THE FIRST LECTVRE.

HOw grieuous a burden sinne is, you may well perceiue, by the heauy punishments, which God layeth vpon the committers of sinne. Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecie hath yeelded vnto you. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edo­mites, and the Ammonites haue for their sinnes bin seuerally repayed with vengeance from Heauen; the fire of the wrath of God hath seized vpon them, and devoured them; their [Page 2] Cities are become desolate; their memorie is perished from off the earth. As it is befallen them, so it befalleth the Moa­bites also: against whom Amos in the beginning of this se­cond chapter directeth his prophecie: and to the same pur­pose, whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed.

TheSee my sixth Lecture vpon Amos 1. reasons why Amos, sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites, doth prophecie against the Syrians, the Philistins, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, all forreine nations, are three.

1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen, the Israelites. The Israelites seeing their Pro­phet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians, and other their ene­mies, could not but with more quiet heare him, when he should prophecie against them also. Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici: Some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man, to see his enemie in distresse likewise.

2. That they might haue no cause to wonder, if God should at any time come against them in vengeance, seeing that he would not spare the Syrians, and other their neighbor countries, though they were destitute of the light of Gods word, and ignorant of his will.

3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecie, when they should see the Syrians and other Nations affl [...]cted, and tormented according to the heinous­nes of their iniq [...]ities.

Here might the Israelites thus haue argued: Will not God spare the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edo­mites, the Ammonites, the Moabites? Then out of doubt he will not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God, and yet shall they be so seuerely punished? How then shall we escape; who knowing Gods holy will, haue contemned it?

You see now, why Amos sent with a message to the Ten Tribes of Israel, doth first prophecie against foreine Nati­ons. In the last place are the Moabites. This prophecie against the Moabites, Tremellius and Iunius in their transla­tion [Page 3] of the Bible, do add to the first Chapter, as a part of it. But sith the Hebrew text so diuides it not, I will not follow them: but will expound it, as belonging to the second Chapter.

The words then which I haue read vnto you, are the burden of Moab; a heauy prophecie against Moab. And doe conteine three generall parts.

• 1. A preface, vers. the 1. Thus saith the Lord.
• 2. A prophecie, vers. the 1. For three transgressions of Moab &c.
• 3. A conclusion, vers. the 5. Saith the Lord.

The preface, and conclusion, doe giue authoritie to the prophecie; whereby we learne that the words here spoken by Amos, are not the words of Amos, but the words of the euerliuing GOD.

The prophecie consisteth of foure parts.

• 1. The generall accusation of Moab. For three transgressions of Moab, and for foure.
• 2. The Lords protestation against them: I will not turne to it.
• 3. The declaration of that grieuous sinne, whereby they so highly offended God: Because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime. vers. 1.
• 4. A commination, or denuntiation of such punish­ment, as should be laid vpon them for their sins. vers. 2. & 3.

This punishment is set downe,

• 1. In a generalitie: Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab, and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Kirioth.
• 2. More especially: Where I obserue,
  • 1. The manner of the punishment, as that it should come vpon them with feare, trouble, and asto­nishment: And Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.
  • 2. The extent of it. None might escape it: neither Prince, nor King. For thus saith the Lord, vers. [Page 4] the 3. I will cut off the Iudge, (the King) out of the middest thereof, and will slay all the Princes thereof with him.

Thus haue you the Analysis, resolution, or diuision of my Text. Returne we now to the Preface: Thus saith the Lord; whose name in my Text is Iehovah.

Sundry are the Names of God in holy Scripture; by which albeit the substance of God cannot aptly, and clearely be defined, yet they serue vs thus farre; to bring vs to some further knowledge of God, then otherwise we should haue. These Names of God are obserued by ancient Diuines to be of two sorts, Negatiue, and Affirmatiue.

The negatiue Names of God, are Vncreated, Incorporeall, Invisible, Incorruptible, Infinite, and such like: and these de­scribe not, what God is; but what he is not; and doe eui­dently declare vnto vs, that he is bonum quoddam excellen­tissimum, some most excellent Good, free from all imperfe­ction of any creature.

The affirmatiue Names of God, are ascribed vnto him either essentially, or by way of relation, or by a Metaphor. The Names of God ascribed vnto him essentially, are ei­ther proper to him alone, or common to others also. Among the essentiall Names of God, proper to him alone, is Iehovah, the Name of God in my Text. His other es­sentiall Names communicable vnto others, as to men, doe yet belong vnto God, either modo excellentiae, by an excel­lencie: or modo causae independentis; as he is the primarie cause of all things. By an excellencie, God is said to bee Good, Iust, Wise, Mighty, Holy, Mercifull: and as he is the primarie cause of all things, so is he called a Creator, a Re­deemer, and hath other like appellations.

Now the affirmatiue Names of God, ascribed vnto him by way of relation, are the Names of the Trinitie, in which there is no [...], no cōmeation, no vnion; each person hath his proper name Father, Son, & Holy Ghost. The other affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by a meta­phor, are affirmed of him either per [...], that [Page 5] euery man may vnderstand what they meane: as when God is said to be Angrie; or per [...], by analogie or si­militude, as when God is called a Lyon, a Stone, a Riuer.

Of these many Names of God, now repeated vnto you, his most proper Name is his Name in my Text: his Name Iehouah, a Name that cannot be attributed to any creature in the world, no not by an analogie, or similitude. It is the honourablest Name belonging to the great God of Hea­uen. I might spend much time about it, would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of theSee my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. Cabalists, and Rabbins.

They say it is nomen [...], a name not to be pro­nounced, not to be taken within polluted lips: they call it nomen tetragrammaton, a name of foure letters [...], by an excellency: for as much as the Name of God Abrah. Brovi{us} in fes [...]o Circumc. Dom. Conc. 3 Dei nomen significat quaternarius, ea ratione, quia fere omnibus, nomen Dei Quadrilito­rū Latinis Deus, Graecis [...], Ita­lis Idio, Germa­nis Goth, Polo­nis & Illyrijs Bogh, Gallis Dicu, Hispanis Dios, Hebraeis [...] Joh. Garhard lor. Theol. Tom. 1. de Natura Dei §. 26. Obseruant nonnulli appella­tionem Dei esse omnibus fere po­pulis quadrilite­rum. Sic Hebraeis [...] Assyrijs Adad, Aethiopibus [...] Persis [...]: Aegyptis [...]: Magis [...]: Arabibus Alla: Illyricis Bogi: Graecis [...]: Turcis [...]: Hetru­scis [...]: Latini [...] Deus: Hispanis Dios: Italis Idio: Gallis Dieu: Germanis Gott: Populis novi orbis Zimi: Vide P. Gregor. lib. 6. Synt. art. mirab. c. 2. in all tongues, and languages generally consisteth of foure let­ters: and they obserue these foure letters in Hebrew to bee letters of rest, to signifie vnto vs, that the rest, repose, and tranquillitie of all the Creatures in the world, is in God a­lone: they teach, that it is a powerfull name for the work­ing of miracles, and that by it Christ, and Moses haue done great wonders. But these their braine-sicke, superstitious, and blasphemous inventions, my tongue shall not enlarge. Yet thus much I say of this Name, that there is a secret in it. It is plaine Exod. 6.3. There thus saith the Lord vnto Moses: I appeared vnto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob, by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and all-sufficient God, but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them. This secret I haue heretofore vnfolded vnto you after this manner.

This great name of God, this name Iehovah; first it im­porteth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe, that he is yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer; which was, which is, and which is to come.

Secondly, it noteth the existence and perfection of all [Page 6] things in God, as from whom all creatures in the world haue their life, motion, and being. God is the being of all his creatures; not that they are the same, that he is, but because of him, and in him, and by him are all things.

Thirdly, it is the Memoriall of God vnto all ages, as himselfe calls it. Exod. 3.15. The Memoriall of his faith­fulnes, his truth, and his constancie in the performance of his promises. And therefore whensoeuer in any of the Prophets God promiseth, or threatneth, any great matter, to assure vs of the most certaine euent of such his promise, or threatning, he adds vnto it his name Iehovah: as here in my text: Thus saith Iehovah.

Iehovah.] The strength of Israel: who is not as man, that he should lye, nor as the sonne of man that he should repent. Wicked Balaam is driuen to confesse as much, Num. 23.19. and there proceedeth by way of question: Hath the Lord said, and shall he not doe it? Hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it? Samuel with boldnes tells Saul, 1. Sam. 15.29. that the Lord, who is the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent; and he giues this reason of it: For he is not a man that he should repent. All his words, yea all the titles of all his words are Yea, and Amen, so firmely ratified, that they cannot be altered; so standing immuta­ble, that they cannot be changed. Our Sauiour Christ giues record herevnto. Matth. 24 35. Coelum & terra prae­teribunt. Heauen and Earth shall passe away; but Gods words, they shall not passe away. The grasse withereth, saith the Prophet Esay cap. 40.8. The grasse withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand for euer.

Thus are we by this name Iehovah led to the conside­ration of the truth of God. Gods truth is his essentiall proprietie, whereby he is most free from all shew or shadow of falshood. This his truth is eminent in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words. In himselfe, two manner of wayes. 1. In respect of his essence, whereby he truly is. 2. For­asmuch as he is the Idea, type, and patterne of all the truth that is in any creature.

Now concerning the workes of God, they all are Truth? whether they be Internall, or Externall. His Internall workes are either personall, or essentiall: and both nothing but truth. For his personall workes: the Father doth truly beget the Sonne, the Sonne is truly begotten of the Father: and the holy Ghost doth truly proceed from the Father: and the Sonne: the like must we say of his essentiall workes; Whatsoeuer God hath decreed, he hath truly decreed it, and doth truly exe­cute it.

Besides these Internall workes of God, some workes of his are called in the Schooles Externall. Such are the creation of the world, the conseruation of the same, the gouern­ment of the Church, the couenant with the faithfull, and the like, in all which, most constant is the truth of God.

As the truth of God is eminent in himselfe, and in his workes, so also is it eminent in his words. This hath but now, bin prooued vnto you by the confession of Balaam, by the asseueration of Samuel, by the record of the Prophet Esay, and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. I shut vp this doctrine of the truth of God, with the words of the blessed Apostle S. Paul, Rom. 3.3. Let God be true, and euery man a lyar.

Now let vs see what vses may be made of this doctrine.

Is it true?

Is God truth in himselfe, in his works and in his words?

Hereby may euery childe of God among vs be well as­sured, that our faith in God the Father, in Christ his Sonne, and in the holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father, and the Sonne, is most true and most certaine: and cannot by any meanes be deceiued it selfe, or deceiue vs? For it is groun­ded, and supported, vpon, and by the words of him, who onely is the true God, yea truth it selfe: who hath truly sayd concerning vs, and all other, who beleeue in Christ, that he hathRom. 8.37. loued vsEphes. 1.4. before the foundation of the world, hath chosen vs to eternall life; for our better atteining whereof, he hathRom. 8.3. sent into the world his owne Sonne in the simili­tude of sinfull flesh;Galat. 4.4. made of a woman, and made vnder the Law, that by his1. Iohn 1.7. bloud we might be clensed from all [Page 8] sinne, andRom. 5.9. iustifyed in the sight of God: that by his holy spirit we might be1. Pet. 1.3. regenerated, gouerned, defended from our enemies; and at that great day, the day of the resurrec­tion of all flesh, we may both bodie and soule be brought into the full possession of eternall life.

Which being so, what remaineth on our parts, but that we abide constantly in our holy faith, and perseuere there­in, euen vnto the end? Without perseuerance our faith will not auaile vs. For not euery one, but such onely as are marked in their foreheads with the letter Tau, with the note of perfection, and perseuerance, shall enter the inheritance of the blessed. Ezech. 9 4. And not euery one, but he onely, that endureth to the end shall be saued. Matth. 10.22. And not euery one, but he onely which is faithfull vnto death, shall receiue the crowne of life. Reuel. 2.10.

Let the dog returne to his vomit, and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire, as the Prouerbs are. 2. Pet. 2.22. But let vs hold fast our holy faith, till it shall please God to call vs to make our finall account, how we haue spent the dayes of our Pilgrimage in this present world. So shall he, that is holy, and true; who hathReuel. 3.7. the key of Dauid, which openeth and no man shutteth; which shutteth, and no man open­eth; open vnto vs the gates of Ierusalem, which is aboue, and giue vs full fruition of euerlasting happinesse.

Thus haue you the first vse of my first doctrine, touching the truth of God. My doctrine was:

God is truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words.

The first vse concerneth our faith in Christ, and our per­seuerance therein. A second followeth.

It appertaineth to thankesgiuing. For if our saluation, and eternall life doe depend vpon the knowledge of the heauenly truth; and God brings none to the knowledge of this truth but his elect, and chosen people; how great thankes ought we to giue vnto God, not onely for choo­sing vs, but also for making it knowne vnto vs by the reue­lation of his truth, that we are his chosen people. For he hath not onely imprinted in the vs image of that truth, [Page 9] which is eternall in himselfe; but also daily bringeth vs to such a measure of knowledge of that his heauenly truth wherein consisteth our saluation, that we may be saued.

What greater benefit can there be vnto vs, then this? What more ample testimonie of his eternall good will to vs? For this benefit, that is, for the knowledge of Gods heauenly truth, the blessed Apostle S^t Paul neuer ceased to giue thanks vnto God. I thanke God (saith he 1. Tim. 1.12.) I thanke him, who hath made me strong, that is, Christ Iesus our Lord: for he counted me faithfull, and put me in his seruice; When before I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an op­pressor, but I was receiued to mercy. From this his thankefull heart proceeded those his words, Phil. 3.8. Doubtlesse, I thinke all things but losse, for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord, for whom I haue counted all things losse, and doe iudge them to be but [...], euen dung, that I might winne Christ.

S^t Pauls charitie was not confined within the Temple of his owne bodie; others had a tast thereof. As the Corinthi­ans; to whom in his first Epistle, cap. 1. ver. 4. he thus ma­nifesteth his affection: I thanke my God alwayes on your be­halfe, for the grace of God which is giuen you in Iesus Christ, that in all things ye are made rich in him, in all kind of speech. And in all knowledge. I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe, not for your riches, for your honors, for your large posses­sions, for your flourishing cittie, but for the grace of God, which is giuen you in Iesus Christ for your free vocation, for your faith, for your reconciliation, for your iustificati­on, for your regeneration, for your hope of eternall salua­tion, for the preaching of the word of God among you, and for your knowledge of the truth thereof.

The knowledge of this truth of God, farre surpasseth all the treasures of this corruptible world. Shall not we then poure out our soules in thankfulnes before almightie God, for bestowing vpon vs so gracious a blessing, as is this know­ledge of the truth of God? Let vs with the spirit of blessed Paul, account all things which haue beene, or are gainefull [Page 10] to vs in this present world, to be but losse and dung in re­spect of this knowledge of Gods holy truth, forasmuch as here­by we may winne Christ. Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine. My doctrine was:

God is truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words.

The second vse concerneth our thankesgiuing for the knowledge of Gods truth. The third tendeth to our imitation.

Is it true? Is God truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words? Why striue we not with all the faculties, and pow­ers of our soules to represent our God in truth? He in the beginning, in the first man, in our forefather Adam, created and made vs in his owne image, after his owne likenesse. Gen. 1.26. Then was man inuested with glorious roabes, with immortalitie, with vnderstanding, with freedome of will: then was he perfectly good, and chast, and pure, and iust, and true: Whatsoeuer might appertaine to happines, or holinesse, he then had it. For God created him so like vnto himselfe in perfect happines, and holinesse; that he might in some sort beare about with him the image of the great and glorious God of Heauen.

But alas, our first Parent continued not long in that his first estate, of puritie, innocencie, and integritie; by his fall he lost vs, that his precious Iewell, which, (had he stood fast) would haue beene vnto vs a chaine of gold about our neckes; yea, as it is called Psal. 8.5. A crowne of honor, and glorie. But by his fall we are become miserable, and vnho­ly, and wicked, and vncleane, and false; as vnlike to God, as darkenesse is to light, and Hell is to Heauen.

In this estate of sinne, and death, we all lay wallowing, till God of his owne vnspeakeable mercy, and goodnesse raised vs vp by his grace to a better state; a state of regene­ration, and saluation; wherein all we whose names are written in the Register of the elect, and chosen children of God, must spend the remainder and residue of the dayes of our pilgrimage in this world. In this state wee must not stand at one stay, but must alwayes be growing vpward. We must day by day endeuour to encrease our spirituall [Page 11] strength, and change our Christian infancie with a ripe and constant age; and adde grace to grace, till we become per­fect men in Christ.

To vs, now in the state of regeneration belongeth the exhortation of God vnto the children of Israell. Leuit. 11.44. Be ye holy, for I am holy: And that of Christ to his audi­tors vpon the Mount. Matth. 5.48. Be ye perfect, as your Fa­ther which is in heauen is perfect: or as it is in S^t Luke. Chap. 6.36. Be ye mercifull, as your Father also is merciful. By which places we are not exhorted to a perfection of supererogati­on, as Monkes would haue it, nor to a perfect and absolute fulfilling of the Law; for that is impossible, so long as wee carry about vs these vessels of corruption: witnesse S^t Paul Rom. 8.3. But all that we are exhorted to, is, that we would do our best endeuours to resemble our God, and to be like vnto him, in holinesse, in perfection, in mercifulnesse. Be holy, as God is holy: be perfect, as God is perfect; be mercifull, as God is mercifull; non absoluta aequalitate, sed similitudine: not absolutely, and equally, holy, perfect, and mercifull, as God is, but by a similitude. God is our Father: and will not we his children, like good children, striue to be acco­modated and fitted to our Fathers vertues?

Beloued, let vs apply our selues to this imitation of our heauenly Father, to be holy, as he is holy; to be perfect, as he is perfect; to be mercifull, as he is mercifull; and for my pre­sent purpose, to be true, as he is true.

To this last we may thus be led. God is our Creator; and he is the God of truth. Psal. 31.5. Christ is our Redeemer, and he is Truth. Ioh. 14.6. We are renued by the holy Ghost, and he is the spirit of Truth. Ioh. 16.13. We liue in the bo­some of the Church; and she is the pillar and ground of Truth 1. Tim. 3.15. Thus liuing, we are taught by the word of truth. Colos. 1.5. And are brought to the knowledge of the Truth. 1. Tim. 2.4. And are sanctified by Truth. Ioh. 17.17. Adde hereto, that we are commaunded euery one to speake the Truth, Ephes. 4.25. And shall we doe our best to resemble God in Truth? To be true as he is true? Dearely beloued, [Page 12] sith we are the children of Truth (for God is Truth, and his children we are) let vs walke, as it becometh the children of Truth: let Truth be in our thoughts, in our words, in our workes: in all our wayes.

What shall I more say to this poynt, but exhort you in S^t Paules words, Ephes. 4.25. That ye would cast off lying, and speake euery man the truth to his neighbour. For as much as the Lord will destroy all such as speake lies. This you know by the fift Psalme, ver. the 6. But how will he destroy them? It is answered, Reuel. 21.8. All lyars shall haue their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Thus haue you the third vse of my doctrine. My doctrine was:

God is truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words.

The third vse is, our holy imitation of God in truth.

There is yet a fourth vse of this doctrine of the truth of God. It serues for a redargution, or reproofe of such as de­ny God, and his truth. Deny God, and his truth? Can there be any, endued with a reasonable soule, so voyd of vnder­standing? Yes. There is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule, who spare not to break the cords of Religion asunder, and to cast her yoke from them. They dare auouch with those in Tullie, Totam de Dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapienti­bus reipub. causâ, vt quos ratio non posset, eos ad officium religio duceret: judging the seruice of God to be a meere deuise of man, for the better gouernment of the Common-wealth; wherein inferiors, sith they will not be ruled by reason, must be ordered by religion.

Tell such of the Scriptures, you may as well vrge them with Lucians narrations: tell them of repentance, they cast it behind them: tell them of faith, they regard it not. Speake to them of baptisme, they hold it of no greater price, then the washing of their hands. Let them heare of the Resur­rection, this feeds them with many a merry conceit. They thinke pleasantly with themselues, what manner of bodies they shall haue at that day, of what proportion and stature their bodies shall be; whether their nayles, and haire shall [Page 13] rise againe. Impious wretches, thus they make a scoffe at God and religion: whom, were they vsed according to their deserts, the Preachers should pronounce, and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers, that euer yet sore ranne vpon; very worthy to bee excluded the hoast, and to haue their habitation alone: yea to be exiled the land, and to bee ex­pelled from nature it selfe, which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught. I say no more against them; but leaue them to the God of truth, whom they haue denied, that he in due time may repay them home with vengeance.

Thus farre am I guided by my first doctrine, grounded vpon this essentiall name of God, his name Iehouah: im­porting his truth in himselfe, in his workes, and in his words: Thus saith Iehouah.

Thus saith the Lord] Is not this the prophesie of Amos? Are not all the words of this prophesie, chap. 1.1. called the words of Amos the heardsman? What then meaneth this phrase, Thus saith the Lord? As Almighty God in olde time spake to our Fathers by the mouth of Moses, Exod 4.12. So did hee in succeeding ages speake vnto them by the mouth of other his Prophets, Luke 1.70. Heereto S. Peter beareth record, 2. Epist. 1.20. Know this, saith he, that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion; and he giues the reason heereof, verse 21. For, the prophesie in old time, came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake, as they were mooued by the holy Ghost. Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets: The word of the Lord came vnto me; The Lord God hath spoken, and this in my Text: Thus sayth the Lord.

This Lord, who thus spake in old time by his Prophets, did in fulnesse of time, when he sent to consummate, and perfect the worke of mans redemption, speake by his bles­sed Euangelists and Apostles. This appeareth by the faith­full promise made vnto them, Matth. 10.19. Take no thought how, or what yee shall speake: It is not yee that speake, but the Spirit of your Father, that speaketh in you. It must stand euer true, what is recorded 2 Tim. 3.16. The whole [Page 14] Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God. The whole Scrip­ture, and euery parcell of it, ha [...]h inward witnesse from the Spirit, which is the author of all truth. Sweet then is the harmony, consent and agreement of all the Prophets, E­uangelists, and Apostles, from the first vnto the last. Not one of them spake one word of a naturall man, in all their ministeries: the words which they spake, were the words of him that sent them: they spake not of themselues; God spake in them. Whensoeuer were the time, whatsoeuer were the meanes, whosoeuer were the man, wheresoeuer were the place, whatsoeuer were the people, the words were the Lords. Hence ariseth this doctrine:

The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell, nor any other creature, how excellent soeuer, but onely the liuing and immortall God.

This truth is euident, by this which I haue but now deli­red. For if God in old time spake to our Fathers, by the mouth of Moses, if God spake by other his Prophets, if God spake by the Euangelists and Apostles, if all Scripture be inspired of God; then it well followeth; that God is the author of Scripture: and therefore not man, nor Angell, nor any other creature, how excellent soeuer. I can but point at the vses of this doctrine.

The first vse is redargution. Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture? Heere are all they to bee reprooued, who doe vilifie and debase the sacred Scriptures, and esteeme not of them, as of the word of God. Such are they, who bearing in their fore-heads, the stampe of Chri­stians, haue notwithstanding giuen their names to that An­tichrist of Rome, and the now-false Church there. They shame not to affirme, that, setting aside the authority of that Church, and her head the Pope, the Scripture is no bet­ter, then aColl [...]q W [...]rm [...]t. doubtfull, vncertaine and leaden rule, then aColloq. R [...] ­tubon. matter of debate, thenLudouic. Maioranus. dead inke, thenEsk [...]ns. inken diuini­ty, then aPighius. nose of wax, then aColloq. Worm. booke of discord, then aPighius. dumbe Iudge, thenH [...]ius. Gre [...]er. Heereof see my second Le­cture vpon Amos 1. Aesops fables.

Impious wretches; had they not wip'd all shame from [Page 15] their faces, they would neuer haue layd such load of dis­graces vpon Gods holy word. Their Cardinall Hosius stayes not heere, he proceedes a degree further. He coynes a distinction of Scripture, as its vsed by themselues, whom he calleth Catholikes, and as by vs, whom hee calleth He­retikes. His words are in the end of his third book against Brentius his Prolegomena. The Scripture, quomodo profer­tur à Catholicis verbū est Dei, quomodo profertur ab Haereticis verbum est Diaboli, as it is alledged by vs, so must it bee, forsooth, the word of the Deuill, but as by them, so onely shall it be the word of God. Blasphemous Cardinall, hee marcheth not alone.Syntagm. Disput. Sedan. loc. 2. De origine sacrae Scripturae §. 32. pag. 17. Telenus tels mee of a champion of that side, as farre forward as he, who saith; Melius consul­tum fuisse Ecclesiae, si nulla vnquam extitisset Scriptura, that, had there neuer beene any Scripture, the Church had beene better prouided for, then now it is. Sedens in coelis ridet: there's a God in heauen, that hath these wicked impes in derision: vpon whom, for their taunts, contumelies, and reproches against his sacred word, hee will one day poure out his full viols of wrath: then will he crush them with his scep [...]er of iron, and breake them in pieces like potters ves­s [...]ls. You haue the first vse. A second followeth.

Is the liuing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture? Heere then is a lesson for vs, whom God hat set a part to be Preachers, and Expounders of his will. We must handle his sacred Scripture, as his holy word: wee must euer come vnto you, as my Prophet heere did to the Israelites, with Thus saith the Lord, in our mouthes. Wee may not speake either the imagination of our owne braines, or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts. We must sincerely preach vnto you, Gods gracious word without all corruption, or deprauing of the same. To this S Peter well exhorteth vs in his 1. Epist. and chap. 4.11. If any man speake, let him speake as the word of God. For if wee, yea if an Angell from Heauen shall preach otherwise vnto you, then from the Lords own mouth, speaking in his holy word, [...]; let him be accursed; let him be had in execration.

The third vse of this doctrine, is peculiar vnto you (Be­loued) who are auditors and hearers of the word. Is the li­uing and immortall God the author of holy Scripture? Then (Beloued) it is your part to heare vs with attention, and re­uerence, whensoeuer wee stand before you, to expound Gods holy Scripture. S. Paul commendeth the Thessalo­nians, Epist. 1. chap. 2.13. For that whensoeuer they re­ceiued of the Apostles of Christ, the word of the preaching of God, they receiued it not as the word of men, but as it was in­deede, the word of God. In like sort, if you receiue it, it will saue your soules. It is able so to doe. S. Iames shall bee your pledge, chap. 1.21. Receiue it therefore with meeknesse, that by it your soules may liue.

God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night, and sayd Gen. 46.2. Iaacob, Iaacob. Iaacob answered, I am heere. He was prest and ready with all reuerent attention, to heare what his God would say vnto him, and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience. Such readinesse well becom­meth euery childe of God at this day in the Church, where God speaketh. Thus must hee thinke within himselfe. It is thine ordinance, ô Lord, by thy word preached to in­struct me, concerning thy holy will. I am heere, Lord, in all humble feare, to heare thy blessed pleasure, what this day thou wilt put into the mouth of the Preacher to deli­uer vnto me, I am heere, speake on, Lord, thy seruant hea­reth. If a Prince of this world, or some great man shall speake vnto you, you will attend, and giue eare vnto him with all diligence; how much more then ought yee so to doe, when the King of Heauen, and Lord of the Earth, the liuing and immortall God, calleth vpon you by his Ministers?

What remaineth but that you suffer a word of Exhor­tation. It shall bee short: in S. Pauls words, Coloss. 3.16. Holy and beloued, as the elect of God, let the word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome. This word of God, it is his most royall and celestiall Testament, it is the oracle of his heauenly Sanctuarie, it is the only key vnto [Page 17] vs of his reuealed counsels; it is milke from his sacred breasts, the earnest and pledge of his fauor to his Church, the light of our feete, the ioy of our hearts, the breath of our nostrils, the pillar of our faith, the anchor of our hope, the ground of our loue, the euidence of our future blessednes.

Let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wis­dom. So shall your wayes by it be clensed, and your selues made cleane. Yet a very litle while, & he that shall come, will come, & will not tarry, euen our Lord Iesus Christ, who finding your wayes clensed, and your selues made cleane by his sacred word, will in his due time translate you from this valley of teares, into Ierusalem which is aboue, the most glorious Citie of God. There shall this cor­ruptible put on incorruption, and our morta­litie shall be swallowed vp of life. Euen so be it.

THE II. LECTVRE.

IN the former Sermon I handled the Preface. The Prophecie is now to be spoken vnto. The first part therein is: The accusation of Moab; in these words;

For three transgressions of Moab, and for foure.] Where we are to consider,

• 1. Who are accused.
• 2. For what they are accused.

The accused are the Moabites; and they are accused of many breaches of the Law of God. First of the accused.

Moab was one of the sonnes of Lot, begotten in incest vpon his eldest daughter. Gen. 19.37. From him by li­neall descent came these Moabites, a people inhabiting that part of the East, which is commonly knowne by the name of Coelesyria, but was formerly the possession of the Amo­rites. These Moabites, like their brethren the Ammonites, were professed enemies to the people of God, and did euermore very grieuously afflict, and vex them. In which respect, they were for euer by God his singular command­ment excluded from the Church. Gods commandement [Page 19] is expressed Deut. 23.3. The Ammonites, and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of the Lord. And its re­peated Nehem. 13.1. The Ammonites, and the Moabites shall not enter into the Congregation of God. Thus haue you the accused; euen the Moabites; the posteritie of Moab, who was Lots sonne; inhabitants of Coelesyria, and borderers vpon the Holy Land, the possession of the Israelites.

Now what are they accused of? Of many breaches of Gods law: in these words, For three, and foure transgres­sions] This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter, and haue heard it diuersly expounded. The most naturall, proper and significant exposition commended to you was; by three, and foure, a finite, and certaine num­ber, to vnderstand many; a number infinite, & vncertaine. For three transgressions of Moab, and for foure, that is, for ma­ny transgressions of the Moabites.

Among the many transgressions of the Moabites, their inhumanitie, and pride are specially noted. Their inhu­mane, spightfull, and cruell dealing against the Israelites, though a people of their owne kinred, appeareth diuers wayes. First, because when the Israelites came out of Aegypt, they met them not with prouision. Deut. 23.4. Secondly, because at that time they hiredDeut. 23.4. Balaam, the sonne of Beor, to curse them. Num. 22.5. Thirdly, be­cause they kept them in seruitude vnder King Eglon eigh­teene yeeres. Iudic. 3.12. Fourthly, because without re­spect of their allegiance to the Kings of Israel, due vnto them vpon King Dauids 2. Sam. 8.2. conquest, they rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. 2. King. 1.1. Fiftly, because they waged warre against Iehosaphat King of Iudah. 2 Chrō. 20.1. Sixtly, because they derided the Israelites, vpbrai­ded them, and made a iest at them. Ier. 48.27. Zephan. 2.8. You see the inhumanitie of the Moabites. Concerning their pride, heare the words of Ieremie chap. 48.29. We haue heard the pride of Moab: (he is exceeding proud) we haue heard his pride, his stoutnesse, his arrogancie, his dis­daine, and the hautinesse of his heart. Of this pride of [Page 20] Moab you may see more Esai. 16.6.

Of the many sinnes of Moab, you see two specially no­ted: their inhumanitie, and their pride: for which, and others, the Lord protesteth against them, that he will not turne to them. I will not turne to it] That is, as heretofore hath bin expounded, I will not be fauourable to the Moa­bites; I will not spare them; according to their deserts, so shall it be vnto them: I will not recall them to the right way; they shall runne on to their owne perdition: I will not turne away the punishment, wherewith I haue resol­ued to punish them: I am the Lord, I am not changed. I will not turne to it] It is in effect, as if the Lord had thus said: If the Moabites had offended but once, or twise, I would haue bin fauourable to them, and would haue re­cald them into the right way, that so they might haue bin converted, and haue escaped my punishments: But now, sith they daily heape transgression vpon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I haue hardned my face against them, and will not suffer them to be converted; but indu­rate, and obstinate as they are, I will vtterly destroy them. For three transgressions of Moab, and for foure I will not turne to it.

Here may you recall to your remembrances a doctrine sundry times recommended to your religious conside­rations.

Many sinnes doe plucke downe from Heauen the most cer­taine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners.

God is of pure eyes and beholdeth not iniquitie. He hath laid righteousnes to the rule, and weighed his iustice in a ballance. His sentence is passed forth from him, and stands vnalterable: Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill. The soule that sinneth, it shall be punished. God makes it good by an oath Deut. 23.41. That he will whet his glittring sword, and his hand shall take hold on iudge­ment to execute vengeance for sinne. His soule hateth, and abhorreth sinne; his law curseth, and condemneth sinne; his hand smiteth, and scourgeth sinne. Sinne was his mo­tiue [Page 21] to cast downe Angels into Hell, to thrust Adam out of Paradise, to turne Cities into ashes, to ruinate Nations, to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh. Because of sinne he once drowned the old world, and be­cause of sinne ere long will burne this. Thus doe many sinnes plucke downe &c.

One vse of this doctrine, is; to teach vs heedfulnesse in all our wayes, that we doe not by our many sinnes pro­uoke Almighty God to high displeasure.

A second Vse, is; to moue vs to a serious contempla­tion of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God, who did so graciously forbeare these Moabites, till by their three, and foure transgressions, by their many sinnes they had prouoked him to indignation. These things I haue here­tofore laboured to lay vnto your hearts.

Now therefore I proceed to the third part of this pro­phecie: wherein you haue the declaration of that grie­uous sinne, by which the Moabites so highly offended. This their sinne was a sinne of cruelty; expressed in these words: Because it burnt the bones of the King of Ed m into lime.

When this was done, or by which of the Kings of Mo­ab, or against which of the Kings of Edom, it is not expres­sed in holy Scripture. Some would hither referre that Hi­storie, 2 Kings 3. Where it is recorded of the King of Isra­el, that he assisted with two other Kings, the King of Iuda, and the King of Edom, made war vpon the King of Moab. The King of Moab, when he saw the battle was to sore for him, tooke with him seauen hundred stout warriours, and would haue broken throw to the King of Edom, but could not. Through indignation whereofPiscat. Ana­lys in 2 Reg. 3. some thinke that hee tooke the King of Edoms eldest sonne, and offered him for a burnt offering vpon the wall: for so some will haue the last verse of that chapter vnderstood of the King of Edoms sonne. But I take it more agreeable to that storie, there to vnderstand the King of Moabs owne sonne: that the King of Moab should offer vp for a burnt offering vpon the wall [Page 22] his owne eldest sonne, thereby to obtaine helpe of his God against his enemies. And so that storie appertaines not to this my Text. No; though wee receiue the former inter­pretation. For it is not here said, that he burnt the bones of the King of Edoms sonne into lime, but the bones of the King of Edom himselfe.

It is a tradition of the Hebrewes, that after the buriall of the King of Edom (that King, who went vp with2. Reg. 3.1. Iehoram, King of Israel, andv [...]rs. 7. Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, to warre a­gainstvers. 4. Mesha, King of Moab▪) the Moabites, in vltionem doloris, to be reuenged vpon him for the sorrow, which he wrought them; did digge vp his bones, and burne them. Of this tradition S. Ierome maketh mention: They did digge vp the King of Edoms bones, and burne them. Great was their rage, great their cruelty. Death appeased them not. The King of Edoms bones were not suffered to rest in his sepul­cher, but were taken thence, and burnt into ashes. These ashes some thinke were vsed with lime, or morter for the plaistering, pargetting, or rough-casting of their houses: for as much as my Prophet here saith, they burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime. If so; it was done Vindictae ma­ioris, & contumeliae causâ; that they might take full venge­ance vpon the King of Edom.

I may not passe it ouer with silence, that this cruelty of the Moabites, was against the Edomites, without all respect of bloud, and consanguinity. Edom, the Edomites, or Idu­maeans were descended from Abraham. Thus:Gen. 25.25. Edom, the first Father of the Edomites, or Idumaeans, was otherwise cal­led Esau, and was sonne of Izhac, who wasGen 21 3. sonne of A­braham. AndGen. 19. [...]7. Moab, from whom the nation of the Moa­bites tooke their name, was sonne vnto Lot, and Lot was A­brahams brothers sonne, the sonne ofG n. 11.27. Haran. There was then betweene the Moabites, and Edomites neerenesse of bloud, and full kindred.

Now we see what is the particular sinne of the Moabites, for which this prophecy is directed against them. Their sinne is Cruelty, and a speciall kinde of Cruelty; euen their [Page 23] denying of rest to the bones of the dead: and the more o­dious and intolerable is their Cruelty, because it is against their owne kindred.

The lesson, which we are to take from hence, is this.

All kinde of cruelty committed against a man, highly displea­seth God; but that specially, which violateth, and extinguisheth the rites of consanguinity, and naturall affection.

In mypag. 74. seauenth Lecture vpon the first chapter of this prophecy, I commended vnto you this doctrine: God is neuer well pleased with too much cruelty. In mypag. 230. 19. Le­cture I recommended it vnto you; varying my propositi­on, thus: Cruelty is a sinne hatefull vnto God. Now it comes vnto you in another forme, though the matter be the same▪ All kinde of cruelty, &c. My proposition hath two parts.

The first, All kind of cruelty committed against a man, high­ly displeaseth God. The second; There is a kinde of cruelty, that violateth, and extinguisheth the rightes of consanguinity, and naturall affection, and that specially displeaseth God. First, to the first.

All kinde of cruelty committed against a man highly displea­seth God.

No maruaile. For all kinde of cruelty is sin; and euery sin must taste of Gods high displeasure. All kinde of cru­elty is sin: For it is [...], a want of conformity to the Law of God, a transgression of the law, a breach of the law. Will you know against which commandement it is? It is against the sixt commandement. The commandement is: Thou shalt doe no murther; or, Thou shalt not kill. Where to kill, or to doe murther; by a Synechdoche, signifieth any kinde of endamaging the person of our neighbours. We may not so much as hurt, or hinder them. We are forbidden to sin against our neighbour, either in heart, or in word, or in countenance, or in deed. And in this last branch is cruelty forbidden vs. So is the first part of my proposition con­firmed; All kinde of crueltie committed against a man highly displeaseth God. The reason is; because it is a sin, against the sixth commandement.

The vse of this doctrine is to reprooue such as delight in crueltie. Man of all liuing creatures, ought to be the most courteous. His name in Latin is homo, and thatBoskier. Orat. Terra sancta. Philip. 4. loc. 1. pag. 87. one deriueth from the Greeke [...], a word that signifieth v­nanimitie, and concord: And from the Latin homo, is de­riued Humanitas, a word that signifieth courtesie, or gen­tlenes. So that the very name of man, Homo, sheweth thatHominem na­tura ad pacem composuit. man is euen framed by nature for vnanimitie, concord, courtesie, gentlenes, and peace.

OtherAnimantia ca [...]era ad b [...]l­lum. creatures are by nature euen armed for warre. Some haue their hornes, as Vnicornes, Harts, and Bulls: some their teeth; as Boares and Dogs: some their nayles, as Griffins and Lyons: some their poyson, either in their tongues, as Serpents, or in their tayles, as Scorpions, or in their breath, as Dragons, or in their eyes, as the Basiliske: Some haue their hard skinnes for their coates or couerings, as on land, the Armadillo; in the sea, the Tortoyse, the Crab, and all shell fish. All these, and other beasts are armed by nature, partly to defend themselues, partly to offend o­thers. Onely Man; he is borne in ermis, tenellus, edentulus; he comes into the world naked, tender, toothles; and hath not wherewith, either to offend another, or to defend him­selfe; to teach vs, that man should spend the dayes of his pilgrimage here in vnanimitie, concord, courtesie, gentle­nes, and peace.

The more are they to be reproued, who liuing among men, haue, as it were, put off the nature of Man, by their delight in cruell dealing. Such is the racking Landlord, who takes aduantage against his poore tenant for euery trifle. Such is the greedie Vsurer, who eares vp his brothers sub­stance with interest. Such is the stony-hearted Physitian, or Chirurgion, that prolongeth his patients disease, or sore, to wring the more money from him. Such is the troublesome man, who vniustly vexeth his neighbour in the law to his vndoing. Such are a l they, who are any way iniurious to them, with whom they liue.

I trust, there is none that heares me this day fit to be re­prooued [Page 25] for any cruell deed against the dead, as the Moa­bites here are for their burning the bones of the King of Edom into lime. And that you neuer may deserue with them to be reprooued, let it please you to heare a while, how this kind of crueltie hath in former ages beene accounted of.

It isVirgil. Aeneid. 1. written to the disprayse of Achilles, that he drag­ged the dead bodie of Hector thrise about the wals of Troy. It isLiv. Dec. 1. l. 1. written to the dispraise of Tullia, proud Tarquius wife, that she droue her waggon ouer the dead bodie of her Fa­ther Seruius Tullius the sixt King of Rome. It isPlutarch in Cicerone, & in Antonio. written to the dispraise of Antonie, the Triumvir, one of the three, who bore the sway at the beginning of the Romane Empire, that he caused the right hand, and the head of dead Cicero, that great Orator, to be cut off, and brought before him, that be­holding them, be might solace, and sport himselfe. And was it not a note of too much cruelty in Antonies wife, whe­ther it wereHieronym A­pol: aduersus R [...]ffinum. Fuluia, or that proud Egyptian Queene Cleo­patra, that she thrust her needle through the tongue of that dead Orator? Thus haue prophane Authors Ʋirgil, Livie, Plutarch, and others, conducted onely by natures light, noted, and censured crueltie against the dead. And shall not the light of Gods holy word conduct vs Christians to alike measure of vnderstanding, euen to detest all cruelty against the dead?

To this purpose the holy Euangelists, S. Mathew, and S. Marke; S^t Mathew chap. the 14. and S^t Marke chap. the 6. haue recorded it for a memoriall to all ensuing ages; that to the solemnizing of Herods birth day, the head of Iohn Baptist was brought in a platter to Herodias. Cruell Hero­dias! could not the vntimely, and vniust death of that holy man satisfie thy greedie, and bloud thirstie heart, but that thou must haue his head brought before thee in a platter? and that at such a time, so solemne a time, the birth day of thy Lord, thy King, thy supposed husband, Herod, euen then, when he feasted his Princes, and captaines, and chiefe estates of Galilee? A dead mans head, besmered with bloud, was very vnseasonable, and vnfit sawce for such a banquet. [Page 26] Yet then was Iohn Baptists head brought before Herodias in a platter. What did she to it? Doubtlesse, all the disgrace she could. One thing S^t Hierome in his second booke of his Apollogie against Ruffinus, specifieth, thatVeri [...]qu [...]m [...] [...]uam discri­minali acu con­fodi [...]. she thrust his tongue through with a needle.

