ioh. 3.2, 3.: whereas for the subiects of Sa­thans kingdome v. 8. et 2 Tim. 2.26.; he passeth by them for a time, seemes to conniue at their sinnes, paues their way to hell with oyle, and butter, suffers them to play with the waspe and hor­nets nest, till they bee stung to death; to dally with the flame, till they be scorcht; lets them runne their races with full carcere, till they come to the end of their iour­ney Psal. 9.17. Prou. 9.18. Esay 5.13, 14 [...]. et Esay 30.33.; permits them to freeze in their dregs, and settle on their lees without remouing: they haue perhaps all things that their hearts desire, riches, wealth, ease, &c. Yet as [Page 64] Israel had a King, with a curse 1 Sam. 8.11, 12., and as they had quailes in wrath Num. 11.31, 22, 23, &c., all these, they haue as nets and snares to them: God bestowes little Physicke on them, he sees they are in­curable, like Babel; hee plowes them not vp with the plough of affliction: he sees they are reprobate ground, he sees they are flints, cobble stones, knotty timber, such as will fit no place in the spirituall building, therefore he neuer troubles himselfe with them, neuer vseth the axe or hammer of affliction to them, as to the liuing stones in Si­on 1 Pet. 2.5.. In a word, hee purposeth no good vnto them, hath no heauen for them: therefore suffers them to friske and runne for a time in all excesse of Riot 1 Pet. 4.4. towards their Center, as merrily as the fooles goes to the stockes, and as senslessely as the Oxe goes to the slaughter.

SECT. 4. If God be strict and seuere with his owne, how daingerous is the estate and condition of the wicked.

YEt neuerthelesse I would not haue wicked and god­lesse men to triumph before the victory, to say with Agag, surely the bitternesse of death is past 1 Sam. 15.32., when it is but appraoching, I would not haue those that put on their armour, to boast, as when they put it off 1 King. 20.11, to thinke that the end of sinne shall be as sweet as the beginning Prou. 9.17. et Prou. 23.33., that the egresse out of the deuils service, will be as easie as the ingresse: that the haruest will be as pleasant as their seed time; no, no, there will bee a time of audit, of reckoning for sinners, as was for that wicked steward, and that vn­profitable seruant Matth. 25.25, 26.; a time of comming of the bride-groome ver. 6., when, as Ioab said to Abner 2 Sam. 2.26. of the yong mens play, the end of sinne will be bitternesse at the last, the taile of sinne like the taile of a Dragon will sting: and from these former premises, let euery man that hath the least dramme of either wisedome or grace, extract this conclu­sion, [Page 65] and treasure it vp in his soule as an excellent Anti­dote, and preseruatiue against sinne: and as the Apostles Peter 2 Pet. 2.4, 5, 6. and Iude Iude v. 6, 7. reasoned. If the Lord spared not the Angells that fell, nor the old world, nor Sodom & Gommor­rah, but burned her Citties with fire: how much lesse (which was their scope) would hee spare the licentious men of their time. So let euery man argue with his owne soule, if the Lord haue not in the seueritie of his Iustice against sinne, spared the righteous, Oh where shall the reprobate appeare! If he haue purged his gold, what shal become of the drosse? if hee haue winnowed the corne, shall not the chaffe bee burned with vnquenchable fire? If Ierusalem be searched Si in Ierusalem scrutinium, quid f [...]ciet Babylon. with lanterne and candle light, what shall become of Sodom, of Aegypt, of Babylon, of Edom, of Damascus? &c. If the Doues tremble Cum tremunt Columbae quid facient corui., what shall become of Crowes, of Kites, of Kestrels? If the sheepe bee shorne, what shall become of the vncleane Goates? If the trees of righteousnesse be lopped, and pru­ned, for what vse are Thornes & Bryers & Tares, but for the fire? If the vessels of honour be thus scoured and rub­bed, what shall become of the vessells of wrath? If iudg­ment begin at the house of God, if the righteous shall hardly be saued, Oh where shall the vnrighteous & repro­bate 1 Pet. 4.18. appeare? If the Lord whip his owne sons though with cords of loue, Oh what will hee doe to Sathans slaues, Athiests, belly gods, libertines, drunkards, swea­rers, couetous persons, that neglect the day of Grace, and blaspheme God daily The doom [...] of such is, 1 Cor. 6.9. Gal. 5.19. Colos. 3.5. Rev. 21.8.? Oh if the Lord here haue vi­sited as you see he hath, with Temporary rods, the sinnes of an Ezekiah, a Dauid, a Iosias, a Ionas, a Moses, a Samp­son, a Salomon, a Zacharias, with many moe of his deare seruants, Oh how can the vnrighteous, the prophane, the in religious who scorne and contemne the Lord daily, and blaspheme all his ordnances appointed for their life, escape endlesse wrath, euerlasting death, without repentance? [Page 66] though here for a time they be reprieued, the Lord giuing vnto them as he did to Iezabel ^g, space to repent, Reuel. 2.19. which they neglecting, treasure vp to themselues wrath, against the day of wrath, and the iust declara­tion of the vengeance of God Rom. 2 5, 6..

SECT. 1. How the subiects smart for the sinnes of Princes, Children for the sinnes of Parents.

NOt to giue Cramba biscocta, Coalworts twise sod, in repeating former points; The next thing, that in order, offers it selfe to our prosecution, is the exten­sion of this castigation, this wrath, that came vpon Ezekiah for the pride of his heart, came also vpon Iudah and Ierusalem, or the inhabitants of Iudah (by a Metono­my the continent being put for the contained Continens pro contento.) the sub­iects of this King: in which it may seeme strange to some, and occasion their doubt as desirous of resolution; how we can well cleare God of iniustice that punisheth the people for the fault of their Prince: Ezekiahs subiects for the sinne of Ezekiah. Might not Ezekiah say as Dauid al­most in the like case; Oh it is I that haue sinned 2 Sam. 24.71, those sheepe what euill haue they done? let thine hand be vpon me, and vp­on my fathers house: or as he in the Poet, I am he that haue done the deed, ( in me conuertite ferrum ô Rutili Virgil of Nisus and Eurialus.,) Oh you Rutilians, let him smart that did the fact. Could not the [Page 68] Orator blame this iniustice, fecit Emilius, plectitur Rutilius &c. when one suffers, for that in which another man sins, without being accessary any way? Nay, doth not the Lord himselfe say, That the soule that sinnes shall dye the death, whe­ther it be the soule of the father, or the soule of the child Ezekiel 18.4., the soule of the Prince, or of the Peere, or of the Plebeian, &c. euery one beare their owne burthen, euery one in this life (as in the great Iudgement) stands on his owne legs, euery bushell on his owne bottome, Prouerbialia. euery saddle as they say, set on the right horse, euery man answer for himselfe, euery herring (according to our prouerbs) hang by it own necke: how can these things stand with that which the Lord threatens, that he will visit the sins of the fathers vpon the children, vnto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5.: that the ba­stard shall not enter into the congregation, vnto the tenth generation; which yet it selfe sinnes not actually, as it is a bastard, but the Parents, &c. How stands this with Gods executions, that Cham scoffs his father Noah Gen. 9.22., and his sonne Canaan is cursed for his fathers fact vers. 15., and here Eze­kiah the King transgresseth, yet his subiects feele smart, for wrath comes vpon Iudah and Ierusalem. This knot seemes hard to lose, being as Gordian: this riddle needs an Oedi­pus: yet I thinke, thus we may giue satisfaction.

SECT. 2. The reasons and resolutions of the point.

FIrst, that the Lord when hee purposeth to inflict iust and deserued punishment vpon the creature, is his owne caruer, as free & independant, may effect his ends, by what meanes it pleaseth him, whether immediately vpon the indiuiduall party transgressing, or mediatly vpon those that are his: euen as we count it no iniustice, when a young Prince offendeth to whip his play fellow or com­panion in his roome, which he takes perhaps as grieuous­ly as if he were beat himselfe: so the Lord in punishing a [Page 69] people, which is the glory and the strength of a King, for the sinnes of a King, in punishing a father in his children, which are webs spun out of his owne bowels Of the admi­rable loue of parents to their children, chief­ly to sonnes, read Examples and Testimo­nies in Bodin, lib. 1. de Rep. c. 4. p. 33. Nicander in Postillis part. 3 pag. 357. & Pezelius in Gen. cap. 4. pag. 85. 86., collups, as they say, cut out of his owne flesh; comes as neere to the heart of good Princes and louing Parents, by this meanes, as if they were afflicted in their owne persons: for Rachel mournes for her sonnes Ier. 31.15. Mat 2.18. The like con­doling made Rizpah. 2 Sam. 21.10. as for her selfe, and will not be comforted: and Iacob is resolued to goe mour­ning to the graue Gen 37.35., for his supposedly lost Ioseph.

Secondly, in these cases the Lord doth as a Physitian, who if a man be sicke or distempered in one part, applies perhaps his medicines to another part, where it workes as kindly a cure, as if it were laid on the part that is ill af­fected. As for instance, If a man bee pained with an ill blood in the head, or be in danger of a plurifie of blood throughout the whole body, he lets him blood perhaps in the arme In the veine called Humera­lis or Cephalica [...] Barlow Method of Physicke, lib. 1. cap. 5. p. 7. or elsewhere: So if a Prince and Potentate sinne, to let him blood as it were in his people In what par­ticulars and wherefore God plagues the sins of Princes in their subiects, reade diuersifi­ed examples in the plagued Sichemites, Sabarites, Troians, Israelites, Iewes, for the sinnes of their Princes, Sichem, Pari, Dauid, Ahas, and some Sabaritish Magistrates, &c. reade Luther in Gen. cap. 34. pag 518. Philippus in locis. Manlii pag. 325. 412. Strigellius in 2 Chron. 28. and Aelianus lib. 3., in s [...]nd­ing vpon them plague, famine, or the sword: If a father sinne, to let him blood in his children and posteritie, his blood or consanguinity, who can blame the curing skill of the all-wise Physitian?

Thirdly, but yet there is a third answer, That as chil­dren are vsually not so much punished for their parents sinnes as for their owne, chiefly when they insist in their parents steps Quod peiores plerunque posterior aetas tulit praecipue in Heroum filii [...]: in plurimis instant Tholosan. lib. 4. de Rep. cap. 2. pag. 149. Cytraeus in Gen. cap. 35. pag. 432. Philippus lib 3. Cron. pag. 155. p. 157. & Brentius in Lucam cap. 15. Hom. 10. pag. 475. &c., and doe euill or worse then their forefa­thers, seeing perhaps the iudgements inflicted on their parents, yet they will take no warning, as Baltazar was nothing bettered by that great iudgement vpon his proud and prophane father Nabuchadnezzar Dan. 5.21, 22., then in iustice [Page 68] the Lord visits vpon the children both their owne sinnes and their fathers, as he did on the house of Ahab 2 King. 10.11., Saul 2 Sam. 21.5.6, Ieroboam 1 King. 13.34., and other idolatrous bloody families, whom he rooted out, both for their owne sinnes and the abomina­tions of their fathers. So Ezekiahs people here, as also Da­uids people (thorow whose sides euen these two good Kings are whipped) are not so much punished for the sinnes of their Kings, as for their owne sinnes: the iust God, without offering them any wrong, might iustly finde matter enough of exception against them, and cause them to smart for their owne transgressions: their ingra­titude for the restauration of the health of their good King, in whose safety they were all interested, and shared deeply; the abuse of their peace and plenty, euill and noi­some lusts (as now in our Land) like Gnats and Summer-flyes, ingendring and increasing in the long heat and Sun­shine of their prosperity, with other such sinnes, might iustly occasion Gods hand both against Dauids people, in cutting off 70000, as also against Ezekiahs, in bringing wrath vpon the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem: Oh the Lords pure eyes Hab. 1.13. penetrate further then mans, and see beames, where man cannot nor will not spy moates; the Lords strict iustice condemnes those sinnes as mortall, which blinded man holds lesse then veniall.

Fourthly, as a man by one stone may hit two birds, or by one bullet kill or wound two men, so God in and by one castigation may effect two ends, both the humiliation of Ezekiah and of his people: euen as the Lord by permit­ting Sathan to blow downe the house vpon Iobs feasting sonnes Iob 1.18., both punished the childrens intemperate ryot, and exercised the fathers patience, and so with one pencil, as the phrase is, whited two wals.

Lastly, if all these answers satisfie not, as they may, yet let vs most safely and satisfactorily conclude, that this wrath here mentioned that came vpon Iudah, was but some temporarie castigation, externall, and exercised vp­on [Page 69] the outward man, nothing preiudiciall to the saluation of the Elect, on whom it seized: it pierced but the out­ward caske Tunde Anax­archi vasculum, Anaxarchum non laedis. of the body, it hurt not the pure wine, the precious soule within: it might exercise and afflict the flesh for this life, but extended not to the life to come: and we know that for these temporary things, whether good or euill, they come all alike to the good and the bad, to him that feares an oath, and to him that sweares: they seize vpon the Doues for triall, as well as on the Kites for trouble: they are but as fierce blustring windes, Similitudo Phi­lippi de Diez in Postillis. that beat on the outside of the house, the wall of this flesh: they cannot disturbe the calme of the house within, they can­not hurt nor hinder the tranquility and the felicity of the blessed inmate, the sanctified soule.

SECT. 3. Vsefull application of the point.

BVt as the best part of profitable preaching, to bring that home as vsefull for our selues, which we obserue either helpfull or hurtfull to others: this lets vs see the vile venome, contagion, pest and pollution that is in sinne, what a deadly aconite it is, that poysons all that touch it: a deadly Basilisk, a deuouring Crocodile, that kills whom­soeuer it fixeth on: a Serpent, that stings who euer em­brace it: Pitch that pollutes who euer but finger it: a plague that infects who euer comes within sight or sent of it: a Leauen and Leprosie that spreads farre and neare, euen from Dan to Beershebah, from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot, ouer the whole body Oecono­micall, Ecclesiasticall, Politicall Sepe propter vnum malum ci­uem tota luit ci­uitas: propter paucerum petu­lantiam, tota gentes delenter, &c. Instant Peu­cerus de diuina­tione, p. 31. Lu­therus Tom. 1. p. 176. Philippus in locis, pag 412 & Pez [...]lius in Gen. cap. 20 p. 359., spreading as poyson from veine to veine, till it come to close with the heart, the strongest castle of life: we see here, the venome of in­gratitude and pride of heart, fastens vpon Ezekiah, and runnes like Ill-report from man to man, as wilde fire in a [Page] [Page 70] traine of powder from bag to bag, from barrell to barrell, euen throrowout Ezekiahs Kingdome, and as a bloody enemy vpon a conquered country, brings wrath vpon all; some temporary iudgement, (though here not specially expressed) vpon Iudah and Ierusalem.

Oh that all of vs could be warned from hauing any in­termedling with sinne: from courting this Curtizan, from attending the songs of this Syren, lest we be turned into beasts, yea the worst of beasts, Hogs and Swine Huc tendunt fictiones in Me­tam. Ouidii: in Grillo Plutarch. & Asino Au­reo Apulei.; that we could foresee the hooke of euery sinnes bait, espy the net of destruction spred vnder the chaffe of temptation; that Ezekiah and his subiects, scorcht with this fire of wrath, might inlighten vs by their flame: that their example might be to all as stakes stucke in a quagmire, as sea marks neare some sands or rockes, to forewarne and preuent the perill of trauelling or sayling passengers; chiefly, that to all Gods seruants, professed proselites, it might be (as the corrupt Iudges skin, caused to be hung vp ouer the iudge­ment seat by Cambyses Ex Herodito, Strigellius in orat de Iosophat & Gorlicius in axiom. politicis. pag. 773., as a terror to all successors: or as fellons hung in chaines, reading a dead lecture of cau­tion to all robbers and murtherers) an admonition to all that are eminent in gifts or place, to take heed of ingrati­tude to the doner, and of pride of heart, the deuillish dam of this ingratefull Viper; lest this Viper sting the brest that bred it, the dam that fed it, as here wee see in Ezekiah. I giue as strict caution against these sinnes, as Salomon a­gainst the traps of the Harlot Prou. 2.16. Chap. 5, 6, 7. per totum.: Harbour not these Ser­pents in thy bosome, lest they sting thee: let not these fires kindle within thee, as Iob said of lust, they will burne to Iob 31.12. destruction: Oh come not nye them, lest thou perish by them Ne sedeas, sed eas; ne pereas, sed per eas, &c. Sphinx Philoso­phica, &c.; they haue beene the perdition of many. A father by sinning may plague all his seed and posterity, chiefly if they succeed him in his sinnes Propter pa­rentum scaelera, grassari paenas in totas familias, multis interdum seculis, instant in posteris Achabi, Senacharib, Sau­lis, Pekeiae, Pa­ridis, Tarquinii, Oedipi, Dionysi [...], Artaxerxis, Crae­si, & aliorum: Melanct. lib 4. Cron. pag. 475 & 456 lib. 2. pag. 53. In locis Manlii p. 320. Strigelli­us in 2 Sam. 9. & in 2 Reg. 15. & in orat. de Ia­cobo. & orat. de Ionatha..

Lastly, men of eminence, of place in the Ministery or Magistracy, chiefly great Princes and Potentates, need looke well to their wayes, and walke strictly with God, [Page 73] and keepe their peace with their Creator: for alas much detriment and dammage (besides the sinnes of their owne soules) they bring vpon their subiects: their sins trouble Israel, as we see in Dauid and Ezekiah: the fals and sins of great persons, like the fall of some great Oake or Ce­dar, breakes downe many vnderlings, many lesser boughs. Oh the head cannot be broke, but the heart akes: the Shepheard cannot be smit, but the sheepe will be scattered: the Pastor falls not, but the poore people will bee scanda­lized and discouraged: the hearers are oft punished in the sinnes and for the sinnes of a Preacher: and so on the contrary, the Preacher for the sinnes of a people: so the subiects sympathize in the sinnes and punishments of Princes. The Heathen saw it, how in the fatall warres of Troy, both Troians and Grecians smarted for the lusts of their Princes.

SECT. 1. Gods wrath against sinne and sinners explained and expressed.

THirdly, for the phrase here vsed, as subiected to our examination; whereas it is said, wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem, we must so conceiue it: that as the Schooles speake, there are no passions incident to God Passiones non incidunt in Deū. Aquinas., neither loue, ioy, feare, zeale, or any other affections: much lesse these passions that are held culpable and sin­full, [Page 74] euen by Philosophy it selfe, as anger, hatred, wrath, &c. farre be it from vs to thinke (as these hereticall An­thropomorphites) that these are naturall in God, as they are humane in man; or that we should attribute them vn­to God, who is an immortall immateriall Spirit, without any mixture or composition: that in any proper locution we should ascribe to him any humane members, corporeal parts, outward or inward senses, or sinfull affections, whether irascible or concupiscible Largius hae [...] omnia expri­muntur per Zan­chium de tribus Elohim: & de attributis Dei: & per Polanum in Syntag. part. 1, but onely by these improper locutions and figuratiue phrases he speakes ad caeptum sensum (que) nostrum, to our sense and vnderstanding, and for the expressing of himselfe vnto vs, condiscends to our Infirmities and capacities, that as a man when he is wroth or angry, shewes the effects and symptomes of his passion, by his lookes, words, gestures, actions, so the Lord when he is said to be wroth or angry, manifests him­selfe after the manner and fashion of a man, in threatning and executing iudgements proportionable to the deme­rits of a sinner.

But leauing the Logicall terme, the Theologicall con­clusion naturally ariseth; that sin makes the Lord wroth and angry: The text here plainly speakes the point: Eze­kiahs ingratitude, proceeding as an ill Crow from a worse egge, from the pride of his heart, brought wrath vpon Iudah and Ierusalem: so it is said of Dauids adultery and murder, and of his numbring of the people by his organ that he vsed Ioab, in two seuerall places 2 Sam. 11.27. & 1 Chro. 21.7, That the thing which Dauid did, angred or displeased the Lord: so it is said oft in the Booke of Exodus, and in Deuteronomie a Commentary vpon Exodus, and in the Psalmes the Epi­tome and Abridgement of all, that the people of Israel by their mutterings, murmurings, and rebellions, angred the Lord Num. 14.22. Num. 20.13. Exod. 17.7. & vers. 2. & Psal. 95.8, 9, 10. & Psal. 106 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, &c., so that a fire was kindled in his wrath, and he burnt vp the congregations of Corah, Dathan, and Abi­ram: yea it is said that he was displeased with Moses for their sake. Infinite are the places and passages in holy [Page 75] Writ where the Lord hath reuealed and executed his an­ger against sinne and sinners: yea verily the casting of the Angels out of heauen Iob 4.18. & Iude v. 6., the eiection (though not finall re­iection) of Adam and Eue Gen. 3 23. out of Eden: the deuastation Gen. 7.23. and drowning of the old world: the conflagration and burning of Sodom Gen. 19.24.: the successiue plagues vpon Pharaoh Exod. ch 7, 8, 9, 10, per totum., & his Aegyptians: the casting out of the vncleane Canaa­nites Iudg. 1. per to­tum.: the smiting of the Philistims w ^th emerods 1 Sam. 5 6.: the bur­ning of Achan Iosh 7.25., with his stuffe & family: the stinging of the Israelites with fiery Serpents Num 21.6., smiting them at the graues of Lust Num. 11.33, 34.: cutting them off in the wildernesse Num. 26.65., depriuing them of the promised Canaan Heb. 3.11.: rebuking of Kings for his peoples sake Psal. 105.14.: killing the lustfull sonnes of Ely 1 Sam. 2.22. & 4.17. with the sword of the Philistins: destroying the two sonnes of Aaron with fire from heauen Leuit. 10.2.: burning vp the two Cap­taines with their fifties 2 King. 1.9.12, that came to take Elias: smiting the Assyrians with blindnesse 2 King. 6.18. that came against Elishah: the Sodomites with blindnesse Gen. 19.11., that came against Lot and his harboured Angels: Elimas the Sorcerer with blindnesse, contradicting Paul Acts 13.11.: striking Herod with death in all his pompe Acts 12.23.: Nebuchadnezzar with madnesse in his vaunted pride Dan. 4.29, 30.: Baltazar with terrors Dan. 5.6. and trem­bling in his abominable prophanenesse: yea, to wade in­to Histories, the smiting of Antiochus Epiphanes 1 Mach. 2. & 6.1. De quibus Euseb. lib. 8. Ni­ceph. lib. 7. cap. 6. c. 22. Vincentius lib. 10. cap. 56., Maxen­tius, and other truculent Tyrants, with intollerable gri­pings and convulsions in their bowells ^u, with all other grieuous, strange, and remarkable iudgements vpon Ana­stasius Fulmine ictus. Melancton lib. 3. Cren., Arrius Theod. lib. 1. cap. 11. Magd. Cent. 3. cap. 11., Manes ^y, Michael Seruetus Apud Aretium in fine locorum communium., and other Heretiques Reade Gods iudgements on Montanus apud Niceph. lib. 4. c. 22 on Olimpius, apud Sabel­licum, lib. 5. c. 4. on Nestorius, apud Niceph. lib. 14. c. 30 with others in fine Zegedini in Tabulis.: on Nero Suetonius in vita., Decius Eusebius lib. 7. c. 1., Caligula, &c. Constan­tius Socrates lib. 2 c. 47., Valens Ruffinus lib 2. c. 13., and other Heathenish Popish, and Of all which reade Euseb. lib 5 c. 15. lib. 7. c. 21 22. lib. 8. c. 7. Niceph. lib. 3. c. 23. Theod. lib. 3. c. 7. & lib. 4. c. 4. &c. & apud Modernos: lege Zonaram Tom. 3. Phil. Cron. lib. 3. & 4. & 5. Diaconum lib. 3. c. 12. &. c. 18. Fulgosum lib. 9. c. 5. Greg. Tur. lib. 2. c. 3. Antoninum lib. 15. c. 15. Bonfinium Helmoldum c. 24 Foxe in Martyrol. Arrian [Page 76] persecutors, with these examples that haue at this day filled Bookes and extant Volumes both in Latine and English, with Tragicall Histories of obserued, collected, and recorded iudgements vpon Atheists, prophane per­sons, persecutors, tyrants, idolaters, murtherers, adulter­ers, blasphemers Of all which read the Thea­ter of Gods iudgement, chiefly Lonicer his Theatrum Historicum, &c., and the rest: these, and all these, with many moe which might be enumerated, are meerly the fruits and effects of the constant wrath and anger of God vpon sinne and sinners, in all times, places, ages, and ge­nerations.

The most profitable vse wee can make of this point to our selues, is cautelously and wisely to beware of sinne that makes God wroth; lest we drinke too deepe of the cup of his vengeance: Oh that we were wise by the light and infusion of grace (as the very bruits, beasts, and birds, by the guidance and instinct of nature) to auoid what is preiudiciall and hurtfull vnto vs, and that is sin, the Col­loquintida in our pottage, the poysoned bullet in our flesh, the consumption in our marrow, the poyson of our gra­ces, the destruction of our natures, the reproach of our names, and the damnation of our soules: sinne, the fuell that kindleth the fire of Gods wrath against vs, (which vnlesse quenched with the teares of true repentance) burns to the very bottome of hell: sinne, so abhorring to the nature of God, whose pure eyes cannot endure impurity, that he hates nothing more: sinne, betwixt which and God there is a greater contrariety and repugnancie, then betwixt light and darknesse, good and euill, the Wolfe and Lambe, or any other the greatest Antipathies in nature.

SECT. 2. The folly of sinners in fearing the creature more then the wrath of the Creator.

ANd here I cannot but expostulate with the follies or rather frenzies of wicked and impenitent sinners, as indeed I haue still with the scriptures, thought greatest sin­ners greatest fooles Psal. 14.1. Pro. 7.7. Chap. 8.5. Chap. 9.4. Luke 12.20 Gal. 3.1. Vide etiam Peraldum in summis de stultitia auari. Tom. 2. p. 49. Prodigi p. 123. otiosi p. 130. su­perbi p. 186. & 196. See also the French A­cademy, and Adam his world of mad men., bad man, mad men ⁱ, wicked men, vn­wise men, who by a naturall well-wishing to their bodies, seeking the preseruation & conseruation of thēselues, caute­lously avoyd the force or fraud, might or malignitie, that is in any of the creatures, as the burning of the fire, the cho­king of the water, the infection of the plague, the sword of the enemy, the famine of dearth, the sacking of our cities, the racking of our ioynts: yea that seeke the auoydance of the venome of the Toad, the poyson of the spider, the biting of the Aspe, the sting of the Serpents, the sight of the Bassiliske, the tooth of the dogge, tuske of the Bore, hornes of the Bull, horne of the Vnicorne, paw of the Beare, fury of the Tyger, with the malignity which is in any other creature, when it is incensed against vs, and armed with fury, force, or fraud to doe vs a mischiefe; and yet neuerthelesse haue no care, no circumspection to serue and please the Lord, but negligently, inconsiderately, yea oft-times wittingly, willingly, presumptuously, if not maliciously, displease that Maiestie, incense that wrath, anger that great God, that Lord of hosts, who indeed as a Generall his souldiers, hath all these enumerated crea­tures sublunary, the worst in the natures of beasts, birds, hearbs, plants, together with the malignity of the worst planets, the influence of the heauens, yea euen all the le­gions of his Angells, and euen the deuill and the damned spirits at his becke and command, as the instruments of his wrath, to bee reuenged on the rebellious and pre­sumptuous, [Page 78] euen in a trice, in the twinckling of an eye. Oh what a pittious thing it is, what a dotage, what a de­lusion, to feare the creature, to feare a mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils, who can but at furthest tor­ture or torment the body, this out-cask, this carrion flesh: and not to feare by a continuated course of sinning, the anger and displeasure of the Almighty Creator; who be­sides his iudgements here (the prologues of the future) is able to cast both body and soule into hell fire. Oh how euery creature obserues that, on w ^ch it hath an immedi­ate dependance, and is able being offended to doe it a dis­pleasure, as the horse his rider, the oxe his driuer, the dog his master: yea wee see how all that are honest (out of conscience) or that are wise (out of feare) reuerence and respect those to whom they haue that relation; that being obserued and pleased they may doe them a pleasure; or being neglected in dutie, or prouoked by misdemeanour, they may doe them a displeasure: as all the respect the ser­uants, pages, or prentises giue their masters; retainers, and followers, their Lords, schollers their teachers, maides their mistresses; and wiues their husbands? yea, wee see how seruilie and slauishly men will crouch and kneele, and make friends to those, in whose dainger they are (as the Sidonians made Blastus the Chamberlane Act. 12.20. to Herod) whose wrathfull displeasures they feare: and yet alas, the Lord God, in whom we liue, moue, and haue our being Act. 17.28., to whom we are daily Tenants at will, for our life, health, liberty, goods, good name, callings, functions, wiues, chil­dren, bodies, and soules, to be turned out at pleasure, euen out of all, vpon our great landlords displeasure, and to bee with that wicked vnprofitable seruant Mat 25.28. casheird, as a thriftlesse child disinherited, as a whorish woman diuor­ced, &c. and as reprobates cast into hell: this God that in an instant can poure on vs all the violls of his wrath, and vessels of his vengeance, turne his fauours into frownes, his blessings into curses: as we turne his graces into wan­tonnesse: [Page 79] euen this God wee care not how wee anger, how we displease, yea plainly prouoke by sinne, (as wee doe a Bull by blood, an Vnicorne by [...]ed Gesner de quadrupedibus., and a spirited man by disgracefull words) and euen dare him as the Crow the Eagle in the Fable, to our irrecouerable de­struction. Yea it is strange, sometimes how partly out of sordid and seruile desire of gaining this filthy lucre; partly out of a base Gnatonicall humour, to flatter: but out of a more seruile feare to anger, and displease those who haue it in their power, to displease them: we shall see in euery place, in City and Country, what a rout and rabble of Pa­rasites, Sycophants, Ieasters, Iuglers, Rimers, Bardes, Buf­fons, Fidlers, artificiall fooles, idle and vaine persons, ob­serue, and humor, great men, tell them tales, breake ieasts, claw them in their sinnes, sing them filthy songs, to make their worships laugh, tickle their itching curiositie with all the newes stirring in the Country (for want of old, in­uenting & forging new:) raile vpon Preachers, reuile pro­fessors, make sport with precisians (as they tearme them) rhime on Puritans: and like apes performe many other trickes, all to humour and please those, whom they dare not anger, and displease: and yet the most of these, yea the most men of all rankes and sorts (vnlesse onely those into whose hearts made of better mould Ex meliori lu­to sinxit praecor­dia Titan, &c., the Lord hath put his feare, that ( Ioseph like) they dare not sin Gen. 39.9.) make as much conscience, and haue as small care by following di­uerse lusts, of displeasing God, though hee haue power in vitam & necem, to saue or destroy them: as an ape makes conscience (as they say) to cracke nuts, a dog to tror, or the Fox to eate desired Grapes. Pilot himselfe herein being a President to all naturall men, speaking their thoughts, desires, dispositions and practice, who for the pleasing of the importunate Iewes, but chiefly for preuen­ting the feared anger and displeasure of Caesar: (which neuerthelesse iustly and deseruedly fell vpon him, in his exile and banishment Historia extat apud Eusebium, l. 2. c. 7. Eutro. l. 7 Nauclerum par­te 2. gener. 2. & Niceph. l. 2. c. 10. afterwards) he vniustly condemns [Page 80] Christ, and lets loose Marke 15.15. murthering Barabas, for feare not to be counted Caesars friend, hee proues at last after many faire shewes to the contrary, Christs reall enemy: So Foe­lix for no other cause, when hee left his Deputiship, left innocent Paul bound, but to curry fauor with the Iewes; Acts 24.27. though such partialitie and iniustice did set God himselfe against him, and against all such corrupt Iudges as he was.

SECT. 3. Gods wrath kindled, by repentance should be quenched.

BVt herein I more maruell at the folly and stupiditie of all naturall and vnregenerate men, that by the mi­nistry of the word, knowing in what estate they stand by nature, as branches from the root of old Adam, being no better in their best pedigrees, then children of wrath, ves­sels of wrath Ephes. 2.3. & Chap. 4.18., heires of hell, by their very naturall birth as left them hereditary frō their parents & progenitors, brin­ging their Charter and title to their inheritance, euen from the very wombes of their sinning mothers, yet seeke not to come out of this estate, to be drawne out of this pit, to get a better assurance for heauen then from Adam, and euery way to better their accursed condition by regene­ration, as the onely prescribed remedy for their misery Iohn 3.6.. Yea more I maruell not onely at the children of darknesse as yet in the power of the deuill Acts 26.18. 2 Tim. 2.26., but also at the children of light, whose eies are opened, and their feet in some mea­sure set at libertie, who after their failings in some duties (as here Ezekiah in one) of commission of some sinne, of which perhaps their iudgements are truly informed, yet are so lethargical and drowsie, and heauie-headed, yea and heauie-hearted too, that procrastinating and deferring their repentance, as the Iewes did the building of their Temple Haggai 1.3., going big with their sinnes, some months (as Dauid did in two sinnes 2 Sam. 11. & Chap. 24.,) as a woman goes bigge with child, till this blessed Grace wife repentance, doe deliuer [Page 81] them: they make small hast to meet the Lord, to haue re­course to the throne of Grace, to make vp the breach by godly sorrow; but goe on still, perhaps in the performance of some good duties, as it seemes Dauid did, ere Nathan and Gad came to him, though heauily and lumpishly, as a man walkes with a lame leg, or a bird flies with a hanging drouping wing. Oh what a spurre were this to accelerate and hasten repentance with posting, yea, with winged speed, to mend our snailes pace, and to turne it into an Eagles flight, euen the consideration of this, that sinne causeth wrath, yea that it makes the Lord angry, euen with his owne children, as with Ezekiah here, and these of Iudah, &c. Now who rightly knowing and laying to heart the force and fury of the fire of Gods wrath, would not seeke to quench it presently?

Oh who is so vnwise, that when his house, or study of bookes, or counting house is on fire, in which are all his writings and Euidences, will not instantly cast on water, call for helpe, bestirre himselfe with speed, not delaying a minute or moment of time? who withall being in danger of his life, by fire, water, pyrats, theeues, enemies, &c. doth not instantly, importunately, cry out for helpe, as the dis­ciples in the tossed ship Mat. 8.25., and Iehosophat 1 King. 21.3 [...] ▪ in the battle? yea who apprehended and in perill to be executed vpon his euident fellonies, vpon any hope of a pardon, makes not all possible speed, sets not all his friends a worke for the procuring it, without procrastination? Oh that we should be so sensible to seeke so present redresse in our humane miseries, to salue our greatest extremities; and yet vpon our fellonious sinning against our God, conuicted and condemned by the infallible witnesse, and verdict of our owne conscience, in dainger of the fearfullest execution in hell: yet as men sleeping on the top of the Mast of the Pro. 23.34. ship, or before the very mouth of a discharging Cannon sencelesse of the dainger, wee make such asse-like sluggish pace for preuention. The fire of our lusts already kind­ling [Page 82] another fire, euen the fire of Gods wrath, and that kindling a third, euen the fire of hell, in tormenting To­phet Esa. 30.33., to which sinne and sinners are fuell; that we shold not be so slow, to quench this fire with our teares extrac­ted from a penitentiall heart, or to smother it with the sighes and sobs of a throbbing soule: Oh that wee could as soone as euer wee perceiue wrath gone from the Al­mightie, prostrate our selues before the Lord as Moses & Aaron Numb. 16.46., and with the golden censer and incense of our feruent prayers, intreat and intercede the good God for pardon, and remission: that wee could appeale from the Kings Bench of Iustice, to the Checker or Chancery of his Mercy, à Deo irato, ad Deum placatum Augustinus in Psalmum 74., from a wrathfull and angry God, as incensed by our sinnes, to a God appea­sed, reconciled and well pleased with vs, in the mediation of his Christ, whose blood Colos. 1.14. hath already made the a­tonement.