In the 19. of Iohn ver. 34. it is recorded to the memori­all of all ensuing ages, that when Iesus had by his sufferings vpon the Crosse, and paiment of the price of our redemp­tion giuen vp the ghost; then a Iew, a souldier of the Iewes, with a speere pierced his side, whereout forthwith issued bloud, and water. Vpon that cruell souldiers factSalmeron com­ment. in Euan­gel. Tom. 10. Tract. 48. one as­keth this question: Quid est, quod filius Dei tormentis in vita toleratis, non contentus, voluit etiam post mortem vulnera acci­pere? What is it, that the sonne of God not content with such torments, as in his life time he endured, would also after his death be wounded? Among many, and they great causes, he giues this for one Vt innotesceret nostra immanitas, & saeuitia, qui etiam in mortuum saeuimus; that notice may be taken of our immanitie, & crueltie, for as much as we spare not the dead. It is the propertie of a Lyon, to spare a man, not onely, that is dead, but also that lyeth prostrate, and flat vpon the ground: What fauour a man receiues from a Ly­on, Christ Iesus, the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah, the sweete Sauiour of mankind, could not receiue from man. A soul­dier with a speare pierceth his side, though he be dead. To exaggerate this S^t Chrysostome homil. 48. vpon Iohn, sayth; Illudere mortuo, quàm ipsum crucis supplicium, longe peius est: It is farre worse to offer any contumely or disgrace to one that is dead. then is the punishment of the crosse.

In the 79. Psalme ver. 2. the Prophet in Israels behalfe complaineth vnto God, against the surprisers of Ierusalem, that they gaue the dead bodies of Gods seruants to be meat vnto the fowles of heauen, and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the Earth. So he aggrauateth their crueltie, and inhumani­tie. Monstrous was their crueltie, barbarous their inhuma­nitie, to cast the dead bodies, and flesh of Gods seruants, and Saints here, and there, to the end they might be a prey [Page 27] to dogs, to wolues, to rauens, to vultures, or other beasts, or birds, that liue by carion.

You see partly by prophane examples, partly by instan­ces out of the sacred Scriptures, how crueltie against the dead hath vsually beene censured. But what is this to you, who vse towards the dead all ciuilitie? All ciuilitie? I grant you giue the dead religious, and solemne buriall; And so doing you doe well. You doe well not to sufferLanctantius Jnstitut. lib. 6. figuram & figmen­tum Dei, the workmanship of God, Gods image, to be ex­posed, and cast out for a prey to wild beasts, and birds. To bury the dead, it isAmbros lib. de Tobia. quotidianum opus, & magnum, it is euery dayes worke, and a great worke; and you doe well so to account of it. For if the law commands you to couer the naked while they are liuing, how much more ought yee to couer them, when they are dead? If your friend vndertake any long iourney, you will take the paines to bring him part of his way; how much more ought ye to affoord him your company, when he is going in illam aeternam domum, to his long, and euerlasting home, whence he shall returne no more vnto you?

You will say Cadaueribus nullus sensus; dead bodies haue no sense; What need then is there of such care of commit­ting them to the earth? I reply in S^t Lib 1. de Ciu [...] ­tate D [...]i. cap. 13. Austins words, Deo pla­cent etiam talia pietatis officia: such offices of pietie, humani­tie, and ciuilitie doe please God. The bodies of the dead belong to Gods prouidence. He hath appointed the buri­all of the dead, to confirme our faith in the Resurrection of the dead.

Thus farre by occasion of the first part of my propositi­on: which was, All kind of crueltie, committed against a man, highly displeaseth God. You remember the reason of it: the reason is; Because it is against the sixt Commandement. The vse of it, was a reproofe of such as delight in crueltie, whe­ther against the liuing, or the dead. Now followeth the o­ther part of my proposition: this:

That crueltie which violateth, or extinguisheth the rites of consanguinitie, and naturall affection, specially displeaseth God.

For God, the God of nature, cannot in any wise like, that natures lawes be violated. By natures lawes, its enacted, that there should be, that same [...], much spoken of in the Schooles; a peculiar affection of loue from the parent to the childe, and from the childe to the parent; from a bro­ther to a brother, from a kinsman to a kinsman. Now if cru­eltie shall be exercised from a parent towards his childe, or from a child towards his parent, or from a brother towards his brother, or from a kinsman towards his kinsman, that same [...], I spak of, is laid aside; the rites of consanguinity, and naturall affection are violated, are extinguished.

This doctrine may teach vs, to carry our selues peacea­bly, and louingly towards our parents, our children, our brethren, our kinsmen, all that are of our bloud. There cannot be a greater bond betweene man and man, as men; then is this bond of bloud. I say precisely betweene man and man, as men, there cannot be a greater bond, then is this bond of bloud. For betweene man and man, as Chri­stians, there is a greater bond; the bond of one Lord, one faith, one baptisme, one God, and Father of all, which is aboue all, and through all, and in you all, as S^t Paul speaketh, E­phes. 4.5.6.

The strength of the former bond of bloud, sheweth it selfe in the Patriarch Abraham, when there was a debate betweene his seruants, and the seruants of Lot. All the tales his men could tell him, could not worke in him any dislike of Lot. To end that debate, Abraham goeth to Lot. Abraham, Lots elder, and vnckle, his better in euery respect, yet he stands not vpon that; he looks not when Lot should come, and stoope to him; but as in yeeres, so in wisdome, in mildnesse, in humility, in temperance of affections hee passeth him. Ouer-ruled by such sweet vertues, hee goes to Lot, tels him of their kinred, and mooues him thereby, as by a strong reason, or a mighty bond, that loue and peace might remaine betwixt them and theirs. His words, are as the words whereof Salomon speaketh, Prou. 25.11. they are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer, they are spoken in [Page 29] their place; and are recorded Gen. 13.8. where Abraham thus speaketh vnto Lot: Let there bee no strife, I pray thee, betweene thee and me, neither betweene thy heard-men and my heard-men; for we be brethren.

We be brethren:] He might haue sayd wee bee cosens, or thou art my nephew, my brothers sonne, but hee vseth rather apellation of equality, and cals him brother, to manifest his desire of peace and concord.

You see the strength of the bond of bloud, how forci­ble it is betweene man and man, as men. I told you of a stronger bond betweene man and man, as Christians, and that was the bond of one Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme, one God and Father of all, which is aboue all, and through all, and in vs all.

So there is a two-fold kinred, or brotherhood. The one, by nature, the other by grace: the one, by generation, the other, by regeneration. In respect of both, we are tyed with bonds of loue. First, in respect of the former. After Noahs floud, there was a diuision of countreyes made to the remainder of Adams posterity: some dwelt heere, some there; some in one place, some in another, as they best liked; yet one bloud remained amongst them, as a knot euer to ioyne them in amity and loue, what di­stance of place soeuer seuered them. Is it not so still, though longer time, and larger encrease haue spred it fur­ther? Yes (Beloued) it is so. And therefore this bond of bloud, stocke, house, linage, and kinred in the root, should continue among vs, regard one of another, and make vs loue one another, more then we doe.

But this kinred, by nature and generation, so many de­grees remooued from the root, our great grand-father A­dam, the first of men, little mooueth vs; wee disdaine to take notice of it. Let then the other kinred, that of grace, and regeneration, by its stronger bonds of loue, tye & ioyne vs together. The iust and wise man knoweth (saithDiuin. Jnstit. lib. 5. c. 23. La­ctantius) cuncto [...] ab eodem Deo, & eadem conditione genera­tos, iure fraternitatis esse coniunctos, that all who are borne [Page 30] of one God, and vpon the same condition, are ioyned to­gether by the right of brother-hood. To which purpose a greatCaluin. Com­ment. in Genes. 13.8. Diuine saith; Hac lege adoptati sumus omnes in Dei fi­lios, vt alij alijs mutuo fratres simus, Wee are all adopted or chosen to be the sonnes of God vpon this condition, that we mutually be brethren, one vnto another.

Dearely Beloued, sith wee are become the sonnes of God vpon a condition, let vs fulfill the condition; let vs bee brethren, one to another. That is, let vs not bee cruell, one towards another; let vs doe no iniury, one to another, let vs be mercifull one to another, let vs loue one another. Let good Abraham be the patterne of our imita­tion. If there be any variance, or iarring among vs, let vs goe one to another, and kindely entreat one another; I pray thee, let there bee no variance, no iarring, betweene mee and thee, nor betweene my men and thy men, for we are brethren.

But proud and rebellious flesh and bloud will not suffer vs to become Abrahams; so wise, so meeke, such louers of concord and vnity. Not suffer vs? Then is our condition fearefull, and we may well expect, that the God of Abra­ham at his great day of visitation, shall reiect vs, and cast vs from out his sight into the euer burning lake. There is no entrance into the Heauenly Canaan, for the cruell, injuri­ous, malicious and despitefull man.

Its onely Loue that opens the gates of Heauen; without Loue whatsoeuer you doe, its no aduantage to you. S. Paul tels you, 1 Cor. 13. that though you speake with the tongues of men and Angels, and haue not Loue, you are but as sounding brasse, or a tinckling cymball: and though you haue the gift of prophesie, and know all secrets, yea, if you haue all faith, so that yee can remooue mountaines, and haue not Loue, you are nothing: and though you feede the poore with all your goods, and giue your bodies to bee burnt, and haue not Loue, it profiteth you nothing.

To bee short, almes without Loue, prophesie without Loue, knowledge without Loue, miracles without Loue, martyrdome without Loue, prayer without Loue, and the [Page 31] like very commendable and good workes, all are nothing. Loue is the fire that purifieth, it is the incense that perfu­meth, it is the oyntment, or box of Spikenard, that sweet­neth, it is the salt, that seasoneth all our good thoughts, words, and deedes. I conclude with S. Iohns words in his 1 Epist. cap. 4. vers. 7. Beloued, let vs loue one another, for Loue commeth of God, and euery one that loueth, is borne of God, and knoweth God. For God is Loue; if therefore wee dwell in Loue, we dwell in God, and God dwells in vs.

Now, O Lambe of God, that takest away the sinnes of the world, take from vs all bitternesse, and anger, and wrath, and crying, and euill speaking, with all malicious­nesse. Raise vp in vs a desire of brotherly Loue, that wee may euery one haue a care to helpe another, that our Loue be not fained, false, hypocriticall, wayward, tedious, dis­dainefull, nor hunting after profit; but that it be vnfained and perfect, euen towards our enemies. Grant, good Lord, that thus retaining the study of concord, and louing one another, we may all meet together in the vnity of faith, and knowledge of thee, the Sonne of God, till we become per­fect in thee, our onely Sauiour and Redeemer. To thee, O Christ, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, bee ascribed all prayse and power, might and Maiesty, dignity and dominion for euermore. Amen.

THE III. LECTVRE.

WE are now to consider the fourth part of this burden of the Moabites; namely, the commination, or denuntiation of such punish­ments, as God would bring vpon the Moa­bites for their sinnes. The punishments are described, first generally, and then more specially. The general descrip­tion is; Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab, and it shall de­uoure the palaces of Kerioth.

In the former chapter wee met with this forme of com­minationVerse 4.7.10.12.14. fiue times. Wee now finde nothing new, but new names, Moab and Kerioth.

Of Moab you heard somewhat in my last Sermon; that Moab was Lots sonne, and that from him lineally descen­ded the Moabites, a people inhabiting that part of the East, which is commonly knowne by the name of Caelesyria, and was in former times the possession of the Amorites. I now adde, that from the same Moab, the sonne of Lot, a city in Arabia, afterward called Areopolis, was named Moab, and thence the whole prouince, region, countrey, or kingdome was likewise named Moab. So saithDe locis. Eusebius. Moab in this branch of my text, may signifie either: either the Me­tropolis, the chiefe and mother-city of the Kingdome of Moab, or the Kingdome it selfe. S. Hierome heere vnder­stands both.

The other new name is in the Hebrew, [...], in the vulgar Latin, Carioth; in the English-Geneua translation, Kerioth; in Ʋatablus, Cerijoth; in Tremellius and Iunius, Kerijoth; the Septuagint in their Greeke translation, take the word for an appellatiue; they translaate it [...], her cities. According to them, these words should thus be read: I will send a fire vpon Moab, and it shall deuoure the foundations of her cities. But with S. Hierome, and sundry others of the best Expositors, we retaine the proper name Kerioth or Carioth.

Wee read in holy writ of two cities thus named. One was belonging to the Tribe of Iuda, and lay towards the coasts of Edom south-ward, mentioned Iosh. 15.25. The other was in the land of Moab; so sayth Eusebius in his He­brew places: Carioth in regione Moabitarum, sicut Ieremias scribit; Carioth is in the countrey of the Moabites, as Ieremy writeth. And where doth Ieremy write so? In his fortieth chapter, which is wholly spent in denouncing destruction to the Moabites, vers. 24. it is sayd, that iudgement is come vpon Kerioth. And verse 41. that Kerioth is taken. The same iudgement is heere and there denounced; but heere more briefly, there more fully. Here we may obserue,

• 1. The punisher: the Lord; I will send.
• 2. The punishment: by fire; A fire.
• 3. The punished: the Moabites; Moab, and Kerioth.

The first circumstance concerneth the punisher: the Lord: for thus saith the Lord, I will send a fire.

The Doctrine.

See my Le­ctures vpon the first of Amos. It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wic­ked for their sinnes.

This truth hath sundry times been recommended vnto you. Diuerse were the vses of it.

The first was, to lesson vs to looke heedefully vnto our feet; that wee walke not in the way of sinners, to partake with them in their sinnes. Sinnes are not tongue-tyed; they cry aloud vnto the Lord for vengeance.

The second was, to admonish vs, not to intermeddle in [Page 34] the Lords office; Its his office to execute vengeance. Wee therefore may not interpose our selues.

The third was, to minister a word of comfort to the god­ly, against whom the wicked, do behaue themselues proud­ly and despiteously. God in due time, for such their beha­uior will render vengeance vnto them, and will punish them with euerlasting perdition.

The second circumstance concerneth the punishment, which is by fire: I will send a fire.

By fire heere wee are to vnderstand, not so much a true and naturall fire, as a figuratiue and metaphoricall fire. The sword, pestilence, and famine, quod libet genus consump­tionis, euery kinde of consumption, quaelibet species exci [...]ij, euery kinde of destruction; hayle, water, thunder, sick­nesse, or any other of the executioners of Gods wrath, for the sinnes of men, may bee signified by this word, Fire. Fire in this place is put for the sword, for warre, as its plain by the sequell of this text. The Doctrine arising hence is this:

Th [...] fire (whether naturall or figuratiue) that is, the fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement, to bee employed by him in the punishment of the wicked.

Of this doctrine heeretofore.

The vse of it is, to teach vs how to carry our selues at such times, as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction; how to behaue our selues in all our afflictions. Wee are not so much to looke to the meanes, as to the Lord, that worketh by them. If the fire, or water, or any other of Gods creatures, shall at any time rage, and preuaile against vs, we must know, that God by them worketh hi [...] holy will vpon vs.

Heere wee see; God resolueth to send a fire vpon Moab, which should deuoure the palaces of Kerioth: which was the third circumstance.

Must Moab and Kerioth, two chiefe cities of the King­dome of Moab, through the fire of Gods wrath be brought to ruine? It yeelds this doctrine:

No munition, no fortification, no strength can saue that city, which God will haue destroyed.

One vse of this Doctrine is to lesson vs; that we put not any confidence in any worldly helpe; but that so we vse all good meanes of our defense, that still wee rely vpon the Lord, for strength and successe thereby.

A second Vse is, to put vs in minde of the fearefull pu­nishments, which God layeth vpon men for sinne. He deuoureth their cities, throweth downe their strong holds, and spares them not.

A third Vse is, to stirre vs vp to thankfulnes, for that it pleaseth God in mercy to spare, not onely our Cities, and strong holds, but also our country villages and poore cottages.

It is not to be passed ouer without obseruation, that the palaces of Kerioth are here threatned, to be deuoured with this fire, sent from the Lord. Were I now to speake be­fore Princes, or great Estates, I could from hence giue them an Item, that they set not their hearts ouermuch vp­on their castles, towers, mansion houses, faire palaces, or other goodly buildings, for as much as, if their sinnes de­serue it, the fire of Gods wrath will deuoure all those. But my auditorie is of another rancke. Yet may you take a lesson hence. Must the palaces of Carioth, for the sinnes of the inhabitants be deuoured with fire from the wrath of God? Your lesson is:

God depriueth vs of a great blessing, when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses.

The great commoditie or contentment, that commeth to euery one of vs by our dwelling houses, hath experi­mentally made good vnto vs this truth. The Vses of it are diuers.

One is, to teach vs to be humble before Almighty God, whensoeuer it shall please him to take from vs our dwel­ling houses.

A second is, to admonish vs, sith we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses, that we vse them to the furtherance of Gods glory.

A third is, to stirre vs vp to blesse and praise God day by day for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses.

These things I haue heretofore laboured to lay vnto your hearts, occasioned by the like generall commination or denuntiation of iudgement (fiue times repeated) in the former chapter, against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Ty­rians, the Edomites, and the Ammonites. Now we are to consider what is more specially prophecied against these Moabites. For the easier explication whereof, I obserued two points:

• 1. The manner of the punishment.
• 2. The extent of it.

Order requireth that first I speake to the manner of their punishment, expressed in these words: And Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.

Moab shall dye] Moab is here put for the Moabites, the people of Moab, the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Moab. Moab shall dye] There is a ciuill death, there is a corporall death, there is a spirituall death, and there is an eternall death. Which of these deaths were the Moabites to dye? The letter of my text is for the corporall death. This corporall death is a separation of the soule from the bodie: it is called corporall, in respect of the spirituall: it is also called a temporarie death, in respect of the eter­nall. This death corporall, or temporarie, is twofold; either naturall, or accidentall; if accidentall, it is subdiui­ded into a violent, or a voluntarie death: and is common as well to the godly, as to the wicked; inflicted vpon them, by Gods iust iudgment for the sinne of Adam. This is the wages of sin, and this is the way of all sinfull flesh. All must once dye.

We may a long time wrastle with the dangers of this world both by Land and Sea: thousands may fall on our right hand, and ten thousands on our left, while we stand: [Page 37] we may haue so good store of friends, that we may well say with the Shunamite, 2. King. 4.13. I neede no speaking for me, either to the King, or to the Captaine of the Hoste; I dwell among mine owne people, where I can command: we may walke in the light of the sunne, that is, our prosperitie may be waxen so great, that we want nothing: we may haue sailes and oares at pleasure, as Antiochus seemed to haue, who thought in his pride to make men saile vpon the dry land, and to walke vpon the Sea: 2. Mac. 5.21. we may thinke our selues to be in league with death, and in couenant with the graue, and so promise to our selues, many a prosperous, and pleasant day, as many as are the sands of the Ocean: yet a time shall come, when all these things shall proue but vanitie: and Moab shall dye. All must once dye.

A greatDr. King B. of London. Lect. 20 vpon Ionas, pag. 264. Prelate of this Land, for this point, hath well fitted this comparison. As one that shooteth at a marke, sometimes is gone, and sometimes is short, some­times lighteth on the right hand, sometimes on the left, at length hitteth the marke: so Death shootes at Noble men beyond vs, at meane men short of vs, at our friends on the right hand, at our enemies on the left; at length hitteth our selues. The longer her hand is in pra­ctise, the more certainely she striketh.

Looke into the fift of Genesis; there shall you finde, that Death was ayming atvers. 11. Enosh 905. yeares, and at last smote him: atvers. 14. Kenan 910. yeares, atvers. 5. Adam 930. yeares, atvers. 20. Iered 962. yeares, atvers. 27. Methushelah 969. yeares, but in the end ouerthrew them all. Now shee strikes sooner; within the compasse of fewer yeares, within 60. yeares, or 70. she seldome stayes 80. yeares: And sometimes shee strikes vs in our youthfull dayes; yea, in the day of our natiuitie. All must once dye.

Moab shall dye] All must once dye. Death! It is of all miseries the last, and the most terrible. A holyApud Lud. Granatensem Exercit de Orat. & Medit. Father hath made against it this exclamation. O Death how bitter is the remembance of thee? How quickly and suddainely stea­lest thou vpon vs? How secret are thy paths and wayes? How [Page 38] doubtfull is thy houre? How vniuersall is thy signiorie and de­minion? The mighty cannot escape thee; the wise cannot hide themselues from thee; the strong loose their strength before thee; the rich with their money shall not corrupt thee. Thou art the hammer, that alwayes striketh: Thou art the sword, that neuer blunteth: thou art the snare, wherein all must be taken: thou art the prison, wherein all must lye: thou art the Sea, wherein all must perish: thou art the paine, that all must suffer: thou art the tribute, that all must pay. In a word; thou art such a one, as Almighty God washeth his hands of thee, and cleareth himselfe in plaine words, by the mouth of the Wiseman, saying, (Wisd. 1.13.) that he neuer made thee. Surely thou hast thine entry into the world by the very enuie, and craft of the Deuill.

This exclamation against Death is very iust in some sense: for Death may be considered in a double respect; one way, as it is in its owne nature; another way, as it is changed, and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in its owne nature is a punishment of sin, a plague, a curse, or fore-runner of condemnation, the very gates, and suburbs of Hell it selfe: and in this respect the forecited excla­mation hath due place. But on the other side, death being changed, and qualified by Christ his death, it is no more such; it is no more a punishment of sinne; it is no more a plague; it is no more a curse. For it is become a blessing; it brings an end to all our miseries; it giues full deliue­rance to all our miseries; it giues full deliuerance from all dangers; it is made vnto vs a passage, a way, an entrance into euerlasting life; it is like a portall, or litle gate, by which we passe from out this litle prison of our bodies into the kingdome of Heauen. The graue meane while is, but a resting chamber, sweetly perfumed by the Death of Christ for our bodies; from whence at the sound of the last trumpet, our bodies shall awake, and rise, and be recei­ued into the paradise of heauen, to enioy the most com­fortable presence of Almighty God there.

If death now changed and qualified by Christ his death, [Page 39] be a blessing: if it be but a passage from this wretched life to that happiest estate in heauen, why should death be feared?

This is a Case of Conscience, and may be resolued. There are two sorts of men in the world: the one of them, who liue in their sinnes, and dye without repentance: the other of them, who with vnfeigned repentance and faith in Christ, doe leaue this world. The first haue great reason to feare Death: Death being vnto them the very gate, and introduction into the Hell of the damned: of whom we may well say, as Christ said of Iudas, Math. 26.24. [...], it had bin good for them, had they neuer bin borne. The second haue no reason to feare Death; Death being vnto them, as the gate of Heauen. To such, Optimum est nasci, its best that they are borne; and the next best for them is, maturè mori, to dye in a good houre. Their birth is to them a preparation to eternall happinesse, whereof their Death giues them full possession.

The consideration whereof made King Salomon the wi­sest of Kings, or men, [praferre diem mortis, diei ortûs;] it made him preferre the day of death, before the day of birth; his words are Eccles. 7.3. Better is the day of death, then the day that one is borne. Hence is it, that most righteous Iob, chap. 17.14. calls Corruption his father; for as chil­dren haue fathers for their comfort, so had Iob death, and rottennesse: Corruption it selfe, as a father, made Iob fit for his graue and death; which of him was more wished then life: as Origen, and Olympiodor haue well obserued. And hence it is that blessed Paul, liuing in this world, and vsing it, as if he vsed it not, (for he had his conuersation in heauen, and had a true, and liuely taste of the ioyes of the world to come) desired to be dissolued, and to be with Christ: and this (hee was well assured) was best of all for him, Phil. 1.23.

Thus farre (beloued) haue I ledde you by occasion of these words, Moab shall dye: vpon which I grounded this generall doctrine.

All must once dye.

In the illustration whereof, I signified that of euils, death was the most terrible. To arme your Christian soules a­gainst the terrour or feare of death, I told you, that death is to be considered in a double respect; either as it is in its owne nature, or as it is changed, & qualified by the death of Christ: in the first respect, it is very fearefull to the na­turall man: in the latter, it is very welcome to the resol­ued Christian. I further added, that there are two sorts of men obnoxious vnto death: the one sort doe liue in sinne, and dye without repentance: the other with vnfained re­pentance, and true faith in Christ doe leaue this world; to the first sort death is very terrible: to the latter it is a very welcome guest. Now proceed we to examine the manner of Moabs death.

Moab shall dye with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet.] In tumultu, with a tumult, so some do reade, Ʋatablus, Caluin, Mercer, Gualter; in strepitu, with a noyse, so Iunius, and Drusius; in sonitu, with a sound, so Brentius, and the author of the vulgar Latine. The 70. haue [...], Moab shall dye through imbecillity, or weakenes. The word in the originall is [...], & it signifieth a sound, a tumult, an inundation, or multitude of waters, which ouer­runne their bankes with violence and roaring. The mea­ning of the world is, that Moab should die a death strange and extraordinary: which is more specified in the next word.

[...] With shouting.] This very word we met with with in the 14. verse of the first Chapter, where it is brought to set forth the terrour of that iudgement, which God would bring vpon the Ammonites. The word I expounded in my 20. Sermon on the first Chapter, and shewed out of diuers Authorss that it signifieth a sound, a cry, a great cry, a voci­feration, a shoute, such as Souldiers doe make, when on a suddaine they surprize a City. To make good this expo­sition it is added.

With the sound of a trumpet.] The vse of trumpets in warre [Page 41] hath beene very ancient. The vse of them is commanded to the children of Israel, Num. 10.9. When ye goe to warre against the enemie, yee shall blow a larme with the trumpets. After, they were vsed in the battle against Iericho, Iosh. 6.5. Ioshua saith to the people: When yee heare the sound of the trumpet, ye shall all shout with a great shout, and the wall of Ie­richo shall fall downe flat. To this vse Ezechiel alludeth Chap. 7.14. They haue blowne the trumpet, and prepared all, but none goeth to the battell. And S. Paul speaks of it, 1. Co­rinth. 14.8. If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound, who shall prepare himselfe to battle? The Prophet Zephanie also hath respect vnto it, Chap. 2.16. where he calls the great day of the Lord, a day of the trumpet, and a larme against the strong Cities, and against the high towers.

From this ancient vse of trumpets, we may gather the meaning of our Prophet in this place. Moab shall dye, with a tumult, with a shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet] Moab] that is, the Moabites, the people of Moab, shall dye] shall depart this life, and leaue this world, not quietly, and peaceably, in their beds, but with a tumult, with a shouting, and with the sound of a trumpet] euen in warre, or as the phrase is in the 14. verse of the 1. chapter, in the day of bat­taile. The doctrine arising hence is this:

Warre, one of the executioners of Gods vengeance, is euer­more sent vpon a Land, for the sinnes of the people.

That warre is one of the executioners of Gods venge­ance, its plaine in Ezech. 14.21. There God himself makes it one of his foure sore iudgements. The foure are; the sword, famine, the noysome beast, and the pestilence; the first is the sword, an instrument for warre, for warre it selfe. These foure are likewise couched togither in Ezech. 5.17. where thus saith the Lord against Ierusalem: I will send vp­on you famine, and euill beasts, and they shall spoyle thee, and pestilence and bloud shall through thee, and I will bring thee sword vpon thee; I the Lord haue spoken it. I will bring the sword vpon thee: the sword, that is, warre; an instrument of warre, for warre it selfe: as in the former place.

These two places of Ezechiel, (to omit many other, as pregnant, here and there dispersed throughout the sacred Volumes of Gods eternall word) these two doe speake plainely, that warre is one of the executioners of Gods ven­geance. That it is sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people, I made it plaine vnto you by like euidence of holy Writ in my 20. Sermon vpon the former chapter. My proofes were taken from Levit. 26.25. Deut. 28.49. Ierem. 5.15. Whence I inferred, that warre, and all the euills of warre are from the Lord; that warre is one of the accom­plishments of Gods iudgements; that warre is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people. So goeth my doctrine.

Warre, one of the executioners of Gods vengeance, is euer­more sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people.

The Vse of this Doctrine is, to raise vs vp to the admi­ration of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God. We grieue the Holy Spirit of that sacred Maiestie with our manifold and daily sinnes: our sinnes of omission, our sins of infirmitie, and our sinnes of presumption; our sinnes of ignorance, and our sinnes of wilfulnesse; our strife, va­riance, and debate; our vsurie, oppression, and cruelty; our vncleannesse, wantonnes, and drunkennes; our sins multiply as the sands of the Sea, they haue pressed into Gods presence to fetch downe his vengeance vpon vs. Be­hold, looke about you, and admire his exceeding great patience. The loud crying of our sinnes hath not yet vr­ged the Lord so farre, as to make him come against vs with his sorest iudgement of warre.

He hath out of his fatherly loue ouer vs mildely chasti­zed vs. Not long since hee brake the staffe of our bread, and sent among vs a dearth and scarcitie; yet haue wee not returned vnto him. Not long since he commanded his ar­mies of waters to issue from out their channell, and to o­uer runne man and beast for many miles within this land; yet haue we not returned vnto him. Not long since he let flye his arrowes of pestilence, and yet they flye abroad to [Page 43] the killing of many round about vs; yet haue wee not re­turned vnto him.

Not returned vnto him? What? Can no medicine, that God applyeth, mollifie our hard hearts? Can none of his corrections amend vs? Will we needs try whether he will send a sword vpon vs? He shaked his sword ouer vs, (many of vs may well remember it) when the great Spanish Arma­da floated on our Seas: but then as S. Iames speaketh, chap. 2.13. Super exaltauit misericordia iudicio, mercy ex­alted it selfe aboue iudgement, and we were spared.

Were we spared? What shall we render to the Lord for so great mercy? We will with Dauid, Ps. 116.13. We will take the cup of saluation, we will call vpon the name of the Lord, and will offer vnto him the sacrifice of prayse. Which sacrifice of ours, that it may be acceptable to the Lord, let vs cast a­way from vs all our transgressions, whereby we haue trans­gressed; and with a new heart, and a new spirit, returne we to the Lord our God. But if we will persist with delight, and goe on in our old wayes; our crooked, peruerse, and fro­ward wayes; our wayes of wickednesse; and will not bee turned out of them by any of God his milder chastisements and corrections, what can we expect, but the portion of these Moabites, euen fire & a sword from the Lord, and with them to die with a tumult, with a shouting, and with the sound of a Trumpet?

Thus farre de modo poenae, of the manner of this punish­ment to be inflicted vpon the Moabites. The extent fol­loweth.

I will cut the iudge out of the midst thereof, and will slay all the Princes thereof. with him.]

I] the Lord, the Lord Iehovah, yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer; I am not changed; all my words, yea, all the titles of all my words are Yea, and Amen; Exscindam] I will cut off, I will root out, and destroy, Iudicem] the Iudge, the chiefest gouernour and ruler in Moab, the King. Nam Reges quo{que} populum indicabant, For Kings also did iudge the people, and it is euident by sundry places of ho­ly [Page 44] Scripture, that the state of the Moabites was swayed by Kings. I will cut off, root out, and vtterly destroy, the iudge, the King, out of the midst thereof] Out of the midst of what? Of Moab? of Kerioth? Both are mentioned vers. 2. Dauid, Camius, and some other, say of Kerioth, which was Sedes Regum, the cittie of the Kings habitation. The meaning is: there was no cittie in the Kingdome of Moab so strong, but that from out the midst of it, God would fetch the King, and cut him off.

I will cut off, roote out, or destroy, the iudge, the King, out of the middest of the strongest cittie of the Kingdome of Moab, be it Moab, Kerioth, or any other; I will slay all the Princes thereof with him; together with the King I will root out all the Princes of the land. None shall escape my iudge­ments, neither Prince, nor King. You see the extent of this iudgement here denounced against Moab. Not onely the meaner sort of people, but the Princes also; yea and King himselfe, were to haue their portion in it: and that as cer­tainely, as if they had alreadie had it. For Iehovah, the Lord hath spoken it. For its added for a conclusion to this Pro­phecie, [...] sayth the Lord. The Lord hath said it, that neither Prince nor King shall be extempt from his iudgements; but shall as well as the lowest of the people be cut off, and come to nought.

The doctrine to be obserued from hence is this:

God exerciseth his iudgements, not onely vpon men of low and base estate, but also vpon the great ones of this world; vpon prin­ces and Kings.

This truth I haue heretofore confirmed vnto you, in my 21. Lecture, on the former Chapter, handling those words Chap. 1. vers. 15. Their King shall goe into captiuitie he, and his Princes together, I proued vnto you this doctrine, When God punisheth a nation with captiuitie for their sinnes, he spareth neither Priest, nor Prince, nor King. My now-doctrine for substance is the same, but more generall; God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low & base estate, but also vpon the great ones of this world; vpon Princes & Kings. The vses.

One is to admonish the great and mightie ones of this world, that they presume not to sinne against the Lord, as if they were priuiledged by their greatnes, and might. There is no such priuiledge. He that is Lord ouer all, will spare no person. Princes, and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements.

A second vse is, to minister comfort to such as are of low and base estate. If the mightie by violence, and oppression grind your faces, and compasse you about, yet be not yee discouraged; God the iudge of all accepteth no persons. He in his good time will auenge your causes, be your op­pressours neuer so mightie. For Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements.

A third vse is, a warning for our selues; that we set not our hearts vpon the outward things of this world, for as much as God, the Creator of all, will not respect vs for them. Dost thou glory in this that thou art a mightie man, or a rich man? For both, might and riches, Princes, and Kings are far beyond thee: yet must Princes and Kings feele the smart of Gods iudgements.

Let vs make a fourth vse of this doctrine, euen to poure out our soules in thankefulnesse before almightie God, for his wonderfull patience towards vs. Our sinnes are as im­pudent, as euer were the sinnes of the Moabites, Our three and foure transgressions, our many sinnes doe cry aloud to Heauen against vs, as the sins of the Moabites cryed against them. For their sinnes God sent a sword vpon them, and did cut them off from being a nation; Gods wrath against our sinnes, hath not yet proceeded so farre. We yet enioy our happie peace. Euery man dwels vnder his owne vine, and vnder his owne figtree; and liues in the habitations of his forefathers in peace, free from all feare of the enemies sword. Such is our condition, through the neuer-too-much admired patience of Almightie God. O let vs not despise the riches of the bountifulnesse, patience, and long suffe­rance of our God. S^t Paul tells vs. Rom. 2.4. That these doe lead vs to Repentance.

These doe lead vs; shall we not follow? Beloued, while we haue time, let vs betake our selues to Repentance. It was good counsaile which Iudith gaue to Ozias, Chabris, and Charmis the ancients of the cittie Bethulia. (Iudith 8.12.) Quia patiens Dominus est, in hoc ipso paniteamus, & indulgen­tiam eius fusis lachrymis postulemus. The counsaile is as good for vs. Beloued, because the Lord is patient, therefore let vs repent, and with shedding of teares beg of him indulgence, and pardon for our sinnes past. Its no wisedome for vs, a­ny longer to presume vpon his patience. It is true Dominus patiens, the Lord is slow to anger; but the Prophet Nahum. Chap. 1.3. addeth also, that he is great in power, and sure­ly will not cleare the wicked.

This long forbearance of God towards vs, patientia est, non negligentia: you must call it patience, it is not negligence. Non ille potentiam perdidit, sed nos ad poenitentiam reseruauit, saith S^t Austine serm. 102. de Tempore: God hath not lost his power, but hath reserued vs for repentance: and quanto diu [...]ius Deus expectat, tanto grauius vindicat: How much the longer God expects and waits for our conuersion, so much the more grieuously will he be auenged vpon vs if we re­pent not. I shut vp all with that exhortation of Ecclesiasti­cus. chap. 5.7. Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord, and put not off from day to day. To moue vs to this speedie couer­sion, he addes this reason: for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth, and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroy­ed, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance. What remaineth but that we pray with Ieremie? Chap. 31.18. Conuert thou vs O Lord, and we shall be conuer­ted; for, thou art the Lord our God.

THE IIII. LECTVRE.

OVr Prophet Amos hath hitherto dealt with for­raine Nations, with the Syrians, with the Phili­stines, with the Tyrians, with the Edomites, with the Ammonites, and with the Moabites. Six in num­ber. All borderers vpon, and professed enemies vnto the people of the Lord, the type of the Church. To each of these you haue heard the iudgements of God menaced, his punishments threatned: all which are accordingly fallen out.

Was not Amos his message from the Lord to the Israe­lites? Why then doth he first foretell forraine nations their iudgements? The reasons are three;

First, that he might be the more patiently heard of his Countrymen, friend, and allies, the Israelites. The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians, and other their enemies, could not but the more quietly heare him, when he should prophecie against them also Consola­tio quaedam est, afflictio inimici, It is some comfort to a naturall distressed man to see his enemie in distresse also.

Secondly, that they might haue no cause to wonder, if God should at any time come against them in vengeance, sith he would not spare the Syrians, and other Nations, though destitute of the light of Gods word, and ignorant of his will.

Thirdly, that they might the more stand in awe at the words of this prophecie, when they should behold the Sy­rians, and other their neighbours, afflicted and tormented, according to the haynousnesse of their iniquities.

Scitum est, ex alijs periculum facere, tibi quod ex vsu fiet. It is a principle in Natures Schoole, that we take example from other mens harmes, how to order our wayes. From this natures principle, the people of Israell might thus haue argued. Will not the Lord spare the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, the Moabites? How then can we presume that he will spare vs? They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God; yet shall they drinke of the cup of Gods wrath? How then shal we escape, who knowing Gods holy will, haue contemned it?

You see now, good reason our Prophet had, (though sent with a message to the ten tribes of Israel) first to let for­raine Nations vnderstand Gods pleasure towards them in respect of their sinnes. From them he commeth to Gods owne peculiar people; diuided after the death of King Sa­lomon, into two families, or kingdomes; Iudah, and Israel. First, he prophecieth against Iudah, in the 4. and 5. verses. Thus sayth the Lord, For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure, &c.

Wherein I obserue two parts.

• 1. A Preface, Thus sayth the Lord.
• 2. A Prophecie, For three transgressions of Iudah, &c.

In the Prophecie, we may obserue foure parts.

• 1. A generall accusation of Iudah; For three transgressi­ons of Iudah, and for foure.
• 2. The Lords protestation against them: I will not turne away the punishment thereof.
• [Page 49]3. An enumeration of some particular sinnes by which the Iewes prouoked God vnto displeasure: Because they haue despised the Law of the Lord, &c.
• 4. A commination or denuntiation of iudgement a­gainst them, vers. the 5. But I will send a fire vpon Iu­dah, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem.

First of the Preface: Thus saith the Lord] It is like that gate of the Temple inAct. 3. [...]1. And 5.12. Salomons poarch, which for the goodly structure thereof, was called beautifull, Act. 3.2. So is this enterance to my text very beautifull. We haue al­readie beheld it six seuerall times: fiue times as wee passed through the former Chapter, and once, at our first footing in this. There is engrauen in it, that same Tetragrammaton, that great and ineffable name of God; Iehovah.

Iohovah] Curious haue theSee Lect. 1. Cabalists and Rabbins bin, in their inuentions about this name. They will not haue it to be pronounced, nor taken within polluted lips. They note, that it is nomen tetragrammaton, a name of foure let­ters; of foure letters [...], because the name of God in all tongues, and languages, for the most part, consisteth of foure letters: and they adde that these foure letters in the Hebrew tongue are literae quiescentes, letters of rest: whence they picke this mystery; that the rest, repose, and tranquil­litie of all the creatures in the world is in God alone. They further say, that this name is powerfull for the working of myracles, and that by it Moses, and Christ haue done great wonders. These their inuentions are partly superstitious, partly blasphemus; but all braine sicke, and idle. Yet must we needs acknowledge some secret in this name. We are driuen to it by Exod. 6.3. There the Lord thus speaketh vn­to Moses: I appeared vnto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob, by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and all-sufficient God, but by my name Iehovah, was I not knowne vnto them. The secret is thus vnfolded.

Iehovah, this great name Iehovah, importeth, the eterni­tie of Gods essence in himselfe, that he isHeb. 13.8. yesterday, and to [Page 50] day, and the same for euer, A [...]o [...]. 1.8. which was, which is, and which is to come. Againe, it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God, as from whom all creatures in the world haue theirAct. 17.28. life, their motion, and their being. God is the being of all his creatures, not that they are the same that he is, but becauseRom. 11.36. of him, and in him, and by him are all things. Thirdly, it is the memoriall of God vnto all ages: so God himselfe cals it. Exod. 3.15. the memoriall of his faithful­nesse, his truth, and his constancie in the performance of his promises. And therefore whensoeuer in any of the Pro­phets, God promiseth, or threatneth any great matter, to assure vs of the most certaine euent thereof, he adds vnto it his name Iehovah. So here in my text: Thus sayth Iehovah.

Thus sayth the Lord] not, Thus sayth Amos: but Thus saith the Lord. The Lord then is the author of this Scripture; and not of this onely, but also of the whole bodie of Scrip­ture. The doctrine,

The author of holy Scripture is neither man, nor Angell, nor any other creature, how eminent, or excellent soeuer, but onely the liuing, and immortall God.

This doctrine I haue heretofore commended vnto you in my first lecture vpon this Chapter. The vses of it were three.

The first concerned vs, whom God hath set apart to be the Preachers, and expounders of the Scriptures. We must handle them as the holy word of God. As my Prophet here comes to Iudah, so must we to you, with, thus saith the Lord, we may not speake, either the imagination of our owne braines, or the vaine perswasions of our owne hearts; we must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word, without corrupting, or deprauing it.

A second vse concerneth you, who are auditors, and hearers of the word preached. It is your parts to giue eare vnto it with attention and reuerence; and like the Thessa­lonians] commended by S^t Paul. 1. Thess. 2.13.] to receiue it, not as the word of vs men: but, as it is indeed, the word of God.

A third vse concerned the aduersaries of the truth; the Papists who doe vilifie, and debase the sacred Scriptures, and esteeme not of them, as of the word of God. How sham­fully they haue loaded this holy word of God with disgrace­full termes, calling it, a doubtful vncertaine, and a leaden rule, a poore kinde of element, a booke of discord, a matter of debate, dead inke, inken divinitie, a dumbe iudge, a nose of waxe, Ae­sops fables, I haueLect. 2. in A­mos 1. pag. 18. &c. heretofore deliuered vnto you.

But who are they, out of whose mouths, and pens, such bitternesse against Gods holy word hath beene vented? Are they our Countrymen? Are they not rather strangers to vs, Papists of other Nations? Pighius, Hosius, Gretser, Ca­non Lewis of Lateran, the collocutors at Wormes, and Ratis­bon? What are these to vs? It may be our English Papists doe esteeme of the Scriptures more reuerently. More reuerent­ly! Let one speake for all. D^r.Fox Martyrel. vol. 2. l. 7. An. 1513. pag. 735. Bennet, a Lawyer, Chaun­cellour, and Vicar generall to Richard Fitz-Iames, Bishop of London, called before him one Richard Butler, for being of that Religion, which we this day, through Gods good­nesse doe maintaine, and professe. This Butler vsed much to read the Bible; for which an article was thus framed a­gainst him: We obiect to you, that diuerse times, and especially vpon a certaine night you erroniously and damnably read in a great Booke of heresie, certaine Chapters of the Euangelists in English, conteining in them diuerse erronious, and damnable o­pinions, and conclusions of heresie. What Christian eare can endure such blasphemie? that the Booke of God should be called, a great booke of heresie; that some Chapters of the E­uangelists should be said to conteine in them diuers erronious and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresie. What Christian care can endure this?

Must that Booke, to which we are so often sent, byDeut. 17.11. Mo­ses, by theEsa. 8:20. M [...]lac. 2.7. Psal. 1.1. and 119.2. Prophets, byJoh. 5.39. Christ himselfe by his holyLuk. 16.29. E­uangelists, andAct 17.11. 2. Tim. 5.15. Apostles, must that Booke be noted for erro­nious, and damnable opinions, and conclusions of here­sies?