Lastly, that we may make a narrow search and scrutiny into the cause or occasion of Ezekiahs castigation, and so consequently of his humiliation, that is the pride of his heart, for so the holy Text saith, that Ezekiah humbled him­selfe for the pride of his heart, and wrath ceased &c. We shold doe wrong to the Text, wrong to the purpose and scope of the Spirit inditing, wrong to many a proud heart, who perhaps from hence may bee curbed; wrong to many a humbled deiected heart, who perhaps may be erected & comforted, if we should pretermit from this ground, this remarkable obseruation: that pride brings iudgements, humiliation remoues them: pride kindleth Gods wrath, humilitie quencheth it: pride casts on oyle and fuell, humi­liation casts on water: pride casts the soule downe, humi­liation lifts it vp again: prides bring the soule into a snare, humiliation vnlooseth & rescues it: pride displeaseth God, humiliation appeaseth him: Oh the plague and pest of pride, oh the helpes and honours of humility. Oh here were two Theames in laudem, & vituperium, &c. in praise [Page 83] and dispraise of this vertue, that vice so opposed: worthy the Oratory, not onely of a Tully, Demosthenes, or Horten­sius that could goe no further but morality, but euen of a Basil, a Nazianzens Oration; worthy of a Prudentius, Vide Prudentiū [...]e pugna humi­litatis & super­biae. a Christian Theologue to expresse the combate, the con­quest of humility ouer pride. Oh how Ezekiahs owne particular vereties that scripture so oft inculcate by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Luke 14.11., by Salomon Prou. 3.34., by the Apostles Iam. 4.6. 1 Pet. 5.5., that the Lord resists the proud, and giues grace to the humble: resists the proud indeed as his speciall enemies, casts down their vaine imaginations Luke 1.51., pulls downe their Babels buil­dings, brings low their lofty lookes, makes their high and haughty hearts stoope ver. 52., will they [...]ll they, takes them downe many pegges lower, when they are exalted, brings them downe with a witnesse, yea some with a vengeance, when they perke aloft and soare too high; makes them to know themselues that they are men, not Gods, yea dust and ashes, base & miserable men, when ( Lucifer like) they haue made themselues like the most high Esa. 14.12, 13., and haue foo­lishly affected a Deity amongst the sonnes of men: thus hath the Lord humbled the proud, in the imaginations of their hearts, and cast downe the mighty from their seats: hath blowne downe the strong Oakes, and cut downe the lofty Cedars, whilst the lower shrubs, the humbled soules haue stood in safety: the cloud topping aduanced hills, and sky threatning mountaines haue beene exposed to stormes and tempests of wrath and vengeance, whilst the lower daies, the humble hearts haue beene fruitfull in grasse, abundant in Grace: thus God resists proud Nebu­chadnezzar, and by the strength of his owne imagination To this force of imagination D. Willet in his Hexapla in Da­nielem, Agrippa in occulta Phi­losophia l. 1. c. 64 Wic [...]us lib. 3. de Lamijs cap. 10. Ficnus de viri­bus imaginatio­nis in tribus li­bris, Et Malleus malific. fol 77. attribute witch­crafts, diseases, transformati­ons. turnes him into a beast: resists proud Herod, in his v­surped praise, and as the canker the Rose, eates his pride with wormes Act. 12.23.: resists proud Rabsakah, prouder Senacha­rib his master, and puts his hooke in both their nostrils 2 king. 19.28.: resists proud Valens the Arrian Theatrum Hi­storicum, in 3. Praeceptum. fol. 255., and burnes his pride to ashes, in a shepheards cottage: resists proud Alexander, [Page 84] vrbis & orbis domitor, the worlds Monarch yea the con­queror of moe worlds then one Vnus peleo iu­ueni non sufficit orbis. in his ambitious desires, the sonne of Iupiter Curtius lib. 5. Str [...]gellius in ethic. l. 1. pag. 39. Melancton Cren. l. 2. & in eius vita Plu­tarch., as his pride tearmes himselfe, cut off in the midst of his yeares Anno ante na­tum Christum 323. anno aetatis suae 32 die Iunij 28. Gorlic p. 378 axiom. polit. by the hand of the iust God, was learned to know that a few feet in the earth could containe that body which was the cell and receptacle of that mind, which many worlds could no more satisfie then the ayre doth the Cammell: resists proud Anastasius the Arrian Emperour Melancton lib. 3. Cron., and strikes him as Iupiter in the fa­ble the Centaures, with a thunderbolt from heauen: re­sists proud Arrius himselfe, and extracts out his bowels with his excrements where he was vncouering his feet vt supra.: resists proud and ambitious Caesar and stabs him in the Se­nate house, by the hands of his imagined friends Ex Plutarcho Bucholcherus in Cron. p. 137.: resists proud Pompey, his swelling riuall, and layes his honour in the dust De quo prae­ter Liuium Ci­cero l. 7. epist. Amb. lib. 5. epist. 31., with his head on the Aegyptian shore: resists proud Tarquin and by disgracefull banishment Bodimos lib. 4. cap. 5. p. 180. both puls downe his pride, and cooles and schooles his lust: resists proud and peremptory Pharaoh, and layes his loftie head and haughty heart, together with all his force and fame as low as the hollowest bottom of the deuouring Ocean, nec in caeteris contrarium est videre: all other proud persons in Church and common wealth, in all ages and times haue tasted the like sauce, as subiects of Gods wrath, the Lord hath contested and contended with them as with his most intestine resolued and professed enemies, hee hath crusht their deuices as Cockatrice egges: opposed their enter­prizes, and pulled downe the Babylonian buildings of their inuentions, and made them meere Babels confusions: dealt with them as the Eagle with the shell-fish, carried them vp aloft, vt moleruant grauiori, that hee might crush them downe with the greater fall Superbi [...]m semper comitem f [...]isse ruinam in multis exem­plis instant To­los. de repub. lib. 3. pag. 1388. 1389 139 [...]. & Strigellius lib. 1. ethic. pag. 309. 419. & lib. 7. pag. 528 cum Philippo, in locis Manlij pag. 177. 178. et in lib. 2. Cron. pag. 101. et in▪ Cordiali Bucholc. pag. 21. et pag. 170..

But on the contrary, he hath giuen grace to the hum­ble, they (as was said of Christ their master Luke 2.52., that humble [Page 79] Lambe) doe grow in Grace and fauour with God & man: in grace with man Gen. 41.41., was humble Ioseph (despised of his brethren Gen. 37.19., disgraced by his Mistresse chap. 39.14., despited by his Master vers 20.) at last aduanced the greatest saue Pharaoh, in the Aegyptian Court: so the Lord exalted humble, honest-hearted, penitent Mardocheus Esther 6.11., as the greatest fauourite in the eyes of Assuerus: humble Daniel to be esteemed delicias Domini, &c. the very Darling and Iewell of King Darius Dan. 6 3.: humble Dauid, the sonne of a Countriman, to be sonne in law to a King 1 Sam. 18.23., yea to be the King of Israel; brought him from a Sheep-hook to a Scepter [...] Sam. 12.7.: the hum­ble Virgin Mary Luke 1.48., a withered branch of the root of Iesse, to be the mother of the promised exhibited Messias: re­stored humbled Manasses, after his eiection out of his Kingdome, to his Regall place, and adorned his deiected soule with sauing grace 2 Chr. 33 11, 12.: healed the seruant of the hum­bled Centurion Mat. 8.8, 9.: cleansed the humbled Lepers Luke 17.13.: par­doned the humbled Thiefe on the Crosse Luk. 23.42, 43, and promised him paradise: heard and accepted the prayers of the hum­bled brest-smiting Luke 18.13. Publican: cast not onely the crums but the bread of his bounty and mercy to that Canaani­tish dogge Mat. 15.28., that humbled Syrophinessean: was intrea­ted for sinning Israel Exod. 32.32.: yea for plagued Pharaoh Exod. 9.29., at the intercessions of humbled Moses: was contented to haue spared euen Sodom her selfe, and to haue pardoned her pollutions, if any conditions could haue beene perfor­med Gen▪ 18.24. ad vers 32., at the mediation of humbled Abraham: cast out seuen Deuils, remitted many euils In his & aliis inuebunt in su­perbiam, Augu­stinus in Ps. 19. Gregor. in Mora­libus. Chrysost. Hom 59. in Mat. Cassiodor. in Ps. 18. Bernard. ser. 3. de Resur. Isio­dor. lib. 3. de Sū ­mo bono, apud Neotericos, in lib. 2. Ethic. Stri­gell. p. 528. in Prou. 16. pag. 78. Philippus lib. 2. cron. p. 101. lib. 5 pag. 557. & in Posti [...]is part. 1. p. 654. & part 4. pag. 624. praeci­pue Perald. in summi [...]. tom. 2. part. 2, 3, 4., and sanctified with many sauing graces the humbled soule of Mary Magda­len Luk. 7.47, 48.: yea here we see the humiliation of Ezekiah remoues that curse or crosse from himselfe and his subiects, which the pride of his heart procured: pride kindles incensed wrath, humiliation quencheth it.

Oh who would not hate this hatefull monster of pride, so hatefull to God In his & aliis inuebunt in su­perbiam, Augu­stinus in Ps. 19. Gregor. in Mora­libus. Chrysost. Hom 59. in Mat. Cassiodor. in Ps. 18. Bernard. ser. 3. de Resur. Isio­dor. lib. 3. de Sū ­mo bono, apud Neotericos, in lib. 2. Ethic. Stri­gell. p. 528. in Prou. 16. pag. 78. Philippus lib. 2. cron. p. 101. lib. 5 pag. 557. & in Posti [...]is part. 1. p. 654. & part 4. pag. 624. praeci­pue Perald. in summi [...]. tom. 2. part. 2, 3, 4., so hurtfull to man, so consonant to corrupt nature, so repugnant from grace, so neere sympa­thizing [Page 86] with the Deuill, so good an agent for hell, so pre­iudiciall both to sanctification and saluation? Who on the contrary would not loue and admire this heauen-bred humiliation, such a preseruatiue against pride, such a pur­ger of pollutions, such a depresser of corrupt nature, such a keeper in of grace, as the ashes of the imbers, such a cur­ber of corruption, such a plea against the cry of sinne, such a Proctor against the guilt of sinne, such a fauourite in the Court of heauen, yea such a pleader and preuailer before the throne of Grace De his & aliis laudibus humilitatis, lege ipsum Paraldum tom. 1. pag. 367, 368, 369. & Spi­naeum de Tranq. lib. 2. pag. 63.? Oh, as Plato saith of vertue, I say of this vertue, of this grace, (which one of the Ancients cals the first, the second, and the third grace, as one called pronunciation the first, second, and third part of Ora [...]ory) if it could be seene and discerned in the lustre and beauty of it, with mortall eyes, it would stirre vp loue and admi­ration in the dullest spectator: more would be enamou­red of this Christian, then of that Grecian Helena. Take the marrow of all that is said, in one word, he that would with Herod, Pharaoh, Rabsakah, Senacharib, Holofernes, Nimrod, Nabuchadnezzar, the Gospels Pharisee, Herodi­ans Pharisees, be deiected and made to stoope by the rod of wrath, yea eiected as vnsauoury salt, from place and grace with God and man; let him exalt himselfe in the pride of his heart: God hath wayes and meanes enow to pull him downe, as experience verifies our prouerb, his pride will haue a fall, it owes and waits him an ill turne Adrastia vel Nemesi [...]on sinit insolentiam abire impunitam, &c. Philippus in Cor­dial. Bucholch. pag. 122. Hinc Aesopus asserit, Deum in caelis frangere magnas ollas, & exfrustis alias nouas componere. apud Philippum, in locis Man [...]i, p. 182., as we say of cording and dicing, it is a false plough to hold; it hath brought some to the Gallowes, as it did Achito­phel 2 Sam. 17.23., and Absolom chap. 18.14.; some to the blocke and the scaffold, as many proud rebellious Traytors Exempla lege, apud Valerium l [...]b. 6 lib 9 Liu. lib. 1. lib. 24. Munsterum lib. 3. praecipue in Theatro Histori­ [...]o. fol. 320. & 570, &c. in all Kingdomes and Commonwealths: He that lookes too hye, some moate or other will fall in his eye, to blemish or eclipse him. On the contrary, he that would bee respected and exalted in grace and fauour, with God and man, in heauen and earth, with humble Ioseph, humble Mary, humble Manasses, humble Mardocheus, humble Dauid, humble Daniel, [Page 87] humble Ezekiah, let him be truly, soundly, sincerely hum­bled; let him fall low, that for euer he may be truly aduan­ced high: for the proud Pharisee is reiected, the Publi­can accepted.

SECT. 1. Though the righteous fall, they shall rise againe.

THe third maine point comes now to be prosecuted, as first it was propoun­ded, and that is Ezekiahs humiliation: for the Text saith, notwithstanding Eze­kiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart. In which, as in his sinne and transgression, we haue seene mans hu­mane frailty, as in himselfe considered; in Gods castigati­on and chastizing of him for his sinne, wee haue seene both the affection of a father, in correcting him as a son, and the seuerity of a Iudge, in visiting him as a sinner: so here as most obuious to our consideration, we haue his re­pentance, an image and demonstration of Gods free mer­cie and sauing grace to the vessels of mercy: in that though they be for reasons and causes, as we haue heard, permit­ted to sinne, by him who could exempt and free them here on earth from all sinne, as they shall be freed in hea­uen, (and make elect men as inculpable as elect Angels, and their bodies as pure as the glorified Spirits of the iust) yet neuerthelesse he frees them as from the reigne and do­minion Plurima in hanc rem lege apud Augustin. lib. 1. de Nuptiis et Concupisc. cap. 25. & tract. 41. in Iohan. & lib. 1. de peccat. me­ritis & remissio­ne. c. 23. & lib. 6. aduersus Iuli­anum cap 7., so from the ruine and damnation of sinne Per merita Christi, vt vrget Bernard. Ser. 3. in natin. Domin. Ser. 78. in Canti­cis, & Serm. 91. Chrysost. in Psal. 50 Hom. 2. & August. in En­chirid. cap. 23.; though they fall yet they rise againe, as here we may see in Ezekiah, that fell by pride, as did Angels and Man, but rose againe by repentance and humiliation, as the repro­bate Angels did not, nor euer shall.

[Page 88]Oh it is a point for euer to be preached and pressed to the comfort and consolation of the elect, and to the praise and glory of his grace, who is the author and giuer of grace, that though the righteous fall seuen times a day, that is, often either into sinne (or as some interpret, into crosses and afflictions, the fruits of sinne) yet neuerthe­lesse they shall rise againe: though they slumber a while in sinne, and take a short nap, as luld with the sweet allure­ments of the flesh, and charmed a while with that Witch the World, yet they waken againe: they sleepe not in death, their sinne is not mortiferous and vnto death; fall they may, as we instanced in the wisest, the strongest, the holiest, the humblest Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Mar­tyrs, Confessors, Preachers, Professors, that haue beene from the beginning, in whom follies, frailties, weaknes­ses, infirmities, haue appeared, shewing them to bee but men, subiected to a sinning condition, but yet (as the Schooles well distinguish) they cannot fall away totally and finally, as old Pelagianisme Confuted by Austine, Ierome, Prosper, Brad­warden, and by the three Coū ­cels of Meleui­tan, Affricke, and Orange. and new Arminianisme seeme to auerre against the Scriptures Psal. 37.23, 24 Psal 94.18. & 145.14. Pro. 3.26. Esay 26.3. Esay 40.11. & 46.3.10. 2 Thes. 3.3. Phil. 4.7. Iohn 10.28. 1 Pet. 1.5. 2 Tim. 4 18. &c., and Orthodoxe Lege in hanc rem apud Patres, Iustin. q. 23. q. 98 Jreneum lib. 5. adue [...]sus haereses, pag. 550. ad pag. 558. 564. & lib. 2. cap. 47. Clemēt. Paedog. lib. 1. c. 5. fol. 19. c. 6. folio 20, 23. lib 3 c 6 p. 48. Tertul. de Praescrip. c. 2. pag. 161, 162 & de Corona c. 9. p 156 Hilarium in Ps. 120 pag. 287 in Psal. 128 p. 301 & Can. 6. in Matth. pag. 155. Ambr. in Ps. 50. & in Rom. 8. v. 29, 30 apud modernos: Marlorat. in Ps. 51.125. in Ioh. 4.14. Aret in 2 Tim. 2.19. Zanchium de perseu. tom. 7. pag. 91. ad pag. 174. & Kymidont. de praedest. p. 318. to. 333. Diuinity: they may indeed fall fearfully, who are elected vnto life, not onely before their conuersion, as Paul, Ma­nasses, Mary Magdalen, &c. Augustine, Cyprian, Luther, &c. with others, who laid long in persecution, bloodshed, vncleannesse, Necromancy, idolatry, &c. and other sins: but euen after their conuersion they may haue fearfull re­lapses, as had Dauid, Peter, Sampson, Salomon, this our Ezekiah, but yet they cannot fall finally and irrecoue­rably: they may indeed in their fall be sore crusht, as per­plext in soule, in conscience, in spirit, they may breake an arme or a ioynt, (lose their credit for a time, and estima­tion, not onely with the world with whom they warre, but with the Church too; which is as their vnioynting from the communion of Saints, the members of Christ, [Page 89] till they be knit and right set and ioynted againe by re­pentance) but yet their fall is not to precipitation, to neck-breake, as are the falls of the reprobate: they wander in­deed out of the way, and goe astray like lost sheepe, yet they returne home againe to the Bishop of their soules, their good Shepheard that hath giuen his life for them, and bought them with a price, euen his owne blood, hee seekes them as the woman did the lost groat, hee findes them, and brings them home on his shoulders to the sheepfold of his Church: and this hee doth many wayes, to prosecute the Metaphor.

1. Either he whistles and speakes to them in the more secret voice and inspiration of his Spirit, Meanes which the Lord vseth as a spirituall Shepheard, to call home his sheepe by re­penting, which haue wandred by sinning. or else in the au­dible voice of his word he sends some Gad, some Nathan to cry some harsh message in their eares, or to blow a Trumpet, set vp a flag of defiance against their sinnes, de­nounce wrath; so wakening them out of their warme nests, rousing and raising them out of their pleasing dreames and slumbers, as he did Dauid 2 Sam. 12. 2 Sam. 24., &c.

2. Or else he sends his dogs after them, to fetch them in, to bring them home: and these Shepheards dogs are either outward crosses and afflictions, as pouerty, sicknes, diseases, as we may see in the returne of the Prodigall Child, whipt home to his Fathers house, by outward mi­series Luke 15.15,, &c. or aboue all, by infamy, ignominy, calumnies, reproaches, which are as it were the barkings & bitings of the Doegs Vt Doeg in Dauidem, 1 Sam 12., the dogs of the world; he brings many strag­ling sheepe apace, euen running home to the flocke: these dogs are to the elect in respect of their sinnes, as the dogs of that rich Churle to Lazarus, though sore against their wills they licke whole their sores Luke 16.21., they heale their sins.