S^t Paul thought much otherwise. He in the 2. Tim. 3.15. [Page 52] speaking of the holy Scriptures, sayth; that they are able to make men wise vnto saluation. Hee addeth further, ver. 16. that the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to improue, to correct, and to instruct in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect vnto all good workes.

Magnificum testimonium: A most sufficient testimonie, for the authoritie, dignitie, and worth of holy Scripture. First, it is [...], diuinely inspired of God; giuen immedi­ately from God to men. Secondly, it is [...] profitable. Profitable many wayes; for doctrine, for reproofe, for correc­tion, for instruction. Doctrine is of things to be beleeued; Reproofe of things to be refuted; Correction concerneth vi­ces; Instruction vertues. Euery way the whole Scripture is profitable, and is able to make men wise vnto saluation. And yet must this holy Scripture, be noted for a great Booke of Here­sie: for conteining erronious and damnable opinions, and conclusions of heresie?

2. Pet. 1.19.S^t Peter thought much otherwise. He in his 2. Epist. and 1. Chapter, hauing proued the certaintie of Euangelicall doctrine, by two arguments, one drawne from his owne ex­perience, the other from the testimonie of Almightie God in a voice from Heauen, vers. 16, 17, 18. addeth vers. 19. a third argument, drawne from the consent of the Prophets: We haue also a most sure word of the Prophets, to the which yee doe well that ye take heed, as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place, vntill the day dawne, and the day star arise in your hearts. So that yee first know this, that no prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion. For the prophecie came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the Holy-Ghost.

Where first, the blessed Apostle calls the writings of the Prophets [...], a most sure word. Secondly, he aduiseth vs to be diligently conuersant in those writings: yee shall doe well to take heed vnto them. Thirdly, he shewes the necessitie, and vse of them, by a comparison: they are as a light, that shineth in a darke place. Fourthly, he prescri­beth [Page 53] the time of our diligence: we must take heed vnto them, vntill the day dawne, and the day starre arise in our hearts. Fiftly, he noteth their difficultie. Difficultas stimulus debet esse diligentiae; the more hard they are to be vnderstood, the greater must our diligence be: No prophecie in the Scrip­ture is of any priuate motion. It is not in mans power rightly to vnderstand the Prophets. The Treasurer to the Queene of Ethiopia confesseth as much. Act. 8.31. Sixtly, he poyn­teth at the author of Holy Scripture, not mans will, but the Holy-Ghost; For, the prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man, but holy men of God spake, as they were mooued by the Holy-Ghost.

What S^t Peter in this place affirmeth of the Propheti­call Bookes, is true also of the Euangelicall, and Apostoli­call; what he affirmeth of the old testament, is true also of the new. The new and the old differ not in substance. In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi, & in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris. So saith S^t Austin lib. de Catechizan­dis rudibus. cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is trid, and in the new the olde is manifested. The like the same good Fa­ther hath. Qu. 37. super Exodum: In vetere novum latet, & in novo vetus patet: in the old the new is couered, and in the new the old is opened. Old and new, both doe agree in sub­stance. Now make we our collection.

The whole Scripture conteining both Testaments, olde and new, is [...] a most sure word: to it we must take heed, as to a light that shineth in a darke place, till the day dawne, and the day starre arise in your hearts: and this we must know, that no Scripture in eyther of the Testaments, old or new, is of any priuate motion: and that neither old nor new Testa­ment came to vs, by the will of man, but that holy men of God, haue conueyed them vnto vs, as they were mooued by the ho­ly Ghost. And yet must this holy Scripture, be noted for a great Booke of Heresie? for conteining erronious, and damnable opinions, and conclusions of Heresie?

The first pillars of the Primitiue Church, the auncient Fathers thought much otherwise. Because I cannot stand [Page 54] long vpon this poynt, one shall serue for all. Sweete Saint Chrysostome in his ninth Sermon vpon the Epistle to the Colossians, thus speaketh to his hearers: [...]; yee, my secular and lay auditors, heare me, I beseech you: Get you Bi­bles, your soules physicke: if you be vnwilling, to be at charge for the whole, yet at least buy the new Testament: the Euangelists, and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers. If any griefe befall you, make your repaire hither, as to an Apothecaries shop, here shall you haue varietie of medi­cines, fit to cure you. If any damage, if losse of friends, if death come, here may you finde comfort. In a word, the cause of all euill is, not to know the Scripture.

You see how far this good Father is, from calling the Bible, a Booke of heresies, as some late Papists haue done: He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath, and thinkes it for you very expedient, to haue one of them in your hou­ses, that at euery opportunitie, you may be reading in it.

If any shall here obiect, I am towards the Law, I am em­ployed about publike affaires, I am a tradesman, I am a marryed man, I haue children to maintaine, I haue a Fa­milie to care for, I haue worldly businesses to looke vnto, it is not my part to read the Scriptures; this office belongs to them rather, who haue bidden the world farewell: to such S^t Chrysostome shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro. Quid ait homo? What sayst thou man? Is it not a part of thy busi­nesse to turne ouer the Scriptures, because thou art distrac­ted with many cares? Immo, tuum est magis, quam illorum. Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee, rather then to them, who haue bidden the world farewell, because they need not so much the helpe of Scripture, as you doe, who are as it were tossed in the waues of troubles.

To conclude this poynt. Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures; let them debase, vilifie, and disgrace them to their owne vtter confusion and perdition: wee, through Gods goodnesse, haue learned a better lesson: that the word of God, which we call Scripture, isChrysos [...]. hom. 7. de poenitentia. a hauen free from raging surges, a well fortified bulwarke, a towre [Page 55] not staggering; an aduancement not to bee taken from vs by violence, no not any way to bee diminished; a stable blissefulnesse at no time languishing; a neuer-failing plea­sure: whatsoeuer good a man can speake of, Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ, he shall finde it in the Holy Scripture. So saith sweet Chrysostome, Homil. 7. De poenitentia. In my first Ser­mon before you vpon this chapter, I deliuered vnto you the same in effect, thus.

The word of God (which we call Scripture) it is his most royall and Celestiall Testament, it is the Oracle of his hea­uenly Sanctuary, it is the onely Key, vnto vs, of his reuea­led counsels, it is Milke from his sacred brests, the Earnest and Pledge of his fauour to the Church, the Light of our feet, the Ioy of our hearts, the Breath of our nostrils, the Pillar of our faith, the Anchor of our hope, the ground of our loue, the Euidence of our future blessednesse.

Now therefore, as the Elect of God, holy and beloued, let this word of God dwell plenteously in you, in all wis­dome: frequent this place to heare it read and expounded vnto you: and at home teach and admonish your owne selues in Psalmes, and hymnes, and spirituall songs. My exhortation is the same, that S. Paul made vnto the Colos­sians, Chap. 3.16. Thus much of the preface. The pro­phesie followeth.

The first part thereof is a generall accusation of Iudah: For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure. Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused, in the name, Iudah. Secondly, whereof they are accused; For three transgressions, and for foure. First of the accused.

The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iu­dah. The Kingdome of Iudah is taken sometimes latè, sometimes strictè: sometimes in a large, sometimes in a strict sense. In the large, it betokeneth all the twelue tribes of Israel: in the strict sense, it betokeneth onely two tribes; Iudah and Beniamin.

Iudah, and Israel at first were but one kingdome, which afteward was diuided into two; the Kingdome of Iudah, [Page 56] and the kingdome of Israel. When, and how this was done, it is expressely deliuered in 1 Kings 12. & in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Salomon, and thus.

Rehoboam, King Salomons sonne, censured by Ecclesiasti­cus, chap. 47, 23. to be [...], the foolishnesse of the people, and one that had no vnderstanding, succeeding in his fathers throne, did, vpon aduise giuen him by his young counsellours, promise sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people: My least part, my little finger shall be bigger then my fathers loynes: whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke, I will make it heauier: my father hath chastized you with rods, but I will correct you with scourges.

This his vnkinde and euill entreating of a people, which of late, in King Salomons time, saw good and peaceable daies, did cause a rebellion and reuolt. Ten of the twelue tribes much discontented, brake forth into speeches of im­patiency. What portion haue we in Dauid? We haue no inhe­ritance in the sonne of Ischai: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine owne house, Dauid. So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord, and set vp vnto themselues a wow King, Ie­roboam sonne of Nebat: yet were these children of Israel, who dwelt in the cities of Iudah, subiect to Rehoboam still.

Thus you see, Israel diuided from Israel: ten tribes from the other two. Two tribes; the tribes of Iudah and Benia­min continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid: the other ten tribes forsooke it, and fell away.

The ten reuolted tribes haue diuerse appellations in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets: Bethel, Bethauen, Samaria, Iezreel, Ioseph, Ephraim, Iacob, Israel: these names are appropriate, to signifie the Kingdome of Israel.

The other two tribes, Iudah, and Beniamin, called but one tribe in the 1 King. 11.13. because of the mixture of their possessions, these two tribes setled in their faithfulnes and obedience to the seede of Dauid, haue likewise in the sacred Scriptures their diuers appellations. Sometimes Iu­dah, sometimes Beniamin, sometimes Ierusalem, some­times Sion, sometimes the house of Dauid, are peculiarly [Page 57] designed to signifie the Kingdome of Iudah.

Iudah is one of these appellations, and that is the Iudah in my text, properly, vers. 5. I will send a fire vpon Iudah, that is, vpon the Kingdome of Iudah. And by a figure, in this first branch of this prophesie, where Iudah is put for the inhabi­tants of the kingdom of Iudah. Thus haue you the parties ac­cused, the inhabitants of the kingdom of Iudah. But wherof are they accused? Of sinning against the Lord. So goeth the letter of my text; For three transgressions of Iudah, & for foure.

What are these three and foure transgressions? Arias Montanus makes three of them to bee, man-slaughter, incest, and idolatry: The first is man-slaughter. Esay poynts at it, chap. 1.15. Your hands are full of bloud. The second is incest. Ieremie poynts at it, chap. 23.10. the land is full of adulterers. The third is idolatry. Hoseah poynts at it, chap. 1.2. The land hath committed great whoredome, depar­ting from the Lord. The fourth, which of all, is the most flagicious and hainous, is expressed in this text; and it is their reiecting, abolishing, or disanulling of Gods lawes and commandements.

For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure.] Albertus the Great, B. of Ratisbon, will haue three of these transgres­sions to be expressed in this text. The first of them is, Le­gis abiectio, the abiection, or contempt of Gods Law: They haue desp [...]sed the law of the Lord. The second is, praeceptorum non obseruatio, the not obseruing of Gods commandements: They haue not kept his commandements. The third is, ad Idola conuersio: their conuersion to Idols: Their lies caused them to erre, after which their fathers haue walked. These three you see expressed in the text. But what is the fourth? It is Sacrati loci prophanatio, the prophanation of the hallowed place.

For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure] Paulus de Palatio doth otherwise descant vpon these three and foure transgressions. The first he will haue to be committed by Ie­horam, son of Iehosaphat, King of Iudah, who to make him­selfe strong in his Kingdome, slue with the sword six of his brethren, and some of the Princes of Israel, 2 Chro. 21.4. [Page 58] The second by Ioash, sonne of Ahaziah, who allured by the flattery of some of his Princes, slew Zacharias, the sonne of Iehoiada: or Barachias, betweene the temple and the al­tar, 2 Chron. 24.21. Matth. 23.35. The third, by King Amaziah, who, lifted vp with pride for his victory obtained against the Edomites, did prouoke the King of Israel to fight, 2 Chron. 25.17. Thus haue you three of these trans­gressions. The fourth, saith this Paulus de Palatio, needes no enquiry. And why so? Amos in this text declares it. The Kingdome of Iudah from Rehoboams time was most pro­pense vnto idolatry: from that time, they cast away the law of the Lord, they kept not his commandements, they serued Idols, after which their fathers walked.

For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure] This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter, and once in this. The most naturall, proper, and significant expositi­on, heeretofore commended vnto you, is this: to vnder­stand by three and foure, many. A number finite and cer­taine, is put for a number infinite and vncertaine. For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure; that is, for many trans­gressions. As oft, as hee will, God forgiueth, though wee sinne many a time. It is but the custome of the Scripture thus to speake: God waiteth for vs twice and thrice, that is, a good while, to haue vs returne from our euill wayes vnto repentance: but the fourth time, that is, at length, when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency, hee protesteth against vs, as heere against Iudah, I will not turne to you, I will not turne away your punishment.

I will not turne away the punishment thereof] These words are diuersly rendered: by Gualter, non conuertam eum, I will not turne Iudah, I will not recall him into the right way; he shall runne to his owne perdition. By Mercer: non par­cam ei, I will not spare Iudah: according as his desert shall be, so shall he haue. In our English-Geneua translation, I will not turne to it. In our late Church-Bible, I will not spare him. In our newest translation, I will not turne away the punishment thereof. So read Iunius and Tremellius, [Page 59] according to the Hebrew, Non auertam istud, I will not turne away this punishment, which I haue resolued to lay vpon Iudah. The summe of both accusation and prote­station is this. If Iudah had sinned but once, or a second time, I would haue beene fauourable to them, and would haue recalled him into the right way, that so they might haue been conuerted, and might haue escaped my punish­ments, but now whereas they doe daily heape transgressi­on vpon transgression, and make no end of sinning, I haue hardened my face against them, I will not turne them vnto me, I will not turne to them, I will not spare them, I will not turne away the punishment, which I haue resolued to bring vpon them; but indurate and obstinate, as they are, I will vtterly destroy them. For three transgressions of Iudah, and for foure, I will not turne away the punishment thereof.

Thus haue you the exposition of the two first parts of this prophecie; of the accusation of Iudah, and the Lords protestation against them. Now let vs see what doctrin may bee taken hence for our further instruction, and the refor­mation of our liues. Doth God resolue to punish Iudah, for three & foure trāgressions? The doctrin arising hence is this.

Three transgressions, and foure, that is, many sinnes, doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs.

God is of pure eyes, and beholdeth no iniquity. Hee hath layd righteousnesse to the rule, and weighed his iu­stice in a ballance. His sentence is passed forth, and stands, like the law of the Medes and Persians, irreuocable: Tri­bulation and anguish, vpon euery soule that doth euill. The soule that sinneth, it selfe must beare the punishment. God makes it good with an oath, Deut. 32.41. that hee will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on iudgement, to execute vengeance for sinne. His soule hateth, and abhorreth sinne; his law curseth and condemneth sinne; his hand smiteth and scourgeth sinne. Sinne was his motiue to cast Angels out of Heauen, to thrust Adam out of Paradise, to turne Cities into ashes, to ruinate Nati­ons, to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinne­full [Page 60] flesh. Sinne made him heretofore to drowne the olde world; and sinne will make him hereafter to burne this. So true is my doctrine.

Many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punish­ments vpon vs.

Let vs now make some vse of this doctrine.

Doe many sinnes cause Almighty God to punish vs? First, we are hence taught, at what time soeuer God shall lay his rod vpon vs, to seeke the true cause thereof in our selues. Malorum omnium nostrorum causa, peccatum est, saith S. Austin, Serm. 139. de Tempore. The cause of all euill is within vs: it is sinne within vs. It is impiety to imagine, that God will punish vs without a cause. Non pateremur, nisi mereremur, saith that good Father; We should not vn­dergoe any crosse or disturbance, vnlesse wee deserued it. Wherefore let vs, euery one of vs in particular, when God commeth neere to vs in iudgement, to touch, either our estates with want, or our callings with disgrace, or our bo­dies with sicknes, or our soules with heauines; let vs haue recourse to the sinnes within vs, which haue deserued this, and turne we to the Lord our God. Water, teares, sorrow, repentance, will better satisfie him, pacifie him, mooue him, alter him, then whatsoeuer vengeance, or plagues, or bloud, or death.

Let vs enter into a due consideration of our corrupti­ons, our transgressions, our sinnes, wherewith, as with a heauy burden, wee are laden: and returne wee to the Lord our God: adulterers, murtherers, idolaters, the sacrilegi­ous, the ambitious, the couetous, drunkards, railers, lyars, the blasphemous, swearers, forswearers, all, who by any their euill wayes prouoke God to the execution of his iu­stice, must take part in this conuersion. Let no man draw backe; let not the heinousnesse of our fore-passed sinnes deterre vs or keepe vs, from so holy a course. I dare affirme with S. Austin Serm. 181. de Tempore. Non nocent peccata praeterita, si non placent praesentia. Sinnes past hurt not, if sins present please not. Let vs euen now at this present in de­testation [Page 61] of sinne resolue to sinne willingly no more, and our sinnes past shall neuer hurt vs. O let not this vse slip out of our minds. When God his heauy hand is vpon vs in any crosse or tribulation, seeke wee out the cause of it in our selues, in our sinnes.

A second vse followeth: and it is to stirre vs vp to a seri­ous contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almigh­ty God, who did so graciously forbeare those inhabitants of Iudah, till by their three transgressions, and by their foure, they had prouoked God vnto displeasure. The holy Scrip­tures are frequent in proclaiming God to be mercifull, and gracious, and long-suffering, and of great goodnesse. Hee cry­eth to the foolish, Prou. 1.22. O ye foolish, how long will ye loue foolishnesse? He cryeth to the faithlesse, Math. 17.17. O generation, faithlesse and crooked, how long now shall I suffer you? He cryeth to Ierusalem, Matth. 23.37. O Ierusalem, Ie­rusalem, how often? What could the Lord haue done more vnto his vineyard, then he had done vnto it? He dressed it with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could inuent, as appeareth, Esa. 5.2. Such carefull dressing could not but deserue fruit. This fruit he required not at the first houre, but tarried for it the full time, euen till the autumne and time of vintage; if then it failed, did it not deserue to be eaten vp? Looke into the 13. of Luke vers. 6. There shall you see the Lord wayting three yeeres for the fruit of his fig-tree, yea and content, that digging, and dunging, and expectation a fourth yeere may bee bestowed vpon it. Doubtlesse God is mercifull, and gracious, and long suffering, and of great goodnesse.

Heereof (Beloued) we haue great experience. We haue our three transgressions, and our foure too, as Iudah had. Our manifold sinnes, our sins of omission, and our sinnes of commission, our sinnes of ignorance, and our sinnes of wilfulnesse, our sinnes of infirmity, and our sinnes of pre­sumption, doe they not day by day, impudently and saw­cily presse into the presence of Gods Maiesty, to procure his vengeance against vs? And yet wee must needes con­fesse [Page 62] it, God is good, and patient towards vs.

Beloued, let vs not abuse so great goodnes and patience of our God. Though some fall seauen times a day, and rise againe; though to some sinners it pleaseth God to ite­rate his sufferance, as vpon vs hitherto he hath done; yet should not we herevpon presume to iterate our misdoings. For we well know,Io [...] 8.44. I [...]. 1.6. 2 Pet. 2.4. that Almighty God punished his? An­gels in heauen for one breach,G [...]n. 3.17. Adam for one morsell,Num. 12.10. Mi­riam for one slander,Deut. 32.52. Moses for one angry word,Iosh 7.24, 25. Achan for one sacrilege,Esai. 3 [...].2. Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel, 2. Chrō. 35.22. Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord, andAct. 5.5. &c. Ananias, and Sa­phira for once lying to the Holy Ghost. God is now as able, as euer he was, euen for one transgression to cut vs of; but if he patiently forbeare vs, till by three and foure transgres­sions, by our many sinnes, we grieue the Holy Spirit of that Sacred Maiestie, shall we thinke (as some impiously doe) that God takes no notice of the sinnes, which we commit, or cares not for them? Far let all such conceit be from any Christian heart.

Let vs rather confesse the truth: that God by such his forbearance doth lead vs to repentance: for as much as it is impossible, that God should be, and not see; should see, and not regard; should regard, and not punish; should punish, and not proportion his punishments to our sinnes. I grant that the iustice of God goeth on [...], slow­ly, and in order: but for the most part it recompenseth the slacknes of iudgement with the heauinesse thereof. It keepes the rule full well; to render for ripe sinnes, ripe plagues; for great sinnes, great plagues; for grieuous sins, grieuous plagues.

The rule in the Scholes is thus deliuered. Culpam poena sequitur, euery sinne hath a due punishment attending it. God is without exception iust: and therefore Grauitas sup­plicij, grauitatem peccati denotat; grieuous punishments wheresoeuer God shall lay them, doe argue grieuous sins of those places, and persons. Let no man then, that groa­neth [Page 63] vnder any crosse, affliction, or tribulation, complaine of his hard hap, or ill fortune; all such visitations are from God, and for our sinnes. And if we will stay Gods hand from correcting vs, we must stay our selues from sinning, and offending him. I conclude with S. Pauls exhorta­tion to the Romanes, chap. 6.12. Let not sinne reigne there­fore in your mortall bodies; obey it not in the lusts thereof; giue not your members, as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sin; but, as men aliue from the dead, giue your selues vnto God, that being freed from sinne, and made Gods seruants through Iesus Christ, you may haue your fruit in holinesse, and the end euer­lasting life.

THE V. LECTVRE.

THE third part of this prophecie against Iudah is now to be examined: namely the enumeration of some particular sinnes, whereby the inhabi­tants of Iudah prouoked their God vnto displea­sure. The first passage in this part is: They haue despised the law of the Lord. Where we haue, the sinne of Iudah, and the obiect thereof; the sinne, contempt; the obiect, the law of the Lord.

They haue despised: there is the sinne. The law of the Lord: there is the obiect. First of the sinne, of the contempt.

They haue despised] Zanch. de oper. redemp. Iob. 1. cap. 18. Thes. 2. Contempt is an action of the minde, by which we nothing at all, or very lightly esteeme of a thing, and therefore doe reiect it. This action, which I call contempt, is partly from the vnderstanding, partly from the will. First the vnderstanding esteemes a thing to be nothing or litle worth; then doth the will reiect it, and casts it away.

A thing may be contemned two manner of wayes; either simply, or in respect of some other thing.

First simply. So we may contemne a vile fellow, one that hath no vertue, no goodnes in him; one that is alto­gither vicious, giuen vpRom. 1.28. to a reprobate sense, to drun­kennesse, to wantonnesse, to worke all kinde of wickednes, euen with greedinesse. Such a fellow, is simply vnworthy to be had in any the least estimation. Such we may, we [Page 65] must contemne. In like sort, if a tyrant command, that which is vniust, any thing that is derogatorie to the glory of God, and threatneth grieuous punishments, vnlesse he be obeyed: in this case a good Christian, must be of a stout courage; he must despise the vniust command, and the proud threats of the tyrant; his zeale must be only for the glory of the Lord.

The storie of the three children, Dan. 3. is not vnknowne to you. The King of Babylon, Nabuchodonozor Dan. 3.1. set vp a golden image, and commanded it to be worshipped. His decree was, thatvers. 10. euery one, that should heare the sound of the cornet, trumpet, harpe, shawme, psalterie, dulcimer, and other instruments of musicke, should fall downe, and worship the gol­den image: who so fell not downe, and worshipped, hee should be cast into the middest of a hot fiery furnace.

This vniust decree of the King, the three children, Si­drach, Misach, and Abednego, regarded not: they could not be brought to worship this golden image; they feared not his hot fiery fornace; they knew, God wasvers. 17. able to de­liuer them from thence; if God would not, yet were they resolued in no wise to worship that image: they would not so much as outwardly consent to idolatry; so zealous were they for the glory of God. A worthy example for my present purpose, to shew, that the vniust commands of Tyrants, are very iustly contemned and reiected. So are the commands of Magistrates, Parents, and other superiours in authoritie, if they depriue God of his glory. If they di­minish, remit, or abate any thing of the glory of God, they are simply to be contemned.

You see now; a thing may be contemned simpliciter, simply. It may also be contemned secundum quid, in re­spect of some other thing: as when a man esteemes more of his pleasure, or profit, then of the law of the Lord. Such an one may be said secundum quid, in respect of his owne pleasure, or profit, to contemne the law of the Lord. And this contempt is a sin. The fore-mentioned contempts, were not sinnes. A contempt may be a sinne, or not a sinne. You [Page 66] may discerne it by its obiect, or the thing contemned. If the obiect, if the thing contemned be euill, then is the contempt good; it is a vertue, its no sinne. It is no sinne to contemne a vicious fellow, in whom there is no sparke of pietie: its no sinne to contemne the impious and vniust commands of men placed in authoritie aboue vs, as you haue already heard. But if the obiect, if the thing contemned be good, then is the contempt euill, it is a vice, its a sinne. Such was this contempt of Iuda, for they despised the law of the Lord. You see their sinne, Contempt. Now see the Obiect.

The law of the Lord.] The LXX. haue [...] [ [...]] [...], the naturall law of the Lord. But the law of the Lord, as vsually it is diuided in the schooles, is eitherDanaeus Isag. C [...]. par. 3. lib. 3. cap. 14. [...], or [...], or [...]; its either morall, or ceremoniall, or iudiciall. The word in my text is [...] a word re­peated in one Psalme, Psal. 119 foure & twenty times: it signifieth not only the Morall law of God, expressed in the Decalogue, or ten Commandements, but the Ceremoniall law also, yea and the Iudiciall too: and generallyM [...]ller in Ps. 1.2. totam Doctrinam à Deo patefactam, & Ecclesiae traditam: whatso­euer doctrine is reuealed from God, and deliuered to the Church. Such was the contempt of these inhabitants of Iudah; whatsoeuer they were taught from God, by his holy Prophets, or by the reading of the Law, or by the light of nature, they despised it.

They haue despised the law of the Lord.] Though this word [...] generally signifie, whatsoeuer God any way teacheth; yet may it specially be taken for the Morall law, conteined in the Decalogue, or ten Commandements; which for the excellencie thereof is called the law of the Lord: and surpasseth all others for many reasons.

1. This Law was made by God himselfe, written by God himselfe, first in the hearts of men; afterwards in twoDeut. 4.13. & 5.22. & 10.2. Bellarm. Christ. Doctr. tables of stone.

2. This is the most ancient of all others: it is as the fountaine of all the rest.

3. This is the most vniuersall Law, that is, It bindeth [Page 67] not onely Christians, but Iewes also and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poore, Princes and priuate men, the lear­ned and ignorant.

4. This Law is immutable, it cannot be taken away, it cannot be dispensed with.

5. The promulgation of this Law was more solemne, then of any other. It was promulgated with the greatest solemnitie, that could be in Mount Sinai, Exod. 20.18. with sound of angelicall trumpets, with great thunder, with lightning from heauen, in the presence of all the people of God.

6. This Law is, of all lawes, most necessarie. Necessarie, for the preseruing and maintayning of discipline both in and without the Church. Necessarie, to convict man of sinne, and to disrobe him of that pride, which makes him to presume of his owne naturall strength. Necessarie, to represse and keepe vnder the obstinate and selfe-willed sinner, with feare of punishments. Necessarie, to informe and instruct the regenerate in the true seruice and worship of God.

This law of the Lord so far surpassing all other lawes for the excellencie thereof, these inhabitants of Iudah did de­spise; they contemned it. You see the sinne here laid vnto their charge; Contempt of the law of the Lord. They haue despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine arising hence is: ‘The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.’

This truth will be plaine, if you will consider, what pu­nishments God in his holy word threatneth and layeth vpon the despisers, or contemners of his Sacred Maiestie, of his ceremonies, of his commandements, of his holy word.

Such despisers, or contemners, are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 3.32. The Lord will despise them, 1. Sam. 2.30. The Lord will scorne them, Prov. 3.34. The Lord will bring vpon them terrors, consumptions, burning agues, and sorrow of heart, Levit. 26.15. The Lord will send a fire vpon them to [Page 68] deuoure them, Amos 2.5. and hauing so done, He will laugh at their destruction, Prov. 1.26. For this contempt, Pharaohs chariots, his chosen Captaines, and his hoste were couered in the deepe; they sanke to the bottome of the Sea, as a stone: they were all drowned, Exod. 15.4, 5. For this con­tempt, Saul was reiected from being King ouer Israel: he became his owne executioner; he fell vpon his owne sword; 1. Sam. 31.4. For this contempt, Salomons kingdome was1. King. 11.11, 12. to be rent from him, and to be giuen to his seruant: it was accomplished in his sonnes dayes, in the dayes of Rehoboā: the Israelites made vnto themselues a new King, euen Iero­boam, sonne of Nebat, 1. Kings 12.20. What was it, but this contempt, that brought2. Chr. 28.13. ruine to the state of Ahaz? What but this contempt, hath brought to nought many an­cient and flourishing kingdomes, and nations? What else, hath laid their honor in the dust? Infinite should I be, would I produce all, that is deliuered in the Sacred Scrip­tures concerning this contempt of the Lord, and his holy lawes. The litle which I haue already brought out of that invaluable treasurie, may serue for the establishment, of my propounded doctrine; namely that ‘The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.’

You see the doctrine. Let vs now make some vse of it to our selues.

Is it true beloued? Is it a grieuous sinne to despise the law of the Lord? Let this be a motiue to vs to gage the very depth and bottome of our hearts, there to see, whether we haue sinned this sinne: whether we haue carried our selues contemptuously towards the law of the Lord.

Can we say concerning this law of the Lord, as that sweet singer of Israel, that holy man of God, King Dauid once said; that we haue not Psal. 119.61. forgotten it; that, we haue not vers. 51. declined from it; that, we hauevers. 55. kept it; that, wevers. 113. loue it; wevers. 20. & 174 delight in it; ourvers. 97. meditation is in it all the day; that its better vnto vs, thenvers. 72. thousands of gold and siluer? Can we thus truely say? Then doubtlesse are we free from [Page 69] this sinne of Contempt of the law of the Lord.

But if we wilfully breake the law of the Lord: if we haue no feare, nor feeling of the iudgements threatned in that his holy law: if we runne on securely in our vngodly cour­ses: if we prostitute our selues to all vncleannesse: if we be filled withRom. 1.29. vnrighteousnesse, fornication, wickednesse, coue­tousnesse, maliciousnes: if we be puft vp with error, murther, debate, deceit, malignitie: if wee walke according to theEphes. 2.2. course of the world, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, taking delight in doing theGalat. 5.19. workes of the flesh; then are we out of doubt guilty of this sinne, of despising the law of the Lord.

Wherefore let vs, let euery one of vs, enter into the closet of our own hearts: examine we our selues, how we haue heretofore stood, and how we do now stand, affected to the law of the Lord Iudge we our selues, that we be not iudged of the Lord; condemne we our selues, that we be not condemned of the Lord. If we finde our selues hither­to to haue bin2. Tim. 2.26. intangled in the snares of Satan, to haue fa­shioned our selues to the manners of this sinfull world, to haue spent our dayes in vanities, and our nights vpon the beds of wantonnesse, without any due regard of Gods holy lawes enacted in the high Court of Heauen to the contrary: our best way will be to betake our selues to the throne of mercy, there to begge of Him that sitteth vpon the throne, the grace of vnfeined repentance: that sorrowing with a godly sorrow for our sinnes past, for our rebellion and disobedience to the law of the Lord, expressed in the wick­ed conuersation of our fore-passed liues, we may now at length become new creatures, creatures of new hearts, and new spirits, resoluing for the time to come to yeeld all obe­dience to the Law of the Lord, to frequent his Sanctuarie, where this law is vsually read and expounded to vs, that God thereby may bee glorified, and our soules saued.

Thus farre of the sinne of Iudah, as it is expressed in the first branch of this third part of my text: They haue despi­sed [Page 70] the law of the Lord. The doctrine grounded there­upon, was this: ‘The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne.’

The vse made thereof vnto our selues, was to stirre vp in vs a desire of conforming our obedience to this law of the Lord.

The sinne of Iudah, is further expressed in the next clause: They haue not kept his Commandements.

Commandements] The word in the originall, and Hebrew fountaine is, [...]; a word repeated, Psal. 119. two and twenty times. The Septuagint translate it [...]: the vulgar Latin, and S. Hierome, mandata, iust as we do, man­dates or commandements. Tremellius and Iunius haue sta­tuta, statutes: some haue Ceremonias, Ceremonies; which soeuer of these translations we receiue, it will be consonant to the analogie of faith, and the precedent clause. For whosoeuer despiseth the law of the Lord, he obserueth not his ceremonies, he keepeth not his statutes, he keepeth not [...], his mandats or commandements. So, this clause is but an exposition of the former. The same thing is twise said: 1. They haue despised the law of the Lord. 2. They haue not kept his commandements.

Is the same thing twise said? Let it be true, that by the lawes of the Lord, and the commandements of the Lord, one and the same thing be vnderstood: is it likewise all one, to despise, and not to keepe? or doth not our Prophet say lesse against the people of Iudah, where he saith, They haue not kept the commandements of the Lord, then when he saith, They haue despised the law of the Lord?

He may seeme to say lesse. But if we consider the force of the Hebrew phrase, we shall finde it to be otherwise. It is a rule,Drusius. Hebraei per negationem contrarij vehementiùs affir­mant: the Hebrewes by denying the contrary doe the more vehemently affirme. It may thus appeare. Solomon in his Prouerbs, chap. 17.21. saith, Non gaudet stulti pater, the father of a foole reioyceth not. This may seeme to [Page 71] be but coldly and slenderly spoken, not sufficiently to ex­presse that griefe, which fathers do conceiue at the disobe­dience of their sonnes, which the Wiseman there calleth foolishnes. But the phrase is very forcible; Non gaudet stulti pater; the father of a foole reioyceth not. Nemo quisquam vnquā ita dolet, quin idem aliquādo gaudeat, saithDrus. obseruat. lib. 1. c. 22. a learned writer. There is scarse any man euer so grieued, but that at some one time, or other, he reioyceth: but if a man at all times, and euery moment of time be grieued, of him we may truly say, Non gaudet, he reioyceth not. Non gaudet stulti pater: It is very fitly englished in our new translation: The father of a foole hath no ioy.

Here you, you who liue vnder the rule of your parents, be ye sonnes, or daughters, liuing vnder father, or mother, if you behaue your selues disobediently towards your Pa­rents, in Salomons account you are fooles; and your Parents can haue no ioy in you. And, tell me, of whom should your Parents haue ioy, if not of you their children? S. Paules exhortation is not lightly to be esteemed by you. Heare therefore what he saith vnto you, Ephes. 6.1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. and vers. 2. Honor thy father, and mother. To the first he perswadeth you by a reason drawne from the schole of nature, It is right so to do. To the second he allureth you, by an argument drawne from your owne good, v. 3. So shall it be well with you, and you shall liue long vpon the earth. and euer remember this same, Non gaudet of Salomon: Non gaudet stulti pater; The father of a foole, of a disobedient childe, hath no ioy.

A like phrase the same Salomon hath, Prou. 10.2. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: The treasures of wickednes profit not. This may seeme to be spoken but jeiunely, and sleightly, not sufficiently to expresse the hurt & mischiefe, that shall befall a man, for his goods vnlawfully, and disho­nestly gotten. But the phrase is very forcible, Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickednes profit not. Quod in omni tempori nocet saythDrusius, vbi suprà. one, de eo verissimè enun­tiatur, non prodest. Name any thing, that at all times is hurt­full, [Page 72] and of it we may truely say, Non prodest, it doth not profit. Salomon hath named it: Thesauri improbitatis, the treasures of wickednesse. Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis: It is very fitly englished in our new translation, The trea­sures of wickednesse profit nothing, It is worth the marking: they profit nothing.

Heare you, you who heape vnto your selues, Thesauros improbitatis, these same treasures of wickednesse, by your auarice, extortion, oppression, vsury, false-dealing with your neigh­bours, or otherwise vnlawfully. You may know, that these your treasures of wickednesse can profit nothing. They may be vnto you obstacles, and impediments, to keepe you for e­uer without the gates of Heauen. What meaneth else our blessed Lord, and Sauiour Iesus Christ, in that his constant asseueration to his Disciples, Mat. 19.23. Verily, verily, I say vnto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of Heauen? And againe, where he sayth, ver. 24. It is easier for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God? And who is this rich man? Qui diuitijs, cor apponit; he that setteth his heart vpon his riches, and trusteth in them: and not onely he, but he also that getteth his goods vniustly, he that getteth thesau­ros improbitatis, those same treasures of iniquitie: whereof for the present I say no more, then what our Sauiour sayth to his Disciples, Mat. 16.26. What is a man profited, if hee shall gaine the whole world, and loose his owne soule? Onely I wish from my heart, that in your hearts were written this same; Non prosunt: Non prosunt thesauri improbitatis, the trea­sures of wickednesse doe profit nothing.

Will you now looke backe to my text, for the explica­tion whereof I haue expounded to you a Non gaudet, and a Non prosunt. The first, Non gaudet, concerneth the Father of a disobedient childe, and importeth [...] gaudij, the pri­vation of ioy: the Father of a disobedient sonne hath no ioy at all. The other, Non prosunt, is spoken of goods ill gotten, and importeth [...] vtilitatis, the privation of pro­fit: Non prosunt, goods ill gotten profit nothing at all. My [Page 73] text hath answerable to those two, a Non obseruârunt. Non obseruârunt mandata eius, They haue not kept the comman­dements of the Lord. This may seeme to be but coldly and sleightly spoken, not sufficient to expresse the disobedi­ence of the people of Iudah, towards the commaundements of the Lord. For there is no man liuing vpon earth, that can keepe his commandements. And if the people of Iudah in this, sinned, but as other men ordinarily sinned, what great matter is it, that our Prophet here obiecteth to them? But the phrase here is very forcible. Non obseruârunt mandata eius: They haue not kept his commaundements. Here is implied [...] observantiae: a privation of obseruance. They haue not kept the commandments of the Lord in any one point. Couenant-breakers and apostates, as they were, they refu­sed to be vnder the Lords commandements, and audaci­ously framed to themselues a new kind of worship, [...], a will worship, a worship of their owne inuention; cultum plenum sacrilegijs, a worship full of sacriledge.

We see now, what it is, that our Prophet in this branch of my text, reprooueth in the people of Iudah; It is a Non obseruârunt a non obseruance, an vniuersall neglect of the commandements of the Lord. They tooke license to them­selues, to innouate, to frame vnto themselues a new kind of diuine worship; such as the Lord neuer approoued, yea, such as was contrarie to the expresse will of the Lord, and was forbidden by him. From this reproofe of Iudah, we may take this lesson:

Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by euery childe of his. This truth is made as plaine, as the light at noone day, by the words of blessed Samuel to king Saul. 1. Sam. 15.22. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings, and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better then sa­crifice: and to hearken then the fat of Rams. For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft, and stubbornnesse is as iniquitie, and i­dolatrie. In which words of Samuel, we haue the nature of two contraries, obedience, and disobedience, excellently dis­ciphered. [Page 74] The one to be better then sacrifice: the other to be as witchcraft and idolatrie.

Obedience is better then sacrifice. ForPer victimas aliena caro, per obedien [...]iam ve­ro voluntas pro­pria mactatur. Greg. Mor. lib. 35. cap. 10. he that offereth a sacrifice, offereth the flesh of a beast: but he that obeyeth, offereth his owne will, as a quicke and reasonable sacrifice, which is all in all. Disobedience is as witchcraft and idolatrie. For what else is disobedience, but when the Lord hath impo­sed some dutie vpon vs, wee then conferre with our owne hearts, as Saul consulted with the woman of1. Sam. 28.7. Endor; or as Ahaziah King of Samaria, with2. King. 1.2. Baalzebub, the God of Ekron, whether the word of the Lord, shall be harkened to, yea, or no. Thus we set vp an Idol, within our owne brests against the God of Heauen, and despising, forsaking, not keeping his commandements, we follow the voice, and per­swasion of our owne deuises.

To this place of Samuel (though of it selfe it be sufficient for the establishment of my propounded doctrine: Name­ly, that Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed by euery child of his) let vs adde some other passages of holy Scripture, wherein the Lord to draw vs to this dutie of obedience, promiseth vs blessings.

Memorable is that protestation of Moses to the children of Israel. Deut. 11.26. Behold, I set before you this day a bles­sing, and a curse. A blessing if ye obey the commandements of the Lord your God; a curse, if ye obey them not. As if hee had thus said. Bethinke your selues, O ye children of Israel. Seeing God hath commaunded me to publish his law vnto you, it is not for you to fal asleepe. He sheweth you, how you may prosper all your life long, namely, if you will obey him. Obey him, and prosper all your life long. Is not this a great bles­sing? But if you obey him not, the curse will ouertake.

This doth Moses more particularly deliuer, Deut. 28.1. If, saith he, thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord thy God, to obserue and keepe all his commandements: that is, if yee hearken to the Lords voyce, to obey his commande­ments, and be carefull to keepe them, then shall you be blessed [Page 75] all manner of wayes; you shall be enuironed through Gods fauour, with all manner of well-fare, and prosperitie.

Will you a Catalogue of such blessings, as shall bee con­ferred vpon you for your obedience to the commandements of the Lord? It is readie gathered to your hands, Deut. 28. O­bey yee the Commandements of the Lord, so blessed shall yee be Ver. 3. in the cittie, and blessed in the field: Ver. 4. Blessed in the fruit of your bodies, and in the fruit of your grounds, and in the fruit of your cattell, and in the increase of your kine, and in the flockes of your sheepe: Ver. 5. Blessed in your baskets, and in your knea­ding troughs: Ver. 6. Blessed at your comming in, and blessed at your going out: Ver. 8. Blessed in your barnes, and in all that you set your hands to. These and many other blessings recited in that Chapter, are plainely promised, and shall as faithfully bee performed, if you obey the commaundements of the Lord your God.

But if you be stubborne, peruerse, and disobedient to the Commaundements of the Lord, then shall cursings as fast follow you: Then Cursed shall yee be in the cittie, andDeut. 28.16. Cursed in the field: Ver. 18. Cursed in the fruit of your bodies, in the fruit of your ground, in the fruit of your cattell, in the encrease of your kine, and in the flocks of your sheepe: Ver. 17. Cursed in your bas­kets, and in your kneading troughs: Ver. 19. Cursed at your comming in, and cursed at your going out: Ver. 20. Cursed in your barnes, and in all that you set your hands to. These, and many other curses, re­cited in that Chapter, are plainely threatned, and shall as faithfully be performed, if you obey not the commandements of the Lord your God.

I will not too farre presume vpon your patience. You haue heard of maledictions, or cursings against such as diso­bey the Commandements of the Lord. You haue heard al­so of benedictions, or blessings to such as obey the commaun­dements of the Lord. May it please you then to acknow­ledge this for an irrefragable truth; that,

Obedience to the commandements of the Lord, is a dutie which the Lord requireth to be performed of euery childe of his.

What vse shall we now make of this Doctrine? This [Page 76] needs no great consultation. The vse is plaine: Is obedi­ence, a dutie, which God requireth to be performed by all, who will be accounted in the number of his children? Then it is a dutie required to be performed by vs. For who is there among vs, that desireth not to be in the number of Gods children? Wherefore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let vs betake our selues to the Schoole of obedience: And striue we euery one to goe beyond his neighbour, in the of­fices of this Christian dutie.

Obedience! It hath praise with God and man. Obedience? It is the of-spring of the righteous! Obedience! It is, saythIn scala para­disi. gradu de obedientia. Climacus, animae propriae perfecta abuegatio, spontanea mors, securum periculum, tuta nauigatio, iter dormiendo confectum, sepulchrum voluntatis, excitatio humilitatis. It is, sayth he, an absolute deniall of our selues; it is a voluntarie death, it is a securitie from danger, it is a safe nauigation, it is a iourney performed as it were in a sleepe, it is a sepulcher of our will, it is the stirrer vp of humilitie. The obedient man, he ab­solutely denieth himselfe; but, that he mayMat. 16.24. follow Christ: he dyeth voluntarie, but1. Pet. 2.24. vnto sinne, that he may liue vnto righteousnesse: though he be on euery side enuironed with perils, yet is he secure, and feareth nothing: though he saile in the sea of this world, yet is his sayling safe: though hee iourneyeth in this valley of peregrination toward the Hea­uenly Ierusalem, yet he doth it, as it were in a sleepe, without molestation: he burieth the vnruly affections of his will; and spendeth the remainder of his abode here in the exer­cises of sweete humilitie. Thus shall the man be blessed that is obedient to the Commandements of the Lord his God.

It is said of the just. Psal. 112.6. In memoria aeterna erit iu­stus; The iust shall be in euerlasting memorie. It may bee likewise said of the obedient; In memoria aeterna crit obedi­ens. The obedient shall be in euerlasting memorie. The Rechabites shall neuer want a testimonie of their obediēce, vnlesse the booke of Ieremy the Prophet, be againe cut with a pen-knife, and burnt, as in the dayes ofIerem. 36.23. Zedechias. Iona­dab their Father commaunded them to drinke no Wine, [Page 77] and for that commaundements sake, they would drinke none: they, nor their wiues, nor their sonnes, nor their daughters, Iere. 35.8. A worthy patterne of obedience. God himselfe commends it, and obiects it for a reproofe of the disobedience of his owne people, the inhabitants of Iudah. For vers. 13. Thus sayth the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Goe and tell the men of Iudah, and inhabitants of Ierusa­lem: The words of Ionadab, the sonne of Rechab, that he com­manded his sonnes not to drinke wine, are performed; for vnto this day they drinke none, but obey their fathers commaunde­ment: Notwithstanding I haue spoken vnto you, rising early, and speaking, but yee hearkened not vnto me. This complaint of the Lord is redoubled, vers. 16. The sonnes of Ionadab, the sonne of Rechab, haue performed the commaundement of their Father, which be commaunded: but this people hath not hear­kened vnto me. May not the Lord now as iustly twit vs, and hit vs in the teeth, with this example of the Rechabites? He may without doubt. The Rechabites kept the commande­ment of their Father Ionadab, a mortall man, & now dead: but we keepe not the commaundements of our Father, our heauenly Father Iehovah, the immortall, and the euerliuing God.

Beloued, let vs remember it. Disobedience hath neuer yet escaped the hands of Almightie God. It castGen. 3.22. Adam and Eue out of Paradise;Gen. 19.26. Lots wife out of her life, and nature too,Num. 16.32. Dathan, and Abiram into the mouth of the earth;1. Sam. 15.23. Saul out of his kingdome;Ion. 1.15. Ionas out of the ship: the chil­dren of Israel out of their natiue soyle, yea, and from the naturall roote which bare them: whereof there is no other reason giuen, but their disobedience, Iere. 35.17. I haue spoken vnto them, but they haue not heard; I haue called vnto them, but they haue not answered.

Is not the case iust ours? God hath spoken vnto vs, but we haue not heard him: he hath called vs, but we haue not answered him. He hath called vs per beneficia, by his bene­fits, but we haue not answered him per Hugo Card. in Ierem. 35. gratitudinem, by our thankefulnesse: he hath called vs per flagella, by his [Page 78] chastisements and scourges, but wee haue not answered him, per patientiam, & correctionem, by our patience, and amendment: he hath called vs, per exempla, by examples, but we haue not answered him, perimitationem, by our imi­tation: he hath called vs per praedicatores, by his Preachers; but we haue not answered him, per obedientiam, by our obe­dience to his word preached. He hath spoken to vs, but we haue not heard him, he hath called vs, but we haue not answered him.

Men and brethren, what shall we doe? When a multi­tude of Iewes pricked in the heart at the preaching of Peter, thus bespake Peter, and his fellow Apostles, Men and bre­thren, what shall we doe? Peters answere for himselfe, and the rest, was, Repent, Act. 2.38. This same, Repent; is the best lesson that we can learne. We haue not kept the comman­dements of the Lord our God, we daily transgresse them: and hereby are Heauen gates fast shut against vs. The one­ly way for vs to haue them againe opened, is to Repent. Repentance is the most soueraigne medicine, that we can ap­ply to the bitter wounds made in our soules through the sting of sinne. Oh! Let vs not deferre, and put off this ne­cessarie cure. One hath said very well:Diez. Loco de poenitentia. Qui veniam per poenitentiam repromisit, diem crastinam ad poenitentiam non promisit. He that hath promised pardon to vs, if wee Repent, hath not promised vs, that to morrow wee shall repent.

Wherefore let vs, laying a side all excuses: delayes, and prolonging of the time, let vs euen this day, while it is cal­led to day, with touched hearts and consciences resolue vp­on Repentance. Let vs euen now haue setled purposes, and willing minds to forsake all sinne, and to turne to the Lord our God: this will be a good beginning of true conuersion, and Repentance. Let vs follow it with perseuerance. Let not any idle sports, let not any houses of misrule, or disorder keepe vs from the Church, and this place of sound instru­ction. Here shall wee all be taught of God, and by the mightie opperation of his holy Spirit, shall be enabled to [Page 79] loue his holy Lawes, and in some measure to keepe his com­maundements: that passing the remainder of our dayes in this land of our soiournings in all possible obedience, to his holy Lawes and Commaundements, we may at length be translated into that better Countrey, that Heauenly one, that cittie of God, wherein our eldest bro­ther and sole Sauiour, Iesus Christ hath prouided places for vs, that where he is there may we be also.

THE VI. LECTVRE.

IN my last Sermon I began the exposition of the third part of this prophecie against Iudah, and passed ouer the two first branches. You then heard the people of Iudah reproued, for contempt, and rebellion: Contempt of the law of the Lord, and rebellion against his commande­ments. They haue despised the law of the Lord, they haue not kept his commandements.

What! Iudah! Iudah, Lament. 2.1. the daughter of Sion; she that was great among the Nations, andLam. 1.1. a Princesse among the Prouinces: Iudah! That was the LordsEsai. 19.25. inheritance, the LordsExod. 19.5. peculiar, the LordsPsal. 114.2. Sanctuarie, theEsai. 61.9. blessed seed of the Lord, theEsai. 5.7. plant of the Lords pleasure: Iudah, to whom theRom. 3.2. oracles of God were committed; is Iudah become rebellious? Hath Iudah despised the law of the Lord? Hath not Iudah kept his commandements? What may be the reason of it? The reason followeth in my Text:

Their lyes caused them to erre, after the which their fathers haue walked.] In steed of lyes, the vulgar Latin hath Idola, Idols. So hath S. Hierome: Deceperunt eos Idola eorum; their Idols haue deceiued them. What Idols? Euen such as their fathers followed, while they liued in Aegypt. They fashioned vnto themselues, the semblance and counterfeit of the Aegyptian Oxe; they adored Beelphegor, they wor­shipped Astaroth and Baalim. Beelphegor, Astaroth, Baalim; these were the Idols, as S. Hierome commenteth, by which [Page 81] the inhabitants of Iudah were deceiued: Deceperunt eos idola eorum; their Idols deceiued them.

For Idols, our English translation readeth Lyes. The He­brew fountaine is our warrant: the word there signifieth Lyes. Their Lyes caused them to erre.

Lyes are of two sorts: some are in commercijs; some in cultu divino: some in commerce with men; some in the seruice or worship of God. Lyes in commerce with men, are cōmitted 3. manner of wayes, in words, in manners, in things. A Lye in words is, when we speake one thing, & thinke another: and this is either iocosum, or officiosum, or perniciosum; it is either a lye in iest, or an officious lye, or a pernicious lye; not one of these can be excused: no, not the lye in iest, though S. Austin call it otiosum, an idle lye; and exempteth it from blame: as also some do officiosum, the officious lye.

A Lye in manners you may call simulation, dissimulation, counterfeiting, dissembling. This is seene in false-Christs, false-Prophets, false-Apostles, false-Teachers, such as make a faire shew of honestie, or for aLuc. 23.14. pretence make long pray­er, orMath. 7.15. weare sheeps clothing, but are hypocrites, deuou­rers, wolues. These lye in their manners: of these it is said, frons, oculi, vultus persaepe mentiuntur: the forehead, the eyes, the countenance, do often lye.

The lye in things is, when one thing is substituted or put in the place of another; a counterfeit for a true thing: as when a cosener sells opium for apium, or broome twigs for balmewood, or alchimie for siluer, or copper for gold. But these lyes obuious and frequent in commerce with man, I must passe ouer. They are not intended in my text. The lyes intended in my text, are lyes in cultu divino, lyes in the seruice and worship of God.

Their lyes caused them to erre.] These lyes in the seruice and worship of God, what are they? Lyranus will tell you. Quaecun{que} fiunt, aut cogitantur sine Dei verbo; Whatsoeuer things in diuine worship are done or deuised without the warrant of Gods word, they are lyes. So saith, that learned [Page 82] Professor of Paris, Mercer; Omnia humana figmenta, quae contra Dei verbum, in Dei cultu excogitantur; All humane inventions in diuine worship deuised contrary to the word of God, they are lyes. Summarily thus I say: By lyes in this place we are to vnderstand, fictitios cultus, whatsoeuer worship of God is forged or counterfeited;Coloss. 2.23. [...], all will-worship, all superstitious and blinde worship. These are the lyes, that caused Iudah to erre.

Their lyes caused them to erre.] First, they betooke them­selues to the Idolatrie of the Gentiles, they made their sons to passe through the fire, according to the abominations of the Heathen, 2. Kings 16.3. Secondly, they forsooke the ser­uice of the Lords house, his holy Temple at Ierusalem, and sacrificed, and burnt incense, in high places, on hills, vnder euery greene tree, 2. King. 16.4. Thirdly, they Hos. 10.1. & 8.11. increased their Altars, multiplied their sacrifices, and augmented their ceremonies, supposing thereby ex opere operato, euen for such their superstition sake, to demerit vnto themselues the fauor of God, though they were vtterly voide of faith, and repentance. These were the lyes that deceiued Iudah; these their lyes caused them to erre. Commenta falsi cultus: their new-deuised, feigned, and forged worships of God, were the lyes, that caused them to erre.

This appellation of lyes is also giuen to false worship, Rom. 1.25. where S. Paul chargeth the Gentiles, with chan­ging the truth of God into a lye. They changed the truth of God into a lye, that is, the true worship of God they peruerted, and changed into false worship. The reason why false worship there is called a lye, is, because its opposed to truth.Drusius. Quicquid veritati contrarium est, mendacium est; Whatso­euer is contrary to truth, that is a lye. And therefore our Prophet here in this text opposeth lyes, to the law of God; because Lex Dei veritas, Psal. 119 142. the law of God is truth. This antithesis betweene the law of God, and a Lye, we finde, Psal. 119.163. Mendacium odi, imme detestatus sum; legem tuam diligo. I hate a Lye; yea I abhorre it, but thy Law do I loue.

We see now, what these lyes were, which caused Iudah to erre: they were humane deuises, and inuentions in the worship of God, defiling and infecting the sinceritie of that worship, which God onely approueth. And yet is the Holy Spirit here pleased further to notifie vnto vs these Lyes of Iudah, in these words: After the which their fathers walked.

Their Lyes caused them to erre; after the which their fathers haue walked.] What fathers meaneth he? Those, whichPsal. 106.19. made them a calfe in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image, and turned their glory, euen their God, into the similitude of an Oxe that eateth grasse? of whom we read, Exod. 32.4. Or meaneth he those which serued strange Gods in Ʋr of the Chaldees? of whom we read, Iosuah 24.2. Whatso­euer the Fathers were, here meant by our Prophet; they were to these inhabitants of Iudah their ancestors; they were their forefathers: such as tooke delight in the seruice of false Gods.

Their Lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers walked.] It is no new thing, no strange thing, for children to striue to imitate their fathers, that they may be like vnto them. This doth S. Stephen, Act. 7.51. obiect to the successors of these Iewes: Yee stiffe-necked and vncircumci­sed in heart and eares, yee doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so doe yee. Your Fathers were a stiffe-necked people; so are yee. Your Fathers were of vncircum­cised hearts and eares; so are yee. Your Fathers resisted the Holy Ghost; so do yee. Yee stiffe-necked and vncircum­cised in heart and eares, ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost; as your Fathers did, so do ye. By Fathers in this place the Proto­martyr S. Stephen meaneth maiores, their predecessors, their ancestors, their fore fathers.

What? Are these words of S. Stephen extended to all the ancestors of the Iewes? Were they all a stiffe-necked people? Were they all of vncircumcised hearts and eares? Did they all resist the Holy Ghost? This may not be ima­gined. The many and glorious titles, and appellations [Page 84] bestowed vpon that people in Sacred Writ do euidently make good the contrary. We must therefore distinguish of those ancestors, and forefathers. Some of them were excellent men, and sincere worshippers of the true God: such were Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, and all the faithfull, that issued out of their loynes: these are not the Fathers, whom S. Stephen meaneth. Other some there were notoriously infamous for their impietie, for their bloudy tyrannie to­wards the Lords Prophets, for their idolatrous seruice of false Gods. And these S. Stephen in his speech intendeth.

These are they who in the 78. Psal. vers. 8. are called, a stubborne and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright; a generation, whose spirit was not sted­fast with God. These are they, who S. Iohn the Baptist meaneth, Matth. 3.7. where he calleth the Pharisies, a Ge­neration of Vipers.

These are they, whom our blessed Sauiour also inten­deth, Matth. 12.33. & 23.33. where he stileth the Phari­sies, as Iohn Baptist did; a Generation of Vipers. And what is this generation of vipers, but asComment. in Act. 7.51. Lorinus saith, pessimo­rum parentum pessimi filij, wicked sonnes of as wicked parents.

Such were these Fathers in my text: of whom it is fur­ther said, that they walked after Lyes.]

They walked after Lyes.] To walke, in the Scripture phrase is metaphorically taken, and hath diuers significa­tions. For the vnderstanding of the phrase in my text, you may know; there is a walking after truth, and a walking af­ter Lyes; or which is all one, there is a walking after God, and a walking after Idols. We walke after truth, or God, when from the bottome of our hearts, we thinke vpon, and do those things, which God hath prescribed vnto vs in the word of truth; when we liue a godly life, in this pre­sent world. On the other side, we walke after lyes, or after Idols, when we worship that which is not God; or when we worship the true God, but vpon a false founda­tion, polluting and defiling his sacred worship, with the [Page 85] foolish imaginations and inventions of our owne braines. Thus did the ancient Iewes walke after Lyes; which is here laid vnto their charge: Their Lyes cause them to erre, after which their Fathers walked.

Hitherto haue you heard the exposition of the text. Giue eare now I beseech you to such lessons as may from hence be taken for our further instruction, and the refor­mation of our liues. The first lesson I take from these words, Their Lyes caused them to erre; their lyes, that is, their idolatrous and false worship of God, hath caused them to erre, hath deceiued them. The doctrine is:

When men decline or swerue from the prescript of Gods word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; and cannot but erre.

I thus explicate it. If we embrace not the truth of God, if we despise his holy Lawes, if we keepe not his commandements, we must of necessitie fall into supine and grosse lyes. For so God permitteth. Whosoeuer beleeue not the truth, but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes; who­soeuer receiue not the loue of the truth, that they may be saued, to such shall God send strong delusion that they shall beleeue lyes, 2. Thess. 2.11. Now Almighty God to keepe his elect and beloued ones from such efficacie of errour, from such strong delusions; how oft doth he admonish them, that in no wise they depart from his holy word.Deut. 12.32. Prov 30.6. Reuel. 22.18, 19. Adde not to my word, neither diminish ought from it, Deut. 4.2.Deut. 5.32. & 28.14. Iosh. 23.6. Esai. 30.21. Turne not from my word, to the right hand or to the left, Iosh. 1.7. Lay vp my words in your heart and in your soule; binde them for a signe vpon your hand, let them be as frontlets betweene your eyes, Deut. 11.18. What more obvious in holy Scripture then those Mementoes from the Lord?Deut. 4.1, 6. Hearken vnto my statutes, and vnto my iudgements, keepe them, do them: Remember Num. 15.39. my commandements, Deut. 6.17. keep them diligently, Prov. 7.1. lay them vp Prov. 3.1. in thy heart: forget not my law, Prov. 3.1. Prov. 4.2. for­sake it not: Prov. 4.20. attend to my words, Prov. 7.1. keepe my words, Prov. 4.20. encline thine eare vnto my sayings.

And why I pray is the Lord so earnest to haue his sta­tutes, [Page 86] his iudgements, his commandements, his lawes, his words, his sayings to be kept by vs? Is it not, because hee well knoweth, that if we euer so litle decline or swerue from these, or from any one of these, we are forthwith inwrapped, and involued in deceit, and cannot chuse, but erre? Statutes, iudge­ments, commandements, lawes, words, sayings. Here are multa verba, many words, but res vna, they all signifie one thing, and that is expressable in one word, euen the word; the word of God mentioned in my doctrine, from whose prescript if wee decline or swerue, wee are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit; wee cannot chuse but erre.

A reason hereof I may giue you, out of Psal. 119.105. where the word of God is compared to a lampe, or a light: Thy word is a lampe vnto my feete, and a light vnto my path. You know the vse of a lampe, or light. It is to direct vs in the darke, that we erre not. Now what is this world, but a place of darknesse? Here the naturall man sitteth in darknes, Luk. 1.79. he walketh in darknes, Psal. 82.5. his eyes are blinded with darknes, 1. Ioh. 2.11. his vnderstanding is darkned, Ephes. 4.18. he is subiect to the power of dark­nesse, Coloss. 1.13. he hath fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknes, Ephes. 5.11. he is euen darknes it selfe, Ephes. 5.8. How then can he chuse but erre, if he haue not this lampe, or light of God, the word of God, to direct him?

It was not vnvsuall, with the Iewes, to seeke to them, who hadEsai. 8.19. familiar spirits, and to peeping and muttering wi­zards. To reclaime them from this error, the Prophet Esay cap. 8.20. calls them ad legem, & ad testimonium, to the law and to the testimonie, that is, to the word of God. And why doth he so? He tells you why, in the words following: If (saith he) they speake not according to this word, it is, be­cause there is no light in them: What can be more plaine? Where the word of God is not, or directeth not, there is no light, there is nothing but darknesse, nothing but errour.

You haue enough for the confirmation and illustration of my doctrine, which was,

When men decline, or swerue from the prescript of Gods word, they are forthwith enwrapped and involued in deceit, and cannot but erre.

Is it so beloued? If we leaue the word of God, are wee forthwith in errour? Let this be a strong motiue to vs, to giue more diligence to the word of God, then hitherto we haue done. Let vs as we are exhorted by S. Peter in his 2. Epist. cap. 1. vers. 18. Let vs take heed vnto it, as vnto a light, that shineth in a darke place, till the day dawne, and the day-starre arise in our hearts. Let vs not thinke any time mis­spent, that we bestow vpon this word of God, either to heare it, or to read it, or to keepe it. Yong men, wherewithall will you clense your wayes, but by taking heed vnto your wayes according to the word of God, as you are aduised, Ps. 119.9. All men I know would be blessed; but then must they delight in the word of God, and make it their medita­tion day and night, as it is Psal. 1.2. If we leaue the word of God, which is the lampe and light of God, then are we forth­with in darknes; we are in error.

Is it so, beloued? Then secondly let vs bring and offer to our gracious God, the calues of our lips, the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing, for that it pleaseth him for our direction in this valley of darknes and shadow of death, to giue vs the light of his most precious word. He hath not dealt so with many nations of the earth. Many there are, that haue not the light of his word. And where this light is not, there can be nothing but darknes.

Is it so, beloued? Then thirdly is the Church of Rome very iniurious to the people of God, to with-hold and keepe from them this light of the word of God. Is it not plaine, they do so, when they forbid the Scriptures to be translated into any Vulgar tongue, and so seale them vp from the vnderstanding of the ignorant and vnlearned? They willingly send the Scriptures abroad in the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine tongues: but what are the common [Page 88] people of any Nation hereby benefited? Do they vnder­stand the Hebrew, Greeke, or Latin?

A Papist will answer; there is no necessitie that the vul­gar sort should vnderstand those ancient & sacred tongues. TheRalford. Dire­ctorie cap. 56. Church hath appointed learned men alwayes to in­struct the simple out of the booke of God, with such histo­ries and lessons, as may be most fit to edifie and help them, in the way to Heauen.

I grant, there is no necessitie, yea it cannot be, that the common people should vnderstand, the Hebrew, Greeke, and Latin tongues: but I adde; it is therefore necessarie that the Holy Scripture should be translated into vulgar and knowne tongues, euen for the vnderstanding of the common people: as this day (through Gods goodnes) we haue them in our English tongue, not dismembred, and very much corrupted, as Radford would beare the world in hand; but more perfectly rendred, then euer was that old vulgar Latin edition, obtruded to the Christian world for Authenticall by theSess 3 cap. 2. Trent Fathers.

The exception taken against the translation of the Scrip­tures into vulgar, and knowne tongues, is vaine and ridicu­lous. They say, that great, and marueilous inconveniences and discommodities haue fallen out through such transla­tions. How proue they this? They will seeme to proue it by sundry instances.

1. They tell vs of aStaphylus de Biblioris trāsla­tione pag. 492. Painter of Prussia, who, be­cause he had in Luthers German Bible read of Lot his in­cest, aduentured to abuse his owne daughter.

2. They tell vs of aIdem ex Joh. Gastio Brisac. lib. de Catab [...]ptis [...]is. woman ofMonasterij. Munster in Westphalia, who, hauing diligently perused the historie of Iudith and Holofernes, attempted by the example of Iudith, secretly to kill the Bishop of Munster.

3. They tell vs ofI [...]hannes Iug­dunensis, Sarci­nater Batavus. Iohn of Leiden, who would be as a King, becauseStaphylus vbi suprà. p. 494. ex Sleidan. lib. 10. Iosuah was such: and would haue the tole­ration of many wiues, because the Patriarchs had many.

4. They tell vs ofIdem ex Aenca Sylvio in historia Doemorum. Grubenheimer, who, because he had read in Genesis, Encrease and multiplie, approued that in their [Page 89] night conuenticles, their lights extinguished, they might commit filthinesse not to be spoken. These foure instances are brought by Frid. Staphylus in his treatise of the translati­on of the Bible into vulgar idomes.

5. They tell vs of Dauid George, a Batauian, who by rea­ding the Scriptures in his mother tongue, was perswaded of himselfe, that he was the sonne of God, and the Messias.

6. They tell vs of an English woman, who hearing the Minister of the Parish where shee liued, read out of Eccles. 25. somewhat against wicked women, which pleased her not, rose vp from her seate, and sayd, Is this the word of God? Nay, rather it is the word of the Deuill. These two latter in­stances are brought by Cardinall Bellarmine lib. 2. de verbo Dei cap. 15.

To these, and the former, vrged by Bellarmine, and Sta­phylus, to shew the inconueniences, and discommodities of hauing the Bible in vulgar, and knowne languages, I thus briefly reply. Shall sober men be forbidden the vse of meates and drinkes, because many surfet of them? This you will grant to be very absurd and vnreasonable. So absurd is it, and vnreasonable, that the people of God should be for­bidden the vse of the booke of God in their vulgar & knowne languages, because a few, vnstable persons, such as were the aforenamed, the Painter of Prussia, the Cobler of Leyden, Grubenheimer, Dauid George, and two silly women, the one of Westphaelia, the other of England, abused so rich a treasure to their owne ouerthrowes.

This my reply agreeth with that answere, whichAnimaduers. in Bellarm. Con­trou. 1. lib. 2. cap. 15. §. 63. Iunius giueth vnto Bellarmine: Non conuenit, vt propter eos qui abu­tuntur malè, praecludatur, aut eripiatur Scriptura eis, qui sunt vsuri benè. Its not conuenient, that for their sakes who doe to ill purpose abuse the Scriptures, the Scriptures should be sealed vp, and barred from such, as would vse them well.

The reason, which D^r Bucknham, sometimes Prior of the Black-fryers in Cambridge, for this very purpose brought against M^t Latimer, is altogether as vaine, and friuolous. The danger of hauing the Bible in our English tongue hee [Page 90] prooued after this manner. The plowman hearing that in the Gospell by S^t Luke, Chap. 9.62. No man that layeth his hand on the plow, and looketh backe, is meete for the kingdome of God, may peraduenture cease from his plow: likewise the baker hearing that, Galat. 5.9. A little leauen corrupteth a whole lumpe of dow, may per-case leaue our bread vnleauened, and so our bodies shall be vnseasoned. Also the simple man, hearing that, Math. 5.29. If thy right eye offend thee, plucke it out, and cast it from thee, may make himselfe blind, and so fill the world full of beggers.

This friarly and bald reason of D^r Bucknham, is not wor­thy any other answere, then the wish of Latimer. Fox Martyrol. pag. 1904. Edit. Lond. An. 1570. Latimers wish was, that the Scripture may be so long in our English tongue, till English men be so mad; the plowman, not to looke backe; the baker, not to leauen his bread; the simple man, to pluck out his owne eye.

See you not (Beloued) how iniurious the Papists would be towards you, were they Lords ouer you? The light of Gods word, the incomparable and heauenly treasure, they would scale vp from you in an vnknowne tongue.

This was not the practise of olde. Of old time, in the primitiue times of the Church, the Holy Scriptures had their free passage. All sorts of people might read them, might search into them, might iudge of them. The vnlearned, as the learned; the laitie, as the clergie; women, as men; base, as noble; yong, as old; all had their shares in reading, in hea­ring, in meditating, in practising the sacred doctrines contai­ned in the Holy Scriptures. There can be no iust reason to the contrary.

For as S. Chrysostome in his first Homilie vpon S. Mathew saith: The Scriptures are easie to the slaue, and to the husband­man, to the widdow, and to the childe, and to him, that may seeme to be very simple of vnderstanding.

To which purpose S. Austine Epi. 3. ad volusian: affirmeth, that Almightie God in the Scriptures speaketh, as a familiar friend without dissimulation, vnto the hearts both of the learned, and also of the vnlearned.

The like S. Basil avoucheth vpon the 1. Psal. The Scrip­ture of God is like an Apothecaries shop, full of medicines of sun­dry sorts, that euery man may there choose a conuenient remedie for his disease.

Vpon this ground S. Chrysostome Hom. 2. in Iohan would perswade his auditors, not onely in the Church to bee atten­tiue to the word of God, but that at home also, the husband with the wife, and the father with the childe, would talke together thereof; and would to and fro inquire, and giue their iudgments: and would to God, sayth he, they would once beginne this most approued, and most excellent custome.

Theodoret in his fift Booke de curatione Graecarum affectio­num, seemeth much to reioyce at the knowledge which the Christians generally had in the sacred Scriptures. Our doc­trine, (saith he) is knowne not onely of them, who are the doctors of the Church, and Masters of the people, but also euen of Tay­lers, and Smiths, and Weauers, and all Artificers: of women too, not such onely as were learned, but also of labouring women, and Sewsters, and seruants, and hand-maides. Neither onely Citti­zens, but Country folkes also doe very well vnderstand the same: Ditchers, deluers, Cowheards, Gardiners, can dispute of the Trinitie, and the creation of all things.

Thus was it of old, and why should it not be so now in our daies? The Holy Scriptures are the same now, that then they were. Now, as in the dayes ofSermon. de Confessorib. sive Dispensat. p. 610. Fulgentius, In Sacris Scripturis abundat, & quod rebustus comedat, & quod parvulus sugat, There is in the Scriptures plentie, whereof the strong may eate, and the little ones may sucke. Now, as in the dayes ofEpist. ad lean­drum. Gregorie, Scripturae flumen sunt, in quo agnus ambulet, & Elephas natet, the Scriptures are as a great Riuer, wherein a Lambe may walke, and an Elephant may swim. Now, as in the dayes ofDe Lazaro. Theophylact, Scripturae sunt, Lucerna quo fur de­prehenditur. The Scriptures are as a lanterne, whereby you may descry, and discouer that great theefe, the Deuill, who is euer readie to steale away your hearts from God.

Let vs (dearely beloued) follow this lanterne. Let this Lampe of Gods word direct your footsteps. So shall we bee [Page 92] safe from errour. But if we will not follow it; if we will de­cline, if we will swerue from it, we shall be suddainly involued, and inwrapped in deceit, and cannot choose but erre: This was my first doctrine. I can but touch the second.

Their lies caused them to erre, after which their Fathers walked.] You haue vnderstood by my precedent expositi­on of these words, that the Inhabitants of Iudah are here blamed, for adhering to the blind superstitions of their for­fathers. The doctrine arising hence is this; ‘In matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our fore­fathers.’

This truth is plainely deriued from my text, for if we will make it our rule in Religion, to follow our forefathers; their lyes, that is, their blind superstitions, and idolatrous wor­ship of God, may deceiue vs, and cause vs to erre. Were not the elders of Israel, thus deceiued, and brought into errour? The twentie Chapter of the prophecie of Ezechiel makes it plaine, that they were so: there shall you finde it obiected to them; that they were polluted after the manner of their fathers, and committed whoredome after the abomination of their fathers, ver. 30. And to draw them from adhering to the ill courses of their fathers, the Lord himselfe is plea­sed ver. 18. 19. thus to speake vnto them: Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers, neither obserue their iudgements, nor defile yourselues with their Idoles. I am the Lord your God: Walke in my statutes, keepe my iudgements, and doe them. What will you more for the confirmation of my propoūded do­ctrine? You haue alreadie the warrant of Almightie God from heauen for it, that in matters of Religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers.

It is backed with another text, Zach. 1.4. Be not as your Fathers: your Fathers they heard me not, they hearkened not vnto me, saith the Lord. Be not you therefore as your fathers. Your fathers tempted me in the desert, Psal. 95.9. Will you also tempt me? Be not as your Fathers. Your Fathers were a stubborne and rebellious generation, Psal. 78.8. Will you also be stubborne, and rebellious? Be not as your Fathers. It is out [Page 93] of doubt; Our fathers must not be followed in euill. Yea, in matters of Religion we are not bound to follow our Fathers. If our fathers in their religion were blinded with superstiti­on, and worshipped God otherwise, then they were direc­ted by Gods holy word, we are not to follow them: yea, we are plainely charged, not to be as they were: Thus briefly of my Doctrine: ‘In matters of religion we are not tyed to follow our forefathers.’

This truth serueth for a reproofe of Iesuits, Priests, Recu­sants, and all other popishly affected within this our country, who are so strangely devoted to the Religion whereof their fathers were, that they purposely shut their eyes against the light of Gods word, & will not suffer it to shine vpon them. To whom shall I liken them? They are like to certaine Iewes, that dwell in Pathros in the land of Egypt: who when Ieremie, in the name of the Lord, dehorted them from their Idolatrie, did as it were, defying the Prophet, thus protest, Ierem. 44 17. We will not hearken vnto thee; We will doe what seemeth good to vs, as we haue done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Princes, so will we doe. We will burne incense to the Queene of Heauen, we will powre out drinke offerings vnto her. For so long had we plentie of victuals, we were well, we saw no euill.

Doe not our popelings in England now sing the same song? Call themEsa. 8.20. ad l [...]gem, & ad testimonium: call them to the word of God. Their answere is readie at their tongues end: we will not hearken to it: we will doe, what seemeth good to vs: as we haue done, we, and our Fathers, our Kings, and Princes before vs, so will we doe. We will perseuere in the Religion professed by our Fathers, and reviued in Queene Maries dayes. For so long, as that religion was on foote, we had plentie of victuals, we were well, we saw no euill.

Wretched men and women, as many of you, as are thus wilfully addicted to the superstition of popery, take you heed, that the words of the Lord, Esa. 6.10 giuen in charge to the Prophet, to be conueyed to the Iewes, be not in euerie [Page 94] poynt appliable vnto you: Make the heart of this people fat, make their eares heauy, shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, & vnderstand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Will theIerem. 13.23. Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? Then will our countrymen of the popish sect change from the religion of their forefathers. Their firme resolution to liue and dye in the religion of their fathers, is made apparant by theirAn. D. 1603. supplication, to the most pu­issant Prince, and orient Monarch, our gracious Lord, King IAMES; one branch whereof, is this: We request no more fauour at your Graces hands, then that we may secure­ly professe that Catholike religion, which all your happy prede­cessors professed, from Donaldus the first converted, vnto your Maiesties peerelesse mother.

To this purpose dothPreface to the King, before his Survey. D^r Kellison recite vnto the KING a long catalogue of his noble Predecessors, to moue him, if possible, to embrace their Religion. But (God his holy name be blessed for it) all in vaine.

When Fridericke the IV. Elector of the Sacred Ro­mane Empire, and Count Palatine of the Rhene, was by a certaine Prince aduised, for his religion to follow the example of his Father Lewis; hisPolan. com. in Ezech. 20. answer was: In religione non parentum, non maiorum exempla sequenda, sed tantum vo­luntas Dei: In religion we are to follow, not the examples of our Parents, or our ancestors, but onely the will of God. And for this resolution he alleaged the fore-cited testimo­nie of the Lord out of the 20. of Ezechiel: Walke yee not in the statutes of your fathers, neither obserue their iudge­ments, nor desile your selues with their Idols. I am the Lord your God; walke yee in my statutes. I doubt not, but that our gracious Soueraigne, King IAMES, hath euer had, and will haue a like answer in readinesse, to stop the mouths of Kellison, and all others, who haue dared, or shall attempt, to moue his royall Maiestie for his religion to be like his predecessors.

God giue our King the heart ofIosh. 24.15. Ioshua; a heart sted­fast and vnmoueable in the true seruice of the Lord our God. Though some of his Predecessors haue bin decei­ued to fall downe before the beast in the Apocalyps, and to worship his image, yet good God, so guide our King, and blesse him with a religious people, that He and we, and his people, may now and euermore feare thee, and serue thee, in sinceritie and truth, to the glory of thy great name, and the saluation of our owne soules, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

THE VII. LECTVRE.

THree former Sermons haue caried me past the preface, and the three first parts of this prophecie against Iudah: the fourth, which is the Commi­nation, or Denuntiation of the iudgements of the Lord against Iudah and Ierusalem, remaineth to be the sub­iect of this my present discourse.

But I will send a fire &c.

These words are no strangers to you. You haue met with them fiue times in the first Chapter, and once before in this. Their exposition, their diuision, the Doctrines issuing from them, the Vses and applications of the Do­ctrines, haue diuers times from out this place sounded in your eares. Yet now, (the order, obserued by the Holy Spirit in deliuering this prophecie, so requiring it) they are once more to be commended to your religious atten­tions.

May it please you therefore to obserue with me three circumstances. Quis, Quomodo, & Qui.

1. Quis comminatur: Who it is, that threatneth to punish. It is the Lord. For, Thus saith the Lord, I will send.

2. Quomodo puniet: How, and by what meanes hee will punish. The letter of my text is for fire. I will send a fire.

3. Qui puniendi: Who are to be punished: And they are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah, and the [Page 97] chiefe Citie thereof, Ierusalem. I will send a fire vpon Iudah, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem.

In the precedent prophecies the comminations were a­gainst the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, all Gentiles and stran­gers to God; but this commination against the Iewes, Gods owne friends, and children. I will send a fire vpon Iudah.]

I] WhoAmos 4.13. forme the mountaines, and create the winde, and declare to man what is his thought, and make the mor­ning darknes, and tread vpon the high places of the earth; I will send. I, whoIob 12.14. breake downe, and it cannot be built againe; who shuts vp a man, and there can be no o­pening; I will send. I, whoPsal. 3.3.9. speakes, and it is done, who commands, and it standeth fast. I will send a fire vpon Iu­dah, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem.

This fire, which the Lord sendeth vpon Iudah, is not so much a fire properly taken, as a fire in a figuratiue vn­derstanding. It betokeneth that desolation, which was to betide the kingdome of Iudah, and the chiefest Citie there­of, Ierusalem, from hostile invasion. I will send a fire.

This commination began to be fulfilled in the dayes of Zedechias, King of Iudah. The historie is very memorable; and is briefly yet diligently described in the 2. Chron. 36. and in the 2. Kings 25. and Ierem. 39. & 52. In those places you may read, how2. King. 25.1. Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon, came against Ierusalem, pitched against it, besieged it, tooke it. You may read how hevers. 6. tooke King Zedechiah prisoner, slew his sonnes before his face, put out the Kings owne eyes, bound him with brasen fetters, and carried him away to Babylon: you may read, howvers. 8. Nebuzaradan, Captaine of the guard, and chiefe Marshall to the King of Babylon dealt with Ierusalem. He2. Chro. 36.19. 2. Reg. 25.9. brake downe the wall thereof, and burnt with fire the house of the Lord, the Kings house, euery great mans house, all the houses, and palaces there. Say now; did it not fall out to Iudah and Ierusalem, ac­cording to this commination? I will send a fire vpon Iudah [Page 98] and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Ierusalem.

This desolation being thus wrought vpon Iudah, and Ierusalem, by the Chaldees; the Iewes, such as escaped from the sword, were carried away to Babylon, where they liued in seruitude and bondage, to the Kings of Babylon for1. Chro. 36.21. threescore, and ten yeares. This was that famous deporta­tion, commonly stiled the Captiuitie of Babylon, from which vnto CHRIST are numbred, (Matth. 1.) fourteene ge­nerations. When the yeares of this captiuitie were expi­red, and the Monarchie of Persia was setled vpon King Cyrus, King Cyrus stirred vp by the Lord, made a procla­mation, whereby he permitted the Iewes to returne into their country, and toE [...]ra 1.3. reedifie the Temple of the Lord at Ierusalem.

The Iewes now returned from their captiuitie, wherein they liued threescore and ten yeares, without a King, without a Prince, without a sacrifice, without an Image, without an Ephod, without Teraphim, (as it is witnessed, Hos. 3.4.) could not but with much ioy, and great alacritie, vnder the go­uernment of their new Prince,Ezra 3.2. Zerubbabel, sonne of Shealtiel, and their new High-Priest, Iesbuah, sonne of Io­zadak, betake themselues to the building againe of the Lords house in Ierusalem.

The building was begun; it proceeded; but was soone hindred, by the decree ofEzra 4.23, 24. & 1. Esar. 2.30. Artaxerxes, King of Persia. So the worke of the house of God at Ierusalem, Ezra 4.24. & 1. Esar. 2.30. ceased for some ten yeares, till the second yeare of the raigne of Da­rius [sonne of Histaspes] King of Persia: by whose graci­ousEzra 6.8. decree for the aduancement of the building, the building was againe set on foote, and so diligently atten­ded, that in thevers. 15. sixth yeare of the raigne of the same King, King Darius, it was finished; as it is deliuered, Ezra 6.15. Thus was the house of God, the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem, afterIohan. 2.20. 46. yeares consummate, and dedi­cated.

Now once againe was the Lord of hostes iealous of Ie­rusalem, and for Sion, Zach. 1.14. & 8.2. with a great iealousie: now againe [Page 99] wereZach. 8.4, 5. old men, and old women, to dwell in Ierusalem, and boyes, and girles to play in the streets thereof: now againe was Ierusalem to be calledZach. 8.3. a Citie of truth, the mountaine of the Lord of Hostes, the holy mountaine; and the Iewes, which in former times wereZach. 8.13. a curse among the heathen, now be­came a blessing: now againe were theyZach 8.8. the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God, in truth, and in righte­ousnesse. Thus were the people of Iudah, through God his speciall goodnes, blessed with ioy and enlargment: for so much we finde registred, Zach. 8.

What did the people of Iudah, for so many streames of Gods bounty deriued vpon them, render vnto the Lord their God? Did they (as meete was)Ps. 116.13, 14. take vp the cup of saluation? did they call vpon the name of the Lord? did they pay their vowes vnto the Lord? Did they, as they were com­manded, Zach. 8.16? did they speake the truth euery man to his neighbour? did they execute the iudgment of truth and peace within their gates? did they imagine no euill in their hearts, one against another? did they loue no false oathes? What saith the Prophet Malachie to this? He confesseth chap. 2.10, 11. that the people of Iudah dealt treacherously euery one against his brother; that they violated the couenant of their fathers; that they committed abomination in Ieru­salem; that they prophaned the holinesse of the Lord; that they married the daughters of a strange God: and chap. 3.5. that they were sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, oppressors: and vers. 7. that euen from the dayes of their fathers they departed from the ordinances of the Lord, and kept them not. Is not enough said against them? Then adde yet further; they corrupted the Law, they contemned the Gospell, they be­headed Iohn Baptist, they crucified Christ, they persecuted the Apostles. Impiety of such an height and eleuation could not but presage a fearefull downefall.

This their downefall is in a figure foretold by the Pro­phet Zacharie, chap. 11.1, 2. Open thy dores, O Lebanon, that the fire may deuoure thy Cedars. Howle Firre tree, for the Cedar is fallen, howle yee Okes of Bashan, for the forrest of the [Page 100] vintage is come downe. What Zacharie doth in a figure, that doth Christ foretell in words proper and significant, Luk. 19.42. where beholding the Citie of Ierusalem, and weep­ing ouer it he saith: The dayes shall come vpon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compasse thee round, and keepe thee in on euery side: and shall lay thee euen with the ground, and thy children with thee, and they shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another.

This [...], this vtter desolation of the Citie Ieru­salem, foretold by Zacharie, and by Christ; by the one in a figure, by the other in plaine termes, was brought vpon that stately Citie by Titus, sonne of Vespasian, after the incarna­tion of Christ, threescore and eleuen yeares, as Genebrard, threescore and twelue, as Funccius, threescore and thirteen asPedro Mexia in vitis Imperat. in Vespasiano pag. 126. others, in the second yeare of the Emperor Vespasian. It was besieged for the space of fiue moneths: in which time there passed many assaults, many skirmishes, much slaughter, with wonderfull obstinacie and resolution. The famine meane while afflicting the Citie was such, as no hi­storie can parallell.

When their ordinarie sustenance was spent, the flesh ofPedro Mexia ibid. horses, asses, dogs, cats, rats, snakes, adders, seemed good vn­to their tasts. When this foode failed, they were driuen to eat euen those things, which vnreasonable creatures will not eat.Fame impelle­bantur vt vel e­quorum lora, & suos baltheos, & calceos, & coria cemederent. Pō­tan. Bibliothec. Conc. Tom. 4. ad Domin. 10. Tri­nit. Of their lether; lether bridles, lether girdles, lether shoes, and the like, they made for themselues meate.Fame impelle­bantur vt come­derent sterc [...]ra beum, & quod­cun{que} stercus re­peri [...]batur, illius partum pendus quat [...]or nummis ve [...]debatur. Pōt. ibid. Oxe dunge was a precious dish vnto them. Purgamenta olerum, the shreddings of pot-hearbs cast out, trodden vn­der foote, and withered, were taken vp againe for nourish­ment. Miserabilis cibus, esca lachrymabilis: Here was miserable meat,Egesippus de exeraio Hieros [...] ­lym. lib. 5. c. 18. lamentable foode, yet would the childeRaprebant pa­rentibus filij, pa­rentes filijs, & de ipsis fancibus ci­b [...] proferebatur. Egesip. ibid. snatch it from his parent, and the parent from his childe, euen from out his iawes. Pleris{que} etiam vomitus esca fuit, saith Egesippus; some to prolong their liues would eat vp that, which others had vomited.