Or else there is another dog, which is more bloody fangd then the rest, with a more hideous barking and more daingerous biting, sets vpon the sheepe; and that is this dog of Conscience: which how ere when the elect sinne, this Mastiue seemes to be muzzled, or lye quietly [Page 90] asleepe at the doore Of this le­thargicall quiet Conscience see the B. Abrene­thy his Booke call'd The Phy­sicke of the Soule, chap. 8. p. 103., or the pleasant sop of present plea­sure or profit be giuen to this Cerberus, that he may bee quiet and fawne for a time: yet when the sinne is com­mitted, and the eyes of the sinner opened, the nature, quality, fruits and effects of the sinne discerned, then this Mastiue seemes to bee vnmuzzled, hee awakes out of his charmed sleepe, as a madde dog indeed, bawles and barks at the sinner, as at a fellonious thiefe, gnawes and mangles the very inwards of his soule, as the Wolfe that eates within the flesh De stimulis & furiis Con­scientiae plurima exempla & testi­monia lege a­pud Ambros. lib. 7. ep. 44. & in epistola ad Constantinum. August. in Psal. 31. Pezelium in Gen. cap. 37. pag. 714. cap. 42. pag. 794. Luther in Gen. cap. 43. p. 652. & in▪ cap. 45. p. 671. & Patritium lib. 5. de Regno, tit. 8. p. 313. cum Stri­gellio in Ethicis Aristot. lib. 1. pag. 794. & cap. 45. pag. 835., pursues him as the slouth-hound, some­times more closely, yet continually, sometimes more furi­ously with open mouth Hinc vulpina conscientia apud Hugon. lib. 2. de anima. cap. 15. Hinc etiam illud Isodori lib. 2. Soliloq. nunquam s [...]curus reus animus. Plura lege apud Senecam Epistola 43. & Epistola 88. Tacitum 4. Annalium: Ciceron. pro Cli­ent. pro Milon. & Lipsium in politicis, lib. 1. cap. 5., as the Hound doth the Deere or Hare, from thicket to thicket; lets him haue no rest, like that Acteon in the fable; till the distressed sinner flye to the true shelter and sanctuary, the mercy of God in Iesus Christ; till like the pursued Deere hee take soile in the troubled Poole of Bethasda, the Lauer of true repentance; till he there lose and shake off this Cerberus; till he be a­thirst after the liuing God Psal. 42.1, 2., and after his mercy; as the Deere that is imbost thirsts after the riuers of water; yea, till the poore soule intreat the great Master of the family to take vp and take off this Mastiue, and chaine him vp, there is no rest to the soule of this sinner: and this Dog the Lord sets instantly vpon Dauid, when after the num­bring of his people, at the returne of Ioab, his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24.10.: and this smiting of the heart, like the smiting of Moses on the Rocke Exod. 17.6., that brought out waters, produced these excellent parts of repentance, contrition Psal. 6.6., confessi­on Psal. 51.4., aggrauation of his sinne, deprecation for mercy in the pardon and remission of it: as also more furiously this Dog set on him after his murder and adultery, as appeares [Page 91] by his grieuous complaints, in some of his Penitentiall Psalmes Psal. 38.2, 3, 4, &c.: This Dog gnawes and snarles at Ionas when he was in the Whales belly, and makes him cry, as he there complaines, euen out of Hell Ionas 2.1., as he calls his close prison: Yea not the least sinne can be committed by the child of God, but at one time or other, either in generall or speci­all, this Dog barkes against it, either more or lesse; as we may see in the same Dauid, who but touching the hem of Sauls garment (though his pursuing enemy, and a bloody Tyrant) not imbrewing his hands in the blood of the Lords Anointed, (as the Iesuites and Friers, by their po­sitions See them ex­tant by the learned D. Morton. and practices vse to doe) but euen touching his garment, a sinne (if any) veniall; or (as the Papists call some) euen lesse then veniall Affirmed by Coccius in Thes. Catholico, tom. 1.: yet euen for this, this wa­king wacker Dog barks, this Conscience curbs his heart, smote him 1 Sam. 24.10 See also in my Origens repen­tance, & Suida Nicephoro, & Eusebio lib. 6. how Origen was afflicted in soule after his idolatrizing., (as indeed a little moate troubles a tender eie, a little pibble stone pincheth in a strait shooe, and a little sin troubles a tender conscience.)

3. Besides, this Shepheard vses also to fetch home his stragling sheepe, by his rod or sheep-hooke: not onely the rod of bands, which are crosses and afflictions, mena­ces and terrors, which as sharpe windes driue soone the ships of sin-burthened soules to the desired hauen of sa­uing grace, to the shore of safety, the port of Penitence; but also the rod of beauty, euen the consideration of the Lords loue, and his blessings, and his mercies in Christ, temporall and spirituall, leads and drawes many to repen­tance, as it did Dauid, who no sooner heard by Nathan the enumeration of Gods mercies to him in their particu­lars, but his heart melts as the waxe, with that Sun his spirit thawes, dissolues, and loosens, as Ice before the fire; and as one wholly broken in heart, he sighes or breathes out, I haue sinned Vt supra 2 Sam. 12.: confounded and ashamed of his vn­worthy walking, not answering these mercies, as one pla­net-strucke, griefe stopping the further passage of his speech, (as a water-course damm'd vp, it gets but a little [Page 92] vent, as the smoke out at some cranny) he speakes shortly and laconically, what his heart largely dilates inwardly; I haue sinned: after inlarging that short Text in seuen Peni­tentiall Psalmes. And indeed though I will not deny that sometimes in the repentance of the elect (as alwayes in the hypocriticall howlings and repentant rorings of the Reprobate) there is a worke of conscience, who hath a terrifying voice, an affrighting cry, like the sudden inua­sion of an enemy, by fire and sword to driue them (fur­ther then the reprobate euer come) to their strongest Castle, their chiefe Rocke Psal. 18.1. Mat. 16.18., that Ʋthiel and Vcal Prou. 30.1., the mercies of God in Iesus Christ: yet the most kindly, and (if I may vse the word) the most naturall humiliation of the childe of God, is that which hath the originall from filiall loue, when the loue of God is shed abroad in the heart, when that loue which was neuer extinct, no not in the act of sinne, but (as in Peter Hilar. in Psal. 52.4. Bernard. de natura & dignit. amoris Diu. cap. 6 & Leo Serm. 9. de de passione Dom. cum aliis, asse­runt, Petrum magis peccasse in veritatem quam in charita­tem, ore potius quam corde. Bel­lar. inquit de Rom. Pont. lib. 3. c. 8. & de Eccl. milit lib 3. c. 17., euen when he denyed) is kept hidden, as fire vnder the ashes; when that sparke of loue is blowne vp againe by the bellowes or breath of the Spirit of grace, as also by the mouth of the Minister, as Gods organ in the Ministery, till it flame so hot, that it thaw the formerly frozen and congealed heart, and melt it into teares; when this loue of God reflects on the cloud of our sinnes, and showers them downe in the dissolued waters of Marah: when this loue of God, that wee haue offended so good and gracious a God, rewarding him euill for good, dishonours for mercies, in a viperous in­gratitude, more workes vpon our hearts, then all legall terrors, accusations of conscience, feare of hell: when this loue sweetly leads the dance, and is that primus motor the first mouer to repentance: Oh then repentance is sin­cere, then the heart is as Nathaniels Iohn 1.47. without guile; then the sorrow is godly sorrow 2 Cor. [...].10, 11., this repentance is a faithfull and trusty friend to the soule, as Ionathan was to Dauid.

4. Lastly, this shepheard drawes his wandring sheep to to him, not onely by his whistle, his voice, his dogge, his [Page 93] crooke, but euen by his hooke: not onely in their first drawing, as when he lookt vpon Matthew Math. 9.8, 9., sitting at the receit of custome, and, as the Adamant De cuius vi le­ge Plinium l. 36. c. 16 26. & l. 34. c. 14. & l. 20. c. 7 the Iron, with that looke drew him to be a disciple; as with the like look vpon Zacheus Luke 19.8, 9., he drew him out of the Sycamour Tree, from a sinner to be a Saint: but euen after their aberrati­ons and wandrings, their straglings and their strayings, the Lord lends them a looke, as he did to denying Peter Luke 22.61., and drawes them out after him into a solitary place, where by the inward voyce of his Grace and Spirit, in priuate soliloquies in the eare of their soules, he talkes and expo­stulates with them, conuicts and conuinces their consci­ences, makes them passe an inditement against themselues, prompts them to cry for mercy, assists them in crying and bleating, with sighes and groanes Rom 8.26., and vpon their cry seales their pardon Esay 1.18. Micha 7.19., admits them into Grace and fauour, leads them into greene pastures Psal. 23., and to the riuers of mer­cy, as here he did with Ezekiah.

SECT. 2. Gods children restored to grace with God, and in their Graces renewed by their repentance.

THe mercies of the good God, in giuing vnto his sin­ning children, both the first Grace of repentance, and the second Grace of remission of sinnes vpon their repen­tance, with the meanes of both, from this very metaphor of a mindfull mercifull Pastor, being thus laid open, in the Vses Iaenus like lookes both wayes: It is a double flaggon, or bottle, that on the one side hath wine to drinke for children, on the other side, vinegar or veriuyce for slaues. It hath both bread for the children, and stripes for the backes of fooles: For these that are the Lords that haue the markes of their Election, the signes of Sanctification, and are sealed vp to the day of their Redemption; here is [Page 94] an Anchor for them in the midst of their fluctuations, here is some day-hole to be spied for them, some glimpses of comfort breake out euen in the darkest night of their sinnes, namely, that though by their sinnes the Sunne of Gods fauour towards them, seeme to be eclipsed, the light of his countenance abated, his wrath kindled, as here a­gainst Ezekiah; their soules wounded, their spirits per­plexed, their consciences disquieted Psal. 32:4, 5. & Psal. 28., their hearts oppres­sed with the guilt and griefe of sinne; their inward peace interrupted, yea disioynted; their former ioyes perished Psal▪ [...] [...]2., their feelings abated, or quite lost; their graces soiled, de­cayed, weakned in the luster, power, and exercise of them; their faith infirme, their assurance weake, their hopes lan­guishing, their loue & zeale cooled, their prayers dull and heauie, their spirits lumpish and drowsie: yea euen in that relation that they haue to man, though in respect of the world and her worldlings, their sinnes (chiefly if they bee publisht in Gath and Askalon) expose them to the expro­bration, vituperation, yea derision of the vncircumcised, as Sampsom Iudg. 16. was to the Philistines, and in respect of the Church, subiect them to her censure, yea perhaps her grea­test censure, excommunication Grounded on 1 Cor. 5.5. practized by the Primitiue times, authori­sed by Coun­cils, vide decreta Gratiani 11. de concilio Arausi­cano, apud Osi­andrum, Cent. 5. lib. 2.6.28. p. 300; and to the censure, frownes and browbeatings of her strictest children, till satisfaction be giuen; yet neuerthelesse euen in this case, as Dauid once in a great distresse, they may comfort themselues in the Lord their God 1 Sam. 30.6., that their stormes shall haue a calme, their candle, that seemes to bee put out shall be lighted againe, their former ioyes shall be restored, their Sunne shall shine, Gods face and fauour shall bee to­wards them, they shall haue the arguments of his loue, the feelings of his spirit, the liuely stirrings and motions of his Grace; their vnquiet consciences shall bee appeased, these blustring waues and winds of accusations, tempta­tions shall bee commanded, their heauy hearts shall bee comforted, their sadded soules shall be gladded, their fee­lings shall come againe, as a man out of a dead swound, [Page 95] their peace with God shall be assured, their assurance like a bone that is broke, shall againe be knit; their seemingly lost Charter shall be againe renewed; their weakned de­cayed Graces shall bee strengthned, their faith increased, their dull and dead prayers quickned, their credit and esti­matiō with Gods people so far as it stands w ^th Gods glory, & their further good, againe recouered; and the mouthes of the wicked and blasphemous by their futu [...]e holy and inoffensiue life, shall be iustly stopped: yea all the breaches and ruines which the hostility of Satan hath made, shal be made vp againe, all the demolitions and deuastations that sinne hath made in the soule, spirit, conscience, name, &c. of the sonnes of Sion, shall at last bee reedifyed and repay­red, and euery detriment repayed, in these spirituall buil­dings: repentance in one word, shall rightly knit & ioynt againe, what euer in the outward or the inward man, sinne hath vnloosed and disioynted, and the Lord from whom comes euery good gift Iam. 1.17., as the light from the Sun, which giues repentance vnto Israel Act. 5.31., shall giue it vnto them: they shal haue freely giuen them after their sinning, at one time or other, the grace of repentance, and after serious re­penting, the after-grace of pardon and remission; though they fall, they shall not long lye wallowing in their sinnes as the drunkard in the streets disgorging his vomit, or as the swine in the mire, but they get vp againe, stand on their feet, like men, wash, rubbe and brush off the blots and myry spots which by their fall cleaue to the garment of their holy profession, with many teares, and much strict­nesse and austeritie of life; for the present and future, take more heed to their wayes for euer afterward, as the burnt child that dreads the fire; they follow no more these plea­sing baits, these golden balls of sin, which the world as he once before Atalanta, throwes before them, to turne them out of the way: but loath & detest all the causes and occasi­ons of sin, as the pained surcharged stomacke loathes that meat, on which it hath daingerously surfetted, yea though [Page 96] they fall as weakling children, not able to rise by their owne power and strength; the Lord himselfe as a louing mother or nurse, lends them the helping hand of Grace, pulls them vp, and after their trickling teares and cryes for their hurt, cheares and cherisheth them, takes them in the armes of his mercy, and puts them in the bosome of his loue Read of this point M. Pryn his Booke of the perpetuity of a regenerate mans estate, per totum.; though they bee wounded by sinne, yet there is a balme in Gilead, a Mithridate of mercy, that heales them again: as the beasts by an instinct of nature haue recourse to their healing physicke (as the blinded Swallow to Ce­lidine, the Toad to Plantan, the Hart to Dictanny Of the Medi­cines which e­uery creature vseth by na­tures instinct, read Pliny, l. 8. c. 27: chiefly Greg. Tholosanus in Syntaxi artis Mirab. l. 28. c. 38 p. 541., &c.) So by the instinct of Grace, they haue recourse to that all-saluing, all-sauing Panacea Grineum in problematibus de Panacea Christi­anorum lege. the blood of the Lamb of God effused in his passiue veines, applyed to themselues by the hand of faith Rom 4. Iohn 3.16. Gal. 2. [...]0. Hab. 2.; they seeke in their sicknesse to their Phy­sician Math. 9.12., or rather the Physician to them, as that good Sa­maritan to him that was wounded Luk. 10.33, 34, trauelling to Ierico from Ierusalem, from the vision of peace, to the worlds vanity, as euery sinner doth; stung once with this fiery ser­pent sinne, with the Eagles eye of all-penetrating, all-pre­uailing faith, they looke vp to him that was exalted on the crosse Iohn 3.14., whom their sinnes haue pierced Zach. 12.10., prefigured by the Brazen serpent Num 21.9.. In a word, there is a seed of Grace in all the Elect, the seed of God remaines in them saith Saint Iohn 1 Iohn 3.9., that they cannot sinne to death: wee may say of their sinnes, as our Sauiour said of Lazarus his sicknesse Iohn 11.4., they are not vnto death; but that the Lord may be glori­fied, euen in his power and mercie, in raising vp againe their seeming dead soules, euen out of the bed and graue of corruption: yea though they seeme to lye long in this graue, euen 4 dayes, like that Lazarus ver. 29., till they stinke and be corrupted The raising of Iarus daughter newly dead of the widowes sonne longer dead, of Laza­rus dead and buried: Au­gustine applies to three sorts of sinners spiritu­ally raised., yet that doth not preiudice the power of God in their resuscitation, and spirituall resurrection: though Dauid after his bloody murther and filthy adul­tery, yea and after his proud presumption in numbring of his subiects, goe as long burthened with his sinne as a wo­man [Page 97] man with childe euen nyne moneths, as is plaine by the Text: yet Gods grace like the soules true Grace wife or midwife indeed, deliuers him of this vncomfortable bur­then by repentance; he was not indeed so actiue and liuely of himselfe by his owne naturall powers and strength (to which our Pelagian Papists, like the old Philosophers, at­tribute so much Vide positiones papisticas refu­tatas per Pelar­gum in Iesuitis­mo, de libero ar­bitrio.) to deliuer himselfe as the Hebrew wo­men, without the Aegyptian Midwiues Exod. 1.19. without the help of this Grace; but the Lord sends Nathan and Gad to him to helpe him by the message of their ministration; and in­deed at one time or other, the Lord will waken all his out of their doting dreames and pleasing slumbers, hee will plucke them as he did Lot our of Sodom Gen. 19.16., euen by vio­lence, rather then they shall perish in any flames of lust: they shall be pulled out of their pit, out of their prison, as inthralled Ioseph Gen. 41.14., in Gods good time, and set at liberty; yea perhaps exalted more then euer. In a word, the Saints sinne, but they shall not dye in their sins sicknesse Lege promissi­ones Hos. 14.4. Mal. 4.2. Psal. 41.2, 3. Iohn 6.51.58. c. 10.18., they shall repent, and recouer in their soules Mich. 7.18, 19 Ier. 3.33. Rom. 8.1..

SECT. 3. The repentance of the reprobate either nothing, at all for the matter, or as nothing for the manner.

BVt this is a priuiledge and prerogatiue peculiar onely to the Elect; proprium quarto modo, as they say, proper to them, and only to them: It is not a Nouerint vniuersi if I may so allude, it is not communicable to all, belongs omnibus Christi fidelibus, to all that are Christs, all true Christian people, all bleeding beleeuers haue interest in this mercy; to the reprobate and vngodly ones that are sold to sinne, as yet it is a mystery; as Peter sayd to Simon Magus Acts 8.21. in another case, they haue no part nor fellowship in this ministration: herein are they clearly shed & distin­guished as Goates from sheepe, as they shall bee at the last [Page 98] iudgement Mat. 25.32., in their sufferings, so now in their sinnings: for alas they sinne, but they sorrow not: they either repent not at all, but harden their hearts as the nether milstone, as did Pharaoh Exod. 7.13., or else they repent hypocritically and su­perficially, as did Iudas Math. 27.3., Saul 1 Sam. 15.24., Ahab 1 Kings 21.29, with others: their teares are as the Crocodiles Hominibus maxime infesti, homine rapto, vi lachrymarum dissoluunt cere­brum, Vincent. lib. 17. cap. 606. l. 30. c 91. & Ae­lian lib. 9. cap. 3., their confessions as the Trai­tors on the rack; their repentance is for the punishment of sinne which they feele, not for the sinne it selfe which they ought to hate: and so all they say, and do, and weep, and cry, and confesse, is but as the howling of an hungry wolfe, and pleaseth God as the cutting off a dogs necke Esay 66.3., their repentance is an hypocrite like to themselues, as good neuer a whit the titter as they say, as neuer a whit the better: they euer faile in the matter, or manner and forme of repentance: either they repent nothing, or as good as nothing: they are daily deadly stung with this serpent sinne, yet though there be balme in Gilead Ier. 8.22., they are incurable Ier. 13.23.27. & Rom. 2.5.; or if they vse any meanes for cure, it is so sleightly and vneffectually, that their wound onely skin'd ouer for a time, ranckles and festers at the bottome, and breakes out againe euen in outward vlcers and putrifacti­ons, to the scandall and detestation of the spectators: they sleepe in their sinne so deadly, rockt in the cradle of securi­ty so daingerously, as hauing drunke Poppy or Oppium, that like the sluggish Indian asses Gesner de A­sino inter qua­drupedes., nothing will awake them, not the whips & goads of the Law, not Aar [...]ns bels, the golden promises of the Gospell: not Iohn Baptists voice Math 3.3., not Christs cry Ioh. 7.28.37., not Esayes Trumpet Esay 58.1., not Pauls thundring Augustines de­sire was to see Christum in car­ne, and to heare Paul an toni­truantem., no not the thunderbolts themselues of fea­red, or threatned iudgments, haue power to awake them; or if they awake for a time, so strong are their sleepy drugs, so powerfull sinnes charmes, so pleasing and bewitching the worlds Musicke, that like a heauie headed drowsie drunkard, by pinching and nipping of some outward crosse or inward terror, they looke vp with one eye, shrug themselues, a little turn themselues as Salomons sluggard Prou. 6 10:, [Page 99] as the doore on the hinges, then sleepe againe more se­curely then euer. Thus both the Elect & reprobate fall in­to sin, yea perhaps the same sin, as Iacob Gen. 31.4., & Lamech Gen. 4.19., into Polygamie; Peter & Iudas both disciples, both sin against Christ, the one in betraying him Iohn 13., the other in denying him Luke 26., but here is the difference (and let euery one lay it to heart that would know their estate, and worke out their saluation with feare and trembling) the one fall by sin­ning, but they rise againe by repenting, they are wounded and healed: they sleepe and are awakened, they sleepe not long, for like the Nightingale Traditione creditur. there is some pricke vn­der or in their brest; some sting of conscience, or some wounding of loue, that makes them awake, yea, and keeps them waking: And hence it is, that as wee read of the sins of Dauid, Peter, Ionas Ionas 2., here our Ezekiah, so wee read of their repentance; as of their sores, so of their salue, the pre­scribed remedie Esay 1.16. Ier. 3.14. for sinnes malady: Yea, and though the repentance of Abraham, Iacob, Ioseph, Noah, Lot, Gide­on, Sampson, be not expressely recorded as are their sinnes, yet besides the iudgement of charitie, which hopes the best, euen in the iudgement of verity, their repentance may bee gathered and concluded: for besides Sampsons prayer, so feruent, so effectuall Iudg. 16.28., conioyned with repen­tance, he and the rest being recorded in the booke of God for beleeuers Hebr. 11. per totum: see M ^r. Perkins his Commentating Sermons in locū, approued as iust and righteous men, com­mended for their effectuall iustifying faith; this mother Faith being euer fruitfull Gal. 5.6. Iam. 2.26:, could not want her eldest daughter Repentance.

But it is otherwayes with the reprobate, and the whole cloud of vnbeleeuers, they daily fall, but like the Elephant ouerthrowne w ^th the Rinoceros De pugna & ruina amborum, lege Aelian l. 17. c. 40. Surium Comment. anno 15.5, & Nico­laum de comiti­bus., they with their lusts, lie still, neuer rise; their ioynts are so stiffe, they cannot bow, their hearts so hard, they cannot relent, but going on from sinne to sinne, from thirst to drunkennesse, &c, they treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5, 6., as the thiefe addes fellonies to fellonies, against the great day of Assize [Page 100] in the iust declaration of the iudgements of God. Their falls are as if a man fall precipitate from a Rocke or pro­montory, euen to the necke breake of their soules; they cast themselues downe headlong to hell, as willingly as that Curtius De quo Liuius lib. 17. Properti­us l. 3. ex Ovid. in Ibyn. cast himselfe into that deuouring gulph, or lake, that swallowed him inuisibly: they like a man that is vnweildy and stumbles, once tripping neuer leaue till they came downe for altogether, and once downe like these heauie birds called bustards, or some fat swans, neuer get wing, neuer rise againe to any height, till that fow­ler of hell ceize vpon them: for the Lord neither puts vn­der his hand to keepe them from falling, neither lends them any helpe of Grace to raise them vp, but lets them lie wallowing (as once that Amasa 2 S [...]. 20.12.) wounded by sinne (that treacherous Ioab) euen in their owne blood: these wan­der continually like blinded men, or as a man in a darke night gone wrong, euer the longer the further off; their re­duction and returne is per impossibile: it is impossible they should returne Heb. 6.4. & conuert, but like that Cain Gen. 4.10., fly still from God, vnlesse the Lord himselfe conuert them and turne them into the right, straight, and narrow way that leads vnto life: I conclude this with one of the Fa­thers, Dauid sinned, which Kings & great men are wont to doe Peccauit Da­uid quod solent reges, peccauit & penituit, quod non solent reges, Ambrose., Dauid sinned and repented, which great men are not wont to doe: so the righteous sinne as the repro­bates doe, but the righteous sinne and repent, which the reprobates are not wont to doe. The wicked imitate the godly as it were by warrant, in the sinnes which Sathan workes, but not in their repentance which God workes.

SECT. 4. The improbabilitie, yea impossibilitie of a sinners repentance, till God giue the grace.

THerefore as a further Vse, in inlarging the application of this point, let it be as exhortatory, so comminatory, [Page 101] to deter al wicked and vngodly persons from presumptu­ous sins, that are most preiudiciall to their soules, these pre­sumptuous sins I cal such, as are wrought with a hye hand, in hope of immunity and freedome either from the eye of God Iob 22.13., that he cannot know them; or from the power and iustice of God, that he cannot or will not punish them; or frō the long suffering of God that he wil tolerate & forbear them; or from the clemency and mercy of God, that he wil pass by them & pardon thē: not to insist in any of the for­mer branches, but onely in the last: that God will pardon any sinne without repentance, is an Atheisticall lye, disso­nant from the Scriptures Esay 5.11, 12, 13. Esay 30.33. Psal. 6.11. Ps. 9.17. Reu. 21.8. chap. 12.15. &c, from all examples and testimo­nies in the Booke of God: God neuer did this, neuer will doe it, nay I say cannot doe it, vnlesse he deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13. and his reuealed truth, which were blasphemy once to speake or thinke. Now then see on what tickle ground a wicked man stands, on what sandy foundations hee builds, which is wholly giuen ouer to wicked and sinfull courses, for repentance is proper and peculiar onely to the elect, euen as faith is, which is the fountaine and the mo­ther of it: proper to an Ezekiah, as here, and to others such as he: whereas a wicked man that is sold to sinne, as was said of Ahab 1 King. 21.20, hath an euill heart of incredulity Heb. 3.12., and an obdurate heart in impenitency: there is a stone in his heart, saith the Prophet Ezek. 36.26., till the Lord take it out: yea, (as we reade of some fellons, stearne men, that were opened after hanging Goulart. in his admirable Hi­stories transla­ted to this pur­pose. Muret. lib. 12. de diuersis lect. cap. 10. Co­lumbus lib. 15. anatom. Bene­uenius de abditis causis, cap. 83. Amatus in cent. 6. & Cornelius Gemma lib. 2. Cyclognomiae pag. 75. alledge di­uerse examples. &c.) there were bones growing through their heart, or haire. Oh such as he are Deucalions off-spring: a stony generation, flinty, adamantine, hard hearted, that cannot repent, saith the Apostle: it is no more in their owne power to repent, then to create a new world, to turne the course of the Sea, as once Iordan, backward: yea when they would fainest repent in terrors of Consci­ence, vnder the hand of wrath, in the time of sicknesse, in the fearfull summons of death, and the more fearfull ap­prehension of iudgement: (as experience speakes to the [Page 102] obseruing eye of those that are wise to marke the passages in the liues and deaths of the wicked) they can no more repent then they can remoue mountaines or mill-stones, their hearts are as dry as once Gideons fleece Iudg 6.40., without any dew of grace; they are as the bulrush in Summer, without any mire Iob 8.11. or moisture; as it was said of drunken dying Nabal 1 Sam. 25.37., their hearts are as a stone within them, as heauy as Lead, as impenetrable as Steele, as vnyeelding to any exhortations, comminations, as the Adamant Apud Theo­phrastum lib. de lapidibus. to the stroke of the Iron; as vncapable of any comforts, excep­ting carnall, as mad men are of reason; sometimes grin­ning like Dogs, howling as hungry Wolues, roring as Lyons To these beasts they are compared, Ze­phan. 3.3. Mat. 7.6. and so God shewes himself to them, Hos. 5.14. & chap. 13. vers. 7, 8., they lye and cry and dye, distracted, yea despe­rate in the anxiety of their soules Examples are in Bomelius, La­tomus, Gerlach, D. Krans the Germane, with many moe, re­corded by Slei­dan, Belonius, Lonicer, and our Booke of Mar­tyrs.; or else, which is as ill, with cauterized consciences, insensible of any guilt of sin, as dead flesh is of pricking, as they liue so they dye, like very bruit beasts: this is all the shew of the repentance of the reprobates, of those which God hath giuen ouer to a reprobate sense.

Oh what madnesse is it then to sinne vpon hope of immunity, vpon presumption of repentance, or of Gods mercifull acceptance of thy lame and halting humiliation when thou offers it! For alas, who can repent of himselfe till God giue him grace? he can as well see without eyes, and speake easilier (as some Ventriloquists And Pytho­nists recorded Lorinus com­ment. in Actis Apostol. cap. 16 Congeries Si­milium.) without a tongue: Nay, nay, a wicked man can sinne of himselfe, but hee cannot godlily sorrow of himselfe: a man may wound himselfe without any other agent, but he cannot so easily heale himselfe without a Surgeon: one may of himselfe leape into a pit, but he cannot come forth againe when he will without a roape or a ladder, or some such externall meanes: a man of himselfe and from his sinfull corrupt nature may sinne; it is as naturall for him to sin, as for the fire to burne, the sea to flow, the Sun to shine; it is as the running downe the hill, as the swimming or sailing with the streame: facilis descensus Auerni, oh the passage to [Page 103] Hell is easie, easily trauelling in the broad way Mat. 7.13.: but to repent of sinne, to turne from sin vnto God, the soueraigne good, from the creature to the Creator; this is more dif­ficult, this is to swim against the streame, to sayle against the tyde, to contend against the hill, as Ionathan and his Armour-bearer, to get vp to the Rock 1 Sam. 14.13. with hands and knees; hoc opus, hic [...]bor; this is a worke supernaturall; this is from the inspiration of the Almighty, not from the spirit of man, which can make no sound this way, no more then the Organ-pipe without winde from the bellowes. Non cuivis contigit, &c. This is not common to all, but to such whose hearts are renewed and changed from their natiue and naturall condition, and moulded aright by the spirit of grace. What a madnes is this then to sin, or con­tinue in sinne presumptuously, onely vpon this conceit (in­deed deuillish deceit) that repentance is in their power, and God will giue it at their pleasure, as a free man his almes, euen for asking; or as some debtor his debts, for calling for: whereas euery man sinning, (much more the wicked) are in their sinnes as the clay in the hand of the Potter Ier. 18.6. Rom. 9.21.; as the wood in the hand of the Carpenter; as the iron in the hand of the Smith; as the fellon in the po­wer of the Iudge; as the traytor in the power of the King; [...]s Pharaohs Buttler and Baker, offending, were in the power of Pharaoh Gen. 40.20, 21, to pardon or punish them, to forgiue or to execute them; as it was in the power of Christs mer­cie to giue repentance and Paradise to one of the Thieues vpon the Crosse Luke 23.39, 40, 41, 42., in the power of his iustice to obdurate and harden the other Thiefe: And besides, to sinne pre­sumptuously because God is mercifull to his children vp­on their humiliation, as here hee was to Ezakiah, is as though a slaue should wilfully abuse and offend his Ma­ster vpon hope of impunity, because a sonne is pardoned vpon his petitioning, offending his father of weaknesse; as though a man should make ropes of sand, because o­thers make cables of sutable matter; as though a man [Page 104] should presume to commit wilfull murder, because ano­ther man is pardoned his chance-medley: nay, to try and experiment by wilfull sinning and presumptuous conti­nuance in sin, whether God will be mercifull or no; is as if a man should wilfully surfet and make himselfe sicke, to see whether the Physitian will or can make him well or no: or for a man willingly to cut and launce himselfe in some parts of his body, to try whether his Surgeon will or can cure him or no: As I saw once an Italian wound his owne sides with a Rapier, to try the conclusions of his healing Baulmes Once in the Schooles in Cambridge: yet Histories shew, some Mounte­banks haue kild themselues by [...]uch trickes.: Or it is as if a man should wilfully leape into a coale-pit, to try the charity of his neighbours, whether they will drag and draw him out or no: such a presumptuous murtherer in all probability may come to be hanged, such a selfe wounder may bleed to death, and such a pit-diuer may haps as il speed, as that Iew in Teucks­bury, who according to our Chronicles, refusing to bee pulled out of a pit, in his superstition, on our Saturday, his Sabbath day, when helpe was offered, the next day which was our Sabbath and as his Munday, could haue no helpe offered or afforded, but was found dead on the third day, helpt forward by hunger or stinke. So let thy enemies perish O Lord: for whom thou dost not conuert, thou wilt confound.

SECT. 5. God in all his dealings with his children, doth inflict crosses, but neuer curses.

LAstly, here from Ezekiahs humiliation we may see the nature and quality of that wrath which the Con­text saith came vpon Ezekiah for the pride of his heart; for what euer it was in the particulars, it was not a curse, but onely a crosse, because it was sent though vpon a me­riting cause, yet for a good end, and wrought a good end [Page 105] an excellent fruit grew vpon this bitter tree, euen his re­pentance neuer to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10.: this his Physitian (as his vse is to all his sicke sinning patients) sent this bitter potion to a good vse, and it wrought a good effect, it pur­ged his ingratefull humour, and phlebotomized his pride: This his father, as he doth to all his sinning sonnes, cor­rect him in mercy, not in wrath Ier. 10.24.; visits his sinnes with rods, and his offences with scourges, but depriues him not of his mercies and louing kindnesse, according to his promise to his father Dauid 2 Sam 7.14.: and indeed all things wor­king together for the good of the elect Rom. 8.28. Vide Couper in locum., what euer comes to them, comes as a loue-token from a Loner Reuel. 3.19. Heb. 12.7., an admo­nition or redargution (at most a correction) from a Fa­ther; as a prescription from a Physitian, not as a condem­natory sentence of execution from a seuere Iudge: this wrath was onely a rod of whips gently to correct a sonne; not a whip of wires and yron, seuerely and rigorously to afflict a slaue: and indeed as what euer comes to the wic­ked and reprobate comes to them in Iustice and venge­ance, their very tables, their wiues, their children, their prosperity, their friends, &c. being as traps & snares vnto them, God giuing them these things (as hee gaue desired quailes Num. 11.31, 32., & a King to Israel 1 Sam. 8.11, 12, 13., & life to murtherous Cain Gen. 4.15.) euen in wrath, and anger; so the bitterest and worst things, euen the corrections for sins come to his own chil­dren as mercies. Wee read indeed of the plagues of Ae­gypt Exod 7. Exod. 8. Chap 9, 10., of Sodom Hos. 11.8. & Amos 4.11., of Moab Amos 1. & Chap. 2. per to­tum., of Edom, of Damascus, and of the burthens of other sinfull nations and people, but neuer of the plagues of Dauid, Ezekiah, Iosiah, &c. the botches of Aegypt Exod. 9 10., the Emerods 1 Sam. 5. of the Philistines, the death of Pha­raohs first borne Exod 12.29., the murren of his cattell Exod. 9.19., the frogges in his chamber Exod 8 6., were indeed reall Plagues; prologues and proems were these externalls, to plagues eternall: but the gout 2 Ch [...] 16.12. in Asaes seet, Iacobs touch in the hollow of his [...] Gen 32.25. Ezekiahs sicknesse 2 Kings 20., and here the occasion of his [...] [...]on, was onely a paternall castigation. Oh that [Page 106] we with patience and contentation could drinke the bit­terest cup which the Lord brewes for vs, and sends to vs for our soules safety, in our haughty hearts humiliation.

SECT. 6. Mercy mixt with Iustice.