Among many other accidents in this famine at Ierusa­lem, one is so memorable, that I cannot well passe it ouer. [Page 101] De bello Iudai­co lib. 7. cap. 18. Iosephus, an eye-witnes of this their miserie, tells vs of a woman, a mother, Marie, Eleazars daughter, who tooke from her owne brests, her owne childe, a harmelesse suck­ling, a silly infant, did kill it, and did eat thereof. My au­thor saith; that this vnnaturall mother tooke her ten­der babe, as it was sucking, from her brest, and thus spake vnto it.Miserū te, in­fans in bello, & fame, & seditio­ne, cui te serua­uero? Litle infant, poore wretch, in warre, in famine, in sedition, for whom shall I preserue thee? for whom shall I saue thee aliue? If thou liue, thou must be a slaue to the Romans: but famine preuents thy seruitude; yea and the mutinous Iewes are more cruell, than either the Romans, or the famine Be thou therefore mihi cibus, seditiosis furia, humanae vitae fabula: Be thou meate to me, a furie to the mutinous, and euen a mocke of the life of man. When shee had thus spoken, she embrued her hands in the bloud of her owne sonne; she boyled the dead bodie, and eat the one halfe: the remainder shee reserued for another repaste.

The mutinous Iewes drawne by theContaminatis­simi nidoris odore capti. sent and sauour of this meate, brake into this womans house: they threat­ned to kill her, vnlesse shee would shew them, where her meate was laid. Shee told them, shee had meat indeed, and had reserued it for her-selfe; notwithstanding, sith they so vrged her, shee would shew it to them. So shee brought them to the reliques of her sonne. At the sight thereof, they shrunke backe with feare, horror, and astonishment. Then the mother, mercilesse mother, with great boldnesse said thus vnto them: This meate, which you see, is indeede part of my owne sonne: it was my Facinus meum. deede to kill it: eat yee of it: for I haue eaten. Will you be more tender than a woman? more pitifull than a mo­ther? eat yee of it: I haue eaten. If you will not eate it, it shall remaine for mee his mother. A mother! No mother, but a monster shee was, that could act such a prodigie.

Well: What with the extremitie of this famine, what with the furie of the sword, what with sicknesse during the [Page 102] time of this warre against Ierusalem, thereSee Pedro M [...]xi a in the life f [...] Ve [...]pa ian. perished in Ieru­salem, and the Prouince adioyning, asIn Chr. [...]ic. ad An. Do. 73. Eusebius, Lib. 7. cap. 9. Pag. 594. Orosius, andC [...]r [...]ectus & Suctonias apud O [...]osiam loco ci­tato. other Authors affirme, six hundred thousand men able to beare Armes. But if we will beleeueDe bello Iudaie lib. 7. cap. 17. Vndecies centum millia. & Euseb. Histor. Ec [...]les. lib. 3. cap. 7. Iosephus, a Iew, and present at that warre, there died eleuen hundred thousand, or a million, and one hundred thousand. And Iosephus his report is subscribed vnto byApud Lipsium n [...]tis ad Tacitum lib. 5. pag. 539. Zonaras and Iornardes.

Besides these now dead fame, morbo, ferro, partly by fa­mine, partly by sicknesse, partly by the sword, there were taken captiue to the number ofIos [...]ph. vbi su­pra. Cassiodor chronic. Tit [...]s filtus Ves­p [...]siant Iudea cap tacentum millia capi [...]iterum pub­li [...] v [...]n [...]ndedit. Abbas V [...]sperg. Chr [...]nic. ad. An 29. Chr. 73. 97. thousand, or as ^q some one hundred thousand, sould, and dispersed in the wide world.

The Iewes thus dead, and scattered, what became of their glorious cittie Ierusalem? The holy Temple there was burnt, their strong and high wals were throwne downe; all the ci­tie became wast and desolate, and so it remaines to this day. Certainly it is befallen Iudah and Ierusalem, according to this commination in my text: I will send a fire vpon Iudah, and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem. Thus farre haue you the words of my text expounded. Now to the do­ctrine.

You haue heard Gods iudgments against the kingdome of Iudah, and the glorious Citie Ierusalem denounced in the same words, as his iudgements were against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites, were aliens from the Common wealth of Israell, they were strangers from the couenant of promise; they had no hope, they were without God in the world. But these Iewes, these In­hibitants of Iudah and Ierusalem, were of the Common wealth of Israel: God made his couenant with them; they were not without hope; they were the people of the Lord, and the Lord was their God: yet because they sinned against the Lord, as the forenamed Gentiles did, the Lord was plea­sed to deale with them, as with the Gentiles; euen to send a fire vpon Iudah, which hath long since deuoured the palaces [Page 103] of Ierusalem. The doctrine which from hence I commend vnto you, is; ‘Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties, they are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen, and shall be punished as the Heathen.’

God is absolutely vnpartiall both in mercy, and iudge­ment, [...], without respect of persons, hee iudgeth according to euery mans worke, 1. Pet. 1.17. Iew or Gentile, its not materiall; if they be obedient, they shall liue and flourish; if they be rebellious, they shall die & perish. Sundry otherDeut. 10.17. 2. Chro. 19.7. Iob 34.19. Esai. 11.3. Mat. 22.16. Mar. 12.14. Luc. 20.21. Act. 10.34. Rom. 2.11. Galat. 2.6. Eqhes. 6.9. Coloss. 3.25. places there are in both Testaments, old and new, which I might alledge to shew, that with God there is no respect of persons.

By Persons I meane, not the substance of man, or man himselfe, but his outward qualitie or condition; as Coun­trey, sex, parentage, wealth, pouertie, nobilitie, wisedome, lear­ning, and the like. According to these, God in iudgement respecteth no man. Whosoeuer he be, Iew, or Gentile, male, or female, poore and rich, bond or free, learned, or vnlear­ned, that feareth God, and worketh righteousnesse, hee is accepted with God, Act. 10.35. but let Iew, or Gentile, male, or female, poore or rich, bond or free, the learned or vn­learned, worke wickednesse before the Lord, and he shalbe without partialitie punished, Iob 34.19.

Such hath euer beene the practise of the Lord. Lazarus his pouerty did not hinder him from saluation, neither did the rich mans abundance free him from damnation. It was no impeachment to Cornelius, that he was a Gentile, nor immunitie to Iudas, that he was a Iew; Saules throne could not shield him from the wrath of God, neither did Dauids sheepfolds avert from him the blessings of God; Esau was the elder brother, yet God hated him, Iacob was the youn­ger, yet God loued him. Neuer did any perish in obedience, neuer did any prosper in rebellion. Certainely God hath no respect of any mans person, for his outward estate, qualitie, or condition. God spared not the Angels for their excellencie, nor the old world for their multitude; nor Saul for his per­sonage, [Page 104] nor Absolon for his beautie, nor the Iewes for their prerogatiue, nor Ierusalem for her goodly buildings. From this vnpartialitie of God in his workes of iustice, my propo­sition stands good, ‘Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties, are in the Lords account no better, then the Heathen, and shall be punished as the Heathen.’

Will you a reason hereof? It is because the Lord takes impietie for impietie wheresoeuer he finds it, and for such doth punish it. And he finds it euery where. For the eyes of the Lord 2. Chron. 16.9. runne to and fro throughout the whole earth, and are inProu. 15.3. euery place to behold as well the euill, as the good. His eyes areIere. 16.17. vpon all our wayes; he seethIob 34.21. all our goings, heIob 31.4. counteth all our steps, no iniquitie isIere. 16.17. hid from him. This doth the Prophet Ieremie, Chap. 32.19. wall ex­presse; Thine eyes, O Lord, are open vpon all the wayes of the sonnes of men, to giue euery one acccording to his wayes, and ac­cording to the fruit of his doings.

This the very Ethnickes, guided onely by Natures light, haue acknowledged. Sybilla in her Oracles could say, [...], The Almightie and inuisible God, he onely seeth all things, Hesiod could say, [...], God hath an All-seeing eye. Plautus could say,Capteivi. Est profecto Deus, qui, quae nos gerimus, audit{que} & videt; Doubtlesse, there is a God, who both hea­reth and seeth whatsoeuer we doe. AndMetamorph. lib. 13. Ovid could say, Aspiciunt oculis superimortalia iust [...]s: There is a God aboue, who hath iust eyes, beholdeth all the doings of mortall men.Thales interre­gatu [...]an furta h [...]minum Deos fallerent: Nec cogi [...]ata, inq [...]it. Valer. Mar. lib. 7 cap. 2. & Dioge. Laert. lib. 1. in Thal 5. Thales of Miletum, the wisest of the seauen, being asked, whether mens euill deeds could be kept close from God! No, sayd he, nor their euill thoughts. The Hierogly­phicke, the mysticall, or aenigmaticall letter whereby the E­gyptians would haue God to be vnderstood, was an eye. And why so? But asHier [...]glyph. lib. 33. Pierius saith, because Deus ille optimus maxi­mus, the great God of Heauen, is mundi oculus, the eye of the world.

It may be such was the conceit of that auncientAugustin. Father, [Page 105] who sayd of God, that he was totus oculus; wholy an eye? He giues his reason, quia omnia videt; because hee feeth all things. All things are to the eies of God [...] naked and opened [seene as well within as without.] So saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 4.13. All the impieties of man, in deed, word, or thought, are mani­fest vnto the Lord: he seeth them all, and for impieties will punish them.

Well saithDe constantiâ lib. 2. cap. 16. Lypsius: Culpae comes, iustissimè poena semper est; Paine is alwayes the companion of a fault. AndIbid. cap. 14. againe, Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri, sceleris supplicium; Euery wickednesse brings a punishment with it. As the worke is, so is the pay; if the one be readie, the other is present.Lipsius de con­stant. lib. 2, c. 13. Ne­uer did any man foster within his breast a crime, but ven­geance was vpon his backe for it. If there be impietie, there cannot be impunitie. Witnesse the blessed Apostle S. Iames, chap. 1.15. Sinne, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. And S. Paul, Rom. 6.23. The wages of sinne is death. Many are the texts of holy Scripture, which I might alledge to this purpose. I will for this present trouble you but with one. It is, Psal. 34.16. The face of the Lord is against them that doe euill, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

From these now-touched considerations (first that Al­mightie God in iudgement accepteth no persons; then, that his Al-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoeuer impietie is done, not onely in our workes and words, but also in our most re­tyred thoughts; thirdly, that in iustice euery impietie is to receiue a due punishment) from these considerations my po­sition stands firme and vnmoueable.

Here let all good Christians be admonished, with their greatest carefulnesse to looke vnto their wayes, that they walke not in the by-pathes of sinne, to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam, non potest effugera poenam, saythComment. in Hebr. 12. Hugo Cardinalis. Thinke not that thy prero­gatiue [Page 106] of being a Christian can be a shield vnto thee. Chri­stianus August enchir. ad Laurent. ca. 5. nomine, non opere, A Christian in name not in deed, may be called a Christian, but is no Christian.Bernard Sen­tent. Christianus as he is haeres nominis Christi, so must he be imitator sanctita­tis: A Christian is heire to the name of Christ, and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holinesse. A Christian (sayth S. Austine, if he be the Author of the BookeLib. 1. cap. 6. de vita Chri­stianâ) A Christian is a name of iustice, of goodnesse, of in­tegritie, of patience, of chastitie, of prudence, of humilitie, of courtesie, of innocencie, of pietie. A Christian is he, who is a follower of Christ, who is holy, innocent, vndefiled, vn­spotted, in whose brest there is no wickednesse; who hurts no man, but helpeth all. He that can truely say: I hate not mine enemies, I doe good to them that hurt me, I pray for them that persecute me, I doe wrong to no body, I liue iust­ly with all men, hic Christianus est, he is a Christian.

But, if in the profession of Christianitie, a man liues the life of a Heathen, the name of a Christian shall doe him no pleasure: If he take delight in theGalat. 5.19. workes of the flesh, in adul­terie, fornication, vncleannesse, laciuiousnesse, drunken­nesse, hatred, variance, wrath, strife, or any like sinne, God will forsake him, the holy Angels will flie him, the blessed Saints will detest him: the Reprobate shall bee his companie, the Deuils his fellowes, hell his inheritance, his soule a nest of scorpions, his bodie a dungeon of foule spirits; and at last both bodie and soule shal eternally burne in fire vnquencheable.

Wherefore (dearely beloued) suffer a word of exhorta­tion.Ecclus. 21.1.2.3 Haue you sinned? Doe so no more. Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent. For if you come too neere it, it will bite you: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon, slaying the soules of men. So sayth Ecclus chap. 21.2. Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent. Sinne? Its like a leauen that will leauen the whole lumpe: Its like a scab, that will infect the whole flocke: Its like a flaming fire, that will burne the whole house: its like a wild Horse, that will cast his rider into hell; its like a wild gourd, that will poyson the whole pott: its [Page 107] like a plague, that will destroy the whole cittie; its like aEcclus. 21.3. two edged sword, the wounds thereof cannot be healed. Flie therefore from sinne, as from the face of a Serpent. And euer remember what befell Iudah and Ierusalem for their sinnes. They despised the Law of the Lord, they kept not his commaun­dements, their lies caused them to erre, after which their fathers walked; therefore hath the Lord sent a fire vpon Iudah, which hath deuoured the palaces of Ierusalem.

Thus farre of my first doctrine. A second followeth.

I take it from the condition of Ierusalem. She had faire appellations. She was called the Virgin, and the daughter of Iudah. Lament. 1.15. The daughter of Sion. ver. 6. the cittie, that was great among the nations, and a Princes among the Pro­uinces. ver. 1. The holy Cittie. Mat. 4.5. The Cittie of the great King. Mat. 5.35. The Lord he chose it, he desired it for his habitation, he said of it: This is my rest for euer, here will I dwell, for I haue a delight therein, Psal. 132.14. And yet not­withstanding, Ierusalem is rased from the foundation, shee is vtterly destroyed. It is befallen her according to this commination in my text, I will send a fire vpon Iudah, which shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem. My doctrine is; ‘God will seuerely punish sinne, euen in his dearest children.’

This S. Peter avoweth, 1. Epistle 4.17. saying: Iudgement must begin at the house of God, His meaning is, that the pu­nishment and chastisement of sinnes beginneth with the Saints and seruants of God, in whom as it were in a house, or Temple God dwelleth. If they who are most familiar with vs, do sinne against vs, we fret and grow discontented. The most familiar with God are his faithfull ones, who fill the house of God, which is his Church. If these sinne against God, can God take it well? He cannot. He will punish euen his faithfull ones. So sayth S^t Austine, Epist. 122. Ad victoria­num; Propter peccata sua etiam sancti flagellantur, the verie Saints of God are scourged for their sinnes. You see my doctrine confirmed; ‘God will seuerely punish sinne euen in his dearest children.’

The reason is giuen by S. Austine in his Booke of fiftie [Page 108] Homilies, Homil. 21. because Iustitia est, vt puniat peccatum, it is a part of Gods iustice to punish sinne, a part of his Actiue iustice; So doe the Schooles call the Iustice of God, by which he iudgeth and punisheth offenders. Of this Iustice of God it is said in our English Liturgie: It belongeth to God iustly to punish sinnes. Yea, so doth it belong to God, that God is not iust, vnlesse he punish sinne.

The vse of this doctrine is vrged to vs by S. Pet. 1. Epist. Chap. 4. vers. 17.18. If God will seuerely punish his owne children for their sinnes; If iudgement must begin at the house of God; what shall become of strange children, children of Belial? What shall be the end of them, that obey not the Gospell of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saued, where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare?

To this purpose is that of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ Luk. 23.31. If they doe these things to a greene tree, what shall be done to the dry? It is, as if he had said more plainly thus; If God, my Father, suffer me, who am innocent and with­out sinne, who am like a greene and a fruitfull tree, so grie­uously to be afflicted, and to be hewen downe, as if I were a dry tree, how much more will he suffer you, who are sin­full, and rightly compared to dry and barren trees, to be af­flicted, and to be hewen downe? The like argument doth the Lord bring against Edom. Ierem. 49.12. Behold they whose iudgement, was not to drinke of the cup, haue assuredly drunken, and shalt thou altogether goe vnpunished? Thou shalt goe vnpunished, but thou shalt surely drinke of it.

What shall I more say? Let vs diligently weigh, what hath alreadie beene sayd. Lay we it to our soules and con­sciences. We haue seene, that the infinite Iustice of God re­payeth vengeance for sinne, euen vpon the heads of his dea­rest children. The inhabitants of Iudah, Gods inheritance, great Ierusalem, the cittie of God, the glorious temple there, the house of God, for sinnes pollution haue beene brought to destruction.

Christ himselfe, the onely begotten sonne of God, the well-beloued sonne of God, he in whom alone God is well [Page 109] pleased, because he2. Cor. 5.21. serued with our sinnes, and wasEsai. 53.5. made sinne for vs, he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bro­ken for our iniquities; his backe was loaden with stripes, his head with shornes, his bodie with crossing, his soule with cursing.

Thus sweete Sauiour hast thou suffered for our rebelli­ons, for our transgressions, for our iniquities: the chastise­ment of our peace was vpon thee, and with thy stripes we are hea­led. It fell out happily for vs (beloued) that Christ, who knew no sinne, should be made sinne for vs, that we, who bore about with vs, aRom. 6.6. bodie of sin, might be made the righteous­nesse of God in him. Being thus by Christ reconciled to God, and washed, and clensed from our sinnes through his precious bloud, take we heed, that it happen not to vs2. Pet. 2.22. ac­cording to the true Prouerbe: The dog is turned to his owne vomit againe, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. Let vs not henceforth beRom. 6.6. seruants vnto sinne; let vs not yeeld our members asVer. 13. instruments of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne. Why should weHeb. 6.6. crucifie to our selues the sinne of God afresh, and put him to an open shame? Let vs rather yeeld our selues, our soules, and our bodies, seruants vnto God; for so, shall ourRom. 6.22. fruit be in holinesse, and our end euerlasting life. So be it.

THE VIII. LECTVRE.

FOr Israels sake, Amos the peculiar Prophet of Israel, hath hitherto made knowne vnto Israel, what God his pleasure was, concerning their neighbour-Nati­ons. The iudgements of God against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites were first manifested: then followed his iudg­ments against Iudah. These might haue serued Israel in stead of so many mirrours, or looking glasses, wherein they might haue beheld the iudgements, that hung ouer their heads also.

From the iudgements of God denounced to forreine na­tions, the people of Israel might thus within themselues haue reasoned: Our God! All hisDeut. 32.4. wayes are iudgement; he is a God of truth, without iniquitie; iust and right is he. The Syrians, the Philistines, the Tyrians, the Edomites, the [Page 111] Ammonites, and the Moabites, must they, for their misdo­ings, be punished? How then shall we escape? They sillie people, neuer knew the holy will of God; and yet, must they be measured with the line of desolation? What then shall be the portion of our cup, who knowing Gods holy will, haue not regarded it.

Againe, from the iudgements of God pronounced a­gainst Iudah, the people of Israel might thus within them­selues haue argued: GodPsal. 9.7. ministreth his iudgements in vp­rightnesse. He threatneth destruction to our brethren, the people of Iudah: that people, whom all that saw them, ac­knowledged to be theEsa. 61.9. blessed seed of the Lord; that people, that was theEsa. 5.7. plant of the Lords pleasures; that people, with whom God placed hisPsal. 114.2. sanctuarie; vpon that people will the Lord send a fire, to deuoure them? What then shall be the end of vs? They our brethren of Iudah, haue preserued a­mong them Religion, the worship and feare of the Lord, in greater puritie then we haue done; and yet will the Lord send a fire vpon them, to deuoure them? Certainly, our iudge­ment cannot be farre off.

Amos hauing thus prepared his auditors the Israelites, to attention, maketh no longer delay; but beginneth to deli­uer his message to them, in the words, which I haue now read vnto you: For three transgressions of Israell and for foure, I will not turne away the punishment thereof, &c. Herein, for our more direct proceeding, may it please you to obserue with me,

• 1. Autoritatem sermonis; The authoritie of this Pro­phecie: Thus sayth the Lord.
• 2. Sermonem ipsum; The Prophecie it selfe: For three transgressions of Israel, &c.

In the Prophecie, as farre as this Chapter leadeth vs, we haue,

• 1. Reprehensionem; A reproofe of Israel for sinne, vers. 6, 7, 8.
• 2. Enumerationem; A recitall of the Benefits, which God had heaped vpon Israel, vers. 9.10.11.
• [Page 112]3. Exprobrationem; A twitting of Israel with their vn­thankefulnesse, vers. 12.
• 4. Comminationem; A threatning of punishment to be­fall Israel for their sinnes, ver. 13. to the end of the Chapter.

The Reprehension is first; and first by vs to be considered. In it we may note,

• 1. A generall accusation of Israel: For three transgres­sions of Israel, and for foure.
• 2. A protestation of Almightie God against them: I will not turne away the punishment thereof.
• 3. A rehearsall of some grieuous sinnes, which made a separation betweene God and Israel: Because they sold the righteous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes; and so forward to the end of the eyghth verse.

You haue the deuision of my Text. Now followeth the exposition. The first thing we meete with, is, Autoritas ser­monis, the authoritie of this prophecie.

Thus saith the Lord] Iehovah. Now the thirteenth time is this great Name of God, Iehovah, offered to our deuoutest meditations. We met with it in the first chapter of this book nine times; and thrise before in this: and yet, by this name Iehovah, is not God knowne to vs. We know him by the name of a strong, omnipotent, and All-sufficient God, but by his Name, Iehovah, we know him not. Abraham, Isaac, & Iacob, by this Name knew him not: it is so recorded, Exod. 6.3. Nor can we by this Name know him. For this Name is a Name of Essence. It designeth God vnto vs, not by any effect of his, but by his Essence: and who euer knew the Es­sence of God? who was euer able to define it?

ThePet. Galatinus de arcanis Ca­thol. verit. lib. 2. cap. 1. schoole-men say, there are three things whereof they can giue no definition: One is, that first matter, out of which all things were produced: The second is, Sinne, that hath destroyed all: The third is, God, who preserueth all. The first, which is the Philosophers Materia prima, they [Page 113] define not obsummam informitatem, because it is without all forme: The second, which is mans bane, Sinne, they define not obsummam deformitatem, for its exceeding deformitie: The third, euen God, the prime cause of all his creatures, they define not ob summam formositatem, for his transcendēt beautie. It pleaseth the Schoolmen sometimes thus to play with words. For the matter they are in the right.

It is true:Aquin. par. 1. qu: 1. art. 7. ad 1 ^m. De deo non possumus scire, Quid est: We can­not attaine to so great a measure of the knowledge of God, as to define what he is. When the Poet Cic. de Nat. Deorum. lib. 1. Simonides was asked of K. Hiero, what God is? He wisely for answere desired one dayes respite, after that two, then foure; still he doubled his number: at last; of his delay he gaue this for a reason: Quan­to diutiùs considero, tanto mihi res videtur obscurior; the more I consider of this matter, the more obscure it seemeth vnto me. Cotta inIbid. Tullie said not amisse, Quid non sit Deus, citiùs quàm quid sit, dixerim; I can with more ease tell, what God is not, then what he is. This goeth for a truth in the schooles.Aquin. par. 1. qu: 3. in principio De Deoscire non possumus quid sit, sed quid non sit: we cannot know of God what he is; but what he is not. So saith SaintIn psal. 85. Augustine; Facilius dicimus quid non sit, quam quid sit Deus; We can more easily say, what God is not, then what he is.

And what is he not? The same father in his 23. Tract vpon the Gospell of S. Iohn will tell you: Non est Deus cor­pus, non terra, non coelum, non luna, non Sol, non Stellae, non cor­poralia ista. God is not a bodie, he is not the earth, he is not the Heauen, he is not the Moone, he is not the Sunne, he is not the Starres, he is not any of these corporall things.

From hence sprang those Negatiue attributes of God, which we meete with, either in the sacred volumes of the New Testament, or in the writings of the ancient Fathers: from hence is God said to be1. Tim. 1.17. immortall, invisible,Rom. 1.23. vn­corruptible,Bernard serm. 6. Supra Cantica. incorporeall,Aug. de verb. Apostoli. Serm. 1. ineffable, inestimable, incom­prehensible, infinite,Bernard par­uorum sermonum serm. 51. immense, vndiuided, vnuariable, vn­changeable. All these shew vnto vs, not what God is, but what he is not. And whosoeuer thus thinketh of God, as he is set forth in these his Negatiue appellations, though hereby [Page 114] he cannot altogether find out what God is, piè tamen cauet, quantum potest, aliquid de eo sentire, quod non sit, saith S. Au­stine de Trin lib. 3. cap. 1. yet his religious care is, to con­ceiue somewhat of God, that he is not.

You see, it is easier for vs to say, what God is not, then what he is: easier for vs to conceiue of him by his Negatiue attri­butes, then by his affirmatiue. Yet by his affirmatiue attributes are we brought to some knowledge of God. For hereby we know, that he is theGen. 21.33. euerlasting God, thePsal. 83.18. most high God, theRom 16.27. onely wise God; that he isGen. 17.1. omnipotent, andAp [...]c. 15.4. holy, andDeut. 32.4. iust, andExod. 34.6. mercifull, and gracious, and long-suffering, and good, and true.

Whatsoeuer is verified of God in either sort of his Attri­butes; Affirmatiue or Negatiue, it is all comprised in this one name of God in my text; his name Iehovah. For this name Iehovah, is the name of the Essence of God: and what­soeuer is in God, it is his Essence.

It was one ofDe Deo Not. ad Disp. 3 p. 209 Vorstius his foule errours to deny the truth of that vulgarly receiued Axiome: Nullum omnino in Deo accidens esse. It is simply and euery way true: There is no accident at all in God. God he is primum ens, his being is from all eternity; he is forma simplex, a pure forme, no sub­iect; there is nothing in God, which is not God; there is nothing in God really diuerse from the essence of God; there is nothing in God obnoxious to imperfection, sepa­ration, or change; therefore it followeth against Ʋorstius, there is no accident at all in God. God he is Iehouah: hee is absolutely and totally essence.

Thus saith Iehouah] By this name Iehouah, we are taught three things.

First, that God of himselfe, and through himselfe, hath alwayes beene, now is and euer shall be. So is this name by a Periphrasis expounded, Reuel. 1.4. Grace be vnto you, and peace from him, which is, which was, and which is to come. And, Reuel. 16.5. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be. This exposition of this name Iehou [...]h. is giuen byStr [...]mat. lib. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus, andIn Exod. qu. 15 & Epist. Diuinorum dog­matum. Theodoretus Cyren­sis, [Page 115] that Iehouah, for its signification is, [...], He that is.

Secondly, we are taught by this name Iehouah, that the essence, or being of all things created is from God; accor­ding to that, Acts 17.28. In him we liue, and moue, and haue our being; and that, Rom. 11.36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things.

Thirdly, we are taught by this name Iehouah, that God doth giue Esse reale, a reall being to his promises & threat­nings: that he is veracissimus and constantissimus, most true and most constant, in doing whatsoeuer he hath promised or threatned.

This consideration of this great Name, Iehouah, may yeeld much comfort to all the Elect of God, and his faith­full ones. Though they seeme toEsa. 51.17. drinke the dregs of the cup of trembling, and to be euen swallowed vp of Rom. 8.35, 36 tribulati­on, of distresse, of persecution, of famine, of nakednesse, of pe­rill, of the sword; though they be as killed all the day long, and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter; yet heereby, they may be well assured, that all the good things promised to them in the holy word of God shall in their due time be accomplished. For God who hath promised, hee is the Lord, he is Iehouah.

Againe this consideration of this great name Iehouah, may strike a terror into the hearts of the reprobate and vn­beleeuers. TheyPsal. 73.12. prosper in this world, they encrease in ri­ches, they haue more then heart can wish, their eyes stand out with fatnesse, they are clothed with violence, as with a garment, they are compassed with pride, as with a chaine, they are not in trouble, they are not plagued like other men: yet may they heereby bee assured, that all the euill threatned to them in the holy word of God, shall in due time ouertake them. For God, who hath threatned hee is the Lord, hee is Iehouah.

Thus saith the Lord] Iehouah. Sundry other obseruati­ons vpon these verv words in so many syllables deliuered fiue times in the first chap [...]r of this book, and twice before in this second chapter, haue heeretofore been commended [Page 116] to your Christian considerations. They are in part publi­shed to your view: therefore I neede not spend time in re­petition of them. By this which hath this time beene spo­ken, you see whence this prophesie against Israel hath its authority. The authority of it, is from the Lord, Iehouah: whom once to name vnto you, should bee enough to pro­cure your most religious attentions. Proceede wee there­fore to the prophesie it selfe.

The first thing therein is the Accusation of Israel in a generality, For three transgressions of Israel, and for foure.]

By Israel heere we are to vnderstand those ten tribes of Israel, who after King Salomons death, forsooke the Kings sonne Rehoboam, and subiected themselues to the rule of Iereboam, sonne of Nebat. Those ten tribes, from the time of that rent, were commonly called the Kingdome of Is­rael. These in Holy Scripture are called sometimeHos. 10.15. Bethel, sometimeHos. 10.5. Bethauen, sometimeAmos 3.9. Samaria, sometimeHos. 2.22. Ies­reel, sometimeAmos 5.6. Ioseph, sometimeHos. 10.11. Ephraim, sometimeHos. 12 2. Ia­cob, sometimeHos. 10.1. Israel. Israel is, their most common name, and their name in my text.

For three transgressions of Israel, and for foure] Diuerse are the opinions concerning these foure transgressions of Is­rael. Nicolaus de Lyra saith, their first transgression was, their Gen. 37.26. selling of Ioseph; the second, their Exod. 32.4. worshipping of the Calfe; the third, their 1 King. 12.16. forsaking of Dauid; the fourth, their selling of Christ. Paulus de Palatio saith, the first transgression was, their defection from the house of Dauid, and the King of Iudah; the second, their defection from the worship of God, to the worship of Idols; the third, their defection from the law of Moses, which was Gods law; the fourth, their defection from the law of nature, which is the light of Gods countenance sealed in our hearts. Domini. 8. post Trin. Con. 1. Abraham Bronius saith, the first of these trans­gressions was their idolatry; the second, the slaughter of the Prophets; the third, the murther of Christ; the fourth, their contempt. They made a trade of transgressing. These ex­positions seeme to bee farre fetched. Albertus Magnus findes them neerer hand, in the letter of my text. The first [Page 117] transgression he will haue to be, the selling of the iust; the se­cond, the oppression of the poore; the third, their peruerting the way of the meeke; the fourth, the violation of matrimony. These are but so many descants vpon the words of my text, For three transgressions of Israel, and for foure.

Three and foure make seuen. It seemeth then, that Israel transgressed against God seuen times. Seuen times! It is plaine by Scripture, that they transgressed Saepiùs ac saepiùs, as Mercerus speaketh, many a time & oft: yea, from the di­uision of their Kingdome vnder Ieroboam, sonne of Nebat, their first King, vnto Hoshea, sonne of Elah, their last King, they did nothing but transgresse against the Lord their God, what by Idolatry, and what by other wickednesses. Heere then, by three and foure, which make seuen, we are to vnderstand many.

The rule holds true in Diuinity: A finite number is often­times put for an infinite. S. Austin hath obserued it, lib. 3. de doctrina Christi, cap. 35. I thus explicate it. In Leuit. 26.18. to the rebellious and disobedient, thus saith the Lord: If ye will not yet, for all this, hearken vnto me, then I will punish you seuen times more for your sinnes. Seuen times more, that is, many times more, will I punish you. Hannah in her song, 1 Sam. 2.5. hath this straine; The barren hath borne seuen children. By seuen there, you are to vnderstand many: Shee that was barren, hath borne many children. Dauid in Psal. 119.164. sayth; Seuen times a day doe I praise thee. Seuen times, that is, many times; as if had sayd, Semper laus eius in ore meo, All the day long am I in the praises of my God. Salomon in Prou. 26, 25. aduiseth vs not to be­leeue the gracious words of an enemy, because, saith hee, there are in his heart seuen abominations. Seuen abominati­ons, that is, many abominations, many sly purposes lie hidden in the heart of an enemy. What neede more ex­amples? By these few the phrase in my text is plaine. The seuen transgressions of Israel (for three & foure are seuen) the seuen transgressions of Israel, are the many transgressions of Israel. In this phrase then doth the Lord obiect vnto Israel [Page 118] innumera peccata, the multitude of their sinnes. For which he is vnwilling any longer to forbeare them: whereupon followeth his protestation against them, I will not turne away the punishment thereof.

For three transgressions of Israel, and for foure, I will not turne away the punishment thereof] The meaning is; if once, if twice, yea, if a third time only the Israelites had offended mee with the greeuousnesse of their transgressions, I could haue tolerated them, and would not haue cast them from out my sight: but now; whereas a fourth time, s [...]piùs & sae­piùs, againe and againe, they relapse and fall backe to their impieties, and with a shamelesse forehead, make no end of sinning; certa stat sententia, I am resolued, no more to recall them to my fauour, but to leaue them to themselues: that obstinate and indurate, as they are, in the multitude of their abominations, wherein they haue so deepely plunged themselues, they may suddenly bee cast into the pit of de­struction.

Now from these two first parts of this prophesie, the ge­nerall accusation of Israel for sinne, and the Lords protestati­on against them for the same, ariseth this lesson, ‘God is euer in open hostility with sinners.’

A sinner ouer-valuing the vanities wherein his delight is placed, first neglecteth God, then hateth him. Thus affected, he would, if possible, disarme God of his authority, pull his power from him, and cast him out of his state. Hee could wish, there were no immortality of the Soule, no ac­count to be made of our actions, no reward, no reuenge, no Iudge to punish. So willing is hee to bathe himselfe in the imaginary contentment and pleasures of sinne. I can put no great difference between this sinner and an Atheist. The Atheist thinketh, there is no God; this sinner wisheth, there were no God.

Now God, who feeleth the pulse of this sinners heart, and searcheth his inmost thoughts, & seeth his traytorous affection, can he be at peace with him? King Ioram sayd to Iehu, 2 King. 9.22. Is it peace Iehu? Iehu answered, what [Page 119] peace, so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel, and her witch-crafts are so many? This sinner happily will looke to be at peace with God: but he is soone answered, What hast thou to doe with peace? What peace with God doest thou looke for, so long as thou castest away his feare, and liest wallowing in thy sinnes?

I must grant it: God is the God of peace; the Scripture saith it more then once, Rom. 15.33, and chap. 16.20. and in2 Cor. 13.11. Phil. 4.9. 1 Thess. 5.23. 2 Thess. 3.16. Hebr. 13.20. other places. But what is this to the sinner? Nothing at all. For the same Scripture will assure him, there is no peace to him; Esai 48.22. and 57.12. To the sinner the Lord will shew himselfe, quasi bellator fortis, as hee is called, Ierem. 20.11. hee will shew himselfe as a stout warriour. And for such he is described, Deut. 32.41. There thus saith the Lord concerning sinners: If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on iudgement, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrowes drunk with their blood, and my sword shall deuoure their flesh? To like purpose is that, which we read of Gods dealing with sinners, Psal. 7.12. He whets his sword, he bends his bow, and makes it ready, hee prepareth for them the instru­ments of death, he ordaineth his arrowes against them. So haue you my doctrine established, ‘God is euer in open hostility with sinners.’

Is God euer in open hostility with sinners? Consider this all yee that feare God; remember it all ye, that beare the image of the Almighty. The sinner, that is ouertaken with three transgressions, and with foure, that lieth in his sinnes, and walloweth in his iniquities, his case is fearefull, his estate lamentable. God proclaimeth against him open warre, most certaine destruction, and will not turne away his punishments from him. Let it (Beloued) rouze vs vp from that sleepe of sinne, wherein we haue too long rested. All the good gifts, and benefits of God, which God hath bestowed vpon vs for our good, we haue abused to sinne. God hath giuen vs vn­derstanding to meditate vpon his holy lawes, but our vnder­standing we haue peruerted to the transgression of his holy [Page 120] Lawes. God hath giuen vs the will to loue him aboue all things, and our neighbours, as our selues; but we haue di­uerted our will to the contempt of God, and the hate of our neighbours. God hath giuen vs the tongue to powre forth his praises, but our tongues we haue defiled with impure oathes, and ougly blasphemies. God hath giuen vs hands for instruments to feed the poore, and to defend them, but the strength of our hands we haue wasted in crueltie and ra­pine. In a word, God hath giuen vs our soules, and our bodies, all the faculties of the one, all the members of the other, all, to doe him seruice; but we haue imployed all to his dishonor.

Dearely beloued, what shall we doe? The best aduise I can giue, is that, which Christ giueth his Spouse in the Canticles, chap. 6.13. Returne, returne, O Shulamite; re­turne, returne, that we may behold thee. I thus paraphrase it: Returne, O my Spouse, daughter of Ierusalem returne, returne to me, returne to thy selfe, returne to thy former feeling of my Grace, returne, that both my selfe and all the companie of Angels, may see thee, and reioyce in thee.

This Spouse of Christ is the mother of vs all, the holy Catholique Church, in whose bosome we are nourished. Take we then the aduise giuen vnto her, for an aduise vn­to our selues. Returne we from our euill wayes, returne we from our three and foure transgressions, returne we from all our sinnes, returne we to the Lord our God, that both he and all the companie of Angels may see vs, and reioyce in vs. Mutet vitam, qui vult accipere vitam, saith S. Augustine Serm. 1. de tempore: if wee will enioy the blessed life of Heauen, we must change our wicked life on earth. If we will not change it, but will still beare about vs whorish lookes, the euish faces, proud hearts, couetous thoughts, ma­licious mindes, lustfull eyes, slandering tongues, bloody hands, and drunken desires (from which God Almightie defend vs all) our portion must bee the accursed death of Hell. God will not turne away his punishments from vs

Thus far of the generall accusation of Israel, and the Lords protestation against them; in those words, For three transgres­sions of Israel, and for foure, I will not turne away the punish­ment thereof. It followeth, ‘Because they sold the righteous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes.’

Here beginneth the rehersall of those grieuous sinnes, which made a separation betweene God and Israel. In these words two sinnes are specified; Crueltie, and Coue­tousnes. Their Cruelty I note in selling of the righteous, and the poore: their Couetousnes, in as much as they did it for siluer, and for a paire of shoes. I take the words in their order.

They sold the righteous for siluer] A man may be said to be righteous, either by imputation, or by vertue, or by compa­rison, or by course of law. The righteous man by imputation is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 2.4. The iust shall liue by his faith. There the iust or righteous man is he, to whom the Lord imputeth not his sinnes, which he hath committed. The righteous man by vertue is he, whom Dauid-speaketh of, Psal. 11.3. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous doe? There the righteous man is he, whom we call virum bonum, a good man. The righteous man by comparison is he, whom Habakkuk speaketh of, chap. 1. 13. Wherefore holdest thou thy tongue, when the wicked deuoureth the man, that is more righteous, then he. There the righteous man is he, that is the lesse wicked: the Iewes, though wicked, are yet called righteous in comparison of the Chaldaeans, who were more wicked. The righteous man by course of law is he, whom Esay speaketh of, chap. 5. 23. Wo vnto them which iustifie the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousnesse of the righteous from him. There the righteous is he, that hath a righteous cause: and this is the righteous man in my text; whom the Israelites are said to haue sold for siluer.

They sold the righteous for siluer] For siluer, that is, for money. The like phrase we haue in Micah, chap. 3.11. where it is said of the Prophets of Israel, they diuine for sil­uer, that is, they diuine only for monyes sake. For monyes sake to condemne the righteous, it is ingens piaculum; it is a very heynous offence, not to be purged without deepe satisfaction. And therefore in the forecited place of Esai, chap. 5.23. a woe is denounced to such offenders. Salomon saith they are an abomination to the Lord, Prou. 17.15. He that iustifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the iust: euen they both are abomination to the Lord. I may not now enlarge my notes.

You vnderstand, what it is, to sell the righteous for siluer It is, to to take away the righteousnes of the righteous from him; and that is, to be hired by money, bribes, or rewards, to giue sentence against the man, whose cause is iust, and righ­teous.

They sold the righteous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes] By the poore here we may vnderstand the cause of the poore: as in Amos 5.12. They afflict the iust, they take a bribe, and they turne aside the poore in the gate. They turne aside the poore in the gate] that is, they turne the poore man out of his right: they ouerthrow the poore mans cause in iudgement.

Againe, by the poore here, we may vnderstand the man, that is in miserie; the man, that is vnworthily afflicted; the man, that is tossed, turmoiled, grieuously disquieted by some mighty wicked man.

This poore man, the Israelites did sell, [...], say the Septuagint; pro calciamentis, saith the Vulgar Latin: they sold him for shoes. The word in the originall is [...] of the duall number. It signifieth, two shoes. Our new English translation well rendereth it, A paire of shoes.

They sold the poore for a paire of shoes] If they sold, some bought. Such buyers we finde, Amos 6.8. They tooke or­der [Page 123] to buy the needie for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes. There they are bought, here they are sold: and all for a paire of shoes.

For a paire of shoes] It is a prouerbiall speech; a speech fit to be vsed, if we would signifie a thing to be litle or no­thing worth, of small estimation, of vile price. The like prouerbiall speech we haue, Prou. 28.21. There it is said of the man, that respecteth persons, that he will transgresse for a peece of bread. For a peece of bread, that is, for the vilest gift, for the basest commoditie. In which sence Cato said once to Coelius: frusto panis conduci potest, vel vt ta­ceat, vel vt loquatur: A man may hire him with a peece of bread, either to speake, or to hold his peace.

We now vnderstand what our Prophet meaneth in these words; They sold the righteous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes. They] The Israelites, theMicah 3.11. heads of Israel, the Iudges of Israel; they sold] they circumven­ted, they beguiled, they betrayed the righteous] him, whose cause was righteous, and iust: they sold the righteous for sil­uer] for money, for a bribe, for a reward: and they sold the poore] the needy man, the man afflicted, or his honest cause, for a paire of shoes] for a morsell of bread, for any base commoditie, for a trifle.

They sold the righteous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes] Here the Iudges of Israel are taxed for Crueltie, and Couetousnesse: for Cruelty, because they sold the righte­ous, and the poore: for Couetousnes, because they sold them for siluer, and for a paire of shoes. The lesson which we may take from hence, is this, ‘Cruelty and Couetousnes in Iudges and Magistrates, are two of the sinnes, for which God bringeth States to ruine.’

You see it plaine in my text. God would not turne a­way his punishments from Israel, because of the Cruelty and Couetousnes in the Iudges of Israel. These sins are most eminent in Iudges and Magistrates, but are reproveable in [Page 124] all sorts of men. The Cruell and the Couetous, be they of whatsoeuer rancke in a Common wealth, they are very burdensome to God himselfe. God himselfe in this chap­ter vers. 13. cryes out against them: Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed, that is full of sheaues.

The time will not suffer me to inlarge my meditations vpon the discouerie of these two sinnes; Cruelty and Coue­tousnes. I shall haue occasion to meete with them againe in the beginning of the next verse; where they are ampli­fied, and may hope for the benefit of your new attention.

For the present, let vs be admonished, that we suffer not our selues to be ouercome of these or any other sins.

Sinne! It produceth very sad and dolefull effects. It blindeth our vnderstanding, while it taketh from vs the supernaturall light of diuine grace; it staineth and defileth our consciences, with its filthinesse; it accuseth vs before the Lord of grieuous iniuries done against his Maiestie: it impouerisheth vs, when it spoiles vs of all spirituall good; it dishonoreth vs, when it diffameth vs in the sight of the Angels, and the whole Court of Heauen; it holdeth vs captiue, and depriueth vs of all liberty of well-doing; it bindeth vs with the chaines of euill custome; and brings vs within the danger of falling daily from bad to worse; vulnerat nos in bonis naturalibus, occidit in gratuitis, saith Cornelius Mussus B. of Bitonto: it woundeth vs in all the good faculties of our nature, and slayeth vs in the free graces, wherewith God hath beautified our soules.

You see (dearely beloued in the Lord) you see what a tyrant Sinne is. It stoppeth vp the fountaines of Grace, and hindereth the streames of heauenly comfort from com­ming to vs. Yet; yet our life is nothing, but a trade of sin­ning. In vs, in our flesh, there dwelleth no good. Day by day, yea many times a day, we transgresse Gods holy Commandements, we heape sinne vpon sinne, and repent not.

What remaineth, but that we powre forth our prayers [Page 125] to Almightie God, that he will be pleased to giue vs true repentance for the wickednes of our fore-passed liues, and in his good time to loose vs from this bodie of sinne, and to couple vs to himselfe in Heauen: where we may with the whole multitude of Saints, sing vnto him an Halle­luiah: Blessing, saluation, honor, glory, and power be vnto him that fitteth on the throne, and to the Lambe for euer and euer. Euen so be it.

THE IX. LECTVRE.

OF those grieuous sinnes, with which the people of Israel are in this Chapter charged, two were touched in the former verse: their Crueltie, and their Couetousnesse. They sold the righteous and the poore, this was Crueltie: they sold them for siluer, and for a paire of shoes; this was Couetousnesse. Now in the beginning of this 7. verse are those two sinnes amplified: Their Couetousnesse thus: They were neuer satisfied, till they had cast downe the righteous and the poore to the dust of the earth: Their Crueltie thus: They were not content thus to haue exhausted and spoyled them, but did also conspire against, and gape after, their liues; for They par­ted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore. Before we take a further view of these sinnes, Crueltie and Coue­tousnesse; let vs fo [...] a while examine the words themselues. They may seeme to be very intricate and perplexed, by the diuersitie of the readings.

The word in the originall is [...] The Sep­tuagint do render it, [...], that tread vnder foote vpon the dust of the earth the heads of the poore. The [Page 127] Vulgar Latin hath Qui conterunt, that breake, or bruise vp­on the dust of the earth, the heads of the poore. The Chal­dee Paraphrast hath, Qui contemnunt, who despise, as it were the dust of the earth, the heads of the poore. But these ex­presse the sense, they render not the word. For [...] pro­perly signifieth to fetch winde, to draw breath, and by a metaphor, to swallow downe, to sup vp, to deuoure; or earnestly, feruently, and with pleasure to desire to doe any thing.

By this phrase then our Prophet giueth vs to vnder­stand, that the Israelites, the rich and the mighty among them, did with delight behold the dust of the earth vpon the heads of the poore; that to them it was a pleasure, to see the poore by vniust exactors oppressed, throwne to the ground, trodden vnder foote.

Which sense our English Bibles seeme to point at. The Geneva Bible hath, They gape ouer the head of the poore in the dust of the earth. The late Church Bible, They gape for breath ouer the head of the poore in the dust of the earth; or They presse vpon the head, or, They tread vpon the head of the poore in the dust of the earth. The new translation, That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore.

This varietie varieth not the sense. Howsoeuer for the the first word we read, They gape, or gape for breath, or presse, or tread, or pant, ouer, on, or vpon the head of the poore, yet is not the sense varied. The mention of the dust of the earth, keepeth that entire.

The dust of the earth] OldDrusius Obser­uat. lib. 15. cap. 5. Samaeus inCap. 44. Ioseph Ben-Gorion, tells vs of an ancient custome among the Hebrewes concerning such as were impleaded or arraigned before their Iudges: They were to stand at the barre in mourning attire, with dust vpon their heads. If [...] that custome our Prophet here alludeth, as Drusius thinketh, then are the Magistrates of Israel here nipped, and checked for selling the cause of the poore to their rich aduersaries, thereby making to themselues vnlawfull, and excessiue gaine, and lucre.

The dust of the earth on the head of the poore] The casting of dust or earth vpon the head, was of old and long time a ceremonie, whereby men in sad and dolefull plight were wont to expresse their griefe. Mention is made of it, Iosh. 7.6. There it is said, that Ioshua, and the elders of Israel, to testifie their griefe for the ouerthrow giuen them by the men of Ai, rent their clothes, fell to the earth vpon their faces, and put dust vpon their heads. They put dust vpon their heads. So 1. Sam. 4.12. the Beniamite that brought the heauy newes of the Arke of the Lord taken by the Phili­stines, and of the death of Hophni & Phinehas the two sons of Eli, in tokē of his griefe came to Shiloh, with his clothes rent, and with earth vpon his head. He came with earth vpon his head. The like we read, 2. Sam. 13.19. Tamar, the si­ster of Absolon, because she was hated of Amnon, by whom shee had bin rauished, to signifie her griefe, she rent her gar­ment, and put ashes vpon her head. Shee put ashes on her head.

Other likeIob 2.12. Ezech. 27.30. Apoc. 18.19. places of holy writ I might produce, yet further to shew, that the aspersion or sprinkling of earth, dust, or ashes vpon the head was a ceremonie in vse with such, as had in themselues iust cause of griefe, heauinesse, mourning, or lamentation. But this is by the places al­ready alleaged, sufficiently declared vnto you. If to this ceremonie of besmering the head with earth, dust, or ashes, our Prophet here alludeth, then are the rulers of Israel, and the rich among them here taxed for their hard-heartednesse towards the poore, for their couetousnes and cruelty, whereby they oppressed the poore; to this sense:

They pant after the dust of the earth, on the head of the poore] They] the rulers of Israel, and the rich men there, They pant after the dust of the earth] they greedily desire to see the dust of the earth sprinckled, on the head of the poore] they make it their pleasure, to giue the honest poore man, iust cause of griefe, and mourning.

They pant after the dust of the earth] The dust; sometime it betokeneth a low and base estate, 1. Sam. 2.8. Hannah in [Page 129] her song of thankfulnes, praising the Lord for his benefi­cence towards the humble & despised, saith, He raiseth the poore out of the dust, and lifteth vp the begger from the dung­hill. So, in so many words saith the Psalmist, Ps. 113.7. He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust, and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill. In both places the latter phrase is a repe­tition, or exposition of the former. The Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dust, that is, the Lord lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill. The meaning is: The Lord through his Al­mighty power, and of his goodnes, exalteth the poore and abiect amongst men from their vile & contemptible estate to some degree of honour. Hitherto may we adde that of Dauid, Psal. 7.5. Let him lay mine honor in the dust. Let him lay mine honor in the dust! Whats that? If (saith Dauid, I haue rewarded euill to him, that was at peace with me, let the enemie lay mine honor in the dust; that is, let mine honor be so put out, that there may be no more remembrance of it in the posteritie to come; let me euer be held for a base, vile, and contemptible wretch. If to this signification of Dust, our Prophet here alludeth; then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them, here censured, for their cruell and vnsa­tiable desire to grind the faces of the poore. Thus,

They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore] That is, though the poore doe already sit vpon the dust of the earth, and are thereby in the eyes of the world, base, vile, and contemptible, yet do the rulers of Israel, and the rich a­mong them, still pant after the dust of the earth vpon their heads, their delight is to behold them euer wallowing in the dust of the earth, to see them yet more base, more vile, more contemptible. Yea, they can bee contented that the dust, whereof Dauid speaketh, Psal. 22.15. The dust of death be vpon their heads, that thePsal. 49.15. graue haue power ouer them, that thePsal. 69.15. pit shut her mouth vpon them.

Hitherto (dearely beloued) you haue had variety of in­terpretations. Which will you admit? You cannot chuse amisse. They are all agreable to the analogie of faith. They all checke Israel, the heads of Israel, the Magistrates, Rulers, [Page 130] and Gouernors of Israel, the rich of Israel, for their cruelty, their couetousnes, and their oppression of the poore of Israel, and they yeeld vnto vs this lesson.

By the poore in this proposition, I vnderstand all, that be in any need, necessitie or want; widdowes also & father­lesse children, that haue lost their head; strangers likewise and exiles out of their country for religion, and good cau­ses. All these if they behaue themselues meekly, and seeke to liue peaceably with all men, and put themselues wholy into the hands of God, God receiueth into his protection, and pleadeth their cause.

Concerning strangers the commandement is, Exod. 22.21. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppresse him. It is repeated, Levit. 19.33. If a stranger s [...]iourne with thee, ye shall not vexe him; he shall be as one borne amongst you, and thou shalt loue him as thy selfe. Such is the commandement. Doe men regard it? Doe they not rather with their chur­lish and vnkinde words and deeds torment the aking heart of the stranger? If they doe so, the Lord is ready to a­uenge the strangers cause, and to execute vengeance vpon his oppressors. For so much the Lord vndertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If thou afflict [the stranger] in any wise, and he cry at all vnto me, I will surely heare his cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword. You see God pleadeth the strangers cause.

Againe, God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and fa­therlesse children. The commandement concerning them is, Exod. 22.22. Yee shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse childe. It is repeated, Zach. 7.10. Oppresse not the widow, nor the fatherlesse. Such is the commandment. Do men regard it? Doe they not rather adde affliction to the afflicted fa­therlesse, and widow? Doe they not oppresse, wrong, vexe, and grieue them? If they doe so, God is ready to right their cause, and to lay vengeance vpon their oppressors. For so much God vndertaketh, Exod. 22.23. If you afflict the wi­dow, [Page 131] or fatherlesse childe, in any wise, and they cry at all vnto me, I will surely heare their cry, my wrath shall waxe hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wiues shall be widowes, and your children fatherlesse. This protection ouer the fa­therlesse and widowes is also ascribed vnto the Lord, Deut. 10 18. The Lord doth execute the iudgement of the father­lesse and widow. It is very comfortably deliuered, Psal. 68.5. God in his holy habitation is a father of the fatherlesse, and a iudge of the widowes. You see God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and the fatherlesse.

So also he pleadeth the cause of the poore, whatsoeuer he be. The commandement concerning him is, Levit. 25.35. If thy brother be waxen poore, and fallen into decay with thee, then thou shalt relieue him, yea, though he be a stranger, or a so­iourner. It is repeated, Deut. 15.7. If there be among you a poore man, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from him; ButDeut. 15.11. Matth. 5.42. Luc. 6.34. thou shalt open thine hand wide vnto him, and shalt lend himvers. 8. sufficient for his neede. Such is the commandement. Doe men regard it? Doe they not ra­ther harden their hearts, and shut their hands against the poore? Do they notProu. 22.22. rob them,Ezech. 22.29. vexe them,Amos 4.1. oppresse them, crush them? Doe they not euen now as bad as the Israe­lites in my text did? Do they not sell the poore, for siluer, for shoes, for a trifle? Doe they not euen now pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore? If they doe so, the Lord is ready to doe them right, and to punish such as op­presse them. For so much God vndertaketh, Amos 4.2. where, to such as oppresse the poore and crush the needie, the Lord God hath sworne by his holinesse, that loe, the dayes shall come vpon them, wherein he will take them away with bookes, and their posteritie with fish-hookes. This Salomon by the spirit full well knew, and therefore Prou. 22.22. aduising vs not to robbe the poore, brings this for a motiue, vers. 23. The Lord will plead the cause of the poore, and will spoyle the soule of those, that spoyle them. And chap. 23.11. disswa­ding vs from wronging of the poore, he brings the like motiue, Their redeemer is mighty, hee shall plead their [Page 132] cause with you. You see now God pleadeth the cause of the poore, whatsoeuer he be. But against whom doth he plead it? My doctrine saith, the Cruell, the Couetous, and Op­pressors.

These are they, whom the holy Spirit in this place tax­eth. Their cruelty and couetousnes, were touched vers. the 6. They sold the righteous, & the poore. This was Cruelty. They sold them for siluer, and for shoes; this was Couetousnesse. Those two; Cruelty and Couetousnes, ioyned togither, make Oppression, which is the sinne reproued in the beginning of this 7. verse. They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore. With these, (the Cruell, the Couetous, and Op­pressors) the Lord hath aHos 4.1. controuersie, against these heeMicah 6.2. pleadeth.

First: He pleadeth against the Cruell. Against the Chal­deans, Esai. 47.5, 6. Sit thou silent, and get thee into darknes, O daughter of the Chaldeans, thou shalt be no more called the Lady of kingdomes. For thou didst shew my people no mer­cy, thou hast very heauily laid the yoke vpon them.

Secondly: He pleadeth against the Couetous. Against the men of Iudah, Esai. 3.14, 15. Yee haue eaten vp the vine­yard; the spoyle of the poore is in your houses. What meane ye, that ye beat my people to peeces, and grinde the faces of the poore.

Thirdly: He pleadeth against the Oppressors. Against the heads of Israel, Micah 3.3. Ye eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; yee breake their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the pot, & as flesh within the cauldron. Thus far of the doctrine.

Now let vs see what benefit we may make hereof vnto our selues for our further instruction, and the amendment of our liues.

First: Doth God plead the cause of the poore against the cruell, the couetous, & oppressors? This may serue to reproue y^e cruel, the couetous, & the oppressors of this age. With vs now it is, [Page 133] as once it was with the state of Israel. Cruelty, and Couetous­nesse, much worse then nettles and brambles, haue ouer-run our land. These two, Cruelty and Couetousnesse, that bound­lesse, this vnsatiable, like the two daughters of the horsleech, Prov. 30.15. haue bin so long vsed to cry, Giue, Giue; that they will neuer be brought to say, It is enough. The first borne of these two, Cruelty, and Couetousnes, is Oppression, that loud-crying sinne, vnder which this our land in euery corner almost groneth: and shee hath her mates too; Ʋsurie, and Extortion. All these, Crueltie, Couetousnesse, Oppression, Ʋsurie, and Extortion, walke hand in hand, and seeke about, (like that1. Pet. 5.8. roaring Lyon, the Deuill, of whom they are begotten) whom they may deuoure. Many God knowes, they haue deuoured already, but that contents them not.

Dearely beloued, how shall I worke in you a loathing & a detestation of these foule sins. Can I do it better, then by setting before your eyes the deformitie and vglines of the men, in whom they raigne? And who are they? will you haue their character, and picture? It is drawne by Salo­mon, Prou. 30.14. There is, saith he, a generation, a genera­tion of men, whose teeth are as swords, and their Iob 29.17. iawes as kniues, to deuoure the poore from off the earth, and the needie from among men. They are as Dauids Lyons, Psal. 57.4. Their teeth are speares and arrowes, and their tongue a sharpe sword. They are as the kine of Bashan, Amos 4.1. Oppressors of the poore, crushers of the needy. See you not in the shape of men, Monsters, Kine, Lyons, with teeth like speares and arrowes, with iawes like kniues, with tongues like swords? Will you yet conuerse with them? will you haue any further fellow­ship, any further acquaintance with them?

You will say; How shall we shun them, vnlesse we more particularly know who they are? Behold therefore a Cata­logue of them, out of aRainold vpon Obadiah pag. 84. learned and iudicious Diuine. They are such, as eat and deuoure vs vp with Ʋsurie; such as spoile vs by monopolies, by engrossing, by false wares, by subtile bargaines; such as wrong vs, by enclosing of Commons; such [Page 134] as wring vs, by enhaunsing of rents; such as rob the Church, in pulling away the maintenance of the Ministers thereof, in pos­sessing their right, in appropriating or deteining their tithes; such as thrust husbandmen out of their liuings, & in their steed place a shepheard with his dog; such as ioyne Esa. 5.8. house to house, land to land, liuing to liuing, as though they meant alone to liue vpon the earth.

These are they whose character and picture I but now shewed vnto you; (men! will you call them men? nay) monsters of men, kine of Bashan, Lyons, whose teeth, iawes, and tongues are as speares, and arrowes, and kniues, and swords, to eate & deuoure the needy and the poore. These are they whom you commonly call deuouring Caterpillers, greedie Cormo­rants, cruell Canibals, and not amisse: So vnsatiable are they, and such merci [...]lesse man eaters; hated of all good people, andPsal. 5.6. abhorred of God.

What can be the end of these men? Shall not the day come, wherein dogs shall licke their bloud, as once they did, the bloud of Ahab, 1. Kin. 22.38. or the fowles of heauen shall feed on their carkasses, as they once did, on the carkasses of those of Ahabs house, that died in the field, 1. King. 21.24. Or the ground shall cleane asunder, and swallow them vp aliue, as once it did Dathan, and Abiram, and the rest, that peri­shed in the Iud. ver. 11. gaine-saying of Corah, Num. 16.32. But say they are visitedNum. 16.29. after the visitation of other men; say they dye the common death of all men; say, they seeme to dye theNum. 23.10. death of the righteous, Gen. 35.29. full of dayes, and in peace to goe downe into their graues: yet behold; there is a day to come, and come it shall vpon them:2. Pet. 3.10. the day of the Lord; that day, wherein the heauens shall passe away with a great noyse, and the elements shall melt with feruent beat, the earth also & the works that are therein shall be burnt vp. At that day shall these men, men of [...] Psal 5.7. blood, bloud thirstie and cruell men, standing a­mong the Goats before the tribunall of the great Iudge, re­ceiue that sentence of damnation; Depart from me, yee cur­sed, into euerlasting fire, prepared for the Deuill, and his An­gels.

There is no evasion for them. For if by that sentence they are damned, who haue not done the works of Mercy,Rainold vpon Obadiah. p. 85. much more shall they be damned, who haue acted the workes of Crueltie: if by that sentence they are damned, who haue not succoured and releiued the poore, much more shall they be damned, who haue oppressed, and crushed the poore: That sentence thus proceedeth:Mat. 25.41. Depart from me, yee cursed, into euerlasting fire, prepared for the Deuill and his Angels. For I was an hungred, and yee gaue me no meat: I was thirstie, and yee gaue me no drinke: I was a stranger, and yee tooke mee not in: naked, and yee clothed me not, sicke, and in prison, and ye visited me not. O then! how fearefull, how lamentable shall their case be, against whom the Iudge may thus proceed in sentence! Depart from me, ye cursed, into euerlasting fire, pre­pared for the Deuill, and his Angels. For I had meat, and by force you tooke it from me: I had drinke, and you spoyled me of it: I had a house, and you thrust me out of it: I had clothes, and you pulled them from my backe: I was in health, and yee droue me into sicknesse: I was at libertie, and you imprisoned me? O that we were wise to consider this, while it is time.Mathes. in Mat. 25.42. Nam si isti paenas luent, qui proximo suppetias non tulerunt; quid fiet de istis, qui miserum insuper expiliârunt, & despoliârunt? If they who helpe not their poore and needie neighbours, shall eter­nally be burnt in Hell fire, much more shall they be there burnt, who robbe and spoyle their poore and needie neigh­bours, who like the Israelites in my text, doe sell the righte­ous for siluer, and the poore for a paire of shoes, and doe pant af­ter the dust of the earah on the head of their poore brethren, What shall I say more to such? I can onely wish that some remorse and penitencie, may bee wrought in their hearts through the remembrance of my present doctrine, ‘God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell, the coue­tous, and oppressours.’

Is it so? Then in the second place, may this doctrine serue for the consolation, or comfort of the poore and needie, who now lie groaning vnder the tyrannie of the cruell and coue­tous oppressours of this age. GodProu. 22.23. pleads their cause, God is [Page 136] theirProu. 23.11. Redeemer, God righteth their wrongs, God spoyleth their spoylers, God takes the care, God takes the tuition of them. May they not well be comforted?

Heare ye then, yee that are poore and needie Esa. 35.3. Let your weake hands be strengthened, let your feeble knees be confir­med;Ver. 4. Be yee strong, feare not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, your God will come with recompence; hee will come in due time, and will deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie, and cruell man. Though yee be scorned of the world, and pointed at with the finger, and triumphed ouer by such, as tread you vnderfoot; yet com­fort your selues in this your affliction, God pleads your cause.

I speake not this to giue encouragement or comfort to such of the poore, as are prophane and wicked. They can make no claime to Gods protection. The stranger, that behaueth himselfe more proudly, then he would at home in his owne Country, and among his friends, he is out of Gods protecti­on. The widdow, that plaieth (asS [...]rm. 73. vp­on Deutron. pag. 450. Calvin speaketh) the she-Deuill, that troubleth & vexeth her neighbours, with whom there is more to doe, then with many a man, shee is out of Gods protection. The fatherlesse-childe, that giues himselfe to naughtinesse, shakes of the yoke of pietie, becomes an vn­thrift in spite of God, and the world, he is out of Gods pro­tection. The poore, whosoeuer they be, thatPsal. 54.3. haue not the feare of God before their eyes, that are giuen ouer to worke wickednesse, and that greedilie; that lie wallowing in sen­sualitie, in wantonnesse, in drunkennesse, in any filthinesse, they are all out of Gods protection.

I speake onely to comfort the stranger, the widdow, the fatherlesse child, euery poore soule, that is religious, and god­ly: such asRom. 12.18. line peaceably with all men, such as are truely di­stressed before the Lord, such asIames 4.10. 1. Pet. 5.6. humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God, such as1 Pet. 5.7. cast all their cares and sow­rowes vpon the Lord. Such are the poore, that may receiue true comfort from my propounded doctrine; ‘God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell, the coue­tous, [Page 137] and oppressours.’

We haue not yet done with oppressours, the holy Ghost will not so let them goe. They are further described vnto vs in the next clause.

They turne aside the way of the meeke.] For the meeke, the word in the originall is [...] The same word, Psal. 10.17. is rendred in our new translation, the humble. So it is translated by the [...]. Seauentie, and the vulgar Humilium. Interpreter. Some translate it, the poore, some, the miserable; some, the afflicted. The originall word well beareth euery of these sig­nifications: the meeke, the humble, the poore, the miserable, the afflicted.

The way of these men may here be taken properly, or figu­ratiuely. If it be taken properly; then we are here to vnder­stand, that the richer sort of the Israelites, did make the poore to turne aside out of their way to give them place, or, did make the poore euen for feare of them, to keepe out of their sight. But if the way here be figuratiuely taken, as well it may by a metaphor, for their cause, their right, their businesse, their trade or course of life; then are we here to vnderstand, that the richer sort of the Israelites did peruert the right of the poore, did hinder their purposes, did disturbe their courses, and did so confound them, that they were not able to make any prouision for themselues.

This metaphoricall signification of a way we meet with, Exod. 18.20. There Moses is counselled by Iethro, to shew his people the way wherein they were to walke. We meet with it also in the Booke of Iob, Chap. 17.9. There Iob sayth, the righteous shall hold on his way. We meete with it in many other places of holy writ, which I must now let passe; in all which, as in this place, the way betokeneth, the cause of a man, his right, his busines, his trade, or course of life. After this figuratiue signification some doe thus expound these words: They turne aside the way of the meeke; or, They peruert the way of the poore: that is, the Israelites their rulers, and go­uernours, the rich among them, doe take in ill part what so euer the poore say, or doe. All their words, all their deeds [Page 138] are found fault with. Some malicious inuention, or sur­mise, is euer at hand to lay the blame vpon them. This I take to be the fittest exposition for this place.

Here then we haue the fourth sinne wherewith the Isra­elites are here charged. It is Caluninia; their false accusing of the poore, a sinne that euermore attendeth vpon Oppression. For the cruell, and couetous wretch, who is perswaded that his greatnesse chiefly consisteth in the oppression of the poore, will be sure so to prouide, to keepe the poore vnder, that they shall neuer be able to reuenge the wrongs done vnto them. Let the poore man slip but vnaduisedly or ignorantly, the lawes must by and by take hold on him: whereas the Rich man, the lawes are but as Cobwebs: he breakes throw them all. Hence is that common saying: the poore man doth no­thing well; the rich man nothing ill. Yea let the poore man doe all things well, yet will some rich calumniator euer be ready, to giue an ill construction of his best wayes; or, as the phrase in my text is, to turne aside the way of the meeke, or, to peruert the way of the poore. The lesson which we are to take from hence for our instruction is this; ‘The poore man, which vseth any honest trade or course of life, is not to be turned out of his way: his words and actions are not to be mis-interpreted.’

The reason of this doctrine is plaine in the sixth verse of this Chapter: The Lord will not turne away his punishments from the offenders in this kind; from such, as turne aside or peruert, the way of the meeke, and the poore.

The vse of this doctrine concerneth all those, whom God hath blessed with the wealth of this world. It is their dutie not to be carelesse of the poore, not to grieue them, not to hinder them in their honest courses, not to turne them aside out of their lawfull wayes. You that haue wherewith to maintaine your selues abundantly, you may not exempt your selues from doing seruice vnto God with your abun­dance. Yea you must straine your selues to the vttermost of your powers to relieue and succour such as are in scarcitie, and in want. This is a sacrifice that God requireth at your [Page 139] hands. Offer it willingly, and you shall haue a reward. Your reward it shall not be a corruptible Crowne. It shall be a Crowne of eternitie. It shall be the possession of Heauen it selfe. The poore shall carry you thither.

There is to this purpose a sweete meditation of S. Austin. Serm. 245. de Tempore. There hee b [...]ingeth in God thus speaking to the rich man: Te diuitem feci; tibi, quod dares, dedi, laturarios tibi pauperes feci: I haue made thee rich: I haue giuen to thee, that thou mightest giue to others; I haue made the poore to be thy porters; to be the Cariers of thine almes, and thee, into Heauen. To this sense doth the same S. Austine Serm. 25. de verbis Domini, call the poore man, viam Coeli, the way to Heauen. Via Coeli est pauper, per quam venitur ad Patrem. The poore man is the way to hea­uen, by which we come vnto the Father. Incipe ergo erogare, si non vis errare: Begin therefore to errogate, to distribute, to lay out vpon the poore, if thou wilt not wander or stray from the way to Heauen. Loose thou the fetters of thy pa­trimony in this life, that hereafter thou mayest haue free accesse into Heauen.

Cast away the burthen of thy riches, cast away thy vo­luntarie bonds; cast away thy anxieties, thy irkesomnesse, wherewith for many yeares thou hast beene disquieted; Da petenti, vt possis ipse accipere: Giue to him that asketh of thee an almes, that thou maist thy selfe receiue mercy. Tri­bue pauperi, si non vis flammis exuri, Giue vnto the poore, if thou wilt not be burnt in the flames of Hell fire. Da in terrâ Christo, quae tibi reddat, in Coelo; Giue to Christ on earth, and Christ will repay thee in Heauen. The like hath the same good father, Serm. 227. de Tempore: Si aperueris pauperibus manus tuas, Christus tibi aperiet januas suas, vt Paradisi posses­sor introcas: If thou wilt open thy hand vnto the poore, Christ will open his gates vnto thee, that thou maist enter the pos­session of Paradise; the Paradise of Heauen. It is a Para­dise for pleasure, but a Citie for beautie, and a Kingdome for state. There is God in his fulnesse of glorie, and raignes in iustice. The companie there are all triumphant; they are [Page 140] all invested with glorie, crowned in maiestie, clothed in sinceritie. Their faces shine with beautie, their hearts are filled with pietie, their tongues extoll the Lord with spiritu­all alacritie; in their hands they beare palmes in token of victorie. No tongue can vtter, no heart can con­ceiue the boundlesse and endlesse happinesse that shalbe enioyed there. This we know that our corruption shall there put on incorruption, and our mor­talitie shall be swallowed vp of life. Euen so be it.

THE X. LECTVRE.

THey who haue begun to goe beyond the lines, and the limits prefined vnto them in the word of God, doe by little and little proceed from euill to worse, from one wickednesse to another. This you haue seene verified in these Israelites. You haue seene their crueltie, their couetousnesse, their oppressions, their ca­lumnies. They were cruell; they sold the righteous, they sold the poore, ver. 6. They were couetous; they sold the righte­ous for siluer: they sold the poore for a paire of shoes, in the same verse. They were oppressours; they panted after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore, vers. 7. They were calum­niators; false accusers of their needie brethren; they turned aside, they peruerted the way of the meeke, in the same verse. Now are the barres and bounds of all shame broken; now are the raines of all modestie let loose; giuen vp to their vile affections, they feare not to commit detestable Inc [...]st. For

A man and his father, will goe in vnto the same maide, to pro­phane my holy name.

Before we enter into a particular discourse of that abho­minable sinne, wherewith the people of Israell are in this text charged, it will not be amisse to take a briefe view of the words as here they lie.

A man and his Father] that is, A sonne and his Father; The originall word [...] signifieth a man; for it the Sep­tuagint read [...], and the vulgar Latin, Filius; A sonne. A [Page 142] sonne and his Father—will goe in.] The vulgar Interpreter hath Iêrunt, haue gone; the Septuagint [...], did goe in. The Hebrew is [...] will goe. It is very familiar with the Hebrewes to put one tense for another; the future for the present; the time to come, for the time that is instant. An instance hereof we haue, Psal. 1.2. There its spoken of the blessed man; He [...] shall meditate in the law of the Lord day and night. He shall meditate, so goeth the text: the meaning is; he doth meditate: Blessed is the man that doth meditate in the Law of the Lord day and night. In Psal. 2.1. it is spoken of Christs enemies; they [...] shall imagine a vaine thing. They shall imagine; so goeth the text: the meaning is; they doe imagine. Why doe the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vaine thing? In Psal. 5.3. The Prophet Dauid earnest and vehement in Prayer, thus speaketh of himselfe; In the mor­ning will I pray vnto thee. [...] I will pray vnto thee; so goeth the text: the meaning is; I doe pray vnto thee. My voyce shalt thou heare in the morning, O Lord; in the morning doe I direct my prayer vnto thee. It is the very Hebraisme, that we haue in my text; A man and his father [...] will goe in vnto a maid, to pro­phane my holy name. They will goe in; it is the letter of my text: the meaning is, that resolutely without shame, without feare; They goe in, or they vse to goe in. Doe they vse to go in? Then may each reading be admitted: they haue gone in, they did goe in, they doe goe in, they will goe in.

A man and his father will goe in [...] vnto a maide] What maid? any maide? No. But a knowne maid, a certaine maide. So much is implyed by the Hebrew Arti­cle [...], which here is connotatiue, or discretiue. The Greekes say distinctly [...], to the same maide. Our now English so readeth it; and well. For so the sense of this place requireth.

A man and his Father will goe in vnto the same maide.] By this maide S. Hierome vnderstandeth the sonnes wife, or the fathers wife; so doe others also, as Ribera obserueth. Mer­cer, of late the Kings professour of the Hebrew tongue, in the Vniuersitie of Paris; by this maide vnderstandeth, one, [Page 143] that is affianced, or betrothed to either, the sonne, or the fa­ther. Of like minde is Arias Montanus. By this maide (saith he) we vnderstand non meretricem, not a common strumpet, one that makes gaine by the prostitution and abuse of her bodie; sed viro sponsam, but one that is betrothed to a man, aut certè nubilem, or at lest, one that is marriageable and is in her fathers house appointed for wedlocke. Some are of opinion, that by this maide, you may vnderstand, any maide; the daughter of any other man, to whom yet this man and his father vse to resort to satisfie their lusts.

Now, if we will collect, as Montanus doth, the Father knew his owne daughter, his sonne knew the same, though she were to him, his sister: or the father knew his sonnes wife, his daughter in law: or the sonne knew his fathers wife, his mother in law: or both, the father and the sonne were naught with some other mans daughter: or all these wickednesses were in that corrupt state of Israell vsually acted. Of that state we may say with Brentius: Qualis pater, talis filius: pa­ter fornicatur, filius scortatar, pater adulterium committit, fili­us incestum; pater libidinem exercet prohibitam, filius turpem sequitur luxum. It is a fathers part, by his example of chast liuing, to invite his sonne to chastitie. With these Israelites there was no rule, so good obserued. Here was like father, like sonne: the father a fornicator, the sonne a drabber: the father an adulterer, the sonne incestuous: the father deligh­ting in vnlawfull lust, the sonne wallowing in sensualitie: yea the father and the sonne did oftentimes fasten their im­pure and vnchast loue vpon the same maide: which is the very thing avowed in my text: A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide. It followeth,

To profane my holy Name.] What? Did this man and his father goe in vnto the same maide, with a minde to prophane Gods holy Name? was this their end? No doubtlesse, it was not their end. Their end was to enioy their carnall pleasures. And yet its here expressely said; they did it, to profane Gods holy Name.

For the remoouing of this scruple, that old Canon of an [Page 144] auncientChrysostom. Father, will serue. It is proper to the Scripture, to put that for a cause, which indeed belongeth to the event. Ri­bera thus explicats it: It is the manner of the Scripture sometime so to speake as if it considered onely, what a man doth, and not at all, with what mind he doth it: as if it one­ly considered what men doe vulgarly and vsually collect and iudge of any action by the event therof. For the Scrip­ture many times speaketh as the custome of the common people is.

This rule the Iesuite Tom. 4. p. 654. Pererius in his Comment vpon Genes. chap. 43.6. thus plainely deliuereth. When vpon the deed of any one, any thing falleth out besides the purpose and will of the doer, it is commonly beleeued, and said to be done, as if the doer had of purpose willed it. Will you haue this rule made plaine by examples? Then thus. A man sinneth. His sinne draweth vpon him the losse & destruction of his owne soule. Now he that sinneth doth not intend any such matter; hee intends not the losse, or destruction of his owne soule. Yet because he doth that, from whence followeth, the losse and destruction of his soule, he is said to will and seeke the perdi­tion of his owne soule.

This Canon rightly vnderstood, much helpeth for the explanation of diuers Scripture places. InHebr. Psal. 11. Psal. 10.6. ac­cording to the vulgar Latin, we read, Qui diligit iniquitatem, odit aniniam suam; he that loueth iniquitie, hateth his owne soule. Did euer man hate his owne soule? We may not ima­gine it. Yet because he that loueth iniquitie, liueth for the most part as if he little cared for his soules health, it is there absolutely said: Hee that loueth iniquitie, hateth his owne soule.

In Genes. 43.6. the vulgar Interpreter makes Israel thus to speake to Iudah, and other his sonnes, In meam hoc feci­stis miseriam, vt indicaretis ei, & alium vos habere fratrem; you haue done it to my miserie, that ye told the man, that you had another brother. Its true: Iacobs ten sonnes, when they were in Egypt to buy corne, told Ioseph (whom then they knew not to be Ioseph) that their yongest brother was li­uing. [Page 145] But did they doe it with a mind to bring misery vpon their aged father Iacob: Iacob himselfe could not thinke so, and the storie cleares them from that imputation. Yet be­cause by that their deed, miserie might haue fallen vpon their father Iacob, Iacob saith vnto them after a vulgar cu­stome of speech, In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, you haue done this to make me miserable.

In 2. King. 4.16. the good woman of Shunem, that was by Elisha promised a sonne, notwithstanding her selfe was by nature barren, and her husband also old, said vnto E­lisha: Nay my Lord, thou man of God, doe not lie vnto thine handmaide. Doe not lie! What! Elisha a Prophet, a man of God, could he, or would he lye? No; it beseemed him not. Yet because he promised, what was not in mans pow­er to performe, (a sonne to a woman that was naturally barren, and her husband also old) some might thinke, that he went about to deceiue the woman. The woman there­fore after the common kinde of speech, saith vnto him; Nay my Lord, thou man of God, doe not lye vnto thine hand­maide.

Other like instances I might alledge for the further ex­planation of the Canon or rule which euen now I proposed, But I need not. The kind of speech is familiar in our Eng­lish tongue. If you see a sicke man intemperate, or refusing to follow the aduise of his learned Physitian, you wil straight way say, this man seekes his owne death; hee will kill himselfe; When your meaning is, not that he hath a purpose to seeke his owne death, or to kill himselfe; but, that if he continue in­temperate, and will not follow his Physitians wholesome counsaile, death will soone lay him in the pit.

Now let this rule be laid vnto my text, and the scruple, whereof I but now spake, is gone. A man and his father will goe in vnto the same maide to profane my holy name: they are the words of my text; and the Lord in the mouth of his Prophet Amos hath spoken them. But he speaketh after our manner; as we vse to speake: His meaning is, that with the Israelites it was an ordinarie matter for a man and his fa­ther, [Page 146] to commit filthinesse with the same maide, and that by their so doing, (though themselues had no such pur­pose in so doing) the holy name of God was prophaned. This prophanation of Gods holy name was not the finall cause, it was not the end, why such filthinesse was committed in Israell. It was rather the event, or consequent of it. Filthinesse was ac­ted in Israel, and thereof followed the prophanation of the ho­ly name of God. A man and his father, &c.

To prophane my holy name] My holy name. The Hebrew hath, the name of my holinesse: where the substantiue is put for the adiectiue, the Abstract for the Concrete: which in that holy tongue is very vsuall. In the 3. of Exod. ver. 5. The Lord sayth to Moses: Put of thy shoes from of thy feete for the place, whereon thou standest, is ground of Holinesse. Its ground of Ho­linesse, that is, its holy ground. In the 12. of Exod. vers. 16. Moses and Aaron are charged to say vnto the people of Is­rael: In the seauenth day there shall be a conuocation of holinesse vnto you. A conuocation of holinesse, that is, a holy conuo­cation. In the 22. of Exod. ver. 31. The Lord sayth vnto the same people of Israel: Yee shall be men of Holinesse vnto me. Men of Holinesse, that is, Holy men.

Were it needfull I could shew vnto you, that theEsai 63 11. Spirit of Gods holinesse, theEsai. 52.10. arme of his holinesse, thePsal. 3.5. mountaine of his holinesse, thePsal. 11.4. temple of his holinesse, theDeut 26.15. habitation of his holinesse, are put for his holy Spirit; his holy arme, his holy mountaine, his holy temple, his holy habitation. I could yet shew vnto you; thatExod 24.4. garments of holinesse, Num. 3.51. vessels of holinesse, Lamen. 4.1. stones of holinesse, 1. Sam. 21.4. bread of holinesse, Ierem. 11.15. flesh of ho­linesse, andNum. 35.25. oyle of holinesse, are in the holy Bible, put for holy garments, holy vessels, holy stones, holy bread, holy flesh, holy oyle. But I haue said enough, to shew what I intended, namely, that vsually in the Holy tongue, the Abstract is put for the Concrete, as holinesse, for holy: as in this my text. A man and his father will goe in to the same maide, to profane the name of my holinesse; that is, to prophane my holy name.

Can Gods holy name be prophaned by men? Why not, sith it may be sanctified by men? That the name of God may be [Page 147] sanctified by men, its out of doubt, Caput votorum, the very first petition, which wee are taught to poure forth vnto God, is, that his name may be sanctified, Hallowed be thy name: The name of God is holy in it selfe, it needs not to be hallowed by vs; its impossible for vs to adde vnto it any purity or ho­linesse, which it had not before. YetScala coeli. Serm. 9. Caput votorum, the first petition of our prayer is, Hallowed bee thy name. Our desire therein is, that Gods name which is holy of it selfe, may bee so accounted off by vs, may bee holily vsed by vs, and may, by our holy vsage of it, bee manifested to the world, that it is holy.

Now then, as the name of God is Hallowed, when for our holy and vnstained liues, men blesse the name of God, and praise him: so when for our impure and spotted liues, men blaspheme the name of God, and dishonour him, the name of God is prophaned. Well then, doth our Prophet Amos heere charge the people of Israel with prophanation of Gods holy name, for asmuch as their liues were very im­pure and much spotted. It was with them no strange mat­ter, for a man and his father to commit filthinesse with the same Mayde.

Thus haue you the words of my text expounded.

A man and his father] A sonne and his father, will goe in vnto the same mayde] do ordinarily, without feare or shame, commit filthinesse with the same young woman, and so do­ing, doe prophane my holy name] they cause my name to bee blasphemed, and ill spoken of.

Two things are heerein remarkable. One is, the sinne heere obiected to the Israelites: the other is, the consequent of this sinne. The sinne is poynted at in these words, A man and his father will goe in vnto the same mayde: the consequent in these, to prophane my holy name. The sinne is vnlawfull plea­sure, taken either in incest, or in adultery, or in fornication, or in any other vncleannesse: the consequent is, the prophaning of the holy name of God.

The doctrine arising from both, I deliuer in this one position.

Incestuous persons, adulterers and fornicators, all are starke naught: but the first are the worst. Incest, adultery and for­nication, each of them is a sinne, that throweth the sinner in­to the euer-burning lake; yet the most greeuous of them is incest. Incest! It is one of the grossest vices of lust. Euery mixture of man and woman of the same kinred, within the degrees forbidden by the law of God, is Incest. It is forbid­den in the seuenth Commandement, wherein, although adulterie be onely mentioned, yet vnder that kinde of vn­cleannesse, are comprehended and noted, Sodomitrie, incest, rape, simple fornication, all the rest, together with their cau­ses, occasions, effects, antecedents, and consequents.

But more precisely is incest forbidden, in the eighteenth of Leuiticus, from the sixth verse to the eighteenth. In the sixth verse, the inhibition is generall: None of you shall ap­proach to any that is neere of kinne to him, to vncouer their na­kednesse: I am the Lord. It is then the Lord that speaketh to you: None of you shall come neere to any of your kinne, to vnco­uer their shame. But what kinred meaneth hee? There is a kinred by society of bloud; it is called consanguinity: there is also a kinred by marriage; it is called Affinitie. And to both these kinreds will the Lord haue his inhibition to extend: You shall not approch to any that is neere of kinne to you, to vnco­uer their nakednesse, that is, you may not marry with, or o­therwise lustfully abuse any of your kinred, be they of your kinred, either by Consanguinity, or by Affinity.

Now to treat of all these degrees, that are in the eigh­teenth of Leuiticus forbidden, were needlesse at this time. One aboue the rest will fit my text. Its that in the eighth verse. The nakednesse of thy fathers wife thou shalt not vncouer. Thy fathers wise, that is, thy step-mother, not thine owne mother. Her nakednesse, though shee bee but thy moth [...]r in law, thou shalt not vncouer. This might haue beene the sin of these Israelites in my text. Heere you see, A sonne and his [Page 149] father went in vnto the same maide. If this maide were wife vn­to the father, then was shee stepmother to the sonne, and the sonne was incestuous.

This vncleannesse the very Heathen haue detested. S. Paul acknowledgeth as much, 1. Cor. 5.1. It is reported common­ly, that there is fornication among you, and such fornication, as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles, that one should haue his fathers wife. Not so much as named amongst the Gentiles? What? doe not Heathen histories yeeld examples of this vncleannesse? They doe.