BEsides, in searching the point narrower, we see further in this castigation, that the Lord euen in Iustice re­members Mercy; yea his mercy triumphes ouer iustice, as the oyle swimmes aboue the water; as we see here that this wrath vpon Ezekiah was the iust desert of his ingratefull pride, or proud ingratitude, here was Iustice inflicting: yet this correction as it tended, so it ended in his humilia­tion, which was physicall to his indangered soule; here was Mercy. So to adde moe instances, Manasses the sonne of this Ezekiah, for his many and manifold prouocations of the Almightie by his idolatries, witchcrafts, charmings, sorceries, murthers, massacres of the Saints, was iustly de­priued of his Crowne, imprisoned by the King of Ashur, yron fetters put vpon his feet, manacles on his hands, here was Iustice: yet this sharpe physicke, so bitter to the flesh, was wholesome and medicionable to his soule, for in his tribulation he prayed to the Lord, and humbled him­selfe greatly before the God of his fathers, and the Lord was intreated of him; here was Mercy. So in the first sin that euer was committed Adam eating of the Tree pro­hibited, was questioned, strictly examined, conuicted, sen­tenced, to eate his bread in the sweat of his browes, till hee re­turned to his dust Gen. 3.19., including all miseries in life, and mor­talitie in death Pezelius & Rimgius in lo­cum., here wa [...] Iustice: but yet euen then, though his flesh was corrected, the instrument of sin, ye [...] his soule was secured of saluation in the promised Messias▪ the seed of the woman should breake and bruise the head of the Serpent vers. 15., here was Mercy: So the woman being first in [Page 107] the transgression, was deepest in affliction, for her sorrows were threatned to bee great v. 16. in the production of Chil­dren, and now by al the propagating daughters of Eue are tryed so great, that Imagination can no more but expresse them, here was Iustice, for her fact: yet saith our Sauiour himselfe the eternall Truth, as soone as euer a man-childe is borne into the world shee forgets (in a manner) her former griefes; their delights swallow vp their dolors, here was Mercy. Oh wondrous mixture of Mercy and Iustice, none knowes the paines of a childbearing woman, but she that is perturient, here is Iustice to that sinning sexe: yet withall none knowes the loue of a mother, as she that is a mother, here is Mercy. This course the Lord holds still; God crosses vs in our sinfull, and for our sinfull courses, as the Angel withstands Balaam Numb. 22.26. in his poasting for prefer­ment; yet these crosses (like that scabbe in the brest which the Romane receiued by his fighting enemy, in stead of killing Apud Plutar­chum as that Surgeon who breaking a Gentlemans head, cured him of the headachs D. Cotta against Emperickes. curing his Impostume) curbing, crossing, yea cu­ring our corruptions, demōstrate as plainly a Mercy in the vse and end, as Iustice in inflicting our deserued crosses. Oh that we could with our hearts and tongues, from our words and workes blesse and praise the Lord as in all the rest of his glorious attributes, so especially that wee could glorifie him in his Mercy and Iustice, his two attributes in which he most delighteth, & most exerciseth amongst the sonnes of men, and to which all things in heauen and earth doe tend as to their Center. Oh that with Dauids heart and spirit, we could resolue to sing of Mercy and Iu­stice, (not politicall & oeconomicall as he in that Psalme Psal. 101.1., but) as they are Attributes in God essentiall, in which he is most glorified of Angels and men. Oh that wee could see with spirituall eyes, how not onely in the redemption of the world by Christ, but euen in the gubernation and gouernment of the world, yea euen in proceeding with seuerall indiuiduall men, which philosophy calls so many Microcosmes See the allu­sions twixt man this Microcosme, & the world this Megacosme apud Alliedium in Theol. natural▪, or little worlds, but chiefly in his dealings [Page 108] with his elected ones: Iustice and Mercie meet together; righteousnesse and truth imbrace and kisse each other.

SECT. 1. When Gods wrath is either feared or felt, humiliation of all, and euery one is to be practised.

I Will vse no repetitions: for our natures are so desirous of nouelties, that wee say not of old matter re­peated againe, as of old wine in respect of new, the old is better: but wee would bee fed with va­riety Certa prodest, varia delectat., yea somtimes with quailes in our curiosity rather then Man­na, otherwise I could bee content to reflect on things [Page 111] formerly deliuered, and giue you at least the abstract of all in a briefe Epitomie: Onely as a ground worke of our fur­ther intended fabricke (which is, as in other materiall buildings to pull downe, and to raise vp, to pull downe the haughtie proud some pegs lower, and to lift vp the humbled penitent, some straines and notes higher.) I de­sire you to remember thus much in the last propounded point, (pretermitting purposely all the rest) that Ezekiah for the remouall of that wrath which was vpon him, and his people, humbles himselfe, as also the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem: from whose president, according to my purpose and promise, I first prescribe my Penitents practice. That a whole Nation, and euery particular man, yea euery particular family, and euery soule, which is of yeares of discretion, capable of godly sorrow for sin, ought to humble themselues before the Lord in fasting, weeping, mourning, &c. in the Church, the familie, the Oeconomie, when the wrath of God is either threatned, or feared or felt, according to the proportion of this wrath in the ex­tension or the limitation of it: for if it hold this humilia­tion in a whole nation, then much more in a family, in a particular person, sinning or punished for sinne: neither indeed is this precept, calling for practice, any paradox, but such as is propt with the pillars of truth, and wants not reasons Theologicall, to confirme it; beside many moe euen from Gods owne command, and the practice of his Church from time to time, with her members. First for Gods command, Ioel as the mouth and message of God, summons all of all sorts, all sinners to this humiliation, e­numerating the iudgements of God vpon their lands and fields by the deuouring Palmerworme, Locust, Canker­worme and Caterpiller: hee inuites the drunkards to weepe and howle Ioel Chap. 1. v. 5, 6, 7.15, 16. & Chap. 2. ver. 12, 13. like a virgin girded with sackcloth, for the husband of her youth, he inuites the husbandmen to be ashamed, & the vinedressers to howle; yea he inuites the Priests and Ministers of the Altar to lament and lye [Page 112] all night in sackcloath, to sanctifie a Fast, and call a solemn assembly: yea he commands the Elders and the Inhabi­tants of the land to be gathered into the house of the Lord and to cry vnto the Lord: yea with more vehemency, as redoubling his iniunction, hee would haue all and euery one from the highest to the lowest, Prince, Priest and peo­ple, euen elders and youngers, to turne to the Lord in fast­ing, weeping and mourning, to rent their hearts and not their garments, &c. yea he spares not the very bride and and bridegroome, but brings them out of their chamber, and closet, to weepe and mourne before the Lord. This constant note sung all the rest of the Prophets, as Esay be­fore him, anatomizing the corruptions of Israel, that from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot there was nothing but wounds and blaines and corruptions and pu­trifactions Esay 1.6▪, the very heads and rulers, like the heads of great fishes stinking, and the whole body of the Commu­naltie smelling ill, calling (for their vncleanness [...] their Princes, Princes of Sodom ver. 10., and the people a [...]n of Gomorrah, prescribing the clensing and purging [...] [...]edy for these pollutions, euen their serious humiliation, he ex­cites them to wash themselues, to make themse [...]ues cleane, to cease to do euill vers. 16., learne to doe well; to seeke iudgment, releeue the oppressed, iudge the fatherlesse, plead for the widow: hee prescribes them speciall parts of humiliation, branches of repentance, auersion from euil, conuersion vn­to God, praeterita plangere, to bewaile what is past, to wash and wipe cleane, & plangenda non committere, not to com­mit againe former sins bewailed Haec vera pe­nitentia, cum quis sic confite­tur vt crimen non repetat, Ambrose.: so Ieremy as Gods He­rauld proclaimes in this north, that which is the very maine soule of humiliation, without which it is dead and rotten, and that is reuersion or true turning vnto God. Returne, returne, O backsliding Israel Ier. 3.14.: So on this hearts string of humiliation touch also the Apostles, and Iohn the Baptist, Oh generation of Ʋipers, cryes the voyce of that Cryer, who hath fornewarned you to auoyd the wrath or the [Page 113] vengeance to come Math. 3.7.: Euery tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be cut downe, and throwne into the fire. Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance and amendment of life ver. 10.. So S. Peter in his canonicall Epistle to the dispersed Iewes in Asia, Bythiniae, Capadocea 1 Pet. 1.1., prescribing a humble and submisse cariage one towards another, giuing his reason, because God resists the proud, and giues grace vnto the humble, by an excellent climax and gradation goes from humility towards man, to humiliation to wards God: from the premises inferring this conclusion, humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God Ch. 5, 6., and the Lord in due time will lift you vp. The very same point of humiliation, from the very same grounds, euen in the same words, is vrged by the Apostle Iames, Ch. 4 v. 10. though pressed also in moe words in the verse precedent, be afflicted, and mourne, and weepe, let your laughter bee turned into mourning, and your ioy into heauinesse Iames 4.9..

Consonant to this precept hath been from time to time the practice of the Saints of God, not onely in a constant and conscionable course (omitted now by too many) hum­bling themselues for their daily slips & transgressions, but more peculiarly in extraordinary humiliations, meeting the Lord, as did here Ezekiah and the inhabitants of Ieru­salem, when his iudgements were but threatned, when the brandished sword of his wrath was onely drawne and flourished, as we may see in the example of the Niniuites, at the threatning of Ionas, Ion. 3.8, 9. In the example of the Israelites, terrified from the Lord by Samuel at Mizpah, 1 Sam. 7.6. and affrighted of the Philistines ver. 7 8. and menaced by the Angel or messenger of the Lord which came from Gilgal to Bochim; Iudg. 2.3, 4, 5. but more especially when they haue either beene smit or wounded, or more imme­diately in danger of wounding by this brandished sword, whether weilded in the hand of God by plague or pesti­lence, or in the hand of man in war or bloody persecutiō, the striking hand hath beene assayed to be stayed by hu­miliation: [Page 114] as many instances may bee giuen in holy writ, as in Dauid whose pride of heart in numbring his people, being curbed with the death of seuenty thousand of them swept away by the plague 2 Sam. 24.16., as dust with a Beesome; hee and the elders of Israel seeing the Angel of the Lord stand betwixt the earth and heauen with a drawne sword 1 Chro. 21.16, fell vpon their faces, cloathed with sackcloth, and vpon Da­uids humble prayer, (as once before when Phineas Psal. 106.30. pray­ed) the plague ceased; so Iehosophat being wonderfully straitned 2 Chro. 20.3. when the children of Moab and Ammon with their mighty martiall troupes, came against him, from be­yond the sea on this side Syria, (as our Ezekiah was in the like exigents when the strong and numerous powers of Senacherib besieged Ierusalem) hee hauing no power, nor strength to resist them, betakes himself to the strong God, the tower of the righteous, the Lord of hosts, and in the most serious humiliation that euer I read of, he and all Iu­dah standing before the Lord, with their wiues, their chil­dren and their little ones ver. 13., crying, weeping, fasting, and importuning the Lord with most feruent and effectuall prayers, there was the most excellent effect in the discom­fiture of their enemies, in the most miraculous manner, most glorious to God, most aduantageous to Israel, that euer was instanced in any age, before or since: so when Ioshua and the men of Israel fled before the men of Ai, and turned their backs of the Canaanites, to the losse of 36 mē, Ioshua rent his clothes, fell to the earth vpon his face, be­fore the Arke of the Lord, Ioshua 7. vntill the euening, he and the Elders of Israel, and put dust vpon their heads, Iosh. 7, 6, 7. here was humiliation; so when the rest of the Tribes in a good & righteous cause, in which victory was promised, were twise put to the foyle, with losse & dammage, by the insulting Beniamites: the Israelites wondrously humbled themselues, wept and fasted before the Lord a whole day, vntill euening, offring peace offrings, and burnt offerings before the Lord, and vpon that were victorious, Iudg. 20. [Page 115] ver. 23.26. So we know the practice of Mardocheus and Esther, and the distressed Iewes at Sushan, when their liues and bloods were sold by that wicked serpentine Ham­man: what Ezra and the Elders and people of Israel did Ezra 10.1, 2, when the Lord was prouoked and angred by their taking of strange wiues of the Canaanites: what Nehemiah did when he heard of the great affliction & reproach of them, that were left of the captiuity, and the breaking downe of the wall of Ierusalem, and burning the Gates thereof with fire: namely, that in all these afflictions, these feares, these sinnes, these sufferings: they humbled their soules as here our Ezekiah, vnder the mighty hand of God, and had a blessed issue, a gracious answer, an excellent haruest, vpon their deepe plowing, and wet sowing: I say briefly to all and euery one of vs, (contenting my selfe with these rea­sons at this time) as our Sauiour to him in the Gospell, va­de & tu fac similiter Luke 10.37., Oh thou sinning soule, who ere thou art, that lyest open till thy humiliation haue made thy peace, to all the gunshot Cannons of Gods iudgement, the force and fury of all the creatures; or thou that art threat­ned by the rod shaken at thee; or the sword drawne as a­gainst Adam by the Cherubin, and Balaam by the Angel; or hast felt or dost feele the smarting rod of wrath vpō thy shoulders already, goe thou and doe the like as did here Ezekiah, Dauid, those Nineuites, those Israelites, those Tribes, Ioshua, Iehosophat, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Mar­docheus: humble thy selfe before the Lord, cast down thy soule before his footstoole, fast and pray and weepe and la­ment, suffer affliction and sorrowes, as St. Iames exhorts, Iames 4.9. eate no pleasing meats as Daniel Dan. 10.2, 3., for many dayes, let thy sighing come vnto thee before thy eating, as it did to Iob, cry mightily to the Lord as did Niniuie Ionas 3.4., abhorre thy selfe in sackcloth and ashes Iob 42, 6., loath thy sinnes, and thy selfe for thy sinne, that the Lord may loue thee, and may againe looke fauourably vpon thee, and shew thee the light of his countenance, and be mercifull vnto thee Psal. 87.1., that [Page 116] thy flesh may come vnto thee againe, like the flesh of a childe, that thy sad soule may be solaced, that the teares may be wiped from thine eyes, that thy deiected spirit may be comforted, may reioyce in God thy Sauiour, and be made ioyfull in the ioyes of the Lords saluation.

SECT. 2. The Ministers must principally be humbled, and seeke to humble others.

BVt because our nature is ready to post off duties, and to take that which is said in generall to all, as if it be­longed to none in particular; like some master that hath oft his worke neglected, when hee speakes to all his ser­uants at once, because he inioynes not euery one his taske: I therefore subdiuide this duty into seuerall Branches, and cut and carue euery one his part and portion.

First then, we that are Ministers wee must be ring-lea­ders in the dance of this duty, we must tread out first these humble modest measures, we must prologue and beginne the first Act in these penitentiall parts; not onely for our owne personall priuate sinnes, which commonly come to be publique and publisht, as daingerously scandalous to the weake, exemplary to the wicked, offensiue to the godly, and a stumbling-blocke to all; must we be hum­bled euen to the very dust, beat as it were euen to pow­der, weeping if it were possible more bitterly then Peter, more abundantly then Mary Magdalen, confessing more then Augustine In libris Con­fessionam., to God and his scandalized Church, till we haue washt and wiped away all these aspersions and blots which a sinning life hath cast vpon sound and sin­cere doctrine; but euen for the sinnes of the times must we be humbled, yea the sinnes of the Land in generall, of the places where, and of the people amongst whom wee liue, must be vnto vs as they were to Noah 2 Pet. 2.5., Lot Gen. 19. & 2 Pet. [...]. 7., Da­uid Psal. 119., [Page 117] Ieremy Ier. 9.1., in their times, no small cause of humiliation: chiefly when there is wrath threatned or feared to come vpon the Land and Nation wherein we liue, or that we see the fire already kindled in some begunne iudgement tem­porall or spirituall, and wee see the crying sinnes of the times calling for, prologuing and heralding still greater; then are w [...] in a speciall manner aboue the rest, to humble our selues: the Lord calls vpon vs, as Ioel vpon the Mini­sters in his time, to weepe betwixt the Porch and the Altar Ioel 2.17., and to cry to the Lord to spare his people: we should take vnto vs words Osee 14.3., and say to the Lord, Take away all ini­quity, and receiue vs graciously: we should as Iob for his sonnes Iob 1.5., rise vp early and offer sacrifices for the sinnes of our people: we should like Aaron, take the Censer Num. 16.46, 47. of a cleane and vpright heart, and put thereon the fire of zeale, and offer vp the incense of faithfull and feruent prayer, and make an a [...]onement for our Congregations, as soone as euer we perceiue that wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague is begunne: we must with Moses and Aa­ron oft feru [...]n [...] intercede for our people, as they did with great importun [...]ty Num 16.22. Deut. 9.25, 26, 27. Exod. 32.10. & v. [...]2. Psal. 106.23.30.: yea our prayers must oft with Moses euen stand as it were in the gap, betwixt the Lords iustice and the peoples sinnes: we must pray euen for hard hear­ted Pharaohs yea as did Abraham, we must intercede for such as Abimelech Gen. 20.17., and Ismael Gen. 17.18., wicked and paganish men, yea euen such as the vncleane Sodomites, both to turne them from their sinnes, and to keepe and remoue iudgements from them, that their soules may liue: or if we see there is no other remedy but they will needs lye and dye in their sinnes, our soules must yet with Ieremy weepe in secret for them we must mourne for them, and bewaile as it were their soules funeralls, as Samuel mour­ned 1 Sam. 16.1. for reprobate Saul. And as we must thus humble our selues aboue all others that are the inhabitants of that Ierusalem in which we liue, when wrath in any measure is come vpon the times, so we must by all meanes preach [Page 118] and presse and procure the humiliation of our people: wee must as the Cocke Gallus praedi­catori [...] symbolum apud Reusnerum. clap our owne wings to awaken our owne hearts, and then crow aloud, lifting vp our voices like Trumpets, to awaken others: we must shew Iacob his sinnes, and Israel his transgressions Esay 58.1., together with the iudgements hanging ouer their heads by reason of sinne: we must cry vnto them with Esay. Esay 1.19. Ier. 3.14. Wash you, make you cleane: with Ieremy, Returne O disobedient and rebelli­ous children: we must desire them to returne from their euill way, and repent, that the Lord may repent of the e­uill he purposeth vnto them, because of their euill doings, Ier. 18.8. Ier. 26.1.2.3. We must tell them, their iniqui­ties separate betwixt God and them, and that their sinnes hide his face from them Esay 59.2.: we must tell them, that the rea­son of all former felt iudgements, which call for new, whether blasting, mildew, cleannesse of teeth, pestilence of Aegypt, or what euer Deut. 28. & Leuit. 26., is because they haue not turned to the Lord, nor prepared themselues to meet their God, Amos 4.9.10. We must expostulate with them, as Moses with Pharaoh, how long they will stand out in their rebel­lions, how long it will be ere they humble themselues Exod. 10.3.: We must tell them that all their outward sacrifices and seruices without this serious humiliation, are but abomi­nations before the Lord Esay 1.11., and that the onely thing the Lord requires aboue all burnt offerings, is the sacrifice of a broken and humbled heart Ps. 51.16 17., aboue the offering of the first-borne: We must tell the hypocrite, the Lord requires he should walke humbly before him, Micah 6.6. Wee must stand vpon the Watch-tower, with Habakkuk, and waite for the vision, and tell the proud Peacockes of our time, that the soule which is lifted vp, is not vpright with­in him Hab. 2.4.: We must exhort all with Zachary, to turne vnto the Lord, that the Lord may turne vnto them, Zach. 1.3. We must cry to the rich and proud extortioners, as Daniel to Nabuchadnezzar, to breake off their sinnes by repen­tance, and to redeeme them by almesdeeds, Dan. 4.24. [Page 119] We must exhort all to search themselues, to try and exa­mine their wayes, before the decree come forth Zeph. 2.2., and they bee as chaffe before the fire of the fierce wrath and anger of the Lord: Wee must exhort all to afflict their soules Leuit. 23.27.; to put off their costly rayment Exod. 33.5., and to turne to the Lord in fasting, weeping, and mourning, &c. We must preach to a sinfull people, as Iohn the Baptist to the Iewes Mat. 3.1., as Peter Acts 2.38. to Christs crucifiers, & to Simon Ma­gus Acts 8.22., to repent of their wickednesse, and to amend their liues, else we must tell them as our Sauiour Christ the Pharisees Luke 13.3., except they repent they shall perish, and iniquity shall be their destruction: the soule that sinnes shall dye the death Ezek. 18.1.: We must cry to all to iudge and examine them­selues, else they shall bee iudged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31, 32. Psal. 4.4. & Lament. 3.40.. By thus preaching and accordingly humble walking, we shall saue our selues and them that heare vs; wee shall bring some perhaps out of the power of darknesse Acts 26.18., plucke them out of the snares of the Deuill 2 Tim. 2.26., pull them as brands out of the fire, as the Angels did Lot out of Sodom; we shall cause them by repentance, as here the inhabitants of Iudah, to turne away the fierce wrath of the Lord from our Nation: at least we shall deliuer our owne soules Ezek 33., wash our hands in innocency, and be free from the blood of all, as was good Paul, an excellent patterne in all these duties, Acts 20.26.