They giue vs to vnderstand ofPlutarch. in Demetrio. Antiochus sonne of Se­leucus; how he burning with the incestuous loue of his mo­ther in law Stratonice, got her by his Fathers assent to be his wife: They tell vs ofPlutarch. in Artaxerxes. Darius, sonne of Artaxerxes, how he obtained of his father by request, that he might take to wife, his mother in law, Aspasia. They relate vnto vs, howAelius Spartia­nus in Antonino Caracalla. Pere­tius in Mellificio historico parte 2. pag. 202. Antoninus Caracalla Emperour tooke to wife his mother in law Iulia. Antoninus bewitched with her beautie, and desir­ing to marrie her, with sighes said vnto her, Vellem, si liceret, Mother, if it were lawfull I would make you my wife. Shee; monster as she was, shamefully replyed: Si libet, licet; Annescis te Imperatorem esse, & leges dare, non accipere. Sonne, you haue called me mother; if you list to make me your wife, you may. Know you not that you are Emperour? you giue lawes, you take none: With this her answere Antoninus inflamed, matrem duxit vxorem, he married his mother.

Other examples of this vncleannesse Heathen histories haue affoorded vs. How then is it, that S. Paul in the but now-alledged place, saith; that this vncleannesse, is such as is not so much as named among the Gentiles?

We need not fly to an Hyperbole to excuse the Apostles assertion. His meaning is, that though such vncleannesse were sometime practised among the Gentiles, yet that a­mong the very Gentiles lawes were made against it: and that the better sort of the Gentiles did detest it, as a filthie, strange, and monstrous villanie.

Was this vncleannesse held in such detestation by the Gen­tiles, [Page 150] who were guided onely by natures light? No maruaile then is it, if the Lord, here in my text, do so sharply reproue Israel for this vncleannesse among them. Israel! They were the people of the Lord, they were his inheritance, they had the lampe of the word of God to be their guide. Yet Israel, rebel­lious and disobedient Israel, hath played the harlot: A man and his father went in vnto the same maide. Vnder this one kinde of incest are comprehended all the rest; And not in­cest onely, but adulterie also, yea, and fornication too. So that indeed the Israelites are here reproued in generall for their filthie lusts. They were so inordinately vicious, and so disolute, that they blushed not once, to pollute themselues with fornication, with adulterie, with incest, with all manner of filthinesse: and hereby was the holy name of God pro­phaned.

It is true. Peccatorum turpitudine violatur nomen Dei san­ctum: such is the filthinesse of sinne, that through it, the holy name of God is often violated. It was violated by Dauids sinne. Dauid the man after Gods owne heart, yet conuic­ted of murther, and adultery. Of murther, for2. Sam. 12.9. killing Vriah the Hittite with the sword; and of adulterie, for taking to wife the wife of Vriah, is by the Prophet Nathan reprooued for prophaning the name of the Lord. In 2. Sam. 12.14 they are the expresse words of Nathan vnto Dauid, By this deed thou hast giuen great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blas­pheme. Dauid (you see) was the sinner; others thereby tooke occasion to blaspheme the name of God.

The name of God was likewise blasphemed for the sinnes of the Israelites. The Israelites Ezech. 37.23. defiling themselues with the Idols of the Heathen, with their abhominations, with their iniqui­ties, are in the Bookes of the Prophets reprooued for pro­phaning the name of the Lord. It is the complaint of the Lord himselfe, Esai 52.5. My name continually euery day is blas­phemed: and Ezech. 36.20.22.23. The Israelites liuing a­mong the Heathen haue prophaned my Holy name. The Hea­then there could say: Hi; populus Iehovae these are the people of the Lord; these are come out of the land of the Lord. A [Page 151] holy people sure. The Israelites, you see, sinned: the Hea­then thereby tooke occasion to blaspheme the name of the Lord.

The name of the Lord was likewise blasphemed through the sinnes of the Iewes in S. Paules time. The then-Iewes, not­withstanding they made their Rom. 2.17. boast of God, andVers. 18. knew his will, and wereVers. 19. confident, that they were guides of the blind, the light of them which were in darkenesse, Vers. 20. instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes, that they had the forme of knowledge, and of the truth in the law; yet forasmuch as they were spot­ted with theft, with adultery, with sacriledge, with other en­ormities; they are by S. Paul reprooued, for prophaning the name of the Lord.

The reproofe is, Rom. 2.21. &c. Thou which teachest ano­ther, teachest thou not thy selfe? Thou that preachest, a man should not steale, doest thou steale? Thou that sayest, a man should not commit adulterie, doest thou commit adulterie? Thou that abhorrest Idols, doest thou commit sacriledge? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking of the law disho­nourest thou God? It followeth, vers. 24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. The Iewes, you see, were the sinners: The Gentiles thereby tooke oc­casion to blaspheme the name of God.

Thus is my doctrine confirmed vnto you: ‘Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other vncleane sinners, are oftentimes the cause of prophaning the holy Name of God.’

Let vs now a while consider, what Vse wee may make hereof vnto our selues.

Is it true? Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other vncleane sinners, are they oftentimes the cause of prophan­ing the holy name of God? Then (dearely beloued) let vs from hence be admonished, so to spend the remainder of our pilgrimage in this present world, in all holy conuersa­tion, that no boyling, inordinate or vnruly motions, no vi­cious or vnchast affections, no act of vncleannesse, may so far haue dominion ouer vs, as to cause the holy name of GOD [Page 152] through vs to be prophaned. S. Austine Enarrat. in Psal. 146. speaketh plainely: Cum blasphematur Deus de malo opere tuo, opere tuo blasphemas Deum: that is, When God for any euill worke is blasphemed, thou by thine euill worke blas­phemest God. To the same purpose sayth the same Father, Tract. 27. in Iohan. Rarò iam inuenivntur, qui linguâ blasphe­mant Deum; sed multi, qui vitâ: Seldome now adayes doe we finde any that with their tongue blaspheme God, but ma­ny that blaspheme him with their life. Such were they in S. Pauls time, of whom the blessed Apostle, Tit. 1.16. sayth: They professe that they know God, but in workes they denie him. And will we be such? Farre be it from vs.

We professe that we know God, we professe our selues his seruants; walke we therefore worthie of our profession, as it becommeth the seruants of God. And how shall wee so walke? We so walke if we walke in holinesse. For (as S^t Paul speaketh) this is the will of God, euen your sanctification, that yee should absteine from fornication, that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, euen as the Gentiles which know not God. For God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse, but vnto holinesse. And therefore as the same Apostle aduiseth the Ephesians, Chap. 5.3. so aduise I you: Fornication and vn­cleannesse let them not be once named amongst you, as it becom­meth Saints. Not once named! How then is it that the A­postle nameth them? How is it, that in this exercise I haue named vnto you incest▪ adultery, fornication, and other sinnes of vncleannesse? Yes beloued; you may name them; but it must be out of detestation to shunne them; and not out of delight to nourish them.

From hence may you make this Collection: If I may not once name fornication, but with detestation, then may I not commit it. If I may not commit fornication, much lesse may I commit adulterie; much lesse incest; much lesse some other sinnes of vncleannesse: sinnes against nature; monstrous and prodigious sinnes. Now that we may not commit forni­cation, it is euident by these reasons.

First, it is vnlawfull by the law of Nature. The very Hea­then, who hold no other light for their guide, but the glim­mering light of Nature, haue so accounted of it. Memorable is the saying of Demosthenes, concerning theDimi [...]ium ta­lent [...]m vnius pretium noctis. great price that was set him, by the notorious strumpet Lais: Macr [...]b. Sa­turnal. lib. 2. c. 2. [...], I like not to buy Repentance so deare. Doth he not thereby intimate, that dishonest pleasure, & the vnbridled desires of the flesh, haue euermore for their companion, Repentance? Diogenes, the Cynicke, resembledLaertius lib. 6. in vitâ Diogenis. beautifull harlots to sweete wine, tempered with deadly poy­son. What else doth he thereby intimate, but that vnchast lusts, howsoeuer to a carnall man, they may at first seeme sweete, they are notwithstanding full of bitternesse, and are attended with perpetuall sorrow? Crates, the Philosopher, beholding at Delphi, the golden image of the harlot Phryne brake forth into this exclamation,Plutarch. de fortuna Alexan­dri lib. 2. The like Laertius re­porteth of Dro­genes lib. 6. [...]it. Diog. [...]: this is the trophie, the monument of the loose lines of the Greekes. Doth he not thereby intimate, that in­continencie is euen by Natures law vnlawfull? I might here produce many goodly sentences, many notable examples of Ethnickes, and Pagans, to shew vnto you the iust punish­ment, which for the most part followeth this detestable vice hard at the heeles; which might also stirre vs vp to hate it, and to flie from it with all our might. But its time that I returne to the Booke of God.

Therein also doe we finde, that this filthy sinne, the sinne of fornication, is reputed vnlawfull by the very law of Na­ture. In Rom. 1.29. it is expressely named among the sins of the Gentiles, who were meerely naturall men. And Le­uit. 18.24. it is layd to the charge of the Cananites, Gentiles too, that with such vncleannesse themselues were defiled, and the land, wherein they liued was defiled: and therefore are they in that place threatned, that the land should spew them out. You haue now the first reason, why we may not com­mit fornication. The reason is, because it is vnlawfull by the law of Nature.

Secondly, it is forbidden in holy Scripture. In Ephes. 5 3. [Page 154] And in 1. Thes. 4.3. In the latter place we are commanded to abstaine from 1. Cor. 6.18. fornication, and in the former, not once to name it.

Thirdly, it is malum lubricum, a sinne full of great dan­ger: So meaneth Salomon, Prou. 23.27. where he sayth, A whore is a deepe ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow Prou. 22.14. pitt. The comparison is plaine; A Harlot to a deepe ditch, and to a narrow pit. The meaning of the holy Ghost is: As a man that falleth into a deepe ditch, or, into a narrow pit, breaketh either an arme, or a legge, and with much adoe getteth out againe: so is it with them, that are ouertaken with this vile sinne of fornication: the woman Eccl [...]s. 26.7. whose heart is as snares and nets, and her hands as bands, will bee to them more bitter then death; with much adoe shall they escape from her.

Fourthly, it stoppeth the passage into Heauen. S. Paul affirmeth it, 1. Cor. 6.9. Fornicators shall not inherite the kingdome of God; and againe, Ephes. 5.5. No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ. S. Iohn, Reuel. 21.18. sayth as plainely: Whoremongers shall haue their part in that lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone.

Thus haue you, of many, foure reasons, why wee may not commit fornication.

• 1. It is vnlawfull by the law of Nature.
• 2. It is forbidden by the law of God.
• 3. It is full of great danger.
• 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heauen.

Now see the validitie of my former inference. We may not commit fornication, for the reasons now specified; much lesse may we commit adulterie; much lesse incest; much lesse other sinnes of vncleannesse, sinnes against Nature, mon­strous and prodigious sinnes. All these S. Paul, 1. Cor. 6. hath euen chayned together, to cast them into Hell. And that you may take notice of it, he hath a [...] for you vers. 9. [...], Be not deceiued. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselues with mankinde, shall inherit the kingdome of God. Thus farre hath [Page 155] the first vse of my doctrine led mee. The second fol­loweth.

My doctrine was, Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornica­tors, and other vncleane sinners, are oftentimes the cause of pro­faning the holy name of God. This in the second place ser­ueth for the reproofe of such as suffer themselues to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes, or carnall lusts. And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned.Caietan. in A­quin. 2. 2. qu. 154 Art. 9. §. Respondeo. Emanuell King of Portugall married his wiues sister:Caietan. ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicilie married his fathersJoannam. sister: Philip the second King of Spaine married his si­stersAnnam. daughter: Henry the eight King of England married his brothersCatharinam. wife. All these were incestuous marriages, and are by this doctrine condemned.

But some may say; these marriages were not conclu­ded, but by the Popes dispensation. Why then say I, they are condemned? I say so; because they are precisely a­gainst the law of God written, Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law? What! Dispense against the law of God!

We are not ignorant, that the chiefe patrons of the Pontificiall law, howsoeuer they grantIn cap. Mennā. 2. q. 5. Annotat. marg. Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare, that the Pope sometimes dispen­seth too much Pope-like; doe notwithstanding expresly af­firme,Gloss. in Cap. Post translatio­nem Extra, de Renuntiatione. & 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam. Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum; that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle. Rainold. Thes. 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant vnto the Pope this power of dispensing, only in cau­ses perteining to the positiue law of man, (with which co­lour they now paint ouer that same flagitious glosse of dis­pensing against the Apostle) but also in matters ratified by the law of God.

I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations, that haue bin granted by the Pope; as thatCap. ad Apo­stolicae in Sexto de Sentent. & reiudicat. Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae. subiects may be dis­charged of their oath and fealtie, and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince, yea, to take armes against him, yea to lay violent hands on him; thatConcil. Con­stans. Sess 19. Cap. Quòd non obstantibus s [...]l­uis conductibus. promise may be broken, with God and man; that most [Page 156] horribleRainold. Thes. 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations, may be committed; that all things, diuine and humane, may be peruerted; right and wrong, Heauen and earth, lawfull and vnlawfull may be confounded togither. But I may not so far digresse from my present purpose. Let it suffice for this time, that you see the impietie of the Popes dispensations, (or rather dissipa­tions, asDe Cons [...]. ad [...]u [...] [...]n. lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them) in his allowing of in­cestuous mariages, that a man may marry his wiues sister, or his fathers sister, or his sisters daughter, or his brothers wife: all precisely against the law of God.

Here might we stand amased and wonder, that such ir­regular and shamelesse dispensations, should passe with the app [...]obation of the Pope, who beares a face, as if he were most holy, yea Holinesse it selfe. Speake we to him, or write to him, our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime, most holy Father; and Sanctitas Tua, your Holinesse. But know­ing him to be that 2. Thess. 2 3. man of sinne, that sonne of perdition, that grand Antichrist, who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, was to be reuealed in these latter times, we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties, that may be. Can weMatth. 7.16. gather grapes of thornes, or figs of thistles? can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit? Can we expect that the Pope, who2. Thess. 2.4. opposeth himselfe against God, and ex­alteth himselfe aboue all that is called God, should either himselfe liue, or cause others to liue, according to the holy law of God?

For the Popes themselues (would the time and your pa­tience permit) I could rip vp their liues, and shew vnto you how they haue bin stained and defiled with all manner of fearefull, notorious, and abhominable sinnes. But my text will not suffer me so fa [...]re to range. The sinnes of vn­cleanenesse, wherein those holy fathers haue, to the astonish­ment of the wo [...]ld, wallowed, are the sinnes in my present text and doctrine smitten at.

What shall I tell you of the incest committed by many of them? by Iohn the 13. with Stephana, his fathers con­cubine? [Page 157] by Iohn the Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brothers wife? by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces? by Pius the 5. with his owne sister, byJoan. Iovian. Pontan. Alexander the 6. with his owne daughter.

I could make true report vnto you of many of them ve­ry infamous for their beastly Sodomie, for their filthy adulte­rie, for other their vncleane lust. So holy were those holy Fathers. Neither were they themselues alone giuen ouer to such filthinesse, but they also tooke order to haue others like vnto them. They could not alone be wicked.Szeged. Spec. Pontif. Alex­ander the sixt gaue leaue to Cardinall Mendoza to abuse his owne bastard sonne in incestuous Sodomie. Downam de Antich. lib. 1. cap. 6. O [...]m [...]rod Pict. Pap. Sz [...]ged. spec. Pont. Vescel Kroning Tractat. de In­dulgentijs. Sixtus the fourth gaue licence to the Cardinall of S. Lucie, and to all his familie, that they might in the three hot moneths of the yeare freely vse Sodomie. Iohannes a Casa a Florentine, Archbishop of Beneventum, Legat for Iulius 3. at Venice, set forth a booke in Italian Metre in commendation of this Diana of the Papists, this abominable sinne of Sodomie. Will you heare more of Sixtus the fourth? He to incite and incourage others to be as filthy as himselfe, built in Rome a famous stewes, not onely of women, but also of males. The femall stewes, how aduantagious it hath bin to the Pope, and gainefull to his coffers, may from hence appeare, that the Pope hath receiued from them a yearely pension, amounting sometimes to three thousand, some­times to foure thousand Ducates. It is said of Paulus the third, that in his tables he had the names of 45000 Curti­zans, which paid vnto him a monethly tribute.

Now that the Pope neede not to loose so great a re­uenew; some haue bestirred themselues to patronize his stewes by argument and by autoritie. Their chiefe reason is: that common Curtizans in hot countries are a necessarie euill.

Harding Confut. Apol. Iewelli par. 4. cap. 1. thus speaketh of it, It is common in all great Cities in hot countries, not to banish from among them, the filthy generation of harlots for the auoy­ding [Page 158] of a greater mischiefe.

D^r Bishop in his second part of the Reformation of a Catholicke deformed, in the treatise of repentance, saith, The stewes in some hot Countries, are tolerated to auoyd a grea­ter mischiefe.

The cheife autoritie they bring is S. Austines, out of his second booke de ordine cap. 4. Aufer meretrices de re­bus humanis, turbaveris omnia libedinibus: Take harlots from among men, yee shall disturbe all things with leacherous lusts.

To their reason, that Curtezans in hot Countries are a ne­cessarie euill: we say, that the heat of a countrey is no suffici­ent warrant for the popish stewes. The land of Israel is a hotter climate, then that of Italie, yet saith God vnto the Iewes, Deut. 23.17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel.

For S. Austines autoritie, wee acknowledge it to bee great and reuerend. But withall we say, that S. Austine, when he wrote those words, was not S. Austine. When he wrote that tract of Order, himselfe then liued in disorder; a yong gallant, a novice in the faith, not well instructed, not yet baptised in the name of Christ; himselfe then kept a concubine, and liued in whore­dome.

But the same Saint Austine, afterward fully instructed and baptised, said thus: Istam, in vsu scortatorum, terrena civi [...]as licitam fecit turpitudinem. The words are De Ciuit. Dei lib. 14. cap. 18. The citie of the world, not the Church of God hath made this filthinesse of harlots to bee lawfull. So doth not Saint Austines autoritie hold vp the stewes. Saint Paul beates them downe flat, Rom. 3.8. they who say, L [...]t vs doe euill that good may come thereof; their damnation is iust. In a word, the tolera­tion of the stewes, is an occasion of vncleanenesse to many a yong man and woman, that otherwise would absteine [Page 159] from all such kinde of filthinesse.

What an abomination is it, for a brother and his bro­ther, a father and his sonne, a nephew and his vncle, to come to one and the same harlot, one before or after the other? Is it not the very abomination, which the Lord reproueth in my text: A man and his father will goe in to the same maide, to profane my holy name? I haue held you too long. May it please you to remember my doctrine. It was, ‘Incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, and other vn­cleane sinners, are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God.’

A twofold Vse I made of it. One was; to stirre vp our selues to a holy conversation. The other, to reproue such as are giuen ouer to vncleanenesse. I conclude with that exhortation of Saint Peter, 1. Epist. chap. 2.11. Dearely beloued, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, absteine from fleshly lusts. They may seeme vnto you a Paradise to your desires; but they will proue a Pur­gatorie to your purses, and a Hell to your soules. Doe you loue your bodies? Abstaine from fleshly lusts; for they are rottennesse to your bones. Doe you loue your soules? Abstaine from fleshly lusts; for they warre a­gainst your soules. Doe you loue your credits? Ab­staine from fleshly lusts; for they are dishonourable. The heate of carnall lusts, what is it but an infernall fire, whose fuell is fullnesse of bread, and aboundance of idle­nesse; whose sparkes are euill communication, whose smoake is infamie, whose ashes are pollution, whose end is Hell.

Dearely beloued, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstaine from fleshly lusts; haue your conuersation honest among all men, that they beholding your good works, may glorifie God in the day of visitation.

Now gracious Father, so worke in vs, thou and thy power, thou and thy mercy, so bring it to passe, that we may so spend the remainder of our dayes here in all holy conversation, that after this life ended, we may haue our inheritance in thy kingdome. Grant this for thy sonne Christ Iesus sake. To whom with thee &c.

THE XI. LECTVRE.

IT is a great height of impietie, whereto men are growne, when by vnlawfull meanes, or pretences, or allurements, they adde sinne to sinne. A man may sinne once and a second time; and may doe it through infir­mitie: but if he go on with a third transgression, and with a fourth; if he be obstinate in heaping sinne vpon sinne, lamentable is his estate. A woe must be his portion. Its denounced by the Prophet Esay, cap. 5.18. Woe vnto them, that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie, and sinne, as it were with a cart-rope.

Was there euer a people, so far giuen ouer to worke im­pietie? Behold, such were the people of Israel, they to whom this prophecie of Amos was directed. Their cruelty, their couetousnes, their oppressions, their calumnies, their fil­thy lusts reproued in the two precedent verses, do proclaim as much. And yet they haue not done sinning. They would, I grant, make faire weather; they would make a faire shew, as if their desire were to serue God. For that purpose they came vnto the house of their God; his temple; they drew neere vnto his Altars: but euen then did their hearts worke iniquitie. My text conuinceth them.

The words import thus much. The people of Israel to cloke and couer their manifold sinnes, make a shew of reli­gion: they goe vnto their temples, the temples of their Idols; there they offer their sacrifices, there they feast it sumptuously. They are at great charges. But whence doe they defray them? Is it out of their owne substance, which either is descended to them by inheritance, or is gotten by their iust and honest labour? No such matter. The fines, the mulcts of the poore, their pawnes, their pledges, their pewter, their garments, their bedding, their goods pay for all.

The words doe specially concerne the Peeres, the No­bles, the Iudges, the Magistrates, the Rulers of Israel. They may also concerne the rich among them: but cannot be vnderstood of the poore, the base, and vulgar sort. The words are not many; yet many are the sinnes they smite at. The taking of pawnes, the deteyning of them, vnrigheous iudgement, superstition, idolatry, riot and excesse are the sins, they smite at; as may in part appeare in the now-ensuing explication.

They lay themselues downe] [...] word for word, They bowe downe themselues, they stretch out themselues. S^t Hierome renders it by the verbe Accumbere, intimating their sitting downe, as at a feast or banquet.

They lay themselues downe; they lye downe, or they sit downe vpon clothes] This manner of sitting or lying downe at meate was very ancient. The old Romans vsed it; so did the Greekes. Non sedebant, sed accubabant. They sat not as we doe now a-dayes, but they lay downe. In some parlor, chamber-garret, or other conuenient roome, a low round table was placed. This table for the common sort of people was made of ordinarie wood, and stood vpon three feete. For men of better fashion, it was made of bet­ter wood, of the Limon tree, or of the Maple tree, and was sometimes inlaid with siluer, it stood vpon one whole en­tire [Page 163] foote made of Ivorie, in the forme of a Leopard or a Lyon. Lipsius antiq. lect. l. 3. c. 1. Hieronym. Mer­curialis artis Gymnast: lib. 1. cap. 11. Rosin. antiq. Rō. lib. 5. cap. 28. About this round table were placed three beds, couered with tapestrie, with purple, or with some other kinde of carpet, according to the wealth and abilitie of the feast-maker. Each bed conteined three guests, some­times foure, seldome more. And thus the guests were pla­ced. The first & vppermost lying at the beds head, rested the vpper part of his bodie at his left elbow, & disposed his feet behinde the seconds backe: the second rested his head in the others bosome vpon a cushion, and disposed his feete behinde the thirds backe. The rest did likewise. Such was the custome of sitting or lying downe at meat among the old Greeks and Romans.

This very custome of sitting or lying at meat was also a­mong the Iewes. We gather it from the Scripture phrase in the New Testament. Mark. 2.14. Luk. 9.27, 29. Levi, called alsoMatth. 9.9. Matthew, that blessed Euangelist, made in his owne house a great feast for Iesus, whereat were many publicans, and others. At that feast Iesus lay downe. So saith S. Matthew, chap. 9.10. [...], as hee lay downe. S. Marke saith, chap. 2.15. [...], as he lay downe. Iesus lay downe at meat. So did his disciples: so did publicans and sinners too. S. Matthew and S. Marke in the now-alleaged places doe affirme it: [...], they lay downe with Itsus. Publicans and sinners lay downe with Iesus. S. Luk. chap. 5.29. thus expresseth it; [...], a great companie of Publicans, and others, lay downe at meate with Iesus and his disciples.

The time was when Iesus fed withMatth. 14.17. fiue loaues, and two fishes, aboutvers. 21. fiue thousand men, besides women and children; then he commaunded the multitude [...], to lye downe on the grasse, Matth. 14.19. Another time he fed withMath. 15.36. seauen loaues, and a few little fishes vers. 38. foure thousand men beside women and children: then he commaunded the multitude, [...], to fall downe on the ground, Mat. 15.35. At both times, Iesus his words had reference to that auncient manner of sitting, or lying downe at meate.

Which manner of sitting, or lying downe at meate, Iesus himselfe seemeth to haue obserued at his celebration of his last Paschall supper. For we finde, Ioh. 13.23. that at that supper one of the Disciples of Iesus, the Disciple whom Ie­sus loued, euen Iohn the Euangelist, leaned on the bosome of Iesus. Iesus lay downe. Iohn did likewise; and leaned on Ie­sus his bosome. You see, that in the time of the new Testa­ment, euen among the Iewes, it was a custome to lye downe at meate.

Euen among the Iewes, it was a custome long before. Eight hundred years before the incarnation of the Messiah, the posteritie of Iacob vsed it. My text affirmeth it. The Israelites, the of-spring of Iacob, layd themselues downe vpon clothes.

Did they lay themselues downe vpon clothes? And why might they not doe so? Was not the common custome of so doing, a warrant for them so to doe? Out of doubt it was. It was no fault of theirs to lye downe at meate, and vpon clo­thes. But herein were they blame worthie; first, that the clothes whereon they lay, were not their owne, secondly, that they lay vpon them vnseasonably.

First, they were not their owne; they were the pawnes, they were the pledges of the poore: they were clothes laid to pledge.

Secondly, they lay vpon them vnseasonablie; euen before their Altars. The first argueth their crueltie towards the poore: The second their Idolatrie in respect of God. First of the first.

They lay themselues downe vpon clothes layd to pledge] Wee shall the better vnderstand what that sinne is, which our Prophet here reprooueth in the Israelites, if we will haue re­course to the Law concerning pledges. That Law is written, Exod. 22.26. If thou at all take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliuer it vnto him by that the Sunne goeth downe: The Law is repeated, Deut. 24.10, 11, 12, 13. When thou lendest any thing to thy neighbour, thou shalt not en­ter into his house to take his pledge. But thou shalt abide with­out, [Page 165] and the man to whom thou lendest, shall bring the pledge out of the dores vnto thee. And if the man be poore thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge. But shalt restore him the pledge when the Sunne goeth downe. The ground of this Law is mercy: the Law-giuer, is the God of mercy: its giuen, to stirre vs vp to mercy.

If at all thou take thy neighbours raiment to pledge, thou must deliuer it vnto him by the going downe of the Sunne. That is the Law. Thereof, Exod. 22.27. haue you two reasons: One is taken from common humanitie. The poore mans rai­ment! It is his onely couering; It is his raiment for his skinne. Take that from him, and wherein shall he sleepe? Restore therefore his pledge before the Sunne goeth downe. The other reason is taken from the iudgement of God. If the poore man crie, God will heare him, for he is gracious. Restore thou therefore his pledge before the Sunne goeth downe.

In the 24. of Deut. ver. 13. three reasons are brought to the same purpose. The poore mans pledge; See that in any case thou deliuer it, when the Sunne goeth downe.

First, that he may sleepe in his owne raiment.

Secondly, that he may blesse thee, may pray for thee, may testifie vnto God the sence and feeling he hath of thy hu­manitie, and kind dealing.

Thirdly, that it may be righteousnesse vnto thee, euen before the Lord thy God.

See therefore, that in any case thou restore the poore mans pledge, when the Sunne goeth downe. You haue the law, and the reasons of the Law.

This Law these Israelites violated. They tooke to pledge poore mens clothes, they deteined them, they vsed them, they lay vpon them, as if they had beene their owne. The sinne then here laid vnto their charge, is Detentio pignoris paupe­rum, the keeping backe of the poore mans pledge. The do­ctrine which we may take from hence, is this, ‘The pledge of a poore man, such as is necessarie for his vse, is not to be withholden from him.’

I say, such as is necessarie for his vse. Moses, in the alled­ged [Page 166] places of Exodus and Deuteronomie, makes mention of his raiment. The raiment of the poore man▪ it is operi­mentum, his couering; i [...] is vestimentum, his clothing: he hath nothing else, wherewith to hide his nakednesse: no­thing else, wherewith to saue himselfe from cold. Such a pledge, as is the poore mans raiment, his coat, his dublet, his bed, his couering, or any other thing, that is necessarie for the preseruing of his life, God will haue it restored. Yet it will please him well, if such a pledge be neuer taken.

The Law runnes thus in the 22. of Exodus. If at all thou take thy neigbbours raiment to pledge, thou must deliuer it vnto him by the going downe of the Sunne. It is as if the Lord had thus said: I shall like it well, if thou lend vnto thy poore neighbour without taking any pledge of him; but if thou be so cruell, and hard hearted, as that thou wilt not be induced to lend without taking of a pawne, yet see in any case, that thou restore vnto him his pawne before the Sunne goeth downe.

The Lords desire to haue no pawne at all taken of the poore man, is more plainely manifested, Deut. 24.6. The Law there is: No man shall take the two mil-stones, or the vpper mil-stone to pledge. Mention is made first of two milstones, and then of the vppermost. It is all one as if the Lord had sayd: You shall not take to pledge both milstones, no nor one of them. As good take both, as one. There is no grinding without both. If thou take one and leaue the other, how shall the poore man grind? Milstones are named: vnder them by a Synec­doche you may comprehend all kind of vtensils, or instru­ments, with which a poore man gets his liuing. In this ranke I place the Husbandmans plow, the Smithes anvill, the Taylors sheares, and euery other handy-crafts mans toole, which is necessarie for the exercise of his trade or occupation. None such may you take to pawne. Moses adds the reason: For, he that takes such a pawne of a poore man, takes the poore mans life to pawne.

May not such a pawne be taken by theDeut. 24.6. Law of the mil­stones, and for the reason specified? Then out of doubt who­soeuer is so cruell and hard of heart, to take such a pawne, he [Page 167] is bound by theExod. 22.26. Deut. 24.13. Law of the poore mans raiment, to restore it ere the Sunne goe downe. Thus is my doctrine established.

This doctrine hath its vse in this wringing world. It may serue to reproue the wealthie, the great deuourers, the Sea-gulfs of this age. No money shall out of their purses to the poore without a pawne. Tell them it is crueltie. They will say; No. He comes to borrow of me; I may deny him if I will. I lend him my money; I looke for no profit; I take no vsury. Shall I haue no assurance? Shall I not be suffered to take a pawne?

Foolish man! Why pleadest thou so? It is the will of God, that thou lend without a pawne: or if thou lend vpon a pawne, that thou restore it before the Sunne goe downe. This is the will of God: Why wilt thou not obey it?

Say; thou lendest a poore man thy money, and he buyeth bread therewith, & eateth; and in the meane time through want of his raiment, which thou hast to pawne, the poore man be frozen to death: how hast thou relieued him? What difference is there, whether he die for hunger, or for cold? If thou slacke his hunger, and starue him with cold, thou dost but change his torment; thou dost not succour him. In like sort: if thou lendest a poore man thy money, and for thy se­curitie takest to pawne the tooles, those necessarie tooles, with which he getteth his liuing, thou doest not relieue him, but doest, as much as in thee lyeth, cut the poore mans throate.

Flatter not thy selfe (beloued) whosoeuer thou art, that hast accustomed thy selfe to secure the loane of thy money by taking of pawnes. If the course be simply and absolutely lawfull, what meaneth the Law, Deut. 24.17. Thou shalt not take a widdowes raiment to pledge? And why doth Iob, Chap. 24.3. reproue them, who take the widdowes oxe for a pledge? It is in thy power I grant, to take a pledge of thy deb­tor, to assure thy selfe, that thou maiest receiue thine owne againe: but if in taking thy pledge, thou transgresse the Law of charitie; if thou take such a pledge, as thy neighbour can­not [Page 168] spare without the hazard and perill of his liuelihood, it is thy sinne; and thou art bound with speed to restore it. If thou restore it not, what then? Ezechiel chap. 18.13. will tell thee: Moriendo morieris, thou shalt surely die, thy bloud shall be vpon thee.

But here thou wilt apologize, defend thy selfe, & plead that for thy taking of pawnes, thou hast thy warrant out of Prov. 20.16. I must confesse, thou art there permitted to take a mans garment as a pledge or pawne, for the assurance of thy money. But of whom? of him, to whom thou lendest thy money? No. But of him, who rashly, vnaduisedly, and la­uishly becomes suertie vnto thee, for the man he knoweth not. And what is this to the poore man, that borroweth of thee? Of him if thou take any such pledge, thou maiest bee strained with the abomination of Vsurie.

I put thee a case: Thou lendest tenne pounds, vpon a pawne of bedding, or linnen, and thou lendest it freely: but as the borrower vseth thy money, so thou vsest his pawne. This is V­sury in thee. For the bedding or linnen, which thou hast in pawne is the worse for the wearing: so is not thy money in the borrowers hand. I know the very name of Vsury is detested of thee, and thou hatest to be called an Ʋsurer. Take heed then, that by thy taking of pawnes, thou become not one of that damned crew.

If therefore you haue taken any pawne of a poore man, any such pawne, as by the Law thou oughtest not to haue ta­ken of him, restore it vnto him according to the Law, euen before the Sunne goe downe. So shall the poore man, to whom thou hast shewed mercy in lending thy money, blesse thee, and it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee before the Lord thy God. Hereof art thou assured, Deut. 24.13. Yea, Ʋiuendo vives, thou shalt surely liue. The Lord God hath sayd it, Eze­chiel, 18.9.

Hitherto (Beloued) you haue heard of the crueltie of the Israelites, towards the poore; their crueltie in deteining the pledges of the poore: they layd themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge. And this they did vnseasonablie, euen before [Page 169] their Altars, which argueth their Idolatrie; the next thing to be considered.

By euery Altar] Multa erant altaria Idolorum; altare au­tem Domini non nisi vnum. It is a Bishops note; the note of Albertus Magnus vpon my text. Many were the Altars that were erected for the seruice of Idols, but for the worship of God, there was but one Altar: but one Altar, whereon to offer sacrifice.

This one Altar at first was to be made of earth, or of stone rough and vnhewen, as appeareth, Exod. 20.24.25. Such an Altar was fittest for the then-estate of the children of Is­rael. They were then in the desert iourneying toward the holy Land, and were to remoue from place to place. An Altar of earth would soone be made: so would an Altar of stone, rough, and vnhewen. They might make their Altar of earth, that when they should change their station, they might with ease destroy it, Ne aut abusui aut superstitioni es­set, that it might not be superstitiously abused. Or, they might make it of rough and vnhewen stone tumultuarily, Ne sollicitaret quemquam ad conservationem religionem{que} constan­tem illius altaris, that it might not allure any one to a con­stant reuerence, and dread of the holinesse of that Altar.

In the 27. of Exod. ver. 1. there is a prescription of an Al­tar of better fashion. [...], the Altar of Holocaustes, of burnt offerings, of sacrifices, is there described according to the matter, the measure, the forme, the instruments and vessels thereof. Thou shalt make an Altar of wood, of the choi­sest Cedar. An Altar, not Altars, It was but one Altar.

And why would God haue but one Altar? He would haue but one, quod vnum at{que} eundem cultum inter omnes esse vellet. Because he would haue but one & the same worship among all, therefore would he haue but one Altar: so saythSee Willet vp­on Exod. 20.24. Galasi­us. He would haue but one Altar, to note vnto vsBabington vp­on Exod. 20.24. one truth, one religion. But one Altar Marlorat. in Esa. 1.29. Vt vinculum esset sacra vnitatis, that it might be vnto the rude people, a bond of sacred vnity. That one and the same religion might remaine among them inviolable. God would haue but one Altar.

It was therefore sinne in Ieroboam to set vp two other Al­tars, one in Bethel, the other in Dan, 1. King. 12.29. It was sinne in Ʋrijah, the high Priest, when to please the idola­trous King Ahaz, he caused a new Altar to be set vp after the patterne of the Altar of Damascus, 2. King. 16.11. It must needs be a sinne in the children of Israel, to multiplie their Altars according to the multitude of their fruit, Hos. 10.1. And I may not excuse the Israelites, whom my text concer­neth, they laid themselues vpon clothes, laid to pledge by euery Altar. They had there many Altars too. But, Altare Domini non nisi vnum: For the worship of God there was but one Altar.

And that one Altar was a type of our blessed Sauiour; a liuely figure, or representation of Christ crucified. In re­gard whereof, Heb. 13.10. Christ is called an Altar; yea, our Altar: We haue an Altar. We haue an Altar, whereof they haue no right to eate, that serue at the tabernacle. Christ is this Altar; he is our Altar; Christ with all his benefits. Which his benefits are nothing auaileable, nothing profitable for them which are vnder the Law, who yet are in bondage vnder the rudiments, vnder the ceremonies of Moses Law. Those benefits of Christ are spirituall; Regeneration, fayth, remission of sinnes, iustification, the fauour of God, securitie a­gainst our enemies, (the world, the Deuill, death, and hell) life and eternall glory: these are the benefits, which Christ through his most glorious death and passion hath purchased for his elect. This purchase he wrought not by the bloud of Goats, and Calues, but by his owne bloud, whereby he entred in once into the holy place, and so obtained for vs eternall redemption, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 9.12.

Thus hath Christ, the sacrificer, the sacrifice, and the Al­tar made full satisfaction to God for all our sinnes. Now are we not to relie vpon our owne good workes, vpon the me­rits of Saints, or vpon their mediation. For this were nothing else quàm aliud novum Altare praeter Christum instituere; It were to appoint another new Altar beside Christ. And that Christians may not doe.

May not Christians doe it? How then is it that in Poperie there are so many Altars? It is (Beloued in the Lord) one of the blemishes, one of the shames of that religion. They haue their many Altars, some ofDe consecrat. Dist. 1. C. Alta­ria. stone, sumptuously built, and dedicated with the vnction of oyle, and theAltaria pla­cuit. Priests bene­diction: as appeareth by the decrees of two Councells, the one called Apaunense, the other Agathense. Stone-Altars they make for steddinesse and continuance; and why so? But, Quia Petra erat Christus, because the Rocke was Christ? It is the deuise of Durandus. A profound reason sure. The witt of fore-ages could not reach vnto it.

The Primitiue times of the Church knew no such Altars of stone, no nor of wood. Then there were no Altars at all. Origen may witnesse it. He flourished in the yeare of Christ 230. Then it was obiected vnto him byLib. 6. contra Celsum: & lib. 8. Celsus, that the Christians had neither Altars, nor Images, nor Temples. Ar­nobius flourished after Origen in the yeare 290. andArnob. lib. 4. contragentes. Babington in Exod. 27.1. pag. 403. Hospinian. Hist. Sacram. lib. 2. pag. 54. in his time the Heathen accused the Christians, for that they had neither Churches, nor Altars, nor Images. So for two hundred and ninetie yeares, there were no Altars in the primitiue Church.

None for 290. yeares? Yet Martin of Polonia sometimes an Arch-bishop, and Penitentiarie to Innocent the fourth, af­firmeth in his Chronicle, that Pope Sixtus did institute, Vt missa super Altare celebreter: th [...] [...]he Masse should be ce­lebrated vpon an Altar. Hospin. ibid. pag. 121. Sixtus of whom he speaketh was Bishop of Rome Anno Christi 125. So by Martins opini­on, Altars should haue bin in the Church aboue a hundred yeares, before either Arnobius, or Origen were writers.

But what small credit is to be giuen to this Chronicler Martin, let Bellarmine tell you. Fuit Martinus vir simplex & fabellas pro historijs obtrudit. This censure he giueth in his Booke of Ecclesiasticall writers vpon the yeare 1250. Mar­tin was a simple man, and one that obtrudeth fables for hi­stories.

If Martin be false in this point of the institution of Altars, how shall we find out the truth? Bellarmine lib. 4. de verbo [Page 172] Dei cap. 3. will seeme to deliuer it. There reprouing Kem­nitius for making Felix the fourth to haue instituted the con­secration of Altars, calleth that a lye, and sayth;§ Octavum est. Constat, Sylvestrum autorem huius ritûs fuisse. It is manifest that Syl­vester was the author of this rite, of the consecration of Al­tars. Now Sylvester ascended to the Popedome in the yeare 314. So by Bellarmines opinion, (and what writer among the Papists is of greater authoritie then Bellarmine?) by Bellarmines opinion there were no Altars of vse in the Church before the yeare 314. So my proposition stands good: ‘The primitiue times of the Church knew not the vse of stonie, or wooden Altars.’

Which truth, as it hath serued to condemne the Papists of blind superstition, for creeping vnto, and worshipping before, their Altars, whereof they haue out of Gods booke no warrant: so may it be a motiue to vs to lift vp our hearts vnto the Lord, and to giue him thankes, for that it hath pleased him to deliuer vs from the more then Egyptian darknesse of Poperie, wherein our forefathers liuing, com­mitted abomination before stockes and stones.

We haue not now an Altar properly so called, no mate­riall Altar: our Altar is metaphoricall, it is spirituall. As our sacrifices are, which we are to offer vp vnto the Lord, so is our Altar: our sacrifices are spirituall; our Altar therefore must be spirituall.

There were vnder the Law many kindes of sacrifices: Exod. 20.24. Burnt offerings,Num. 6.11. Sinne offerings,Vers. 15. Meat offerings, Drinke offerings,Exod. 20.24 Peace offerings. All are reduceable to two heads; they were either [...], or [...], either propitiatorie, or Eucharisticall; either expiatorie, or gratulatorie; either sacri­fices of satisfaction, or sacrifices of thankesgiuing. The first sort of sacrifices, which I call propitiatorie, expiatorie, or sa­tisfactorie, had their end in the death of Christ: the other which I call Eucharisticall, gratulatorie, or sacrifices of thanks­giuing doe remaine for euer; but without legall rites and ceremonies: that which was legall in them is done away; there remaineth onely that which was Euangelicall, that [Page 173] which was Spirituall. These sacrifices gratulatorie, these sa­crifices of praise and thankesgiuing are the sacrifices, which we can, and must, offer vnto Almightie God.

Of these sacrifices I obserue three sorts, according to the three sorts of goods which man vsually enioyeth. TheArist. Eth. lib. 1. cap. 8. Philosopher deuides them into goods of the mind, goods of the bodie, and externall goods. By externall goods, you may vnderstandArist. Magn. Moral. lib. 1. cap. 3. riches, rule, honor: by the goods of the bo­die, you may vnderstand health, beautie, comelinesse: by the goods of the minde, you may vnderstand vertues, and ver­tuous actions, functions, and operations, together with all the powers and faculties of the soule.

All these goods must we offer vp vnto the Lord in sacri­fice. First, we must offer vp [...], our externall goods, the goods of this world. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wisheth vs not to forget it, chap. 13.16. To doe good and to distribute forget not. And to make vs remember it the more willingly, he giues this reason: for with such sa­crifices God is well pleased. It is true, God accepteth, and ta­keth in good part, as bestowed vpon himselfe, whatsoeuer is bestowed vpon the poore. Giue meate to the hungrie, drinke to the thirstie, take in the stranger, cloth the naked, visite the sicke, yeeld comfort to the poore prisoner; thou doest all to Christ. The day shall come wherein Christ will tell thee so, Mat. 25.40. Verily I say vnto you, in as much as yee haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren, yee haue done it vnto me. Doe good to the poore, you doe it vnto Christ. Say not; if I giue, I shall want my selfe. Giue, and it shall be giuen to thee. The promise is, Luk. 6.38. Giue, and it shall be giuen vnto you, good measure, pressed downe and shaken together, and running ouer. So your giuing will be but a lend­ing, and good paiment will be made vnto you. Salomon beares record hereunto, Prou. 19.17. He that hath mercie vpon the poore, lendeth vnto the Lord, and that which hee hath giuen, will he pay him againe. Thus must we offer vp vn­to the Lord [...], our externall goods, the goods of this world.

Secondly, we must offer vp vnto the Lord in sacrifice [...], the goods of the bodie. The goods of our body we may offer vp in sacrifice two manner of wayes, patiendo or faciendo, by suffering, or by doing; by dying for the Lord, or by doing that which is acceptable to the Lord.

This sacrifice of suffering or dying for the Lord is a preci­ous sacrifice; according to that, Psal. 116.15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. It is acceptable with God. S^t Peter affirmeth it, 1. Epi. chap. 2.20. If when ye doe well, and suffer for it, yee take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. In the verse following he exhorts vs to this suffe­ring: Christ hath suffered for vs, leauing vs an example, that we should follow his steps. Christ hath suffered for vs: wee must if need be, suffer for him. Martyrdome! It is so pleasing a sa­crifice, as that it made Ambrose say of his sister: Appellabo Martyrem, & praedicabo satis: I will call her Martyre, and so shall I be sure to commend her enough. S. Hierome in his Ep. to Heidibia sayth, Triumphus Dei est passio Martyrum: The suffering of Martyrs is Gods triumph.

What doe I? In time of peace exhort to Martyrdome? Why not? Though through Gods goodnesse (blessed be his name for it) there is not now among vs any occasion of persecution, habet tamen & pax nostra Martyrium suum, as Gregorie the Great spake of his time, Homil. 3. in Euange­lia, yet hath our peace her Martyrdome. Albeit we doe not yeeld carnis colla ferro, our neckes to the yron, or our bo­dies to the stake, yet doe we gladio spirituali, with the spiri­tuall sword slay the carnall desires within vs. You haue seene what it is to offer vp vnto the Lord the goods of our bodie pa­tiendo, by suffering, by dying for the Lord.

Now let vs see what it is to offer them vp faciendo, by do­ing that, which is acceptable to the Lord. It is that, where­to S. Paul exhorteth vs, Rom. 12.1. euen our reasonable ser­uice of God. I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice, holy, acceptable vnto God.

Our Bodies a sacrifice! How may that be? S. Chrysostome [Page 175] Hom. 20. in Ep. ad Rom. doth elegantly expresse it. Let the eye behold no euill, [...], and the eye is a sacrifice: let the tongue speake no euill, [...], and the tongue is an oblation: let the hand doe no euill, [...], and the hand is a burnt offering. So that sweete Father. We may enlarge the meditation; let the eare heare no euil, and the eare is a sacrifice: let the arme embrace no euill, and the arme is a sacrifice: let the foote follow no euill, and the foote is a sacrifice. In a word, let all other parts of the bodie be pre­serued from euill, and they are all sacrifices. The eye that is2. Pet. 2.14. full of adulterie, is no fit offering; the tongue that isPsal. 120.3. deceit­full, is no fit offering: the hand that is euer shut against the poore, is no fit offering: the vncircumcised eare, the wanton arme, the cruell foote, they are no fit offerings: neither is any part of our bodie, that is vnsanctified, a fit offering for the Lord. Wherefore (dearely beloued in the Lord) let it be the care of euery one of vs, to present our bodies vnto the Lord a liuing and a holy sacrifice; for that onely will be accep­table vnto him.

Now that our sacrifice may be liuing and holy, and so ac­ceptable to the Lord, it is not enough for vs toPsal. 34.15. And 37.27. abstaine from doing of euill, but we must willingly and chearefully betake our selues to the doing of good: and this must wee doe be­times.

You deceiue your selues if you thinke to offer your youth­full yeares vnto the Deuill, and to lay your old bones vpon Gods Altar. Gods sacrifice must be the fattest; it must bee the fairest. He must haue both head and hinder parts; to teach you, that your dutie is to remember your Creator, as well in the dayes of your nonage, as in the dayes of your dotage; as well while you are yong, as when you shall be old. For if you deferre your offerings till the last houre, till sicknesse, deaths-Bailiffe, shall arest you, your offering may proue sicke, it may proue dead, it may proue an vnholy sacrifice. Re­ceiue therefore S. Pauls word of exhortation, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that yee present your bodies, a [Page 176] liuing and an holy sacrifice vnto God.

You haue heard, that [...], our externall goods, and [...], the goods of our bodies, are to be offered vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord: the same I am now in briefe to shew concerning [...], the goods of our minde.

The goods of our minde I called vertues, and vertuous ac­tions, functions, and operations; together with all the fa­culties and powers of the soule: all these we must offer vp vn­to the Lord.

But how shall we offer them vp? devotione & contritione: by deuotion and contrition. For as it is, Psal. 51.17. The sa­crifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart is such a sacrifice, as God will not despise. Whosoeuer by diuine meditation, and deuout prayer, beateth downe the proud conceits of his rebellious heart, he killeth, and offereth vp, as it were, his sonne Isaac, that which is most nere vnto him, that which is most deare vnto him: he offereth vp a broken spirit: and that is Sacrificia Dei, the sacrifices of God. The sa­crifices of God are a broken spirit.

Sacrifices in the Plurall number: because this one sacri­fice of a broken spirit, is inslar omnium, in steed of all; its worth all other sacrifices in the world. And well may it be so: for it is the sacrifices of God: of God, that is, accepta Deo, accepta­ble, and well pleasing vnto God.

But what is t [...]is broken spirit I speake off? It is animus con­tritus, commu [...] & abjectus propriae infirmitatis ac indignita­tis conscientiâ. It is a mind contrite, beaten as it were to dust, or powder, broken in peeces, and cast downe with the consci­ence of its owne infirmitie and vnworthinesse. It is a minde, that is voyd of any conceite of its owne worth, that thinketh it selfe worthy of any punishment; that esteemeth all its owne goods most base, that followeth the word of God vpon any oc­casion, that is comforted at the least signe of Gods fauour; that is cast downe at any token of his displeasure; that is easi­ly mooued with affections of loue, feare, ioy, and hope; that is alwayes full of pitty to others; that maketh conscience of [Page 177] the smallest transgression. The man that is of such a broken spirit, and so contrite a minde, he may well be said to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord, the goods of his mind.

Thus you see that we are, and how we are, to offer vp in sacrifice vnto the Lord the goods of this world, the goods of the bodie, and the goods of the mind. But whereon shall we offer them? where is our Altar? Our Altar is within vs: euen our heart: that is our Altar.

Durandus in hisLib. 1. cap. 7. N. 18. Rationall of Diuine offices deduceth it out of the first to the Corinthians, Chap. 3.17. The Temple of God is holy, which yee are. Yee are the Temple of GOD. Si Templum Dei sumus, Altare habemus. Altare nostrum est cor nostrum. Hoc enim est cor in homine, quod Altare in Templo. If we are the Temple of God, wee haue an Al­tar. Our Altar is our Heart. For the Heart is that in man, as the Altar is in the Temple. Our Heart then is our Altar: no Legall Altar, but an Evangelicall Altar. Answereable to our Altar must our sacrifices be: E­vangelicall too.

Now sayth Lactantius Divin. institut. lib. 6. cap. 24. Now the Lord requireth not of vs any sacrifice of a dumbe beast, of death and bloudshed, but Victimam hominis & vitae, the sacrifice of man and his life. In our now-sacrifices we need not garlands of Ʋervim, nor the inwards of beasts, nor turffs of earth, but such things onely, as proceed from the inner man, righteousnesse, patience, faith, innocencie, chastitie, abstinence; such are the sacrifices to be offered vp vpon Gods holy Altar, placed in our hearts.

In the Chapter following, Chap. 25. his obseruation is, that there are two things to be offered vp vnto God; donum & sacrificium, a gift and a sacrifice; the one perpetu­all, the other temporall. According to some, the gift is, what­soeuer is made of gold, siluer, purple, or silke; and the sa­crifice is a beast slaine, or whatsoeuer is burnt vpon the Al­tar. But God hath no vse of these. These are subiect to corruption, but God is incorrupt. Wee must therefore offer [Page 178] both, gift and sacrifice, in a spirituall manner; so shall God haue vse of both. Our gift must be integritas animi, the vprightnesse of our minde: our sacrifice, laus & hymnus, prayse and thankesgiuing.

That I may conclude (Beloued brethren) let me sum vp together the Euangelicall sacrifices, which the giuer of the new law requireth of vs. A broken spirit, obedience to the will of God, loue towards God and man, iudgement, iu­stice, mercie, prayer, thankesgiuing, almes-deedes, our bo­dies, and our soules; these are the Euangelicall sacrifices, the sacrifices of Christianitie, to be offered vp vnto the Lord vpon the Altar of a faithfull heart.

A faithfull heart, I say. For if the heart be vnfaithfull, the sacrifices will not be acceptable; they will not be esteemed aboue the sorceries of Simon Magus. Call them not sacri­fices, they are sacriledges, if the heart be vnfaithfull. But let the heart be faithfull, and the sacrifices which it offereth vp, will be as the beneficence was,P [...]. 4.18. which the Philippians sent by Epaphroditus vnto Paul: they will be odours of a sweete smell, acceptable sacrifices, and well pleasing vnto God.

Neither did that precious oyntment, that ranne downe Aarons beard. Psal. 133.2. nor that, that the woman pow­red vpon Christs head, Mat. 26.7. nor that sweete incense, Exod. 25.6. nor that wine of Lebanon, Hos. 14.7. yeeld so pleasant a fauour, as doe the sacrifices of Christianitie, that ascend from a faithfull heart. O! the sweete sauour of a good life, that springs and sprouts from a true beliefe, farre surpas­seth all other sweets in the world.

O! Let our sacrifices be such. Let them spring from a true beliefe, let them proceede from a faithfull heart, so shall our minds when we thinke on God; and our wils, when we obey God; and our soules, when we loue God; & our tongues when we prayse God; and our feete, when wee walke with God; and whatsoeuer else we haue, when we vse it for the glory of God, be an odour of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacri­fice, and well pleasing vnto God. I end.

Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, most mercifull Father, so throughly to sanctifie vs with thine holy Spirit, that all our sacrifices, our preaching, our hearing, our prayers, our pray­ses, our thankesgiuings, our deeds of mercie, and pittie, and charitie, may euer be acceptable in thy sight. Graunt this deare Father, for thy best beloued Sonne, Iesus Christ his sake: to whom with thee, in the vnitie of the holy Spirit, be all prayse, and pow­er, might, and maiestie, digni­tie, and dominion, for euermore. Amen.

THE XII. LECTVRE.

THis is the last branch in the enumeration of the sinnes of the Israelites. It concerneth the Iudges of Israel, and the Rulers of that state; them prin­cipally. It is appliable to others also, to the rich­er sort. The words are a reproofe of the grosse superstition of that people. They thought their dutie touching the ser­uice of God, well discharged, so they repaired to their tem­ples. Such holy places they thought were of themselues sufficient to clense them, albeit they should euen there be­take themselues to inordinate eating, to vnmeasurable drinking, to infamous luxurie, yea, to euery kinde of villanie.

For my more plaine proceeding in the handling of the words of this text, will you be pleased to note in them,

First, the action, for which the Israelites are here repro­ued; it is a drinking of wine. They drinke wine.

Secondly, whose wine it is, they drinke. Its not their owne; its vinum damnatorum; it's the wine of the condem­ned. They drinke the wine of the condemned.

Thirdly, where they drinke it. They drinke it not at home, which were more tolerable; but in domo deorum suorum, in the house of their Gods. They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods.

The first convinceth them of riot, and excesse. They drinke wine immoderately. They are so giuen to it, that [Page 181] they absteine not euen then, when they are in their tem­ples, and would seeme most religious. For they drinke it in the house of their Gods.

The second convinceth them of oppression. The wine they drinke, is vinum damnatorum; it is the wine of the condemned: it is vinum mulctatorum, the wine of such as they haue fined or mulcted: wine, bought with the money of them, whom they haue in their vnrighteous iudgments spoyled of their goods.

The third conuinceth them of idolatry. They drinke their wine in the house of their Gods; not in the Temple at Ierusalem, that once glorious Temple of the true and li­uing God, but in the temple of their gods, in Dan and Be­thel, and other places, before their golden calues and other their Idols. They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods.

First, They drinke wine.

Wine! Why might they not? Is it not one of the good 1. Tim. 4.4. creatures of God, that may well be vsed with thanksgiuing? God himselfe giues it to the obedient, to them that loue and serue him, Deut. 11.14. I will giue you the raine of your land in due season, the first raine and the latter raine, that thou maist gather in thy corne, and thy wine, and thine oyle. That thou maist gather in thy wine.

Christ his miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cana in Galilee, Ioh. 2.11. is euidence enough that he allowed the drinking of wine. Yea, himselfe dranke wine. Else the people would neuer haue called him a wine-bibber, as it appeareth they did, Matth. 11.19. S Paul, 1. Tim. 5.23. wisheth Timothie no longer to drinke water, but to vse a little wine for his stomackes sake. Wine hath its praises in the Scripture. It makes glad the heart of man, Psal. 104.15. It cheareth God and man, Iudg. 9.13.

How then is it, that the Israelites are here reproued for drinking wine? I answer, not for drinking wine, but for the abuse in drinking are the Israelites here reproued. It is with wine, as it is with euery other good creature of God. It may [Page 182] be abused. Wine is abused, when men are drunken with it. This abuse of wine, S. Paul desirous either to preuent, or to reforme in the Ephesians, thus speaketh to the Ephesians, chap. 5.18. Be yee not drunke with wine, wherein is excesse. It is as if he had said: Take heed of wine; be not ouercome of it. In vino luxus. Consider the man that is giuen ouer to drunkennesse. His life its profuse, its dissolute, its vn­cleane, its luxurious, its vnworthy a Christian. Take heed of wine.

Salomon, Prouerb. 20.1. saith: Wine is a mocker. It is so: wine taken immoderately deceiues him that takes it. He takes it to be sweet and pleasant, but will finde it in the ef­fect exceeding bitter. What more bitter then drunkennes? and what causeth drunkennesse more then wine? Aufert memori [...]m, dissipat sensum, confundit intellectum, incitat libidi­nem, omnia membra debilitat, vitam{que} exterminat. It isDrusius Prou. Class. 2. li 1. 257. said to be S. Austines. Drunkennesse! it takes away the memorie, it consumes the senses, it confounds the vnderstanding, it prouoketh lust, it weakneth the bodie, it driues life away.

The drunkard is notably deciphered by the same Father in his booke de poenitentiá. Quùm absorbet vinum, absorbe­tur à vino; the drunkard while he deuoureth his wine, is deuoured of his wine: abominatur à Deo, despicitur ab An­gelis, deridetur ab hominibus, destituitur virtutibus, confundi­tur à daemonibus, conculcatur ab omnibus. God detesteth him, the Angels despise him, men deride him, virtues forsake him, the Diuels doe confound him, all doe spurne him.

The ancient Fathers generally are eloquent in beating downe this sinne of drunkennesse. Ho [...] 14. in e­ [...]i [...]tat [...]m. Basil calls it a voluntarie Diuell, the mother of naughtinesse, the enemie of vertue. Chry­sostome, Homil. 57. ad populum Antiochenum saith: where drunkennesse is, there is the Deuill. Drunkennesse, its a dis­ease remedilesse, a ruine without excuse, the common re­proch of mankinde. The drunken man, he is a voluntarie Diuell, a dead-liuing man:C [...]ry [...] [...]t. Hom. 5 [...]. in Math. worse then an Asse, worse then a [Page 183] dogge, worse then any brute beast. The brute beast cannot be compelled to drinke, when he hath no thirst: but this drunkard is so intemperate, that when he is replete, euen to the mouth, yet will he powre in more. He will verifie the saying of the Prophet, Esay 28.8. Your tables are full of filthy vomitings, no place is cleane. S. Ambrose in his booke de Elia & Ieiunio, cap. 17. to worke in vs a detestation of this sinne, saith: Ebrietas fomentum libidinis, ebrietas incen­tivum insaniae, ebrietas venenum insipientiae. Drunkennesse, its a cherisher of lust, a prouoker of madnesse, the poyson of folly. Hereby are men strangely affected. Vocem amit­tunt, colore variantur, oculis ignescunt, ore anhelant, fremunt naribus, in furore ardescunt, sensu excidunt. They loose their voyce, their colour is changed, their eyes are fiery, at the mouth they fetch breath a pace, in the nosthrils they snore aloud, they are fierce in their furie, they are depriued of their sense. They haue for their attendants, dangerous frensies, grieuous paines of the stone, deadly crudities, fre­quent castings. Mentior, saith Ambrose; I lye, if the Lord hath not said as much by his Prophet Ieremie, chap. 25.27. Drinke yee, and be drunken, and spew, and fall, and rise no more.

I may not passe by S. Hierome. He in an Epistle of his, which he wrote to that noble virgin Eustochium, to per­swade her still to continue a Virgin, warneth and exhor­teth her, to flie from wine, as from poyson. He tels her, the Diuels haue not a better weapon wherewith to conquer or corrupt youth. Youth! Couetousnesse may shake it, pride may puffe it vp, ambition may delight it; but drunkennesse will ouerthrow it. Other vices we may in time forsake: hic hostis nobis inclusus est. If this enemie once get possessi­on of vs, it will along with vs, whither soeuer we goe. Wine and youth! ech of them is incendium voluptatis, fit to set lust on fire: yong men and yong women, flie from wine. Quid oleum flammae? why cast we oyle vpon the flame? Quid ardenti corpusculo fomenta ignium? why bring we tinder, why touchwood, to a fire already kindled? So dis­courseth [Page 184] that good Father to perswade the Virgin Eusta­chium to hate wine as poyson. The discommodities of wine he briefly toucheth in his Comment vpon Galat. 5. Vino, hominis sensus evertitur, pedes corruunt, mens vacillat, libido succenditur: by wine, a mans sense and feeling is impaired, his feete doe faile him, his vnderstanding is abolished, his lust is inflamed.

It were infinite to relate, howSuper Genesin Homil. 6. cap. 19. super Levit. hom. 7. cap. 0. Origen, howPet. Rauennus in Serm. quodam. Chrysologus, howDe modo bene viuendi Ser 25. Bernard, howHilarius in Psal. 125. Hugo de S. Vi­ctore. Cl [...]mens Alex. Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. others haue painted out this vice, with the mischiefes which it bringeth.

But what neede any such relation? Why heare we the Fathers speake, when the Scripture is plaine? Salomon, Prou. 23. propoundeth a question. It is verse 29. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babling? who hath wounds without a cause, who hath rednesse of eyes? His answer is. vers. 30. They that tarry long at the wine. You see a troupe of mischiefes at the heeles of a drunkard. Salo­mon well weighing this, in the next verse, in the 31. he pre­scribeth a remedie against drunkennesse. Looke not thou vpon th [...] wine, when it is red, when it giueth his colour in the cup, when it moueth it selfe aright. Let not the pleasant colour of the wine, glorious and faire to thine eye, let it not deceiue thee. If it do, what then? Then, as it is, vers. 32. it will bite thee like a serpent, it will sting thee like an adder, like a cocka­trice, like a viper. And as it is, vers. 33. Thine eyes shall be­hold strange women] thou wilt become shamelesse and vn­chast: or, Thine eyes shall behold strange visions] Bina, pro singulis putabis te videre: Euery thing will seeme double to thee. Thou wilt thinke thou seest two candles, when there is but one in the roome. And thine heart shall vtter per­uerse things] Out of the abundance of thine heart, open­ly, in the presence of others, thou shalt speake things filthy and vnseemly: out will thy greatest secrets. Yea, saith he, vers. 34. Thou shalt be as he that lyeth downe in the middest of the Sea, or as he that lyeth vpon the top of a mast] carelesse and secure in greatest danger. It followeth, vers. 35. Though thou be striken, though beaten grieuously, yet wilt thou not [Page 185] feele it; so dead thou art in the sleepe of thy drunkennesse: and which is to be admired, when thou awakest thou wilt to thy wine againe. So excellently doth Salomon giue the pi­cture of a Drunkard.

Beloued in the Lord, I hope there is none of you that heareth me this day, giuen ouer to this vile sinne. If any one hath at any time through infirmitie bin ouertaken with it, let him be warie for the time to come, that he fall so no more. This sinne, it is morbus regius, asDist. sa [...]utis [...] Bonav [...]nture calls it. Its a costly sinne. Costly indeed. For he that draw­eth his patrimonie through his throat, eating and drinking more in a day, then he is able to earne in a whole weeke, his end must needs be beggery; according to that of the wise man, Prov. 23.21. The duunkard and the glutton shall come to pouertie. You haue heard of many other inconveni­ences that doe accompanie this sinne. They may moue the meere naturall man, the man whose Heauen is here on earth, to take good heed, that this sinne haue no dominion ouer him. Much more should the true Christian, he, who hath his Heauen aboue, withstand the rage and furie of this sinne. It is a worke of the flesh. So its called, Galat. 5.21. and there the Apostle hath past his doome vpon it: They which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God. Parallel to which is that of the same Apostle, 1. Cor. 6.9. Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God? Be not deceiued; no drunkard shall inhe­rit the kingdome of God.

I shut vp this point with a word of exhortation. I bor­row it from Luk. 21.34. The words are the words of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, to his Disciples: Take heed to your selues, lest at any time your hearts be ouer-charged with surfetting and drunkennesse, and so the last day come vpon you vnawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them, that dwell vpon the face of the whole earth. Watch yee therefore, and pray alwayes▪ that yee may be accounted worthy, to escape all th [...]se things that shall come to passe, and to stand before the sonne of man.

Thus farre of the first generall part, the action of these Israelites, their drinking of wine. Now in the second place we are to consider, whose wine it was. It was not their owne; it was vinum damnatorum, the wine of the con­demned.

By this wine of the condemned, some vnderstand the wine, that was of custome giuen to condemned persons, to refresh and comfort them, when they were to suffer execution, for their offences. Of this custome a certaine Hebrew in a booke of his entituled,See Nichol. de Lyra in Math. 27.34. Liber iudicum ordinariorum, ma­keth mention, after this manner: It is the aduise of Le­muel the King, Prov. 31.6. Giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish, and wine vnto those that be of heauy heart. Let him drinke and forget his pouertie, and remember his mise­rie no more. Vpon occasion of these words the Seniours of the Iewes made this constitution, vt condemnatis ad mortem daretur vinum aromaticum ad bibendū, vt faciliùs tolerarent passionem: that sweet and odoriferous wine should be pro­uided for such as were condemned to death, which they might drinke, and so the more easily endure their suffering. This constitution was put in practise by the Iewes.

At the time of Christs suffering, there were in Ierusalem certaine devout Matrons, full of compassion, who did out of their devotion bestow this wine. This wine so pro­uided, for Christ, and those that suffered with him, some cruell Iewes tooke vnto themselues, according to these words of Amos, They drinke the wine of the condemned. This wine they tooke vnto themselues, and in the place thereof they did put vinegar mixt with gall, as S. Matthew saith, chap. 27.34. If vinegar mixt with gall might serue Christs turne, so it was: the Iewes would haue the wine: They would drinke the wine of the condemned.

This custome of giuing wine to such as were condemned to dye, you see was very ancient. The learnedM [...]ulus, Are­tius, Hunnius, Muthesius. expositors of the Gospell in their Commentaries vpon the 27. of S. Matthew doe generally remember it. Lucas Brugensis [Page 187] very precisely: Moris erat, qui & hodie apud nos in vsu est; It was a custome, and is this day in vse with vs, that to malefactors, brought to the place of execution, wine should be giuen them, and that of the best, partly to refresh their thirstie, and wearied bodies; and partly to exhilarate and cheare vp their hearts, that they might the lesse thinke of death, and with more ease endure it. If to this custome our Prophet here alludeth, then are the Israelites here re­proued for their cruelty, for taking to themselues, to their owne priuate vse, what was of custome belonging to poore condemned prisoners.

But I take it more agreable to the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place, if we vnderstand by the wine of the con­demned, wine bought with the money of such as the Iudges of Israel had in their vnrighteous iudgements put to the worse.

This wine the Septuagint doe call [...], vinum de calumnijs, wine gotten by deceitfull dealing, by malitious surmises, by false accusations. The Chaldee Pa­raphrast tearmes it vinum rapinae, the wine of oppression, of pillage, of robberie. Luther stiles it vinum mulctatorum; and Castalio, vinum mulctatitiū, wine issuing from mulctes, from fines. In our now English translation, it is the wine of the condemned: cast your eye but to the margent, and you will finde it to bee the wine of such as were fined or mulcted. Here then by the wine of the condemned, we are to vnder­stand, that the Iudges of Israel laid vpon the poore men vniust penalties, by which they might be prouided of wine and other delicates, and so spend their dayes in iollity.

You see now, what sinne it is, whereat this second ge­nerall part doth aime. It is an oppressing sinne; the sinne of oppression: when Iudges, rulers of states, and men in autoritie make hauocke of the poore. Of this sinne I spake at large in my Ninth Lecture vpon this second chapter of Amos; at what time I deliuered this doctrine.

The lesse neede haue I now to spend my time vpon it. Yet a word of it. My now-doctrine I deliuer in this positiō: ‘It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another.’

Oppression I call euery iniustice, vsed of the mightier, ei­ther by violence, or by colour of law, or by any other cun­ning dealing, against such as are not able to withstand them.

This description of oppression, I gather from Levit. 25.14. from Micah 2.1, 2. and from 1. Thess. 4.6. In ech place the vnlawfulnesse of oppression is manifested.

The first place is, Levit. 25.14. The commandement there is: If thou sell ought vnto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbors hand, yee shall not oppresse one another. Whe­ther you sell or buy, you may not oppresse: the very forbid­ding of oppression, is a sufficient argument, that oppression is vnlawfull.

The second place is, Micah 2.1, 2. Woe to them that de­uise iniquitie, and worke euill vpon their beds: when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hands. And they couet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away. So they oppresse a man and his house, euen a man and his heritage. where you haue an imprecation a­gainst oppressors, a woe thundred out against them. It is e­nough to proue oppression to be vnlawfull.

The third place is, 1. Thess. 4.6. This is the will of God, that no man oppresse, or ouer-reach his brother in any matter. Is it Gods will? Then surely it is not lawfull for you to oppresse or ouer-reach one another in any businesse. Men of trade may not gaine by their false weights, false measures, false speeches, or false oathes; neither may men in any other course of life gaine by violence, or by colour of Law, or by any other cunning dealing. Thus is my doctrine confirmed, ‘It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another.’

First, it may serue for a reproofe of the Oppressors of this age, who make gold their hope, and the wedge of gold their confidence, as Iob speaketh, chap. 31.24. S. Paul, he taught, 1. Tim. 6.6. that Godlinesse is great gaine: but these men sup­pose [Page 193] the contrary, that gaine is great godlinesse: and therefore they feare not to gaine with the hurt of o­thers.

They build their houses, as the moth. So saith Iob, chap. 27.18. As the moth! How is that? The moth is made full by spoyling the barkes, and bookes wherein it liueth. So is it with these men; they make themselues full, by spoy­ling others, with whom they liue, and haue to deale. I ex­presse it in Ieremies phrase, chap. 22.13. They build their houses by vnrighteousnes, and their chambers by wrong: and in Habakkuks phrase, chap. 2.12. They build them townes with blood, and stablish their Cities by iniquitie. Against these is that complaint of the Lord, Esai. 3.14, 15. Ye haue eaten vp the vineyard; the spoyle of the poore is in your houses. What meane yee, that yee beat my people to peeces, and grinde the faces of the poore? Woe to these men; a woe from Mi­cah, a woe from Ieremie, a woe from Habakkuk in the now-alleaged places; a woe from Esay too, Chap. 5.8. Woe vpon woe and yet will they not cease from ioyning house to house, and laying land to land, as if the way to the spirituall Canaan were all by Land, and not through a red Sea of death, as one wittily speaketh.

From this contempt of the Prophets of the Lord, or ra­ther, of the Lord himselfe speaking by his Prophets, it is now come to passe, that many a poore tenant is thrust out of his house; that Villages are depopulated, that those streets which were wont to be sowen with the seeds of men, are now become pastures for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheepe, as Esay speaketh, chap. 7.25.

Now may Hythlodaeus his complaint haue place:Mori Vtopia lib. 1. Our sheepe in England were sometimes the meekest beasts of the field, and contented themselues with a litle: but now are they become so fierce and greedy, that they devoure men, and Towne-fields, and houses, and villages, and lay all waste. Alas, silly sheepe, it is no fault of yours; you are as meeke as euer you were. Whose then is the fault? It is yours, yee grin­ding oppressors: yours, whose hearts are like the vast Ocean, [Page 194] fit to swallow vp euery base commoditie, that the earth is able to afford you.

O that th [...]se men would at length call themselues to a strict account of the oppressions, wherewith they haue op­pressed the poore, either by depopulating, or by raising rents, or by hoysing fines, or by interest, or otherwise: and would once begin to make some restitution. Did they but know in what estimation they stand in Church and Common-wealth, they would remit somewhat of their Cruelty.

The Church heretofore denied them Christian buriall. Its apparant in the Canon Law: Extra de Ʋsuris, Cap. Quia in omnibus.

How the Common-wealth brooketh them, they may perceiue by two instances. Catillus a British King 170. yeares before Christ, did hang them vp: He hung vp all op­pressors of the poore. MySt [...]w in [...]is S [...]mmarie. Chronicler writes in the margent, A good example. Long after him, King Edward, com­monly called good King Edward, banished them his Land. So writeth Glanvil lib. 7. de Leg. & consuet. Angliae c. 37. The same author in the same booke cap. 16. affirmeth; that by the most ancient lawes of England, the goods of a defamed o [...]pressor, dying without restitution, were escheated vnto the King; and all his lands vnto the Lord of the towne.

Wherefore let the oppressor now at last forsake his oppres­sions. What can all the wealth, all the mucke of the earth auaile him, if for it he loose the kingdome of Heauen? Momentaneum est, quod delectat; aeternum, quod cruciat. The wealth he here heapeth vp may for a time yeeld him some delight: but what is a moment of delight to the eternitie of sorrow that must follow? Must follow! Yea it must fol­low, if amendment hinder it not. If he amend not, I say, as God is God, so certainely shall the oppressor be destroyed, though not in the red Sea, as the oppressing Aegyptians once were, yet in a Sea, a blacke Sea of Hellish deeps, where he shall be pained vnspeakably, tormented intolerably, both euerlastingly.

Thus haue you the first vse of my doctrine. My [Page 195] doctrine was, It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another.

The vse was a generall reproofe of our now-oppressors.

A second vse may be to admonish Iudges, Iustices, and other Magistrates and Rulers, that they suffer not them­selues to be stained with this sin of oppression. It is thePilkinton ex­posit. in Nehem. c [...]p. 5. fol. 80. A. dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor.

This dutie is laid vpon him, Ierem. 21.12. There thus saith the Lord to the house of Dauid: Execute iudgem [...]nt in the morning, and deliuer him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor. It is likewise laid vpon him, Esai. 1.17. Seeke iudgement, releeue the oppressed, iudge the fatherlesse, and defend the widow. Where first Gods commandement is, that Magistrates should execute iudgement in the morning. In the morning: Therefore they are not to vse delayes in doing iustice. Secondly, Gods commandement is, that Magistrates should seeke iudgement. Must they seeke iudge­ment? Therefore in cases of oppression they are not to stay till they be called for. Thirdly, God commendeth vnto Magistrates, all that are oppressed, but specially the fa­therlesse and widow: the fatherlesse, because they want the defence of their parents; and the widow, because she is de­stitute of the helpe of her husband; and we know, euery man goeth ouer, where the hedge is lowest. Therefore are Magistrates to take vpon them the defence of the father­lesse, the defence of the widow, the defence of euery one, that is oppressed.

Is it so? Then are Magistrates to take speciall heed, that themselues be neither principalls, nor accessaries, in the sin of Oppression. They must abhor the practise of the Prin­ces of Ierusalem, who Esay 1.23. are stiled companions of theeues, because they loued gifts, and followed after rewards. They are to detest the corruption of the rulers of Israel, who Hos. 4.18. loue with shame to cry, Bring yee, Bring yee. They must hate the wayes of Samuels sonnes, who 1. Sam. 8.3. turned aside after lucre, tooke bribes, and peruerted iudge­ment. [Page 196] They must loath the courses of cursed Balaam, who 2. Pet. 2.15. Loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse.

Happy is the land that is ruled by such Magistrates. Such may with boldnes stand vp, and make protestation with iust and vncorrupt Samuel, 1. Sam. 12.3. Behold, here we are; witnesse against vs: whose oxe haue we taken? whom haue we defrauded? whom haue we oppressed? of whose hand haue we receiued any bribes to blinde our eyes therewith? and no man shall be able to accuse them.

Are ours such? I stand not here to plead against them. Onely this I say: If ours be not such, but are of another stampe: if they loue the wages of vnrighteousnesse, if they loue gifts, if they follow after rewards, if they turne aside after lucre, if they take bribes, if they shame not to cry, Bring ye, bring yee; I may ranke them with these Israelites in my text: They will sell the righteous for siluer; they will sell the poore for a paire of shoes; they will pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore; they will turne aside the way of the meeke, and they will drinke the wine of the con­demned.

Thus haue you the second vse of my doctrine. My do­ctrine was, It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another. The vse was an admonition to Magistrates, rulers, and other officers, that they suffer not themselues to be stained with the sinne of oppression.

A third vse followeth. It reacheth to the poore oppressed. They may from hence receiue consolation; from hence they may be comforted. Is it not an exceeding great com­fort to a poore oppressed wretch, to know, that God taketh notice of the oppressions, vnder which he groaneth? That God doth so, I haue already made it manifest in the proofe of my doctrine, in the reproofe of oppressors, and in the Magistrates admonition. It is cleare also in the letter of my text. Here God taketh notice of the oppressions of the poore in Israel, in as much as the Iudges, the Rulers, and great men there did drinke the wine of the condemned.

Hereto I adde that Psal. 12.5. For the oppression of the [Page 197] poore, for the sighing of the needie, now will I arise (saith the Lord) I will set him in safetie from him that puffeth at him, from him that would ensnare him. Behold here, first Gods readinesse to helpe the poore, and secondly, how forcible with God the poore mans prayers are. Are not both these to a poore oppressed man points of singular comfort? Out of doubt they are.

But some poore man pressed downe with the burden of oppression, may here say vnto me. Hath God promised to deliuer me from mine oppressors? Why then am I still oppressed?

Stay a while, and thou shalt behold the goodnes of the Lord. Its not for thee to make haste, or to seeke by vile, and vnwarrantable courses to winde thy selfe out of thine oppressors hands. Vntill it shall please the Lord to put an end to thy present grieuances, its thy dutie to possesse thy soule in patience. Prescribe not thou vnto the Lord, what he shall doe. Let his grace, let his fauour be sufficient for thee, whatsoeuer it bring with it; be it want, or pouertie, or aduersitie. One drop of his fauour is better worth vn­to thee, and more of valew, then this whole world. If thou haue but a tast, but a touch of it, it will make thee sing with Dauid, Psal. 119.71. Its good for me that I haue bin afflicted: good, that I haue bin in want, in pouertie, in aduersitie, vn­der the griping hand of the oppressor. O! how sweet is the quiet fruit of righteousnes, that springeth forth from the bitter roote of tribulation!

I haue done with the poore oppressed, when I shall haue giuen them a Caveat. The Caveat is, that they themselues oppresse not themselues. There is no oppression to the op­pression, that one poore man exerciseth towards another. For a poore man that oppresseth the poore, is like a sweeping raine, that leaues no foode. Salomon avoweth it, Prov. 28.3. A poore man] a man of meane estate, if he oppresse] by force, by fraud, by bargaining, or otherwise, a poore man] such as he himselfe is, whom he should tender and pitie, because [Page 198] by him he may be put in minde of his owne estate, he is like a sweeping raine] like a floud that riseth through abun­dance of raine, or he is like a great storme and tempest of raine, that suddenly carieth away corne, hay, and whatso­euer it meeteth with, and leaues behinde it no foode for men or cattle to liue on. A poore man if he oppresse the poore, is like a sweeping raine, that leaues no foode.

A poore man, and yet an oppressor! Such a one is much more intolerable then a rich man, that oppresseth. For, whereas by the law of God, euery oppressor is bound to make actuall restitution for the wrongs he hath done, the rich man may bee in case to doe it, the poore man neuer.

My exhortation is, to rich, to poore, to all; that all would be of the same minde one towards another. So S. Paul ex­horted the Romans, chap. 12.16. Be of the same minde one towards another. Minde not high things, but condiscend to men of low estate. Recompence to no man euill for euill. If it be possible, as much as lyeth in you, liue peaceably with all men. Sith here we haue no continuing citie, Heb. 13.14. sith here we are but pilgrims and strangers, 1. Pet. 2.11. sith here is not our rest, Micah 2.10. why vse we fraudulencie and forgerie in our contracts? why bribery in iustice? why crueltie in our dealings? why ouer-beare we right by might? why grinde we the poore like corne with the milstones of oppression? why eat we them vp like bread? yea, why doe the poore grinde themselues? why oppresse they one another? Will we neuer leaue crushing one another? Dearely beloued, we forget our selues: we thinke we are at home, but are not. Our home is aboue; it is Heaven. Here we are but stran­gers: and say; Is it fit that strangers, when they are but passing through a strange country, should devoure and con­sume one another?

Beloued in the bowels of Iesus Christ, let vs for the time to come so liue and loue togither, whilest we shall be here iornying towards our wished-for-home, that Celestiall Ca­naan, [Page 199] that when it shall please God to call vs to our ac­counts, how we haue here caried our selues, we may with blessed Paul, 2. Cor. 7.2. boldly make our profession: We haue wronged no man, we haue consumed no man, we haue de­frauded no man.

Thus far of the second generall part, whose wine it was that these Israelites did drinke. It was the wine of the condem­ned. I can but salute the third; it noteth the place where the Israelites dranke their wine: it was in domo deorum suo­rum, in the house of their Gods. They drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their Gods.

The Septuagint haue [...]. In the house of their God. So readeth the author of the Vulgar Latine: So Luther, and Calvin, and Munster, and Castalio, and Gualter, and so our new English. The reading I disal­low not. Yet because the Israelites, the ten tribes of Is­rael, they to whom this prophesie of Amos was directed, went not now vp to Ierusalem, to the Temple there, there to worship the true and liuing God; but had Temples of their owne, Temples in Dan, in Bethel, in other places, to which they repaired for the worship of their golden calues, and Baal, and other their Idols; I rather read (and the He­brew text will well beare it) in the house of their Gods. Mer­cer so readeth it; so doth Vatablus, so Drusius, so Tremellius and Iunius. Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast he reads; In the house of their Idols. He hath respect to the purpose of the Holy Ghost. His purpose in this place is to taxe the Israelites for their superstition, for their idolatrie, for their riot and excesse in spending their goods, gotten by the op­pression of the poore in the houses, Temples, or Churches of their Idol Gods. The [...]octrine, we may take from hence is this, ‘[Page 200]Goods gotten vnlawfully are not fit to be employed in the ser­uice of God. No, nor in the seruice of Idols.’

Not in the seruice of God. They are reiected by Eccle­siasticus, chap. 34.18. He that sacrificeth of a thing wrong­fully gotten, his offering is ridiculous. Ridiculous! And will you thinke a ridiculous offering fit for Gods seruice? In the 20. vers. of the same Chapter Ecclesiasticus saith further: Who so bringeth an offering of the goods of the poore, doth as one that killeth the sonne before the fathers eyes. Can a fa­ther be pleased to haue his sonne slaine before his eyes? You will say, no. No more will it be pleasing to God to haue an offering of ill gotten goods presented to him.

Salomon Prov. 15.8. saith, The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. He saith it againe, chap. 21.27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. Its true. Whatso­euer Sacrifice the wicked man offereth to the Lord, be it offe­red neuer so solemnly, neuer so sumptuously, it will be an abomination to the Lord, the Lord will abhor it, he will de­test it. Much more will he abhor and detest any offering that shall be made of goods ill gotten, of the goods of the poore. Of such sacrificers he saith in Esay, chap. 66.3. He that killeth an oxe, is as if he slue a man: he that sacrificeth a lambe, as he that cut off a dogs neck, he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swines flesh, he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an Idol.

You acknowledge the truth of the first part of my doctrine.

But may they be employed in the seruice of Idols? No, they may not. My reason is: The Idolater hauing no per­fect knowledge of the true and liui [...] God, takes his Idol to be his God, and worshippeth him as God. Now [...]ee worship him amisse, if carelesly, if with goods of oppr [...] [Page 201] with ill-gotten goods, he dishonoureth the true and liuing God: and the true and liuing God will be the auenger of such dishonour done vnto him. This is the very reason why our Prophet here reproueth the Israelites for bringing into the Temples of their Idols, their ill-gotten goods, the wine of the condemned. They thought thereby to do ser­uice, not so much to their Idols, as to the great God of Hea­uen, whom by their Idols they represented. Thus haue you my whole doctrine established, ‘Goods gotten vnlawfully are not fit to be employed in the seruice of God: No, nor in the seruice of Idols.’

1. This may serue to admonish such, as shall hereafter found Colleges, build Hospitals, erect Scholes, ordaine Ani­uersaries, that they endow them not, that they enrich them not with lands and possessions, purchased with ill-gotten treasure.

2. Here is a lesson for all such as haue heaped vp vnto themselues abundance of wealth by oppression, by extortion, by vsury, by deceit, or otherwise vnlawfully. Such may here be put in minde to make actuall restitution in their life time. Happily they will by their last Will and Testament bequeath part of their ill-gotten wealth to the Church, and part to the poore, and will leaue but a portion to their heires. A poore shift. Can they thinke that God will be so mock­ed? He will not.

What remaineth then, but that euery one, who hath in­creased his substance by wrong, doe while he is liuing, make actuall restitution. Zacheus the Publican professeth vnto Christ, Luk. 19.8. Behold Lord, the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore, and if I haue taken any thing from any man, by for­ged cavillation, I restore him foure-fold. Zacheus of Iericho, he being converted to Christianitie was content to restore foure-fold. It is a good consequent, they are scarse halfe Christians, that will not restore the principall. Thou wilt say, what neede restitution? I will repent for my oppressing [Page 202] sinnes, and God is gracious; he neuer turnes away the sinner that repenteth. Take heede, deceiue not thy selfe: if thou be able to make actuall restitution, and doest it not, poenitentia non agitur, sed fingitur. S. Austine tells thee so, Ep. 54. which is to Macedonius. Thy repentance is no repentance; thou doest but feigne repentance. It will neuer procure thee pardon for thy sinne. Make thou therefore actuall restitution.

Thus far of the 8. verse.