SECT. 3. Those reproued who are neither humbled themselues, nor seeke to humble others.

ANd here ere I goe to any further subiect of this hu­miliation, if I may be so bold to expostulate a while with those who seeme to be much defectiue in this duty, failing in acting the parts of humiliates themselues, or to effect humiliation in others.

[Page 120] Vses of redar­gution.First, here those are iustly reprehensible, that are insen­sible of the sinnes of the times, such as being euerywhere taxed by the Prophets for their couetousnesse, pride, ex­cesse of riot, and the like, see no sinnes either in them­selues or others, as matter of this mournfull humiliation, but by their owne lyes and bad liues so strengthen the hands of the wicked, that none doe turne from their euill wayes: these of all others the Lord threatens shall smart, when iudgement beginnes at the Sanctuary, because both by their liues and doctrine they feed the people with gall and wormwood, with froth and vanity Ier. 23.14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 32. Esay 29, 10. Esay 6.6, 7. Esay 29 11. Esay 28.7..

Secondly, those also are in the same predicament, whose eyes are so shut that they cannot discerne of the plagues that are threatned in the Booke of God, such as on whom the Lord hath poured the spirit of deepe sleepe and slum­ber, and hath closed their eyes as well as the peoples, that seeing they see not, nor vnderstand not; such as to whom the vision is as a sealed booke; such as erre through Wine, and are out of the way through strong drinke, erring in vision and stumbling in iudgement: such as are either doltishly ignorant, blind leaders of the blind, or selfe con­ceited of their knowledge, as were some in Ieremies time, which had onely a superficiall swimming braine-know­ledge, (though indeed disioyned from sanctification, there was no wisedome in them) cannot discerne either of the cause of plagues and wrath, or of the curse or cure of sin, to auoyd sin, or to feare the effects of sinne either in them­selues or others, are here iustly reprehensible.

Thirdly, these are yet more culpable, who when accor­ding their place and calling they should sharply reproue the sinnes of a people ouer whom they are placed as Pa­stors, and shew them the annexed iudgements to deterre and affright them from it, (as the prickes doe hinder the hardy child from plucking of the canker-rose) reuealing to them all these plagues (as sparkes from the fire of wrath) that are Pedissequae, as handmaids or attendants on sinne, [Page 121] recorded by Moses and the Prophets, as did Esay, Ieremy, Ezekiel, and the rest of the Prophets before alledged; they on the contrary, as did their predecessors in former times, (which euery where are declaimed against) as tempori­zing for their owne ends, sow pillowes vnder their el­bowes, to make them take a deeper and deadlier nap in sinne, they heale the hurts of the people with faire words, they cry peace, peace, and all is well, when indeed there is no peace to the wicked, saith my God Esay 57.19.; they prophesie lyes in the name of the Lord, and to euery one that walks after the stubbornnesse of his owne heart, they say, no euill shall come; when indeed Hannibal ad portas, Hanni­bal is euen at Romes gates, the Palladian horse is ready to enter Troy, sinne lyes euen at the doore Gen 4.7.: Thus they dawbe with vntempered morter Ezek. 13.10, 15., dawbing vp the con­sciences of poore people; or as the Prophet Osee termes them, they are Fowlers, who both by their flattery catch for themselues Hos. 5.2.8.8., and by their fraudulency bring the peo­ple into the net and snare of Gods wrath, euen vnawares. Such as these were they in Ieremies time, who when they should haue preuented the captiuity, by turning the peo­ple from their wicked wayes, and from the euill of their inuentions, which they might haue done, had they stood in Gods counsell, Ier. 23.22. and declared his wayes vnto his peo­ple: They on the contrary, Lament. 2.14. by not discouering the ini­quity, helped forward the Captiuity. Oh these soothers, Ier. 23 14. these flatterers the Lord professeth are vnto him as So­dom, he professeth he neuer sent them, that they prophe­sie onely a lye in his name; but that they sent themselues, that both they and the deluded people might perish.

Fourthly, yet worse, if worse can be, are those that nei­ther forewarne of the wrath and vengeance to come, as sinnes due desert, neither with patience will permit others what they ought to doe themselues; such as these were the Pseudo-prophets, false Prophets, and false Apostles, who alwayes opposed the true: Such an one was Pashur, [Page 122] who smit Ieremy, and put him in prison Ier. 20.1, 2., as also other of the Priests and Prophets, bitter against him to the very death Ier. 26., because he prophesied against the Temple, and against the City and Shiloh: who had indeed preuailed in their purposes, notwithstanding all his apologies, had he not been deliuered by a Nobleman Ahikan and others, which stood for him vers. 16, 17, 18,. The like practice vsed Shemiah the Neholamite against this mournfull Ieremy Ier. 29.24, 25.: the like did Amasiah the high Priest of Bethel, in stirring vp Iero­boam against Amos Amos 7.10., as though he had beene a turbulent fellow, and had conspired against the King: This success had Christ himselfe amongst the Scribes and Pharisees, his emulators of that credit he had with the people, euen to the death Iohn 9.24.29.: Such successe had his Apostles after him, sent among them as Sheepe among Wolues, Mat. 23.34. such as these are so farre from turning away iudgement from a people, by bringing them to humiliation, that in­deed they bring iudgements vpon themselues, their hou­ses, and bloods, as did Pashur, and Amaziah, and Zidkiah, &c. these must beare the iniquity of the people, and bee remoued by iudgement, since set as Centinels and Watch­men, they would not awaken others.

SECT. 3. Magistrates and great ones must be humbled.

NOw as the Ministers must both be humbled them­selues, and be the meanes to humble others; so the Magistrates also, whether superior or inferior, must moue in the next place, according to their motion: Moses falls flat on his face groueling before the Lord for the sinnes and rebellions of the people, as well as Aaron Num. 16.45.: not only Ezra the Scribe, but Zerubbabel, Iohecaniah, and the rest of the Princes and Fathers of the Families, were humbled before the Lord Ezra 9.1., because the people of Israel, the Priests [Page 123] and the Leuites had not separated themselues from the people of the lands, Ezra 10.2, 3. doing according to the abominations of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Iebusites, &c. so (as we haue heard) when Israel was smit before the men of Ai, Ioshuah rent his cloathes, and the Elders of Israel, Iosh. 7.6. So in that exigent Iehosophat was put vnto by the Ammonites and Moabites, he himselfe first proclaimes a fast throughout all Iudah, and personally See my Ire­lands Iubilee in Dauids prac­tice these ex­emplified., primarily, purposely sets himselfe to seeke the Lord: So at the dedi­cation of the Temple, Salomon himselfe humbles himselfe more then all the people, in the presence of all the Con­gregations of Israel, spreading forth his hands and pray­ing before the Altar of the Lord 1 King. 8.23.. So Esther a great Princesse, is as forward as her handmaids to humble her selfe in fasting and prayer, for the preuention of the com­mon intended destruction, Esth. 4.16. But aboue all, the King of Niniuy is a most excellent president in this prac­tice to all Princes, and his Nobles to all Magistrates, for he and they not onely decreed and proclaimed a fast for the people, yea for man and beasts, but themselues as brea­king the ice to the rest by their good example, layd by their Robes, couered themselues with sackcloth, and sate in ashes, Ionas 3.6, 7. other great Peeres haue done the like As Theodosius, before his bat­tell with Euge­nius, apud Orosiū l. 7. c. 35. Ruffin. lib. 2. c 23. Charles King of France warring against the Sa­racens, Casp. He­dion lib 6. cap 15 Arcadius apud Diacorum lib. 15 Clodoucus a French King, in his warre with Alaricus the Goth, apud Tu­ronensem Hist. lib. 2. cap. 37. Lewis of France against the Su [...]uians, apud Auentinum lib. 3. and O [...]ias the high Priest, a­pud Iosephum lib. 14 cap. 1.2.3 Antiq. cum aliis.. And indeed, that I might by Gods blessing be as a spurre or goade to all Princes, Potentates, Rulers, Magi­strates, Gouernors in warre, Elders in peace, to doe the like, vpon the like occasion: to imitate the noble and princely patternes of these great Princes and Peeres, Eze­kiah, Ioshuah, Iehosophat, Dauid, Schecaniah, Salomon, the King of Niniuy, and others, as they are desirous to imi­tate their fame-worthy heroicke acts in other particulars; as also that all Empresses, Queenes, Duchesses, Ladies, &c. would not thinke themselues too good to lay off their gorgeous attire, their costly raiment, to remit their reuels, and restraine their Court delights; after the ex­ample of Queene Esther, (the goodliest, godliest, greatest [Page 124] Lady one of them that the world euer had:) and in any common or particular great crosse and calamity, to turne musicke and maskes into mourning, singing into sighing, delights into dolours, feastings into fasts, &c. Me thinks there be reasons and inducements (besides these presi­dents and exemplary patternes, which man is naturally apt to imitate in the worst things) to perswade and inforce this best of duties.

As first, because by this meanes they may bring a great deale of glory to God, which being the end of euery Chri­stians creation, preseruation, vocation, redemption, yea euen of saluation it selfe, reserued in the heauens, this glorifying of God ought to be the end and aime and scope of the actions and affections of the meanest and the grea­test, the very marke that all should shoot at and desire to hit; much more the greatest, who placed in a higher orbe aboue the rest, and adorned with moe priuiledges, the more that they for a time when Gods hand is vpon them, stoope low before the Lord, remit their height and their greatnesse, abate and bring downe their high spirits, vn­plume and disroabe themselues of their gorgeous attire, abstaine from their sumptuous and superfluous dishes, and euery way by their lookes, words, gestures, attires, meats, outwardly; as in their hearts and spirits inwardly, cast downe themselues before the God of all spirits, and fall low before the throne of the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, acknowledging (with humbled Nabuchadnez­zar Dan. 3.28., and that Darius Dan 6.25, 26.,) his rule and soueraignty ouer all flesh, and so consequently ouer them, throwing downe their rods, their Scepters, yea with the Angels and El­ders Reu. 7.11. & chap. [...].8. in the Reuelation, euen their very Crownes before the Throne of the Lamb, giuing all honour, glory, power, praise, soueraignty and dominion, from themselues to him that sits on the Throne, &c. Oh this brings wondrous ho­nour and glory vnto God, euen as when petty tributary Kings, as once amongst the Romanes Reguli, or De­puties, as our Viceroy in Ire­land, or Presi­dents of Yorke or Wales., and sometimes [Page 125] here in England See Lanquets or Coupers Chronicle., exceedingly honour the great King that rules ouer them, and their Prouinces, when they at set and certaine times come to acknowledge their homage, Fealty, subordination and subiection vnto him: and in­deed as the greater the person is that sinnes, the more God is dishonoured: so the greater the person is that is hum­bled, the more is the Lord honoured; euen as in the Irish warres, if a great Earle, a head Rebell had come in, and sub­mitted himselfe to an offended Princesse, it had beene more honour to a Maiden Queene, then if this had beene done by an ordinary Kearne: so the humiliation of a great Peere, brings more glory to God then of an inferiour person.

Besides, as a further fuell to this motiue, let this be as a Nouerint vniuersi, knowne vnto all, to high & low, mighty men, and meane men, that who euer haue taken away glory from God by sinning, as indeed all flesh haue by de­prauing themselues in originall and actuall sinnes, depri­ued God of that glory hee requires of men and Angels, euen the very same indiuiduall men, or women, in their owne persons, by their owne Penitence, without any sub­stitute for them, euen here in this life, in vnfained humilia­tion, confession and contrition, must againe restore glory vnto God Ioshua 7.19., or else they shall neuer be glorified in heauen, (let Canonists dispute what they will about vsuries terre­striall) I am sure without this spirituall restitution Nisi restitua­tur ablaetum, non demittitur pecca­tum. Canonistae ex patribus., there is no saluation ^f, vide Maldonatum in Lucam, cap. 19.

Secondly, by this meanes of humiliation, all great per­sonages shew their gratitude, & thankfulnesse vnto God, in thus honouring him, who hath honoured them: yea they take the wisest and the safest course, to continue and perpetuate their honours to themselues, and their houses and posterity: for as pride hath beene the ruine and de­molition of many great families Vide exempla supra allegata., so humiliation hath beene their proppe and vpholder, in withholding and di­uerting from them such Iudgements as their sinnes, or [Page 126] the sinnes of their predecessors haue deserued.

Thirdly, as they by their humiliation bring glory vnto God, and good to themselues, so they bring much good to others, much benefit accrewes to the soule of an inferi­our by the humiliation of a superiour, and that both by their example for imitation Regis ad exem­plum totus com­ponitur orbis., as also in Gods acceptation. First for imitation, the example of great ones as it is force­able in vtram (que) partem, both towards the better, & towards the worse: as their ill example confirmes the inferiours in sinne, so their good example conformes them to good: their example saith to the common people (chiefly to their dependants, their families & obseruers) as Abimelec Iudg. 9.48. and Gideon in another case to their souldiers, as yee see me doe, so doe you; or as S. Paul once to those he writes vn­to, Be ye followers of mee, nay they will follow: If Ioshua serue the Lord, hee can giue that same testimony of his house Ioshua 24.15.; if the Centurion be a religious man one that fea­reth God, his seruants and souldiers will bee obsequious and obedient both to God and him Ma [...]. 8.8.9.; if Esther fast & pray, her handmaides will be found ioyning with her Ester 4.16.; yea if the King of Niniuie humble himselfe, then his nobles will be humbled too; if his Nobles, then the common people; if the common people, then the very beasts Ionas 3.7.: yea if (as it is in my Text) that Ezekiah the King bee humbled, then not onely his Peeres, and the Elders of his people, (who conioyned in such a case with Dauid) but euen the inha­bitants, the vulgar sort, the commons of Iudah and Ierusa­lem are humbled likewise? Oh the Adamantine force of example! the blessed president of great persons, is as the first mouer in the heauens, or as the first wheele in a clock, after whose motion all the rest moue: it is as the Captaine that precedes his following souldiers, and giues the first onset; as the bell-weather that goes before the flocke; as the henne that clocks the chickens after her. Secondly, great good it brings in Gods acceptation; for as the Lord visits the sinnes of great ones, sometime euen vpon their [Page 127] seed, as Sauls sonnes were hanged vp for the sinne of Saul; and Ieroboams Idolatry, as also Gideons moulten image were the ruines of their house Propter pa­rentum. scelera grassantur poena publicae, in totas familias, in mul­tis instant, Simon Pauli Domin. 2 post Trinit & Strig. in 2 Sam. 9. 1 Reg 20. & 2 Reg 1 [...]. in vno peccato periurij: Jnslat Pencerus in Lect. Cron. die 6 Feb. an. 1574. cum Aeliano, lib. 14. & Diodoro Siculo l. 6. antiq. in posteritate Saulis, Iasonis, Zedechiae, Sena­charebi, Philippi Macedonis, & aliorum.: somtimes vpon the whole land or nation, as wrath came vpon Iudah, &c. both in the dayes of Dauid, and in the daies of Ezekiah, for the sins of their Kings: so Ezekiah is no sooner humbled, but wrath is remoued. Dauid and the Elders of Israel no sooner fall downe before the Lord in sackcloth and ashes, but the de­stroying Angel set a worke by God, at the command of the Lord of Angels, puts vp his sword; the deuouring plague sweepes not a man away moe; as indeed when we make an end of sinning, God makes an end of smi­ting; when the child is whipt, cryes and asketh pardon, and promiseth amendment, the rod is throwne away, or broken or burnt, the child is taken vp in the fathers armes, set on his knee, and kist, and the teares wiped away from his eyes.

Fourthly, great ones vsually liue in great sinnes, either as they haue greater temptations, (Sathan shooting euer at the fairest markes) or moe allurements and prouocations, for the pleasing of corrupted nature, and delighting the flesh; moe obiects of vanity, greater meanes to effect their ends how euer sinister: moe Sycophants and Parasites to charme and lull them a sleepe in security That flattery hath euer been the bane of Kings, read Ca­merar. in oper. Succisivis, c. 90. p. 448. Patri­tium de regno, l. 7. tit. 8. pag. 458. & l. 5. tit. 5. p. 229. Instant in Caligula, Galba, Alexandro, Ti­berio, Dionysio., few by redar­gution, or admonition, that will or dare offer to shake them, to awake them, so they had need (since their sinnes are also scored & chalked vp as the rest) of a greater mea­sure of humiliation for sinne, their salue had need answer their sore; else they are like at last to smart, Reu. 6.16.

Lastly, the example of Dauid is remarkable, when the Lord in a mercifull Iustice, or Iust mercie, sends to Dauid after hee had numbred the people, this option or choyce, that he should chuse him whether he would fly before his enemies in warre, or endure the famine for 3. three yeares, or the plague and pestilence for 3. dayes, he makes choyce of the last: why so? not onely for the maine cause as hee re­ueales, [Page 128] because the mercies of God are great, but as some note, because as hee had beene an occasion of euill to the people, by his sinne, he would beare part of the burthen: for in warre though his subiects had smarted, it is likely he would haue escaped by flight, or by strong holds in some castles or fortifications; or in dearth and famine had there beene one pecke of corne in the land, it is likely he should haue had part; his part like the Lyons part in the Fable Apud Aesopum, in all probability, shold haue been best: but frō the plague there was no euasion, the arrow of the Almightie might haue hit him, as soon as the meanest in his Kingdome. Be­sides in this choise he aimed also at the good of his people: for had war come vpon them, they would haue trusted in their sheild and target, in their sword and bow, and the strength of Israel: had famine beene sent, the poorer sort and Mechanickes perhaps had felt the chiefest smart: the richer sort and monied men would either haue sent for corne into other Countryes, as Iacob into Aegypt Act. 7.12., or fled thither, as Naomi into the Land of Moab Ruth 1.6., they would haue changed their places as did Abraham Gen. 12.10., and Isaac Gen. 26.1. in the like cases: but now in the plague and pestilence there is no euasion, no escape, no flying from God, (as experi­ence hath showne Non obstante regula, ci [...]o, lon­ge, tarde., in those that bootlesly haue changed ayres) whither the plague cannot follow, as the storme did Ionas: but their only refuge is (at which Dauid aimes) that he and all his people by true and serious humiliation, fly speedily euen into the very armes of God, who woun­ding can onely heale Hos. 6.1.. Oh a president in Dauid worthy of euery great mans meditation, contemplation; desiring by all meanes, as this Patriarch in this option, his owne and others humiliation.

SECT. 4. Seuerall families, and particular persons must be humbled.

AS the Lord requires this humilation in his Ministers, in his Magistrates, in Princes and Prophets, in the [Page 129] heads and eyes of the Church, and of the Common­wealth: so it is requisite also in euery family of the faith­full, who as in the Scriptures they are called Churches Epist. ad Phi­lemon v. 2., and haue in them representations of a Monarchy (the ma­ster being as King, Priest and Prophet, the wife as Queene the children as Nobles, the seruants as subiects, &c.) so as sinne is propagated euen from families into the whole bo­die of the land, the Lord will haue humiliation euen in particular houses, as well as in the Church or Common­wealth: chiefly, when any iudgement is vpon a nation, as here in the times of Ezekiah: for in that great mourning of the people of Israel compared by the Prophet, vnto the mourning of one that mourns for his onely sonne, or as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, it is prophesied that euen euery family shall mourne a­part Zach. 12.11, 12, 13., the family of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiues apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wiues apart; the family of the house of Leui apart, and their wiues apart; the family of Shemei apart, and their wiues apart; all the families that remaine, euery family a­part, and their wiues apart, chiefly when the Lord giues occasion of mourning to a familie, not onely by his hand in generall on a land, but in particular vpon the fami­ly, whether by plague, or famine, or sicknesse, or death of some remarkeable person, some member of the family, then as we may see in the practice of Dauid in the sicknesse of the child, 2 Sam. 12. and of Bathsheba too conioyning with him in humiliation (in probability) as they sinned together:) the family is in a special and peculiar manner to humble them­selues. Yea in conclusion, this duty of humiliation, is to be performed of all and euery one; Ioel as wee heard, sum­mons euen the new maried Bride and Bridegroome to it Ioel 2.16., vpon occasion, to leaue euen their lawfull conuersing, (as Vriah 2 Sam. 11. did in a speciall cause of afflicting himselfe) and if these must pretermit the very rites and rights of ma­riage Vide Pareum in 1 Cor. 7.5, and all earthly delights; then the duty concernes al [Page 130] and ouery one of vs, not onely the wise, and the learned, and the honourable, but euen the Mechanicks, the hus­bandman, the vinedresser on whom Ioel calls; yea the drunkard, the dicer, the riotous person, yea the tender vir­gins, and the delicious women that be at case in Sion: eue­ry one in our places, Prince, Priest and people, high & low, rich and poore, one with another, must be humbled, for generall and particular sinnes, vnder the mighty hand of God: there is none exempted (except children at nonage, wanting the act of ripe reason, hauing it onely in dispositi­on; or naturalls, and fooles, and lunaticke madmen, that haue neither habit, nor act of reason to distinguish good from euill) all else must be humbled.

Reasons why all must be humbled.First, for the Lord calls vpon all, as he called vpon Ze­rubbabel & Ioshua the son of Iosedech the high Priest, and vpon all the people of the land to build the second Tem­ple Hag. 2.4, 5., so he calls vpon all to be strong and valiant to build and reedifie this same spirituall Temple; which is, by pul­ling downe sin and corruption by humiliation.

Secondly, all haue sinned, all are corrupted and haue peruerted their wayes, there is not one that doth good, no not one, saith the Prophet Psal. 14: 1, 2, 3., alledged by the Apostle Rom. 3.10, 11 12., sin like a gangreene hath run ouer all as a leprosie, hath defiled all as a generall plague, hath runne through all, no place, no person free, who can say, his heart is cleane? Oh how ma­ny windings and preuarications are in the heart of man Quam multae latebrae multi (que) recessus Cicero., moe in his works, most of all in his words. Now there is not any sin but stands need of repentance, not only are we to be humbled for great, grosse, crying, crimson, scanda­lous sins, such sins as send vp a cry against the soule, as the sins of Sodom; such as murther, adultery, extortion, oppres­sion Peccata cla­mantia., blasphemy in the highest degree, pollutions of soule and body, maine prophanations of the Sabbath, and such sins as looke with an vgly hew, euen in the eye of nature, as against the light of nature and grace: but euen such sins, as the bleare-eyd world sees not, as the ciuill and morrall [Page 131] men of our time, discerne not to be sins, but rather applaud and approue as touching Splendida pec­cata. vpon vertues, as vaine words, vnprofitable iangling, idle words, worldly discourse vp­on the Sabbath, free and promiscuous conuersing, yea Tauernizing, Tobacconizing, with good and bad, vsing familiar recreations, with Papists, prophane persons, with­out any discrepance: swearing by faith and troth Against which lege Mat. 5.34. & Iames 5.12. See M Gibbins Sermon against vaine oaths., and the creatures, wasting and misspending of pretious time: besides these secret and hidden sinnes of vnbeliefe, pro­phanenesse of hart, hypocrisie, formality in Gods worship, idle thoughts, lustfull cogitations, doubtings, preuailing passions, secret anger, impatiency, murmurings against God in crosses, secret grudgings, emulations, repinings at the places or gifts of our brethren: euen these, and such as these, besides our will worship, coldnes in prayer, sluggish­nes in good duties, flarnesse of spirit, dulnes in our deuoti­ons, with the like, must be exceeding matter of our daily, sound, and serious humiliation: for euen such negligence, and failings and infirmities as these, and slacknesses in good duties, in good actions, haue beene occasions of hu­miliation to some sincere seruants of God, as may appeare by the letters of these zealous martyrs, Ridley, Latimer, & Bradford, recorded in the Martyrologi [...]: little moats haue troubled these tender eyes, as Dauid was troubled for tou­ching Sauls garment. Augustine repents in his Confessi­ons, of his time idlely spent in seeing a spider how shee caught a flye: of which yet me thinkes hee might haue made a good vse, if he had conceited the spider to be the deuill, the webbe his temptations, the fly the credulous soule of a sinner; or the spider the harlot Prou. 5. & Prou. 7., the webbe her whorish lookes, songs, gestures, plots, allurements; the fly the deluded young foole: or the spider, Dalilah, Iudg. 14.15: her deceits and delusious the webbe; the fly strong-womanish weake Sampson: like as that famous Husse also is repor­ted by M ^r. Foxe Martyrol. in Epist. Husse., in his imprisonment, to haue repented his losse of time in playing at Chesse, occasioning withall [Page 132] his impatiencie, & anger. Oh if these small omissions, pre­termissions, troubled the tender hearts of these humbled soules, how much more occasion haue we to weepe euen teares of blood if it could be, for our great and grieuous a­bominations? yea euen the very best of vs, for our daily aberrations and wandrings: first, our coldnesse in good duties; secondly, our lukewarmenesse, [...]epiditie Reu. 3.16., and timiditie in our profession; thirdly, our vnwise walking in many things vnworthy of our holy calling; fourthly, our leauing like the Church of Ephesus Reu. 2.4, 5. our first loue; fiftly, our manifold relapses and Apostasies; sixtly, our manifest breaches of our many vowes & couenants with the Lord; seuenthly, our inordinate vse of the creatures; eightly, the abuse of our Christian liberty euen in things lawfull; ninthly, our manifold scandals and offences which wee iustly giue in things not expedient; tenthly, our stumbling blockes we cast before the weake brethren; eleuenthly, our want of loue to the Lord, & the Saints; twelfthly, our omissions or sleight performances of many duties, of pie­tie and charity to God and man; 13. our little reuerence and estimation of, and loue to the ordinances; 14. our rash iudging Mat. 7.1. vt olim Phar [...]sei. Mat. 9.11. Luke 19.7., vncharitable, preposterous, vngrounded cen­sures and surmises of the actions or affections of our bre­thren; 15. our strangenesse and hangings off from the fel­lowship of the Saints; 16. our selfe-conceits and opinions we haue of our selues and our gifts, with too proud and peremptory vndervaluing of others; 17. our fauouring of our selues in some lesser and smaller sinnes of our natures or callings As once Naa­man, 2 King. 5.18., which we doe not or list not discerne; 18. our barrennesse and vnfruitfulnesse in grace, not answering the excellent meanes, we doe inioy; 19. our vnthankful­nesse for so many excellent blessings See D. Carlton his booke of Gods mercies to England▪ See also my Irelands Iubilee in fine., temporall, spiritual, generall, speciall, publicke, priuate, domesticke; 20. our little simpathizing with the afflictions of the Saints; our not remembring of poore distressed Ioseph in France, and else-where; our not mourning with those that mourne, [Page 133] alas, might iustly cause vs with other failings in this na­ture, to mourne more then Doues in the desart, and Pelli­cans in the wildernesse, yea to be humbled euen the very best of vs, lower then the lowest dust, &c.

Lastly, how much occasion haue all of vs to be hum­bled, not onely for our owne sinnes, but euen for the sins and sufferings of others; (for omitting our owne seuerall crosses, which euery one of vs beare and must beare with Simon Cyrenaeus Luke 23.26., if we be Christs Disciples: as euery one knowes where the shooe wrings him, some being occa­sioned to mourne for the diseases and infirmities of his body, for Iobs Biles, Asaes Gout; some for his crookednes and deformity, lame like Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 9.3.; some for losse of their children, as Iacob for his Ioseph, Rachel mourning for her sonnes Mat. 2. ex Ier., as the Nightingale for her young; some for the barrennesse of a wife, as Isaac Gen. 25.21.; or her peruers­nesse, as Moses for his Zipporab Exod. 4.25.; some for wicked and bad children, as Aaron Leuit. 10.1., Ely 1 Sam. 3.13., Samuel 1 Sam. 8.3., for their sonnes; some for the vntimely death of a friend, as Dauid 2 Sam. 3.23. for Abner; some in one case, some in another:) I say, leauing these (though daily occasioning our humilation euery one of vs in our places, if we be not sensuall, feared, cautherized and as senselesse stoicall stockes and fooles in Israel) if we but cast our eye and reflect on these externalls, euen the sinnes, infirmities, and miseries of others, vnlesse we be hewne out of Caucasus, and be without all bowels of compassion, we cannot but be exceedingly humbled and deiected.

To heare the oathes and blasphemies of the multitude, yea of men of all sorts, stares, and places See M. Dow­nam in one of his 4 Treatises against Swea­ring., in City and Country, tearing Christ with their tongues and teeth, and renting his humanity as a company of wide mouthed Hounds rend a silly Kid or Hare: one blaspheming his blood, another his heart, another wounding his wounds, another Iewishly setting thornes vpon his head, not spa­ring his very feet, no not his guts, vngracious children [Page 134] shooting thus their inuenomed arrowes at their Fathers heart and brest, vile Serpents hissing thus against him that was exalted on the Crosse, as the brazen Serpent in the wildernesse, for to cure their soules: to see others as drunk as Apes See M. Harris his Cup of Drunkards., as filthy as Swine, meere Hermophrodites, ha­uing the faces of men, yet meere womanish, effeminate in their lookes, their dangling lockes, amorous loues, luxu­rious lusts: Others as prophane as very Pagans, hauing not so much shew of true Religion as Turkes, Tartars, Virginians, in their superstition; keeping their Sabbaths in Tauernes more then Temples, seruing their lusts, their belly, for their God Philip. 3.17., and Ʋenus for their Goddesse; wal­king in Cathedrals and publike places, euen in time of Sermons and religious worship, as though it were in the Royall Exchange, or in some publike Faire, or at Franck­furt Mart: others grinding the faces of the poore, eating them vp as bread, the great ones deuouring the poore, as the great fishes the small, preying vpon them as Beasts and Birds of prey; getting and retaining they care not from whom, nor how, perfas, & nefas, by hook or crook, right or wrong Non refert quomodo sed oportet habere.: others plotting and complotting, like Haman and Achitophel, how to rise by anothers ruine: more studious in Machiauel then in Moses: others againe leauing their first loue, falling from their holy profession, as Starres from Heauen As that Apo­state Iulian. apud Theod. lib. 3, giue too much occasion to any that loue God and hate sinne, in the least sincere measure, to mourne for all these abominations, like those marked mourners in Ezekiel Ezek. 9.4.; yea, as Samuel mourned for reiec­ted Saul; and to vexe their hearts as did Lot, for the vn­righteous conuersation of vngodly ones and gracelesse ones, that euery where swarme as Aegyptian Locusts, now in the times and dayes of grace.

SECT. 1. The Penitents practice in all the parts.

THus haue we proued the point propounded, that all of all sorts ought to be humbled, we haue instanced in the Magistracy, the Mi­nistery, the Commonalty, all in generall, and might goe thorow all persons and pro­fessions in particular, Statists, Lawyers, Physitians, Stu­dents, Practitioners in euery facultie; but this course would be too laborious, too speciall, too punctuall, per­haps subiect to exception, construction, &c. I would a­uoid offence. Yet because the whole world lyes in ini­quity Totus mundus in maligno po­situs., slumbring in a lethargicall security, drowned in sensuality, frozen in their dregs, like Moab; carelesse and at ease like the people of Laish Iudg. 18.10.27., least suspitious of danger, like Sodom and the old worldlings, euen when they are nearest to destruction Luke 17.26, 27, 28, 29., singing to the Violl and the Harp, neuer considering the calamities to which their poore soules are obnoxious: few knowing the doctrine, fewer practising the duties of true repentance and vnfained hu­miliation, which is the onely physicke of the sicke soule, the medicine to sinnes malady, the freer from sins slauery, the awakener out of sinnes lethargy, the port and hauen to the endaingered soule in the greatest shipwracke Secunda ta­bula post nau­fragium.. I might further dilate and inlarge this profitable point, and from the grounds of Ezekiahs blessed and pious practice I might labour to build vp a perfect penitent, a humbled Publican, euery way squared for the spirituall building, as a liuing stone for Sion: in which perswasion I would bring him, as I ayme, to that true Ierusalem, the vision of perfect peace, &c.

[Page 136]And in the forming and framing of this my true Humi­liate, which I would haue not an Vtopian and imaginary Penitent, (like Tullies Orator, or Aristotles happy man) but a true, express, and liuely Idaea of a thorowly humbled heart, lest I lose my selfe in this maine Champian and large field of matter, I might keepe my selfe within the hedges and inclosures of these propounded particulars.

1. First, I might shew wherein this humiliation con­sists, with the parts and adiuncts of it.

2. Secondly, examine our owne practice according to these parts.

3. Thirdly, presse the performance wherein wee are deficient.

4. Fourthly, examine the sincerity of all, to shed from hypocrisie.

5. Fiftly, by motiues perswade all in the generall and speciall.

6. Sixtly, prescribe the meanes by which it is attained.

7. Seuenthly, remoue the obstacles and letts by which it is hindred.

8. Eightly, expresse the signes by which it is showne and knowne.

9. Ninthly, set downe the times in which it is to bee practised.

To make onely for this time an entrance into these, because I haue beene already too tedious. For the first, [...] true humiliation: as both the body and the soule haue sinned, so both should be humbled; as both are subiects o [...] sinne, so both should be subiects of this humiliation. I may therefore be distinguished into

• Externall, and
• Internall.

Some parts of it must be performed in the outward some in the inward man: the outward being but as th [...] [Page] [Page] [Page 137] expression of the inward, the inward (as wee say of the prayer of the heart without the voice) being alwayes ef­fectuall and auaileable with God, without the outward, but the outward without the inward, as was that of Ahabs, being euer counterfeit and hypocriticall, as the body without a soule, euen the very out-shell, the out-barke, the out-rinde and slough of Repentance, without any in­ward sap, or marrow, or kernell of sincerity: yet as the body and the soule make a perfect man, so the casting downe both of the body and soule before the Lord, make an humbled man: Or as we may distinguish it, in a fur­ther diuision; in humiliation something is to be performed in respect of

• 1. God.
• 2. Our selues.
• 3. Our Neighbours.
• 4. The Creatures.
• 5. Our demeanour in the outward man.

Againe, concerning man something is to bee perfor­med, respecting

• 1. All in generall.
• 2. Those with whom we haue sinned.
• 3. Those against whom we haue sinned.
• 4. Those whom we haue in speciall wronged.
• 5. Our Enemies.
• 6. Our Equals.
• 7. The Poore.

Thus haue I laid downe the particulars of Humiliation, both the substantiall and circumstantiall requisites of this excellent Grace, as the chiefe and choice ingredients to this best physicke of the soule, if I had not incroached too much vpon the houre, and borrowed some quarter now, [Page 138] and more in the forenoone, which I must repay againe when I can, in a more resolued breuity: if your attentions were not as wel tired, as my strength and spirits exhausted, this day, to the body of these meerely proposed points, I should adde as it were the very soule, by doctrinall expli­cation, and further vsefull application: but God is the God of order, and not of confusion: Oft times both in hearing and speaking, as Christ said of his Disciples wat­ching, the spirit is willing, the flesh is weake: and I haue oft thought, that as too much raine rather drownes then fructifies the earth, and as too much meat rather exone­rates the stomacke (as ouer-weight ouer-ballanceth the ship) then turnes into good nutriment, when more is re­ceiued then the naturall heat doth concoct: so too long and tedious Sermons rather dull and dead the attention, then turne to Christian edification: therefore though I hope you haue found Honey from Ezekiahs bitter afflic­tion and castigation, (as Sampson once out of the Lyons belly) yet according to Salomons caueat, lest eating too much at once you surfet, lest out of preposterous prolixi­tie I rather [...]edifie then edifie, I referre the further prose­cution of these points, till God giue againe desired op­portunity to bring to a full period and consummation, what now hath onely an inchoation.